English 10 Lesson OverviewJessica Meginness

Latin America Unit (1st 9 weeks)

Day 1:

Introduction Activity (Two Truths and a Lie)

Teacher Sample Introduction

Student Introductions

Briefly Introduce Syllabus with scavenger

Go over answers

Good/Bad Participation Examples

Introduce Folders and Independent Reading Books

Show a few book trailers

Homework:

Bring items to decorate (quotes, pictures, magazine clips, etc)

Bring song lyrics (school appropriate)

Day 2:

Creative Writing:Read Articles in groups

Mark things you want to help you remember as a writer and discuss in groups

Creative Writing: Choosing a few questions from the creative writing prompts for aspiring writers article

10 Things I know about myself as a reader/writer brainstorm (Complete a teacher sample and have students brainstorm other topics that the class can later choose from) (Include 5 you are good at and 5 that you struggle with)20 minutes

*Homework: Choose one as a goal for yourself this quarter. You will be completing a journal on it at the end of the quarter, so choose wisely. Brainstorm steps to complete your goal

Song Lyric Activity: 20 minutes

Analyze Lyrics

Answer Questions

Discuss as a class 10minutes

Book Trailers20 minutes

Day 3:

Decorate Journals (rubric grade) 30 min.

(Check Homework)

Heart Map (journal) 10 min

Show example of Independent Reading Responses 10 min

Expectations for folders and reading books

Finish Trailers

Go to Library 30 min

Begin Reading

Complete first response

Latin America Unit:

Day4

  • Check folders and reading responses (give credit on charts)
  • Heart map (include favorite character)
  • Writing prompt: pretestor from aspiring writers(finish for homework)
  • Pass out vocab books
  • Note-taking minilesson
  • Background activity (or next day)

Creative Writing:

  • Check Writing
  • Intro Activity (make found poems with groups)20 min
  • Read Story: observances (first and last lines) 20 min
  • Show Don’t Tell: read with class, analyze, 5 senses, practice 30 min
  • Silent reading for creative writing (20 min)

Day 5

  • PopolVuh
  • Define and discuss myth
  • Add to Lit Terms Glossary in notebook
  • Brainstorm others we are familiar
  • Brainstorm different backgrounds or reasons to explain how man was made. Why so many variations? Thoroughly define the Christian perspective as common in our culture today. Compare and contrast with the variation found in the story. Consider within groups first. Then add to interactive Venn Diagram on SMART with each group’s ideas. Record main ideas in notebooks.
  • Answer Critical Thinking Question
  • Discuss with class

Creative Writing:

  • Silent Read 20 min
  • Intro Activity 30 min (Poetry Poker)
  • Thematic Thoughts for Brainstorming a childhood memory 40 min total
  • Choose one
  • Guided Imagery Brainstorm for details*create

Day 6

  • Silent Reading 20 min.
  • Mind maps: Label as abstract imagery 50 min lesson
  • Give object to examine with 5 senses: label as concrete imagery
  • Read Background: take few notes
  • Read “The Great Prayer”
  • Answer Critical Thinking Questions
  • Come up with 5 philosophical pieces of advice for the world (how to live, advice for high school or beyond, love life)
  • Share with class
  • Reminder about abstract and concrete images: answer Author’s Craft Questions
  • Vocab practice 20 min.
  • Homework: study vocab for test

Creative Writing:

  • Boggle activity using words to create your story
  • Read article
  • Spoonerisms writing prompt
  • Brainstorm 5 senses with childhood idea
  • Childhood writing prompt

Day 7

  • Characterization lesson
  • Br’er Rabbit
  • Trickster Character (characterization)
  • Vocab Test
  • Critical Thinking Questions
  • Author’s Craft and questions

Day 8

  • “The Street” and “The Room”
  • Search for identity is universal
  • Mood Lesson
  • Critical Thinking Questions #1-3 with groups
  • Author’s craft questions #1-2 (On your Own)
  • Discuss with class
  • *Choose repetitive words and phrases and connect similar moods

Day 9 (Take Out)

  • “Keeping Quiet” and “Chilean Earth”
  • Author’s background and personal views and purpose—grew up Christian, Bible influence
  • Critical Thinking Questions (#2 apply tone/mood)
  • Lyric minilesson: choose modern songs to help connect to tone (feelings expressed by the author)
  • Answer author’s craft
  • Discuss as class
  • Journal: Brainstorm times when you’ve had strong emotions toward someone or something—choose one and practice writing your own.

Day 10

  • “Florinda and Don Gonzalo” Read aloud/act (bring props)
  • Notes on background: Most early plays were religious dramas—help teach Indians about Christianity. Later: express ideas of what it means to live in Latin America
  • This play: psychology of characters and how we are like them
  • *Focus on selection (PR) guide reading (sticky notes) list questions you have at end of reading (use questions for the author handout)
  • Critical thinking questions: use character reactions handout
  • Author’s craft: dialogue (minilesson)
  • Discuss with class
  • Activity Journal: create your own two characters and create a brief one page dialogue between them—text messages, phone, in person, chat room, Facebook, twitter, etc… (brainstorm the different ways you can use dialogue)

Day 11

  • “One of these Days”
  • Mix of history and mythology
  • Imaginative power
  • Critical Thinking #1-2
  • Author’s craft: suspense, answer questions
  • Discuss with class
  • *Additional resource on common core

Day 12

  • “The Book of Sand”
  • Background Notes: Grew up in library
  • National inspector of poultry=insult
  • Going blind
  • Mix of fantasy and reality- philosophical questions= nature of reality, meaning of time, power of language-refers to ideas around the world
  • “anti-realist” questions the meaning of reality and challenges his readers’ assumptions about time and space
  • Labyrinth=central image (life is a cosmic puzzle)
  • Raises questions through library images
  • *What questions does Borges encourage the reader to consider (THINK ALOUD)
  • Is the book good or evil? Is it magic?
  • Why did the previous owners want to get rid of it? Is it cursed?
  • What unsuspecting person will get it next?
  • Why not give it to a museum?
  • What stories does it tell? Why is this not mentioned?
  • Why do the images disappear? Why is this so significant?
  • Symbolism lesson before with a practice story and then use this story as assessment.
  • **Magical Realism explanation

Day 13

  • “Continuity of Parks” (read aloud, very confusing to follow)
  • Personification lesson
  • Supported political and literary freedom
  • Stories blend realistic and fantastic
  • Change setting
  • Unexpected
  • Mix elements of comedy and tragedy
  • Saw a “continuity/connection between different ways of thinking about reality”
  • Discuss quote: “break the habits of readers—not just for the sake of breaking them, but to make the readers free.”
  • Frame story: story within a story (chart out)
  • **How does the story challenge your imagination?
  • Sensory details and figurative language (mainly personification)
  • Inference at end: never says he is going to kill the man
  • No names! Why?
  • Personification quiz quotes:
  • “air of afternoon danced…” pg. 350
  • “licked up by the sordid dilemma” pg. 350
  • “dagger warmed itself “ pg. 351
  • “liberty pounded” pg. 351
  • “lustful, panting dialogue raced” pg. 351
  • “hair flying” pg. 352 (Not personification because humans cannot fly!)
  • Tones: build from previous lesson (2 distinct tones).
  • First: relaxed
  • Second: revenge/determined
  • Critical Thinking #1

Day 14

  • 5 poems pg. 353
  • Caribbean love and longing for a far older homeland
  • Sounds and pictures poems create
  • **What does it mean to be Caribbean? (dream of other places but brought back) Use quotes and reasoning to support.
  • Introduction to Socratic Seminar (hand out materials and show examples)

Day 15

  • Hold Socratic Seminar
  • Remind students of expectations

Additional Lessons/Activities to incorporate:

  • 1-2 days to work on Silent Reading book projects
  • Show examples, give rubrics, time to work and ask questions
  • 2-3 days to work on essay question
  • Create introductions, gather quotes, type in lab
  • Silent reading time each week=20 minutes
  • Vocabulary book work, discussion and practice activities
  • Bell Ringer Journals from PPT collection
  • Grammar/writing minilessons as needed for struggles
  • Boggle word game with poetry
  • Group magnetic found poems
  • Review of vocab and literary terms

I can statements to accompany this unit:

  • I can determine the theme of a text.
  • I can analyze the impact of word choice on the meaning or tone of a text.
  • I can analyze how an author’s choices about text structure, event order, and time manipulation, create effects such as mystery, tension, or surprise.
  • I can analyze a point of view or cultural experience as reflected in a work from outside the US.
  • I can cite strong and thorough textual evidence that supports my inferences and analysis of the text.
  • I can determine the author’s point of view in a text.
  • I can determine the author’s purpose for writing a text.
  • I can analyze accounts of the same subject told in a different medium, determining which aspects are emphasized in which medium.
  • I can write an informative piece, which examines and conveys complex ideas/information through effective selection, organization, and analysis of content, etc… (include other writing statements that focus on the writing process and addressing the audience and topic)
  • I can prepare for a class discussion and participate by referring to my findings during discussion.
  • I can follow agreed-upon rules for class discussion, track progress towards stated goals, and define individual roles if needed.
  • I can propel a conversation by asking questions, incorporating others into a discussion, and clarifying or challenging the ideas of others.
  • I can clearly and concisely present important findings and supporting evidence so listeners can follow the line of reasoning.
  • I can strategically use digital media to enhance understandings and add interest.
  • I can use an appropriate style manual to write and edit my work.
  • I can use context clues to figure out word meaning.
  • I can verify what I think a word means by looking it up.
  • I can interpret figures of speech in context.