the object of education is to prepare the young to educate
TRANSCRIPT
“The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.”
-Robert Hutchins
I akwardly stumbled upon my love for teaching. As a college senior getting ready to graduate
with a B.A. in English, I was growing tired of the age old question “What are you going to do
with a liberal arts degree?” Entering the world of teaching just seemed like the practical thing to
do. Since beginning my teaching courses, my passion for teaching has grown beyond simply a
love of my subject matter. I have come to realize that education is an intricate and vital part of
our soceity’s success. American education is facing some major “do or die” decisions, many of
them being made right here in Saint Louis, and I can’t wait to be a part of those decisions. I am
23 years old with little interest of beginning a family of my own; I hope to dive head first into
teaching, making a difference not only in the lives of my students but also in the adminstrative
aspect of how and why we are teaching America’s youth.
“Learning is a life long adventure. It is my mission to instill in my students an eagerness to seek
out knowledge for the sake of knowledge, rather than knwoledge for the sake of a test.”
- Erin Espy
Lesson Idea #2
Social Studies and Literature
Erin Espy
10/19/11
Overview
Rationale: Teaching high school Literature is a great responsibility. Students not only need to
walk away with in depth familiarity with classic literature but they need to understand how to
use literature of the past to inspire their participation in the modern world. Sometimes this task is
as simple as challenging students to find a literary voice in the English cannon that somehow
speaks to modern life. I want to take this challenge one step further. My students will be asked to
find their own public voice with a writing assignment requiring them to write a persuasive letter
to a local political leader. In this lesson plan, it is my hope that Literature and Social Studies can
cross paths for the greater good.
Summary: In this lesson, students will become familiar with a piece of literature that has inspired
American democracy for centuries: Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense.” After familiarizing my
students with Paine’s concept of a “social contract,” I will then introduce a few of the pressing
social issues facing our local society. Students will be encouraged to take a stance for or against
certain societal constructs and they will be challenged to produce solutions to these constructs
that perhaps their political leaders have not thought of. After each student has found their own
persuasive stance, they will be given the assignment of writing a 1-3 page letter to a local
political leader persuading said leader to their stance.
Objectives:
1. To introduce students to an influential American essayist, Thomas Paine.
2. To introduce the concept of a “social contract:” The idea that in order for a society to be
productive, citizens must actively participate in it.
3. To familiarize students with how to read, decipher, and construct meaning from modern
day political policies.
4. To help students find a public voice via formal writing.
Length of Curriculum: Five 50 minute class periods
Materials and Resources:
School: Computer Lab, Overhead Projector
Teacher: Powerpoints, poster board, local policy hand-outs, Thomas Paine text, RAFT
Rubric, peer review worksheets
Students: Pencil and paper, access to computers outside of class, flashdrives (optional)
Means of Assessment:
Reflective Write and Exit Slip – check marks
Class Discussion – participation points
Peer Review Worksheets – check marks
Final Draft (Summative Assessment) – written comments and a letter grade
Handout
Class: 10th Grade English
Assignment: Writing for Change Teacher: Ms. Erin Espy Date: 10/19/11 Name: ______________
This week’s agenda:
Read “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine Become familiar with local political policies Write a formal letter to a local leader
It’s time for you to put your writing skills to good
use. Get ready to make a difference!
“The laws are but registers of what we ourselves desire” ~Thomas Paine
Teacher’s Calendar
Monday:
Homework Assignment Due:
Read “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine
15 minutes –Presentation:
PowerPoint over the reading assignment, pay particular attention to the
concept of the “social contract.”
20 minutes - Class Discussion:
“Do we agree or disagree with Paine’s idea the social contract?”
15 minutes - Reflective Write:
“How do you suppose Thomas Paine’s pamphlet affected American
democracy as we know it today?”
Tuesday:
Homework Assignment Due:
Read three articles:
o Eminent Domain by The Missouri Bar Center
o Saint Louis Red-Light Cameras by St. Louis Core
o Saint Louis Public Education Funding by The Saint Louis
American
20 minutes – Class Discussion:
“Which article interested you the most and why?”
Which Policies did you agree with and which did you disagree with?”
25 minutes – Clustering
Create 3 (or 6, depending on the size of the class) groups of students
designated by the article they found most intersting
Give each group a poster board and instruct them to brainstorm using
clustering to think of pros and cons to the current policy and to think of
solutions that work to fix the cons.
5 minutes – Exit Slip
“What personal stance have you come to regarding the policy you chose to
brainstorm?”
Wednesday:
20 minutes – Presentation:
Power Point demonstrating how professional writing can impact society –
give examples
Compare a “good” example to a “bad” example – make sure the class
understands that “writing to make a difference” is more than just putting
words on paper: the writing must blend passion and reason using voice,
tone, and word choice.
30 minutes – RAFT:
o Role: Citizen
o Audience: Alderman, Mayor, Representative, or Senator
o Format: Letter
o Topic: Eminent Domain, Red-Light Cameras, Public
School Funding (or any other local hot topic)
Introduce the assignment – thoroughly explain its use, how it will be
graded, and that the letter will actually be sent to its recipient. While the
role and format of the RAFT t have already been designated, students will
have freedom to choose their audience and topic.
Explain that there will be 2 rough drafts and a final draft
Give each student a handout with the RAFT grid printed on it and a rubric
with detailed expectations.
Student should spend the remainder of their time filling out their grid or
researching their topic.
Thursday:
Homework Due:
1st rough draft
50 minutes – Polishing and One-on-One
Students will be given the entire period to polish their rough draft in the
computer lab
While students are working on their 2nd
draft, I will call each student to
have one-on-one time with me. During the one-on-one time I will review
their paper and provide feedback.
Friday:
Homework Due:
2nd
draft
50 minutes – Peer Review and One-on-One
Students will be divided into groups of 3-4, they will use the entire class
period to review each other’s work. A peer review worksheet will be given
to each student to provide written feedback. Any groups finishing early
should begin on their final draft.
I will finish any one-on-ones that were not completed yesterday
o Students will have the entire weekend to complete their
final draft.
Monday:
Homework Due:
Final Draft and Peer Reviews from Friday
Lesson Plan
Heading Class 10th grade English Your Name Erin Espy
Name of Lesson “Writing for Change” Day 1 Time Frame 50 minutes
Objective To introduce students to the concept of a “social contract”
To relate the importance of a society in which every citizen actively participates
To demonstrate that writing is an excellent median for participating in society
Reading Material “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine
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 – Overhead Projector
Teacher – PowerPoint, Thomas Paine Text
Student – Paper and Pencil
Literacy Strategy Reflective Write
Phase One
Presentation- 15 minutes
Power Point over Thomas Paine and the idea of a “social contract”
Phase Two Class Discussion – 20 minutes
Prompt: “Do we agree or disagree with Paine’s idea the social contract?”
Phase Three
Reflective Write – 15 minutes
Prompt: “How do you suppose Thomas Paine’s pamphlet affected
American democracy as we know it today?”
Formative
Assessment
Class Discussion – participation points
Reflective Write – check mark
Erin Espy
Lesson Idea #3
10/26/11
Overview Rationale:
Writing is an intricate part of learning and it is important for students to learn how to write across the
disciplines and how to collaborate together to create public writing. This lesson will use writing to teach students
about the history of their school, as well as familiarize them with how to preform archival research, how to create
collaborative writing, and how to utilize technology to create professional public writing. This lesson will provide
students with practical skills to use in the work force as well as the ability to make cross-curricular connections
among their classes.
The Summary:
The school’s centennial anniversary is fast approaching: the faculty and staff have put together a mock
“museum” in the student lounge with artifacts such as old lettermen jackets, pictures of the school’s first graduating
class, and report cards from over 50 years ago. While browsing this museum I realized that there were no written
explanations for any of the artifacts, I found myself wanting to know who owned the letterman jacket, and what
exact date the report card was from.
I decided that I would put my students to the task of answering these questions. Over the next two weeks,
my 11th
grade English class will create a “museum brochure.” Each of the students will be assigned an artifact; they
will do in depth research on their artifact and write a summary of it for the brochure. They will be given time to
research the history of the artifact and even contact alumni in an attempt to get an interview. They will write a
description of their artifact that will go through an extensive peer review process to ensure that the brochure is fluid
and connected in tone, word choice, and length of artifact descriptions. Technology will then be introduced; students
will learn how to use certain computer programs to lay out a color brochure complete with graphics and pictures.
This brochure will then be mass produced ad offered to anyone who wishes to view the school’s centennial museum.
