New Style Elements in Writing
Lesson plan (ed 205)
Hannah Scholten
MWF 9:00am
Prof. Postma
Analyze learners: Students are sophomores in high school. The students come from several different ethnic backgrounds: African American, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South Korean and European American, with the slight majority being European American. The school district is largely working class with many households having only one parent or only one parent working. A majority of the jobs are unskilled labor jobs.
The students have recently finished learning the writing process and are now beginning to learn about different genres of writing. They should have a working knowledge of how to pre-write, talk through their ideas and edit their papers before handing them in. The students retain information, as well as how to use it, best when it is presented to them with a visual, auditory and hands-on approach. They need more encouragement to stay on task while working in their small groups.
State Objectives: Students will identify style elements and new uses of language in Cisneros writing. (House On Mango Street, Cisneros: pg. 1-33, previous night’s reading). Students will be expected to discuss why these style elements are important and why they differ from previous readings. They will also create a written piece of their own modeled after Cisneros’ name poem.
Select instructional methods, media and materials: The lesson will begin with a mini-lecture in which the expectations of the class period will be explained and the rubric for the lesson will be distributed; this will take approximately 5-10 minutes. Following this, students will divide into their small groups (formed at beginning of semester) to find examples of the new style elements and discuss them. Then the class will engage in a large group discussion of the style elements and language uses they’ve located. Each student will be responsible for explaining one of the following aspects to the class: 1) Read the example out loud, 2) Explain what is new or different about it, 3) Explain why this new usage is important. These instructions will be written on the board. I will write their findings on the board and ask the students to write it down as well. After this discussion we will focus in on the piece after which their writing assignment will be modeled (the name poem). Then students will be given 15 minutes to start composing their own name poems. Very little instruction will be given at this time. For the last 15 minutes the instructions for their homework will be given: They will finish their poems and post them on the class website. They will also post comments on two other students’ writing regarding how they used the style elements discussed in class. These instructions will also be posted on the class website, which I will pull up on the screen while explaining them.
Utlize Media and Materials: The materials used for this lesson plan will be the class website. The instructions for the homework assignment will be posted there, and the students are required to complete their homework through it. The class website is a fully integrated part of the class. The students use it at least twice a week to complete homework assignments or to garner class information. The website is a page off of my personal blog for the class at wordpress.com (a free blogging site). Each student has an account name and has been instructed on proper use of the site.
Require Learner Participation: Student participation is required in several ways. First is through small group work. Each student helps to find an example of the new style elements, and talks with their group about why it’s important, and what is new about it. Secondly, it is required through the large group discussion where each student is responsible for contributing one element that their group discussed. Third it is required by posting their writing assignment on the class website, and commenting on other students’ writing.
Evaluate and Revise: The evaluation of student success will take place in several different ways throughout the lesson. The depth and accuracy of the examples they find in their small group will be noted, as well as the explanations they give for their examples. If either of these is found lacking I will ask the student questions to help them expand their thinking, and allow other students to help in this process. Also, the extent to which they understand the style elements through their own writing and are able to make it their own through the homework assignment will be assessed. These standards are also clearly laid out in the rubric, which will be given to students at the beginning of the class period. An opportunity for student revision will be given after my initial online comments are made to students.
Assessment: Students will be graded on the following:
|
|
CATEGORY |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
contribution to group work |
Contributes
relevant and helpful analyses to the group. |
Seldom
gives input; only when asked. |
Is
mostly silent trhoughout the group
work. |
Distracts
the groups and offers unhelpful suggestions. |
|
Understanding of Material |
Gives
in-depth analyses of material to large group discussion, are able to put it
into their own words. |
Identifies
some new uses of language, but unalbe to explain
why it is important, or what is new about it. |
Identifies
only surface level traits, is unable to explain the trait to the class or
group memebers. |
Cannot
locate or explain any new style traits. |
|
Quality of Writing |
A
sincere effort was put into the writing assignment. Able to put Cisneros'
ideas into their own words without simply copying. |
Used
1 style element discussed in class and able to put into their
own words. A genuine effort was attempted. |
Wasn't
able to put the ideas into their own words or take out of context of the
reading. A mediocre effort was put in. |
No
effort put in, assignment incomplete. |
|
Commenting |
Completed
the two comments requried and were able to pick out
the new style elements in other's writing. |
Completed
the two comments, not able to identify new style elements
in other's writing. |
Complted only one comment and no style elements
were identified. |
Completed
no comments. |
Date
Created: