Student: _Jackie Brynan_______ Cooperating Teacher’s Approval: ______________________ Date: 11/2/09
Subject: English 2
Topic: Caesar Superstitions
Grade: 10
Allocated Time: 47 minutes
Student Population: 15 girls and 18 boys (1 with Autism)
State Standards:
1.1.11.B Analyze the structure of informational materials explaining how authors used these to achieve their purposes.
1.1.11.G Demonstrate after reading understanding and interpretation of both fiction and nonfiction text, including public documents.
 Make, and support with evidence, assertions about texts.
 Compare and contrast texts using themes, settings, characters and ideas.
 Make extensions to related ideas, topics or information.
 Assess the validity of the document based on context.
 Analyze the positions, arguments and evidence in public documents.
 Evaluate the author’s strategies.
 Critique public documents to identify strategies common in public discourse.
1.3.11.A Read and understand works of literature.
1.6.11.A Listen to others.
 Ask clarifying questions.
 Synthesize information, ideas and opinions to determine relevancy.
 Take notes.

E. 1.6.11.E Participate in small and large group discussions and presentations.
 Initiate everyday conversation.
 Select and present an oral reading on an assigned topic.
 Conduct interviews.
 Participate in a formal interview (e.g., for a job, college).
 Organize and participate in informal debate around a specific topic.
Goal for Understanding: By understanding the origins of superstitions, the students will be able to see the reasoning behind superstitions
from Julius Caesar.
Instructional Objective (Statement): Students will write a short journal entry based on their prior knowledge of superstitions.
Students will watch a power point to learn the difference between a superstition and a proverb.
Students will use prior knowledge to guess the answers to questions about superstitions.
Students will divide into group and create an explanation of a superstition’s origin.
Students will write an essay describing a creatively made up superstition and it’s origin.
Student Behaviors
Students will identify
different superstitions
using clues given.
Sources of Evidence
Completed explanation of a
superstition’s origin. Also,
students notes on the
superstitions.
Criteria for Evaluation
Collecting each student’s
explanation and discovering the
correct answers in class.
Students will create their
own explanations for the
origins of popular
superstitions
Teaching to the Objective
Estimated
Teaching to the Objective
Differentiation:
Time:
10
minutes

Introduction/Motivation/
Prior Knowledge
Have the students answer the question, “What is a
superstition that you follow? What is the silliest
superstition that you’ve ever heard.
Required for each
section.
-
Developmental Activities:

30
minutes




Use power-point to explain what a superstition is.
Give students hints to some superstitions and see if
they can guess what they are.
Explain how superstitions affected Julius Caesar’s
life.
Put students into group and ask them to create an
explanation for the origin of a superstition.
Read all explanations out loud and see if the class
can guess which one is real.
Write the journal
topic on the
board.
Have a printed
copy of the
Power Point for
the student with
autism.
Closure:
5
minutes
-
Ask students if they believe in any of these
superstitions.
Discuss how Caesar’s life may have been
different had he believed his superstition.
Materials: Powerpoint Presentation
Index Cards
Follow Up: Have students write a 3 page essay making up their own superstition and its origin. The paper should be creative and free of
errors. Following the Caesar Unit, a unit test will be given and will include questions on superstitions and how they relate to Julius
Caesar.
Resources
Sanguinarius. Origins of Popular Superstitions Retrieved November 15, 2009, from
http://sangi.sanguinarius.org/creative/OriginsOfPopularSuperstitions.pdf
Pennsylvania Department of Education. (n.d.). Academic standards for reading, writing,
speaking and listening.
Retrieved November 15, 2009, from http://www.pde.state.pa.us.
Superstitions Retrieved November 15, 2009, from http://www.parlo.com/en/teachers/lessonplans/superseng_1.asp.