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You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan

Colleen Baron, Kit McFarland, and Meg Smith EDUC 5325 Professor Bill McGinley and Professor Mark Lewis December 12, 2006

Rationale

David Klass’s You Don’t Know Me provides many opportunities for teachers to explore themes surrounding identity, which are especially pertinent to adolescent readers. How do we know ourselves? How do we know one another? How do we understand (and misunderstand) how the past affects the people we become? How do traumatic events change us? We have used these questions, and other related questions, to guide the plans we have developed for our unit.

Our lessons include activities that encourage students to consider who they are and how others see them.

We have included diverse activities that we hope will speak to a wide range of learning styles, interests, and strengths. Over the course of our four-week unit, students will read, collage, draw, write poetry, create advice columns, prepare and give dramatic performances, compose an essay, respond in their journals, and discuss with their peers. Our unit meets all six of the Colorado Model Content Standards. We have integrated critical and creative thinking in our hot seat and open mind activities. Whenever possible, we have included adaptations for learners who might need them, and we have given students choices between different prompts and assignments wherever possible. We are confident that the activities we have chosen provide all students with an opportunity to explore the essential questions of our unit.

You Don’t Know Me Unit Calendar SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2

3 4 Day 1 5 Day 2 6 Day 3 7 Day 4 8 Day 5 9  Introduction to novel  Work on collages  Collage presentations  Discussion of  Share poems  Boxes activity  Begin presentations (if  Begin reading novel Chapters 1-3  Continue reading novel  HW: Start collage; time allows)  HW: Chapters 1-3  “I Am From” poem  HW: Chapters 4-7 and activity bring in collage  HW: None materials  HW: Finish “I Am From” poems

10 11 Day 6 12 Day 7 13 Day 8 14 Day 9 15 Day 10 16  Discuss Chapters 5-7  Preparation and  Read Chapter 10  “My Big Date”  Discussion of Chapter 14  Continue reading novel performance of scenes  Journal writing performance  Domestic violence  Continue reading novel  HW: Setting the Scene  HW: Chapter 9  Read Chapter 11  HW: Chapter 14 sheet  HW: Chapter 12  HW: Chapters 15-17; finish first journal entry; second journal entry

17 18 Day 11 19 Day 12 20 Day 13 21 Day 14 22 Day 15 23  Discussion of  Discussion of Chapters  Discussion of Chapter  Continue reading  How the novel may end Chapters 15-17 18-19 21 novel  Storyboarding  Dear Abby activity  Continue reading novel  Open Mind handout  Holiday dance party!  HW: Finish  HW: Chapters 18-19  HW: Revise letters; and collage  HW: Ideas about how storyboarding; Chapters Chapter 21  HW: Chapters the novel might end 25-26 and Epilogue 22-23

24 25 Day 16 26 Day 17 27 Day 18 28 Day 19 29 Day 20 30  Discussion about the  Setup for Hot Seat  Hot Seat activity  Essay setup and work  Writing Workshop novel ending activity  HW: None time  HW: Complete essay  Introduction of Hot  HW: Hot Seat handout  HW: Outline/ rough Seat activity draft; two quotes for  HW: Paragraph on writing workshop John’s change

You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 1

Lesson Plan – Exploring Who We Are Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: David Klass’s novel You Don’t Know Me provides students with the opportunity to think about how human beings come to know one another. We have planned two days of introductory activities before students start reading the novel, during which students will consider how others see them, how they see themselves, and how they see others. This self-reflective period will provide students with a framework through which to think about John (the protagonist of the novel) and his relationships with other characters in the novel. The teacher will also introduce the novel briefly, giving students an idea of what to expect in the upcoming month.

Standard(s) Addressed: 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 3. Students write and speak using conventional grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - Students will think about the questions, “Who am I?” and “How do I know myself?” Considering these questions will help students frame an examination of further questions on identity relating to themselves and to the characters in the novel as the unit progresses. - The student will create a visual representation of how he/she sees him/herself (in the form of a collage).

Materials: - Biography of David Klass - “Exploring Who You Are” worksheet - Large pieces of paper for collages

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: 5-10 minutes / 8:02-8:10am - Students write in their journals. - Prompts: - How well do you think you know your classmates? - How well do you think they know you?

Activities/ Procedures: ~45 minutes / 8:10am-8:55am 1. Introduction to Novel (20 minutes) - Tell students that they’re starting a new unit and will be reading David Klass’s novel You Don’t Know Me. - Hand out biography of David Klass. Have students take turns reading aloud. - Explain that one of the overarching themes of the novel concerns the question of how people know each other and the misconceptions people hold about others. - Inform students that to help them begin thinking about these ideas, they will spend the next two days doing activities that allow them to explore both how they know themselves and how they know their classmates. - Ask students to think about what they wrote in their journals as they complete the activities planned for the next two days. 2. Boxes Activity (25 minutes) - Hand out “Exploring Who You Are” worksheet - Give students time to complete the handout individually. - Tell students to keep the sheet in their journals/ notebooks because they will use it later on to create “I Am From” poems.

Adaptations/ Individualization: - None

Assessment: - Circulate briefly at the end of journal time to make sure all students are writing. - Check to make sure students have completed boxes activity.

Closure: ~5 minutes / 8:55-9:00am - Tell students: Today we talked about how we know ourselves. For the next couple of days, I want you to keep thinking about how well you know yourself, and to keep trying to get to know yourselves better. - Homework: Students should start a collage that represents who they are. It can either reflect how they see themselves or how they imagine that others see them. Students will work on their collages in class tomorrow, so they should bring magazines/pictures/newspapers, as well as the collages they started at home. - Tomorrow we will… present the collages at the end of class — while you are working on them, keep in mind that others will see them!

Reflection: It might be a good idea to have collage materials on hand in the classroom in case the boxes activity takes less time than anticipated. Students could begin introducing collages at the end of class if time allows. David Klass

David Klass blames his choice of career as a writer on his mother. “I could hear her typewriter when I went to sleep at night and its clicking woke me up in the morning.” An English teacher and author of over fifteen novels herself, Sheila Klass surrounded her family with books and literature. Klass's father, an anthropology professor, was particularly fond of the works of P.G. Wodehouse, and enjoyed playing different roles as he read books aloud to his children. This steady infusion of language and literature had its effect on their children as David and his sisters Perri and Judy have all published books. David says he was most influenced by books of adventure like Treasure Island, Call of the Wild, and White Fang. In spite of all the literature around him, David says he didn't read as much as he should have when he was in junior and senior high school. Realizing how much the reading he did as a student at Yale helped him to grow intellectually, he wanted to write books to appeal to young people and to stimulate their thinking. He believes that no matter how busy their lives are during those important years, they will read if the right books are made available to them. A powerful influence on Klass's writing is the two years he spent as a teacher in Japan after graduating from Yale. He taught in a public high school in Atami for three days a week and visited other high schools on the other two days. He also coached the high school baseball and soccer teams. Klass was impressed by the respect given to teachers in Japan. He believes that being a high school teacher is “the most noble profession in the world.” Although he's not an activist for environmental issues, Klass says he has studied and read about ecology. He finds himself drawn to the drama of the conflict in small towns in the American Northwest that depend on an industry for survival. But his novels are not about issues alone. “If I write truthfully about the characters,” he says, “the issues will come alive.” Since his return from Japan, David Klass has been studying film writing in Hollywood in addition to writing seven novels. His first screenplay was Kiss the Girls, a 1997 film starring Morgan Freeman. He has written two additional film screenplays since and is beginning to develop a reputation in California as a writer of hard action films. “I hope I can continue to write young adult novels about introspective young people in difficult situations as well as screenplays for action films,” he says.

Picture source: http://www.authortracker.com/author.asp?a=authorid&b=21174 Biography source: http://books.scholastic.com/teachers/authorsandbooks/authorstudies/authorhome.jsp? authorID=1790&displayName=Biography Exploring Who YOU Are My best memory is… My worst memory is… I am most proud of…

What in your culture/heritage The ideal(s) you value most The object(s) you value most has given you strength? is/are… is/are…

My mentor(s) is/are… My demon(s) is/are… What has been magical for me is… You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 2

Lesson Plan – Collages and Presentations Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: See rationale for Day 1; this lesson’s activities are a continuation of those introduced on the first day of the unit.

Standard(s) Addressed: 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - The student will complete his/her collage. - The student will present his/her collage to the class.

Materials: - Scissors - Magazines - Glue sticks - Tape - Newspapers - Other art supplies as available for collages

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~5 minutes / 8:02-8:07am - Recap yesterday: talked about how we see each other. Have brief discussion of how we put each other in boxes. - Questions: - How do we categorize each other? - How do you think others categorize you? - Check collages to make sure students have begun working on them.

Activities/ Procedures: 45-50 minutes / 8:07-8:55am 1. Work on Collages; Begin Presentations if Time Allows - Students work on their collages for as much of the class period as they need to. Start informal presentation of collages (15-20 minutes, if all students are done with their collages). - Hang up collages on wall or bulletin board. - Give students opportunity to walk around and look at what they see. - Give students time to ask questions about what they see on each others’ collages. - Give students time to talk about what they included on their collages.

Adaptations/ Individualization: - If students finish their collages early/have completed their collages the night before, they could make a collage depicting either how they would like others to see them, or how they would not like others to see them. - Alternately, students could choose one thing from their collages to write about in their journals.

Assessment: - Check to make sure students have brought collages with them. Closure: ~5 minutes / 8:55-9:00am - Clean up classroom and put away materials. - If students needed the whole period to work on collages, remind them that they will present the following day. - If there is time to start presenting collages, ask students what it was like to create their own collages, and to see each others’. Ask: How was making a collage similar to and different from the boxes activity? - Tomorrow we will… finish presenting collages (depending on time situation); start reading You Don’t Know Me.

Reflection: If students need the whole period to work on their collages, presentations will occur on Day 3. If students do not finish their collages during class, they will need to do so for homework. If this is the case, move explanation of “Informal presentation of collages” to Day 3. You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 3

Lesson Plan – Collage Presentations and Beginning the Novel Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: In this lesson, students will start to connect the ideas explored over the first two days of the unit to David Klass’s novel You Don’t Know Me. Students will finish looking at the collages the class created and will start reading the novel.

