Modern Living Two Weeks ELA Lesson Plan
Teacher: Grade: 8th Grade English Teacher 8th Grade
Lesson Title: The Holocaust, Hiding, and Heroism
STRANDS Reading Literature Writing Language
LESSON OVERVIEW Summary of the task, challenge, investigation, career-related scenario, problem, or community link. The unit of Modern Living will introduce students to a primary source literary piece titled, The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank. Through this study, students will become familiar with the historical implications of the rise of Germany’s power during World War II. They will be able to make connections with what was occurring in Europe and why a young girl with her family and a group of strangers would find the need to go into hiding. Students will be able to relate to the adolescent feelings of Anne Frank when she discusses being frustrated, confused, angry, isolated, and opinionated. Through this study, students will be able to comprehend the simple events of the diary entries and further analyze the entries as they relate to the historical background of the Holocaust. The theme of discrimination will be investigated and compared to other pieces of literature we have studied with the same theme. We will also connect our prior learning about propaganda, as it is evident in the events of this time period.
The language piece of this lesson will concentrate on pronoun/antecedent usage applications. Students will be able to use the literary piece to further their understanding of proper pronoun/antecedent use. The writing piece of this lesson will ask students to organize their thoughts in a summary that will be part of their final display board that will accompany the ‘canstruction’ product. Students will be able to summarize the key elements of the diary entries for a succinct but thorough rendering of the diary entries. Accompanying their summary will be a reflective piece that asks them to analyze one of the themes of Diary of a Young Girl and explain its relevancy for today.
This piece of literature supports the interdisciplinary Modern Living unit by establishing a scenario in which the comforts of home and modern day inventions were exchanged for primitive means of living for survival. Through their study of the Industrial Revolution and the engineering design process in science, students will be able to create a ‘cansruction’ product using canned goods that represents one of the main inventions of the Industrial Revolution. The math proponent will scaffold their learning about circles and the solving of equations and proofs that accompany those formulas.
MOTIVATOR Hook for the week unit or supplemental resources used throughout the week. (PBL scenarios, video clips, websites, literature)
Day 1: The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss I will read the book The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss to the class. This book will serve as a comical reminder of what they already know about discrimination and segregation. I will then divide the students by numbering them one, two, one, two…The ones are the original Sneetches who have stars and the twos are the original Sneetches who do not have stars. On a notes page on their iPad, students are to tell what they feel about themselves and what they feel about others. The ones will be placed together and the twos will be placed together. The groups will share within themselves what was noted then they will share out. The groups will be able to see if there is a comparison between what one group thinks of itself and what the other group thinks of it. DAY Objectives Materials & Resources Instructional Differentiated Assessment (I can….) Procedures Instruction
1 I can draw evidence from iPads Essential Question: Remediation: Formative Assessments: literary texts to support analysis, reflection, and Dr. Seuss’ The Sneetches What evidence from this Adjusting Questions Discussion questions led by humorous story supports teacher regarding the research. Study Guide for diary Grouping the theme of evidence from the video entries June 12 – Sept. 21 discrimination and Class discussion (Appendix A) segregation? Enrichment:
Activity allows for extension work with the students who will serve as group leaders for the discussion 1/2 Project Day – See Unit Plan
Canstructing the Industrial Revolution - Introduction
Set: During this unit, we will be reading The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. Tell the students that as a lead in to the study on a new literary piece, that there is a story that will give them insight into what this literary piece is about. Read the story by Dr. Seuss The Sneetches. Show the pictures as the story is read so they can get a visual image of the Sneetches who had the stars and the Sneetches who did not.
Teaching Strategy(s):
1. Have the students answer a few simple comprehension questions: Who were the Sneetches? What sign differentiated each other? What was each group allowed to do or not do depending on their sign? If it had not been for the businessman who came to town, would they have changed their view of each other?
2. Students will then be numbered off in twos. The ones are the Sneetches who had the original stars and the twos are the Sneetches who did not originally have the stars. Using their iPad on a notes page, they are to answer two questions in their Sneetches point of view: How do you feel abut yourself and how do you feel about the others?
