Miss Elizabeth Swoboda
Bio: I am a work in progress. To some extent, we are all a summation of our
experiences. Coming from a 225 acre farm where I was homeschooled up until college,
my experiences and point of view are a little out of the ordinary for most people. I feel
this uniquely prepares me to see the world differently and bring that outlook to the
field of education. I have returned to my alma mater, UM- St. Louis, as a graduate
student working toward her teaching certification in English, although I plan to take
the PRAXIS in Music and drama as well. I graduated May 2010 Magna Cum
Laude with a BA in English, Music minor, and Creative writing certificate. In my
downtime I love to write fiction. I am also a certified trainer and server at Red Lobster
(where we SEA food differently!). I live in St. Louis and grow zinnias, freesias, and
morning glories outside my window while the weather allows. Having been playing the
piano and singing for almost as long as I can remember, music is one of the real joys in
my life. My family is very large and includes my boyfriend of four years and his two
sons. I can not wait for my chance to share my enthusiasm and outlook with high school
students. While working toward my certification I have applied for substitute teaching
positions so that day will be arriving soon! The path my life has taken has been
unexpected, however; I meet each curve in the road with excitement and confidence
that around the bend will be a challenge that I am equal to.
My Mission Statement: I am on a quest to get people of all ages excited about the
search for knowledge and rediscover the joy of learning. In today’s world of instant
gratification, the “answer” is often doled out and, while the “answer” might be correct,
it is incomplete and lacking context. I believe that the most valuable answer leads to
more questions. Questions are wonderful! I want a classroom where together we will
learn and eventually get to a point where I, as the teacher, can say, “I don’t know
personally, but let’s find out!”
Thought to hold up to the light:
“This day before dawn I ascended a hill and look'd at the crowded heaven,
And I said to my spirit When we become the enfolders of those orbs, and the
pleasure and knowledge of every thing in them, shall we be fill'd and
satisfied then?
And my spirit said No, we but level that lift to pass and continue beyond.
You are also asking me questions and I hear you,
I answer that I cannot answer, you must find out for yourself.”
~Walt Whitman
Work completed in English 4880:
My List of Nothing in Particular:
List of Nothing in Particular
Life Lessons I Learned Being a Goat Wrangler
Elizabeth Swoboda
English 4880 Final Draft
Sept. 29, 2011
Life Lessons I Learned Being a Goat Wrangler
I. How to Act or the Paint
Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.
~Albert Camus
I walked toward the front of class to hand in my completed MAP test,
instinctually avoiding the leg that swung out to trip me. I still stumbled. “Spazoid,”
someone offered from the back and the small titters of laughter that swept the room was a
wave that carried me in its wake and beat against my back as I handed the test into the
monitor. It was done.
It was only one day every year or so. I think when depended on whether anyone
had driven by the farm, saw children outside during school hours and called DFS. The
first time, when I was eight, I approached the day with excitement. I was going to school
like the ‘regular’ kids! By the time I was twelve, it was met merely with resignation. I
wasn’t a ‘regular’ kid. I was what they called a “freak”: I was a homeschooler. After
twelve my parents found a way for our elderly neighbor to be the monitor instead of
making me go back. I had never talked to them about how hard it was. One of those
things they simply noticed I suppose.
MAP testing day always began with great confusion for the teachers: no one knew
what to do with me. I didn’t have a set grade level; my texts often spanned several grades
so instead, I was put with my age group. That first year I had been given strict parental
instructions to be an “ambassador of our family” and do my very best. Class after class, I
unknowingly committed the cardinal social sin in being the first to be done in every
subject area, I double and triple checked my work before handing it in. I had been drilling
with flashcards for weeks and had used hardly any of what we had been studying. Did I
do it wrong? Why isn’t anyone else done? Why don’t they hurry so we can go out and
play?
I had never been around so many kids. I saw some I recognized from 4-H and
Sunday school and couldn’t wait to be invited into their groups and their games. I began
to fidget with anticipation and earned a reprimand from the teacher in response. If
everyone didn’t know I was done at that point, they did now and soon I realized that I
was getting unfriendly glares from all sides. At morning recess I tried talking to some of
the kids I knew but they ignored me and when their friends asked how they knew me:
“She’s just some know-it-all from church.” “Yeah, plus she’s weird, all she ever talks
about is her goats or horses.” I got the hint. At lunch I didn’t bother to find anyone to sit
with. Instead I found a table in the corner and thought about the young doe, a female
goat, who we had bought and tried to introduce to the herd.
“Felicity” was what I named her because she made me so happy. The first few
weeks after we brought her home she always was running. No one wanted her in their
group and they chased her around the barnyard and kept her away from the food. I had
thought that the other goats were just being silly and mean. But here were kids doing it
too. I went home that day and took Felicity aside and fed her by hand. That was my first
lesson as a goat wrangler: different and new is sometimes seen as weird and off-putting
and herds will repulse newcomers who don’t fit in. You have to know the herd and
identify the leaders. Felicity soon learnt that each little clique within the herd had its
dominant alphas, the meek subordinates, and those on the fringe who were unpredictable
and would pick a fight with anyone. She learned to navigate the new environment, adapt,
and even start to fit in a little. I wasn’t so lucky.
I had to remind myself, Felicity had the benefit, or curse, depending how you
looked at it, of being with the herd 24/7. I saw these other kids once a week at our small
community church, once a month at the 4-H meeting, and once every year or so in the
school. I could navigate the environment and I could adapt my behavior. I learned how to
read groups well and anticipate consequences of individual actions. I learn how to
identify pecking orders in cliques and to move in the social pond with out making any
troubling ripples. I never could completely fit in though.
I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather
than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence. ~Frederick Douglass
At the peak of our dairy’s career we had fifty-plus head of Toggenburg and
Saanen dairy goats, Swiss breeds known for the sweetness of their milk. On our two
hundred and twenty acre farm that had horses, cattle, dogs, chickens, and pigs, it was the
goats that ruled the roost. Waking up at six am every morning, we milked over twenty-
five goats by hand and repeated the process at six every night. It did not matter what else
was going on, those animals depended on me and my family to be there and take care of
them. It was a responsibility I loved. On top of that, we were successful. Within the dairy
goat community, Swoboda Family Farms was competitive and my three younger siblings
and I routinely won showmanship and judging competitions; our goats always were in the
top three, if not winning the class. Regarding my peers and their teasing, I learned that I
had a choice: I could either be embarrassed and ashamed of my life, or I could embrace it
and be proud of the genuine accomplishments I had achieved. I chose to respect myself
and my life, though that didn’t stop the teasing. Their jibes and small hurts didn’t bother
me as much once I had decided that the fact they couldn’t understand my life experience
did not render my life invalid. I also gained a very healthy respect for the power of group
persuasion. Mobs to this day terrify me because I know all too well that the values of the
individual are reduced to their lowest common denominator when there is, as Nietzsche
termed it, “herd mentality,” at play.
II. How to See or the Brush
"All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man
does not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web,
he does to himself. ~Chief Seattle
I was in that setting K-12, until I graduated high school at sixteen, and the thing
is, we did school 24/7/365. School was never out of session. Everything was learning and
there was never anything that was out of my reach. I was never told I would learn about it
later. If I wanted to know something, if my parents could not answer me, then I was given
the tools to find out. For example: At birth when we gave the baby goats, otherwise
known as kids, their immunizations for tetanus, I wanted to know how and why it
worked. That launched a whole unit study on Louis Pasteur, historical context, biology of
a disease, contagion spread, DNA of viruses and mutations of them, word problems
formulated around genetic probabilities or extrapolation of data. My desire to know took
over every subject. Knowledge was like a thread you pulled and the more you examined
the thread, the further it lead and the more you understood the whole tapestry of life and
who humanity is today. When I flicked that needle lightly, clearing air bubbles that if
shot into any blood vein would be lethal, pulled delicate skin slightly away from the
small frame, carefully pushed the sliver of metal home, then finally pressing the plunger:
I was part of a larger picture and history. My goats helped teach me that no one action is
independent. Everything is connected. We are enacting generations of learning,
knowledge, and history everyday. Knowledge evolves with its uses and, in turn, the users
of knowledge evolve as well. Within our American culture very many possess, as
William Fullerton termed it, “the leisure to be wise”; however, it is up to the individual to
take advantage of the opportunity.
