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WHO ARE YOU AND WHO AM I?
9TH
GRADE English:
4 week unit plan
Annie Wodlinger
EDUC 463: Methods in Teaching Language Arts Fall 2010
Introduction
This is the first unit of the year in a 9th grade classroom in the Thompson Valley
School District. This school district uses the Colorado Standards for Reading, Writing, and Communicating. The students for which this unit plan is designed for have a range of reading and writing abilities due to their English language acquisition, IEP’s, etc.; most students function and learn at a 9th grade level or higher. These students are involved in a variety of school clubs and sports teams, as well as balancing part-time jobs outside of school.
This unit kicks off the new school year to allow time for the students to get to
know each other and me. In this unit, they will work together on projects and in class assignments in order to build a sense of unity in the classroom. Team building and developing respectful ways to discuss course materials is important to the overall structure of this class throughout the year. This unit is the ground floor upon which the students and I will learn and grow as a whole.
The texts we will study this semester include (in no particular order):
v Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer – Novel v Alone, Maya Angelou – Poetry v Newspaper articles surrounding Chris McCandless’ life and journey
that inspired the novel and film: o Simpson, Sherry. I Want To Ride In The Bus Chris Died In.
Anchorage Press, February 7 - February 13, 2002, Vol. 11 Ed. 6. http://web.archive.org/web/20070405043705/http://www.anchoragepress.com/archives/documentb965.html
o An interview with Jan Burres: http://www.joplinglobe.com/weekend/local_story_011165123.html
o http://outsideonline.com/outside/features/1993/1993_into_the_wild_2.html
o http://www.gjfreepress.com/article/20071214/COMMUNITY_NEWS/71213009
o http://foragersharvest.com/into-the-wild-and-other-poisonous-plant-fables/
o http://www.suite101.com/content/into-the-wild-a19645
v youtube.com clips:
o “Jon Krakauer Reveals Inspiration for Into the Wild” o “Chris McCandless - Alexander Supertramp” o “Into the Wild Apple scene”
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Annie Wodlinger
Rationale for Unit Plan: Teaching Into the Wild
Fall 2010
The key concepts for this unit include individuality and how that works in a group
environment. The students will be exploring themselves and learning about each other through
a variety of different activities during this semester. Getting to know and understand the
members of the class will be important for the overall dynamic of the class for the whole
semester, so this unit is crucial as a building block for the work ahead. The students will learn
in this unit how to analyze poetry which will be continue to work on all year with the first being
“Alone” by Maya Angelou. Understanding poetry helps students think critically about what they
are reading and also relate the content of their own lives. Similar to our poetry study, the
students will dive into their first book reading for the semester with Into the Wild by Jon
Krakauer. In this unit I will constantly ask the students to draw upon personal experiences and
ideas from other readings to make new meaning from “old” material. The students will learn
new poetry devices and then apply that new knowledge to an original piece of “art” or
literature.
I want to teach this unit for a number of reasons, but most importantly, I feel like it is
important for students at this age to start thinking about themselves as an individual within a
group and what roles they play in keeping that group functioning and working together. Into
the Wild explores many social issues including the want and desire to belong and serve a
purpose. We will discuss these ideas in relation to our classroom on a smaller scale in order to
discuss this issue on a larger scale later. The students will use this unit as a foundation for the
rest of the class and if they do not begin to feel a sense of belonging early on, we will all
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struggle through the rest of the year. This unit works to teach the students about their identity
and how all the great aspects of their personalities will have a time and place to shine this year.
Teaching the students how to look at poetry and literature through a more critical lens, as we
are doing in this unit, will give them tools we will come back to repeatedly this year. It is
important to teach the students how to read critically while giving them tools to do so, in order
for them to become more confident and academic readers and writers. The authentic texts we
are studying in this unit give the students great examples of how language can be manipulated
in order to create new meaning.
In order to make a decision about teaching this unit I looked at the role of the individual
in a group, the desire to serve a purpose in our lives, and pedagogical reasons for teaching
poetry and longer novels. Giving the students the space and place to be individuals in this unit
will scaffold the work we will do throughout the year. As they begin to understand the
importance of their individual roles in the classroom, they will begin to develop a sense of
belonging and purpose; the goal here is to put the responsibility of learning on the students
and allow them to create meaning and importance on their own. Taking ownership is a huge
responsibility, but an important one for teenagers to learn early on in order to be success now
and in the future. Studying a young man’s journey to find himself will help the students begin
to understand the huge undertaking they are on in their own journey’s to becoming adults in
our society.
The academic justifications for teaching this unit as this point in the semester involve
learning skills and attaining tools that can be utilized for a variety of texts and contexts the
students will confront in their education. I am teaching my students reading strategies in order
to support their reading comprehension skills that can be used in many aspects of the
students’ lives both in and out of school. The National Capital Language Resource Center
(NCLRC) explains that “reading is an interactive process that goes on between the reader and
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the text, resulting in comprehension. The text presents letters, words, sentences, and
paragraphs that encode meaning. The reader uses knowledge, skills, and strategies to
determine what that meaning is (NCLRC website)” and these are skills that I cannot assume my
students will come to my class knowing. Teaching these strategies and skills will help my
students with the progression of reading difficulty throughout this year. The evidence of
reading comprehension will come from whole class discussion about the book at large and
reading quizzes that check for basic understanding of the plot periodically while we are reading
the novel. Checking for understanding often while reading this first novel of the year will help
me see which students need more tools and those who are all ready showing the signs of “good
readers”. The students will also reflect on the novel and class discussion in a writing journal
each day to allow them time to put their thoughts into words before being asked to talk about
the novel with others.
Teaching poetic devices and analysis strategies are important for the standardized tests
the students will be required to participate in throughout high school, as well as just giving
them more confidence to approach poetry on their own and in the classroom. Having the
students write their own personal narrative will help them explore and better understand the
world of poetic language without asking them to write an original poem at the beginning of the
semester; they will do this later in the year. I want the students to be able to use a variety of
genres to convey a message. Helen Vendler says that “the power in which language is used” is
an aspect of poetry that needs to be taught to students in order to “[give] them an avenue
toward mastery(youtube.com).” She also explains that “[giving] them a model of what it might
be like to talk about art (youtube.com)” will be useful so that they understand the language in
which they should use to talk about poetry in the classroom. Understanding poetry as art is just
as important for students to understand and giving them some new language in which to use
when talking about poetry will empower them to use their new vocabulary appropriately when
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interacting with others. I believe that teaching poetry gives my students a holistic education
that is versatile in many ways in their lives outside the classroom. The evidence of the students’
understanding of poetry will come from their ability to analyze a poem and apply their
knowledge of literary devices to an original piece of writing, the personal narrative.
One challenge I may face to teaching Into the Wild to my students is that it is maybe not
the most academic and scholarly piece of literature available. To that I would say that I am
more concerned with my students reading and understanding the story and being able to talk
about it intelligently than I am concerned with them reading material that is above and beyond
their scope of learning. I think the content of this book is dense enough to make them think,
while still introducing new language and uses of language we can discuss as a class. This novel
also focuses on real concerns that my students may have in regards to becoming teenagers and
adults and those are the types of discussions I want them to be able to have in my classroom.
As the year rolls along, we will read more and more challenging material, but starting at this
level may give my struggling readers some confidence to move forward to tackle more difficult
texts and language.
Teaching Into to Wild gives me some flexibility as far as what I want my students to
learn on a academic level from reading this text in particular. I want my students to first
understand the plot and context in which the book was written and secondly, I want the
students to think critically about the journey the main character goes on and how that may
relate to their own lives. One article explains that “by coming to Alaska, McCandless hoped to
experience uncharted country, to locate an empty space on the map. Although it is doubtful
whether blank spots existed anywhere in North America in 1992 -- or in 1492 for that matter --
McCandless nevertheless devised a solution to his dilemma”. I think this is a goal that many
young teenagers have; they have big dreams for their futures and so many goals they want to
achieve (Kollin 41).” By reading this novel we can talk about what it means to make good
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decisions and how one goes through the process of choosing one path or another in life. Into
the Wild can also be considered literary non-fiction and for that purpose I will help my students
understand what that means to us as we study this novel in a academic setting. “But history
shares with fiction a mode of mediating the world for the purpose of introducing meaning, and
it is the cultural authority from which they both derive that illuminates those facts so that they
can be perceived (Heyne 479).”
The supplementary text we will read in this unit is “Alone” by Maya Angelou and
focuses on the similar issues that McCandless faces in his own journey: having a place and
knowing that place in the world as well as understanding your purpose for the future. I decided
to supplement this text so we can talk about the differences in creative choices made by the
male author versus the female author. There is great value is juxtaposing two texts that share
similar ideas, but vary in how those ideas are conveyed. Teaching the poem along with Into the
Wild will give the students a place to question the author’s choice of words, in comparison to
their own thoughts about being alone and discovering their position and place in their own
worlds.
Works Cited
"The Wild, Wild North: Nature Writing, Nationalist Ecologies, and Alaska" by Susan Kollin (American Literary History 12,
Spring-Summer 2000, pp. 41-78)
Helen Vendler: “Teaching Poetry” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpQAf5tyyLQ
http://www.nclrc.org/essentials/reading/reindex.htm
"Toward a Theory of Literary Nonfiction" by Eric Heyne (Modern Fiction Studies 33:3, Autumn 1987, pp. 479-490)
Annie Wodlinger Unit Plan: Calendar EDUC 463 Fall 2010
Week 1 Monday Tuesday - Day 1 Wednesday Thursday - Day 2 Friday
Objective Understand course objectives
Create a Graffiti sample as part of introducing yourself to the class
Introduction to Into the Wild
Writing Graffiti Assignment Finish Graffiti Assignment
Language Reading Read the around the
first 30 pages of Into the Wild
Other "Banksy" graffiti examples/youtube.co
m clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJwUB0s
YPeA www.banksy.co.uk
Annie Wodlinger Unit Plan: Calendar EDUC 463 Fall 2010
Week 2 Monday - Day 3 Tuesday Wednesday - Day 4 Thursday Friday - Day 5 Objective Begin reading Into the
Wild as a class
Relate your life that of a character from a novel
Recognize literary devices in a piece of writing
Create graphic organizers to aid learning of literary devices
Brainstorm ideas for personal narrative assignment
Writing Journal Prompt: Write about a time in your
life when you felt lost. Use specific details
about time and place.
Using the examples from the media
sources, change the passive voice to active
Language Learn about simile, metaphor, and
personification from OWL handout
Reading Into the Wild, pp. 30-60
Into the Wild, around pp.60-90
Into the Wild, around pp.90-120
Drama (Student Generated or Film)
Other
Annie Wodlinger Unit Plan: Calendar EDUC 463 Fall 2010
Week 3 Monday Tuesday - Day 6 Wednesday Thursday - Day 7 Friday Objective Understand what the
differences between passive and active voice
Continue reading Into the Wild
Writing Begin draft of personal narrative
Work on Narrative
Language Passive vs. Active Voice Exercise
Reading Into the Wild around pp.120-150
Into the Wild around pp.150-180
Drama (Student Generated or Film)
youtube.com clips from the film version of Into the Wild http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDicCqmDleM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVSR4zEJvtg
Other OWL handout on Active/Passive Voice
Annie Wodlinger Unit Plan: Calendar EDUC 463 Fall 2010
Week 4 Monday - Day 8 Tuesday Wednesday - Day 9 Thursday Friday - Day 10 Objective Discuss how tone
supports the theme of a piece of writing
Analyze and locate use of commas correctly in a piece of writing Discuss the effects of exploding a moment in a piece of writing
Learn how to correctly punctuate and insert dialogue into a piece of writing
Writing Narrative work cont.
