Evaluating Activities & Complying with Content

Standards and Grade Level Expectations

Glenda J. Hurtado-TorrellasUniversidad del EsteENGG 633: Teaching YA LiteratureProf. Evelyn Lugo

Students of ESL• Listening/ Speaking • Reading• Writing• Express thoughts and opinions,

evaluate, analyze, predict, apply prior knowledge, employ correct grammar and vocabulary, in summary demonstrate a high level of fluency.

The Burning Question

• “How do I get their attention?”• The story of an English teacher

Frustration

• Student with English- “¡No entiendo!”

• Teacher with Student• Administration with results• Parents with School• Cycle is repeated

The Challenge

• “Children have an innate desire to understand their world and to accomplish their goals.

• They can attend for hours to something they understand to be worthwhile and achievable” (Findley, 2005).

The Best Strategy

• Engage the students by creating lesson plans that comply BUT that are creative and interesting for them that make the students WANT TO LEARN MORE!

• Using a popular/modern song to create connections to literary devices and to literature in general, both classic and YA

No Child Left Behind (2001)

• Sec. 1001. Statement of Purpose• “…to ensure that all children have

a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards…”

Diverse Populations

• The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) defines diversity in the following:

In education, discussions about diversity involve recognizing a variety of student needs including those of ethnicity, language, socioeconomic class, disabilities, and gender.

Accomplished by

• Assessment• Accountability• Teacher preparation and training• Aligning curriculum and

instructional materials with standards

• Teachers, parents and students

Emphasis

• Students with limited English proficiency

• Socioeconomic background• High risk• Disadvantaged

“Highly Qualified” Teachers

• Teachers are responsible for finding:

ResourcesWorkshopsBooks (empowering teachers)On-line aids

Developing Lesson Plans

• That are aligned with the DE standards

• That attempt to differentiate instruction

• That motivate students• That are relevant• Using what is engaging for our

students

Example: Lesson Plan Grade 11th

• Topic: Using Modern Song Lyrics to Teach Poetry Analysis and Figures of Speech

• Standard: Listening/ Speaking The student uses the English language to interpret oral input, construct meaning, interact with confidence both verbally and nonverbally, and to express ideas effectively in a variety of personal, social, and academic contexts.

Lesson Plan: 11th Grade

• Objective: L/S 11.4 Expresses thoughts and opinions to discuss current events, concepts, themes, characters, plot, and conflict resolution; makes predictions and inferences as well as draws conclusions from listening to a variety of texts, performances, and multimedia resources; listen to and sort information.

Lesson Plan: 11th Grade

• Resources:Song Lyrics: “Welcome to the Black

Parade” by My Chemical Romance (modern rock/ alternative band)

CD player or ComputerGuided questionsHand Out Figures of Speech

Procedure

•Initial Activity: Listen to the SongPresent students with lyrics

Lyrics “Welcome to the Black Parade”

• When I was a young boyMy father took me into the cityTo see a marching band

He said “Son, when you grow upWould you be the savior of the broken The beaten and the damned?”He said, “Will you defeat them,Your demons, and all the non believers

The plans that they have made?”“Because one day I'll leave you,A phantom to lead you in the summerTo join the black parade”

• When I was a young boyMy father took me into the cityTo see a marching bandHe said- son when you grow upWould you be the saviour of the broken The beaten and the damned

Sometimes I get the feeling she's watching over meAnd other times I feel like I should goAnd through it all, the rise and fall, the bodies in the streetsAnd when you're gone we want you all to know

• We'll carry onWe'll carry onAnd though you're dead and gone believe meYour memory will carry onWe'll carry onAnd in my heart I can't contain itThe anthem won't explain it

A world that sends you reeling from decimated dreamsYour misery and hate will kill us allSo paint it black and take it backLet's shout it loud and clearDefiant to the end we hear the call

• To carry onWe'll carry onAnd though you're dead and gone believe meYour memory will carry onWe'll carry onAnd though you're broken and defeatedYour weary widow marches

On and on we carry through the fearsOh…Disappointed faces of your peersOh…Take a look at me 'cause I could not care at all

• Do or die, you'll never make meBecause the world will never take my heartGo and try, you'll never break meWe want it all, we wanna play this partI won't explain or say I'm sorryI'm unashamed, I'm gonna show my scarGive a cheer for all the brokenListen here, because it's who we areI'm just a man, I'm not a heroJust a boy, who had to sing this songJust a man, I'm not a heroI don't care

We'll carry onWe'll carry onAnd though you're dead and gone believe meYour memory will carry onWe'll carry onAnd though you're broken and defeatedYour weary widow marches on

• Do or die, you'll never make meBecause the world will never take my heartGo and try, you'll never break meWe want it all, we wanna play this partWe'll carry on

Do or die, you'll never make meWe'll carry onBecause the world will never take my heartWe'll carry onGo and try, you'll never break meWe'll carryWe want it all, we wanna play this partWe'll carry on

Procedure

• Developmental Activity:Tap into students “Prior Knowledge”Analyze and Discuss with Group

(Modeling)Focus on: Speaker/ Voice, Characters,

Setting, Conflict, Theme(s), Symbolism, Title, Rhyme, Vocabulary, Imagery, and Alliteration

Procedure• Closing Activity:Have students separate into groups

(number may vary depending on class size and teacher’s observation) and decide on a song they want to work with to develop an oral presentation similar to the one given by the teacher.

Lyrics.com could be a source.

Assessment

• Students will be reviewing the material while working on their Oral Presentations.

• They will be given a list on the most commonly found Figures of Speech so that identifying them will be easier.

• Students will acquire the skills that comply with the standards but using material that they choose. (Teacher must approve song!)

Assignment

• Complete oral presentation• Should be in PowerPoint• Visual aids• Bring Song• Give students rubric ahead of time.

Link to Classic Literature

• Apply skills taught to literature: poetry or short story

• Some short story examples:– “Young Goodman Brown”– Anything from Sherwood Anderson

• Some poetry examples that correllate to theme: – “We Wear the Mask”– “Anabelle Lee”– Most poems by Emily Dickinson

Oral Presentation

• Rubric Sample• Gives opportunity for evaluation of

collaborative work.• Practice English language• Integrates technology• Allows teacher/student to do

something that doesn’t require traditional setting

Link to YA Literature

-Books for YA that are about fitting-in but also have fantastic elements, part of a series.

Link to YA Literature

Books about the hardships of war that students in 11th grade can relate to.

Questions?