They say opportunity's only got one hair on its head and you got to grab it while it’s
going by. ~ William Demarest
“Opportunity” was her name and in 2001: she was our champion. For a goat, she
was a looker with a coat like silk, a delicate frame that trembled with dairy character, and
perfect bold markings. However, she was not the shiniest apple in the cart, if you know
what I mean. We had to keep her separate from the other goats because she would pick
fights endlessly. If a bucket of water was given to her to drink, for some reason she felt
the need to stand in it. If there was a nearby fence, somehow, she would manage to get
her head stuck in it. Despite all that, she was our ace in the hole every show that year and
we already had several offers to buy her or her future offspring. Given the trouble she
was we were sorely tempted. At this particular moment however, we were stuck. It was
the middle of August, over 115 degrees, and our 1986 GMC Suburban’s transmission had
just gone out. We were on our way back from the Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield, MO
and on one of my dad’s famous shortcut routes that involved a gravel road in the middle
of nowhere. This was before any of us had a mobile phone so my dad started trekking
down the road to see if he could find anyone. My sister and I were left with the truck and
the rusty brown trailer that held twenty-three hot and crowded goats on it. They were
inquiring, baaing loudly, about what was going on and why had we stopped. Given her
special needs, Opportunity had her own partition, which just did not seem fair given the
heat and the conditions, so I took out Opportunity, put a leash on her, tied it to the trailer,
and opened up the partition, giving the other goats some room to breath for a bit. We had
a spray bottle of water and were trying to cool the goats down when I heard from the
front of the trailer, bu dump bu dump. I peeked around the edge, sweat beading my
forehead, and the first thing I saw was Opportunity’s leash, empty collar attached, on the
ground. Bu dump, I looked up and the next thing I saw was Opportunity perched on top
of the roof of the Suburban.
I yelled several words that I really was not supposed to know. Wrong move.
Opportunity startles, jumps off the roof to the ground below, and takes off for the nearby
woods. I leapt and had her hoof in my hand for a split second but as sweaty as I was, she
slipped through my fingers and lickity-split, was in the trees. My sister and I ran after her
with no luck, chasing her darting shape this way and that through the thick brush of
brambles, shrubs, trees, poison ivy and who knows what else, only to have to call the
chase to a halt as dusk quickly fell and she quickly disappeared from sight.
Soon our neighbors from home came with their trucks to haul us home: there was
no more time and no choice but to leave Opportunity behind. I’m sure she inspired some
wild stories in the area for a time. Opportunity is fleeting and this one taught me, literally,
to not let it slip through my fingers.
III. How to Listen or the Canvas
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down
and listen. ~Winston Churchill
When a person says something to an animal, they do not worry about the animal
judging them; they are in no danger of the animal cutting them off, or jumping to
conclusions. The animal simply is. When I was thirteen, something happened during one
of our annual goat shows that ripped through the fabric of who I was, changing me
forever. I had been very good about reading groups and while I distrusted individuals, I
was also desperate for a true friend. I decided to trust someone and that trust was
misplaced. The details are brutal and in the world we live in, unfortunately, predictable.
When I tried to tell my mother what had happened she did not understand. I did
not really possess the language to tell her. She jumped to the wrong conclusion and I was
left with the impression that it was all my fault and the person who hurt me was right: if
anyone knew, they would blame me and could not love me. Instead, I told Fiona,
Felicity’s daughter. I told Fiona again and again how it had happened and how I felt so
afraid and alone. I wondered if there was anything I could have done to stop it. Fiona
would look at me with her calm golden eyes and begin chewing her cud. She carried on
with her everyday normal life. Her world was not sundered with what I told her. She
would lay down with her head in my lap and would still love me. I don’t know who I
would be if she had not been there. Now when I listen to people, especially those I love, I
open myself and try to hear what it is they are truly saying. I reserve judgment. You may
laugh, but, I try to listen like a goat.
Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
I am stubborn. I cannot blame my goats for this trait and while I could probably
blame my parents or genetics, that is a cop-out. Frankly, I like doing things my way. The
old adage --“where there’s a will, there’s a way”—has always been my Standard
Operating Protocol. However, after several train wreck-esque experiences, I have had to
grudgingly allow the following stipulations: 1) one’s will cannot outweigh one’s reason
and 2) as my Grandma Leola always morbidly uttered, “There’s always more than one
way to skin a cat.” These caveats usually imply a compromise must be made on some
level. When Compromise attempts to visit Stubbornville, population: me, a riot of some
sort occurs in my head which is only resolved when Logic appoints itself Sheriff and tells
me to sit down and shut up. Having that Sheriff is the fine line between being stubborn
and being pig-headed. That difference was made clear to me by my goats.
My siblings and I love to sing and play piano. That fact coupled with our need for
more social interaction, led my parents to find a homeschool group that had a choir/music
program that met once a week. Despite the fact it was over an hour away, they made the
commitment to take us there and so, one of best experiences of my life began.
My siblings and I were still considered a little odd. My family was Catholic and
the entire group was Protestant or Evangelical, they were all city slickers and well, we
were not, at least one of their parents did not have a job and was their teacher, while both
my parents worked and we were, for the large part, self-taught; nonetheless, all of these
kids knew what it was like to not fit in anywhere else and so, for the first time, when I
was fourteen, (for all intensive purpose a junior in high school) I began making
connections with kids my own age. There was one stumbling block: I thought I was a
soprano, the highest singing part in the choir that usually carries the melody. Mrs. Horn,
our choir director, knew that, while I was able to sing the notes of a soprano, my tone was
so much richer and more natural in a lower octave. I will admit to some sibling rivalry
here. My sister Hannah was a true soprano and we had always sung together. Silly me
was stuck on the fact that alto was a lower voice part and so Hannah would get the
melody more often: If I’m an alto, she will have the lead! It was a very silly thought and
yet so seemingly important at the time.
Mrs. Horn tried to convince me of the truth; however, I was prideful and pig-
headed. After one silent battle of wills where she assigned me to sit with the altos but I
decided, (like I said, pig-headed) to sing the soprano part instead. I was brooding over it
in the barn back home. From where I sat in the dusty hayloft, I noticed two goats fighting.
They would circle each other, baaing and wagging their short tails vigorously, then, they
would back up, posturing and scratching the dirt with their hooves, and finally, crash,
they would come together, butting their heads and pushing against one another in this
ancient ritualistic dance of dominance. I watched for a few minutes and then it dawned on
me that, there were certain goats that always had bald spots on their head for exactly this
reason. They were always fighting. They never proved anything or got anywhere with it.
What did they hope to gain? I ruminated over that for a moment before mustering the
courage to put myself under the magnifying glass. What did I hope to gain by fighting
with my director? She had vastly more vocal experience then I did, the choir needed more
altos, and, to be honest, I secretly enjoyed singing lower parts better anyway. Was I
fighting just for the sake of saving my pride? Was I like a goat, just hurling myself
against the issue again and again, so concerned with being right, that I ignored the true
goal of making beautiful music? I apologized the next week and took on the alto part.
IV. Paint + Brush + Canvas= Art(x). Make the Formula Balance. Solve for x.
Most action is based on redemption and revenge, and that's a formula. Moby Dick was
formula. It's how you get to the conclusion that makes it interesting. ~ Sylvester Stallone
My interactions with goats showed me that groups will often condemn that which
they do not understand and how to “mine own self be true.” I learned how to perceive the
connections present through all of life and how to recognize the moments when there is
an opportunity and not let it pass me by. I learned to listen with compassion and also with
reason. Basically, I learned how to see, hear, and act from my goats.
