Lesson Plan 5 for The Extraordinary Mark Twain (according to Susy)

Teacher: Eva Krebs

Subject Area: English

Grade Level: 8th grade (13-14 yrs.)

Unit Title: Creative Writing

Lesson Title: Biography Journal

Performance Objectives:

            Upon completion of this lesson, the student will be able to know what a biography is, how to interview people, write a biography.

            By the end of this activity students will be able to:

·         Write a biography

·         Interview a people

Materials:

·         Book- "The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy)" by Barbara Kerley

·         Biography Helper- Hand Out

·         Interview Sheet

·         Biography Journal Sheet

·         Color pencils/crayons

References:

Kerley, Barbara. (2010). The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy). New York: Scholastic Press.

Preparation:

·         Open discussion on what a biography is

·         Definition of biography

◦     Nonfiction writing that tells the true story of another person’s life

·         Read "The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy)" by Barbara Kerley

Presentation:

·         Provide the students with the "Biography Helper- Hand Out" and go over it with the class

·         Ask students to organize Susy's biography steps into the steps provided in the hand out

·         Importance of lesson:

◦     Understand biographies

◦     Interview

◦     Write biography

·         Introduce activities to the audience in an orderly fashion:

◦     Break off into dyads

◦     Interview partner

◦      Write biography

◦     Illustrate biography

Application:

·         Break off into dyads

·         Each student will conduct two interview:

◦     Their partner

◦     Common friend

·         Write a short biography about their partner (three biography journal sheets)

·         An illustration is required in each biography page

Evaluation:

·         Selected students will read their biography to the class

·         The class will analyze the biographies read and break them into its components

Closure:

·         Students will be asked share their thought on other things Susy could have had written about Mark Twain

Assigned Student Work:

·         Interview a family member

·         Write biography

·         Illustrate biography

Lesson Plan 4 for the Highwayman

Teacher: Eva Krebs

Subject Area: English

Grade Level: 8th grade (13-14 yrs.)

Unit Title: Drama

Lesson Title: Lights, Camera, and Action

Performance Objectives:

            Upon completion of this lesson, the student will be able to use a book to create a drama play. Students will be introduced to theater life by rehearsing, creating costumes, painting a mural and acting-out a play.

            By the end of this activity students will be able to:

·         Understand Theater Drama

·         Paint a Mural

·         Creative writing

·         Live performance of "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes

Materials:

• Book- "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes
• Color construction paper (24" x 36")
• Color markers/crayons/color pencils
• Mural with paper roll (36" x 1000")

References:

Noyes, Alfred. (1990). The Highwayman. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Preparation:

• Present lesson to audience through open discussion on what is Drama and the skills required to perform a play
• Read "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes
• Importance of lesson:

◦     Understand Drama

◦     Creative writing

◦     Live performance

• Introduce activities to the audience in an orderly fashion:

◦     Open discussion on Theater Drama

◦     Read "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes

◦     Rewrite "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes

◦     Divide class into four groups (muralists, costume designers, handbill makers and play cast)

◦     Mural painting, handbill making, costume designing and play rehearsal

◦     Set up play

◦     Carry out play

Presentation:

• Students will read "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes
• As a whole class, students will rewrite parts of "The Highwayman" in order to make it into a theater play

Application:

• Break off into three groups (muralists, costume designers and play cast)
• Muralist will be in charge of background scenery for the play
• Costume designers will create costumes for play cast out of construction paper
• Handbill makers will create a handbill to give to each child with the following items:

◦     Class grade

◦     Play name

◦     Play 1-Actors' names

◦     Play 2-Actors' names

◦     Mural painters' names

• Play cast will rehearse, dress up for play, and do a live performance of play

Note: Play cast will be divided into two groups, thus play will be performed twice

Evaluation:

• Set up background scenery for the play
• Set up classroom and place on handbill each chair
• Two live performance of play

Closure:

• Open discussion on how the play developed
• Ask students what can be changed, added, or taken-off for future plays

Assigned Student Work:

• Students will be asked create a short play:

◦     Write play

◦     Handbill (one page)

▪     Brief play summary

▪     Play characters

◦     Background scenery (8 1/2" x11"paper)

Next Lesson Topic:

• Biography Journal

◦     Creative writing

◦     Interview

◦     Art

Lesson Plan 3 for Mirror, Mirror

Teacher: Eva Krebs

Subject Area: English

Grade Level: 8th grade (13-14 yrs.)

Unit Title: Creative writing

Lesson Title: Poetry

Performance Objectives:

            Upon completion of this lesson, the student will be able to recognize two poem types: acrostic and rhyming.

            By the end of this activity, students will be able to:

·         Recognize types of poems

·         Understand the message of a poem

·         Write a poem

Materials:

• Book- "Mirror, mirror" by Marilyn Singer
• Types of Poems Sheet
• Poem Analysis Sheet

References:

Singer, M. (2010). "Mirror, mirror". New York: Dutton Children's Books

Preparation:

• Introduce topic to the audience by asking them if they know what are poems
• Read first half of the second poem in the "Mirror, mirror" book
• Ask students to think on what the poem is saying and who is narrating the poem.
• Introduce the two types of poems that will be studied in class
• Importance of lesson:

◦     Understand who is narrating the poem

◦     Poem meaning

◦     Use of words

• Introduce activities to the audience in an orderly fashion

◦     Read second poem of the "Mirror, mirror" by Marilyn Singer

◦     Content of the poem and "Who is narrating poem?"

◦     Types of Poems Sheet

◦     Break off into groups of four

◦     Read assigned poems

◦     Analyze poems use "Poem Analysis Sheet"

◦     Write and reverse poems

◦     Analyze poems

Presentation:

• Break off into groups of four and read assigned poem form the "Mirror, mirror" book by Marilyn Singer
• Analyze poems using "Poem Analysis Sheet"
• Each group will share their answer with the rest of the class
• Students will complete the "Poem Analysis Sheet" as the rest of the class shares their answers.

Application:

·         Each student will write a rhyming poem

·         Students will exchange poems in dyads and reverse them

·         Selected students will be asked to read the original poem first and then the reversed poem

·         The rest of the class will analyze the poems

Evaluation:

•  Students will write down on a piece of paper which of the two poems discussed in class is their favorite and why.

Closure:

• In dyads, students will write a rhyming poem about school
• Poems will be shared with the rest of the class
• Votes will be casted for the most-liked poem
• Most-liked poem will be in display for the rest of the school year

Assigned Student Work:

• Students will be asked to write an Acrostic poem spelling their name

Next Lesson Topic:

• "Lights, camera, and action"

◦     Drama

◦     Creative writing

◦     Group Work

Lesson Plan 2 for the Highwayman and The Extraordinary Mark Twain (according to Susy)

Teacher: Eva Krebs

Subject Area: English

Grade Level:  5th grade (10-11 yrs.)

Unit Title: Creative writing

Lesson Title: Once Upon a Time

Performance Objectives:

            Upon completion of this lesson, the student will be able to create a story and apply previously lean material.

            By the end of this activity students will be able to:

·         Follow the line of thought

·         Work as a team for a single purpose

·         Create stories

Materials:

• Books-"The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy)" by Barbara Kerley and "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes
• Easel Paper Pad (25" x 30")
• Markers- blue and black
• Color pencils/crayons
• Scissors
• Tape

References:

Kerley, Barbara. (2010). The Extraordinary Mark Twain (according to Susy). New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780545125086

Noyes, Alfred. (1990). The Highwayman. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. ISBN 01524343407

Preparation:

• Select two students to narrate the stories read in the previous class
• Ask the class to recall the story components learned in the previous lesson
• Select a student to share with the rest of the class their short story (previous lesson's homework) and identify its story components
• Importance of lesson:

◦     Apply previously learn material

◦     Create a story

◦     Follow line of thought

• Introduce activities to the audience in an orderly fashion

◦     Recall "The Highwayman" and "The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy)"stories

◦     Recall story components

◦     Read student's short story and identify its story components

◦     Class short story

◦     Break off into groups of seven

◦     Write a story that cover all of the story components studied in class

Presentation:

• After student has read their short story, the class will come up with a their own story
• Selected students will write down story in chalkboard and level each section

Application:

• Break off into groups of seven
• Provide each group with materials
• Each group will create a short story, each group member will chose a story component to write about
• The short story will be written in an orderly fashion. Students will write down their part of the story as they chose their story component

◦     Example: June selected "setting statement" therefore she begins the story, Michael chose "event" thus following June's lead he will decide what happens next, and so on

◦     Each member will follow the line of thought of the previous writer in order for the story to flow

• Each story part will be colored a different color in order for students to clearly visualize the story's components

Evaluation:

• Each group will share their story with the rest of the class
• Each group member will read their part of the story and level it for the class

Closure:

• Using the group stories, the class will create a new story

◦     Each group will chose a part of their story, level it and write it down on a piece of easel paper

▪     Example: Group 1 chose "reaction", group 2 "consequence" and so on.

◦     A group member from each group will come up to the front of the class and hold their piece of paper

◦     Students will have to arrange the new story into its components

◦     Selected students will read the new story

Next Lesson Topic:

• End of story grammar development and creative writing lesson