Windy Kelley (Midnight Rider)

Writing for Understanding Instruction
Teacher Plan

Windy Kelley
5th Grade
6/27/2011
Historical Fiction:(Midnight Rider by Joan Hiatt Harlow)

Topic / Subject / Text
Midnight Rider by Joan Hiatt Harlow

This historical fiction book study is intended for a 5th grade class. It will be read during our unit of study on the American Revolution.

A Big Idea Question that I want my 5th grade students to ponder is: How do Historical Fiction books help us to make sense of history?

Through our study, I hope that students will be able to understand that historical fiction books are a catalyst to help engage or motivate people to learn about history. It is a springboard for helping one to gain interest in learning more about a particular time, person, or event in history. The ultimate goal for me as the teacher, is to spark interest in the American Revolution so that the students will want to research the historical time period, person, or event in more depth.

CENTRAL IDEASThe Unit of Study is on the Revolutionary War

Content: History (H & SS 5:8, H & SS5:9, H & SS5:10) How have events, multiple perspectives and values shaped the community?
3. Student connects the past with the present by investigating how events, people, and ideas have shaped the United States and/or the world and hypothesizing how different influences could have led to different consequences.

4. Student shows understanding of how humans interpret history by identifying different types of primary and secondary sources and understanding the benefits and limitations both bring to the study of history.

5. Student shows understanding of how humans interpret history by reading and interpreting historic maps.

6. Student shows understanding of how humans interpret history by identifying multiple perspectives in historic and current events.

7. Student shows understanding of how humans interpret history by identifying attitudes, values, and behaviors in different historical contexts.

Reading:. Understanding, Analysis, and Interpretation of Text (R5:10- 16 & 19) Understands, analyzes and interprets text, citing evidence as appropriate when reading and when listening to text. Participates in in-depth discussions about text.
2. Summarizes key ideas/plot with major events sequenced.

3. Makes inferences about relationships of text elements (plot, character, setting within text)

17. Participates in in-depth discussions about text, responds to comments and recommendations from peers and teachers.

Writing: Writing Process and Conventions (W5:1-19) Writes independently, demonstrating command of the writing process and writing conventions. Writes to express, inform, and respond to text.
9. Writes a narrative, with coherent story line, uses dialogue to advance action, develops characters through description.

Focusing Question: How does this person experience one of the causes of the American Revolution?

Focus answer:(answer to focusing question)> The focus will vary according to the narrative choice.


Building Content Knowledge, Understanding of Writer’s Craft

Vocabulary:Genre: Historical Fiction
Primary and Secondary Sources
Revolution
American Revolution
Perspective

Guided Reading and
Taking Notes: Review or teach close reading of a text. Giving a structure for “making tracks” as you read the text. Picking out evidence from the text. (Will use a graphic organizer for students to record the evidence.) Look for evidence to see what students think is factual information.

Oral Processing and
Paraphrasing: As we read the book together we will be identifying places in the text where we find causes of the Revolutionary War. As we come upon these “events,” the teacher will provide students with a primary or secondary source describing or depicting the “real event.” Together with the teacher, the students will do a close reading of the primary or secondary source to get an understanding of the historical event itself, so that students will have the background knowledge and understanding of this event. This deep understanding will help the student with his/her narrative writing.

Read the non-fiction articles based on the ideas, people, events. Students (with teacher help) should summarize to get the main idea.

Review narrative story elements: (Main Character, Setting, What does the character want (character motivation), problem/challenge, resolution) The historical fiction narrative that the students will write is a “moment in time” It will not be a full length narrative with all detailed story elements but will include the 5 main elements listed above.

Visualization: Perhaps do a character drawing with snapshots and thoughtshots of that person which will be used to incorporate into the writing. May Need mini lesson on snapshots and thoughtshots.

Show Model of the Writing

Structures:

Graphic Organizers
Teacher-written model
Narrative Rubric
Templates for struggling writers (Story map with 5 elements)
Character Personality drawings (snapshots and thoughtshots)


Writing / Revising:

Students will write a summary paragraph of the historical content (one cause of the American Revolution)

Students will write a character analysis descriptive paragraph

Some students will write the piece fully on their own

Some students may need to use a narrative story map graphic organizer for their writing piece

Proofreading and Revising in partners/ small group/ full group as needed

Students use narrative rubric to self assess and critique peer work as writing is progressing

Lesson Sequence:

1. Teach key Vocabulary concepts to the students. Start with the word Revolution. Use the Frayer Model to teach this concept.

2. Connect the idea of a revolution to specifically talking about the American Revolution. Give a brief overview of what the American Revolution is, just enough to spark student interest. It is through this Historical Fiction book that students will be learning about the causes of the American Revolution and will therefore have a deeper understanding of the revolution itself. (Make a visual map (web) as public notes to keep up all year which can be referred to throughout the study)

3. Define the genre Historical Fiction. Lead a guided conversation about this.
Explain to students that historical fiction uses actual people, ideas, or events from the past to help the reader gain a deeper understanding of history. The reader may feel as though he/she is present at the event. It can be a springboard to learning more information about a specific topic/time in history.