Objective:
1. To introduce the process of archival research
2. To practice collaborative writing
3. To practice formal public writing
4. To introduce computer programs that will assist in writing for publication
Length of Curriculum: Eight 50 minute class periods
Materials and Resources:
1. School – Overhead projector, alumni phonebook, museum access, archive access, Computer Lab with
Microsoft Publisher and Photo Story (or their equivalents) installed, color printers
2. Teacher – Power points, extensive knowledge of whatever multi-media program will be used to create the
brochure, digital camera
3. Students – flash drives, research journal
Means of Assessment:
Formative:
Research journal: 50 points
Peer Review Worksheets: 25 points
Participation: 25 points
Summative:
Individual Artifact Summary: 75 Points
Final Class Brochure: 25 points
Students Calendar
Lesson Plan 1
Heading Class: 11 Grade English Your Name: Erin Espy
Name of Lesson: Museum Brochure – 10/22 Time Frame: 50 Minutes
Objective To introduce Museum Brochure Lesson
To have each student find an artifact that they can write passionately about
Reading Material none
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 – Permission to make use of the centennial museum and it’s artifacts
Teacher – Power Point
Student – None
Literacy Strategy KWL
Phase One
15 Minutes
Presentation:
Use a PowerPoint to introduce the assignment
Pass out handout and student colander
Ensure that all students have a clear understanding of the assignment and
due dates
Phase Two
20 minutes
Visit the school’s Centennial Museum. Give students a chance to explore the
museum. Instruct each of them to pick out an artifact that interests or intrigues them.
Make a sign-up sheet available with all of the artifacts listed, the policy will be first
come first serve to avoid arguing over artifacts.
Phase Three
15 minutes
KWL:
Have students fill out the “Know” and “Want to Know” sections of a KWL chart.
Tell them to use this chart as throughout their research process to help them stay on
track.
Formative
Assessment
KWL to be collected with Research Journal
Graphic Organizer – Lesson Plan 1
Lesson Plan 2
Heading Class: 11 Grade English Your Name: Erin Espy
Name of Lesson: Museum Brochure - 10/27 Time Frame: 50 minutes
Objective To determine the structure and tone of the brochure as a class
To peer edit each archival description and ensure uniformity for each
Reading Material none
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 - none
Teacher – Write Around Worksheets
Student – Pencils
Literacy Strategy Write Around
Phase One
10 minutes
Direct Instruction:
A small lecture will introduce the idea of a “cohesive publication.” With so many
different individuals working on the same document it is vital that some collective
decisions are made concerning the tone, style, and format of the writing. Encourage
the students to begin thinking about their audience and how they want this brochure
to be perceived
Phase Two
10 minutes
Class Discussion:
Students will be allowed to openly discuss the “type” of brochure they want to
produce; will it be light-hearted and witty or dry and academic?
After the discussion, students will vote on the details concerning the brochure
Voting Options:
1. Tone: Academic or Informal
2. Writing Style: Ornate or Straightforward
3. Format: Word-Centric or Photo-Centric
4. Color Palette: School Colors or Vintage Black and White
Phase Three
30 Minutes
Peer Review:
After the class has voted and decisions regarding the brochure have been finalized,
the class will pair off into groups of 4 to 5 students and begin to peer review each
other’s rough drafts using the “Write Around” technique. Each student should offer
encouragement as well ways in which to make the document more cohesive by
matching it to the format they decided on earlier.
Formative
Assessment
“Write Arounds” will be collected at a later date to be graded
Participation Points
Lesson Plan 3
Heading Class: 11th Grade English Your Name: Erin Espy
Name of Lesson: Museum Brochure – 10/31 Time Frame: 50 minutes
Objective To begin the publication process
To work in groups to create a cohesive document
Reading Material None
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 – Computer Lab
Teacher – Power Point
Student – Flashdrives (optional)
Literacy Strategy Writing Break
Mapping
Phase One Direct Instruction:
A power point will be used to introduce Micorsoft Publisher and Photo Story. These
programs will be new to many students and it is important that they are provided
with step by step instructions showing how to best utilize the program. Provide
ample time for questions
Writing Break:
Give students time to write about all of the information I have just provided, tell
them to write about the main points, the tools they are most excited to use an why,
etc.
Phase Two Group Work and Mapping:
Have students separate into their designated publication groups: Photography,
Editing, Visual Effects, Format, and Distribution
Each group needs to use this time wisely to discuss how they want to complete their
duties. Have them use the mapping strategy to create a map or schedule of things like
due dates, individual responsibilities, and expectations.
