10th grade Honors unit:
- Feed and 1984 are the primary text for my tenth grade students, which they will work through for a six week unit.
Supplemental texts :
- The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
- The Truman Show [Motion Picture]
Concepts and Rationale:
–The Act of Acting-Out (Theme): During this unit we will be discussing novels, acting out short plays, and watching a movie on what it looks like to question the “way things are” and what happens when you do. The theme of wanting to and actually acting out is prevalent throughout Feed, 1984, and the other supplemental texts. This unit asks that students look at literature, both classic and modern, and the characters and study why they acted out and what the significance is behind the action. I want students to spend time listening to their gut instinct to analyze and infer what the main characters will might and should do when something does not “feel right.” I want students to stop and think about who has the power in these texts and why. I also want them to think about the question depending upon the situation does something that is normally “right” become “wrong,” and vice versa. The last question that is essential in this theme is the question on what constitutes “right” and “wrong” and what happens when the characters go against the flow of life—consequences. I think this is important theme for high school students to learn and become aware of, because every day they see—either right in front of their face or through their peripherals—the peer pressure, the bullying, fads following, etc. that affect the schools.
–Looking at Both Sides (Strategy): This unit will consist of many classroom discussions and journaling about the texts. During those activities and assignments the art of being to able “flip the coin” is essential. In this unit I want students to be able to walk away with the tool of being able to see both sides of a story, situation, and/or opinion. The ability to think analytically is imperative in and outside of the classroom, and that is the strategy we will take while reading and discussing these materials. Although I ask students to side, at times, with one particular side I will also ask them to be able to defend the other side of the argument. This will prepare them for persuasive writing, which we will be doing as the culminating assignment. Also, another side strategy that fits into the ability to argue both sides of an opinion is the art of backing up your opinions with facts from the texts or personal/famous anecdotes. Teaching students to defend their claims will be important to their culminating text as well as life rules.
–Critical Questioning (Stance): I have found through my years as a K-12, undergraduate, and master’s student that it is important to ask questions. It seems like a simple concept, but the act of asking questions is something that came natural to us as children but dies with most as we get older. We will be looking at 1984, Feed, and our supplemental text with critical eyes as we study and discuss. Students need to learn to ask questions to deeper their understandings, to find the roots behind ideas, and become critical thinkers. Without asking “why” students can never fully develop their own personal opinions and beliefs. The skill of asking questions is one that will hold strong through the rest of their careers as critical readers, their careers as students, and it will further them with their lives as informed citizens.
Goals and Texts
In process Texts and Activities:
Journals*: Each person is in charge of buying a personal journal for this five week unit. Each week you will be required to write in your journal two times and once in a partner’s journal:
Weekly Journals will include:
- At home: Once a week you will have to respond to the text. For this journal you will take a page and draw a line down the middle, slipping the page into two parts. On the left hand side I want you to go through the readings we have done this week and choose a quote and/or passage that calls out to you. Maybe you thought the ideas were interesting, maybe you liked the way the sentences flowed, or maybe you thought the idea reveals something about the text. Don’t forget to write down the page number. Once you have done that go to the right side of the paper and answer three of the five questions. Each of the five questions needs to be answered at least once during our five weeks.
- In class: Once a week you will have to respond to a question I pose in your journal. There will be five questions I will hand out to different students, so you will not all be answering the same questions. Each response has to be somewhere between 300-400 words. I want to see that you are working through the questions and I also want you to use the text as reference while answering your questions (don’t forget to cite the page numbers). You will have two nights to respond to the question and then you will bring them back into class and exchange with your weekly partner. While in class you will have time to respond to your weekly partner’s last post. Once you get your partner’s journal you will read their last response. After you have read their answer to the question then leave one line after your partner’s response you start writing back to them. This is a time for you to get see a new question and ponder your partner’s response and then respond to what your partner has to say about the question. You can agree or disagree, but remember to back up your response with facts from the texts or anecdotes. I must stress that these response are to only respond to your partner’s response, not anything else, and you are not to look back through your partner’s journal: be respective of each other’s privacy. These responses are going to be respectful; pretend you are a college professor responding to another professor’s research. The point is to get you to see another questions other than the one you answered and see what someone else’s well-thought opinion is on it, and a bonus is that you get to write back and pat them on the back with in agreement or try to nudge them to see things from your perspective. There is no right or wrong answers in our journals. Responses must be at least 200 words.
Keep in Mind While Journaling:
– I want this writing to help you get a deeper understanding of difficult issues and questions, so I will not be grading you on your grammar, mechanics, or sentence structure. I want you to just write without having to worry about your writing. Just worry about working through the question, and coming up with a working answer.
– This is a place for you to dig into and mull over ideas, questions, thoughts, where you need more time to develop thoughts or responses or are confused about what is happening. I do not want you to summarize what was happening in the text, unless necessary to explain your response. This journal is a place for you to openly discuss topic that were too sensitive to bring up in class. If you feel like you want your journal to be private then put an “X” at the top of the paper, and I will not read that journal entry. Two disclaimers on that statement: if you are putting an “X” on the top of each journal entry we will need to discuss other possibilities, because I need to have a clear understanding of your critical thinking skills while journaling; also, I am required by the state to share any thoughts or suggestions of violence, substance or sexual abuse, suicide, or other harmful behaviors with the school counselor.
– At the end of this unit you will have a chance to look over all your journals and write a “forward” to your personal journal. This forward will answer and reflect on a few specific questions on your growth throughout the five weeks. I will give more directions and a rubric when we get closer to the end of the unit
-For students who have special accommodations we will work one-on-one to figure out a personal solution for the journals.
*See rubric 1
Whole Class and Small Group Discussions:
During our readings of 1984, Feed and the other text/movie we will have chances as a whole class or in small groups to discuss** the “why” questions, the consequences of actions, and what the other side of the argument could and should be to the goings-on in the text. You will be asked to think outside the box, relate the text to your own life or to the other texts we have read or watched. These class discussions will help us get different perspectives on the same situations. We all have unique ways of seeing a certain idea, concept, and/or event and if everyone shares their ideas then the whole class or small groups can better understand what we are discussing. So, not only will speaking your opinions help you in your thinking (and your grade) but it will also give others deeper understanding and help spark them into their own thoughts. As a class or small group we are a machine, and if each of us is doing our parts then the machine works without a hiccup.
Things to Keep in Mind While Discussing:
– Everyone needs to participate in each discussion. Not everyone will get a chance to speak in our weekly whole class discussions, but each of you will be required to give impute twice during the unit. I will keep track of this, and I might call on you at any point in any of our whole class discussions. I will also be walking around listening in on small group discussions to make sure everyone is participating. It is also important that each student shares time. What I mean by that is, no hogging the floor. At times, some of you will want to spend the whole period talking, because you feel so passionate about the topic. That is awesome! I love the passion! If you feel so passionate about the subject then you will have a topic to write about in your weekly journal. We need to be fair to the other students and let everyone have a chance to respond. I will be grading down if I see this happening.
– We all need to respect each other. That means, no interrupting (it stops the flow and makes others feel discouraged), pay attention and listen to others (they might have different ideas than you, but that is what makes America run: listening to those with different ideas and considering them), no putting down others’ opinions or ideas (no one is better than anyone here).
-The day before our whole-class or small-group discussion I will send you home with a list short list of questions. I want you to come back the next day prepared to answer each question with typed responses (Two paragraphs at least or when you think you have fully answered the question). While in whole-class discussions everyone will not have time to speak you need to come prepared to be alert. Also, I might call on you to share what you have answered. Come prepared so the machine works properly!
-During the discussions use your journal to take notes, which will help you complete your large graded assignment and the culminating text.
**See rubric 2
Culminating Texts and Activities
Persuasive Letter
– Throughout this unit on acting-out we have met characters that we have agreed with and taken up sides next to, and we have also met some characters where we felt strongly against their ideas and actions. We are going to take those agreements and disagreements and argue a side! I want you imagine that I am the judge that has the power to keep “The Party” (from the novel 1984) or destroy it. Now, imagine you are the lawyer that has the power through written word to convince me why “The Party” should or should not be destroyed. As judge, I am too busy to have an actual trial so I am asking that you submit your argument in persuasive letter form to my office. Look back through your notes from whole and small classroom discussions, your journals, plus any hand-outs to find evidence that will back up your claim (thesis statement). Put your lawyer hat on and persuade me to either destroy the Big Brother party, or to keep them around forever. Get excited, because you have the power to change a society!
- This writing assignment is a letter, so use letter form. Also the letter is to be in 12 pt. font, with one inch margins, and a complete heading in the right hand corner. The length of the letter depends, but I want you to have four strong pieces of evidence to back-up your thesis—somewhere between 3-5 double spaced pages. When you use evidence from the book they need to be cited and then included in your bibliography.
- I will be grading using the rubric attached below. But the three main parts I am looking for are 1) A clear thesis statement, 2) Four pieces of evidence from three different pieces of material we have studied this unit (one of the three different texts has to be 1984), 3) Quality writing for persuasive in class journal.
*** Rubrics, Rationale, Gateway Activity, and two week daily plan are attached.
Directions for FEED assignment
Dail unit plan-2 weeks revised
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