I could go on and dissect every little tic in my inner clockwork and probably
relate it to something I learned from goats. I could continue to relate my life as spliced
reels of near formulaic life lessons, bookended by the words of others; however, this is a
life being lived, a work in progress, not an autopsy or a documentary. Does the
summation of the parts equal the entirety of the whole? When the whole in question is a
human being, I think not.
My list is the key underpinnings to who I am today. Who I am becoming for my
tomorrows is certainly based off much of that; however, I regard it as a more of a jazz
score than baroque bars. Before it comes to the final notes, I guarantee some
improvisation is in store.
A small collection of lesson plans:
Lesson Plan Template
Heading English Fall 2013 Elizabeth Swoboda
“Fiction as a Method of Social Change” 50 Min.
Objective Introduction to the style of “Realism”
Reading
Material
Rebecca Harding Davis “Life in the Iron-Mills”
Instructional
Framework
Initiating Constructing Utilizing
Lesson Plan
Format
Teacher Centered:
Direct Instruction – providing information and building skills
Presentation – demonstrating, lecturing
Concept – introducing a new theory, symbol, idea
Student Centered:
Discussion
Cooperative Learning
Problem Solving
Grouping Whole Class Pairs Individuals
Materials &
Resources
School – Textbooks, blackboard
Teacher – Historical Timeline/communication with Soc. Studies
Teacher, previous WTL index cards
Student – Index card, pencils
Literacy
Strategy
Short ungraded free write identifying clues about the writing that are
different than previous works and set it in the realm of “realism”
“Knowledge Pool”
Phase One Begin Class by reading the first two paragraphs of “Life in the Iron-
Mills” aloud. Have them continue to read on their own the rest of the
introduction. Write on the board: What do you find most different
about this style of writing than previous authors? Write a sentence
or two. Then think of 3 words that describe the tone and/or style. Take out index card and pencil and each student has 5 min. to
complete the free write. Have students volunteer to share one of the
three words they wrote down. “Direct address” or “talking to the
reader” hopefully comes up.
Compare and contrast in class discussion differences from previous
works discussed. Take out old WTL index cards and remind class of
previous 3 words associated with older works. Work back
chronologically from Stowe, Melville, Poe, and Hawthorne.
Phase Two Talk about the author, Rebecca Davis Harding. Discuss Historical
context and have a “Knowledge Pool.” Ask “What was going on in the
year 1861?” and have students brainstorm (communicate with Soc.
Studies teacher about points discussed as they approach the Civil War
Era in American History) and write down ideas on blackboard. Civil
War should come up as well as: racial tension, Industrial Revolution,
women’s rights, state’s rights, level of government involvement,
worker’s rights…etc.
Compare Harding to other female author previously covered, Harriet
Beecher Stowe.
Phase Three With the historical and political context in mind, assign the 1st half of
the short story as reading at home.
Formative
Assessment
Students will hopefully be actively engaged in the discussion and
using their critical thinking skills to apply the fiction they are reading
to a real life historical base. They will be utilizing the knowledge they
have gained in other classes to enhance their understanding of the
story. They will be learning from each other. Success will be based on
the level of participation and activity that is experienced.
Lesson Plan Template
Heading English Elizabeth Swoboda
“Fiction as a Method of Social Change” 50 Min.
Objective Further exploration of “realism” and examining character
development.
Reading
Material
Rebecca Harding Davis “Life in the Iron-Mills”
Instructional
Framework
Initiating Constructing Utilizing
Lesson Plan
Format
Teacher Centered:
Direct Instruction – providing information and building skills
Presentation – demonstrating, lecturing
Concept – introducing a new theory, symbol, idea
Student Centered:
Discussion
Cooperative Learning
Problem Solving
Grouping Whole Class Pairs Individuals
Materials &
Resources
School – textbooks, blackboard, projector and screen
Teacher – clip from “October Sky”
Student – Journal, paper, index cards, pencils
Literacy
Strategy
Admittance writing demonstrating knowledge and understanding of
the material
“What might happen” writing that employs critical thinking and
application of prior knowledge
Exit Slips
Phase One Before class write on board: Take out your journal and write a
response to the reading. Pair up with student clockwise to you and
discuss your responses. If there are an odd number of students I will pair up with one. Each
pairing will share one thing that was brought up in observation.
One of the issues brought up will be the attitude of the upper class.
Another might be the desire to better oneself. Perhaps the atmosphere
in a town built around the iron mines.
Use these questions to transition to next part.
Phase Two Give some introduction to clip from “October Sky,” emphasizing it is
based on a true story. Give historical context and show the clip where
Homer is being ridiculed for his desire to build rockets instead of work
in the mine.
Compare Hugh and Homer. What do they want?
Are the attitudes of the wealthy men in the short story believable?
What should they do? Are they right to act the way they do?
Phase Three Examine the last part read of the story so far…Hugh has kept the
stolen money. Why would he do that? Given what we know so far,
what is going to happen to Hugh? Have students write their
predictions down on index cards and put them in a hat. Draw out a few
and read choice cards aloud anonymously to inspire discussion on
Hugh’s options. 5 minutes before class end have students take index
cards and write down one thing they would change if they could at
school. Assign last of story for at home reading.
Formative
Assessment
Today is about discussion of the characters, atmosphere, and attitudes
presented in the fiction. How “real” does realism make this fiction
feel? Students will use their imagination and prior knowledge to
envision a future for Hugh. Success will be based on level of depth to
discussion and ability to assimilate prior knowledge and a factual basis
into a fictionalized setting.
9th-12th Grade English
Miss Swoboda
Fall 2013
Overview
Rationale: “We both have truths. Are mine the same as yours?”~ (Pontius Pilate)
Andrew Lloyd Webber
We have reality tv, video games that try to project more and more realistic graphics and
sound effects, 3D movies, movies that push the boundaries of fiction by masquerading as
documentaries (i.e. Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity, and District 9 etc.). All
entertainment is pushing for more realistic and graphic sensory input while still retaining
an aura of fiction. This is not a new trend. Some of the most famous classics in their own
day were pushing the envelope on blurring the line between reality and imagination.
Reading the Canterbury tales one can find some of the first examples of attempting to
capture “real life” through the use of commoners as characters, much of Shakespeare’s
work has political leanings from his time, when H. G. Wells “War of the Worlds” was
first read over the radio it was believed to be breaking news and had people hiding from
aliens. Despite the different mediums that these works of literature use, the effect is the
same: People believed in the characters and the work had a greater, heightened impact as
a result of the writer’s choices.
One of the most popular entertainment genres is that of the police procedurals.
Law and Order, CSI, Castle, Fringe, and many others that Americans are familiar with on
a daily basis. One of the most classic and famous collections is The Adventures of
Sherlock Holmes. Combining knowledge and logic in a way that made this character
appear to have nearly magically powers made Holmes appealing to multitudes of
audiences despite his emotionally detached and inaccessible attitude.
Combining facts into fiction is part of what makes characters believable. Fiction
writing is not just ‘flights of fancy’ but usually requires exhaustive research in order to
make all the pieces fit perfectly. Learning how to write believable plots, settings, and
characters will help students in any walk of life. Students are not just learning to write
fiction but also how to view any undertaking in the larger context of where it fits. In life
students will need the ability to take the facts/resources at their disposal and envision a
possible future which fully utilizes the groundwork already in place.
Summary: Through deconstructing Sherlock Holmes students will combine Social
Studies, (as this lesson will coincide with a unit of study on the rule of Queen Victoria),
Science, Math, and some Art/Music in order to see how the character of Sherlock Holmes
was created and how the genre of forensic crime investigation was launched.
Students will ultimately be creating their own crime fiction (or “faction”) in
which the rules of science, math, and culture will serve as grounding points for the
imagination to build off of. In order to quickly focus student direction, two bowls will be
passed with Polaroids of different objects. Each student will take one picture from each
bowl and their story must connect in Holmesian logic/induction fashion what is pictured.
