10-26-10

I emailed you a copy of Maja’s article, but for today’s class, please pick up and read a copy now. Be ready to discuss it later in class.

BOOK TALKS

From a previous final exam….

Multiple Choice ____1. In The Chocolate War, the perspective of the narrator is . . .

a. first person b. second person c. third person omniscient d. third person observer ____ 2. Here’s the opening line of Catcher in the Rye: “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.” A literary device used in that line is . . .allusion b. simile c. hyperbole d. setting e. flashback

Essay Response

Consider the following scenario: You are preparing to teach The Chocolate War or A Mango-Shaped Space to a class of twenty 9th graders, mostly boys, many of whom are reluctant and/or weak readers. Your goals for this unit, as mandated by your department chair and the curriculum guide, are E1-1 (“The student will read and comprehend a variety of literary texts in print and nonprint formats.”) and E1-3 (“The student will create written work that has a clear focus, sufficient detail, coherent organization, effective use of voice, and correct use of the conventions of written Standard American English.”); your unit must include at least one paper of at least 300 words and a final project of some sort. The class meets every day right before lunch for 50 minutes, and you have three weeks to “cover” the book. You have access to a computer lab, and your classroom is equipped with a laptop computer (with a DVD player and MicroSoft Office) that projects onto a TV monitor. Be sure to state which novel you are using, and use that novel for all three questions. 11. Describe an appropriate way to introduce the novel to the class, including a justification for your activity.

Teacher does; student observes.

Teacher does; student assists.

Student does; teacher assists.

Student does; teacher observes.

Student does (independently).

From O

BSE

RV

AT

ION

to IND

EPE

ND

EN

CE

Canterbury Tales unit

Standard E4-1 The student will read and comprehend a variety of literary texts in print and nonprint formats.Standard E4-2 The student will read and comprehend a variety of informational texts in print and nonprint formats.Standard E4-3 The student will use word analysis and vocabulary strategies to read fluently.Standard E4-4 The student will create written work that has a clear focus, sufficient detail, coherent organization, effective use of voice, and correct use of the conventions of written Standard American English. Standard E4-5 The student will write for a variety of purposes and audiences.Standard E4-6 The student will access and use information from a variety of sources.

Goals: TSW understand medieval class structure (nobles, merchants, serfs) and power structure (nobles, church). TSW understand how different texts can contribute to one’s knowledge base. TSW use knowledge of Middle Ages to read, understand, and appreciate selected Canterbury Tales.

Objectives: TSW use a variety of sources to learn about medieval class and power structures.TSW use a variety of formats to present their knowledge about medieval class and power structures.TSW explain how knowledge of medieval culture contributes to an understanding of medieval texts.

Strategies: Read/discuss YA novels (Crispin, Midwife’s Apprentice, etc) to build knowledge of medieval culture.Do traditional research (library and internet) to build knowledge of medieval culture.Present knowledge to classmates through novel summaries, character sketches, posters, oral reports, etc.Read and discuss several tales, making explicit connections between CT text and student presentations.

Assessments: Individual or group presentations about medieval culture, focusing on class and power structures. Bibliography of sources, in MLA format, used for presentations. Class discussions of how background knowledge helps readers interpret specific passages of CT. Quickwrites and exit tickets: class content (i.e., facts about Middle Ages or CT). Test on CT.

(Big Idea: To understand a text, understand its context.)

(Secondary Idea: Triangulation beats sole-source research)

Strategies: Read/discuss YA novels (Crispin, Midwife’s Apprentice, etc) to build knowledge of medieval culture.Do traditional research (library and internet) to build knowledge of medieval culture.Present knowledge to classmates through novel summaries, character sketches, posters, oral reports, etc.Read and discuss several tales, making explicit connections between CT text and student presentations.

Assessments: Individual or group presentations about medieval culture, focusing on class and power structures.Bibliography of sources, in MLA format, used for presentations.

Class discussions of how background knowledge helps readers interpret specific passages of CT.Quickwrites and exit tickets: class content (i.e., facts about Middle Ages or CT).Test on CT.

Unit Overview: (sort of a “story arc” for teaching & testing the big ideas)

Pique students’ interest in Middle Ages; explain importance of context; begin research on MA

Assign groups: Knight’s Tale, Wife of Bath’s Prologue & Tale; Summoner’s Prologue & Tale

Read novels & do “traditional” research: chivalry, women, church

Share knowledge in small groups

Create individual presentations for whole class (written, spoken, enacted static displays)

Lecture on Chaucer, Thomas Beckett and pilgrimages to Canterbury Cathedral

Close reading of prologue; work on vocabulary (context clues) & describe pilgrims

Each group presents summary of tale, plus close reading of 2 or 3 key passages

Review game: Middle Ages, Chaucer, Canterbury Tales

Test

Strategies: Read/discuss YA novels (Crispin, Midwife’s Apprentice, etc) to build knowledge of medieval culture.Do traditional research (library and internet) to build knowledge of medieval culture.Present knowledge to classmates through novel summaries, character sketches, posters, oral reports, etc.Read and discuss several tales, making explicit connections between CT text and student presentations.

Assessments: Individual or group presentations about medieval culture, focusing on class and power structures.Bibliography of sources, in MLA format, used for presentations.

