Lesson Rationale Context- the Purpose of This Lesson Is to Teach the Student That Literature

Ms. Allison McDarby 8th Grade Reading Two Week Unit Plan: John Steinbeck’s The Pearl

Lesson One: 12/01/08 Lesson Duration: 42 Minutes

Lesson Rationale and Context: The students will begin learning the theme of good vs. evil. The novel that we soon will begin reading, John Steinbeck’s The Pearl, has a theme that shows how destructive the attributes of greed and ambition can be.

Goal Statement: In this lesson, students will work together to discuss the good and evil that can come when you fall into a lot of money. This will help them to understand the theme as well as supporting themes in The Pearl. The activity will help them to predict what may happen.

Objectives:  The students will understand the basic attributes of greed and ambition.  The student will be able to compare and contrast the elements of good and evil.  The students will learn how to collaborate with each other and come up with a general consensus of what may happen in the novella.

CCCS: 3.3, 3.4

Materials: Teacher: Laptop computer 6 wallets Fake money Chalk Students: Pens/Pencils Paper

Anticipatory Set: I will place a wallet full of fake money in front of each group of students and present them with a scenario.

Lesson Procedure: 1.) Place wallets and fake money in front of each group. 2.) Provide the students with a scenario of how they found this wallet and ask them questions of what they would do if they were awarded the money for being honest by returning it. 3.) The students will then collaborate on ideas of what they would do with the money as well as what good and evil could come of it. 4.) Have each group present their pros and cons of coming into the money. 5.) Write their responses on the chalkboard. 6.) Hold a class discussion on their responses as well as how this may affect the novel. Lesson 2: 12/02/08 Lesson Duration: 42 Minutes

Lesson Rationale and Context: Vocabulary is important in helping students to comprehend what they are reading. The students will be introduced to vocabulary from chapters one and two as a pre-reading activity. Students will continue making predictions after learning new information.

Goal Statement: The students will learn the vocabulary words in a group setting. They will prepare for a game in class that will help them to learn each corresponding groups words. The students will re-evaluate their previous predictions after listening to the author’s biography and The Pearl’s summary.

Objectives:  Students will learn the vocabulary words that their group is designated.

 Students will learn to work together in dividing responsibility.

 Students will be prepared to teach the rest of the class their words on the following day.

 Students will continue making predictions.

CCCS: 3.1, 3.3, 3.4

Materials:

Teacher: Graphic organizers Note cards Basket The Pearl summary John Steinbeck’s biography Dictionaries

Students: Pens/Pencils

Anticipatory Set: I will invite each student to pull a word out of a hat with its definition. The students will participate in a word link activity. They will be responsible for finding three classmates who have words that are related to their words in anyway.

Lesson Procedure: 1.) Students will draw words out of a hat.

2.) I will explain the task to them.

3.) They will then try to find three other people whose word is related to theirs whether synonym, antonym, etc.

4.) Once in their groups they will work together to find the definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and mnemonics for their vocabulary words as well as write a sentence for each word.

5.) Read to the class John Steinbeck’s biography.

6.) Read to the class the summary of The Pearl.

7.) Have a class discussion on new predictions.

Homework: Write a paragraph or two with the few vocabulary words and other words that are provided to them from the first two chapters. Make up a character who is either good or evil to base the vocabulary words around. Lesson 3- 12/03/08 Lesson Duration: 42 minutes

Lesson Rationale and Context- Students will discuss their homework with each other in a writing activity in order to open their minds to new ideas and concepts. Through an engaging and fun game students may succeed better in learning new words.

Goal Statement: Through a Written Conversation they will help each other to understand the vocabulary as well as share their ideas of good and evil. Students will participate in a fun learning game before they begin The Pearl in order to learn and understand new vocabulary.

Objectives:  Students will learn new vocabulary in a group setting.

 Students will both teach and learn from each other.

CCCS: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4

Materials:

Teacher: Basket Cards with word and definition Chalk

Students: Paper Pens/pencils

Anticipatory Set: Students will be told that they will get to play a vocabulary game after getting to pass notes in class.

Lesson Procedure: 1.) Students will choose a partner from their group to pass notes with about their homework from the previous night. 2.) Students will have two minutes to read each other’s paragraph(s) and respond with either ideas or questions silently by writing on their partner’s homework. 3.) Students will then pass the notes back and respond to each other’s responses. 4.) After a few times of back and forth the students will go back to their groups to choose a team name for the vocabulary game. 5.) A student from each group will take turns to come up to the front of the room and draw a word out of the basket. The card will either be one of the five words they were given to define or one of the words’ synonyms or antonyms. 6.) Students will give clues to their group with synonyms or antonyms but can not say the word. 7.) Each group will be given thirty seconds to guess the word while the rest of the class is writing down the clues. 8.) Score will be kept by the teacher for each team on the blackboard. 9.) If the game is not finished I will pass out a master vocabulary sheet from the first two chapters on the following day. Lesson Four- 12/04/08 Lesson Duration: 42 Minutes

Lesson Rationale and Context: Now that the students are aware of the theme of good and evil as well as the vocabulary from the first two chapters, we will begin reading, The Pearl, in class.

Goal Statement: Students should be able to read the novella and recognize new vocabulary words in it. By understanding new words in different sentences they will be able to better comprehend what they are reading. I will begin by modeling a Think-Aloud so that they will be able to do the same when they do their homework.

Goal Objectives:  Students will be able to be conscious of background knowledge that they may have while reading.

 Students will be able to recognize words they have learned as well as those they are unfamiliar with.

 Students will continue to predict and reflect on the novella.

CCCS: 3.1, 3.3, 3.4

Materials:

Teacher: Post-its Journaling Directions The Pearl

Students: The Pearl Pens/Pencils Journal

Anticipation Set: I will begin class by modeling a Think-Aloud after explaining to the students what one is.

Lesson Procedure: 1.) I will write Codes on the board for the students to use while they read the text. V for visual, BK for background knowledge, and ? for any questions they may have.

2.) I will model a Think-Aloud for the students.

3.) Students will learn what it means to pause while reading and reflect on both what they know and do not know in a text.

4.) While I am reading, the students will also use post-its to connect themselves to the novella by using the codes that they were taught.

5.) After the first few pages, students will take turns reading out-loud to the class while being encouraged to stop and think out loud some of the thoughts that they have.

6.) Students will be given a hand-out of certain journaling ideas that they will have for homework as well as a graphic organizer for new vocabulary words that they will continue to use throughout the unit. Homework: Read the rest of chapter one if necessary and all of chapter two. Begin writing in journal and write the vocabulary words that we have learned so far and unfamiliar ones on the graphic organizer.

Lesson Five- 12/05/08 Lesson Duration: 42 Minutes

Lesson Rationale and Context: It is important for students to be aware of different elements in a story such as plot, characterization, and theme. Now that they understand one of the themes in the novella, they can begin reading into characterization and continue with their journaling.

Goal Statement: Students will learn about the different ways that a character can be created. They will continue placing the theme into context but their focus will be on characterization.

Objectives:  Students will be able to recognize four primary ways of understanding characterization.

 Students will learn how the theme can affect the development of characters.

CCCS: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 Materials:

Teacher: The Pearl Graphic organizer on characterization

Students: The Pearl Pens/Pencils Journal

Anticipation Set: I will shock the students by entering the classroom while stomping my feet and hurrying over to my desk. Once there I will take my arm and angrily brush everything on my desk off onto the floor. I will then ask students to tell me how I was feeling.

Lesson Procedure: 1.) I will enter the class angrily and cause a scene in front of them.

2.) I will ask the students to describe to me what had happened.

3.) Students will then have to watch me again as I walk into the classroom with my head down while I shuffle my feet toward the desk.

4.) I will pass out the characterization worksheet and begin teaching the students about the different ways that text can describe a character.

5.) I will keep assigned groups for students to interview each other.

6.) As a group they will write sentences about each other by using each of the characterization techniques.

7.) Provide the students the vocabulary words from chapter three. Homework: Students will go home create a word cross puzzle with five of the vocabulary words, using synonyms or antonyms as the riddle. Each student must have five different words from their group members. They will complete each other’s puzzle on the following day and learn each other’s vocabulary words.

Lesson Six: 12/08/08

Lesson Duration: 42 Minutes

Lesson Rationale and Context: Theme can sometimes directly affect a character’s development as well as vise versa. Students will begin to put this idea into context with the novella. Goal Statement: Students will lean how theme and characterization effect and are affected by one another. They will continue reading chapter three as a class but will pause when I tell them to in order to ask questions.

Objectives:  Students will be able to pause while reading to answer questions.

 They will learn how good vs. evil can affect the greed and ambitions of the characters in the story.

 They will understand and discuss how theme both furthers plot and characterization.

CCCS: 3.1, 3.3, 3.4

Materials:

Teacher: The Pearl Discussion Questions

Students: The Pearl Pens/Pencils Paper

Anticipatory Set: Begin class by having students teach each other their vocabulary and play one of their group member’s crossword puzzles.

Lesson Procedure: 1.) Students will teach their group members their words that they defined and write down the definitions, synonyms, and antonyms of each other’s words. 2.) Students will complete their partners’ crossword puzzles by using the list of possible vocabulary.

3.) We will have a class discussion about how we feel that the theme of good vs. evil affects the characters in The Pearl.

4.) We will continue reading chapter three of The Pearl, while pausing to answer discussion questions as well as point out the new vocabulary.

Homework: Work on journals.

Lesson Seven-12/09/08 Lesson Duration: 42 Minutes Lesson Rationale and Context: Now that the students have read the first half of the novella I will show them some of the film. It is important for some students to have a visual to better understand the plot, theme, and characterization.

Goal Statement: Students will compare and contrast the novella so far with the film as a class. Through watching the film they will gain a better understanding of the text.

Objectives:  Student will learn how to compare and contrast the text with its film

 Student will collaborate on why some things were changed as well as to predict what might come next.

CCCS: 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5

Materials:

Teacher: The Pearl DVD Miniature erase boards Markers Chalk

Students: Pens/Pencils Paper

Anticipation Set: I will begin class by surprising them with some of the film.

Lesson Procedure: 1.) Play the film for the first 15 minutes of the class. 2.) Have a class discussion and compare and contrast the film with the novella.

3.) Explain review game in class and provide the students with miniature erase boards.

4.) A question will be asked and they will answer it as a group on the boards.

5.) When I say show me your answers they will hold the boards up and I’ll keep score on the chalkboard.

Homework: Study for the quiz on chapters one through three. Lesson Eight: 12/10/08 Lesson Duration: 42 minutes

Lesson Rationale and Context: It is important for students to continue to learn new vocabulary to prepare them for the rest of the novella.

Goal Statement: The students will show me how much they comprehend the novella by taking a quiz in class. Students will look up new definitions, synonyms and antonyms for the second half of the novella.

Objectives:  Students will be assessed by taking a quiz during class.

 Students will work independently to define new vocabulary.

CCCS: 3.1, 3.2

Materials:

Teacher: Quiz on chapters one through three Vocabulary list Dictionaries Thesauruses Another copy of the vocabulary graphic organizer

Students: Pens/Pencils

Anticipation Set: Pass out the quiz to the class. Lesson Procedure: 1.) Have the students take a quiz.

2.) The students will be provided with a list of vocabulary words to independently look up after they complete the quiz.

Homework: Complete the vocabulary graphic organizer at home. Lesson Nine- 12/11/08 Lesson Duration: 42 Minutes

Lesson Rationale and Context: It is important for students to understand the theme and its relationship with conflicts in the novella. They will continue to examine it during class time with a partner and prepare for a problem solving activity.

Goal Statement: Students will continue reflecting on the novella with a partner and continue reading it during class time. We will pause at certain conflicts that are occurring and have a class discussion on problem solving techniques.

Objectives:  Students will pause while reading in order to reflect on the novella.

 Students will continue to determine character development and its relationship to theme.

 Students will learn about the conflicts and how they are related to theme and characterization.

CCCS: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4

Materials:

Teacher: The Pearl Problem solving worksheet

Students: The Pearl Pens/Pencils Anticipation Set: Have the students work with a partner and complete a Read/Write Pair Share activity.

Lesson Procedure: 1.) Explain to the students that they need to choose a partner for the activity.

2.) Give them directions to write simultaneously for a couple minutes about anything they find interesting and pass it to each other to then discuss.

3.) Give the class a definition of conflict and its relationship to theme and characterization.

4.) Have the students work on the Problem Solving worksheet.

5.) Begin reading chapter five in class while pausing when we reach any conflicts.

Homework: Finish chapter five and continue journaling. Lesson Ten- 12/11/08

Lesson Duration: 42 Minutes

Lesson Rationale and Context: In order to place the theme into context, students will wok with a partner to theorize on the events that have occurred thus far in the novel. It is important to continue reflecting on what was read in order to better comprehend the text.

Goal Statement: Students will reflect and use critical thinking skills to analyze the text up to this point. They will work with a partner to open their minds to new and exciting ideas.

Objectives:  Students will reflect on the novella with a partner.

 They will make predictions of what has occurred thus far.

 Students will use critical thinking to complete the assignment.

 Students will continue to read the text out-loud and pause while reading to make predictions.

 Students will creatively re-write a section of the text. CCCS: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4

Material:

Teacher: The Pearl Sherlock Holmes worksheet Students: The Pearl Pens/Pencils Paper

Anticipation Set: I will allow the students to choose a partner to work with on an assignment where they will get to re-write part of the story.

Lesson Procedure: 1.) Get the students to find a partner. 2.) Hand out the Sherlock Holmes worksheet and go over the directions with them. 3.) Have them re-write the section of the story. 4.) Have one student at a time read what they have written. 5.) Begin Chapter Six in class and complete if the time permits.

Homework: Finish chapter six if it wasn’t finished during class time. Work on journals.