Lesson Plan Template
Subject / Course:
English 20
Grade Level: 11
Topic: “Warren Pryor”; “Day job and night job”;
essays
Cooperating Teacher Name: Amanda Fast
Unit: 2. Moving Forward: Establishing and Realizing
(Lesson 3)
TC Name: Ali Pravda
Date: Oct. 18
Time of Class:
Room # / Location:
1. Broad Areas of Learning and Cross Curricular Competencies
a) Outcomes: CR20.1, CR20.2, CR20.3, CR20.4, CC20.1, CC20.3, CC20.4, AR20.1
Be able to understand pieces of poetry on a deeper level; be able to respond critically, eventually in an
essay format. Compare and Contrast; analyze; self-analyze (develop identity).
Indicators: CR20.1(a, b, c, e), CR20.2(a, d, j), CR20.3(f), CR20.4(a,b), CC20.1(a, b), CC20.3 (a),
CC20.4(a, g), AR20.1(a)
Responding in class; Responding within an essay format.
b) Cross Curricular Competencies: (approx. 2+ other learning expectations not assessed, eg. learning that
happens as a result of the lesson, organization, group work, listening, co-operation, reading, writing skills etc.)
Reading, writing, organizational skills, listening and communicating.
Develop thinking contextually and critically, then eventually creatively.
Develop identity and values.
Develop literacy, as in constructing knowledge related to various literacy.
c) Professional Growth Portfolio Goal(s):
1.2 (helping students gain insight on themselves – academically, spiritually)
2.1 (creating an environment that supports the growth of students by being open about
our inspirations at different ages).
6.1
6.5 (Prezi)
1.1, 1.5, 3.1, 3.2, 6.4, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8
2. Assessment and Evaluation:
(What assessment and/or evaluation strategies do you need to have to ensure you are accountable for students’
learning and addressing curriculum outcomes? What formative and summative assessment should you include? – e.g.,
sample questions, activities or attach tests, homework, rubrics, evaluation schemes, answer keys etc.)
Assessment: Conversations happening in class.
Evaluation: Personal Essay
Rubric:
Depth: argument/ backing up your thesis (5 pt)
Thesis (3 pt)
Voice (5 pt)
Flow, wording (5 pt)
Editing: grammar, mechanics, spelling (3 pts)
3. Preassessment and Accommodations/Modifications
a) Students
(consider the students you will be teaching and anything that will affect their learning or your teaching strategies (e.g.,
include cognitive, social/emotional, physical and diversity needs,+ provide accommodations/modifications - how you will
differentiate learning for each student and/or type of need – N.B. use initials of students rather than full names)
Preassessment:
Accommodation/Modification:
They were given numerous options for the essay
topic, so that they could have choice, and decide on
something that would be easier to write on in-depth.
Then, since the options were too excessive for
some, I allotted only one or two options for those
who were confused.
b) Learning Environment:
(describe the learning environment such as the set up/location of desks, where audio-visual equipment will be,
where the teacher stands, where the students are working etc. – you may wish to include a map/layout of the
classroom on a separate sheet and reference it with modifications if lesson changes)
Desks in row, teacher at the front.
4. Required Resources
(list ALL resources required to conduct this lesson with detailed specifics such as textbook titles, chapters, page
numbers, author/publishers, website URLs, resources like paper, pencils, protractors, chalk, rulers, paint, specimens,
books, maps, videos, posters, lab materials, handouts – include name of handout and number of copies, etc.)
Copies of poems
http://prezi.com/b3lhi0g06oiu/warren-pryor/
Lecture notes (including interview; vocabulary; poem analysis; etc.)
5. Content and Teaching Strategies of Lesson
a) Overview/Agenda/Review
(consider a quick overview of the lesson and/or list key elements in lesson which may be written on white/blackboard as
an agenda for students and you to follow, you may also choose to consider a review of previous day’s work)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Read poems, decipher each at a superficial level.
Watch video
Talk about different themes that are relative to all three pieces
Talk about “our dreams/inspirations” at different ages.
Re-read poems independently. Highlighting areas of confusion and understanding.
Review vocabulary for Warren Pryor
View Prezi for Warren Pryor analysis
Talk about deeper meaning of poem
Review: Vocabulary of “Day job and night job”; literary role models
Look at interview of author
Give words to video (To This Day)
Work on essays
b) Introduction (motivational start, minds-on, hook, etc.)
(describe how you will motivate students, get their attention, relate the lesson to their lives, such as a minds-on activity,
a hook or something that will pull learners into lesson)
Talk about our own experiences. Do they relate to our poems/video at all?
c) Subject Content and Teaching Strategies
(include the subject content - what you are teaching; detail the instructional strategies / teaching strategies for teaching
the subject content - how you are teaching it; write some guiding questions - actual questions (variety of thinking levels)
and suggested and anticipated answers; possibly include time approximations/timelines such as 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. or
25 minutes; and include application activities/components - how the content will be applied such as an activity,
problems to solve, worksheets etc.).
Strategies: Lecture; class discussion;
Subjects: careers; sacrifice; dreams/inspirations; vocabulary; imagery/meaning; famous writers;
Questions: What were some of your dreams/inspirations as a child? What are they now?
What words are confusing in this poem?
What do these words bring to mind when you think of them together?
d) Consolidation
(indicate how you will review concepts taught, wrap up lesson, confirm students know what next tasks are e.g.,
having class to give you feedback on what was taught, review key application of concepts – this is important in
terms of assessing the effectiveness of the lesson)
We will review the material; they will make an essay based off of the concepts.
6. Reflections
a) Effectiveness of Lesson
What was effective / ineffective in your lesson? – include at least 3 lesson elements that were ineffective /
effective? or What went well in your lesson? Or What did not go so well? Or What did the students enjoy? How did
your planning or delivery turn out? Did your teaching / learning strategies work effectively or not for subject content
and class? Consider the entire lesson and the reaction of students.
How do you know? Provide evidence from student work, student questions asked and informal assessment.
Think about examples of how the lesson progressed, engagement of students, flow of delivery, time management.
Next steps? Indicate what steps you are going to take to continue to work on your three elements identified.
What was effective / ineffective
in your lesson?
How do you know?
Next steps for improvement?
The outline for their essays was
ineffective.
They were constantly confused
about what their essays were
supposed to be about.
Give structured outcomes for
themes (perhaps giving them
exact essay questions).
The prezis that were used to
describe the poem was effective.
It helped them see different
insights into the poems.
Continue to look for interesting
ways to understand poetry.
b) Effectiveness as a Teacher
What was effective / ineffective about you as a teacher? – include at least 3 teacher elements that you did that
were effective or ineffective. Did you ask good questions? Did you motivate students? What did YOU do well? This
would be a section describing your strengths and areas for improvement – volume, eye contact, body language,
questioning skills, responding to questions, comfort with material, confidence, delivery, use of technology,
vocabulary.
How do you know? What evidence do you have that you, as a teacher, were or were not effective? Think about
examples of what you said, did, reacted to, felt as examples of your three elements.
Next steps? Indicate what steps you are going to take to continue to work on your three elements identified.
What was effective / ineffective
about you as a teacher?
How do you know?
Next steps for improvement?
I did not let them be passive
learners.
When they didn’t answer a
question, then I would restate it,
and probe them to figure it out
for themselves.
Continue to ask structured
questions.
It was effective to analyse the
prezis as a group, and then to
analyse the analysis of the
poems.
It helped them understand the
poems at a different level,
instead of just superficially.
It is necessary to not only
assume that they understand
something that they are reading,
but to analyse why it is like that.
Analysis is a must to continue.
Warren Pryor and Day Job and Night Job – Poem Analysis
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Talk about “our dreams/inspirations” at different ages.
Re-read poems independently. Highlighting areas of confusion and understanding.
Review vocabulary for Warren Pryor
View Prezi for Warren Pryor analysis
Talk about deeper meaning of poem
Review: Vocabulary of “Day job and night job”; literary role models
Look at interview of author
Work on essays
Talk about “our dreams/inspirations”… childhood vs. now. / different ages.
Re-read the poems, this time with two highlighters – one for “understand”, one for “confusing”.
Pinpoint exactly where your comprehension breaks down.
3. http://prezi.com/b3lhi0g06oiu/warren-pryor/
Warren Pryor by Evan Coombs on Prezi
Vocab: barren:(of land) too poor to produce much or any vegetation
Toil: work extremely hard or incessantly (noun). exhausting physical labour (verb).
Throttle: 1.attack or kill (someone) by choking or strangling them. 2. control (an engine or vehicle)
with a throttle.
Analysis:
The word "saved" at the end of the third line, like the word "free" in the first stanza, again suggests on the
surface that it is Warren's parents who have sacrificed their lives to free their son, just as Christ died to
save mankind. The resemblance to the sufferings of Christ on the cross is further implied in the imagery of
the third stanza. While the "thistle-strewn farm" brings to mind the thorns worn by Christ, the "red dirt"
of the farm suggests his blood.
