Objectives for Unit at a glance:
2. Apply pre-reading strategies to aid comprehension:
 access prior knowledge
 preview
 predict with support
 set a purpose for reading
*3. Apply during reading strategies to monitor comprehension:
 visualize
 infer
 question the text
 paraphrase
 summarize
*4. Apply post reading skills to comprehend, interpret, analyze and evaluate text:
 identify and explain the relationship between the main idea and supporting details
 question to clarify
 reflect
 draw conclusions
 paraphrase
 summarize
5. Compare, contrast, analyze and evaluate connections:
 text to text (information and relationships in various fiction and non-fiction texts)
 text to self (text ideas and own experiences)
 text to world (text ideas and the world by analyzing and evaluating the relationship between literature
and its historical period and culture)1
7. Analyze and evaluate an author’s use of literary techniques in poetry, fiction and non-fiction (as
applicable to unit selections):
 irony
 imagery
 repeated sound, line or phrase (rhyme scheme and meter)
 simile
 metaphor
 onomatopoeia
 alliteration
 personification
 hyperbole
 idiom
 symbolism
 jargon
 dialect
 slang
 understatement
 allusion
 analogy
 parallelism
 paradox
 satire
 euphemism
8. Use details from text to analyze character motivation and identify character types using direct and indirect
characterization:
 round
 flat
 dynamic
 static
9. Use details from text to analyze conflict and setting and their impact on character and mood.
10. Use details from text to analyze point of view:
 first person
 third person limited
 third person omniscient
 reliability of narrator
*11. Use details from text to analyze a theme across genres.
*12. Use details from text to analyze and evaluate an author’s tone, diction and purpose on the overall
meaning of the work.
13. Use details from informational and persuasive texts to:
 analyze and evaluate the organizational patterns
 identify and analyze faulty reasoning and unfounded inferences
 evaluate proposed solutions
 evaluate for accuracy and adequacy of evidence
 analyze and evaluate the type of appeal (emotional, ethical and logical)
 evaluate effect of tone on the overall meaning of work
 analyze and evaluate point of view
 analyze and evaluate author’s viewpoint/perspective
*14. Apply the Six Traits of Writing (Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, Conventions)
and the steps of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, publishing) to compose a variety
multi-paragraph of texts, including:
 narrative
 expository
 literary analysis (emphasis on symbol, theme or another literary device)
 persuasive
 poetry
 reflections

Research-based literary analysis is required, plus two additional choice pieces.
17. Revise written work for VOICE, audience, purpose and point of view:
 humor
 sarcasm
 exaggeration
 understatement
 dialogue
 tone
 inner thought
 rhetorical devices
19. Revise written work for WORD CHOICE:
 precise and vivid language
 imagery
 figurative language
 diction
 active voice
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Essential Questions for the Unit
What is it like to be involved in war?
What does war look like?
How is the reality of war different/similar to our perceptions of war?
In what instances is war justified and who does it benefit?
What impact does war have on individuals and society?
How is our perception of war shaped by the media?
What types of battles do we individually face?
Unit: War
Day 1: Getting ready for war and plunging into poetry
Unit Specific Objectives Met:
7. Analyze and evaluate an author’s use of literary techniques in poetry, fiction and non-fiction:
 imagery
 sound, line or phrase (rhyme scheme and meter)
 metaphor
 symbolism
*14. Apply the Six Traits of Writing (Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence
Fluency, Conventions) and the steps of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising,
editing, publishing) to compose a variety multi-paragraph of texts, including:
 poetry
 reflections
*11. Use details from text to analyze a theme across genres.
*12. Use details from text to analyze and evaluate an author’s tone, diction and purpose on the
overall meaning of the work.
Materials:
 Bunches of small toys—moving ones best and ones that can get stepped on
 Bunches of “blind folds” or handkerchiefs
 “What is a Ball Turret” video
 Another video showcasing war
 Worksheet for “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner”
 Worksheet for “Monsoon Season” ? (for Tony’s honor’s kids?)
Essential Question(s):
 What is it like to be involved in war?
 What does war look like?
 How is the reality of war different/similar to our perceptions of war?
Student Assessment:
 Students will be assessed at a later date over their writer’s notebook reflections.
 Students will be assessed over the successful completion of their worksheet(s).
Opening Structure:
 Create a quick brainstorm about “war.” If kids don’t start spitting out ideas, guide them
into thinking about war movies, general attitudes held about war, current wars, etc.
 Show video showcasing war
 Prompt for WNs: Take a moment (5-10 minutes) to write in your WN about war. We’re
going to doing this as a looping activity. Does everyone remember that? For those of
you who don’t, you start writing and then I stop you. You re-read and circle an idea,
phrase, piece of your free-writing that you want to run with further. Then you start our
next loop with that piece. We’ll repeat the process a couple of times.
Mini Lesson:
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Many of us have no real concept of what real war is like. We’ve just seen some images
and gotten some ideas, but in the end, we only know what we’ve heard or seen.
For this next unit, the idea is to try and see more about war. We’re going to do this by
looking at a specific novel and some poetry.
Today, we’re going to drop you into the thick of things. First, we’re going to try a war
simulation. This will help give us a concept of what war can be like, the not knowing,
the not seeing, the fear and adrenaline. When we are finished, I’ll ask that you reflect
in your WNs and then we’ll look at a real writer.
Play war simulation game:
o Move desks along wall, leaving the center of the room completely open.
o Have students pair up. One person in the pair is blindfolded. The other is not.
They are placed on opposite sides of the room. (for inter-class warfare, number
off and mix up “teams” from the classes. This will add to confusion and hectic
nature.)
o Then place in the middle of the floor toys—which represent mines.
o The Object—the one partner (not blindfolded) must direct his/her partner
through the mine field when you say go. The difficulty lies in the fact that the
other partner is blind (much like our soldiers were in Vietnam) and that it will be
challenging to key in on their partner’s voice while so many others are talking
and directing their partners.
Now go to your WNs and reflect. What came up for you? What do you think?
As we begin this unit I want you to be thinking about just what war is and to make that
easier, we’re going to take a look at a war piece. (give out copy of poem/worksheet)
Before we read, let’s get some background knowledge going. This poem is about a ball
turret gunner. It is one of the most famous poems from WWII. Check out this quick
video to activate your BK.
Show moviemaker vid. “What is a Ball Turret?”
Now let’s look at the poem and listen. As we listen, I want you to annotate what you’re
reading.
Discuss questions on worksheet and the poem at large.
Assign the remaining worksheet for homework.
Work Time:
 Students will complete their WN entries and the worksheet.
Debrief:
 As you’re already noticing, war is complicated. This next unit will be a chance to look at
that. Be ready to take risks and think hard.
Homework:
 Finish the worksheet.
REFLECTION
How did it go? What would I do differently next time?
1
Needs major
overhaul.
2
OK but not as strong
as this needs to be.
3
Overall lesson concept
solid but some kinks
to work out.
4
Powerful teaching and
learning happened
today!
Randall Jarrell’s “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner”
War can be callous and cold and sometimes one image can define a war. Randall Jarrell’s poem, “The Death
of the Ball Turret Gunner” is one such poem. Written in 1945, it is often hailed as one of the most famous
poems that stem from WWII. Having watched the video, you know have some good BK going. Take a minute
to read and annotate the poem below and then answer the questions. When you’re finished, we’ll discuss.
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner
From my mother's sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
1. Looking at the first line, what is the poet implying in the phrase “from my mother’s sleep”?
2. How do we know that the speaker didn’t enter the army on the basis of a rational decision? (Line 1).
3. What mood is created by the contrast of “from mother’s sleep” and “into the State?”
4. “Belly” in line 2 of the poem can be read on two levels. What is the literal meaning? What is the
metaphorical meaning?
5. What is the speaker’s wet fur? Why do you think he compares himself to an animal?
6. Looking at lines 3-4, what it the poet trying to express? (Use your schema and the words to make
inferences).
7. Focus on the last line, what statement about war is being made? Explain. (Tone)
Quick Reflect: After reading the poem, what immediate thoughts do you have? Note them below.
Yosef Komunyakaa’s “Monsoon Season”
Memories of violence last far longer than the physical pain. Sometimes the most common things—a
leaf, a breeze, a drop of rain—can trigger those memories and bring seemingly forgotten experiences
back to life.
“Monsoon Season” is about our U.S. soldiers fighting the ground war during the Vietnam conflict—and
the conditions that they had to contend with: moist, hot, tropical climates, extensive jungles and
mountains, and the ever-present threat of an often invisible enemy. And then there were the
monsoons—year-round winds bringing torrents of seemingly unending rain in the hot summer and cool
winter.
“Monsoon Season”
5
10
15
20
25
A river shines in the jungle’s
wet leaves. The rain’s finally
let up but whenever wind shakes
the foliage it starts to fall.
The monsoon uncovers troubled
seasons we tried to forget.
Dead men slip through bad weather,
stamping their muddy boots to wake us,
their curses coming easier.
There’s a bend in everything,
in elephant grass & flame trees,
raindrops pelting the sand-bagged
bunker like a muted gong.
White phosphorus° washed from the air,
wind sways with violet myrtle,°
beating it naked. Soaked to the bone,
jungle rot brings us down to earth.
We sit in our hooches°
with too much time,
where grounded choppers
can’t fly out the wounded.
Somewhere nearby a frog
begs a snake.
I try counting droplets,
stars that aren’t in the sky.
My poncho feels like a body bag.
I lose count. Red leaves
whirl by, the monsoon
unburying the dead.
Phosphorus = A highly
reactive, poisonous,
nonmetallic element
occurring naturally in
phosphates, especially
apatite, and existing in
three allotropic forms,
white (or sometimes
yellow), red, and black.
Myrtle = shrub of
southern Europe having
evergreen leaves,
fragrant white flowers,
and aromatic berries.
Hooch = a dwelling,
usually a thatched hut.
1. What’s happening in the poem? Summarize what the soldiers are doing.
2. How would you characterize the speaker’s mood? Cite passages to support your opinion.
Mood: _________________________
Lines that convey mood: __________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3. What are the “troubled/seasons we tried to forget” (lines 5–6)?
My inference is . . .
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. What specifically triggers the speaker’s memory of past experiences?
My inference is . . .
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. When the speaker says “I lose count” (line 27), what does he explicitly say he is
counting? What does he imply he has been counting?
He says he is counting _______________________, but he implies that he has been
counting ______________________________.
6. Poets frequently use symbols—persons, places, things, or events that have meaning in
themselves but also stand for something more. In the passage “somewhere nearby a frog
begs a snake,” what might the frog and snake symbolize?
My inference is . . .
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Unit: War
Day 2: The “Game” Lesson plan (pg.975 in text by Barthelme)—Today we start 4 in 4
Unit Specific Objectives Met:
2. Apply pre-reading strategies to aid comprehension:
 access prior knowledge
 preview
 predict with support
 set a purpose for reading
*3. Apply during reading strategies to monitor comprehension:
 visualize
 infer
 question the text
 paraphrase
 summarize
*4. Apply post reading skills to comprehend, interpret, analyze and evaluate text:
 identify and explain the relationship between the main idea and supporting details
 question to clarify
 reflect
 draw conclusions
 paraphrase
 summarize
7. Analyze and evaluate an author’s use of literary techniques in poetry, fiction and non-fiction
(as applicable to unit selections):
 repeated sound, line or phrase (rhyme scheme and meter)
 symbolism
*11. Use details from text to analyze a theme across genres.
*12. Use details from text to analyze and evaluate an author’s tone, diction and purpose on the
overall meaning of the work.
*14. Apply the Six Traits of Writing (Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence
Fluency, Conventions) and the steps of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising,
editing, publishing) to compose a variety multi-paragraph of texts, including:
 reflections
Materials:
 Building Background Knowledge (BBK) videos—“A Day in the Life” and “The Day the
Russians Almost Started a Nuclear War”
 BBK song—“Guten Abend, gut Nacht”
 “Game” handout/worksheet/reading guide (whatever you want to call it)
 Optional: Found Poetry Handout
Essential Question(s):
 What is it like to be involved in war?
 What does war look like?
 What impact does war have on individuals and society?
 How is our perception of war shaped by the media?
 What types of battles do we individually face?
Student Assessment:
 At a later date, students will be assessed on their successful completion of the WN.
 Students will be assessed based on their completion of the “Game” handout.
Opening Structure:
 Today we’re going to continue building our WN for this unit. We’re also going to start a
new regular activity: The four in four. Yesterday, we read an amazing five line poem.
Today, we’re going to try to replicate that. The four in four is a four minute writing time
in which you will write a four line poem. Obviously, our subject for this unit is war, but
the subject of your “4 in 4” is up to you. All that has to happen is you write four lines of
poetry in four minutes. Get started!
 As students are writing their 4 in 4 circulate to give quick points. Just mark the ones
who are not writing.
 How did that feel? Anyone want to share? This is something we’re going to make a
habit of so when you next come to class, be ready to do a 4 in 4.
Mini Lesson:
 Alright, now let’s shift gears a bit. Who wants to play a game? I’m tired of teaching, and I
think we should just play a game today. Who’s in? Don’t you even want to know what the
game is? It doesn’t matter? What if the game is Russian Roulette? Or who can come the
closest to a moving bus? Anyone in for those games? Yet so many of you raised your
hands to play a game! Why? Because of the word “game.” Game is just a positive word.
 (Distribute handout) Game can mean many things, though. Think about it. Let’s take
another example: the word “watch.” Watch could be a time piece, the verb meaning to
observe, a person whose job it is to look out, etc. What about “game”? Jot down on the
top of this WS what game could mean? Ponder all of the possibilities. Think of what it
might mean even to different people: a child, an athlete, a daredevil, a hunter? (play
“Guten Abend, gut Nacht.” while the kids are writing)
 Take roll – cue video – partner share – class share
 Today we are going to be reading a story called “Game.” When we are finished, I will want
you to respond in writing about the title. As you read, ask yourself why this story is called
Game.
 Before we read, though, we need to build your background information. This story takes
place during the Cold War more than likely, when Nuclear Bomb fears were at their height.
In the fifties, people had their own bomb shelters and launching sites were hidden into the
mountains and deserts out West. Check out this video…It’s from the Eighties, but it’s a day
in the life of two men just like the ones we’ll read about today. (Show the first video “A Day
in the Life”)
 Take a moment now and let’s talk about what we just saw. (informal discussion, but
possible topics appear below)
o Pulling an alert means spending 24 hours in a space no bigger than a living room.
o Why is there a nuclear missile silo 60 feet underground in North Dakota? Why so far
down, and why there?
o What are “critical components”?
o The food during alert “never varies” and will make you balloon up.
o Do a lot of reading – sometimes it’s real boring.
What if they lost communication with the people up top? How might that affect
their job? What if their relief didn’t come? What would they do?
So what would happen if they actually launched a nuclear weapon? As you ponder, let’s
watch another video of a day when that almost happened. (play “The Day the Russians
Almost Started a Nuclear War” video).
Now I want you to take a minute to go into your WNs and write. What kind of threat are
nukes these days? If you’ve been keeping up with the news you know that there have been
some heavy discussions on that topic lately. What do you think? Think about what we saw
in both the videos and take a moment to write.
Obviously, you know by now that this work is to build background and it’s no accident that
what we’re reading today is related to this idea of nuclear war.
Now it’s time to get ready to read. Turn to page 975 in your books. Take a pencil and
number your paragraphs. As we read, I want you to write down lines that stand out for
you. Be sure to note the paragraph number they come from. These can be any line.
Let’s look at the example I pulled for you. It’s on page 975 in yellow.
Now let’s read! As we read, I’ll pause in between each paragraph so that you can catch
your breath, and we can check for comprehension. Don’t forget, you’re marking down the
lines that really catch your attention. (make sure to start and play the lullaby during the last
paragraph of the text).
o
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Work Time:
 Read and discuss as you go. Students will complete the handout. See below for
possible ideas to highlight:
o Paragraph one and two –
 point of view
 the game of jacks
 possible character inferences
o Paragraph three  console – bird flies – insert keys – under ground – certain events – fail
safe
 133 days?
 strangely?
o Paragraph four –
 Does Shotwell know about the narrator’s other gun?
 ruse – synonym for “Game” – ah, the title…be thinking about that
question
 repetition of the last line – I heart this – see his love of language –
beautiful – that, my friends, is mellifluous don’t say that – it might give
them too much for the test on Friday
o Paragraph five and six –
 What are ways that they have relaxed in their 133 days?
 weird that he brought jacks
 I really like the simplicity of the six paragraph – I’m going to write that
line down
o Paragraph seven –
 what lucid details: name of text book, walls, pen color, one third of his
attention (I heart this too)
o Paragraph eight –
why have they been down there so long? what are the possibilities? tie
in with title?
 food details – we were grossed out just watching that guy for one day
 pale green walls
 What are some things that Shotwell says/does that help you measure his
sanity? The POV from our narrator is askew, so we can’t trust his
assessment of Shotwell? What does Shotwell do/say that clues you in to
his character? (like Shotwell picking the locks of the attaché case – is
that sane?)
o Paragraph nine –
 what’s is up with Lucy? who is she? how does that add to the story?
 Shotwell in a black speedo trying to stretch so far to reach both key
slots?
 Who had already envisioned a guy trying to stretch the distance?
o Paragraph ten and eleven
 lots of repetitions in these paragraphs – any ones that stand out?
 any new ones – what about the “stolidly he shucks” one?
 love that … “rattles them suggestively”
o Paragraph twelve -- start the lullaby and let it play while you finish
 What “overture” did Shotwell make?
 What did he ask the narrator to do?
 What does this tell you about Shotwell?
 The narrator says he’ll acquiesce if Shotwell will allow him to play with
the jacks. What does that tell you about the narrator’s character?
 Thus, what theme is Barthelme trying to portray as a result of this final
quid pro quo?
Optional: If time or maybe for honors, discuss creating a found poem using the words
from this piece that students have culled. Pass out the “Found Poetry” handout and
discuss what it means. Have students complete the poem in their WNs.


