The College of
WILLIAM & MARY
English Education Program
Lesson Plan: Choral Readings
Designer: Dana Lotito
Date: 11/30/15
Title/Topic:
Understanding Speeches: A Choral Reading
Context:
Gloucester HS, 11th grade AP English Language
Essential
Questions:
Objectives:
Standards of
Learning:
How does performance of a speech impact its meaning and reception? How
do these elements enhance the audience’s central understanding of a
speech? How do art and music interact with words and oral language?
By the end of the lesson, all students will understand how tempo, voicing,
tone, emphasis, and performance enhance the presenters’ and audience’s
understanding of a speech. This will be formatively assessed by a
performance and a written exit ticket paragraph.
SOLs:
11.1
h) Collaborate and report on small-group learning activities.
11.2 The student will examine how values and points of view are included or
excluded and how media influences beliefs and behaviors.
a) Use technology and other information tools to organize and display
knowledge in ways others can view, use, and assess.
b) Use media, visual literacy, and technology skills to create products.
11.4
e) Analyze how context and language structures convey an author’s intent
and viewpoint.
NETS-s Standards:
1.b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression
2.d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve
problems.
6.a. Understand and use technology systems
6.b Select and use applications effectively and productively
Materials and
Resources
-
2 speeches printed out that students have previously annotated for
homework (see appendix)
PowerPoint (see appendix for link)
The College of
WILLIAM & MARY
English Education Program
Needed:
Instructional
Strategies and
Timing
Opening/Hook to
engage learners
and activate
prior knowledge
-
mentor text video that I have created with Julia Baum (see appendix)
mentor text exit ticket (see appendix)
digital timer to help kids stay on task
list of suggested music and art titles (see appendix)
students will use their phones to access music and art and practice
main computer with speakers and projector to put their chosen
music and art on large display
- Bridging English chapter 4 choral reading activity for outline/idea
of lesson
Main instructional strategies:
-“Do-Now”
-explanation and modeling/mentor text
-small group work
-large group presentation and discussion
-written explanation
_____
1. Do-Now on PowerPoint (about 2-3 minutes)
-Talk with a partner about what makes a good performance
-A few volunteers can share their Do-Now with the class. Brief discussion.
Plan B: if PowerPoint won’t open, can just explain the Do-Now to students or
have it written on the white board.
2. Explanation of choral reading assignment (see appendix) (about 3-4
minutes)
3. Model by showing the mentor text video on the projector (about 5
minutes).
Plan B: If my video doesn’t work, demonstrate choral reading myself with Miss
Sharp (quick prep beforehand in case so that we are ready). Or show clip from
a movie that has music in the background of someone making a speech (i.e.
Coach Boone at Gettysburg in Remember the Titans – see appendix for link).
Discuss how music and visual of the movie impact how you understand the
speech.
4. Have students discuss elements of the music/art/literature pairings they
saw in the video. What was effective? Why? What was the main idea in the
literature that they understood? (about 5-7 minutes)
Middle Activities
5. Model to students the exit ticket by displaying my own written ticket
and reading it aloud. Explain that they should write their exit ticket as a
group as they are making decisions. Answer any questions about the
assignment. (about 5 minutes)
The College of
WILLIAM & MARY
English Education Program
[Display timer on the screen to help students stay on task]
Plan B: If timer doesn’t work, use my own phone or watch and/or wall clock
to help students stay on task by making announcements of how much time
they have left every five or so minutes.
6. Split students into 3/4 pre-assigned groups of 3-4 and let them each
choose a speech. Do not let them take out their phones yet! Review Do-Now
sentences and use them to guide interpretations. Have them first work with
the language (see choral reading instructions in appendix) and decide how
they will read the speech together (emphasis of certain words, who will
read what parts, where will people stand, etc). They should treat their
copies of the text like a script for the performance. (about 10-12 minutes)
[Optional Break]
7. As each group is done analyzing, hand out the list of suggested art and
music titles. Allow students to now take our their phones and explore
pairings. Remind students that they can choose something that is not on the
list, but only if it comes to mind very quickly. The majority of the lesson
should not be them surfing YouTube for a song. Any other songs must be
approved by me. Students will practice their performance. (about 2530minutes). Have students write their group exit ticket.
Closing activity
(to summarize,
Ticket to Leave,
etc.)
Plan B: If internet on students’ phones is not working/too slow, then use
laptop cart. If that is not working, allow students, one group at a time, to
approach me at the teacher’s desk. I will use that computer to help them
search songs and art. At this point, to keep time on track, only allow them to
use songs and art on the list to minimize web surfing.
8. Perform for the class! Have each group explain their moves. Reflect as a
large group on the activity and the experience as viewers and performers.
(3-5 minutes each, discussion last ten minutes)
Plan B: If the teacher’s computer/projector/internet is down, then we will
save the performances for another day. Make sure their exit tickets are done
and they feel prepared to present (can have extra time to practice if need be)
and have them begin any English homework they may have.
Differentiation
and/or
Accommodations
Content: Each group will have a different speech to work on. They have a list
of suggested titles for music and art to work from so they can choose
something they recognize and are comfortable with. They can also choose
their own music and art if they have a readily available idea.
Process: If a student does not have a phone, they can share with someone in
the group or they can make use of the laptop cart to contribute.
The College of
WILLIAM & MARY
English Education Program
Formative and
Summative
Assessments:
Formative:
- performance
- exit ticket
Reflection &
Recommendation
for Future Use
See below
Appendix:
Choral Reading Instructions:
1. Discuss your assigned speech with your group using your annotations as a guide. Think about
what the speech seems to be “about” on a deeper level. Discuss diction, tone, structure. How do
these things guide your understanding of the text?
2. Divide your speech into several natural parts. (Paragraph divisions may be helpful, but do not
assume that they are the best divisions for an effective oral presentation of your speech.)
3. Make solo, duet, and trio reading/recitation assignments for the parts that you identify.
4. Decide how readers of each part should use volume, emphasis, speed, pause, and pitch to
communicate meaning. Use symbols to mark copies of the speeches so that they become scripts
for performing the speech.
5. Peruse the list of music and artwork provided on the list. Use your phone to look up the songs
and art listed. From the list, select a piece of music to play in the background during your
presentation. Then, choose an image to display behind you. Consider how different pieces of
music and art clarify or obscure your original understanding of your group’s literary excerpt. If
you choose not to use art or music, please justify this choice as well. As you make decisions,
write your exit ticket.
6. Rehearse performing your presentation once or twice, revising the script to improve it.
7. Perform! And present justification to the class.
Speeches:
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
Patrick Henry’s Speech at St. John's Church, Richmond, Virginia March 23, 1775
Note: Students will split this speech in half. One group will do the first half, one will do
the second
Music:
Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack
“Requiem for a Tower” by Escala
“America the Beautiful”
The King’s Speech Soundtrack
The Pianist Soundtrack (Chopin Nocturnes)
The College of
WILLIAM & MARY
English Education Program
Miracle Soundtrack
“I See Fire” by Ed Sheeran
“Skyfall” by Adele
“Lose Yourself” by Eminem
“Hear You Me” by Jimmy Eat World
“No Church in the Wild” by Jay-Z and Kanye West
Art:
“Winged Victory (The Nike of Samothrace)” circa 190 BC
“Danaid (the source)” by Auguste Rodin
“La Pietà” by Michelangelo
“The Death of Socrates” by Jacques-Louis David
“View of Toledo” by El Greco
“Man with Knife” by Jackson Pollock
“Full Fathom Five” by Jackson Pollock
“Landscape with Pollard Willows” by Vincent Van Gogh
“Red Vineyards at Arles” by Vincent Van Gogh
“I Want You – Uncle Sam Poster” by J.M. Flagg
The Jazz Cutouts by Henri Matisse
Any of Kara Walker’s silhouettes
Example Exit Ticket:
We chose to emphasize the word "ugly" throughout the piece by saying it at the same time. The
word "ugly" was repeated many times in the text because it was a central, unifying characteristic of the
Breedlove family. Therefore, by saying "ugly" together, we showed this unity as well as brought
attention to the word with increased volume. At the end, when the discussion switches to Pecola hiding
behind her ugliness, Dana stood in front of Julia to act as a physical mask/shroud, showing how
powerful the ugliness actually was in Pecola's life. The song "Back to Black" was important in both
title and in tone. Since being black was a huge part of why the Breedloves were considered ugly, the
title (though this interpretation does not go along with the meaning in the song) showed that the
Breedloves always returned to their blackness, their "ugliness." The song itself is very slow and low in
tone; it almost sounds grating. We chose to use music (in this case, importantly, a song by a white
woman adapted by black artists) because the passage discusses the media’s influence on how the
Breedloves see themselves. In addition, in this context, Rodin's piece looks like a broken woman
hiding her face, as though she has been beaten down. The softness of her body on the roughness of the
marble shows a deep tension between hard and soft as well as the potential for pain. In this way, the
power of the reading also reverses, influencing how we understood Rodin's painting.
PowerPoint link:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VnbSv-tcAo_ux72ec3Grib25jigan4JoAnQBj1kKh8/edit#slide=id.p
The College of
WILLIAM & MARY
English Education Program
Mentor Text Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoNuPCnNM74&feature=youtu.be
Plan B Coach Boone Gettysburg Speech link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-ribYfC1AM