Nick GuerreroApril 19, 2012C I 402Hilarie Welsch

Rationale:

My lesson plan is targeted towards a 9th Grade Language Arts class which is

located on the north side in the Chicago Public School System. The lesson plans on

covering a great deal of topics, however, I plan on focusing on many aspects of

oppression for the simple fact that this topic continues to occur within our society in both

the present and past. The two groups of oppressed people I plan on gearing my lesson

towards are the African Americans during the World and American Slave Trade as well as

the Jewish people during the Holocaust. Informing students on a topic such as this one is

extremely important for the simple fact that it is part of our American and World History.

My lesson will incorporate two novels throughout the four weeks, Eli Wiesel’s

Night and Mark Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson. Both novels cover extremely controversial

topics while informing the public with a great deal of information. They are also geared

toward the early high school level which is why I felt they would be a perfect fit for a 9th

grade Honors class. Throughout the duration of the lesson, students will focus on each

novel for approximately two weeks and turn in an essay for one novel and complete an

exam for the other. Though a final assessment will be given for each novel, all students

will be required to work on mini assessments throughout the two weeks. Mini journal

posts will be required everyday at the start of class. Students will have five minutes to

write on the assigned reading as well as add any questions or concerns they had trouble

with. These discussion posts will be used in our daily discussions and lecture. Also,

quizzes on assigned readings will also be given to ensure that my students are completing

the assigned reading. In order for a great and thorough discussion to take place, I feel as

if the students will need to fear that a pop quiz will possibly be assigned which will

encourage them to read the assigned reading each and everyday.

Though both topics are somewhat outdated, they are still relevant and important

for our students to know and be informed on. People tend to forget the severity of the

slave trade and the Holocaust which is why I felt the teaching of the lesson to be critical.

Many Jews and African Americans were shunned from society, treated unfairly,

disrespected, and murdered for little to nothing at all. Issues such as these need to be

highlighted and explained within society not only to serve as some sort of remembrance

for all those affected by the tragedies, but also to show our youth how far American and

world society has come from.

As stated, I plan on gearing this lesson for a Chicago Public School since I see

myself teaching in a metropolitan/urban area one day. I personally went through the CPS

and feel as though it is known for its extremely diverse schools as well as racial tensions

throughout many districts which is another reason I chose the topic. Though the

mistreatment of certain ethnicities has in fact dropped significantly as we have moved on

through time, there are still many instances where racial tensions and outbursts occur all

throughout the U.S. and world. Bullying, beatings, and even murders still occur within

our society which is the ugly truth. Though what happens in our society today may not be

as severe as what happened in the past, the fact of the matter is that racial violence is still

occurring. In order to protect our futures, we must educate our youth which is what I

intend on doing. By relating the lesson to my students every day lives, they will visualize

the severity of what is truly going on as well as what society needs to improve on.

Goals for my unit:

In my unit I hope to accomplish the following:

1. Students will experience and learn about a first person narrative2. Students will be informed on the history and oppression of the Jewish and African

American People 3. Students will visualize different points of views in different works.4. Students will demonstrate different types of reading strategies.5. Students will learn what and how to effectively peer edit/ review their peers work.

Assessment:

Throughout my lesson, my students will be assessed in various ways. On a daily

basis, free write journals will be assigned to every student regarding the assigned reading.

Students will summarize what they had read the previous night, incorporate any themes,

motives, or important passages, and lastly write out a discussion question to contribute to

the large group discussion. Each journal will be approximately worth 3 points each.

On top of journaling, there will be six pop quizzes given out throughout the lesson

(three quizzes for each novel). The intention of the quizzes is to keep the students

engaged in the material and ensure that they are reading the assigned reading on a daily

basis. Both novels are relatively short, therefore, I do not see any issue with assigning six

of them. Each quiz will also be worth approximately 3 points each.

At the completion of each novel, all students will be required to write an essay

and complete a cumulative exam. A few essay prompts will be assigned for Eli Wiesel’s

Night in order to give students the opportunity to have options on what to write on. I want

the students to be engaged with the prompt and not simply feel as if they are forced to

write on one topic. I want the students to feel as if they have options. I also may allow

students to develop their own prompt as long as they approve it with me ahead of time.

The essay will approximately be worth 50 points.

The cumulative exam will be assigned at the completion of Mark Twain’s

Pudd’nhead Wilson. The novel will cover the entire novel and be broken up into three

parts: 20 multiple choice questions, three short answer questions, and one short essay.

The day prior to the exam, a review will be conducted where students are allowed to ask

any questions they are unfamiliar with. I will also hand out a prompt which will include

seven possible short answer questions as well as three possible short answer prompts.

Students will have a general idea of what to study and look out for. The exam will

approximately be worth 50 points as well.

The full lesson should be worth around 200-225 points. Participation will be

incorporated into the lesson on a daily basis.

