Name: Allison Fudge Placement/level: P.K. Yonge 9 th grade Date: 1/21 and 1/22 (block scheduling) Lesson Title: Beginning Monster Purpose or Goal of Instruction: The purpose of this lesson is to introduce the book Monster, get students thinking about the concept of justice, and to help them piece together the roles of various characters in the novel. This novel and the concept of justice are important for these students because current national events often allude to injustice in America for certain types of people. The text and concept should be relatable in some way to each student. I want students to begin getting familiar with the text, its characters, and its concepts. Rationale: This lesson includes a short focus lesson on how the students will complete their annotations for this novel. This will be effective because the annotations for this text are slightly different than the annotations the students are used to; showing students how to complete these notes first will give them a model for how to annotate. Allowing students to read silently on their own and then work in small groups to complete a character guide will help them begin to bridge together the many characters and rely on one another for details they may not have noticed in the text themselves. Objective: To explain my objectives to my students, I will start each class by explaining what we will be doing in class today and what I hope they will learn. I will have the day’s activities written on the board for students to refer to whenever they choose. 1. Students will be able to state whether there is “liberty and justice for all” in America and explain why. 2. Students will be able to recognize components of annotations with symbols and compose journal entries.
Purpose or Goal of Instruction: The purpose of this lesson is to introduce the book Monster, get students thinking about
the concept of justice, and to help them piece together the roles of various characters in the novel. This novel and the concept of justice are important for these students because current national events often allude to injustice in America for certain types of people. The text and concept should be relatable in some way to each student. I want students to begin getting familiar with the text, its characters, and its concepts.
Rationale:This lesson includes a short focus lesson on how the students will complete their
annotations for this novel. This will be effective because the annotations for this text are slightly different than the annotations the students are used to; showing students how to complete these notes first will give them a model for how to annotate. Allowing students to read silently on their own and then work in small groups to complete a character guide will help them begin to bridge together the many characters and rely on one another for details they may not have noticed in the text themselves.
Objective: To explain my objectives to my students, I will start each class by explaining what we will be doing in class today and what I hope they will learn. I will have the day’s activities written on the board for students to refer to whenever they choose.
1. Students will be able to state whether there is “liberty and justice for all” in America and explain why.
2. Students will be able to recognize components of annotations with symbols and compose journal entries.
3. Students will be able to compile information about characters in Monster and display the character’s looks and role in the novel.
Process/Procedures for Teachers: Preparation and time & materials needed:For this lesson, I will need a class set of Monster books, a class set of Chromebooks, a projector with screen, a blank annotation chart, and my Google Slide character guide. To prepare for this 100 minute lesson, I need to have read Monster and be well-versed in the first 60 pages and main characters. I will practice modeling the annotation process and will review the directions for the character guide activity. I will also set up the whiteboard with the day’s agenda, assignments, and learning goal (required by P.K.). I will type out PowerPoint slides that state the directions for each major activity of the day. Introduction:To introduce the class to this lesson, I will begin by reminding the class that we are beginning a new novel today. I will tell them how the novel deals with issues of justice as the main character is on trial for murder. I will then lead the warm up, which includes students answering the
question “In America, is there really liberty and justice for all?” Students will answer on a sticky note and explain their answer. They will then line up in a human barometer and some students will share their answers. Assistance/scaffolding:To introduce the students to the novel and its unique layout, I will read the first 10 pages out loud to the class. This will help students become familiar with the flow of the novel, its layout of journal entries and movie script, and film directions. I will model the new annotation style for students before they complete them alone. I will also allow students to complete their character guide in groups so they can help one another when dissecting characters. Closure/Summary:Announce to students that we will finish the character guide at the beginning of the next class. Remind them that 15 annotations are due on February 3rd at 11:55pm. Quickly review what was done in class. Connection to previous and forthcoming lessons:During the previous poetry unit, students thought a lot about their own identities and what makes them who they are. In this novel, they will meet a main character who is constantly guessing at who he really is. The day before this lesson, students came up with personal definitions of justice and posted them on a large paper. This will help them when they answer the question about “liberty and justice for all” in America. In the future, students will continue to look at America’s justice system and how it treats the main character in the novel.
