Professor Mueller

31

Shimala

Erin Shimala

Professor Mueller

ENG 611

14 July 2016

Introduction

Context and Audience:
The lessons in this unit are part of a semester-long unit focusing on the theme of Appearance and Reality. This unit will be the fall semester of a high school English Language Arts (ELA) course for grade 9 and 10 advanced English Language Learners (ELLs). Class sizes for this unit are approximately ten students per class, and class periods are either 45 or 90 minutes (due to the rotating schedules). The themes/texts in this unit are adapted from our school’s grade 10 ELA curriculum maps.
Essential Question: How does one’s perspective affect the way one experiences art and life?

Unit Objectives:

·  Students will examine the theme of appearance and reality through short stories, a novel excerpt, poems, informational texts, visual texts, and a drama.

·  Students will apply their new understanding of appearance vs. reality to the real world by examining appearance vs. reality in advertisements, social media, and societal prejudice.

·  Students will express their interpretations of different pieces of literature and consider different interpretations of literature in speaking and writing.

·  Students will participate in the process of reading and learn new reading skills that with build their overall literacy.

·  Students will increase their enjoyment of literature through engaging lessons, interaction with their classmates, and movement in the classroom.

Overall Rationale: I appreciate the opportunity to apply the lessons I have learned in English 611 to a unit that I will be teaching this fall. Throughout this unit, my main focuses will be to

·  increase engagement with literature through interaction and movement

·  increase comprehension through interaction and rereading

·  allow students to grapple with texts to inspire them to work through difficult texts

·  push my students consider and value multiple interpretations

·  strike a balance between providing enough background information without making my students too dependent on my explanations

·  include texts from many genres/modalities

·  design lessons that will have my student engage with themes in the texts and apply these lessons to the world around them

I chose the “essential question” approach for this unit so that students could learn how to use literature to examine issues that are central to their human existence (Smith, Welhem, and Appleman 96). I hope that this will also lead to discussions about stereotyping and how a person’s perception can greatly distort their reality (many ELLs are familiar with being stereotyped by some Americans). The blurred line between appearance and reality is increasingly important in the modern world with perception being affected by social media, reality television, and unrealistic ideas of beauty. I would like students to examine this issue through a variety of genres and time periods for an eclectic literature experience. The lessons in this unit are meant to be student-centered and include many options for student-to-student interaction so students can increase their English Language Development (ELD) while exploring the essential questions. Assessments will include written and oral exercises that demonstrate students’ understanding of the essential questions in the texts as well as the world around them. Finally, this unit provides opportunities to teach to reading skills that students can transfer to future texts (Smith, Wilhelm, and Appleman 72).

Unit Texts:

·  Excerpt from Don Quixote – Miguel de Cervantes (illusion)

·  “The Cat who thought she was a Dog and the Dog who Thought he was a Cat” – Isaac Bashevis Singer (topic: mirrors)

·  “The Elephant Man” based on the biography by Sir Frederick Treves (topic: contrast between outer appearance and inner reality)

·  “The Necklace” Guy de Maupassant (fads and societal pressures)

·  “Story of an Hour” – Kate Chopin (inner/outer perceptions)

·  A Midsummer Night’s Dream - William Shakespeare (main text)

·  “Sonnet 130” – William Shakespeare (topic: society’s perception of beauty)

·  “Sonnet 146” – William Shakespeare (topic: outer appearance vs. inner emotions)

·  “Sonnet 3” – Francesco Petrarch (topic: unrequited love)

·  “On a Sunny Day, You Might Get Rainy Day Blues from Facebook Friends” – NewsELA (online perceptions)

·  “How Scientists Are Trying to Hack Your Dreams” – TED Talk (relationship between the subconscious and the conscious)

·  “How Virtual Reality Can Create the Ultimate Empathy Machine” – TED Talk interactive (virtual reality) (note: tie into the Pokémon craze)

References:
Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop: Teaching Texts and Their Readers. Heinemann, 2003. Print.
Smith, Michael W., Debroah Appleman, and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. Uncommon Core: Where the Authors of the Standards Go Wrong about Instruction – and How You Can Get It Right. Corwin, 2014.

Lesson #1 Topic: Introduction to Unit/Activator
Lesson Question: Why is it important to consider multiple interpretations?

Context: This lesson will be the first lesson of the unit (the third day of class).

Rationale/Inspiration: I would like this lesson to be an engaging way for my students to examine different interpretations of a text, respect different interpretations, and consider how their perspective affects their interpretation. The inspiration for this lesson came from the old/young woman image section in Smith, Wilhelm, and Appleman (43). Examining optical illusions is a concrete way to see how a “text” can look different from a different perspective. I chose to use “My Papa’s Waltz” for the poem portion of the lesson because it is a good example of how one text can have multiple, valid interpretations that are dependent on the reader’s perspective (Blau 61). Blau notes, “We read from a perspective shaped partly by who we are as individuals, but also by the cultural roles we occupy and share with large groups of people who are likely to share our perspective” (139). Overall, I would like students to learn to be open to multiple interpretations and realize that the “reality” of the text depends on the perspective of the reader.
Lesson Duration: 90 Minutes
Objectives:

·  Students will examine optical illusions and explain their interpretation to a partner.

·  Students will interpret a poem and explain their interpretation to their partner.

·  Students will discuss the importance of considering multiple interpretations when examining art and life, as well as how one’s perspective affects their interpretation

Common Core:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1

Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1.D
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.

Materials:

·  Optical Illusion PowerPoint (adapted from Mr. G “Optical Illusions” – slideshare.net)

·  Small dry erase boards

·  Poem - “My Papa’s Waltz” – Theodore Roethke (Blau 61)

Procedure:

1.  The teacher will present the optical illusion PowerPoint defining the term “optical illusion”.

2.  The teacher will show each image on the “Optical Illusion PowerPoint (see artifact on project page), and ask students to write down what they see on their whiteboard.

3.  Students will compare their initial interpretation with a partner, explaining the image they see (or saw first).

4.  A representative from each group will share whether or not both partners saw the same image or different images.

5.  Student pairs will discuss the questions about interpretations (on the last slide of the PowerPoint).

6.  The class will then read “My Papa’s Waltz” three times (teacher reads aloud, students read aloud, and students read silently).

7.  Students will write the gist of the poem in 10 words or less (originally learned this in a professional development workshop).

8.  Students will compare their interpretation with their partner’s interpretation.

9.  Class will discuss the different interpretations and what affected their interpretations.

10.  As an exit ticket, students will write why considering multiple interpretations of a text (poem, image, etc.) is important.

Assessment:
Teacher will monitor students’ explanations of their interpretations during pair work and whole class discussion.
Practice/Application:
Teacher will draw on this lesson the rest of the year, reminding the students to consider multiple interpretations of a text.

References:

Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop: Teaching Texts and Their Reader. Heinemann, 2003

“Optical Illusions”. Mr. G. Slideshare.net

www.slideshare.net/mobile/mrg3515/optical-illusions-8167051

Smith, Michael W., Deborah Appleman, and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. Uncommon Core: Where the Authors of the Standards Go Wrong about Instruction and How You Can Get It Right. Corwin Literacy, 2014.

Lesson #1 Artifact: See “Optical Illusions” PowerPoint on Wiki

Lesson #2 Topic: Don Quixote – Self-Deception/Pretending
Lesson Question: Why do we sometimes pretend to be someone else?

Context: This will be the second lesson of the unit.

Inspiration/Rationale: I chose to begin read Don Quixote early in the unit because I have many Spanish speaking students, and I wanted to show them that multicultural texts are valued in our classroom. I also thought that Don Quixote is an accessible way to examine appearance and reality in a text since the elements that appear real to Don Quixote are so obviously fantasy to the reader. In the realm of reading skills/transfer, I wanted to model what basic background information students should seek out when they are reading an unfamiliar text. I have always frontloaded my students’ background information, but I would like them to become more independent and seek this information out for themselves. I model it in this lesson, but I have them find out the background information for Shakespeare in a later lesson. I struggle with how much background information to give. I need to empower them with the information they need to arrive at an interpretation that makes sense without interpreting it for them and making them dependent on me. I have decided to take Blau’s advice and “provide the information that any reader would likely obtain from the jacket of a book” (Blau 43).
Lesson Duration: 90 Minutes
Objectives:

·  Students will discuss personal experiences relating to pretending.

·  Students will record basic information about Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, chivalry, and parody.

·  Students will read a short narrative relating it to the theme of appearance and reality.

Common Core:

CCSS. ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

CCSS. ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.6
Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.

CCSS. ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

Materials:

·  Who, What, When, Where Why, How Background info (see artifact)

·  Don Quixote short story adaptation (Scope English Anthology Six)

Procedure:

1.  Quickwrite: write about a time when you pretended to be something you’re not. It could be a time you made up a fake name, exaggerated about a skill, or tried on an entirely different identity. Why did you do that? What happened as a result?

2.  Students will be placed in groups of three and asked to get up from their seats and meet with their group in a corner of the room to share their experience.

3.  Each group will nominate a person from the group to share their experience.

4.  The class will discuss the universality of this experience and the reasons why humans pretend to be others or exaggerate their experiences.

5.  Teacher will transition into the Don Quixote excerpt by saying, “We are going to read a story about pretending”.

6.  Teacher will provide a basic 5W and H background info (see artifact) about Don Quixote, asking students to copy down the info (modeling this activity for a later lesson). This information was adapted from the “Don Quixote” Wikipedia page.

7.  Students will read the story in groups of four, filling in an “appearance and reality” comprehension chart where they write the “reality” of something in the story (e.g. the windmills) on one side and how Don Quixote perceives it (e.g. giants) on the other.

8.  Students will express their opinion about whether Don Quixote is pretending or he truly believes he is a knight. Each group will need to find one piece of textual evidence that supports their answer.

Assessment:
Teacher will check for understanding of the task by listening to the students in small groups discussion their pre-writes and post-writes. Teacher will also check for understanding of the story by viewing the students’ graphic organizer.
Practice/Application:
Students will read the “The Cat who thought she was a Dog and the Dog who Thought he was a Cat” for homework and come in ready to discuss how mirrors affect the characters’ perceptions of reality.

References:

Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop: Teaching Texts and Their Reader. Heinemann, 2003

“Don Quixote” Wikipedia. The Wikipedia Foundation, 5 July 2015.

Learner’s Dictionary.com. Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2016.

Lesson #2 Artifact: Don Quixote Background Information

Context: This information will be displayed on the Smartboard for students to copy in their notes. Since this is the first story we are reading, this information will serve as a model of they type of information that students should be seeking out for their in-class and independent reading. It will also serve as a model during lesson 3.

Who is the author? Miguel de Cervantes

What is the title and what it is about?- The title is Don Quixote. The story is a comedy about a man named Mr. Alonso Quixano who reads so many chivalric*, romantic stories that he believes he is a chivalric hero named Don Quixote and decides to revive chivalry* and bring justice to the world.

When was it published? 1605 (part 1) and 1615 (part 2)

Where was it published? Spain