Awareness
Abstract:
Our
two-week unit encompasses the English, history and speech classes for an average
level sophomore class. Our
imaginary school’s curriculum planning committee has decided that a
cross-curricular unit on awareness might be of use for the future citizens of
our country. They chose to first
experiment with the sophomore class. The
English classes are about to begin reading the novel, The Giver, by Lois
Lowry, which deals with a utopian community where almost no one has memories.
This book incorporates into the classroom through activities and
discussions of what it would be like to live without memory and hopefully make
the students aware of the importance of memories their individual lives.
The history class has recently finished a unit on immigration and will be
conducting presentations that include an artifact important to this person, a
relevant time period, and writing reflections of how this project made them more
aware of their families and themselves. The
speech classes will be performing a speech about a memory, tying into their
English class and another on a favorite activity.
This second speech will make them aware of the fact that everyone has
talents and connect them to each other a little bit more.
We are also lucky enough to have a special education teacher to consult
on this unit, her suggestions for accommodation in the classroom appear in blue
in each of the lesson plans. The
units are ordered as such: objectives, procedure (each number represents a day
of class), and evaluation. The
subtle differences in lesson plan formats have not been changed, so that the
different teacher styles could remain and show that the theme is what matters,
not the method of organization.
Names and
Majors of the Team Members:
Jennifer Matters (facilitator): English Education
Edward
Twohill: English Education
Mike
Cotovsky: History Education
Denise
Dublinski: Special Education
Subjects:
-
English: Memories and their effect on the student
-
History: Discovering Awareness through Family History
-
Speech: Memories and Awareness of Those Around You
Unit Objectives:
-
At the
end of this unit, the students should be more aware of themselves, their
families and their peers/friends (those around them).
-
At the
end of this unit, students should be more aware of the ‘wholeness’ of
education and real life.
Rationale:
The real
world does not separate life issues into compartments of math, science, history,
English and special education. By
teaching a common theme throughout the classes, the students can become adjusted
to learning in a connected and whole manner.
This has potential to make learning easier because the students do not
have to try to go from an English class (reading a novel, etc…) to a separate
history mindset.
Resources
Needed:
-
English: The Giver, writing utensils, journals
-
History: artifacts from home (could be anything, a picture,
a watch, a beach ball), pens, paper, access to a library and possibly Internet
-
Speech: paper, pens, speech rubric worksheets, possibly
overhead projector and vocabulary worksheets.
English
Unit Objectives:
·
The
student will know how to relate a reading to previously learned knowledge,
readings, etc.
·
The
student will understand how to make connections to previously learned knowledge
in order to improve her/his learning
·
The
student can make connections between a reading and previously learned knowledge
·
The
student can breakdown the connections by labeling the type of connection (i.e.
analogy, metaphor, text-to-text, text-to-world, etc.)
-
Pre-reading:
discussion of memories, what they mean and what they are etc. memories of
childhood, memories of awareness/realization. Reflect on memories we want to
keep and ones we wouldn't mind getting rid of.
General:
Give questions out the day before so everyone has a little time to
think about it ahead of time.
Assignment: Write one page about and reflect on the following:
Imagine if you had no memories. How would you feel? What do you think your life would be like, or the lives of
others?
General:
Give appropriate time extensions.
Evaluation: the
assignment, and monitoring class discussion for comprehension.
-
Discuss
responses in class. What do
these responses mean for our lives as human beings?
What is the impact of memories on our lives, and what is their
importance (to you, your family, friends, your state/country, civilization).
Assignment: Respond
to the following and bring one example of your own: How does our culture
preserve memories? Why might we do that?
Then, read chapter one of The Giver.
Evaluation: collect
assignment from yesterday; examine class discussion for bridging of ideas
towards The Giver.
Students
With Special Needs:
-
Vision: May need the book in Braille and or on tape
-
Hearing:
May need an
extension
-
Ld/bd: May need a book on tape to correspond with book.
Also, may need summary questions and vocabulary for each chapter.
-
Get
into groups. Give students time
to talk about their responses to the assignment.
Have them talk about the similarities and differences of their
responses. Get back into class
group and discuss responses as a whole.
Then discuss the first chapter and any confusions, questions, and
attitudes the students might have.
General: May want to assign a note taker in each group.