Debrief:
 Hopefully today you saw just how important words and associations are to a piece of
writing. I hope you also added another layer of meaning to your thoughts on the issues
of war. We’ll be continuing to ravel this thread in the next few weeks.
Tomorrow’s Preview/Purpose:
 Next up—getting and starting our novel!
Homework:
 None.
REFLECTION
How did it go? What would I do differently next time?
1
Needs major
overhaul.
2
OK but not as strong
as this needs to be.
3
Overall lesson concept
solid but some kinks
to work out.
4
Powerful teaching and
learning happened
today!
“Game” – Donald Barthelme
NAME______________________________
What is game?
quotes that appeal to you
cool diction or syntax
something that’s been repeated
clues you in to something
makes you giggle
it’s just cool man
…whatever.
Why is this short story titled “Game”?
As we read the story, underline passages, words combinations, phrases, and words that stand out to you. After you’ve
finished with and reflected on the story, transfer ten of those lines to this paper.
0. “If I behave strangely Shotwell is supposed to shoot me” (par. 3)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Other phrases/words:
Found Poetry
Tonight in your writer’s notebook, I want you to construct a Found Poem—where you are selecting words from the original piece
You simply select and combine memorable words and phrases from a text to create or "find" a poem. In doing so, it challenges yo
to look closely at the words and see how authors use them in a piece.
To create a Found Poem:
o Decide what focus you want for the poem: mood, development of character, theme?
o Select words and phrases that relate to your focus and write them down.
o Combine the words and phrases you have written into poetic form (lines and stanzas).
o Reduce these lines, if necessary, to create a more concise and focused poem.
o You cannot add words to your poem that are not in the original, but you may remove words and change the
original context of the words to create your poem.
o You may repeat key words and phrases for emphasis.
Model of a Found Poem
Excerpt from “Where Are You Going, Where Have
Found Poem—using words from original excerpt
You Been”
"Can'tcha read it?" He opened the door very carefully, as if he were
In his glasses—
afraid it might fall off. He slid out just as carefully, planting his feet
the tiny metallic world,
firmly on the ground, the tiny metallic world in his glasses slowing
down like gelatine hardening, and in the midst of it Connie's bright
Connie’s blouse,
green blouse. "This here is my name, to begin with, he said. ARNOLD
and tarlike black letters—
FRIEND was written in tarlike black letters on the side, with a drawing
a secret code.
of a round, grinning face that reminded Connie of a pumpkin, except it
wore sunglasses. "I wanta introduce myself, I'm Arnold Friend and
that's my real name and I'm gonna be your friend, honey, and inside
the car's Ellie Oscar, he's kinda shy." Ellie brought his transistor radio
up to his shoulder and balanced it there. "Now, these numbers are a
secret code, honey," Arnold Friend explained. He read off the numbers
33, 19, 17 and raised his eyebrows at her to see what she thought of
that, but she didn't think much of it. The left rear fender had been
smashed and around it was written, on the gleaming gold background:
DONE BY CRAZY WOMAN DRIVER. Connie had to laugh at that. Arnold
Friend was pleased at her laughter and looked up at her. "Around the
other side's a lot more —you wanta come and see them?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Why should I?"
"Don'tcha wanta see what's on the car? Don'tcha wanta go for a
ride?"
"I don't know."
"Why not?"
"I got things to do."
"Like what?"
"Things."
He laughed as if she had said something funny. He slapped his
thighs. He was standing in a strange way, leaning back against the car
as if he were balancing himself. He wasn't tall, only an inch or so taller
than she would be if she came down to him. Connie liked the way he
was dressed, which was the way all of them dressed: tight faded jeans
stuffed into black, scuffed boots, a belt that pulled his waist in and
showed how lean he was, and a white pull-over shirt that was a little
soiled and showed the hard small muscles of his arms and shoulders.
He looked as if he probably did hard work, lifting and carrying things.
Even his neck looked muscular. And his face was a familiar face,
somehow: the jaw and chin and cheeks slightly darkened because he
hadn't shaved for a day or two, and the nose long and hawklike,
sniffing as if she were a treat he was going to gobble up and it was all
a joke.
“I’m gonna be your friend,
honey.”
He raised his eyebrows
and looked up at her.
“You wanta come.”
His face—slightly darkened—
the nose—long and hawklike,
sniffing as if she were a treat
he was going to gobble up.
Standing in a strange way,
leaning back against the car,
he laughed,
“I’m gonna be your friend,
honey, and a lot more.”
“Don’tcha wanta go for a ride?”
Unit: War
Day 3: Previewing and Beginning The Things They Carried
Unit Specific Objectives Met:
2. Apply pre-reading strategies to aid comprehension:
 access prior knowledge
 preview
 predict with support
 set a purpose for reading
*4. Apply post reading skills to comprehend, interpret, analyze and evaluate text:
 identify and explain the relationship between the main idea and supporting details
 question to clarify
 reflect
 draw conclusions
 paraphrase
 summarize
Materials:
 Copies for students of The Things They Carried
 2 video clips (Chapter 1 and 2 of this link):



http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frol02p399&continuous=1
Powerpoint
Packet of reference (definitions and other terms from the text)
Optional: Reading Guide worksheet for previewing and beginning chapter 1
Essential Question(s):
 What is it like to be involved in war?
 What does war look like?
 How is the reality of war different/similar to our perceptions of war?
 What impact does war have on individuals and society?
Student Assessment:
 Students will be assessed at a later date over the completion of various activities in their
WNs.
 Optional: Students will be assessed over their completion of a reading guide sheet for
chapter 1.
Opening Structure:
 Have kids start off with a 4 in 4 (four lines of poetry in 4 minutes). Tell them to write
about whatever.
 While doing this, please distribute TTTC carried books to students.
Mini Lesson:
 For the past few days we have looked at the psychology of war. Yesterday’s short story
really showed the insanity of war. As we move to our novel, we are going to continue on
with that journey.