Process/Procedures for Students: 1. Students are reminded that Monster will be started today. Everyone picks up copy of
book from table.2. Students are reminded of their definitions of justice from previous day. They view slide
that says “In America, is there really liberty and justice for all?” Each student receives a sticky note. On it, they answer the question with yes or no as well as two reasons why they think this way.
3. When finished, students line up in a human barometer. People who think there is justice for all stand near the front of the class while students who disagree stand near the back.
4. A few students share their opinions from their sticky notes.5. Students return to desks and their books. Teacher explains format of Monster and
encourages students to flip through pages. Teacher reads aloud pages 1-10. 6. Students silently read for 30 minutes (aiming for up to page 58).7. Students take out Chromebooks and pull up annotation document. Watch/listen as teacher
explains annotations and models an example. Students may ask questions.8. Students receive time to complete 2-3 annotations. 15 of them are due by the end of the
novel.9. Teacher explains next activity that will help students grasp characteristics of 11
characters in novel as well as their role/relationship in the book. Students are placed into groups of 3. The activity will be done on Google Slides.
10. As a group, students divide up the 11 characters. For each character, students will describe the person’s looks, job, and relationship to others. They will choose two important quotes said by the character and will select an image of an actor they think could play this character in a movie. One slide is completed per character.
11. Students have until end of class to get as much done as possible. When class ends, teacher reminds students they will have the beginning of the next class to finish the activity. A brief review of the day is announced.
Assessment: Work collected/observed: Sticky note answering whether there is “liberty and justice for all” in America, symbol annotations, character guide Criteria used: The sticky notes about justice will be assessed formatively as there is no right or wrong answer to this question and they are used as a way to warm students up to the idea of justice in our country. I will hear from some students vocally, but everyone will post their note on a poster so I can reflect on their answers later. Students will not submit annotations during this lesson, but they will eventually be assessed summatively. The character guides will not be submitted until every important character in the novel is introduced. These guides are mostly for the students to be able to keep track of the characters and their roles in the story, so they are assessed formatively as well. Excellent work will be detailed, thoughtful, authentic, and supported from the text.
Accommodation: To support students, I will read aloud the first 10 pages of the novel to help with flow of
the text, confusing fonts and formatting, and screen directions. I will also model the annotations we will use for this unit. Students will be in groups for the character guide which allows them to also rely on each other as well as the book when they search for information. There are currently no ESOL students in this 9th grade class. However, ESOL students would also benefit from hearing me read the beginning of the book out loud. If these students do not read through the pages chosen for this lesson, they may come after school to help sessions. To challenge students, they may make up their own category of symbols for their annotations. They can track their thoughts in a different or deeper way. Teacher will circulate room throughout lesson to answer questions and check up on students. The question mark section of the annotations can be checked throughout the unit to track what students are wondering about and what should be cleared up in class.
Standards addressed: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
? - I have a question about this* - This makes me think Steve is guilty or not guilty (explain why)! - I have an emotional reaction about this (sad, mad, etc. and explain why) # - Come up with your own category
Entry (include page number) Mark Explain your marking
Name: Allison FudgePlacement/level: P.K. Yonge 9th gradeDate: 1/26 and 1/27 (block scheduling) Lesson Title: Monster: Understanding Location and Action Purpose or Goal of Instruction:
The purpose of this lesson is to continue students’ understanding of the core text and lead them to consider the effect of a location on a character’s action. This lesson/topic is important for students reading this book because the main character in Monster behaves differently in flashback interactions with his younger brother versus interactions with older men on the side of the streets.
Rationale: This lesson includes a focus lesson when I introduce the location/action handout to the
class. Because the students have not yet considered how various locations/settings can affect a character’s actions, I want to make sure I model the thought process for them. I think this will help them understand the effect of a specific location. This process involves the gradual release of responsibility which helps students gradually learn to complete processes alone.
Objective: To explain my objectives to my students, I will start each class by explaining what we will be doing in class today and what I hope they will learn. I will have the day’s activities written on the board for students to refer to whenever they choose.
1. Students will be able to compile information about characters in Monster and display the character’s looks and role in the novel.
2. Students will be able to compose journal entries by using symbol annotations.3. Students will be able to identify how different locations affect a character’s actions.
Process/Procedures for Teachers: Preparation and time & materials needed: For this lesson I will need a set of Monster books, a set of Chromebooks, a projector and screen, character guide online, and a location/action handout (online). To prepare for this 100 minute lesson, I will review pages 59-113 of the novel. I will think about how to introduce the location/action sheet and prepare an example to model. I will set up the whiteboard with the day’s agenda, learning goal, and assignments. I will type out directions onto PowerPoint slides. Introduction:To introduce this lesson, I will remind students that last class we began reading Monster. We began our annotations that are due February 3rd and also began working on a character guide for the novel. Students are asked to think about what they read last class. Then, they are given a sticky note. Students write whether or not they think Steve, the main character, is guilty or innocent and why. Each student posts their opinion on a large poster hanging on the classroom wall; one side of the poster says “guilty” and the other says “innocent”. We briefly discuss their opinions. Assistance/scaffolding:Students are once again allowed to work in small groups to complete their character guide and the book may be referenced. When beginning the location/action worksheet, the teacher models an example with the class first so that students can see the process. The teacher circulates the
room while students are working to answer questions and provide help. For students known to be higher, more complex questions can be asked to them in order to promote higher and deeper thinking about the text. Knowing levels of students’ knowledge can guide differentiation when asking individualized questions. Directions are provided online, on PowerPoint slides, and agenda/learning goal is posted on whiteboard. Closure/Summary:Teacher reviews activities completed today briefly. Reminds students that annotations are due February 3rd and there will be a timed writing on the 2nd/3rd (depending on the class). Connection to previous and forthcoming lessons:This lesson connects to the previous day’s because students continue reading the book and finish the character guide that was introduced. It connects to forthcoming lessons because students are continuing to study characters, their actions, and interact with the text through annotations. These all help prepare students for their timed writing and final project.
Process/Procedures for Students: 1. Students are reminded that they began reading Monster last class and that annotations for
the novel will be due February 3rd. 2. Thinking of what they have read so far, students are given a sticky note. On it, they write
whether or not they think Steve is guilty and why. Once finished, they place the sticky note on a large poster hanging on a wall of the room. One side says “guilty” and one says “innocent”.
3. A few students share their thoughts so far.4. Students pull out Chromebooks and revisit their character guides on Google Slides. They
get back into their groups to finish the rest of the slides for the characters they did not finish last class.
5. After about 20 minutes, students are given 30 minutes of silent reading time.6. Students have 10-15 minutes after reading time to work on annotations.7. Students pull up location/action sheet on Chromebook. Listen/watch focus lesson on how
a location can affect the action of a character. Focus lesson includes teacher picking one scene from the novel and walking through the questions on the handout. Teacher discusses where the scene is taking place, what happens in the scene, how the location could affect the actions, and what personal feelings or judgements arise from this knowledge. Students write this example down as teacher does it.
8. Students work in pairs/small groups (depending on period) to finish the remaining sections of worksheet. Students will complete one scene focusing on Steve and one scene on whichever character they’d like. Students may choose their own scenes for each example or rely on two prechosen scenes if they do not want to choose.
9. Wrap up. Brief review of the day, annotation due date reminder, etc.
Assessment: Work collected/observed: Character guide, annotations, location/action sheet Criteria used: As stated in previous lesson plan, the character guide is formative and the annotations will eventually be summative. The location/action sheet will also be formative as students are being introduced to the topic and are experiencing this idea for the first time.
Excellent work will be detailed, show support from the text, show evidence of a valid reading, and will be thoughtful.
Accommodation: Students who need support can rely on teacher assistance both during class and after
school during help sessions. Small group work (grouping students explain) also allows students to collaborate on activities. Depending on the class period, students are grouped with the students around them or are allowed to choose their own groups. Some students can handle working with friends while other classes just get distracted. Teacher models new activities to demonstrate excellent work during the location/action worksheet. ESOL students can also benefit from help sessions and small group work. Students who need a challenge, as stated before, can annotate their novel in more depth and can create their own symbol category. The symbol categories can range from more surface-level features of the novel to deeper meanings. They can look at more complex scenarios in the text when completing the location/action sheet. Throughout the location/action activity, students may challenge themselves by searching the text for scenes that demonstrate a specific location affecting someone’s actions. Students who need support for this activity are given prechosen scenes to fall back on if they cannot find a scene that works by themselves.
***When I taught this lesson, I did not have students draw out their scenes because we were out of time. However, I do think adding a drawing component would increase students’ understanding of the location vs action concept. It would allow them to visually see the differences between the locations, add a creative component, and force them to think about minor details within the scene. Student pairs could draw both of their scenes or focus on making one really detailed. Student pairs could later share their drawings with people who chose differing locations and small discussions about the scenes’ actions could be fruitful.***
Standards addressed: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Directions: Choose two different scenarios in the novel in which the location of the scene affects a character’s action. At least one of the scenes has to focus on Steve and his actions. Answer all four questions using evidence from the text for each separate scenario. Please include the page number(s) of your scene.
Example with Ms. Fudge, Pg. 58
1. What happened? Explain the event in a sentence or two.
2. Where did it happen? Explain the location in a sentence or two.
3. How did the location influence the action? Draw on multiple pieces of evidence to make an argument.
4. What are your feelings/judgments about this action? Explain your own feelings about the action in a few sentences. Use evidence when necessary.
Scene with Steve:
1. What happened? Explain the event in a sentence or two.
2. Where did it happen? Explain the location in a sentence or two.
3. How did the location influence the action? Draw on multiple pieces of evidence to make an argument.
4. What are your feelings/judgments about this action? Explain your own feelings about the action in a few sentences. Use evidence when necessary.
Scene of my Choice:
1. What happened? Explain the event in a sentence or two.
2. Where did it happen? Explain the location in a sentence or two.
3. How did the location influence the action? Draw on multiple pieces of evidence to make an argument.
4. What are your feelings/judgments about this action? Explain your own feelings about the action in a few sentences. Use evidence when necessary.
Purpose or Goal of Instruction:The purpose of this lesson is to help students understand major events in Monster that affect the overall plot and movement of the story and characters. Students will visually see an order to events in the book that may otherwise be confusing.
Rationale: My method of teaching is appropriate because it is important for students to have in-class time to read the material teachers deem important. In regards to the timeline, my students are familiar with working in small groups to complete visual activities. They have already been tracking characters and how actions are affected by location, so the timeline takes them one step further.
Objective: To explain my objectives to my students, I will start each class by explaining what we will be doing in class today and what I hope they will learn. I will have the day’s activities written on the board for students to refer to whenever they choose.
1. Students will be able to compile a timeline of major events that impact the plot of Monster.
2. Students will be able to compose journal entries by using symbol annotations.
Process/Procedures for Teachers: Preparation and time & materials needed: For this lesson, I will need a set of Monster books, a set of Chromebooks, a projector with screen, multiple sheets of poster paper, and sticky notes. To prepare for this 100 minute lesson, I will review pages 114-160 of Monster. I will collect materials and type out instructions for the activities on a PowerPoint. I will collect a handful of key events from the novel that students can refer to in case they need assistance deciding what to include on the timeline. Introduction: To introduce this lesson, I will remind students where we stopped in the novel last period. We will continue our thinking on whether or not Steve is guilty, and students will fill out a sticky note with their opinion and why. They will post responses on poster paper in classroom. Assistance/scaffolding: Assistance is provided to students by having them work in small groups, having me circulate the room often to answer questions and provide advice. By keeping in mind the students’ levels and how much of the book they have read thus far, I can extend individual learning by prompting students with questions that I think will challenge or support them. Closure/Summary: To close the lesson, students will finish up their timelines and turn them in. If time allows, students may view other groups’ timelines. I will briefly review what we did during this lesson and remind students of due dates for annotations. Connection to previous and forthcoming lessons: This lesson connects to previous lessons because students continue their reading of the novel and push their understanding further by recreating a timeline that connects the major events presented in the novel thus far. Seeing everything visually will help them piece together the story, especially because the novel has many flashbacks, characters, and various settings. This lesson connects to forthcoming lessons
because it provides a solid foundation for students’ understanding and prepares them for their final project, essay, etc.
Process/Procedures for Students: 1. Introduction/warm up. Remind students of what happened last class. Each student gets
sticky note to write down whether or not they think Steve is guilty or not and why. Students post notes on poster on class wall.
2. Students receive 30 minutes to read silently. 3. Students have 10-15 minutes to work on annotations.4. Students are shown and told directions for timeline activity. 5. Students are placed into groups and each group is given a poster paper with markers,
colored pencils, etc. As a group they draw and write out the major components of the novel’s plot. Each group should have at least 7-10 events.
6. Wrap up, reminder of the day, reminder of assignments.
Assessment: Work collected/observed: Annotations, posters of timeline Criteria used: Annotations were explained in earlier lesson. The timeline posters will be collected but will be assessed formatively. Excellent work on the posters will be neat, organized, representative of the storyline in Monster, and in chronological order. From the timelines, I will be able to see whether or not students have a grasp on the central story line in the novel. I will continually circulate around the classroom to ensure that all students are on task and contributing to the group.
Accommodation: Students will receive support from going back and referring to the novel. They will also be able to pull events to put on the timeline from their location/action activity that they did the class before. Their annotations may also help them, as well as other group members. I will be open for assistance as well. Students can challenge themselves by including events that were referenced in flashbacks as well as smaller events that have an effect on the plot, nonetheless. Aligning the events visually can help all students, especially ESOL students who may have trouble strictly reading the novels.
Standards addressed: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Name: Allison FudgePlacement/level: P.K. Yonge 9th grade Date: 2/1 (50 min. period, Monday, all classes), 2/2 and 2/3 (block scheduling) Lesson Title: Monster and Morality
Purpose or Goal of Instruction: The purpose of these lessons is to have students continue their deep understanding of
Monster and its characters. Students will be able to take a deeper look at individual characters by placing them into different levels of morality based on their personality and actions. This lesson is important for students as it will help them determine who in the story is really guilty of a crime, who is just, who is treated justly, and who is morally sound. Students will connect deeper with the characters.
Rationale: The method of having students work collaboratively on creating a visual moral universe
for the characters in Monster was chosen because I believe it will help students further develop their understandings of the multiple characters in the novel. Seeing their ideas visually and in a ranking type of layout can help them become active participants in the novel, deciding who is guilty, innocent, etc.
Objective: To explain my objectives to my students, I will start each class by explaining what we will be doing in class today and what I hope they will learn. I will have the day’s activities written on the board for students to refer to whenever they choose.
1. Students will be able to compose journal entries by using symbol annotations.
2. Students will be able to categorize characters from Monster into levels of morality based on clues from the text.
Process/Procedures for Teachers: Preparation and time & materials needed: For this lesson, I will need a set of Monster books, a set of Chromebooks, a stack of stick notes, a stack of poster paper, a projector, and a screen. In order to prepare for this 50 minute lesson and 100 minute lesson, I need to briefly review Monster through the end of the book. I need to create system of levels of morality so that when students get into groups to draw where they think each character belongs, they have a scaffold/model structure to follow. Introduction:Day 7 (2/1): Remind students that so far, we have gotten up to around page 160 of Monster and that annotations have been started and are due February 3rd. Students will fill out sticky note declaring whether or not they think Steve is guilty or not and why. They post answers on scale in classroom.Day 8&9 (2/2 and 2/3): Remind students that so far, we have gotten to around page 205 of Monster. The jury has not yet decided whether Steve is guilty or not, and we are still considering the topic as well. Like previous days, students rethink what they know about Steve and predict whether he is guilty or innocent on sticky notes and post them on the wall. Assistance/scaffolding:
The assistance/scaffolding for annotations has already been listed earlier. For the moral universe, directions are given orally and projected onto the board. Different levels of the universe will be created for students to refer back to when creating their posters. Students will be working in groups and are able to consistently refer back to the text to help support their thinking of the characters. Closure/Summary:Day 7: Students finish working on annotations and are reminded of due date. They should not be around page 160 and can come to help sessions after school if they need to catch up. Day 8&9: Students finish working on moral universe posters. If time allows, they may look at other groups’ work. Posted will be turned in and/or posted around the room. Students are reminded of annotations due at 11:55pm on the 3rd. Students should be finished with book and can come after school to read if they have not finished. Students are reminded about timed writing they have next class. Connection to previous and forthcoming lessons:These lessons connect to the previous ones because students continue reading and hopefully finish Monster. The students have already completed a character guide in which they look at major characters’ looks, jobs, relationships to others, and major quotes. This will help them complete the moral universe because they already have a reference to remind them of each character. This lesson connects to forthcoming lessons because students are preparing to write about Monster in an essay and pull all of their knowledge together into a final project. The moral universe, reading, and annotations helps give them information to include in both the essay and project.
Process/Procedures for Students: Day 7 (2/1, every class in for 50 minutes) **Because this period is so short and all the students have time for is reading and annotations, I included this day into this lesson plan**
1. Students are reminded of activities from the day before. As a warm up, students reflect on their knowledge of Steve and his trial. They receive a sticky note and re-think/note whether or not he is innocent or guilty, in their opinion and why. They post the sticky notes on poster in classroom. Some thoughts are shared as to why students think this way.
2. Students are given 30 minutes to silently read, aiming to end at page 205. 3. Students are given the remaining 15 minutes to work on annotations as they are due in
two days. Day 8 (2/2 and 2/3 block scheduling again)
1. Students are given 30 minutes to read to themselves. 2. Students are given 10-15 minutes to work on their annotations on their Chromebooks.3. Students listen/view directions for moral universe. Are told they can refer to their book
and character guide to help them decide where to place each character. 4. Students are placed into small groups of about 4 people, depending on the class. Each
group receives a sheet of poster paper and markers, colored pencils, etc. 5. As a group, students develop a moral universe where they rank main characters in terms
of their values, history, crime rate, way they speak, etc. 6. Students must have reasoning for why they put each character where they did. 7. If time allows, students can walk around and see each group’s poster. If not, posters will
be turned in and teacher will wrap up class, remind about annotation due date, and remind about timed writing.
Assessment: Work collected/observed: Annotations, posters on morality of characters Criteria used: As stated before, annotations will eventually be a summative assessment. The posters created in groups will be formative assessments. Excellent work on the morality charts/posters will be organized, clear, creative, supported by the text, thorough, and detailed. This assessment choice will help me gain insight into student learning because I will be able to visually see how students are thinking about the novel’s characters. I will see how they are interpreting the personalities, crimes, and actions.