Each story must have these elements in play: 1) a historical or present-day culturally
significant event that influences character behavior in the story and 2) at least one math
and/or science exchange where the resulting knowledge helps lead to the conclusion of
the story. Finally, each student will use publishing software (Quark, InDesign,
Wordpress) to format their story in the style of a magazine, emulating how Sherlock
Holmes was first published. Students will use both historical magazines and present day
literary journals as format examples, choosing a style that will enhance their work. Each
story will have a MLA-formatted bibliography attached which documents the research
performed. During the writing process, students will peer-edit each others first draft in
small groups, raising questions and giving feedback to each other.
Literacy Strategies: The entire lesson is a KWL construct.
Carousel Brainstorming
Collaborative Annotation
Mind Mapping
RAFT
Faction
Magazine page
Admit and Exit Slips
Teacher-Student Conferences
Objectives:
Show-Me Standards:
Goal 1:
1.2. conduct research to answer questions and evaluate information and ideas.
1.4. use technological tools and other resources to locate, select and organize
information.
1.6. discover and evaluate patterns and relationships in information, ideas and
structures.
1.10. apply acquired information, ideas and skills to different contexts as students,
workers, citizens and consumers.
Goal 2:
2.1. plan and make written, oral and visual presentations for a variety of purposes
and audiences.
2.7. use technological tools to exchange information and ideas.
Goal 3:
3.5. reason inductively from a set of specific facts and deductively from general
premises.
Goal 4:
4.1. explain reasoning and identify information used to support decisions.
Length of Curriculum: one week/five days (see daily breakdown and calendar)
Materials and Resources:
Provided by the school: Chart paper, copy machine, white board, computer paper,
computer access, and publishing software. Reading material.
Provided by the teacher: student handout, poster board, markers, construction paper,
scissors, tape, student calendar, appropriate search engine websites, Polaroids, excerpts
from reading.
Provided by the students: writing utensils, paper.
Means of Assessment: Level of participation throughout the project based on all work
done. The finished Magazine page based on rubric. Teacher-Student Conference will be
orally assessed. Some level of individual assessment will be called for as each student’s
level of understanding of the larger concepts will differ based on their development level.
Day One:
Having Read
“A Study In
Scarlet”
Introduce
concept of
“Faction”
Examine
Cultural
Contributors
Examine
Science and
Math
contributors
Discuss
interplay of
fiction and
fact
Read
Encyclopedia
Brown
Short story as
food for
thought.
Day Two:
Introduce
Assignment
through
Student
Handout
Pick Polaroids
Divide into
brainstorming
groups.
Draw maps
connecting
Polaroids
Assign basic
outline/first
draft for next
day.
Day Three:
Share First
draft in Peer
Writing
Groups.
CSI Lab: Use
sample from
handout to
show how
math/science
can interplay
Students
share ideas for
their own
Science/Math
connection.
Assign “The
Adventure of
the Sussex
Vampyre” as
well as
Second draft
Day Four:
Discuss
Sussex
Vampyre.
Examine
character
emotional
motivations.
Have each
student circle
emotional
motivations
within their
own story.
Talk about
Final draft
and Polishing
work.
Show
examples of
historic and
present day
magazine
publications.
Show use of
graphics and
pull-quotes.
Day Five:
Computer
Work Day!
Each student
has the period
to format their
finished work.
Teacher-
student
Conferences
through-out
the period.
Students have
the weekend to
proofread and
edit their
work.
Monday will
begin with a
sharing, in
peer groups, of
finished
project. Project
will contribute
to student
portfolio
Connect the Dots! Class: English, Miss Swoboda 10/16/13 Student Name:
What do these tire marks have
to do with cookie crumbs?
It is up to YOU to find out!
S= √30*d*f*n Point A S = Speed, in miles per hour.
30 = A constant value used in this equation.
D = Skid Distance, in decimal feet and inches.
f = Drag factor for the road surface.
n = Braking efficiency as a percent.
Pick one Polaroid out of each of the two bowls. Your task over the next four days will be to
write a “faction” that connects your Polaroids.
Rules: 1. No trading Polaroids 2. Must be at least one page, Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, single
spaced 3. Must use one cultural event (historic, present-day, or future)
that influences character behavior (Example: The event of September 11th has changed the way people travel by air.)
4. Must use one math and/or science exchange that helps “solve” the case. (Example: See the Formula above? That can help determine how fast a vehicle was moving when the brakes were applied!)
Point B
Start Sleuthing!
Lesson Plan for English 9-12
Fact in Fiction: The Key to Believing
Miss Swoboda
Five Day Lesson Plan
Reading Material: Prior to this A Study in Scarlet will have been read. Excerpt from
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol will be read in class. The
Adventure of the Sussex Vampyre by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Instructional Framework: All three styles will be blended and employed within the LP
Lesson Plan Format: Both Teacher and Student Centered strategies will come into play.
Grouping: Each day will incorporate each level of grouping.
Materials and Resources: See Overview
Learning Strategies: See Overview
Phase One or What do you know: Day one will cover discussion and deconstruction of
The Study in Scarlet. Using Carousel Brainstorming Students will have three boards that
all pertain to late 19th
Century Britain. The boards will be labeled as follows: People,
Events, Ideas. On the People board hopefully Queen Victoria will appear, Gladstone,
Emily Dickinson, Thomas Edison, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
Mark Twain…among others.
Events: Industrial Revolution, first commercial automobile, first electrical power plant,
invention of Coca-cola, along with the British Empire colonization of India, Burma,
Egypt, and much of Africa.
Ideas: Growing belief in the theory of evolution, Abolishment of slavery, Euro-centric
eugenic pseudo-science, legal drug use…etc.
Bring out paper with excerpts from different Sherlock stories taped to it. Collaborative
annotation/Silent discussion of excerpts that are shared with class.
Discuss how the interplay of fact with fiction heightening the reading experience.
Read Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective: Case One aloud to demonstrate how the same
theories of induction and logic that Holmes employs are applied more simply in a
children’s book.
Exit slip that asks what student would like to know about Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson
or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Phase Two or What would you like to know/Acquiring Knowledge:
Day Two:
Entrance slip on what was the biggest addition to your knowledge that you learned
yesterday.
Give out student handout and pass out polaroids. Divide students into small groups to
brainstorm how to find connections between their polaroids. Draw maps or clusters that
show the ideas that surface. Employ RAFT to help direct their stories
Assign Basic Outline and first draft due next day.
Day three:
Have three groups pre-assigned, written on board, and chairs arranged in a circle. These
are the peer review groups. Each student will share within their group their outline, after
group feedback, they will then pair with the student on their right and trade first drafts.
Feedback written on the drafts.
Using sample polaroids from handout, model the scientific/mathematical principles that
can come into play, while being put into a culturally accurate yet fictional context.
Example: While running late to the airport, (darn those useless security measures) John
Doe, a newly diagnosed diabetic, forgot to take his insulin shot, hasn’t been following his
diet, and eats a cookie on the drive there. He has been ignoring the flu-like symptoms that
have plagued him the last couple days. The cookie is the last straw for his system and he
begins to enter diabetic ketoacidosis. He starts to feel woozy, begins to black out, and
slams on his brakes, the person behind almost stops in time, and dings him bumper. They
end up calling 911. At least that is the story they are telling you, the insurance
investigator. Using the math formula show you have doubts about his story and the
choice you have to prove or disprove it.
Have students do in-class research on math and science input for their own stories. Walk
around and give feedback on ideas. Remind students about how emotional motivations
entered the example story. Assign The Adventure of the Vampyre of Sussex asking student
to keep the emotional and logical character motivations in mind while writing their
second draft.
Admit slip next time, day four, on the strongest moments in the reading.
Day four: Back in the same groups, circle all of emotional character motivation and
highlight the math/science moment and cultural background within second draft. Share
this time with person on your left. Peer feedback.
