L1+Martin+Karin

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, HEALTH AND REHABILITATION LESSON PLAN FORMAT
 * UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FARMINGTON

Teacher’s Name:** Ms. Karin Martin **Date of Lesson: Grade Level:** 6-8 **Topic:** Character Development

Student will understand that a variety of narrative elements have a great effect on the overall narrative work. Student will know vocabulary: narrative, plot, conflict, character, point of view, and dialogue Student will be able to develop characters.
 * Objectives**


 * Maine Learning Results Alignment**

English Language Arts - B. Writing B2. Narrative Grades 6-8 Students will write narratives that convey complex ideas, observations, events, or reflections. b. Develop characters.


 * Rationale:** Students will begin to learn how to develop characters and how successful narrative writers have effectively developed characters.


 * Assessment

Formative** Formative assessment of my students will begin with a pre-assessment of the student's understanding of what makes characters -- that is the "about me" character graphic organizer. This organizer will allow me to check up and figure out exactly what the students knows and what's left for the student to learn. I will also continually check-in with my students to see how they are doing with the vocabulary, which I will provide for them on day one, and which they will have to study in groups. Students will also periodically pass in drafts of their work on the graphic organizers. Work submitted for feedback will get comments and suggestions from me for revision. This way, I will be able to monitor my students' progress. Students will then write a short reflection at the end of the lesson to tell me how they felt they progress and what they learned.

In this lesson, students will be using physical graphic organizers to begin learning about how characters are developed and understood by readers. Students will then make final-draft character diagrams using the Inspiration software. This will be graded using a check scale: Did the student follow directions? Did the student complete the assignment? Did the student use drafts? Is this final product the student's best work? Students will receive either a a check plus, check, or check minus. Check plus means it is the student's best work, check means it is complete work but the student could do better, and check minus means that the work is not completed.
 * Summative**


 * Integration

Technology:** My students will use Inspiration software, which is a Type II technology. It is Type II because it provides students with a way to create a graphic organizer that is automatically converted into an outline, giving the student the opportunity to experience both forms. Inspiration allows students to do things with technology that they could not do with just a regular graphic organizer.
 * Social Studies:** This lesson is going to incorporate social science content. Some of the narratives that I use will be historical narratives. I will also incorporate music with my hook, which is a rap about narrative writing.


 * Groupings**

Students will use the "Partner" cooperative learning group, breaking up into teams of four, and then into partners from there in order to learn the new vocabulary words. The groups will be selected by the Multiple Intelligences; each team will contain the same types of intelligences so that students can explain the vocabulary in a way that works best for the rest of the students on their team. Each set of partners is given half of the vocabulary to "research" and learn so that they can teach the other partner set of their team when it is time to regroup.


 * Differentiated Instruction

Strategies Verbal:** Students will be working with lots of short stories and definitions.
 * Logical:** Students will be organizing their information into logical diagrams.
 * Kinesthetic:** Students will be moving about to work in groups.
 * Visual:** Students can use diagrams in order to organize information.
 * Intrapersonal:** Students will reflect on their own personalities in order to fill out an "about me" character diagram.
 * Interpersonal:** Students will collaborate to work on their character evaluation diagrams, and will also have to use their ability to "read" people.
 * Musical:** Students will be listening to a rap about narrative writing.

//I will review students' IEP, 504, ELLIDEP, and make appropriate modifications and accommodations.//
 * Modifications/Accommodations**

Students who are absent from this lesson will be given the missed materials -- the graphic organizers and narrative story examples. I will make sure to fill-in the student with all of the pertinent and necessary information that is required to complete the assignment and continue in the unit. The "about me" character graphic organizer is easily done without help, but for the rest of the materials, the absent student must seek out the help of a classmate.

My students will use Inspiration software, which is a Type II technology. It is Type II because it provides students with a way to create a graphic organizer that is automatically converted into an outline, giving the student the opportunity to experience both forms. Inspiration allows students to do things with technology that they could not do with just a regular graphic organizer.
 * Extensions**

Laptops Inspiration Software "About Me" graphic organizer Character evaluation graphic organizers Narrative story examples Vocabulary lists Dictionaries/Electronic dictionary programs
 * Materials, Resources and Technology**

Graphic Organizers: http://www.region15.org/curriculum/graphicorg.html Character Development: http://www.pgtc.com/~slmiller/characterexercises.htm Creating Characters: http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/writing/write-a-book/character-development-in-fiction/ Characters: http://www.instructorweb.com/lesson/characterdevelop.asp
 * Source for Lesson Plan and Research**


 * Maine Standards for Initial Teacher Certification and Rationale

Standard 3 -** //Demonstrates a knowledge of the diverse ways in which students learn and develop by providing learning opportunities that support their intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and cultural development.//


 * Rationale:** This lesson will provide a fun, creative learning environment. I will also make sure that I give the students artistic and academic freedom with this assignment for the students who made thrive on that type of environment. The learning environment of my classroom will always be a safe place for students to share their ideas and learn in a way that is necessary for effective teaching and learning. All students should feel comfortable in my classroom, and I will always be intolerant of those who might threaten that environment. Learners who like to analyze will absolutely benefit from this lesson because it is tailored to analyze narrative works and breaking them down to figure out how characterization works in real-life examples. Students who need structure will always be comfortable in my classroom, and especially this lesson, because I will provide an obvious framework for the lesson, and I will go over this at the beginning of the lesson for their benefit.


 * • Standard 4 -** //Plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, curriculum goals, and learning and development theory.//


 * Rationale:** The facet of understanding that I chose to represent this lesson was "students will be able to develop characters." This unit is an introduction to narrative writing, and one of the biggest parts of narrative writing is character development. Because this is what I chose to focus on for this lesson, I figured that "developing" characters is a good place to introduce the students to narrative writing and character development. It is very important for students to begin to understand how other authors create characters before they can become masters of it themselves.


 * • Standard 5 -** Understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies and appropriate technology to meet students’ needs.


 * Rationale:** For this lesson, I have worked to include seven of the eight multiple intelligences: Verbal: Students will be working with lots of short stories and definitions, logical: Students will be organizing their information into logical diagrams, kinesthetic: Students will be moving about to work in groups, visual: Students can use diagrams in order to organize information, intrapersonal: Students will reflect on their own personalities in order to fill out an "about me" character diagram, interpersonal: Students will collaborate to work on their character evaluation diagrams, and will also have to use their ability to "read" people, musical: Students will be listening to a rap about narrative writing. My students will use Inspiration software, which is a Type II technology. It is Type II because it provides students with a way to create a graphic organizer that is automatically converted into an outline, giving the student the opportunity to experience both forms. Inspiration allows students to do things with technology that they could not do with just a regular graphic organizer.


 * • Standard 8 -** //Understands and uses a variety of formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and support the development of the learner.//


 * Rationale:** Formative assessment of my students will begin with a pre-assessment of the student's understanding of what makes characters -- that is the "about me" character graphic organizer. This organizer will allow me to check up and figure out exactly what the students knows and what's left for the student to learn. I will also continually check-in with my students to see how they are doing with the vocabulary, which I will provide for them on day one, and which they will have to study in groups. Students will also periodically pass in drafts of their work on the graphic organizers. Work submitted for feedback will get comments and suggestions from me for revision. This way, I will be able to monitor my students' progress. Students will then write a short reflection at the end of the lesson to tell me how they felt they progress and what they learned. The graphic organizers will be the summative assessment of this lesson. In this lesson, students will be using physical graphic organizers to begin learning about how characters are developed and understood by readers. Students will then make final-draft character diagrams using the Inspiration software. This will be graded using a check scale: Did the student follow directions? Did the student complete the assignment? Did the student use drafts? Is this final product the student's best work? Students will receive either a a check plus, check, or check minus. Check plus means it is the student's best work, check means it is complete work but the student could do better, and check minus means that the work is not completed.


 * Teaching and Learning Sequence:**

My classroom will be arranged in "U" arrangement -- two rows of desks in the shape of a "u", with my desk in the center of the back wall. I plan to begin the lesson with the narrative writing rap to get students interested and engaged.

Day One: - To get the students hooked on our narrative writing unit, I will be letting the students listen to a “rap” on narrative writing. (5 minutes) - I will introduce unit and explain the assignments for the unit. (10 minutes) - Pass out vocabulary and set the class up in groups and explain group work. (5 minutes) - Students will work on teaching and learning vocabulary. (45 minutes) - I will leave time for students to ask any questions and begin homework. (15 minutes) - HOMEWORK: I will give the students a “mentor text” that they will read and use for class the next day of the lesson.

Day Two: - To get the students hooked on character development, I will hand out a graphic organizer about characters that the students will fill out about themselves and share with the class. (30 minutes) - For the remainder of class, students will work on evaluating the characters in the mentor text that they read for homework the night before. (50 minutes) - HOMEWORK: The students will create a piece of writing that utilizes the elements of characterization that they have learned through this lesson.

Students will understand that a variety of narrative elements have a great effect on the overall narrative work. Students will begin to understand the elements that come together to define one's personality and how they can utilize this knowledge in their own writing. Students will write narratives that convey complex ideas, observations, events, or reflections. I will hook my students with a narrative writing rap to get them interested and engaged; I will then give them and "about me" character diagram that will get them hooked into the process of character evaluation. **What, Where, Why, Hook, Tailor: Musical, Intrapersonal, Verbal, Logical.**

Students will need to know vocabulary, which I will pass out and have them learn on their own before I go back and review it with them. To teach them about character development evaluation, I will allow them to learn a little by experience -- they will do the pre-assessment, which they will share and revise according to the things that they have learned. I will then teach the students what to look for in character development -- explicit statement and by paying attention to what the author has the character say and do (direct and indirect characterization). I will deliver instruction by providing examples of exactly what I want them to do; sometimes it is better to learn by example, and that is the philosophy that I am using in this lesson. I will check for understanding by having students begin to work on character evaluation. I will monitor their progress and help them in the right direction if they need a nudge. I will teach them to look for examples of traits, which they will jot down on the graphic organizer. **Rethink, Equip, Explore, Tailor: Visual, Logical, Verbal.**

Students will use the "about me" graphic organizer on day one of this lesson to prepare them for using the other character evaluation graphic organizers. Graphic organizers are actually a very crucial part of this lesson because they pave the way for the rest of the unit; students must learn now how to correctly and effectively utilize a graphic organizer if they want to be successful in the course. Students will use the "Partner" cooperative learning group, breaking up into teams of four, and then into partners from there. Each half of the team is given something to "research" and learn the vocabulary that I will provide at the beginning of day one so that they can teach the other half of their team when it is time to regroup. Vocabulary collaboration is very important to help interpersonal learners understand the vocabulary that will be the backbone of the unit. Students will assume the role of researcher and teacher; in this way, the student seeks out the knowledge for him or herself and is then forced to teach the information to other students. This will allow them to better absorb the information.

Students will be able to develop characters; day two of this lesson will mark the beginning of this process. The first step to learning how to actually develop characters is gaining the basic knowledge of how it's done and how it can be done and how others have done it in the past. I will facilitate the learning process by keeping a close eye on the students' progress. I will expect the students to work diligently on the vocabulary and then on the graphic organizers as well. I will continually check on their progress, but I will also expect the students to seek out one another and even myself for feedback and suggestions. They will then submit a final product of an Inspiration document that they used to create their own character evaluation. Students will be constantly questioning the character development in the narrative writing -- how does this author use character development? How can I use this in my own writing?, etc. Students will constantly be refining their work to facilitate the process of revision. They will be getting feedback from both the other students in the class and me. **Rethink, Equip, Explore, Tailor: Interpersonal, Kinesthetic, Visual, Verbal, Logical.**

Students will self-asses with a reflection at the end of class. This is where they figure out what they learned, how they progressed, and what they need to work on. I will provide timely feedback because it will be instant in short conferences with the students while they are working during class. The only homework that the students have from this lesson is to study the vocabulary that will be used throughout the unit; this is very crucial to the rest of the unit, because the student cannot learn effectively without having the base knowledge of the vocabulary. In the future, students will be quizzed on the vocabulary, and will need to prove their knowledge. **Evaluate, Tailor: Intrapersonal, Verbal.**


 * Content Notes:

//Vocabulary// –

Narrative**: a collection of events that tells a story, which may be true or not, placed in a particular order and recounted through either telling or writing. One example is Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." In this story a madman resolves to kill his landlord because he fears the man's horrible eye. One night he suffocates the landlord and hides the body beneath the floorboards of the bedroom. While fielding questions from the police in the bedroom where the body is hidden, the madman thinks he hears the heart of the victim beating beneath the floorboards. Scared that the police hear the heartbeat too, the madman confesses. This is a narrative because of two things, it has a sequence in which the events are told, beginning with murder and ending with the confession, and it has a narrator, who is the madman, telling the story. By understanding the term "narrative,” one begins to understand that most literary works have a simple outline: the story, the plot, and the storyteller. By studying more closely, most novels and short stories are placed into the categories of first-person and third-person narratives, which are based on who is telling the story and from what perspective. Other important terms that relate to the term "narrative,” are "narrative poetry," poetry that tells a story, and "narrative technique" which means how one tells a story.
 * Conflict**: The struggle in a work of literature. This struggle may be between one person and another person or between a person and an animal, an idea or a thing. It may also be between a person and himself or herself (internal conflict). In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the conflict is manifold. Hamlet struggles against the villain Claudius, against the unbecoming conduct of his mother, and against his conscience and indecision.
 * Character**: a person who is responsible for the thoughts and actions within a story, poem, or other literature. Characters are extremely important because they are the medium through which a reader interacts with a piece of literature. Every character has his or her own personality, which a creative author uses to assist in forming the plot of a story or creating a mood. The different attitudes, mannerisms, and even appearances of characters can greatly influence the other major elements in a literary work, such as theme, setting, and tone. With this understanding of the character, a reader can become more aware of other aspects of literature, such as symbolism, giving the reader a more complete understanding of the work. The character is one of the most important tools available to the author. In the ballad "Edward," for instance, the character himself sets the tone of the ballad within the first stanza. After reading the first few stanzas, one learns that Edward has murdered his father and is very distraught. His attitude changes to disgust and finally to despair when he realizes the consequences he must face for his actions. An example of the attitudes and personalities of characters determining the theme is also seen in the book of Genesis. The proud personality of Cain and the humble personality of Abel help create the conflict for this story. Cain and Abel were brothers, possibly twins, who displayed intense sibling rivalry. God was not pleased with Cain's offerings, but found pleasure in Abel's offerings. Provoked by God's displeasure with him, Cain murdered his own brother out of jealousy.
 * Flat Character**: Character in story who has only one prominent trait, such as greed or cruelty.
 * Round Character**: Character in a story who has many aspects to his or her personality. The character may have a good side and a bad side; he or she may be unpredictable.
 * Static Character**: Character in a literary work who does not change his or her outlook in response to events taking place.
 * Point of View**: a way the events of a story are conveyed to the reader, it is the “vantage point” from which the narrative is passed from author to the reader. The point of view can vary from work to work. For example, in the Book of Genesis the objective third person point of view is presented, where a “nonparticipant” serves as the narrator and has no insight into the characters' minds. The narrator presents the events using the pronouns he, it, they, and reveals no inner thoughts of the characters. In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado” the first person point of view is exhibited. In this instance the main character conveys the incidents he encounters, as well as giving the reader insight into himself as he reveals his thoughts, feelings, and intentions. Many other points of view exist, such as omniscient (or “all knowing”) in which the narrator “moves from one character to another as necessary” to provide those character’s respective motivations and emotions. Understanding the point of view used in a work is critical to understanding literature; it serves as the instrument to relay the events of a story, and in some instances the feelings and motives of the character(s).
 * Dialogue**: Conversation in a play, short story, or novel. A literary work on a single topic presented in the form of a conversation. Plato's Republic, Symposium, and Phaedo are examples of literary works that are dialogues.
 * Plot**: The events that unfold in a story; the action and direction of a story; the story line.
 * Climax**: High point in a story. In Hamlet, this point occurs when Hamlet and Laertes duel with swords and mortally wound each other. In classic detective stories, this point usually occurs when Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, Hercules Poirot, etc., lay out the evidence and finger the killer.


 * Reflection:**