I would like you to spend a few minutes brainstorming the thoughts you think soldiers
carry with them on a day-to-day basis. (Distribute The Things They Carried Response
sheet. Have students fill out question #1. Discuss this question with the class.)
Before we start the story, let’s take a look at the psychological impact of war. We know
that countless soldiers are coming home with Post Tramautic Stress Disorder, but we
don’t know what it is like to live in a life-or-death situation 24 hours a day. This PBS
video will let you see how our soldiers are prepared for war and what happens when
this preparation isn’t enough. (These videos should be able to be shown at school.
o First video
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frol02p399&
continuous=1 (Go to Chapter 1 Homecoming. Show 1:57-5:39. It begins with
“A Soldier’s Heart” as the title screen and ends with “Little did I know it worked
itself up to the surface when I came home” as the soldier’s words).
o
Second Video
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frol02p399&
continuous=1 (Go to Chapter 2 on The Psychological Impact of War (This clip
continues the video—discussing the psychology of war. It is a 14 minute clip. I
plan on showing it all; however, preview it in advance and decide to show what
you want. 7:22 is a natural stopping point if you want to shorten the lesson.)
After kids finish watching, ask them to fill out question #2.
While the clips we have been watching are about current wars, we now need to take a
step back for the war we will be covering in our novel: Vietnam. We need to look at the
memories those troops carried home.
Show Power Point. Fill out question 3.
Today we are going to embark on our journey in reading one of the most famous
Vietnam pieces The Things They Carried. Tim O’Brien’s fictional account is a selection of
woven short stories cataloguing the multitude of emotions facing our troops; the stories
convey the many items—literal and figurative that our soldiers carry while overseas.
O’Brien uses strong language to convey the REALISM of the war. Have a talk with
them about the curt nature of the book and the realism of the language.
When we read it, know that it reflects the gravity of the situation. Pass out military
abbreviation codes, allusion, and definition sheet. Tell kids to use these sheets as
a reference.
Start reading chapter 1, stopping at key junctures…Decide what you will do with cuss
words while reading.
After paragraph 1, ask …If you could only carry one picture with you to war, which one?
Why? Fill out question #4. After reading some more…What is the heaviest ITEM
these soldiers carry? Why?
Work Time:
 Assign kids pages 1-16 to read tonight (stopping in the middle of the page at “they
would never be at a loss for things to carry”) and instruct them to answer the last
question on the worksheet.
Debrief:
 Hopefully you’ve gotten a little taste of what’s to come. It is my hope that you will
enjoy finally being able to read a text for enjoyment. As we continue to read, we will
enjoy and reflect on O’Brien’s style as a writer in order to emulate that style for our
own.
Tomorrow’s Preview/Purpose:
 Tomorrow we’ll finish the chapter and begin writing!
Homework:
 Finish the reading guide sheet.
REFLECTION
How did it go? What would I do differently next time?
1
Needs major
overhaul.
2
OK but not as strong
as this needs to be.
3
Overall lesson concept
solid but some kinks
to work out.
4
Powerful teaching and
learning happened
today!
Name: ________________________________
Hour: ____________
The Things They Carried Response Sheet
1. Brainstorm what THOUGHTS soldiers carry with them on a day-to-day basis while in the battlefield.
2. From a psychological standpoint, what should we be doing for our soldiers while deployed?
From a psychological standpoint, what should we be doing for our soldiers when they return home?
3. From the Power Point, what image moved you the most? Why?
4. After paragraph 1, respond to this prompt: If you could only carry one picture with you to war, which
one would it be? Why? Give me sensory details to help the picture come to life in my mind.
5. After reading pages 1-16, discuss what the heaviest ITEM these soldiers carry is (doesn’t have to be
literal weight). Why do you feel this way?
The Things They Carried—Important Terms Defined
Alphabet Soup of the Military
AO - area(s) of operation
A&W - fast food place
AWOL - absent without leave
ARVN - Army of Vietnam
C rations - box lunch
CID - criminal investigation division
Claymore - a mine packed with steel pellets
CO status - conscientious objector status
CS - tear gas
DDT - bug killer
dink(s) - derogatory term for a Vietnamese
DNA - basic building block of the body
dustoff - medical evacuation, or medevac; also any helicopter pickup
E-6 - non-commissioned officer, 6th level; sergeant (army)
EM - enlisted man
GI - Government Issue, another name for a soldier
HE - high explosive rounds
KIA - killed in action
LBJ - Lyndon Baines Johnson, US president from 1963-1969
LP - listening post
LSA(oil) - oil used on rifles and light machinery
Lt - lieutenant
LZ Gator - landing zone named Gator
M&M's - comic slang for medical supplies
MIA - missing in action
MP - military police
MPC - military payment certificates, payment instead of dollars
P 38 - small can opener, can be put on a key chain
PF - popular force; So. Vietnamese militiaman
PFC - private 1st class
PRC 25 - portable radio-telephone
Psy Ops - psychological warfare operations
R&R - rest and recreation
RF - regional force; So Vietnamese regional force
RPG's - rocket propelled grenade
RTO - radiotelephone operator
SEATO - Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
Sin Loi - Vietnamese for "Sorry about that."
SOP - standard operating procedure
USO - Uniformed Services Organization, entertained the troops
VC - Viet Cong, a South Vietnamese who collaborated with the North
Additional definitions and allusions in The Things They Carried
a couple of klicks Two kilometers.
Abbie Hoffman (1936–1989) A countercultural icon of the 1960s, Abbie Hoffman was successful at turning many flower children into
political activists.
Air Medal A U.S. military decoration awarded for meritorious achievement during participation in aerial operations.
air strikes Air attacks on a ground or naval target.
AK-47 Basic infantry weapon of the NVA and Viet Cong.
American Legion An organization of veterans of the armed forces of the U.S., founded in 1919.
AO Area of operations.
Army Commendation Medal Awarded to any member of the Armed Forces of the U.S., other than general officers, who, while serving
in any capacity after December 6, 1941, distinguished himself by heroism, meritorious achievement or meritorious service.
arty Artillery.
ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam (Army of S. Vietnam).
AWOL Absent without leave.
Bao Dai (1913–1997, meaning "Keeper or Preserver of Greatness") Bao Dai was the last of the Nguyen Emperors.
bivouacked Encamped in the open, with only tents or improvised shelter.
bodybag A rubberized bag sealed with a zipper, used for transporting a dead body from a war zone, accident, etc.
Bonnie and Clyde A 1967 film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway about the criminal pair of lovers.
boonies Boondocks; hinterland.
bouncing Betty An explosive that propels upward from the ground and then detonates.
Bronze Star A U.S. military decoration awarded for heroic or meritorious achievement or service in combat not involving aerial flight.
buck sergeant stripes Embroidered patches sewn on to uniforms to signify the enlisted army rank, also known as E5.
C rations A canned ration used in the field in World War II.
C-130 (Hercules) Aircraft that primarily performs the tactical portion of an airlift mission. It can operate from rough dirt strips and is the
prime transport for airdropping troops and equipment into hostile areas.
carhop A waiter or, especially, a waitress who serves food to customers in cars at a drive-in restaurant.
Charlie Cong Viet Cong.
chopper A helicopter.
Chu Lai Site where many troops were stationed.
CID Criminal Investigation Department.
Claymore antipersonnel mine An antipersonnel mine that scatters shrapnel in a particular, often fan-shaped, area when it explodes.
CO Conscientious objector. A designation for legal exemption from military combat service due to moral or personal ideological conflict.
Cobras A type of helicopter used to attack enemy troops.
Cold War Hostility and sharp conflict as in diplomacy and economics between states, without actual warfare.
Combat Infantryman's Badge An award designed for enlisted men and below who have served in active combat zones.
cooze A derogatory name for a woman.
culottes A woman's or girl's garment consisting of trousers made full in the legs to resemble a skirt.
Da Nang Seaport in central Vietnam, on the South China Sea; many battalions were stationed there.
Darvon A white, crystalline, narcotic analgesic used for the alleviation of moderate pain.
DDT A powerful insecticide effective upon contact; its use is restricted by law due to damaging environmental effects.
defoliant A chemical substance that causes leaves to fall from growing plants.
di di mau A Vietnamese phrase meaning to move quickly.
Diem Ngo Dinh Diem (1901–1963), first president of South Vietnam (1955–1963).
dog tag A military identification tag worn about the neck.
dominoes Refers here to the "domino effect" or "domino theory," which was the prevalent course of foreign policy adopted by
the United States during the Cold War. The notion was that if one area or nation "fell" to Communist forces, that the
surrounding areas would also "fall" under Communist influences, like dominoes toppling over.
draft notice Official notice sent by the Selective Service System, informing a young man to report for an armed forces physical
exam. The first step to being drafed into the armed forces.
dustoff Medical evacuation by helicopter.
E-6 An enlisted man's grade.
EM Enlisted man.
entrenching tool A shovel-like tool, among its other uses, used to dig temporary fortifications such as foxholes.
F-4s Also called the Phantom II, a type of tactical fighter bomber widely used in the Vietnam War.
flak jacket A vestlike, bulletproof jacket worn by soldiers.
flashback A vivid, spontaneous recollection of a past experience.
48th Viet Cong Battalion One of the most effective Viet Cong military units.
foxhole A hole dug in the ground as a temporary protection for one or two soldiers against enemy gunfire or tanks.
FREE Designation written by servicemen in the upper-right corner of an envelope in place of stamps; soldiers were allowed to
mail items free of charge.
freedom bird Any aircraft which returned servicemen to the U.S.
Friar Tuck The religious leader of Robin Hood's gang of Merry Men, from the English folk tale, Robin Hood.
gangrene Decay of tissue in a part of the body when the blood supply is obstructed by injury or disease.
Gary Cooper (1901–1961) film actor characterized by a rugged masculine quality well known for his roles in Westerns such as
High Noon (1952). He also appeared in For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) and Sergeant York (1941).
Gene Autry (1907–1998) Western movie star known as the "Singing Cowboy."
Gene McCarthy (b. 1916) Eugene McCarthy, a World War II veteran, served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1948 to
1958 and the U.S. Senate from 1958 to 1968. In 1968, he ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, winning the New
Hampshire primary, a factor in Lyndon Johnson's decision not to seek re-election. McCarthy supported the Vietnam War at first,
voting in favor of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, but by 1968, he strongly opposed the war.
Geneva Accords Established in 1954, the Geneva Accords were rules which governed military action and treatment of
captured soldiers.
GI Member of the U.S. armed forces; especially an enlisted soldier.
Going After Cacciato Novel by O'Brien in which a private deserts his post in Vietnam, intent on walking 8,000 miles to Paris
for the peace talks. The remaining members of his squad are sent after him.
Good Conduct Medal A U.S. military decoration awarded for exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity.
gook Slang term for a person of East Asian descent, here meaning, specifically, a Vietnamese.
graduate school deferment Men in graduate school who maintained a high enough GPA (grade point average) could defer the
draft and remain in school in the U.S.
Green Beret A member of the Special Forces of the U.S. Army, the "Green Berets" (from the green beret worn as part of the
uniform).
grunt A U.S. infantryman.
Gulf of Tonkin Arm of the South China Sea between Hainan Island and the coasts of Southern China and Northern Vietnam.
Location where North Vietnamese forces attacked and sunk two American ships in 1964. Afterwards, Congress passed the Gulf
of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing military action in Southeast Asia.
Harmon Killebrew (b. 1936) a baseball player known as a power hitter who slugged home runs. He had a 22-year career with
Washington, Minnesota, and Kansas City.
HE High explosive.
heat tabs Fuel pellets used for heating C rations.
Highway 1 Major throughway for transportation through Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh (1890–1969; born Nguyen That Thanh) President of North Vietnam (1954–1969).
Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum Burial place of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese leader and first president of North Vietnam (1954 –1969).
His army was victorious in the French Indochina War (1946–1954), and he later led North Vietnam's struggle to defeat the U.S.supported government in South Vietnam.
hootch Military slang for a place to live in, specifically a shack or thatched hut, as in Vietnam.
Huck Finn Protagonist from the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain marked by his plucky and rebellious
spirit.
hump To travel on foot, especially when carrying and transporting necessary supplies for field combat.
If I Die in a Combat Zone Novel by O'Brien in which he recounts what it was like to be a foot soldier during the Vietnam War:
from his induction in Minnesota, to the horrors of boot camp, to the daily terrors of the Vietnam jungles.
illumination rounds Flares dropped from above or fired from the ground used to light up an area during darkn ess.
in the pink In good physical condition; healthy; fit.
jackknife A large pocketknife.
Jane Fonda (b. 1937) Actress and sex symbol who toured Vietnam in 1972; she became a vocal anti-war activist and was harshly
criticized by some veterans for her political position on the war.
jeez Euphemism for Jesus, used variously to express surprise, anger, annoyance and so on.
jingo A person who boasts of his patriotism and favors an aggressive, threatening, warlike foreign policy; chauvinist.
joss sticks Thin sticks of dried paste made of fragrant wood dust, a kind of incense.
Karl (Heinrich) Marx (1818–1883) German social philosopher and economist. Marx was the founder of modern socialism.
KIA Abbreviation for killed in action, to be killed in the line of duty.
LBJ Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) 36th president of the United States (1963–1969).
Lemon Tree A song popularized in the 1960s by folk music group Peter, Paul and Mary. The song tells of a father warning his son
about falling in love too deeply with a seemingly ideal girl, with the cautionary moral being that what appears sweet may actually be
sour.
listening post (LP) An advanced, concealed position near the enemy's lines, for detecting the enemy's movements by listening. Here,
a three-man post placed outside the barbed wire surrounding a firebase to detect enemy movement in order to warn and defend the
perimeter.
LZ Gator Landing zone south of Chu Lai.
M-16 The standard American rifle used in Vietnam after 1966.
M-60 American-made machine gun.
Mary Hopkins Folk singer from the mid-1960s whose hit single was "Those Were the Days" from the album Postcards.
medic A medical noncommissioned officer who gives first aid in combat; aidman; corpsman.
MIA Missing in action. A person in the armed forces who is lost during combat and who cannot be accounted for as a known
casualty.
mind trip Refers to a state of drug-altered reality.
MP Military Police.
My Khe A huge beach nestled between a forest and the Kinh River.
Nam Shorthand for the Vietnam War, used by soldiers and veterans.
napalm Sodium palmitate or an aluminum soap added to gasoline or oil to form a jellylike substance; used in flame throwers
and bombs.
National Guard In the U.S., the organized militia forces of the individual states, a component of the Army of the U.S. when
called into active federal service.
NCO Noncommissioned officer.
No Doz Caffeine pills used to keep one awake.
paddies Rice fields.
pagoda In India and the Far East, a temple in the form of a pyramidal tower of several stories, us ually an odd number,
commonly built over a sacred relic or as a work of devotion.
perimeter A boundary strip where defenses are set up.
PFC Abbreviation for Private First Class.
Phi Beta Kappa An honorary society of U.S. college students in liberal arts and sciences with high scholastic rank; a member
of this society.
platoon A military unit composed of two or more squads or sections, normally under the command of a lieutenant: it is a
subdivision of a company, troop, and so on.
Plato's Republic Central text of Western thought in which the Greek philosopher Plato outlines the construction of the ideal
political city and leader.
Poppa-san An old Vietnamese man.
puffery Exaggerated praise.
pull guard To be assigned to a sentinel shift, to keep watch.
Purple Heart A U.S. military decoration awarded to members of the armed forces wounded or killed in action by or against an
enemy: established in 1782 and re-established in 1932.
Quang Ngai City and province near Da Nang.
R & R Rest and recuperation, leave.
Radio Hanoi Like National Public Radio in the U.S., Radio Hanoi was a national radio broadcast. Jane Fonda spoke on Radio
Hanoi during her visit to Vietnam in 1972.
rear-echelon A subdivision of a military force, farthest from the enemy.
reserves Personnel or units in the armed forces not on active duty but subject to call; last resort troops, usually remained in the
U.S.
RFs, PFs Regional forces of S. Vietnam, also called Ruff-Puffs.
ribbons Strips of cloth, often of many colors, worn on the left breast of a military uniform to indicate an award of a decoration or
medal.
rigged mortar round A short-range weapon that fires a shell on a high trajectory.
RTO Radio telephone operator who carried a lightweight infantry field radio.
rucksack A kind of knapsack strapped over the shoulders.
Saigon's final collapse April 30, 1975, Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese Army, effectively the end of the Vietnam War. Saint
George Patron saint of England.
salt tabs Tablets made of salt that servicemen placed along the inside of their cheeks to forestall dehydration by hastening the
production of saliva.
SEATO Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (1955–1976).
seven honeys Seven medals.
shipped off to Japan To be sent to an American military hospital in Japan, usually for serious wounds.
shrapnel Any fragments scattered by an exploding shell or bomb.
Silver Star A U.S. military decoration in the form of a bronze star with a small silver star at the center, awarded for gallantry in action.
sin loi From Vietnamese, literally meaning excuse me, though servicemen came to understand the term as meaning too bad or tough
luck.
snipe hunt A futile search for something that does not exist.
sniper A soldier who shoots from a hidden position.
SOP Abbreviation for standard operating procedure.
Spec 4 Specialist Rank, having no command function; soldier who carries out orders.
stand-down A period of rest for combat soldiers during which they return to a base and halt all operations except security.
Starlight scope A night-vision telescope that enables a user to see in the dark.
Sterno Trademark for gelatinized methyl alcohol with nitrocellulose, sold in cans as a fuel for small stoves or chafing dishes.
summa cum laude With the greatest praise: a phrase signifying above-average academic standing at the time of graduation from a
college or university: the highest of three categories.
Than Khe (also Khe Sahn) A major battle in the Tet Offensive, the siege lasted well over a month in the beginning of 1968. Khe Sahn
was thought of as an important strategic location for both the Americans and the North Vietnamese. American forces were forced to
withdraw from Khe Sahn.
The Lone Ranger Famous cowboy hero and the star of first a radio show and then a television show in the 1940s and 1950s.
The Man Who Never Was (c. 1956) A movie which was a spy thriller about a World War II British spy trying to fool the Nazis into
believing false plans for a British invasion of Greece. His nemesis is a German spy who tries to verify the identity of the British corpse
on whom these false plans were planted.
The Stars and Stripes A newsletter-style publication produced for servicemen by the U.S. Army.
the Y Abbreviation for the Young Men's Christian Association. A social center for recreational activities.
Tot Dong Field in 1426 where the Vietnamese routed the Chinese. Two years later, the Chinese recognized Vietnam's independence.
tracer rounds A harmless projectile that lights a path for soldiers to aim projectile weaponry.
Tran Hung Dao Famous general who defeated two Mongol invasions in late thirteenth-century Vietnam.
trip flare A flare rigged to ignite when an intruder moves a thin wire hidden along the outside perimeter of a base or encampment
meant to signal the approach of enemy troops.
Trung sisters (d. 42 C.E.) Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, were daughters of a powerful Vietnamese lord who lived at the beginning of the
first century.
truth goose A fictitious story that feels as real as the truth.
tunnel complexes The use of tunnels by the Viet Cong as hiding places, caches for food and weapons, headquarter complexes and
protection against air strikes and artillery fire was a characteristic of the Vietnam war.
USO United Service Organizations, a civilian arm of the U.S. Army that offered diversions and entertainment for soldiers both on the
homefront and in active combat areas overseas.
USS Maddox American destroyer stationed in the Gulf of Tonkin.
VC Viet Cong.
Vietnam Campaign Medal Awarded to personnel who meet one of the following requirements: (1) served in Vietnam for six months
during the period of March 1, 1961 and March 28, 1973, (2) served outside Vietnam and contributed direct combat support to Vietnam
and Armed Forces for six months, or (3) six months service is not required for individuals who were wounded by hostile forces; killed in
action or otherwise in line of duty; or captured by hostile forces.
ville A small village or group of huts in rural Vietnam.
wheelchair wound A permanently debilitating wound, especially loss of limbs or wounds which would cause paralysis.
Willie Peter White phosphorus mortar or artillery rounds.
yellow mother To be a coward or have failure of nerve.
zapped Killed.
Unit: War
Day 4 (BLOCK DAY): Finishing TTTC Chapter 1 and drafting TTTC poems BLOCK DAY
Unit Specific Objectives Met:
*14. Apply the Six Traits of Writing (Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence
Fluency, Conventions) and the steps of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising,
editing, publishing) to compose a variety multi-paragraph of texts, including:
 narrative
 expository
 literary analysis (emphasis on symbol, theme or another literary device)
 persuasive
 poetry
 reflections
17. Revise written work for VOICE, audience, purpose and point of view:
 humor
 sarcasm
 exaggeration
 understatement
 dialogue
 tone
 inner thought
 rhetorical devices
19. Revise written work for WORD CHOICE:
 precise and vivid language
 imagery
 figurative language
 diction
 active voice
Materials:
 Brainstorming Sheet
 Teacher Model of filled in brainstorm sheet
 Teacher Models of final poem (Delcourt’s, Dwyer’s, Primeau’s, Vondera’s)
 Various Student Models of final poem (attached with names removed)
Essential Question(s):
 What is it like to be involved in war?
 What does war look like?
 How is the reality of war different/similar to our perceptions of war?
 In what instances is war justified and who does it benefit?
 What impact does war have on individuals and society?
 How is our perception of war shaped by the media?
 What types of battles do we individually face?
Student Assessment:
 Students will be assessed on the completion of the brainstorming sheet.
 Students will be assessed on the successful and thoughtful completion of the poem.
Opening Structure:
 Have students complete their daily 4 in 4.
 Discuss last night’s homework (if applicable)
 Finish reading chapter 1.
Mini Lesson (In Kerry’s words):
 Tell kids that today we are going to discuss the things they carry with them. None of us
are survivors of war but all of us are survivors of a multitude of moments—horrible
ones, moments of euphoria, bad breakups, nasty accidents, embarrassing spills, etc.
 The first thing we are going to do is take an inventory of what we carry—literally and
metaphorically. (I plan on spilling out the contents of my purse and/or backpack for the
kids to see). I will have a student write the items for me on a board. I don’t plan on
discussing why I carry these items, I just am listing them.
 I will have kids do the same on the brainstorm worksheet under the LITERAL category
(they can or cannot literally dump the items on their desk). I know this can infringe on
privacy and that we may find things we don’t want to. Have boys inventory their wallets
and their backpacks. They can even inventory their IPODs (what types of music do they
carry?)
 I then plan on listing on the board some FIGURATIVE items I carry with me. (My poem
will shed light on some of them).
 Have kids do the same on the brainstorm sheet. Model and write this with your kids or
use Dwyer’s model (attached).
 Let kids know that they will be taking their lists and turning them into a poem.
 Where to begin….Well, put a star by the items that matter the most…that weigh the
most. Continue to model.
o I then will model with a few of them how I feel about these items
 Example: Lip gloss.
 I carry around tons of tubes in a kaleidoscope of shades. I’m not sure
why; I don’t wear any of it. Maybe buying the tubes makes me feel like a
girl. Maybe, in weak moments, I’ve bought into the notion that I need to
shade my world in an array of pretty pinks. My heart tells me otherwise.
I don’t need society’s bull$*!+ about what I need to be accepted by men
or women for that matter. When I see lipstick on my friends, I want to
scrape it off. Until every damn speckle and piece of glitter is gone
IRREVOCABLY. I thought them to be too intelligent to be brainwashed by
society, too. I want them to show me the real side of themselves. I
want to see the crevices on their mountainous lips. I want to see the
flakes wisp away into the cold winter’s air. I want to see the suppleness.
I want to see the bite marks after a day when the world gives them hell.
I want the real them. Not some painted Barbie version. To others, it is
just lip gloss. To me, it is so much more. Yet, I carry it with me—day
after day.
o I plan on sharing my whole poem at this time. I will share student models as
well.
 Have kids pick 4 or 5 items (literal and figurative mix) to expand upon. Fill out the next
section of the brainstorm sheet. Feel free to show model.

