Questions & Cues Lesson
Subject: English Grade level: 8th grade
Unit: Greek Mythology
Day/periods: 4/18/12, 50 minutes
Topic: The story of Medusa
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.
5. Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style.
Speaking and Listening Standard:
1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
2. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
Learning Experience Outcomes
Students will:
Generate questions on the reading material to gain further insight.
Work collaboratively in groups.
Recognize the differences between media and text.
Learning Experience Assessments
Completion of group’s question poster.
Active and valuable participation in group discussions. Every person in the group fulfills their respective roles.
Evaluate class’ input and discussion in the closure.
Differentiation
Approaching These students will be given the opportunity to understand the story of Medusa in numerous different ways (text, media and through group members).
On-level Groups will help prompt students if they do not understand the text or video, but if they do understand they can help others in their group.
Beyond Students are given the chance to work independently and in groups. They can challenge themselves especially with the homework by the depth of their questions.
Curriculum Integration: Literacy, technology, Social Studies
Procedures/Strategies: Students will enter class and discuss the focus question, then they will do a think/pair/share with their neighbors on the do now question, teacher will then have them read the story of Medusa and watch a video clip on her, they will then do a question game in their groups and share their questions with the class. To close the lesson, students will respond again to the focus question and read another story for homework and take notes in the form of questions.
Materials/Resources
http://www.history.com/shows/clash-of-the-gods/videos/the-story-of-medusa#the-story-of-medusa (video)
http://www.webwinds.com/thalassa/medusa.htm (text)
5 poster papers
Markers
Rules to game
Whiteboard
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) There will be a picture called up on the projector of Medusa to get the students to begin wondering what today’s lesson will be about. http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=544&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=uJV5dFWuyyBebM:&imgrefurl=http://faile35.deviantart.com/art/Medusa-66164576&docid=IKjhHtxhZsl6HM&imgurl=http://www.deviantart.com/download/66164576/Medusa_by_faile35.jpg&w=1024&h=874&ei=qrqRT4fDBOXD6AGCxYCtBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=194&vpy=4&dur=1914&hovh=207&hovw=243&tx=88&ty=140&sig=104377078063685752124&page=3&tbnh=163&tbnw=190&&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:37,i:235 (image link)
Anticipatory Set (focus question/s that will be used to get students thinking about the day’s lesson) In order to focus the lesson, the question below will be posed to students at the beginning and end of the class. In the start of the lessons, students will only be brainstorming ideas and the teacher will write some on the board. This question will be revisited for the closure at the end of the lesson once the students practice this method.
How can asking questions help us to deepen our understanding of the text?
Activating Prior Knowledge (what information will be shared with/among students to connect to prior knowledge/experience)
Students will be asked to complete the do now individually in their journals.
Do now: How would you feel if someone took away the thing that meant most to you? Has this ever happened to you? How did you feel?
After the students finish their journal entries, they will turn to their neighbors and share their responses.
Once they discuss, each pair will share with the rest of the class.
Direct Instruction (input, modeling, check for understanding)
1. Once students have finished the do now, the teacher will hand out the story of Medusa to each student. http://www.webwinds.com/thalassa/medusa.htm
2. Students will be asked to read the story silently and make notes in the margins (questions they have, things they don’t understand or things they find interesting.)
3. When all students have finished the reading, there will be a quick class discussion on the basics of the reading.
· What happened to Medusa?
· Who was the person who made Medusa this way and why?
· What did it mean for Medusa to have her beauty taken away?
· What were some of the other writings in the reading about and how did they relate to Medusa?
4. After the students seem to grasp the reading, teacher will introduce and show the quick video clip of the story of Medusa to help deepen their understanding of what happened. http://www.history.com/shows/clash-of-the-gods/videos/the-story-of-medusa#the-story-of-medusa
5. When the movie is completed, teacher will split students into groups of four in order to complete the guided practice.
Guided Practice (how students will demonstrate their grasp of new learning)
1. To work with the video clip and story of Medusa, students will use a self questioning game in order to help deeper their understanding of this Greek goddess.
2. After students are split into groups of 4, teacher will assign each member of the group their own task:
· Materials manager: this person will be asked to get the materials for the group (poster paper, marker and list of rules)
· Rule keeper: this person is very important because they need to make sure that everyone in the group is on task and following the rules of the game.
· Reporter: the reporter at the end of class will share with the rest of the class their group’s findings.
· Recorder: the recorder will have to write down all of the questions that are asked.
3. Once each student is given and understands their position, teacher will go over the rules of the question game: (rules taken from Sister MaryAnne’s PP)
· Ask as many questions as you can.
· Do not stop to discuss, judge, or answer the questions.
· Write down every question exactly as it is stated.
· Change any statement into a question.
4. When students fully understand the game, tell them they have ten minutes to complete the activity.
5. Tell the recorder of the group to write the word “Medusa” in the center and explain to the class that “Medusa” is their topic to focus all of their questions on.
6. Do the activity!
7. After the ten minutes of the game, have each reporter of the group take turns sharing with the class five of their group’s questions.
8. Allow other students to respond to the questions if they have an answer or a further understanding.
9. Have the materials manager collect all of the materials and put them away to close the activity.
Closure (action/statement by teacher designed to bring lesson presentation to an appropriate close)
The class will return the focus question (their brainstorming should be left on the board from the beginning of class).
How can asking questions help us to deepen our understanding of the text?
Using the activity the students just did, ask the class how this helped them interpret and deepen their understanding of Medusa. Add this information to the brainstorming list to show the class what they have learned.
Independent Practice (what students will do to reinforce learning of the lesson) For homework, students will be asked to read the story of Hades. While reading, they will be told to take notes, but all of their notes have to be in form of questions. At the beginning of class the next day, students will switch their questions with another student and respond to each question/note.