Phase Three or Showcase Learning: Still day four, discuss the publishing method Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle employed: Magazines. Look at historical examples. Discuss
magazine/journal conventions like graphics and pull-quotes. Show present day examples
like literary journal “Natural Bridge” or “River Styx.”
Day Five: Students will already be familiar with publishing software. They are going
spend the last day formatting their work into a magazine format. They will play editor to
their work and individual Teacher-Student conferences will take place through the last
period. Work to be presented and turned in Monday.
Formative Assessment: See Overview
9th-12th Grade English
Miss Swoboda
Fall 2011
Overview
Our humanity rests upon a series of learned behaviors, woven together into patterns that
are infinitely fragile and never directly inherited.
~Margaret Mead
Rationale: Continuity, connectivity, and community; these will be the bywords for this
project. We are all one community of humanity. This very week the worlds’ population is
set to reach 7 billion! Homo Sapiens is the predominant life form on the planet, despite
our lack of natural defenses, despite all the mortal perils of nature, disease, and predators,
humanity has persisted. Why? Understanding the movement and transmission of ideas is
essential to a successful adult life. It is counter-productive to segregate disciplines and
have that goal. Life does not segregate math from literature or science from music or art,
each discipline intersects and influences the other helping create this tapestry that is
human knowledge and culture. One of the best periods to demonstrate that fact is the 19th
century, the heart of the industrial revolution.
Summary: Having spent the last month on the literature of the 19th
century it is time to
bring it all together in a composite that shows the living nature of ideas. Patterned off of
Times 100 Greatest People issues but with a tabloid edge, the class will use the
knowledge gained through all their disciplines to create a magazine that showcases the
movement of thought throughout the 19th
century. This will be a ten day project that uses
the first week to establish parameters as well as generate content, with the second week
reserved for editing, layout, and printing. The magazine will be written in modern day
language, but will adopt some of the publishing styles and treat late 19th
century like
present day. We will pick twenty-five people from the late 19th
century (echoing the
sentiments of the time, these will be predominantly Europeans and Americans.) Students
brainstorm for nominees and narrow the field. Ultimately each student will be responsible
for writing a bio for one person, telling why that person deserves to be on the list. Student
will learn the subtle differences that constitute magazine writing voice/style. There will
be an editor’s page, an opinion page with guest opinion (hopefully contributed by another
teacher), along with a gossip column, a news section, fashion column, and a people to
watch for section that includes student work. Having it treat that time period as present
day will lead to reports that are “breaking” and can demonstrate social norms of the time.
Objectives: Show-Me Standards Goals:
1.1. develop questions and ideas to initiate and refine research
1.2. conduct research to answer questions and evaluate information and ideas
1.4. use technological tools and other resources to locate, select and organize information
1.5. comprehend and evaluate written, visual and oral presentations and works
1.6. discover and evaluate patterns and relationships in information, ideas and structures
1.7. evaluate the accuracy of information and the reliability of its sources
1.8. organize data, information and ideas into useful forms (including charts, graphs,
outlines) for analysis or presentation
1.9. identify, analyze and compare the institutions, traditions and art forms of past and
present societies
1.10. apply acquired information, ideas and skills to different contexts as students,
workers, citizens and consumers
2.1. plan and make written, oral and visual presentations for a variety of purposes and
audiences
2.2. review and revise communications to improve accuracy and clarity
2.3. exchange information, questions and ideas while recognizing the perspectives of
others
2.4. present perceptions and ideas regarding works of the arts, humanities and sciences
2.5. perform or produce works in the fine and practical arts
2.7. use technological tools to exchange information and ideas
3. 5. reason inductively from a set of specific facts and deductively from general premises
3.6. examine problems and proposed solutions from multiple perspectives
3.7. evaluate the extent to which a strategy addresses the problem
3.8. assess costs, benefits and other consequences of proposed solutions
4.4. recognize and practice honesty and integrity in academic work and in the workplace
4.5. develop, monitor and revise plans of action to meet deadlines and accomplish goals
4.6. identify tasks that require a coordinated effort and work with others to complete
those tasks
4.8. explore, prepare for and seek educational and job opportunities
Communication Arts Goals:
1. speaking and writing standard English (including grammar, usage, punctuation,
spelling, capitalization)
2. reading and evaluating fiction, poetry and drama
3. reading and evaluating nonfiction works and material (such as biographies,
newspapers, technical manuals)
4. writing formally (such as reports, narratives, essays) and informally (such as outlines,
notes)
6. participating in formal and informal presentations and discussions of issues and ideas
7. identifying and evaluating relationships between language and culture
Length of Curriculum: ten days/two weeks (see calendar)
Formative Assessment: Each student will be assessed on both a group and an individual
level. Participation points will be given each day. All work, including drafts, will be
turned in so that a progression of work can be seen. The final magazine rubric will assess
both the success of the magazine as a whole and that individual student’s contribution.
Top 25 most Influential People
?
1850-1900
We’ve spent the last two months covering the last half of the 19th century.
It’s time for the big picture! Everyone has seen People magazine and their yearly top people list. To
showcase what you know about the last half of the 19th century, as a
class, we are going to make a magazine that parodies that medium. We will
make a list of the people we have learned about and they will be the
“celebrities” we review. Do you devour the juicy details in fashion and gossip columns?
Always waiting for the newest tech to come out?
Love to share your opinion?
Your Moment is NOW! Exit slip today is your preference of department, listed on the board. Put
down three choices, numbered by preference. The work starts tomorrow!
Student Calendar: Week One, Content
Day
One
Day
Two
Day
Three
Day
Four
Day
Five
Nominations of
“celebrities” and debate!
(30 min.)
Explanations of each
department: News,
Gossip/Fashion,
Advice/Opinion,
Feature, and
Sports/Entertainment.
(15 min.)
Exit slip today is your
preference of
department, listed on
the board. Put down
three choices, numbered
by preference.
(5 min.)
Finalize list of
“celebrities!”
(20 min.)
Divide into
departments.
Receive
assignments
and
departmental
deadlines.
Develop
outlines for
content.
Homework:
Pick name out
of hat and write
a short bio-
500 word
minimum
Submit bios.
Work in
departments to
assign writing
topics. Each
person has a
paragraph.
(15 min.)
Pass the bio
you wrote to
the person on
your left. Read
and give notes
to each other.
Not about
grammar but
about content.
(20 min.)
Tell class what
the department
plans to do
with its column.
Homework:
Write your
paragraph.
Polish Bio.
Submit
paragraph.
Pass finished
bio to the
person on
your right.
Submit for
approval!
(10 min.)
Share
paragraph with
department
group, work on
making
transitions
flow between
different
writing styles.
Discuss final
touches, divide
work load, and
share progress
with class.
(35 min.)
Homework:
Complete
department
column.
Submit final
columns.
Trade
columns with
another
department.
Get
feedback.
Does each
department
have a voice?
(30 min.)
Start talking
about what
each
department
wants their
page to look
like.
Over
weekend,
conceive a
design
theme.
Voting on
Monday!
First Day Lesson Plan
Heading English Elizabeth Swoboda
“Celebrity Showcase” 50 min.
Objective Showcase knowledge and create magazine
Reading
Material
Previous reading over last two months from late 19th
century authors
People magazine example
Instructional
Framework
Initiating Constructing Utilizing
Lesson Plan
Format Teacher Centered:
Direct Instruction – providing information and building skills
Presentation – demonstrating, lecturing
Concept – introducing a new theory, symbol, idea
Student Centered:
Discussion
Cooperative Learning
Problem Solving
Grouping Whole Class Pairs Individuals
Materials &
Resources
School – board,
Teacher – People magazine
Student – Previously acquired knowledge, paper, pencil
Literacy
Strategy
Collective Brainstorming
Exit Slip
Phase One Bring up the concept of the magazine. Introduce with ppt magazine
examples. People magazine in particular
Phase Two
Start brainstorming list of celebrities based on what has been studied
across the disciplines.
