LESSON #1
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Established Goals:
3.2.2 Sequence ideas in a cohesive, meaningful order.
3.3.4 Use a variety of sentence structures to improve sentence fluency and enhance style.
3.3.5 Use literary models to refine writing style.
Understandings:
Students will understand that…
• Sentences can be combined to limit redundant information and strengthen ideas.
• Characterization is revealed through actions, thoughts and words of the character.
• Prepositional phrases help an a writer show a scene rather than just tell it.
Essential Questions:
• What makes a complex sentence?
• Why do we combine simple sentences?
• How/why do authors characterize?
• What effect does a participle phrase have on a sentence?
Students will know…
• Participle phrases (-ing phrases)
• Characterization
• Simple sentences vs. complex sentences
Students will be able to…
• Combine simple sentences for effect.
• Identify and compose a participle phrase.
• Define characterization and identify writing.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks:
• Journal entry
• Exit ticket (participle phrases)
Other Evidence:
• Group participation
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Learning Activities:
1. WW do a warm up activity (sentenced combining)
2. TW hand back POWs from last week.
3. TW display a couple good examples and WW discuss what makes them good.
4. WW discuss telling vs. showing and the –ing phrases (participle phrases)
5. TW give new prompt for POW
This was a really hard lesson for me for a number of reasons, the primary one being that teaching lessons on grammar actually terrifies me. I LOVE reading, and I love talking about books and writing, but when it actually comes down to knowing how and why things have a particular effect in writing, I have recently realized I still have much learning to do myself. I have been reading a couple different books on grammar and mechanics on top of my already excessive pile of to do reading, and feel as though I have already learned quite a bit, but each part of grammar depends so much on every other part that I find it hard to really feel comfortable and knowledgeable in a lesson when you you only feel like you have a slight grasp on the material yourself. It's like I'm a tightrope walker treading on this really thin line of wire, but if anyone comes in and tries to take me on a slightly different course I will just end up plummeting into an oblivion (again probably a bit dramatic, but not too far from the truth).
The lesson went surprising well compared to my expectations, but I still felt as though my transitions weren't as fluid and transparent as I would have liked, nor do I feel I was as clear with my expectations of the students as I should have/could have been. For this lesson to really work well, I was banking a lot on the students to provide crucial linking material or comments that showed a purpose and connection to the unit goals, but this was a really risky venture, and I really only feel that one of the three was able to make those connections and see the purpose in it all.
Also, thanks to some crucial feedback from observing teachers, I think I need to really work on getting the kids to be the primary "narrators" of our classroom discussions, as opposed to me being a lecturer. I think that I was just so concerned about getting the lesson right and getting not wandering into a situation that I didn't know the answer to, that I kind of lost touch with them at points and may not have made that important, personal connection to the content that was necessary for them to really comprehend it all.
Lesson #2
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Established Goals:
2.1.2 Apply reading strategies to self monitor for comprehension
2.3.1 Read and respond to literature from a variety of genres.
Understandings:
Students will understand that…
• There are a variety of techniques to help readers self-monitor for comprehension.
• Writers often introduce major themes through smaller details and motifs
Essential Questions:
• Why/how should a reader monitor themselves for comprehension during reading?
• How do we identify themes in a reading?
Students will know…
• Vocab: motif, allusion, theme
• A useful strategy for monitoring reading comprehension and developing ideas about a text.
Students will be able to…
• Identify developing motifs/themes
• Define root words based on context
• Describe the use and function of dual entry diaries.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks:
• Journal entry
• Group notes
Other Evidence:
• Group participation
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Learning Activities:
1. SW do journal entry
2. TW model note taking/note making with Chapter 3
3. GW divide in two and write their own Notes on Chapter 4
This was another tough one, but for an entirely different reason than the last. On this day I was introducing a during reading exercise that I wanted to have the students using throughout the rest of the novel we are reading (The Giver), the dual-entry diary. The way that I wanted to go about this was that I was going to model it for them with chapter 4, then have them do it in groups with chapter 5, then, finally turning them loose to do it on their own the next day. But, I had to ensure that they were all engaged and paying attention to what I was doing while I was modeling it, which is kind of difficult because reading out loud, writing on the SMARTboard, and ensuring the class is paying attention at all times is a rather difficult task.
Luckily the book is somewhat interesting, and most of the kids seemed to pay attention and even add to my dual entry diary, but I do know that there was probably a lot I missed due to lack of processing space in my brain. Of course, with the addition of the journal entry, I was not able to give them the time to do Chapter 5 as a group, so this had to be extended into two different lessons. Should have stuck with my rule of 2 (only really capable of doing two things per period).
Another concern of mine from the lesson was whether or not I really made clear all the different kinds of entries they could make in their diaries. I had made a dual-entry book mark to hold their place in the book that had a list of different ways they could respond to the writing, but I'm not sure I really took them through item-by-item and had them explain what each meant and how they might utilize it in their own diaries. I do plan on expanding on this idea in the near future and helping them see how useful this technique really help them remember and analyze writing as well giving them things to talk about in their groups or in the class discussions.
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