Examining
Society’s
Perceptions of
Mental Illness
A Unit Plan for
Eleventh Grade
Duration: Six Weeks
Alyssa Statz
EDUC463
Spring 2011
Introduction
“Examining Society’s Perception of Mental Illness” is the fourth unit
in the yearlong plan that focuses on studying how contemporary texts reflect our
social climate while appealing to readers on an emotional level. In the previous unit,
students looked at “Sexuality and Society”. In this unit, students investigated how
integral sexuality is to contributing to one’s identity and how sexuality can be
greatly influenced by societal expectations and pressures. The entire unit aims to
educate students about how expansive and dominant our society can be in affecting
individual actions, decisions, and identities in general. This specific unit focusing on
Mental Illness will provide knowledge about the realities of living with a disorder,
give insight into how stigmas began, provide ideas as to how to correct false
presumptions, and promote empathy and compassion in the students to treat all
people, especially those who differ from themselves, with respect.
The class is an 11th Grade Contemporary Texts in Society course. The
ability levels of the students range, but most are able to keep up with class work
with very few issues. There is a large emphasis on class discussion, group work,
application of lessons to their own lives, and reflective writing projects to enhance
students’ interest in the texts and show how they are interpreting the lessons. This
class does require substantial amounts of reading; however, the texts are extremely
powerful and provide insights into the complicated world of living with a
mental illness. The students will be asked to focus on some of the main themes in the
texts, contemplate what the author is trying to say by depicting mental disease in
such a manner, and then ask how the text reflects our own society. The texts
successfully show an essential aspect of human existence that is necessary for the
students to examine in order to truly understand the central message of this unit.
The Colorado Content Area Standards for Eleventh Grade Reading,
Writing, and Communicating are used in this unit. Students have many
opportunities to display their abilities to listen intently (class discussions, lecture),
orally present their own ideas (discussions, final project presentation), read for
various purposes (discovering symbols/metaphors, characterization, etc), write with
a specific purpose (summaries, essays, creative writing), and conduct formal and
informal research (rereading the text, final research project, etc.). The lessons include
differentiation ideas to aid students who may need some specialization. The
activities employ visual learning, auditory perceptions, kinesthetic movement,
creative representations to show understanding, and oral sharing and exchanging of
ideas with classmates. The students have many opportunities to improve in areas
they may struggle with and participate in activities in which they already excel. The
lesson plans are not regulated and static; but instead aim to appeal to all learners
and promote their growth as students.
Central Texts in Unit:
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Ken Kesey (novel)
A Beautiful Mind (film)
The Bell Jar Sylvia Plath (novel)
Rationale for Unit Plan
The unit “Examining Society’s Perception of Mental Illness” will ask
students to examine the stigma associated with victims of mental illness,
discover where this stigma originates, see the effects of mental disease on people
who suffer from them through various texts, and urge students to evaluate their
own thoughts regarding individuals who differ from themselves. Students will
spend six weeks investigating answers to the main question of “How are our
thoughts about mental illness shaped from cultural/societal perceptions?” This
will require the students to differentiate between perception and reality and ask
them to look at a current issue through a clear lens untarnished by previous
experiences or misconceptions.
While the students may not interact with people suffering from mental
disease on a regular basis, they are exposed to people unlike themselves every
single day. One of the bigger pictures associated with this unit is gaining a sense
of humanity and understanding for all people. The students will have the
opportunity to reevaluate how they treat others, discover why they may treat
people differently, and recognize the factors that affect how they relate to others.
It is important to educate young people about the incredible diversity and
adversity they will face once they enter the real world. This unit will serve as a
preparation for them in strengthening their levels of compassion and questioning
the various standards that society seems to embed in everybody. They will learn
to think for themselves and realize what ideals are meaningful to them. It is my
goal to eliminate ignorance and discrimination from my students before they
enter a world where patience is dwindling and empathy is under appreciated.
To gain a thorough understanding of mental illness and society’s
perceptions on the mentally ill, students will be investigating three main texts
during the six week unit. The first text is the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Nest by Ken Kesey. Some parents have concerns about the sexual encounters,
profane language use, smoking and alcohol usage, intense scenes of electrotherapy, and emotionally disturbed characters in the novel. However, I would
not expose the students to anything that did not educate them about the realities
of mental disease and treatment centers. The characters display that individuals
with disorders are capable human beings who are underestimated in their
abilities to love, grow, or contribute to society. Above all, the book highlights
how sympathetic and full of depth the characters are. The novel is beautifully
written and essential in illustrating the life and thoughts of the mentally
diseased. It also provides commentary about the psychiatric medical profession
and insights into how therapies and medications affect the patients who undergo
them. There is no doubt that the novel provokes very tough questions, but it is
the goal of the unit to have students truly evaluate a current social issue and
consider their own thoughts about this tough topic. The class will handle the
sexual encounters and intense therapy sessions thematically by examining how
these scenes contribute to the importance of the novel’s overall message. The
students will understand how such extreme situations provide commentary
about the bigger issue of truly delving into the lives and experiences of people
living in a mental health ward.
Following the novel, students will view a film titled A Beautiful Mind. This
movie is about a man who suffers from Schizophrenia and has his entire life
altered by the disease. There are emotionally intense scenes in the film that show
insulin-shock therapy, the negative side effects of medications on a patient, and
the complete loss of reality the main character experiences. Since these scenes are
based on true events, it is important that students witness the realities of disease
on a man who actually lived through Schizophrenia in real life. The film is
powerful in how it shows in great detail how mental disease can affect an
individual’s profession, personal life, and entire future. I understand that some
parents may question if spending two class periods watching a film is beneficial
to their children. Since this class investigates various “texts”, it is important to
have students learn to study literature, poetry, song, and film in similar ways to
extract meaning from all modes. While viewing the film, they will be responsible
for “reading” it like a book and establishing how the story is told, what choices
were made in the film, citing “big ideas”, and drawing conclusions about what
the film conveyed. This film is regarded as an essential text and will be a
paramount educational tool in providing the students with significant
information about how mental disease can take over someone’s life entirely.
The final text the class will study is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. This novel
depicts a woman’s descent into madness and chronicles her failed attempts to
cure her disease with medication and psychiatric help. Of all the texts, this novel
most establishes which factors in society can influence someone to breakdown
mentally and question their own sanity. It powerfully describes how her
attempts to get better failed at the hands of those who were supposed to “cure
her.” Students will be able to specify which societal expectations most influenced
her decision to self-destruct. Not only will the novel incite discussions about the
pressure society places on individuals, it will also evoke thoughts about why and
how individuals allow others to control their actions. There are emotionally
trying scenes describing suicide attempts that may be difficult for some students
to read. However, this is an important reality that accompanies many mental
illnesses. It will only enhance the classes understanding about the intensity and
life-altering effects of mental illness. These scenes will also provide the
opportunity for students to learn about suicide, its causes, prevention strategies,
and observe how much societal pressure can cause the deterioration of an
individual.
Author and educator Peter Smagorinsky iterates in his book Teaching
English by Design that teaching units addressing social issues, ethical dilemmas,
and civic awareness will help prepare students to become more understanding,
productive members of our world. There are too many intolerances and
iniquities in our current society, but our youth has the opportunity to create a
better place in the future. This unit “anticipates the need for a more
compassionate society” and aims to ignite the recognition in students that there
is a need for change that they can help instigate (Smagorinsky, 145).
All of the texts featured in this unit differ in how they portray mental
illness, but all will provoke powerful questions in the students about how they
can alter their perceptions of those who are mentally ill, and alter how they treat
others who differ from themselves in general. The main characters in each text
provide unique voices that tell stories of pain, failed attempts at healing, and the
heartbreaking disregard they experience from those around them. It is my hope
that the class recognizes a connection between themselves and these characters,
feeling compassion for their situations and brainstorming possible future
solutions to the problems described in the pieces. They will be able to take the
lessons they learn from this unit far beyond the walls of their high school. The
most valuable lessons learned in schools are those that are truly beneficial in dayto-day life and cause us to become better people in how we relate to others.
Understanding By Design Unit Template
Title of Unit
Curriculum Area
Developed By
Examining Society’s
Grade Level
Perceptions of Mental
Illness
Language Arts/ English
Time Frame
Alyssa Statz
Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)
Eleventh Grade
Five Week Unit
Content Standards
Colorado Department of Education Standards for Reading, Writing, and Communicating, Grade 11
Standard 1.1 Verbal and nonverbal cues impact the intent of communication
b. Deliver formal oral presentations for intended purpose and audience, using effective
verbal and nonverbal communication
Standard 2.1 Complex literary texts require critical reading approaches to effectively interpret and
evaluate meaning
a. Use Key Ideas and Details to: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text,
including determining where the text leaves matter
uncertain.
Standard 3.2 Elements of informational and persuasive texts can be refined to inform or influence an
audience
b. Write informative/ explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts,
and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and
analysis of content
Standard 4.2 Complex situations require critical thinking across multiple disciplines
a. Analyze the logic of complex situations by questioning the purpose, question at issue,
information, points of view, implications and consequences, inferences, assumptions
and concepts.
Standard 4.3 Evaluating quality reasoning includes the value of intellectual character such as
humility, empathy, and confidence
d. Evaluate the reasoning of self and others for quality, strong-sense thinking
Understandings
Essential Questions
Overarching Understanding
There is often a social stigma associated with those
who are mentally ill.
Overarching
Who decides who is
“crazy’?
The victims of mental illness suffer from effects of
their diseases that are out of their control, yet evoke
feelings of dissension from society.
Are our thoughts about
mental illness shaped
from personal
experiences or
cultural/social
perceptions?
The treatment of those with mental disease is not
always effective, appropriate, or humane.
People with mental disease are still contributing
members of society who should be respected and
regarded with understanding.
What can people do to
eliminate the stigma
associated with mental
illness?
Topical
What characteristics
do the mentally ill
possess that differ
from the “normal”
behavior of others?
What treatments are
available for those
with mental illness?
What factors
contribute to someone
descending into
madness?
Texts that discuss mental illness can help us better
comprehend what life is like for someone who suffers
from a mental disorder or disease.
Why does this stigma
exist and when did it
begin?
Related Misconceptions
People with mental illnesses are “crazy.”
How do the
character’s
experiences in the
texts we examine
either reflect or
discount the idea that
society treats the
mentally ill unjustly?
Mentally ill people have the ability to control their
actions, but simply choose not to.
Individuals with mental disorders are less intelligent,
creative, or productive than those who do not have a
mental disease.
Knowledge
Students will know…
Characteristics of various mental diseases
How psychiatric hospitals operate and treat their
patients
The misconceptions society has regarding individuals
with mental diseases
The positive abilities and productive skills mentally
ill people possess and evidence through their actions
Skills
Students will be able to…
Reflect upon their own misconceptions or
mistreatments of the mentally ill
Transfer what they have learned about society’s
disillusionments and alter their own actions toward
people who are considered mentally ill
Recognize the opportunity for those with mental
illness to make a contribution to society
Define what they consider to be humane treatment
and apply that definition to various situations in
their lives
Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)
Performance Task Description
To have students gain an understanding about the characteristics, behaviors,
Goal
treatments, and social perceptions/misconceptions of various mental illnesses
Role Students will be researchers, composers, presenters, and then listeners
Audience Their classmates and teacher
Groups will serve as “experts” on a particular mental disease and then educate
Situation
their classmates about their information
Groups will produce informative brochures for each member of the class and
Product/Performance perform an oral presentation that includes all essential information regarding the
specific illness they researched
Standard 1.1 Verbal and nonverbal cues impact the intent of communication
c. Deliver oral talks with clear enunciation, vocabulary, and
appropriate organization; nonverbal gestures; and tone
Standards
Standard 1.2 Validity of a message is determined by its accuracy and relevance
b. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse
formats and media in order to make informed
decisions and solve problems
Standard 2.2 Ideas synthesized from informational texts serve a specific purpose
a. Use Key Ideas and Details to: Designate a purpose for reading
expository texts and use new learning to complete
a specific task
Standard 4.1 Self-designed research provides insightful information,
conclusions, and possible solutions
b. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and
digital sources, using advanced searches effectively
Other Evidence
Student groups will be submitting a works cited page that includes all resources they used throughout the
project.
Students will also submit an outline that organizes what they will be saying in their oral presentation, who
will be delivering the information, and why this information is important to the class
After all presentations have concluded, students will write self-reflections about their efforts, the efforts of
their group members, whether or not this project deepened their meaning about mental illness, what
information they feel is most significant, and how they will use this information in the future
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?
How will you hook students at the
beginning of the unit?
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?
How will you cause students to reflect
and rethink? How will you guide them
in rehearsing, revising, and refining
their work?
How will you help students to exhibit
and self-evaluate their growing skills,
knowledge, and understanding
throughout the unit?
How will you tailor and otherwise
personalize the learning plan to
optimize the engagement and
effectiveness of ALL students, without
compromising the goals of the unit?
Students have recently completed a unit on Sexuality in
Society, meaning they have observed the power and influence
society has on the individual. In this unit on Mental Illness
they will continue to explore how society influences the
actions of others and often stigmatizes individuals who are
“different” than the majority. By the end of the year, the
culmination of all the units will have provided the students will
a myriad of examples of how their compassion and empathy is
needed in society. They will recognize the power of their
voices and that he injustices that currently plague our world
can be corrected.
Students will study how mental illness has been regarded and
treated throughout history. Much of the information is
shocking, but necessary for them to understand how far we
have come, and yet how far we still have to go.
Students will perform hands-on activities that literally ask
them to live a day in the life of someone who resides in a
psychiatric ward. The texts also serve as incredibly accurate
and powerful resources that depict the lives of the characters in
very impactful ways.
At the conclusion of most daily lessons, students are asked to
discuss with a partner, creatively write, or visually represent
what they discovered that day. Summary and reflection not
only shows understanding, but asks them to further consider
the information they had just gained.
Their individual journals ask for their personal insights about
specific topics and reflect upon how deeply there are absorbing
the lessons. For many of their in-class activities, students are
asked to share what they have done with their classmates. This
creates a sense of responsibility and ownership that ensures
quality work.
Many activities in the lessons utilize group work and
interactive production, meaning students depend on one
another to find an answer to a problem to complete the task.
This is in line with the overall message of the unit in that
people can work together to solve problems, rather than always
independently pursuing the answer. The notion of exploration
is central to the course.
How will you organize and sequence
the learning activities to optimize the
engagement and achievement of ALL
students?
In each lesson, students will never be sitting still for the entire
class. There is an alternating sequence of lecture, discussion,
interactive activities, group listing, individual writing, and
sharing work with the class. The activities really focus on
appealing to all learners and creating an environment that is
interactive, educational, impactful, and thought-provoking.
From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development
ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk)
Unit Calender
Monday
Tuesday
Day 1: What is mental
illness?
Fact or Myth? Sheets,
Specific disorder study,
Diagnostic exercise
Wednesday
Thursday
Day 2: Society’s
Perception of the
Mentally Ill
Human Timeline,
Summary of
information,
construct list of
“Hopes for Changes
in Society”
Day 4: Part 1 of One
Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest,
Character Study
Body biographies,
mini-lesson on
symbolism &
metaphor, class
discussion on novel,
assigned to read Part
2 of novel
Day 6: Part 3, Women
& Sexuality
Sexual v. Authoritative
women list, “Feminine
Power Web”, lecture on
function of gender in
novel
Day 3: Treatments and
“A Day in the Life”
Treatments lecture,
Identity Sheets/ “A Day
in the Life” activity,
assigned to read Part 1
of One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest
Day 5: Part 2, Authority
v. Rebellion
Discussion on
McMurphy’s rebellion,
Dominant v.
Submissive activity,
discuss hierarchies in
novel/life/society,
assigned 1 page essay
on high school
hierarchies, assigned to
read Part 3
Day 7: Part 4, What is
Sanity?
Novel review comic
strip, fishbowl
discussion on
conclusion, 2-3 page
essay assignment on
McMurphy’s sanity
and treatment
Day 9: A Beautiful
Mind, Overcoming
Challenges
Complete
Comprehension
sheets, challenges v.
resilience creative
writing, public figure
study, assigned to
read The Bell Jar
chapters 1-6
Friday
Day8: A Beautiful
Mind, “Reading” Film
Lecture on film analysis
and terms, watch
movie, Comprehension
worksheets, assigned to
create a scene poster
Day 10: The Bell Jar Ch.
1-6, Preoccupations &
Identity Search
Identity Assessment
sheets, discuss
preoccupations/Esther’s
identity struggle,
creative writing on
biggest issue in Esther’s
life, assigned chapters
7-12
Day 11: The Bell Jar Ch.
7-12, Individual
Ambition v. Societal
Expectations
Clips about 1950s
society with question
sheet, Society v. Esther
class discussion,
sexuality in novel free
write, assign chapters
13-16
Day 12: The Bell Jar
Ch. 13-16,
Suicide/Autobiograp
hical Elements
Sylvia Plath’s life
study, discuss
similarities between
her and Esther,
lecture on suicide,
Group questions
about suicide in
novel, assign chapters
17-20
Day 14: Culminating
Assessment
Introduction & Work
Time
Introduce group
research projects,
library, group
research on disorder,
make information
brochure, complete
any other project
work for
presentations next
time outside of class
Day 13: The Bell Jar Ch.
17-20, The Threat of
Madness
Library, mini-lesson on
making graphs in
Word, graph “highs”
and “lows” of Esther’s
life, song search and
supporting essay
Day 15: Culminating
Assessment
Presentations
Share group brochures
and presentations
Introductory Lesson: What is Mental Illness?
Day One
Class: Junior Contemporary Texts in Society: 90 minute block
Link:
Students have just finished a unit on “Sexuality and Society” where they learned
about public perceptions of various sexualities and how an individual’s sexuality
is so greatly influenced by others. This links to the unit on mental illness because
both involve society’s power in judging others and oftentimes shaping their lives
according to its acceptance or denial.
Objectives:
The goal for today is to ensure students gain an understanding of mental illness,
introduce and then explain/correct the stigmas associated with individuals
suffering from mental disease, and discuss some of the most prominent disorders
through a diagnostic exercise. This class period aims to help the students see
mental illness as an illness, rather than as something a person can control or solve
immediately. Helping the students gain compassion for others unlike themselves
is the overarching goal for the entire six week unit and begins on Day One.
Standards Addressed
Standard: 1. Oral Expression and Listening
1.
Verbal and nonverbal cues impact the intent of communication
a. Give informal talks using an appropriate level of formality of verbal
language and nonverbal interaction with audience
Standard: 2. Reading for All Purposes
2.
Ideas synthesized from informational texts serve a specific purpose
a. Use Key Ideas and Details to:
v. Predict the impact an informational text will have on an audience and justify the
prediction
Anticipatory Set
10 Minutes – Students will respond to this journal prompt in their writing
notebooks:
What words/phrases/thoughts come to mind when you think of someone who is
mentally ill? What characteristics do you attribute to them generally? Why do
you think you assign these qualities to people who suffer from mental disease?
Instructional Methods:
1.
Split students into five groups of five. Hand each group a Fact or Myth sheet.
2. They will then “vote” on whether the information on the sheets (facts or myths
about mental disease) are true or false, citing reasons for why they answered the
way they did (15 minutes)
3. Once groups have finished writing their answers, ask each group to share their
answers with the class. Tell them if the information is a fact or myth, explaining
why it may be fictional or true. Allow time for any questions or clarifications (15
minutes)
4. Students will get out their notebooks and prepare to take notes about mental
illness and specific diseases. Have an interactive lecture asking questions, posing
situations to them, having them consider the implications of the information they
are receiving (20 minutes)
5. Tell students to once again split into the groups of five they were with earlier.
6. On the projector screen, show different passages describing a specific person
with a mental disease (schizophrenia, autism, etc.). From these passages,
students will “diagnose” this person using the information they just learned in
lecture and cite which disease they think the person has.
7. Groups will share their answers and I will give the correct response. Then show a
photo of the person, who happens to be a celebrity or influential figure, and
describe their life and situation to the students. There are about three people the
children will learn about during this exercise (30 minutes)
Materials:
Writing Utencils
Writer’s Notebooks
Lecture Notebooks
Fact or Myth sheets
Overhead Projector
Photos and passages of public figures
Assessment:
During the last minutes of the day, each group must identify what they found
most interesting/beneficial/eye-opening to them from the day’s lesson. They will
share their topic with the class and describe why they chose the topic they did.
Differentiation:
If some students struggle with note-taking or responding to lectures, I will
provide them with “Skeleton Notes” that already have the most important
concepts listed, but ask them to fill in information. This lesson is relatively
accommodating for students who may be behind since it emphasizes group
participation and communication. If a student struggles, their group members
are there to support them and help fill in the gaps. Also, I emphasize asking
questions in class and strongly encourage inquiry and clarifications.
Addressing Standards and Benchmarks:
Students will be making predictions and analyzing informational text while
responding to their Fact or Myth sheets. They will have to evaluate the
information given and decide whether or not they believe it to be true, and then
consider why they responded the way that they did.
Students will also be verbalizing their thoughts about mental disease and
weighing the implications of the information they are gathering. They will also
have to retrieve the knowledge just attained to complete the diagnostic activity,
having them interact with the information just delivered.
Name:_________________
Mental Illness: Fact or Myth?
Please write if you think the statement is true or false. Then write a short explanation for why you
answered the way you did.
1. One in every four people develops one or more mental disorders at some stage in life.
(TRUE)
2. Mental illnesses are more common than cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. (TRUE)
3. No mental disorders can be prevented. (FALSE)
4. Most people with a mental disorder seek treatment and help. (FALSE, two thirds of all
people with a diagnosable mental disorder do not seek treatment because of the stigma
associated with their disorder)
5. Mental illnesses rank first among illnesses that cause disability in the United States,
Canada, and Western Europe. (TRUE)
6. According to the World Health Organization almost 1,000 people commit suicide every
day in the world. (FALSE, actually 3,000 people)
7. For every person that succeeds in taking their own life there are at least 20 more who try.
(TRUE)
8. In 90% of suicides, mental illness is the attributing cause. (TRUE)
9. Mental disorders cost the United States more than $150 billion each year for treatment,
for the costs of social service and disability payments made to patients, and for lost
productivity and premature mortality. (TRUE)
10. Approximately 20% of the people who are homeless in America suffer from serious and
persistent mental illnesses. Many of these individuals also suffer from co-occurring
substance abuse disorders. (FALSE, it’s actually 40%)
(From http://www.myasha.org/node/12)
Mental Disorders Notes
Anxiety Disorders
-characterized by high levels of anxiety and a negative reaction to anxiety's influence.
-Anxiety is an unpleasurable affect with both physiological and psychological symptoms
*physiological symptoms include rapid shallow breathing, increased heart rate, muscle tension,
sweating, and trembling.
*Psychological and emotional symptoms include feelings of dread, impending doom,
powerlessness, apprehensive self-absorption, and a sense of doubt
Anxiety Disorders:




Panic Attack. The sudden onset of intense fear, terror, apprehension and a sense of
impending doom lasting from several minutes to several hours.
Agoraphobia. Anxiety related to going places where one would feel vulnerable in the face
of a panic attack or anxiety symptoms.
Specific Phobia. A high degree of anxiety related to exposure to a specific stimulus. The
anxiety is continual, exaggerated and often leads to avoidance.
Social Phobia. A high degree of anxiety related to exposure to social situations.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder consists of unwanted, persistent and intrusive thoughts
(obsessions) and /or repetitive behaviors(compulsions).
Cognitive Disorders
-major feature of this class of disorders is a significant impairment of cognition or memory that
represents a marked deterioration from a previous level of functioning.



Delirium is a condition in which changes in cognition, including a disturbance in
consciousness, occur over a relatively short period of time.
Dementia is a condition consisting of several cognitive impairments including significant
memory deficit.
Amnestic Disorder refers to a memory impairment unaccompanied by other cognitive
impairments.
Dissociative Disorders
-characterized by a disturbance in the once cohesive and unified functions of identity, memory,
consciousness, and/or perception of the environment.
Four types of Dissociative Disorders:.

Dissociative Amnesia is a pervasive loss of memory of significant personal information.



Dissociative Fugue is a sudden, unplanned excursion away from ones planned itinerary
accompanied by either memory loss; or confusion about, loss of, or assumption of a new
identity.
Dissociative Identity Disorder was formerly called Multiple Personality Disorder. It is
evidenced by two or more separate personalities or identities that control a persons
consciousness at different times, with each being amnesic of the other/s.
Depersonalization Disorder is evidenced by the sense of being separated from ones
cognition's or body without an accompanying breakdown in reality testing.
Mood Disorders
-Depression is extremely common, affecting up to twenty percent of the population at some point
during their life span. It is relatively treatable with up to eighty percent of those treated reporting
significant improvement.
Criteria for a Major Depressive Episode include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Depressed Mood such as feeling sad, empty, or tearful.
Lack of interest in or deriving pleasure from most activities.
Weight loss or gain of over 5% of body weight.
Insomnia or hypersomnia.
Agitation or psychomotor retardation.
Lack of energy.
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt.
Difficulty in concentration and/or decision making.
Thoughts, plans or attempts of suicide or preoccupation with death.
Criteria for a Manic Episode include:
A. Seven days or more of uncharacteristically elevated, irritable, grandiose or expansive mood.
B. Along with A, three or more other symptoms (see below) are present to a significant degree.
Symptoms include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity.
Decreased need for sleep.
Excessive talking.
Flight of ideas.
Distractibility.
Psychomotor agitation or increased goal directed activity.
Hedonistic and risk taking behavior.
D. The episode is severe, including danger to oneself or others, psychotic symptoms, or
significant deterioration in social behavior.
E. The symptoms are not due to a general medical condition or a substance.
Included in the Mood Disorders are:

Major Depressive Disorder is characterized by two weeks or more of depressed mood or
loss of interest plus at least four additional symptoms.


Bipolar I Disorder is characterized by one or more Manic or Mixed Episodes
accompanied by a Major Depressive Episode.
Bipolar II Disorder is characterized by one or more Major Depressive Episodes
accompanied by a Manic Episode.
Panic Disorder
-
-
usually appears during the teens or early adulthood, and while the exact causes are
unclear, there seems to be a connection with major life transitions that are potentially
stressful (graduating from college, getting married, having a first child).
There is also some evidence for a genetic predisposition; if a family member has suffered
from panic disorder, you have an increased risk of suffering from it yourself, especially
during a time in your life that is particularly stressful.
Panic Attacks
-A panic attack is a sudden surge of overwhelming fear that comes without warning and
without any obvious reason. It is far more intense than the feeling of being 'stressed out' that
most people experience. Symptoms of a panic attack include:









racing heartbeat
difficulty breathing, feeling as though you 'can't get enough air'
terror that is almost paralyzing
dizziness, lightheadedness or nausea
trembling, sweating, shaking
choking, chest pains
hot flashes, or sudden chills
tingling in fingers or toes ('pins and needles')
fear that you're going to go crazy or are about to die
Personality Disorders
-used to identify individuals with consistent and long lasting patterns of deviation from societal
norms which remain inflexible in spite of distress and maladaptation.





Paranoid Personality Disorder is evidenced by pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of
others.
Schizoid Personality Disorder is evidenced by social isolation and emotional constriction.
Schizotypal Personality Disorder is evidenced by social unease, eccentric behavior
patterns and cognitive and/or perceptual experiences that cannot be consentually
validated.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is characterized by self centeredness, attention seeking,
grandiosity and a lack of empathy.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is characterized by the continued need to
maintain control, order, neatness, cleanliness, and/or perfectionism.
Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
-characterized by hallucinations, delusions, personality disorganization, loss of ego boundaries
and/or the inability to meet the ordinary demands of life.








Schizophrenia
People with schizophrenia may have perceptions of reality that are strikingly different
from the reality seen and shared by others around them. They sometimes hear voices,
talk to themselves, or respond to imaginary fears.
Schizophreniform Disorder
Schizophreniform disorder is marked by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech
(e.g., frequent derailment or incoherence), grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior,
and negative symptoms
Schizoaffective Disorder
A person with schizoaffective disorder experiences some symptoms of schizophrenia as
well as symptoms of a mood disorder, such as depression or mania.
Delusional Disorder
Brief Psychotic Disorder
Shared Psychotic Disorder
Psychotic Disorder Due to a General Medical Condition
Substance-Induced Psychotic Disorder
Somatoform Disorders
-those conditions that are suggestive of a physical disorder but upon examination cannot be
accounted for by a medical disorder, a substance or other mental disorder.
-presented in general medical settings as the patients presume them to be of somatic origin.
-symptoms must cause significant impairment or distress.






Somatization Disorder was formerly called hysteria. Primarily affecting women, it
generally has its onset in adolescence or early adulthood and lasts for years. Its symptoms
usually include a combination of pain, pseudoneurological, digestive and sexual
complaints.
Undifferentiated Somatoform Disorder is a milder form of Somatization Disorder lasting
at least six months.
Conversion Disorder is characterized by unexplained sensory motor deficits which are
judged to be psychogenic.
Pain Disorder is diagnosed when the primary symptom is pain and psychological factors
are presumed to be important in the etiology, maintenance or exacerbation of the
condition.
Hypochondriasis is the fear illness in the absence thereof or exaggeration of symptoms or
bodily sensations into serious illness.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder refers to a preoccupation with a presumed or exaggerated
physical defect.
(From http://www.planetpsych.com/zPsychology_101/Disorders/adjustment_disorders.htm)
Diagnostic Exercise
■ A person with this mental disorder experiences intense mood swings that
alternate feelings of extreme rage with feelings of euphoria. They are often
distracted, irritable, and have unrealistic confidence in their abilities. This illness is
difficult to manage because at one moment the person seems fine, but the next
they are in a state of destruction. What is this disorder? (Bipoloar)
▪ Kurt Cobain, the lead singer for the band Nirvana was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. He was
depressed as a child, lethargic, and would speak regularly about his premature death. Along with
depression, he experienced Mania. He abused alcohol and drugs, wrote violent passages in his
journals (lyrics for his songs), and had moments of unprovoked rage. He had a long, tragic family
history of mental illness and suicide, with many of the men in his family abusing substances and
being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Kurt had many of the warning signs for suicide at the
time of his death. His final letter mentions the extreme guilt he felt in life, describing one of the
most telling signs that suicide was a risk.
(From http://www.bipolar-lives.com/kurt-cobain-and-manic-depression.html)
■ A person with this mental illness may hallucinate, have confusions about reality
in life, and no longer be able to recognize themselves. They may hear voices that
are not there or see things that are not real. What disorder does this describe?
(Schizophrenia)
▪ Jim Gordon is a famous drummer from the 1960s and 1970s who worked with many bands and
singers such as John Lennon, Jackson Browne, and Frank Zappa. After his career was wellestablished, he began using heroin and cocaine. Shortly after, he began experiencing
psychological issues, complaining of hearing voices. He was eventually diagnosed with paranoid
schizophrenia and his music career was over. In 1983, Gordon violently killed his own mother
and was convicted of second-degree murder. He served most of his sentence in a mental hospital.
(From http://www.schizophrenia.com/stories/jim.gordon.htm)
■ A person suffering from this disorder would regularly feel sad, empty, and show
a lack of energy or enthusiasm for life. They may lose or gain weight rapidly, have
problems sleeping, and have thoughts of suicide or hurting oneself. What disorder
does this describe? (Depression)
▪ Princess Diana was thought to have lived a fairy-tale life. She was married to Prince
Charles of Wales, lived a high society lifestyle, and always appeared polite and happy in
public. However, the public did not see the inner pain, the loss of zest for living,
hopelessness, and inner turmoil she felt. During her first pregnancy, she threw herself
down the stairs in the hopes that someone would pay attention to her pain. She admitted
to suffering from post-natal depression after her son was born. Never adapting to her very
public role as princess, Diana continually participated in behavior that was selfdestructive. Her bulimic tendencies, jealousy about her husbands’ alleged infidelity, and
discontent with her position in life all contributed to her sustained, painful depression.
(From http://depression.about.com/od/famous/p/princessdiana.htm)
Introductory Lesson: Society’s Perception of the Mentally Ill
Day Two
Class: Junior Contemporary Texts in Society: 90 minute block
Link:
In the previous lesson, students gained a general understanding of mental illness
and learned about some specific disorders people suffer from. This lesson will
build on that knowledge by asking students to examine their own thoughts
about mental disease in comparison to others, and investigate how the mentally
diseased were treated throughout history.
Objectives:
Students need to understand how society has regarded people with mental
illness in the past, what those perceptions are today, and how their own
perceptions may be shaped from the ideas of others. They will study historical
facts that describe others perceived the mentally ill. It is a goal to show the
students how far society has come in gaining humanity towards others, and how
much farther we still have to go.
Standards Addressed
Standard: 1. Oral Expression and Listening
2. Validity of a message is determined by its accuracy and relevance
b. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and
media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions
and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and
noting any discrepancies among the data.
Standard: 2. Reading for All Purposes
2. Ideas synthesized from informational texts serve a specific purpose
a. Use Key Ideas and Details to:
iv. Designate a purpose for reading expository texts and use new learning to complete a
specific task (such as convince an audience, shape a personal opinion or decision, or
perform an activity)
Standard: 3. Writing and Composition
2. Elements of informational and persuasive texts can be refined to inform or
influence an audience
a. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex
ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the
effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
ii. Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant
facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and
examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.
Anticipatory Set
10 Minutes – Students will respond to this journal prompt in their writing
notebooks:
Can you think of a time you treated someone poorly simply because they were
different than you? Or have you witnessed such behavior? Describe what
happened. Why did you behave the way you did? How do you feel about those
actions now?
Instructional Methods:
1. Ask students to stand up, push their tables to the side of the room, and form a
straight line. Tell them for this activity they will become a “Human Timeline.”
2. Each student will receive an “artifact” (a quote, quick fact) describing public’s
perception of mental illness from different points in history. Like a timeline, the
dates will go in ascending order so the students with the oldest dates will share
their pieces first, then continue until the last student and most recent information
is shared (30 minutes)
3. Students will have an understanding of how visions have changed over the years
and will return the tables to their proper places when the activity is over and
write a two-paragraph summary about what they had just learned. They can
reference any of the artifacts while writing their summary. If not finished in class,
the summaries are due next class period (20 minutes)
4. Now that students have an understanding about how society’s perceptions have
changed throughout history and what its views are today, students can
brainstorm what they would like to see in the future. Jotting ideas on the
whiteboard, have students give their thoughts regarding “Hopes for Changes in
Society”. Write down their ideas, compiling a doctrine that describes how the
class wants society to treat people with mental disease in the future (15 minutes)
5. Have the class decide on seven important things they want to include on their
“Hopes for Changes in Society” poster. Circle which seven ideas will be included
on the whiteboard (5 minutes)
6. Ask for volunteers to write down the statements on a piece of poster board in
bright colors (5 minutes)
7. Hang the finished poster on the classroom walls so the students can view their
goals for society in the future. This poster will stay up all year, even beyond the
Mental Illness Unit.
8. Advise students to begin reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey.
9. Collect any finished summaries about the timeline activity.
Materials:
Writing Utencils
Writer’s Notebooks
Notebook Paper
Societal Perceptions Artifacts for “Human Timeline”
Whiteboard
Poster Paper
Markers
Tape
Assessment:
Students are asked to write a one-page summary about what they learned during
the “Human Timeline” activity to ensure they were listening to each other
describe the artifacts. They could use the artifacts to reference while writing and
ask me any questions about the information during class time. Having them put
the information into their own words shows that they have absorbed important
ideas, synthesized their importance, and can reiterate and convey why they
selected to focus on certain details.
Differentiation:
Since the Human Timeline activity asks for students to read aloud, I may ask
students who really dislike reading aloud to describe a photo instead. I do not
want to make anyone uncomfortable in front of their peers and it is still a way for
them to participate. Also, I can alter the summary writing assignment by asking
students to create a visual representation of the ideas they learned, write their
reflections in a poem form, etc. Appealing to their learning styles is important
and the assignment is for them to show what they’ve learned and think is
important, not what I want to grade or assess.
Addressing Standards and Benchmarks:
Students will engage with historical information by reading and analyzing
various “artifacts” spanning many years of mental illness history. They will
decipher how the information from the past has an impact on our current
situation, observing how history affects the present.
Students will also be asked to select which historical information is most
significant or meaningful to them and their knowledge about mental disorders.
They will be asked to write a formal summary about what they have observed,
that includes details about the artifact, why it is important, and how it is still
impactful today.
Facts/Quotes for Human Timeline:
460-379 BCE Hippocrates believed the brain was involved in sensation and was as well the centre of
intelligence, argued that psychological disorders originated from natural reasons as other diseases, rather
than reflections of the displeasure of the gods or evidence of demonic possession, and defined such clinical
pictures as mania and melancholia. He further pointed out the relationship between the human brain and
epilepsias and mentioned dementia Greek medical writers set out treatments for mentally ill people that
include quiet, occupation, and the use of drugs such as the purgative hellebore.
c. 280 BCE Theophrastus, having "...a long time observed the divers dispositions of men, having now lived
ninety-nine years, conversed with all sorts of natures bad and good, and comparing them together..." writes
The Characters, the original DSM, comprised of exactly 28 personality disorders.
120-70 BCE Asclepiades introduced humane treatment of the mentally deranged; some of those treatments
were based on interpreting dreams, described and defined the errors in perception and reasoning of the
insane and emphasized the point that they should be treated under favorable environmental conditions
1 - 199 CE The Roman, Celcus, a contemporary of Christ's, defends the idea that force had to be applied
during treatment of insane. To him, the insane had to be punished with famines, fetters and beating,
asserting that a sudden sense of fear could cause the insane to recover.
1000 1020 - Avicenna (Ibn Sina) suggests that the three ventricles of the brain perform five distinct
cognitives processes: common sense, imagination, cogitation, estimation and memory. His Canon of
Medicine, which asserted the fundamentals of neuroanatomy, was in use as a textbook in Europe and the
East as late as the 17th century. His treatise De Anima, discusses the relationship of body and soul in man
and the causes of melancholy, and advocated only humane treatment of the insane. Avicenna was the first
to employ analytical treatment, including use of a free association method, in his treatment of the insane.
1100 First record of an asylum founded in Europe exclusively for sufferers from mental diseases at Mets.
1200 Geel, Belgium becomes an established place of pilgrimmage and settlement for the mentally ill, it
survives the centuries and still exists as a therapeutic community, although in modern times under the
supervision of medical authorities.
1300 1300-c.1400 The Black Death. 1/3 of the population from India to Iceland is wiped out, including
about 1/2 of Britain
Casting out devils becomes the common treatment for the mentally ill
1371 Robert Denton, chaplain, obtained a license from King Edward III (paying 40 shillings for the
license) to found a hospital in a house of his own in the parish of Berking Church, London, "for the men
and women in the sad city who suddenly fall into a frenzy and lose their memory, who were to reside there
until cured; with an oratory to the said hospital to the invocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary", establishing
the first household, predating the opening of Bedlam by close to 200 years.
1400 In general, medieval Europeans allow the mentally ill their freedom -- granted they are not dangerous.
However, less enlightened treatment of people with mental disorders is also prevalent, with those people
often labeled as witches and assumed to be inhabited by demons. Some religious orders, which care for the
sick in general, also care for the mentally ill. Muslim Arabs, who establish asylums as early as the 8th
century, carry on the quasi-scientific approach of the Greeks.
1403 - St. Mary of Bethlehem, or Bedlam, just outside London, first accepted psychiatric patients
1409 - Asylum at Valencia founded by a monk named Joffre, out of pity for the lunatics whom he founded
hooted by the crowds. The movement thus begun spread throughout Spain, and asylums were founded at
Saragossa in 1425, at Seville in 1435, at Valladolid in 1436, and at Toledo before the end of the century.
1410 - Insane asylum built in Padua, Italy.
1500-1599 - Virtually every form of care of the insane, as well as the monastic establishments in which
they were received, disappear with the Reformation. Institutions for the insane start cropping up in Britain
and across Europe:
Pope Innocent XIII, commissioned two priests to prepare a book concerning how to get rid of the devils
and demons from the Christian World, by getting acquianted with them. These priest then prepared a book
describing the devil, the ways to know it, and how to kill it, as well as the method of torturing the insane,
with full details of various torturing methods and techniques. The insane were prosecuted before the
religious courts (Equisition) and burned alive to get rid of the devil located in their souls. Thus, more than
hundred thousand mentally ill people were killed during the reign of Francois the First (1515-1547) in
France. In the 16th. Century, in Geneva of Switzerland, more than five hundred insane people were burned
in the squares of the city before the public, by fastening them to poles, within three months. Even in the
16th, century, Johann Wayer was thinking that seven million of devils were existed in the universe and
advising to torture the insane who carried the devils in their body. 1
1547 - Insane asylum refounded as St. Mary of Bethlehem in London, England. Became known as Bedlam.
Devoted entirely to psychiatric patients.
1570 - Felix Platter, Switzerland, among the first to distinguish between various types of mental disorders.
1700 - Private mad houses proliferated in Britain, becoming prosperous and competitive.
1703 - John Broughton first used the word "psychology" in his book Psychologia: ...the nature of the
rational soul.
1769 - The term neurosis was coined by Doctor William Cullen (Scottish) to refer to "disorders of sense
and motion" caused by a "general affection of the nervous system."
1773 - First insane asylum in the US founded at Williamsburg, Virginia
1776 - Inhabitants of Bedlam were a tourist attraction.
1775c. - Mesmer, Austrian doctor who believed that "animal magnetism" would cure medical illness,
seemed to be successful at treating hysteria in group sessions. Although his ideas and methods met with
skepticism and ridicule within the medical profession and he was forced to retire, the concepts of
suggestion and hypnotism survived.
1798 - John Haslam (British) describes general paralysis of the insane in Observations of Insanity, a
condition that is now known to be caused by syphilis.
1801 - Philippe Pinel in France, takes over the Bicêtre insane asylum and forbids the use of chains and
shackles. He removes patients from dungeons, provides them with sunny rooms, and also allows them to
exercise on the grounds. Yet in other places, mistreatment persists. Simultaneously, William Tuke in
England and Eli Todd in America were working to reform treatment in their respective countries.
1809 - Austrian Franz Joseph Gall suggested that bumps on the skull reflected personality traits such as
generosity, secretiveness and destructiveness. Start of phrenology.
1812 - Rush wrote the first American book on psychiatry, Medical Inquiries and Observations upon the
Diseases of the Mind. The only psychiatric text in the U.S. for the next 70 years emphasized moral
treatment: respect and re-education, not punishment.
1823 - French physiologist Marie-Jean-Pierre Flourens showed that the cerebellum played a part in
coordinating movement, and concluded that the cerebrum was involved in perception and sensation.
1825 - Jean Baptiste Bouillaud read a paper before the Royal Academy of Medicine in France that argued
that speech was localized in the frontal lobes, just as Josef Gall had suggested earlier based on brain injury
studies.
1836 - Marc Dax presented case studies in Montpellier that showed that speech disorders were consistently
associated with lesions in the left hemisphere. Dax's son published the manuscript in 1865.
1840s - U.S. reformer Dorothea Dix observes that mentally ill people in Massachusetts, both men and
women and all ages, are incarcerated with criminals and left unclothed and in darkness and without heat or
bathrooms. Many are chained and beaten. Over the next 40 years, Dix will lobby to establish 32 state
hospitals for the mentally ill. On a tour of Europe in 185456, she convinces Pope Pius IX to examine how
cruelly the mentally ill are treated.
1843 - James Braid, Scottish surgeon begins use of hypnotic trance as a form of anesthesia. Coined the
term hypnosis, derived from the Greek hypnos, meaning sleep.
1847 - While blasting rock, an iron bar embedded itself in the front part of Phineas Gage's brain. He
survived the operation to remove it, though his personality changed radically. He became irreverent,
profane, rude and impatient, all contrary to his nature before the accident.
1848 - After much campaigning by American Dorothea Dix, New Jersey built a humane hospital for the
insane. Over 30 states followed its lead.
1849 - British psychiatrist John Charles Bucknill used electrical stimulation of the skin and potassium
oxide to treat asylum patients with melancholic depression. Electrical stimulation became widespread
during the late nineteenth century, but safety concerns reduced its use.
1860 - Belgian psychiatrist Benedict Morel described the case of a 13-year-old boy, formerly an excellent
pupil, who lost interest in school, became withdrawn, seclusive, quiet, and seemed to forget everything he
had learned. He spoke often of killing his father. Morel called this mental deterioriation demence precoce,
generally associated with old age. German psychiatric Emil Kraepelin adopted the term dementia praecox
to refer to conditions in which mental deterioration began early in life.
1861 - Of 27 million Americans, 8,500 are hospitalized in psychiatric institutions.
1879 - Wilhelm Wundt establishes the first psychological laboratory at the University of Leipzig in
Germany
1879 - Francis Galton utilizes the method of word association
1879 - Lightner Witmer uses for the first time the term clinical psychology
1880 - Seven categories of mental illness used for U.S. census data: mania, melancholia, monomania,
paresis, dementia, dipsomania, epilepsy.
1882 - Francis Galton in England established an anthropometric lab for the statistical analysis of
differences among people.
1890 - In an attempt to alter the behavior of six severely agitated patients, Dr. Gottlieb Burckhardt,
superintendent of a Swiss psychiatric hospital, drilled holes in their heads and extracted sections of the
frontal lobes. Two patients died. The surgery was considered morally reprehensible at the time.
1892 - Founding of the American Psychological Association. Clinical psychology section formed in 1919.
1895 - Sigmund Freud and Josef Breur, Austria, published Studies on Hysteria, a study of the unconscious
mind.
1900 - Sigmund Freud published The Interpretation of Dreams. Marked the popularity of the
psychoanalytic movement, which made popular such terms as the unconscious, the Oedipus complex, ego,
id. Psychoanalysis placed much importance on sexuality and sexual development.
1905 - Carl Jung started using word-association methods to uncover unconscious processes.
1905 - Joseph Pratt, internist, and psychologist Elwood Worcester started to use supportive discussion with
hospitalized psychiatric patients. Origins of group therapy.
1908 - Clifford Beers publishes his autobiography, A Mind That Found Itself, detailing his degrading,
dehumanizing experience in a Connecticut mental institution and calling for the reform of mental health
care in America. Within a year, he will spearhead the founding of the National Committee for Mental
Hygiene, an education and advocacy group that will evolve into the National Mental Health Association.
1909 - William Healey established a child guidance clinic in Chicago for juvenile delinquents. It employed
a team of psychiatrists, social workers and psychologists
1911 - Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler introduced the term "schizophrenia" (literally split mind) to
describe a condition characterized by disorganization of thought processes, incoherence of thought and
emotion, and a turning inward, splitting off from reality. The split also refers to the split between the
intellect and emotion, but not between personalities, as is commonly, and incorrectly, believed.
1913 - Emil Kraepelin divided mental illness into those that could be cured and those that could not,
thereby beginning classification schemes that still persist today.
1917 - World War I brings with it a need to screen and classify military recruits. One of the tests was
Robert Woodworth's Psychoneurotic Inventory, likely the first test to assess abnormal behavior.
1917 - Wagner-Jauregg discovered that general paresis, or neurosyphilis, can be treated by intentionally
infecting the patient with malaria. Later received the Nobel Prize for his work.
1920 - John Watson describes the way in which he trained Albert to fear white rats. Mary Clover Jones in
1924 demonstrated how such fears could be removed through conditioning, ushering in the beginning of
behavior therapy.
1921 - Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach's Psychodiagnostik described how to use inkblots to
diagnose psychiatric conditions. It didn't become popular until 1937, when two manuals and scoring
procedures were published.
1932 - Sakel introduced insulin coma therapy as a treatment for schizophrenia. Also used to treat morphine
withdrawal.
1934 - Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) introduced by von Meduna, a Hungarian physician, using
intramuscular injections of camphor. It did not reliably produce seizures, which he believed could ease
schizophrenia.
1935 - Ivan Pavlov, famous for his dog who salivated in response to a signal, and Portuguese neurosurgeon
Egas Moniz were among those attending a neurological conference in London. Yale University's John
Fulton conducted a day-long symposium in which he demonstrated that two chimpanzees, after undergoing
frontal lobe removal, were unperturbable. No neurotic behavior could be induced. The question naturally
arose about whether similar surgery in humans wouldn't eradicate anxious behavior.
1935 - Christiana Morgan and Henry Murray publish the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), which asks a
person to use ambiguous pictures to make up stories, describing the actions, thoughts and feelings of the
people in the stories. The TAT is a form of projective test, designed to access unconscious beliefs, thoughts
and feelings of the patient.
1935 - Moniz performed the first leukotomy on a female patient by destroying the fibers connecting the
frontal lobes to the rest of the brain. Her agitation and paranoia diminished, but successive patients only
seemed dull and apathetic. Still, when he published his work, it was swiftly put into practice.
1938 - After visiting a slaughterhouse and seeing animals knocked out by electric shock, Cerletti and Bini
introduced electrically produced seizures. Inadequate anesthesia sometimes resulted in bone fractures, and
patients complained of memory loss, and the process is considered more effective in treating depression
than schizophrenia.
1939 - 45 - World War II. U.S. Army developed a better classification system to include disorders suffered
by servicemen such as psychophysiological, personality and acute disorders.
1948 - Using an ice pick and a hammer, neurosurgeon Walter Freeman performed a lobotomy on 34-yearold Frances Farmer, actress and political activist, after all other treatments failed to subdue her communist