Narrative work: Explode the moment exercise
Finish narratives by adding punctuation; Peer editing of narratives
Language Proper punctuation of dialogue in a piece of writing
Reading Into the Wild around pp.180-end; “Alone” – Maya Angelou
Drama (Student Generated or Film)
youtube.com clips from the film version of Into the Wild http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDicCqmDleM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVSR4zEJvtg
AT&T Commercial: http://www.youtube.com/user/ShareATT?v=9xAJmdhQzJ4&feature=pyv&ad=5575145071&kw=ATT%20commercial
Share student examples of exploding the moment
Other OWL handout on Tone OWL handout on Commas NARRATIVE FINAL DRAFT DUE NEXT CLASS!!!
Understanding By Design Unit Template Title of Unit Who Am I and Who Are You? Grade Level 9th
Curriculum Area English Time Frame 5-6 Weeks Developed By Annie Wodlinger
Identify Desired Results (Stage 1) Content Standards and Evidence Outcomes Standard 1: Oral Expression and Listening 1. Oral presentations require effective preparation strategies a. Give formal and informal talks to various audiences for various purposes using appropriate level of formality and rhetorical devices 2. Listening critically to comprehend a speaker’s message requires mental and physical strategies to direct and maintain attention e. Explain how variables such as background knowledge, experiences, values, and beliefs can affect communication Standard 2: Reading for All Purposes 1. Increasingly complex literary elements in traditional and contemporary works of literature require scrutiny and comparison b. Explain the relationships among elements of literature: characters, plot, setting, tone, point of view, and theme c. Identify the characteristics that distinguish literary forms and genres d. Examine the ways in which works of literature are related to the issues and themes of their historical periods e. Use literary terms to describe and analyze selections 2. Increasingly complex informational texts require mature interpretation and study a. Identify the intended effects of rhetorical strategies the author uses to influence readers’ perspectives c. Describe how the organizational structure and text features support the meaning and purpose of the text
Understandings Essential Questions Overarching Understanding Overarching Topical
Understanding how to work with people who are different than you Introducing yourself to others and learning about them as well Understanding a journey as a learning process rather than a success or a failure
How will you describe yourself to the people you meet? Who do you want people to know you as?
How does the journey in Into the Wild relate to your life now? Have you ever felt alone, like nobody understands you? Would you be able to give up everything and move into the wild? How does it make you feel to be alone?
Related Misconceptions You can only get along with people who are like you You shouldn’t brag about the things you are good at One person always has to be the leader and other just follow along
Knowledge Students will know…
Skills Students will be able to…
How to talk about themselves in front of a group of people How to relate their lives to someone else’s life Use their creativity to make an original piece of literature
Write an original poem Create a flyer introducing themselves to the class Read and analyze a poem Read and comprehend a book
Assessment Evidence (Stage 2) Performance Task Description
Goal Use an example text to create something new. Role The Writer
Audience The class. Situation Studying Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer and “Alone” by Maya Angelou
Product/Performance An original poem.
Standards
Standard 3: Writing and Composition 1. Literary and narrative texts develop a controlling idea or theme with descriptive and expressive language c. Write literary and narrative texts using a range of poetic techniques, figurative language, and graphic elements to engage or entertain the intended audience d. Refine the expression of voice and tone in a text by selecting and using appropriate vocabulary, sentence structure, and sentence organization e. Review and revise ideas and development in substantive ways to improve the depth of ideas and vividness of supporting details
Other Evidence Journal entries, a “Me” Flyer, novel comprehension questions, poetry analysis worksheet
Learning Plan (Stage 3) Where are your students headed? Where have they been? How will you make sure the students know where they are going?
My students are headed toward begin comfortable with who they are in a group setting (our class). Since they are coming into their first year of high school I think it is important to reflect on their journey here and what events have impacted their lives thus far. As a class we will set goals for each quarter and talk about how those goals will be met. The students will understand that my role is to push them to think beyond their comfort zone in order for them to grow as members of our community and the world at large.
How will you hook students at the beginning of the unit?
The fun, creative “Me” flyer assignment is meant to help them ease into casually working with others in the class. Since they are experts on themselves (or so they think) an assignment that allows them to talk about their strengths as a person will give all of us insight into who everyone is and what they are bringing to this class. Also, showing them some video clips from the movie version might help them better understand the context of the book. I will begin with a writing prompt about a “journey” they have been on and then share a story of my own.
What events will help students experience and explore the big idea and questions in the unit? How will you equip them with needed skills and
I will mostly use the journal entries to let the students explore some lingering questions they might have about how the book relates to their own lives. The original poem they will write in this unit will allow them to dig deeper into their feelings and concerns about the content of the
knowledge? book as well. A lot of class discussion will give me an opportunity to guide their thinking through this book as well as the poem will we study and allow them to ask some really important questions. Allowing the students time to talk to each other either in small groups or as a whole will help them understand that others might be sharing the same concerns about their futures and how their lives may relate to the book.
How will you cause students to reflect and rethink? How will you guide them in rehearsing, revising, and refining their work?
Journal entries will allow the student to reflect and group discussions will help the rethink their thoughts or affirm their original thoughts. I will guide the students by developing discussion questions related to the book and well as comprehension questions that should help them understand the overall point of the book. We will workshop their poems a little this unit and most of the feedback will come from me since it will be their first piece of writing. I will allow them time in groups to explore different possibilities for their poems and help each other with voice and word choice.
How will you help students to exhibit and self-evaluate their growing skills, knowledge, and understanding throughout the unit?
Again the journals will serve as a place for the students to reflect on what is going on throughout the unit and give them a place to bring up issues in a more private place. The comprehension questions are meant to simply guide the students learning and if they begin to struggle with those questions I will need to conference with the student and try to figure out what is holding them back from learning. The original poem will allow the students to show the whole class what they have learned (or not) in this unit because their inspiration should come from either the book or the poem we have studied.
How will you tailor and otherwise personalize the learning plan to optimize the engagement and effectiveness of ALL students, without compromising the goals of the unit?
Allowing students to check out books for a night or two at a time will help the struggling readers by allowing them more time to read the chapters and/or reread sections that were confusing or just need clarification. Also the books can be used to answer to comprehension questions that they do not finish in class. The poem assignment is open to interpretation in order to give creativity to those who want it, but also the students may find that they want to use the mentor poem as a template for writing their own and that is fine too. I will scaffold the comprehension questions to help ease the students slowly into becoming good, active readers while also making sure they are understanding the basic plot line as well. Checking in with students on an individual basis throughout will help me understand who needs more clarification and guidance to be successful in this unit.
How will you organize and sequence the learning activities to optimize the engagement and achievement of ALL students?
To start their activities will be individual and slowly by week 3 they will start interacting more in small groups to answer comprehension questions and work on their poem. The assignments for this unit are individual and not group work based because I want to allow time for the students to get to know one another before they need to work effectively together in a group. As the teacher I will model good group work behavior and help them become comfortable with listening to others and responding to other people’s comments on the literature we are studying. The first assignment is straightforward and very explicit in it’s directions and the final assessment allows for a lot of individual choices with the intention that the students will be ready to make good choices about what kind of work they can do and do well.
From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk)
By: Annie Wodlinger Fall 2010 TITLE AND DAY "Getting To Know You. Getting To Know All About You....!" - Day 1 DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASS
9th Grade English Class on a block schedule (Varying reading abilities; age 13, 70% female, 30% male students; mostly white, low to middle class SES)
STANDARDS/ EVIDENCE OUTCOMES
3.1. d. Refine the expression of voice and tone in a text by selecting and using appropriate vocabulary, sentence 3.2.a. Develop texts that define or classify a topic
LINK The students will call upon their knowledge of introducing themselves to others
MATERIALS "Getting to Know Me" worksheet for students, Example Graffiti piece, art supplies, magazines and other print sources
EXTRA CHALLENGES AND SUPPORT
Challenge: Add pictures, words, images, etc. from magazines and other print sources to graffiti. Write a paragraph on the back explaining your artistic choices in creating the your piece of graffiti. Support: Added support about what pictures and words to include. Look at examples of graffiti and use that as a guide for your own.
ASSESSMENT Exit Ticket: One thing you learned, one thing you still need to learn.
INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
TIME TEACHER WILL DO STUDENTS WILL DO 30 MIN Introduce myself, Read
over course expectations and guidelines
Listen and ask questions, Fill out "Getting to Know You" worksheet to prepare for Graffiti assignment
5 MIN Introduce Graffiti assignment (Follow "Introductory Activity Lesson Plan); Show "Banksy" graffiti examples/youtube.com clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJwUB0sYPeA www.banksy.co.uk
Listen and ask questions
40-45 MIN Help students with Graffiti pieces, set out magazines, print sources, art supplies
Work on Graffiti piece in class
Last 5-10 MIN Help students wrap up graffiti activity, Bring closure to activity, There will be time to finish up Graffiti next time, but then it is due
Exit Ticket: One thing you learned, one thing you still need to learn in regards to the Graffiti assignment, about me, this class, etc.
Annie Wodlinger Introductory Activity for Unit Plan Fall 2010 NAME OF ACTIVITY/CLASS DESCRIPTION
“Bathroom Graffiti” Introductory lesson to Into the Wild novel; for a 9th Grade English Class on a block schedule (Varying reading abilities; age 13, 70% female, 30% male students; mostly white, low to middle class SES)
STANDARDS 1.1. a. Give formal and informal talks to various audiences for various purposes using appropriate level of formality and rhetorical devices 1.2. b. Give verbal and nonverbal feedback to the speaker 3.1. d. Refine the expression of voice and tone in a text by selecting and using appropriate vocabulary, sentence 3.2.a. Develop texts that define or classify a topic 3. 2. f. Explain and imitate emotional, logical, and ethical appeals used by writers who are trying to persuade an audience
LINK Students will be able to… Create a unique bathroom graffiti piece; Explain their creative choices for their bathroom graffiti; Evaluate other bathroom graffiti pieces based on the assignment requirements; Display themselves as individuals to the class through creating a piece of graffiti; Respond/React to each other’s pieces of graffiti; Understand how graffiti is related to the novel Into the Wild they will begin reading; Discuss the idea of “soul searching” and how that relates to their journey to adulthood and Into the Wild
CHALLENGE and SUPPORT
I will show the students a slideshow of different graffiti pieces and ask them talk about what they think each piece means. We will talk about how different artists have different styles and what that might say about them as individuals. We can also discuss whether or not the students believe that graffiti is art or vandalism. Graffiti is an art form and we will watch a short youtube clip about graffiti artists.
INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
5 MIN 1.The students will receive instructions on making their own graffiti. 2.They can use any materials they choose including but not limited to: Cardboard, butcher paper, poster board, copy paper, newspaper, etc. 3. Their graffiti can include as many different mediums as they choose including but not limited to: Markers, crayons, paint, glue, collage, photographs, etc. 4. The graffiti should explain to the class who they believe they are today and possibly where they might be at the end of the year. a. Appropriate language and content only. b. The graffiti piece could be representative of where you come from, what you like and dislike, how you portray yourself, who your friends are, what activities you enjoy, favorite sayings, music, 5. This graffiti piece will be more in-depth than some of the examples because it needs to show us who you believe yourself to be 6. This assignment will be graded based on completion 7. You will need to present your graffiti piece to the class during the next class period; explain anything that might be misunderstood and answer questions from the class about the creative choices you made.
ASSESSMENT The students are graded on a thorough and well thought out completion of the graffiti assignment.
MATERIALS A variety of art materials; youtube clip on graffiti artists/examples of urban graffiti (Banksy)
Name:
Welcome to 9th Grade Engligh!
Please fill this out as honestly as possible. I will use this to get to know you better and help you throughout the course. Thanks!
Other Classes you are taking: Guardians'/Parents' Name (s): Phone # to reach each of them? Who would you prefer I talk to about your progress: Hobbies/School Activities/Clubs: Describe the perfect place to do homework/assignments: Do you prefer to work alone or in a group? List the people you would like to work with: List the people you would rather not work with: What concerns do you have about this course? Other courses?
By: Annie Wodlinger Fall 2010 TITLE AND DAY "Tell Us A Little About Yourself" - Day 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASS
9th Grade English Class on a block schedule (Varying reading abilities; age 13, 70% female, 30% male students; mostly white, low to middle class SES)
STANDARDS/ EVIDENCE OUTCOMES
1.1. a. Give formal and informal talks to various audiences for various purposes using appropriate level of formality and rhetorical devices 1.2. b. Give verbal and nonverbal feedback to the speaker 3.1. d. Refine the expression of voice and tone in a text by selecting and using appropriate vocabulary, sentence 3.2.a. Develop texts that define or classify a topic 3. 2. f. Explain and imitate emotional, logical, and ethical appeals used by writers who are trying to persuade an audience
LINK Students will call upon their knowledge of speaking in front of people and highlighting the key points rather than reading word
for word from notes. MATERIALS Art supplies, magazines and other print sources, Copies of Into the
Wild EXTRA CHALLENGES AND SUPPORT
See Day 1.
ASSESSMENT Me Flyer completion meeting all assignment requirements. INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
TIME TEACHER WILL DO STUDENTS WILL DO
25 MIN Objectives for today: finish Graffiti sample and present; Introduction to Into the Wild: Make connection between the graffiti and Into the Wild by talking about choices and personal expression
Listen and ask questions
30 MIN Begin reading Into the Wild, around the first 30 pages
30 MIN Help students with Graffiti projects , Listen and respond to Graffiti presentations
Finish Graffiti activity from last time, Prepare to present their projects to the class (2 minutes or less)Give a 2 minute presentation/explanation of Graffiti piece to the class;
5 MIN Close today’s lesson, Talk about what to expect next time
Hang graffiti on classroom wall
By: Annie Wodlinger Fall 2010 TITLE AND DAY "Let's Go Into the Wild" - Day 3 DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASS
9th Grade English Class on a block schedule (Varying reading abilities; age 13, 70% female, 30% male students; mostly white, low to middle class SES)
STANDARDS/ EVIDENCE OUTCOMES
2.1.b. Explain the relationships among elements of literature: characters, plot, setting, tone, point of view, and theme 2.1.c. Identify the characteristics that distinguish literary forms and genres
LINK Students will call upon knowledge about adventures and journeys they have taken or previously read about.
MATERIALS Class copies of Into the Wild, OWL at Purdue handout on Narratives
EXTRA CHALLENGES AND SUPPORT
Challenge: These students can choose to read ahead in the book, but will be expected to participate in class discussions. Students will receive longer writing and research prompts to keep them busy without reading ahead in the book. Support: In-class readings and discussions will be guided to ensure all students are following along with the plot of the novel. Supplemental materials are designed to enhance comprehension of the novel. Known struggling readers can get assistance outside of class with assigned work related to the novel.
ASSESSMENT What do the title and cover tell you about what this book is about? INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
TIME TEACHER WILL DO STUDENTS WILL DO
5 MIN Introduce Into the Wild Answer: What do the title and cover tell you about what this book is about?
45 MIN Read Into the Wild out loud Follow along and answer questions related to the reading as read
20 MIN Go over Narrative writing handout with students
Read along and ask questions/answer teacher prompted questions
10 MIN Give students the journal prompt: Write about a time in your life when you felt lost. Use specific details about time and place.
Respond to today's journal prompt in journals.
10 MIN Wrap up journal writing, Relate the prompt back to what we read in Into the Wild, They will need to draw from this journal prompt for another assignment coming up
Turn in response to "What do the title....?", Share their journal responses with the class
By: Annie Wodlinger Fall 2010 TITLE AND DAY "His Devices. Your Vices" - Day 4 DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASS
9th Grade English Class on a block schedule (Varying reading abilities; age 13, 70% female, 30% male students; mostly white, low to middle class SES)
STANDARDS/ EVIDENCE OUTCOMEs
2.1.b. Explain the relationships among elements of literature: characters, plot, setting, tone, point of view, andtheme 2.1.e. Use literary terms to describe and analyze selections
LINK Students already know how to use "like" to describe something in more detail, so today they will learn about simile, metaphor and
personification as different ways to describe. MATERIALS Class copies of Into the Wild, OWL at Purdue Handout on Simile,
Metaphor, Personification EXTRA CHALLENGES AND SUPPORT
Challenge: Students know already know what simile, metaphor and personification are will be asked to find examples in the novel while I am explaining these terms to the rest of the class. Support: Handouts and a mini lecture on literary devices along with finding examples from the text we are reading will help these students better grasp the concept of the literary devices. *See Day 3 for ideas about continued reading comprehension.
ASSESSMENT Turn in at the end of class. Find one example of each in the novel: simile, metaphor, personification.
INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
TIME TEACHER WILL DO STUDENTS WILL DO 5 MIN Reflect on journal responses
from last class Relate their feelings of being lost to that of Chris in the novel
20 MIN Review OWL handout on literary devices, Write student examples on the board; Explain they will be looking for literary devices while they are reading (reading for a purpose)
Read the handout and come up with examples
40 MIN Read Into the Wild; Ask for student volunteers today; Ask clarifying questions about the plot
Read aloud small sections at a time of Into the Wild; Answer teacher prompted questions about the reading
20 MIN Ask students to look back over the reading so far and Find one example of each in the novel: simile, metaphor, personification. Work alone or in pairs. *Turn in at the end of class.
Find one example of each in the novel: simile, metaphor, personification. Work alone or in pairs. *Turn in at the end of class.
5 MIN Wrap up today’s class, Explain they will receive their writing assignment in the next class
Turn in literary device examples.
By: Annie Wodlinger Fall 2010 TITLE AND DAY "It Might Get a Little Graphic" - Day 5 DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASS
9th Grade English Class on a block schedule (Varying reading abilities; age 13, 70% female, 30% male students; mostly white, low to middle class SES)
STANDARDS/ EVIDENCE OUTCOMES
2.2.d. Use flexible reading and note-taking strategies (outlining, mapping systems, skimming, scanning, key word search) to organize information and make connections within and across informational texts
LINK Students learned about simile, metaphor and personification in the previous class, so toady they will make graphic organizers which will
hang around the room to help them remember the definitions. MATERIALS Class copies of Into the Wild, OWL at Purdue Handout on Simile,
Metaphor, Personification, Butcher paper/poster boards, markers, tape, magazines, art supplies the students need to make the posters
EXTRA CHALLENGES AND SUPPORT
Challenge: These students will come up with their own literary device examples instead of finding them in the text. They can also define and find examples of alliteration for the graphic organizers. Support: Using the examples of literary devices these students handed in the last class, I will help them understand which examples are correct and why. *See Day 3 for ideas about continued reading comprehension.
ASSESSMENT Group work on the graphic organizers. INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
TIME TEACHER WILL DO STUDENTS WILL DO
10 MIN Review literary devices from last class
Share examples of literary devices found in Into the Wild
30 MIN Explain graphic organizer activity: to define and provide examples of literary devices (either from the novel or students can create their own); they must define each literary device and provide one example of each (simile, metaphor, personification)
In pairs ONLY create a graphic organizer to be hung in the room for the 3 literary devices we are studying.
5 MIN Introduce Narrative assignment by passing out the assignment sheet and rubric; If time allows today begin brainstorming
Ask questions about narrative; Review journal entry about a time when they felt lost
40 MIN Help students as they read, Help brainstorming on narratives
Read silently the next 30 pages or so; If they finish early, work on brainstorming
5 MIN Wrap up reading or brainstorming.
Turn in graphic organizers, finish reading/b-storming
By: Annie Wodlinger Fall 2010 TITLE AND DAY "Don't Be So Passive" - Day 6 DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASS
9th Grade English Class on a block schedule (Varying reading abilities; age 13, 70% female, 30% male students; mostly white, low to middle class SES)
STANDARDS/ EVIDENCE OUTCOMES
2.1.b. Explain the relationships among elements of literature: characters, plot, setting, tone, point of view, and theme 3.1. c. Write literary and narrative texts using a range of poetic techniques, figurative language, and graphic elements to engage or entertain the intended audience
LINK The students understand the different verb tenses (past, present, future) and this knowledge will help them learn about passive and active voice.
MATERIALS Class copies of Into the Wild, OWL Handout on Passive/Active Voice CHALLENGE AND SUPPORT
Challenge: These students will help explain why the examples I give are active or passive. Support: Handouts with examples will help these students understand the differences between active and passive voice. Helping them find examples in the text will also aid their understanding. I will help them change the sentences from passive to active voice. *See Day 3 for ideas about continued reading comprehension.
ASSESSMENT In small groups find examples from the text and determine whether it is active or passive voice and change the passive voice examples to active.
INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
TIME TEACHER WILL DO STUDENTS WILL DO 25 MIN Passive/Active voice activity:
Show the students examples of passive and active voice sentences (see next page for examples); Ask them to label the sentence either A or B; allow them time to guess why each sentence fits into either category A or B first.; Review Passive/Active voice handout
Put example sentences into category A or B and explain why. ; Review passive/active voice handout
45 MIN Students will read the next 20 pages or so and then find examples of both active and passive voice from the reading; They need to change the passive voice sentences into active, using the handout as a guide *We will finish reading today or in the next class
Read the next 20 pages or so silently and then in small groups find examples of both active and passive voice from the reading, changing the passive voice sentences into active; *Use the handout as a guide - Turn in examples when the group is finished *Finish reading today or in the next class
15 MIN Students will have time to work on narrative brainstorming/drafting: Focus on writing active voice sentences; Wrap up class in the last 5 minutes
Work on personal narrative first draft, focusing on active voice sentences
The boy was bitten by the dog.
Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
The farm animals were annoyed by the farmers work habits.
My mom told me to do my homework.
He laughed at her for making a goofy face.
By: Annie Wodlinger Fall 2010 TITLE AND DAY "How Dare You Compare Me to That" - Day 7 DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASS
9th Grade English Class on a block schedule (Varying reading abilities; age 13, 70% female, 30% male students; mostly white, low to middle class SES)
STANDARDS/ EVIDENCE OUTCOMES
2.1.b. Explain the relationships among elements of literature: characters, plot, setting, tone, point of view, and theme 2.2.b. Evaluate clarity and accuracy of information through close text study and investigation via other sources 2.2.e. Critique author’s choice of expository, narrative, persuasive, or descriptive modes to convey a message 3.1. c. Write literary and narrative texts using a range of poetic techniques, figurative language, and graphic elements to engage or entertain the intended audience 3.1.d. Refine the expression of voice and tone in a text by selecting and using appropriate vocabulary, sentence structure, and sentence organization 3.1.e. Review and revise ideas and development in substantive ways to improve the depth of ideas and vividness of supporting details
LINK Using their knowledge about the novel, students will compare the novel to the film versions and make a decision about which tells a better story and why.
MATERIALS Class copies of Into the Wild, OWL at Purdue Handout on Passive/Active Voice, butcher paper/poster boards, markers, magazines
CHALLENGE AND SUPPORT
Challenge: These students can read ahead in the book and begin working on their narratives today. Support: I will conference with the students and offer suggestions for their narratives/improvements, etc. We will read the last part of the book aloud so the students can all finish together and be ready to talk about the book as a whole in the next class. *See Day 3 for ideas about continued reading comprehension.
ASSESSMENT What are your reactions to the film clips of Into the Wild? INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
TIME TEACHER WILL DO STUDENTS WILL DO
5 MIN Review of the day: Read Into the Wild so we can have a wrap up discussion next time, from now on more time will be devoted to working on the narratives in class
Listen and ask questions about the novel and/or the narrative assignment
45 MIN Reading Into the Wild out loud; show youtube.com clips from the film version of Into the Wild; Get student reactions to the film version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDicCqmDleM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVSR4zEJvtg
Respond to the film version of Into the Wild, Discuss how they can tell their narrative story in an interesting way as Krakauer did in the book and the directors/writers of the filmversions
40 MIN Individual conferences with students on their progress with the narrative
Work on personal narrative, conference with me about what they need help with, plan for continued work on the assignment
By: Annie Wodlinger Fall 2010 TITLE AND DAY "Tone It Up!" - Day 8 DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASS
9th Grade English Class on a block schedule (Varying reading abilities; age 13, 70% female, 30% male students; mostly white, low to middle class SES)
STANDARDS/ EVIDENCE OUTCOMES
2.1.b. Explain the relationships among elements of literature: characters, plot, setting, tone, point of view, and theme 2.2.a. Identify the intended effects of rhetorical strategies the author uses to influence readers’ perspectives 3.1.a. Write well-focused texts with an explicit or implicit theme and details that contribute to a definite point of view and tone 3.1.d. Refine the expression of voice and tone in a text by selecting and using appropriate vocabulary, sentence structure, and sentence organization
LINK Students are already familiar with a person's tone when speaking, so we will use that knowledge to talk about the tone in Into the Wild. They will practice
application of writing tone in their personal narratives. MATERIALS Class copies of Into the Wild, "Alone" by Maya Angelou, OWL at Purdue Handout
on Tone/Mood in writing narratives; Computers/lab time for typing Narratives EXTRA CHALLENGES AND SUPPORT
Challenge: For homework these students will find tone words in the text to share with the class next time we meet. Support: Video clips and discussion about the tone in the clips will further explain how mood is created. *See Day 3 for ideas about continued reading comprehension.
ASSESSMENT Draft of personal narrative turned in today. INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
TIME TEACHER WILL DO STUDENTS WILL DO
15 MIN Wrap up Into the Wild: talk about their overall reactions, how they can relate their own lives to that of Chris McCandless; Students will share their journal responses with a partner and then the whole class
Think:Pair:Share - Respond in your journal, first, to: How can you relate the struggles of Chris in the novel to your own life. Be specific. Share with a partner when you are done. One of you will share with the class as a whole.
25 MIN Discuss the OWL handout on Tone, watch the same youtube.com clips from last class, but analyze the tone this time: use the handout to understand what sort of language to use when talking about tone and creating a tone in your own writing (See Day 7 for film clips)
Watch the clips and discuss with the class as a whole using the handout to guide your thinking
20 MIN Read and discuss “Alone” as it relates to tone; discuss the overall theme and how the theme supports the tone; read the poem for a second time before beginning discussion
Brainstorm about the tone of the poem as a whole class; write possible tones on the board after reading – how do these themes relate to Into the Wild?
30 MIN Conference with students about what they still need help with on their personal narratives
Work on first draft of narrative to turn in at the end of class; Find 2 images on a google search that will enhance your narrative (save on the computer for now)
Alone 1.Lying, thinking
Last night How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty 5.And bread loaf is not stone I came up with one thing
And I don't believe I'm wrong That nobody, 10.But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
15.There are some millionaires With money they can't use Their wives run round like
banshees Their children sing the blues They've got expensive doctors 20.To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone 25.Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Now if you listen closely I'll tell you what I know
Storm clouds are gathering 30.The wind is gonna blow
The race of man is suffering And I can hear the moan,
'Cause nobody, But nobody
35.Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
-Maya Angelou
By: Annie Wodlinger Fall 2010 TITLE AND DAY "Commas Galore" - Day 9 DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASS
9th Grade English Class on a block schedule (Varying reading abilities; age 13, 70% female, 30% male students; mostly white, low to middle class SES)
STANDARDS/ EVIDENCE OUTCOMES
3.3.b. Identify comma splices and fused sentences in writing and revise to eliminate them 3.2.e. Revise ideas and structure to improve depth of information and logic of organization
LINK Students use commas in their writing already, They will learn rules to follow while working on this narrative will help them become more aware of how to properly insert commas in their formal writing.
MATERIALS Class copies of Into the Wild, OWL at Purdue Handout on Comma Rules, magazines, newspapers, highlighters, Computers/lab time for
typing Narratives EXTRA CHALLENGES AND SUPPORT
Challenge: These students will work on their personal narratives and I will help them edit their writing. These students will explode at least two moments in their story. Support: I will offer more ideas from the OWL handout on narrative writing. They will need to explode one moment in their narrative. *See Day 3 for ideas about continued reading comprehension.
