The Color of My Words

The Color of My Words

Unit by Nathan Walkowicz

Eng 611

Professor: Alex Mueller

Objectives:

Reading

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1

Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2

Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.9

Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6

Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.

Writing

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.A

Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.B

Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.C

Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.D

Establish and maintain a formal style.

Speaking and Listening

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.4

Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

Essential Question:What power can words give us?

Artifacts

1. Happiest Memory Sheet

2. Evidence Chart

3. Says/Does Chart and Model Response

4. “About The Author”  Article

5. “Facts of The Dominican Republic”  Article

6. Reality as A Resource Chart

7. Dance Video 

8. Selected Excerpts for Mood

9. Pointing Out Purpose Advertisements for Punta Cana and excerpt from The Color of My Words

10. Writing Opportunity

Unit Rationale

This unit serves as an introduction to 7th Grade ELA. The Color of My Words will be the first book that students grapple with in thisgrade and level. I have never taught a book by Lynn Joseph before, but I am looking forward to delving into the story and sharing with my students different “approaches” on reading, writing, listening, and speaking(Smith 69). In addition to being aligned with the CCSS, this unit aims to develop students both socially and emotionally, and to nurture their relationship with literature and language. In order to explore the power of words, each student will engage in independent and collaborative tasks that focus on finding textual evidence, analyzing literary function, crafting mood, and making real world connections.

The skills in this unit will be “transferrable” (Smith 72). That is, each lesson will seek to provide students with an ability that they can implement in a new context (e.g. different books and different writing opportunities). By frontloading learning with these skills at the beginning of the year, this unit seeks to give students a greater command of their language, which, in turn, can ultimately enhance their capacity to form ananalytical-emotional relationship with literature. Throughout these lessons, each student will hopefully become a more “independent reader[], writer[], and thinker[]” that enthusiastically seeks to collaborate with others and wrestle within his or her “zone of proximal development” (Smith 64, 41).I will consider this unit a success if it not only helps each child maximize his or her literacy, but evokesa genuine appreciation of the beauty and power of language, which is “one of the goals of reading” and writing skills (Smith 13).

The unit culminates in a narrative project where the students use the skills acquired in the preceding lessons. By gradually introducing approaches in a scaffolded manner (that aims at Bloom’s Taxonomy), this unit introduces 7th graders to specific comprehension and analytical strategies that will hopefully improve their proficiency in ELA and enhance their experience of The Color of My Words, future texts, and writing. As the unit progresses, it will be important to pay attention to what works well and what needs to be adjusted. Although the unit may be complete, I “still have a professional responsibility to reflect on all our practices and to explore possible ways of explaining and justifying them in collaboration with [my] colleagues and [my] students, even as we continue to use and refine those practices in our classroom” (144). Additionally, I have made e-mail contact with the author, who has offered to answer any question that I or my students might have. I look forward to delving into this literary experience a great deal!

UNIT: The Color of My Words

Lesson #1 – Stories Surround Us (Drawing, Writing, Sharing, and Listening)

Lesson #2 – On The Hunt (Finding Textual Evidence, Ch. 1 Wash Day)

Lesson #3 – On The Hunt (Finding Textual Evidence, Ch. 2  Words)

Lesson #4 – Finding Function (Says/Does, Ch. 3  The Gri Gri Tree)

Lesson #5 – Finding Function (Says/Does, Ch. 4  Merengue Dream)

Lesson #6 – Reality as A Resource (Nonfiction Articles, Ch. 6  My Brother’s Friend)

Lesson #7 – Making Mood (Ch. 5  One Sunday)

Lesson #8 – Making Mood (Ch. 7  The Colors of Power)

Lesson #9 – Pointing Out Purpose (Ch. 8  The Color of My Words)