Assignment: Next
chapter.
Evaluation:
Monitor group discussions. Collect
assignment from previous day.
-
Quick
five-minute quiz; just a few objective questions to see if students are
reading and understanding story. Have
students write in journals for about 15 minutes predicting what they think
might happen in the following chapters, or for the rest of the book.
Prompts include: what might happen to the main character based on his
experiences so far; who do you think “the giver” might be, her/his
function in the story, etc. Discuss
the chapter read for the day; likes, dislikes, confusions, etc.
Students
With Special Needs:
Assignment: Next
chapter.
-
Discuss
responses from journals. Discuss
chapter.
Assignment: Next
chapter. Write about a page in
journals on how the story thus far in some way relates to your life, another
text, the world, etc.
Evaluation: class
discussion.
-
Allow
students time to discuss journal entries in small groups.
Have students find others who had similar responses (i.e. related to
life, text, world) and group those together.
Have those groups debate whether they believe it is more important
for a text to be able to relate to the life of a reader, to another text(s),
or to the world. Have each
group record their most valid arguments to turn in.
Assignment: Next
chapter. After that, have
students predict in their journals what they think might happen next in the
story.
Evaluation: each
group’s arguments collected and graded.
-
Discuss
previous two chapters. Discuss
journal entries.
Assignment: Next
chapter.
-
Discuss
chapter. Read the next chapter
aloud to students.
Students
With Special Needs:
Assignment: Write
in journals at least five instances of awareness from the book.
Reflect upon similar instances of awareness from your (the students)
own life (at least a page). How do memories and awareness connect? How are these ideas alike and different?
Evaluation: Have students relate to the difficulties of the main
character. How are the students
similar or different from the main character and his struggles?
-
Allow
students to form their own groups in order to discuss their journal
responses. Talk as a class
about what the students said, thought, felt.
Assignment: Next
chapter.
Evaluation: monitoring
of group discussions and class discussion.
-
Have
students write for about 15-20 minutes on predicting what they think might
happen next, or for the rest of the book.
Tell the students to predict as far as they like, even if they think
it might surpass the rest of the book.
Collect the journals for perusal.
Discuss the chapter.
Assignment: Read
to end of book?
Evaluation: collection
of journals. Monitoring of class
discussion.
-
Post-Reading:
After the ending, students can articulate what they think happened.
Introduce the idea of ambiguity, and what it means. Ask students why they
think the author decided to use ambiguity and what it means for the reader.
History Unit Objectives
-
To
introduce students to the culture of their peers
-
To get
students to study history with the use of historical artifacts and primary
sources
-
To give
students the opportunity to get to know their classmates better by sharing part
of their own identity, their family history.
-
To
encourage students to reflect on their own lives in a historical way.
Procedure:
-
Teacher
presents his/her family members history and how it relates to her own life.
Teacher will have some historical artifacts and possibly other
primary sources with the presentation.
Following the presentation the assignment of writing and presenting
the history of a family member will be assigned.
Students will not only write about that particular person, but will
also address the significant historical events of the particular decade that
the member lived in. Homework: bring in
personal artifact related to topic.
In General: Give questions that you want them to think about for
their artifact. Also, hand out a
rubric for the presentation when you assign the project.
Vision: Pass the
artifacts around so she can feel it.
-
Students
present their artifacts and how it relates to what and who they will be presenting.
Students
With Special Needs:
-
LD/BD: After each presentation, give a short summary for
clarification.
-
Deaf:
She signs interpreter speaks
-
Students
will put together a written proposal of what they plan on doing.
Students will have half the class period to do this.
The other half will be an open discussion to help students get on
track with how they will relate their focused decade to their family member’s
history.
General:
give extension on written proposal (due next day)
-
Research
in library on specific decades.
Students get a chance to present any question to teacher.
General: Discussion
about interviewing/give examples of possible questions to ask and then have
the librarian give a 20min lecture on researching
-
Research
in library on specific decades. Students
get a chance to present any questions to teacher. Homework:
Over weekend students conduct interview if haven’t already.
Notes due Monday.
Students
With Special Needs:
-
Students
turn in notes after small group discussion of interviews.
Students pick the day they plan on presenting (five minute time slots).
General: give
students with disabilities first options at the time slots.
-
In
class work-day. Teacher meets
with each student individually to make sure things are going okay. Wrap
things up.
-
Presentations
-
Presentations
-
Presentations
***Students will be writing reflections/ responses in
note form to be turned in after the final presentation.
After the presentations are over the class will spend a day tying up
the importance of this whole unit. This
will allow students and teacher to reflect on the importance of family history
to a person's understanding of themselves.
Students
With Special Needs:
Speech Unit Objectives
-
At the
end of this unit, the students will be familiar with the basic elements of
speech giving. They will also be
aware of the different types of speeches.
-
The
students will demonstrate this understanding by completing a speech on a favored
memory.
-
The
students will become more familiar with themselves through research for this
speech, discussion of their memories and presentation of this memory.
1.
Review
the different types of speeches. Informative
and narrative. Introduce the
assignments to the class. Tell them
that they will be completing two speeches: one that introduces them to the class
and focuses on a favorite memory and a how-to speech (how to do a favorite
activity or talent). Tell them that
they will be reflecting upon these speeches in writing in order to become more
aware of themselves. They will have
to introduce themselves to the class and either share a favorite memory and its
importance and explain how to do a favorite activity.
Assign review of chapters 1 and 2 in text (basic elements of speeches
such as gesturing, movement, eye contact, tone, volume).
Students
With Special Needs:
-
Deaf:
Review using the overhead projector.
-
General:
Hand out rubrics for assignments.
-
LD/BD: Give study guide/vocabulary for
each chapter assigned.
2
Brainstorm
whole group ideas of types of memories or activities that they could talk about.
Tell them a prop will be required for either kind of speech.
Explain that this means they need a physical item.
Assign the order of the speeches (either through volunteers or numbers
from a hat.). The order for the
first speech will be the opposite of the order for the 2nd speech.
Assign them to begin writing their speeches.
General:
Write ideas on the overhead and repeat and clarify main/important points
3.
Explain
how they are to respond to their peers' speeches. They will fill out the formal speech form, reflecting on the
basic elements of speeches (introduction, organization, and physical aspects
such as eye contact, movement and gesture, tone/volume, conclusion).
There will be a section at the bottom of the form to respond subjectively
(but kindly), relating to the experience that the speaker shared.
They students will respond to at least half of their peers.
Hand out and go over form. Ask
if any questions. Offer individual
assistance with speeches. Remind
them that notecards are okay but not fully written speeches. Tell students that memory speeches will begin tomorrow.
4.
Memory
speeches (allow students to ask questions of the speaker after the speech is
completed. This will allow the
students to get to know each other better and the speaker to get to know
themselves better by responding to aspects of their memory that they did not
think of).
Students
With Special Needs:
5.
Memory
speeches (teacher will give a memory speech if time allows).
6.
Wrap up
memory speeches. Answer any
questions/problems with the speeches. Review
how to speeches. Have students
discuss why memories are important for them to know themselves.
Refer to Mr. Twohill’s English class and their discussions of The
Giver. Refer to Mr. Cotovsky’s
History class and their family interview presentations.
Assign them to come to class the next day with a topic for how to
speeches.
7.
Explain
the how to speech. Ask how
explaining how to do something is helpful to the speaker/presenter.
(Hopefully they will suggest that it helps the person speaking to better
understand the activity that they are explaining).
Remind them that how to speeches are only 2-3 minutes and that they have
to introduce the speeches with how this activity is important to them.
8.
Student
speeches. Students will respond to
three of their peers’ speeches in the same format as last time.
Allow for questions after the speeches (or during if the activity allows
for it).
9.
Student
speeches. Assign the student to
write a 1-3 page reflection of their speeches.
Ask them to think about why the memory and activity they choose was
important for them, how comfortable they were presenting these ideas, if
writing/giving the speech made them more aware of themselves.
In other words, how memories are important to who they are as people.
General: Time
extensions if needed.
10.
Whole
group discussion of how the speeches went in general. Discuss any consistent problems.
Small (or whole) group discussion of personal reflections on speeches.
Evaluation:
Memory speech, How To speech, responses to peers’ speeches, reflective papers
at the end, daily in-class participation (paying attention to others’
speeches).
References:
Our ideas
came from brainstorming and activities that we have experienced ourselves as
students.