Young Han C. Lester
C&T 731
Dr. Reva Friedman
Final Project
Lessons From a Hypothetical Unit on A Clockwork Orange
Contents: 5 Lesson Plans (Compacting, Curriculum of Connections, Multiple Intelligences, the Autonomous-Learner Model and the School-Wide Enrichment Model), Attribute Analysis Chart
Name: Young Han C. Lester
Content A Clockwork Orange
Focus for lesson The setting, characters and exposition of the novel
Lesson/activity title Reading Day
Grade Level(s):12 / Field/topic
Language Arts
Purpose of lesson – the “big idea” you want students to absorb
The characters in our novel use the same means to control each other that many of us use in real life.
As a result of this lesson, students will:
KNOW/UNDERSTAND (knowledge of) The contents of the second half of the first part of A Clockwork Orange
APPLY/ANALYZE (knowledge about) Analyze the means characters use to achieve their ends, and what this reveals about them
ASSESS/CREATE (knowledge how) Create a prediction of what will happen next, based on what we already know.
Will you pre-assess entering knowledge/skills? How?
Before continuing the day’s reading (and before letting Juanita Flores move to the back) I will ask students who the narrator was of the portion we read last time, what his pastimes are, where and when we think our story takes place, what clues we used to determine that, and why students think he does the things he does. (This last question is searching for interpretations- we never get a firm reason, but I will ask throughout the novel as we learn more about Alex, the narrator).
Model/strategy:
Compacting with Enrichment (as opposed to acceleration)
Instructional procedures. What will you do? What will students do? Think of this as your lesson storyboard. Emphasize the ways in which you are connecting your instruction to the model/strategy.
Write Pair Share (15 minutes): Students will answer the prompt: “What separates grown-ups from ‘kids’? How do grown-ups and kids in your world seem to feel about each other? Why do you think that is?”
Review (5 minutes): Students will respond to the prompts indicated two boxes above.
Read-Aloud (45 minutes): Due to the challenging fictional dialect the book is written in, I will read the second half of the first section of A Clockwork Orange, at least until I feel confident that students have mastered the dialect. Unfortunately within our school culture, I have little reason to believe that most students would even read the book otherwise. I will repeatedly pause and ask students to use context clues, their personal notes and the glossary in the book to help us clarify unusual or difficult sentences.
Compacting: During this time, Juanita Flores will move to a “safe seat,” insert her ear-plugs and read the same section that we are reading, stopping when she gets to Section II. Juanita is a twice exceptional student with mild autistic tendencies, auditory processing issues, and exceptional reading comprehension across at least three languages (English, Spanish and Portuguese). She can out-read the class when reading alone, but gets distracted and overwhelmed when she tries to read while someone else is reading out-loud.
Enrichment: Since she usually finishes the section a good 20 minutes before the rest of us, Juanita has consulted with me to spend her extra time researching the Aversive Behavioral Therapy methods used by the controversial Judge Rotenberg Educational Center. (The novel’s story arc follows the narrator as he is subjected to a more fanciful version of ABT, and covers the philosophical ramifications and the consequences to his life). As she compiles her research, she will take detailed notes (shared with me at the end of class) to prepare to write a persuasive letter to a recipient and audience of her choosing, detailing her opinion on the Rotenberg Center’s controversial ABT practices.
After we are finished reading aloud, Juanita will put away her laptop, remove her earplugs and return to her seat.
Post-Reading Comprehension and Discussion Questions (with follow-ups)(15 minutes):
-What’s the relationship like between Alex and his ‘droogs’?
----What do you think is the basis of this relationship?
-Why do you think Anthony Burgess would have Alex find a copy of A Clockwork Orange?
----What does it mean that Alex tears the book up when he finds it?
-What’s Alex’s relationship like with authority figures in his life?
---What methods does he use to manipulate people?
3-Part Summary (10 minutes) For their ‘exit slips,’ students will write a quick summary of what they read today (partially to keep them accountable for paying attention, partially so I can see what if any comprehension problems we’re having). For the second 2 parts, they will write what they think will happen next in the book, and why. As per usual, I will quietly visit with Juanita and ask if she would rather write a summary, continue her research, or begin an outline of her opinion letter.
