Coming of Age and Identity
10th Grade Honors English
4 week Unit
Jeana Eafanti and Nicole Eulberg
EDUC463, Fall 2010
Informative Introduction
 Students: 10th graders ranging in ages 15-16, their interest range from athletics and
school activities to their social popularity and relationship status, all the students in the
class are of the honors ability level
 Unit Information: This unit will be a mid-semester unit falling in between the Intro to
the Classics unit (1st unit) and the Play and Poetry unit (3rd unit) which would follow this
unit.
 Texts: Realm of Possibility by David Levithan (1st book to be read in the unit) and Perks of
Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (2nd book to be read in the unit)
 Standards being used: The Colorado Academic Standards for 10th grade
Standard Grade Level Expectation
Tenth Grade
1. Oral Expression and Listening
1. Content that is gathered carefully and organized well successfully
influences an audience
 For our culminating project (unit 6), students are grouped together and asked
to produce a video that demonstrates their knowledge of the overarching
themes and concepts researched throughout the semester.
2. Effectively operating in small and large groups to accomplish a goal
requires active listening
 In units 1-3 and 6, students are placed in groups or have the option to work
with a partner for one of the two major assignments assigned. Each group
setting allows them to listen and discuss with one another.
2. Reading for All Purposes
1. Literary and historical influences determine the meaning of
traditional and contemporary literary texts
 In unit 3, students will use historical influences to create an informative
essay
2. The development of new ideas and concepts within informational
and persuasive manuscripts
 In unit 3, students use the media to create an informative poster that informs
other students of how the major themes are still represented within the media
today
3. Writing and Composition
1. Literary or narrative genres feature a variety of stylistic devices to
engage or entertain an audience
 In unit 4, students keep a diary using of which will feature a variety of
stylistic devices to engage or entertain an audience.
2. Organizational writing patterns inform or persuade an audience
 In unit 2, students create and perform a skit regarding a certain part in Trifles
that will be used to inform the class.
3. Grammar, language usage, mechanics, and clarity are the basis of
ongoing refinements and revisions within the writing process
 In unit 4, students are assigned a character from the play Othello and are
asked to keep diary for two weeks written in that characters mindset.
Throughout the writing process, students continue revising their entries to
eventually turn in a finished booklet with all the entries presented.
4. Research and Reasoning
1. Collect, analyze, and evaluate information obtained from multiple
sources to answer a question, propose solutions, or share findings
and conclusions
 In unit 1, students use pictures, quotes, etc. to share findings or conclusions
that relate to the overarching theme.
2. An author’s reasoning is the essence of legitimate writing and
requires evaluating text for validity and accuracy
 In unit 5, students write their own critique of The Awakening evaluating text
for validity and accuracy.
Understanding By Design Unit Template
Title of Unit
Curriculum Area
Developed By
The Coming of Age and
Identity
Grade Level
10th Grade
Honors English
Time Frame
4 weeks
Jeana Eafanti and Nicole Eulberg
Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)
Content Standards
1. Oral Expression and Listening
1. Content that is gathered carefully and organized well successfully
influences an audience
2. Effectively operating in small and large groups to accomplish a goal
requires active listening
2. Reading for All Purposes
1. Literary and historical influences determine the meaning of
traditional and contemporary literary texts
2. The development of new ideas and concepts within informational
and persuasive manuscripts
3. Writing and Composition
1. Literary or narrative genres feature a variety of stylistic devices to
engage or entertain an audience
2. Organizational writing patterns inform or persuade an audience
3. Grammar, language usage, mechanics, and clarity are the basis of
ongoing refinements and revisions within the writing process
4. Research and Reasoning
1. Collect, analyze, and evaluate information obtained from multiple
sources to answer a question, propose solutions, or share findings
and conclusions
2. An author’s reasoning is the essence of legitimate writing and
requires evaluating text for validity and accuracy
Understandings
Overarching Understanding
Students will understand the value of individuality
and the effect stereotypes may have on ones
identity.
Essential Questions
Overarching
What does it mean to be
different?
What deems a human
being as different?
Related Misconceptions
People who speak, act, and make different choices
than me have nothing in common with me. Those
who do things different than me are acting
incorrectly.
Is being different out of
the norm?
What makes up ones’
identity?
Topical
What do the
relationships in the
Realm of Possibility
and Perks of Being a
Wallflower contribute
to the characters’
identity?
How do stereotypes
affect character
identity?
How is coming of age
an example of
identity?
How can you relate to
any given aspect of
identity that has been
evident throughout
these two books?
Knowledge
Skills
Students will know…
Students will be able to…
+How to identify and be aware of stereotypes that
exist in everyday life
+Demonstrate their ability to identify with
characters
+How to write and speak through free verse writing
+Express their knowledge of free verse through
their writing and speaking
+More about life experience through literature
+ What it means to be “coming of age”
+Express their understanding through various
forms
+How and what it means to gain interpretation
from a text
+Activate prior knowledge
+Draw inferences about the text
Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)
Performance Task Description
Goal
To learn about and accept common differences among people in the world
and recognize how those things can shape one’s identity.
Role Students will act as readers, writers, and speakers
Audience Teacher
Situation To understand and recognize what contributes to a person’s identity
Product/Performance Video Presentation Project
Standards
1.
2.
3.
4.
Oral Expression and Listening
Reading for All Purposes
Writing and Composition
Research and Reasoning
Other Evidence
Students will complete the following activities:
-Character Maps
- Journal Entries
-On-Going Poetry/ Free verse Speaking and Writing
- Psycho Drama
Learning Plan (Stage 3)
Where are your students headed?
Where have they been? How will you
make sure the students know where
they are going?
Our students our headed towards achieving self discovery
through the texts that we are reading and the assignments
that they will be doing. We hope that students have enjoyed
reading in the past, and can now find books that they can
relate to. Each day we will try to reinforce the importance of
self discovery through identity so that the students know
what they should be achieving throughout this unit.
How will you hook students at the
beginning of the unit?
At the beginning of our unit, we will hook students by playing
a movie clip that they are familiar with and can relate to.
What events will help students
experience and explore the big idea
and questions in the unit? How will
you equip them with needed skills and
knowledge?
Major events that will help students experience and explore
our big idea will be things like, Socratic seminars,
psychodramas, personal reflections, letter writing, class
discussions, and art related projects. These assignments will
equip them with the needed skills and knowledge for our unit
because they will be using their lives as examples that relate
to the texts we read.
How will you cause students to reflect
and rethink? How will you guide them
in rehearsing, revising, and refining
their work?
Students will reflect and rethink during specific assignments
throughout the unit, like reflecting on their personal lives, and
recreating themes that were explored during the unit in their
culminating assessment. We will give them opportunities to
rehearse, revise, and refine their work throughout the unit
and will explain to them the importance of doing so.
How will you help students to exhibit
and self-evaluate their growing skills,
knowledge, and understanding
throughout the unit?
