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It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in

creative expression and knowledge.

- Albert Einstein Hello! My name is Ms. Kaitlyn Smugala and I will be your professor for the upcoming

school year! I will currently be teaching Honors English IV and English II. I graduated

from the University of Missouri in Saint Louis with a bachelor’s degree in English, a

bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis in English, and a certificate

in Gender Studies. While completing my degrees, I was a scholar athlete on the

Women’s Soccer team at UMSL. I attended high school in the area, Parkway South

High, and have wanted to remain teaching here in Saint Louis. My favorite things to do

include curling up somewhere in nature and just read, playing in the mud on the soccer

field, and watching movies from my vast collection of hundreds!

Here is a picture of me and my wonderful puppy!

I look forward to meeting each and everyone one of you and I encourage you to contact

me before the year starts or after receiving the syllabus. My contact information is as

follows:

Kaitlyn Smugala kds29c@mail.umsl.edu

314-346-0993

Let’s get ready for a great year!

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Kaitlyn Smugala

Professor Donna Wadsworth-Brown

ENGL 4880: 001

27 February 2013

An Educational Calling

Nothing in my childhood indicated that my life’s passion and calling would be in

the professional education field. Growing up I was frequently referred to as that ‘little

demon child’. I lacked patience, dedication and commitment to anything other than

soccer and reading, and frequently ignored my studies because I was too ‘cool’ for an

education. Often times, my parents would have to force me to sit down and complete

homework assignments, particularly in science and mathematics (even though I never

struggled in any courses at any point in my life). However, if the assignment dealt with

reading and/or writing, nothing could stop me from working on it at inappropriate times.

I thirsted for new knowledge, yet I was only partially willing to work hard for it. I

remember being asked questions– “What do you want to be when you grew up? – and

ironically, I wanted to be an astronomer. Becoming a teacher never occurred to me

because, I am ashamed to say, the occupation seemed beneath my intelligence.

This changed however one fateful day when I was requested by a teacher to assist

a student with his final examination in a class which he was failing. He needed an A to

pass the class with a C, an impressive feat to accomplish. My loathing for the situation

could not have been overstated. Our differences extended anywhere from extreme

religious differences to simple personality clashes. However, working through the test

with him taught me so much about working one on one with students, seeing a positive

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result, and I learned that everyone has their own cultural differences and experiences

which contribute to my own understanding of the world; this last one in particular hit

home with me. When I learned that not only did he receive an A on the test, I

remembered that he did so by using his own knowledge. I simply slowed him down and

forced him to work through the problems. The feeling of simply making a difference in

my classmate’s life sealed the deal and I knew where my calling lay.

Once I officially decided on my career prospects in the educational field, making

a decision on which subject was to be my particular calling was easier than words can

express. As far as personal experience goes, no one who knew me as a child could have

overestimated my love and desire for the English language and everything that

encompasses. I found myself immersed in the world of language and beauty and could

not tear myself away. All too frequently I would be sent to bed only to be discovered

under the covers with a flashlight falling in love with a macho, masculine hero or battling

the unseen shadows. I read books like I swallowed food, huge portions at a time.

Sometimes I read multiple books at a time, though usually I would dedicate an entire day

to complete a single novel. My addiction began as a child when my mother would read

to me at night before bedtime. This ritual quickly became an obsession, and an obsession

into a life’s passion. By the beginning of middle school I would frequent college

bookstores looking for a challenge: Uncle Tom’s Cabin was just the tip of the iceberg. I

was impatient to begin the next new challenge and constantly pushed myself to learn

more, experience more, and do more.

I have discovered that my personality attributes to my teaching style in a major

way. Because I constantly pushed myself to work harder and do better I want to push the

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limitations of students and see how far they can go and how much they can accomplish

on their own. Growing up, I learned best when I had a direction to follow but flexibility

in taking responsibility for my own learning. However, I have realistic expectations

based on my own experiences which I hope will supplement my lessons and work within

the classroom. I want to make a difference in the world. Even if that difference is a

small one, if I affect a student’s life in the way mine was, I will have done my job.

As I project into the future, I imagine a classroom which is based heavily on

discussion and pushing student responsibility for their own learning and knowledge.

Lessons will center on specific topics from reading assignments which can be associated

with typical life situations and circumstances. The classes I enjoyed the most as a student

were open session courses where students’ inputs were valued and could be expressed

with little fear of judgment. Personal connections were made, not only between students

but with the teacher also. This is how I envision my own classroom, but I hope to

eliminate the fear of judgment and replace it with an environment where discussion,

debates, and open-minded arguments can be conducted amongst the participators. A

support system is essential to the success of any classroom and I hope to not only develop

one for my students, but to develop a lasting one.

Each week different styles of teaching will ideally be implemented. To start the

week off right, I plan on holding short presentations/speeches designed to get students

thinking independently and to establish leadership and communication skills. These

speeches will be no longer than a couple of seconds long (perhaps thirty seconds to a

minute long) and can be as serious or comical as the student wants. Points will be given

out for the assignments; however, the focus of the exercises will be to develop the skills

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necessary for students to succeed in their future professions, whatever those may be. The

second course day will focus on short written requirements to get students to engage their

minds on basic topics and subjects to prepare them for the day plus develop their basic

writing skills and styles. I hope to teach them to develop a voice in their written work

which is evident and unique to themselves. While the class will of course remain

consistent with the district’s and department’s expectations and requirements, it will be

flexible and open to suggestions (both which are lessons I hope to teach students). It will

also have a special dedication and commitment to preparing students for the next step in

life: college, family, and full-time jobs. My classroom will be unique and the experience

unlike any other. The best courses I have ever taken were unique in their own ways.

Each previous classroom experience will contribute something special to my classroom

to make the courses unlike any other.

Students will hopefully step into the classroom excited; excited to learn, excited

to listen, and excited to participate. I want it to be an atmosphere unlike any other, where

students can come and feel accepted, able to share their opinion, work through problems

with one another, and build relationships that will transcend social barriers and clique

lines. I have been in four classrooms in my entire life’s experience: one in a high school

classroom and three at the collegiate level – which created an amazing educational

experience. These teachers and their setups inspire me to influence students’ lives just as

they influenced mine.

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Oral Interpretations of Literature

English II

Kaitlyn Smugala

Fall Semester 2015

Rationale: Forming an academic community and support system within the classroom

will be a major focus within my courses. To accomplish this, I will be developing a

series of short public speaking opportunities which require students to step up and present

information which they themselves find important, meaningful, and necessary to the

success of their peers. This way, students build positive, communicative relationships

with each other. Essential work place skills will also be developed and honed,

particularly their public speaking and analytical skills.

Summary: At the beginning of the unit, students will research award-winning novels and

basic literary pieces, and then they will engage with the text and select a specific section

which they connect with. Individual interpretations will be conducted on their selections.

The literary piece will be presented with this interpretation in mind (for example:

presenting on Night by Elie Wiesel could elicit strong emotions so a student might chose

to present it as if they are Wiesel). The interpretations will be designed to elicit some

emotion so that the audience will be taken into the literary piece along with the presenter.

Afterwards, classmates will comment on one another's presentations. All students will

assess their own use of their analysis and capabilities presenting the information.

Essential Question(s): How can oral interpretations be applied in the professional

workplace? What kind of skills need to be developed to be successful in the professional

world?

Objectives:

1. Students will outline their thought process and steps of their presentations

with 100% accuracy. (Know)

2. Students will defend their work and connections with their literary works

three of four class days during the unit. (Comprehend)

3. Students will implement all aspects of the public speaking skills outlined in

the course syllabus requirements. (Apply)

4. During every class time, students will analyze literary works to determine how

they are valuable in modern society. (Analyze)

5. Students will assess their own use of three varying types of presentations

which demonstrates their proficiency in analysis of literary works and their

ability to present this information. (Evaluate)

6. At the completion of each assignment, students will compose creative writing

pieces which demonstrate their understanding by using key elements of their

analysis with 70% accuracy. (Create)

Literacy Strategies: Think Aloud, Text Structures, and Reaction Guide

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Length of Unit: Two weeks

Materials and Resources:

- Materials:

o Chosen novel

o Written essay and speech

o Rubric

- Resources:

o Teacher

o Library

o Other students

Assessment:

- Pre-assessment:

o Short, two to three minute presentation on a “new invention”

This invention is a basic everyday item with a new useful purpose

o Skills to be assessed:

Rate of speech, volume, clarity, fluidity, knowledge and experience

of public speaking

- Formative:

o Written feedback from the teacher: small conferences with all students

during a class period to see how far along they are, give general feedback and

suggestions, and answer any questions the students might have on the

assignment

o Peer Review: while students are having conferences with the teacher, others

will be peer reviewing one another’s work (a rubric will be provided to

assess one another’s work and to provide feedback and comments for one

another); both of these formative assessments will be done on the same day

- Summative:

o Oral presentation on the literary work

o Short reflective essay

Students will be provided a rubric beforehand so that they are aware

of the expectations and items which will be graded

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September 2012

◄ Aug 2012 ~ September 2012 ~ Oct 2012 ►

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

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3

4

5

6

7

8

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10 Introduction to unit Give out assignment sheets ASSIGNMENT: Decide on your literary piece and type out passage word for word for your presentation

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12 Meet with peers to discuss ideas Turn in passages and titles Discuss the requirements and expectations of public speaking presentation ASSIGNMENT: Begin practicing passage. Write out presentation notes Parts to include: Introduction Passage Connection “Wow” moment Opinion Conclusion

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14 Turn in presentation notes Meet with teacher to discuss ideas DO NOT share your passage or literary piece Watch previous student’s presentations and critique as a class Sign up for dates to present and times ASSIGNMENT: Continue to practice

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18 Presenters 1 - 10

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20 Presenters 11 – 20

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22

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24 Presenters 21 – 25 Spend time as a class assessing one another’s work Everyone needs to comment on another classmate’s work

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26 Rubrics and grade sheets will be returned to students Answer student questions on grades Begin the next unit

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29

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Discussion Model Lesson Plan

Teacher Subject Level

Kaitlyn Smugala English Tenth

Topic:

Literary Interpretations – Classic Novels

Objective(s):

1. Students will outline their thought process and steps of their presentations with

100% accuracy. (Know)

2. Students will defend their work and connections with their literary works three of

four class days during the unit. (Comprehend)

3. During every class time, students will analyze literary works to determine how

they are valuable in modern society. (Analyze)

Materials needed: notebooks, pens

Phase 1: Clarify aims and establish set:

Purpose: to discuss the importance of varying classic literary pieces, their

connection within modern society, and one’s own connection with the

work

o Students will discuss what it means to be a class piece

Pieces could also be award-winning or significant pieces

which heavily influenced a generation

Introduction to the assignment:

o Hand out the rubric

o Discuss expectations of presentations

Make a connection

Present the literary work exactly as printed

Interpret the work through one’s own oral reading of it

Write a small review of this information

o Answer any questions students might have for the assignment

Discussion:

o Discuss in groups of four or five ideas you might have for the

assignment

o Document ideas presented

Do not narrow it down by student or name of work

This area needs to be a surprise to add to the “wow”

factor

Phase 2: Focus the discussion:

Expectations:

o Get together in groups

4 – 5 students per group

o Discuss ideas of literary pieces and document the ideas

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Turn in this information (one sheet per group)

Label information with students’ names at the top of

the page

Format does not matter (concept map, points, etc.)

Do NOT specify what each student has decided upon nor

what specific works were discussed

The connections need to be documented and the

time spent discussing works needs to be

documented though

Write down the ideas you came up with your group

o What makes a literary work a classic?

o Why is this important/significant in modern

society?

o What works do you connect with?

Why?

o Respectful responses

Conduct the discussion in a professional manner

o Discussion will last approximately fifteen minutes

Group paper due at the end of the discussion

Prompt: What makes a literary work a classic?

o Why is this important/significant in modern

society?

o What works do you connect with?

Why?

Think-aloud

o Provide prompt and have students perform a think aloud off of the

syllabus

Two-minutes maximum

o Provide a short excerpt from a classic novel (see attached)

Give to students to read

Perform a think aloud of what students would do with this

particular piece of work

Reminder: this is not the required length of the

passage for students to read, it is simply an exercise

to work from

Phase 3: Hold the discussion:

Discussion Questions:

o What kind of topics did you discuss during your group work?

o What are you more interested in working with in general for this

assignment?

i.e. what genres of novels, what time period was the piece

written, etc.

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o Does anyone else have a similar idea or disagree with this

approach and have something else which might help modify it (as

a suggestion)?

o Did another student provide an idea that sparked your own?

Feedback: Basic responses

o Feedback: used to build upon the subject or narrow it down

This will be short

Feedback will be heavier when passages are typed out and

turned in the next class period

This is going to be a homework check, not turned in

for me to look at

o This is to keep the element of surprise and

“wow” factor

o I will be monitoring the discussion as a viewer:

The discussion should be led by the students as much as

possible with some interjections and questions from the

teacher

Rules of the Discussion:

Every student will share their thoughts on their

thesis and subject

o Students should be responding to each other

by giving helpful comments/suggestions and

constructive criticism

o Be respectful

o The rules of the classroom apply to the

discussion

If the discussion gets out of hand, the

teacher will bring it back around so

that it is focused once more on the

task at hand

Purposeful interruptions and

disruptions will result in a deduction

of two points per incident

o Discussions are worth ten points of the day’s

work

Make comments and give feedback to students

During the discussion or one on one in a conference

Phase 4: End the discussion:

Closing the discussion:

o Once every student has spoken, review the monitoring report to see

if every student has responded to another

If not, give that student a chance to do so now

Summarizing the discussion:

o Give feedback to ideas

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o A review of the themes and symbols which the students discussed,

if applicable

o Remind the students that this discussion will be helpful when it

comes time to write their paper

o State the topics and paper types which were discussed the most

Mention some that were not discussed if need be

Connection:

o This type of discussion can be used before all future papers and

novels if so desired

o A good exercise to use before beginning papers

Short analysis of topic and subject and what works best

o A good introduction to discussion which is a cornerstone to the rest

of the year’s classroom work

Phase 5: Debrief the discussion:

What kind of feedback do the students have?

o Did you like the exercise?

o Is there anything you would change about the discussion?

o Was it useful in developing your thesis or subject further?

Was there something else that might have helped more that

you could suggest?

o Were there any moments that bothered you?

Did the discussion digress at moments that made you feel

like it was a waste of time?

Did the class or teacher do a good job bringing it back to

topic?

o What are your opinions on the assignment in general?

Do you like the idea of working with specific pieces you

chose?

What would you like to change?

This could be discussed and adjusted if need be

Is everything understandable?

Does the assignment have any importance, in your opinion,

as far as the current semester has been going?

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O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. New York City: Broadway Books, 1990. 1-2.

Print.

The Things They Carried

By: Tim O’Brien

First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried letters from a girl named Martha, a junior at

Mount Sebastian College in New Jersey. They were not love letters, but Lieutenant

Cross was hoping, so he kept them folded in plastic at the bottom of his rucksack. In the

late afternoon, after a day’s march, he would dig his foxhole, wash his hands under a

canteen, unwrap the letters, hold them with the tips of his fingers, and spend the last hour

of the day pretending. He would image romantic camping trips into the White Mountains

in New Hampshire. He would sometimes taste the envelope flaps, knowing her tongue

had been there. More than anything, he wanted Martha to love him as he loved her, but

the letters were mostly chatty, elusive on the matter of love. She was a virgin, he was

almost sure.

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Cooperative Learning Model Lesson Plan

Teacher Subject Grade Level

Kaitlyn Smugala English Tenth

Topic Cooperative Learning Approach: Group Investigation

Literary Interpretations – Class Novels

Objective(s):

1. Students will defend their work and connections with their literary works three of

four class days during the unit. (Comprehend)

2. Students will implement all aspects of the public speaking skills outlined in the

course syllabus requirements. (Apply)

3. During every class time, students will analyze literary works to determine how

they are valuable in modern society. (Analyze)

Materials needed:

Pens, papers, assignment sheets, classroom dry-erase boards, dry-erase markers

Phase 1: Introduction: Clarify goals and establish set.

Purpose: For students to learn how to work together to create a presentation while

forming collaborative relationships with one another during class time discussion

The students will choose elements of literary pieces which define these pieces as

classics

o Examples of:

Themes:

Loss of innocence

Love/lust

Cultural development

Relevance to society

Symbols:

Characterization:

Writing style:

Any specific elements?

o Flowery language

o Short, simple, to the point

o Lengthy paragraphs

o Lengthy words and vocabulary choice

Phase 2: Present information (outline of content):

Presentation of assignment

o What defines a class novel?

On the dry-erase boards, write down these ideas on the board

Each group will present some information from your board

Research needs to highlight:

o What to look for:

Consistency

Meaning

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Importance

Impact

Relation to characters

Effect of events

Assign groups:

o Select partners around you and separate into groups of three or four

Phase 3: Organize students into learning teams:

Students are allowed to choose their teams but choose wisely because these

students will be responsible together for pieces of information on the topic you

choose

o Groups must consist (preferably) of two males and two females

Transition quickly from your seats to a group seating formation with everyone

facing each other

Assign tasks:

o Name a group member as:

Task master

Material monitor

Coach or content helper

Recorder

All members of the group will be responsible for the

information

All members of the group will present with one another

Group Investigation:

o Topic selection

o Cooperative planning

o Implementation

o Analysis and synthesis

o Presentation of final product

o Evaluation

Phase 4: Assist team work and study:

Choose elements of class novels which consistently show up in pieces we

typically call ‘classic’ and give an example of a literary piece which represents

this element

o Example:

Flowery writing style – Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Symbolism – Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Cultural impact – The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

Modern cultural relevance – All Quiet on the Western Front by

Erich Maria Remarque

Fully developed characters – Black Boy by Richard Wright

What to look for:

o Do any of these elements stretch across a lot of literary pieces

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o Are there any ones which do not

o Are any elements strictly exclusive to classic literary elements

Groups to present on information during the class period

Take notes on the information in a concise and organized way

o Will receive five points at the end of the day for your short presentation

Use the dry-erase boards available to create a visual for other students to view and

learn

If you have any questions or problems let me know, I will be walking around

class

Phase 5: Test on the materials:

During the presentations, take notes

There will be a short informal test which will assess your ability and

understanding of the information presented by the other groups

o This ‘test’ will require each student to list seven literary elements we

discussed in class and provide an example of a literary piece which

embodies this particular element

This literary piece must be new to that element

In other words, if we discussed Night for its writing style in

class but you want to show that it also embodies the

element of cultural relevance, then defend it!

A short essay (2 – 4 sentences) needs to be provided to explain

why this particular literary piece embodies that specific element

Turn in before you leave class for the day

Phase 6: Provide team recognition

In class, we will take a few moments to assess one another’s presentations

o Look for elements of:

Skill

Areas of improvement

Compliments

Suggestions

Opinions

Etc.

o Every person must speak once

o Each group will be highlighted

Each group member must be provided with some kind of feedback

by their peers; more than one comment is more than okay!

Questions, comments?

Meet after class or during study periods if there are any questions about the

assignment

Have a nice day!

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Discussion Model Lesson Plan

Teacher Subject Level

Kaitlyn Smugala English Ninth

Topic:

Oral Interpretations of Literature

Objective(s):

1. During every class time, students will analyze literary works to determine how

they are valuable in modern society. (Analyze)

2. Students will assess their own use of three varying types of presentations

which demonstrates their proficiency in analysis of literary works and their

ability to present this information. (Evaluate)

3. At the completion of each assignment, students will compose creative writing

pieces which demonstrate their understanding by using key elements of their

analysis with 70% accuracy. (Create)

Materials needed: notebook, pens/pencils, list of elements

Phase 1: Clarify aims and establish set:

Purpose: To discuss and discover various types of oral interpretations,

how one can portray these interpretations, and to begin thinking about how

you will orally interpret your literary selection

o Then: self-evaluations will be completed on the work plus a self-

reflection essay assignment will be handed out to turn in on the day

of the presentations

This section should only last a few minutes

Phase 2: Focus the discussion:

Expectations:

o Get together in groups

3 – 4 students per group

o Questions to discuss:

How can one interpret literary pieces

What aspects of these pieces are the most important

Are emotions the most powerful

Why is it important to interpret literary pieces from

centuries ago

Do they still have power in modern society

How is it relevant to you

Are all interpretations the same

o Respectful responses

Conduct the discussion in a professional manner

o Discussion will last approximately fifteen minutes

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Prompt: How can one orally interpret literature?

Phase 3: Hold the discussion:

Discussion Questions:

o What kind of topics did you discuss during your group work?

What type of paper would be appropriate for that topic?

Are there multiple types?

o What are you more interested in working with in general for this

novel?

o Does anyone else have a similar idea or disagree with this

approach and have something else which might help modify it (as

a suggestion)?

o Follow questions based in the small group discussions and expand

upon it

Feedback: Basic responses

o Acknowledgement of student responses

o Feedback:

Remind them that certain responses are more appropriate

than others and that these responses need to be based in the

student’s personal connection to the literary selection

Make sure they provide evidence from the work

o I will be monitoring the discussion as a viewer:

The discussion should be led by the students as much as

possible with some interjections and questions from the

teacher

Rules of the Discussion:

Every student will share their thoughts on their

thesis and subject

o Students should be responding to each other

by giving helpful comments/suggestions and

constructive criticism

o Be respectful

o The rules of the classroom apply to the

discussion

If the discussion gets out of hand, the

teacher will bring it back around so

that it is focused once more on the

task at hand

Purposeful interruptions and

disruptions will result in a deduction

of two points per incident

Record of the discussion:

o Marks will be made for every student’s

comments

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Five points makes up the student’s

explanation of the topic and thesis

Five points for responding to another

student

Make comments and give feedback to students

During the discussion or one on one in a conference

Phase 4: End the discussion:

Closing the discussion:

o Once every student has spoken, review the monitoring report to see

if every student has responded to another

If not, give that student a chance to do so now

Summarizing the discussion:

o Give feedback to ideas

A review of the elements discussed

Connection:

o Connect to outside of the classroom

o How can one orally interpret literature be used in a business and

professional atmosphere

Skewing data in statistical presentations

Selling product

Motivating workers

Phase 5: Debrief the discussion:

What kind of feedback do the students have?

o Did you like the exercise?

o Is there anything you would change about the discussion?

o Was it useful in developing your thesis or subject further?

Was there something else that might have helped more that

you could suggest?

o Were there any moments that bothered you?

Did the discussion digress at moments that made you feel

like it was a waste of time?

Did the class or teacher do a good job bringing it back to

topic?

o Are there any types of interpretations that we missed or that you

feel is inappropriate for the classroom?

Assignment: Write a self-reflection of the assignment and presentation

you completed for this unit. The length should be about 3 – 4 pages long

and should be professionally written in the correct MLA format.

Reminder: Presentations are next class! Bring in your self-reflection essay

to be turned in

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Oral Interpretations of Literature Presentation Assignment:

Assignment:

We will spend a few weeks evaluating the elements of specific literary pieces

which define a novel as a class novel (example: Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain or Of

Mice and Men by John Steinbeck). The ultimate project will be to present a selection

from a literary piece which not only meets the requirements the class designates for a

novel to be a class novel and to orally interpret that piece. Lesson One will provide a

discussion on a short literary piece Ms. Smugala will present and a discussion of possible

ideas for presentations. Lesson Two will focus on defining, as a class, a list which is not

necessarily all-inclusive for which to set our standards by. This list will be distributed to

the class as a set of requirements on the final assignment sheet and rubric. Lesson Three

will focus on the self-evaluation aspect of the assignment, plus, it will focus on the oral

interpretations requirement.

Requirements:

Time Length: 5 – 7 minutes in length; if an extended period of time is required,

make sure you contact me in advance so we can accommodate you

Dress Code: business casual to professional

Men: dress pants, khakis, button-down shirts, dress shoes, suits

Women: dresses, dress pants, blouses, skirts, heels of appropriate length

Unacceptable: jeans, holes in the outfits, low cut shirts, tight muscle shirts,

etc.

