Writing for Understanding Instruction
Teacher Plan

Teacher_Kristin Armstrong____Class __7&8 ELL___Date __2010_
Writing genre____Narrative__
Context: Grades 7 & 8 pull-out ELL classroom, intermediate level

NH State Standards Addressed:
R:LT:7/8:2.3: Making inferences about cause/effect (e.g., explaining how an event gives
rise to the next), internal or external conflicts (e.g., person versus self, person versus person, person versus nature/society/fate), or the relationship among elements within text (State)

R:LT:7/8:2.2: Describing characters’ traits, motivation, or interactions, citing thoughts,
words, or actions that reveal characters’ traits, motivations, or their changes over time (State)

R:LT:7/8:1.4: Identifying the characteristics of a variety of types/genres of literary text (e.g., literary texts: poetry, plays, fairytales, fantasy, fables, realistic fiction, folktales, historical fiction, mysteries, science fiction, myths, legends, short stories (Local)

W:EW:7/8:1.2: Narratives: Establishing context, character motivation, problem/conflict/challenge, and resolution and maintaining point of view (State)

W: EW:7/8:5.3: Students demonstrate use of narrative strategies by developing characters through description, dialogue, and actions (State)

OC-7/8-1.4: In oral communication, students demonstrate interactive listening by participating in large and small group discussions showing respect for a range of individual ideas (Local)





Rationale:

This unit was designed in response to the requests of my students, who expressed interest in writing myths. They have demonstrated a need for writing fiction pieces and practice in using elaboration toward a specific end, such as “showing not telling” about a culture. As my students are all from different countries, it is important to celebrate both what they left and what they still have with them. Having them create personal myths is an opportunity to share their innermost selves with their peers, and examine the big questions of how values impact who we are and what we carry inside ourselves as we meet new people in new places. Enjoy!









Topic / Subject / Text
The Myth in Each of Us

CENTRAL IDEAS


Content: Literature can reveal the cultural values of different peoples through characters’ thoughts, words, and actions.

Reading: Inferring and visualizing are ways to understand the ideas in a story. Narratives contain specific elements: established context, character motivation, problem/conflict/challenge, resolution, and a consistent point of view.

Writing: Narratives use detailed characters and plots to relay cultural values.

Speaking: Discussion serves to help examine structures and understanding in relation to the input of literature, output and specific output assigned.

Listening: Listening to writing read aloud increases initial understanding of the concepts read.

Reflective Focus: Why is it important to examine the values we carry from our cultures? Why are values important to people? What do they tell us about a culture? How can we use these ideas to understand each other?



Focusing Question:

What is important to the people in these stories?

Answer: Each culture shows the different values and things that are important through the words and actions of the people.



Building Content Knowledge, Understanding of Writer’s Craft

ß Frayer Model: Value, culture, conflict, challenge (use grid and share, partners, diads, whole group, jig-saw; draw illustration of concept; dramatize concept with partner)
ß Group/guided reading of each myth.
ß Silent reread of each myth.
ß Ss Visualize stories and draw picture after each of a character.
ß Describe visualizations as partners.
ß Public notes: descriptive adjectives, gathered from visualizations.
ß Word Sorts: free categorize adjectives, give a pair of adjectives—make a value statement, give a value sentence—brainstorm adjectives to exhibit value.
ß Craft Lesson on Narrative Elements: plot and character.
ß Plot Mountain G.O. after each myth—note taking as large group, partners, individually as jig-saw.
ß Character G.O. after each myth—note taking as large group, partners, individually or jig-saw.
ß Guided Conversation: inferring values of culture from plot and character explorations for first myth.
ß Think-pair-share on inferences for subsequent myths.
ß Reader’s Theatre for additional myths.
ß Group Write on writing task/focus question, with emphasis on “show not tell”.
ß Free-writing/exit tickets on reflective questions about values.
ß Point of View Public Notes.



Structures: How will students know how to organize their ideas and construct the piece of writing?

ß Graphic Organizers: elements-values grid, narrative/myths note-taking grid, grading rubric, editing template, elements of plot and character—first as note-taking grids on readings, then as organizer for writing.
ß T-models of cultural myth, analyzed using colors to dissect the structure.
ß Writing time in class for extra help as needed.



Writing / Revising: How will students draft / revise so that their final writing is clearly focused, organized, and developed to show understanding of the central ideas?

ß Full-group share of plan.
ß Silent (re)reading for multiple entry points into writing models.
ß Working in pairs in writing process.
ß Group write of context section.
ß Chunk-writing: context, conflict, resolution.
ß Writer’s Workshop after each section for conversation around ideas and plan.
ß Revising/editing with tubaloos and using student-generated template.
ß Conference for editing.



Lesson Sequence: What steps will I follow so that students are able to effectively
show their understanding in writing?

ß Myth #1: “The Revenge of Isis” (Riordan and Lewis 1987)
ß Myth #2: Readers Theatre: “The Giant’s Wife: a tall tale of Ireland” (Shepard 2005)
ß Myth #3: “Rama and Sita” (Riordan and Lewis 1987)
ß Daily Exit Tickets on Reflective Focus as writing fluency practice and idea generation.
ß Use Frayer Model for pre-teaching vocabulary around content and process, including value, culture, conflict, challenge, hero/heroine, vivid.
ß Explore the vocabulary and deepen understanding by illustrating the word and then creating a skit to show the word in action with a partner.
ß Read a myth to the class; students reread the myth silently.
ß Students draw a picture independently of a character from the myth, using the Visualize a Character graphic organizer.
ß Students share their illustration with a partner and brainstorm a list of words to describe their character, recorded on the same graphic organizer.
ß Share the descriptive words as a large group and compile a public list of vocabulary. Add to this after each myth.
ß Craft Lesson on elements of a myth/narrative plot, using the Notes on Narratives template. As a group, complete the Plot Mountain graphic organizer for the first myth. For subsequent myths, work toward individual completion of the organizer.
ß Guided Conversation around first myth, inferring the values that can be understood from the actions and words of the characters, the descriptions of them from the students, and the plot. Record on Elements-Values Grid graphic organizer.
ß Word Sort #1 (in pairs): adjective word categorization.
ß Point of View Public Notes.
ß Reader’s Theatre: Students read dramatized myth as large group, after reading their part silently for homework. Complete the same graphic organizers for plot and characters with increased independence. Think-pair-share inferences on cultural values, adding to Elements-Values Grid.
ß Word Sort #2 (in pairs): give adjectives, students write a sentence about the values they reflect.
ß Point of View—match characteristics with each person and number.
ß Read third myth aloud. Concentrate on how the author sets the context for the reader of who are the characters and where they are. Complete the Visualize a Character organizer in pairs. Add descriptive words to public list. Think-pair-share inferences on cultural values.
ß Reread third myth silently. In pairs, students write the Plot graphic organizer. As a large group, discuss how readers knew it was the conflict and resolution.
ß Word Sort #3 (in pairs): give students a value sentence, they generate several character descriptions that express that value.
ß Students begin writing task: a myth reflecting the values of their home country. [NB. If students are stuck writing about their native culture, the assignment could be modified to be a myth that shows the values of their individual family OR their own take on American values.] Go through task as outlined on Writing Task/Rubric. Students start by choosing the value they will show. With a partner, they generate a list of descriptive words for characters and actions that show that value on page 2 of the Elements-Values Grid.
ß Read teacher model for the task as a large group. Use colored pencils to identify the character and plot elements in the stories that were explored in the Narrative Note-taking grid. Analyze values illustrated in the writing.
ß Group write a context paragraph as a class. Use the characters and plot from the first reader’s theatre piece as the subject material.
ß Students complete a plot plan outline for their myths, using the Plot Mountain organizer.
ß Whole group conference: students share their budding ideas and offer feedback for each other.
ß Students reread the context section of class and teacher models. Working individually, they write the portion of their myths that sets the context for the story.
ß Share with a partner, and revise writing.
ß Students reread teacher model, with focus on conflict and resolution. With model available, students write the conflict and resolution portions of their myths.
ß Share with a new partner and revise writing.
ß Large group writer’s conference to discuss the description in their writing. Students revise writing to enrich the level of detail included.
ß Students self-edit with check-list generated by whole group on Editing Template and using tubaloos.
ß Conference with teacher individually for final edit.
ß Class time for publishing and illustrating writing.
ß Grade using Writing Task/Rubric, first student and then teacher.





Assessment: How are students doing? What are my next steps as a teacher?

Ë Sorts and matches to check for fluency with concepts.
Ë On-going informal assessment of contributions to group work and conversations.
Ë Students self-assess against check-list for writing components (Notes on Narratives Grid), and against peer writing for task success.
Ë Formatively assess narratives in chunks as they’re being written.
Ë Group conferences to check idea development and progress of final products.
Ë Self-revise and edit with tubaloos.
Ë Individual conferences with teacher for editing help and assignment fulfillment.
Ë Rubric for grading of papers, completed by student then teacher.




Next Steps: Gradual Release of Responsibility within Unit

ù Each myth is taught with increasing levels of independence, moving from group to pair to individual work.
ù Give students the job of adding new words and concepts to public notes, after initial guided conversations and craft lessons.
ù Pair-work in writing process and individual evaluative reading with tubaloos to further student autonomy.
ù Students self-grade their writing.
ù Larger Progression: after narrative, teach painted essay, then combine the two formats as students demonstrate readiness by working on narrative leads to essays.





References:

Riordan, James, and Brenda Ralph Lewis. 1987. An illustrated treasury of myths and legends. New York: Exeter
Books.


Carleton, William. The giant’s wife: a tall tale of Ireland. Adapted for reader’s theater (or readers theatre) by
Aaron Shepard, from a retelling of “A Legend of Knockmany”. 2005. www.aaronshep.com/rt (accessed
6/30/10 at 1:35pm).