Unit: Greek Mythology
Day/periods: 4/18/12, 50 minutes
Topic: The story of Medusa
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.
5. Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style.
Speaking and Listening Standard:
1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
2. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
Learning Experience Outcomes
Students will:
Generate questions on the reading material to gain further insight.
Work collaboratively in groups.
Recognize the differences between media and text.
Learning Experience Assessments
Completion of group’s question poster.
Active and valuable participation in group discussions. Every person in the group fulfills their respective roles.
Evaluate class’ input and discussion in the closure.
Differentiation
Approaching These students will be given the opportunity to understand the story of Medusa in numerous different ways (text, media and through group members).
On-level Groups will help prompt students if they do not understand the text or video, but if they do understand they can help others in their group.
Beyond Students are given the chance to work independently and in groups. They can challenge themselves especially with the homework by the depth of their questions.
Curriculum Integration: Literacy, technology, Social Studies
Procedures/Strategies: Students will enter class and discuss the focus question, then they will do a think/pair/share with their neighbors on the do now question, teacher will then have them read the story of Medusa and watch a video clip on her, they will then do a question game in their groups and share their questions with the class. To close the lesson, students will respond again to the focus question and read another story for homework and take notes in the form of questions.
Materials/Resources
http://www.history.com/shows/clash-of-the-gods/videos/the-story-of-medusa#the-story-of-medusa (video)
http://www.webwinds.com/thalassa/medusa.htm (text)
5 poster papers
Markers
Rules to game
Whiteboard
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) There will be a picture called up on the projector of Medusa to get the students to begin wondering what today’s lesson will be about. http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=544&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=uJV5dFWuyyBebM:&imgrefurl=http://faile35.deviantart.com/art/Medusa-66164576&docid=IKjhHtxhZsl6HM&imgurl=http://www.deviantart.com/download/66164576/Medusa_by_faile35.jpg&w=1024&h=874&ei=qrqRT4fDBOXD6AGCxYCtBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=194&vpy=4&dur=1914&hovh=207&hovw=243&tx=88&ty=140&sig=104377078063685752124&page=3&tbnh=163&tbnw=190&&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:37,i:235 (image link)
Anticipatory Set (focus question/s that will be used to get students thinking about the day’s lesson) In order to focus the lesson, the question below will be posed to students at the beginning and end of the class. In the start of the lessons, students will only be brainstorming ideas and the teacher will write some on the board. This question will be revisited for the closure at the end of the lesson once the students practice this method.
How can asking questions help us to deepen our understanding of the text?
Activating Prior Knowledge (what information will be shared with/among students to connect to prior knowledge/experience)
Students will be asked to complete the do now individually in their journals.
Do now: How would you feel if someone took away the thing that meant most to you? Has this ever happened to you? How did you feel?
After the students finish their journal entries, they will turn to their neighbors and share their responses.
Once they discuss, each pair will share with the rest of the class.
Direct Instruction (input, modeling, check for understanding)
1. Once students have finished the do now, the teacher will hand out the story of Medusa to each student. http://www.webwinds.com/thalassa/medusa.htm
2. Students will be asked to read the story silently and make notes in the margins (questions they have, things they don’t understand or things they find interesting.)
3. When all students have finished the reading, there will be a quick class discussion on the basics of the reading.
· What happened to Medusa?
· Who was the person who made Medusa this way and why?
· What did it mean for Medusa to have her beauty taken away?
· What were some of the other writings in the reading about and how did they relate to Medusa?
4. After the students seem to grasp the reading, teacher will introduce and show the quick video clip of the story of Medusa to help deepen their understanding of what happened. http://www.history.com/shows/clash-of-the-gods/videos/the-story-of-medusa#the-story-of-medusa
5. When the movie is completed, teacher will split students into groups of four in order to complete the guided practice.
Guided Practice (how students will demonstrate their grasp of new learning)
1. To work with the video clip and story of Medusa, students will use a self questioning game in order to help deeper their understanding of this Greek goddess.
2. After students are split into groups of 4, teacher will assign each member of the group their own task:
· Materials manager: this person will be asked to get the materials for the group (poster paper, marker and list of rules)
· Rule keeper: this person is very important because they need to make sure that everyone in the group is on task and following the rules of the game.
· Reporter: the reporter at the end of class will share with the rest of the class their group’s findings.
· Recorder: the recorder will have to write down all of the questions that are asked.
3. Once each student is given and understands their position, teacher will go over the rules of the question game: (rules taken from Sister MaryAnne’s PP)
· Ask as many questions as you can.
· Do not stop to discuss, judge, or answer the questions.
· Write down every question exactly as it is stated.
· Change any statement into a question.
4. When students fully understand the game, tell them they have ten minutes to complete the activity.
5. Tell the recorder of the group to write the word “Medusa” in the center and explain to the class that “Medusa” is their topic to focus all of their questions on.
6. Do the activity!
7. After the ten minutes of the game, have each reporter of the group take turns sharing with the class five of their group’s questions.
8. Allow other students to respond to the questions if they have an answer or a further understanding.
9. Have the materials manager collect all of the materials and put them away to close the activity.
Closure (action/statement by teacher designed to bring lesson presentation to an appropriate close)
The class will return the focus question (their brainstorming should be left on the board from the beginning of class).
How can asking questions help us to deepen our understanding of the text?
Using the activity the students just did, ask the class how this helped them interpret and deepen their understanding of Medusa. Add this information to the brainstorming list to show the class what they have learned.
Independent Practice (what students will do to reinforce learning of the lesson) For homework, students will be asked to read the story of Hades. While reading, they will be told to take notes, but all of their notes have to be in form of questions. At the beginning of class the next day, students will switch their questions with another student and respond to each question/note.