Standard(s) Addressed: 1. Students read and understand a variety of materials. 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. 6. Students read and recognize literature as a record of human experience.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - The student has presented his/her collage to the class (if this objective was not met on Day 2). - The student will learn about using sticky notes during his/her reading when he/she comes across a confusing or important passage. This practice allows the student to read the way more advanced readers do, and provides him/her with an invaluable study tool to use throughout his/her schooling. - The student has read Chapters 1-3 of the novel.

Materials: - A copy of You Don’t Know Me - Sticky notes (Post-It or other brand)

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~5 minutes / 8:02-8:07am - Students write in their journals. - Prompt: - Something I bet my classmates did not know about me before my collage presentation is______.

Activities/Procedures: ~48 minutes / 8:07-8:55am 1. Informal presentation of collages if necessary (see instructions from Day 2). (24 minutes) 2. Introduce sticky notes and begin reading You Don’t Know Me (if time allows). (24 minutes) - Hand out books and give one packet of sticky notes to each student. - Explain to students that using sticky notes is something you (the teacher) like to do when you read. Tell them that throughout their reading in class and at home, they should place a sticky note in the book whenever they come across a passage or phrase that is interesting to them. They should also mark words or phrases that are unfamiliar to them. Tell students to keep their sticky notes, as they will be useful in discussion and in their assignments throughout the unit. - Choose students at random to read aloud. Read Chapters 1-3 in class as time allows. - Stop periodically during reading to check for comprehension and questions.

Adaptations/Individualization: - Students who do not feel comfortable reading aloud can choose to read for a shorter period of time.

Assessment: - Ensure that each student has completed and presented a collage. - Read aloud with students to check that each student is paying attention and following what is going on in the novel. Closure: ~5 minutes / 8:55-9:00am - Ask students what they think of what they’ve read so far. If this general prompt does not generate responses, ask students what they think of John. Ask if there are any questions about the opening of the novel. - Homework: Chapters 1-3 (if they have not finished reading aloud as a class). Remind students to use their sticky notes as they read. - Tomorrow we will… talk about Chapters 1-3 and do an activity to get students thinking about their pasts.

Reflection: The timeframe of this day will depend largely on what happened during Day 2. Students may finish Chapters 1-3 in class, or they may have to read these chapters entirely for homework. Since sticky notes may be a new study tool to most students, remind them to use them over the next few days. Hopefully, they will form the habit of using them as they read after a little while. You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 4

Lesson Plan – “I Am From” Poems Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: This lesson will provide students with an opportunity to discuss the opening chapters of the novel. Students will also examine how past events shape adolescent identity through reflecting on their own experiences and through analysis of the beginning of You Don’t Know Me.

Standard(s) Addressed: 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 3. Students write and speak using conventional grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. 6. Students read and recognize literature as a record of human experience.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - The student will engage in discussion about the first three chapters of You Don’t Know Me. - The student will consider how John’s past and their own pasts shape who they are. - The student will collaborate with classmates to write about John’s past, and then write about their own pasts in the form of an “I Am From” poem.1

Materials: - A copy of You Don’t Know Me - Sticky notes - “I Am From” poem - Copies of instructions for “I Am From” poems

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: 5-10 minutes / 8:02-8:10am - Students write in their journals. - Prompt: - What do you think about John so far? - What are you curious about? - What predictions do you have about what will happen next? - Ask students to take out their books and look at where they used sticky notes in their reading the previous day/night. Have 2-3 students share what they found.

1 Idea from Mary Pipher (2006) Writing to Change the World. New York: Penguin. Activities/Procedures: ~48 minutes / 8:10-8:58am 1. Large-Group Discussion of Chapters 1-3 (15 minutes) - Discussion Questions: Chapters 1-3 - John tells the reader a lot about what he or she doesn’t know about him. What do we know about John based on what he tells us in the first chapter? - Mother is with a man who is not his father (p.1) - This man hits John (p.2) - Has an algebra teacher who he calls Mrs. Moonface - He’s doing his Algebra homework - On page 2, John says, “It’s like a kaleidoscope, isn’t it? One minute I’m short, the next minute tall, one minute I’m geeky, one minute studly, my shape constantly changes, and the only thing that stays constant is my brown eyes. Watching you.” What does this passage mean? How are people like kaleidoscopes? Have you ever felt this way? - Who is the “you” that John is addressing in this chapter? - His mother - In Chapter 2, John talks a lot about names. Who is Glory Hallelujah? Who is Mrs. Moonface? Who is Billy Beezer? What is the significance of John inventing nicknames for these characters? - Glory: girl in his class - Mrs. Moonface: Algebra teacher. Has skin disorder. - Billy Beezer: friend, has large nose. - Significance: defense mechanism? Way of exerting control? Way of making sense of the world? - What happens in band practice? Why does John insist that his tuba is not a tuba? What do we know about Mr. Steenwilly so far? - Tuba is not a tuba because it doesn’t produce musical sounds—calls it a frog pretending to be a tuba. - Mr. Steenwilly (p. 18): prestigious musical degree, pianist. - At the end of Chapter 3, Mr. Steenwilly asks to see John in his office. What do you think Mr. Steenwilly wants to discuss with John? 2. Introduction of “I Am From” Poem and Activity (5 minutes) - Ask students what they think about John’s past based on the first 3 chapters. Ask: How does the past make us who we are? Tell students they will do an activity that will help them to think about these questions. Inform them that they are going to write an “I Am From” poem. Tell students you will read them your own poem, and that then they will have the opportunity to write John’s poem in groups before beginning their own poems. - Read teacher model: I Am From

I am from rural New Hampshire, an army base in Germany, two boroughs of New York City, and Lithuania. I am from meeting at a roller skating rink in Sunnyside and meeting at Oyster River High School.

I am from New Boston, NH, from screened porches and swimming in Abby’s pool. I am from Greenfield State Park and back yards and gymnastics at the Town Hall. I am from sledding across the street, walking to Dodges, and riding my bike around Mill Street.

I am from “Always bring your bathing suit,” “Eat your chocolate bar,” and “Don’t paint yourself into a corner.” I am from “No knees, Meggie” while climbing Mount Major. I am from seatbelts off on the Right of Way, swimming down and back, tugboats in Portsmouth, and Balsams manners. I am from “our side” of the family.

I am from Leslie Richards’ spaghetti sauce. I am from potato latkes, cookie days, and sausage with cheese biscuits. I am from the smell of morning coffee. I am from Pachelbel Canon and Suzuki Piano Book I. I am from “Edelweiss” and “Let’s sing a song about Meggie.” I am from “The Sound of Music” and “Mary Poppins.”

I am from “Tell me a story.” I am from “Let’s read a book.” I am from “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” and “The Lion and the Mouse.” I am from Charlotte’s Web and Goodnight Moon. I am from hours in the yellow chairs at the Whipple Free Library.

I am from mint chocolate chip ice cream during The Wonder Years and a sense of foreboding. I am from the words, “Mom and I have something to tell you both,” and the knowledge that everything was changing. I am from a small-town New England soap opera.

I am from three of seeking refuge in the same bed. I am from Mom and me eating graham crackers with peanut butter at midnight. I am from “I statements” and letters and my journal. I am from protecting my brother, Garrett, and wanting to make it okay. I am from waiting until it was finally okay.

I am from a family that did not break, even as its composition changed.

I am from friends who are more like family. I am from It Takes a Village. I am from “We’ve been friends since nursery school” and “I remember when you were born” and the annual Christmas party.

I am from an uncomplicated love of going home. I am from Mom and Dana and Garrett picking me up at the airport. I am from fires on rainy afternoons, champagne on Christmas Eve, and the Red Sox on television. I am from “Call me on your way home” and bad cell phone service. I am from “The way we do it” and “Making good time” and “The thing you need to know about me” and “Look at Coal.”

I am from therapists and teachers, builders and soldiers, parents and siblings. I am from generations of stories, and from the stories I help to create. I am from people I am proud to become. 3. Break Students into Groups to Write John’s “I Am From” Poem (16 minutes) - Students count off depending on how many students there are in the class to make groups of 4-6 students. - Tell students that they know a lot about where John isn’t from, but now it’s time to think about where he is from. Instruct them to spend the next 10 minutes writing John’s version of an “I Am From” poem in their groups. Tell them to feel free to invent if they need to, but to make sure they can back up their inventions with support from the text (i.e., they wouldn’t want to write, “I am from a dad who loves me,” since they know from the reading that that isn’t the case). - Each student writes one line of John’s poem (i.e., the first student starts with one line, then hands it to the next member of the group, who writes the next line, and so on). - After 10 minutes, have each group choose one person to read their group’s poem aloud to the class. 4. Students Start their Own “I Am From” Poems (12 minutes) - Have students take out their Boxes handout from Day 1 to use as a starting point for their poems. - Hand out instructions for “I Am From” poems. - Tell students that you hope they feel comfortable sharing personal information in their writing, and that you encourage them to do so. Remind students, however, that if they write anything about harming themselves or someone else, you are obligated to report it to school administrators. - Students start their poems quietly.

Adaptations/Individualization: - If students would rather draw in their journals than write, they may draw/create visual representations of their first impressions of John.

Assessment: - Listen to students’ answers to discussion questions to assess for comprehension.

Closure: ~2 minutes / 8:58-9:00am - Remind students that you will be collecting their journals the following day. - Homework: Finish “I Am From” poems. - Tomorrow we will… share poems in small groups.

Reflection: If students have difficulty writing John’s “I Am From” poem, prompt them by asking questions: “Who are the characters you’ve met so far?” “How is his relationship with his mother?” etc. “I Am From” Poem instructions

Please write a poem of at least 10 lines about where you are from. Your poem should include references to places, people, food, and entertainment (movies, books, television shows, computer games). Start each line with the phrase, “I am from”. Your poem is due at the beginning of class tomorrow.

