Nonlinguistic Representation Lesson Plan:
Subject: English
Grade level: 8th grade
Unit: Greek Mythology Day/periods: 4/12/12, 50 minutes
Topic: The Cyclops Cave & the Sirens (Books 9 and 12)
Content Standards:
Reading Standard for Literature:
2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
3. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
Speaking and Listening Standard:
1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Learning Experience Outcomes
Students will:
· Work collaboratively in groups.
· Participate in class discussion on readings.
· Demonstrate their reading of the Greek myth.
· Use nonlinguistic methods to process difficult texts.
Learning Experience Assessments
· Teacher will observe the active participation in the groups and keep track of the productive collaboration.
· Value and accuracy of participation in class discussion (was it obvious the student read for homework the night before).
· Effective and accurate demonstration of the myth through role play.
Differentiation
Approaching The use of nonlinguistic representation of knowledge helps lower level learners demonstrate their understanding in a different way than normal.
On-level This gives students the ability to work with the story in different ways. The use of the simpler story handout will help students whom found the reading challenging.
Beyond These students (like all) were challenged with the homework reading. They will be able to demonstrate their understanding and put in their own additions into the role play.
Curriculum Integration: Literacy, Kinesthetic
Procedures/Strategies: Students will get into their groups and answer the “do now,” the class will then have a quick discussion regarding last night’s reading, in groups students will read the simpler version handout, the teacher will lead a discussion with the class asking them to explain the two stories that they have now read in two different versions, groups will then work on their role play that is to be presented tomorrow and practice on their own for homework.
Materials/Resources
http://greece.mrdonn.org/odyssey.html
Handout of the two stories from the website above.
Index cards with numbers written on them.
Numbered papers to put on tables.
Day 1
Sponge Activity (activity that will be done as students enter the room to get them into the mindset of the concept to be learned) Students will be given index cards with a number 1-5 written on them. The number written on the card will correspond to a number written on a piece of paper on one of the five tables. Students will then find which table they belong at in relation to their number and sit there. This will be their group for the day.
Anticipatory Set (focus question/s that will be used to get students thinking about the day’s lesson) Students will answer a “do now” written on the board relating to their reading assignment of sections from the Odyssey last night. The purpose of this do now is to focus the students on the stories they will be learning, but also to show them that the reading may have been more challenging than previous assignments.
Do now: What were the main themes from the reading last night: The Cyclops Cave and The Sirens (Books 9 and 12)? Explain what makes you think this.
Activating Prior Knowledge (what information will be shared with/among students to connect to prior knowledge/experience) Sharing responses as a class to the do now will demonstrate the students’ prior knowledge from the reading assignment the previous night. This will give the teacher a good gage of the students’ understanding of the two books from the Odyssey.
Direct Instruction (input, modeling, check for understanding) Students will have read books 9 and 12 of the Odyssey for homework last night. Since this reading was challenging, the teacher will provide the students with an alternate reading in order to check for their understanding.
1. After the discussion of the “do now,” teacher will hand out (website page http://greece.mrdonn.org/odyssey.html) the simpler version of the two stories.
2. Since the students are already placed in groups, the handout will be read together in groups.
3. After completing the reading, teacher will lead a discussion about both the reading from last night and the reading in class.
4. The teacher will begin with the Cyclops story and ask students to explain what events occurred. The teacher will then ask students if they found any parts from the reading last night difficult. Depending on the student’s answers, the teacher will further explain their challenges.
5. Next, the teacher will ask the students what the major differences are between the Cyclops story and the Sirens (Odysseus was becoming experienced and suspicious of all things around him). The class will then discuss Odysseus’ progression throughout the books.
6. After it seems that the students are getting the point of the two books, the teacher will move on to the guided practice.
Guided Practice (how students will demonstrate their grasp of new learning)
1. After having a discussion about the reading, students will now work in their respective groups.
2. Tell students that they will be role playing the two stories. They will have the rest of the class to work on their presentations and put on their play for the rest of the class at the beginning tomorrow.
3. Explain that each member in the group needs a specific role (for example: in “The Cyclops Cave” there will need to be Odysseus, his men, and the Cyclops).
4. By role playing the stories, students will need to demonstrate their understanding of what took place and the sequence of events.
5. Each story should be a couple of minutes, so groups should be in front of the class for a total of about 10 minutes.
6. After the role play, the students will give a brief explanation of why they acted things out in the manner that they chose.
Closure (action/statement by teacher designed to bring lesson presentation to an appropriate close)
To close, the teacher will have a discussion with the class to make sure everyone understands the assignment. If not, explain further what is being asked of them. Also, the teacher will make sure that the students will be ready for the beginning of class tomorrow to present.
Independent Practice (what students will do to reinforce learning of the lesson)
Students will be asked to rehearse their specific character for the “play” tomorrow—go over lines and re-read stories if necessary.
Grade level: 8th grade
Unit: Greek Mythology Day/periods: 4/12/12, 50 minutes
Topic: The Cyclops Cave & the Sirens (Books 9 and 12)
Content Standards:
Reading Standard for Literature:
2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
3. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
Speaking and Listening Standard:
1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Learning Experience Outcomes
Students will:
· Work collaboratively in groups.
· Participate in class discussion on readings.
· Demonstrate their reading of the Greek myth.
· Use nonlinguistic methods to process difficult texts.
Learning Experience Assessments
· Teacher will observe the active participation in the groups and keep track of the productive collaboration.
· Value and accuracy of participation in class discussion (was it obvious the student read for homework the night before).
· Effective and accurate demonstration of the myth through role play.
Differentiation
Approaching The use of nonlinguistic representation of knowledge helps lower level learners demonstrate their understanding in a different way than normal.
On-level This gives students the ability to work with the story in different ways. The use of the simpler story handout will help students whom found the reading challenging.
Beyond These students (like all) were challenged with the homework reading. They will be able to demonstrate their understanding and put in their own additions into the role play.
Curriculum Integration: Literacy, Kinesthetic
Procedures/Strategies: Students will get into their groups and answer the “do now,” the class will then have a quick discussion regarding last night’s reading, in groups students will read the simpler version handout, the teacher will lead a discussion with the class asking them to explain the two stories that they have now read in two different versions, groups will then work on their role play that is to be presented tomorrow and practice on their own for homework.
Materials/Resources
http://greece.mrdonn.org/odyssey.html
Handout of the two stories from the website above.
Index cards with numbers written on them.
Numbered papers to put on tables.
Day 1
Sponge Activity (activity that will be done as students enter the room to get them into the mindset of the concept to be learned) Students will be given index cards with a number 1-5 written on them. The number written on the card will correspond to a number written on a piece of paper on one of the five tables. Students will then find which table they belong at in relation to their number and sit there. This will be their group for the day.
Anticipatory Set (focus question/s that will be used to get students thinking about the day’s lesson) Students will answer a “do now” written on the board relating to their reading assignment of sections from the Odyssey last night. The purpose of this do now is to focus the students on the stories they will be learning, but also to show them that the reading may have been more challenging than previous assignments.
Do now: What were the main themes from the reading last night: The Cyclops Cave and The Sirens (Books 9 and 12)? Explain what makes you think this.
Activating Prior Knowledge (what information will be shared with/among students to connect to prior knowledge/experience) Sharing responses as a class to the do now will demonstrate the students’ prior knowledge from the reading assignment the previous night. This will give the teacher a good gage of the students’ understanding of the two books from the Odyssey.
Direct Instruction (input, modeling, check for understanding) Students will have read books 9 and 12 of the Odyssey for homework last night. Since this reading was challenging, the teacher will provide the students with an alternate reading in order to check for their understanding.
1. After the discussion of the “do now,” teacher will hand out (website page http://greece.mrdonn.org/odyssey.html) the simpler version of the two stories.
2. Since the students are already placed in groups, the handout will be read together in groups.
3. After completing the reading, teacher will lead a discussion about both the reading from last night and the reading in class.
4. The teacher will begin with the Cyclops story and ask students to explain what events occurred. The teacher will then ask students if they found any parts from the reading last night difficult. Depending on the student’s answers, the teacher will further explain their challenges.
5. Next, the teacher will ask the students what the major differences are between the Cyclops story and the Sirens (Odysseus was becoming experienced and suspicious of all things around him). The class will then discuss Odysseus’ progression throughout the books.
6. After it seems that the students are getting the point of the two books, the teacher will move on to the guided practice.
Guided Practice (how students will demonstrate their grasp of new learning)
1. After having a discussion about the reading, students will now work in their respective groups.
2. Tell students that they will be role playing the two stories. They will have the rest of the class to work on their presentations and put on their play for the rest of the class at the beginning tomorrow.
3. Explain that each member in the group needs a specific role (for example: in “The Cyclops Cave” there will need to be Odysseus, his men, and the Cyclops).
4. By role playing the stories, students will need to demonstrate their understanding of what took place and the sequence of events.
5. Each story should be a couple of minutes, so groups should be in front of the class for a total of about 10 minutes.
6. After the role play, the students will give a brief explanation of why they acted things out in the manner that they chose.
Closure (action/statement by teacher designed to bring lesson presentation to an appropriate close)
To close, the teacher will have a discussion with the class to make sure everyone understands the assignment. If not, explain further what is being asked of them. Also, the teacher will make sure that the students will be ready for the beginning of class tomorrow to present.
Independent Practice (what students will do to reinforce learning of the lesson)
Students will be asked to rehearse their specific character for the “play” tomorrow—go over lines and re-read stories if necessary.