Teachers: Melode Ortwein, Christopher Carnley, Jodie Price
Historical Fiction Research Paper
Purpose: Students will demonstrate knowledge of developing and presenting a research paper.
Rhetorical Situation: A) Informing classmates of history that coincides with the book that will be read by the class B) Informing in a formal situation
Methods: Students will be divided into groups and will be assigned a history topic to research. They will be informed of purpose of doing this project.
Materials: Giant Post-Its, markers, research grid, small post-its
1. Groups collaborate to determine appropriate sources and how to locate them.
2. Each student in the group will conduct research and write their own paper on the group’s topic. Students will be given a graphic organizer to help them organize their thoughts. This paper will be in any format that they wish, not necessarily a research format.
Assessment: Peer Review, Teacher Review, Talk Back
3. Students will be given a guided format to compose the paper in research style. Teacher will discuss the change in rhetorical situation. The first paper was intended to inform your peers. The research paper is intended for a more formal audience.
Assessment: Reflective summary, teacher review, talk back
4. Groups will collaborate on presenting their findings to their peers by using giant post-it to record info. It will be posted on the wall. The class will be given a time to go around and look at all of the post-it.
Assessment: Peer review by using little post-its to record what they like and what further info they need about the topic.
5. Begin reading of the book that is written around the historical facts that have been researched by the class.
LETTER TO PARENTS
Dear Parents,
As a teacher, I feel an obligation to prepare students for future studies. A crucial skill for any student attending college is the ability to compose a research paper. To that end, our class will begin this process very soon.
Our class is engaging in a writing unit that deals with research. It will be based on Florida History. The assignment will be related to our next novel, The Land Remembered. Not only do I feel that students will have a personal interest in it, but the novel’s historical fiction will reference interesting facts about Florida.
The purpose of the assignment is to further the students’ skills in writing. They will learn to conduct research, cite sources, paraphrasing information and to formulate a research paper.
Sincerely,
Melode Ortwein
Jodie Price
Chistopher Carnley
(850)555-5647
Thursday, August 6, 2009
"The Treasure of Lemon Brown" and Positive Influence Expository Essay
Assignment:
Students will be required to expound on the story The Treasure of Lemon Brown by writing an expository essay about a person who influenced their lives positively.
WRITING PROMPT
Writing Situation:
Many people have someone who has had a positive influence on their lives. It may be a relative, friend, educator, celebrity, or historical figure.
Directions for Writing:
Think of a person who has positively influenced your life.
Now write to explain who that person is and how he or she has had a positive influence on your life.
Rhetorical Situation:
Explain how a person has positively influenced your life. Be sure to identify and address the audience directly. For example, the audience can be peers, specific letter, teachers, celebrities or historical figures.
Genre and Conventions:
The genre will consist of expository writing, varying sentence structure and word choice. In addition, use descriptive, factual and sensory details and organization.
Criteria:
Use descriptive, factual and sensory details, appropriate word- choice, audience must be identified of inferred. The following questions must be addressed in your writing.
· How do you feel about this topic?
· What is your audience likely to think?
· To whom are you writing, and for what purpose?
Invention Materials:
Students will use personal connections and The Treasure of Lemon Brown from the Language of Literature textbook.
Other Classroom Activities:
Prewriting Exercises: Character Descriptions
Literary Analysis: Dynamic and Static Character
Active Reading
Peer Review:
Rubric and Reflection
Self Review:
Rubric, Self Assessment and Class Discussion
Teacher Review:
Teacher questions, notations and talkbacks
LETTER TO PARENTS
August 6, 2009
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Next week, we will begin the story The Treasure of Lemon Brown from our Language of Literature books. Your child will be required to read this short story and write about it. The writing will be based on students’ personal reflections and real-life experiences. Focus skills covered in this lesson include: cause/effect, characterization, setting, mood, tone, and how characters are motivated.
I ask that you read this story to and with your child at home. I also ask that you help your child to improve their writing by talking to them about people who have made positive differences in their lives. Please speak with them about the different things that can be viewed as treasures, such as money, houses, cars, education, etc. This will help your child participate in class discussion which will lead to better creative writing.
Thank you for taking the time to work with your child at home and supporting me. You are the best!
Thank you,
Mrs. Teacher
Students will be required to expound on the story The Treasure of Lemon Brown by writing an expository essay about a person who influenced their lives positively.
WRITING PROMPT
Writing Situation:
Many people have someone who has had a positive influence on their lives. It may be a relative, friend, educator, celebrity, or historical figure.
Directions for Writing:
Think of a person who has positively influenced your life.
Now write to explain who that person is and how he or she has had a positive influence on your life.
Rhetorical Situation:
Explain how a person has positively influenced your life. Be sure to identify and address the audience directly. For example, the audience can be peers, specific letter, teachers, celebrities or historical figures.
Genre and Conventions:
The genre will consist of expository writing, varying sentence structure and word choice. In addition, use descriptive, factual and sensory details and organization.
Criteria:
Use descriptive, factual and sensory details, appropriate word- choice, audience must be identified of inferred. The following questions must be addressed in your writing.
· How do you feel about this topic?
· What is your audience likely to think?
· To whom are you writing, and for what purpose?
Invention Materials:
Students will use personal connections and The Treasure of Lemon Brown from the Language of Literature textbook.
Other Classroom Activities:
Prewriting Exercises: Character Descriptions
Literary Analysis: Dynamic and Static Character
Active Reading
Peer Review:
Rubric and Reflection
Self Review:
Rubric, Self Assessment and Class Discussion
Teacher Review:
Teacher questions, notations and talkbacks
LETTER TO PARENTS
August 6, 2009
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Next week, we will begin the story The Treasure of Lemon Brown from our Language of Literature books. Your child will be required to read this short story and write about it. The writing will be based on students’ personal reflections and real-life experiences. Focus skills covered in this lesson include: cause/effect, characterization, setting, mood, tone, and how characters are motivated.
I ask that you read this story to and with your child at home. I also ask that you help your child to improve their writing by talking to them about people who have made positive differences in their lives. Please speak with them about the different things that can be viewed as treasures, such as money, houses, cars, education, etc. This will help your child participate in class discussion which will lead to better creative writing.
Thank you for taking the time to work with your child at home and supporting me. You are the best!
Thank you,
Mrs. Teacher
Romeo and Juliet - Unit Brainstorm
Assignment: Write a letter to any character in Romeo and Juliet giving them advice from the future. Persuade them to change their course of action to prevent tragedy in the play. Explain what difference their new actions would make.
Rhetorical Situation:
Purpose: to prevent tragedy
Audience: Any selected character
Topic: advice to change actions
Genre: letter
Medium: Ink on paper
Rhetorical Stance: to inform and persuade
Criteria: 1. needs to be persuasive 2. needs to be logical 3. needs to be accurate to the story 4. needs to explain why their plan would be better for the outcome for the individuals
Invention Materials: Romeo and Juliet script
Other Classroom Activities: 1. Students will make 2 cause and effect charts. One will be the cause and effects of the actions in Shakespeare's play, and next to it will be a cause and effect chart of their version with the changed actions.
Peer Review: In groups of 3, read your letters aloud. When one student is finished reading, the other 2 students will ask any questions and make suggestions. These two students should make a brief flow chart of the changed events in the story, focusing on cause and effect. Students will together discuss the events and be sure they make logical sense.
Self Review: Answer the following questions: What suggestions did your peers make? Did you take their advice? Why or why not? Highlight any changes that you made on your final draft and explain in the margin why you made them. Can you think of a situation no where you would write a persuasive letter to a friend?
Teacher Review: Evaluate their letter paying close attention to the cause and effect relationships. Compare the first draft with peer review comments to the final draft.
LETTER TO PARENTS
Dear Parents,
As we begin reading Romeo and Juliet in your student’s English I class, we will be studying the relationship between cause and effect. In this unit, your student will be writing a letter to a character in the play persuading them to change their course of action to result in a better outcome for that character. You might be wondering, “How will my student become a better writer because of this assignment?” This assignment will help your student think in terms of writing to a particular audience. They will also be analyzing the importance of cause and effect and how it relates to plot. This is not only important for Romeo and Juliet, but for all types of literature your student will read in the future. Your student will also be practicing the skill of speaking in a persuasive manner. They will need this skill on the FCAT, future English classes, and in their chosen career field. Please encourage your student in this project and please contact us with any questions you might have. We are looking forward to see your student’s progress!
-Sarah Sites and Casi Peddie
"The Lottery" Unit Brainstorm
Objective: Students will study Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and identify the key components of characterization.
Student Audience: Incoming Tenth Grade English students
Teacher Audience: Tenth Grade English Students
Purpose: To inform and analyze
Invention Materials: "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, Computer access, newspaper, Picture of characters from "The Lottery" (fictional or not), paper, pen/pencil
Student Audience: Incoming Tenth Grade English students
Teacher Audience: Tenth Grade English Students
Purpose: To inform and analyze
Invention Materials: "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, Computer access, newspaper, Picture of characters from "The Lottery" (fictional or not), paper, pen/pencil
Unit Plan:
Step 1:
Pre-write - What would you do if you won the lottery? Be sure to respond in a minimum of six complete sentences.
Step 2:
Video Clip from True Hollywood Story (THS) of past lottery winners.
Continue pre-write - How has your opinion of winning the lottery changed?
Step 3:
Review and discuss literary devices: Plot, Setting, Theme and Characterization (direct and indirect)
Step 4:
Read "The Lottery" in class out loud as a class; pointing out components of literary devices as present throughout the story. Intertwine check for understanding with teacher prompted questions.
Step 5:
Reflection of story and pre-write. Discuss changes the students may have and their thoughts about the story.
Step 6:
Review of literary elements and application to the story.
Step 7:
Homework assignment: Bring in an obituary from your local newspaper.
Step 8:
Discussion: What is an obituary?
Make sure to discuss the key components and characteristics of an obituary. What is in an obituary? How is a person "characterized" through their obituary? By reading an obituary what do we learn about the individual? What is the tone of the obituary? What is the effects of the obituary?
Step 8:
Choose a character from "The Lottery" and brainstorm a characterization of them for an obituary. The student needs to have a minimum of four direct characterizations and four indirect characterizations.
Step 9:
Create an obituary for the choosen character using the given rubric as a guide.
Criteria: Typed, picture of their character, name, elements of the obituary
Step 10:
Peer Review - Identify things that are strong in the obituary; what is missing? What can help the student in revising their obituary?
Step 11:
Self Review - Create a Venn-diagram of the character obituary and the obituary that was brought in from the newspaper.
Step 12:
Teacher Review - Highlight strong points in the obituary; Circle lacking areas that can be changed.
Step 13:
Student finalizes his/her obituary and turns in for final grade.
LETTER TO PARENTS
Dear Parents, August 6, 2009
As you all know during your student’s sophomore year of high school, the FCAT writing comes into perspective as a component for your student’s graduation requirements. As a sophomore English teacher, it is my job to implore multiple attempts in the writing process and to introduce the different genres of writing to my students. In doing so, I am requiring a writing assignment in my class that not only emphasizes the use and understanding of literary devices, but also challenges the students to adapt to the different writing genre’s and perform at a proficient level.
This week in class I will be asking students to gather research information to aid them in writing an obituary. The research inform students to the research aspect of writing and guide them step by step in the writing process of using evidence to support their ideas. In addition, it also allows students to explore the different methods to one approach. After analyzing the obituaries, students will create their own obituary based on a character story “The Lottery”, which will then develop application skills needed for the writing process.
I want my students to have the opportunity to approach writing in all directions, and I believe that this project will not only be enjoyable to them, but will also develop core developmental skills in writing for the FCAT. Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions or concerns. Thank you in advance for all of your support and cooperation in guiding your student to a successful future.
Sincerely,
As you all know during your student’s sophomore year of high school, the FCAT writing comes into perspective as a component for your student’s graduation requirements. As a sophomore English teacher, it is my job to implore multiple attempts in the writing process and to introduce the different genres of writing to my students. In doing so, I am requiring a writing assignment in my class that not only emphasizes the use and understanding of literary devices, but also challenges the students to adapt to the different writing genre’s and perform at a proficient level.
This week in class I will be asking students to gather research information to aid them in writing an obituary. The research inform students to the research aspect of writing and guide them step by step in the writing process of using evidence to support their ideas. In addition, it also allows students to explore the different methods to one approach. After analyzing the obituaries, students will create their own obituary based on a character story “The Lottery”, which will then develop application skills needed for the writing process.
I want my students to have the opportunity to approach writing in all directions, and I believe that this project will not only be enjoyable to them, but will also develop core developmental skills in writing for the FCAT. Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions or concerns. Thank you in advance for all of your support and cooperation in guiding your student to a successful future.
Sincerely,
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
A Partial List of Writings
Key Terms--notes
Drafts--in terms of genre--composition history; collaborative report; review; wild card
Good Writer Map
Writing Process Maps (print)
Writing Process Maps (media)
Screen Composition (Sandal)
Post It One-Sentence Summary
Note to Self
Wordle of Draft 1
Wordle of Draft 2
How We Read Notes
How We Read Map
Philosophy of Response
Peer Review Set-up
Peer Review Notes
Response to Peer Review
Reflective Summary
Response to Draft
Talk Back
Response to Reflective Summary
Assignment Sequence (grade level)
Blog Posts
Drafts--in terms of genre--composition history; collaborative report; review; wild card
Good Writer Map
Writing Process Maps (print)
Writing Process Maps (media)
Screen Composition (Sandal)
Post It One-Sentence Summary
Note to Self
Wordle of Draft 1
Wordle of Draft 2
How We Read Notes
How We Read Map
Philosophy of Response
Peer Review Set-up
Peer Review Notes
Response to Peer Review
Reflective Summary
Response to Draft
Talk Back
Response to Reflective Summary
Assignment Sequence (grade level)
Blog Posts
Many Post Its
Design a Poem
Design a Poem
Poems by Design
I've loaded the poems on a google site created just for this purpose.
It might be fun to show these to your students to show them how many interpretations a single poem can encourage.
http://sites.google.com/site/designapoem/home
It might be fun to show these to your students to show them how many interpretations a single poem can encourage.
http://sites.google.com/site/designapoem/home
Reflection and Response
What's the role of reflection in shaping response? Put another way, how can we use reflection in our responding to student work?
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