The Color of My Words Unit by Nathan Walkowicz Eng 611 Professor: Alex Mueller Objectives: Reading CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.9 Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text. Writing CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.A Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.B Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.C Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.D Establish and maintain a formal style. Speaking and Listening CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher- led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. Essential Question: What power can words give us?
Transcript
The Color of My WordsUnit by Nathan Walkowicz
Eng 611Professor: Alex Mueller
Objectives:ReadingCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.9Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
WritingCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.AIntroduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.BSupport claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.CUse words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.DEstablish and maintain a formal style.
Speaking and ListeningCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.4Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
Essential Question: What power can words give us?
Artifacts1. Happiest Memory Sheet 2. Evidence Chart3. Says/Does Chart and Model Response4. “About The Author” Article5. “Facts of The Dominican Republic” Article6. Reality as A Resource Chart7. Dance Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwPZuGDP3qY8. Selected Excerpts for Mood 9. Pointing Out Purpose Advertisements for Punta Cana and excerpt from The Color of My Words10. Writing Opportunity
This unit serves as an introduction to 7th Grade ELA. The Color of My Words will be the first book that students grapple with in this grade and level. I have never taught a book by Lynn Joseph before, but I am looking forward to delving into the story and sharing with my students different “approaches” on reading, writing, listening, and speaking (Smith 69). In addition to being aligned with the CCSS, this unit aims to develop students both socially and emotionally, and to nurture their relationship with literature and language. In order to explore the power of words, each student will engage in independent and collaborative tasks that focus on finding textual evidence, analyzing literary function, crafting mood, and making real world connections.
The skills in this unit will be “transferrable” (Smith 72). That is, each lesson will seek to provide students with an ability that they can implement in a new context (e.g. different books and different writing opportunities). By frontloading learning with these skills at the beginning of the year, this unit seeks to give students a greater command of their language, which, in turn, can ultimately enhance their capacity to form an analytical-emotional relationship with literature. Throughout these lessons, each student will hopefully become a more “independent reader[], writer[], and thinker[]” that enthusiastically seeks to collaborate with others and wrestle within his or her “zone of proximal development” (Smith 64, 41). I will consider this unit a success if it not only helps each child maximize his or her literacy, but evokes a genuine appreciation of the beauty and power of language, which is “one of the goals of reading” and writing skills (Smith 13).
The unit culminates in a narrative project where the students use the skills acquired in the preceding lessons. By gradually introducing approaches in a scaffolded manner (that aims at Bloom’s Taxonomy), this unit introduces 7th graders to specific comprehension and analytical strategies that will hopefully improve their proficiency in ELA and enhance their experience of The Color of My Words, future texts, and writing. As the unit progresses, it will be important to pay attention to what works well and what needs to be adjusted. Although the unit may be complete, I “still have a professional responsibility to reflect on all our practices and to explore possible ways of explaining and justifying them in collaboration with [my] colleagues and [my] students, even as we continue to use and refine those practices in our classroom” (144). Additionally, I have made e-mail contact with the author, who has offered to answer any question that I or my students might have. I look forward to delving into this literary experience a great deal!
UNIT: The Color of My Words Lesson #1 – Stories Surround Us (Drawing, Writing, Sharing, and Listening) Lesson #2 – On The Hunt (Finding Textual Evidence, Ch. 1 Wash Day)Lesson #3 – On The Hunt (Finding Textual Evidence, Ch. 2 Words)Lesson #4 – Finding Function (Says/Does, Ch. 3 The Gri Gri Tree) Lesson #5 – Finding Function (Says/Does, Ch. 4 Merengue Dream) Lesson #6 – Reality as A Resource (Nonfiction Articles, Ch. 6 My Brother’s Friend)Lesson #7 – Making Mood (Ch. 5 One Sunday)Lesson #8 – Making Mood (Ch. 7 The Colors of Power)Lesson #9 – Pointing Out Purpose (Ch. 8 The Color of My Words)Lesson #10 – Writing Opportunity
Lesson #1 - Stories Surround UsDuration: 40 Minutes Objectives: Students will be able to construct (via drawing and writing) and share (verbally) their happiest memories. They will also listen attentively to others. Reasoning: This lesson sets the tone for class discussion while also providing the teacher with a writing sample that reveals style and skill, and illuminates a positive aspect of each student’s life. By allowing students to first draw, and then write, it scaffolds the writing process to alleviate some initial qualms about writing. The aural component clarifies the importance of listening in this course and reinforces that each student’s contribution is important. Students will hopefully “become engaged participants in the literary activity of the classroom, and contributors to (rather than mere observers of consumers of) the way texts are discussed and construed in a community or readers and writers” (Blau 124). Materials: Happiest Memories SheetProcedure: Intro (10 minutes)- Before student enter class, have a worksheet face-down on each desk. The paper should only have a large, empty box showing (this is where the students will draw). As students enter, tell them NOT to turn over the paper. This will likely generate intrigue. Once they have all taken a seat, begin class with a short introduction about how stories, whether we recognize it or not, surround us (5 minutes). Say: “But sometimes they are invisible, hidden. Think, the people besides us are filled with all kinds of stories – tragedies, comedies, dramas… romances. But how many of these stories do we know? Today we are going to learn about some of these stories. On the paper in front of you, please take 5 minute to draw your happiest memory.” While the students draw, circulate around the room, and also draw your own happiest memory on the board (no matter how “bad” your art is).Activity (15 minutes)Once time is up, tell the student to put down their pens and pencils. “Wherever you are is a perfect place to be” (Goldberg). At this point, ask the students to flip over their papers. Now, have them write their names at the top of the lined paper and take about 15 minutes to describe their happiest memory in words. Students should shoot for one page of writing, without skipping lines (If students do not fill one page, that is okay. The goal is for them to generate a substantial sample of their writing). While students are working, circulate around them room to clarify any questions and learn their names (which are written at the top of the paper). Once time is up, ask students to cast their eyes up to the front of the room. Now, going down the line, test yourself in front of the class. Call each student by name (This further reinforce that each student is important). Closing (15 minutes)Once you have successfully named each student, tell the class that they are going to play a little game. Here’s how it works. The teacher will call on a student to share his or her happiest memory. While this student is sharing verbally (summarizing the writing), the rest of the class should be listening and giving this student eye contact. Why? Well, it is respectful, of course! And… it is a way to earn points for the class. How? Once the student has shared, the teacher will call on another student at random. This second student will have to say what part of the story he or she found “most important […] or possibly most interesting or puzzling in the context of the story” (Blau 131). If the student can successfully name one part of the story that fits this criteria, then the class earns 1 point (up to 15 points). The student who earned the point, then shares his or her story, and then the cycle repeats until all students have shared. Once the class gets to 15 points, continue. Express how interested you are in hearing these stories. Since they are no longer sharing for points, this continuation emphasizes that we are not only sharing and listening for points, but for a “genuine intellectual reason” (Blau 103). Once all students have shared, take the floor. Share your own happiest memory. Conclude class by reminding them that stories surround us, and that you are looking forward to exploring more stories in the days to come. Assign the homework, and say farewell! Additional Question: What makes a story important or interesting to you? Homework: Type up your happiest memory. Hesitations: Students may be uncomfortable sharing. Encourage them gently and remind them that we are all developing writers. Besdies, if they didn’t need help, teachers wouldn’t have jobs! Thank them for not being an expert!Source Material: Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003. Print.Goldberg, Jerry. Understanding by Design. 2014. Ppt.
Lesson #2 - On The Hunt, Ch. 1 (Wash Day)Duration: 40 MinutesObjectives: Students will be able to properly cite textual evidence from The Color of My Words in order to support that the author (a) reveals what a character wants, (b) incites or develops a conflict, (c) uses figurative language, and (d) includes details about nature or the Dominican Republic.Reasoning: This lesson will help students learn how to cite textual evidence correctly while simultaneously encouraging them to investigate four narrative elements. By frontloading both this MLA skill and this investigative approach, students will acquire two practical strategies that can aid them in both writing and reading. Materials: Lynn Joseph’s The Color of My Words (enough books for each student)Evidence ChartProcedure: Intro (10 minutes)The students have read Chapter 1 last night. They were also told that they would be asked a short question based on their reading. This questions will be on the board upon their arrival: What does Ana Rosa want? Students will take 5 minutes to write down their answers independently, and silently. Once 5 minutes it up, facilitate discussion for 5 minutes. “So, let’s see a show of hands… What does Ana Rosa want? How do we know? Does she want anything else? Do we always get what we want?” Activity (20 minutes)Once the discussion has engaged all students, distribute the Evidence Sheet. Since the class has discussed what Ana Rosa wants, it is now time to locate some specific textual evidence to support this claim. “Let’s focus on her desire to write!” At this point, explain what textual evidence is, and why it is important. “A lawyer comes to court with evidence for the judge, right? Why should literature be any different?” Now, have the students hunt for a few minutes. “Who can find a piece of textual evidence that supports her desire to write?” Even though a few kids might find evidence right away, wait. Allow the other students to find evidence as well. Ask students to share (with a raised hand, of course). Then, say that you found a piece of evidence too. Write down your example on the board in MLA format and point out the specific elements of the citation. Tell the students to copy it down by hand. Walk around to make sure they are copying it exactly. Once all of the students have done this, move to the next box (about conflict) on the Evidence Chart. Conduct the completion of this box in a similar way, still modeling on the board. Walk around to see if they need help. For the third box, draw students’ attention to a specific piece of evidence. However, this time do not model the citation for them. Ask a volunteer to come up to the board to illustrate what he or she has learned. Once this student has shared and explained his or her reasoning, distribute a list of literary terms that will come in handy when looking for figurative language. For the final box, ask the students to find a piece of evidence on their own, and then have a volunteer come up to the board. By this point, most students should hopefully be able to cite correctly on their own! The class can now start to discuss what makes something a cultural detail of the Dominican Republic. Let these questions come! Let the thoughts flow organically (with raised hands, of course)! Closing (10 minutes)To end class, have student select a line that they think is the most important, interesting, or puzzling. Have defend WHY they chose it verbally. Additional Questions: What happens when a person is told to be silent? Homework: Read Chapter 2 and complete the Evidence Chart.Hesitations: During this lesson, it will be important to clarify the importance of Textual Evidence as a means, not an end goal. Some students might also have some confusion with the formatting, identifying figurative language, or identifying aspects of Dominican Culture. Although this makes me hesitate slightly, it may also serve as a great way of determining what prior knowledge the students have. Source Material: Berkenstein, Cathy and Gerald Graff. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in
Academic Writing. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2007. Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003. Print.Joseph, Lynn. The Color of My Words. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2000. Smith, Michael, Deborah Appleman and Jeffrey Wilhelm. Uncommon Core. California: Corwin Literacy, 2014. Print.
Lesson #3 - On The Hunt, Ch. 2 (Words)Duration: 40 Minutes Objectives: Students will be able to find textual evidence in order to support a provided claim. They will share, edit, and write about the homework from last night. Reasoning: While continuing to help students cite textual evidence correctly, this lesson challenges them to engage in verbal discourse that validates, explains, and questions the connections between claim an evidence. Materials: Books, homework, and white board markers. Procedure: Opening Question (10 minutes) Why does Ana Rosa want to write? Have the students take 5 minutes to craft a response to this question. Once time is up, ask them to read their response verbatim to a partner (the person next to them). Then, ask for three volunteers to share something valuable that their partner has said. This will promote listening, validate work, and encourage verbal discourse. Activity (20 minutes)Once students have shared, tell them to take out their homework from the previous night. After they have done this, ask for somebody to write his or her example for the first box (of the evidence chart) on the board. After this student has written on the board, work with the class to see if there is anything about the citation that we can improve. If the citation has no mistakes, reinforce the accurate elements by having students point (from their seats) to each accurate part of the citation. Now, ask the class to explain why this student chose this quotation. How do we know that it supports the given claim? Encourage students to expand on their thoughts. Challenge them to articulate the reasons behind the selection. After this quotation has been discussed, ask for another volunteer. Repeat this process for the next three boxes. By allowing students to provide and comment on each other, the teacher is promoting the “reversal of roles for students and teachers that is the paradoxical requirement to provide students with genuine opportunities for learning” (Blau 152). Since “[i]nstruction has systematically taught them to depend entirely on teachers to prevent or remove any textual difficulties they might encounter” this will hopefully allow them an opportunity to take a step towards autonomy (Blau 41). Closing (10 minutes)For fun, and for a quick review. End with a Quaker Read (Blau)! Students will take turns shouting out important words or phrases from the chapter. Additional Questions:Why do you write? Are these four categories the only things to look for? What else could we focus on while reading?