Now it is time to figure out the best order of these “expanded” items. Write order on
the sheet.
Work Time:
 Allow time to draft in class; if they get done, have them peer edit one another’s poem.
Tell them the poem doesn’t have to fit any given format. It does not have to rhyme. It
just has to include some poetic devices (alliteration, theme, symbolism, similes,
metaphors, hyperbole, etc.) and it should really utilize VOICE and WORD CHOICE (see
objectives above).
 Tell students a clean, neat copy is due (choose date). I am giving extra credit if it is
typed.
 Be sure to assign chapters 2-3 for homework OR allow students to read at their own
pace and let them know they’ll be reading chapter 4 out loud in class tomorrow.
Debrief:
 Hopefully we’ve taken one more step into the shoes of others. The more we can
empathize, the better our reading and writing experience.
Tomorrow’s Preview/Purpose:
 Tomorrow we will continue to read our story and dig deeper into writing. Enjoy your
reading tonight!
Homework:
 Finishing drafts and reading chapters 2-3.
REFLECTION
How did it go? What would I do differently next time?
1
Needs major
overhaul.
2
OK but not as strong
as this needs to be.
3
Overall lesson concept
solid but some kinks
to work out.
4
Powerful teaching and
learning happened
today!
Name: _____________________________________________ Hour: _________
“The Things I Carry” Brainstorm Sheet
Items I literally carry (backpack, purse, wallet, etc.)
Items I figuratively carry (hope, worries, etc.)
*Go back and put a star by the 4-5 items that are heaviest for you to carry.
Now spend some time elaborating on these items (What do they mean to you? Why do you carry them? What emotions
are associated with them?)
Item 1: _____________________________________
Explanation of its importance: _________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Item 2: _____________________________________
Explanation of its importance: _________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Item 3: _____________________________________
Explanation of its importance: _________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Item 4: _____________________________________
Explanation of its importance: _________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Item 5: _____________________________________
Explanation of its importance: _________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Decide on the order that would be best for your poem
Item ________ _________ ________ __________ _________
The next step is to draft your poem. You must experiment with literary devices (alliteration, symbolism, hyperbole,
similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, etc.). Also, you must harness your own voice. The poem should sound like you.
Strive for the best word choices possible. Be honest. Also, experiment with punctuation.
Your poem is due tomorrow. It must be legible (extra credit if it is typed). This is a significant grade. Don’t let yourself
down.
TEACHER MODEL OF BRAINSTORM SHEET
Name: Wendy Dwyer
“The Things I Carry” Brainstorm Sheet
Items I literally carry (backpack, purse, wallet, etc.)
I don’t have a purse anymore…just a diaper bag or a
backpack…and, as you’ll see…it’s full of stuff
 Four books: The Things They Carried (required
reading), Dear John (student wants me to read…I’m
afraid), The Hunger Games (librarians and son want me
to read…sci-fi…I’m avoiding), and Mechanically
Inclined (stuffed full of all my paperwork—old grade
sheets, planning sheets, memos, stuff I need for work
like the book)
 My wallet: This is stuffed full of coupons (many
expired), old receipts, $3 cash (a rarity—I spend cash
quickly on food), church offering envelopes, discount
cards, gift cards, credit cards, debit cards, library cards,
insurance cards, pics of my kids much younger, pic of
Chase, checkbook, check register, old ticket stubs, lots
of junk I need to go through.
 My EOC notes folder: I was told to keep it on me at all
times.
 First Hour Lit Circle sheets and bookmarks from 3
weeks ago…I need to grade them.
 Graded Vocab sheets from over a month ago…I need
to just enter them in already…why haven’t I?
 Source grade sheets…some completed, some not.
Mid-quarter is nearing.
 Current grade sheet with lots of hand-written
grades…none entered on SIS…again, why? Attached to
it are wiki scoring guides, untouched.
 Paperclipped stack of absent work and revised
research papers…I really don’t want to touch
these…that’s why there were in the bottom.
 A recycled notebook for notes…duh 
 Planning materials for The Things They Carried,
surprisingly well-organized.
 My food for today: yogurt, fruitcup, microwave
container of leftovers from last night (tacos), and my
sprite bottle being re-used for water.
 A handful of paperclips, binder clips, and rubberbands
 Silverware: 5 forks (one clean for today) and 10
spoons…all pretty dirty…yuck, I know. This could
explain why we’re running low on spoons at my
house…
 Various snacks just in case: craisins (big and little
pack), raisin granola bar, 2 pieces of Disney candy
 Cell phone
 Assorted pens
 My keys: 2 rings in case I lock one in the car…
 My glasses (don’t really need unless my eyes are tired)
 Chapstick
Hour: Every One
Items I figuratively carry (hope, worries, etc.)
 Worry: that my kids are okay, that my house is too
dirty, that my husband is faithful (irrational selfconscious silliness), that my friends will still love me
even though I don’t always call or write, that I’m a
good enough mom, that I’m a good enough teacher,
that I am doing my job as a daughter, that my son will
grow up okay and stop lying, that my son feels
included
 Happiness: at my kid’s accomplishments, at their
smiles, at their giggles, at their stories, at their growing
up, at my husband’s love, at his consideration, at our
stability
 Damage: from failed relationships, from backstabbing
colleagues/friends/exs
 Feelings of inadequacy…wish I knew where these came
from so I could stop them!
 Love: for life, for my family, for my job, for just about
everything!
Considering these
as one item: school
stuff
*Go back and put a star by the 4-5 items that are heaviest for you to carry.
Now spend some time elaborating on these items (What do they mean to you? Why do you carry them? What emotions
are associated with them?)
Item 1: My Wallet
Explanation of its importance: My wallet is the one item, besides my cell phone and keys, that goes from diaper bag to
school bag. It is essential. It’s chock full of stuff I need. Without it, I would be naked. It is heavy to carry because it has
a lot of responsibility represented with it: money, time management, bargain shopping, money, did I mention money?
It stresses me out sometimes, but the wallet makes me feel in control if I can keep it neat and organized…right now it is
a mess…what does that tell you? More importantly, what does that tell me?
Item 2: My School Stuff
Explanation of its importance: This is my job. At times it becomes my life. It weighs me down a lot because I want to
make my students happy and take the best care of them, but I also want to make my family happy and take the best
care of them. I feel like the weight of this bag increases the weight of my worries with ever paper I add. If it’s not a
meeting, or planning, then it’s grading. I want to do it, but I also need to avoid it because if I avoid the problem, maybe
it will go away…this is of course ridiculous and not going to happen, but it is what I do nonetheless.
Item 3: My Worries
Explanation of its importance: I come from a family of worries and my husband is one, too. It seems to always be there.
Luckily, we worry about different things. I am just constantly worried that things are not going work or that people
don’t like me or that my kids are going to be hurt or unhappy or unsuccessful or whatever. Sometimes I feel like a big
bag of crazy. My worries seem to tie directly to my damage and feelings of inadequacy. Something I will have to explore
in my poem. It is heavy to worry because they are burdens and feelings that can’t seem to be alleviated. My worry
makes me tired, ages me, and contributes to a lot of my eating…which is a weight in and of itself…
Item 4: My Damage
Explanation of its importance: Part of the reason I worry and feel inadequate is due to the damage my little open heart
has received. I am one of those people who will give until I can’t anymore. I’ve always likened myself to a loyal dog. I
will keep sleeping at your feet even when you kick me. It takes awhile for me to learn to let go and some people in my
past life have worked hard to teach me to let go. Because of their hurt, I don’t always function normally in new
relationships. I have a harder time taking risks, and I over think things or get needlessly self-conscious. This makes me a
pitiful character to some and a pitiable character to others, but always, I’m a character…not necessarily a friend.
Item 5: My Feelings of Inadequacy
Explanation of its importance: My feelings of inadequacy are important because they propel me to work harder. If I
think I’m good enough, I stagnate. Since I rarely think I’m good enough, the inadequacy usually challenges me to be
more, do more, give more, try to impress. This grows heavy, too, though, because then people expect more from me
and I’m not always able to deliver and then I feel more inadequate! Vicious cycle.
Decide on the order that would be best for your poem
Item Damage, School Stuff, Worry, Wallet, Inadequacy
Drafting was done on computer…so I didn’t save revisions…sorry. Check out the final, though 
TEACHER MODELS OF POEM
The Things I Carry
by Kerry Delcourt (don’t be too depressed)
The things I carry define me—my former self, my current self, and the person I wish
to become
I carry around Lip gloss—aka Devil’s candy
I carry around tons of tubes in a kaleidoscope of shades
I’m not sure why; I don’t wear any of it
Maybe buying the tubes makes me feel like a girl
Maybe, in weak moments, I’ve bought into the notion that I need to shade my world in an array
of pretty pinks
My heart tells me otherwise
I don’t need society’s bull$*!+ about what I need to be accepted by men or women for that
matter
When I see lipstick on my friends, I want to scrape it off
Until every damn speckle and piece of glitter is gone IRREVOCABLY
I thought them to be too intelligent to be brainwashed by society, too
I want them to show me the real side of themselves
I want to see the crevices on their mountainous lips
I want to see the flakes wisp away into the cold winter’s air
I want to see the suppleness
I want to see the bite marks after a day when the world gives them hell
I want the real them
Not some painted Barbie version
To others, it is just lip gloss
To me, it is so much more
Yet, I carry it with me—day after day
I also carry around my weight
All 108 pounds
On days, it suffocates me
I can feel every crevice where the cellulite has left its hideous mark
Like a river carving out a once perfect valley
I also carry around the guilt of each calorie I consume
Each calorie has hands which grasp the back of my throat on its way down
The calorie dangles leisurely on my tonsils, laughing like a mischievous, young child
Taunting me for being weak and caving into its vices
Yes, I own all of my pounds and each calorie
For it wasn’t that long ago I only carried half my current weight
Try living on 55 pounds
It was a weight too much to bear
I carry around regret that also weighs me down
Regret that I didn’t become what my parents wanted
Regret that I said “no” the first time when I should have said “yes”
Regret that I said “yes” the second time when I should have said “no”
Regret that I have pushed Aaron away enough that I know a third time will NEVER happen
Regret that I am not doing enough
Regret that I have not seen enough of this amazing world
Regret that I push my body past its given limits
Regret that like Thoreau said—I will die before I ever truly live
I carry around scars and wrinkles that age me
Each one has a different story
I have stitches above my eye
Ever try being on the other end of a baseball bat?
I have two scabbed knees
Who said Red Rover was a simple game of fun?
I have marks on my left wrist
from a day where life got the best of me
Who says teachers weren’t depressed teens once, too?
I have sores from a million heartaches,
yet my heart is beating stronger than it ever has
Who says life doesn’t get better?
I have too many wrinkles to count.
Years of sun damage litter the landscape of my skin.
Freckles, age spots, crows’ feet, and white spots
Tell of my love story with Mother Nature
Who cares about sunscreen anyway?
These things I carry weigh me down on many given days
But the world doesn’t know of my hidden pocket
The pocket I turn to when all else has failed me
In it is BEAUTY
Beauty of the landscapes I have visited—
Mementos of all 38 states my bare feet have tread upon
Beauty of the people that shaped me—
Friends, lovers, ex-husbands, students, and random strangers
Beauty of the music
Which is the soundtrack of my life—
Beauty of the characters I have met—
Whose lives have transcended the page and worked their way
Into the fabric of my heart
Beauty of family—
Which is infinitely flawed but who is still growing on me
There is so much beauty in this damn world
It silently enfolds around me
And on many days, I feel myself unworthy of its splendor
Yes, if anything, it will not be
The lip gloss, the weight, the regrets,
The scars or the wrinkles
That will kill me
No, I fear it will be the Beauty
In the words of one of my favorite films…
“Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it,
like my heart's going to cave in.”
These are the things I carry—for better or for worse
The Things I Carry
by Donna Vondera
I carry at least three full bags plus lunch to and from school each day
A purse full of more than just the essentials An Ipod that reminds me of the start of a beautiful relationship
I will carry that with me even when it stops working
A multitude of glosses and lipsticks that I forget to wear
A wallet crammed with too many receipts from shopping trips I didn’t need to take
Pens in every color and style to make the grading a little easier
I also carry a constant state of worry
Worry that I am not truly present at home
Worry that I am going to make the wrong choices
Worry that I will never live up to my own expectations
Worry that I hold everyone around me to impossible ideals
Worry that my priorities are out of balance
Worry that I am not giving enough to my work
Worry that my plans for the future will fail
I wonder if my actions are ever enough.
The worry I carry creates stress
My to do list is always long and unmanageable
I set myself up to fail and
only further my stress
I cannot seem to keep up
Procrastination only fuels the cycle
The Things I Carry
by Wendy Dwyer
Little paper heart, big and blood red,
Torn into pieces by what they all said.
Some gave face blows: I wasn’t pretty enough.
Some shot to the kidneys: I wasn’t smart enough.
Most threw combinations: “You suck” is all they said.
All took a shred, now it’s little and blood red
Little paper heart, torn and bleeding red
This damage is one of the things I will always carry in my head
Once residing in my chest, I’ve moved it up instead
But it doesn’t seem to keep it safe, not even from me.
Big bag of papers, leering all year through
What do those who can’t do, do?
The papers mock me daily, their weight burdensome as they grow.
The deadlines loom and linger, but I can’t seem to make it slow.
Sometimes it’s avoidance, other times it’s pure dread.
Either way you slice it, something else has made it to my head.
Big bag of papers, sneering lecherously
These school woes are my burden; it’s something most don’t see.
I should just get a different job,
But I’m in love with this weight, you see.
Whirling, whimsical worry, frolicking in my brain
It ever seems to linger, it never seems to fade.
Will he love me forever?
Will she be alright?
Will he stop his lying?
Will I ever get to sleep through the night?
Whirling, whimsical worry, trampling on my sleep
These worries become tangible and I taste them as I weep.
Prayer should erase their presence, as should patience and time,
But these worries seem to multiply and always they are mine.
Wallet of responsibility, bursting at the seams
Your usefulness taunts me as I struggle with my dreams.
I want to be thrifty; I need to be in charge.
I want to buy all the nice things; my kids want to live large.
I want to have a budget; I need to stick to my guns.
Still prices loom and leer,
Can I stay within my means?
Wallet of responsibility, challenging my dreams
This blackness is essential to my day life,
But it weighs me down with its needs.
Shame and fear of failing, searing reality
As I stretch my limbs to the light, they are cut off of me.
I’ve never felt my best or even half-way good.
I’ve always wanted more from me than maybe I should.
Praise comes my way too often; it never feels rightly earned
Shame and fear of failing, ripping into me.
This weight is perhaps the heaviest, the one that eats my brain.
It seems to gorge itself on fear and give me so much pain.
Why can’t I see my value; what’s the price tag for one of me?
But that’s a silly question, I’ll have to let things be.
Little paper heart, enduring damage still;
Big bag of papers, suffocating my will;
Whirling, whimsical worry, wrecking havoc with my life;
Wallet of responsibility, gearing me up for strife;
Shame and fear of failing, becoming all I see.
These are the things I carry, the burdens of little ole me.
Tony’s Poem will go here
STUDENT MODELS OF POEM
“The Things I Carry”
The things I carry:
A wallet, keys, chap-stick, a phone, Rolaids;
Not much, just to get me through the day.
Those things stay the same.
My wallet; an assortment of collected cards
my ID, my ATM card, my Exxon card;
Three dollars (soon to be two),
Canadian money, old receipts, things I’m too lazy to throw away
My keys, just two keys: a house and a car
with the beeper thing, I guess I’ll call it a remote.
My chap-stick; I never need it unless I don’t have it with me.
A phone, so I can know what I’m doing, without it I’d probably
Be lost (literally)
Rolaids: Heartburn’s a pain
Today I carry a white Abercrombie and Fitch shirt,
khaki pants, and wallabies.
Depending on what day it is, I can be seen with a laptop
and a couple of books by my side.
I carry with me the carelessness
that I have decided to adopt,
my ambitions, and my fears,
I carry friendship.
The weight of each of these is undetermined,
but they do not weigh me down.
“Things I Carry”
The necessary—
Books, nourishment, keys, glasses—
(all used or not, though my mom likes to think I did—
use them, that is)
The desired—
Music, photos, candy, memories
(all used, though my teachers like to think I didn’t—
use them, that is)
jumbled together in my bag
(weighing two pounds or so)
Carrying my day
(in the form of a to-do list)
I can periodically sort through my stuff—
My food, my happiness, my relationships, my homework—
Before arrival at any given destination
At any given moment
Knowing my Mom left me cereal out of routine—
I persist in carrying it as
kindness
“Hypocrite”
Importance among people—
A large group of same individuals,
Why is it so important to stand out?
Despite all I preach
I am no different.
I carry the badge;
The badge in which shows I am important.
Amongst all friends in costumes and play
I still feel the need to stand out deep inside.
Constant need to be important, represented by a foolish badge;
The convention was over months ago, yet I still carry it dear.
Naturality among people—
Everyone is born with their own unique beauty,
but why must we all choose which on is best?
Despite all I preach
I am no different.
I carry eyebrow shapers,
To tame my self conscious needs built upon me by others.
Incessant nitpicking of someones one feature,
Do we not realize we bestow worries of appearance upon ourselves?
Overgrown hairs above my eyes, constantly conscious of their previous comments;
Unnatural appearance is insulting to nature, yet I still carry it dear.
Perfection among people—
All fix theirselves up just to impress the best,
Can they not see what isn’t visible is the most important?
Despite all I preach
I am no different.
I carry a Pandapple compact,
Modeled after a child’s idol in japan which I love dearly.
Everyone gawks at their own appearances,
Yet I have yet to use the compact myself despite small occasion.
Needing to look perfect tears a person up;
The help I provide to those seeking perfection I regret, yet I still carry it dear.
Beauty among people—
Inside resides beauty, yet
Must perfection be within ones grasp to feel happy?
Despite all I preach
I am no different.
I carry banana chapstick,
In the shape of a small swirlie ice cream.
Banana scent entices to purchase,
Will it make me prettier? Appeal to the senses?
Chapstick ruins my lips, covering them with a false skin;
The concept I hate, yet I still carry it dear.
Attention among people—
Constant devouring of unfulfilling food engulfed as if something more,
Why must there be a substitute for boredom and love?
Despite all I preach
I am no different.
I carry a water bottle,
Ne one every day to wash away the tastes left behind.
Salty, greasy snacks constantly eaten out of boredom,
Yet I have nothing better to do within a beautiful day in this world.
I take for granted every day I spend here,
I can’t seem to appreciate it enough without food boredom, yet I still carry it dear.
“Most of the things I carry will be with me my entire life.”
I carry with me my iPod Touch.
It’s always in my pocket.
It contains my life.
My favorite music, photos, and films.
It is my calendar and agenda.
I write random thoughts I have throughout the day
It helps me remember.
It keeps me on track.
I also carry around the stress of school.
To always get a good grade or the highest GPA.
To do projects and papers the best that I can
No matter how hard it is or how long it takes.
I have to do well.
I want to get into the college of my choice.
But I feel like all those things take the life out of me.
They consume me.
I cannot wait until it is over.
I carry around my father’s death.
I don’t like to bring it up
Probaby because then I don’t have to believe it.
I try putting it in the back of my mind.
I am distraught.
I feel like I’m missing out
Nothaving a normal family.
I feel incomplete.
It’s something I will never get over.
I carry around with me the thought that I will never be as close to my brothers as they are
to each other
They both are in their thirties.
They grew up together.
I’m jealous of their relationship
They had a normal family.
We’ve never really been a family while I’ve been around.
They’ve always been on their own, including my sister.
Leaving only my mother as family.
As I plan to go to college I feel guilty.
I feel like I should stay and get to know them.
But I can’t live here.
They are just other family members I will never get to know.
I know that everything will be okay.
I’ve been listening to the same song on repeat for about a week now.
I can’t stop listening to it…
“Don’t let your heart get heavy child
Inside you there’s a strength that lies
Don’t let your soul get lonely child
It’s only time, it will go by”
Unit: War
Day 5 (BLOCK DAY): Chapters 2-4 of TTTC
Unit Specific Objectives Met:
*4. Apply post reading skills to comprehend, interpret, analyze and evaluate text:
 identify and explain the relationship between the main idea and supporting details
 question to clarify
 reflect
 draw conclusions
 paraphrase
 summarize
10. Use details from text to analyze point of view:
 first person
 third person limited
 third person omniscient
 reliability of narrator
*12. Use details from text to analyze and evaluate an author’s tone, diction and purpose on the
overall meaning of the work.
*14. Apply the Six Traits of Writing (Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence
Fluency, Conventions) and the steps of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising,
editing, publishing) to compose a variety multi-paragraph of texts, including:
 narrative
 expository
 literary analysis (emphasis on symbol, theme or another literary device)
 poetry
 reflections
17. Revise written work for VOICE, audience, purpose and point of view:
 humor
 sarcasm
 exaggeration
 understatement
 dialogue
 tone
 inner thought
 rhetorical devices
19. Revise written work for WORD CHOICE:
 precise and vivid language
 imagery
 figurative language
 diction
 active voice
Materials:
 Optional: Comprehension Check Quiz—Chapters 1-3
 TTTC books
 Teacher Generated Model of perspective reflections
 Optional: Quick Grade sheet/chart for checking WN reflections (to be used next day)
Essential Question(s):
 How is the reality of war different/similar to our perceptions of war?
 What types of battles do we individually face?
Student Assessment:
 Students will be assessed on their reading comprehension through a brief chapter quiz.
 Students will be assessed based on their successful completion of a paired reflection
writing in their WN.
 At a later date student WNs will be checked for completion—work from today should be
present in the notebook as part of that completion grade.
Opening Structure:
 Begin class with the 4 in 4.
 Have class complete drafts of poems from yesterday for 20-30 minutes
 Optional: Have class take chapters 3-4 quiz
 Begin reading chapter 4. You should be able to read this out loud. I scoured and found
nothing too bad…if I missed an F-bomb, let me know…it’s 22 pages or so—maybe take
about 30 minutes?
Mini Lesson and Work Time:
 So we’ve gotten into the book now. You’ve all requested a break from all those
awesome reading strategies we’ve loved so much and you wanted to read this one for a
bit more enjoyment. How does it feel? What are you liking, not liking, noticing?
Discuss.
 One of the things I keep being drawn to is the idea that this is a work of fiction. It feels
so real. It really makes me question, “What is real?” I know a lot of you had suggested
that maybe this is mostly a true story, but O’Brien embellished a bit here and there.
Maybe you think he changed some names or added some details. After reading the
chapters of “Love” and “Spin” last night, I think it’s also easy to see that this is also
fiction because O’Brien tells stories that are only partly his to tell. When we tell a story
from another’s perspective in our own words, it can really get interesting. What’s even
more interesting is when we show that other person what we remember and they are
surprised or even upset that we “told it wrong.” I think this might be the major reason
that O’Brien feels he must call his work fiction. He was afraid his reliability as a narrator
was less than so. Discuss reliability a bit.
 Let’s talk about a few more things we’ve noticed so far about O’Brien’s writing. Discuss,

but what I’m hoping will come up is how narrative it is, how full of “precise and vivid
language” it is, how full of “inner thought” it is, and how full of “active voice” it is
(objectives )
So what does this mean for us as writers? Well, today, I want us to try out just what
O’Brien has done. I want us to try that style. I want you to get out your WN and take a
few moments to brainstorm some vivid memories you have SHARED with others. You
want to think about memories that are big enough that others will remember them.
These should be defining moments in your life and the life of someone else. Take some
time to brainstorm, and when you think you’ve found just the right one, I want you to
grab it and flesh it out. Go ahead and free-write your socks off telling all about it.
Remember to focus your style just like O’Brien does. You’ll want to be active with your



voice, you’ll want to give us your inner thoughts, and you’ll want to use precise and vivid
language.
As students write, write with them. I have provided you with what I did.
Now, tonight, I want you to go home, and give your WN to that person in your life who
shared this event with you. For me, it was my mom and my sister (Show my models.
EC for more than one perspective?). When I asked them, they wrote down their
reflections. As you can see, my mom went crazy and my sister went light. But what
you’ll also see is just how different the two are. After you get the perspective of that
other person written down, I want you to reflect in your WN for about 3-5 sentences.
Tomorrow, when you come to class, I will check your notebook to see that you A—have
a perspective story of your own, B—have a perspective story of your friend/parent/etc.,
and C—have a quick 3-5 sentence reflection about the two.
Optional: I really would like to do some “revision” or just “reflection” on the writing
that comes from today. I will probably have my kids begin the next day sharing if they
want (after the 4 in 4) and then taking about 5 minutes to highlight their text for vivid
language, inner thoughts, and active voice. OR I’d have kids take a minute to annotate
just how their reflection(s) are like O’Briens. I have marked my reflection accordingly.
Just a thought 
Debrief:
 Hopefully you’re having fun and you’re realizing something important: truth is in your
perception. This is something tricky we’ll continue to explore!
Tomorrow’s Preview/Purpose:
 Tomorrow we’ll be writing some more and reading some more. We’ll be cueing in to
other aspects of O’Brien’s style.
Homework:
 Finish perspective story and get story of other. Don’t forget to reflect after that.
REFLECTION
How did it go? What would I do differently next time?
1
Needs major
overhaul.
2
OK but not as strong
as this needs to be.
3
Overall lesson concept
solid but some kinks
to work out.
4
Powerful teaching and
learning happened
today!
Quiz 1: The Things They Carried Chapters 1-3
Directions: In the box next to each question, fill in the correct response. Use capital letters.
1. Who was Martha and what did Jimmy Cross wonder about her?
a. She was his sister; he wondered if she missed him.
b. She was a girl he liked from back home; he wondered if she was still a virgin.
c. She was a woman with whom he had a romantic affair; he wondered if she
regretted their relationship.
d. She was his daughter; he wondered if she knew he killed people in Vietnam.
2. What did “hump” mean?
a. It meant to hit.
b. It meant to learn through experience.
c. It meant to carry.
d. It meant to be issued military gear.
3. What was
a.
b.
c.
d.
the “single abiding certainty”?
The men would never be at a loss for things to carry.
The men would never forget their friendship.
Fighting in war is the hardest thing an individual can do.
Everyone is affected by war.
4. What did Jimmy Cross do with the photo?
a. He sent it home for safekeeping.
b. He sent it back to Martha with a nasty letter.
c. He taped it to the inside of his helmet.
d. He burned it.
5. For what had Jimmy Cross never forgiven himself?
a. He had not forgiven himself for enlisting in the army.
b. He had not forgiven himself for Ted Lavender’s death.
c. He had not forgiven himself for losing contact with his war buddies.
d. He had not forgiven himself for telling Martha he hates her.
6. What did the narrator of this chapter do for a living, and what was the narrator’s name?
a. The narrator was a teacher named Jimmy Cross.
b. The narrator was a nun named Martha.
c. The narrator was an army general named O’Brien.
d. The narrator was a writer named O’Brien.
7. What did Jimmy Cross bring from the guest room?
a. A box of postcards that he received from Vietnam
b. His old uniform from Vietnam
c. His highschool yearbook
d. A framed photograph of Martha
8. For what favor did Jimmy Cross ask the narrator?
a. He asked if he can have a photo of them taken in Vietnam.
b. He asked the narrator not to mention that Martha had been raped or sexually
abused or assaulted in some way.
c. He asked if he could talk to Martha for him.
d. He asked if he could help him publish a book of poetry.
Answer Key
Quiz 1: The Things They Carried Chapters 1-3
Directions: In the box next to each question, fill in the correct response. Use capital letters.
B
1. Who was Martha and what did Jimmy Cross wonder about her?
a. She was his sister; he wondered if she missed him.
b. She was a girl he liked from back home; he wondered if she was still a virgin.
c. She was a woman with whom he had a romantic affair; he wondered if she
regretted their relationship.
d. She was his daughter; he wondered if she knew he killed people in Vietnam.
C
2. What did “hump” mean?
a. It meant to hit.
b. It meant to learn through experience.
c. It meant to carry.
d. It meant to be issued military gear.
A
3. What was
a.
b.
c.
d.
D
4. What did Jimmy Cross do with the photo?
a. He sent it home for safekeeping.
b. He sent it back to Martha with a nasty letter.
c. He taped it to the inside of his helmet.
d. He burned it.
5. For what had Jimmy Cross never forgiven himself?
a. He had not forgiven himself for enlisting in the army.
b. He had not forgiven himself for Ted Lavender’s death.
c. He had not forgiven himself for losing contact with his war buddies.
d. He had not forgiven himself for telling Martha he hates her.
B
the “single abiding certainty”?
The men would never be at a loss for things to carry.
The men would never forget their friendship.
Fighting in war is the hardest thing an individual can do.
Everyone is affected by war.
D
6. What did the narrator of this chapter do for a living, and what was the narrator’s name?
a. The narrator was a teacher named Jimmy Cross.
b. The narrator was a nun named Martha.
c. The narrator was an army general named O’Brien.
d. The narrator was a writer named O’Brien.
D
7. What did Jimmy Cross bring from the guest room?
a. A box of postcards that he received from Vietnam
b. His old uniform from Vietnam
c. His highschool yearbook
d. A framed photograph of Martha
B
8. For what favor did Jimmy Cross ask the narrator?
a. He asked if he can have a photo of them taken in Vietnam.
b. He asked the narrator not to mention that Martha had been raped or sexually
abused or assaulted in some way.
c. He asked if he could talk to Martha for him.
d. He asked if he could help him publish a book of poetry.
Teacher Model of Reflection: Dwyer—Christmas of Change (Turn on Track Changes
to see my comments)
I was in 5th grade before I finally realized that other families were different from mine. I’ve
always kind of been a naïve and clueless spirit. Drifting in and out of life, just happy to be
here. During the Christmas of ’89 a lot of that changed.
It was one of the coldest and snowiest times I can remember. To this day, I look back at that
time, and I think of all the piles of snow we had. Each winter, that is the Christmas I dream of.
Mountains of snow, sledding that actually required a runner sled, and snowman building where
the snow doesn’t have grass in it because it’s so deep. We got feet of snow that year it felt
like. In my memory it is just white. That is burned in my memory like snowblindness.
In my family, until that year, Christmas had always been a neatly divided and packaged holiday.
Christmas Eve we’d go to 5 o’clock Mass at St. Mary’s in Alton (where my dad went to school)
and then proceed to my grandparents’, my dad’s parents, house. We’d have ham and a good
meal. We’d squeeze into two tables, my family and my Aunt Joy’s, and we’d decorate
grandma’s tree and open presents. It was great. Then, around 10:30 or 11:00 we’d drive
home falling asleep with the beauty of Christmas lights and slushy streets blanketing our
dreams.
For me, that is the part of Christmas that was most magical: the quiet car ride home. The calm
before the storm.
Christmas morning, then, would come, and my sister and I would be up early (remember, this
is me, so early was never before 7 and it was usually 8). We’d tear through our mountains of
presents, mom and dad would cook a good eggy breakfast while we played with our new toys,
and then we’d go to Christmas with my mom’s family. Every year a different family would host,
so sometimes we’d be at my house and sometimes we’d be at either my Uncle Leon’s or my
Uncle Bobby’s.
The Christmas of ’89, though, was something else entirely.
For some reason I still don’t understand, my Aunt Ann and her family came into town from
North Dakota. Time here, is nebulous in my memory, but it felt like they came right before all
the action and left right after all the action, so I missed out on the usual magic. Though I had
a fun and good Christmas that year, I came back to school from the break feeling as if
Christmas hadn’t really happened.
Aunt Ann blew in and out like a tornado. She was loud, little, perky, and unlike any mom I’d
ever met. She seemed more like my dad’s younger sister than someone’s mom. Her kids, too,
were kind of foreigners to me. Wild, untamed, and crazy, their eyes seemed to glow wildness.
I’d never really considered my family one of calmness. Nor had I thought my family particularly
full of rules, but my Aunt Ann was a wild woman. Her children equally so. And so that
Christmas, the calm, deliberate, scripted order of things was challenged.
It wasn’t so much that I was upset, or even particularly scarred, it just impressed upon me that
people weren’t all raised to be the same. Traditions, customs, attitudes that I’d taken for
granted as tenets of life, I discovered weren’t. That your stuff was yours unless someone got
your permission to touch it. That you got to play with your own Christmas gifts before anyone
else. That mom’s told their kids no. That mom’s were caretakers, not friends.
That Christmas, my cousin Ronda broke one of my sister’s favorite unicorns, clicking two
together repeatedly until one became a horse to my horror, and no one stopped her. No one
yelled at her, and she didn’t feel sorry about it. I was incredulous to this. This is the event that
personifies the weirdness and my disconnect from my previous reality. When I saw her wreck
something I knew was dear to my sister and then not get in trouble, justice felt blind. When I
saw them break the “laws” of Christmas and change our quiet ways into loud crashing
brashness, I was stunned. But when I realized my house may not be “normal” the magic of my
usual Christmas became more dear to me. I don’t think I ever took it for granted after that.
Teacher Model of Other Perspective Stories: Dwyer’s Mom and Sister
My Sister:
I don’t remember much from the Christmas we spent with having the Rousey family as our houseguests
probably for one of three reasons.
1. I am old and my memory is slipping.
2. I was too young to remember.
3. It was so terrible that I have blocked it from my memory.
Here is what little I do remember. I know that we were still living at the house on Danube in Florissant. I
know that while the Rousey family was staying with us, my aunt and uncle slept down in the basement on our
Murphy bed. The girls, Jennifer and Ronda, split up and one bunked with me and the other with my sister.
The one of the things that I remember about that specific visit was how cold it was that year. This was
significant because they constantly went barefoot and dressed in thin clothing. We were freezing and they
thought it was warm because they were from North Dakota. The second thing that I remember was that we
had to open some of our Christmas presents after midnight mass. It was of course late and we were very
tired, but we did it because my mom didn’t want my cousins to see how much stuff we got on Christmas
morning since they did not bring all of their presents down with them. It made Christmas kind of anticlimactic
and it was rotten that we had to wait to enjoy most of our loot until after they went home which was not for a
few days. That is all that I really remember.
My Mom (I still need to edit this—will ship new LP revision ASAP):
This story is about Christmas 1989 or 1990. It is the difference between family with different view points. Or
the title that I like to call it. The Christmas from "Hell."
The children are grown now and have their memories and hopefully they just remember this as a good
Christmas vacation. Christmas is a stressful time as it is. To get a call from your husband's sister the night
before Christmas Eve to tell you they(two adults two children) will be in to stay with you for at least a week
arriving at 2:00 in the morning, just about sends anyone to the looney bin.
Back to the story. They have arrived and we get them settled for the rest of what is left of the night. The
next day goes okay. Little things like the second and third graders are into everything and I do mean
everything. To them every room and drawer and closet are not off limits. If it's there you can play with it.
We had a family room and a living room. The living room had knick knacks around on the piano and tables.
My sister-in-law’s kids felt like they wanted to run in there and play and pick up the breakable things. They
were old enough to know better, but this is how they were taught that if it there it is okay. I told them to
leave the things alone and not to play in that room, but their mother said its okay. My daughters were fourth
and six graders so they also had a few figurines in their rooms on shelves and dressers. So their mother also
said it was okay to play with those also, as my girls had to share. I finally got the point across that these were
not toys. But as the holidays go on little things do add up.
It is Christmas Eve and it is our tradition to go over to the in-laws. We have dinner and open the gifts we
have for them and they have a few gifts for us as well. The night goes as any Christmas Eve night would go
with brothers, sister, brother in-laws, sister in-laws, and their kids. House full of people and fun times.
So then we go home and I had my girls open the presents from relatives from out of town that night, before
my sister in-law and her family get back to the house so her girls don’t have to watch my girls in the morning
open presents from people they don't know. I know this sounds strange, but I just want everyone to have a
good Christmas and to not feel bad. (It’s probably just me that feels bad. But I come from a family that is
good at guilting you. It’s a hard habit to break yourself of. Years of guilt even though you have nothing to
feel guilt about.)
Christmas is here and my girls are up early, because if you are a child on Christmas you always get up early.
We tell them not to wake us before 6:00 a.m. (When they are older and can sleep late, they set their alarms.)
So are their cousins. Things seem to go okay. It isn't as much fun this year I don't think. My sister in-law
should have brought some of their things to open here. But that is my opinion.
I make breakfast, I make lunch, do all the dishes and make sure things are picked up so that when my family
comes over at dinner, things look okay. Of course, I also make dinner. My girls help by playing with their
cousins. I have no idea what their parents are doing. Enjoying themselves I guess. The dad is out every half
hour smoking. We don't smoke so he smokes outside. (Don't get me wrong, I am not against people who
smoke, because I grew up in a house with a Mom and Dad smoking all the time and in the house. But most
people are nice and do not smoke in your house if you don't. ) What did bother me about him out smoking is
it is very cold outside and like I said in the beginning there is a lot of snow and ice on the ground. So having
our garage up all the time is making the house cold and the heat kick on all the time. I am always closing the
garage when people come in. Hello, could you close the garage? OR, I have a clue: go out on our covered
porch in the back and smoke! It's not any colder there than in the garage!
Did I mention they are from North Dakota. It is very very very cold there.
Well Christmas dinner comes and goes and it is all your holiday cheer. Noise, games, visiting, kids getting
along and kids fighting just your usually typical Christmas.
I know you thing this is the typical Christmas everywhere. But the waiting on them for a week and keeping
the meals, and dishes done takes it toll. The girls want to have some down time and play with their new
things, maybe have some friends over or go to a friend’s house. My sister-in-law and her kids made that
impossible. Whenever something normal and nice would happen, they’d butt in and change things.
I hope the girls don't remember it this way. I hope they had a somewhat good time.
Here is a tip for you that if you are going to visit some place. Take responsibility and pick up after yourself
and don't make your host or hostess wait on you hand and foot. The point of the visit is to have an enjoyable
time for all parties. Yes there is always work for the holidays and when you have company come to stay, but
don't treat you friends and families like they owe you a good time.
Now I am a grandmother and my oldest daughter has Christmas dinner at her house every year. We all bring
a dish and help out as much as we can, so that she can have a good time also. At least I hope she does. Of
course the noise, games, kids crying, yelling. dogs fighting…it happens, because that is Christmas Vacation.
Every year I watch Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase, between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It always
gets me in the Christmas mood. I do love Christmas time, but as your Mothers and Fathers will tell you it is a
lot of work and a lot of fun.
Another Model (I had too much fun writing with my family…I’m a dork)
After six years of marriage, my husband and I were finally able to afford to take our first vacation. We had
had a honeymoon and we had never done ANYTHING else. Needless to say, we were psyched. So last year,
we hitched aboard a train, and went to Chicago over spring break. The kids had a blast and so did we.
Bonus, just three months later, my husband had a business trip to Seattle and was able to take us along.
Family vacation #2! This trip was a little different. Doug spent the days working and Austin, Isabella, and I
got to gallivant around the city of Seattle. We went to restaurants, swimming (Bella’s first time), to the
Seattle Science Center, and more. The time that stands out most for both Austin and I is the time we spent at
the Seattle Aquarium.
First I dropped Doug off at work with his co-worker Nick. Nick was on the trip, too and was nice enough to
share the rental with us. Then we drove the 20 minutes to Seattle.
When we got to the Aquarium, it was packed. All week we had been driving past to check out the lines
because we’d heard it was a world class aquarium and the must-see spot in Seattle. Today’s line was shorter,
but still long. When we finally did get in, we were given a map and sent out into the great wide expanse of a
really cool place.
Since I had to feed Isabella, Austin took a tour of the more packed and crazy spots of colorful tropical fish. He
saw “Nemo” and an assortment of other coolness. I sat on a bench and watched. I was bored, but really glad
to see he was having fun. We always have gone to museums and the like together and it worried me how
Isabella was going to upset this dynamic. It seemed he was handling things well.
Next we went to the tide touch pool. This was a huge section of the aquarium and probably the reason that
so many people wanted to be there. This is where the action of the day, the part I actually remember,
happened. Austin was so excited to touch all of the creatures and I was shocked. This is a kid who balked at
finger painting when little. Now he was totally into it. I was awed and proud at the same time. I of course,
felt like I should “man up” and touch some stuff too. I touched one thing and then totally wussed out. It was
slimy, creepy, and scary. I guess I never grew up. Austin made fun of my weakness and then we moved on
once he had touched it all.
To top things off, as we were strolling the stroller through the tunnel of jelly fish (really cool), I heard an
exclaim and looked down instinctively at Isabella. She was gripping the footbar of her stroller for dear life
trying not to fall on the floor. As I looked down, she lost her grip and hit her head. It all happened in slow
motion and it seemed like everyone saw. How could I let that happen? Why hadn’t I buckled her in? Luckily,
other than scared to death, the scrappy little girl was fine. But the rest of the trip was a bit less exciting for
me. I just keep wondering what if and how I was going to do a good job of parenting when I couldn’t handle
my two kids. One was growing up way too fast and the other needed me more than I could give. The funny
thing was, the baby was the one growing too fast and the big kid was the one who needed more. It was
beyond my expectations.
Teacher Model of Another Perspective Story: Dwyer’s Son (just turned 13)
On my family’s trip to Seattle, we went to the Seattle Aquarium. Since Seattle was by water,
they had a bunch of pretty fish with a fairly good price.
The first thing we did was see the small fish. There were bunches of tanks and some even with
sea snakes and glow in the dark fish. It was cool, but crowded so I couldn’t see a lot of them.
Next up was the main room. It had all the cool stuff like box jelly fish, which are weird because
they don’t have stingers. This room also had a big octopus and a huge touch pool with
everything from sea anemones to sand dollars. The sea anemones were cool because if you
touched them, they grabbed onto your fingers.
Lastly, was the big marine animals. There were otters, seals, and, like most aquariums, an
underground room to see them in. There were all sorts of animals there, but the best was the
huge leopard seals. They had two that were just enormous and had to have a huge tank to
hold them in.
When we left the Seattle Aquarium, I thought we had a wonderful experience.
Quick Grade Sheet for Perspective Story Check
Has a
Has a
Perspective Perspective
Writing of
Writing of
Name
Own
Other
Has a 3-5
sentence
reflection
Unit: War
Day 6 (BLOCK DAY): Looking at TOB’s style and how to tell a “real” war story
Unit Specific Objectives Met:
*4. Apply post reading skills to comprehend, interpret, analyze and evaluate text:
 identify and explain the relationship between the main idea and supporting details
 question to clarify
 reflect
 draw conclusions
 paraphrase
 summarize
7. Analyze and evaluate an author’s use of literary techniques in poetry, fiction and non-fiction
(as applicable to unit selections):WE LOOKED AT SEVERAL STYLE-SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF
TIM O’BRIEN’S WRITING (intentional fragments, one-line paragraphs, etc.)
*12. Use details from text to analyze and evaluate an author’s tone, diction and purpose on the
overall meaning of the work.
*14. Apply the Six Traits of Writing (Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence
Fluency, Conventions) and the steps of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising,
editing, publishing) to compose a variety multi-paragraph of texts, including:
 narrative
 expository
 literary analysis (emphasis on symbol, theme or another literary device)
 persuasive
 poetry
 reflections
Materials:
 “How to Tell a True War Story” worksheet
 The Things They Carried book
 writer’s notebook
 WAR pictures (at least 30, 50 is ideal) and lots of magnets
Essential Question(s):
 What is it like to be involved in war?
 What does war look like?
 How is the reality of war different/similar to our perceptions of war?
 How is our perception of war shaped by the media?
Student Assessment:
 At a later date, students will be assessed on the successful and thorough completion of
their writer’s notebook.
Opening Structure:
 Pick one or several of the below possibilities:
o Four in Four.
o Share your Perspective Stories.
o Reflection on difference in details in the perspective stories.
o
o
o
Jot down on a postit some of the things you’ve noticed about the way O’Brien
told the story. could possibly piggyback off this into the main discussion
According to TOB and ch 7, what are some qualities of a true war story?
Is it necessary for O’Brien to use obscenities? Violence? Is it appropriate
reading material for you, as juniors?
Mini Lesson:
 We’ve been looking at this novel as writers, and over the course of these last chapters,
you may have noticed O’Brien giving you tips on how to tell a true story, even chapter
seven was titled as such. In chapter seven alone, TOB starts a story, wonders how he
should tell it, tells more of the story, stops to tell you he’s fabricating, and then finishes
the story. Do you like that? How does that make you feel about the storyteller? Do
you think that takes away from the story? Do you ever do that, embellish your stories a
little to intensify the reactions? (I’m going to talk about two stories I embellish a little
when I tell it: water plant story…mooning the neighbor story)
 Anyway, this interruption in narrative to talk to you about storytelling is called
metafiction – storytelling about storytelling. Keep a look out for it. And take
notes on what he’s saying when you encounter it again. You may not have this time,
but I did.
 Like in this chapter, TOB tells us that a true war story …
o is never moral (68)
o will embarrass you (69)
o cannot be believed (71)
o can sometimes be beyond telling (71)
o never seems to end (76)
o does not generalize (78)
o makes the stomach believe (78)
o does not even have a point (82)
o does not depend upon truth (83)
 Today we are going to try and write a true war story TOB style. Before we do that,
though, we want you to try and write this story TOB style. We’ve already talked about
his use of choice physical details and his use of active verbs, but these other techniques
you may not have noticed. possible sharing of the students finding to start this off.
 Here are the techniques and the pages I am going to use to show them. You can use
the attached worksheet as a more detailed guide if you wanted, or you could have them
annotate with postits or respond in their WN – it’s up to you.
o I wanted to use “On the Rainy River” to discuss the way TOB is telling the story.
It’s such a moving story, especially considering TOB didn’t actually try to go to
Canada, nor did he go to the river. He has said in an interview that he spent the
time before the war playing golf and worrying. That wouldn’t be a very exciting
story. But OTRR, that was exciting, even if it is lies.
 Intentional Sentence fragments
 p 49 – second sentence of each paragraph – follow the pattern…
 Concrete, physical details
 p 55
 Rhetorical Questions
 p 56



Purposeful Runons (overuse of a conjunction in one sentence –
polysyndeton)
 p 58 –
Single Sentence Paragraphs
 p 59-60 –
Smaller sentences mixed in with longer ones
 p 61
Work Time:
GROUP PRACTICE
 With your group, let’s see if you can identify these techniques: turn to page 69-70 and
read again the story of Curt Lemon’s death. Then evaluate TOB on whether or not he
told a true war story in TOB style. maybe give them the option of doing this one story
or the individual practice buffalo story?
 Class share.
INDIVIDUAL PRACTICE (optional)
 By yourself, do the same thing with the buffalo story on pages 78-80.
 Pair share and class share.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING
 Today we want you to write a true war story. We are going to go out into the hallway
and peruse some pictures from war. Some are gruesome; some are heart-wrenching;
but they are all real. As you peruse them, keep your eye out for one that you could
fabricate a story out of.
 After students view the gallery and get a drink, have them choose the picture that will
serve as an inspiration for their writing. If more than one student is interested in the
picture, have them sit by each other so they can refer to the details in the picture.
 No picture should go home with a student – all pictures should stay behind for other
classes to view.
 Students should go into their writer’s notebook and tell the story surrounding the
picture. Students should keep in mind the TOB attributes of a true war story, and they
should write this story in TOB style.
Debrief:
 Pair/Class share stories and pictures if time.
Tomorrow’s Preview/Purpose:
 Tomorrow we will continue our reading and check out a crazy weird chapter!
Homework:
 Finish war stories (if needed) or finish reading, depending on the choices you made.
REFLECTION
How did it go? What would I do differently next time?
1
Needs major
overhaul.
2
OK but not as strong
as this needs to be.
3
Overall lesson concept
solid but some kinks
to work out.
4
Powerful teaching and
learning happened
today!
O’Brien’s Style
NAME___________________________
How To Tell A True War Story
HOUR______
WARMUP
Attributes of a True War Story according to Tim O’Brien:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
is never moral (68)
will embarrass you (69)
cannot be believed (71)
can sometimes be beyond telling (71)
never seems to end (76)
does not generalize (78)
makes the stomach believe (78)
does not even have a point (82)
does not depend upon truth (83)
Observations of Tim O’Brien’s style:

Intentional Sentence fragments
o p 49 – second sentence of each paragraph – follow the pattern…

Concrete, physical details
o p 55

Rhetorical Questions
o p 56

Purposeful Runons (overuse of a conjunction in one sentence – polysyndeton)
o p 58 –

Single Sentence Paragraphs
o p 59-60 –

Smaller sentences mixed in with longer ones
o p 61
Story of Rat Kiley’s death (69-70)
Story of the water buffalo (78-80)
was it moral?
did it embarrass you?
could you believe it?
is it beyond telling?
did it never seems to end?
did it generalize?
did it make your stomach believe?
did it even have a point?
did it depend upon truth?
was it moral?
did it embarrass you?
could you believe it?
is it beyond telling?
did it never seems to end?
did it generalize?
did it make your stomach believe?
did it even have a point?
did it depend upon truth?
Intentional Sentence fragments
Intentional Sentence fragments
Concrete, physical details
Concrete, physical details
Rhetorical Questions
Rhetorical Questions
Purposeful Runons
Purposeful Runons
Single Sentence Paragraphs
Single Sentence Paragraphs
Smaller sentences mixed in with longer
ones
Smaller sentences mixed in with longer
ones
Teacher Model of a “Real” War Story (short and cheesy, but it works)
“Stop it!” the young boy screeched in exhausted terror. His voice raw and bone-tired.
Still soldiers lit the torches, swilled the brandy, and dowsed the cathedral. Laughing and
jeering at the boy’s tears, at his grandfather’s gentle sobs, they lit their Zippos and set the
blaze.
Their laughter was what haunted the air the most.
Father had saved the cross and the Sacrament from the alter, but the ancient art, the worn
family pews, the town’s memories. These were things he could not save, could not replace.
All through the night the blaze roared to life, illuminating the demonic faces of the soldiers.
From his little hovel, Pavel heard the snickers and thought of his father.
It had been months since the war had begun. It felt like years. The lack of food, the stale air
that hung about town like a funeral cloth, the stench of fear and rotting animal corpses. The
town had been looted before, but never for more than anything but supplies. The last time had
been right before his father’s departure to join the resistance. He had told Pavel to, “buck up,
lad, and don’t get into mischief.” Easy for him to say.
Unit: War
Day 7: “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” and video clips
Unit Specific Objectives Met:
*3. Apply during reading strategies to monitor comprehension:
 visualize
 infer
 question the text
 paraphrase
 summarize
*4. Apply post reading skills to comprehend, interpret, analyze and evaluate text:
 identify and explain the relationship between the main idea and supporting details
 question to clarify
 reflect
 draw conclusions
 paraphrase
 summarize
Materials:
 The Things They Carried book
 post its or index cards
 handout from previous day - How To Tell A True War Story
 A Solider's Sweetheart video clips (in the TTTC folder on the fzeenglishdept wiki)
*the language is STRONG like the text - be sure to preview prior to whole class viewing
Essential Question(s):
 What is it like to be involved in war?
 What does war look like?
 What impact does war have on individuals and society?
Student Assessment:
 Students will be assessed based on a post-it pass pertaining to the material in the
chapter following today’s lesson.
Opening Structure:
 Four in Four.
 Quick pair share - war story WN entry inspired by the war images from previous lesson
 Post it entry pass - has anyone close to you ever gone through a dramatic change? how
did that affect you or your relationship with that person?
Mini Lesson:

We focused on evaluating the elements of what O'Brien deems a true war story during
our last class. You tried your hand at creating a true war story in this fashion. In
today's chapter, Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong, O'Brien shares one of Rat Kiley's war
stories that he says "keeps returning to [him]."





Before we begin reading today, grab a post it and your handout from yesterday.
O'Brien gives nine elements of a true war story. I want you to track whether this story
meets the criteria during reading today. I'll pause periodically to allow you a few
moments to record anything that stands out to you.
A TV movie called A Soldier's Sweetheart was made based on O'Brien's "Sweetheart of
Song Tra Bong" chapter. PREVIEW THE MOVIE AND THE CLIPS FIRST. THERE ARE
LANGUAGE ISSUES YOU WANT TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT. Read page 89 and stop
after paragraph 2 on page 90 ("...Mitchell Sanders challenged him on its basic
premise.") Let's watch this brief clip to get a visual in our minds of what this scene
could look like. Play 0:00-2:10 of A Soldier's Sweetheart Part One video clip. Quick
partner share - what do you think about this story so far? is it believable?
Continue reading beginning on page 91, 2nd paragraph, "As Rat described it...." and
stop at the end of paragraph seven on page 93 ("..but Fossie just frowned and looked at
the ceiling for a while and then went off to write a letter. Six weeks later his girlfriend
showed up.") Let's check it out...start Part One of A Soldier's Sweetheart at 4:05 and
stop at 8:44 (end of this clip).
So now we have the whole scene in our minds...Mary Anne Bell and Mark Fossie...let's
find out more about her. Begin reading on page 95 paragraph 2 ("Though she was
young, Rat said, Mary Anne Bell was no timid child...") and stop after paragraph 5 on
page 99 ("And then finally she did not come in at all.") Let's watch what happens
next...any predictions? Start Part 3 of A Soldier's Sweetheart at 2:00 and stop at 8:50.
Does Rat's story have your attention now? Let's figure out how it ends. Pick up reading
at the bottom of page 104 ("Near the end of the third week Fossie began making
arrangements to send her home") and stop at the end of the chapter.
Work Time:



Allow students to make notes on their post it about whether Rat Kiley's story is told in
TOB style. Also consider asking students to note any similes or metaphors that stand
out on a separate post it. I noticed quite a few in this chapter.
Final discussion of chapter - reactions to Mary Anne's dramatic change/O'Brien's style in
this chapter/believability of Kiley's story.
You will need to complete an exit pass before you go today. Be sure to attach your TOB
style post it to your exit pass.
o Options:
 Using your TOB style post it over Chapter 9, answer on a new post it
whether this story meets O'Brien's criteria for a true war story. Provide
specific examples to support your rationale.
 Using the following questions for an exit pass (post it/index card) - what
changes does Mary Anne experience? what transforms her into a
predatory killer? What does the story tell us about the nature of the
Vietnam War?
Debrief:
 How crazy was that chapter? What do you think happened to Mary Anne? What was
TOB trying to teach us?
Tomorrow’s Preview/Purpose:
 Tomorrow we will continue with our reading!
Homework:
 None unless parts of the lesson went unfinished (like the reading).
REFLECTION
How did it go? What would I do differently next time?
1
Needs major
overhaul.
2
OK but not as strong
as this needs to be.
3
Overall lesson concept
solid but some kinks
to work out.
4
Powerful teaching and
learning happened
today!
Unit: War
Day 8: “Stockings,” “Church,” “The Man I Killed,” “Ambush,” and “Style” and Letter of
Forgiveness
Unit Specific Objectives Met:
*3. Apply during reading strategies to monitor comprehension:
 visualize
 infer
 question the text
 paraphrase
 summarize
*4. Apply post reading skills to comprehend, interpret, analyze and evaluate text:
 identify and explain the relationship between the main idea and supporting details
 question to clarify
 reflect
 draw conclusions
 paraphrase
 summarize
5. Compare, contrast, analyze and evaluate connections:
 text to text (information and relationships in various fiction and non-fiction texts)
 text to self (text ideas and own experiences)
 text to world (text ideas and the world by analyzing and evaluating the relationship
between literature and its historical period and culture)1
7. Analyze and evaluate an author’s use of literary techniques in poetry, fiction and non-fiction
(as applicable to unit selections):
 symbolism
*14. Apply the Six Traits of Writing (Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence
Fluency, Conventions) and the steps of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising,
editing, publishing) to compose a variety multi-paragraph of texts, including:
 reflections
17. Revise written work for VOICE, audience, purpose and point of view:
 humor
 sarcasm
 exaggeration
 understatement
 dialogue
 tone
 inner thought
 rhetorical devices
19. Revise written work for WORD CHOICE:
 precise and vivid language
 imagery
 figurative language
 diction
 active voice
Materials:


The Things They Carried texts
Optional: Worksheets (3 choices—A, B, or C)
Essential Question(s):
 What types of battles do we individually face?
Student Assessment:
 Students will be assessed based on their successful completion of the letter writing
activity.
 Optional: Students will be assessed on their correct completion of the worksheet.
Opening Structure:
 4in 4 poem
 Discuss last night’s reading of the final pages of “Sweetheart of the Song of Tra Bong” if
some remained. Tell the kids it was a chapter heavy in symbolism—the focus of our
lesson today.
Mini Lesson:
 Quick Symbolism Discussion as a transition—One of the most effective techniques an
author can employ is the skillful placement of an object in a text. Symbols are persons,
places, or things in a narrative that have significance beyond a literal understanding.
The craft of storytelling depends on symbols to present ideas and point
toward new meanings. Most frequently, a specific object will be used to refer to (or
symbolize) a more abstract concept. The repeated appearance of an object suggests a
non-literal, or figurative, meaning attached to the object. Symbols are often found in the
book’s title, at the beginning and end of the story, within a profound action, or in the
name or personality of a character. The life of a work of fiction is perpetuated by
generations of readers interpreting and re-interpreting the main symbols. By identifying
and understanding symbols, readers can reveal new interpretations of the book/story.
 PASS OUT WORKSHEET(Optional)
 The beauty of O’Brien is the depth of the infusion of symbols. Let’s first take a look at
names. (Worksheet or on board—your call) Let’s talk about Mary Anne from last night’s
reading...
o Mary Anne----The most obvious point of symbolism would be Mary Anne
herself. (The below description is TAKEN FROM THE INTERNET) She may
represent America in Vietnam. How we came over there as naive people, some
young boys barely 18 years old, and are forced to endure years of growth and
development in months. Mary Anne IS America. At the end of the war, we were
a divided country. One whose morals and beliefs had been torn to shreds as
quickly as some draft cards were. The Green Berets could be our own US
Government, taking the soldiers into missions that changed them forever, and
Mark Fossie could represent the "old" America. How he believed everything
would be okay, how nothing in the world could possibly change this sweet and
innocent young thing. He brings her over not knowing the kind of damage he
would be inflicting upon someone. Just like with America finding out that this
would be a war that we could not win just because we were a dominant nation,
Mark Fossie was devastated to find out that Mary Anne was someone different.









It disgusted him, but most of all, it frightened him. Nothing would ever be the
same again.
o Jimmy Cross—His initials are J.C. His last name is Cross. He is the christ-like
figure at times, carrying a weight of responsibility for others’ sins
o Lavender—the flower takes on two meanings luck or mistrust…Think back to
Lavender. Which one matches up? Why? You remember Ted, the one who was
half-baked most of the time. He was the one with the little puppy that was killed.
o Lemon--The lemon has long been a symbol of purification, love, and friendship.
This is the guy blown to pieces in the tree. How does this add up? Why this
name?
o Kathleen—(The following is excerpted from the internet) Kathleen represents a
reader who has the capability of responding to the author. Like us, O’Brien’s
daughter Kathleen is often the recipient of O’Brien’s war stories, but unlike us,
she can affect O’Brien as much as O’Brien affects her. Kathleen also stands for
the gap in communication between one who tells a story and one who receives a
story. When O’Brien takes her to Vietnam to have her better understand what he
went through during the war, the only things that resonate to the ten-year-old
are the stink of the muck and the strangeness of the land. She has no sense of
the field’s emotional significance to O’Brien.
We are going to read the next chapter together looking more deeply at symbolism. It is
called “Stockings.” You know Henry Dobbins, the poor fool who wears his girlfriend’s
pantyhose everywhere? What does this gesture really say about him? Fill in the
sheet.
Let’s look at the role of women back home—Martha, Dobbins’ girl, and the “cooze who
never wrote back.” What do these women symbolize? Fill in the sheet.
Read the chapter “Church” (Sorry, my chapters SUCK, and I really don’t like this one).
React to the symbolism of the religious infusion of this chapter of the monks in the
pagoda and the boys’ discussion of faith. What does this infusion of the pagoda of
monks symbolize? Why the appearance now in the story? Fill in the sheet. See note
at bottom of lesson. This chapter could EASILY be cut.
Our next two chapters have to deal with the narrator detailing the man he killed and
then modifying that story to tell it to his young daughter. As I read the horrific details of
the dead man, I want you to concentrate on the details—especially the ones that stick
out in your brain. Despite all of the intricate details and all of the objects associated with
this dead man, you will be asked to pick the ONE object/detail which best symbolizes
him/best helps O’Brien to tell a BETTER story. (Was it the reference to Shredded Wheat?
The Star-Shaped Hole? The Butterfly? The Gold Ring, etc.?)
Read the chapter…pausing any time a new (possibly symbolic item appears).
Have kids fill out the worksheet about the object which is most
symbolic/which one helps tell the best story. Share answers with the class or
partner share.
Tell them “Ambush” is about the guilt O’Brien faces for killing a man. Doing it is one
thing; re-telling it to his daughter is another. Read together or independently.
Get to the line “Sometimes I forgive myself, other times I don’t. In the ordinary hours
of life I try not to dwell on it” and complete the last activity on the worksheet.
The chapter “Ambush” is O’Brien’s recounting to his YOUNG daughter of the guilt
associated with killing this man. At the end of the chapter he says, “Sometimes I
forgive myself, other times I don’t. In the ordinary hours of life I try not to dwell on it.”



I am sure we all have GUILT which we carry about some past transgression. What we
are going to do is write a BRIEF letter to ourselves, forgiving ourselves for this past sin.
In the letter, I would like you to infuse some form of symbolism—color, name, object,
etc. Remember we are looking at the CRAFT of storytelling and how SYMBOLS help
shape a good story.
o Here is where you tell your own story. See below for examples.
Have the kids read through the chapter “Style” as homework.
THIS LESSON RUNS LONG. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I AM CUTTING “CHURCH” from
my own lesson. I will not read the chapter. I will cut it from the worksheet below. The
Chapters about which follow are much more important. I only included “Church” in case
you wanted your kids to read the entire book.
You also can cut the symbolism worksheet; just discuss it in class and have the LETTER
be the only writing you do.
Work Time:
 Students should work on the worksheet throughout class (if used)
 Students should brainstorm, draft, and revise their letters of forgiveness.
Debrief:
 How does that feel? Did you forgive yourself? Isn’t it amazing what writing can do?!
Tomorrow’s Preview/Purpose:
 Tomorrow we’ll take a look at another perspective again. This time, looking at point of
view.
Homework:
 Complete any reading or writing from today’s lesson.
REFLECTION
How did it go? What would I do differently next time?
1
Needs major
overhaul.
2
OK but not as strong
as this needs to be.
3
Overall lesson concept
solid but some kinks
to work out.
4
Powerful teaching and
learning happened
today!
Dear Self Sample Letters:
For instance, my sin is doctoring up an Oreo with toothpaste on the inside to give to my nemesis Susy. She
was the student crossing guard at Stettin Elementary who wore a pretty pink dress every day. She had
pigtails and wore a vibrant smile for her teachers, yet she was vile to young girls. She wouldn’t let me cross
the crosswalk because I was “fat or ugly.” She taunted me for eight months straight. Thus, I doctored the
Oreos; she took the bait and vomited all over that pretty pink dress. I still feel guilt to this day. I am going to
write a letter forgiving myself—the symbol will not be the Oreo. The pink dress will be the focus of my letter.
Dear Kerry,
It has been 28 years since you exacted vengeance on Susy. It is time to stop beating yourself over the
event. I know that she provoked you…countless days of “You’re too fat to cross the street….waddle, fat
duckling” or “You’re too ugly to cross the street” were flung your way for too long. It wasn’t just you; it was
the countless others she picked on. She hinted that your best friend’s dad snuck in bottles of booze to
church—forever tarnishing Jenny DeWitt’s reputation. Susy did it all while smiling. As she sidled up to the
male adult crossing guard, her pretty pink dress swung in fluid circles. She kissed as$ to him and to all the
teachers, yet to her peers, she was bubbling with hatred. Mount Fricking Susivius. She hurled hand grenades
of hatred, decimating all in her path. I refused to be her victim any longer.
The plan was simple. Get some Oreos, scrape out the middle, insert Crest toothpaste, say “Here you go,
Susy; I have a present for you,” and the rest would be H-I-S-T-O-R-Y. It was. The plan worked. She opened
her mouth, inserted an Oreo, gagged, and a muddled swirl of brown vomit streamed down that damn pretty
pink dress. All color diffused from Susy’s cheeks. Mortification set in for her. Her eyes welled up, and she just
went blank….completely and UTTERLY blank. I still remember the look to this day. She looked at me, and I
saw NOTHINGNESS.
I was the hero of my little k-12 school. My popularity was unrivaled….secret taps on the backs, juicy notes
with victory taunts smeared on them, and high fives on the playground inundated my 7-year-old, formerly notso-popular self. However, I couldn’t relish in the victory…not even for a moment. All I could think about was
how terribly I made her feel, and that I would never want anyone to feel the way I did, even if it was my
tormentor. I felt nauseous the rest of the day. The nausea persisted throughout my entire time at Stettin
Elementary. Susy spent the next 5 years of her life avoiding me (which is pretty hard to do in a school of 100
kids). She never made eye contact. She stopped wearing pink. She ceased being the teacher’s pet. She
became sullen, silent, and gloomy. To see her this way hurt me. It made me blush with embarrassment. It
made me squirm and feel yucky all of the time. I became quiet. I was her mirror. If she would hurt, I would
hurt too. But I wanted to hurt more than she did, so I did. I was good with what I did for a long while. Kerry
Lipman—Queen of Social Rejects. It was a title I wore well and with pride—just to make Susy feel better.
Then I moved to Missouri. I never apologized to her. However, every day of my life from age 7 on, I have
prayed for Susy at night. As a kid, I simply prayed for forgiveness. Today, my list is a bit greater. I pray that
the color returned to her cheeks. I pray the embarrassment lifted. I pray that she still wears pigtails (I still
wear mine) and that she has lots of beautiful daughters. I pray she still loves the color pink and her closet is
full of beautiful dresses. I hope she is graceful and confident and energetic and HAPPY. I pray that she is the
woman that I am not.
I wear pink all of the time. I cloak myself in a sea of its various shades—from blankets to makeup to
attire. It’s not my favorite color, but it was Susy’s. That’s the least I can do, right?
I pray that she has forgiven me. I know it is time for me to forgive myself. Twenty-eight years have
passed, and I need to let this story be. I wish for something lighter for myself…a life that weighs much less.
Perhaps dropping the weight of this burden will make my life seem less dense.
Sincerely,
Me
My sin is breaking up with my son’s biological dad in front of his parents and using my parents to help. He
was a good guy, but he wasn’t “the one” and he wasn’t going to be good enough for me and my baby. He
didn’t really know me, even after a year, and he was just “being responsible” and not in love. Every word out
of his mouth after I uttered the words, “I’m pregnant” made me physically ill. When I think of that night, the
only images I have are his hiccupping cries, the bright lights from the kitchen, and my wet shoulder and
sweaty hands as I hugged him for what felt like hours. Though any of these images could serve as a symbol,
the thing that came to mind as I wrote my letter, was the couch. It will serve as a symbol.
Dear Wendy,
You were young. Just 17. It’s been 13 ½ years. You have to let it go. Years of Hallmark cards and
Lifetime movies have blurred the edges of the memory, have made you see it out of focus. It’s time to shine
some light on it. You were right. It’s okay to feel that way. You were also cruel. You must accept that and
move on.
It was quite possibly the most awkward and weird night of your life. Phil’s parents sitting on the big
blue couch, the one your parents always seem to buy repeatedly, your parents sitting next to you on the small
blue love seat. Phil seeming confused and oh so tiny on that big couch. From the beginning of the meeting, it
was obvious to everyone but him that you two were no longer a couple.
You let your parents talk. You let them say what you couldn’t, that he was too young, that you weren’t
really in love anymore, that “being responsible” did not mean throwing your lives away marrying each other.
You let them give thinly veiled and non-plausible threats. You closed your eyes and willed it away. Then his
parents left. Left him alone on the big blue couch. And your parents left to go talk in the kitchen, in their
room, who knows. But you were alone together, for the last time.
It was probably only 30 minutes, but it seemed like hours. Suddenly he was imploring you on the
couch. Sobbing. Choking. And all you could muster was a cold hug and some soothing pats. You squeezed
out some tears, more of shame and embarrassment than sadness, and felt a growing sense of relief in your
chest. This was going to work. He was going to leave.
Moments later, on the couch, you kissed him goodbye on the cheek. You didn’t know you would see
him only once more, passing in a theater lobby like strangers, he with another girl, you with his baby in your
stomach. You didn’t know you’d meet the love of your life just two years later. You didn’t know that twelve
years from now, he wouldn’t have ever tried to contact his son. You didn’t know he’d sign papers to give up
his rights just a day after receiving them, that the ink would barely be dry on the papers when you received
them back. You didn’t know you could be so happy and so depressed at the same time: how could he turn
that beautiful child away. And then you thought of how easily, how coldly you turned him away. Payback is a
b***h. Only once again, it didn’t hurt you, just gave you relief and caused pain for your son. Rejection, even
hoped for rejection, always hurts. You didn’t know you could blame yourself so much for the callousness of
someone else. You didn’t know someone could cry so hard one day and then never look back. You never
stopped looking back. The blue coach has been retired and replaced with another just like it and you’re still
sitting there patting a seventeen year old boy and saying, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
You have to let it go. Your son has a new birth certificate and it has his real dad’s name on it. You
have a good life and, according to MySpace, so does he. You will never know what could have been, but you
do know you were right. He didn’t want a baby. He didn’t want to stay together. He just didn’t want to make
the call. Neither did you. Forgive yourself and promise you will be ½ the parent yours were when you
needed them. Forgive yourself and allow yourself to realize you prevented the greatest mistake of your life
from happening, simply because you allowed yourself to be firm, immovable, cold comfort on that couch.
Thank God, give your boy a hug, and let it go.
Sincerely,
Me
Worksheet Option A: Worksheet about Symbolism and a condensed letter space to write. This worksheet is if you are reading all chapters in the section.
Writer’s Notebook #6—Symbolism from a Writer’s Perspective
Name: ________________________________________ Date: _______
Hr: __
Symbolism Review-Symbols are persons, places, or things in a narrative that have significance beyond a literal understanding.
The craft of storytelling depends on symbols to present ideas and point toward new meanings.
Most frequently, a specific object will be used to refer to (or symbolize) a more abstract concept. The repeated
appearance of an object suggests a non-literal, or figurative, meaning attached to the object. Symbols are
often found in the book’s title, at the beginning and end of the story, within a profound action, or in the name
or personality of a character. The life of a work of fiction is perpetuated by generations of readers interpreting
and re-interpreting the main symbols. By identifying and understanding symbols, readers can reveal new
interpretations of the book/story.
Symbolism of Names
Name
What do you think this person symbolizes? Be sure to see if the name has significance.
Mary Anne
Jimmy Cross
Ted Lavender
Curt Lemon
Kathleen
Symbolism of Today’s Objects
Object
What do you think this object symbolizes?
Pantyhose
Women back
home—Martha,
Dobbins girlfriend,
and the “cooze” who
didn’t write back
The pagoda with
with monks
The dead guy he
killed
“The Man I Killed”
Despite all of the intricate details and all of the objects associated with this dead man, which object/detail best
symbolizes him or BETTER helps tell his story? (Was it the reference to Shredded Wheat? The Star-Shaped
Hole? The Butterfly? The Gold Ring, etc.?)
The object that best symbolizes this dead man is ____________________________________ because
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
The chapter “Ambush” is O’Brien’s recounting to his YOUNG daughter of the guilt associated with killing this
man. At the end of the chapter he says, “Sometimes I forgive myself, other times I don’t. In the ordinary
hours of life I try not to dwell on it.” I am sure we all have GUILT which we carry about some past
transgression. What we are going to do is write a BRIEF letter to ourselves, forgiving ourselves for this past
sin. In the letter, I would like you to infuse some form of symbolism—color, name, object, etc. Remember we
are looking at the CRAFT of storytelling and how SYMBOLS help shape a good story.
For instance, my sin is doctoring up an Oreo with toothpaste on the inside to give to my nemesis Susy. She was
the student crossing guard at Stettin Elementary who wore a pretty pink dress every day. She had pigtails and
wore a vibrant smile for her teachers, yet she was vile to young girls. She wouldn’t let me cross the crosswalk
because I was “fat or ugly.” She taunted me for eight months straight. Thus, I doctored the Oreos; she took the
bait and vomited all over that pretty pink dress. I still feel guilt to this day. I am going to write a letter forgiving
myself—the symbol will not be the Oreo. The pink dress will be the focus of my letter. Get it? Ok…let’s write.
Dear Self,
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Sincerely,
Read through the story “Style” as homework (page 136).
Worksheet Option B: Worksheet about Symbolism and a condensed letter space to write. This worksheet is if you are deleting the chapter called “Church.”
Writer’s Notebook #6—Symbolism from a Writer’s Perspective
Name: ________________________________________ Date: _______
Hr: __
Symbolism Review-Symbols are persons, places, or things in a narrative that have significance beyond a literal understanding.
The craft of storytelling depends on symbols to present ideas and point toward new meanings.
Most frequently, a specific object will be used to refer to (or symbolize) a more abstract concept. The repeated
appearance of an object suggests a non-literal, or figurative, meaning attached to the object. Symbols are
often found in the book’s title, at the beginning and end of the story, within a profound action, or in the name
or personality of a character. The life of a work of fiction is perpetuated by generations of readers interpreting
and re-interpreting the main symbols. By identifying and understanding symbols, readers can reveal new
interpretations of the book/story.
Symbolism of Names
Name
What do you think this person symbolizes? Be sure to see if the name has significance.
Mary Anne
Jimmy Cross
Ted Lavender
Curt Lemon
Kathleen
Symbolism of Today’s Objects
Object
What do you think this object symbolizes?
Pantyhose
Women back
home—Martha,
Dobbins girlfriend,
and the “cooze” who
didn’t write back
The dead guy he
killed
“The Man I Killed”
Despite all of the intricate details and all of the objects associated with this dead man, which object/detail best
symbolizes him or BETTER helps tell his story? (Was it the reference to Shredded Wheat? The Star-Shaped
Hole? The Butterfly? The Gold Ring, etc.?)
The object that best symbolizes this dead man is ____________________________________ because
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
The chapter “Ambush” is O’Brien’s recounting to his YOUNG daughter of the guilt associated with killing this
man. At the end of the chapter he says, “Sometimes I forgive myself, other times I don’t. In the ordinary
hours of life I try not to dwell on it.” I am sure we all have GUILT which we carry about some past
transgression. What we are going to do is write a BRIEF letter to ourselves, forgiving ourselves for this past
sin. In the letter, I would like you to infuse some form of symbolism—color, name, object, etc. Remember we
are looking at the CRAFT of storytelling and how SYMBOLS help shape a good story.
For instance, my sin is doctoring up an Oreo with toothpaste on the inside to give to my nemesis Susy. She was
the student crossing guard at Stettin Elementary who wore a pretty pink dress every day. She had pigtails and
wore a vibrant smile for her teachers, yet she was vile to young girls. She wouldn’t let me cross the crosswalk
because I was “fat or ugly.” She taunted me for eight months straight. Thus, I doctored the Oreos; she took the
bait and vomited all over that pretty pink dress. I still feel guilt to this day. I am going to write a letter forgiving
myself—the symbol will not be the Oreo. The pink dress will be the focus of my letter. Get it? Ok…let’s write.
Dear Self,
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Sincerely,
Read through the story “Style” as homework (page 136).
Worksheet Option C: No symbolism worksheet. You will discuss symbolism in class. The only writing they will do is a forgiveness letter (infused with symbolism).
Writer’s Notebook #6—Symbolism from a Writer’s Perspective
Name: ________________________________________ Date: _______
Hr: __
The chapter “Ambush” is O’Brien’s recounting to his YOUNG daughter of the guilt associated with killing this
man. At the end of the chapter he says, “Sometimes I forgive myself, other times I don’t. In the ordinary
hours of life I try not to dwell on it.” I am sure we all have GUILT which we carry about some past
transgression. What we are going to do is write a BRIEF letter to ourselves, forgiving ourselves for this past
sin. In the letter, I would like you to infuse some form of symbolism—color, name, object, etc. Remember we
are looking at the CRAFT of storytelling and how SYMBOLS help shape a good story.
For instance, my sin is doctoring up an Oreo with toothpaste on the inside to give to my nemesis Susy. She was
the student crossing guard at Stettin Elementary who wore a pretty pink dress every day. She had pigtails and
wore a vibrant smile for her teachers, yet she was vile to young girls. She wouldn’t let me cross the crosswalk
because I was “fat or ugly.” She taunted me for eight months straight. Thus, I doctored the Oreos; she took the
bait and vomited all over that pretty pink dress. I still feel guilt to this day. I am going to write a letter forgiving
myself—the symbol will not be the Oreo. The pink dress will be the focus of my letter. Get it? Ok…let’s write.
Dear Self,
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Sincerely,
Read through the story “Style” as homework (page 136).
Unit: War
Day 9: “Speaking of Courage,” “Notes,” and POV writing
Unit Specific Objectives Met:
*3. Apply during reading strategies to monitor comprehension:
 visualize
 infer
 question the text
 paraphrase
 summarize
*4. Apply post reading skills to comprehend, interpret, analyze and evaluate text:
 identify and explain the relationship between the main idea and supporting details
 question to clarify
 reflect
 draw conclusions
 paraphrase
 summarize
7. Analyze and evaluate an author’s use of literary techniques in poetry, fiction and non-fiction
(as applicable to unit selections):
 repeated sound, line or phrase (rhyme scheme and meter) I didn’t know where
“repetition for effect” would go
10. Use details from text to analyze point of view:
 first person
 third person limited
 third person omniscient
 reliability of narrator
*12. Use details from text to analyze and evaluate an author’s tone, diction and purpose on the
overall meaning of the work.
*14. Apply the Six Traits of Writing (Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence
Fluency, Conventions) and the steps of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising,
editing, publishing) to compose a variety multi-paragraph of texts, including:
 reflections
17. Revise written work for VOICE, audience, purpose and point of view:
 dialogue
 tone
 inner thought
 repetition for effect
Materials:
 The Things They Carried texts
 Optional: Guided Reading Worksheet
 WNs and previously drafted war stories
Essential Question(s):
 How is the reality of war different/similar to our perceptions of war?
 What types of battles do we individually face?
Student Assessment:
 At a later date students will be assessed based on their successful completion of their
writer’s notebook, including an entry from today.
Opening Structure:
 Options:
o Begin with the 4 in 4, but assign a topic: courage
o Begin with a quickwrite in the WN, What is courage? or What is the most
courageous thing you’ve ever seen, done, heard of? I always tell the urban
legend I’ve heard about a SLUH student who was assigned to write a 10 page
long, semester final answering the question, “What is Courage” to which he
turned in one page with his MLA and the sentence: This is. He got an A. Don’t
you love myths 
Mini Lesson:
 I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re nearing the back half of our journey through
O’Brien’s work, our journey being writers who read. As we descend this hill, we’re going
to find O’Brien switching directions on us again. We’re going to see him take us on a
detour. Today, we’re going to read his previously published, but altered story,
“Speaking of Courage.” If you were to look in your textbooks you would find this story
title with a different character name and some slightly changed events. In the chapter
you’ll be reading for homework, “Notes,” O’Brien is going to explain those changes. But
I’m getting ahead of myself. Today, I want you to walk through the reading with me
and see what you can see.
 Distribute Guided Reading Worksheet. If not using the worksheet for students, use it to

follow along with your reading. It will guide you through various stops. If not using the
worksheet, I would have students take notes in their WN as they read, or have them
annotate on post-its. I will not be collecting the worksheet. I’ll have them keep it in
their WNs. Conclude the chapter with a brief discussion, fielding any question. I would
expect this first part to take up the first ½ or a bit more of class. The rest of the lesson
could be done in 15 min. I think.
So how can we learn from O’Brien? Let’s take what he’s done and try it ourselves! For
the rest of the hour, I want you to take another look at your war story. Look at the way
you told it. Look at the perspective (person’s view) and point of view (pronouns used
and narrative awareness) you used the first time. If you remember from our last look at
perspective, what one person remembers will not be what another does. This is still
true with today’s activity. However, we’re not just focused on perspective this time.
This time, I want you to focus on point of view and how that changes. So, take your
war story, and change the perspective AND point of view. How is that going to look?
Take a minute to look at my model, and then I want you to do a bit of brainstorming in
your WN. When you are finished, Begin re-writing your story. I will expect these to be
finished in your WNs by Monday.
Work Time:
 Students should work on re-writing their war stories in another point of view and
perspective.
Debrief:

Who knew how much thought and work it took to be a writer! Whew. We’re almost
there. Keep up the good work, and keep up the writing.
Tomorrow’s Preview/Purpose:
 On Monday we will continue our reading/writing journey.
Homework:
 Complete re-write of war story. Read “Notes” (this chapter is more metafiction.
Though I found it fascinating, I think you could reasonably cut it if you wanted.)
REFLECTION
How did it go? What would I do differently next time?
1
Needs major
overhaul.
2
OK but not as strong
as this needs to be.
3
Overall lesson concept
solid but some kinks
to work out.
4
Powerful teaching and
learning happened
today!
Name: ___________________________________________
Date: _________
Hour: ____
“Speaking of Courage” Guided Reading Worksheet
Directions: As we read this chapter out loud, I will pause and stop for you. When I stop, I want you to
reflect as a writer who reads and answer the prompts. You may use sentences or bullet points, just get those
ideas down!
Stop 1—“he would not say a word about how he’ almost won the SilverStar for valor” (O’Brien 140).
Quick, what point of view is this chapter written in? ______________________________. Okay…how is that
different from the POV of the book prior to now? _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Why do you suppose O’Brien would switch POVs in the middle of the story? ___________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
What parts of this story will be different because of the POV shift? __________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Stop 2—“The Chevy seemed to know its own way” (O’Brien 144).
Repetition for effect is when a writer uses images, words, phrases, ideas, and repeats them over again in an
attempt to show the reader more. O’Brien does this throughout this chapter. Take a minute to jot down
anything you’ve noticed is repeated. These can be images, words, phrases, or ideas.
As a writer who reads, what do you think might be a reason behind using this technique? ________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Stop 3—“A hot soapy bath” (O’Brien 150).
The story about the waste field is pretty gross. Remembering that this chapter is in a different point of view
and that O’Brien is using repetition for effect, take a moment to jot down some ideas about why. Why does
O’Brien need Norman Bowker to tell this story? Why does O’Brien keep repeating about the Silver Star? Why
does Norman Bowker keep driving around this lake? Reflect and jot down some ideas.
Stop 4—The end of the chapter
Writers tell stories in their own way and in their own order. O’Brien has already shown us he picks and choses
the “truth” of what he’ll share. In this story, why did he include the details he did? Why the lake? Why the
A&W restaurant? Why the girl in rollerskates? Take a moment to reflect on O’Brien’s style and purpose as a
writer.
War Story Re-Write Teacher Model
Brainstorming (how does POV and perspective change my war story?):




If it’s in grandma’s perspective we get more maturity
It will have a different level of fear. The fear that comes with knowing
It will also be more about her experience.
If in first person instead of third limited, it will have a greater sense of urgency, but will
perhaps lack some of O’Brien’s reflective style
 It will show the war from an adult’s eyes
 It will probably be sadder in a way because you will know exactly what is happening.
Original Story:
“Stop it!” the young boy screeched in exhausted terror. His voice raw and bone-tired.
Still soldiers lit the torches, swilled the brandy, and dowsed the cathedral. Laughing and
jeering at the boy’s tears, at his grandfather’s gentle sobs, they lit their Zippos and set the
blaze.
Their laughter was what haunted the air the most.
Father had saved the cross and the Sacrament from the alter, but the ancient art, the worn
family pews, the town’s memories. These were things he could not save, could not replace.
All through the night the blaze roared to life, illuminating the demonic faces of the soldiers.
From his little hovel, Pavel heard the snickers and thought of his father.
It had been months since the war had begun. It felt like years. The lack of food, the stale air
that hung about town like a funeral cloth, the stench of fear and rotting animal corpses. The
town had been looted before, but never for more than anything but supplies. The last time had
been right before his father’s departure to join the resistance. He had told Pavel to, “buck up,
lad, and don’t get into mischief.” Easy for him to say.
Story Re-Write:
“Take care of the boy,” I muttered to my husband. Already, our eyes were welling with tears,
unsaid words.
“Come on Babushka,” the unshaven soldier leered, “I’ll take good care of her, Pop.”
“Stop it!” Pavel screamed as I tried to turn a smile to him. The soldier, with his soot-blackened
hands pounded my reassurance out of my chest. Before he could see, Father had stepped in
front of him. I said a prayer of thanks for that.
It had been two hours since the looting had begun. The fear that had choked my village for
months had felt weighty in the dawn hours, but a new smell began to creep in by midday. I
knew it was the smell of burning flesh. When I saw the first of the soldiers, a young lietenant, I
knew what was coming. Just noon and the stench of alcohol reeked on their breath. Instead
of a march, most were tottering into town.
By the end of the day, it was done.
Unit: War
Day 10:
Unit Specific Objectives Met:
2. Apply pre-reading strategies to aid comprehension:
 access prior knowledge
 preview
 predict with support
 set a purpose for reading
*3. Apply during reading strategies to monitor comprehension:
 visualize
 infer
 question the text
 paraphrase
 summarize
*4. Apply post reading skills to comprehend, interpret, analyze and evaluate text:
 identify and explain the relationship between the main idea and supporting details
 question to clarify
 reflect
 draw conclusions
 paraphrase
 summarize
5. Compare, contrast, analyze and evaluate connections:
 text to text (information and relationships in various fiction and non-fiction texts)
 text to self (text ideas and own experiences)
 text to world (text ideas and the world by analyzing and evaluating the relationship
between literature and its historical period and culture)1
7. Analyze and evaluate an author’s use of literary techniques in poetry, fiction and non-fiction
(as applicable to unit selections):
 irony
 imagery
 repeated sound, line or phrase (rhyme scheme and meter)
 simile
 metaphor
 onomatopoeia
 alliteration
 personification
 hyperbole
 idiom
 symbolism
 jargon
 dialect
 slang
 understatement
 allusion
 analogy
 parallelism
 paradox
 satire
 euphemism
8. Use details from text to analyze character motivation and identify character types using
direct and indirect characterization:
 round
 flat
 dynamic
 static
9. Use details from text to analyze conflict and setting and their impact on character and mood.
10. Use details from text to analyze point of view:
 first person
 third person limited
 third person omniscient
 reliability of narrator
*11. Use details from text to analyze a theme across genres.
*12. Use details from text to analyze and evaluate an author’s tone, diction and purpose on the
overall meaning of the work.
13. Use details from informational and persuasive texts to:
 analyze and evaluate the organizational patterns
 identify and analyze faulty reasoning and unfounded inferences
 evaluate proposed solutions
 evaluate for accuracy and adequacy of evidence
 analyze and evaluate the type of appeal (emotional, ethical and logical)
 evaluate effect of tone on the overall meaning of work
 analyze and evaluate point of view
 analyze and evaluate author’s viewpoint/perspective
*14. Apply the Six Traits of Writing (Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence
Fluency, Conventions) and the steps of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising,
editing, publishing) to compose a variety multi-paragraph of texts, including:
 narrative
 expository
 literary analysis (emphasis on symbol, theme or another literary device)
 persuasive
 poetry
 reflections

Research-based literary analysis is required, plus two additional choice pieces.
17. Revise written work for VOICE, audience, purpose and point of view:
 humor
 sarcasm
 exaggeration
 understatement
 dialogue
 tone
 inner thought
 rhetorical devices
19. Revise written work for WORD CHOICE:
 precise and vivid language




imagery
figurative language
diction
active voice
Materials:

Essential Question(s):
 What is it like to be involved in war?
 What does war look like?
 How is the reality of war different/similar to our perceptions of war?
 In what instances is war justified and who does it benefit?
 What impact does war have on individuals and society?
 How is our perception of war shaped by the media?
 What types of battles do we individually face?
Student Assessment:

Opening Structure:

Mini Lesson:

Work Time:

Debrief:

Tomorrow’s Preview/Purpose:

Homework:

REFLECTION
How did it go? What would I do differently next time?
1
Needs major
overhaul.
2
OK but not as strong
as this needs to be.
3
Overall lesson concept
solid but some kinks
to work out.
4
Powerful teaching and
learning happened
today!