April 22, 2007
Jeff Tibbetts
Unit Goals: NA
Daily Objectives: The students will study some critical theory, and then apply it to a close reading of Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. The class will then share their readings, so students can see how one text can be interpreted differently using different critical lenses.
Materials Needed (Handouts – Supplies – Equipment): Copies of Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar for the students. Assignment sheet. Music playing equipment (either burned CD’s or computer playlists).
In planning the sequence of activities, consider the following: What is my engagement strategy? Is modeling present? Have I included time for guided practice? What about homework?
Activities/Allotted TimeWhat are students doing? What am I doing? How long do I anticipate it will take?
Day 1
12:00 – 12:15: I will hand out the assignment sheet after we are finished reading The Bell Jar. I will give the students some time to look them over while I read the important information off of them. I will write on the board the key details; due date, group size, length of assignment, etc.
12:15- 12:55: I will allow the students to get into groups of two or three students. Each group will be responsible for deciding what moods they want to capture in the music, and how they will mix the songs to match the storyline of the novel. They will then decide what genre of music they want to use (they don’t have to stick with just one). The rest of the class will be time for them to brainstorm together and come up with a way to get a hold of each other for homework. This assignment will require them to work outside of class, and they must be able to trade information somehow.
Day 2: workday
12:05 – 12:55: This will be time for the groups to come together and work on their project. They will bring CDs or burned MP3s to class to work with, and we will reserve a computer lab and some headphones so they can work on a playlist. The groups will choose songs, mark the times for the sections they want to use, and arrange them in such a way to invoke or interpret imagery and moods from the text. They should be pretty much finished by the end of class.
Homework: short reflective one-pager justifying the choice of songs.
Note: the results will be shared with the class on Day 3, when we will all listen to the playlists. The students will have a few minutes to explain why they chose the music and what mood is should represent, as well as what part of the story it corresponds with. / Objectives
What is the purpose of this activity? Why are we doing this? How does it support the lesson?
This is an unconventional assignment, but it is a formal assessment, as well. The thought process required to analyze the moods and action of the text in terms of music will encourage the students to make connections to different forms of communication, as well as make some interpretive suggestions about the text. I want the guidelines of the assignment to be quite clear, so that they don’t have to spend a long time worrying about logistics.
The choice of music is both an act of self-expression and a way to see that music has communicative power just as written text does. The students can work together, and the use of music should make this one of the most fun tests that they’ll take all year. It is, nonetheless, a good way to stretch and extend their thinking about this novel, and even the way that things like text and music interact.
The nature of this assessment requires some familiarity with technology, and that is why I’m giving them one full workday to work with library/lab staff and myself to iron out the details. I will also bring in a stack of CD’s if they need some more music to work with. If they were just going to list songs, I wouldn’t do the work day. I want to actually listen to their compositions to see, in part, how effective their music is in inducing a mood or feeling. Plus, it’s fun. The reflective essay homework will be used in the assessment to see if they are actually thinking about the music choices deeply. / Assessments
How do I know that I am meeting my goals? How do I know that students are learning? How will I check for understanding?
This is a housekeeping portion, but I will be asking questions to make sure that the students both respect this as a test and understand what I’m looking for.
I will be making sure that the music is classroom appropriate, as well as well-reasoned. I will ask the groups questions about their choices to see if they are comprehending the concepts.
During this workday, I will be offering support and encouragement for the groups, as well as helping them to work with the technology if they need it. I will be looking to see who is doing most of the work in the groups, and making a note of it.
I will be assessing the actual playlist and performance, the oral explanation of the songs, and the reflective essays. I will grade this based on the strength of the justification as much as the quality of the playlist. I will also ask them to suggest a grade for their peers, based on how much work they did for the project.
Differentiation This size of the groups will allow all students to participate up to the level of their comfort. Those who read very independently will be able to really mine the text for close reading details, while some of the more dependent readers can look for more concrete or surface-level information. All members of the group will be expected to think about the content and issues raised in the discussion. The more extroverted members of the class should enjoy the debate and discussion, while the introverts can take more out of the reading itself and the creation of the arguments.
Reflection. Answer the following after preparing the lesson: What was the most difficult part of planning this lesson? What part are you most proud of? Most unsure of? What are you learning about yourself as a planner? Answer the following after teaching the lesson: How did the lesson go? What worked? What would I rethink next time? What did I learn from this lesson?