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BETSY GILLBETSY GILLBETSY GILLBETSY GILL

"Education guides our path through this world; every new idea we encounter forces us to rethink the

placement of our next step."

--Betsy Gill

Life is full of opportunities for having fun, and my family gatherings provide many occasions for silliness.

As someone educated in St. Louis, I cannot wait to lead classrooms full of St. Louis

students to deeper understanding of the world around us. My parents held high hopes for me; each making sacrifices so that I could attend Cor Jesu Academy for high school and Marquette University for college. They always encouraged my love of reading. In middle school, my mom lent me John Grisham novels while my dad recommended medical mysteries by Robin Cook. Our house was always filled with books. That fact alone cannot explain why I am now seeking a certification in English Language Arts, but it is a contributing factor! When I am not thinking about how to encourage a love of reading in my future students, I can be found with my sisters, Michelle and Tori, or my boyfriend, David. My sisters and I share a love of going to movies, playing with their dogs and cats, and acting silly whenever we get together. David and I explore the history we find in and around St. Louis through estate sale antiques and the wealth of museums in the area. Although I love the company of my family and friends, I do occasionally seek alone time to hike in Castlewood State Park or along the Chubb Trail in West Tyson Park.

"Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us

there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and

greater strength for our nation."

--John F. Kennedy


Betsy Gill

Culture Essay

Fall 2012

On the bottom shelf of my childhood bookshelves, it sat. Purple and laced with glitter. Too big for the

normal shelves. My best finger-painting project ever. And I had completed it all during my visit to kindergarten

shadowing a friend who had graduated from preschool the spring before. For an entire year, it served as a

reminder of all the fun I was going to have when I finally joined my friends in elementary school. I had been

doing time, 3 days a week, for a year and a half in preschool. I was so ready to get to the serious learning.

********

I picked up the most interesting-seeming book at the store. I needed something new to read. Traipsing

from monument to monument with my family, I was exhausted and just wanted to lose myself in a story. My

parents brought us to Washington D.C. the summer of my 12th year so that we could explore the nation’s

capital. I was more interested in exploring the fictional worlds found within the stacks of my local library. So

there I was, in the bookstore behind the Lincoln Memorial, searching among the black, brown, and grey tomes

for anything that may have been written with a 12-year-old girl in mind. I finally settled on a compelling title

Ghost stories of the Nation’s Capital with a bright blue cover. After my mom paid for it, I shuffled along

behind her to the next “great historic monument,” all the time wondering when I would get a chance for to find

a still, quiet place to delve into my new book.

********

Catherine, Emily, and I checked over our shoulders to see if any of the vile Harvester boys were looking

out of their back windows into their backyard. We were sneaking through their mother’s tall pea plants,

snapping off a few peapods as we came upon the path we were looking for. The one that led straight to the

creek, a cool oasis on a smothering, hot day. My best friends and I had found a spot in the creek bank where the

earth had been scooped out by nature to form a bowl the perfect size for creating twig, leaf and eau de creek

water soup. We would play outside, alongside the creek for hours, sending rocks to plummet to the depths of


our own private tributary. From time to time, we would build mini-dams to build up pools for our Barbies and

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Water would tear them down pretty quickly through a natural science

demonstration.

********

I have always been serious about my education. Since my first days of seeing my friends move on to

kindergarten without me, I have always felt the need to catch up and learn everything I can about my world.

My love of reading is only tempered by my love for natural science and other disciplines that explain the why’s

and how’s of our world. I know that my passion for new information will bleed into my classroom physically

in the form of adornments explaining the writing process and shelves full of books for my students to read. I

have been lucky to experience a lot of the world; my students will have the world brought in to them. The

curiosity to figure out the world around them is the most compelling characteristic of middle school students. I

cannot wait to serve as a door through which they can step into the world of language, literature, and writing. I

cannot wait to experience what each student will bring back.

********

“When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it

to himself.” – Jacques Cousteau

Myths, Legends, and Tales Communication Arts – Grade 7 Betsy Gill Fall 2012

Overview Rationale Students will use stories of the past to examine the character traits that cultures valued over time. In looking to the past, students will be able to see which character traits have prevailed as crucial to success in our current society. By examining the traits of others, students will be inspired to improve their own character in order to emulate the great stories of the past. Additionally, they will analyze the stories to understand the step-by-step process that the characters have taken to achieve their goals. By combining a “how-to” essay that includes specific, orderly steps and a unit on legends and myths, students will be challenged beyond recreating recipes or building instructions and will instead choose topics such as “how to be courageous” or “how to become a living legend.” Summary This unit will begin with an overview of myths and their endurance throughout history. We will begin by reading “Daedalus and Icarus: A Greek Myth Retold,” by Josephine Preston Peabody. The students will


analyze this story for plot development and character traits valued by the ancient Greeks. Using storyboard note-taking, the students will identify major events within the story and key details that led to the death of Icarus. The next story, “Phaeton, Son of Apollo,” by Edith Hamilton will also be used to examine the character traits that were idolized by ancient Greek civilization. The students will write a reflection on the foolishness exhibited by Phaeton and connect his choices to a time where they wanted to prove themselves to their peers. Then the students will transition to a medieval myth, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” retold by Michael Morpurgo, to compare and contrast the idea of courage as it existed in medieval England to how it manifests today. In preparation for their final writing assignment, students will learn about complex sentences and practice diagramming them. The unit will culminate in a “how-to” essay that allows students to organize their writing in a logical manner as well as examine what it takes to show virtue and honor in their communities. Objectives Students will cite textual evidence to support analysis of the strengths and values of characters in myths and legends. Students will write a how-to explanation using a variety of sentence structures. Students will write in a logical, organized sequence using appropriate transitions to create an informative how-to essay. Students will read actively, using skills for predicting plot, questioning the text, and creating sensory images. Literacy Strategies Visualizing, quick writes, character webbing, concept mapping, exit slips, outlining, diagramming Length of Curriculum This unit will take 4 weeks to complete over daily class periods of 90 minutes each. Materials & Resources School – Promethean Board, audio visual equipment, computer lab, textbooks, copy machine Teacher – various handouts, DVD of A Knight’s Tale, prepared discussion questions, expertise in the culture surrounding stories from the past, examples of how-to essays Student – paper, pencils, crayons/markers/colored pencils, understanding of 7th grade writing mechanics, 7th grade reading comprehension Means of Assessment Formative: Quick writes, exit slips, verbal checks for understanding, storyboard note completion, think/pair/share reporting, outline completion. Summative: The students will write an essay explaining how to demonstrate a cultural value in the context of their communities. The essay will be evaluated based on the following objectives: depth of understanding of cultural values, use of sentence variety, organization, use of literary devices.

Four Lesson Plans for use in the Unit

Heading Class 7th Grade CommArts Your Name Ms. Gill

Name of Lesson Storyboard notes Time Frame 90 minutes Rationale

Students need to learn multiple methods of note taking to organize information found in fiction as well as informational texts. Storyboard notes will allow students to create sensory images.


Objectives TSW will create chronological and pictorial representation of the plot elements in the story of Icarus and Daedalus using storyboard notes.

Reading Material Holt McDougal Literature, pp. 660-665 “Icarus and Daedalus: Greek Myth Retold” by Josephine Preston Peabody

Instructional * Framework

Initiating Constructing Utilizing

Lesson Plan * Format

Direct Instruction

Grouping Whole Class Pairs Individuals Materials & Resources

School – Promethean board Teacher – storyboard handout Student – Colored pencils/crayons/markers

Literacy Strategies Visualizing Quick write

Phase One 1. We will start with a 5 minute “Do Now,” quick write retelling the story of “Icarus and Daedalus,” followed by a review of the main plot points. I will transition into explaining the storyboard note writing process and explain their use in organizing plot structures.

Phase Two and Three

2. I will demonstrate drawing storyboard notes on the Promethean board, using the same template as on the students’ handout. I will note that the main ideas can be drawn with key details written below. I will use the previously-studied story of “Thank you, M’am,” by Langston Hughes, to demonstrate. 3. We will do the first frame as a class. I will discuss the difference between main ideas to be illustrated and key details to be noted below each frame. Students will work on the rest of the frames on their own notes at their desk as I work with students who need additional guidance.

Phase Four and Five 4. As I am walking throughout the classroom, I will offer feedback for students who are correctly completing the notes. I will use a pen to note on top of each student’s paper if they are on the right track if unable to chat with each one. As the class finishes up the task, I will have various students present their products to the whole class. 5. For the last 10 minutes of class, the students will begin creating a set of storyboard notes for a simple “how-to” task, e.g. tying a shoe, shooting a basketball, cooking an egg. I will emphasize that storyboard notes are helpful in creating step-by-step or chronological order.

Formative Assessment

I will observe which students understand storyboard note-taking by my observations during guided practice.

Summative * Assessment

Students will write an instructional “how-to” essay in which chronological order and details are important. This activity will give students a tool to organize their essay into a logical sequence as well as require students to include key details.

Homework Assignment

As homework, the students will complete the storyboard notes for the “how-to” task they started at the end of the lesson.


Lesson Plan Template Writing for Teachers


Name of Lesson How to Be Courageous Time Frame 90 minutes Rationale We are called to take on numerous roles in our lives: teacher, doctor, lawyer,

engineer, etc. Those roles come with specific things to do. Some of our roles require ways of being: patient, meticulous, investigative, analytical, etc. Students will need to examine their character and begin to identify strengths that they bring to our society.

Objectives TSW use textual evidence to discuss the characters who demonstrated courage in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” and create a definition of courage to apply to contemporary life.

Reading Material Holt McDougal Literature, pp. 690-702 from “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” retold by Michael Morpurgo




Discussion


School – Teacher – list of prepared questions Student – copy of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” paper and pencil

Literacy Strategies Character web / concept mapping Exit slip

Phase One & Two 1. Provide frame for courage by reading Sir Gawain’s speech of acceptance of the green knight’s challenge. State objective of using the text to examine courage. 2. Have students draw a character web to guide our discussion. Instruct students to write down 2-4 examples of courage from the text.

Phase Three

3. Hold discussion. Use teacher-guided questions as needed.

Phase Four & Five 4. Wrap up discussion being certain to include other prized characteristics of society. 5. For final 5 minutes of class, students will complete an exit slip answering two questions: What did you learn from our discussion? and What is one thing you wanted to say but didn’t?


As an active participant in the discussion, I will ensure everyone participates and assess each student’s understanding of courage and textual evidence based on their verbal contributions.


Students will write an instructional “how-to” essay in which chronological order and details are important. This discussion and character mapping will help students determine which details are relevant and which are not.


Homework Assignment

Brainstorm a topic for writing the “how-to” essay. Bring in a paper with 3-5 written ideas of things you know how to do or characteristics that you know how to be.



Name of Lesson Ideas and Outlining Time Frame 90 minutes Rationale Students will need class time to organize their how-to essay and receive feedback

from their peers to ensure that they are including the necessary steps. Objectives Students will write with strong ideas and including pertinent details. Reading Material Sample student how-to essays




Cooperative learning


School – Teacher – rubric for how-to essay Student – paper and pencil

Literacy Strategies Outlining Phase One Teacher introduces models of successful how-to essays from past students. Teacher

passes out the rubric. Students will work in pairs to examine the rubric and begin brainstorming ideas for their own essays. Students will be able to bounce ideas off one another to find an appropriate topic.

Phase Two

Students will design an outline to organize their ideas. Working together, they will ensure each step in their “how-to” essay is in place.

Phase Three Teacher will collect brainstorm ideas to check if students are on task. Teacher will give the timeline expectations for the drafting and revising process.


The written work will be checked for sound ideas throughout the lesson.


Students will write an instructional “how-to” essay in which chronological order and details are important. This discussion and character mapping will help students determine which details are relevant and which are not.

Homework Assignment



Name of Lesson Complex Diagramming Time Frame 90 minutes Rationale To reach the students who are visual and/or enjoy math, I will demonstrate

diagramming sentences as a way for students to deconstruct complex sentences. By


using example texts and examining sentence structure in depth, students will be more aware of the sentence structure in their own writing and will be motivated to edit as needed.

Objectives TSW use diagrams to examine complex sentences.

Reading Material Holt McDougal Literature, pp. 690-702 from “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” retold by Michael Morpurgo




Direct instruction


School – audio-visual equipment to play a DVD Teacher – DVD of A Knight’s Tale, diagramming handout Student – pencil

Literacy Strategies Visualization Phase One & Two 1. Show clip from A Knight’s Tale including the crests of jousting knights. I will type

lines of dialogue from the movie and display the diagrams of 4-5 sentences. 2. I demonstrate diagramming complex sentences using sentences from the textbook. I will reiterate what components create complex sentences.

Phase Three

3. Students will work individually to diagram additional sentences from the text (pre-determined by me), on structures that are labeled with the parts of speech. After these sentences are successfully diagrammed, the students will use a blank paper to create diagrams of sentences of their own writing.

Phase Four & Five 4. I will circulate to check to see if students are grasping the concept of complex sentences and adjust level of complexity of the modifiers as necessary in order to isolate the specific attributes of complex sentences. 5. The students will use their deeper understanding of sentence structure and write 3-4 complex sentences about “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.”


During the transition between pre-determined sentences and student-written sentences, we will pair and share as a group to check for understanding.


Students will write an instructional “how-to” essay in which chronological order and details are important. Since I will be looking for paragraphs with varied sentence structure, this practice will help students prepare to write the longer piece of work.

Homework Assignment

none


Rubric for Summative Assessment : “How -to” Essay

Student Name: ________________________________________

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1

Focus on Topic (Content)

There is one clear, well-focused topic. Main idea stands out and is supported by detailed information.

Main idea is clear but the supporting information is general.

Main idea is somewhat clear but there is a need for more supporting information.

The main idea is not clear. There is a seemingly random collection of information.

Introduction (Organization)

The introduction is inviting, states the main topic and previews the structure of the paper.

The introduction clearly states the main topic and previews the structure of the paper, but is not particularly inviting to the reader.

The introduction states the main topic, but does not adequately preview the structure of the paper nor is it particularly inviting to the reader.

There is no clear introduction of the main topic or structure of the paper.

Sequencing (Organization)

Details are placed in a logical order and the way they are presented effectively keeps the interest of the reader.

Details are placed in a logical order, but the way in which they are presented/introduced sometimes makes the writing less interesting.

Some details are not in a logical or expected order, and this distracts the reader.

Many details are not in a logical or expected order. There is little sense that the writing is organized.

Support for Topic (Content)

Relevant, telling, quality details give the reader important information that goes beyond the obvious or predictable.

Supporting details and information are relevant, but one key issue or portion of the storyline is unsupported.

Supporting details and information are relevant, but several key issues or portions of the storyline are unsupported.

Supporting details and information are typically unclear or not related to the topic.

Sentence Structure (Sentence Fluency)

All sentences are well-constructed with varied structure.

Most sentences are well-constructed with varied structure.

Most sentences are well-constructed but have a similar structure.

Sentences lack structure and appear incomplete or rambling.

Word Choice Writer uses vivid words and phrases that linger or draw pictures in the reader's mind, and the choice and placement of the words seems accurate, natural and not forced.

Writer uses vivid words and phrases that linger or draw pictures in the reader's mind, but occasionally the words are used inaccurately or seem overdone.

Writer uses words that communicate clearly, but the writing lacks variety, punch or flair.

Writer uses a limited vocabulary that does not communicate strongly or capture the reader's interest. Jargon or cliches may be present and detract from the meaning.

Transitions (Organization)

A variety of thoughtful transitions are used. They clearly show how ideas are connected.

Transitions clearly show how ideas are connected, but there is little variety.

Some transitions work well; but connections between other ideas are fuzzy.

The transitions between ideas are unclear or nonexistant.

Conclusion (Organization)

The conclusion is strong and leaves the reader with a feeling that they understand what the writer is "getting at."

The conclusion is recognizable and ties up almost all the loose ends.

The conclusion is recognizable, but does not tie up several loose ends.

There is no clear conclusion, the paper just ends

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