EDSC 433
Professor Lafer
Lesson Plan
11/20/211
Yipes! The material looks great and a good part of this response to the
assignment is about the value of the text as a tool for teaching really important
aspects of the literary experience. The focus on “faith” can lead to deep
understandings of important abstract notions of great import in how we think
of selves and others and how we live our lives, critically important themes that
do have a lot to do with how one defines a notion such as “faith.” But the real
focus here is not on deep exploration into concepts but a rather shallow lesson
on vocabulary. It need not be and it should not be, but it is because the
objective stated is a bogus objective and it is what it is because you have not
really done the reasoning that would lead to the type of rationale that would
allow you to understand what worthwhile understanding is and how one
recognizes it in student work and how one plans for teaching that leads to
properly robust understanding. This needs work. As is, it reflects poor
understanding of most of what has been said in class and in the text. Hopefully
you have paid attention and done the reading. A review will help you in
putting together an acceptable plan.
Description of work:
Ellen Hopkins novel Burned uses verse poetry to deliver the narrative of
Pattyn von Stratten – a 17-year-old girl who struggles with growing up in a strict
Mormon household. The eldest of six sisters, Pattyn bares the pressure of being a
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role-model for her siblings, appropriately fulfilling her role as a woman, while still
living a typical teenage life amongst her peers. Although Pattyn wants to be a “good
girl,” she often struggles with what this means in the grand scheme of Mormonism
and life. With a family structure that is less than perfect (including an
abusive/alcoholic father and a detached, submissive mother), Pattyn feels as if she’s
been cheated from the truth about faith and love. Although she follows her church
and parents requests, she begins to question how she can have faith in a family,
church or lifestyle that seems to be so inherently wrong. Instead, Pattyn begins her
own quest for love and acceptance, by breaking her family’s rules. Although
abandoning her LDS views brings her to many typical teenage mistakes, she is able
to see that faith is about more than following a book. In her quest, Pattyn explores
drinking, sex, and many of the other taboos that encompass teenage (and
specifically LDS) lifestyles.
Although my students may not be practicing Mormons, throughout their
teenager years they will all struggle with the same pressures as Pattyn – a quest for
love and acceptance while trying to fulfill the expectations of their families and
churches. While students may not need faith in a religion, trusting their parents
advice to not have sex, drink, (or anything else) requires a certain amount of faith
that their elders know best. With all high school students living under a parent or
guardian’s roof, they are each faced with some sort of expectation. Based on the
expectation and the role of the person asking of it, however, comes a slew of other
questions regarding whether this person (or faith) is worthy of trusting. Although
Pattyn’s initial struggle is with religion, her journey throughout the novel leaves her
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trying her faith in family, communities, love and relationships, as well. In this
regard, all students will be able to relate in some degree.
In addition to it being a book to which adolescents can relate, the
presentation of this novel is unique and alluring for students. Written in verse
poetry, the novel lacks the overwhelming capacity that most novels do. In contrast
each page flows quickly into the next – serving as one giant poem that spans over
the entirety of the book. Hopkin’s writing style is both humorous and raw. In
tackling religion, the author uses authentic language and thoughts of a teenager to
keep the story flowing. There is no censorship as Hopkin’s explores topics such as
losing one’s virginity, drinking and domestic abuse. In this regard, Hopkin’s story
does not cheat readers. It pulls them in by it’s sense of reality and realism. In a
world where so many students feel they are being sheltered, this novel is a great
way to present reality.
Rationale:
Ellen Hopkin’s novel “Burned” is a great piece to explore both the depth of
themes, as well as the understanding of words (in relationship to their contexts and
synonyms.) Although the central theme of “Burned” is often cited as “faith,” this
text allows us to delve into the many meanings of faith, as it is a rather vague word.
“Burned” shows that even once we have acknowledged a central current running
throughout the novel, there are still many ways to break it down even further.
Although the term faith is generally associated with religion, this novel shows the
meaning of having faith in family, love, community and the world as a whole.
Delving into the many meanings requires students to critically think about the many
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different ways faith is applied, and how they are different from each other. Doing so
requires close reading of the text and the ability to pinpoint key terms and contexts,
which change the meaning of the word.
This text will fit evenly into an upperclassman high school English
classroom because it deals with issues relevant in students’ lives. At 17 and 18
years old, many students are battling with who they believe they should be, verses
what others think. This novel explores the different areas in which faith is
important, in a way that students can apply to their own lives. Additionally, this
novel affords the opportunity to build upon knowledge they have learned in
previous classrooms. This assignment is not meant to introduce completely new
ideas to students. Focusing on theme and use of words (synonyms, connotations and
denotations, and context), this lesson should hone the basic understandings that
students developed earlier in their education. For example, this lesson will not teach
students the basic of a theme. It will take their understanding of theme and show
how to apply it to a novel to extract smaller and more complex details about the
story. Similarly, while students will have already learned about synonyms and
words in context, this text will provide examples to further their practice in
understanding how synonyms function within different contexts.
Goal:
Students will dissect common themes and terms in an effort to extract even
smaller and more complex details, based upon an original presumption (i.e. faith
lends thought to trust, caring and loyalty). In doing so, students will identify the
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ways in which synonyms both compare and differ from each other, and therefore,
how to apply them in appropriate contexts.
Objective:
Students will compare passages from Ellen Hopkin’s “Burned,” which explore
the different types of faith, and then work with a partner to delineate ways in which
each are similarly and differently represented throughout the novel using synonyms.
Steps:
1. Students will be numbered one through four at the beginning of the
lesson. Based on their number, students will be assigned one of four
subcategories that fall under the theme of faith. (One – religion, two
– family, three – love/relationships, four – community). Numbering
students will ensure that each topic is covered equally for discussion
later.
2. With their topic, students must find an excerpt in the novel “Burned”
that illustrates faith in their assigned area. The excerpt must be a
minimum of one page to ensure enough content for close reading.
Students must note the page number (for future reference with the
teacher or peers).
3. Students will then list synonyms, key ideas, experiences and feelings
that Hopkin’s uses to portray faith in this area. Students should be
instructed to choose words that differentiate faith in their
subcategory from others.
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4. After allowing students to finish their own close readings, students
must find a partner with a different number and category to discuss.
Partners are expected to share their synonyms, phrases and feelings
extracted from the excerpt, and create a Venn-Diagram showing the
way their categories differ. The Venn-Diagram requires students to
think critically about how these words are different. While words
such as trust, loyalty and faith are often used interchangeably, this
will require students to consider the more specific connotations and
denotations of the words.
5. As students are completing their Venn-Diagrams, write the
subcategory names on the board (religion, family, love/relationships
and community.) Ask students to come to the board throughout the
remaining 10 minutes to list key ideas, synonyms and phrases they
believe are associated specifically with their subcategory.
6. Moderate a discussion for students to converse about ways they
found the synonyms and subcategories of faith to be different. Ask
students to share ways in which their personal experiences have
shaped what these words mean, in contrast to where they actually
apply.
This assignment would be effective in and English Language Arts
classroom because it requires a high amount of engagement and interaction
with the material. In addition to simply reading the novel, students are asked
to critically think about the diction used in each line, and apply reason and
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meaning to it. In experimenting with the different theme subcategories and
synonyms, students will hone and showcase their understanding by writing,
orally expressing their ideas to peers, and taking other perspectives into
consideration. This assignment differs from traditional memorization and
vocabulary assignments, in the sense that it asks students to draw upon their
own background knowledge and apply understanding based on their own
experiences with the terms. By making personal connections, students are
more likely to sort these terms into their existing schema to apply in further
life situations. This strategy will also be effective because it it calls upon the
opinions and perceptions of many. By having students work with a partner,
and then discuss as a class, students can see how their understanding on
experience with a word is only one amongst many. By manipulating and
understanding these words in class, students will be more inclined to replace
words with more descriptive and storytelling words.
Assessment:
As a classwork (or homework assignment depending on time permitted), students will
complete a worksheet asking them to delineate the differences in the types of faith
presented in class. The worksheet will ask for two words or phrases from each category
(students may use examples listed on the board in the previous exercise). With each term,
students will write an analysis of, associated thoughts words or phrases, associated
feelings, personal experiences, and what makes it exclusive to its category. In order to
demonstrate understanding, students must focus on the differences amongst the words.
This can be done by showing examples (and non examples) of how words would apply to
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certain forms of faith and not the other). They must also show why their chosen words do
apply and give examples of it in context. Recognition of how these words are similar and
apply to multiple categories will not be accepted. The fact that these words are synonyms
is proof enough that they may be substituted. This, however, does not negate the fact that
there are no true synonyms, and that there are always some words better suited than
others.
The biggest issue which could arise, is that students will not be able to see how
these words are different. If former education does not lend students the ability to
differentiate between good and better uses of synonyms, we will dedicate class time to
discussing this prior to the activity. This will be done by putting the categories on the
board, and beginning by asking students what their initial reaction to each idea is. (I.E.
what words/feelings come to mind when you think of having faith in your family?
Religion?) These should yield different answers (loyalty, caring – belief, trust,
respectively). This should open the door to discussion and analyzing differences amongst
the words.