Phase Three
Narrow down list. Debate the influences of different people. Persons
who are contentious put on “honorable mention list”. Urge students to
champion for a person if they are not making the list.
Exit slip on departmental choices.
Formative
Assessment
See overview
Homework
Assignment
Think about the list and any additions or reductions. Stand up for the
people want to see on that list tomorrow.
Lesson Plan 2
Heading English Elizabeth Swoboda
“Celebrity Showcase” Week 1: Tues-Fri.
Objective Create content for the magazine.
Reading
Material
People, Time, River Styx
Instructional
Framework
Initiating Constructing Utilizing
Lesson Plan
Format
Teacher Centered:
Direct Instruction – providing information and building skills
Presentation – demonstrating, lecturing
Concept – introducing a new theory, symbol, idea
Student Centered:
Discussion
Cooperative Learning
Problem Solving
Grouping Whole Class Pairs Individuals
Materials &
Resources
School – Projector, Board
Teacher – Magazines, Powerpoint on Departmental duties and
deadlines. Paper, pencils.
Student – Notebooks, pencils, folder.
Literacy
Strategy
Entrance and Exit Slips
Peer silent discussion
Group Review
Cluster writing
Phase One Solidify list of celebrities and settle into departments. Natural leaders
will emerge as discussion occurs. Use cluster writing to come up with
the important points students feel should be included in their column.
Sift the clusters down to an outline of the column. Assign paragraphs
within departments/within columns.
Phase Two Talk about the voice of a newspaper/publication/group vs. the voice of
the individual/character. Identify what this magazine’s voice will be
and work within departments to achieve a cohesive column with
smooth transitions. Peer review work on columns.
Phase Three Bring the content phase of the magazine to a close. Proofing for
grammar and fact checking will take place during this time. Start
looking ahead to the design aspects.
Formative
Assessment
Level of participation matched with the quality of work being
submitted for review. Demonstrating grasp of literary concepts/authors
learned from the last month of study. Shows understanding of the
elements behind a magazine publication.
Lesson Plan 3
Heading English Elizabeth Swoboda
“Celebrity Showcase” Week 2: Mon-Fri.
Objective Complete layout, design, and photography. Promote and prepare for
distribution
Reading
Material
People, Time, River Styx
Instructional
Framework Initiating Constructing Utilizing
Lesson Plan
Format
Teacher Centered:
Direct Instruction – providing information and building skills
Presentation – demonstrating, lecturing
Concept – introducing a new theory, symbol, idea
Student Centered:
Discussion
Cooperative Learning
Problem Solving
Grouping Whole Class Pairs Individuals
Materials &
Resources
School – Projector, Board, Computers, InDesign (or similar
publication medium) Costumes, printers,
Teacher – Magazines, Powerpoint on Layout. Paper, pencils, Camera,
Student – Notebooks, pencils, folder, makeup, flashdrive
Literacy
Strategy
Entrance and Exit Slips
KWL
Teacher-Student Conferences
Phase One Finalize design plan. Do a KWL to assess computer proficiency and
desires of class. Start pasting content into magazine columns to see
how it fits. Edit content to fit. Talk about making difficult cuts and
decisions. Split bios in half, one half of the class works on costuming
and pictures for bios, other half works on formatting first half of
magazine so bios can simply be pasted in. On Wednesday switch. Be
doing Entrance and Exit slips on individual progress.
Phase Two Bring in Guest Speaker, Richard Newman, Editor-in-Chief of River
Styx for a Q & A and discussion of real-life jobs in publishing.
Teacher-Student conferences during computer work to assess where
everyone is at. Do photos and art for Departmental columns.
Phase Three Assign personal bios and take headshots for staff page. Create fliers to
promote the publication and discuss distribution methods. Complete
and finalize magazine to send to print.
Formative
Assessment
Level of participation matched with the quality of work being
completed. Teacher-Student Conference will be assessed for
commitment to project along with understanding of concepts.
Individual progress will be tracked and growth observed.
Magazine Project Rubric ` Student Name:
Week One
Points Possible: 100 Points Achieved:
Bio: 25 Bio:
Content 15 Content:
Grammar 5 Grammar:
Submitted on time 5 On time:
Column Paragraph: 25 Column Paragraph:
Content 15 Content:
Grammar 5 Grammar:
Submitted on time 5 On time:
Departmental Work: 50 Departmental Work:
Participation 20 Participation:
Grasp of Concept 20 Grasp of Concept:
Met Deadlines 10 Met Deadlines:
Week Two
Points Possible: 100 Points Achieved:
Bio Layout: 25 Bio Layout:
Photo and Costuming: 15 Photo and Costuming:
Proofreading: 10 Proofreading:
Column Layout: 25 Column Layout:
Photo and Costuming: 15 Photo and Costuming:
Proofreading: 10 Proofreading:
Computer Work: 25 Computer Work: Grasp of Program: 15 Grasp of Program:
Teamwork: 5 Teamwork:
On Time: 5 On Time:
Advertisement: 25 Flier: 15 Flier:
Teamwork: 5 Teamwork:
Posted on Time: 5 Posted on Time:
Individual Assessment: 50 Individual Assessment: Demonstrated Understanding Demonstrated Understanding
of Content and Medium: 25 of Content and Medium:
Commitment to Project: 10 Commitment to Project:
Teacher-Student Conference: 10 Teacher-Student Conference:
Individual Bio: 5 Individual Bio:
Total: 250 Total:
Miss Swoboda
12th
Grade English
Overview
Rationale: Literature is a piece of humanity telescoped into a contagious form. Reading
any piece of well-written literature can impart a snapshot of a different time, place,
setting, and people. Exceptional literature will do all these things, but will also translate a
deeper understanding of the current time, place, setting, and people that the reader is
familiar with. Science Fiction is one of the most exploratory forms of literature. It uses
known variables of human life, adds unknown variables, and transmutes something
wholly new that, hopefully, grants greater perception. It is essential that maturing adults
have the ability to interpret information, extrapolate that information, and use it to
formulate predictions of their own.
Summary: We will explore the genre of Science Fiction these five weeks. At the end, the
students have the opportunity to create some sci-fi of their own in the form of a short
video. A short essay introducing the Science Fiction genre, along with four different
works of sci-fi, each representing different subsets within the genre, will be read,
discussed, and analyzed. As formative assessment, short write summaries will take place
after each story. As an example, the short film, 9, will be shown. The student created
video will be the summative assessment. For the film preview, students will divide into
groups that will each do a preview for an alternate history sci-fi film. Each student will
play a vital role in not only their own film, but also their classmates. They are each
other’s production crew.
Objectives: Students will learn to analyze a new genre of fiction that will demonstrate
how fiction, even the absurd, can be used as a lens to examine higher truths. Metaphors,
predictions of the future, possible jobs, inventions, and sciences, all of these things are
present in science fiction. Students need to learn how to envision the world differently
than it already is. In order to create realistic science fiction, students will need to conduct
research, identify credible sources, and be able to create reasonable hypotheses. The film
side allows students to create a product and lend their own interpretations. Student need
to understand the impact media has on cultural movements. These fulfill several ShowMe
Standards.
Materials and Resources: School: Board, Computers, Cameras, Tripods, Costumes,
Projecter, screen, craft supplies, and Texts. Teacher: Copy of Preface to Left Hand of
Darkness for each student, the film 9, paper, pencils, powerpoint presentation on
terminology and culture. Craft supplies Students: Makeup, perhaps some costume
pieces, paper, pencils, craft supplies.
Length of Curriculum: 5 weeks
Formative Assessment: A short formal book report will be turned in on each of the
reading assignments. Entrance and exit slips will cover terminology of the genre and
gauge student comprehension. Participation in group discussion will also be observed.
Summative Assessment: As a class, we will produce a short film. Students will be
assessed on both an individual and group level. Participation will count highly as this is
an interactive project.
The following are thought-provoking quotes to be written on the board, one by one, each week, for
group reflection and lesson enhancement.
"While thought exists, words are alive and literature becomes an escape, not from, but into living."
- Cyril Connolly
"What is wonderful about great literature is that it transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of
the man who wrote."
- E.M. Forster
"Literature is where I go to explore the highest and lowest places in human society and in the human
spirit, where I hope to find not absolute truth but the truth of the tale, of the imagination and of the
heart."
- Salman Rushdie
"Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily
life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become."
- C.S. Lewis
The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp. The reader, reading it, makes it
live: a live thing, a story.
Ursula K. Le Guin
Teacher’s Calendar
Teacher: Ms. Elizabeth Swoboda
Unit: 12th
Grade English
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Week
One Intro to Sci-Fi
Powerpoint on
sub-genres, terms,
and cultural
impact.
In class reading of
Le Guin’s essay
prefacing The Left
Hand of
Darkness.
Do KWL on
Frankenstein
Assign the first
six chapters of
Frankenstein
Exit slip:
What do you think
of Le Guin’s
statement that
writers are liars?
Entrance Slips
“What type of
Sci-fi is
Frankenstein?”
Discuss history
and context of
how Mary
Shelley came
to write
Frankenstein.
Knowledge
Pool on Time
Period
Assign next
six chapters
Exit Slips on
“Why do you
think
Frankenstein
is considered
Sci-fi and
Twilight is
not?
Entrance Slips
“Is Frankenstein
written in a
similar style
comparable to
other works we’ve
studied from that
period?” Briefly
discuss exit slips.
Discuss reading.
Divide into
groups and create
character trees.
Assign next six
chapters Exit slip: “Where
do your
sympathies lie in
the story?”
Entrance slips
“What do you
think was the
public reception
to
Frankenstein?”
Add to character
trees based on
the events read.
Assign last
chapters
Exit Slips: How
closely would
you say Mary
Shelley’s
personal life
influenced her
writing?”
Entrance Slips:
What, if
anything,
could have
prevented the
way the story
ends?
Discuss the
ending.
Assign Short
formal book
report over
weekend.
Week
Two
Turn in book
report
Introduce “The
Man in the High
Castle.” And the
alternative history
genre.
Assign first four
chapters
Entrance slip
“What is the
vital historic
difference that
created the
world depicted
in the story?”
Discuss the
cultural
aspects
present,
particularly
use of the
“oracle”.
Create
character trees.
Assign next
four chapters
Entrance slip:
“What is the term
used to describe
the world Phillip
K. Dick is
describing?”
Discuss events of
reading.
Hold silent
written discussion
on the importance
put on “historic
Americana”
within the book.
Assign next four
chapters
Entrance slip:
What is a theme
in the story?”
Show “Pawn
Stars” clip with
“historic item.”
Should the value
of the item be
reflective of the
history?
Assign last
chapters
Exit slip: What
historic item
would you pay
for?
Entrance Slip:
What did you
think of the
ending?
Recurrent
theme of truth.
Bring up quote
on board and
Le Guin
preface. What
is truth?
How is it
changed by
perception?
Assign book
report
Week
Three
Turn in Book
Report
Intro to Flatland:
A Romance of
Many Dimensions.
Background and
cultural impact.
Discuss Pen
Names.
Assign first eight
sections
Think up a Pen
Name for
yourself!
Examine text for
social
commentary
Entrance Slip:
What Pen
Name did you
come up with?
Discuss
mathematical
constructs
brought up in
book. What are
they metaphors
for?
The women in
Flatland, how
does that
compare with
Victorian
society?
Assign next
eight sections Exit slip: How
do you think
this story was
accepted in its
day?
Entrance Slip:
What word would
you choose to
describe the world
of Flatland?
Discuss
emergence of
psychology in
Abbots time.
Project timeline of
predominate
theories of
psychology. Split
into groups that
represent each
major point of
view. Do brief in
class research,
where each group
psycho-analyzes
an assigned
character from
High Castle
Assign last
sections
Entrance slip:
How would you
have attempted to
explain
3dimensions to a
Flatland
inhabitant?
Partner up with
the student next
to you and
roleplay that
conversation.
Next pretend that
you are
describing the
sky to a blind
person. Switch
partners and take
turns attempting
to describe
Native American
lifestyle to a
1400 European.
What about
Western
fashionable dress
to a Middle
Eastern native?
During these
convos, one
student draws
what is being
described.
Discussion of
experiences.
Does the familiar
sound alien when
the base of
perception is
changed?
Entrance slip:
What did you
think of
yesterdays
exercise?
Before being
watching 9 ask
students to
watch for
conventions of
sci-fi. What
would you call
the world
being
presented? Is
there social
commentary
on our present
world and
values?
Assign short
formal four
page
reflection on
truth as
portrayed in
the
reading/movie
and using
literature as a
social
commentary
or influence.
Use at least 3
specific
examples
within the
essay.
Week
Four
Turn in Essay
Introduce Ender’s
Game
Give background,
as it is fairly
contemporary
(1985), have
students divide
into 3 groups:
culture/philosophy
Technology and
science/ current
events and write
the influences
they will expect to
Admit slip:
What was the
result of the
fight with
Stiltson?
Divide into
same groups,
what
influences
were present
that you
thought would
be? Were there
any that were
not thought of?
Admit Slip: Write
Idea for sci-fi
movie preview.
Box will be set up
for open
submission
through next
Monday.
Discuss the Battle
School. Could it
happen?
Discuss the Free
Play game and the
metaphor behind
Admit Slip:
What will the
future be like?
Discuss some
alternative
histories.
Give Student
Handout about
movie preview.
Discuss reading.
Divide into
groups and write
letters from
Ender to home.
On Board:
Alternative
history ideas
for film
Discuss the
occurrences in
the reading,
How would
the fights
compare? How
responsible do
you hold
Ender?
Divide into
find in the writing.
Assign first 3
chapters
Start thinking of
what alternative
history to present
Discuss the
subtle
manipulation
within the
book.
Assign next 3
chapters
Exit slips: Is
the future
pictured in
Ender’s Game
a dystopia?
the Giant’s Drink
game.
Assign next 3
Chapters
Exit thought:
What do you
think the future
will be like?
Think it over and
be ready for an
admit slip
tomorrow
From
Valentine/Peter
to Ender. Turn
in Letters
Assign next 3
chapters
groups and
explain
production
roles.
Assign last
chapters
Voting on
Scene
Monday!
Week
Five
Admit Slip:
Should Ender
have saved the
queen?
Discuss end of
story and gather
student opinions
on the work.
Vote on
Alternative
Histories-
Narrow it down
to four
Short presentation
on stage direction
With accuracy in
mind, develop
concept for a film
based on the
alternative history
that group picked
out of the hat.
Need a
background and a
basic plotline to
include in
preview. What
kind of world will
it be? Who will
the main
characters be?
Finalize outline
for film preview
Watch movie
preview
examples.
Groups present
their sketch for
their film
preview.
Finalize what
will be the
sequence of
events and
dialogue
within group.
Move on to
Costume,
makeup, and
prop sketch for
each preview.
Join with
partner group
and share
visions of how
they want it
shot. Agree for
each group.
Do a cold run-
through of
lines and
action
sequences for
preview.
Finalize
setting
Finalize costume,
prop, and design
list
Go to “set” and
start doing
walkthroughs of
previews to get
spacing down.
Practice filming
angles.
Go through
costume closet
and gather
materials.
Do a few more
run-throughs.
Bring everything
needed to class
Thursday.
Filming starts
then.
Spend
day
filming
shots of
previews.
Transfer
to
computer!
Edit, Splice,
and cut
digitally to
create finished
project.
Teacher-
student
conferences to
see where each
student is at.
Present
finished
project for
viewing on
Monday!
Are you the next
Spielberg?
Ron Howard?
Kate Winslet?
Hugh Jackman?