4. Tell the students that we are going to be reading a historical fiction book called Midnight Rider by Joan Hiatt Harlow. As we read this text together we are going to be learning about life in the colonies before the Revolutionary War. We will be learning history through a fictionalized story, so as we read, we will need to try to determine fact from fiction. Specifically, we will be focusing on causes of the American Revolution. We will need to determine what events in this book are historical, and therefore use these events to understand and make sense of the climate and perspectives of the colonists so that we can use these ideas to create a narrative writing piece. We will be writing a “moment in time” narrative centered around an event or cause that led up to the Revolutionary War. It will reflect the attitude and perspective of a person living during that time.

5. Share the focus statement with the students at this time so they know the direction that our study is heading. (How does this person experience one of the causes of the American Revolution?)
Make this a public note that is posted on the wall for students to see so it is always on the forefront of his/her mind.

6. Share with students the graphic organizers that will be used to collect evidence from the text. These will be the structures for note taking. Each student will have his/her copy and so will the teacher. For the first part of the book, the teacher will guide the students through this reading and note taking process. Eventually the reading and note taking can be differentiated (partner, small group, individual). One graphic organizer will be the Character analysis organizer and the second one will be a 2 column organizer. (See attached.)

7. Begin reading the text, Midnight Rider with the students. During the guided reading of the text, cite evidence on the individual graphic organizers this will become the public notes. This will be the core instruction over the next few weeks so that students will learn and be able to practice the skills of reading and analyzing the historical fiction text. Students will have to choose a character from the book that they will be analyzing and coming to know really well. This is imperative for writing their historical fiction narrative.

8. During the guided reading, students will be sharing their ideas about what they think are historical facts (in particular, events/ideas/causes of the Revolution). When students come upon an idea or event which is in fact, a real historical event, the teacher will be handing out primary or secondary nonfiction sources (small texts or paintings). Together we will read and talk about these sources so students gain a deeper understanding of these events/ideas. Having this background knowledge will help students be able to write their narrative.

9. Midway through the guided reading of the book, the teacher should be able to allow students to partner read, small group read, or individually read the book and perform the note taking, evidence gathering tasks with minimal teacher guidance. The teacher will still guide the section (page #’s) and amount to be read. The students who are reading and writing independently will read the section on their own and do the graphic organizer. If these students finish the section before the allotted time, they will choose 5 words to identify, find the word in context, and define it in their own words. There may also be paragraphs that the teacher preselects for students to write a quick journal response. (see the side note below). The teacher will continue to read the text orally to the struggling students and then target specific sections for those students to go back and reread. They will then do the graphic organizers together.

***** As a side note: The teacher should look for rich and complex text. For instance; read page 252, bottom paragraph. Will students be able to really understand this? Try to mark up pages in the book that have these rich paragraphs because we will need to be talking about them with all of the students. If the teacher can identify these ahead of time, then these could be given to the independent readers to think about as an extension to their reading. Can they paraphrase and respond in a journal, writing the meaning of these passages?********

10. After all the students have read the entire book, review the focus question and present the writing task to the students. The students will be writing a historical fiction narrative. They will use the character that they have analyzed during the reading of the book. They will take on that character’s persona (perspective) to write about his/her experience of one of the events/ideas that led to the American Revolution. (To differentiate, students can use 1st person or 3rd person narration).

****Side note: Think about compare/contrast. Look at the primary or secondary source about the historical event/idea and then look at the section in the historical fiction text, analyze it. How did the author incorporate this research and knowledge of the historical facts and put it into the historical fiction writing? What will you as student writers need to think about as you develop your own piece of historical fiction narrative writing?*****


11. This is where the teacher should review the narrative writing elements within the context of the model. Depending on the group of students, the teacher will need to determine how much review or instruction that students will need to have in order to write independently. Review narrative story elements: (Main Character, Setting, What does the character want (character motivation), problem/challenge, resolution) The historical fiction narrative that the students will write is a “moment in time” It will not be a full length narrative with all detailed story elements but will include the 5 main elements listed above. Read the model “Hannah’s Discovery” to the students.

12. Before students begin to write their own narrative, they should first write a paragraph summary of the actual event (cause of the revolution). This way, the teacher can see the student’s general knowledge and understanding they have about the content. Accordingly, the teacher can address any misunderstandings or misconceptions about the content.

13. Students should write a character analysis paragraph about the character that they will be using in his/her narrative piece. This will help students to formulate a clear and deep understanding of his/her character.

14. Students write their narratives. Teacher should help students based on their level of need.

15. Students share their stories with the group.

16. Students will use a rubric to self assess his/her writing. This will be the same rubric that will be used for teacher evaluation as well.


Assessment:

The teacher will do ongoing formative assessments throughout the lessons. The teacher will listen to student discourse as they discuss both the plot of the book and the historical aspects of the Revolutionary War.

The teacher will review both the character analysis and evidence gathering graphic organizers especially those organizers which are done independently, with partners, or in small groups.

The teacher will review any journal entries regarding the book.

The teacher will review the paragraph summary of the cause of the Revolution so that the content is accurate before the student begins his/her narrative piece.

The teacher will review the character analysis paragraph.

For the historical writing narrative students will have a historical fiction narrative rubric. They will use this to self assess and the teacher will also use it to evaluate the writing.


Next Steps: Gradual Release of Responsibility

My hope is that when students read historical fiction in the future, they will be motivated to learn more about the historical events, people, or ideas. I also hope that they will be able to see the many perspectives of a single event, idea, or person, and use this knowledge to make sense of this history for themselves. I want my students to be inquisitive, to always wonder and question, and to be critical thinkers.


As for doing another historical text, my hope is that students will be able to be more independent with all aspects of this lesson. Some students will be able to do this entire project independently. Other students will need a bit of guidance with the reading and writing tasks. Some students may still need graphic organizers for their thinking while some will need minimal support. What will remain constant however is the rich discourse among the students while they read the text. It is extremely important that all students have a chance to discuss and share their ideas about the story itself and the historical events and ideas that are portrayed. It is through talking that deeper understanding can flourish! Subsequently, the writing will also improve.

Other ideas: Response to text: Does this historical fiction book enhance your understanding of this historical idea, event, time period, or person? In what ways? Why is this important?


Teacher Written Model

Hannah’s Discovery

It’s a cool November morning and the sun has not yet peeked through the dusty gray clouds. My mistress, Meg, has already eaten her breakfast and has gone off to get ready for her late morning tea. I’m in my white smock in the parlor, washrags in hand, scrubbing the polished floor. Sometimes I wonder why I bother. No one has trespassed on this area for weeks; there are too many rooms in this house to occupy. I begin to hear voices in the distance- they are coming this way. Oh, it’s Colonel Leslie. He must have important news for my master if he is coming around this time of day. As he passes by, I continue with my work. He enters the General’s study.
“Good day, General Gage. I have disturbing news. The colonists in Salem have been importing guns. I have reason to believe that the people of Salem are also taking cannons from old ships and forging them into new weapons. I fear that if we do not do something, these weapons may be used against us!”
General Gage listens with great interest. As he ponders this news, his face begins to redden. He responds with dramatic intensity. “We need to act on this potential threat! We shall make a visit to our Salem friends to procure their weapons. Make haste- gather some troops and be ready to depart tomorrow morning!”
I listen in growing horror. “Oh no! Salem is my home! It is where my good friend, Will, and my beloved horse, Promise, live! I can’t let General Gage and his Loyalists take what doesn’t belong to them! Will was right when he told me that the Tories are trying to take away our freedom. What will they do next? First it’s the weapons and next they’ll be taking away the horses. To think that I used to run wild and free in the pasture with Promise. I can’t imagine having him taken from me by a cruel Tory, especially to be used against me and my friends!”
I shudder. Anger and hate burn inside me. My blood boils as I run from the parlor practically tripping over the bucket I have been using. I race up the stairs to the bedroom that I share with my beloved Catherine, who is like a Grandmother to me, and suddenly I find that tears are starting to appear.
“Goodness Gracious dear child, what has upset you?” Catherine questions.
“I’ve just overheard a conversation that I’m sure I wasn’t supposed to hear. It would not be to your benefit, dear Catherine, to know what will transpire. You worry about me so, and it’s best for you not to know what I’m about to do.”
“Oh dearest Hannah, you are so bold and strong-willed, a rebel in your own right. I know that once you have made up your mind, it is impossible to deter you. Please be careful my little one!”
I grab my hat and race out the door. As I run to the barn to share my knowledge with my confidant, Caleb, thoughts fill my mind.
“If the General takes away the weapons in Salem, he’ll be taking away the common people’s livelihood! I can’t let them become powerless and helpless. We can’t let these people who are loyal to the king control our lives. We need our freedom! It is something which shouldn’t be taken away! Why, oh why, are the Loyalists trying to take our dignity from us?”
The sun has just filtered through the clouds as I open the creaky wooden door to the barn. I’m struck by the sight I see before me. It’s an old metal horseshoe hanging above one of the stalls. The horseshoe glistens in the bright sunlight. I approach it with curiosity and wonder. As I draw nearer, I can see the indentations and scratches in the metal that make it unique. I run my finger over the edge of the shoe, feeling its every divot and crevice. It causes me to pause. I look around the barn and see a blanket, a fork, and a bucket. Unanticipated feelings and thoughts flood my mind. The feeling of anger that I entered the barn with has suddenly dwarfed into an eerie calm. I sit on a bale of hay and think about the objects before me. Each of these objects represents preservation and protection. The blanket protects a baby foal by keeping it safe and warm. The fork helps the farmer to spread manure over the crops so that there will be a good harvest so that we won’t go hungry. The bucket is used for life-sustaining water for both humans and animals. And finally, the horseshoe protects the horses’ hooves so they can stay safe while transporting people and goods. Now it is my duty to help and protect my Salem family!
“Caleb, oh Caleb, where are you?”