Tom Fontana - umsl.edu

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Tom Fontana Bio: My name is Tom Fontana. I was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and later went to high school at St. Louis University High. I earned by BA in English literature from DePauw University in 2008. Following graduation, I taught at De Smet Jesuit High School as part of the year-long Alum Service Corps program overseen by the Jesuits of the Missouri Province. After finishing my year of service as a volunteer teacher, I enrolled in an MA program at the University of Missouri-Columbia to explore whether I would like to eventually earn my doctorate in English. After receiving my MA in British and American Literature in 2011, I decided that my true passion lay in teaching high school students, so I returned to St. Louis to earn my post-degree certification at UMSL. I look forward to finishing my certification and taking full advantage of the opportunity to share my gifts with my own classroom full of students.

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Culture Essay

An Examined Life

Tom Fontana

Final Draft

February 21, 2012

It is no small pity, and should cause us no little shame, that, through our own fault, we do not

understand ourselves, or know who we are. Would it not be a sign of great ignorance, my

daughters, if a person were asked who he was, and could not say, and had no idea who his father

or his mother was, or from what country he came?

-St. Teresa of Ávila, The Interior Castle

True self-knowledge—a goal lofty in the extreme, yet surely one worth striving toward if

one is to gain even a modicum of understanding of oneself. St. Teresa’s question implicitly

assumes an intimate connection between self, family, and homeland. In other words, even though

the individual soul can be reckoned as an “interior castle,” that castle’s foundation is laid by

forces external to that person, namely his or her cultural milieu. Teresa announces that she

“began to think of the soul as if it were a castle made of a single diamond or of very clear crystal,

in which there are many rooms.” The soul enters into its castle and glides continually about its

corridors, for “it must not be compelled long to remain for a long time in a single room—not at

least unless it is the room of self-knowledge.” As such, the journey toward self-knowledge

consists of a meandering trek from room to room, pausing here and there to catch a glimpse of

something given off in isolate flecks. What that “something” might be I cannot say until I look it

in the face, just as I imagine one cannot know how to recognize that room of self-knowledge

until one finds oneself inside it. And so, let me invite you to step with me inside myself as we

seek together that innermost room. Whether we find it or not remains to be seen. I make no

promises, save that your vision of me will stretch a little wider and a little deeper than it did

before we began. A humble guarantee, no doubt, but there’s something to be said for it. In my

work as a teacher, I strive to have a more concrete sense of the knowledge we should uncover at

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the end. However, I believe the essence of teaching lies less in the knowledge itself than in the

way of proceeding together.

We arrive first in the living room at the front of my parents’ home. You may quibble with

me as to whether my former self, curled up on the couch with a book in hand, were truly “living”

in this room. And if it were possible to undertake a grand accounting of the time spent in my life

thus far, excluding time spent asleep, which consumes a third of our lives, I would hazard to

guess that I would have spent most of my time reading. I sympathize with Proust’s description of

his own childhood: “There are no days of my childhood which I lived so fully perhaps as those I

thought I had left behind without living them, those I spent with a favorite book.” Indeed, more

than the plots of the books themselves, I remember the experience of reading, of reclining on the

couch on one of those long, languid summer days when it seemed too hot to do anything else. I

would hold the book up high to shield my face from the sun that streamed in from the window.

My nostrils filled with that familiar musty smell, seemingly unique to library books. Silence

reigned, save for the crinkle of the dust jacket against my fingers and for the flick of each well-

worn page. My sisters and I read every day, at no set time but for a fixed minimum duration,

under the watch of the babysitter. Our parents worked every day and largely left the sitter to

herself as long as no problems arose. It made quite the impression on my younger self that my

parents’ sole dictum was that we must read on a daily basis.

I hardly needed the encouragement. In fact, I spent much of my time contriving ways to

eliminate environmental distractions: hiding in a closet or under the bed, huddling up in the

cramped tree-house atop our swing set, and constructing countless forts whose pillow-and-

blanket ramparts proved impenetrable. I closed myself off physically, but at the same time I

surveyed new horizons mentally. I concur again with Proust that “it is one of the great and

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wonderful characteristics of good books…that for the author they may be called ‘Conclusions’

but for the reader ‘Incitements.’ We feel very strongly that our own wisdom begins where that of

the author leaves off, and we would like him to provide us with answers when all he is able to do

is provide us with desires.” I held fast to this belief, so much so that when I read, years later, of

the desire of Tennyson’s Ulysses “to sail beyond the sunset,” I imagined such a journey was only

possible through books. In retrospect, it is in the stirrings of this desire to question and to know

that I would locate the initial impetus that drives me to teach. A teacher is not a person who

believes he has all the answers; rather, it is a person who knows that he will get nowhere if he

travels alone. Though the voyage may be tumultuous, if he can inspire the same drive in a hearty

crew of students, they may still reach some important as-yet-unfathomed idea that lies over the

crest of the next wave.

However, many of my students will not arrive at the beginning of the school year with

the same passion for literature that I possessed as a child. I believe this should not be held against

them as a moral vice, just as my own reading should not be held up as a moral virtue. Anyone’s

comportment as a student falls under the sway of a myriad of factors, both individual and social.

My mother would have you believe, as is characteristic of a mother’s pride in her children, that I

emerged from the womb with a book in hand. “You went off for your first day of kindergarten,”

she would tell me in later years, “and could read when you came home that afternoon. You took

to it like a fish to water.” I assume this is an exaggeration, but if it represents even a ghost of the

truth, I imagine the credit should go to my teachers more than to me. Because we, particularly we

in the United States, seem prone to believe in the supremacy of individual agency, we may at

times neglect the influence of external forces. Undoubtedly I had some sort of a knack for

reading, but it may have amounted to naught had I not been born by chance into a family that

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placed such an emphasis on the importance of reading and of education. My parents would

frequently read aloud to me and my sisters before bed, and we often took family trips to the

library. I know that I will have some students who did not grow up in a family that promotes

reading or a family that has easy access to books. Most importantly, avid reading requires leisure

time, which not all people possess in abundance. In fact, at times once can easily lose track of

how much of a luxury time is. One might assume that children would have plentiful leisure time,

but some families need children to take a more active role in maintaining the household, raising

siblings, and, later on, holding a job. My parents, on the other hand, were financially stable

enough that when I was in high school they allowed me to seek employment only during the

summers so as not to disrupt my schoolwork. My mother explained her rationale: “I’d rather just

give you a little extra money than have you distracted from school by having a job.”

Thus, we can see that one’s social class can have a pervasive impact over facets of one’s

education that, at first blush, may seem to have little to do with class. Class is often a difficult

issue to pin down, especially in the United States. The overwhelming majority of Americans

seem to consider themselves “middle class” because the American belief in meritocracy makes

being too poor seem like a character flaw, while the American belief in equal opportunity makes

being too rich seem vaguely scandalous. Too an extent, class is relative, and many people’s

perception of their own social class remains contingent upon the status of those around them. As

a child, I would have planted my family firmly in the middle, although I see in retrospect that we

may have been approaching the equally amorphous category of “upper middle class.”

To gain a more accurate understanding of how I saw my social status, we will visit a

second room, very different from the cozy comfort of my parents’ living room. The “Gold

Room,” they called it, though the name was hardly appropriate. I guess “dingy off-white room”

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would not have had the same cachet. In any event, it seemed an inordinately pompous name for a

grade school cafeteria. We see my former self sitting at a folding table with a handful of other

children tucked into the corner of the cavernous chamber. Though the room is large and empty,

save four our table, we are exiled to the corner as though it were self-evident that we belonged in

the corner rather than anywhere else. We were the latchkey kids, or, I should say, the kids whose

parents would not entrust them with a latchkey. Ours was a relatively affluent community: I was

nearly unique in my class for having two parents that both worked. The other children in the

latchkey program tended to be the products of divorce, living with their now single mothers.

Already naturally shy, I found myself limited in the number of classmates I could spend time

with after school, simply because my mother was not a housewife like the mothers of the other

children. However, our situation also inculcated in me a sense of community with the adults

around me, as my parents had to trust so many different people to help with my upbringing. My

mother never stopped working, so I had been in daycare since infancy. I was also from time-to-

time put under the charge of various teachers, babysitters, camp counselors, and other adults

outside our immediate family. My eventual success was no doubt encouraged by the fact that I

had taken ownership of my own hopes for educational progress at a young age.

It seems that often a person internalizes the educational expectations of the

socioeconomic group he or she grows up in. In my own case, everyone on both sides of my

family graduated from college, which made it easy to envision myself going to college and

consequently to set that as a goal for myself. Some of my future students may come from

families with less extensive educational backgrounds or may come from families that do not

have positive opinions of the education system. It will be part of my job as a teacher to find ways

to motivate these students to succeed in a system some of them may feel has been rigged against

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them. As a teacher, my role is to ensure that a quality education for all remains not a luxury but a

right. Moreover, social class becomes particularly intertwined with success higher education, as

university costs continue to soar. I was fortunate that my parents were both willing and able to

pay for four years of college for me, and I believe I’ve become something of a rarity among

members of my generation by graduating from college without any student loan debt. Aside from

social class, my status as a straight, white, American male allowed me to believe that all

possibilities were open to me. I will not go so far as to say that the game, so to speak, was rigged

in my favor, but I enjoyed what you might call a home field advantage. The home team benefits

from having an intimate knowledge of the seemingly minor details of the playing surface and

conditions that can have an effect on the eventual outcome of the game. We sometimes overlook

the fact that there are seemingly minor factors in our own lives that can affect our chances of

long-term success. For example, I grew up in a household that spoke the standard variety of

English favored in the school system, which made it much easier for me to find academic

success in English class right away. Finally, the home team also enjoys the support of the fans in

the stands. As a child, I found myself surrounded by positive reinforcement from a variety of

adults. As a teacher, I will strive to support all my students. For some I will be one of many faces

in the crowd, but for others I may one of few adults to root for them.

For me, a strong sense of community developed because so many different areas of my

life were connected to my Catholic parish, including all of my sports teams, the Boy Scouts, and

my other extracurricular activities. As was the case with my earlier reflections on social class, I

only gained an accurate impression of my family’s level of devotion in retrospect. As a child, I

never considered our family particularly devoted—after all, I don’t think we were ever once on

time for Mass. However, I now realize that our weekly Mass attendance suggests that we are

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likely more religious than the average American. For me, religion was present from the start.

While I do not believe that a person is born with a religion, a person can certainly be born into

one. To better understand what it is like to be born into a faith, wander with me across the

pavement from the Gold Room into our next room, my parish church. Here you can get a sense

of what I mean. For the convert, his faith subsists in the laws and rules he had to learn in his

catechumen process. By contrast, for the person born into the church, her faith subsists in the

creak of the pew, the smell of the incense, and the mellow tone of the organ. Almost

unconsciously, its nature seeps in by osmosis, so that perhaps without even realizing it, a person

internalizes some of its beliefs.

The notion of confession is central to Catholicism, and if you would be so kind as to

listen for a moment, I have a confession to make. I cannot reflect on my own cultural

background without being tempted to feel guilty for all the opportunities I have been given. As I

have shown, in most ways I have been set up for success in life. Catholicism, on the other hand,

tends to see virtue in enduring hardships or suffering. Christ spends his time with the poor and

downtrodden—not the affluent. This desire to avoid the sole pursuit of self-interest has likely

played a part in my motivation to teach, for teaching orients one’s life toward serving others. I

place a great amount of emphasis on the importance of personal sacrifice in the service of others,

and I believe society’s primary duty is to protect its most vulnerable members. Of course, these

are not exclusively Catholic—or even exclusively religious—values. I am always curious to

learn about other faiths, and I also do not believe that someone must be religious to be a good

person. The major drawback to growing up in a relatively insular religious community was the

consequent homogeneity. At the time I attended my grade school, its student body was entirely

white. By the time my youngest sister went through, a handful of Asian and Latino students had

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enrolled, but the school was still overwhelmingly white. The single-sex nature of many Catholic

secondary schools enforces a different sort of homogeneity. In addition to the more obvious

ethnic and gender uniformity, I noticed at times a lack of diversity in thought, since so many

students came from similar backgrounds. This uniformity in thought bored me enough that I

deliberately avoided attending a Catholic college. I am unique in this regard within my

immediate family: my parents and my sisters all attended Catholic colleges. However, I feel that

one of the most significant ways in which one comes to understand one’s own culture is through

stepping outside of that culture and surrounding oneself with people different from oneself.

The classroom is likely a place that I will encounter people culturally different from

myself. Many Catholics will likely continue to end up in the Catholic school system rather than

in my public school classroom. I will most likely not teach at a single-sex high school. Any

school at which I teach will likely not have as high a percentage of white students as the schools

I attended. Many of my students will not live with two biological parents. Many of them will not

have two parents with graduate or professional degrees. Some of their parents will not earn as

much money as my parents did. However, I cannot let these differences become divisive. A

positive environment for cross-cultural communication is essential if I, as a teacher, am going to

help students shed their inhibitions. Chesterton writes that “the chief object of education is not to

learn things; nay, the chief object of education is to unlearn things.” In a sense, the

preconceptions and prejudices that students may carry with them into the classroom make up this

material that they must unlearn. However, this unlearning should not go so far that students feel

they must shed important aspects of their own cultural identities. As my reflections here suggest,

the various facets of my own cultural background continue to constitute an integral part of who I

am today. I want my students to attune themselves to the nuances of their own cultural situations

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so that they can come to a fuller understanding of themselves. Even so, I must avoid falling into

the trap of seeing a student as more of a representative of her cultural than as a distinct

individual. Everyone has something to give and something to take away. Like Tennyson’s

Ulysses, “I am a part of all that I have met,” and I like to think that I allow them to become a part

of me as well. To return to St. Teresa’s metaphor, I must remember that every individual is

composed of many cultural components that add up to a whole greater than the sum of its parts,

as the many rooms make up the interior castle. I hope I am never so shortsighted as to mistake

the room for the castle.

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Short Story Unit, 9th Grade English

Mr. Tom Fontana

Final Draft

March 13, 2012

Rationale: All people in all cultures in all times tell stories. Students themselves tell stories and have been told

stories by their family and friends since the earliest days of childhood. As such, a short story unit is an effective

way to introduce first-semester ninth grade students to the fundamental elements of literary study. A short story

unit is ideal for exposing students to a wide range of others from a myriad of cultures, given that stories, like all

forms of literature, both reflect and, in turn, influence their cultural surroundings. Moreover, the study of literature

encourages the analysis of and reflection upon the human experience. Many of the concepts covered in the short

story unit can also be applied to later units on novels and other narrative forms, including plot elements, types of

conflict, characterization, and descriptive exposition, among others. Students will observe writing strategies in

context and will consequently be able to apply them to their own writing. Ultimately, the short story unit will help

students develop as critical readers and as writers.

Summary: Short stories will be drawn from the class textbook—Prentice Hall, Penguin Edition, 9th Grade—and

from paper copies additional stories provided by the instructor. Given that there are not enough textbooks to allow

every student to take one home, the majority of reading will be done in class. When having paper copies of stories

allows for reading to be done as homework, the instructor will give the students short reading quizzes to hold

them accountable for reading that occurs outside of class. Stories that the students read will be used to discuss a

variety of literary elements: stages of a classical plot, characterization, setting and exposition, types of conflict,

and literary techniques like foreshadowing and imagery. During the reading of each story, discussion will also

allow the students to use their inferential skills to make predictions about the outcome of stories. Students will

also keep a vocabulary journal, in which they record vocabulary words from each story. As the unit progresses,

students will also write their own short stories, which must contain the plot and character elements they have

studied. Finally, students will write a character analysis of a major character from one of the stories and will also

present a dramatic enactment of their interpretation of the character.

Objectives:

Reading: Given a short story, students will be able to correctly identify the following literary elements: plot

structure, conflict, characterization, types of characters, point of view, foreshadowing, irony,

symbolism, and theme.

In class discussion, students will compare and contrast the way each element is presented in the

various stories that make up the unit.

Writing: After reading several stories, students will create an analysis of a major character, using direct

quotations from the text to justify their analysis.

Students will write according to the conventions of standard written English.

After discussing the five stages of a classical plot, students will write a story of their own creation

that includes exposition, rising action, a climax, falling action, and a resolution.

Speaking: Given a character from one of our short stories, students will perform in-character as that person

in a “party” setting, revealing their understanding of their own characters through the interactions

with the other characters.

Listening: During others’ performances students will actively listen and evaluate the performance of an

assigned member of another group with a rubric provided by the instructor..

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Length: 5 weeks

Materials:

School: Textbooks, chalkboard/smartboard, computer access

Teacher: Copies of stories to supplement textbook, handouts

Students: Pen and paper

Texts: “The Most Dangerous Game,” “Poison,” “The Necklace,” “Rules of the Game,” “Checkouts,” “The Cask

of Amontillado,” “The Gift of the Magi,” “The Scarlet Ibis,” and “Harrison Bergeron”

Common Core Standards:

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf

Reading: Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Writing: Standards 1, 3, 9, 10

Speaking and Listening: Standards 1, 2, 5

Language: Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Literacy Strategies: Quick Write, Reaction Guide, Pen-in-Hand, Link and Think, Compare/Contrast Chart,

Discussion Continuum

Assessment:

Formative assessments will include class discussions, short in-class writing activities or journal entries, the

completion of handouts in-class on the current topic of discussion, and reading quizzes for any reading done as

homework. Additionally, student peer feedback will work as a formative assessment for one another before the

final drafts of stories are turned in.

Summative assessments will include the written character analysis, the character performance, and the students’

own short stories, each of which will be scored according to a rubric.

Accommodations: Reading aloud in class can help students with learning disabilities and some stories may be

obtained in audio form for home use for these students, notes outlines available for students who need them,

copying a peer’s notes to fill in holes, incorporating graphics to illustrate concepts (like conflict), flexibility in

typing or writing work to meet student needs, pre-performance coaching and assistance for students who have

difficulty performing

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Teacher Calendar

Teacher:__Mr. Fontana________

Unit:_____Short Stories________

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Week One Plot Structure

lesson

Begin “The Most

Dangerous Game”

Continue Plot

Structure lesson

Conflict lesson

“The Most

Dangerous Game”

Review plot

elements and

conflict

“Poison”

Characterization

lesson

“The Necklace”

Week Two Continue

Characterization

lesson

“The Necklace”

Characters lesson:

Round/Flat,

Static/Dynamic

“Rules of the

Game”

Continue “Rules of

the Game”

Finish “Rules of the

Game”

POV lesson

“Checkouts”

Week Three Introduce Short

Story Writing

Assignment

Begin

Foreshadowing

lesson

Continue

Foreshadowing

lesson

“The Cask of

Amontillado”

“The Cask of

Amontillado”

Irony lesson

“The Gift of the

Magi”

“The Gift of the

Magi”

Week Four Symbol lesson

“The Scarlet Ibis”

“The Scarlet Ibis” Theme lesson

“Harrison

Bergeron”

“Harrison

Bergeron”

Short Story Due

Introduce Character

Analysis Essay and

Character Dinner

Party Performance

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Week Five Work Day

Students are

grouped by short

story to develop

character analysis

ideas

Work Day

Students are in

performance groups

to work on scripting

Work Day

Students can

continue scripting

or type their

character analysis

Reserve Computer

Lab

Work Day

Students can

continue scripting

or type their

character analysis

Reserve Computer

Lab

Character Analysis

Essay Due

Dinner Party

Performance Day

Week Six

Week Seven

Week Eight

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SHORT STORY UNIT—STUDENT CALENDAR


Week One Topic: Plot Structure

Reading: “The

Most Dangerous

Game”

Topic: Plot Structure

Reading: “The

Most Dangerous

Game”

Topic: Conflict

Reading: “The

Most Dangerous Game”

Review

Reading:

“Poison”

Topic: Characterization

Reading: “The

Necklace”

Week Two Topic: Characterization

Reading: “The

Necklace”

Topic: Characters

Reading: “Rules

of the Game”

Topic: Characters

Reading: “Rules

of the Game”

Topic: Characters

Reading: “Rules

of the Game”

Topic: Point of View

Reading:

“Checkouts”

Week Three Topic: Short Story Writing

Begin

Working on Short Story

Topic: Foreshadowing

Reading: “The

Cask of Amontillado”

Topic: Foreshadowing

Reading: “The

Cask of Amontillado”

Topic: Irony

Reading: “The Gift of the Magi”

Topic: Irony

Reading: “The Gift of the Magi”

Week Four Topic: Symbolism

Reading: “The

Scarlet Ibis”

Topic: Symbolism

Reading: “The

Scarlet Ibis”

Topic: Theme

Reading: “Harrison

Bergeron”

Topic: Theme

Reading: “Harrison

Bergeron”

SHORT STORY DUE

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Week Five

W

D

O

A

R

Y

K

S

CHARACTER

ANALYSIS ESSAY DUE

DINNER PARTY

PERFORMANCE DAY

Week Six

Week

Seven

Week Eight

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Heading 9th

Grade English Mr. Tom Fontana

Plot Structure First 2 or 3 Days of Unit

Rationale Understanding and identifying the major elements of a plot is an essential reading comprehension

skill. Analysis of plot structure allows students to recognize patterns that persist across nearly all

stories. This analysis also helps students to bridge receptive knowledge toward expressive

knowledge. In other words, students can use what they have learned about the plot structure of

published stories in order to develop a plot for a story of their own.

Objective Given the short story “The Most Dangerous Game,” students will correctly identify the exposition,

rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution of the story by referring to relevant details from

the text.

Common Core

Standards

-Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well

as inferences drawn from the text.

-Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g.,

parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension,

or surprise.

- Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and

connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone

(e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

-Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,

and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’

ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Reading Material “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, located in Prentice Hall Literature

LP Format Presentation

Grouping Whole Class, later Pairs or Small Groups

Materials & Resources School – textbooks, chalkboard/smartboard

Teacher – graphic organizer

Student – writing utensils

Literacy Strategies Quick Write, Pen-In-Hand, Link and Think

Phase One

Clarify Aims and

Establish Set

-Do Now Question (Mandatory Class Starter at McCluer North): What elements make up a good

story? What makes a person a good storyteller?

-Today we are going to begin reading our first short story of the semester. As we proceed through

this unit, you’ll discover that the plots of most short stories tend to follow a similar pattern. Today we

are going to learn that pattern so that we can recognize it in the stories we will read in this unit.

Phase Two

Present the Advance

Organizer

-Distribute the Plot Structure graphic organizer, on which the five major plot elements are named but

not described

-Explain how to interpret graphical connections on the chart

-Instruct students to take notes on the descriptions of each element during the presentation

Phase Three

Present Learning

Materials

-Deliver presentation describing each of the 5 plot elements. Check to see that students are recording

a description on their graphic organizer. Ask questions to check for understanding.

-Read “The Most Dangerous Game”. School materials are such that reading must be done in class,

which is why the lesson will take two or three days.

-Interrupt reading with questions to assess student comprehension of the text and questions that

challenge them to make predictions. Connect predictions to graphic organizer, i.e. because most of

the rising action involves interactions between Rainsford and Zarroff, students should predict that the

climax will involve a confrontation between the two men.

Phase Four

Application

-Divide students into small groups or pairs and distribute another blank graphic organizer.

-Students fill out this graphic organizer with plot elements from “The Most Dangerous Game”

-Bring whole class back together to check for understanding. In particular, have student groups

explain why they identified a particular event as the climax or the resolution.

Formative

Assessment

-Collect charts containing plot elements for “The Most Dangerous Game” to check for

understanding.

Summative

Assessment

-When students write their own short stories later in the unit, they will have to use colored pencils or

markers to correctly identify the five elements of their own plot.

Homework -If students don’t finish the group activity, they must complete it for homework.

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Heading 9th Grade English Mr. Tom Fontana

Conflict 1 Day, Follows Plot Structure Lesson

Rationale Almost all stories hinge on the development and resolution of a conflict. As such,

identifying and categorizing different types of conflict provides students with the chance to

practice this valuable interpretive skill. Conflict readily connects with plot structure

inasmuch as the elements of the plot structure are driven by the development of the conflict.

Conflict is also an essential building block for understanding character later in the unit, as a

character’s development is rooted in the story’s conflict.

Objectives -Given the short story “The Most Dangerous Game,” students will correctly identify at least

one external and at least one internal conflict in the story and use evidence from the text to

support their claim.

-On their graphic organizers students will create examples of conflict that accurately

represent each of the five types of conflict.

Common Core

Standards - Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations)

develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or

develop the theme.

- Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one,

in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues,

building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Reading Material “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, located in Prentice Hall Literature


Grouping Whole Class, later Pairs or Small Groups

Materials &

Resources

School – textbooks, chalkboard/smartboard

Teacher – graphic organizer


Literacy Strategies Quick Write, Idea Mapping

Phase One

Clarify Aims and

Establish Set

-Do Now Question (Mandatory Class Starter at McCluer North): Show a movie trailer from

a movie with a variety of conflicts in its plot (like one of the Lord of the Rings movies) and

ask students to identify in writing different conflicts they can spot in the trailer.

-Last time we talked about the elements of plot structure. Notice that movement through the

plot structure is driven by conflict. Today we are going to classify the different types of

conflicts you can find in a story in order to more fully understand the nature of narrative

conflict.

Phase Two

Present the Advance

Organizer

-Distribute the Types of Conflict graphic organizer

-Explain how to interpret graphical connections on the chart

Phase Three

Present Learning

Materials

-Deliver presentation describing each of the 5 types of conflict. Check to see that students

are recording a description on their graphic organizer

-Have students create examples from something other than “The Most Dangerous Game.” If

possible, link back to movie clip from start of class.

Phase Four

Application

-Divide students into small groups or pairs

-Students together compose two short paragraphs, one describing one of Rainsford’s

external conflicts and one of his internal conflicts

Formative

Assessment

-Collect paragraphs on conflict in “The Most Dangerous Game” to check for understanding.

Summative

Assessment

-Students will need to develop a conflict for the story they will write later in the unit.

-Students will need an understanding of their character’s conflicts in order to accurately

portray them in the Character Dinner Party.

Homework If students don’t finish the group activity, they must complete it for homework.

19

Heading 9th


Theme--Equality 2 or so Days in Middle of Unit

Rationale This discussion will model for students the way individual stories can be used to tap into essential

questions that extend to larger thematic concerns beyond the narrow purview of the individual story.

Such interpretation is the fundamental process of meaning-making that occurs in English class.

Objectives -Given the short story “Harrison Bergeron,” students will analyze the portrayal of the central theme

of equality by given specific evidence from the text for their conclusions.

-Given the short story “Harrison Bergeron,” students will reflect upon and question their own

understanding of the role of equality in American society in the span of at least two substantial

paragraphs.

-Students will write their journals according to the conventions of standard English.

Common Core

Standards

- Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of

the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective

summary of the text.

- Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,

and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’

ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or

speaking.

- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and

spelling when writing.

Reading Material “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut

LP Format Discussion

Grouping Whole Class, Individual writing

Materials & Resources School – textbooks, chalkboard/smartboard

Teacher – paper copies of “Harrison Bergeron”


Literacy Strategies Reaction Guide, Link and Think, Discussion Continuum

Phase One

Clarify Aims and

Establish Set

-Do Now Question (Mandatory Class Starter at McCluer North): Journal about your thoughts on

equality. In what sense are people equal or not? In what sense should people be equal or not? What

measures can be taken to ensure an appropriate level of equality in society?

Phase Two

Focus the Discussion

-Have some students volunteer thoughts from their journal to establish some baseline class opinions

on equality to form a Discussion Continuum.

-Read “Harrison Bergeron” in class. Interrupt reading to check for understanding.

Phase Three

Hold the Discussion

-Some questions might include:

-How is the notion of equality interpreted in the society described in this story? How does it

compare with your own?

-Is what the government does to “handicap” people in any way fair? Is there some more fair way

to reach a similar end state of equality?

-In what ways is an egalitarian (equal) society desirable? What might be some problems with such

a society?

-Do the actions of the society in the story in any way mirror actions of societies in the real world?

If so, how?

-Explain the irony inherent in the way the government pursues its agenda.

Phase Four

End the Discussion

-Have students write a second entry on the same topic in order to see whether their opinions of the

theme have changed at all

Phase Five

Debrief the Discussion

-Before collecting the journals, ask students to share whether any of their ideas have changed, while

taking care to have them explain why

Formative

Assessment

-Class discussion

-Read over journal entries

Summative

Assessment

-Thematic understanding helps students focus in on a main theme or subject for their own short

stories and gain a more well-rounded understanding of a potential character for the Character Dinner Party project.

Homework -Finish reflections started in class, if necessary

20

Heading 9th


Character Dinner Party 1 Day at End of Unit for Performance

About One Week of Prep

Rationale This lesson calls on students to demonstrate their understanding of a character by putting that knowledge

into action by means of a public performance. This lesson gives students practice in an expressive mode

other than writing and offers valuable experience speaking in front of a group of people.

Objectives -Given a character from one of our short stories, students will perform in-character as that person in a

“party” setting, revealing their understanding of their own character through the interactions with the other

characters.

-Given a character from one of our short stories, students will write a character analysis essay in which

they assign three adjectives to their character and provide at least three direct examples from the text to

support each adjective.

-During the performances of other groups, students will evaluate an assigned member of the performance

on a rubric provided by the instructor

Common Core Standards - Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the

course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

- Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and

relevant and sufficient evidence.

- Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to

task, purpose, and audience.

- Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when

indicated or appropriate.

- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or

speaking.

- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling

when writing.

Reading Material Characters come from all stories read in the unit.

LP Format Cooperative Learning

Grouping Varies

Materials & Resources School – textbooks, chalkboard/smartboard, computer lab

Teacher – evaluation rubric, peer evaluation rubric

Student – writing utensils, character costumes (optional)

Literacy Strategies Jigsaw

Phase One

Clarify Aims and

Establish Set

-Do Now Question (Mandatory Class Starter at McCluer North): What sorts of things did you do to

prepare for today’s performance? Are you happy with your preparation, or are there some things you

would have done differently?

-On Performance Day, review established procedures for conducting the performance

Phase Two

Present Information

-Earlier in the unit, instructor will have presented students with a packet of information that details the

different steps students will take to complete the project

Phase Three

Organize Students into

Learning Teams

-The work days will essentially work as a sort of jigsaw grouping. On the first work day, students will be

working with other students assigned to the same character or to characters from the same story

-Then, students will take that knowledge from their first group and jigsaw it into the larger performance

group. For the rest of the work days, students in their performance group will script interactions between

characters from different stories

Phase Four

Assist Team Work and

Study

-Prior to performance day, teacher will assist students in completing character analysis sheet for their

preparation

-On performance day, teacher takes a largely evaluative role and to help the transition between party

groups

Phase Five

Test on Materials

-The performance itself serves as the text on materials, along with the submission of the character sheet

-Instructor collects student peer evaluation rubrics to check for sincerity of evaluation and then give those

to presenting students

Formative

Assessment

-Students use peer rubrics to get experience with evaluation

Summative

Assessment

-Character analysis essay and the performance itself.