Accommodation: Support/challenge for the annotations has already been listed. In terms of the moral universe, support is built into the directions and outline of the universe that I create. Students can reference this outline and use their own character guides to help fill in their world. Support for students of all types, as well as ESOL students, is built into the activity itself because students can visually represent their thinking in a way other than writing. Challenge is present for students who want to forgo the outline I create and create their own. They may also add more minor characters to the universe if they choose.
Standards addressed:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3
Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Name: Allison Fudge Placement/level: P.K. Yonge 9th grade Date: 2/4 and 2/5 (block scheduling) Lesson Title: Monster Timed Writing and Final Project
Purpose or Goal of Instruction: The purpose of this lesson is for students to culminate their knowledge about Monster
into a timed writing that both displays their knowledge of the text and helps prepare them for standardized testing. The introduction of their final creative project for the text allows students to put their experience of the text into a creative outlet of their choice. The timed writing and project both allow students to explore the novel’s plot, characters, and treatment of the justice system.
Rationale: The method of a timed writing is appropriate for these students because although timed
writings do not always allow students to develop their thoughts and skills to their full potential, writing for a test is a skill that they need to practice in order to succeed on standardized tests in the future. Giving students time in class to develop their final creative project on Monster will ensure that each student has guidance in their project and sufficient in-school time to complete a significant portion. I think this is necessary and effective because it shows students that what I value, their project, is important enough to dedicate class time to. It also gives every student a fair chance to work on their projects, as some students may not have suitable places outside of school to complete their work.
Objectives: To explain my objectives to my students, I will start each class by explaining what we will be doing in class today and what I hope they will learn. I will have the day’s activities written on the board for students to refer to whenever they choose.
1. Students will be able to compose an essay that demonstrates their knowledge on a core theme in Monster.
2. Students will be able to construct a creative project that demonstrates their experience of the text.
Process/Procedures for Teachers: Preparation and time & materials needed: For this lesson, I will need a set of Monster books, a set of Chromebooks, an essay prompt, a list of final project options, a projector, and a screen. To prepare for this 100 minute lesson, I will create the timed essay prompt and post it online for students. I will also compile final project suggestions with descriptions for students. Introduction: To introduce this lesson, I will remind students that last class, they finished reading Monster. Today they will be completing a timed essay within a 50 minute period. I will explain that these types of essays, although not an ideal situation, can help them prepare for timed writings on standardized tests. I will also explain that the prompt is something they have been focusing on throughout the unit, so they should be familiar and comfortable with the topic. Assistance/scaffolding: While students write their essays, they are able to refer to the book and their annotations to help generate ideas and include quotes if they wish. In terms of their final
project, students are given a list of five different ideas as well as a “create your own” option. Having students choose their project topics allows them to play to their strengths whether they be strong at writing, drawing, music, or making videos. The reflection piece attached to the project allows students to explain their project decisions, so if students are not very artistic, they can support their work through writing. Students are given class time to work and receive feedback from teachers. Closure/Summary: To end the day, I will remind students what we did today. I will encourage them to work on their projects over the weekend, if they are able. I will also tell them they will have some time during the next class period to work on the assignment. Connection to previous and forthcoming lessons: This lesson connects to previous lessons because students compile all of their knowledge from the unit and the text and show this knowledge through their essay and begin to work on the final creative project. This lesson begins to wrap up the unit on Monster.
Process/Procedures for Students: 1. Students are reminded that they have now finished reading Monster and will begin their
final assessments on it. 2. Students take out Chromebooks and are introduced to prompt. They are given 50 minutes
to write an essay fulfilling the guiding question. Books and annotations may be used for quotes, interpretations, etc.
3. Students are given short break to stretch and talk after completing and submitting essay.4. Students are introduced to final creative project (5 different choices plus a create your
own option)5. Students have the rest of the class period to work individually on their projects. 6. Wrap-up. Students are encouraged to work on project over the weekend, but will also
have time during the next class to finish it.
Assessment: Work collected/observed: Timed essay, final project Criteria used: Each of these assignments counts as a summative assessment. This may seem like a lot of work, but students will only be given 50 minutes to work on their essay in order to prepare for testing. The inclusion of the creative project allows each student to spend time creatively expressing their experience of the novel. Excellent work on the essay will be organized, grammatically correct, focused, detailed, and will answer the guiding question. Excellent work on the final project will be creative, neat, detailed, well-written, and explanatory of personal experience and thoughts.
Accommodation: Giving students choice between multiple project ideas allows for both support and
challenge. Students are able to choose a project that best fits their abilities; this includes creative/artistic talents as well as understanding of the novel and its concepts. Students who need a challenge can choose an assignment that pulls them out of their comfort zone and pushes them to explore a new realm of creativity. ESOL students who may not feel comfortable writing a letter or rewriting the ending of the novel can rely on images and pictures to express their
interpretations. During class time, teachers are available for questions and support. Help sessions after school are also available.
Standards addressed: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Timed Writing (50 minutes)
Essential Question: Based on your reading of the novel Monster, is Steve Harmon guilty or not guilty of felony murder? Support your decision with evidence from the text. Consider Steve’s character before and during the trial, his relationships with his family and friends, and his journal entries.
Monster Final Project Directions: Choose ONE project to complete. For each project, you must complete a reflection piece of at least 200 words describing your project, what you did, and why you made it the way you did. You must show your reasoning in detail and show that you have read the book and understand it thoroughly.
1. Movie poster: Create a movie poster that could be on display if Monster were to be turned into a movie. Include a list of who your actors/actresses would be.
2. CD Soundtrack: Compile a CD with at least 10 songs that you can relate to the book. Include a few sentences about each song listing why you chose to include it on the CD and how it relates to the book. You must include a CD case and a CD cover with an image that goes with the book. All songs must be listed on a track list for the disc on the back of the case or within the case.
3. Letter to the editor: Write a detailed letter to the editor letting them know whether or not you feel Steve got a fair trial. You must include Why or Why not! Your letter needs to be at least one page long (typed including a heading, greeting, body, signature, and closing). You will need to include evidence as to your feelings about why you feel Steve did or did not receive a fair trial.
4. Alternate Ending: Did you not like the ending to Monster? Write at least a one-page (typed) ending changing the way you would have liked the book to end. You must write the ending in the format of the novel, meaning you should write in either a journal entry or movie script format.
5. Comic Strip: Take a part of the story and create a comic strip representing the main points in it. Think about the major events that you would be able to visually represent. Depending on your detail, the strip could represent the entire book or just one particular part of the story.
6. Choose your own: If none of these projects appeal to you, you may create your own. It MUST be approved before you begin working on it!
Dr. Caprino,
I have made edits to the sections of the lessons you commented on. I added more detail to the section on location versus action so you can see more of my thought process. I also included a small paragraph explaining how I would include a drawing aspect to this activity if I had the time. I chose not to expand more on my ESOL accommodation even though I feel like it is lacking, because I do not currently have ESOL students in my 9th grade classes. I tried to expand a little more in the rest of my accommodation sections in terms of the struggling and high students because I felt like I needed more differentiation, as you pointed out. I also edited the section where I discussed the “series of moral levels” that you asked me to explain because I realized I had typed that into the wrong lesson plan. In terms of how students are grouped, they typically get to choose their partner/group or they are working with the people seated around them. I do think that grouping the students according to level would be successful at times, but I have not experimented with this yet. One low student who has multiple issues concentrating and getting along with people was grouped with two girls who are known to be very kind and patient with him; this seemed to be successful. In terms of the mini lessons before silent reading time, we have not been doing them. I do think it is a good suggestion for the future. I could focus them on parts of the book students are confused about. Thank you for all of your help and comments!
