Denise Lewis
Final Exam Project
Theme: Internal Conflict, External Conflict,
and Resolution
The unifying theme of this unit is conflict and resolution. Both internal and external conflicts are explored and when possible resolution to conflicts discovered. I chose conflict and resolution because adolescents can relate to both because students’ lives are full of daily conflicts. Exposing students to literature that mirrors conflicts similar to their own engages them and helps them to understand ways to resolve their own conflicts and understand the world.
Maxwell and Meiser, authors of Teaching English in Middle and Secondary Schools, support the use of thematic units. They state that using a thematic approach is more effective and provides opportunities to include a variety of literature (396).
Sub-themes include fear, poverty, competition, anger, self-esteem, and friendship. Weaving additional sub-themes into this unit provides students’ multiple opportunities to connect to the texts. In addition, I selected literature that includes strong male and female adolescent characters from a variety of cultures in an effort to engage all students.
This unit teaches eighth grade language arts students but can easily be adapted to meet the needs of seventh or ninth grade students. The chosen literature teaches students in regular education and inclusive classrooms. Students in special education classrooms can be successful with this unit if the special education teacher modifies assignments. One less novel and short story would be appropriate, and the special education teacher could read aloud to students and fully participate in the literature circles to increase students’ success.
I chose two novels for this unit: The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton and Make Lemonade by Virginia E. Wolff. I chose The Outsiders because the story has timeless themes that adolescents can relate to. The battle between rich and poor adolescents is the controlling theme backed up by friendship, fear, anger, violence, society pressures, and governmental intervention. Students have many choices to focus on during the novel. Although this novel focuses primarily on male characters, the author, S.E. Hinton, is a female who shows the softer side of the male characters. I think that adolescents relate to the genuine characters and events because they are believable and exciting.
I picked Make Lemonade because I think it complements The Outsiders. Its mainly female adolescent characters tackle self-esteem, hope, friendship, motherhood, poverty, and government authority. This novel also exposes students to a different style of writing. It is written in first person open prose and effectively hooks the reader because the story moves quickly and the characters are well developed. The events are credible and touching, yet powerful and dramatic. Both novels have similar themes that are unfolded in very different and entertaining ways.
The focus of instruction for both novels is literature circles, a specific form of cooperative learning. I chose to include literature circles after reading Lane Roy Gauthier’s, article, Coop-Dis-Q: a Reading Comprehension Strategy. Gauthier supports the practice of cooperative learning and explains, “When students work together, communicate their thoughts, and seek answers to different questions, reading comprehension has a fertile setting in which to occur (218).
I have also experienced literature circles many times as a student in Dr. Cope’s class and found them to be beneficial. Students practice working together towards a common goal, a major skill in today’s work place. Literature circles also allow students to share thoughts, bounce ideas off each other, hear different points of view, practice supporting their ideas, and construct individual and group interpretations of the text. In addition, students speak often and freely because their audience is limited to three peers.
Students vary the way they read during literature circles. They read individually in class and for homework, take turns reading in class, or listen as I read aloud.
I also use literature circles because I can circulate throughout the classroom, make informal assessment about students’ comprehension, students’ passions, students’ dislikes, and students’ participation. The information gained from observing students during literature circles drives the upcoming choices of literature.
In addition to novels, I included three short stories. The first is “Raymond’s Run,” a short story focused on conflict. I selected this story because it includes the following conflicts that adolescents can relate to: a strong female adolescent main character, the conflicts involve sports and competition, the setting is inner city, the female author has African American heritage, and the characters include a boy who is mentally challenged. If students are not interested in sports, their background knowledge of competition gives them confidence during discussions. Interesting discussions come from students’ positive and negative opinions and experiences about competition.
Students either read Raymond’s Run” individually or can join me as I read aloud. This division of students offers choice and gives support to individual students.
The second short story is Nolan Ryan, A Texas Treasure, a biography. I chose this story because it is non-fiction, it addresses anger on and off the playing field, it focuses on baseball, and it highlights purpose. I included a non-fiction story because I have recently found out from class discussions that students are not reading enough non-fiction. I reflected on my own reading habits and found that I also do not read non-fiction. Including it in this unit broadens my reading and my students.
Students read Nolan Ryan, Texas Treasure in pairs. Students take turns reading aloud to each other. This strategy takes the pressure of individual students while allowing them time to practice reading aloud safely.
The third short story is Go on or Die, a section of Harriet Tubman’s biography. I chose this story because it is also non-fiction; it relates to students’ social studies class and highlights fear, strength, over coming obstacles, and courage. I believe it is important for students to see a common thread between different classes, and this story supports their Georgia history class.
I will read this story after students watch several clips from the movie, Underground Railway. Students will compare the clips to the text while paying close attention to conflict and resolution.
Two poems are included in this unit. The first, “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out,” a short humorous poem, introduces the unit. I chose this poem because of its simplistic text and funny content. Using the poem, I teach internal conflict, external conflict, and resolutions as a mini lesson. In pairs, students quickly brainstorm a variety of their own internal conflicts, external conflicts, and resolutions. Students then share their brainstorming.
The second poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost is included in The Outsiders. I take the opportunity to read the poem aloud and teach personification. I think it helps students understand both the poem and its placement in the novel. In addition, students grasp a deeper meaning of the novel.
I also include newspaper headings in this unit. Any newspaper serves the purpose because my focus is conflicts and resolutions and all newspapers are full of both. Students go on a scavenger hunt for interesting news headlines. In pairs, students cut up and arrange the headlines to form poems. This activity helps students pay attention to current events and takes the pressure off composing poetry. Having a collection of lines to arrange is easier than composing from scratch.
Last, I include a picture book, The Dragon’s Tale and Other Chinese Fables. I chose this picture book for its beautiful illustrations and brief individual fables. Each fable highlights a simple conflict and a resolution. The twelve fables together with newspaper headings, quotes, and student work introduce each class. Students begin to anticipate the introduction of the day and eventually participate by making suggestions and reading the introduction.
Silent sustained reading (SSR) and active reflection are an important daily part of this unit. Dedicating class time to reading and reading with the class sends the powerful message that reading is important. It also gives those students who genuinely do not have time to read outside school a time to read. I included SSR because I have also recently read about its powerful benefits in Teaching Reading in the 21st Century. SSR increases vocabulary, gives students a chance to increase their background knowledge, and contributes to students’ reading fluency (336). In addition, I have practiced SSR and active reflections in Dr. Cope’s class. SSR followed by active reflections helped me read as a writer, because I made personal connections to the text, made observations about author’s style, and made predictions and asked questions. The combination of SSR and active reflections also helped with comprehension and connection. Cynthia R. Smith supports active reflections in her article, “Using Active Reflection as a Learning Process.” Smith states that active reflections enhances educational experiences by providing valuable time needed to stop and think about literature, helps students release imaginative thoughts, and encourages deeper understanding of literature(62).
I cover the following QCC’s during this unit: 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 33, 41, and 44. 21 Standard: Discusses various literary forms (short stories, novels, epics, folk tales, poems, dramas, essays, and myths). I addressed Standard 21 by compiling a variety of literature for this unit. Three short stories, two novels, twelve fables, and two poems. In addition, students viewed news clips and video clips from a biography and read newspapers headlines.
22 Standard: Answers literal, inferential, and critical questions about literature. Students ask and answer all types of questions when they apply the questioning the text reading strategy. I teach the questioning strategy and think aloud during a mini lesson at the beginning of The Outsiders. I added this strategy after reading Stephanie Harvey’s article “Questioning the Text.” Harvey explains, “When good readers read, they carry on an inner conversation with the text. They ask questions. This inner conversation leads to thoughtful engaged reading-reading that enhances students’ understanding, builds their knowledge, and develops their insights (16). In addition to reading the article, I practiced this strategy during active reflections and found it to add to my comprehension, draw my attention to author’s style, and help me make connections to the text.
Students also ask literal, inferential, and critical questions during literature circle discussions. In addition, students ask and answer questions when they complete the assignment for the connector, passage master, and discussion director.
23 Standard: Uses literary elements and techniques such as plot, setting, point of view, character, characterization, conflict, figurative language, and point of view to analyze literature. Internal conflict, external conflict, and resolution are the focus throughout the unit, and I teach them in the form of a mini lesson using a picture book. Students then apply the information learned to each piece of literature. Students discuss and write about conflict and resolution during literature circle and class discussions.
24 Standard: Analyzes elements of poetry such as rhyme, rhythm, stanza, simile, metaphor, allusion, onomatopoeia, personification, and alliteration. I teach the power of alliteration as a mini lesson after reading “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out.” Students then create their own humorous poem that includes alliteration. I then use students’ poems as introductions to the class. Students get practice reciting poetry and are proud to show their creations.
I teach personification in a mini lesson before reading “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” Students then create illustrations that represent nonhuman subjects with human characteristics. This fun activity helps students to relate and comprehend this poem.
29 Standard: Responds creatively to literature (e.g., drama, art, music, multimedia, projects, and essays). Students create an ABR for each novel. Students can choose from the following: create a Socs and Greaser web site or poster, create a four page news paper using publisher, design an informational day care poster, write a new ending to the novel, create a song and set it to music, create and perform a poem, make a sculpture that represents a character or an event, write and perform a skit, or video tape an event or a lost chapter, or students can create their own response.
I chose ABR’s as an assessment tool because they give students a chance to express their individual talents. I have created ABR’s and fully understand the critical thinking involved in examining the text as they create their response. Students also need to use higher level thinking skills when planning and constructing their ABR.
Students also build free form poems after viewing news clips for last night’s news broadcast. Students then go on a scavenger hunt to find news headlines that contain conflicts. Next, students cut up news headlines and arrange them into interesting poems. This activity takes some of the anxiety about writing poetry away because the text is already written. Students can also concentrate on the overall product instead of individual words.
30 Standard: Identifies and chooses literature according to personal interests. Students spend twenty minutes each day reading self-selected materials. Students read literature Monday-Thursday and choose appropriate reading material on Fridays.
To assist with the selection of literature, students write active reflections about their reading. Students share journals in small groups on Fridays. Students get the opportunity to rate books and give their advice. This activity helps students choose new novels based on their peers' reviews.
33 Standard: Expands reading vocabulary. Students complete vocabulary activities for each piece of literature. I chose to add vocabulary instruction after reading Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words and discussing teaching vocabulary in Dr. Harrell’s class. Allen states that combining a language-rich environment with extended words studies helps students to develop independence (6).
I encourage students to choose interesting vocabulary directly from the reading rather than lists in vocabulary books. A concept circle is used with The Outsiders; an opposites chart is used with Make Lemonade; a making connections chart is used with “Raymond’s Run;” a part to whole graphic organizer is used with “Nolan Ryan, Texas Treasure;” a compare contrast chart is compiled with “Go on or die” and “Underground Railway;” a linear array is used with “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Strout Would Not Put the Garbage Out.” All the vocabulary activities above are taken from Allen’s Words, Words, Words, and show students how individual words connect with opposites, concepts, and other words (41). These activities are taught in mini lessons.