The 4MAT System: Using the Natural Cycle of Learning with Brain-Compatible Techniques
EDUC 600
Toni Nelson
Topic: Of Mice and Men
Concept: personal relationships
Subject: Language Arts
Grade Level: 10
CONNECT (1R)
Objective:
Students will identify and create a visual representation of a
significant person in each of their lives or relationships in general.
Activity:
Using magazines, cut-outs and/or drawing utensils, such as
markers, pens, crayons and colored pencils, each student will
create a likeness of a significant person in his/her life.
OR…Students will draw a mental image of a significant person in
their lives. They will then create a metaphor for relationships by
finishing the following sentence: My relationship with _______ is
like __________ because _______________________________.
They will then draw a visual representation of that metaphor
(express their ideas in a non-verbal representation).
Evaluation:
Assessment will be based on active participation and completion of
visual production.
ATTEND (1L)
Objective:
Students will recognize and understand how personal relationships
affect one’s life. Students will actively participate in a small group
discussion.
Activity:
Referring to the visual created above, students write answers to the
following questions in their journals:
1. Make a list of reasons your relationship with this person
is important to you.
2. Predict how your life would be different if this
relationship had not occurred or ended.
3. How does this relationship affect your decisions and
actions?
4. Does this relationship ever hinder your freedom?
Why/why not?
Students will then get into small groups and share their visuals and
journal entries with each other.
After the “show and tell” session, students will write a reaction in
their journals: How is your relationship different and similar to the
others shared in your small group?
Evaluation:
Assessment will be based on active participation and completeness
of journal entries.
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The 4MAT System: Using the Natural Cycle of Learning with Brain-Compatible Techniques
EDUC 600
Toni Nelson
IMAGINE (2R)
Objective:
Students will identify factors that affect personal relationships in
order to understand the human experience. Students will actively
participate in a small group discussion.
Activity:
Students will close their eyes and be guided by the instructor to
remember a time that brings a smile to their faces or inner eye
when thinking of the people they wrote about in their journals.
Using markers, pencils, etc. students will draw a shape, illustration
or symbol that represents that experience. They will repeat this
exercise, remembering an experience with that person that was
frustrating.
Students will then share their shapes/symbols with their small
groups, pasting each symbol to posters to be displayed in the
classroom.
Or…In small groups, students will create a mind map of the things
that affect relationships (e.g. money, children, etc.)
Students will then share their mind map ideas with the whole
group in order to create a comprehensive list of factors that affect
personal relationships.
Evaluation:
Assessment will be based on active participation and completeness
of group mind map.
INFORM (2L)
Objective:
Students will understand how the author and his characters have
influenced by the Great Depression. Students will make
predictions, generate questions, and draw inferences while reading
Of Mice and Men. Students will recognize complex elements of
plot identify a variety of literary forms and devices. Students will
be able to identify and explain the universal theme of the novel.
Activity:
Students will be taught about the situation of the United Sates and
its citizens during the Great Depression through a
lecture/PowerPoint presentation. Students will then read Of Mice
and Men, take regular quizzes, participate in small and large group
discussions about Lennie and George’s relationship and how the
time in which they live affects their relationship, participate in Fish
Bowl discussions (see sidebar), and complete the study
guide/journal on a daily basis.
Evaluation:
Assessment will be based on active participation in discussions,
quizzes, and completion of study guide/journal.
Fishbowl
Discussions:
Students come to
class with 5
questions about the
assigned reading.
Six students are
selected to be “in
the fishbowl,” and
they are the only
ones allowed to
discuss and ask
questions; the rest
of the students form
a mute, listening
audience around the
inner circle. After
someone in the
Fishbowl has asked
or answered a
question, an
audience member
may silently tap on
a Fishbowl
member’s arm to
enter the Fishbowl.
Students earn 1
point for asking an
open-ended
question and earn
2 points for each
thoughtful
answer.
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The 4MAT System: Using the Natural Cycle of Learning with Brain-Compatible Techniques
EDUC 600
Toni Nelson
PRACTICE (3L)
Objective:
Students will make personal connections between the characters in
the novel in order to create a written compilation of the
information through the application of the mechanics of writing
and the skills and strategies of the writing process.
Activity:
In their journals or in a mind-mapping handout, students will
brainstorm a list of similarities and differences between the
characters below. In small groups, students will choose or be
assigned one relationship and will combine their lists to present to
the whole class. The lists will be displayed in the classroom.
1. Candy/his dog
2. Slim/George
3. Curley/Curley’s wife
4. The boss/Crooks
5. Lennie/George
IF TIME ALLOWS:
Teacher will discuss the parts of an effective 5 paragraph essay and
how to properly cite information.
Students will then choose one of the relationships and write a 5
paragraph comparison/contrast essay containing an example from
the text to support each point.
Evaluation:
Assessment will be based on participation, journal entries and 5
paragraph essay.
EXTEND (3R)
Objective:
Students will create a product that demonstrates their
understanding of complex characters and their situations and what
affects them. Students will make predictions based on reading and
understanding of the characters’ motives.
Activity:
In small groups, students will create a tombstone for Lennie,
including an epitaph, to be displayed in the classroom.
Or…create an acrostic poem (decorated) for Lennie to be
displayed in the classroom
In small groups (group according to project preference), students
will also write an epilogue for the novel: a prediction of how
Lennie’s death affects George’s life. Students will choose from the
following activities to share their epilogues with the whole group:
1. screenplay/skit
2. screenplay/videotaped (must include setting &
costumes)
3. illustrated storyboard read aloud to class
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The 4MAT System: Using the Natural Cycle of Learning with Brain-Compatible Techniques
EDUC 600
Toni Nelson
4. karoake song (rewrite the lyrics to a song—Ballad of
George Milton)
Evaluation:
Assessment will be based on completed poem or tombstone and
class created rubric for epilogue.
REFINE (4L)
Objective:
Students will produce a well-developed, well-organized epilogue
in a limited amount of time while demonstrating the ability to
analyze, reflect and revise ideas and products.
Activity:
Small groups will pair up and perform their epilogues for the other
small group who, using the rubric created, will evaluate and assist
in revision of the project. Students will then modify and edit their
projects.
Evaluation:
Assessment will be based on student use of the rubric.
PERFORM (4R)
Objective:
Students will present their epilogues to the whole class and
evaluate each group’s performance based on the rubric.
Activity:
Each group will perform their epilogue for the entire class. The
other small groups will use the class rubric to evaluate each
group’s epilogue and give positive and negative criticism. These
rubrics will be given both to the teacher and the presenters.
Evaluation:
Assessment will be based on the completion of the epilogue as it
meets the rubric’s standards.
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