Homework: Read Chapter 3 and fill out the Evidence Chart. Hesitations:Student may hesitate to volunteer. If they do, politely encourage them to share. Remind them that we are all developing writers and readers. Also, try to notice which students hold back from volunteering. These may be target students for the future! Source Material:Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003. Print.
Evidence Chart Cite a piece of textual evidence to support each claim.Example: Mr. Walkowicz shouts, “I want to play music!” (Smith 33).
The author reveals what a character wants.
The author incites or develops a conflict.*incites – encourages or stirs up
The author uses figurative language to enhance the scene. (i.e. smile, metaphor, personification…)
The author highlights nature or a cultural aspect of the Dominican Republic.
Walkowicz, 2016
Lesson #4 – Finding Function, Ch. 3 (The Gri Gri Tree) Duration: 40 Minutes Objectives: Students will be able to examine and evaluate the function of specific excerpts from The Color of My Words by completing a Says/Does chart (Berkenstein). Reasoning: This lesson allows students to build upon their use of textual evidence. Instead of finding textual evidence to support a claim (as seen in Lesson #2 and #3), students will now analyze the function of a given line. “The idea, of course, is to begin to develop a model and a language for examining and describing one’s own reading process and reflecting on finding from that examination” (Blau 170). The goal is to help students independently assess the impact of specific lines. “The reality is that human beings live in a sea of texts… In such a universe of meaning, teachers of literature are privileged to be able to work in a field of signification where the stakes may be relatively low, but their instruction salvational” (Blau 77-78).
Materials:
Say/Does ChartProcedure: Opening Question (10 minutes) What is function? Collect homework. Give a short lecture on function. “What is the function of a desk, for example? Well, we can sit in a desk. We can also write on it. What about a door? It can lead us to a new room, or it can block out the world. Words are the same. They too have a function. That is what we will focus on today!”
Activity (20 minutes)Distribute the Says/Does chart. Model how to construct one and have the students copy down the example. Ch. 1 (Teacher Example)Says “Mami whispers, “You are this river, Ana Rosa, […] But you must flow softly around the rocks on your way to meet the sea. There you can do as you wish.” (Joseph 3). Does By constructing this warning in a figurative manner, the author not only reveals Mami’s passion for language, but also encourages the reader to wonder what obstacles Ana Rosa will face along her quest to become an writer in the Dominican Republic.
Ch. 2 (Teacher Example) Says “I went into the bedroom that I shared with Angela. I sat on the bed with my hands in my pocket, holding my secret close. Finally I reached under the thin mattress and stuffed the notepad as class to my side of the bed as I could” (Joseph 16).Does By having Ana Rosa steal Guario’s notepad, the author introduces a conflict.
Closing (10 minutes)It is now time for the students to try. Provide them with a line, and then have then find the function. What is the author doing with this line?
Ch. 3 (Student Practice)Says Ana Rosa says, “Then one day I saw something that I had never seen before and I was so scared that I almost fell out of the tree. There I was looking at the sea when suddenly out of it rose a giant monster, tall and black and covering the sun with its shadow. Before I could scream, the monster fell back into the sea” (Joseph 28). Does By omitting the identity of the creature, the author builds suspense and intrigue.
Once the students have complete a Says/Does, ask them to share. Invite any brave students up to the board! Additional Questions: Can something have multiple functions? Homework: Students will read Chapter 4, select one line, and complete a Says/Does chart for that line. (A few of these will be selected for the whole class to examine tomorrow). Hesitations: This will be difficult for students. Remind them that the major difference between good and bad writers is that good writers have a “higher tolerance for failure” (30).Source Material:Berkenstein, Cathy and Gerald Graff. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in
Academic Writing. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2007. Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003. Print.
Lesson #5 – Finding Function, Ch. 4 (Merengue Dream) Duration: 40 Minutes Objectives: Students will be able to examine and evaluate the function of specific excerpts from The Color of My Words by completing a Says/Does chart (Berkenstein). They will also engage in discourse in order to immerse themselves in the text.