List resources you will use:
Paper, Chalkboard/Whiteboard and writing utensil, Laptop, internet access, copies of A Clockwork Orange
If you are adapting a lesson, include the original lesson and cite the source.
N/A
Name: Young Han C. Lester
Content A Clockwork Orange, Behaviorism
Focus for lesson Classical Conditioning and Social Control
Lesson/activity title Understanding the Ludovico Technique
Grade Level(s): 12th / Field/topicLanguage Arts, Literature, Rhetoric
Purpose of lesson – the “big idea” you want students to absorb
The Ludovico Technique is based on real-life psychological principles, and these are utilized on a daily basis
As a result of this lesson, students will:
KNOW/UNDERSTAND (knowledge of) The principles of behaviorism and classical conditioning
APPLY/ANALYZE (knowledge about) Analyze the relationship between real-life behavioral theory and the Ludovico Technique in a clockwork orange.
ASSESS/CREATE (knowledge how) Assess how behavioral theory is used and abused to achieve social control.
Will you pre-assess entering knowledge/skills? How?
Because our school does not offer any psychology classes, I will assume that Behaviorism is a new theory for most of my students, but I will scaffold their understanding by assessing their relationship and understanding of punishment and reward in the day’s Write-Pair-Share.
I will also ask students to “remind me” about the process, stated purpose and effects of the Ludovico Technique that we’ll have read about in the last class session. I will then ask students to come to the board and brain-storm examples of people using punishment and rewards to get what they want throughout the book.
Model/strategy:
The Parallelss of Content and Connections (enough extra content to make the connections)
Instructional procedures. What will you do? What will students do? Think of this as your lesson storyboard. Emphasize the ways in which you are connecting your instruction to the model/strategy.
The first 15 minutes of class consist of a Write-Pair-Share, based on the prompt “Think back to your childhood. What did your teachers and parents do to get you to do what they wanted? What kind of punishments or rewards do you remember? How effective were their methods?”
I will then transition by introducing students to the basic definition and principles of Behaviorism, namely Behavior, Punishment, and Rewards. (5 minutes). After words, I will show them the Crash Course Psychology Video on Behaviorism (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG2SwE_6uVM) (12 minutes)
Afterwards, I will check students for understanding by quizzing them on the basic principles of Behaviorism (3 minutes).
We will take 25 minutes to go over our Behaviorism vocabulary and take 4-square notes modeled after this basic format (http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/f9/f3/1c/f9f31c991af3bb4a8cb341854b352d96.jpg) , asking students to provide a definition, a synonym, an example sentence and a picture depicting the words: Stimulus, Reward, Punishment, Behaviorism, Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning, Reinforcement
We will then take 5 as a class to come up with examples of each of our vocabulary words from the novel A Clockwork Orange.
In the last 25 minutes, I will group students into groups of 5 to create Concept Maps clustered around the 7 Behaviorism Vocabulary words. Students will connect personal experiences mentioned during their Write-Pair-Shares to the Behaviorist principles they demonstrate, as well as connecting similar events from the book.
We will plan to share our Concept Maps at the beginning of next class, after our Write-Pair-Shares and after taking 5 minutes to put any “finishing touches” on and review with our groups.
List resources you will use:
Youtube
Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange
Giant Roll of Butcher-Paper for Group Concept Maps
Markers (at least 5 different colors per group)
Projector, Laptop and speakers
School Loop
If you are adapting a lesson, include the original lesson and cite the source.
NA
Name: Young Han C. Lester
Content Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange
Focus for lesson Final Project Intro. Day
Lesson/activity title A Clockwork Orange Final Project
Grade Level(s): 12 / Field/topicLanguage Arts
Purpose of lesson – the “big idea” you want students to absorb
A book is a conversation between a reader and an author.
As a result of this lesson, students will:
KNOW/UNDERSTAND (knowledge of) A Clockwork Orange
APPLY/ANALYZE (knowledge about) Themes, characterization and society
ASSESS/CREATE (knowledge how) Create a text-to-text connection between the novel and other art, research, or real-life philosophies.
Will you pre-assess entering knowledge/skills? How?