leanings and aggression. She became mediocre and slow after the surgery, ending her days as a hotel clerk.
She died of cancer in 1970.
1949 - Australian psychiatrist J. F. J. Cade introduces the use of lithium to treat psychosis. Lithium will
gain wide use in the mid-1960s to treat those with manic depression, now known as bipolar disorder.
1950 - researchers begin to identify psychosomatic diseases such as peptic ulcers, hypertension, brochial
asthma. Illnesses divided into those causes by organic factors and those brought on by psychological
factors.
1951 - Perls introduces Gestalt therapy, which focuses on becoming aware of the present. The past is
important only in how it effects the present.
1951 - Soviet Union stops lobotomies after seeing that patients became fixed and unchangeable.
1952 - First edition of the DSM-I, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. First official
manual of mental disorders for clinicians.
1953 - BF Skinner shows how to apply operant principles of behavior.
1954 - Psychopharmacology hits the U.S. Thorazine was the biggest selling tranquilizer and manufacturers
can't keep up with demand.
1955 - More than 55,000 men, women and children in the U.S. undergo lobotomy.
1955 - Peter Milner and James Olds, recorded brain waves from rats while seeing reinforcement or selfstimuation.
Mid-1950s - The numbers of hospitalized mentally ill people in Europe and America peaks. In England and
Wales, there were 7,000 patients in 1850, 120,000 in 1930, and nearly 150,000 in 1954. In the United
States, the number peaks at 560,000 in 1955.
1961 - Sociologist Erving Goffman's book, Asylums, claims that most people in mental hospitals exhibit
their psychotic symptoms and behavior as a direct result of being hospitalized.
1961 - Psychiatrist Thomas Szasz's book, The Myth of Mental Illness, amplifies earlier assertions such as
those by Erving Goffman that mental 'disease' is a metaphor, argues that psychiatric disorders including
schizophrenia do not exist.
1962 - Ken Kesey publishes One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, based on his experiences working in the
psychiatric ward of a Veterans' Administration hospital; Kesey's novel wins the Pulitzer Prize.
1962 - Albert Ellis introduces rational-emotive therapy, which uncovers irrational beliefs that lead to
emotional distress and reformulates those beliefs through a technique called "disputing."
1978 - Italy passes legislation closing the doors of all psychiatric institutions to new admissions. Diagnoses
of schizophrenia virtually disappear: in the following four years, one case is diagnosed in the region of
Verona, pop. 90,000.
1980 - APA published the DSM-III. One of the changes is a more exact criteria for diagnosing
schizophrenia. Triggered research that evaluated the reliability, validity and usefulness of criteria used in
DSM-III for mental disorders. Psychopathology research expanded substantially.
1992 - A survey of American jails reports that 7.2 percent of inmates are overtly and seriously mentally ill,
meaning that 100,000 seriously mentally ill people have been incarcerated. Over a quarter of them are held
without charges, often awaiting a bed in a psychiatric hospital.
1993 - A review of neuroimaging studies indicated that three brain regions are involved in schizophrenia:
the frontal, the temporolimbic and the basal ganglia, while Gur and Pearlson noted that the same
abnormalities show up with other conditions such as mood disorders, though not to such an extreme degree.
1994 - American Psychiatric Association publish the DSM-IV-TR, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the
Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision.
(From http://laingsociety.org/cetera/timeline.htm)
Introductory Lesson: Treatments and “A Day in the Life Of”
Day Three
Class: Junior Contemporary Texts in Society: 90 minute block
Link:
In the previous lesson, students learned about the history of society’s perceptions
on the mentally ill and the current viewpoints. This lesson will also dive back
into history by investigating various treatments for mentally diseased people.
This will incite discussions on what is considered humane, how treatments have
progressed, and what it is really like to suffer from mental disease. Students will
step into the shoes of the mentally ill and discover what life is like in a
psychiatric hospital (similar to the one presented in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Nest).
Objectives:
In order to relate to someone unlike themselves, it is necessary for students to
experience what life is like for someone with a mental disorder. This lesson
focuses on establishing compassion for those unlike ourselves by having
students perform a “Day in the life of” activity. They will learn about various
treatments (ethical and unethical), observe what life is like in a psychiatric
hospital, and forge a connection with a situation they are most likely unfamiliar
with.
Standards Addressed
Standard 2: Reading for All Purposes
3.
Knowledge of language, including syntax and grammar, influence the
understanding of literary, persuasive, and informational texts
d. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words
and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the
college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in
gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase
important to comprehension or expression.
Standard: 4. Research and Reasoning
2. Complex situations require critical thinking across multiple disciplines
c. Determine the extent to which they entered empathetically into
competing points of view, exercised confidence in reason, recognized the
limits of their knowledge on the topic (intellectual humility), explored
alternative approaches to solving or addressing complex problems
(intellectual flexibility), and were open to constructive critique
(intellectual open-mindedness)
Anticipatory Set
Before class begins, set up “stations” for the “A Day in the Life Of” activity. One
station will be where the medications are administered, one station is the
cafeteria, another is the games room, and another is the therapy room.
10 Minutes – Students will respond to this journal prompt in their writing
notebooks:
Why do you think people are often “scared” of those with mental illnesses? What
reasons do people have to avoid people they do not know simply because they
are labeled as “mentally ill”?
Instructional Methods:
1. Have students get out their lecture notebooks.
2. Using the overhead projector, use photos to springboard the lecture about the
history of Mental Illness Treatments. Ask them to take notes on the information
and ask any questions that arise (20 minutes)
2. Once the lecture is concluded, hand each student their “Identity” sheet that
assigns them a name, describes the disease they are suffering from, details the
treatments they receive, and shows what “stations” they’ll be attending.
3. Describe the “A Day in the Life Of” activity to the class and have them ask any
questions that come to mind (5 minutes)
4. Each student will read through their individual packets and follow the directions
about which stations they’ll visit. They’ll have a task at each station and have to
read more information while there. Students will travel from station to station
according to what is indicated on their Identity Sheets (40 minutes)
5. When students have completed everything on their Identity sheets they are to
come back to their tables and discuss what they’ve learned in the activity (5
minutes)
6. Tell students they are assigned to read Part 1 of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
for next class period.
Materials:
Writing Utencils
Writer’s Notebooks
Notebook Paper
Overhead Projector
Identity Sheets
Materials for each Station (Information packets, tables, furniture props, etc.)
Assessment:
On their Identity Sheets, students are asked to complete certain tasks at each
station that show they understand the information presented in that area. This
displays that the students have knowledge about different aspects of life for the
mentally ill including treatments, food, scheduling, and interactions with others.
This is not a formal assessment because so much of the learning in this activity is
experiential. The minimal writing they have to do is used to ensure they are
paying attention to the important details of the lesson.
Differentiation:
This is an accessible lesson for many students. However, if students struggle
with notes I can provide them with Skeleton Notes. If they are having a hard
time with the “A Day in the Life Of” activity I can have the students partner up
with another and experience the activity with them rather than alone. It may be
less intimidating to complete the tasks if they have another person to exchange
ideas with.
Addressing Standards and Benchmarks:
Students will gain situational knowledge by placing themselves in the position of
a mentally ill individual residing in a psychiatric ward. This lesson promotes
learning from experience, gaining empathy for those in situations that are not
generally observed, and having students answer important questions about their
lifestyles according to what they encounter during the interactive activity.
Photos for History of Mental Illness Lecture/Discussion:
Early Insane Asylum
From
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/ndemers/IDS3303/spr09/AutismPaper
/asylum.jpg&imgrefurl=http://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/ndemers/IDS3303/spr09/AutismPaper/Asylum.html&
usg=__eM6oaX_Sz5ykRtsecaSuPBnCqg=&h=575&w=692&sz=344&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=eeWfMUDyFz6wG
M:&tbnh=136&tbnw=158&ei=gXG8Tf72CIfSsAPmvOHNBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dearly%2Binsane
%2Basylums%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:enUS:official%26gbv%3D2%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D552%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&v
px=839&vpy=84&dur=2371&hovh=205&hovw=246&tx=161&ty=146&page=1&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,
r:5,s:0
Lobotomy
From
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~aj226602/table.jpg&imgrefurl=http://o
ak.cats.ohiou.edu/~aj226602/info-pub_jaszczuk.htm&usg=__CBMTQGHBX-Kb5y4hYvvyDxAZAk=&h=1083&w=1368&sz=159&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=XiQZjORGVQ734M
:&tbnh=108&tbnw=122&ei=aW8TfvwGYnEsAOsgrycBg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dlobotomies%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfir
efox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:enUS:official%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D552%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&v
px=794&vpy=108&dur=2380&hovh=200&hovw=252&tx=118&ty=93&page=1&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,
r:5,s:0
Insulin-Shock Therapy
From http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pcs.org/assets/uploads/shock-therapy400x400.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/the-changing-technology-of-mental-health-fromvibrators-to-electroshock-to/&usg=__Vi5MAi9kjCUdBSoI1bSBXT5yqg4=&h=400&w=400&sz=67&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid
=WW7VHMqbRrgBUM:&tbnh=111&tbnw=108&ei=v28TbPVEoHUtQOtpdGPBg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dinsulin%2Bshock%2Btherapy%26um%3D1%26hl%3
Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:enUS:official%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D552%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch0%2C228&um=1&itbs=1&i
act=hc&vpx=550&vpy=128&dur=2380&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=127&ty=111&page=1&ndsp=24&ve
d=1t:429,r:19,s:0&biw=1280&bih=552
Psychotherapy
From http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://depressionam.com/wpcontent/uploads/2009/04/depression-doctor-therapist.jpg&imgrefurl=http://depressionam.com/treatmentpsychotherapy/&usg=__vhodgM29EX77cZUrmIR0zowmCG4=&h=345&w=520&sz=27&hl=en&start=0
&zoom=1&tbnid=w6EmTWMzxHRDqM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=136&ei=YXC8TZWlMYi2sAPInJzeBQ&pr
ev=/search%3Fq%3Dpsychotherapy%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefoxa%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:enUS:official%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D552%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&v
px=498&vpy=128&dur=622&hovh=166&hovw=251&tx=136&ty=86&page=1&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:3,
s:0
Anti-Depressant Medications
From
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IA5nokOFh84/SrNNub1WIQI/AAAAA
AAADng/npE1cLCvMQ4/s400/PaxiLexaProzac.jpg&imgrefurl=http://neurocritic.blogspot.com/2009/09/ar
e-antidepressants-underprescribedin.html&usg=___SGHWutkmc0ZRkcie30zy1OrP4I=&h=222&w=296&sz=14&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&
tbnid=AGJQ6HTrfk9bLM:&tbnh=109&tbnw=149&ei=vHC8TbfhPIausAP87MDDBQ&prev=/search%3F
q%3Dantidepressants%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:enUS:official%26gbv%3D2%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D552%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&v
px=125&vpy=138&dur=855&hovh=177&hovw=236&tx=131&ty=63&page=1&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:0,
s:0
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Lesson One: Part One/ Character Study
Day Four
Class: Junior Contemporary Texts in Society: 90 minute block
Link:
In the previous lesson, students experienced what life was like for a patient in a
psychiatric facility. Today, they will apply that knowledge to observing and
discussing the various characters described in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Students will highlight the qualities/characteristics that define each character in
the novel and determine their importance to the story and its message. They will
also note examples of symbolism in the book, brainstorming what the possible
meanings may be apparent. This will invite a mini-lesson to the class on symbols
and metaphors and how they can be incorporated into writing to enhance its
message.
Objectives:
This lesson will serve as an in-depth character study practice. Students will
create body biographies that encapsulate the most important characteristics of
each significant person in the novel. While creating their body biographies, they
will also take note of symbols and metaphors in the story that will not only
enhance their understanding of the characters, but provide commentary about
the novel’s message in general. These examples of symbols/metaphors serve as
perfect springboards for a discussion about how these literary devices function in
texts.
Standards Addressed
Standard 1: Oral Expression and Listening
2. Validity of a message is determined by its accuracy and relevance
a. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building
on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Standard 2: Reading for All Purposes
1. Complex literary texts require critical reading approaches to effectively
interpret and evaluate meaning
a. Use key ideas and Details to:
iii. Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop
and relate elements of a story or drama
Standard 4: Research and Reasoning
3. Evaluating quality reasoning includes the value of intellectual character such as
humility, empathy, and confidence
a. Analyze the purpose, question at issue, information, points of
view, implications and consequences, inferences, assumptions,
and concepts inherent in thinking
Anticipatory Set
Before class begins, have Body Biography papers all ready for the students (a
basic human outline on large butcher paper)
5 Minutes – Students will respond to this journal prompt in their writing
notebooks:
Select one quote/passage from Part One of the novel and describe its context,
why it stands out to you, and its significance to the novel.
Instructional Methods:
1. Have an introductory discussion about their initial impressions of the novel, ask
any questions they may have, and then discuss the various characters presented
in Part One (10 minutes)
2. As an entire class, have students generate a list of the five most significant
characters to the novel (5 minutes)
3. Split the class into five groups, with each group focusing on one of the characters
on their list.
4. Pass out to each group the large butcher paper with body outline on it, provide
them with supplies, and describe their project.
5. Each group is responsible for creating a Body Biography. This is a character
study activity that asks students to draw what the character looks like physically
(on large butcher paper), add quotes to the paper that best describe the character,
include key terms/adjectives that describe the character, and include any other
information that is substantial to the person’s identity (20 minutes)
6. Ask groups to share the Body Biographies, teaching the class about the qualities
of each important person in the novel (10 minutes)
7. After sharing the posters, have a mini-lesson defining “symbolism”, “metaphor”,
and describing their functions in stories (10 minutes)
8. Ask groups to return to the text and see if they can find any symbols associated
with their character, or any metaphors present in Part One in general. Have them
write down any general symbols or metaphors on the whiteboard and add any
character-specific symbols to their Body Biography posters (10 minutes)
9. As a class, discuss the symbols and metaphors they found, generating ideas
about what they could mean to the overall message of the novel (15 minutes)
10. Ask students to read Part Two of the novel for next time. Their assignment is to
make a list of the various ways McMurphy rebels against authority in the facility.
Materials:
Writing Utencils
Writer’s Notebooks
Butcher paper with body outline
Supplies for drawing, writing quotes, etc.
Whiteboard
Whiteboard markers
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest novel
Assessment:
The students’ body biographies will convey their understanding of significant
characters in the story and their ability to inform their classmates about their
assigned character displays their knowledge of what is important about each
person. The lists they generate citing examples of metaphors and symbolism also
highlight their comprehension of the literary devices that enhance stories. As
they read the next part of the novel, they are asked to construct lists of situations
when the protagonist rebels against authority. These lists will be used in the next
lesson that focuses on rebellion, obedience, conformity, and authority.
Differentiation:
This is another lesson that emphasizes groups working together to create a final
product and come to agreements about what is important to their assignment. If
some students struggle with comprehension, their group-mates are able to
supplement any information they may need. Students who are not comfortable
with picking out quotes or generating adjectives to describe the character may be
assigned to create the physical representation of the person. While students are
strongly encouraged to present their information to the classmates, if a student is
very uncomfortable with such a task, another group-mate can take that
responsibility. The group dynamic really yields various options for students to
try new skills they want to improve upon, or continue to practice skills they are
already comfortable with.
Addressing Standards and Benchmarks:
Students will engage in classroom discussion where they are expected to provide
support for their claims, listen and evaluate the information their classmates are
sharing, and find the value in what was talked about.
Students will also look back to the text and determine how the author describes
specific characters, discern which passages/ quotes are most significant to their
characterization, and then visually present this information in their Body
Biographies.
Students will finally revisit the novel after having a better understanding of the
functions and purposes of metaphors and symbols. Using their information
about these specific examples of figurative language will help highlight
important ideas the author wants the reader to pay attention to.
Body Biography Guide
*Add any information as you read!
Draw what you think the
character looks like.
Include quotes from the
novel that describe this
character somehow
Write some key terms or
adjectives that best
describe the character
What is this character’s
role in the novel?
Mini-lesson on symbolism and metaphor
*Symbolism
-A symbol is simply something that stands for something else.
-Some examples of every day symbols are:
A skull and crossbones standing for death or poison
A wedding ring standing for commitment and a lifetime of marriage
A cross standing for religious beliefs
-It is often used by authors in literature to show a connection between a seemingly
small object or idea in how it represents a larger idea.
-Using symbolizing in literature highlights the importance of these larger ideas
and asks the readers to evaluate what the symbols may represent.
-Some examples of symbols in literature are:
Hester Prynne wearing the letter “A” in The Scarlett Letter. It is a symbol of her
sin of adultery for the public to see.
Blood is used as a symbol of guilt in the play Macbeth.
*Metaphor
-the comparison between two seemingly unlike things without the use of “like” or
“as” (it would then become a simile)
-it allows for the substitution of ideas across different contexts
-Examples of everyday metaphors are:
Her smile is magic.
The high school dance was dynamite.
-Examples of metaphors in literature are:
The world is a stage.
Life is but a dream.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Lesson Two: Part Two/ Authority v.
Rebellion
Day Five
Class: Junior Contemporary Texts in Society: 90 minute block
Link:
In the previous lesson, students gained a comprehensive understanding of the
significant characters in the novel. They were asked while reading Part Two for
today to generate a list of situations where the protagonist rebels against
authority. These lists not only enhance their understanding of McMurphy, but
will serve as the backbone of today’s lesson that focuses on authority and
rebellion.
Objectives:
Students will evaluate and discuss the apparent “hierarchy” that is present in the
psychiatric ward. They will be able to identify characters of power versus
characters who submit to that power and allow authority to control their actions.
After discussing the functions of power/authority on conformity/submission,
they will be asked to analyze other situations where a “hierarchy” is present.
Their writing assignment will ask them to record if they believe they are
involved in a type of hierarchy or “society within a society” in their high school.
Standards Addressed
Standard 1: Oral Expression and Listening
1. Verbal and nonverbal cues impact the intent of communication
a. Give informal talks using an appropriate level of formality of
verbal language and nonverbal interaction with audience
Standard 2: Reading for all Purposes
1. Complex literary texts require critical reading approaches to effectively
interpret and evaluate meaning
a. Use Key Ideas and Details to:
iii. Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how
specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course
of the text.
Standard 3: Writing and Composition
2. Writing demands ongoing revisions and refinements for grammar, usage,
mechanics, and clarity
c. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Anticipatory Set
10 Minutes – Students will respond to this journal prompt in their writing
notebooks:
McMurphy is clearly a rebel in his environment. Can you think of anyone
(personal/historically) who has rebelled or defied authority in the situation they
were in? What were some of their characteristics? What was the outcome of their
defiance?
Instructional Methods:
1. Have students get out their lists of McMurphy rebelling against authority. Discuss
the scenes of rebellion they selected (10 minutes)
2. Pose questions to the class: Why is McMurphy the only patient confident enough
to rebel? What actions from the doctors and nurses force submission from the
others? How is McMurphy inherently different from all the other patients? Discuss
possible answers together (15 minutes)
3. Split class in half.
4. Have one group act as the “Medical staff/ authority” and the other group act as the
“patients/ conformers”
5. Have dominant group write down a list of what gives them power against the
others. Ask the submissive group to make a list of why they are afraid of the staff
(using textual evidence) (10 minutes)
6. Ask groups to share their qualities of dominance or submission with each other (10
minutes)
7. Individually, students will rank the characters in the novel from powerful to
weakest according to what they have observed so far (5 minutes)
8. Once they are done creating the list, the class will create a master list that ranks the
characters according to dominance (5 minutes)
9. Discuss the hierarchy apparent in the novel. The ward appears to be a society
within a society. How does the group dynamic in the ward reflect the truths about
our society? (15 minutes)
10. Ask students to get a partner and think of three examples of situations that
feature hierarchies (professions, education, families, etc.) (10 minutes)
11. Have each pair share their examples of hierarchies with another pair (5
minutes)
12. Their assignment is to write a one-page paper describing if there is a
hierarchy within a high school? Why or why not? How does the perceived
power of some people affect the lives of others, even when this power is just
socially constructed? How does their position in this hierarchy affect their
actions?
They are also assigned to read Part Three for next time.
Materials:
Writing Utencils
Writer’s Notebooks
Whiteboard
Whiteboard markers
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest novel
Assessment:
Class discussion will greatly exhibit their understanding of how conformity and
power play significant roles in the novel. The lists they generate as groups and
individuals ask them to examine how power affects them in their own lives and
current society. Their rankings of the characters’ power requires them to assess
the actions of people in the novel and evaluate who has the most control over
others and who is the quickest to obey authority. These informal assessments
quickly ask students to summarize the text, analyze their thoughts about what
they’ve read, and then be able to support their answers through textual evidence.
At the end of the lesson, students are asked to complete a more formal
assessment by writing about how power and hierarchies affects them in their
own lives.
Differentiation:
Since today’s lesson focuses on such large-scale ideas of power, authority, and
conformity, it may be simpler to provide a more concise lesson for students who
need more direction and structure in their learning. I may ask students who are
struggling to focus on only looking at the power of Ms. Ratched, or only
examining the rebellion of McMurphy, rather than citing all examples of
obedience and authority in the novel so far. If I can create a more focused lesson
for students who may be behind, they are more likely to grasp an important idea
entirely before moving on to the next. The goal is to eliminate confusion and
ensure that students are comfortable to move on to the next concept only after
mastering the concept that precedes it.
Addressing Standards and Benchmarks:
Students will perform a great deal of group work, with the entire class, small
groups, and partners. Much of the lesson will focus on student dialogue and how
they are able to draw comparisons between the world of the psychiatric ward
and the society in which they live. This requires active listening skills and
emphasizes communication abilities between students.
They will also look back into the novel to observe how the ward functions as a
society, which is a main motif in the story. Students will be reading with a
specific purpose in mind, citing examples that support this idea of a society
within a society.
Their writing assignment asks them to establish and then explain a connection
between their world and McMurphy’s world. They will apply examples in the
text to the expansive issues of hierarchies, power v. submission, and authority
overpowering the weak.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Lesson Three: Part Three/ Women &
Sexuality
Day Six
Class: Junior Contemporary Texts in Society: 90 minute block
Link:
The previous lesson covered how power can alter individual’s actions and incite
submission. This lesson is directly related to this notion, but focuses specifically
on the power women embody in this text. The students will study how Nurse
Ratched enforces her authority and examine how sexuality greatly influences the
patient’s decisions and shapes their identities.
Objectives:
Students will learn about the “castrating woman”, observing through textual
evidence how many of the women are portrayed as overpowering, identitystealing enemies to the men in the novel. The class will also discuss the power of
sexuality and its powerful influence on individual identity.
Standards Addressed
Standard 2: Reading for All Purposes
2. Ideas synthesized from informational texts serve a specific purpose
b. Use Craft and Structure to:
ii. Use text features and graphical representations to complement
comprehension and enhance critical analysis of a text
Standard 4: Research and Reasoning
1. Self-designed research provides insightful information, conclusions, and
possible solutions
f. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support
analysis, reflection, and research
Anticipatory Set
10 Minutes – Students will respond to this journal prompt in their writing
notebooks:
Choose one female character who is significant to the novel in some way. Is she
antagonizing or a likeable character? What are some of her most prominent
characteristics? How does she affect the plot or other characters’ actions?
Instructional Methods:
1. Ask students to shout out all the female characters that have been mentioned in the
novel so far. Write down their names on the whiteboard (5 minutes)
2. Ask students to get out a piece of loose leaf notebook paper. They are to split the
paper in half. On one half they will write down the list of women they categorize as
“sexual” women in the story. On the other half they will list the characters that can be
defined as “authoritative/ castrating” (5 minutes)
3. Once their lists are complete, have them turn to a partner, share their lists, and then
add qualities/characteristics that describe the two separate groups in general. They are
also to return to the text and cite specific quotes/passages that describe either a “sexual”
female character or an “authoritative” female character (20 minutes)
4. After each group has their lists and descriptive phrases completed, hand out
construction paper for them to create their “Feminine Power Web”.
5. Describe the Feminine Power Web project: They will choose one character from either
the “Sexual” or “Castrating” woman group and create a symbol/visual representation on
their poster signifying some aspect of her personality or role in the novel. They will then
draw lines pointing to specific characters that woman affected somehow (either
positively or negatively). From these characters, students will draw another line
describing how that woman altered their behavior and affected the events of the story (5
minutes)
6. Give partners time to construct their web (20 minutes)
7. When students have completed their webs, ask students who chose a sexual character
to go to one side of the room and students who chose a castrating character to the
opposite side of the room.
8. Have them share their webs with each other. (10 minutes)
9. Ask them to turn in their webs for a completion grade.
10. Ask all students to return to their seats and get out their notes.
11. Lead the class in a lecture on how the sexuality of women in the novel directly
opposes the position of the authoritative women who diminish men’s identity (15
minutes)
12. Have a wrap-up discussion answering any questions students may have about
gender and sexuality in the novel (5 minutes)
Materials:
Writing Utencils
Writer’s Notebooks
Whiteboard
Whiteboard markers
Loose leaf paper
Construction paper
Colored pencils
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest novel
Assessment:
The students have created in class a web/graphic organizer that shows their
understanding of the sexual woman v. the castrating woman, how these female
figures affected the males in the novel, and cite specific examples of cause and
effect. They will be graded on completion, if they represented the character
visually, and if they showed the relationships between their female figure and
the other characters in the book. This simple assessment covers symbolism,
character study, an investigation of the role of women, and appeals to various
learning styles.
Differentiation:
This lesson already appeals to many different learning styles and ability levels.
There is no formal assessment of knowledge and the main goal is for students to
gain an understanding of how gender and sexuality can function thematically.
Today’s activity focuses on students assessing what they already know from
reading and applying that past knowledge into a new concept.
Addressing Standards and Benchmarks:
Students will be revisiting the text with the specific purpose of discovering
characteristics of the various women, observing descriptions of their actions,
seeing how their actions affect the behavior of the men, and then analyzing how
gender greatly dictates much of the action in the novel.
They will then organize the information graphically, citing specific instances of
when feminine power reveals itself.
Female Power Web
His actions
as a result
of her
influence
Male Character
Affected by
Female
Male Character
Affected by Female
Visual Symbol
of Woman in
Novel
His actions
as a result
of her
influence
Male Character
Affected by
Female
His actions
as a result
of her
influence
Women in Literature
-Historically, women were thought to be subservient to men in terms of
productivity and societal contribution
-Women were required to stay home and care for the children while men went to
“real” jobs and earned the money that provided for the family
-Because of these roles, women were not seen as strong or independent; but rather
as meek, dependent, obedient creatures
-In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey turns the idea of meek women
idea on its head
-Women in this story are powerful, influential, game-changers who have the
ability to manipulate the patients in the institution
-These powerful characters include Nurse Ratched, Mrs. Bibbit, and Vera Harding
-A matriarchy runs the ward, rather than a typical patriarchy
*Nurse Ratched
- attempts to deny her sexuality, acts as the voice of authority in the ward, she
suppresses the men’s laughter and independence
-central “castrating” female figure in the novel
-she even controls her male co-workers
-works with Billy’s mother to intimidate him
-fully aware of her own power
*Mrs. Bibbit
-prevents Billy from becoming an adult
-she ultimately contributes to his suicide
-denies the reality her son is in
-serves as the ultimate authority in Billy’s life
*Vera Harding
-uses her husband’s insecurities to manipulate him
-makes fun of his homosexuality
-uses her own sexuality to make the men feel inferior
*Other females
-the other women depicted in the novel serve as sexual liberators for the men
-they are prostitutes who do not hold authority over the patients, but instead entice
them with the possibility of pleasure
-they are in direct opposition with the castrating women, having very few physical
or mental similarities
(From
https://secure.colostate.edu/mborton/,DanaInfo=share4.esd105.wednet.edu+berconclusion.htm)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Lesson Four: Part Four/ What is Sanity?
Day Seven
Class: Junior Contemporary Texts in Society: 90 minute block
Link:
On the final day of studying this novel, the students will discuss the tragic
ending, the affects of therapies on patients, and the distinction between sanity
and insanity. This lesson ties in with the previous because the class has
progressively been discussing some of the most thematically important concepts
in the novel. The final lesson for this text asks them to evaluate what they have
read and learned in previous lessons to decide if sanity is strictly a black and
white issue, or a position that rests in a world of gray.
Objectives:
Students will begin by assessing which events in the entire novel are most
important to its overall message. They will then analyze what being “crazy”
means by applying the connotations of this term to the characters in the book.
This requires them to apply what they have learned to their own beliefs about
mental disease and then reach a decision according to their personal convictions
and lessons they have learned in class.
Standards Addressed
Standard 1: Oral Expression and Listening
2. Validity of a message is determined by its accuracy and relevance
a. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions with diverse partners on grade 11-12 topics, texts, and
issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly
and persuasively
i. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched
material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by
referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic
or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of
ideas.
Standard 3: Writing and Composition
2. Elements of informational and persuasive texts can be refined to inform or
influence and audience
a. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics
or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Anticipatory Set
10 Minutes – Students will respond to this journal prompt in their writing
notebooks:
Why does Ken Kesey choose to have a man pretending to be deaf and insane
narrate the novel? What does his perspective give us as readers? Do you like that
he is narrating the events?
Instructional Methods:
1. Have students split into four groups.
2. Assign each group a part of the novel. Tell them they will be creating a novel
review, citing the most important events that have occurred throughout the
entire book.
3. Hand out paper, colored pencils, and rulers. Tell the students that they will make
an 8-collumn comic strip that describes the most significant scenes in their
assigned part.
4. Have students return to the novel and begin working on their comics (25
minutes)
5. When students are finished, have them share their comics with the class,
reviewing the novel in its entirety (15 minutes)
6. When they are done sharing the comics, ask for four volunteers from each group
to be the center of the fishbowl discussion that will take place.
7. Explain to students that the four people in the center will be having a discussion
about the concluding theme of the novel (sanity v. insanity). Only the students in
the center are to speak. Once each person has spoken at least twice, another
student from the outside can replace them.
8. Pose these questions to the students and allow them to talk with each other about
possible solutions (only contribute if they need to redirect or move on to a
different question). Questions: 1. Why does McMurphy turn violent in the last
part of the film? Why do his fellow patients begin to turn on him? 2. How does
therapy changer McMurphy? What do you think the novel is saying about the
effects of these types of therapies? 3. What do you think the tragic ending of the
book means in terms of the novel’s overall message? 4. Why does Chief Bromden
suffocate McMurphy at the end? Is McMurphy “crazy”? 5. Is Chief Bromden
“crazy”? 6. Is there any hope at the novel’s conclusion? (30 minutes)
9. After the students have completed the fishbowl discussion, inform them about
their writing assignment that is due next class period.
10. Tell them they are responsible for writing a 2-3 page essay on whether or not
McMurphy deserved, or needed to be in the psychiatric hospital. Did he need
help from professionals? In what ways was the ward detrimental to him overall?
Was he indeed insane? Please use specific examples from the text to support
your response.
Materials:
Writing Utencils
Writer’s Notebooks
Whiteboard
Whiteboard markers
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest novel
Paper
Colored Pencils
Rulers
Assessment:
This short essay asks students to answer the toughest, yet most important
question that the novel provokes: Who/What is considered “insane”? They will
have to culminate all that they have learned thus far, evaluate the events in the
text, analyze their own thoughts, and articulate them in an organized piece of
writing.
Differentiation:
The comic strip review is very appealing to all types of learners since it includes
text, visual representations, and presenting information to the entire class. No
one is forced to format their knowledge in a specific way that limits their abilities
to show what they know. The fishbowl discussion gives the students a chance to
reflect upon their own ideas and experiences reading the novel, while building
on the biggest issues presented in the book. The essay assignment is a way for
students to practice their formal writing, yet incorporate their own opinions into
their pieces. They are asked to support their claims with textual evidence, but
they will be graded on the construction of their writing and how developed their
evidence is, rather than whether or not I agree with their opinions.
Addressing Standards and Benchmarks:
Students will engage their listening and speaking skills in a detailed fishbowl
discussion. The ideas provoked in this discussion will greatly help them in
constructing their essays that reflect their thoughts about the most important
message in the novel. Their essays must show specific examples from the text,
display their understanding of the author’s message in the novel, and then iterate
their personal thoughts on the question prompt.
A Beautiful Mind Lesson One: “Reading” Film
Day Eight
Class: Junior Contemporary Texts in Society: 90 minute block
Link:
Students will continue in their investigation of mental illness by analyzing the
multi-media text of film. They will focus on the true story of Steve Nash, who is a
mathematical genius suffering from schizophrenia. This lesson is aimed at
showing students how capable and incredible people suffering from disorders
can still be. The film A Beautiful Mind displays that mental illness is not always
considered a “disability”, but that individuals can still succeed while enduring
this challenge.
Objectives:
Exposing students to a different style of text allows them to apply strategies
normally employed during the reading process to apply to the viewing process.
Students will “read” the film, look for symbolism, analyze meaning, evaluate
how setting can affect the story, and determine the main themes. Students will
also gain the valuable lesson of seeing how one man, in real life, was able to
overcome his challenges and accomplish truly great success.
Standards Addressed
Standard 1: Oral Expression and Listening
2. Validity of a message is determined by its accuracy and relevance
b. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats
and media in order to make informed decisions and solve problems,
evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any
discrepancies among the data.
Standard 2: Reading for All Purposes
2. Ideas synthesized from informational texts serve a specific purpose
a. Use Key Ideas and Details to:
i. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what
the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text,
including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Anticipatory Set
10 Minutes – Students will respond to this journal prompt in their writing
notebooks:
What elements of film are similar to novels? How is watching a movie connected
to reading a book? How do the two mediums differ? Which “text” do you prefer?
Instructional Methods:
1. Ask students to get out their notebooks for class notes.
2. Guide a lecture about how to “read” film like a book (20 minutes)
3. Pass out the comprehension sheet that they will fill out while watching A Beautiful
Mind.
4. Tell students that they are responsible for answering each question while watching
the film.
5. Have students watch the film and answer the questions (60 minutes)
6. As an assignment for next class, have students create a poster or drawing for which
scene most impacted them. Have them write one paragraph on the back describing the
scene and discussing why they felt it was important to the storyline. This assignment
will be due at the beginning of next class.
7. Tell students they can choose to begin reading The Bell Jar to get ahead for the next
part of the unit.
Materials:
Writing Utencils
Writer’s Notebooks
Notebook for class notes
A Beautiful Mind DVD
Television
DVD player
Comprehension Sheets
Assessment:
Having the students fill out a Comprehension worksheet while watching the
film ensures that they are paying attention and observing the basic, important
facts they need to know from the story. The assignment they are given at the end
of class asks them to draw a scene they feel is significant to the novel. This causes
the students to reflect upon what they’ve seen, evaluate what is important to the
message of the film, and then recreate in a creative way.
Differentiation:
Viewing a film is a great way for struggling readers to build their critical
thinking and comprehension skills without laboring through a novel. Their
strengths may lie in visual observation, with this lesson serving as an
opportunity for them to showcase their knowledge of plot, story structure,
symbolism, and setting as applied to a different style of text. Their assignment
also appeals to many different learners because it asks students to practice both
creating visual representation and explaining what they have created.
Addressing Standards and Benchmarks:
Students will be required to activate their listening and reading skills in a new
way for this lesson. Their “reading” will come in the form of a different media
(film), yet still requires making inferences, questioning, gathering evidence, and
making predictions. Their success in the unit depends upon their ability to
effectively utilize their comprehension tools in understanding the meaning of the
film.
“Need to Knows” for Analyzing Movies
When watching the film, try to “read” it like you would a book. Ask questions
about what you see, how you see it, and what it may mean to the larger message.
Credits and mise-en-scene: what are the first images in the film (often while the credits
are rolling), and what do they tell you. Where and when is the film set and how do you
know this? Do you know yet how the film will end?
mise-en-scene [n] arrangement of scenery and properties to represent the place
where a play or movie is enacted
Cinematography and visual style: color, space, focus, depth of field, camera angles,
POV, composition, movement, aspect ratios, light and lighting, atmosphere. Is there a
"style"? What is the overall look and feel of the film?
Editing: continuity, cutting, continuity; montage, pace, graphic relations, rhythmic
relations, spatial relations, temporal relations, ellipsis, and hyperbole.
Production design, costumes, and fx: color, light, set design. "Realism" or "Fantasy"?
Narrative: dialogue; story, plot, and screen time; narrative structure (flashbacks and
flash-forwards)
Acting, dialogue, and movement: styles of acting, dancing, etc.
Sound and music:
Diegetic sound Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is
implied to be present by the action of the film:
voices of characters
sounds made by objects in the story
music represented as coming from instruments in the story space ( = source
music)
Diegetic sound is any sound presented as originated from source within the film's
world
Digetic sound can be either on screen or off screen depending on whatever its
source is within the frame or outside the frame.
Another term for diegetic sound is actual sound
Diegesis is a Greek word for "recounted story"
The film's diegesis is the total world of the story action
Non-diegetic sound Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has
been implied to be present in the action:
narrator's commentary
sound effects which is added for the dramatic effect
mood music
Non-diegetic sound is represented as coming from the a source outside story
space.
The distinction between diegetic or non-diegetic sound depends on our
understanding of the conventions of film viewing and listening. We know of that
certain sounds are represented as coming from the story world, while others are
represented as coming from outside the space of the story events. A play with
diegetic and non-diegetic conventions can be used to create ambiguity (horror), or
to surprise the audience (comedy).
Another term for non-diegetic sound is commentary sound.
Genre: what "kind" of movie is it, and how do you know?
Intertextuality: what other films, music, works of art, or "texts" are referred to in the
film and why?
"Critical" aspects of film: historical, moral, social, gender, and economic issues.
Opinions: is the film "good" or "bad"? Justify your opinions.
(From http://www.kenney-mencher.com/a_checklist_for_analyzing_movies.htm)
Name:__________________
Comprehension Sheet for A Beautiful Mind
1. What University is John attending? (Princeton)
2. What disease is Nash diagnosed with? What are some behaviors he exudes
as a result of this disorder? (Schizophrenia)
3. What prize is he awarded? (The Nobel)
4. What University does he end up teaching at? (MIT)
5. What type of medical therapy does he receive? How does he respond to
this? (Insulin-shock therapy)
6. What are some side-effects of his medication?
7. Name two characters that Nash has hallucinations about? (Charles,
Parcher, Marcee)
8. Is the ending hopeful or tragic? What evidence supports your response?
A Beautiful Mind Lesson Two: Overcoming Challenges
Day Nine
Class: Junior Contemporary Texts in Society: 90 minute block
Link:
Students will complete the film today and then analyze what it is saying about
society’s perceptions of a mentally ill individual. They will cite examples from
the movie of how the opinions and influences of others around the main
character affected his identity and experiences.
Objectives:
It is important to continue to have students analyzing film as if they were
reading a novel. Today’s lesson focuses on having students acknowledging that
individuals with mental illnesses can overcome adversity and defy the stigma
that they may not be as successful as those who are free from disorders.
Standards Addressed
Standard 2: Reading for All Purposes
1. Complex literary texts require critical reading approaches to effectively
interpret and evaluate meaning
a. Use Key Ideas and Details to:
ii. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze
their development over the course of the text, including how they
interact and build on one another to produce a complex account.
Standard 3: Writing and Composition
3. Knowledge of language, including syntax and grammar, influence the
understanding of literary, persuasive, and informational texts
a. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions
in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and
to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
Anticipatory Set
10 Minutes – Students will respond to this journal prompt in their writing
notebooks:
Every person overcomes challenges in their lives that somehow makes achieving
their dreams difficult. Some of these challenges are small, and others are
significant. Think of one challenge in your life that has somehow inhibited you in
some way. Please describe this challenge and write about how you overcame it,
are overcoming it, or plan to overcome it to achieve your goal.
Instructional Methods:
1. Ask students to turn in their scene drawing assignment.
2. Finish the movie and ask the students to answer all the questions on their
comprehension sheets (40 minutes)
3. Have them turn in their comprehension sheets for a participation grade.
4. Ask each student to get out a piece of loose leaf paper and write down one inhibiting
side effect that Steve Nash experiences through Schizophrenia. Next, ask them to write
down one positive quality/trait he possesses despite having Schizophrenia. (5 minutes)
5. Have students share the words they chose and write down the two separate lists on
the whiteboard (5 minutes)
6. Have the class decide which three inhibitors and which three positive traits are most
important and circle them on the board. (5 minutes)
7. Ask each student to get out another piece of paper and have them select one inhibitor
and one positive trait to focus on for the short writing exercise. Students will then spend
10 minutes writing about how the positive quality is able to overcome the challenging
side effect of Schizophrenia. They may write a poem, prose, creative piece, etc. The goal
is for them to recognize the power in the positive and see the command of human
resilience to hardship (15 minutes)
8. Collect their writing samples.
9. Using the overhead, show examples of other celebrities and public figures who
overcame disorders to be successful (10 minutes)
10. Tell students to read chapters 1-6 of The Bell Jar for next class period.
Materials:
Writing Utencils
Writer’s Notebooks
Whiteboard
Whiteboard markers
Loose leaf paper
DVD player
Television
A Beautiful Mind DVD
Assessment:
Students will turn in their comprehension worksheets today as a check to make
sure they understand the main events in the film and take away some of the
more significant messages. Their short writing assignment about positive
qualities overcoming challenges reflects their understanding of the main theme
of the movie and promotes creative writing practice.
Differentiation:
Again, viewing a film gives more visual learners an opportunity to practice their
skills and utilize their critical thinking skills normally applied to reading. The
short writing assignment provides a choice to the student since they can select to
convey their response in a poem, prose, or any creative format. This encourages
innovativeness and originality in students while displaying their understanding
of the main message of the film.
Addressing Standards and Benchmarks:
Students will focus their attention on recalling the ways in which the main
character in the film struggled, and then overcame obstacles in life. Their creative
writing is directed toward describing how a positive trait/quality can overcome
the side effects of a mental illness. They are to use descriptive language,
figurative devices, and details from the film to construct their responses.
The Bell Jar Lesson One: Chapters 1-6, Preoccupations and Identity Search
Day Ten
Class: Junior Contemporary Texts in Society: 90 minute block
Link:
The novel The Bell Jar not only connects to the previous topics surrounding
mental illness discussed previously in the unit, it culminates all of the ideas into
one cohesive, powerful story. Students will analyze what factors affect one’s
identity, investigate how sexuality plays a large role in self-perception, compare
our individual desires with society’s expectations, investigate the tragic issue of
suicide, and finally evaluate why all of these subjects are important to
understand in their own lives.
Objectives:
For today’s lesson, students will focus on how preoccupations and stresses in life
have huge effects on one’s behavior, state of mind, and identity. By using
examples from the text, they will define what factors in Esther’s life preceded her
downfall, hypothesize why these things have such a destructive impact on her,
and then cite examples of preoccupations we have in our current society.
Standards Addressed
Standard 1: Oral Expression and Listening
1. Verbal and nonverbal cues impact the intent of communication
e. Identify, explain, and use content-specific vocabulary, terminology,
dialect, or jargon unique to particular groups, perspectives, or contexts.
Standard 3: Writing and Composition
3. Knowledge of language, including syntax and grammar, influence the
understanding of literary, persuasive, and informational texts
c. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships,
and nuances in word meanings.
Standard 4: Research and Reasoning
1. Self-designed research provides insightful information, conclusions, and
possible solutions
c. Evaluate and revise research questions for precision and clarity.
Anticipatory Set
10 Minutes – Students will respond to this journal prompt in their writing
notebooks:
The main character Esther in The Bell Jar clearly has preoccupations in life that
greatly affect her happiness. What are your preoccupations, or circumstances
that stress you out? What are your worries? Are these things that you can
control? How do they affect your behavior or actions?
Instructional Methods:
1. Hand out Identity Assessment sheets to students.
2. Explain that by using the phrases available on the sheet, they are to rank which
“things” most affect their identities and actions in life (10 minutes)
3. When they are finished with their personal identity sheet, hand them another.
4. Explain that on this sheet they are to respond according to Esther’s point of view.
When they rank the identity factors, their responses should reflect what she is most
affected by (10 minutes)
5. Have each student write their number one personal identity factor on the white board
on one side and write Esther’s number one identity factor on the other board (5 minutes)
6. Hold a class discussion of the personal topics first. What are they? Why do you feel
pressured by these specific things? Who is applying the pressure? How does this affect
our society? (20 minutes)
7. Then hold a discussion about Esther’s identity topics. Why is she preoccupied with
these things? Who is applying pressure to her? How does she respond to this pressure?
Do these topics reflect the time period (America in the 1950’s) or are they still relevant
concerns today?(20 minutes)
8. For the remaining time in class, tell students to write a short poem (any form, length,
rhyme scheme, etc) about the number one factor affecting Esther. For example, if your
factor was “Family”, construct a poem from Esther’s point of view about her
relationship with her family.
9. If students finish they may turn their poems in today. If not, they are due at the
beginning of next class.
10. Assign students to read Chapters 7-12 for next time.
Materials:
Writing Utencils
Writer’s Notebooks
Whiteboard
Whiteboard markers
The Bell Jar novel
Identity Assessment Sheets
Assessment:
The Identity Assessment Sheets reflect student comprehension of the reading
material, ask them to decipher which factors most affect Esther’s life, analyze
which factors affect their own lives, and ask where the pressures are originating
from. This exercise displays their knowledge of the material and accesses their
prior knowledge about societal pressures they feel today. The short poem
emphasizes creative writing as an assessment tool by having students look
deeper into one topic that greatly affects the protagonist’s identity in the novel.
Differentiation:
Since the Identity Assessment Sheets have specific terms and topics to choose
from, students will be guided in their responses, yet have the option to weigh the
best answer. The short poems they write about a specific societal topic are not
formal, and instead serve as a practice tool for writing abstractly.
Addressing Standards and Benchmarks:
In this lesson, students will identify some of the biggest factors contributing to
the main character’s unhappiness. They will be asked to cite examples from the
text, share their thoughts with classmates, and then assess which factors are most
significant.
They are tasked to write a poem focusing on her biggest stressor in life. They are
expected to incorporate figurative language, organization, and proper mechanics
in their writing.
Identity Assessment Sheet
Please rank the following terms according to which preoccupations you feel most influence your
identity and actions. The top of the ladder represents the most influential factor, the bottom
represents those that ask for the least amount of your attention.
After you rank your personal preoccupations, write how Esther would rank the preoccupations.
Education
Family/Parents
Friends
Work/Job
Planning the future
Relationship
Personal Insecurity
World/National Issues
Peers
The Bell Jar Lesson Two: Chapters 7-12, Individual Ambition v. Societal
Expectations
Day Eleven
Class: Junior Contemporary Texts in Society: 90 minute block
Link:
This lesson connects to the previous because the class is still directing their
attention to how impactful others’ perceptions and expectations are to individual
ambition. Students will cite examples of how Esther’s discontent with others’
expectations of her greatly incites her mental breakdown and leads to her intense
unhappiness.
Objectives:
Students will critically compare the impact of societal expectations upon
individual ambitions. This lesson incorporates individual, partner, and group
work which helps in solidifying concepts and coming to conclusions about the
questions posed. They will also gain a historical lesson on how America regarded
women during the 1950s.
Standards Addressed
Standard 2: Reading for All Purposes
1. Complex literary texts require critical reading approaches to effectively
interpret and evaluate meaning
a. Use Key Ideas and Details to:
ii. Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop
and relate elements of a story
Standard 3: Writing and Composition
2. Elements of informational and persuasive texts can be refined to inform or
influence an audience
a. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics
or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
iii. Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the
major sections of the reasons and evidence, and between claims and
counterclaims.
Anticipatory Set
10 Minutes – Students will respond to this journal prompt in their writing
notebooks:
Think of a scenario that would greatly defy the expectations set out for you by
society/your parents/your peers (going to jail, not going to college, etc.). Describe
the unexpected and unwanted situation. How would others respond to your
actions? What would be the consequences of not doing what is expected? Who
are you disappointing with your decision?
Instructional Methods:
1. Have students watch a short clip about societal expectations during the 1950s (10
minutes)
2. They will get a partner, and then answer the questions about the clip in application to
the novel (15 minutes)
3. Have students turn in their sheets.
4. Split the class into two groups.
5. One group will represent “Society”, and on a piece of butcher paper, will write what
they expect of a proper 1950s American woman.
6. The other group will represent Esther and write what she wants out of life and list her
aspirations. Remind them to return to the novel for textual evidence (20 minutes)
7. Hang up the two pieces of butcher paper. Ask the students if the lists have anything in
common? Any differences? What is this saying about the conflict between the individual
and the masses? Do any items on the list reflect expectations or aspirations that apply to
you today? (20 minutes)
8. Tell students to get out a piece of loose leaf paper. They will write one paragraph
about the topic of sexuality in the book. Since Esther’s sexuality is a huge identity shaper
in the novel, would you say it is personally constructed or more shaped by the society
she lives in? Does she act the way she does in terms of sexuality to please her own
desires, or to displease the desires of others? Is she defying the status quo because she
truly wants to, or because she simply does not want to submit?
9. Have students hand in their responses before they leave (15 minutes)
10. Tell students to read Chapters 13-16 for next time.
Materials:
Writing Utencils
Writer’s Notebooks
Whiteboard
Whiteboard markers
The Bell Jar novel
Butcher paper
Loose leaf paper
Historical Clip Worksheets
Assessment:
This lesson is effective because assessment takes place on many levels. Students
work in partners to answer the Clip Worksheet, work in large groups to compile
lists of societal expectations and Esther’s expectations, and work individually to
answer prompts about the role sexuality plays in the novel. While none of these
assessments are technically formal, they all show the students’ understanding of
one of major subjects in the novel.
Differentiation:
Since there are three very different types of assessment in this lesson, students
will have opportunities to display their knowledge and build upon concepts they
may be struggling with. They are encouraged to seek help from their peers, and
to always ask any questions during class to clear up and misconceptions.
Addressing Standards and Benchmarks:
Students will gain a historical perspective of the 1950s by watching a short video
clip. They will then recall what they have learned and apply it to the novel in a
short worksheet. Transfer of knowledge is necessary in this activity for their
application of knowledge to two different contexts.
A free write activity about a topic not extensively discussed allows students to
investigate their own thoughts, explore possible answers, and inference how the
topic is significant to the novel as a whole.
Youtube Video (A Date With Your Family-1950)
Found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtVKo1mdrjE
Questions about Historical 1950s Clip
1. What information does this video give about expectations in the 1950s?
2. In what terms did the video specifically classify the women? What were their duties?
3. Does the information in the video confirm the expectations depicted in the novel The
Bell Jar?
4. How do the roles of men and women back in the 1950s contrast to the roles of people
today?
The Bell Jar Lesson Three: Chapters 13-16, Suicide/Autobiographical Elements
Day Twelve
Class: Junior Contemporary Texts in Society: 90 minute block
Link:
While the previous lesson was directed on comparing one’s personal ambition to
the expectations of others, this lesson focuses solely on the individual and how
their experiences can create levels of grief to the most extreme level. Students
will also gain an understanding of Sylvia Plath’s autobiographical elements in
the story, giving them a historical and personal context for the character of
Esther. We will thoroughly discuss the tragic topic of suicide and how it is
depicted in the novel.
Objectives:
Students will be comparing and contrasting Sylvia Plath’s experiences to those
she describes Esther experiencing in the novel. Since suicide is a paramount topic
in both Plath’s life and in the novel, the students will receive a lesson on suicide
statistics, causes, and how it contributes significantly to the novel. They will form
responses to a specific critical question and share their responses with the rest of
the class.
Standards Addressed
Standard 1: Oral Expression and Listening
2. Validity of a message is determined by its accuracy and relevance
a. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions with diverse partners on grade 11-12 topics, texts, and issues,
building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively.
Standard 4: Research and Reasoning
1. Self-designed research provides insightful information, conclusions, and
possible solutions
f. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
Anticipatory Set
10 Minutes – Students will respond to this journal prompt in their writing
notebooks:
If you had to write a novel based on your life, what would the main message be?
What subject in your life would you focus on? What people in your life would
play significant roles as characters in the novel?
Instructional Methods:
1. Hand out autobiographical sheets about Sylvia Plath and her life.
2. Have students individually highlight the things that reflect topics/scenarios that
occur in the novel (15 minutes)
3. Hold a class discussion about the similarities and differences the women shared. What
happened in Sylvia’s life that is reflected in The Bell Jar? What are some notable
differences between Esther and Sylvia? Can you think of other examples of authors who
incorporate their own lives into books? What effect does this have on the reader? (25
minutes)
4. Next, lead a lecture on suicide; its causes, statistics, affects on others, etc.
5. Hand out information sheets to students to follow along with during the lecture (25
minutes)
6. Split the class into four groups. Give each group a question regarding the issue of
suicide in the novel. Have each group prepare a short response to the question. 1. Why
does Esther blame her mother for her suicide attempts? 2. Why is Esther unsuccessful in
the attempts to kill herself? 3. How does Joan’s suicide affect Esther and the novel as a
whole? 4. What is Esther trying to escape through her suicide?
7. Once students have composed a response, they will share their thoughts with the
entire class (15 minutes)
8. Tell students to read Chapters 17-20 for next class period.
Materials:
Writing Utencils
Writer’s Notebooks
Whiteboard
Whiteboard markers
The Bell Jar novel
Autobiography Sheets
Highlighters
Suicide Information and Statistics Sheets
Assessment:
This lesson focuses on educating students about topics they may not already
know about; such as the autobiographical elements of Sylvia Plath’s life in her
novel and statistics and information about suicide. Today is hopefully a day of
discovery and connections. Before leaving class the students will work in groups
to determine why suicide is such a significant aspect of the novel and how it
sheds light on Esther as a character and reflects her state of mind.
Differentiation:
Since students are being provided the information on sheets that they may
highlight, students who are not comfortable with taking notes will not be rushed
to copy down information they think is important. Students can read along while
I am lecturing and choose to highlight anything that stands out to them or that
they think is significant to the book.
Addressing Standards and Benchmarks:
Students will be studying the autobiographical elements of the novel by reading
a short life description of Sylvia Plath. They must recognize similarities and
differences between the author and her work. Comparison and contrasting skills
are necessary for this activity.
Students will also work in groups to answer one specific question regarding the
novel. They are to investigate possible answers by referring back to the book.
They will then orate their findings to the rest of the class, serving as experts
about their particular question topic.
Sylvia Plath Autobiography
Sylvia Plath was born in Boston. Her father, Otto Emile Plath, was a professor of biology at
Boston University, who had specialized in bees. Aurelia Schober, Plath's mother, was twenty
years his junior; they met at Boston University, where he became her instructor in Middle High
German. After the death of her husband in 1940, Aurelia worked at two jobs to support her
children. She sold the house in Winthorp and moved with her family Wellesley. At school Plath
was a model student: she won scholarships and prizes. Plath's mother, pushing her to succeed,
kept all of her awards and was very proud of them. To supplement the family income, Plath
worked at menial part-time and summer jobs. To her brother she once said, "You know, as I do,
and it is a frightening thing, that mother would actually kill herself for us. She is an abnormally
altruistic person, and I have realized lately that we have to fight against her selflessness as we
would fight against a deadly disease."
Between 1950 and 1963 Plath wrote to her mother nearly a thousand letters. Letters Home (1975),
edited by Aurelia, gives a portrait of a young woman, who is driven by high hopes alternating
with moods of depression. Plath once said, "It is as if my life were magically run by two electric
currents: joyous positive and despairing negative -- which ever is running at the moment
dominates my life, floods it. I am now flooded with despair, almost hysteria, as if I were
smothering. As if a great muscular owl were sitting on my chest, its talons clenching &
constricting my heart."
Plath studied at Gamaliel Bradford Senior High School (now Wellesley High School) and at the
Smith College from 1950 to 1955. Her first awarded story, 'Sunday at the Mintons,' was
published in 1952 while she was at college in magazine Mademoiselle. In 1953 Plath worked on
the college editorial board at the same magazine. She suffered a mental breakdown which led to a
suicide attempt. Later on she described this period of her live in The Bell Jar (1963), an
autobiographical novel, which appeared under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas, a month before her
death. The novel takes place in New York, at the height of the Cold War, during the hot summer
in which the Rosenbergs were sent to the electric chair, convicted of spying for the Soviets.
Against this background Plath sets the story of the breakdown and near-death of her heroine.
With J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye it is recognized as a classic of adolescent angst.
After winning a Fulbright scholarship, Plath attended Newnham College, Cambridge (England).
She met there in 1956 the poet Ted Hughes, "... big, dark, hunky boy, the only one there huge
enough for me,'' whom she married next year. Hughes's first impression was "American legs /
Simply went on up. That flaring hand, / Those long, balletic, monkey- / elegant fingers. / And the
face -- a tight ball of joy." Their first encounter happened at a student party, where she bit Hughes
on the cheek, really hard. It set the tone to their tumultuous relationship. Plath decided to be a
good wife, but Hughes was not the ideal husband she imagined: he was moody, penchant for nose
picking, and dressed slovenly. Also Plath's suspicions of Hughes's infidelity burdened her.
Plath's early poetry was based on then current styles of refined and ironic verse. Under the
influence of her husband and the work of Dylan Thomas and Gerald Manley Hopkins, she
developed with great force her talents. In 1957 Plath returned to the U.S., where she worked as a
teacher of literature at the Smith College. From 1958 to 1959 she was employed as a clerk in
Boston. At Robert Lowell's course she studied poetry. Plath moved again to England in 1959. Her
first child, Frieda Rebecca, was born in 1960 and second, Nicholas Farrar, in 1962. On the next
year she published the aggressive 'Lady Lazarus' and the notorious 'Daddy', in which Plath
explored the boundaries of her introspection.
When Ted Hughes abandoned her for an another woman, Assia Gutmann Wevill, the wife of the
Canadian poet David Wevill, fantasies of self-destruction took over of Plath's resolution. Wevill
was German-born, sophisticated woman, with film-star looks. Near the end of her life, Plath
burned hundreds of pages of a work in progress. In one of her final poems she wrote: ''Dying / is
an art, like everything else. / I do it exceptionally well.'' (in 'Lady Lazarus') In a letter to her
mother Plath complained that Hughes had left her in poverty, but according to Elaine Feinstein,
whose well-balanced on Hughes appeared in 2001, he gave her all their joint savings. The
children remained under Plath's care and she continued working at home.
Plath died in London on February 11, 1963; she committed suicide. Before he laying her head
into the gas oven early in the morning, she prepared breakfast for her children, took it upstairs
and set near their beds. Her gravestone is in Yorkshire. Hughes's name was chipped off her
tombstone, and his poetry readings were disrupted by shouts of "murderer." Tragically, Assia
Wevill killed herself in the same way as Plath – by gas. She also killed their daughter, Shura, she
had with Hughes.
During her career Plath was loosely linked to the confessional poets, a term used to describe such
writers as Robert Lowell, Anne Sexton (1928-74, committed suicide), and John Berryman. Her
literary reputation rests mainly on her carefully crafted pieces of poetry, particularly the verse that
she composed in the months leading up to her death. A deeply honest writer, Plath's ceaseless
self-scrutiny has given an unique point of view to psychological disorder and fuelled debates
about the psychodynamics of female creativity. In this discourse, Ted Hughes has become the
villain, whom Robin Morgan accused in 1972 in a poem of killing Plath. "I accuse / Ted Hughes",
she stated in 'The Arraignment'. However, Janet Malcolm has defended Hughes in her book The
Silent Woman (1994), in which she sees Plath's literary spouse a Prometheus figure who has to
"watch his young self being picked over by biographers, scholars, critics, article writers and
newspaper journalists."
Plath's Collected Poems (1981), assembled and edited by Ted Hughes, won a posthumous
Pulitzer Prize. Hughes, who explained that he wanted to spare the children further distress,
published in 1982 a heavily edited version of her journals. Feminist critics have suspected that he
tried to protect himself. But when Karen V. Kukil assembled the unabridged journals, critics
doubted the ethics of dutifully revealing a Plath's unrevised work with grammatical errors and
misspellings. In addition to her diary, where Plath revealed the feelings of hatred toward her
mother, Aurelia was portrated in The Bell Jar. "I had always been my father's favorite, and it
seemed fitting that I should take on a mourning my mother never bothered with," the heroine
Esther Greenwood says after visiting her father's grave. In Letters Home Aurelia revealed that for
the sake of her children she withold her tears until she was alone in bed at night. For a period, she
blocked the publication of the book in the United States due to its unkind portraits and for fear of
libel. It finally appeared in 1971.
From http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/splath.htm
Suicide Information and Statistics
Suicide in the U.S.: Statistics and Prevention
Suicide is a major, preventable public health problem. In 2007, it was the tenth leading cause of
death in the U.S., accounting for 34,598 deaths. The overall rate was 11.3 suicide deaths per
100,000 people. An estimated 11 attempted suicides occur per every suicide death.
What are the risk factors for suicide?
Research shows that risk factors for suicide include:







depression and other mental disorders, or a substance-abuse disorder (often in combination
with other mental disorders). More than 90 percent of people who die by suicide have these
risk factors.
prior suicide attempt
family history of mental disorder or substance abuse
family history of suicide
family violence, including physical or sexual abuse
firearms in the home, the method used in more than half of suicides
exposure to the suicidal behavior of others, such as family members, peers, or media figures.
However, suicide and suicidal behavior are not normal responses to stress; many people have
these risk factors, but are not suicidal. Research also shows that the risk for suicide is associated
with changes in brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, including serotonin. Decreased levels
of serotonin have been found in people with depression, impulsive disorders, and a history of
suicide attempts, and in the brains of suicide victims.
Are women or men at higher risk?



Suicide was the seventh leading cause of death for males and the fifteenth leading cause
of death for females in 2007.
Almost four times as many males as females die by suicide.
Firearms, suffocation, and poison are by far the most common methods of suicide,
overall. However, men and women differ in the method used, as shown below.
Suicide by:Males (%)Females (%)
Firearms 56
30
Suffocation 24
21
Poisoning 13
40
Is suicide common among children and young people?
In 2007, suicide was the third leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24. Of every
100,000 young people in each age group, the following number died by suicide:



Children ages 10 to 14 — 0.9 per 100,000
Adolescents ages 15 to 19 — 6.9 per 100,000
Young adults ages 20 to 24 — 12.7 per 100,000
As in the general population, young people were much more likely to use firearms, suffocation,
and poisoning than other methods of suicide, overall. However, while adolescents and young
adults were more likely to use firearms than suffocation, children were dramatically more likely
to use suffocation.
There were also gender differences in suicide among young people, as follows:


Nearly five times as many males as females ages 15 to 19 died by suicide.
Just under six times as many males as females ages 20 to 24 died by suicide.
Are older adults at risk?
Older Americans are disproportionately likely to die by suicide.


Of every 100,000 people ages 65 and older, 14.3 died by suicide in 2007. This figure is higher
than the national average of 11.3 suicides per 100,000 people in the general population.
Non-Hispanic white men age 85 or older had an even higher rate, with 47 suicide deaths per
100,000.
Are Some Ethnic Groups or Races at Higher Risk?
Of every 100,000 people in each of the following ethnic/racial groups below, the following
number died by suicide in 2007.
Highest rates:


American Indian and Alaska Natives — 14.3 per 100,000
Non-Hispanic Whites — 13.5 per 100,000
Lowest rates:



Hispanics — 6.0 per 100,000
Non-Hispanic Blacks — 5.1 per 100,000
Asian and Pacific Islanders — 6.2 per 100,000
What are some risk factors for nonfatal suicide attempts?




As noted, an estimated 11 nonfatal suicide attempts occur per every suicide death. Men
and the elderly are more likely to have fatal attempts than are women and youth.
Risk factors for nonfatal suicide attempts by adults include depression and other mental
disorders, alcohol and other substance abuse and separation or divorce.
Risk factors for attempted suicide by youth include depression, alcohol or other drug-use
disorder, physical or sexual abuse, and disruptive behavior.
Most suicide attempts are expressions of extreme distress, not harmless bids for
attention. A person who appears suicidal should not be left alone and needs immediate
mental-health treatment.
From http://www.mentalhealth.gov/health/publications/suicide-in-the-us-statistics-andprevention/index.shtml
The Bell Jar Lesson Four: Chapters 17-20, The Threat of Madness
Day Thirteen
Class: Junior Contemporary Texts in Society: 90 minute block
Link:
This is the concluding lesson for students about The Bell Jar. Today’s focus is to
interpret the novel’s conclusion and reflect upon the cycle of Esther’s descent and
then recovery from madness. Students will track her highs and lows, showing
her traumatic falls and then redemptive rises.
Objectives:
Students will be working with computers and the internet during this lesson.
They will also reflect upon the events in the novel while incorporating numeracy
into their learning. They will be asked to create a line graph that cites Esther’s
“highs” and “lows” in the novel. This activity, along with their task of
discovering a song that reflects the protagonist’s mental state are creative ways
for the class to showcase their personal interpretations of the actions in the book.
Standards Addressed
Standard 2: Reading for All Purposes
3. Knowledge of language, including syntax and grammar, influence the
understanding of literary, persuasive, and informational texts
c. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships,
and nuances in word meanings.
Standard 3: Writing and Composition
2. Elements of informational and persuasive texts can be refined to inform or
influence an audience
b. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey
complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately
through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of
content.
Standard 4: Research and Reasoning
1. Evaluating quality reasoning includes the value of intellectual character
such as humility, empathy, and confidence
a. Analyze the purpose, question at issue, information, points of
view, implications and consequences, inferences, assumptions,
and concepts inherent in thinking
Anticipatory Set
10 Minutes – Students will respond to this journal prompt in their writing
notebooks:
If you could pick one song that would best describe your current mental state,
which song would it be? What does this song say about you?
Instructional Methods:
1. Take the students to the library.
2. Give a mini-lesson on how to make line graphs on Microsoft word.
3. Next, ask them to construct a graph that shows Esther’s “highs” and “lows” in the
novel. They should include the large events that take her deeper into madness, and the
events that help in bringing her back to sanity. There should be at least 15 specific
“points” on the graph that affect the direction of her life. They have a large portion of
class time to complete this, and can help each other. The graphs also need to be properly
labeled and the events clearly described. (50 minutes)
4. Have students print their charts and hand them in.
5. Next, tell students that they will not use the internet (google, youtube, music sites) to
find a single song that they think best represents Esther at a specific part of the novel.
The song can describe her discontent at the beginning, her sadness during her suicide
attempts, her frustration in the hospital, or her looming fear at the end.
6. They are to search for the song, copy and paste the lyrics to a word document, and
then write a two-page essay about how the song connects to the mindset of Esther. This
essay will be due at the beginning of next class. (25 minutes)
Materials:
Writing Utencils
Writer’s Notebooks
The Bell Jar novel
Computers
Internet Access
Microsoft Word
Printers
Assessment:
This assessment asks students to practice their 21st Century Skills in creating a
graph using significant events in the novel as the “points”. They are also asked to
find a single song that best describes Esther’s state of mind during one of her
more major episodes. This connects modern poetry to the events in the novel,
while asking students to write about how the two seemingly disconnected pieces
actually relate.
Differentiation:
If some students are unable to use Microsoft word to create the graphs, they will
have the option of drawing the line graph on construction paper. I will also be
available to help with any issues they may have searching the internet for a song.
Addressing Standards and Benchmarks:
For today, students will be practicing their 21st Century Skills by creating line
graphs citing the protagonist’s “highs and lows” in the novel. This exercise helps
review plot summary, asks students to select important events from the novel,
and has them practicing with computer software.
They will then navigate the internet to find a song that they think be
encapsulates Esther’s mental state. They must write an essay describing why the
song applies to Esther, what components of the song give it its tone and
meaning, and give support for why their song choice is best.
Culminating Assessment: Introduction and Work Time
Day Fourteen
Class: Junior Contemporary Texts in Society: 90 minute block
Link:
Students will now be asked to direct what they have learned in this unit in
researching a specific mental disorder. This final culminating project requires
that students apply the topics they have discussed and studied to the newly
gained information they will access during their research. They now have a
thorough context in which to further investigate the symptoms, characteristics,
treatments, and other relevant information related to their assigned disorder to
research.
Objectives:
Students will be asked to conduct professional, informative, relevant research
that deepens their understanding of a specific mental disorder and show the
connection between the characteristics of this disorder and the texts they have
explored in this unit. They will be working in groups, navigating the internet for
research, citing their sources accurately, creating an informative brochure using
Microsoft Publisher, and then orally presenting their information to the rest of
the class to ensure that everyone gains an education on each disorder.
Standards Addressed
Standard 2: Reading for All Purposes
2. Ideas synthesized from informational texts serve a specific purpose
a. Use Key Ideas and Details to:
v. Predict the impact an informational text will have on an audience and
justify the prediction
Standard 4: Research and Reasoning
1. Self-designed research provides insightful information, conclusions, and
possible solutions
b. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print
and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess
the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task,
purpose, and audience
e. Document sources of quotations, paraphrases, and other
information, using a style sheet (MLA)
Standard 4: Research and Reasoning
2. Evaluating quality reasoning includes the value of intellectual character
such as humility, empathy, and confidence
a. Analyze the purpose, question at issue, information, points of
view, implications and consequences, inferences, assumptions,
and concepts inherent in thinking
Instructional Methods:
1. Hand out Culminating Assessment Project Sheet to students. Have them read the
instructions and ask any questions that come up (10 minutes)
2. Put students into their project groups (five groups of five) (5 minutes)
3.Take the entire class to the library and inform them that they will be using this entire
class period to conduct research, create their brochure, and make sure all the criteria
presented on the rubric is completed in their projects. Tell them that noodletools.org is a
great website to create citations on for their bibliographic information (60 minutes)
4.Walk through the groups, making sure each member is contributing, making notes
about their progress, and answering any questions they have (throughout entire class)
5. Inform them that the next class period will be devoted to them sharing their brochures
and research information about their topics. Each member needs to make sure they
contribute to the presentation in some way.
6. Answer any final questions the students have
Materials:
Library resources
Computers
Microsoft Publisher
Culminating Assessment Rubric and Instructions
Assessment:
As an assessment of participation, I will be observing the groups to make sure
that all members are contributing and working in harmony. In group projects it
is strongly encouraged that each member has a role and showcases their
individual skills within their groups.
Differentiation:
Like much of their work this unit, this is a group project, meaning that students
can choose roles that best utilize their strengths and help contribute to the overall
quality of the project. Students who struggle navigating the internet or finding
relevant information can choose to construct the brochure or work on the
citations page. Students are able to help one another during this project, making
sure everyone contributes.
Addressing Standards and Benchmarks:
Today’s lesson focuses greatly on practicing research skills, such as finding
reliable sources, correctly citing those sources, evaluating the information it
provides, and discovering best to organize that information in a way that is
coherent to an audience.
They will also be using Microsoft Publisher to construct brochures. The
brochures are a way for students to represent their knowledge with both writing
and visual aids.
Mental Illness Research Project/ Presentation
To gain a better understanding of mental illness, you will form groups with four or five of
your classmates and investigate a specific illness that is often misunderstood today. After
researching the various aspects of the disorder/illness (symptoms, societal views,
misconceptions, cures, treatments, etc), each group will create a brochure that includes
information the class should know about the illness. You will then provide copies of these
handouts for your classmates and teach the class about your topic. It is important to include in
your presentation how society perceives individuals with the specific disorder and how your
information connects to the tests you’ve read in this unit. Be prepared to answer any
questions about the illness from me or your peers.
Groups: Five students in each either focusing on Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder, Dimentia,
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or Depression
Task: Give a ten minute presentation describing the information you discovered and put in
your brochure. The brochure should include:
-General information about the disorder
-Symptoms
-Treatments
-Society’s perception of this type of person
-Any stigmas assigned to indvidual’s with this disorder
-How this disorder relates to any characters, information discussed or seen in the texts we’ve
studies or class discussions we’ve have
*All information should be cited correctly using MLA format, come from RELIABLE
sources, show organization, and display your knowledge of the disorder and how it relates to
characters or ideas we’ve studied
Grading: You will be graded on the quality of your brochure, your group presentation, and
your individual contributions to the project (specific rubrics will be included). You will also
complete group and individual self-assessment sheets as a way to ensure everyone in the
group participated.
Time: You will have all class period today to conduct research, make the brochure, and decide
on presentation ideas. Any other work must be completed outside of class and during study
hall. The presentations will take place the class period after the research day.
*It often works best if each student within the group is assigned a different task or research
topic! (One person looks up treatments, the other looks up symptoms, another works on the
brochure, etc). Just a tip to help you use your time effectively!
Also, ask ANY questions that come up! About research, information, sources, citations, etc.
Culminating Assessment Presentations
Day Fifteen
Class: Junior Contemporary Texts in Society: 90 minute block
Link:
This is the final day of the unit on Mental Illness in Society. Students will be
showcasing all they have learned by orally presenting their information,
organizing their knowledge in a brochure, and relating what they have learned
to the texts and characters they’ve studied during the last six weeks.
Objectives:
Students will orally present their knowledge, requiring deep knowledge and
evaluation of what they have learned. This also benefits the members of the class
who are listening to the presentations because they will be receiving expert
presentations about topics they did not study themselves. The presentations ask
for active listening and clear expression of knowledge. The brochure they create
is a more succinct, and interesting way to convey information without assigning
an essay or report. The question time at the end of their presentations requires
them to quickly recall information for their peers and justify the statements they
had made.
Standards Addressed
Standard 1: Oral Expression and Listening
1. Verbal and nonverbal cues impact the intent of communication
b. Deliver formal oral presentations for intended purpose and audience,
using effective verbal and nonverbal communication
e. Identify, explain, and use content-specific vocabulary, terminology,
dialect, or jargon unique to particular groups, perspectives, or contexts
Standard 1: Oral Expression and Listening
2. Validity of a message is determined by its accuracy and relevance
b. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats
and media in order to make informed decisions and solve problems,
evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any
discrepancies among the data
Instructional Methods:
1. Give students ten minutes to meet with their groups and get organized before
presentations begin (10 minutes)
2. Give each group ten minutes to present and then a few minutes after their
presentation to answer some class questions about their topic (70 minutes)
3. As the presentations are occurring, make comments on the rubric and assign the
appropriate grades for the presentation portion.
4. Have students fill out and then hand in their Self/Group Evaluation sheets.
Materials:
Students have brochures and presentation materials
Rubric
Self/Group Assessment Sheets
Assessment:
This presentation is a large portion of students’ grades because it asks them to
conduct effective research, present that information to their peers, connect new
information to what they learned in the unit, and answer any questions or justify
their assertions in the presentation. Students will be graded according to their
individual contributions, how the group performed as a whole, and on the
quality of their information. Their grade will be more specifically dependent on
how they meet the requirements stated in the rubric and according to their
responses on the Individual/Group assessment sheets.
Addressing Standards and Benchmarks:
This is the final day of the unit where students are expected to present their
information in an organized, coherent, informative manner. The construction of
their brochures requires their assessment of important knowledge, deciding
which sources are most beneficial, and citing those sources in their proper
formats.
The requirements of the oral presentations ask that each member of the group
contributes to the presentation through speech, that each group includes all the
components necessary to the project, and that they are prepared to answer any
questions that arise from me or their peers. Their comprehensive understanding
of the specific topic and knowledge of how it relates to the entire unit are the key
goals of the final research project.
Name: _______________
Group Topic:_______________
Group/Self-Assessment Sheet
1. How did you contribute to the project specifically? (Did you conduct research, put the
brochure together, etc). What tasks were you responsible for?
2. If you had to give yourself a grade out of 10, what would you give yourself? Why
would you give yourself this grade?
3. For this question, please list the names of your other group members and then write
down their responsibilities during the project. Please assign each member a grade out of
10 (This is NOT the score I will automatically assign your group members, it’s just a way
to gauge involvement).
4. Finally, please give a number out of 10 that you think your whole group deserves for
this entire project.
Culminating Assessment Rubric
Mental Disorder Research Project
Teacher Name: Ms. Statz
Student Name:
CATEGORY
________________________________________
4
3
2
1
Content
Shows a full
understanding of
the topic. Includes
specifics about the
disorder, such as
characteristics,
statistics,
treatments,
symptoms, and
describes how it
relates to the texts
in the unit.
Shows a good
understanding of
the topic. Includes
most of the
information
required and
briefly connects
information to the
texts.
Shows a good
understanding of
parts of the topic.
Omitted some
major parts of the
requirements.
Does not seem to
understand the
topic very well.
Lack of
information
needed to display
knowledge of the
disorder. Does not
include how it is
significant to the
unit at all.
Presentation
Quality
Each group
member takes the
opportunity to
speak during the
oral presentation.
The ideas are
presented in an
organized, logical
manner.
Most of the group
members speak.
The presentation
is clear, but could
have been
organized more
effectively.
The presentation
is dominated by a
few of the
members. The
information is
given in an errant
manner.
One person
dominates the
presentation. The
information is
scattered, with
little cohesion.
Clearly little time
was devoted to
preparation.
Brochure
All of the
information listed
on the assignment
sheet is present,
mechanically
sound, and
properly cited.
Most of the
information listed
on the assignment
sheet is present,
mostly
mechanically
sound, and cited
correctly.
The brochure is
lacking some
essential
information, needs
improvements in
its mechanics, and
has errors in
citations.
The brochure
features almost no
requirements
listed on the
assignment sheet.
It is grammatically
messy,
unorganized, and
without citations.
Collaboration
with Peers
Almost always
listens to, shares
with, and supports
the efforts of
others in the
group. Tries to
keep people
working well
together. Clearly
contributed
positively to the
end product of the
project.
Usually listens to,
shares with, and
supports the
efforts of others in
the group. Does
not cause "waves"
in the group.
Contributed to
aspects of the
project.
Often listens to,
shares with, and
supports the
efforts of others in
the group but
sometimes is not a
good team
member. Should
have taken more
responsibility in
completing the
project.
Rarely listens to,
shares with, and
supports the
efforts of others in
the group. Often is
not a good team
member. Gave
little to no effort
during the entirety
of the research
project.
Individual
Contribution
Fulfilled a
significant
requirement for
the project and
gave great effort in
ensuring the end
product was a
success.
Contributed to the
project. Gave
decent effort in the
portion they were
responsible for.
Their effort was
relatively minimal.
They did the least
amount possible
to fulfill
requirements.
Individual
neglected to fulfill
their duties in the
project. No
apparent effort
was given,
affecting the
overall quality of
the end product.
Score
Total/Grade:______________
Comments/ Suggestions: