Literacy in the Middle

Kathy PaulJohnston Community School District

Johnston, IowaPowerpoint available on JCSD web site:

http://www.johnston.k12.ia.us/schools/elp/resources.html

About Johnston Middle Schools:

Summit, Grades 6-7

Johnston Middle (JMS), Grades 8-9

Each grade has about 500 students

Not unusual to have 25% of a grade level in the 90% for standardized testing, so many students need to be served

Levels of ServicePersonalized Education Plan (PEP)

Need regular adjustments to curriculumPerform 2+ SD above peersOften 12-20 students per grade by MS

Strength Area Reading (SAR)Needs are quite consistentPerform 1+ SD above peersOften 12-25 + students per grade

General Enrichment (GE)Needs are inconsistentWork hard and desire enrichmentOften 25+ students per grade

Extended Learning Program (ELP) Services for Language Arts:

Cluster groups of identified students Range:

4-8 students with strengths to

Entire section of strengths

• Specific scheduled classes 6-12 weeks long

• Collaboration with ELP teacher for planning and implementation of differentiation

Adjustments & extensions to regular curriculum

Teachers who are trained to work with gifted

Differentiation

Provides curriculum and instruction at the appropriate level of challenge

Considers:How students learn bestReadiness- grade level appropriatenessInterest- tapping into passion for learning

What does 6th grade look like?Many teachers have cluster groups

of reading (literacy) strength students—usually 4-8 students

Classroom teachers ideally have training in differentiation and/or experience with gifted

RTI time with gifted is part of ELP teacher’s role

Pilot: 6 week classes in 3 literacy areas

6th grade class: Writing LabThis class will combine materials used from elementary

ELP through Michael Clay Thompson’s vocabulary, writing/poetry with forms of writing, such as expository, persuasive, etc. Texts used will include Word Within the Word and Poetry, Plato and the Problem of Beauty, both by Michael Clay Thompson. Students will scaffold their learning about poetry while increasing their knowledge of classics-based vocabulary. As a culminating activity, students will create a personal portfolio of poetry and writing with companions from their texts.

6th grade class: Law & Order

This course will provide speaking, listening, and writing skills related to law-related education. In addition to reading a previous mock trial case, students will learn about the advocacy process, including the court system and trials. Students will observe and critique others in the roles of lawyers and witnesses. They will gain an understanding of how to advocate for both sides of an issue through a trial and will develop direct and cross-exam using relevant case materials.

. The students will practice speaking skills by taking on the role of a

witness and a lawyer. This will allow more students to have exposure to the Mock Trial experience.

6th grade class: Research & WritingStudents will utilize non-fiction reading/research

skills, which would allow those interested to participate in the History Day research experience.

Research Class

Students will choose a topic of interest related to an historical theme and will learn about primary and secondary sources. In addition to reading non-fiction materials, students will increase their understanding of relevant information, analysis, and create a related project to showcase their research.

6th Grade RTI for language arts

Group size varies

Chance to work with more students for screening

Programming varies

6th grade RTI - Example

Lost Cities Webquest

For this activity you will choose your own lost city. Based on the writing styles and structure we’ve read in our Treasures text, use this document below to make your choice and examine a summary of your lost city on Wikipedia. Next, use the References at the bottom of the Wikipedia page and research found on AEA’s Search Engines (www.aea11.k12.ia.us) to learn the following

1. Why your city became lost 2. How it was found 3. What methods were used to ‘find’ it.

Then, create your own diary (Word document, Power Point, Prezi, etc) showing your experience as an archaeologist discovering your lost city. Be sure to show the importance of the setting and culture of the discovered city.

TED TALKS & SUPPORTING DETAILS  Next week we will be viewing TED videos on a variety of topics. Because this is

outside the regular curriculum, I am asking that the parent/ guardian of each student to grant permission on the topic(s) their student may review. Students will be asked to view 1 video from each group (for a total of 3 videos) and then complete a main idea / supporting details sheet for each talk. This activity will support learning of main idea and supporting details from non-fiction sources as well as 21st Century Skills in discerning quality, content, and bias from Web information sources.

 Group 1: Humanity and the World

Kent Larson: Brilliant designs to fit more people in every city

http://www.ted.com/talks/kent_larson_brilliant_designs_to_fit_more_people_in_every_city.html

Anthony Atala: Growing new organs

Group 2: Conservation of the Planet

David Gallo on life in the deep oceans

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/david_gallo_on_life_in_the_deep_oceans.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/nalini_nadkani_on_conserving_the_canop

Group 3: Man and Machine

Vijay Kumar: Robots that fly ... and cooperate

Shyam Sankar: The rise of human-computer cooperation

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/todd_kuiken_a_prosthetic_arm_that_feels.html

Johnny Lee demos Wii Remote hacks

7th Grade Reading ELP• Classroom Cluster Groups• Collaboration with teachers• Extended Studies Programming

7th grade Menu of Programming Classes: 6-12 weeks during exploratory times

Publish It! - 6 week course

Students will prepare and polish a piece of writing. Various sources for publication will be explored, with the goal of creating a final piece worthy of publication.

Challenge Reading: 6 week course

Students will enjoy choosing and reading challenging literature as they participate in literature circles, book reviews, and response groups. Affective needs will be addressed through discussion of literature and response.

Research Part I: 6 week class

Students will learn how to research a topic and analyze information. Critical use of the Internet will be explored. Students will learn about topic selection, the use of primary sources, and advanced note-taking skills. They will outline and develop a research topic of their own choice or they may select a topic for the National History Day competition.

Research Part II- 6 week class

This course is a continuation of Research Part 1 where in students continue their research in order to produce an extended research project which will be entered into the National History Day competition. This class offers the use of college libraries, instruction in the annotation of bibliographies using 10 or more sources, and a final project such as an exhibit, multi-media project, research paper, or dramatic performance. Students taking this course are expected to compete in National History Day competitions.

Mock Trial- Law Related Ed. – 12 weeksThis course involves rigorous curriculum in the

law, as well as speaking and writing skills. Students will learn about the law and how it applies to our society by studying a specific legal case. The class will culminate in a mock trial performance. Students are expected to work with attorneys on Tuesday evenings. Individual student participation levels will vary. Students will be witnesses, lawyers, timers, or alternates.

Collaboration with classroom teachers -7th gr. Example:Poetry Literary Analysis: Using Elements of

Literature

 Students are asked to write literary analysis essays . This type of assignment encourages you to think about how and why a poem, short story, novel, or play was written.  To successfully analyze literature, you’ll need to remember that authors make specific choices for particular reasons. Your project needs to point out the author’s choices and attempt to explain their significance. 

Another way to look at a literary analysis is to consider a piece of literature from your own perspective.  Rather than thinking about the author’s intentions, you can develop an argument based on any five combinations of terms listed below.  You’ll just need to use the original text to defend and explain your argument.

7th grade collaboration From the Outside Looking In – Window Activity Think of all the

beauty still left around you and be happy. - Anne Frank 

Task: Your group will create a window into the world of your story. This will be a great visual glimpse at the world that your character grows up in and will provide context and insight into their story.

 Requirements:  Your window should be neat, creative and colorful. It should be unique to your group’s understanding of the story and should be clear enough that people who haven’t read the story can understand it also.

Your window should have enough detail that it is clear which story it belongs to. You do not need to have people in your window; focus on the setting.

Make sure your window is authentic looking; that is, has a window frame, curtains (if your character would have curtains), and other details that make it realistic and unique.

Add symbolism to your window. Remember, this window is like the eyes that your character uses to look out at the world…how would they view it? Bright and sunny? Cloudy? A swirl of confusion? Make it representative of your protagonist and their feelings.

CriteriaCreativity: Story should be creative and unique. Small

details make each window individual to its group.

Neatness: The window is neat and clear, and easily understandable. The image is distinguishable and logical. 

Theme: The window provides a deeper insight into the world of the protagonist. It goes beyond a superficial representation of the character’s world, as well as their feelings and perceptions. 

Group work: Group should work cooperatively together, and it should be apparent that all group members contributed to the outcome. 

Written Description: The group provides a written rationale for their project that describes the theme and thought process behind their window.

8th grade cluster classes

Minimum of 6 Strength Area/PEP students clustered

Two teachers with PEP/SA students/average students

Other staff have clusters of GE in groups of 3-8

Teachers have common plan

Modifications to curriculum

8th grade modifications

Extensions in text

Pace

Student Choice

Spelling and vocabulary

Content- literature/ readings

Poetry- analysis and original writing

8th grade cluster class: Example of week:Monday: Vocab, Poem of the Week, *Read Chapter

8 and complete theme T-chart, Work on Poem and VocabTuesday: Analysis of 7-8, *Read Chapter 9, Ingredient Activity, Work on Poem and Vocab Wednesday: Chapters 10-11 *Begin Billiards Flow Chart, Work on Poem and VocabThursday: Analysis of Ch. 9-10 *Read Ch. 12, Finish Billiards Flow ChartFriday: Collect vocab, Poetry Contest, Analysis of Ch. 11-12, Collect Journal Entries, Media Study

* = homework if not finished in class (Please don't forget to read 20 minutes a day - it'll make you smarter, should be enjoyable, and will help improve your vocabulary, and writing!)

Modified Unit of Study

Lesson planDAY 1 Powerpoint

Life in the 60s Handout, Intro – Middle School Society

Anticipation Guide

*Context for Outsiders

DAY 2 Spot check Context

Handout books and read Chapter 1

*Create concept map; questions for Chapter 1-2

DAY 3 Read Chapter 2

Complete questions and concept map and hand in during class

*Read Chapter 3

Lit Circle discussion using questions/ideas

Lit Circles

Use to teach analysis and deep understanding

Template created to guide students

Connections, writer’s craft, passages of interest,

open-ended questions

Sticky notes to mark passages/quotes

Modeled example for students

Discussions are rich and thoughtful

Press ConferenceStudents become characters from the book. The

“reporters” are ready to ask questions of each character. Each student has a chance to be a reporter, as roles switch throughout the class period.

Use of online classroom program

Moodle or Blackboard or similar program

Students can discuss online, teacher monitors

Students are selected to add writings

Teacher can post assignments & syllabus

Teacher can share resources with other staff

Resource materials are available for students, ie how to create a bibliography

Weekly Poetry Study

My First Three Chest Hairs By Donald I am looking in the mirror and what do I see?                                        

Finally, three chest hairs growing on me! I would much prefer they grow in pairs,                                                    

But no! I have three chest hairs One’s as solid as an old tree

trunk,                                                              The others are flimsy like a junior high punk.

I remember when my chest was bare,                                                        But now I can say I have chest hair.

Getting this chest hair makes me proud of it                                             Now all the other guys will start to covet.

When I go to the swimming pool,                                                              The girls are gonna think my three hairs look cool.

What! One more!                                                                                    That makes four!

I might be a monkey!                                                                        Wouldn’t that be funky!

Maybe I will become like a big furry bear,                                                 But I’d rather be fuzzy wuzzy with no hair.

I see myself covered in hair.                                                              Oh my goodness what will I wear?

The Taste of Lemons by Anna

The taste burns my lips, the juice

making my tongue

quiver like the strings on a guitar. My eyes

water and tears run down

my face like rain so I squeeze them shut tight.

I lick the tartness

away, squeeze every

drop out until my mouth is

alive with thetaste of the lttle

yellow fruit.

Student response

Re: The Taste of Lemons

By Nicole - Monday, 24 September 2012, 06:14 PM

I love your poem! It really describes how it feels to eat a lemon.  I really like the part about your tounge quivering like guitar strings.  I love eating lemons, and know all those feelings well.  Way to capture a moment’s feeling in a poem. Your words are powerful.

Resources added to Moodle

Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab)

List of commonly misspelled words

Lists of classic fiction

Books students have read & recommend

9th Integrated Language Arts

Pilot of language clusters for last 3 years

Used MAP, IA Assessments, teacher recs

One teacher, 3 sections

Same standards and benchmarks

Modifications in pace & content

Course DescriptionCluster Group English is a yearlong course for

eligible students who choose to challenge themselves. Student learning goals, outlined in our district Standards and Benchmarks, blend five literacy strands (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and viewing). Students may look forward to authentic writing and competition opportunities as well as collaborative learning and discussion over common texts such as Romeo and Juliet, The Odyssey and various literature titles. Students will pair contemporary fiction and canonical literature to explore common themes and character analysis. Independent reading will encourage students to select books from the College Bound Reading List.

Course Description continued

Students will participate in civic discussions with elected officials as part of a persuasion unit. Students will extend their analysis of fiction to focus on theme and symbol through short story. Differentiation in written analysis would include exposure to a variety of schools of literary criticism. Formative assessment will be used to determine students’ current levels of mastery and to guide extension beyond the regular English Curriculum. Students will be taught critical viewing skills to analyze the different directors’ visions in several versions of Romeo and Juliet, to become critical consumers of media, and also to introduce them to documentary film.