Reasoning: While allowing students to continue to develop their analysis, they will engage in discourse with others to make their interaction with the text more authentic…and memorable. Materials: Dance Video Say/Does Chart
Procedure:
Opening Question (10 minutes) Why is the merengue so important to Ana Rosa? Instead of writing today, have the students simply raise their hands to share what they think. Facilitate discussion, and challenge students to expand. After five minutes of class discussion, ask for a volunteer… to learn the merengue. “Who’s the best dancer here?” Students will likely volunteer their friends. If somebody volunteers, excellent! If not, “take the temperature of the room” to see if anybody would be brave enough (We don’t want anybody to feel uncomfortable). If somebody seems willing (but perhaps shy) select them to learn a step. Afterwards, show the class a clip from Fuego: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwPZuGDP3qY (the first 5 minutes). While providing visual illustrations of the merengue, salsa, and bachata, the video also helps students immerse themselves in the culture experience of the story, something “one cannot be shown how to do it” (Bruns 79). *Have a small drum available too!
Activity (20 minutes)After the dancing experience, have the students take out their homework. Ask them to take one minute to share with a partner (directly next to them). Then, ask the students to share with the whole class. Select a student to write his or her Says/Does on the board. Now, once the example is on the board, have the rest of the class comment on the Says/Does. What do we like about this? What can we improve about the citation? What can we improve about the analysis? Is this the only function of this line? What else does it DO to the story? After this discussion, select a new volunteer. Repeat the procedure. If there is time, choose a third volunteer too!
Closing (10 minutes)What is the function of the whole chapter? Have students write one line that reveals the function of the whole chapter.
Additional Questions: What kind of dance moves inform your culture? (e.g. The dab?) Homework: Students will read Chapter 5, select one line, and complete a Says/Does chart for that line. (One these will be selected for the whole class to examine tomorrow).Hesitations: Students may not be willing to dance. Encourage them, and do not make it too daunting. Source Material:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwPZuGDP3qYBerkenstein, Cathy and Gerald Graff. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in
Academic Writing. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2007. Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003.Bruns, Cristina. Why Literature? New York, NY: Continuum, 2011.
Says (Cite your evidence properly!)
Does(What does the author accomplish?)
Mami whispers, “You are this river, Ana Rosa, […] But you must flow softly around the rocks on your way to meet the sea. There you can do as you wish.” (Joseph 3).
By constructing this warning in a figurative manner, the author not only reveals Mami’s passion for language, but also encourages the reader to wonder what obstacles Ana Rosa will face along her quest to become a writer in the Dominican Republic.
Anna Rosa explains, “I went into the bedroom that I shared with Angela. I sat on the bed with my hands in my pocket, holding my secret close. Finally I reached under the thin mattress and stuffed the notepad as class to my side of the bed as I could” (Joseph 16).
By having Ana Rosa steal Guario’s notepad, the author not only reveals that narrator’s ravenous desire to write, but introduces a conflict within the family.
Lesson #6 – Reality as A Resource, Ch. 5 (My Brother’s Friend) Duration: 40 Minutes Objectives: Students will be able to make intertextual connections by comparing and contrasting two nonfiction articles with The Color of My Words. Reasoning: This lesson allows students to make “real world” connections through an examination of two nonfiction articles. One reveals the author’s personal reflection on her own writing (which can indirectly help students think metacognitively about their own process), and the other reveals information about literacy rates in the Dominican Republic. Through such investigation, student will explore the bidirectional relationship between fiction and nonfiction. Materials: http://dominicandream.org/about/factshttp://www.lynnjosephauthor.com/about_me.htm
Procedure: Opening Question (10 minutes) How can authors use reality as a resource? To begin class, facilitate a short discussion with the class. Have them turn-and-talk with a partner about this question. Once they have shared with a partner, encourage them to share with the class. Listen carefully to the students, and challenge them to expand on their ideas.
Activity (20 minutes)Distribute the nonfiction articles for today. Have them take notes on these two articles. “How do these pieces impact the way in which we read the text?” Have them a fill out a chart to record their reactions.
Facts About The Dominican Republic: What did you find surprising or interesting? How can this impact the way one reads the story?
About The Author: What did you find surprising or interesting? How can this impact the way one reads the story?
Did they know that the author too had a crush on her brother’s friend? Did the students know that around 85% of poor Dominican parents have never completed primary education? How does this color Ana Rosa’s journey to become a writer?
Closing (10 minutes) Once the students have discussed the impact of these nonfiction articles, have the students finished class with a quick write: If you were an author, what parts of your life would you include in a story? They should take five minutes to write, and then five minutes to share. Close by asking them to be aware of what stories are worth telling. When do we have to tell our own story? When do we have to give voice to the voiceless?
Additional Questions: How might literary influence one’s ability to interact with others?
Homework: Students will read Ch. 6, and use the Twitter platform to comment (3 originals each).
Hesitations: It will be important to take an empathetic angle when talking about other culture. As the teacher, guide discussion is such a way as to promote respect between different regions of people.
Source Material:Bruns, Cristina. Why Literature? New York, NY: Continuum, 2011.http://dominicandream.org/about/factshttp://www.lynnjosephauthor.com/about_me.htm
Lesson #7 – Making Mood, Ch. 6 (One Sunday)Duration: 40 Minutes Objectives: Students will be able to examine how an author uses setting and verb choice to create mood. Reasoning: By introducing students to two facets of mood construction, this lesson will hopefully “enable [them] to observe and interpret features of texts that we might have otherwise missed” (Blau 150). They will hone this transferrable skill to enhance their experience of this chapter and chapters to come. Materials: Selected excerpts from pages 81, 82, 83, 85, and 92
Procedure: Opening Question (10 minutes) How does an author create mood?Have student rate themselves on this question. 1 = I have no idea. 10 = I could write a book on this question. Facilitate a short discussion. First of all, what is mood? Have students take guesses. Provide some explanation,
but also allow students to use their prior knowledge.
Activity (20 minutes) After students have written their reactions, present a short lecture that highlights two ways to examine mood:1. Setting2. Verb Choice Tell the students that these are not the only ways to examine mood. There are many more, but this is what we will focus on today. During this lecture use excerpts from pages 81 and 83 to conduct a Think Aloud. Read each excerpt twice, “[r]eading sympathetically before reading critically” (Bruns 105). Point out the specific parts of the passage that emphasize the mood. Look at how the “sun slips behind the cloud” and how the author uses “mutilating” to describe the Papi’s breath. How do these choice impact the mood?
Closing (10 minutes) After lecturing, direct students to two new passages (on pages 85 and 92). They must now practice evaluating mood on their own. They will work individually first, examining the setting and verb choice for about 5 minutes. After they have made some discoveries, they may then share with a partner. This will help validate student discovery and clarify what has been missed. As the students are working circulate around the room to observe. To end, have student rate themselves again. 1 = I have no idea. 10 = I could write a book on this question.
Additional Questions: How else can we identify mood?
Homework: Students will read chapter 7 and use the Twitter platform to make comments (3 originals each).
Hesitations: Since students learn at different speeds, allow time to be slightly flexible. Also, help to clarify any Mood words that seem to difficult, or refer students to a dictionary. Also, help students who may have never used Twitter before. Do not isolate them. If they do have have a computer, allow them an alternative annotation.
Source Material: Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003Bruns, Cristina. Why Literature? New York, NY: Continuum, 2011.http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/building-reading-comprehension-through-139.html
Selected Excerpt How does the author use setting or verb selection to create mood?
Ana Rosa notes, “I was always surprised that the sun didn’t slip behind a cloud or something to warn me of what was coming. It shone on bright as ever as I clutched Papi to keep him and myself from falling on the sand” (Joseph 81).
Ana Rosa explains, “And I tried to squirm away from his mutilating breath?” (Joseph 83).
Ana Rosa recals, “Her eyes opened wide when she saw the dulces I pulled out of the bag. When I laid the cake on the table and said, ‘Your favorite’ she grabbed my shoulder roughly” (Joseph 85).
Ana Rosa relates, “From somewhere inside myself, I kew that Mami needed me and that she had a whole bunch of owrds and questions fighting her like I did. And if we didn’t stick together then one dark night those very same questions would eat us up and spit our bones across the sand” (Joseph 92).
Lesson #8– Making Mood, Ch. 7 (The Colors of Power) Duration: 40 Minutes Objectives: Students will not only share authentic reactions to the death of Guario, but will craft original scenes that illustrate specific moods. Reasoning: By engaging in a collaborative discourse, students will hopefully gain a greater understanding of how a “literary reading can offer a deeply moving experience” (130). As they practice their own writing they will also begin to realize that they, as writers, can also move the world. Materials: Mood SlipsCinnamon Box Procedure:
Opening Question (10 minutes) How does fiction affect reality? Begin class by reading the twitter posts of different students. Discuss authentic reaction’s to Guario’s death. What does it mean? How did the author build up to this moment?