Prior to the day’s lesson, students will write 3 short essays on their impression of the book so far, one for each of the three main sections (Alex’s life before, during, and after his ‘rehabilitation.’) Students will also begin each day with a quickwrite concerning how the novel’s characters embody its themes, and how those themes relate to our society.
Model/strategy:
Multiple Intelligences
Instructional procedures. What will you do? What will students do? Think of this as your lesson storyboard. Emphasize the ways in which you are connecting your instruction to the model/strategy.
Students will begin with a Write-Pair-Share concerning the prompt “What is choice? What does it cost? What is it worth?” Students will write their responses, share them with a neighbor, and then students will nominate their neighbors to share their responses with the class. (If no nominations occur, students will be called upon.) (15 mins.)
I will then introduce the concept of multiple intelligences, showing a brief prezi with descriptions of the intelligences and videos or images displaying examples of those intelligence in action, coupled with prompting the students to write examples of products and processes related to the intelligences on the white board at the front of class. (30 mins.)
After giving students 3 minutes to privately “rate” their own intelligences, I will introduce the options for the unit’s final project. I will explain that students will be able to choose their product, but only from the options provided, unless they fill out an Alternate Assignment Request form and get it approved and signed by me. (5 minutes total)
Presenting the activity options should take about 10 minutes, and hand-outs will be available on School Loop (a district-wide internet-based classroom management service, similar to blackboard) with more detailed instructions and rubrics attached.
Options, by intelligence:
Linguistic- The American version of the book omits the final chapter, in which Alex gives up his life of crime and violence. Analyze how this omission changes the story’s themes, and evaluate which version you find more compelling, integrating perspectives from two different critics. The two critics should either be responding to the two different versions of the book, or taking different sides on the same version of the book.
Logical- Research at least two different sources on classical conditioning or behaviorism. Start by looking up the work of Skinner and Pavlov. Analyze how these theories manifest in the novel, and evaluate what you think Anthony Burgess’s opinion on the works of your chosen theorist would be.
Musical- Investigate Alex’s reactions to classical music in the book. Listen to Beethoven’s 9th symphony and read its sheet music, then analyze how the song’s style and structure relate to Alex’s characterization. Evaluate how Alex’s relationship to classical music changes throughout the book, and discuss what this indicates about his character arc.
Interpersonal- Discuss how the Ludovico Technique would impact society if it were developed in the real world tomorrow. Predict which institutions would make use of it, and analyze the effect. Evaluate what changes the Ludovico Technique would bring, and whether they would improve society or harm it. Use evidence from at least 2 different sources to evaluate your claim.
Intrapersonal- Imagine that you’ve been selected to undergo the Ludovico Technique. Discuss an impulse, habit or hobby of yours that might be considered anti-social. Find a blog, editorial or article on-line decrying this impulse, habit or hobby. Analyze how the conditioning could have consequences in your life, either good or bad. Evaluate whether you would be better off, and whether the technique would change you as a person (and why).
Kinesthetic- Imagine that you are the warden at the prison where Alex is being held captive, and you have to design a special cell to keep Alex imprisoned and prevent him from attacking his fellow inmates. Draft a design of the cell itself, with a floor-plan, furnishings and materials. Detail the procedures you would use to keep Alex under lock down while still keeping him alive and getting him to and from his Ludovico Technique sessions. Provide claims from two correctional facilities, rehabilitation centers or schools that support your methods.
Visual- Requires a permission slip, due to the film’s content. Watch Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation of A Clockwork Orange, or Andy Warhol’s (entitled Vinyl). Choose 3 (school-appropriate) stills from the film and analyze their contents and visual composition. Evaluate how the 3 stills chosen demonstrate Kubrick’s interpretation of the story’s themes. Discuss whether Kubrick’s interpretation is faithful to the novel, subversive of it, or some mix of the two.
For the last 30 minutes of class, allow students to brain-storm, do research, and look through their old writings for ideas and evidence that they can “flesh out” for their final product.
List resources you will use:
*Prezi
*School Loop
*Copies of Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange.
*Access to a copy of Stanley Kubrick’s film A Clockwork Orange.
*Internet access
*Library access, with library databases
*Laptops
*Paper, pens, colored pencils
*Beethoven’s 9th Symphony
If you are adapting a lesson, include the original lesson and cite the source.