Date(s): n/a / Topic: Express Yourself!
Grade Level: Grade 4 / Time(s): 2 fifty minute periods (follow consecutively)
Curriculum Expectations:
Language Arts
Oral Communication – Vocal Skills and Strategies
2.5 – identify some vocal effects, including tone, pace, pitch, volume, and a range of sound effects, and use them appropriately and with sensitivity towards cultural differences to help communicate their meaning (e.g./ adjust the pace of speaking for effect and to hold the listener’s attention)
The Arts – Creative Work
- rehearse and perform small-group drama and dance presentations drawn from novels, poems, stories, plays, and other source materials
Assessment Strategies:
Peer-assessment – I will consider this a formative assessment as throughout this unit students will have other opportunities to develop oral communication skills. Students will peer-assess in a follow-up lesson.
Accommodations and Modifications:
Student will work in groups and can take roles according to their strengths/comfort level. For example, some students may prefer to control the recording device, while others read and make sound effects, while other students may prefer to make sound effects and play the music instruments.
Resources:
- game cards (have the words “Yes” or “Well” printed on them with an emotion attached)
- “My Walk to School – by Andrea Wilson” and “My Mom and Me – by Andrea Wilson”
- 10-12 copies of the poems, “My Walk to School – by Andrea Wilson” and “My Mom and Me – by Andrea Wilson”
- noise makers (ie/ whistles, blocks, harmonica, recorder, hand drums, newspaper, etc.)
- if possible, computers with Sony Xpress or Audacity installed and with vocal microphones
- if computer access is not possible, have students record on tape cassettes / Outline:
Students will explore ways in which meaning and feeling are conveyed through vocal communication.
Introduction: 10 mins
1. I will explain that we are going to play a game in which student volunteers will speak 1 word aloud and try to convey a feeling with that one word. The purpose of the game is to illustrate how our tone of voice can convey different feelings while speaking the same words.
2. I will choose 7 or 8 student volunteers and give them a card with a word written on it, either, “Yes”, or, “Well”. Written below the word will be the feeling or mood they must portray. For example, a student might receive a card that has the words “Yes” and “annoyed and disgusted” written on it. Other feelings could include, excited and hopeful, angry, sad, etc.
3. I will ask the student volunteers to read their words aloud one at a time, and ask the class to identify the emotion the speaker is trying to convey. I will ask students to explain how the sound of the student’s voice helped convey the meaning. How does paying attention to vocal expression and body language help us understand how someone is feeling and what they are thinking?
Middle: 50 mins
1. 10 – 15 mins - I will ask the students to come to the carpet and I will read the 2 poems aloud. We will discuss the meaning of the poems as a group. I will ask them questions such as,
- What did this poem make you think of?
- Whose voice is telling the story in these poems?
- Did either poem have a happy ending? If so, why?
- Is there any way we could change the poem with a sad ending to make it a happy ending?
- Are there any other strategies these characters could have employed to stop the bullying?
2. I will explain that students are to form groups of 3 or 4 in order to perform a “prepared reading and dramatization” of one of the poems we just explored.
3. 30 – 35 mins - Once students have formed into groups, I hand out a copy of each poem to every group. I will explain that students have the next 10-15 minutes to decide which poem they will present and how they will present it. Student can choose to present a few stanzas, or the entire poem.
4. I will explain that the purpose of the activity is to convey the meaning and feelings behind the poem through tone of voice, pitch, volume, word/phrase repetition, choral reading, etc., and body movements/facial expressions.
After 15 minutes, I will ask groups to start presenting. Student will be asked to give feedback to the presenters about their performance (ie/ something they liked about it, a comment about how the performance helped convey the meaning of the poem or stanzas, or similarities and/or differences to other presentations).
Conclusion: 40 mins
1. After all the presentations students will be introduced to the next activity. If it’s possible to have access to the computer lab student groups will work on the program “Acid Xpress” or “Audacity” to produce a recording of their poem. If students do not have access to computers with these recording programs, tape recorders and noise makers would also work for this activity.
2. The purpose of the activity is to record a rehearsed reading of the poem which conveys the meaning and/or feeling of the poem through tone of voice, pitch, volume, word/phrase repetition, choral reading, sound effects, music samples, etc.
3. These recordings will be collected at the end of the lesson.
Follow Up:
I will follow this lesson with an opportunity to share the students recording with one another. I would plan a gallery walk where students are able to listen to each other’s recordings. Students will be responsible for assessing 1 other students recording.
My Mom andMe
It used to be I’d hop out of bed,
So eager to start my day.
But times have changed. I ask my mom,
“Can I stay home from school today?”
I find a lot of grounds,
To justify my stance.
I plead, I beg, I frown,
I do a little dance.
“My ears, they ache. My tummy’s sore.”
I blow my nose and cough some more.
“What are these spots upon my chest?”
I wheeze. I sneeze. I do my best.
My Mom sits down beside my bed.
“You are not sick.” I turn bright red.
I know she hates it when I lie.
She’d understand if she knew why.
So should I tell her of my woes?
And will it change things if she knows?
I fear she’ll only make things worse.
If I don’t tell her, I think I’ll burst.
And so I tell her of the clique.
The girls who say that I’m a “geek”.
I tell of giggles,
The whispers,
The rumors.
I talk of their spite,
Their cruel sense of humor.
And …
It feels so good to vent.
Although it’s so private.
I talk and talk.
My Mom’s very quiet.
She says to me gently,
“I’m terribly sorry.”
We hug and we cry.
We go over my story.
Together we look at the things we can do.
I’m no longer alone; we have a plan too.
I think I can face being teased and harassed.
With Mom on my side, my power is vast
by Andrea Wilson
My Walk toSchool
Fist punch.
Foot crunch.
Hand hit.
Mouth spit.
Eye swells.
Can’t see.
Please,
Please,
Let me be.
Rips my homework.
Steals my money.
Grabs my lunch.
Thinks it’s funny.
I won’t tell, I swear I won’t.
Please don’t do that. I said “Don’t!”
Sticks and stones may break my bones …
Sissy
Prissy
Four-eyes
Geek
Fatso
Schizo
Nerdy
Freak
… but names can really hurt.
Through the doors.
Up the stairs.
Face is bloody.
No one cares.
In the washroom.
Clean up the mess.
I’ll be safe
Until … recess.
by Andrea Wilson
Peer Assessment Worksheet
Student being assessed: ______
Student Marker: ______
Categories / Level 1 / Level 2 / Level 3 / Level 4Knowledge and Understanding – Subject-specific content acquired in each grade (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning an significance (understanding)
Understanding of content
(Has the student used tone of voice, pitch, volume, word/phrase repetition, choral reading, sound effects, music samples, etc. to emphasize the meaning/feeling of the poem?) / - demonstrates limited knowledge of content / - demonstrates some knowledge of content / - demonstrates considerable knowledge of content / - demonstrates considerable knowledge of content
Communication – The conveying of meaning through various forms
Expression and organization of ideas and information in oral, visual, and written forms, including media forms
(Does the student use vocal techniques, sound effects, and/or music samples to support the meaning/feeling of the poem?) / - expresses and organizes ideas and information with limited effectiveness / - expresses and organizes ideas and information with some effectiveness / - expresses and organizes ideas and information with considerable effectiveness / - expresses and organizes ideas and information with a high degree of effectiveness