ASSESSMENT Explode the moment activity. INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
TIME TEACHER WILL DO STUDENTS WILL DO
30 MIN Review OWL Comma Handout
Look at news articles surrounding Into the Wild for comma usage and the rule being followed, should find at least 3
20 MIN Talk about how to "Explode a Moment" in writing; Watch youtube.com clip and talk about how much detail is it has packed into that one moment http://www.youtube.com/user/ShareATT?v=9xAJmdhQzJ4&feature=pyv&ad=5575145071&kw=ATT%20commercial
Discuss the commercial and its ability to explode that moment; Pick one section of his/her narrative to explode on a separate piece of paper
30 MIN Help students with narratives by editing for comma usage
Continue work on narratives explode the moment and comma usage **Turn in explode the moment activity at the end of class
By: Annie Wodlinger Fall 2010 TITLE AND DAY "Let's Talk About It" - Day 10 DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASS
9th Grade English Class on a block schedule (Varying reading abilities; age 13, 70% female, 30% male students; mostly white, low to middle class SES)
STANDARDS/ EVIDENCE OUTCOMES
2.2.a. Identify the intended effects of rhetorical strategies the author uses to influence readers’ perspectives 2.2.c. Describe how the organizational structure and text features support the meaning and purpose of the text 3.3.a. Use punctuation correctly (semicolons with conjunctive adverbs to combine clauses; colons for emphasis and to introduce a list). 3.3.b. Identify comma splices and fused sentences in writing and revise to eliminate them 3.3.c. Distinguish between phrases and clauses and use this knowledge to write varied, strong, correct, complete sentences 3.3.d. Use various reference tools to vary word choice and make sure words are spelled correctly
LINK Students can identify dialogue in a piece of writing, but today they will learn how to punctuate and insert dialogue into their narratives.
MATERIALS Class copies of Into the Wild, OWL at Purdue Handout on Quotation Marks, computers/lab time for typing narratives
CHALLENGES AND SUPPORT
Challenge: I will ask these students to add dialogue to their stories to enhance it and help each other edit the dialogue. Support: Students will find places where they would like to insert dialogue in their narrative and I will help them punctuate it and decide what might be appropriate for the characters to say. *See Day 3 for ideas about continued reading comprehension.
ASSESSMENT Edited narrative including dialogue. INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
TIME TEACHER WILL DO STUDENTS WILL DO
30 MIN Last day to work on narrative in class; Review OWL Quotations handout with the class; Help the students understand how to incorporate dialogue without interrupting the flow
Work with a partner to find places where dialogue would enhance the narrative storyline
45 MIN While students work on editing their papers for punctuation, spelling and grammar I will conference with each student about their paper to help with the editing process
Continue work on adding dialogue; Next review a partners paper for spelling, grammar and any other mistakes Look at the assignment rubric as you are editing/reading a partners' paper **You will need to print out a copy of your paper for someone else to edit; You will need to turn the editing draft in to show your work shopping time
15 MIN Students will turn in their final draft in the next class; Answer final questions about editing and turning in the final draft: it needs to be typed, Review the rubric before you turn in your narrative to make sure you have completed the assignment
Save or print your narrative ** if you did not finish today the narrative is still due the next time we meet!!
Personal Narrative Assignment Rubric Annie Wodlinger
Fall 2010 Name: Period:
4 3 2 1 Controlling
Theme A theme is clear and developed
throughout the piece
A theme is clearly
developed
A theme is clear in most
places
A theme is difficult to find
Organization Paragraphs clearly
organized and defined to
support the theme
Organization of paragraphs is
obvious
Paragraph organization is
unclear in places
Organization not clear
throughout the piece
Literary Devices
At least one literary device
is used correctly
At least one literary device
used
Literary device is not used correctly
A literary device is not
obviously used
Word Choice and Tone
Word choice effectively develops a
specific tone
Word choice supports a tone
Word choice does not always
support the tone
Word choice does not clearly
support a specific tone
Spelling and Grammar
Spelling and grammar do not interfere
with meaning
Spelling and grammar
mistakes are apparent
throughout
Spelling and grammar
mistakes make it difficult to
understand the meaning
Spelling and grammar mistakes
interfere with meaning
Personal Narrative Assignment
Your task is to write a personal narrative based on a time in your life when you felt lost, similar to Chris McCandless' story in Into the Wild. Narrative writing is about re- creating an event and your feelings connected to that event, using language alone. Writing can transport a reader and writer to a world unlike the one they see every day. A writer is able to detach himself/herself from a very emotional charged situation in order to tell a really great story. Jon Krakauer uses imagery and metaphors to create a dark and impactful tone as he tells the story of Chris
McCandless' journey into the woods to discover himself.
Your personal narrative should develop a tone and use language that is specific to the story you want to tell about your life.
As you begin brainstorming about your personal narrative, here are some guidelines:
1. Create a tone or mood that runs throughout your story.
a.Word choice will be important to creating a mood. Refer to the mood handout for ideas about tone and word choice.
2. Clearly develop a main controlling idea or theme throughout your narrative. Your readers should not have to guess what the main idea is.
3. The length should be 2-3 pages in order to effectively develop a theme.
4. Use at least TWO literary devices: metaphor, personification, simile, alliteration, rhyme, etc. The literary devices you choose to use should be appropriate for the tone and theme of your story.
5. Use the rubric on the backside of this assignment sheet as a checklist as you write and before you hand in your final draft.
Be creative and have fun. Writing is often times easier when you write about something close to your heart.
As your brainstorm about possible topics to write about use this space below to jot down your ideas. Enjoy!
Topic Tone Example of literary device