Course outline- Semester 1Unit One: Dealing with life changing events

Major Texts:

9/11 (Documentary), Jules and Gedeon Naudet, and James Hanlon

Literature Circle options:

Hiroshima, John Hersey

Goodbye to Manzinar, Jeanne W. Houston

The Pigman and Me, Paul Zindel

Diary of a Young Girl, Ann Frank

The Story of My Life, Helen Keller

Other selected short stories, articles, and texts

Unit Two: The Odyssey

Major Texts:

Selections from The Odyssey, Homer

Selected poems and stories, historical information

Unit Three: Argument and Persuasion

Major Texts:

Various persuasive articles, editorials, and fiction stories

Websites pertaining to a policy for student research

Trip to Iowa Legislature, interviews with policy makers

* This unit contains the district writing assessment

Semester final Pick Your Final Exam! 

As simple as it sounds, we all must try to be the best person we can: by making the best choices, by making the most of the talents we've been given. - Mary Lou Retton

Task: You will be finding an issue that appeals to you, and developing an ad campaign to convince me (a wealthy entrepreneur) to donate large amounts of money to your cause.

Step 1: Pick a cause. This should be something that you care about and have some background knowledge. The purpose of this assignment is not to practice researching, and that should not be consuming your time.

Step 2: Pick an ad campaign. Would you prefer a poster/visual? A commercial? A written grant application? How will you be best able to get your message across? You can pick whichever medium you find to be most effective. The only rule is that you must use Logos, Ethos, AND Pathos effectively to persuade me.

 Step 3: You will write a rationale explaining your process, strengths, struggles, and creative and persuasive decisions. This must be turned in when you share your project with the class.

 Step 4: You will be sharing your project with the class. If your project is a formal presentation, then that is what you will do; if it is not, you will be informally sharing your process and outcomes with your peers.

Written Rationale for Final

On a typed sheet of paper, you need to respond formally to the following questions. To effectively answer all of these, your response will be AT LEAST one page long, double-spaced.

What median did you decide to use? What reasons did you have for choosing it?

What process did you use to create your product? What parts of the process were the hardest? What parts were the easiest?

How did you incorporate logos, ethos, and pathos into this project?

Why did you pick the organization that you did? Do you have a connection to it, or just an interest?

What did you learn while doing this project?

This piece should be in MLA format, with no errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. Have it ready to turn in on the day that you share with the class.

Spring Semester outline

Romeo and Juliet

Lit Circles with written analysis

Debate

Non-fiction writing

History Day research option

History Day Research

Final Exam Second Semester

Finding a New Perspective

Final Part A

Task: This year, we have learned about perspective – finding new perspectives on life changing events, seeing things from new perspectives, and trying to get others to see things from our perspective. You now have the chance to creatively apply the idea of perspective to something that you have read over the course of the year.

Here’s how it works: You will pick a novel, non-fiction work, or poem that you have read at

some point this year (either for class or on your own). Then you will find a way to present that in a new form. The idea here is that you will keep the same characters, theme, message, and ideas, but present them in a new format. Sample formats that you can use:

Comic book

Narrative (if it’s not already)

Newspaper

Piece of artwork

Oral Interpretation

Poem

Poster

PowerPoint or Prezi

Scrapbook

Anything else (as approved)

ReflectionOnce you have completed the creation portion of

this assignment, you will construct a two-page (double spaced) reflection on your creation. This reflection is due with your project and should include the following: 

Summary of original work

Description of your creation

Symbolism and theme in original story AND

Symbolism and theme in your creation

Thoughts on your creative decisions during this process

Show & Tell: final presentationAfter completing your

creation and your reflection, you will informally share your project with the class. This will be a time for your peers to ask you questions about your work, as well as time for you to elaborate on your process (things you struggled with, things you were especially proud of, etc.).

Customize for your district!

Discuss with other teachers, administrators and parents

Don’t forget student input!

Look at all options

Pilot programs can be a good start

Begin with one grade

Add modifications over time

kpaul@johnston.k12.ia.us

http://www.johnston.k12.ia.us/schools/elp/resources.html

On Johnston web site,” ABOUT US” tab

DEPARTMENTS- Academic Services- ELP