Class discussions of how background knowledge helps readers interpret specific passages of CT.Quickwrites and exit tickets: class content (i.e., facts about Middle Ages or CT).Test on CT.

Goals: Determine level of student knowledge of Middle Ages, introduce “big idea,” begin multi-faceted research on medieval culture

Hook: Movie clips (Excalibur, Knight’s Tale, Monty Python & Holy Grail, etc)Quickwrite: List everything you know about the Middle Ages (chivalry …)Share: Pair-share, then whole-class share; write facts on boardShow: “Canterbury Rap” (CT prologue) – once for viewing, once more for note-takingWrite: Summarize or paraphrase the text of the prologue (make hard copy available)Share: Volunteers to read aloud for whole classIdentify: unfamiliar vocabulary (Zephyrus, palmers, etc)Explain: how to use context clues to help with unfamiliar wordsDefine: “Context” (X slices Y with a knife: good or bad? 1-X is crook. 2-X is surgeon.)Explain: how context, or background knowledge, can help you understand a larger text, tooAssign: students to one of three groups & let groups choose a tale (knight, wife, summoner)Distribute: novels, assignment options, rubrics, research tipsPreview: novels (i.e., book talk)Read: novels for remainder of period; finish through page X for homework

10 min 7 min 4 min 5 min12 min 6 min 3 min 2 min 1 min 1 min 5 min 5 min 3 min26 min

Plan

Assessment Cycle

DoActivities

Assess

Interpretresults

Rubric = measuring stick

Assessing student work(documents, artifacts, performances)

Kinds of Rubrics

Analytical Holistic

Score = sum of scores for individual traits

Score = reader’s impression of overall quality

Formative: intended to help the student identify

specific areas that need improvement

Summative: intended only to measure the quality of the performance

Yields more informationthan holistic

Quicker & easier than analytical

BOTH can be useful

SCORE CONTENT/DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION VOICE CONVENTIONS

4

•Presents a clear central idea about the topic•Fully develops the central idea with specific, relevant details •Sustains focus on central idea throughout the writing

•Has a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.•Provides a smooth progression of ideas throughout the writing.

•Minor errors in standard written English may be present.

3

Presents a central idea about the topicDevelops the central idea but details are general, or the elaboration may be unevenFocus may shift slightly, but is generally sustained

Has an introduction, body, and conclusion.Provides a logical progression of ideas throughout the writing.

Uses precise and/or vivid vocabulary appropriate for the topicPhrasing is effective, not predictable or obviousVaries sentence structure to promote rhythmic readingStrongly aware of audience and task; tone is consistent and appropriate

Errors in standard written English may be present; however, these errors do not interfere with the writer’s meaning.

2

•Central idea may be unclear•Details may be sparse; more information is needed to clarify the central idea•Focus may shift or be lost causing confusion for the reader

Attempts an introduction, body, and conclusion; however, one or more of these components could be weak or ineffective.Provides a simplistic, repetitious, or somewhat random progression of ideas throughout the writing.

Uses both general and precise vocabularyPhrasing may not be effective, and may be predictable or obviousSome sentence variety results in reading that is somewhat rhythmic; may be mechanicalAware of audience and task; tone is appropriate

A pattern of errors in more than one category (e.g., capitalization, spelling, punctuation, sentence formation) of standard written English is present; these errors interfere somewhat with the writer’s meaning.

1

•There is no clear central idea•Details are absent or confusing•There is no sense of focus

Attempts an introduction, body, and conclusion; however, one or more of these components could be absent or confusing.Presents information in a random or illogical order throughout the writing.

Uses simple vocabularyPhrasing repetitive or confusingThere is little sentence variety; reading is monotonousThere is little awareness of audience and task; tone may be inappropriate

Frequent and serious errors in more than one category (e.g., capitalization, spelling, punctuation, sentence formation) of standard written English are present; these errors severely interfere with the writer’s meaning.

B BlankOff TopicInsufficient amount of original writing to evaluateUnreadable or illegible

OT

IS

UR

Possible rubric for 25-point presentation on the Middle Ages

Accuracyof content

Usefulness(for rdg CT)

Quality ofpresentation

Turned in on time

10      

9        

8        

7        

6        

5        

4        

3        

2        

1        

0        

Message to students:

Top priority is finding information that will help readers better understand CT.

Second priority is giving a professional presentation.

Having accurate information is not that big of a deal.

Better to be late and high-quality than be on time with a weak presentation.

Rubrics define what “counts” as important.

Accuracyof content

Usefulness(for rdg CT)

10    

9    

8    

7    Quality of

presentation6    

5      

4      

3      

2      

1      

0      

Note:5 pts offfor eachday late

Another possible rubric for 25-point presentation on the Middle Ages

Guidelines for using rubrics

Start with your goals/objectives:measure what you teach

Distribute the rubric with theassignment, so students knowwhat is most important

Use different rubrics for differentassignments; one size does NOTfit all (new assignment = new rubric)

When possible, have students participate in development of rubrics; that way, they are invested in the assessment process

Questions about assessment?

(For teaching unit, include copies of assignments and rubrics/scoring guides.)

Maja’s article:

To prepare for a class discussion, write in response to the section subtitled “Principles and Practices” and/or the section subtitles “Uniformity: An Illusion of Quality.”

Looking ahead:

No class on Nov 2 (election day)

Nov 9 – book clubs (graphic novels)