Delivery: volume and rate of speech are dependent on literary selection and can

fluctuate per presenter, eye contact is made with all corners of the room and is

kept at eye level, body posture is professional and appropriate to literary selection

Oral Interpretation: emotion is elicited from the literary selection, presentation is

not necessarily acted out but presents one’s own interpretation of the work, there

should be a personal connection with this work which is present if not specifically

evident (this personal connection will be highlighted in the self-reflection essay)

Books/Novel/Literary Pieces Suggestions:

Night – Elie Wiesel Gone with the Wind – Margaret Mitchell The Things They

Carried – Tim O’Brien The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway To Kill

a Mockingbird – Harper Lee 1984 – George Orwell Poems – Edgar Allan Poe

Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare As I Lay Dying – William Faulkner

Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury

There are a ton more! If you have a question about whether or not a novel or literary

piece is appropriate, ask! If I disagree that it is, and you can justify it by the list we

created as a class, then go for it! It never hurts to ask.

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Schedule of Presentations:

1. Introduce yourself

2. Introduce your literary selection

a. Provide a short synopsis

i. Do not give away your selection choice

ii. Do not give away the ending of the novel

b. Give information which is necessary to understand the passage without

giving away too much (aka. Spoilers)

3. Read your selection: word for word

4. Pause

5. The presentation will end here

a. The moment of silence will be to soak in the information

b. Comments will be given by your peers for a few minutes afterwards

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Collaborative Work Skills : Oral Interpretations of Literature Presentations

Teacher Name: Ms. Smugala

Student Name: ________________________________________

CATEGORY 0-4 5-6 7-8 9-10

Time-management

Presentation time reaches well beyond the limited amount despite warnings given by the teacher

Usually uses time well throughout the project, but may have procrastinated on one thing. Distribution between speech parts is partially unequal (see assignment sheet)

Meets the time requirement well; each section follows the assignment sheet well with one to two deviations

Each section in the presentation correctly meets the assignment sheet\'s requirements and expectations

Preparedness Student is completely unprepared to present; the self-evaluation is incomplete or is not turned in

Student has all required elements to present, including the self-evaluation

Elements of Assignment

Three or more required elements from the syllabus are missing

Some required elements are missing from the presentation but work in general is done well

One or two minor elements are missing; completed work is done effectively and meets standards

All elements of the assignment sheet are present and are completed effectively to meet all standards

Literary Choice Literary piece is inappropriate; does not meet the required standards listed on assignment sheet

Literary piece meets all requirements and standards listed on the assignment sheet

Presence Presenter was absent without an excuse resulting in an immediate loss of points; presenter does not meet dress code requirements (i.e. jeans, holes)

Presenter was present on assigned day; meets dress code requirements (i.e. dress pants, button-down shirts, heels, etc.)

Delivery Delivery is poor; speaker is hard to understand, tone is inappropriate, rate of speech is too fast or too slow, volume is too low, lack of eye

Delivery expectations are met in some degrees but not in most categories

Delivery expectations are met for the most part only a couple of noticeable devations

Delivery Expectations are fully met; there is proper eye contact, body positioning is appropriate, tone and volume

GWP

contact, and/or body positioning is poor

requirements are met, and rate of speech is appropriate per literary piece; presenter is easy to understand

GWP

Self-Reflection Essay:

Assignment:

Write a self-reflection of the assignment and presentation you completed for this

unit. The length should be 3 – 4 pages long and should be professionally written in the

correct MLA format.

Focus of the Essay:

What is your opinion of the assignment

What would you change, if anything

Was it too easy or too hard; were there specific elements which were

Why did you choose your particular literary piece

What personal connection did you make to it

What did you do well

What did you do poorly

Evaluate your apprehension or excitement towards the oral presentation

Why did you have this emotion

Is there anything we can do as a class to help you as a learner

Talk about the oral interpretations aspect of the assignment

Was it easy to embody as specific emotion

Were these particular expectations clear

Why did you find this portion hard/hardest or east/easiest

This is to be turned in on the first day of presentations. Late work will lose automatic

points.

Point Value – 60

GWP

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: MS. SMUGALA BEFORE AND AFTER CLASS

STUDENT PRESENTATIONS! ON ORAL INTERPRETATIONS OF CLASS LITERATURE

SEPTEMBER 18, 2013 CLASS TIME!

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SAINT LOUIS

Our first presenters will thrill us with their interpretations and everyone will provide

constructive feedback! REMINDER: EVERYONE MUST BRING IN THEIR SELF-

EVALUATION TO PARTICIPATE