Our culminating assessment will help students exhibit and self
evaluate their knowledge and growth throughout the
semester because they will have to demonstrate their
understanding of the themes and important concepts
represented throughout their unit. Along with that, all of our
assignments build upon one another. Each assignment
requires students to access their previous knowledge and
understanding of the lesson the day before.
How will you tailor and otherwise
We provide differentiation within each lesson so that each
personalize the learning plan to
optimize the engagement and
effectiveness of ALL students, without
compromising the goals of the unit?
student is accommodated for and can acquire the highest
level of learning along with the rest of the class.
How will you organize and sequence
the learning activities to optimize the
engagement and achievement of ALL
students?
We organized all of our lessons by basing each activity off of
one another, starting with our intro activity, and going from
there.
From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development
ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk)
Rationale
For our unit plan, we have decided to focus on two novels, The Realm of Possibility and
The Perks of Being a Wallflower. We feel as though both of these novels deal with issues that
students can relate to and therefore will allow students to feel closer to the books they are
reading. Too often students are asked to read books that they can’t make a personal connection
to, or that are written in a time period or way that is of no interest to the student. By doing this
unit based on these two novels we hope to motivate students to not only take away academic
achievements, but to also to be aware of personal experiences. Hopefully they will know that no
matter what they are going through, they can find a book that they can relate to that will help get
them through a variety of situations.
The Realm of Possibility and The Perks of Being a Wallflower both deal with adolescent
issues that could be considered controversial such as; relationships, struggles with identity,
stereotypes, social norms, and the coming of age. We realize many of these topics are touchy and
will have to be taught in a very respectful manner. However, we feel as though each one of the
instances that occur within these books will be relevant to at least one kid within our classroom.
Since each of our students will personally be experiencing their own coming of age story, it will
be important for them to read about kids who are going through the same kinds of things that
they are. It will give them a way to relate to their personal lives, while being a part of class and
connecting what they read to our learning environment.
Within a lot of schools, these two books are banned because of their content. We are
aware of the kinds of challenges and struggles we will face by teaching these novels and we are
ready to tackle them head on. We understand that many parents and/or members of the school
board ban these books because they want to keep their children safe, however, you can’t shelter
kids forever. They need to be exposed to the realities of the world, and books give them a safe
way to learn about those kinds of things in an enclosed but educational and eye opening manner.
Students lack the motivation to read books that they cannot relate to, but are forced to read
within school. So, if you give them the opportunity to take a break from reading classic literature
and instead give them the chance to read books that they might be able to personally identify
with, they will be excited to learn and experience reading books that are relevant to them.
We have set up our unit on these two novels to take around four weeks. We feel it is
important to give students’ ample time to read these novels and really connect with them. As a
class we will be doing many assignments that will explore each student's coming of age story,
the relationships, and defining moments, etc. that influenced who they are today. The first three
weeks will be spent on the two novels and there will be small assignments like journal entries,
Socratic seminars, and creative pieces that will help us explore each of the novels. The fourth
week will be spent working on and presenting a culminating video project that students’ will be
allowed to do in groups or individually. These projects will be mildly open ended, and will allow
each group or individual to share how the novels that we read affected them.
Overall, we think the value of reading The Realm of Possibility and The Perks of Being a
Wallflower is very high. Classic literature is important to a student’s education, but so is
literature that relates directly to the student. With these two novels we are doing just that, and
therefore we are opening up a world to students that allows them to explore themselves and to
relate to a novel in a way that they may never have before. This unit will be conducive to their
lives as well as to our classroom as a whole. We will be able to learn about each other in a
respectful way while exploring literature and enjoying ourselves. As teachers, we couldn’t ask
for a better way to not only teach our students, but to learn with and about them.
September
and
October
2011
Mon
Tue
19
Realm of
Possibility
“Sandlot”
Clip and
Coming of
age
Socratic
Seminar
20
Personal
Coming of
Age Stories
26
Character
Maps and
Final
Socratic
Seminar
Present
Findings
based on
Freshman
Interviews
21
27
Anonymous
Letters
22
28
Infinite
Playlists
29
Facebook
Perks
23
24
25
30
1
2
7
8
9
14
15
16
Introduce
Video Project
13
Presentations
Sun
Meetings
with
Freshman for
Interviews
6
12
Edit Video
Projects
Sat
Present Me
Bags
Class
Discussion
and Planning
of Interview
Questions
5
11
Film Video
Projects
Fri
Me Bags
Reflections
on Life
4
10
Plan Video
Projects
Thurs
Workshop
Coming of
Age Stories
Psychodrama
Planning and
Presenting
3
Perks of
Being a
Wallflower
Wed
Presentations
Title: Coming of Age
Day: 1 (intro activity)
Standards: 1.2.b and f
How students are addressing standards: Students will be participating in a large group
discussion and individually contributing to the discussion to accomplish the goal of the seminar.
Link: Students will have hopefully seen the movie The Sandlot before so they can relate to that, and
students will have had class discussions before. However, now they will be having a discussion in a more
structured from.
Materials: Youtube clip of The Sandlot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxL3Ly1Hjzo
Instructional Strategy:
1). We will explain to students that the unit we will be working on for the next few weeks is
centered around the theme of “Coming of Age”. In order to introduce the kids to what that theme
encompasses, we will show the trailer for the movie The Sandlot off of youtube. This trailer
shows a young man who moves to a new city and experiences things with his friends and family
that force him to grow up. The short clip gives a few examples of instances that he experiences
that influence his coming of age. (10 minutes)
2). Once we have shown the video, we will ask students to move their desks so that everyone is
sitting in a circle, (2 minutes).
3). Once we are all facing one another we will explain to the students that we will be having a
Socratic seminar. Since this might be a new concept to our students, we will explain to them what
a Socratic seminar is and what purpose it serves. (5 minutes)
4). After we have explained what a seminar is, we will ask the students if they have any questions
and clear them up. (5 minutes)
5). From there, one of us will walk to the front of the room and write the words COMING OF
AGE on the board. We will tell the students that we will want them to explore what this phrase
means and what kinds of things could influence a person’s coming of age story through this
Socratic Seminar. (5 minutes).
6). We will then open the floor and allow students to start and continue the conversation. We will
add our input during the seminar if need be to help drive the conversation forward. (40 minutes).
7). When the seminar is coming to a close, we will do a final whip around, which means we will
ask every student to add their closing comment to the seminar. If a student is uncomfortable
doing so, we will allow them to pass. However, we will encourage everyone to try to say
something (Differentiation). (10 minutes)
Closure:
8). We will ask the students to move their desks back into rows and we will then have a
discussion based on the Socratic seminar. We will ask the students to give us feedback telling us
what they thought of the seminar, how they thought it went, what they liked about it, what they
would change, and if they would want to do it again etc. (Informal Assessment) (10 minutes)
Title: Personal Coming of Age Stories
Day: 2
Standards: 3.1.b
How Students are addressing the Standards: Student will be using a variety of stylistic
devices to support the theme of their personal coming of age story.