Lesson #10 – Writing Opportunity

Lesson #1 - Stories Surround Us
Duration: 40 Minutes
Objectives:Students will be able toconstruct (via drawing and writing) and share (verbally) their happiest memories. They will also listen attentively to others.
Reasoning:This lesson sets the tone for class discussion while also providing the teacher with a writing sample that reveals style and skill, and illuminates a positive aspect of each student’s life. By allowing students to first draw, and then write, it scaffolds the writing process to alleviate some initial qualms about writing. The aural component clarifies the importance of listening in this course and reinforces that each student’s contribution is important. Students will hopefully “become engaged participants in the literary activity of the classroom, and contributors to (rather than mere observers of consumers of) the way texts are discussed and construed in a community or readers and writers” (Blau 124).
Materials:Happiest Memories Sheet
Procedure:
Intro (10 minutes)-Before student enter class, have a worksheet face-down on each desk. The paper should only have a large, empty box showing (this is where the students will draw). As students enter, tell them NOT to turn over the paper. This will likely generate intrigue. Once they have all taken a seat, begin class with a short introduction about how stories, whether we recognize it or not, surround us (5 minutes). Say: “But sometimes they are invisible, hidden. Think, the people besides us are filled with all kinds of stories – tragedies, comedies, dramas… romances. But how many of these stories do we know? Today we are going to learn about some of these stories. On the paper in front of you, please take 5 minute to draw your happiest memory.” While the students draw, circulate around the room, and also draw your own happiest memory on the board (no matter how “bad” your art is).
Activity (15 minutes)
Once time is up, tell the student to put down their pens and pencils. “Wherever you are is a perfect place to be” (Goldberg). At this point, ask the students to flip over their papers. Now, have them write their names at the top of the lined paper and take about 15 minutes to describe their happiest memory in words. Students should shoot for one page of writing, without skipping lines (If students do not fill one page, that is okay. The goal is for them to generate a substantial sample of their writing). While students are working, circulate around them room to clarify any questions and learn their names (which are written at the top of the paper). Once time is up, ask students to cast their eyes up to the front of the room. Now, going down the line, test yourself in front of the class. Call each student by name (This further reinforce that each student is important).
Closing (15 minutes)
Once you have successfully named each student, tell the class that they are going to play a little game. Here’s how it works. The teacher will call on a student to share his or her happiest memory. While this student is sharing verbally (summarizing the writing), the rest of the class should be listening and giving this student eye contact. Why? Well, it is respectful, of course! And… it is a way to earn points for the class. How? Once the student has shared, the teacher will call on another student at random. This second student will have to say what part of the story he or she found “most important […] or possibly most interesting or puzzling in the context of the story” (Blau 131). If the student can successfully name one part of the story that fits this criteria, then the class earns 1 point (up to 15 points). The student who earned the point, then shares his or her story, and then the cycle repeats until all students have shared. Once the class gets to 15 points, continue. Express how interested you are in hearing these stories. Since they are no longer sharing for points, this continuation emphasizes that we are not only sharing and listening for points, but for a “genuine intellectual reason” (Blau 103). Once all students have shared, take the floor. Share your own happiest memory. Conclude class by reminding them that stories surround us, and that you are looking forward to exploring more stories in the days to come. Assign the homework, and say farewell!
Additional Question:What makes a story important or interesting to you?
Homework:Type up your happiest memory.
Hesitations:Students may be uncomfortable sharing. Encourage them gently and remind them that we are all developing writers. Besdies, if they didn’t need help, teachers wouldn’t have jobs! Thank them for not being an expert!
Source Material:
Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003. Print.
Goldberg, Jerry. Understanding by Design. 2014. Ppt.
Happiest Memory

Wordsmith: ______

Date: _____

Happiest Memory

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Walkowicz, 2016

Lesson #2 - On The Hunt, Ch. 1 (Wash Day)
Duration: 40 Minutes
Objectives:Students will be able to properly cite textual evidence from The Color of My Words in order to support that the author (a) reveals what a character wants, (b) incites or develops a conflict, (c) uses figurative language, and (d) includes details about nature or the Dominican Republic.
Reasoning:This lesson will help students learn how to cite textual evidence correctly while simultaneously encouraging them to investigate four narrative elements. By frontloading both this MLA skill and this investigative approach, students will acquire two practical strategies that can aid them in both writing and reading.
Materials:
Lynn Joseph’s The Color of My Words (enough books for each student)
Evidence Chart
Procedure:
Intro (10 minutes)
The students have read Chapter 1 last night. They were also told that they would be asked a short question based on their reading. This questions will be on the board upon their arrival: What does Ana Rosa want? Students will take 5 minutes to write down their answers independently, and silently. Once 5 minutes it up, facilitate discussion for 5 minutes. “So, let’s see a show of hands… What does Ana Rosa want? How do we know? Does she want anything else? Do we always get what we want?”
Activity (20 minutes)
Once the discussion has engaged all students, distribute the Evidence Sheet. Since the class has discussed what Ana Rosa wants, it is now time to locate some specific textual evidence to support this claim. “Let’s focus on her desire to write!” At this point, explain what textual evidence is, and why it is important. “A lawyer comes to court with evidence for the judge, right? Why should literature be any different?” Now, have the students hunt for a few minutes. “Who can find a piece of textual evidence that supports her desire to write?” Even though a few kids might find evidence right away, wait. Allow the other students to find evidence as well. Ask students to share (with a raised hand, of course). Then, say that you found a piece of evidence too. Write down your example on the board in MLA format and point out the specific elements of the citation. Tell the students to copy it down by hand. Walk around to make sure they are copying it exactly. Once all of the students have done this, move to the next box (about conflict) on the Evidence Chart. Conduct the completion of this box in a similar way, still modeling on the board. Walk around to see if they need help. For the third box, draw students’ attention to a specific piece of evidence. However, this time do not model the citation for them. Ask a volunteer to come up to the board to illustrate what he or she has learned. Once this student has shared and explained his or her reasoning, distribute a list of literary terms that will come in handy when looking for figurative language. For the final box, ask the students to find a piece of evidence on their own, and then have a volunteer come up to the board. By this point, most students should hopefully be able to cite correctly on their own! The class can now start to discuss what makes something a cultural detail of the Dominican Republic. Let these questions come! Let the thoughts flow organically (with raised hands, of course)!
Closing(10 minutes)
To end class, have student select a line that they think is the most important, interesting, or puzzling. Have defend WHY they chose it verbally.
Additional Questions:What happens when a person is told to be silent?
Homework: Read Chapter 2 and complete the Evidence Chart.
Hesitations:During this lesson, it will be important to clarify the importance of Textual Evidence as a means, not an end goal. Some students might also have some confusion with the formatting, identifying figurative language, or identifying aspects of Dominican Culture. Although this makes me hesitate slightly, it may also serve as a great way of determining what prior knowledge the students have.
Source Material:
Berkenstein, Cathy and Gerald Graff. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in
Academic Writing. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2007.
Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003. Print.
Joseph, Lynn. The Color of My Words. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2000.
Smith, Michael, Deborah Appleman and Jeffrey Wilhelm. Uncommon Core. California:
Corwin Literacy, 2014. Print.
Lesson #3 - On The Hunt, Ch. 2 (Words)
Duration: 40 Minutes
Objectives:Students will be able to find textual evidence in order to support a provided claim. They will share, edit, and write about the homework from last night.
Reasoning:While continuing to help students cite textual evidence correctly, this lesson challenges them to engage in verbal discourse that validates, explains, and questions the connections between claim an evidence.
Materials:Books, homework, and white board markers.
Procedure:
Opening Question (10 minutes) Why does Ana Rosa want to write?
Have the students take 5 minutes to craft a response to this question. Once time is up, ask them to read their response verbatim to a partner (the person next to them). Then, ask for three volunteers to share something valuable that their partner has said. This will promote listening, validate work, and encourage verbal discourse.
Activity (20 minutes)
Once students have shared, tell them to take out their homework from the previous night. After they have done this, ask for somebody to write his or her example for the first box (of the evidence chart) on the board. After this student has written on the board, work with the class to see if there is anything about the citation that we can improve. If the citation has no mistakes, reinforce the accurate elements by having students point (from their seats) to each accurate part of the citation. Now, ask the class to explain why this student chose this quotation. How do we know that it supports the given claim? Encourage students to expand on their thoughts. Challenge them to articulate the reasons behind the selection. After this quotation has been discussed, ask for another volunteer. Repeat this process for the next three boxes. By allowing students to provide and comment on each other, the teacher is promoting the “reversal of roles for students and teachers that is the paradoxical requirement to provide students with genuine opportunities for learning” (Blau 152). Since “[i]nstruction has systematically taught them to depend entirely on teachers to prevent or remove any textual difficulties they might encounter” this will hopefully allow them an opportunity to take a step towards autonomy (Blau 41).
Closing (10 minutes)
For fun, and for a quick review. End with a Quaker Read (Blau)! Students will take turns shouting out important words or phrases from the chapter.
Additional Questions:
Why do you write?
Are these four categories the only things to look for?
What else could we focus on while reading?
Homework:Read Chapter 3 and fill out the Evidence Chart.
Hesitations:
Student may hesitate to volunteer. If they do, politely encourage them to share. Remind them that we are all developing writers and readers. Also, try to notice which students hold back from volunteering. These may be target students for the future!
Source Material:
Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003. Print.
Evidence Chart / Cite a piece of textual evidence to support each claim.
Example: Mr. Walkowicz shouts, “I wantto play music!” (Smith 33).
The author reveals what a character wants.
The author incites or develops a conflict.
*incites – encourages or stirs up
The author uses figurative language to enhance the scene.
(i.e. smile, metaphor, personification…)
The author highlights nature or a cultural aspect of the Dominican Republic.

Walkowicz, 2016