Activity (20 minutes)Walk around and allow the students to take out a slip of paper from the Cinnamon Box. Each paper states a specific mood. They must keep these secret! Once all students have a slip, challenge them to crafts a short scene that illustrates the mood. Walk around to clarify directions. Let the students struggle to create their own scenes. If you have time, write your own scene as well (Blau 131). As the students write, remind them that “Strong writers think that what they think is worth writing down and reporting. Weak writers also have thoughts but assume they aren’t worth anything so they don’t explore them” (Blau 143). As student are writing, walk around to search for developed examples. Keep this in mind for the last part of class, when you will be “selecting representative” scenes for the class to examine (Blau 156).
Closing (10 minutes) To end class, ask for volunteers to take turns reading their short scenes in front of the class. Challenge the class to guess which mood each student had! Write the mood options on the board to help. Have students wrestle with this task. Thank the students for working hard, and tell them to enjoy the final chapter for homework.
Additional Questions: Have you ever been inspired by a story?Homework: Read the last chapter of the book. Post 3 original Twitter comments.
Hesitations: Since students learn at different speeds, allow time to be slightly flexible. Also, help to clarify any Mood words that seem to difficult, or refer students to a dictionary.
Source Material:Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003
Lesson #9 – Pointing Out Purpose, Ch. 8 (The Color of My Words)Duration: 40 Minutes Objectives: Students will be able to make intertextual connections in order to synthesize a conclusion.
Reasoning: By juxtaposing an advertisement for Punta Cana with the final chapter of The Color of My Words, this lesson will allow students to think critically about the 21st Century. This lesson will hopefully “encourage all students to participate as actively and as much as possible in the discourse of a discipline (mainly through writing and talking as well as through reading and listening) so they can build the kind of authentic knowledge that they can possess as their own rather than as borrowed from someone else” (Blau 161).
Materials: Nonfiction Articles
Writing Prompt
Procedure: Opening Question (10 minutes) How do we give voice to the voiceless? Examine the recent twitter feeds. Discuss authentic responses. Are there people today that need their story told?
Activity (20 minutes)After this discussion, distribute an advertisement for Punta Cana (a place where some students of this town vacation during the summer). Now that the students have contributed and shared their authentic reactions to the tragedy, it is time to bring the lesson home. Why does this matter to us? Their connection to Guario and the people of the Dominican Republic can now spill over into the way they observe tourism. The fiction can become part of their reality and “[t]he temporary blurring or softening of these dividing lines allow [them] to rework [their] ways of relating across them, enabling [them] to take on stances more responsive to the world around us” (Bruns 25). After the students have read the advertisement, have them respond to a question: Although the two pieces are about the Dominican Republic, how are they different? As the student are writing, show the Youtube video on Hotels in Punta Cana. Do these advertisements mention the fact that people like Guario have died to preserve the land and its people?
Closing (10 minutes)To end class, students will share their responses with the entire class. Additional Questions: If the country told everyone in Medfield they were being evicted for hotels and tourism, what would you do?Homework: Student will write a one paragraph about somebody who needs his or her story told. This will be the topic of their final writing assignment.
Hesitations: Before students share, remind the class that we are all developing writers. We are a team, and we will be respectful to each and every other fellow writer.
Source Material:Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003http://bookit.com/dominican-republic/punta-cana/?gclid=CO_jrM-H8c0CFVBZhgodDMcMKQ&gclsrc=aw.dshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQa8lgPtOEM
Wordsmith: ________________________________
Pointing Out Purpose
Punta Cana Advertisement The Color of My Words Excerpt
Dip your toes in the perfectly calm, crystal clear water, leisurely lounge on the fantastic beaches or hit the links of one of the many picturesque golf courses on your Punta Cana vacation getaway. This Caribbean destination is flush with options, from parasailing and fishing to sailing and snorkeling. While many of the
Ana Rosa reflects, “Our town had changed in six months. It was high tourist-season and there were more tourists than ever before. Hundreds of them came on fat silver planes. They walked around Sosua in bathing suits, trying our Spanish words with their strange accents…There was excitement every week
activities are centered near the beach, you'll also find other things to do in and around Punta Cana, from traveling to the exotic Manati Park to visiting historic settlements. Overflowing with all-inclusive resorts, a vacation package to Punta Cana offers the ease of knowing that all of your needs are covered. From resort food and entertainment to drinks and activities, everything is taken care of with an all-inclusive package. Punta Cana International Airport offers many direct flights to the eastern Dominican Republic. While the weather is mostly tropical, expect temperatures in the 80s, with high humidity in the summer and a dry season from March-July.
when the planes arrived, as if we were all waiting for something big, but we didn’t quite know what it was. More tourists is what we got and that was fine because out hotels and restaurants needed them and they made our beaches look happy and full of life. But still we waited for something special to come out of the sky, or maybe it was just me who was waiting” (Joseph 133-134).
Lesson #10 – Writing OpportunityDuration: 40 Minutes Objectives: Students will be able to engage in a writing workshop in which they offer and receive formal and informal feedback.
Reasoning: During this lesson, students will play the role of an author. They will work on constructing a two-page narrative about somebody whose story needs to be told. This assignment serves as a culmination of the previous nine lesson that interweave specific skills and the aesthetic-emotional experience in order to “inspire intense responses, inchoate emotions, quasi-visceral passions [that work] their way into our minds and hearts” (Felski 31). The goal is to help student gain both “pleasure and wisdom” (Smith 10).Materials:
Procedure: Opening Question (10 minutes) What power can words give us? Explain direction: Students will create a 3-page piece on somebody whose story needs to be told. Once they have completed their story, they will need to complete three tasks on their own creation:
1. Evidence Chart What a character wants Conflict Literary deceive to enhance the scene Cultural aspects
2. Says/Does
-Select one line that you find important or interesting. Then describe its function.
3. How do you use setting and verb choice to make mood?
Remind students that it will be tremendously helpful to keep in mind these three components as they write!
Activity (20 minutes)Students will use their homework as the topic for their narrative. They will work independently to build the foundations of their narratives. The teacher will walk around to remind student to “keep in mind” the three major requirements for this assignment.
Writing (10 minutes) To end class, have the students share their work with a partner. Have them read what they have written (so far). The partner’s job is to listen critically and to point out places where the student is targeting requirements 1, 2, and 3: What will fill out the evidence chart? Where could a good Says/Does analysis take place? Where does the author use setting and verb choice to emphasize mood? As a team, partners will brainstorm ways to better fulfill the requirements. They will have one week to add, edit, and fill out the requirement sheet.
Additional Questions: How does one submit his or her work to a publisher?
Homework: Continue to work on your writing. The writing assignment will be due in one week.
Hesitations: If some students do not bring in their homework, they will need to work independently to catch up. They will not be working with a partner. They must have their “ticket” to participate with the group.
Source Material:Felski, Rita. After Suspicion. Profession, 2009.
Writing Opportunity
Directions: You will compose a short narrative (3 pages) about somebody whose story needs to be told. After you have written your tale, you must then complete the following. Keep these in mind while you are writing (it will help!).
1. Fill out an Evidence Chart about your own story.
Evidence Chart Cite a piece of textual evidence to support each claim.
Example: Mr. Walkowicz shouts, “I love music!” (Smith 33).
The author reveals what a character wants.
The author incites or develops a conflict.*incites – encourages or stirs up
The author uses figurative language to enhance the scene. (i.e. smile, metaphor, personification…)
The author highlights nature or a cultural aspect of the Dominican Republic.
2. Select on line that you find important or interesting. Then complete a Says/Does on that line.
Says (Cite your evidence properly!)
Does(What does the author accomplish?)
3. How do you use setting and verb choice to make mood? Selected Excerpt(Cite your evidence properly!)
How does the author use setting or verb selection to create mood?
Due: One week from today!Works Cited
Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003.
Berkenstein, Cathy and Gerald Graff. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter inAcademic Writing. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2007.
Bruns, Cristina. Why Literature? New York, NY: Continuum, 2011.
Felski, Rita. After Suspicion. Profession, 2009.
Goldberg, Jerry. Understanding by Design. 2014. Ppt.
Joseph, Lynn. The Color of My Words. Broadway, NY: Harper Trophy, 2000.