Link: After participating in and listening to the Socratic Seminar from yesterday’s class,
students possess prior knowledge about the theme Coming of Age and will be able to
generate their own personal stories based off the knowledge they already know.
Materials: Students will need their books, their notebooks with paper, and pencils
Instructional Sequence:
1.) We will have a brief discussion about the Socratic Seminar that took place in class
yesterday. We will guide the students into asking and answering questions they may
have pertaining to the activity completed yesterday to ensure that the necessary
knowledge was gained before continuing with the next activity. (i.e. coming of age
and identity themes, the characters and their interactions, etc.) (15 minutes)
2.) Next, we will split the students up into groups of four and within their groups they
will be directed to discuss at least three stories or instances within their own lives that
they feel have forced them to mature or grow up in some way. Within this
discussion, students, in their notebooks, will write down each of their personal
instances in which they experienced coming of age themselves. (20 minutes)
3.) Then, we will hand out the Personal Coming of Age Story instruction sheet and go
over the expectations for this assignment as a class. Students will be asked to choose
one of the three coming of age instances and expand off of it telling their own story.
We will answer any questions about the assignment. (15 minutes)
4.) Students will then work independently on their coming of age stories. We will be
circling around the room answering any questions students have regarding this
assignment. In allowing them to choose from their own personal experiences,
student choice in honored within our classroom. (30 minutes)
Closure:
5.) At the end of class, we will bring the class back as a whole and mention that a
working draft of their story will need to be typed and read for editing by Thursday of
the same week. Students will also have time to voluntarily share what they are
writing about and why it is considered to be a coming of age story (informal
assessment). (10 minutes)
NAME_______________________________________________ DATE__________________
Personal Coming of Age Story
For this assignment, you will be writing your own coming of age story using
a particular experience or instance in your life which forced you to gain a new
sense of maturity. This experience must be school appropriate so please keep this
in mind when choosing your topic.
Your final submitted story must include the following:
 A creative title
 3-4 pages of typed, double-spaced writing
 Grammar correctness
 Well organized
 A paragraph explaining why and/or how your topic illustrates coming
of age
 A copy of the edited drafts
Your final submitted story will be graded based on the rubric that is attached.
Personal Coming of Age Stories
Teacher Names: Ms. Eafanti and Ms. Eulberg
Student Name:
________________________________________
2
1
Most of the story is
related to the
assigned topic and
assigned topic. The
allows the reader to story wanders off at
understand much
one point, but the
more about the topic. reader can still learn
something about the
topic.
Some of the story is
related to the
assigned topic, but a
reader does not
learn much about the
topic.
No attempt has been
made to relate the
story to the assigned
topic.
Organization
The story is very well
organized. One idea
or scene follows
another in a logical
sequence with clear
transitions.
The story is a little
Ideas and scenes
hard to follow. The
seem to be randomly
transitions are
arranged.
sometimes not clear.
Spelling and
Punctuation
There are no spelling There is one spelling
or punctuation errors or punctuation error
in the final draft.
in the final draft.
Character and place
names that the
author invented are
spelled consistently
throughout.
There are 2-3
spelling and
punctuation errors in
the final draft.
The final draft has
more than 3 spelling
and punctuation
errors.
Title
Title is creative,
Title is related to the
sparks interest and story and topic.
is related to the story
and topic.
Title is present, but
does not appear to
be related to the
story and topic.
No title.
CATEGORY
4
3
The entire story is
Focus on
Assigned Topic related to the
The story is pretty
well organized. One
idea or scene may
seem out of place.
Clear transitions are
used.
"Create Your Rubric." RubiStar Home. ALTEC, 2000. Web. 07 Nov. 2010.
<http://rubistar.4teachers.org/>.
Title: Workshop Coming of Age Stories
Day: 3
Standards: 3.3.a-d
How students are addressing Standards: Students are revising their writing therefore they
are fixing grammar that is not grammatically correct, they are distinguishing between active and
passive voice, and fixing sentence structures.
Link: Students will have had 30 minutes of class time as well as a day outside of class to work
on their first draft of their Coming of Age story.
Materials: Students will need:
-
Their book
-
A copy of their working draft
-
At least three different colored pens to edit other students work
-
Their notebook
Instructional Sequence:
1.) We will explain to students how the editing process will work. Each student will be
editing a total of three other students’ stories. In a different colored pen, students will
first write their names at the bottom of each of the last pages so the writer will know
which editor was what color. (10 minutes)
2.) We will then ask students to get out their first draft along with a colored pen of their
choice. We will break students into groups of four and ask that the group place their
desks together so we know who is working together. Before students begin, we will
walk around the room to make sure no two students within the group has like colored
pens then tell the students to begin editing. Students will work on editing until each
member in the group has received feedback from the other three students.
(25 minutes)
3.) As students finish, we will then instruct the students to discuss all the student drafts
individually as a group mentioning two pros and two cons to each story. This will
continue until each student in every group has received verbal feedback from each
group member. (25 minutes)
4.) After students have received constructive feedback about their stories they will return
to their seats and be instructed to get out a piece of paper. Next, we will ask the
students to write down answers to the following questions: how the editing workshop
was helpful, if it was not then why, two areas they need to improve on within their
story before final submission, three areas they feel they excelled at already in their
drafted story, and any suggestions for future editing workshops they have.
(15 minutes)
Closure:
5.) When students have finished writing down their answers, we will then go around the
room and hear one answer to one question from each student to gain a sense of where
each student stands with understanding of both the assignment and their piece of
writing (informal assessment). Also, in allowing students to choose which question
they answer aloud gives us another opportunity to integrate student choice into our
lesson for the day.
(15 minutes)
Title: “Me Bags”
Day: 4
Standards: 1.2.c
How Students are addressing the standards: Students are choosing specific words, phrases, or
pictures etc. to convey themselves to a particular audience which is their peers.
Link: Students will have to use their creative side that they have accessed before while doing posters or
art projects etc.
Materials:
-Paper Grocery Bag
-Scissors
-Glue or Tape
-Magazines
-Colored pencils, markers, or crayons
Instructional Sequence:
1). Today we will inform students that they will be doing a creative project. We will talk to them
about The Realm of Possibility and how each character within the book has their own identity
and we want them to explore their own identities. (10 minutes)
2). We will then explain to students what we want them to do. We will let them know that we
want them to decorate a paper grocery bag in a way that represents them. They can use pictures
cut out from magazines, they can write on them, they can draw their own pictures, etc. We will
show them examples of “Me Bags” that we have made reflecting our own identities. (15
minutes)
3). We will then ask the students if they have any questions, and we will answer any that come
up. (5 minutes)
4). Once all questions have been answered we will give the students some to brainstorm what
kind of things they want to include on their “Me Bags”. (10 minutes)
5). We will then pass out a paper bag to each student and let them get to work. Materials like
scissors, glue, magazines, and colored pencils will be on a table at the front of the room and
students will be allowed to use whatever they want in order to create their bags
(Differentiation). We will just instruct them to use the materials in a timely fashion so that other
students have the opportunity to use them as well. (40 minutes)
6). When class is coming to a close we will ask the students to clean up and put the materials
back. We will also have a space cleared for them to leave their “Me Bags” (5 minutes)
Closure:
7). At the end of class we will have a mini discussion with the students and we will ask them to
share with us how their “Me Bags” are coming along, and if they are learning anything about
themselves while creating them (informal assessment). (5 minutes)
“Me Bags”
Teacher Name: Ms. Eafanti and Ms. Eulberg
Student Name:
________________________________________
4
3
2
1
Use of Class
Time
Used time well
during each class
period. Focused on
getting the bag done.
Never distracted
others.
Used time well
during each class
period. Usually
focused on getting
the bag done and
never distracted
others.
Used some of the
time well during each
class bag. There
was some focus on
getting the project
done but
occasionally
distracted others.
Did not use class
time to focus on the
project OR often
distracted others.
Graphics Originality
Several of the
graphics used on the
bag reflect an
exceptional degree
of student creativity
in their creation
and/or display.
One or two of the
graphics used on
the bag reflect
student creativity in
their creation and/or
display.
The graphics are
No graphics made
made by the student, by the student are
but are based on the included.
designs or ideas of
others.
Attractiveness
The bag is
exceptionally
attractive in terms of
design, layout, and
neatness.
The bag is attractive
in terms of design,
layout and
neatness.
The bag is
acceptably attractive
though it may be a
bit messy.
CATEGORY
"Create Your Rubric." RubiStar Home. ALTEC, 2000. Web. 07 Nov. 2010.
<http://rubistar.4teachers.org/>.
The bag is
distractingly messy
or very poorly
designed. It is not
attractive.
Title: Presenting “Me Bags”
Day: 5
Standards: 1.2.e
How students are addressing standards: Students will be presenting their “me bags” and they
will have to be respectful when actively listening to other’s presentations.
Link: Students will be presenting the “Me Bags” they created two days earlier
Materials: Students will need their “Me Bags”
Instructional Sequence:
1. Today we will ask all of the students to present their “Me Bags”. We will explain to
them that it will give the class a chance to get to know one another better and it will
connect to our reading of The Realm of Possibility because we will get to see each
individual’s identity just like we do within the novel. (10 minutes)
2. We will ask the students to be respectful as they are listening to every ones
presentations. We will also make sure that it is ok with everyone if people ask questions
about their “Me Bags” when they are done presenting. If they are then we will allow
students to ask each other questions based on their “Me Bags”, and if they are not then
we will refrain from asking questions (differentiation). (5 minutes)
3. We will then give each student time to present their “Me Bags”. We will decide who
will go next based on a volunteer basis. (60 minutes)
4. Once everyone has presented we will thank them for presenting. (1 minute)
Closure:
5. At the end of class we will have a mini class discussion (informal assessment) that is
centered around what students learned about each other (positive things) and how they
thought learning about one another related to the book.
Title: Socratic Seminars
Day: 6
Standards: 1.2.b and f
How students are addressing the standards: Students will be participating in a large group discussion
and individually contributing to the discussion to accomplish the goal of the seminar.
Link: Students will have had class discussions before and now they will be doing that in a more
structured and student oriented form.
Materials: Students will need to have their books with them
Instructional Sequence:
1). There are a lot of relationships represented within The Realm of Possibility, and many of the
people represented within those relationships intertwine with other characters in the novel.
Therefore, we will create a character map as a class that shows who is connected to who in the
text.
2). We will introduce this idea to students by telling them that we will be creating a character
map on the board that they should copy in to their notes. We will explain to them that we will
first list out all of the characters represented in the novel. We will then draw a large circle and
write the characters names around the inside of the circle. We will then explain that we will want
student volunteers to come up to the board and draw lines from character to character that are
connected in some way within the novel. (5 minutes)
3). We will ask the students if they have any questions thus for so that we are all clear on what
we are about to create. (2 minutes)
4). Once all of the questions are answered, one of us will stand at the board and ask the students
to shout out the names of the characters within the novel as we write them down so that we have
a list. We will then draw a circle on the board and write the characters names within it. (3
minutes)
5). From there, we will ask student volunteers to come up and draw lines that connect the
characters to one another. Therefore, we are not requiring students to participate, but we are
giving them the opportunity if they want to (Differentiation). We will ask everyone to refrain
from conversation until we think the map is finished. (10 minutes)
6). Once students think are done with the map we will open the floor up to conversation. We
have a discussion based on looking at each line of who is connecting to whom and whether the
connections are right or not. We will also discuss the relationship between those two people, and
if there are any connections that we forgot, we will add them. (15)
7). Since this will be the second Socratic seminar that the kids will be doing we will give them a
brief review of what they are and what purpose they serve. (2 minutes)
8). We will then explain to the students how we want the Socratic Seminar for today to go. We
will explain to them that this seminar will be driven by the text, and that the input they give will
be quotes from the book The Realm of Possibility that they found inspirational, or that they
connected to, or that they found controversial etc. (5 minutes)
9). After our explanation we will ask the students if they have any questions about how the
seminar will be run, and answer any that come up so that each student is clear on what to do. (2
minutes)
10). We will then give the students time to look through their book and mark the quotes that they
will want to use within our seminar (10 minutes)
11). Once we have given the students time to find quotes we will ask them to put their desks in a
circle so that we can all see one another. (3 minutes)
12). We will again give a quick explanation of how we want the Socratic seminar to go by telling
them that we will just be reading quotes from the book out loud. We will explain to them that by
doing so we will be creating a kind of ongoing poetry based on the book. We will also answer
any more questions the students might have. (5 minutes)
13). To start out the ongoing poetry Socratic seminar, we will both read a quote that we enjoyed
from the book and then open the floor for the students to read their quotes. (30 minutes)
14). As the students are reading their quotes, we will keep track of who has spoken and how
many times they have done so. We will add in to the seminar occasionally as well.
15). When the seminar is coming to a close, we will ask the students to do a whip around which
means we will ask every student to share a quote so that everyone will have contributed to the
ongoing poetry. (2 minutes)
16). Once the seminar has come to a close we will ask the students to stay sitting in a circle so
that we can have a discussion. We will ask them to share with us and the class what they thought
of the seminar. We will want them to share what they liked, what they didn’t like, if they thought
it was productive, and if they would like to do it again etc. This will be the closing to class and
an informal assessment. (15 minutes) (Informal Assessment)
Closure:
17). We will ask students to put their desks back into rows and to pack of their stuff for the
remainder of class.
Title: Psycho Drama
Day: 7
Standards: 1.2.b and f
How students are addressing Standards: Students will be effectively working in small and
large groups to accomplish a goal and will be participating in their individual roles and
responsibilities.
Link: Students will have, in class, put together a character map showing how all characters
connect to one another. In doing so, students will be able to take on the personas of chosen
characters and answer questions about themselves as the character in the novel would.
Materials: Realm of Possibility text
Instructional sequence
1.) We will begin class by re-visiting the topics covered yesterday in doing the character
mapping and the Socratic seminar. We will guide the conversation towards how
these two activities magnify the character identity, relationships and interactions.
(5 minutes)
2.) After brief discussion, we will then go over the expectations for the assignment and
answer any questions students have along the way. We will explain that this will be a
group participation grade and that each group will be assigned one of the five
chapters within the book. Each group member will choose what character they act of
role of. (10minutes)
3.) Next, we will give the groups time to pick which student will play which character
and then as a group, come up with two questions for at least one other character from
another chapter of their choice (student choice and Differentiation). We will be
walking around the room making sure that the groups are not generating questions
about the same few characters. (10 minutes)
4.) Then we will ask the Ch. 1 group to come up and take on the persona of their chosen
characters. The class will then direct the questions to each individual character and
the students acting that particular role will have to answer based on their knowledge
of the character they are portraying. Each character should answer at least two to
three questions. This process will be repeated until all five groups have gone and
each student character has been represented. (35 minutes)
5.) When all the groups have finished, we will then do a whip around (Differentiation).
Before the group presents to the class how they felt about the activity though, we will
give them time to discuss their feelings within their groups. (5 minutes)
Closure:
6.) We will then pull the groups back together as a class and ask each group to say their
thoughts towards the activity (what they liked, what they didn’t like, what they would
change, what they still don’t understand, etc.).(informal assessment) (15 minutes)
21st Century Skills:
Students will demonstrate 21st century skills by using interactive communication and
collaboration within the group work completed in class today. Students also contributed ideas to
group conversation as well as class discussion. These are important skills because they
demonstrate students’ proficiency levels for their current grade level as well as their future
success.
Title: Reflections on Life
Day: 8
Standards: 3.1.c
How students will be addressing Standards: Students are enhancing the expression of their
voice and mood within their writing.
Link: Students activate prior knowledge regarding their freshmen year. The main character
Charlie in the book Perks of Being a Wallflower is beginning his freshmen year and this will link
to his character.
Materials:
Pencil
Paper
Instructional Sequence:
1.) We will begin class with a discussion reflecting on their freshmen year. Students will
answer and/or expand on the following questions of which will be written on the
board: (20 minutes)
What, if any advice were you given going into freshmen year?
Was the advice useful, why or why not?
Is advice necessary as a freshman? Why or why not?
Do you think having an older sibling in the same high school helps with your
experience of being a freshman? Why or why not?
2.) Stemming from the class discussion, students will then create a mini essay that is to
be completed in class. We will explain that the essay will be deemed participation
points because it is an in class writing assignment. We will asking students to keep in
mind that their focus needs to be on expanding the questions we went over in class
into a well developed essay about their experience as freshmen (why it was good,
why it was bad, what helped get them through, why they may or may not have been
nervous, etc.) ( Differentiation) (50 minutes)
Closure:
3.) With the remaining time, we will ask students to finish up their writing and turn in
what they have. We will then ask them to relate what they have written to the
Charlie’s emotions towards being a freshman, students will identify with Charlie on a
more personal level because there is already something they connect with right off the
bat. Concluding in this manor will enable us to see how students are comprehending
and identifying with the text. (Informal Assessment) (20minutes)
Title: Interview Planning
Day: 9
Standards: 1.2.a
How students are addressing the Standards: Students work in pairs to generate questions and
actively listen to one another to do so.
Link: Based off the discussion and in class write completed yesterday, students will continue to
examine Charlie’s character and use his experiences as a basis for their interview questions.
Materials:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Pen or pencil
Paper
Instructions Sequence:
1.) We will begin class by briefly reviewing the end result of yesterday’s class. We will
use the text and as a class, come up with and examine specific instances in which
Charlie’s identity, coming of age, and emotions are shown through the text. We will
also discuss how this relates to the topic from yesterday. (20 minutes)
2.) After examining the text further, we will then introduce their interview assignment of
which they will conduct with the freshmen tomorrow. As we explain the process that
will be taking place, students will take notes on their expectations for the assignment.
We will first explain that their final grade for this assignment will be based on their
participation throughout the planning process, interviewing process, and presenting
process. Next we will explain the potential questions they should consider when
speaking with the freshmen based off what they wrote and discussed in class
yesterday. We will make it clear that through interviewing the freshmen, they will be
able to compare the freshmen emotions and thoughts to those of Charlie on a different
level than that of their sophomore comparisons to Charlie because they are the same
age. We will remind students that there will be two freshmen together for the two
sophomores conducting the interview. (20 minutes)
3.) After answering any questions students have about the assignment, we will then pair
students off and ask that in their pairs they generate question by combining their
individual answers to the questions they expressed in their writing yesterday.
Students are welcome to use the text to generate questions as well. By the end of
class, students should have a list of school appropriate questions for their interview
tomorrow, enough to fill the 20 minutes we will take to conduct the interviews.
(Differentiation) (30 minutes)
Closure:
4.) At the end of class, we will come back together as a group and discuss some of the
questions the pairs came up with. With each question that is shared, we will ask the
pair to tell where the question came from, whether from their essay or the book, and
explain what relevance it has (informal assessment). We will remind students to
keep in mind how the freshmen’s’ answers relate to the text and also how they
contrast with the answers or opinions they wrote about previously. We will answer
any last questions students have and then dismiss them from class. (20 minutes)
Title: Interviewing the freshmen
Day: 10
Standards: 1.2.d
How students are addressing the Standards: Students are facilitating discussion with the
freshmen to accomplish their goal.
Link: Students generated more discussion yesterday pertaining to this assignment and developed
questions based off their prior assignments for the week to prepare them for the
interviews taking place.
Instructional Strategies:
1.) I will instruct students to get into their pairs and quickly go over their questions once
more before leaving to go to the interviews. Students can take this time to also ask us
any last minute questions that come up during their discussion with their partner.
(10 minutes)
2.) As a class, we will head over to the freshmen English classroom where we the
freshmen will have already been placed into pairs and are scattered around the room.
The sophomores will line up at the door and we will assign them to their freshmen
peers. Students will then introduce themselves and begin their interviews.
(35 minutes)
3.) After the interviews have drawn to a close we will thank the freshmen for assisting us
with our project and head back to our classroom to debrief. (5 minutes)
4.) When we return to the classroom, students will sit with their partners and individually
reflect on their interview experience in their notebook. (5 minutes)
5.) Next, students will have a chance to share their thoughts with their partners and
discuss how they think their interview went. (5 minutes)
Closure:
6.) We will then pull back together as a class and each group will go around and say one
positive about their interview, one negative, one thing they would change about the
activity if they have one and something that the freshmen said that related to Charlie’s
experience (Differentiation and informal assessment at work).
(30 minutes)
Title: Presentations on Freshmen Interviews
Day: 11
Standards: 1.2.e and f
How students are addressing Standards: Students will be actively listening to and supporting
each groups presentation and within their own presentation they will be fulfilling their personal
responsibilities.
Link: After conducting interviews with the freshmen, students will be presenting their findings
to the class.
Materials: The Perks of Being a Wall Flower book
Their written information/notes from the interview
Notebooks (for student note taking during presentations)
Pencil
Instructional Strategy:
1.) We will begin class with a short review of how presentations will go today. We will
make it clear that when students are not presenting they will need to take notes on
how the other interviews and things that stood out to them so we know students are
paying attention and listening to the presentations. (10 minutes)
2.) After answering questions students have regarding presentations, etc. we will begin,
allowing each student two minutes to present their findings so everyone can present
today. (60 minutes)
Closure:
3.) When each student has presented their findings, we will end with a class discussion
where students can talk about what surprised then, what other students did that they
found interesting, how the freshmen experiences were different from their own, etc.
(Informal assessment) (20 minutes)
Title: Anonymous Letters
Day: 12
Standards: 3.1.c
How Students are addressing Standards: Students are enhancing their expression of voice
and tone through writing letters based off of the style the text is written in.
Link: Students will have read enough of Perks of Being a Wallflower to see how the main
character’s story is told through writing letters.
Materials: Perks of Being a Wallflower
Pencil
Notebook paper
Instructional Sequence:
1.) We will begin class with a discussion on how the author chooses to tell Charlie’s
story. We will look at how Charlie tells his story and why we never know who he is
writing to, how this affects the reader, how the reader responds to this style of
writing, etc. (15 minutes)
2.) After finishing up class discussion on the style of the story, we will then hand out the
Anonyms Letters assignment sheet and rubric. We will go over both sheets as a class
and answer any questions students have regarding their task. We will remind student
that they will need to respond to at least two of Charlie’s letters in and amount of time
they are given to complete the task. Also that what they include in their responses is
up to them (Differentiation and Student Choice). (20 minutes)
3.) Then we will allow students class time to individually complete the assignment. As
students are writing, we will be going around the room answering questions and
checking student work to make sure they are participating in the assignment.
(40 minutes)
Closure:
4.) After students have completed their writing assignments, we will pull the class back
together as a whole and we will ask for volunteers to share what letters they chose to
respond to, why they chose the ones they did, and then share their response. After
sharing, the class will then be a loud to ask the student volunteer questions (school
appropriate) pertaining to their anonymous letters (Informal Assessment). As the
end of class draws near, we will wrap up the conversation and answer any final
questions students have. (15 minutes)
NAME: _________________________________________________ DATE_______________
Anonymous Letters
As we have seen in reading Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie’s
character writes letters to tell his story of identity and coming of age. As
the reader, you hear and see all that Charlie does and experiences first
hand, but never get to respond to questions he asks you.
For this assignment, you will be responding to TWO of Charlie’s
letters. What you say and how you respond is up to you. Please follow
the checklist below for your TWO completed letters and see the rubric
that is attached to see how your assignment will be graded.
 TWO, Letter format responses
 Each letter must be at least a page and a half of writing
 At the end of each letter, summarize why you chose the letter
you did and relate it to your own identity
 Proper spelling and grammar usage
 Proper letter formant (Dear Charlie… From…, etc)
Letter-Writing : Anonymous Letters
Teacher Names: Jeana Eafanti and Nicole Eulberg
Student Name:
________________________________________
2
1
Grammar &
spelling
(conventions)
Writer makes no
Writer makes 1-2
errors in grammar or errors in grammar
spelling.
and/or spelling.
Writer makes 3-4
errors in grammar
and/or spelling
Writer makes more
than 4 errors in
grammar and/or
spelling.
Ideas
Ideas were
expressed in a clear
and organized
fashion. It was easy
to figure out what
the letter was about.
Ideas were
expressed in a pretty
clear manner, but the
organization could
have been better.
Ideas were
somewhat
organized, but were
not very clear. It took
more than one
reading to figure out
what the letter was
about.
The letter seemed to
be a collection of
unrelated sentences.
It was very difficult to
figure out what the
letter was about.
Neatness
Letter is typed,
clean, not wrinkled,
and is easy to read
with no distracting
error corrections. It
was done with pride.
Letter is neatly handwritten, clean, not
wrinkled, and is easy
to read with no
distracting error
corrections. It was
done with care.
Letter is typed and is
crumpled or slightly
stained. It may have
1-2 distracting error
corrections. It was
done with some
care.
Letter is typed and
looks like it had been
shoved in a pocket
or locker. It may
have several
distracting error
corrections. It looks
like it was done in a
hurry or stored
improperly.
Sentences &
Paragraphs
Sentences and
paragraphs are
complete, wellconstructed and of
varied structure.
All sentences are
complete and wellconstructed (no
fragments, no runons). Paragraphing
is generally done
well.
Most sentences are
complete and wellconstructed.
Paragraphing needs
some work.
Many sentence
fragments or run-on
sentences OR
paragraphing needs
lots of work.
CATEGORY
4
3
Title: Infinite Playlists
Day: 13
Standards: 3.3.d
How students are addressing standards: Students will be doing a timed write in class based on
their ability to use voice within their writing.
Link: Students will have read The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Materials:
-paper
-pencils
-computer
-Asleep by The Smiths http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK8H7Qn3ifA
Instructional Strategy:
1). Within the novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie discusses a song called
Asleep by The Smiths. He discusses the importance of that song and how it has affected
his life. So, today we will have our students write about a song that has had an impact on
their life.
2). We will start classing by having a discussion about the song that is important to
Charlie. We will first play the song for the students once or twice so that they get a feel
for it, and we will also put the lyrics up on an overhead so that the kids can see them. We
will then ask them why Charlie connected to this song, how it affected him, how it helped
him etc. that will lead to a class discussion. (20 minutes)
3). Once the discussion has come to a close, we will ask the kids to do a timed write. We
will inform them that we will want them to write about a certain song that has been
important to them.
The Writing prompt will be: “Tell us what the song is, why it’s important to you,
how it has helped you, and anything else that is relevant about that song and their
life.
Once we have introduced the writing assignment, we will ask the kids if they have any
questions, and we will answer any that come up. Once all the questions are answered, we
will allow the students to begin writing. (5 minutes)
4). We will give the students an ample amount of time to write. (40 minutes)
5). Once the time is up and the students have turned in their papers, we will ask if any of
the students will want to share their songs. They will tell us what the song is, and we will
play it through our computer as long as it is appropriate. Once we have played their song,
we will ask the student to explain to the class why that song is important to them. We will
do this on a volunteer basis (differentiation). (25 minutes)
Closure:
5). We will wrap up class by having a mini class discussion. We will ask the students to
tell us if they enjoyed writing about and playing their songs and if they would do this
assignment again (Informal Assessment). (5 minutes)
Infinite Playlists
Teacher Names: Jeana Eafanti and Nicole Eulberg
Student Name:
CATEGORY
Adding
Personality
(Voice)
________________________________________
4
3
2
1
The writer seems to
be writing from
knowledge or
experience. The
author has taken the
ideas and made
them "his own."
The writer seems to
be drawing on
knowledge or
experience, but there
is some lack of
ownership of the
topic.
The writer relates
some of his own
knowledge or
experience, but it
adds nothing to the
discussion of the
topic.
The writer has not
tried to transform the
information in a
personal way. The
ideas and the way
they are expressed
seem to belong to
someone else.
Supporting details
and information are
relevant, but several
key issues or
portions of the
storyline are
unsupported.
Supporting details
and information are
typically unclear or
not related to the
topic.
Relevant, telling,
Support for
Topic (Content) quality details give
Supporting details
and information are
the reader important relevant, but one key
information that goes issue or portion of
beyond the obvious the storyline is
or predictable.
unsupported.
Sentence
Structure
(Sentence
Fluency)
All sentences are
Most sentences are Most sentences are
well-constructed with well-constructed with well-constructed but
varied structure.
varied structure.
have a similar
structure.
Sentences lack
structure and appear
incomplete or
rambling.
Title: Facebook Perks
Day: 14
Standards: 3.3.d
How students are addressing standards: Students will be creating a Facebook about a
character that is grammatically correct and in the active voice.
Link: Students will know what Facebook is, because they will either have their own or will have
heard about it through the news, friends, etc.
Materials:
-computers
-The novel The Perks of being a Wallflower
Instructional Strategy:
1). The students will meet in the computer lab for class today.
2). To begin class we will explain to the students what their task for the day will be. We
will let them know that they will be splitting into groups of 2 or 3 and will be creating a
Facebook page for one of the characters in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. We will tell
them that we want them to create an info page for their character that includes;
-their name
-their siblings
-their relationship status
-political and religious views
-their likes and interests
Ex. Music, books, movies, or activities
-an informational section that discusses the character
-favorite quotes said by that character
Once we have explained to them what we want them to do, we will ask them if they have
any questions and answer any that come up. (15 minutes).
3). We will write the different characters up on the board and we will allow students to
choose their groups and character. We will make sure that no more than 2 groups are
doing the same character. (5 minutes)
4). Once students are in their groups, we will give them time to create their Facebook
pages for their character (40 minutes)
5). When the students have finished creating their pages, we will ask each group to
present their character and what kinds of things they put on their Facebook page. We will
have groups present on a volunteer basis (differentiation). (25 minutes)
Closure:
6). After each group has presented, we will close class with a mini class discussion. We
will ask the students what they thought of this activity and what they liked or didn’t like
about it (informal assessment). (5 minutes)
Title: Introduce Video Project
Day: 15
Standards: 4.1.a and d
How students are addressing standards: Students will be narrowing and defining a topic for
their presentation, and will be collecting and organizing information that is sufficient.
Link: Students have had to critically analyze two texts and in doing so they will have been
preparing for the culminating assessment.
Materials: handout
Notebook (for any additional notes)
Pencil
The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Realm of Possibility
Instructional Strategy:
1.) We will pass out the handout and rubric that will be outlining this project. We will go
over the expectations as a class and thoroughly explain the process in which they will
be completing this assignment. After going over the instructions and the rubric, we
will then show the class an example of how their final product should look.
(20 minutes)
2.) Next we will allow students to ask any questions they have after seeing the video and
going over the expectations for this project. We will also remind students that they
do not have to physically be in their video if they choose not to, pictures, quotes,
songs, etc. will be sufficient in creating the video as long as the themes are evident
and shown in a creative way. (20 minutes)
3.) Next we will give students a few minutes to choose their group members for the
project. They should be in groups of four or five students (Differentiation). (10
minutes)
4.) After choosing their groups, we will take the class to the lab to begin researching
quotes, pictures, songs, etc. that they could potentially be using in their video. To
ensure students are actually researching, we will make it clear that each group
member will have had to found something that could potentially contribute to the
final video and show us this before they are allowed to leave class (a ticket to leave)
(student choice). (35 minutes)
Closure:
5.) After giving the groups’ time to research ideas, we will bring students back to class
and quickly walk around to each group checking their work (informal assessment).
(5 minutes)
Title: Planning Video Projects
Day: 16
Standards: 1.2.a and d
How students are addressing standards: Students will be working in groups in order to create
a final project. They will have to collaborate and take on specific roles for planning purposes.
Link: Students will have had to do culminating assessments before, so they will be aware of
what the entail and what purpose they serve.
Materials:
-group members
-both novels; The Realm of Possibility and The Perks of Being a Wallflower
-paper
-pencils
Instructional Strategy:
1). Students were informed on the previous Friday that they would be doing a final
project for this unit that would be a video project. They were told that this will be the
culminating assessment for the unit, as opposed to an essay or a test.
2). Today we will remind students about the video project and what it is and we have
students ask us any questions that they thought of over the weekend for us to answer. (10
minutes)
3). Once we have answered all of the questions, we will have the students break up into
the groups that they chose on Friday (differentiation) and we will give them time to plan
out their videos. We will explain to them that they will want to plan what they want their
video to convey, how they will connect their video to the novels we read, what kind of
pictures or dialogue they will want to use, what kind of music they will want to put in
their video, and anything else that they feel will enhance their video to make it a strong
final project. (10 minutes).
4). We will then give the students a substantial amount of time to collaborate with their
group and plan out their videos. As they are planning, we will walk around the room to
answer any questions that the students might come up with, and help students when they
need it with ideas or struggles etc. (60 minutes)
Closure:
5). Once students have had time to plan, we will talk about how their planning went. We
will ask students to give us a thumbs or down that will indicate to us how they feel about
the work that they got done today (informal assessment). We will then give them a
heads up on the fact that they will need to film their projects the following day, so if they
have anything that they need to bring from home to complete their video they will need to
bring it the next day. (10 minutes)
Title: Filming of Video Projects
Day: 17
Standards: 1.2.c
How students are addressing standards: Students will have to choose specific words or
phrases for an intended effect on their audience within their video and presentation.
Link: Students will continue to work on their culminating assessment.
Materials:
-both novels; The Realm of Possibility and The Perks of Being a Wallflower
-video cameras
-anything that they brought from home to help create their videos with
Instructional Strategy:
1). At the beginning of class we will do a quick check in with the students to let them
know that they will need to film their videos today. We will let them know that they will
be allowed to leave the room in order to go somewhere quiet to film (differentiation).
However, we will ask them to come back 10 minutes before the bell rings so that we can
check in with everyone to see how things are going. Before they leave we will ask the
students if they have any questions that they need cleared up before they begin filming.
Once the questions are answered, we will send them on their way. (15 minutes)
2). We will give the students a substantial amount of time to work and be checking in
with groups. (65 minutes)
Closure:
3). When the students return 10 minutes before the end of class we will again check in
with them and ask them if they have any more questions. We will also have them give us
a thumbs up or down that will show us how they think their video is coming along
(informal assessment). Finally, we will let them know that tomorrow during class they
will be editing their videos.
Title: Editing Video Projects
Day: 18
Standards: 1.2.b and c
How students are addressing standards: Students will be contributing effectively in small
groups in order to create their video project.
Link: Students will continue to work on their culminating assessment
Materials:
-video cameras
-computers
Instructional Strategy:
1). The students will need ample time to edit their videos, which they learned how to do
in previous classes, so we will do a very brief check in with them at the beginning of
class to go over any questions that they have and to let them know that we will be
working in the computer lab today. We will then walk as a class to the computer lab. (10
minutes)
2). Once in the computer lab, we will let the students, in their groups, get to work on
editing their video projects. We will walk around the room to help students when needed
and to answer any questions (differentiation). When their videos are finished they will
need to post them on our class YouTube site that we have already created. (70 minutes)
Closure:
3). In the last ten minutes of class we will again check in with the students to make sure
that each group got their video posted on youtube. They will then give us a thumbs up or
down that will let us know if they feel prepared for presentations the following day
(informal assessment). We will let them know that presentations will be given on a
volunteer basis however, everyone will have to present. (10 minutes)
Title: Presentations of Video Projects
Day: 19
Standards: 1.2.e and f
How students are addressing standards: Students will be actively listening to and supporting
each group’s presentation and within their own presentation they will be fulfilling their personal
responsibilities.
Link: Students will be presenting their culminating assessments
Materials:
-computer provided by teachers
Instructional Strategy:
1). Today the students will be presenting their final video projects. We will inform them
that not everyone will get the opportunity to go, so some people will have to present
tomorrow. We will also let them know that when it is their turn to present, every member
of the group will need to go to the front of the room and they will need to explain what
their video project is about. Then, we will tell them that they will need to show us their
video, and once it is over the class will ask them questions about it. We will then ask the
students if they have any questions about the process in which presentations will go and
we will answer them accordingly. (10 minutes)
2). We will then open up the floor and allow groups of students to present as they
volunteer (differentiation) and we will continue that process until 10 minutes before
class is over. (70 minutes)
Closure:
3). Once the presentations are over for the day, we will have a mini class discussion on
how students think presentations are going so far (informal assessment). We then make
sure of what groups will need to present the following day (10 minutes).
Title: Presentations of Video Projects day 2
Day: 20
Standards: 1.2.e and f
How students are addressing standards: Students will be actively listening to and supporting
each group’s presentation and within their own presentation they will be fulfilling their personal
responsibilities.
Link: We will be following the same lesson plan as the previous day with a few modifications
Materials:
-computer provided by teachers
Instructional Strategy:
1). We will inform the students that we will be following the same format for
presentations that we did the previous day. We will again explain to them that when it is
their turn to present, every member of the group will need to go to the front of the room
and they will need to explain what their video project is about. Then, we will again tell
them that they will need to show us their video, and once it is over the class will ask them
questions about it. We will then ask the students if they have any questions about the
process in which presentations will go and we will answer them accordingly. (10
minutes)
2). We will then open up the floor and allow groups of students to present as they
volunteer (differentiation) and we will continue that process until 10 minutes before
class is over, or until all groups are done with their presentations. (70 minutes)
Closure:
3). With the time remaining or within the last 10 minutes we will ask students how they
liked the video projects. We will ask them to tell us if they enjoyed doing the videos,
what they thought went well with the projects, what they would change, and if they
would want to do them again etc (informal assessment). (10 minutes)
Name: ________________________________________
Date: _____________________
Other Group Members: _______________________________________________________
Identity and Film
In groups of four, you will all collaborate to create a film to express intertwining aspects
within in the text read for this unit. The purpose of this video project is to reflect your clear
understanding of the themes discussed within each text while contributing your own creative
development of what these themes mean to you in our world today.
Your film should include the following:
 A Title
 Ending credits
 Some sort of sound track
 Images and/or dialogue that prove your understanding (direct quotes, drawings,
etc.)
 Each group member must be included
 Video must be a minimum of 6 minutes long, maximum of 10 minutes
 A written component explaining the role of each group member
 Group reflection giving an overall grade on your final product, describing any
bumps in the road your group faced, and the overall opinion of the group for this
project. (i.e. If you liked it, why? If not, why? Etc.)
 An individual reflection completed by each group member giving yourself a grade
based on the time you contributed, giving each individual in your group a grade
based on their contribution, and an explanation of how you feel the group worked
together. (i.e. What worked and why? What did not and why? Etc.)
You will be receiving an individual grade as well as a group grade for this assignment.
The groups’ grade will be based on the grading rubric that is attached. Your individual grade
will be based on your self-reflection and the grades given to you from your group members.
Identity and Film
Teacher Names: Ms. Eafanti and Ms. Eulberg
Student Name:
________________________________________
4
3
2
1
Point of View Purpose
Establishes a
purpose early on
and maintains a
clear focus
throughout.
Establishes a
purpose early on
and maintains focus
for most of the
presentation.
There are a few
lapses in focus, but
the purpose is fairly
clear.
It is difficult to figure
out the purpose of
the presentation.
Voice Conversational
Style
Uses a
Uses a
conversational style conversational style
throughout.
the majority (8595%)of the time
Uses a
Presentation style is
conversational style primarily monologue.
most (70-84%) of the
time.
Duration of
Presentation
Length of
presentation was 8
to 10 minutes.
Length of
presentation was 6
to 8 minutes.
Length of
Presentation was
presentation was 4 to less than 4 minutes
6 minutes.
long
Grammar
Grammar and usage
were correct (for the
dialect chosen) and
contributed to clarity,
style and character
development.
Grammar and usage
were typically
correct (for the
dialect chosen) and
errors did not detract
from the story.
Grammar and usage
were typically correct
but errors detracted
from story.
Repeated errors in
grammar and usage
distracted greatly
from the story.
Images
Images create a
distinct atmosphere
or tone that matches
different parts of the
story. The images
may communicate
symbolism and/or
metaphors.
Images create an
atmosphere or tone
that matches some
parts of the story.
The images may
communicate
symbolism and/or
metaphors.
An attempt was
made to use images
to create an
atmosphere/tone but
it needed more work.
Image choice is
logical.
Little or no attempt to
use images to create
an appropriate
atmosphere/tone.
CATEGORY
"Create Your Rubric." RubiStar Home. ALTEC, 2000. Web. 07 Nov. 2010.
<http://rubistar.4teachers.org/>.