Phase Three Group Work and Technology:
Students should begin working with Microsoft Publisher to create their brochure
Formative
Assessment
Writing Break: check mark
Graphic Organizer – Lesson Plan 3
Rubric - Formative
Rubric - Summative
Summative
Museum Brochure
1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 Point Value
Individual
Artifact Summary
More than 5
grammatical
errors
More than 1
grammatical
errors
Satisfactory,
No
grammatical
errors,
accurate
research
Meets or
exceeds
expectations,
no
grammatical
errors,
displays and
obvious
understanding
and passion
for the artifact
Above and
beyond
expectations, a
truly cohesive,
professional
excerpt
Final Product
*entire class will
receive the same point
value for this section
only
Product was
late or never
completed at
all
Product was
completed,
but displayed
an overall
sense of poor
work and lack
of effort
Product was
completed
and
displayed a
satisfactory
attempt at a
professional
publication
Product was
well
organized,
professional,
fun to look at
and easy to
peruse
Product exceeds
expectations, a
professional well-
formed
publication was
produced
Formative 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 Point Value
Research
Journal
Less than 5
entries were
made
All entries were
made, minimal
effort
All entries were
made,
satisfactory
effort
All entries were
made, each
entry contained
at least two
paragraphs with
well structured
ideas
All entries were
made, content
exceeds
expectations
Peer Review Absent/late
work
Comments
were made for
each student
Comments
showed sincere
interest in other
students
writing
Comments
provide
constructive
advice, going
above and
beyond generic
responses
Comments
displayed
superior editing
skills and a
deep
involvement in
another
students
writing process
Participation Abesent for
more than 3
class periods
Participated in
at least on class
discussion, but
overall offered
very little to
group work and
class discussion
Satisfactory
participation in
both group
work and class
discussion
Participated
frequently in
both group work
and class
discussion,
offering
insightful and
productive
information
Took on a
leadership role
or displayed
great effort in
being a team
player, went
above and
beyond in both
group work and
discussion
Teacher’s Calendar
Monday 10/24-
Powerpoint –Introduce Assignment
Pass out Student Handout and Calendar
Visit Centennial Museum
Make sign-up sheet available
KWL
Tuesday 10/25-
Powerpoint – Archival Research
Visit Library
Research Journals
Wednesday 10/26-
Continue Archival Research in Library
Provide Alumni phone book
Research Journals
Thursday 10/27-
Lecture – Cohesive Publication
Class Discussion
Class Vote
Peer Review (Write Around Style)
Friday 10/28-
Peer Review (One on One)
Teacher/Student (One on One)
Monday 10/31-
Powerpoint – Introduce Microsoft Publisher
Writing Break
Group Sign-ups
Group Work (Mapping)
Technology Break – Begin using Microsoft Publisher
Tuesday 11/1-
Group Meetings
Begin Finalizing the Brochure
Wednesday 11/2-
Final Brochure is due at the end of class
Student Handout
List of Nothing in Particular
A Beloved Lexicon
Erin Espy
Final
8/31/11
“Words are only postage stamps delivering the object for you to unwrap.”
-George Bernard Shaw
I have always loved discovering new words. When I was a kid I even had a small
notebook I would carry around and anytime someone used a word I didn’t know I would whip it
out and diligently proceed to quiz them on the words definition. I am sure that notebook is still
floating around somewhere in my mother’s attic, and on holidays I still catch some occasional
grief from relatives for what an utterly annoying seven-year-old I was with my blue notebook
and pencil, inappropriately jumping into adult conversations to inquire as to the spelling and
definition of a word one of them had used. Despite having outgrown this notebook-toting habit
quite a long time ago, an inexplicable love of words and their meaning has carried over into my
adulthood. I still find myself highlighting words I don’t know in a novel or interrupting someone
in the middle of a conversation when they use a word I’ve never heard before. Naturally, some
words have stuck with me more than others; some of them quite common and others obscure.
Over the years I have built up a collection of sorts of my all-time favorite words. This collection
is as follows:
Ethereal: light, airy, or tenuous; heavenly or celestial; of or pertaining to the upper regions of
space.
There is something so wonderful about words that describe an intangible idea, a sort of
feeling in the air that is definitely there, but always just beyond one’s grasp. Certainly there are
other words similar to ethereal, such as mysterious or enchanted. But no matter how diligently I
search for an appropriate synonym, nothing quite compares to the word ethereal. When I hear
this word, it instantly rips me away from my current state of reality and takes me back in time to
some mystical, nostalgic place, like the forest in Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer’s Night Dream.”
Astronaut: a person engaged in or trained for spaceflight.
This word is derived from Latin and is best translated as “star-sailor.” When I learned this
in 10th
grade English, I immediately fell in love with the word. It was a word I had been hearing
and reading my entire life, but this discovery gave me a new found respect for it. I’m a sucker for
poetics, and the meaning of this word offers such a romantic and elegant way of imagining a 21st
century space explorer. Upon reading this word I used to imagine a large shuttle shooting up into
space, the onlookers “oohing” and “ahhing” in amazement as the rumble of the shuttle created an
explosion of grey haze. I would imagine the brave men and women inside the shuttle nervous
and excited all at once, embarking on a journey of scientific exploration. Now when I come
across this word my imaginings take me to a much more serene place: I see an astronaut floating
through space, taking in the awe-inspiring view of earth and the surrounding stars, reaching out
to touch the stars, and peacefully “sailing” through the dark expanses of our universe.
Pulchritude: physical beauty; comeliness.
On this list, pulchritude is what I would like to call my “charity case.” My heart hurts for
this word because it looks and sounds so ugly, yet means something quite the opposite: physical
beauty. I learned this word around the age of 12 or 13, and as any older sister might do, I
remember putting the word to good use on my little sister quite a few times before she finally
flipped through a dictionary and discovered its meaning. My sister, always more inclined to
athletics than academics, could put me in a head lock at any given time during my childhood; but
I always had an arsenal of nasty words ready to put her in her place: pulchritude being one of my
favorites. After all, how could I get in trouble for calling my sister beautiful?.
Twelfth: next after the eleventh; being the ordinal number for 12.
This is not a fancy word, and I certainly don’t love it for its definition. It’s the odd letter
arrangement and the awkward pronunciation that endears me to this word. It is also one of the
few words that always –ALWAYS – trips me up when I need to spell it. It’s a simple 7 letter
word that has given me trouble since the 1st grade. I can vividly recall sitting in class on a chilly
fall day, so excited that my favorite part of the school day had finally arrived: the afternoon
literary block. Seated in a 1970’s style cold metal desk with loose leaf and number two pencil in
hand, I was on my way to acing another spelling test. Every word so far – brother, couch,
remember – had been a breeze. Then, out of nowhere, the teacher hit us with a horror of words:
the dreaded twelfth. Needless to say, my relationship with this word has been rocky ever since. I
have hated this word for years and at one point in my life I probably feared it; but I’m learning to
love it, simply for being the ugly duckling that it is.
Percolate: to show activity, movement, or life; grow or spread gradually; (of a liquid) to filter
through.
There is something about the way one’s mouth has to move between the different
consonant sounds that makes this word very satisfying when pronounced aloud. I also find it
interesting that this word almost always makes people think of coffee when it really holds a
much more beautiful, deeper meaning; it can be used to describe the spread of ideas through an
area or group of people. This poor word is being terribly misused. My suggestion to the reader is
to start using this word for all it’s worth, so that someday it can do more than simply conjure up
images of steaming mugs of coffee in other peoples mind.
Extravaganza: any lavish or opulent show, event, assemblage, etc.
This word makes anything and everything better. For example, consider the following
events: barbeque, happy hour, and camping. They all sound fun enough in their own respective
ways. Now, add extravaganza to the end of each one: barbeque extravaganza… happy hour
extravaganza… camping extravaganza. Maybe it’s just me, but that just made them sound a
whole lot better.
Flannel: a soft, warm, light fabric of cotton or cotton and another fiber, thickly napped on one
side and used for sleepwear, undergarments, sheets, etc.
Ahhh, flannel. This word just might take the cake as my all-time favorite. This is a
comfortable word. Everyone loves flannel, with its plaid pattern in bold colors and its rough yet
oh-so-warm embrace. The real question is, have you ever really taken the time to consider the
word behind the cotton? No other word so fully elicits such a collection of sights and feelings.
When I hear or read the word flannel I am instantly bombarded with a myriad of thoughts from
my childhood and pop culture. I think of lumberjacks in Canada toiling away at work all day and
coming home to the warm embrace of a wife and kids in a sturdy log cabin. I think of my dad
during dear season, the only time of year he would sport his wide array of flannel shirts in shades
of blues, reds, and yellows. I think of hipsters in city cafés reading bad poetry and drinking
coffee. I think of the 90’s grunge scene, with Kurt Cobain rocking out on stage in his staple outfit
of a flannel shirt and ripped jeans. I like to imagine that everyone, of all ages and demographics,
experiences a similar bombardment of images when faced with the word flannel, which is what
makes this such an ultimate and unifying word.
As you can see, this list of words is rather random, ranging from the ordinary to the
unusual. I appreciate some words for their definition, some for their versatility, and others simply
because they bring a smile to my face. I have come to realize that words are more than just a way
to communicate. Each and every word has a life of its very own. They originated at some point
across the sands of time and they evolved into what we know today. They carry emotional
baggage, they elicit nostalgia, and they mean something different to each individual.