“I Am From” Poem instructions

Please write a poem of at least 10 lines about where you are from. Your poem should include references to places, people, food, and entertainment (movies, books, television shows, computer games). Start each line with the phrase, “I am from”. Your poem is due at the beginning of class tomorrow.

“I Am From” Poem instructions

Please write a poem of at least 10 lines about where you are from. Your poem should include references to places, people, food, and entertainment (movies, books, television shows, computer games). Start each line with the phrase, “I am from”. Your poem is due at the beginning of class tomorrow.

“I Am From” Poem instructions

Please write a poem of at least 10 lines about where you are from. Your poem should include references to places, people, food, and entertainment (movies, books, television shows, computer games). Start each line with the phrase, “I am from”. Your poem is due at the beginning of class tomorrow.

“I Am From” Poem instructions

Please write a poem of at least 10 lines about where you are from. Your poem should include references to places, people, food, and entertainment (movies, books, television shows, computer games). Start each line with the phrase, “I am from”. Your poem is due at the beginning of class tomorrow. You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 5

Lesson Plan – Sharing Poems and Continuing with the Novel Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: In this lesson, students will continue to think about the idea of how the past shapes who we are, and about how the past helps us to know one another and ourselves. They will have an opportunity to think more about who their peers are based what they learn through sharing their “I Am From” poems. Students will also start reading Chapters 4-7, which will prepare them for discussion of these chapters on Day 6.

Standard(s) Addressed: 1. Students read and understand a variety of materials. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. 6. Students read and recognize literature as a record of human experience.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - Students will share their poems with their peers. - Students will continue to think about how the past affects us, a theme that will resurface throughout the rest of You Don’t Know Me. - The student will begin reading Chapters 4-7 in class.

Materials: - A copy of You Don’t Know Me

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~5 minutes / 8:02-8:07am - Check in with students: - How did your writing go last night? - Were you surprised by the memories that writing these poems evoked? - What was hard about writing? - What came easily?

Activities/Procedures: ~48 minutes / 8:07-8:55am 1. Students Share their “I Am From” Poems in Small Groups (14 minutes) - Have students count off into groups of 4. - Remind them that many of them may have written about sensitive/personal topics. Review good listening skills: look at the person who is reading, do not laugh, give positive feedback, no put-downs. - Instruct students to share their poems and to talk about what they heard. 2. Return to Large Group for Sharing (10 minutes; more time if needed) - Ask if anyone wants to read aloud. Students may read all or part of their poems if they would like, but sharing is not obligatory. 3. Students Read Chapters 5-7 Silently (24 minutes) - If students don’t finish these chapters in class, they will finish them for homework.

Adaptations/Individualization: - Students whose “I Am From” poems were very personal can choose to share only a part of their poems in small- group sharing time.

Assessment: - Homework checks for “I Am From” poems. Teacher will collect and read them, but will not assign grades, as this is a very personal assignment. Closure: ~5 minutes / 8:55-9:00am - Students write in their journals. - Prompt: - Based on what you’ve read so far of chapters 4-7, what other information might you add to John’s “I Am From” poem? - Homework: Finish Chapters 4-7.

Reflection: Emotional issues might come up during students’ sharing of their poems. If any issues students have brought up in their writing worry you (i.e., the student mentions harming himself/herself or someone else), show the poem to guidance and talk about it with the student the following day. You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 6

Lesson Plan – Continuing with the Novel Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: Chapters 5 through 7 introduce the reader to a number of the people in John’s life, including his “friends who are not friends,” his mother and her boyfriend, and Gloria. Students will have covered this large section of the book at home, and will benefit from an opportunity to review and discuss it in class, as well as to more fully understand the characters surrounding John. This lesson will also set students up for the dramatic performances they will be participating in on Days 7 and 9.

Standard(s) Addressed: 1. Students read and understand a variety of materials. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. 6. Students read and recognize literature as a record of human experience.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - The student has a solid understanding of Chapters 5 through 7 of You Don’t Know Me. - The student has read and understands Chapter 8 of You Don’t Know Me.

Materials: - A copy of You Don’t Know Me - Copies of “Setting the Scene” handout - Cup full of popsicle sticks with students’ names on them - Sticky notes

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~5 minutes / 8:02-8:07am - Ask students to take a seat and take out their copies of You Don’t Know Me. - Refresh students’ memories about what they read in class yesterday (Chapter 4), including the following points: - Mr. Steenwilly confronts John regarding his home life - Mr. Steenwilly is catching on to the fact that John may be being abused and tries unsuccessfully to get John to talk about it - Mr. Steenwilly feels that John reminds him of himself when he was a teenager and advises John not to spend too much time in his own head and to think of his music as a story when he plays the tuba - Mr. Steenwilly informs John that he will be playing a solo in the next piece of music - Despite his reluctance to talk to Mr. Steenwilly, John admits that he is a smart man Activities/Procedures: ~50 minutes / 8:07-8:57am 1. Discussion About Chapters 5-7 (20 minutes) - Discuss Chapters 5 through 7 with the class, using the following prompts: - What kind of attitude does John have towards Billy Beezer and Andy Pearce? What in particular bothers him about each of these “friends who are not friends”? Why, then, does he hang out with them? - Chapter 5 is entitled “Losing by a Snout.” Why is the word “snout” significant in this chapter? Who “loses” in this chapter and how? - Who do you think has the right to ask Gloria out? John, because he liked her first and told Billy as much? Or Billy because he was the first to plan to do so? - Where is John’s mother’s boyfriend’s focus usually directed during their family dinners? Who brought this TV into the house? - How does John feel about his mother based on the way he describes her at dinner? Do you think he really knows her? - What do you think John would say to his mother at this moment if he did speak? - What kind of state is John in at the beginning of Chapter 7 when he is preparing to ask Gloria out on a date? How does he describe Torture Island? What is the one thing that will get him off of this Island? - Before you reached the end of the chapter, how did you expect Gloria to react to John’s note? - Do you think it was fair for John to steal Billy’s idea of taking Gloria to the basketball game? - Why do you think Gloria ate John’s note? Do you think she will respond to his question? What do you think her response will be? 2. Read Chapter 8 (20 minutes) - Hand out sticky notes to students for use during in-class reading. - Choose students to read Chapter 8 aloud by pulling their names (on popsicle sticks) out of a cup at random. 3. Discussion About Chapter 8 (10 minutes) - Discuss Chapter 8 with the class, using the following prompts: - What do you think it is about John’s encounter with Gloria that makes him miss his biological father so much? - What kinds of things does John learn from his biological father in his fantasy? How realistic do you think his fantasy is? - How does John’s fantasy biological father’s advice compare with his mother’s boyfriend’s advice? - Which of John’s potential explanations for Gloria’s behavior do you think is most accurate?

Adaptations/Individualization: - Have students who do not want to/cannot easily read aloud take shorter sections of the chapter, and ask for their input during discussion so that they have the opportunity to express their opinions.

Assessment: - Make sure to include as many students as possible during discussion to determine whether everyone has read and understood this section of the book.

Closure: ~3 minutes / 8:57-9:00am - Hand out the Setting the Scene sheet. - Homework: Students should think about which scenes from the first quarter of You Don’t Know Me they would like to perform and complete the Setting the Scene sheet at home. - Tomorrow we will… group up and act out scenes from You Don’t Know Me.

Reflection: This lesson may take more or less time than anticipated. If the discussion continues longer than anticipated, Chapter 8 could be assigned for homework and Day 7 could begin with a discussion about this chapter. If the lesson goes more quickly than expected, students could be given time at the end of class to begin working on their Setting the Scene sheets. During discussion, some students may demonstrate confusion with the reading or may not seem to have read their homework. These students may need to be taken aside separately to determine what exactly the problem may be and to work towards a solution and/or additional monitoring of their progress. Name ______

Setting the Scene

Take a look back through the first 7 chapters of You Don’t Know Me and start thinking about which scene you might want to perform in class. As you brainstorm, fill in the boxes below with your top three scene choices. For time reasons, try to keep your scenes to less than 10 pages.

Scene Possibility #1 Page number(s): ______Short description of scene: ______Why you feel this is a good choice for a performance: ______

Scene Possibility #2 Page number(s): ______Short description of scene: ______Why you feel this is a good choice for a performance: ______

Scene Possibility #3 Page number(s): ______Short description of scene: ______Why you feel this is a good choice for a performance: ______Rubric for Setting the Scene Name ______

Category 5 4 3 2 1 Comments Completeness Three different Three different Fewer than Fewer than Fewer than scene scene three different three three possibilities possibilities scene different different have been have been possibilities scene scene included. All included. Most have been possibilities possibilities sections of the sections of the included. have been have been worksheet are worksheet are Some sections included. included. complete. complete. of the Most of the None of the worksheet are worksheet is rest of the complete. incomplete. worksheet is complete. Scene Scenes are Scene Scene Scene Scene Descriptions summarized summaries are summaries are summaries summaries and accurately and mostly fairly accurate, are slightly are Rationales concisely. accurate and but slightly inaccurate completely Rationales are fairly concise. wordy. and fairly inaccurate clear, logical, Rationales are Rationales are wordy. and very and relate mostly clear mostly clear, Rationales wordy. directly back and logical, but lack a are Rationales to the book. and make at logical somewhat are least one approach. unclear and completely reference back Rationales lack a unclear and to the book. make at least logical lack a one reference approach. logical back to the Rationales approach. book. make no Rationales references make no back to the references book. back to the book. Structural All sentences Most sentences Most sentences Sentences There are Quality are complete are complete are not are no and well- and well- complete and unreadable. sentences, constructed. constructed (no are poorly- Writer only poorly Writer makes fragments, no constructed. makes more spelled no errors in run-ons). Writer makes than 4 errors words. grammar or Writer makes 3-4 errors in in grammar spelling. 1-2 errors in grammar and/or grammar and/or spelling spelling. and/or spelling.

Total ______/15 You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 7

Lesson Plan – Scene Preparation and Performances Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: Completing the “Setting the Scene” worksheet will have given students an opportunity to look at You Don’t Know Me from a different point of view and compare a number of scenes based on their potential translation into a dramatic performance. Working on their own scenes and watching performances of other scenes will get students more deeply involved with the world of the novel and will give them some experience with short dramatic performance, further preparing them for their more significant full-chapter performance on Day 9.

Standard(s) Addressed: 1. Students read and understand a variety of materials. 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - The student has critically selected scenes in You Don’t Know Me for potential dramatic performance. - The student has participated in the translation of a novel scene to a dramatic performance and the organization of this performance.

Materials: - A copy of You Don’t Know Me - Chalk/erasable markers - (Optional: Props to represent various characters in You Don’t Know Me)

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~10 minutes / 8:02-8:12am - Ask students to take a seat and take out their copies of You Don’t Know Me and their completed Setting the Scene sheets. - Remind students that, for homework, they wrote down three scenes in the first 7 chapters of You Don’t Know Me that they personally felt would make for a good dramatic performance. - Ask volunteers to share one of their selected scenes and why they chose it. As students are speaking, begin a list on the board of their scene ideas.

Activities/Procedures: ~40 minutes / 8:12-8:52am 1. Preparing for Performances (15 minutes) - In cooperation with the class, have students vote on 5 of the scenes on the board that they feel are good dramatic choices. - Have students count off into 5 groups. Assign each group one of the 5 chosen scenes on the board. - Ask students to spend some time as a group assigning parts and deciding how they’d like to perform their scene for the rest of the class. Clarify that students may read from their books during the performance and remind them that, while not every student may perform, everyone should be contributing to their group’s preparation. Encourage groups to use movement and expressions to communicate with their audience. 2. Performing Scenes (25 minutes) - Allow each group approximately 5 minutes to perform their scene from the book for the rest of the class.

Adaptations/Individualization: - Circulate while groups are working to ensure that students are comfortable with the activity and their roles within their groups. Assessment: - Circulate while groups are preparing their performances to ensure that every group member is contributing in some way. - Check that all “Setting the Scene” sheets have been completed.

Closure: ~8 minutes / 8:52-9:00am - Congratulate students on their performances and tell them they will be working on another chapter in a similar way a little further along in the novel. - Briefly discuss students’ experiences performing what they had previously only read, using the following prompts: - Did you find it difficult to turn part of a novel into a dramatic performance? - How did seeing a scene performed enhance or change your understanding of it? Can you think of examples from the performances we saw today? - After having seen all of today’s performances, do you still feel we chose the 5 most appropriate scenes to perform? If you were to swap out a scene or two, which scene(s) that we did not perform today would you replace them with? - Ask students to hand in their “Setting the Scene” sheets, small completion grade. - Homework: Students should read Chapter 9 at home. - Tomorrow we will… continue reading the novel and relate what happens to John to some experiences in our own lives.

Reflection: This lesson may take more time than anticipated. In this situation, I would ask students to reflect on the performances that night (in addition to reading Chapter 9) and I would open the next class with the discussion prompts listed above. Because many scenes from You Don’t Know Me involve only a few characters, this lesson requires close attention on the part of the teacher to ensure that all students are participating in their group preparation on some level. You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 8

Lesson Plan – The Best and Worst Day of John’s Life Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: The plot really begins to pick up Chapters 9 through 11 of You Don’t Know Me. Gloria accepts John’s invitation to the basketball game and John proceeds to have the “best day of his life.” Journaling about their own “best days of their lives” will help students to better relate to John’s mood at this point in the book, as well as tell their own personal stories. This is a good opportunity to reflect on where John stands in the plot of the novel before the “best day of his life” goes downhill in Chapter 11.

Standard(s) Addressed: 1. Students read and understand a variety of materials. 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 3. Students write and speak using conventional grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. 6. Students read and recognize literature as a record of human experience.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - The student has a solid understanding of Chapter 9 of You Don’t Know Me. - The student has read and understands Chapters 10 and 11 of You Don’t Know Me. - The student has mentally connected Chapters 10 and 11 of You Don’t Know Me to situations from his or her own life. - The student has written two pieces of quality prose about his or her own life.

Materials: - A copy of You Don’t Know Me - Cup full of popsicle sticks with students’ names on them - Sticky notes

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~7 minutes / 8:02-8:09am - Ask students to take a seat and take out their copies of You Don’t Know Me. - Briefly discuss Chapter 9 with the class, using the following prompts: - Was Gloria’s response to John’s asking her why she ate his note what you expected? - Why does Gloria tell John the story about her half-horse, Luke? What do you think she is trying to say about John? - Have you ever utilized one of John’s “methods of not being noticed by being noticed”? - What do you think John’s correction of Mrs. Moonface’s math problem on the board says about his actual level of intelligence? Why do you think John has so little interest in school and his own math skills? Activities/Procedures: ~44 minutes / 8:09-8:53am 1. Read Chapter 10 (15 minutes) - Hand out sticky notes to students for use during in-class reading. - Choose students to read Chapter 10 aloud by pulling their names (on popsicle sticks) out of a cup at random. 2. Journal Writing – The Best Day of My Life (14 minutes) - Ask students to take out their journals and think for a moment about everything that makes John’s best day of his life so wonderful (Gloria, correcting Mrs. Moonface, nailing his tuba solo, Violet’s compliment). - Ask students to write for 15 minutes about a day that they consider one of the best days of their lives. 3. Read Chapter 11 (15 minutes) - Choose students to read Chapter 11 aloud by pulling their names (on popsicle sticks) out of a cup at random.

Adaptations/Individualization: - Those students who may have trouble writing long journal entries may be given the opportunity to supplement or replace their writing with one or more drawings on the topic.

Assessment: - Journals may be collected at the end of the week, responses to students in writing, no grade.

Closure: ~7 minutes / 8:53-9:00am - Briefly discuss Chapters 10 and 11 with the class, using the following prompts: - What do you think John’s tuba solo says about his actual level of musical ability? - On page 126, John says, “Kids from happy families should not declare war on kids who live in war zones.” How do you feel about this statement? - Were you in John’s shoes, would you have gone on the date without knowing whether or not you had enough money, or would you have borrowed some money from your mother’s boyfriend without asking to make sure you had enough to cover you for the night? Do you think John made the right decision? - What do you think John will do with the knowledge that his mother’s boyfriend owns a gun? - Homework: Students should read Chapter 12 at home. - Tomorrow we will… experience a chapter of the book as a dramatic performance.

Reflection: This lesson may take more or less time than anticipated. If there is not enough time to complete the lesson, the “Worst Day of My Life” journal entry could be assigned for homework and journals could be collected the next day. If the lesson goes more quickly than expected, the discussion about Chapters 10 and 11 could be extended. This lesson also does not allow a great deal of discussion time for Chapters 9 through 11, so any questions and/or extended discussion should be accommodated to ensure understanding. You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 9

Lesson Plan – “My Big Date” Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: This lesson will give students a chance to experience a chapter of You Don’t Know Me in a completely new and different way – as a dramatic performance. This opportunity will highlight the differences between reading a story in a book and hearing/watching a story unfold, as well as the differences between visual and auditory learning styles. It will also allow every student in the class to experiment with his or her dramatic side and will provide a much-needed break from simply reading in class.

Standard(s) Addressed: 1. Students read and understand a variety of materials. 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - The student has a solid understanding of Chapter 12 of You Don’t Know Me. - The student has worked with a group to prepare and dramatically perform a section of the book.

Materials: - A copy of You Don’t Know Me - Copies of “My Big Date” scripts - (Optional: Props to represent various characters in You Don’t Know Me)

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~10 minutes / 8:02-8:12am - Ask students to take a seat and take out their copies of You Don’t Know Me. - Discuss Chapter 12 with the class, using the following prompts: - What is it about himself that John does not recognize as he goes to pick Gloria up for their date? - Why does John compare Gloria’s house to a “Bonanza ranch house”? - What do you think that Gloria’s father is trying to get across to John when he tells John, “It’s not a race”? - Based on what you read in Chapter 12, what kind of relationship do you think Gloria and her father have?

Activities/Procedures: ~43 minutes / 8:12-8:55am 1. Preparing for Performances (14 minutes) - Break up the class into 4 groups. - Hand each group a “My Big Date” script packet so that each group has a packet for a different section of the chapter. - Ask students to spend some time as a group assigning parts, deciding how they’d like to perform their section of the chapter for the rest of the class, and rehearsing. Clarify that students must only read from their scripts during the performance and may not use their books. Also explain that every student must perform some part of the script; students may switch parts part of the way through to allow everyone to participate. Point out that, due to the number of lines Narrator John has, this part may be an optimal one to split up amongst a number of people. Encourage groups to use movement and expressions to communicate with their audience. 2. “My Big Date” Performance (29 minutes) - Remind students that they may not open their books during each group’s performance. They must experience the chapter only as a dramatic performance. - Allow each group 7-8 minutes to perform their section of the chapter (in order) for the rest of the class. Adaptations/Individualization: - Circulate while groups are working to ensure that students are comfortable with the activity and their roles within their groups.

Assessment: - Circulate while groups are preparing their performances to ensure that every group member is contributing to the preparation in some way. - Check that student roles during the performance are roughly equal in length and/or difficulty where applicable.

Closure: ~5 minutes / 8:55-9:00am - Congratulate students on their performances. - Briefly discuss students’ experiences watching a chapter be performed rather than reading it, using the following prompts: - How was watching a chapter be performed different than reading the chapter? - What did you like most about watching a chapter be performed? - What did you feel was lost in the process of watching a chapter be performed as opposed to reading it? - Homework: Students should think back on the Chapter 13 performances and read Chapter 14 at home. - Tomorrow we will… talk about domestic violence and continue reading the novel.

Reflection: This lesson may take more time than anticipated. In this situation, I would begin the next class with a discussion about students’ perceptions of witnessing Chapter 12 as a performance rather than reading it. Some students may be uncomfortable with performing in front of the class. For this reason, it is especially critical that the teacher circulate while groups are working to ensure students are comfortable with their roles. My Big Date Part I

Characters Gloria John Narrator John

[Gloria and John are walking down Elm Street, hand in hand.]

Gloria: Thanks for putting up with my parents.

John: They’re really nice.

Gloria: Be glad you don’t have to live with them. They’re completely nutso.