Prospective Calendar:

Monday: Explain the lesson and distribute the two books needed. DRTA Elie Wiesel’s Night. Allow 20 minutes of silent reading

Tuesday: Journal= Students will summarize the required reading in a page. Group Discussion= Students will bring a comment/ question regarding the reading. Key themes and important details assessed.

Wednesday: Journal/ Group discussion/ Key themes and details

Thursday: Journal/ Quiz on assigned reading/ Group discussion/ Key themes and important details

Friday: Journal/ Group discussion/ Key themes and important details/ Hand out essay prompt/ Rough Draft due Thursday

Monday: Journal/ Quiz/ Group discussion/ Key themes and important details/ Finish book for Tuesday

Tuesday: Journal/ Group discussion/ Allow remaining class to begin essay

Wednesday: Allow whole class period to work on their essays

Thursday: Peer reviews= Pair up students in groups of three and have them edit their peer’s work

Friday: Final Draft of essays are due/ Transition into second part of lesson= slavery/ DRTA Pudd’nhead Wilson/ Free write/ Lecture on slavery

Monday: Journal/ Quiz/ Group discussion/ Racial Tension in the media: Travon Martin

Tuesday: Journal/ Group discussion/ Key themes and important details

Wednesday: Journal/ Group discussion/ Key themes and important details

Thursday: Journal/ Group discussion/ Key themes and important details

Friday: Journal/ Quiz/ Group discussion/ Key themes and important details

Monday: Journal/ Group discussion/ Key themes and important details

Tuesday: Journal/ Quiz/ Group discussion/ Key themes and important details

Wednesday: Review session/ questions on the novel will be answered/ Themes, motives, characters will be assessed

Thursday: The final exam for Pudd’nhead Wilson

Objectives: By the end of class today…

Students will have an understanding of what oppression is Students will have an understanding of the American Slave Trade Students will have an understanding of the Holocaust Students will learn how to use the DRTA method

Materials Needed Power point presentation explaining:

OppressionAmerican Slave TradeHolocaust

18 handouts describing the DRTA 18 copies of Eli Wiesel’s Night

ActivitiesOpening:

Take attendance- 2minutesFree write activity: Ask students to take out pens/pencils and a notebook - 5minutes

Have students write down what they think the definition of oppression is and list

two to three examplesAllow students to share their responses. Give the real definition and elaborate on some examples- 5 minutes

Body

Open up the Power Point which contains the lecture on oppression, American Slave Trade, Holocaust - 13 minutes

Begin to lecture on each topic and have students take notes on each topic. Ample amount of information will be provided for each topic. Ask open ended questions and allow for open discussion.

Pass out DRTA handout - 1 minute

Closing

Explain the purpose of DRTA using the hand out- 5 minutesExplain the purpose and why it is effective for students to use this method for books they have not heard of or come across before

Use DRTA on Eli Wiesel’s Night - 7 minutesHave students look at the novel by themselves for two minutes and make inferences on what the title means? What they think the novel is about? Why the author chose this title and design? Come together and discuss as a group

Allow the remaining time for silent reading and assign 20 pages to be read - 7 minutes

Assessment

Asses the students understanding of oppression, slavery, and the Holocaust by asking clarification questions after the material is presented.

Assess the students understand what DRTA is by asking them to share their individual inferences about the novel. If students are all over the place, bring everyone back together and explain what an effective DRTA response would be.

Walk around during individual work times and make sure students are taking notes on the material being presented for the day.

Standards

3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).

CC.8.SL.1.a Comprehension and Collaboration: Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

CC.8.SL.1 Comprehension and Collaboration: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly

Objectives: By the end of class today…

Students will learn what a peer review is Students will be able to peer review effectively Students will have their essays reviewed by one other student Students will discuss and clear up any confusion regarding corrections that need to be

made

Materials Needed Power point presentation explaining:

Peer Reviewing 18 handouts describing what peer reviewing is and how to do so effectively 18 peer review response sheet handouts Hard copies of the students’ essays

ActivitiesOpening:

Take attendance- 2minutesExplain what/ how to peer review - 15 minutes

Pass out the peer review hand out. Once students have all the required materials, ask them to pull out a notebook and writing utensil to take notes. Explain to the students what peer reviewing/ editing is with the information on the slides. Navigate through the slides until everything has been covered. Ask questions regarding the material covered.

Body

Pair up students with one other partner and pass out peer review response sheets - 2 minPartners will be chosen ahead of time in order to save time.

Explain to the students that they will now peer review their partners work - 3 minutesAt this point, students should know exactly how to peer review. Explain to them that they will read their partners work and make the proper corrections and give ample amount of feedback. Explain to them that they will use the peer review response sheets for aid.

Students will make the proper corrections on the essays as well as on the sheets - 15 minStudents will spend the entire 15 minutes peer reviewing. There will be absolutely no talking unless they have a question regarding the material.

