Explanation Game - Clothes

This lesson started with a coaching session with Michelle. ECE was continuing to struggle on finding ways to integrate thinking routines into our daily routines and lessons so they are authentic and don't feel forced or just yet another activity. It is also challenging with this agegroup how to incorporate these routines in a meaningful context alongside UbD. Considering this, we got to talking about one of our big ideas of our clothing unit being around how clothing (an most anything) is designed with a purpose in mind.

With the olympics approaching, Michelle suggested we might consider how to use The Explanation Game to explore the essential question of why people wear certain clothes and support the enduring understanding things are designed with a purpose. The Explanation Game is very similar to a See Think Wonder with the exception that it provides what feels like a less rigid framework for the children to navigate. What we have discovered with our youngest learners is that it is hard for them to decipher (and hard for us to explain clearly) the difference between thinking and wondering. Somehow the Explanation Game of "Seeing It" and "Explaining It" felt potentially looser and hopefully would promote more conversation as opposed to the children getting wrapped up in the difference between thinking and wondering hindering conversations.

Our first intention was to show one picture of some type of olympic sport which may require certain clothes for warmth or speed. however it occurred to me, it may prove more enduring and meaningful if the children were asked to look at 2 pictures to compare and contrast especially if they involved a similar activity. This is why we chose figure skating and hockey both similar in that people skate but very different when we consider what the athletes wear.

In my class, we did this activity over 2 days in small groups with the students looking at one picture one day and the other picture the next day. My group first looked at the figure skaters. Based on the comments you can read below on the chart, I was pleasantly surprised with how much conversation generated around what these skaters were skating. The children were very observant even noticing the boy was wearing a necklace. This initiated some different opinions about boys wearing nexklaces which I could not help but be amused. Getting the children to think about not just what the skaters were wearing but why proved much more challenging but with conversation a few reached the point of understanding the girl might be cold and perhaps was wearing tights and that they wanted to look pretty. It is worth noting none shared anything about the clothes being flexible given how their bodies needed to bend. 

 



On the 2nd day, my students looked at a picture of hockey players. Children saw a lot of detail and were able to articulate one reason why these skaters wore what they wore. They knew pads and helmets were for safety. They however did not automatically make connections between the figure skaters and the hockey players until I asked. I did this with my small group but when I noticed my para had not done the same, I thought it worth continuing the discussion as a large group to help me assess overall what all the students had come away with as far as their understanding.

By taking the time to generate discussion about the similarities and differences it seemed like the real thinking and understanding began to take shape. Students knew the hockey players were playing a game which required different clothes and protective gear. They started to understand Jerseys represented teams. They were also able to articulate hockey is a dangerous sport. It was harder for them to get past the figure skaters just looking pretty. When I posed the question of whether they thought figure skating dangerous they said no. When I told them the girl gets tossed through the air on top of solid hard ice and asked shy she doesn't wear pads, they came to the realization figure skating is also dangerous but the desire to look pretty outweighed wearing pads. Of course, this may have more to do with limited schema than anything else especially since they were not thinking about how pads would impede a figure skaters performance. 

My biggest AHA for this lesson was to slow down and take time for this lesson to build enduring understanding over the course of days. it was well worth it. While some things were missed, I think taking the time to really compare and contrast helped bridge the understanding for the students and it took time for them to get to this point. When we later went to the task of doing a writing prompt where students drew someone wearing something and had to provide the reason why they were wearing this item, I was able to see what they took away from this lesson. Many students drew themselves wearing some type of uniform and articulated it showed their team or that they wore shorts to stay cool etc. helping me see children had begun to understand clothing is at least worn with a purpose in mind. I also realized these understandings take time and happen over the course of a unit for an ECE student. Each activity or lesson builds on the next. Fairly obvious but an AHA for me nonetheless and something I have established as a goal. I want to use these routines in a variety of ways over time to build understandings as opposed to the same way each time with an expectation the understanding will come immediately. While this was placed close to the end of our unit to assess understanding, I'll try next time to strategically place the Explanation Game during another point in my unit so see what develops.

UbD in ECE

In ECE we have the benefit of using a new curriculum which has been exceptionally useful this year as we work towards backward design. It already lays out essential questions for our units of study and provides activities and a daily format in which to move towards more enduring understandings. The difficult task for ECE with UbD however is that these units of study are more tools or ways to build more universal understandings because ECE is less content driven and more about exposure and building background knowledge. This challenge is more apparent as I look towards these enduring understandings and developing assessments or checks for understanding. For example in our Clothing Unit, I was less interested in children knowing a great deal about clothing. It was rather just a vehicle for them to learn skills such as classfication based on what they knew about clothing. Ultimately my focus became more about the skills they developed during the unit with a basic understanding that clothing is deisgned and used for a purpose. My assessments then were more performance tasks based on fine motor and classification skills. 

During one of our PLC, we were asked to develop a UbD Template and develop essential questions. During this time, our team took the already laid out questions and developed our desired understandings and the key knowledge and skills we wanted our children to gain through the unit. We did this for our Clothes Unit at the time. When it came to our Reduce Reuse Recycle Unit, I worked to put together a similar template and identified what I wanted my students to understand and the skills I hoped for them to gain. To do this, I looked at the colorado Academic State Standards (ECE does not yet use Common Core) as well as our ECE assessment tool TS Gold to help me develop clear goals and intentions. Below is what I came up with...

At the time, I did not realize DPS provided a UbD like template on their Website. I only discovered it afterwards. I must admit however that by doing the exercise on my own, I gained a much better perspecitve and understanding on how I should approach UbD desgin for our future units. What I discovered comparing my template with DPS's is not surprising considering the grade level. While the big ideas vary and some of the enduring understandings are unit specific, truthfully the majority of the enduring understandings and key goals and skills are much the same within each unit of study. Again the study is more a vehicle for understanding very general big ideas. This is not surprising to me for our youngest learners since so much of what we do is building schema and basic skills.

Doing my own version first was beneficial for several reasons. It has made me more intentional and made me consider goals more personal for my students. I have been able to prioritize what I believe is best for my students and differentiate for their needs which ultimately makes for a more engaged learning experience for my students. It is therefore a practice I will continue with future units. 

Another benefit to doing a compare and contrast between my template and the DPS template was to see the scope of what I was missing in all other developmental domains of the unit. I was purely focused on skills in literacy and math whereas DPS has demonstrated in much  more detail everything my students should gain from social emotional, cognitive, language and physical development. Again so many of these skill developments are universal for all units of study but it made me consider the larger perspective and connections I needed to thread between these domains and how to do this authentically within my daily routines, lessons and activities. At this point, my goal is to strive to do this so it is more organic in my classroom and not forced. I have a long way to go, but the UbD design has been a very meaningful way to begin working towards this goal.

Ecosystems Performance Task

On Friday the 7th, our PLC with Michelle was focused on assessment.  As I said before, I am finding myself completely overwhelmed by this backward design process.  I have tried planning using the UbD book and the processes there, but I can't seem to get my arms around it completely.  I have tried it many times over and I feel like I need a new approach, I can't just keep banging my head against this wall.   So, with our discussion around performance tasks, I decided to simply look at what I have done and reflect on what I would do differently if I had it to do over again.

We have wrapped up our Ecosystems unit.  The culmination was giving students the task of creating an ecosystem for a 'homeless' creature.  The creatures were base on real animals, but were not real.  So, this task wasn't about doing research about an animal and then recording facts. It was about students showing all that they know about interactions that animals have to have in order to get food, water, shelter, space and air in a addition to being able to tell where there animal would be located on a food web.  As we worked our way through the unit, we worked with the following Essential Questions:

• What is the relationship between an organisms resources and the size of the population of the organism?
• Why is balance important in an ecosystem?

Students finished their projects along with a 5-paragraph writing piece and presented to their parents the following week. When we teach this project again we will make some changes based on the conversation we had on performance tasks:

1. We will introduce the performance task before the unit begins.  This is a simple idea that I think is so brilliant.  Students can gather information and check for understanding as the unit progresses and allow me to coach kids throughout the process to help them transfer their knowledge to the performance task.  This transference is something that we complain that kids cannot do.  I am not providing enough scaffolding for them to be successful.  They will also have a much better idea of what is expected of them at the end. There would also be opportunity for students to activate their schema before the unit begins.
2. I could develop the performance task base on the six facets of understanding, which is the organizer that most speaks to me, much more than the DOK because it isn't hierarchical. This project lends itself to students interpreting, applying and having a perspective.
3. The performance task could be integrated into another unit that we do this year - Regions.  Students could build an ecosystem about this fictional creature, but they could also build an ecosystem for animals that are closer to home, but are threatened.  Could they build a better ecosystem for the grey wolf, the river otter or the kit fox?

 Our next unit is around Regions of the U.S. and it is time for me and Jamie to plan that unit for this year, tweaking what we have done in years past.  Anything else I should keep in mind as we are planning?

Healthful Eating in Middle School Chalk Talk

 

I have been mulling over how to apply UbD and essential questions to my groups.  My essential questions come from the four ESL domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.  “Can they clearly, effectively communicate (in all domains) in all academic, personal, and (future) professional areas?”   A very big task—reminding us of our Focus work Friday, January 24.

My concern about the long term health of my English Language Learners led me to adapt and utilize the You Are What You Eat unit developed in our book.  (According to the CDC, Hispanics and African Americans are at risk of Diabetes and its debilitating effects [heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and amputations].  Diabetes tends to strike Hispanics at younger ages than the non-Hispanic white population. Among adults aged 18 to 44 years, 3.2 percent of Hispanics had diagnosed diabetes compared with 1.3 percent of non-Hispanic whites in that age group. Lifetime risk estimates for developing diabetes is higher for both Hispanic men and women than for other ethnic groups. Hispanic women born in 2000 [one of my students fits this profile] have a 52.5 percent risk of developing diabetes in their lifetime while Hispanic men have a 45.4 percent risk. That compares to a 31.2 percent risk for non-Hispanic white females and 26.7 percent risk among non-Hispanic white males and a 49 percent and a 40.2 percent risk among African American women and men respectively.)

I used Chalk Talk (what is healthful eating?) as our entry question.  As you can see, the two students present that day, have a pretty good grasp of the concept, with room for clarifications.  The next logical question is “Do I eat healthfully?”

 

The students then delved into the second essential question, “Are you a healthful eater? How would you know?”   They began keeping a daily intake journal.

 From that, they labeled the food as Protein, Dairy, Fruits/Vegetables, Grains, Water, and Junk Food and then charted the items on a daily class graph.   Initially, I began with just the four main food groups.  I decided to add Water as a category because I believe that it is essential for good health and tracking it makes us aware of that.  Junk food became a category when we wondered where to put several entries in all of our journals.

 This is a sample of day 1 of the graph.   It is color coded: red for protein, yellow for dairy, green for fruits/vegetables, brown for grain, blue for water, and black for junk food.  At a glance, you can tell how healthily you are eating.

As the weeks progressed, we noticed that we were drinking more water and eating less junk.

We analyzed our observations and discussed the short term impact on our health.  There was some discussion about long term implications but, as teenagers that proved more challenging.

See Part 2 to read more about this unit.

Clues to a Culture

After reading Pathway to the Common Core this summer, I became aware of a website that offered literacy units developed by one of the co-authors of the Common Core (www.commoncore.org).  The "Wheatley Portfolio, named after Phyllis Wheatley, includes six literacy units each for grades K through 12.  Dawn agreed to purchase a subscription to the website, and I decided to use one of the units called Clues to a Culture.  It includes a superb blend of historical fiction and non-fiction resources.  I'm using the UbD template to design this unit, and here is the work I've done thus far.  I'm writing sheltered lesson plans for this unit as part of my ELA Sheltering class.  Those will be posted once they are complete.

The historical fiction I'm using was recommended in the Wheatley Portfolio unit.  The novels include:
Julie of the Wolves
Island of the Blue Dolphins
The Birchbark House
The Sign of the Beaver
Little House on the Prairie

Clues to a Culture

Literature Unit

Stage 1 – Desired Outcome
Established Goals: ·         Compare fiction and nonfiction books about Native American nations and European settlers during the 19th and 20th centuries, quoting accurately from the texts. ·         Compare points of view of events in America from the perspective of different cultures (e.g. westward expansion). ·         Find similarities and differences in stories from various cultures (e.g. trickster tales). ·         Explain how the use of literary devices increases understanding of literature and use these devices in student writing.
Understandings: Overarching understanding: A person’s point of view of an event is influenced by his culture. Topical Understanding: The 19th  and 20th century’s westward expansion affected Native Americans differently than the European settlers. Topical Understanding: Authors use a variety of literary devices to enhance understanding. Topical Understanding: Multiple sources about a topic may contain conflicting views or biases.	Essential Questions: Overarching question: How does literature provide insight into a culture? Topical Question: In what ways were the perspectives of the Native American cultures different from each other and from the European settlers during the 19th and 20th centuries? Topical Question: In what ways do authors develop characters through the use of literary devices? Topical Question: In what ways do readers learn about a culture from historical fiction and non-fiction?
Key Knowledge and Skills: ·         Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. ·         Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources. ·         Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition or understanding. ·         Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and evidence. ·         Identify literary elements and devices.  Explain why the author used them (e.g. direct and indirect characterization, flashback, foreshadowing, imagery, figurative language).

Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence

Performance Tasks: ·         After reading one of the six novels, students will use the thinking routine, Circle of Viewpoints, to identify different characters’ perspectives about specific events in the story.  Students will then write a paragraph explaining the character’s perspective, quoting accurately from the text to support their claim(s). Students will then use the Chalk Talk questions to analyze the perspective of the main character in one of the chosen novels by writing and performing a play, writing a picture book or comic strip, or creating a board game.  All three choices must include accurate depictions from the novel (citing evidence from the text). ·         After reading one of the novels and orally discussing it with other students who have read that book, using the Chalk Talk questions for guidance, students will then research one of the cultures in their story, compare facts they discovered with the fictional novel, and design a Google slideshow that answers the essential question: How does literature provide an insight into a culture? ·         After reading several Native American trickster tales, students will write their own trickster tale explaining something in nature.  They will use literary devices within their tales. Students will then create puppets and perform their trickster tales using our puppet theater.

Performance Tasks and Other Evidence: ·         As a pre-assessment and to activate students’ background knowledge about what a culture is, we will use the thinking routine Chalk Talk.  The four questions include:  1) How do different cultures use the Earth’s resources (plants, trees, water, oil, soil); 2) How do different cultures view animals? (pets, food, work); 3) In what ways does religion play a part in a culture’s beliefs and customs?; and 4) How are a culture’s customs and beliefs shown in their stories, art and music? ·         After reading one of the six novels, students will meet in a book club to orally discuss the text, identifying scenes where a conflict of cultures exists in the story, evaluating perspectives of main characters, and evaluating the Chalk Talk questions.  Students will then participate in another Chalk Talk, same questions, narrowed down to the novel  they have read.  ·         Using the mentor read aloud text Under the Blood Red Sun, students will identify literary elements such as characterization (direct and indirect) and setting along with how the authors use literary devices to enhance understanding. Students will then select one of the novels they have read and evaluate the author’s use of literary devices such as: o   Figurative language (alliteration, hyperbole, idiom, imagery, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification, simile) o   Flashback o   Foreshadowing o   Symbolism Students will then create a picture book demonstrating examples of literary devices using evidence from the novel.  They may use their picture book to “teach” classmates.

Stage 3 – Lesson Planning

Sheltering Lesson Plan 1:  What is a Culture?

Chalk Talk, Read Aloud with a Purpose, Book Clubs

Preparation

Content Language Objectives: In small, heterogeneous groups, students will compare cultures  and write answers to questions regarding what they know about cultural beliefs during a chalk talk using content language such as culture, cultural, beliefs, customs, resources, religion, way of life  and function language has, both have, on the other hand, in contrast to, similar, different. Supports: ·         Examples of answers using pictures (Level 1-2) ·         Examples of answers using sentences (Level 3-4) ·         Examples of answers using sentences (Level 5) In small, heterogeneous groups where students have chosen a novel based on interest, students will evaluate a culture through reading one of the six novels and orally discuss answers to the Chalk Talk questions orally citing evidence from the text to support their responses using content language such as culture, cultural, beliefs, customs, resources, religion, way of life and function language has, both have, on the other hand, in contrast to, similar, different. Supports: ·         Accountable talk card using picture labels (Level 1-2) ·         Accountable talk card (Level 3-4) ·         Accountable talk card (Level 5) In a whole-class setting, students will listen to Under the Blood Red Sun and while teacher thinks aloud, students will orally discuss cultural implications as they pertain to the four Chalk Talk questions responses using content language such as culture, cultural, beliefs, customs, resources, religion, way of life and function language has, both have, on the other hand, in contrast to, similar, different. Supports: ·         All levels teacher think aloud and modeling

Explain how this lesson addresses the theory: The Chalk Talk preassessment (both the written and oral discussion components) affords students an opportunity to have “meaningful interaction” in English or natural communication where students are focused on communication, not grammar.  Additionally, within book clubs, students are able to orally discuss their findings and feelings about the book.  Regarding an individual’s monitoring during the written task of the Chalk Talk, students are asked only to write their thinking.  As we get into reading each others’ responses, students are asked to disregard spelling and grammar mistakes and look only at the content of the writing.  During the oral book discussions and Chalk Talk discussions, students need to feel safe that if they speak up, we are only listening to their thinking.  One of our class guidelines is to be polite and not correct each other.  However, sometimes an EL will self-correct, but the thinking is what is most important, and I communicate that to them. As far as the natural order hypothesis application in this lesson, I’ve included opportunities for listening during read aloud, with numerous pauses to think aloud and explain the story; audio support for students who need to listen as they read; speaking through oral discussions about the book; and finally minimal writing is required in this lesson.  The purpose for this lesson is to read and understand our novels and to share our thinking. Small groups and examples of answers allow students to share openly and feel supported, thereby lowering the affective filter.  I, like other teachers, instill a sense of respect for one another and the acceptance of mistakes right from the first day of school.  When students are given support by their peers, their affective filter lowers.  The accountable talk cards and organizers can also help to lower a student’s affective filter. All four language domains are engaged in Chalk Talk, read aloud with a purpose, and within students’ book clubs.

Building Background:

Explicitly link concepts to students’ background experiences: As a pre-assessment and to activate students’ background knowledge about what a culture is, we will use the thinking routine Chalk Talk from Making Thinking Visible.  Anticipatory set: After defining “culture” as a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, music, food, clothing, etc. by asking students, by table group, to define the culture of Bill Roberts E-8, listing attributes such as school beliefs, customs, art, music, food, and clothing.  Students will then share out as we chart how our school culture works. We will then move into a broader definition of “culture” relating to world cultures using Chalk Talk.  Four chart papers will have one question in the center, and students will visit each chart paper and write their thinking about the question.  They will also have the opportunity to read what other students have written. The four Chalk Talk questions include:  1) How do different cultures use the Earth’s resources (plants, trees, water, oil, soil); 2) How do different cultures view animals? (pets, food, work); 3) In what ways does religion play a part in a culture’s beliefs?; and 4) How are a culture’s customs and beliefs shown in their art and music? Once students have had an opportunity to visit each chart at least once, students will discuss what stood out for them on each question.

Make clear links between students’ past learning and new concepts: The connection here is to take our discussion about cultural beliefs and customs and link it to the novel they are currently reading.  Each of the novels includes a cultural conflict at the heart of the story.  The novels they are reading include: The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Emphasize key vocabulary: Key vocabulary includes tribe, tribute, nation, nationality, culture, cultural, believe, beliefs, perspective, point of view, similar, different, both have, on the other hand, in contrast to, compare. Key vocabulary will be introduced and discussed through the use of read aloud, using both picture books and  mentor text.  Examples of literary devices found during read aloud will be written on our bulletin board for quick reference at any time. Graphic organizers such a Venn diagram or t-chart will be used to evaluate character perspective based on Chalk Talk questions.

Comprehensible Input:

Throughout the reading of the novels, students may use audio support while reading.  I’ve downloaded the novels off CD audio from the library to my Google Drive.  I’ve then shared the audio files with students who can benefit from audio support to improve comprehension.  They simply need to log in to their Google Drive, plug in head phones, and listen to the story while reading. During read aloud of Under the Blood Red Sun, I purposely think aloud for two reasons:  1) to point out cultural conflict between the Japanese Americans, the Hawaiians, the Portuguese Americans, and the white Americans; and 2) to notice and ask questions about the point of view of the author. The Chalk Talk thinking routine embraces multimodal learning, with visual, oral, kinesthetic, and written modalities.  These four questions are the anchor for the entire unit. During book clubs, I model how to use guiding questions and support responses by quoting from the text.  Using the four Chalk Talk questions helps students maintain focus and allows for purposeful discussion.  Students use the Accountable Talk cards and the Literature Circle cards to frame their questions and responses.  Students may also use their reading journals to remind themselves of key findings and wonderings along with the page numbers in the book. As a matter of course (or habit), I do not use contractions often, and if I catch myself using an idiom, I quickly explain what I mean.  It’s a deliberate way of speaking that allows all of my students to understand exactly what is being said.  I encourage students to do the same by having a “no contraction” day each month and directly studying and breaking down common idioms and figures of speech.

Strategies

Using the Understanding By Design template adopted by our school incorporates understandings and essential questions.  I’ve taken the time up front to develop these, and I allow the understandings and questions to drive my planning.  From this backward planning, I’ve developed the four open-ended questions that cannot be answered without using all four language domains. Scaffolding includes think-alouds during read aloud and book clubs, audio support, vocabulary investigations, graphic organizers, and thinking routines. Close reading of our novels will be done throughout the unit, and students will have “read” the novel multiple times as they search for and discuss evidence from the text supporting their answers.  All students will have an opportunity to hear each other’s thinking along with my thinking in small groups, enabling students to join in on the accountable talk.

Interaction:

For the Chalk Talk, I used the deck of cards flexible grouping routine that was demonstrated at our face-to-face class.  Although my intent was to have groups be heterogeneous, I paid close attention to groupings related to language levels and intentionally gave certain cards to certain students.  The groups worked well during this thinking routine.   Students had an opportunity to write their thoughts on the chart paper, read others’ responses, and then orally discuss the questions, hearing what other people in their group thought. During read aloud, I am always stopping to think aloud, ask questions about a character’s thinking, and identifying the use of literary devices.  Within the book clubs, students are guided by the four Chalk Talk questions, which provide a focus for their discussion.  I made laminated sheets with the Accountable Talk Tips from the ELA class materials.  This enables the discussion to stay on track and provides sentence stems for students to use, along with a common language.

Practice/ Application:

Hands-on materials provided  within this lesson include: ·         playing cards used for flexible grouping ·         chart paper and markers for Chalk Talk thinking routine ·         Accountable Talk laminated cards ·         visible Chalk Talk charts on the wall with the four guiding questions ·         content and language vocabulary word bank visible on the wall ·         graphic organizers such as t-charts and Venn diagrams ·         posted CLOs where students can see at all times ·         posted essential questions All activities, Chalk Talk, book clubs, and read aloud provide students with numerous opportunities to use all four language domains:  listening, speaking, reading, and writing and apply content and language knowledge in the classroom.

Lesson Delivery:

Students will be actively reading their self-chosen novel  for 30 minutes per day during SIR (silent independent reading) along with audio support to support fluency and vocabulary building.  At the end of the 30-minute reading time, students will journal for 10 minutes about what they read after discussing briefly with a table buddy.  Those buddies may be reading different books, but the informal discussion allows students to think aloud before writing in their journals.  They are encouraged to quote from the text. During read aloud of Under the Blood Red Sun, I will model how to notice where the author uses a simile or metaphor, hyperbole, direct and indirect characterization, etc., based on the day’s mini-lesson for a specific literary device.  Also during read aloud using the same mentor text, we will stop and discuss events in the novel that depict cultural perspectives, charting our findings along the way and referring back to them frequently as we make new observations.

Review/ Assessment:

·         As a pre-assessment and to activate students’ background knowledge about what a culture is, we will use the thinking routine Chalk Talk.  The four questions include:  1) How do different cultures use the Earth’s resources (plants, trees, water, oil, soil); 2) How do different cultures view animals? (pets, food, work); 3) In what ways does religion play a part in a culture’s beliefs and customs?; and 4) How are a culture’s customs and beliefs shown in their stories, art and music?  These Chalk Talk charts will be posted on the classroom wall for easy reference throughout the unit and too use as guiding questions during read aloud and while reading their novels. ·         After reading one of the six novels, students will meet in a book club to orally discuss the text, identifying scenes where a conflict of cultures exists in the story, evaluating perspectives of main characters, and evaluating the Chalk Talk questions.  Students will then participate in another Chalk Talk, same questions, narrowed down to the novel  they have read.  ·         Throughout the lesson, students will be working in groups, and I will monitor their progress by meeting with each book club group to gauge understanding.  Where a student may need assistance, I will meet 1:1 with him to clarify any misunderstanding, reteach, and provide guidance through additional tools.

Clues to a Culture

Sheltering Lesson Plan 2:  How’s the View?

Cultural Perspective and Fiction/Nonfiction Point of View

Preparation

Content Language Objectives: In small, heterogeneous groups of students who have read the same novel, students will identify  and orally discuss characters’ perspectives using Circle of Viewpoints and write a one-paragraph summary of their findings citing evidence from the text to support their answers using content language such as culture, cultural, beliefs, customs, resources, religion, way of life  and function language point of view, perspective, has, both have, on the other hand, in contrast to, similar, different. Supports: ·         Cloze summary and exemplar (Level 1-2) ·         Sentence stems and exemplar (Level 3-4) ·         Exemplar (Level 5) In small, heterogeneous groups of students who have read the same novel, students will analyze the perspective of the main character using the summary from Circle of Viewpoints and  write a play, picture book, comic strip, or board game using content language such as culture, cultural, beliefs, customs, resources, religion, way of life and function language point of view, perspective, has, both have, on the other hand, in contrast to, similar, different. Supports: ·         Cloze summary (Level 1-2) ·         Written summary (Level 3-4) ·         Written summary (Level 5) With a partner who read the same novel,  using the guiding Chalk Talk questions, students will read and research one of the cultures in the novel using two-column note format, and compare and contrast the fictional novel with the non-fiction facts; then design a Google slideshow to summarize how a reader can gain insight into a culture from literature using content language such as culture, cultural, beliefs, customs, resources, religion, way of life and function language slideshow, two-column notes, fiction, non-fiction, has, both have, on the other hand, in contrast to, similar, different. Supports: ·         Exemplar and slideshow template – All levels ·         Two-column note organizer for Levels 1-2 ·         Two-column note organizer for Levels 3-4

Explain how this lesson addresses the theory: The small group book club evaluation of non-fiction research paired with the novel provides students with many opportunities to compare their facts about the Native American people with their peers.  The oral discussion consists of meaningful interaction in English through natural communication.  They are focused on sharing ideas, not English grammar.  During the planning stage of Circle of Viewpoints, students will group with two or three others to select a character from their novel to portray.  They will then present their viewpoint orally to the class after having already practiced with their group. Regarding an individual’s monitoring during the written task of creating a Google slideshow comparing fact to fiction, students will be working on this collaboratively, which is the beauty of Google apps.  In groups of three, students will take their two-column notes from their book club meetings and incorporate the fact vs. fiction notes into the presentation.  The entire group is responsible for presenting clear, correct writing, so they may help correct grammar or spelling.  Additionally, monitoring is aided via spellcheck and grammar check within the app. As far as the natural order hypothesis application in this lesson, students have multiple opportunities to listen to each other during their book club groups, slideshow creation, and Circle of Viewpoints.  They’ve accessed the text by both reading and listening, and every task involves speaking in small groups.  Finally, students will be writing trickster tales after having orally brainstormed and listened to read aloud stories, Small groups and examples of answers allow students to share openly and feel supported, thereby lowering the affective filter.  I, like other teachers, instill a sense of respect for one another and the acceptance of mistakes right from the first day of school.  When students are given support by their peers, their affective filter lowers.  The accountable talk cards and organizers can also help to lower a student’s affective filter during book clubs and partnering for note taking and research.  Additionally, students working collaboratively on a Google presentation provides safe opportunities for taking risks in their writing. All four language domains are consistently engaged in Circle of Viewpoints, summarization of character perspectives, portrayal of character perspectives, and digital representation of findings.

Building Background:

Explicitly link concepts to students’ background experiences: Build on the four Chalk Talk questions about students’ specific novels for guidance:  1) How do different cultures use the Earth’s resources (plants, trees, water, oil, soil); 2) How do different cultures view animals? (pets, food, work); 3) In what ways does religion play a part in a culture’s beliefs?; and 4) How are a culture’s customs and beliefs shown in their art and music? These Chalk Talk questions and answers from the novel will provide an anchor for Lesson 2, where students now will be comparing perspectives of characters within the novel . Students will also be using the background information learned about the culture from the novel in their research of a specific culture.  For example, a student who read Julie of the Wolves will have explored Julie/Miyax’s Inuit culture in the novel and then investigate the Inuit during research with a partner.  They then can use the background knowledge from the novel to compare facts they learn about the Inuit culture. Students have already created a Google presentation slideshow using their Google accounts on a previous literacy unit, Survivor!  They have significant background knowledge as to how a slideshow works, the importance of layout, and how to write “presentation” text vs. narrative text.

Make clear links between students’ past learning and new concepts: The connection here is to take students’ learning about cultural beliefs and customs in a fictional novel and subsequently link it to facts about that culture.  Each of the novels includes a cultural conflict at the heart of the story.  The novels they are reading include: The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich – The Ojibwa Indians and the French voyageurs The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare – The Penobscot Indians and English settlers Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell – Nicoleno Indians and Aleut explorers Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George – The Inuit old ways versus modern ways Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder – The Osage Indians and the white settlers Students will also explore the perspectives of different characters to understand that a person’s perspective is formed by their cultural beliefs and customs.

Emphasize key vocabulary: Key vocabulary includes tribe, tribute, nation, nationality, culture, cultural, believe, beliefs, perspective, point of view, settler, pioneer, similar, different, both have, on the other hand, in contrast to, compare. Key vocabulary will be introduced and discussed throughout book club discussions, during thinking routines, and while researching.  Vocabulary word banks will be visible on classroom walls for quick reference and use during oral discussions. Graphic organizers such a Venn diagram or t-chart (two-column notes) will be used to evaluate character perspective based on Chalk Talk questions.  Students will use these to summarize and create their picture book, play, or board game.

Comprehensible Input:

The Chalk Talk and Circle of Viewpoints thinking routines embrace multimodal learning, with visual, oral, kinesthetic, and written modalities.  These four questions are the anchor for the entire unit. This unit incorporates choice for students all along the way, from the choice of novel to the assessment products. Various modalities may be used to demonstrate understanding such as plays, the use of puppets, written summaries, and oral discourse.  Small groups and partners are helpful here, and partners will be assigned in a meaningful way so students needing extra support or assistance will be paired with willing students at a higher language level. As a matter of course (or habit), I do not use contractions often, and if I catch myself using an idiom, I quickly explain what I mean.  It’s a deliberate way of speaking that allows all of my students to understand exactly what is being said.  I encourage students to do the same by having a “no contraction” day each month and directly studying and breaking down common idioms and figures of speech.

Strategies

Using the Understanding By Design template adopted by our school incorporates understandings and essential questions.  I’ve taken the time up front to develop these, and I allow the understandings and questions to drive my planning.  From this backward planning, I’ve developed the four open-ended questions that cannot be answered without using all four language domains (along with our brains). Scaffolding includes vocabulary investigations, graphic organizers, digital templates, and thinking routines.

Interaction:

For the second Chalk Talk focused on the individual novels, students were obviously grouped by the novel they had read.  The same protocol was used where students answered the four guiding questions by silently writing their thoughts on chart paper, then meeting to orally discuss by comparing what they and other students wrote.  This second Chalk Talk was then the basis for the Circle of Viewpoints, taking the question of cultural impact on perspective a step further. The Circle of Viewpoints was also grouped by novel.  This thinking routine allows students to express their thinking about the four questions through the lens of one of the characters.  Oral discourse and listening by other group members builds on the second Chalk Talk and provides a foundation for their summary of one character’s viewpoint.  The novel groups allow students to express their findings in unique ways such as co-authoring and performing a play or writing and illustrating a picture book or comic strip. Pairing students who have read the same novel for their research provides 1:1 interaction for students to stay on course and question each other on facts they find about their culture.  It allows for language support to students who may need it.

Practice/ Application:

Hands-on materials provided  within this lesson include: ·         Craft materials for making puppets or picture book illustrations ·         chart paper and markers for Chalk Talk and Circle of Viewpoints thinking routines ·         Templates for two-column notes ·         visible Chalk Talk charts on the wall ·         content and language vocabulary word bank visible on the wall ·         graphic organizers such as t-charts and Venn diagrams ·         posted CLO where students can see at all times ·         scheduled computer lab All activities, Chalk Talk, Circle of Viewpoints, summarization, writing picture books, plays and puppet shows, and designing a slideshow provide students with numerous opportunities to use all four language domains:  listening, speaking, reading, and writing and apply content and language knowledge in the classroom.

Lesson Delivery:

After meeting in their book clubs during Lesson 1, students will then use Chalk Talk and Circle of Viewpoints thinking routines to explore the perspective of major characters in their novel as it relates to the four guiding questions from the original Chalk Talk. From the Circle of Viewpoints, where students discuss the four guiding questions through the lens of a major character, students may then write a one-paragraph summary about a chosen character’s perspective. From the Chalk Talk about a specific novel, the book club groups may then demonstrate the perspective of the main character through a play, picture book, or board game. Once we are finished exploring the perspective of the major and main characters in a novel, students will pair up to research one of the cultures in their novel using the Chalk Talk questions to guide their research.  They will compare and contrast the novel’s depiction of a culture with factual information about that culture to see how accurately the culture was depicted in the novel.  We will return to our essential question throughout this research about how we can glean knowledge about a culture through literature.

Review/ Assessment:

·         After reading one of the six novels, students will use the thinking routine, Circle of Viewpoints, to identify different characters’ perspectives about specific events in the story.  Students will then write a paragraph summarizing the character’s perspective, quoting accurately from the text to support their claim(s). Students will then use the Chalk Talk questions to analyze the perspective of the main character in one of the chosen novels by writing and performing a play, writing a picture book or comic strip, or creating a board game.  All three choices must include accurate depictions from the novel (citing evidence from the text). ·         After reading one of the novels and orally discussing it with other students who have read that book, using the Chalk Talk questions for guidance, students will then research one of the cultures in their story, compare facts they discovered with the fictional novel, and design a Google slideshow that answers the essential question:  How does literature provide an insight into a culture? ·         Students will share their Google slideshow with me, allowing me to make real-time comments on their progress.  These comments will guide their work.  During Circle of Viewpoints, writing conferences 1:1 and small group will provide insight into student progress prior to the culmination of their presentation.

Clues to a Culture

Sheltering Lesson Plan 3 - Trickster Tales

Exploring and Using Literary Devices

Preparation

Content Language Objectives: As a whole class, students will identify literary elements and devices from mentor text Under the Blood Red Sun and evaluate how these devices increase understanding and create imagery using content language such as purpose, element, characters, setting, plot, conflict, sequence of events, direct characterization, indirect characterization, figurative language, alliteration, hyperbole, idiom, imagery, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification, simile, flashback, foreshadowing, symbolism and function language effect, increase, has, both have, on the other hand, in contrast to, similar, different, first, next, then, finally, after that. Supports: ·         Examples of elements and devices from mentor text displayed on class bulletin board – all language levels In book club small groups, students will identify literary elements and devices and evaluate how these devices increase understanding and create imagery in their novels and write and illustrate a picture book of examples using content language such as purpose, element, characters, setting, plot, conflict, sequence of events, direct characterization, indirect characterization, figurative language, alliteration, hyperbole, idiom, imagery, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification, simile, flashback, foreshadowing, symbolism and function language effect, increase, has, both have, on the other hand, in contrast to, similar, different, first, next, then, finally, after that. Supports: ·         Examples of elements and devices from mentor text displayed on class bulletin board – all language levels After read aloud of several Native American trickster tales, in small, heterogeneous groups, students will create and write a trickster tale explaining something found in nature using content language such as purpose, element, characters, setting, plot, conflict, sequence of events, direct characterization, indirect characterization, figurative language, alliteration, hyperbole, idiom, imagery, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification, simile, flashback, foreshadowing, symbolism and function language effect, increase, has, both have, on the other hand, in contrast to, similar, different, first, next, then, finally, after that. Supports: ·         Mentor texts and teacher modeling – all language levels ·         Story map, tree diagram, bubble map (Level 1-2) ·         Story map, tree diagram, bubble map (Level 3-4) ·         Story map (Level 5)

Explain how this lesson addresses the theory: During read aloud of Under the Blood Red Sun and mentor trickster tales students have an opportunity for “meaningful interaction” in English or natural communication where students are focused on communication, not grammar.  Additionally, while writing their trickster tales, students may have multiple peer critiques where they get feedback on the content of their tale. Regarding an individual’s monitoring during the written task of drafting their trickster tale, students will need to revise and edit their writing.  Through the use of writing conferences, I can assist students with grammatical techniques and spelling.  Also, peer critiques are done with “no shame, no blame” in our classroom, and we follow a practiced protocol where these interactions are not to correct everyone’s mistakes, but to provide suggestions using accountable talk techniques.  For example, instead of saying, “Your subject and verb don’t match,” a peer could say, “That doesn’t sound quite right to my ear.  Maybe you could say . . . “  Giving an EL the opportunity to peer critique a classmate’s writing provides opportunities for monitoring since kids are great at finding someone else’s mistakes. As far as the natural order hypothesis application in this lesson, I’ve included opportunities for listening during read aloud, with numerous pauses to think aloud and explain the story; brainstorming with peers; peer critiques; writing conferences for revising and editing encouragement. Small groups and examples of answers allow students to share openly and feel supported, thereby lowering the affective filter.  I, like other teachers, instill a sense of respect for one another and the acceptance of mistakes right from the first day of school.  When students are given support by their peers, their affective filter lowers.  The accountable talk cards and organizers can also help to lower a student’s affective filter.  Our peer critique protocol can also help students lower their affective filter. All four language domains are engaged in planning and drafting a trickster tale, read aloud with a purpose, and writing conferences with teacher and peers.

Building Background:

Explicitly link concepts to students’ background experiences: Background knowledge is provided through the reading aloud of multiple mentor picture books of trickster tales.  These tales each are a story explaining something in nature:  why the sun comes up and sets each day; how the moon hangs in the sky; why there are millions of stars; how the mountains came to be; how the bear lost its tail. Also during read aloud of our mentor text Under the Blood Red Sun, I do think aloud whenever I encounter the effective use of a literary device.  We talk about the difference between direct and indirect characterization, figurative language, sensory imagery, and symbolism.  Students have heard these terms before and have been shown examples in this mentor text. Direct instruction on each of these terms has been done along with a glossary provided.  I have a classroom bulletin board with examples and kid-friendly definitions of each term as well.

Make clear links between students’ past learning and new concepts: Students are able to make clear connections between Under the Blood Red Sun, their book club novels, and trickster tales regarding the use of literary devices and the increased level of understanding that come with an author using these devices.  All of the literature used in this unit is connected through a cultural understanding and an author understanding.

Emphasize key vocabulary: Key vocabulary includes purpose, element, characters, setting, plot, conflict, sequence of events, direct characterization, indirect characterization, figurative language, alliteration, hyperbole, idiom, imagery, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification, simile, flashback, foreshadowing, symbolism and function language effect, increase, has, both have, on the other hand, in contrast to, similar, different. Key vocabulary will be introduced and discussed through the use of read aloud, using both picture books and  mentor text.  Examples of literary devices found during read aloud will be written on our bulletin board for quick reference at any time. Sentence stems will be provided to students for comparative literary devices such as similes and metaphors (e.g. _______________ is like ________________ , ____________ as a _______________)

Comprehensible Input:

Throughout the reading of the novels, students may use audio support while reading.  I’ve downloaded the novels off CD audio from the library to my Google Drive.  I’ve then shared the audio files with students who can benefit from audio support to improve comprehension.  They simply need to log in to their Google Drive, plug in head phones, and listen to the story while reading. During read aloud of Under the Blood Red Sun, I purposely think aloud for two reasons:  1) to point out cultural conflict between the Japanese Americans, the Hawaiians, the Portuguese Americans, and the white Americans; and 2) to point out examples of the use of literary devices such as imagery, figurative language, hyperbole, etc.  Stop and talk about these devices allows students to hear and understand in context of the literature being read rather than out of context on a worksheet. The think aloud, oral discussions, and written examples provide students with a variety of methods to engage and increase understanding.  As a matter of course (or habit), I do not use contractions often, and if I catch myself using an idiom, I quickly explain what I mean.  It’s a deliberate way of speaking that allows all of my students to understand exactly what is being said.  I encourage students to do the same by having a “no contraction” day each month and directly studying and breaking down common idioms and figures of speech.

Strategies

Using the Understanding By Design template adopted by our school incorporates understandings and essential questions.  I’ve taken the time up front to develop these, and I allow the understandings and questions to drive my planning.  From this backward planning, I’ve developed the four open-ended questions that cannot be answered without using all four language domains (along with our brains). Scaffolding includes think-alouds during read aloud and book clubs, audio support, vocabulary investigations, graphic organizers, and thinking routines.  The top of the scaffold includes students’ ability to incorporate their learning in written form.

Interaction:

Students have multiple opportunities for interaction with the teacher and with their peers through think aloud, small book club discussions of author’s purpose and literary devices, and paired writing of trickster tales.

Practice/ Application:

Hands-on materials provided  within this lesson include: ·         Mentor picture books of trickster tales ·         Visible definitions and examples of literary devices on classroom bulletin board ·         Craft supplies for writing and illustrating picture books ·         visible Chalk Talk charts on the wall ·         content and language vocabulary word bank visible on the wall ·         graphic organizers such as t-charts and sentence stems ·         posted CLO where students can see at all times All activities, paired writing, book club groupings, and read/think aloud provide students with numerous opportunities to use all four language domains:  listening, speaking, reading, and writing and apply content and language knowledge in the classroom.

Lesson Delivery:

Our daily read aloud of Under the Blood Red Sun has continued throughout this unit, adding to the novels students selected and read.  During read aloud, examples of the author’s use of literary devices are explicitly shown, discussed, and documented up on the classroom bulletin board reserved for this purpose.  As students listen to the story, I stop often to ask questions about how the author describes the characters through direct and indirect characterization.  This text was purposefully selected for its depth of cultural insight and use of descriptive language. Multiple short trickster tales will be read aloud, explicitly pointing out the use of descriptive language along with a culture’s explanation of the natural world around them.   Incorporated into this part of the lesson includes story writing, genre-specific instruction on mapping a story into its elements: characters, setting, plot, sequencing of events.  As a whole class, we will brainstorm topics for trickster tales.  Then pairs of students may select a topic, map out their story in a story map, and write their story in a picture book format.  Students will then illustrate their stories and read them aloud to the class or perform their stories with puppets, depending on time. Students are expected to incorporate at least two figurative language devices in their trickster tales (simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, alliteration).

Review/ Assessment:

·         Using the mentor read aloud text Under the Blood Red Sun, students will identify literary elements such as characterization (direct and indirect) and setting along with how the authors use literary devices to enhance understanding. Students will then select one of the novels they have read and evaluate the author’s use of literary devices such as: o   Figurative language (alliteration, hyperbole, idiom, imagery, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification, simile) o   Flashback o   Foreshadowing o   Symbolism Students will then create a picture book demonstrating examples of literary devices using evidence from the novel.  They may use their picture book to “teach” classmates. ·         After reading several Native American trickster tales, students will write their own trickster tale explaining something in nature.  They will use literary devices within their tales. Students will then create puppets and perform their trickster tales using our puppet theater. ·         Progress will be continuously monitored throughout the lesson through the use of anecdotal notes specifying reteach and clarification opportunities.  Daily writing conferences will also provide insight into the progress on the trickster tales and summarizing characters’ perspectives.  The use of multi-modal assessment allows students to demonstrate understanding via a mode that is a strength for them.