Reminder -Reserve computer lab or library for group work during the week of the project

Mr. Fontana Date Name______________________________

21

3. CLIMAX

The peak of the action and turning

point of the conflict

1. EXPOSITION

Introduces the

characters and the

setting

Often comes at the

beginning of the

story, but may be spread throughout

2. RISING ACTION Events that build up to

the climax

Main character

encounters obstacles

and experiences conflict

Often the longest part of the story

5. RESOLUTION

The final stage of the

plot in which the

loose ends are tied

together and a

confrontation ends

the conflict

Often the main

character changes or achieves insight

4. FALLING ACTION

Events that follow the

climax and lead toward

the resolution

May either be an easing

of tension after the peak

of the climax or an

increase in tension leading to the resolution

Mr. Fontana Date Name______________________________

22

3. CLIMAX

1. EXPOSITION

2. RISING ACTION

5. RESOLUTION

4. FALLING ACTION

Mr. Fontana Date Name __________________________

23

TTyyppeess ooff CCoonnfflliicctt A conflict is a struggle between opposing characters or forces. Characters in conflict form the basis of stories, novels, and plays. In an external conflict, a character struggles against an outside force. An internal conflict involves a character in conflict with himself or herself. These two types of conflict can be further divided into the five types of conflict listed in the chart below. After we discuss each type of conflict, invent your own example that would fit each type of conflict. Then, try to find an example of each type of conflict from “The Most Dangerous Game.” Note that all types of conflict are represented in the story.

Type of Conflict Your Example Example from “The Most Dangerous

Game”

Exte

rna

l C

on

flic

t

Character vs. Character

Character vs. Nature

Character vs. Society

Character vs. Destiny/Fate

Inte

rna

l C

on

flic

t

Character vs. Self

Mr. Fontana Date Name___________________

24

Short Story Character Dinner Party

Character Analysis Essay (60 Points): Due______________

Dinner Party Performance (40 Points): Due______________ We’ve read a wide variety of short stories in this unit with a number of interesting characters. While it is important to consider stories in their own right, as we have been doing so far, it is also important to draw connections across stories. Thus, you are going to work in groups to stage a dinner party in which the characters from the different stories we’ve read will interact with one another. Step 1—Choose a Character: From the following character list, you will rank your top five preferences for the character that will be both the subject of your character analysis essay and your role for the party. You may choose a character of any gender, as long as you will be comfortable performing as that character in public. I will collect your list of preferences and assign you a character and a performance group:

Story Characters

“The Most Dangerous Game” Rainsford, General Zaroff

“Poison” Timber, Dr. Ganderbai, Harry Pope

“The Necklace” Madame Loisel, Monsieur Loisel

“Rules of the Game” Waverly Jong, Waverly’s Mother

“Checkouts” Checkout Boy, Shopper Girl

“The Cask of Amontillado” Fortunato, Montresor

“The Gift of the Magi” Della, Jim

“The Scarlet Ibis” Doodle, Doodle’s Brother

“Harrison Bergeron” Harrison Bergeron, Diana Moon Glampers

Step 2—Develop Character Analysis: During the first in-class work day, you will get together with everyone who has a character in your story, regardless of which performance group you are in. You will use this time to discuss your ideas of how your characters should be played and to review the subjects that your character would talk about at a party. This will also give you time to develop your ideas for the character analysis essay (see “Character Analysis Essay” handout for more info) Step 3—Script Dinner Party: During all the remaining in-class work days, you will meet with your performance group, which will be made of characters from different stories. From the previous day’s work, you should have a better understanding of your character’s interests and manner of interacting with others. Together, you and your performance group will script a series of interactions between characters. Be creative in determining the sorts of things your characters discuss, but make sure they can be connected to the way the characters are presented in the stories. Examples: Gen. Zaroff warns Diana Moon Glampers that ridding the world of individuality will make

her life as boring as his own. Della and Madame Loisel swap stories about learning that there are types of value that don’t have to do with money.

Step 4—Perform and Listen: During class, groups will take turns performing their group’s party scene for the rest of the class (see “Dinner Party Performance” handout for more info). Each group’s party will last 15 minutes. When your group is not performing, you will be assigned to evaluate a member of the current performing group in addition to the grading evaluation provided by me. Note that being disruptive during someone else’s performance will cause you to lose points for your own performance.

25

Mr. Fontana Date Name:

Character Analysis Essay Your assignment is to write an essay describing a character from the short stories we’ve read in class. You will choose three adjectives that describe that character. Think about specific examples from the story to support your answer. The following worksheets include a template to help you structure organize your analysis:

Introduction, create a “funnel” by moving from the general to the specific for the thesis

Thesis

Body Paragraphs, one per main idea, begin with topic sentence

Restate Thesis

Conclusion, moves from specific thesis to broader application

26

Once I have assigned you a character based on the preferences you gave me, choose three adjectives to describe your character: Adjective #1

Adjective #2

Adjective #3

Each of your body paragraphs will describe one of the adjectives. You will then explain your adjective choice with examples (quotations or paraphrases) from the story. Adjective #1:

Example #1

Example #2

Example#3

Adjective #2:

Example #1

Example #2

27

Example #3

Adjective #3:

Example #1

Example #2

Example #3

Write your thesis statement, which will serve as the main argument your paper is trying to prove. Be sure to include the adjectives of your character in your thesis statement.

28

Dinner Party Character Performance Rubric

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

Content of Character’s

Dialogue (10 points)

Topics of all of the character’s dialogue logically follow from that character’s story

Topics of a majority of the character’s dialogue logically follow from that character’s story

Topics of a majority of the character’s dialogue do not logically follow from that character’s story

Topics of all of the character’s dialogue rarely or never follow logically from that character’s story

Character Personality (10 Points)

Student portrays the character accurately and consistently throughout the entire party

Student portrays the character accurately and consistently throughout most of the party

Student portrays the character but slips in and out of character during the party

Student does not accurately portray the character

Voice Performance

(10 points)

All 3 of the following are met for the entire duration of the party: -Student speaks clearly and at an appropriate volume -Student emotes rather than reading in a monotone voice -Student speaks without long gaps between dialogue

Only 2 of the following are met for the entire duration of the party: -Student speaks clearly and at an appropriate volume -Student emotes rather than reading in a monotone voice -Student speaks without long gaps between dialogue

Only 1 of the following is met for the entire duration of the party: -Student speaks clearly and at an appropriate volume -Student emotes rather than reading in a monotone voice -Student speaks without long gaps between dialogue

None of the following are met for the entire duration of the party: -Student speaks clearly and at an appropriate volume -Student emotes rather than reading in a monotone voice -Student speaks without long gaps between dialogue

6-5 4-3 2-1 0

Interaction with Other Characters (6 points)

Student’s character has meaningful interaction with characters from at least 3 stories other than the student’s own

Student’s character has meaningful interaction with characters from only 2 stories other than the student’s own

Student’s character has meaningful interaction with characters from only 1 story other than the student’s own

Student’s character has meaningful interaction only with characters from student’s own story

4 0

Listening (4 points)

Student listens attentively for the entirety of the other groups’ performances

.********* *********

At any point in another group’s performance, student is inattentive or disruptive

Total Points: ________ / 40

29

Odyssey Unit

Mr. Tom Fontana

April 17, 2012

Rationale: The Odyssey is a fundamental part of the Western literary tradition, a text that is very much of a

specific time and place yet at the same time reaches across time and space to the present day. The Odyssey typifies

the tradition of the epic hero, and this unit demonstrates the way in which the epic tradition embodies both the

individual and the social. Though Odysseus’ quest to return home is in many ways a personal journey, the heroic

traits that he exemplifies reveals the fundamental values and ideals of Ancient Greek society. The Greek hero is

just one example of a broader trend in literature. In all societies at all times, heroes represent what each society

deems to be the ideal image of itself. Toward these ends, students will not only consider Odysseus within his

particular cultural context but also they will analyze the broader trend of the heroic tradition as a means of

reflecting on the values of their own society and culture.

Summary: The unit centers on reading excerpts from The Odyssey that are anthologized in our textbook—

Prentice Hall, Penguin Edition, 9th Grade. Following the rationale, the unit is built around three major

assessments. The first is an internet research project that establishes an understanding of the Ancient Greek

context of the poem before reading it. As we make our way through the text, students will keep track of

Odysseus’ character traits and the actions that reveal those traits. Our school’s common assessment test on The

Odyssey holds students responsible for important plot points, vocabulary words and for thematic analysis of

heroism in the Greek tradition. Finally, after analyzing the notion of heroism with regard to Greek cultural values

and reflecting on their own cultural values, students will compose an essay discussing one of their own heroes.

Objectives:

Reading: - On an exit slip, students will correctly define “epic” and “epic hero” with 100% accuracy.

- Given a Venn diagram, student will accurately identify character traits that belong to Odysseus

alone, Penelope alone, and the two of them together and will cite examples from the text of The

Odyssey to support each list.

Writing: - Upon researching online various aspects of life in ancient Greece, students will construct an

artifact (i.e. travel brochure, newsletter, PowerPoint presentation) that creatively presents accurate

information about at least five different areas of Greek life.

- Students will write an essay focusing on someone they consider to be a hero, which will include

biographical information, a discussion of this person’s heroic actions and deeds, and a discussion

of the societal values that their hero’s actions exemplify. This essay will be evaluated according

to a rubric.

Speaking: - After reflecting on the values and ideals of their own society, students will construct a visual

representation of the characteristics an American epic hero would possess and will present it to

the rest of the class.

- After creating their project, students will present their final product to the rest of the class and

explain their findings in each of their five areas of Greek life.

Listening: - While listening to other groups presentations, each student will list at least three things he or she

learned from the other presentations.

Length: 7 weeks

30

Materials:

School: Textbooks, chalkboard/smartboard, computer access, art supplies

Teacher: Handouts, art supplies

Students: Pen and paper, art supplies

Texts: excerpts from The Odyssey

Common Core Standards:

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf

Reading: Standards 1, 2, 3 5

Writing: Standards 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Speaking and Listening: Standards 1, 2, 4, 5

Language: Standards 1, 2

Literacy Strategies: Quick Write, KWL Chart, Visualizing, Character Study, Venn Diagram, Think-Pair-Share,

Pen-in-Hand, Interrupted Reading, Exit Slip

Assessment:

Formative—Formative assessments consist of class discussion, instructor observation of students’ working, and

small pieces of writing composed in class and for homework.

Summative—There are three summative assessments. The first is an internet research project that establishes an

understanding of the Ancient Greek context of the poem before reading it. Our school’s common assessment test on The Odyssey holds students responsible for important plot points,

vocabulary words and for thematic analysis of heroism in the Greek tradition. Finally, after analyzing the notion

of heroism with regard to Greek cultural values and reflecting on their own cultural values, students will compose

an essay discussing one of their own heroes.

Accommodations: Reading aloud in class can help students with learning disabilities and some stories may be

obtained in audio form for home use for these students, notes outlines available for students who need them,

copying a peer’s notes to fill in holes, incorporating graphics to illustrate concepts, flexibility in typing or writing

work to meet student needs, pre-performance coaching and assistance for students who have difficulty performing

31

Teacher Calendar Teacher:__Mr. Fontana________ Unit:_____The Odyssey________


Week One Introduction to the

Epic and Epic Hero

Begin work on

American value

shields

Continue work on

American value

shields

Begin shield

presentations if time

allows

Finish shield

presentations

Introduce Ancient

Greece in Context

Web Research

Activity

K-W-L Charts

Work on Web

Research Activity

(Reserve Library or

Computer Lab)

Week Two Work on Web

Research Activity

(Reserve Library or

Computer Lab)

Work on Web

Research Activity

(Reserve Library or

Computer Lab)

Work on Web

Research Activity

(Reserve Library or

Computer Lab)

Present Final

Products from Web

Research Activity

Finish Presentations

Week Three Introduce Vocab

and Characters for

Part 1 of The

Odyssey

Read “Sailing from

Troy” and “The

Lotus-Eaters”

Distribute Odysseus

Character Analysis

Sheet

Read and Discuss

“The Cyclops”

Continue “The

Cyclops” and

Discuss

Read and Discuss

“The Land of the

Dead”

Week Four Read and Discuss

“The Sirens” and

“Scylla and

Charybdis”

Read Discuss “The

Cattle of the Sun

God”

Review of Part 1 of

“The Odyssey”

Introduce Vocab

and Characters for

Part 2 of the

Odyssey

Read and Discuss

“The Return of

Odysseus”

32


Week Five Read and Discuss

“Argus,” “The

Suitors,”

“Penelope,” and

“The Challenge”

Venn Diagram

activity with the

character analyses

of Odysseus and

Penelope

Read and Discuss

“Odysseus’

Revenge”

Read and Discuss

“Penelope’s Test”

Final Review of The

Odyssey

Week Six Odyssey Test

View selections

from film versions

of The Odyssey

View selections

from film versions

of The Odyssey

Introduce Heroism

Essay

Heroism Essay

Prewriting

Week Seven Work on Heroism

Essay

(Reserve Library or

Computer Lab)

Work on Heroism

Essay

(Reserve Library or

Computer Lab)

Work on Heroism

Essay

(Reserve Library or

Computer Lab)

Work on Heroism

Essay

(Reserve Library or

Computer Lab)

Heroism Essay Due

Week Eight

33

Odyssey Unit—STUDENT CALENDAR


Week One Unit Introduction

In-Class Activity In-Class Activity Group Project Introduction

Group Project Work Day

Week Two Group Project

Work Day

Group Project

Work Day

Group Project

Work Day

Group Project

Due

Group Project

Presentations

Group Project

Presentations

Week Three Introduction to

The Odyssey Part 1

Reading:

“Sailing for Troy”

“The Lotus-Eaters”

Reading: “The

Cyclops”

Reading: “The

Cyclops”

Reading: “The

Land of the Dead”

Week Four Reading: “The

Sirens” “Scylla and

Charybdis”

Reading: “The

Cattle of the Sun God”

Review Day Introduction to

The Odyssey Part 2

Reading: “The

Return of Odysseus

34


Week Five Reading:

“Argus” “The Suitors”

“Penelope”

“The Challenge”

In-Class Activity Reading:

“Odysseus’ Revenge”

Reading:

“Penelope’s Test”

Review Day

Week Six Odyssey Test

Movie Day Movie Day Essay

Introduction

Essay

Prewriting

Week

Seven

Essay Work Day

Essay Work Day

Essay Work Day

Essay Work Day

Essay Due

Week Eight

35

Heading 9th

Grade English Mr. Tom Fontana The Epic

Hero 2-3 days

Rationale -This lesson provides an introduction to the themes of heroism and the epic that we will continue to

examine throughout the unit. Students will understand that the epic is not just a long, adventurous

narrative but is in fact rooted in the values of the community in which it is created. By reflecting on the

values of their own society, students will practice the kind of thinking they will use to understand

Odysseus’ role in his own society.

Objective -On an exit slip, students will correctly define “epic” and “epic hero” with 100% accuracy.

-After reflecting on the values and ideals of their own society, students will construct a visual

representation of the characteristics an American epic hero would possess and will present it to the rest of

the class.

Common Core Standards -Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse

partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

-Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning

and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

-Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance

understanding of presentations.

Reading Material Excerpts from The Odyssey in the textbook


Grouping Whole Class, Individual, and Small Groups

Materials & Resources School – Projector, board

Teacher – PowerPoint presentation

Student – writing utensils, paper

Literacy Strategies Quick Write, Exit Slip, Visualizing

Phase One

Clarify Aims and

Establish Set

-Do Now Question (Mandatory Class Starter at McCluer North): The word “hero” means many things to

many people. As best you can, write down your own definition of “hero” that you think most other people

could agree with.

-Today we will establish the terms of discussion that will carry our way through the rest of our unit on The

Odyssey. We will learn what an “epic” is, what an “epic hero” is, and a little bit about the epic tradition in

Greece.

Phase Two

Present the Advance

Organizer

-Hold a brief discussion about the nature of heroism. Ask several students to share the definitions from

their Do-Now sheets.

-To access, students’ prior knowledge frame the discussion in terms of a character familiar and accessible

to students, whom they would readily identify as a hero, such as “Batman” or whoever the hero of the

current hot young-adult novel is.

-Transition this discussion into the topic of Greek heroes like Odysseus

Phase Three

Present Learning

Materials

-Deliver a PowerPoint presentation for students that offers background information on The Odyssey and

explains the concepts of the epic and the epic hero

-Stress the fact that an epic hero embodies the ideals and values of his or her society, so that an epic is as

much a reflection on society as it is a chronicle of individual achievement.

Phase Four

Application

-Ask students as individuals to write down what sorts of characteristics an epic hero from their society, an

American epic hero, would possess. Remind them that these characteristics are supposed to reflect what

they consider to be core American values.

-Divide students into small groups in which they will share their ideas. Each group will use be given a

piece of paper designed as a Greek shield. They will decorate their shield with the 3-5 characteristics that

the group members most frequently came up with or considered most important.

-Students present their shield to the class and explain the characteristics that their drawings represent.

Instructor will keep an ongoing list of the characteristics for use in later discussions and lessons.

-Shields will be posted in the classroom as a reminder to students of their ideas of American culture to

facilitate comparison between American and Greek cultures later in the unit

Formative

Assessment

-Class, discussion and student presentations

-On day of PowerPoint, have students define epic and epic hero as an exit slip from class

Summative

Assessment

-Students will need to understand the connection between heroes and societal values for the Heroism

Essay they will write at the end of this unit

-Short Essay questions on the department’s common assessment test for The Odyssey focus on topics such

as Odysseus’ heroic characteristics and comparing/contrasting ancient Greek and contemporary American

values

Homework

36

Heading 9th


Ancient Greece in Context 1 week

Rationale -In order to understand the values and ideals of Odysseus’ society and his place within that society,

students will research various aspects of Ancient Greek society and culture. To encourage student

engagement, they will have a certain amount of choice in the topics they delve into. Since students

will present to the rest of the class, everyone will get some information about a variety of topics.

Objective -Upon researching online various aspects of life in ancient Greece, students will construct an artifact

(i.e. travel brochure, newsletter, PowerPoint presentation) that creatively presents accurate

information about at least five different areas of Greek life.

-After creating their project, students will present their final product to the rest of the class and

explain their findings in each of their five areas of Greek life.

-While listening to other groups presentations, each student will list at least three things he or she

learned from the other presentations.

Common Core

Standards

-Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and

collaborate with others.

-Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions,

demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

-Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and

accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.

-Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

-Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse

partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

-Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually,

quantitatively, and orally.

-Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of

reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and

audience.

-Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance

understanding of presentations.

Reading Material Excerpts from The Odyssey in our textbook

LP Format Cooperative Learning

Grouping Heterogeneous small groups

Materials & Resources School – Computers, large sheets of paper, perhaps some art supplies

Teacher – Website links, Any art supplies not supplied by school or students

Student – Art supplies if available

Literacy Strategies Quick Write, K-W-L chart

Phase One

Clarify goals and

establish set.

Do Now Question: Make a list of things you think you know about life in Ancient Greece.

-Establish set by leading students through a K-W-L chart. Instructor can choose either to make one

large chart for the class or to break the students into small groups

-Students use their Do Now to fill in the K column of the chart and then engage in discussion among

themselves or with the teacher to fill in the W column.

-Instructor will hang up all of the charts for the duration of the project so that students may refer to

them to gain ideas for research topics.

Phase Two

Present information

-Instructor will present students with the options for their final product: travel brochure, newsletter,

or PowerPoint presentation. Groups may substitute a different product subject to instructor approval.

-Students will visit the following three sites to conduct their research:

http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/

http://www.ancient-greece.org/

http://www.yourdiscovery.com/greece/index.shtml

Students may seek information from other reliable sources upon seeking instructor approval.

Phase Three

Organize students into

learning teams

-Students will be divided into heterogeneous groups. Instructor may assign roles to group members if

desired.

Phase Four

Assist team work and

study

-Students will conduct research on computers in the library or in the computer lab. Teacher will

circulate to answer questions and keep students on task.

http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/

http://www.ancient-greece.org/

http://www.yourdiscovery.com/greece/index.shtml

37

Phase Five

Test on the materials

-The test on the materials is the final product itself and the presentation of that material to the rest of

the class.

-While listening to other groups presentations, each student will write down at least three things he or

she learned from the other presentations. These lists will then be used to fill in the L columns on the

K-W-L charts now hanging in the classroom.

Formative

Assessment

-KWL chart assess students’ prior knowledge and the sorts of things they would like to learn

-Teacher observation during research time assesses how the students conduct research and work as a

team

Summative

Assessment

-The final product acts as a summative assessment for this first contextual research portion of the

unit.

-The project as a whole also contributes to the types of cultural analysis that will appear in the

Heroism Essay and on the short essay section of the common test

Homework

Reminder Reserve computer lab for work days

38

Heading 9th


Odysseus & Penelope 1-2 days

Rationale In this lesson, students will come to see the characters in The Odyssey as true characters and less as simply

heroic archetypes. Though we have focused most of our attention thus far on Odysseus, we will turn here

to Penelope in order to consider the role she plays in the story and what she represents. Though Odysseus

represents some of the heroic ideals of his society, his quest is ultimately a personal one. We will look at

what Penelope does to make Ithaca a home worth striving for.

Objective -Given a Venn diagram, student will accurately identify character traits that belong to Odysseus alone,

Penelope alone, and the two of them together and will cite examples from the text of The Odyssey to

support each list.

Common Core Standards -Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite

specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

-Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting

details and ideas.

-Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

-Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the

text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

Reading Material Excerpts from The Odyssey found in our textbook

LP Format Discussion

Grouping Whole class, pairs

Materials & Resources School – textbooks

Teacher – Odysseus Character Analysis handout, Venn Diagram handout


Literacy Strategies Quick Write, Venn Diagram, Think-Pair-Share, Character Study

Phase One

Clarify aims and

establish set

Do Now Question: Take out the Odysseus Character Analysis sheet where you have been keeping track of

Odysseus’ character traits throughout the course of the poem. Which of the traits on your list might have

an impact on Odysseus’ role as a husband and father and how might that be the case?

- Though we have focused most of our attention thus far on Odysseus, we will turn here to Penelope in

order to consider the role she plays in the story and what she represents. Though Odysseus represents

some of the heroic ideals of his society, his quest is ultimately a personal one. We will look at what

Penelope does to make Ithaca a home worth striving for.

Phase Two

Focus the discussion

-Pass out the Venn diagram sheet

-Students will perform a Think-Pair-Share activity. First they will think to themselves and make a

tentative list of traits in each part of the Venn Diagram. Then, they will break up into pairs to combine

their lists to fill out the diagram and locate textual support for their claims. We will then come back

together as a whole class to hold the discussion, which will form the “share” part of the activity.

Phase Three

Hold the discussion

-Instructor creates a large Venn diagram on the board to anchor the discussion and begins to fill it with

suggested items from student pairs.

-Pause to discuss students’ textual evidence for each example. Call on other students to reinforce findings

or voice dissent and alternatives.

Phase Four

End the discussion

-We have now at great length looked at the characters of Penelope and Odysseus. Now we will do a quick

write to reflect on their relationship.

-Quick Write: Why do you think Penelope remains loyal to Odysseus while he is away? Given what you

know about Odysseus, do you think she should?

Formative

Assessment

-In addition to assessing students through the discussion itself instructor may collect Venn Diagrams to

check for understanding. The final quick write at the end of class also serves as a means of assessing

understanding.

Summative

Assessment

- The continued discussion of heroic traits leads to the Heroism Essay summative assessment.

-Going back through the text for examples of Odysseus’ and Penelope’s behavior provides a thorough

review for the common assessment test.

Homework -Finish quick write about Penelope’s fidelity.

39

Mr. Fontana Freshman English Name___________________________

Odysseus Character Analysis

As we read excerpts from The Odyssey, you will use this sheet to keep track of your thoughts about the nature of the protagonist, Odysseus. In each row, you will write down one of Odysseus’ qualities in either the “Heroic” column or the “Not-So-Heroic” column. Them, write an example of something Odysseus does or says that exemplifies this quality. Record the page or line numbers where your example can be found in the text. When determining whether a personal quality is heroic or not, ask yourself whether or not this quality would have been valued in Ancient Greek society. Two examples have been filled in for you.

Odysseus’ Heroic Qualities

Actions and Words as Evidence (Cite

Example from Text)

Odysseus’ Not-So-Heroic Qualities

Actions and Words as Evidence (Cite

Example from Text)

Cunning

Odysseus forms a clever plan to escape

from Polyphemus’ cave by hiding underneath the sheep (page 964).

Arrogance

Odysseus brags about blinding Polyphemus and gets himself in

trouble with Poseidon (page 965).

40

Mr. Fontana Freshman English Name_______________________________ In the left circle of the diagram, list the distinguishing characteristics of Odysseus alone. In the right circle, list the distinguishing characteristics of Penelope alone. In the space where the two circles overlap, list the characteristics that Odysseus and Penelope share. For each characteristic in all three circles, provide an example of the characteristic from the text of The Odyssey.

Odysseus Penelope

41

Heading 9th


Heroism Essay 1 week or so

Rationale -Because the department’s common assessment test already focuses on the plot of The Odyssey

and the relationships between the characters, this essay will instead move beyond the bounds of

the text alone to consider the broader theme of heroism. After analyzing the nature of heroism in

The Odyssey, students will write about a hero that is more personally relevant to them and

practice developing a single line of discussion over the course of an essay.

Objective -Students will write an essay focusing on someone they consider to be a hero, which will include

biographical information, a discussion of this person’s heroic actions and deeds, and a

discussion of the societal values that their hero’s actions exemplify. This essay will be evaluated

according to a rubric.

Common Core

Standards -Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using

valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

-Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style

are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

-Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or

trying a new approach.

-Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions,

demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

-Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the

credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding

plagiarism.

-Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage

when writing or speaking.

-Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,

punctuation, and spelling when writing. Reading Material Excerpts from The Odyssey in the textbook


Grouping Whole Class presentation, Individual work

Materials & Resources School – board, textbook

Teacher – Essay handouts


Literacy Strategies -Quick Write, Prewriting

Phase One

Clarify Aims and

Establish Set

-Do Now Question: Who is someone, living or dead, who is a hero to you and why?

-Today we are going to discuss the final essay for this unit, which will be about your

understanding of heroes and heroism.

Phase Two

Present the Advance

Organizer

-Present students with Heroism Essay Assignment Sheet and Essay Rubric

-Run down expectations for the assignment and take questions as necessary

Phase Three

Present Learning

Materials

-Present students with a prewriting packet that will help them narrow down an essay topic and

sets of main ideas and details for the body paragraphs

-Review guidelines for acceptable sources and go over in more detail the way to conduct a

formal interview

Phase Four

Application

-Students will have class time to work on their essays in the library or computer lab

Formative

Assessment

-Use informal discussion to assess student understanding of the assignment

-Instructor may circulate around the room to scan over students’ prewriting work

Summative

Assessment

-The essay itself is the summative assessment

Homework

Reminder -Reserve time in the library or computer lab to allow students time to work

42

Mr. Fontana Freshman English Name_____________________________________

Heroism Essay—60 Points

Throughout this unit we have been discussing the nature of the epic hero, not only the individual accomplishments of the hero but also the societal values that the hero embodies. Your task is to select a person to write about as a hero. This person may be a famous or historical figure, or it may be someone you know personally. Your Essay should include the following: Introduction: Follow the “funnel format,” in which you move from the general issue to the

specific case. Include a hook to get your readers interested and keep them entertained. The last sentence of your introduction should be your thesis statement.

Body 1: Include a short biography of your hero. Since you must keep this down to the

normal paragraph length, you must carefully choose only the most important details about your hero’s life to share.

Body 2: Discuss actions of your hero that you consider to be heroic. Again, select your

details carefully. Body 3: Discuss what societal values your hero’s actions exemplify and explain how they

do so. Your discussion in this paragraph should be directly connected to the actions you discussed in Body 2.

Conclusion: Follow the “reverse funnel format,” in which you move from restating your

particular main idea back out to a more general application of the idea. Sources: This essay is not as involved as a formal research paper. However, you will still need to document where your information comes from. You will need to use at least 2 reliable sources. We will review together what constitutes a reliable source. (Note: If you are writing about someone you know personally, your sources will likely need to be personal interviews with people who know that person. I will give you a handout explaining how to conduct an interview, and you will need to turn in interview notes with your essay) Format: Essay should be in correct MLA format with a proper heading, last name and page numbers on each page starting on page two, Times New Roman 12 point font, double spaced, with title centered on page one. Due Date: ___________________

43

Mr. Fontana

Freshman English

Name_________________________________

Essay Rubric

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

Introduction The introduction is inviting,

clearly follows the "funnel

format", and has a clear,

properly located thesis.

The introduction attempts

to follow the "funnel

format", has a clear,

properly located thesis,

but lacks creativity and

fails to intrigue the reader.

The introduction does

not clearly follow the

"funnel format", nor is it

inviting to the reader,

but there is evidence of a

thesis.

There is no clear

introduction of the

main topic or

structure of the paper.

Body

Paragraphs

All three body paragraphs are

thoroughly developed with at

least three quality details per

body paragraph that directly

support the thesis.

All three body paragraphs

are thoroughly developed

with at least two quality

details per body

paragraph that directly

support the thesis.

All three body

paragraphs are present

with at least one or two

details per body

paragraph that attempt to

support the thesis.

There is little to no

evidence of

paragraphing, and/or

does not support

thesis.

Conclusion The conclusion clearly follows

the "reverse funnel" format,

beginning with a restated thesis

and leaves the reader with a

feeling that they understand

what the author is "getting at".

The conclusion attempts

to follow the "reverse

funnel" format, is

recognizable and ties up

almost all loose ends.

The conclusion does not

show evidence of

following the "reverse

funnel" format, but there

is some attempt to

conclude the essay.

There is no clear

conclusion, the paper

just ends.

Format Essay is in correct MLA format

with a proper heading, last

name & page numbers on each

page starting on page two, uses

Times New Roman 12 pt font,

double spaced, with title

centered on pg one.

Essay is missing one of

the format requirements.

Essay is two of the

format requirements.

Essay is missing

three or more of the

format requirements.

Sources Uses at least two appropriately

reliable sources that are

properly cited in MLA

formatting.

Uses at least two

appropriately reliable

sources that are cited in

MLA formatting with

only a few minor errors in

citation.

Uses only one reliable

source that is cited in

MLA formatting or uses

two reliable sources that

have significant error in

citation.

Does not use any

sources or makes no

effort to cite sources

properly.

Grammar &

Spelling

Writer makes no more than two

errors in grammar or spelling

that distracts the reader from

the content.

Writer makes 3-4 errors in

grammar or spelling that

distract the reader from

the content.

Writer makes 5-6 errors

in grammar or spelling

that distract the reader

from the content.

Writer makes more

than 6 errors in

grammar or spelling

that distract the

reader from the

content.

Tom Fontana - umsl.edu

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