3. After working for a few minutes, the students will be put in their groups depending on if they are a Sneetch with a star or a Sneetch without a star. They will then share out with their own group members their feelings toward themselves and the other group.
4. After sharing with the group, the class will then share out with each other, specifically paying attention to the perceptions of each group and if one group’s perceptions of itself is the same as what the other group said.
Summarizing Strategy: Students will be asked to come up with a moral to the story by Dr. Seuss.
HomeworK: Read diary entries from June 16, 1942 – September 21, 1942. Complete the study guide. 2 I can draw evidence from iPad Essential Question: Remediation: Formative Assessment: informational texts to support analysis, reflection, United States Holocaust What information from the Question clustering and Discussion questions led by and research. Memorial Museum website video supports the theme prompting teacher regarding the of discrimination and evidence from the video Study guide for entries injustice? Enrichment: Sept. 25, 1942 to March 25, Extension questions 1943. (Appendix B) regarding the video and propaganda techniques in the video Set: Students will be asked to share what they already know of the era we will be studying regarding WWII, the Holocaust, genocide, Nazism, etc.
Teaching Strategy(s):
1. Students will watch a video titled The Path to Nazi Genocide found in the website of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This video will serve to correct any misconceptions students may have about their perceptions regarding what caused Anne Frank, her family, and some acquaintances to go into hiding.
2. As they watch the video, students will make notes on the evidence found that supports the discrimination Hitler imposed on the Jewish people.
Summarizing Strategy: Students will put one thought from their list on the flip chart to be used as we study the work.
Homework: Read the diary entries from September 25, 1942 to March 25, 1943. Do the study guide.
3 iPads Project Day – See
Study guide for entries from Unit Plan March 27 to Nov. 11, 1943. Canstructing the (Appendix C) Industrial Revolution –
Brainstorming and Planning
Homework: Read the diary entries from March 27, 1932 to November 11, 1943. Do the study guide. 4 I can determine the iPads Essential Question: Remediation: Formative Assessment: meaning of words and Study guide for entries Nov. What specific word choices Adjusting Questions Connotation Activity phrases as they are used in 17, 1943 – Feb. 18, 1944 and allusions to other texts a text, including figurative (Appendix D) Grouping and connotative meanings; affect the overall tone and analyze the impact of Activity on Connotation meaning of the piece of Class discussion specific word choices on (Appendix D) literature? Clustering of questions meaning and tone, including analogies or Enrichment: allusions to other texts. Individual book work for examples of negative or positive connotations Set: Words will be put on the board (ex., skinny, intelligent, muscular, fanatic, gang) for students to view. They will be asked to indicate whether there is a positive tone or a negative tone associated with each one. If there is a negative tone, they will be asked to come up with a word that is positive and vice-versa for the positive words to find a negative one. This activity will lead into the discussion of the varying word choices throughout the diary entries read so far.
Teaching Strategy(s):
1. Students will review the previously read diary entries by discussing the reading comprehension questions found on the study guides.
2. As they discuss the entries, students will make sure they have the correct answers on their study guides to aid in their study for the cumulative test on the piece.
3. As the class discusses and finds evidence through the entries, students will be asked to find particular word choices that have an impact on the reader. As a class, we will discuss whether the word choices are denotative or connotative and whether the tone is negative or positive.
4. Students will work on an activity that asks them to decide if words have a neutral, positive, or negative connotation.
Summarizing Strategy: Students will be allowed the rest of the period to finish the activity on connotation.
Homework: Read the diary entries from November 17, 1943 to Feb. 18, 1944. Do the study guide.
5 Project Day – See Unit Plan
Canstructing the Industrial Revolution –
Drawing the Plans
6 Study guide for entries of Project Day – See Feb. 19, 1944 – March 28, Unit Plan 1944. (Appendix E)
Canstructing the Industrial Revolution -
Professional Guidance
Homework: Read the diary entries from Feb. 19, 1944 to March 28, 1944. Do the study guide. 7 I can analyze how iPads Essential Question: Remediation: Formative Assessment: differences in the points of view of the characters and Study guide for entries for The diary entries are from Visual activity for point of Rewritten diary entry in the audience or reader Mar. 29, 1944 to May 10, Anne’s point of view. How view another character’s point of 1944. (Appendix F) would the tone of the diary view (e.g., created through the Choice of diary entry use of dramatic irony) entries change if the point create such effects as of view changed? Enrichment: suspense or humor Adjusting questions
Choice of diary entry Set: Students will role-play with one scenario – taking the car to the movie with a group of friends. One will be the mother, the father, the teen, and the friend going along. Each one will describe his/her point of view. We will then discuss how different people look at one activity differently.
Teaching Strategy(s):
1. Students will review the previously read diary entries by discussing the reading comprehension questions found on the study guides.
2. As they discuss the entries, students will make sure they have the correct answers on their study guides to aid in their study for the cumulative test on the piece.
3. Students, working as pairs, will take one diary entry from the previous readings and rewrite it in another character’s point of view.
Summarizing Strategy: Students will share out with a few of their rewritten diary pieces and the class will guess in whose point of view the entry is written.
Homework: Read the diary entries from Mar. 29, 1944 to May 10, 1944. Do the study guide. 8 I can demonstrate iPads Essential Question(s): Remediation: Formative Assessment: command of the conventions of standard Figurative Language Chart How does using figurative Chunking of sections Discussions with figurative English grammar and usage (Appendix G) language in writings figurative language language when writing or speaking. contribute to the tone of Study guide for entries for the literary piece? How Visual activity Pronoun/ antecedent May 11, 1944 – Aug. 1, agreement activity I can demonstrate does my knowledge of Enrichment: understanding of figurative 1944. (Appendix G) correct language, word pronoun/antecedent Questioning techniques Pronoun/ Antecedent relationships, and nuances agreement support my Activity (Appendix G) in word meanings. writing? PowerPoint on Pronoun Agreement (Appendix G) Set: Students will be shown a few sentences: Suzie picked seashells beside the seashore. She ran in like a bull In a bullfight. The limb of the tree reached out and grabbed my hat of my head. I am so hungry I could eat an elephant! Students will recognize these examples as examples of figurative language.
Teaching Strategy(s):
1. Students will review the previously read diary entries by discussing the reading comprehension questions found on the study guides.
2. As they discuss the entries, students will make sure they have the correct answers on their study guides to aid in their study for the cumulative test on the piece.
3. Students will have a chart for figurative language. As a class, we will review the chart and make sure there are no questions about the examples and definitions.
4. Students will watch the powerpoint on pronoun/anteceden t agreement. After reviewing with the aid of the powerpoint, students will work on their pronoun/anteceden t agreement activity.
Summarizing Strategy: Four simple sentences will be placed on the board for the students to correct the pronoun/antecedent usage: She left his coat on the bus. Tomorrow, we will discuss my schedule for the rest of the year. I, herself, don’t agree with her viewpoints. The horse left their hoof print in the snow. Homework: Read the diary entries from May 11, 1944 to August 1, 1944. Do the study guide. 9 I can cite the textual iPads Essential Question: Remediation: Summative Assessment: evidence that most strongly Assessment on The Diary of a How can I analyze the Use of the study guide Assessment on The Diary of supports an analysis of Young Girl (Appendix H) literary piece by the textual a Young Girl by Anne Frank what the text says explicitly Enrichment: as well as inferences drawn evidence and the from the text. inferences drawn from the Choice of Essay Questions diary entries?
1/2 Project Day – See Unit Plan
Canstructing the Industrial Revolution – Preparing to Build
Set: Students will be asked to look over the last diary entries as we summarize the ending entries. Students will then be asked if there is anything that needs to be clarified with the most recent diary entries. Teaching Strategy(s):
1. Students will take the cumulative test on The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.
2. Students will be able to use their completed study guides with this assessment.
Summarizing Strategy: Students will be given the opportunity to use the whole class period to finish the assessment.
10 Project Day – See Unit Plan
Canstructing the Industrial Revolution -
Build Day STANDARDS Identify what you want to teach. Reference State, Common Core, ACT College Readiness Standards and/or State Competencies.
RL 8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL 8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provide a decision.
RL 8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
RL 8.6 Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.
W 8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
L 8.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L 8.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L 8.5a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., verbal irony, puns) in context.
L 8.5b Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.
L 8.5C Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).
L 8.9 Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new.