Slaving
When the reader studies the conclusion of the poem, he sees that the reverse of the situation just described
is true. It is Warren Pryor himself who is making the ultimate sacrifice by not complaining about his
unhappiness and by not trying to run away from the meaningless life that his parents have created
for him. Instead of causing them to lose face and endure lasting disappointment, he stoically remains
behind the bars of his teller's cage. The sanctity of the phrase "milk-white shirt" is suitable after all, and
the thistles and red dirt refer to Warren and not to his parents. Thus we come to identify Warren with
Christ.
In the first three stanzas the situation in the poem was presented from the point of view of Warren's
parents. Warren's reaction is finally shown in the concluding stanza. The short, dramatic sentence,
"And he said nothing", which introduces the last stanza, acts as the climax of the poem. The undercurrent
of despair and disappointment, developed throughout the poem by the theme of infertility, comes to the
surface in the final stanza where Warren is vividly depicted as a caged bear, "his axe-hewn hands upon
the paper bills/aching with empty strength and throttled rage." The identification of Warren with a
bear is appropriate since it emphasizes his strong, physical nature and his love of the freedom of the
outdoors, while the description of his hands further suggests that he should be outside chopping
rough wood rather than handling delicate paper.
The poet chooses to show his frustrated feelings of "throttled rage" by referring to his hands rather than to
his mind, since Warren's physical strength undoubtedly outweighs his mental agility; perhaps Warren is not
even perceptive enough to understand exactly why he is unhappy, except that he feels intensely frustrated.
There are two ironies in this poem. On first reading "Warren Pryor", the first irony is readily apparent; that
Warren neither enjoyed nor appreciated what his parents had done for him. The second and greater irony is
that while Warren's parents believe that they have sacrificed their own lives for the life of their son, it is
Warren himself who has made the greatest sacrifice. Without saying anything, he has traded a possible life
of fulfillment and satisfaction for the happiness of his parents.
Day Job and Night Job:
calico
1. (noun) a type of cotton cloth, typically plain white or unbleached.
2. (adjective) (of an animal, typically a cat) multicoloured or piebald.
serge
1. (noun) a durable twilled woollen or worsted fabric.
Bolt: A large roll of cloth of a definite length, especially as it comes from the loom
Chasten: To correct by punishment or reproof; take to task
to cause to be more humble or restrained
John Donne: (Lived between 24 January and 19 June 1572[1] – 31 March 1631) was an English
poet.
Christopher Marlowe[1] (26 February 1564 – 30 May 1593) was an English dramatist, poet
and translator of the Elizabethan era.
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet.
Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963) was an American poet. His work
was initially published in England before it was published in America.
Interview:
My life, by comparison, was thoroughly devoid of cachet. I went to college a mile from my house,
worked at a dry goods warehouse downtown for four hours every afternoon, drove home for
dinner, and did a bit of class work till eight o’clock. Then, four nights a week, I drove to my
overnight job, where I tended a bedridden retired man, a job I held for five years.
Could a life so mundane and stultifying be made into poems, I wondered. It didn’t seem so. It
seemed more likely to keep me from writing at all. But the aesthetic question stuck in my head as
something to continue thinking about. As I came to find out, a lot of other poets, before and since,
have thought about it too.
How many revisions did this poem undergo? How much time elapsed between the first and final
drafts?
Gawd, I don’t know. It seems to me like I worked on this poem forever. It began, if I remember
right, as blank verse, and I put it through a good number of drafts that way, probably about
twenty. At that time, with blank verse, I was writing about that many drafts to set a preliminary
version, a version that allowed me to see the issues, shape, and direction of the poem. But the
conversational tone of the blank verse wasn’t working and I couldn’t figure out where the poem
wanted to go. When I tried it in iambic tetrameter—to speed it up and move it further away from
talk and closer to lyric—it started to have more energy. And there it sat for a couple of years, as
an unfinished draft in a folder.
Could you talk about fact and fiction and how this poem negotiates the two?
This poem is true to fact. What the poem leaves out, though, is the anguish and anger,
uncertainty and fear of that time of my life. That seems right to me now. Who cares that an
eighteen-year-old boy was all those predictable things? One little prevarication is that I didn’t
really appreciate Emily Dickinson’s vast intelligence and artistry till much later. At the time, I was
too repelled by the cutsey poems I’d been taught in high school… But at the time I wrote the
poem, I was, as I remain, in awe at the range and complexity of her thinking.