Narrator John: Gloria, I fear you lack knowledge about the true range of the parental nutso scale. If you would like to come over to my house that is not a house and spend a few hours with the man who is not my father, you might reappraise, whatever that means, your opinions about your mom and dad.

John: Your house is also real nice.

Gloria: It’s okay. Mindy Fairchild’s house is much bigger.

[A ferocious growl explodes near Gloria and John like a cannon blast and reverberates down the block. Gloria ducks her head instinctively, and grabs John’s hand tighter.]

Gloria: Good lord, what was that?

Narrator John: I hesitate to tell her that, to me, it sounded very much like the frustrated roar of a Siberian bull walrus who has been scorned during mating season by all the cows and has spent the last several days grinding his tusks against the ice in solitary fury. I do not offer this opinion to Gloria. I also decide not to tell her that it may be Billy Beezer, my friend who is not a friend, tracking us through the darkness. I do not want to alarm her with the thought that we are being stalked by a convicted egg roll felon.

John: Maybe it was a hungry squirrel. Gloria: Squirrels don’t roar.

Narrator John: As an amateur naturalist myself, I find it hard to argue with this observation.

[Gloria peers nervously into the darkness.]

Gloria: C’mon, what do you think it was, really?

Narrator John: Among the Lashasa Palulu, when it becomes necessary to inform the female members of the tribe of an unpleasant situation – such as, for example, an impending attack by giant and invincible cannibal warriors – it is their practice to break the bad news in small and non-threatening installments. “We’re going to have some company soon, dear,” a Lashasa warrior might say to his wife. “Some very hungry company. In fact, there may soon be a feast the likes of which neither of us will probably ever see again.” I decide to adopt this line of response with Gloria.

John: You know, one of the great things about having friends is that you’re never quite sure when or where they’re going to pop up.

Gloria: Like that has something to do with anything?

[Gloria scans the darkness for signs of large predators.]

John: Just that we’ll probably end up meeting some of my friends at the game tonight, as I’m sure we will meet some friends of yours.

Gloria: Mindy Fairchild may be there, but if she expects us to sit with her, she can just forget it.

John: It is even possible that we may meet some friends on the way to the game.

[John gives Gloria’s hand a comforting squeeze.]

John: Friends who are having problems that might make them act a little weird.

[Gloria stares at John.]

Narrator John: She may be deciding that I am as nutso as her parents. John: Gloria, have you ever been in a situation where one of your friends from school – or even somebody who’s not a real close friend – is a little jealous of you?

[Gloria relaxes.]

Narrator John: I have apparently hit a topic she likes to talk about.

Gloria: Oh, sure, isn’t that just the worst. Kim Smallwood is so jealous of my hair that she tries to copy it right down to the highlights and the bounce. But I can’t help it if my hair is naturally blond and full-bodied and hers is like fishing line. And Julie Moskowitz saw my Anna Sui mini and bought one just like it for herself, but with her knees she should concentrate on covering up rather than showing off. And Yuki Kaguchi stole my shade of lipstick, and said that she was wearing it first, but everyone knows she’s a little liar.

Narrator John: I am trying to follow this list of small crimes and misdemeanors perpetrated against my beloved by her jealous friends, but I admit my head is reeling.

Gloria: But the worst of all is when Mindy Fairchild goes around saying that I’m jealous just because her father earns more than my dad and they live in a bigger house on more land and Mr. Fairchild drives a new Lexus Coupe with calfskin seats and a Steadson-Olson speaker system. Can you imagine her saying that? As if I would care?

John: Why should you? Money isn’t really that important.

Gloria: Absolutely. Her father doesn’t earn that much more than mine. She’s just jealous of me because Luke loves me more than he does her, and when we both walk into the stable he comes to me first and nuzzles me, even if she puts an apple in her pocket to cheat, which she always does, but it doesn’t help, because animals know what people are really like.

Narrator John: Glory Hallelujah is in a righteous rage. I keep silent and feel her soft hand in mine and think how lucky I am to be walking with her. Gloria: And the truth is I don’t think her house is really that special – it may be big and expensive, but it’s such an ugly puke color and there are rats in the cellar – real rats, the size of little dogs! I swear, I’m glad I don’t live there. And I don’t care at all for her family’s new Lexus, although she could offer me some more rides in it if she wasn’t such a sulky sourpuss, always upset ‘cause Luke won’t even wiggle his ears for her. And I think she has bad breath, too, only don’t you dare tell her I said so.

Narrator John: We are now very close to our school that is not a school. There are cars pulling into the two parking lots and dozens of students streaming toward the main doorway. I am prepared to make my grand entrance with my big date. This is an important moment in my up-till-now miserable life that is not a life. Glory Hallelujah will be, of course, the belle of the ball – or rather ball game – in her tight black jeans and silken blue top. I do not mean to be critical of my other charming female school mates who have no doubt labored hard to make themselves appear attractive on this autumn night, but they all look like a herd of yaks compared to the fawn I am escorting. The foolish and highly judgmental taste arbiters of my anti- school are about to realize that they have been ignoring a very special person. No doubt they will all line up during halftime and apologize to me for their past rudeness and shortsightedness. As we approach the main entrance I am trying to decide if I will forgive them.

[Gloria lets go of John’s hand.]

Gloria: I guess we don’t need the PDA stuff.

John: PDA?

Gloria: Public display of affection. I mean, we don’t want people to think we’re – you know, going out, and, you know, a couple, just ‘cause we’re going to a stupid basketball game together. Right?

John: Right.

Gloria: People are so stupid. They think things that are not real are real, but they gossip about them as if they are real, and in a weird way they can kind of make them real, even though they’re not real. Do you know what I mean? [John looks at Gloria and nods.]

Narrator John: I do not comprehend so much as a word of the complete drivel she is spouting, beyond the fact that she has constructed some type of elegant intellectual rationale, whatever that means, for ruining my grand entrance.

John: Absolutely. I’ve often thought the same thing, but I’ve never put it into words. My Big Date Part II

Characters Gloria John Mr. Steenwilly Mrs. Moonface Mrs. Steenwilly Narrator John Violet

Narrator John: And then we are swept up in the human tide of students and families and carried along through hallways and down stairways toward our old anti-school gymnasium.

[Several times, John is poked from behind with enough force to make him stumble. Each time this happens he hears faint, mocking laughter. But when he whirls around, he spots no one he can single out and blame for shoving him.]

Narrator John: Either Billy Beezer has gotten much better at quick getaways since his apprehension by the Wong Chong chef, or I am suffering from the paranoid delusions that quite understandably may accompany going on a date that is not a date to a school that is not a school to watch a basketball game that will not be a basketball game. It will not be a basketball game because on this night our team, the Friendly Beavers, is match up against the best team in the county, the Saber-Toothed Tigers of Fremont Valley. We reach our old anti-school gymnasium. A big American flag hangs down from the high steel girders at half-court. The wooden bleachers are already filling up with Beaver hopefuls and Saber-Toothed Tiger loyalists.

Gloria: Remember, we are not under any circumstances going to sit with Mindy Fairchild.

[Gloria scans the crowd.]

Narrator John: We pass several people I know.

[Violet walks by, heading in the other direction. Her gaze flicks from John to Gloria to John again. For a moment, her eyes meet John’s.] Narrator John: Why are you looking at me that way, Violent Hayes?

[Violet does not answer, but she swerves suddenly and bangs into Gloria, nearly knocking Gloria off her feet in a maneuver very similar to a hockey check.]

Violet: Excuse me.

Gloria: Clod.

[Gloria and John pass Mrs. Moonface, who is sitting by herself.]

Narrator John: In the algebra room Mrs. Moonface inspires terror, but sitting all alone on a bleacher she appears rather pitiful. As we pass her, I send her a telepathic poem that I make up on the spot:

Mrs. Moonface, as you can see, I, who know nothing of geometry, And less of algebra, am here with my cute date, While you, Mrs. Moonface, who can equate,

And divide and factor like a computer, Are all alone, the loneliest Beaver rooter. When it comes to increasing one’s happiness All the math in the world is clearly powerless.

[Mrs. Moonface does not respond to John’s poem, and she keeps glancing toward the doorways.]

Narrator John: Mrs. Moonface, I do not mean to be cruel, but there are no handsome men named Jacques in the vicinity, and the only sandwiches served during our basketball games are hot dogs and tuna melts sold by the Veterans’ Wives Auxiliary. And the chances of Clark Gable appearing tonight as your date would be far in the negative range, even if he were not dead, which I am quite certain he is.

[Gloria is leading John along at a rapid clip, her eyes raking eagerly over the hundreds of people settling in on the rows of bleachers.] Gloria: They must be sitting right smack in the middle of the Beaver cheering section. Mindy’s so predictable. Oh my God, there’s Yuki Kaguchi! And look, she dared to wear my personal shade of eyeliner, the little thief. And there’s Julie Moskowitz – I see she’s got her bony little sparrow legs all covered up for once. Wise move.

[Gloria continues to scan the gymnasium.]

Gloria: But I don’t see Mindy Fairchild. She’s probably home doing her English homework with Toby Walsh. Which is fine by me, because I think Toby’s almost as much of a loser as she is, and even if they were here, we absolutely would not sit anywhere near them.

Narrator John: That is good news for me, because Toby Walsh is the handsome star of the football team, and I have no desire to sit near him, where the ten million kilowatts of his social- status star power will completely eclipse the few feeble volts of juice that I occasionally give off. The two teams run out and start warming up. The audience roars as the Friendly Beavers go through a lackluster layup drill while the Saber- Toothed Tigers dunk ball after ball with such fury that the rim seems in danger of snapping. I believe the time has come for us to sit down.

