1. Connections to Storytelling & Technology / Personal Connections to Technology-Mind Map
Step 1: Mind Map-Given large pieces of butcher paper and markers, students work in small groups to generate as many connections to technology as they can. Each group presents their connections,after which, groups are given additional time to add new ideas to their mind maps.
Daily JournalQuestions & Vocabulary
(These steps are repeated at the start of each lesson as outlined in the Unit at a Glance.)
Step 1:Students generate daily journal questions at the start of the lesson, in order to develop personal interests in and connections to the Unit, theme, lessons, and readings; questions are not right or wrong, but are reflective of students’ interests and curiosities.
Say- Record any questions, ideas, opinion, concerns you have about what we will be learning in this Unit.
Step 2:Vocabulary-Students preview the texts, and highlight, record, or use post-its to mark unknown vocabulary words; then studentsuse classroom resources to record and define the words in their journals. When defining words, students record the word, part of speech, definition, and use the word in a complete sentence.
Ted-Talk Notes
Before watching the TED-Talk, project the TED-Talk questions and read through them as a whole group in order for students to familiarize with what they are expected to know. This can be an independent assignment, or students may work in groups to answer the questions after watching the TED-Talk.
Students watch the TED-Talk One Story, One View video and take notes on Adichie’smain arguments. Then, students record and respond to following questions in their journals: Write three to five sentences in response to each of the following questions.
TED-Talk Questions
- What does Adichie want you to learn about the power of storytelling?
- According to Adichie, can a story affect your thoughts and beliefs about yourself and/or others?
- According to Adichie, what is the danger in telling a single story?
- In your opinion, how can listening to a single story about a culture be misleading?
- Which culture(s) had Adichie heard and believed a single story about?
- Who do you think has the power to tell a single story and therefore mislead people?
- What single stories do you think have been told about women, men, children, adults, elderly, LGBT, or other groups?
- How do you think traditional and contemporary stories differ? Think- Cinderella and The Hunger Games.
- Where have you heard a single story about a group of people (culture)? In your opinion, is there a single story about your culture, and if so, what is it? What facts and evidence can you provide that would convince me to accept your opinion?
- In your opinion, is technology used to perpetuate a single story of a group of people? If so how, and which group(s)?
- Do you think single stories about different cultures should be disrupted (changed)?
- If I wrote a story about you without your permission, and included my opinions of you, and people read my story of you, would that be a credible story based on facts and evidence? Would my story of you have the power to mislead people?
- How do you think stories have the power to teach or mislead people about gender roles? In your opinion, who has the power to decide what gender roles people should have?
- How do stories perpetuate stereotypes about groups of people?
- How do stories inform or misinform readers? What is needed in order to inform? (facts, evidence, truth) What is needed in order to misinform?
- What should authors need to keep in mind when writing texts about different cultures?
- How should authors approach writing about different cultures?
- What questions should authors consider before writing stories?
- How have your ideas about storytelling changed since watching the TEDTalk?
- How do you think technology has changed the art of storytelling over time?
Given a large sheet of butcher paper, and markers, students work in small groups of 3-4 students to create a Connect, Extend, Challenge chart.
Ask- How do you connect to what Adichie said? How was your previous understanding of storytelling extended? How was your thinking challenged?
CONNECT / EXTEND / CHALLENGE
I connect to what Adichie said… / My previous understanding of storytelling was extended… / My thinking was challenged. Before watching the TED-Talk I thought…After watching the TED-Talk, I thought…Now, I wonder…
Whole or Small Group Reading- Ch.1-3 The Hunger Games & Daily Journal Reflection
Read The Hunger Games,Ch. 1-3
Record following questions and respondin complete sentences.
1.)Based on what you already know about technology, how will technology affect the way the characters in the story understand the world?
2.)How will characters connect to technology?
3.)How will technology extend what they already know?
4.)How will technology challenge their thinking?
5.)Are any single stories being told about a group of people? If so, what is the story, and which group is being targeted?
2. Our Stories- How We Use Technology / Daily Journal & Vocabulary
Students generate questions at the start of the lesson, in order to develop personal interest in the Unit, theme, lessons, and readings; questions are not right or wrong, but are reflective of students’ interests and curiosities.
Vocabulary-Students preview the text, and highlight unknown vocabulary words; then, record and define the words in their journals.
Writing Topic & Summative Assessment
How do you use technology throughout the day?
Say- Think about how you use technology from the time you wake up in the morning, until you go to sleep at night.
RAFT:Focus students’ attention on the task.
R- What is your role as an author?
A-Who is your audience?
F- What will the format be?
T- What is the topic of your writing?
Writing Rubric
Create a rubric as a whole group. Students can record the rubric in their journals or on lined paper. Discuss and record what constitutes the following grades.
4-
3-
2-
1-
0-
Partner Read- Students’ Stories
After students use the writing process to draft, revise, edit and publish their stories, they partner read their stories in order to find similarities and differences in how they use technology.
Comparison Chart
Students create comparison charts in order to show similarities and differences between and among stories.
Whole or Small Group Reading- Ch.4-7 The Hunger Games & Daily Journal Reflection
1.)What connections are you making to the text?
2.)Who is using technology in the story, and how are they using it?
3.)What have you noticed about who has power in the story?
4.)Are technology and power interrelated? If so, how? If not, why not?
5.)Is this a traditional or contemporary story, and how do you know?
6.)What are the major events in the story so far?
7.)Make a prediction about what will happen next.
8.)Does this story remind you of any other stories you have read? If so, which one(s)? If not, how is this story different from other stories you have read?
9.)How would you describe the Capitol’s culture(s)? Describe the Capitol’s values and belief system(s).
10.) Which character(s) do you relate to most and why?
3. Facts, Evidence & Credibility / Daily Journal & Vocabulary-
Students generate questions at the start of the lesson, in order to develop personal interest in the Unit, theme, lessons, and readings; questions are not right or wrong, but are reflective of students’ interests and curiosities.
Vocabulary-Students preview the text, and highlight unknown vocabulary words; then, record and define the words in their journals.
Take a Carousel Around the Classroom
Hang three large sheets of butcher paper on different walls in the classroom. Write the word FACTS on one, EVIDENCE on another, and CREDIBILITY on the third. Number students off, 1, 2, 3, 1,2,3…
Say- All number 1’s, go to the FACTS poster; all number 2’s, go to the EVIDNECE poster; all number 3’s go to the CREDIBILITY poster.
Say- Discuss what you know in small groups and add your thoughts to the poster. You many not use internet-technology or any literature to check your thinking during the initial phase of this carousel round. After 5 minutes of working and discussing in one group, you will rotate and add ideas about a subsequent topic to the next poster. After five minutes of working and discussing the 2nd topic, you will rotate a final time and work and discuss and record your ideas about the last topic. Here are some questions to consider while discussing each topic.
Questions to Consider: Project these questions on the board.
1.) What are facts?
2.) What is evidence?
3.) What is credibility?
4.) How do you know if you are reading facts?
5.) How are facts and opinions similar and different?
6.) How can facts be used to inform and misinform?
7.) How can evidence be used to inform or misinform?
8.) How do you provide evidence? When do you provide evidence? Why do you provide evidence?
9.) What technologies can we use to extend our thinking about facts, evidence and credibility?
- ) Record any questions you have about facts, evidence and credibility.
Say- What ideas did you have about facts, evidence, and credibility? Each group presents the ideas that are written on the poster.
How do we know if our thinking about facts, evidence and credibility is factual, based on evidence and credible? What can we use in order to check our thinking? Students repeat the carousel with the use of technology, including literature, in order to expand their thinking about facts, evidence and credibility.
Ask- How has technology affected our understanding of facts, evidence and credibility?
Discuss- What do facts, evidence and credibility have to do with storytelling? Are facts, evidence and credibility important in storytelling? Why or why not?
Introduce Thematic Set of Multicultural Books & Literature Circles
Say- We are going to begin Literature Circles, where we will read Multicultural texts, books about marginalized groups of people,to investigate how technology is used across cultures.
Say-For 30 minutes per day, or twice a week, you will read a multicultural chapter book in a small group of 2-4students, and discuss each chapter, and any connections you make to the text, or questions, ideas, concerns you have. After reading a chapter, stop and discuss it.
Here are the multicultural chapter book choices:
Half a World Away, Cynthia Kahodata
Revolution is Not a Dinner Party,Ying Chang Compestine
Under the Blood Red Sun, Graham Salisbury
Say- Today, you may browse the books, and select the one you want to read first. Keep in mind you will be reading and discussing this book in small groups, so select the one you are most interested in. Once you have made your selection, go back to your seats and skim the text. Record any questions you have about the text in your journals. Tomorrow, we will begin Literature Circles. Provide students time to record the questions to consider during Literature Circles in their journals.
Questions to Consider During Literature Circles:
1.)Which culture(s) are represented in the texts?
2.)Who wrote the story? Does the author have an insider’s perspective of the culture s/he has written about?
3.)What aspects of culture are expressed in the text? Which ethnicities, nationalities are represented? Which languages are spoken; which religions are practiced? What do the characters value and believe?
4.)How are the character(s) cultures similar and different from your culture(s)?
5.)How are your values and beliefs similar and different from the main character’s values and beliefs?
6.)How do the characters use technology in the story?
7.)How are the characters in the story similar and different?
8.)Who do you relate to most and why?
9.)Whose perspectives are shared in the story, and whose perspectives are missing?
10.) How are the characters’ environments similar and different?
11.) How can you learn more about the main character’s culture?
12.) Is reading one story about a culture going to provide you a deep understanding of that culture? Why or why not?
13.) How can you gather facts, evidence and information about a culture?
14.) How does research affect your understanding of the world and its people?
15.) Is it important to learn about other people and their ways of life? Why or why not?
16.) How can learning about different cultures disrupt having a single story of those cultures?
17.) Which cultures are you interested in learning more about?
18.) If you could travel anywhere and experience a different culture, where would you go and why?
19.) How does one’s culture affect his/her understanding of the world?
20.) How do we avoid developing a single story about a culture?
Whole or Small Group Reading- Ch.8-10 The Hunger Games & Daily Journal Reflection
- Skim each chapter and sum up the main idea of each chapter in a sentence. (Write a sentence to tell what each chapter was mostly about.)
- Who has power in the story? Use facts and/or evidence from the story to support your answer.
- Who has credibility in the story? In other words, who is believable? What are you basing your answer on? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
- Are any new technologies at play in the story? If not, would any new technologies improve the main character, Katniss’s way of life? If so, which technologies would be useful?
- What questions do you have about the text? If you don’t have any questions, what are your opinions about the text so far?
4. Investigating Causes: Why do we Create Technology? / Daily Journal & Vocabulary
Students generate questions at the start of the lesson, in order to develop personal interest in the Unit, theme, lessons, and readings; questions are not right or wrong, but are reflective of students’ interests and curiosities.
Vocabulary-Students preview the text, and highlight unknown vocabulary words; then, record and define the words in their journals.
How Creativity Powers Science, JenniferCutraro
Students take notes in their journals while watching reading the article. After reading the article, discuss students’ responses and questions.
Questions to Consider:
1.)How are science and technology similar and different?
2.)What “powers” science, according to Jennifer Cutraro?
3.)In your opinion, what drives the creation of technology?
4.)How is technology used in science?
5.)What questions do you have?
Literature Circles-Multicultural Texts & Graffiti Board Engagement
Half a World Away, Cynthia Kahodata
Revolution is Not a Dinner Party,
Ying Chang Compestine
Under the Blood Red Sun, Graham Salisbury
Graffiti Board Instructions for Teacher-
Each group is given a large piece of butcher paper and markers. Each student is positioned at a separate corner and/or edge of the large sheet of butcher paper. As students take turns reading the text, they write, draw and record any thoughts, ideas, connections, tensions that come to mind. There are no rules for how students record their connections to the text. After students read a chapter, they can take turns discussing the connections they made to the text.
Literature Circles & Graffiti Boards
Say- Today, you will begin reading your books in Literature Circles. Now I’ll explain how to use Graffiti Boards while you’re reading. With this engagement, you will record any ideas, thoughts, connections that come to your mind while you are reading. You do not have to wait under after reading the text to get your thoughts out. You may record the information that comes to mind in any format you choose, as you are reading. Your handwriting does not have to be perfect, and I won’t check the spelling. The purpose of this engagement is for you to make connections to the text while you are reading. After you finish a chapter, stop, and take turns discussing your connections.
Socratic Seminars
Say- Today, we will learn about how to conduct and engage in Socratic Seminars. Does anyone have an idea of what a Socratic Seminar is? How can we know what a Socratic Seminar is? Who was Socrates? How can we find out? What tools can we use to develop our understating of Socrates and Socratic Seminars? Discuss students’ responses.
Use the promethean board and laptop to research Socratic Seminars.
After researching, discuss and record the rules for conducting and engaging in Socratic Seminars on the board. Have students write the rules in their journals for future reference.
Ask- When will having a Socratic Seminar be useful in the classroom? Discuss students’ responses.
Whole or Small Group Reading- Ch.11-13 The Hunger Games & Daily Journal Reflection