RED CARPET READY? Lets Make a Movie
Together!
In your groups you will create the
preview for a movie
We will narrow down the choices of
plot lines as a class.
In groups we will help each other
produce our previews and share them
on Monday!
Get ready! Everyone will be both
behind and in front of the camera!
Lesson Plan 1
Heading English Elizabeth Swoboda
Flights of Imagination: Sci-fi 14 days
Objective Introduction to the genre of Science Fiction
Reading Material Preface to Left Hand of Darkness
Frankenstein
The Man in the High Castle
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions
Instructional
Framework Initiating Constructing Utilizing
Lesson Plan
Format
Teacher Centered:
Direct Instruction – providing information and building skills
Presentation – demonstrating, lecturing
Concept – introducing a new theory, symbol, idea
Student Centered:
Discussion
Cooperative Learning
Problem Solving
Grouping Whole Class Pairs Individuals
Materials &
Resources
School – Textbooks, blackboard, projector, screen
Teacher – Butcher paper, powerpoint, video clip
Student – Index card, pencils, markers
Literacy Strategy Admit and exit slips
Character trees
Short Book Reports
Knowledge Pool
KWL
Silent discussion
Mind Pictures
Phase One Begin Class by reading the preface to The Left Hand of Darkness aloud, having students,
stopping after every few paragraphs for comment. Do KWL on Frankenstein and
Knowledge Pool. Character trees.
Assign Book Report.
Phase Two Transition to The Man in the High Castle. Discuss Cultural elements. Watch “Pawn Stars”
clip. Silent written discussion on perception of value, use to transition and draw
connections into themes of “what is true.” Assign Book Report.
Phase Three Flatland is shorter so can spend more time on philosophical implications. Look at social
commentary aspects. Examine emergence of psychology. Do group activity on timelines
that involves the research aspect. Do Mind Pictures in order so as to transition to discussion
of modern day example where one person’s perception can be very different from
another’s. Is there common ground?
Formative
Assessment
The formal book reports will gauge student comprehension and depth of insight will assess
student’s personal development.
Homework
Assignment
The Book reports
Lesson Plan 2
Heading English Elizabeth Swoboda
Flights of Imagination: Sci-fi 5 days
Objective Continued exploration of Sci-fi
Reading Material Film 9
Ender’s Game
Instructional
Framework
Initiating Constructing Utilizing
Lesson Plan
Format
Teacher Centered:
Direct Instruction – providing information and building skills
Presentation – demonstrating, lecturing
Concept – introducing a new theory, symbol, idea
Student Centered:
Discussion
Cooperative Learning
Problem Solving
Grouping Whole Class Pairs Individuals
Materials &
Resources
School – Textbooks, blackboard, projector, screen
Teacher – Butcher paper, powerpoint, movie 9
Student – Index card, pencils, markers
Literacy Strategy Admit and exit slips
Carousel brainstorm
Formal letter writing
Formal Short reflective essay
Phase One Begin reading Ender’s Game
Have students make hypotheses about what cultural influences will be present within the
story through carousel brainstorms.
After the letter writing, discuss the world Valentine and Peter live in. Is it possible there is
someone doing what they are doing? What would it take to make that happen, if it is not.
Could it happen?
Phase Two Start slowly shifting focus to the film project.
Phase Three Start reviewing and discussing ideas for the alternative history film preview project.
Formative
Assessment
The letter writing will give insight on student comprehension and the essay will show the
individual grasp of the concept of truth and media influence.
Homework
Assignment
The essay.
Lesson Plan 3
Heading English Elizabeth Swoboda
Flights of Imagination: Sci-fi 5 days
Objective Continued exploration of Sci-fi
Reading Material Watch previews for War of the Worlds, I am Legend, 28 Days Later
Instructional
Framework Initiating Constructing Utilizing
Lesson Plan
Format
Teacher Centered:
Direct Instruction – providing information and building skills
Presentation – demonstrating, lecturing
Concept – introducing a new theory, symbol, idea
Student Centered:
Discussion
Cooperative Learning
Problem Solving
Grouping Whole Class Pairs Individuals
Materials &
Resources
School – Textbooks, blackboard, projector, screen
Teacher – Butcher paper, powerpoint, movie previews clips
Student – Index card, pencils, markers
Literacy Strategy Outlines
Teacher-Student conferences
Student film project
Phase One Narrow down to 4 alternative timelines.
Short presentation on stage direction
With accuracy in mind, develop concept for a film based on the alternative history that
group picked out of the hat.
Finalize setting Finalize costume, prop, and design list
Go to “set” and start doing walkthroughs of previews to get spacing down.
Practice filming angles.
Phase Two
FILM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Phase Three Edit, Splice, polish, and have ready for presentation on Monday
Formative
Assessment
Level of participation, group work, and Teacher-Student Conferences
Summative
Assessment
Level of quality of finished product and evidence of thought, grasp of science fiction
concepts, and individual perception and depth of understanding of issues discussed will be
gauged.
STUDENT FILM SCHEDULE: Let’s Roll!
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Vote on your choices of storyline!
What do you want to see
a movie about?
For example: What would the world be
like if the Native
Americans had not
helped the pilgrims
survive the first
winter? Storylines
will be assigned today and
we will divide into four groups and finalize
the bare outlines of our movie. Remember we are only
making a preview!
Watch movie
preview examples.
What make you want to watch that
movie? Construct
your preview
with those elements.
Finalize the where,
when, and how
everything will look.
This includes
costumes!
Be creative! This is the future!!!
Bring out your inner actor,
makeup artist, and techie!
Please though,
leave the divas under
wraps!
Let’s start practice on
filming! Does it look cool, like it would make people say, “That looks
like it could be pretty good!”
That’s what we are going for!
F I L M I N G
“Cut! That’s a Wrap!”
Today we edit, splice, and polish our final
project for presentation on Monday!
Popcorn will be provided!
Graphic Organizer of Your Production Role
DURING FILMING 1
st camera 2nd
camera
Director Editing
Riley ‘ ‘
Amanda ‘ ‘
Tyler ‘ ‘
Hunter ‘ ‘
Tracy ‘ ‘
Monecke ‘
Alai ‘ ‘
Farrah ‘ ‘
David ‘ ‘
Ashley ‘ ‘
Trevor ‘
Joshua ‘ ‘
Hakar ‘ ‘
Regina ‘ ‘
LaShawna ‘
Marty ‘ ‘
Chris ‘ ‘
Alice ‘ ‘
Raquel ‘ ‘
Miguel ‘ ‘
1st camera takes in left side, edging into front for the first
2 minutes.
2nd camera takes in right side, edging into front for the
last 2 minutes
Director helps actors with lines, directs camera angles, and
ensures group vision is upheld.
Editing will make marks while filming for good moments
to splice and put together
Film Preview Project Rubric ` Student Name:
Points Possible: 200 Points Achieved:
Group Work 90-100 Was cooperative
Contributed creatively
Had truly unique point of view
Respected views of others
Helped group turn in quality project
Fully committed to project
Group Work 60-89 Could have work better with others
Did not contribute equally
Very conventional
Unwilling to see others point of view
Group work 0-59
Did not participate
Handicapped team in project completion
Individual Work 90-100 Truly exhibited a full grasp of Science Fiction concepts
Had a clear understanding of implications of historic changes to all
Original thought processes that heightened the experience of those that
worked with them
Was an instigator of productive discussion
Completed all individual assignments with a train of thought that illustrated
deep understanding
Individual Work 70-89 Was able to use basic terms discussed in class
Has some grasp of the implications of history
Might not instigate productive discussion but will participate in it.
Completed all individual assignments and reading that showed good grasp of
concept
Individual Work 50-69
Understands but does not know terminology
Basic grasp of Historic implications
Rarely participates in discussion
Did not complete all of reading or assignments
Individual Work 0-49
Does not know terminology
Shows no grasp of concepts discussed and worked on
Do not participate
Did not complete reading and/or assignments