Closing

Students will take turns speaking to one another about the corrections made - 10 minutes Each student will have five minutes to explain the corrections made. Any questions regarding corrections will also be answered during this time. Once the five minutes have elapsed, they will switch

Assessment

Assess the students understand what peer reviewing is by asking them open ended questions about the material

Walk around during peer editing and make sure students are engaged with the material. Make sure students are using the entire duration to edit.

Assess that the students understand the corrections and insight given. Students must know why the corrections that were made were made for a purpose.

Standards

Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.

Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

CC.K-12.W.R.1 Text Types and Purposes: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence

Objectives: By the end of class today…

Students will revisit the method of DRTA Students will have an elaborate understanding of slavery in America Students will learn what a slave narrative is

Materials Needed Power point presentation explaining:

Slavery Final Essay Drafts 18 copies of Pudd’nhead Wilson

ActivitiesOpening:

Take attendance- 2minutesCollect Final Essay Drafts - 2 minutes

Have all students pass their essays to the front of the class along with their rough drafts. Also have them include their peer review sheets

DRTA Mark Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson - 10 minutes

Hand out the copies of Pudd’nhead Wilson. Have students look at the front, back, title, illustration, and colors. Have the students make inferences on what the novel will be about. Have them use their critical thinking skills to make their decisions.

Body

Free write activity: Ask students to take out pens/pencils and a notebook - 10 minutesHave students write about the following: Imagine you are a personal servant performing duties for someone who does not pay you. How would you feel? What would you do?

Closing

Allow students to share their responses - 10 minutes Have students group up and share their responses with one another. Walk around the classroom and make sure their group discussions are insightful.

Lecture on various aspects of slavery - 10 minutesBegin the power point with the history of slavery. Explain where it originated and how it spread to the United States. Explain how long it lasted and many of the hardships many of the slaves had to endure.

Assign reading for the following class period

Assessment

Make sure students have all materials to be turned in for their essay. Assess the students are using the DRTA method effectively. This is the second time

they have used this method, therefore, they should use it effectively. Walk around during group work and make sure they are giving insightful

contributions. Mention participation points will be taken

Standards

CC.8.SL.1.c Comprehension and Collaboration: Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.

Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).

CC.K-12.SL.1 Comprehension and Collaboration: 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

Final Reflection:

I have finally completed my lesson plan an I cannot explain how ecstatic I am

now that I am done. This was definitely a first time experience seeing as I have never

really developed a full 3-4 week unit plan. The unit was definitely a great deal of work

and required a lot of effort, but I am glad I completed it nonetheless.

I started off quite excited about my lesson. I loved the topic I had chosen and

knew exactly what texts I would be using: Elie Wiesel’s Night and Mark Twain’s Pudd’n

head Wilson. Numerous ideas were running through my mind. Should I incorporate a

bunch of group work or should I have them work individually? This is one of the many

questions that arose as I was drawing up the lesson. I managed to work through most

problems, however, there were still those that posed a threat throughout. For example,

one of the most difficult aspects of the project was my calendar. I knew how I would start

my unit and end as well as the assessments I would incorporate, but I did not know

exactly what I would designate in the middle. I continued to question myself over and

over every time I put something down and questioned whether or not it would all add up

at the end. As anticipated, it did not and I found myself changing things around and trying

to make days eventful as possible, but I do not think I did a great job at this.

Though there were aspects of the unit where I struggled, there were areas where I

flourished. For example, my rationale, goals, and assessment, to name a few, were done

with little to no effort. What I mean by this is I completed these aspects of the assignment

with great ease. I knew why I was doing the lesson and my heart was 100% into it. I had

my reasons for choosing this type of lesson and I felt as if others would understand and

approve. I also knew the goals of the unit. I wanted my students to be more aware of the

seriousness of an issue such as this one. Coming so far from slavery and the Holocaust,

we still experience acts of racial violence throughout the world. I saw this as an excellent

way to educate my students and how I would assess their progress throughout the lesson.

One strength the lesson has to offer is its relevance to everyday society. As

mentioned, oppression has been around for hundreds of years and continues to affect the

livelihoods of many different types of people all around the world. If students could

understand this and possibly realize they may also be partaking in oppression in one way

or another, they may in fact see new light. They may turn a new leaf and in turn create a

better learning environment and community as well.

One weakness the lesson has to offer is the cumulative assessment for each novel.

I feel each are exceptional and well thought out, however, I really wanted to incorporate

some sort of group project. I feel students learn much better in groups than individually

and this is something I failed to incorporate. I do not believe this to be a big issue, but it

is something I feel strongly about and was quite disappointed in my self.

Overall, I feel as though I put a great amount of work and effort and the lesson

turned out exceptionally. However, there were certain things that were beyond my

control. I recently experienced a difficult split up with a serious partner and I feel as if

this has affected the progress of my unit plan along with other aspects of my life. I tried

to focus and strive through it, but unfortunately there were times where I simply could

not. The past few weeks have been extremely difficult and I am still trying to bounce

back, but unfortunately I have yet to get there. Though this does not really pertain to my

unit in any way, shape, or form, it did affect some progress of it which may also be seen

as a weakness.