[Gloria does not slacken her pace in the least. She and John pass Mr. Steenwilly, who is sitting with his arm around Mrs. Steenwilly. He sees Gloria and John pass by, smiles broadly, waves, and points them out to Mrs. Steenwilly.] Narrator John: I know exactly what you are thinking, Mr. Steenwilly. You believe that we are kindred spirits. You feel you understand me, and that just as you have apparently persuaded some lovely lady that Arthur Flemingham Steenwilly is a keeper, I have now done the same with Glory Hallelujah. You feel that I am therefore a successful chip off the old Steenwilly, and that thought evidently gives you pleasure. But the truth, Mr. Steenwilly, is that you don’t know me from Adam, whoever he is. You don’t know me at all. And the only thing I will tell you about myself, Mr. Steenwilly, is that we really have absolutely nothing in common. You are a talented man, cut out for great things, who is temporarily on a doomed crusade to bring light to our anti-school. And I am a shipwreck survivor, clinging to a raft that is slowly disintegrating while hungry sharks swim in circles beneath me and starfish ring dinner bells with each of their five arms. So why don’t you turn back to Mrs. Steenwilly and peer into her striking green eyes and stop waving and staring at me with that big, goofy smile running parallel to the thin mustache on your face.

[Gloria’s head suddenly stops turning.]

Gloria: There they are, right next to the Tiger’s section! Of course they think they’re too cool to sit with everyone from their own school. They’re so predictable. Come on.

John: I thought we weren’t going to sit near them.

[John attempts to keep pace with Gloria.]

Narrator John: I am beginning to suspect that Gloria may in fact be a goat and not a girl after all, because her climbing ability as she springs from bleacher to bleacher seems more caprine than human, whatever that means. My Big Date Part III

Characters Andy Billy Chris (Tiger Rooter) Chris’ Date Gloria John Mindy Narrator John Tiger Fan Toby

[Gloria and John reach the bleacher where Mindy Fairchild and Toby Walsh are seated.]

Narrator John: Mindy is a very pretty dark-haired girl who I don’t know very well since we have no classes together and on the social-status ladder of our anti-school she is at the very top while I am under the rocks that prop up the lowest rung. Not merely is her date for the evening, Toby Walsh, the best athlete at our school, but his broad shoulders, which resemble the shoulders of a Brahma bull, his tropical rain forest of curly brown hair, and his good-natured aw-shucks grin make him a likely candidate for future matinee idol and multiple Oscar winner, if he is not too busy leading the NFL in rushing.

[Gloria stops when she and John reach Mindy and Toby’s bleacher. She puts her hands on her hips rather dramatically.]

Gloria: So, I was beginning to think you two weren’t coming.

Mindy: What are you talking about? We’ve been here for twenty minutes. You’re the one who’s late.

Narrator John: This makes so much sense that Gloria switches tack.

Gloria: Well, I was kind of busy with Luke. Some of us have obligations. Some of us were giving care and affection to animals that need us and love us and depend on us. Mindy: What makes you think I haven’t been doing a little of that tonight?

[Mindy smiles and nestles her head against Toby’s shoulder. He puts his arm around her.]

Narrator John: They are, in fact, a very attractive couple.

[Suddenly, Gloria’s hand slips into John’s. She presses one entire side of her body up against him.]

Narrator John: The Supreme Court must have repealed the rule against PDAs without notifying me.

[Gloria sits down next to Mindy on the bleacher, dragging John down alongside her.]

Narrator John: For someone who has mentioned several times that she does not intend to sit next to Mindy, she has by some accident of fate ended up very close to her indeed. In fact, she is practically sitting on Mindy, and she is also quite close to Toby.

[Gloria periodically smiles at Toby.]

Gloria: You may have forgotten, but Friday is Owner Care Day. But don’t worry, Luke and I had an extra-special wonderful time this afternoon. You know, he gets so lonely when I’m not there. I brushed him till he made that happy sound in his throat. And I fed him a little snack. He ate it right out of my hand.

[Mindy rolls her eyes and shrugs her shoulders. Toby appears confused. He looks at John.]

Toby: Are you Luke?

John: No. I am John. Luke is a horse.

Narrator John: I consider adding that Gloria does not brush me, and that I do not eat snacks out of her hand, but I have to admit I would not completely rule out either of those if the chance arose later this evening.

Mindy: Luke is our horse. Gloria and I each own half of him. Gloria: Yes, and we’re supposed to share taking care of him. I guess some people have more important things to do with their time. But don’t worry, I fed him and brushed him down from the tips of his ears to the bottoms of his feet and now he’s just fine.

Andy: Horses don’t have feet. They have hooves.

[John turns and sees Andy and Billy standing just below on the bleachers.]

Gloria: What do you know about horses’ feet?

Narrator John: What she is really asking is: “Who are you, you annoying little geek? And who is this strange-looking big- beaked bozo next to you? Is it really possible that we inhabit the same earth, or is this just a bad dream and when I wake up you will fade away into the nothingness you deserve?”

Andy: I know that horses have hooves and not feet. Haven’t you heard of hoof-and-mouth disease? They don’t call it foot-and- mouth disease.

[Gloria decides not to argue this point, but she looks back at Andy, squinting her eyes. Andy turns to look at John.]

Andy: John, how come you’re not sitting with your friends?

[Billy steps forward.]

Billy: Because we’re not his friends, Andy. Not anymore.

Toby: Whoever you are, why don’t you sit down. The game’s about to start.

Billy: Allow me to introduce myself.

[Billy looks at Gloria with poorly disguised hunger.]

Billy: My name is Bill Beanman. My parents named me William, but my friends call me Billy or just Bill. Except for one aunt who calls me Willy.

Toby: If you don’t quit blocking my view, I might have to rip your willy off. [Billy sits down very fast, but continues speaking directly to Gloria.]

Billy: We actually sit near each other in math class. You may have noticed me.

Narrator John: Gloria does not deign to reply, but what she is thinking is: “If you were a cuticle and I had the right size scissors, I could snip you off and throw you away and be done with it.”

Billy: You may also have heard about my speech in the Student Council on behalf of adding a grapefruit juice option to our cafeteria selection. It was reprinted on the back page of The Daily Beaver.

Narrator John: I believe Billy Beezer is prepared to go on listing his Student Council achievements for some time, but at this moment a sonic boom rocks the gymnasium as the crowd roars for the opening tip-off. The Saber-Toothed Tiger center, who looks like a giraffe on stilts, barely has to leave his feet as he tips the ball to his point guard, who dribbles circles around our entire hapless Beaver squad and dunks the ball with enough force to crack the floorboards under our net.

Chris (Tiger Rooter): Go, Tigers!

[Chris holds up a large brass bell over his head and rings it furiously.]

Toby: Hey, tubby, pipe down and lose the bell.

Chris: Screw you. You’re sitting in our section.

Toby: Yeah? Well, you’re in our gym.

Chris: Yeah? Well, your team sucks.

Toby: Yeah, well, you’re fat and your girlfriend’s ugly.

Chris: I’d like to hear you say that again.

Toby: You’re fat and your girlfriend’s ugly. What are you going to do about it?

Chris: What are you going to do about it? [Toby stands up and walks down five rows of bleachers. Chris tries to stand also, but before he can hoist himself to his feet, Toby grabs him by the shirtfront. With a clever twisting and shoving maneuver, Toby sends Chris rolling down the bleachers.]

Narrator John: Unfortunately, the vanquished bell ringer was right about at least one thing. We are indeed in the Tiger cheering section.

Tiger Fan: Did you see what he did to Chris? Get him! Kill his friends, too!

Narrator John: I raise my hands. “Dear friends,” I say with such authority that the gym quiets. “Let me remind you that we are met here, not on the field of combat, but for a sporting occasion. You have come to our school, in friendship, and we welcome you. Are not the Beaver and the Saber-Toothed Tiger both creatures of the same forest? And while I am speaking of the forest, allow me to mention that among the Lashasa Palulu, a tribe renowned for its manliness, when the animal-hide ball is being batted around with a rival tribe, it is considered not merely rude to lose one’s temper but a sign of unworthiness. Actually, I think of delivering this speech, but I do not get the chance because a full-scale riot is breaking out all around us, and I find myself trying to squeeze my way, on the subatomic level, inside the wooden framework of the bleachers. Unfortunately, I am unable to merge with the varnished wood.

[Mindy is shrieking and kicking at Chris’ Date, who is pulling out Mindy’s hair.]

Gloria: SAVE ME, YOU IDIOT! DO SOMETHING! My Big Date Part IV

Characters Billy Gloria John Mindy Narrator John Policeman Toby

Narrator John: A dozen or so Tiger faithful charge up the bleachers, only to be met by Toby, who – with a remarkable impulse of self-sacrifice – flings himself at them, knocking them over like so many bowling pins. There are police whistles. Frantic announcements over the P.A. system are drowned out by the closer and more terrifying sounds of knuckles connecting with jaws and knees crunching noses. Everyone is trying to climb over everyone else.

[John drops to his knees, then to his stomach. He grabs Gloria’s hand.]

John: This way. Crawl.

[Gloria and John slither on their stomachs to the end of a bleacher and slide down a metal support to the gym floor.]

Narrator John: We are still not out of the woods, so to speak, for – in a misguided attempt at crowd control – the police have completely sealed off the exits to our anti-school gym and are advancing in riot formation down every stairway.

[A Policeman drags Billy away by the scruff of his neck.]

Narrator John: It is, I believe, the very same policeman who arrested Billy at the Bay View Mall.

Policeman: This time we’re going to throw away the key.

Gloria: I don’t want to get arrested. Do something, you idiot! Narrator John: Apparently, in her excitement, she has bestowed “idiot” on me as what is no doubt meant as an endearing nickname.

[John leads Gloria underneath the bleachers.]

Narrator John: It is a dark space, latticed with dark metal pillars and wires, with hanging ropes and spiderwebs and faded streamers from proms of years gone by. Above us echo the thunderous sounds of the riot. This is, in fact, not the first time that I have taken refuge beneath the bleachers. On occasion, to escape a particularly onerous and competitive gym class, I have slipped away beneath these very same bleachers. So I happen to know that there is a small and rarely used door in the back that leads to a supply room that leads to a janitor’s closet that ultimately emerges into the boys’ locker room. Within two minutes, Gloria and I have made a successful escape, and we are walking away from our anti-school with the few lucky survivors of the battle royal in the gym. It is an exciting feeling. Police cars and vans are speeding by, sirens shrieking. In one of those vans, no doubt, Billy Beezer is being whisked to some sort of maximum-security facility. Occasionally, the police cars themselves pull over to allow an ambulance unobstructed passage. All of us streaming home on the sidewalks feel a common bond – we have survived a massacre and lived to tell the tale.

[Mindy and Toby join Gloria and John.]

Narrator John: He has blood on his face, and I believe somebody has torn off part of his ear.

Gloria: How did you guys ever get out of that gym?

Mindy: The police were coming to arrest us, so Toby ran right through a wall.

Toby: Actually, it was a supply door and I just kind of gave it a good stiff shoulder. How did you guys get out?

Gloria: John kicked out a window and we climbed out over the jagged shards of glass.

Toby: Cool.

[Toby slaps John on the back.] Toby: Well done.

John: It was one of those things that just had to be done.

[Mindy pairs off with Gloria and the two of them begin gossiping about who got arrested and who got their noses broken. John walks on ahead with Toby.]

Toby: So, you’re going out with Gloria?

John: Yeah. I guess.

Toby: She’s pretty fine.

[Toby throws a backward look at the girls, who are out of earshot.]

Toby: So, you getting anything?

Narrator John: I am not sure I understand his question, so I decide to answer without answering.

John: You know how it is.

Toby: No, I don’t know how it is.

[Toby laughs.]

Toby: I never went out with her. To tell you the truth, she wanted to go out with me, but I said no go.

John: Why not?

Toby: Well, she’s real cute, and I hear she’s pretty wild, but she has the personality of a disease. And then there’s her dad.

John: I met him tonight. He seemed okay.

Toby: Did you hear what he did to Jerry Dickman?

John: No. Who is Jerry Dickman?

Toby: Her last boyfriend. Her dad caught them in the basement together, and he nearly separated Jerry’s head from his body.

[The girls rejoin the boys.] Mindy: Okay, Toby.

[Mindy puts her arm around Toby’s waist.]

Mindy: Time to take you home and get you patched up.

Toby: Hell, this little scratch on the ear barely hurts. I’ve played with far worse injuries than this.

Mindy: Toby, for the millionth time, life isn’t a football game.

[Mindy pulls Toby in a little closer.]

Mindy: And would a little care and affection from little old me really be such a bad thing?

Narrator John: Toby changes his mind very quickly.

Toby: Goodbye, you guys. This is where we turn off.

Gloria: Goodbye. I’ve got to take John home and get him patched up, too.

Narrator John: Suddenly, we are alone, on the street, near Gloria’s house.

John: I actually don’t believe I have anything wrong with me.

Gloria: I think I saw some bruises. We better give you a quick checkup. And anyway, my parents are almost definitely asleep by now. Come in, and we can get to know each other better.

Narrator John: I confess that I am torn, but at the same time, I confess that I do not want to end the night torn in half like Jerry Dickman.

John: I don’t know if that’s such a great idea…

[Gloria takes John’s right hand in hers and leads him toward her house.]

Gloria: We’ll go down to the basement. My parents never go down there at night. You don’t have to worry about a thing. After all, what’s the worst thing that could happen? You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 10

Lesson Plan – Domestic Violence Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: Students have read about John’s mother’s boyfriend’s treatment of John as well as Gloria’s father’s reaction to finding John in his house. The novel is about to get much more serious and address the topic of domestic violence on a much more disturbing level. Before students delve into the next few chapters of the book, they will have the opportunity to think, talk, and write about violence in class. This lesson also makes a connection between You Don’t Know Me and the very real issue of domestic violence in the world of current events. These activities will put students in the right frame of mind to begin reading Chapter 15 and will potentially alert the teacher to students who might be particularly sensitive to the subject of domestic violence.

Standard(s) Addressed: 1. Students read and understand a variety of materials. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. 6. Students read and recognize literature as a record of human experience.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - The student has a solid understanding of Chapters 13 and 14 of You Don’t Know Me. - The student can identify and comprehend domestic violence as a theme in You Don’t Know Me. - The student has written a journal entry expressing his or her thoughts on the subject of domestic violence.

Materials: - A copy of You Don’t Know Me - Copies of Journal Prompts handout - Overheads of newspaper articles on domestic violence

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~5 minutes / 8:02-8:07am - Ask students to take a seat and take out their copies of You Don’t Know Me. - Congratulate students again on their performances of Chapter 13 of You Don’t Know Me. Briefly discuss this chapter, using the following prompts: - John believes that Mrs. Moonface is sad and lonely and Mr. Steenwilly has nothing in common with him and doesn’t know him at all. How accurate do you think these perceptions of John’s are? Why do you think he insists on seeing his teachers this way? - What kind of person do you think Toby is based on what he says and does in this chapter? - Despite Gloria insisting that Mindy is jealous of her, do you think Gloria is at all jealous of Mindy? What led you to that decision? - What kind of initial reaction did you have when, at the end of the chapter, you discovered that John was going into Gloria’s house with her? Activities/Procedures: ~50 minutes / 8:07-8:57am 1. Discussion About Chapter 14 (5 minutes) - Discuss Chapter 14 with the class, using the following prompts: - Do you think John feels the same way about Gloria at this point as he did when he first asked her out? What do you think has changed? - Do you think that Gloria’s father’s reaction to finding John in his basement was justified? - What kind of attitude do you feel Gloria has towards her father’s reaction to her boyfriends? - As John heads for home, do you think he has experienced “The Worst Thing That Could Happen”? 2. Discussion About Domestic Violence (20 minutes) - Point out that you have now encountered two characters in You Don’t Know Me who resort to violence – John’s mother’s boyfriend and Gloria’s father. Tell the class that this is a real-life issue and some of them may even have heard or seen things related to it themselves. Tell students that your classroom is a safe place to talk about serious things and that they can feel free to share their thoughts and experiences with the class. Remind students that, if they choose to talk about a situation that puts them in danger, you will be required to share that information with someone who can help them. - Put the three domestic violence newspaper articles up on the overhead and read each to the class. Explain that, unfortunately, these kinds of articles appear in the paper all the time and that a large number of people suffer from domestic violence. - Explain to the class why some people abuse others. Many abusers learned their behavior from their own parents because they were abused or they watched someone else in the family be abused. Abuse becomes a “normal” part of their life and gives them a sense of control. Other abusers suffer from a mental disorder, like anger management problems, explosive disorder, or substance abuse (like alcohol in the case of John’s mother’s boyfriend). Many abusers are unable to feel empathy for others and see those that they abuse as objects rather than people. - Explain to the class how abuse makes the victim feel. The victim may feel a number of conflicting emotions: a lack of hope due to his or her abuser having all of the control, constant fear of the next incident, doubt in themselves, loss of confidence, inability to tell anyone about what’s happening, lack of desire to see people who are close to them, intense anger towards their abusers, loss of identity, and depression. Much like John, a victim may be afraid to go home or may want to leave home altogether. - Allow the class the opportunity to share their own thoughts and feelings on domestic abuse, using the following questions (if necessary/pertinent): - Thinking about what causes someone to abuse someone else, do you feel any sympathy for abusers and their problems or do you feel what they have done is simply unforgivable? - What do you think someone who is abusing someone else can do for help? - What do you think someone like John who is being abused could do for help? - If you were to discover that someone you knew was abusing someone or being abused, what could you do to help them? 3. Journal Writing – Domestic Violence (15 minutes) - Ask students to take out their journals. Explain that the discussion about domestic violence may have got them thinking about the issue, about something they’ve seen or heard, about someone they know, or maybe even about themselves. Remind them that this is a very personal and sensitive subject. - Ask students to free write for 10 minutes about their thoughts on domestic violence and our discussion. Encourage them to write about anything that may come to mind. 4. Begin Reading Chapter 15 (10 minutes) - Choose students to read the first few pages of Chapter 15 aloud by pulling their names (on popsicle sticks) out of a cup at random. - Ask students to continue reading silently.

Adaptations/Individualization: - Those students who may have trouble writing long journal entries may be given the opportunity to supplement or replace their writing with one or more drawings on the topic.

Assessment: - Make sure to include as many students as possible during discussion to determine whether everyone has read and understood this section of the book. - Journals may be collected at a later time, responses to students in writing, no grade. Closure: ~3 minutes / 8:57-9:00am - Remind students that they are reading a part of the book that may stir up some emotions and may even be difficult to read. Tell them that they will, as a class, discuss this section further the next day. - Hand out Journal Prompts. - Homework: Students should read Chapters 15 through 17, add on to or finish their domestic violence journal entry (if necessary), and write a second journal entry on one of the Journal Prompts on the handout at home. - Tomorrow we will… delve into John’s problems and construct some advice for him.

Reflection: During discussion, some students may demonstrate confusion with the reading or may not seem to have read their homework. These students may need to be taken aside separately to determine what exactly the problem may be and to work towards a solution and/or additional monitoring of their progress. Because of its sensitive subject matter, the discussion during this lesson may be shorter or longer than anticipated. If students do not have much to say on the topic of domestic violence, they may be given more silent reading time at the end of class to work on Chapters 15 through 17. If the discussion lasts longer than expected, students may read Chapters 15 through 17 in their entirety as homework. During discussion or in their journal entries, students may disclose sensitive information about abuse in their own lives. The teacher must be prepared to document this type of disclosure and share it with the appropriate parties (counselors, administrators, etc.). Domestic violence: the silent crime By TIM FAULKNER 12/07/2006

Domestic violence in East Greenwich doesn't usually make the news. In order to protect victims and young family members, The Pendulum, like most media sources, does not publish incidences of domestic abuse not in actual police reports, but it is a problem.

"This is certainly underreported," says Judy Kinzel the Director of Community Service at the Elizabeth Buffum Chace Center in Warwick. "When you look at the numbers you realize it's a major problem in our culture."

According to the East Greenwich Police Department, in 2005 there were 25 incidents of domestic assault, 20 incidents of domestic disorderly conduct, and four violations of protective orders. These are the reported cases. Most cases never involve the police and many forms of domestic abuse are not criminal.

"We only look at the tip of the iceberg," says Drug Abuse Councilor Bob Houghtaling.

After several years of a decline in reported incidences, the number spiked in 2005. This year looks to be higher. In the last week alone there were two incidents of domestic violence. Although 85 percent of cases of domestic violence occur against women, the two incidents involved charges against women.

Domestic violence is not isolated to class or location either, it occurs in every neighborhood. "Particularly in affluent communities, people will say 'that doesn't happen hear' but that is off," says Kinzel.

Reports show that domestic violence is not a one-time incident, but that it builds over time.

"It usually happens very gradually," says Kinzel. "Early on it [a relationship] is very good. But gradually you see the assertion of power and control when one partners needs are not met."

The abuse increases with a need for power. "Abusers generally assert whatever amount of control they need to have their needs met," says Kinzel.

The abuser typically attempts to control the decisions that are important to them, such as money issues and vacations. They dictate daily activities, which include meals and clothes, and big decisions like where to live, or schools for children.

The decisions made the abused partner are deemed less important to the abuser. "Sometimes it looks like both people are making decisions, but really there is one person having their needs met," says Kinzel.

The control can escalate through the use of fear by using intimidation, threats, criticism, and yelling.

Violence may not occur frequently, but it acts as a hidden and constant threat.

According to Common Purpose, a domestic violence prevention group in Jamaica Plain, Mass, the violence is perpetuated through a cycle of love, hope, and fear.

Violence is often followed by a seduction phase consisting of apologies, blaming, promises to change and gifts. Dr. Lenore Walker, author of "Cycle of Fear," states that love for a partner, hope that it will change, and a fear that threats become a reality cause the violence and abuse to be repeated.

"Abusers don't want to change because they are having their needs met, they have no need to change," says Kinzel. Fortunately there are ways to break the pattern of violence. Through increased awareness, education and resources like the Elizabeth Buffum Chace House there are services providing shelter and services for families and victims of domestic abuse.

In recent years, the police have taken an active role in addressing domestic violence.

"The arrest is just the beginning," said Police Chief David Desjarlais. In addition to the legal process, the police offer education to victims, access to cell phones, and other service. Two officers are assigned to a domestic violence unit and considerable time is dedicated to documenting incidents and working with prosecutors.

"There are things the public doesn't see," said Desjarlais.

©The Pendulum 2006 TheBostonChannel.com 24 Victims Die From Domestic Violence In 2003

Jane Doe Inc. Releases First Annual Report On Homicide From Domestic Violence By Jim Boyd Special Correspondent POSTED: 12:17 pm EST December 5, 2006 UPDATED: 2:00 pm EST December 5, 2006

BOSTON -- Domestic violence is occurring almost anytime and anywhere in Massachusetts and claims victims of any age. That's according to a new report released by Jane Doe, Inc., a coalition that works to prevent sex assaults and domestic violence in Massachusetts.

In a news conference at the State House in Boston Tuesday morning, Jane Doe released its first annual report of domestic violence related homicides for the state.

The study examined the 17 incidents of domestic violence in 2003, which claimed the lives of 24 people. Nineteen were the victims of homicide. According to the report , five were perpetrators who committed suicide after killing their victims. Those who died ranged in age from 11 to 79.

Among those taking part was Karen Nolan, whose sister Nancy Gillespie was a domestic violence homicide victim. Nolan said she participated to honor her sister and all victims of domestic violence. Nolan said she never anticipated that she would one day be a part of such an effort.

"Never in our wildest of dreams would we ever expect that this great tragedy was going to happen in our family," she said. I can only pray through education and awareness and the leadership and action of our elected officials, police departments and community-based groups along with the involvement of citizens such as myself, we will see an end to domestic violence and domestic violence-related homicides."

Mary Lauby, executive director of Jane Doe Inc., said, "When domestic violence goes unaddressed, or when it is addressed inadequately, it can escalate along predictable lines and end, tragically, in homicide."

Lauby said she hopes the release of the report will, "raise awareness among individuals, communities, systems and policymakers across the Commonwealth about the lethal and often predictable consequences of domestic violence and to improve our response to domestic violence and prevention of homicides." Copyright 2006 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Op-ed: Reconsider domestic violence legislation By Bangor Daily News Staff Thursday, December 7, 2006 - Bangor Daily News

Because of the tragic and senseless death of a young teenager in Maine, the issue of domestic violence is prominent in the news these days. In the past twenty years, domestic violence has been a factor in approximately half of all homicides committed in Maine.

Domestic violence occurs daily in our Maine communities, but for the most part it is hidden from view. Most victims bear the burden of physical and emotional abuse in silence. Domestic violence does not affect a select few, it affects all of us, in our families, our communities, our schools and our businesses.

According to current statistics, nearly one-third of American women (31 percent) report being physically or sexually assaulted by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives. In our own state of Maine, the crime of domestic assault, as reported to police, occurs every 97 minutes. This does not, of course, take into account those that are not reported.

While we certainly do not dismiss the severity of assaults committed by women against men, the U.S. Department of Justice reports that males perpetrate 95 percent of all serious domestic violence. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services domestic abuse protocol defined domestic abuse as "the establishment of control and fear in a relationship through the use of or the threat of violence and other forms of abuse. The offender may use physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, economic oppression, isolation, threats, intimidation and maltreatment of the children to control the other person.

"Relationships involving domestic abuse-violence may differ in terms of the severity of abuse, but control is the primary goal of all offenders."

In the first regular session of the 122nd Maine Legislature in 2005, Rep. Carol Grose sponsored L.D. 182: An Act To Provide Funding For Domestic Violence Shelters. This bill was designed to require that $1 be added to the fee for each marriage license in Maine (currently $30). This money would be deposited into a domestic violence fund, distributed to the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence and its nine member projects for the operation of domestic violence shelters. For example, in 2005, almost 11,000 marriage licenses were filed in Maine. This would have meant almost $11,000 for domestic violence shelters. LD 182 was referred to the Committee on Health and Human Services, where it was decided on May 3, 2005, that it ought not to pass and became a dead bill.

It is obvious that domestic violence is a serious problem in our state, and it is equally obvious that domestic violence programs need more support in providing help for victims in the form of shelters, transitional housing, support groups, court advocacy, hot lines, and community outreach and education. We would therefore like to resurrect this bill, with some important changes.

In our discussions with staff members of domestic violence agencies, we discovered that the way the bill was worded limited the agencies to spend this money only on shelter operation, not on their other equally important programs which support victims of abuse. We also discovered that the small amount of $1 would raise little money when spread out among the nine member projects. Therefore we propose that $2 be added to the fee for marriage licenses in Maine, to be deposited into the domestic violence fund, for the operation of the nine domestic violence programs in Maine, under the umbrella of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence.

Rep. Grose, in her sponsorship of this bill, was speaking from knowledge and experience, from her job as a domestic violence victim advocate to her roles as a state representative and as a member of both the Health and Human Services Committee and the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. In her domestic violence awareness column written in February 2005, she stated, "No family is perfect, and some need more resources than others to combat the cycle of violence that has been learned over generations ... People most often believe that domestic violence or rape happens because of alcoholism or drug use. But the truth is, violence against women or children is a learned behavior. Substance abuse can certainly heighten a problem, but battery and assault are completely exclusive from being under the influence."

Current funding for domestic violence programs is insufficient and inconsistent. We hope that this important legislation be resubmitted with the changes we have recommended. It would require very little from the people of Maine — the price of a large cup of coffee. But it would provide life-saving support to women and children in our communities. We like to think of it as families helping families.

Molly Cooper, Tammy Dignan and Kathryn Eckert are social workers and MSW students of advanced policy at the University of Maine in Orono. Journal Prompts

After reading Chapters 15 through 17 of You Don’t Know Me, pick one of the following five prompts and write at least two pages about it in your journal.

Prompt One: On pages 192-193, John says, “Allow me to share one simple and very frightening truth with you: your real enemy is someone who knows you. And the better they know you, and the closer they are to you, the greater is their capacity to do you harm…The person who shares a part of your life, who lives with you and knows all your habits and has a keen insight into what you value most in all the world – this is the person to fear.” Do you agree or disagree with John? Why? If you agree, write about someone in your life who knows you well and whom you fear. Why could this person be a potential enemy? If you disagree, write about who you think should be feared most. Why is this person most dangerous?

Prompt Two: In Chapter 16, John’s mother’s boyfriend informs him that his mother has left town to visit her dying aunt, leaving John all alone with him. John feels like his mother “has deserted” him. Have you ever felt deserted by someone you cared about when you needed them most? Write about your experience.

Prompt Three: In Chapter 16, John’s mother’s boyfriend tells him that what his biological father did – leave his young wife and little son – was “beyond cruel” and John realizes that what he says is true. Have you ever had to face the truth about someone you tried to see the best side of? Write about your experience.

Prompt Three: In Chapter 17, John fantasizes about running away from home. Have you ever thought about or tried to run away from home? What prompted you to do it? What happened if/when you tried? Write about your experience.

Prompt Five: In Chapter 17, John says, “I am trapped in the worst kind of trap a fourteen-year-old boy can be trapped in – I am trapped inside my life that is not a life.” Have you ever felt trapped inside your life the way John describes? Write about your experience. You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 11

Lesson Plan – Dear Abby… Advice Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: Chapters 15-17 are violent. They delve into the relationship between John and his mother’s boyfriend, and issues of male dominance, violence, kidnapping, and running away from home. Students should try to understand John’s total lack of control for his life in these chapters, as well as his lack of help. By using advice columns, students will better understand the problems John is facing, and the different options for solving those problems. This activity should also aim at getting them interested in the outcome of John’s problems.

Standard(s) Addressed: 1. Students read and understand a variety of materials. 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 3. Students write and speak using conventional grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. 5. Students read to locate, select, and make use of relevant information from a variety of media, reference, and technological sources. 6. Students read and recognize literature as a record of human experience.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - Students will explore the power of writing and the potential for writing to create change. - Students will read non-traditional forms of writing. - Students will adapt their writing into a non-traditional style. - Students will take information from a novel and use it to write a creative response. - Students will practice journal and letter writing in class as a group and individually.

Materials: - White board markers or chalk - Overhead projector and pens, overhead copies of advice columns and handout, blank overhead sheets - Copies of handout - