English 9 Modules

Lesson Plan Info: / Introduction to the Odyssey
Title: / Stop the Presses! Troy has Fallen!
Author & Email: / Erin
Kathleen
Subject: / English/Language Arts
Grade Level: / 9th grade
Duration: / 3 days (based on 50 minute periods)
Focus/Driving Question: / What were the causes and underlying factors that contributed to the Trojan War and, ultimately, The Odyssey?
Lesson Overview: / In this introductory lesson, students will complete a short, sustained research project in order to gain background knowledge about the Trojan War prior to beginning The Odyssey. Students will also grasp the medium of news reporting in writing and presentation.
Content Standards and Objectives: / ELA.9.R.C3.3 / analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums of informational texts (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
ELA.9.W.C10.1 / produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to task, purpose and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in Text Types and Purposes.)
ELA.9.W.C10.2 / develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of all Language objectives up to and including grade 9.)
ELA.9.W.C10.3 / use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
ELA.9.W.C11.2 / gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoidingplagiarismand following a standardformat for citation.
ELA.9.SL.C14.2 / make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning and evidence and to add interest.
ELA.9.L.C15.1 / demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • useparallel structure.
  • use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, participial, prepositional, absolute) andclauses(independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations.

ELA.9.L.C15.2 / demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when writing.
  • use a semicolon (and perhaps aconjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses.
  • use a colon to introduce a list or quotation.
  • spell correctly.

21st Century Learning Skills and Technology Tools: / 21C.O.9-12.1.LS.2 / Student analyzes and interprets visuals and recognizes the impact digital media influences (e.g. design, technique, and rate of speed) have on audiences. The student’s visual products reflect a sophisticated understanding of subject, digital media and design techniques.
21C.O.9-12.1.TT.2 / Student routinely applies keyboarding skills, keyboard shortcut techniques, and mouse skills with facility, speed and accuracy
21C.O.9-12.1.TT.5 / Student uses advanced features of word processing software (e.g., outline, table of contents, index feature, draw tool, headers and footers, track changes, macros, hyperlinks to other file formats, etc.).
21C.O.9-12.1.TT.4 / Student uses audio, video, pictures, clip art, moviemaker programs, webpage design software, electronic documents and other files to collaborate for the creation of electronic products that inform multiple audiences both inside and outside the school environment
21C.O.9-12.1.TT.10 / Student implements various Internet search techniques (e.g., Boolean searches, meta-searches, web bots) to gather information; student evaluates the information for validity, appropriateness, content, bias, currency, and usefulness.
21C.O.9-12.1.TT.11 / Student imports and exports multiple data formats and integrates to multiple productivity programs (e.g., exports comma delimited files, standard data formats) and understands transferability of data among different programs.
21C.O.9-12.3.TT.2 / Student works collaboratively to acquire information from electronic resources, conducts online research, and evaluates information as to validity, appropriateness, usefulness, comprehensiveness and bias.
21C.O.9-12.3.TT.5 / Student models ethical behavior relating to security, privacy, computer etiquette, passwords and personal information and demonstrates an understanding of copyright by citing sources of copyrighted materials in papers, projects and multi-media presentations. Student advocates for legal and ethical behaviors among peers, family, and community regarding the use of technology and information
21C.O.9-12.3.LS.5 / Student exhibits positive leadership through interpersonal and problem-solving skills that contribute to achieving the goal. He/she helps others stay focused, distributes tasks and responsibilities effectively, and monitors group progress toward the goal without undermining the efforts of others.
Teacher Facilitation for Student Acquisition of Background Knowledge: / “War Story Background” section of “An Introduction to the Odyssey” in The Elements of Literature textbook
Anchor Texts & Questions for Close Reading: / No anchor text will be used during this research based project.
Vocabulary Development: / No distinct, set vocabulary for this project
Managing the Lesson: / Day 1: Introduction and Research
The student will be creating news reports about the Fall of Troy in order to prepare for Homer’s The Odyssey. They will be creating both a written news article as well as a scripted news report that will be filmed (and, with available time, presented). Students will be separated into groups of 4. As a group, students will research information regarding the key players and events of the Trojan War using the internet. They should take notes about important heroes, gods, and events that they plan to include in news reports.
Accommodations: Check for understanding and have students paraphrase instructions.
Day 2: Composition
Students will divide the responsibilities of the project: two students should be organizing and composing the newspaper article while two students will be writing the script for the filmed news report. The newspaper article should be about a page long and created using the newspaper template provide (or a similar template). The filmed news report should last no longer than 3-5 minutes. The groups will utilize a graphic organizer to organize their thoughts and information before composing their separate reports.
Accommodations: Assign student groups based upon individual needs and abilities to get a mix of students in each group.
Day 3: Filming and presentation
One group member should be elected as camera person and will film the news report using a flip camera or other device. One group member will be elected as the reporter. Using the script that the students developed, the camera person will film the reporter, giving the news coverage of the Fall of Troy. After all the groups have recorded a report that they are all satisfied with, the file will be sent to the instructor and, if class time allows, the reports will be presented to the class.
Accommodations: Extended time - Allow struggling students to view other group presentations with time to adapt before submitting their own.
Active Literacy: / Students are actively reading and navigating information on the internet that is related to the Trojan War.
Post Literacy: / Students will be apply the information they have collected to the composition of a news paper article and a script, reflecting their knowledge and understanding of the Trojan War.
Product/Performance: / Students are creating news reports in two different mediums that reflect their acquired knowledge through digital research.
Reflection: / Instructor should review concepts important to the background knowledge needed to complete The Odyssey
Materials & Resources: / Computers (desktops, laptops, iPads, etc.)
News Report Graphic Organizer
Newspaper template
Potential Grading Rubric
Websites: / Hyperlinked above
Career Connection: / Journalism: creation and presentation of a news article
Public speaking: speaking on camera with a script
Information retrieval: researching and evaluating sources
Files Uploaded:
Date Created: / May 29, 2013
Date Modified: / May 29, 2013
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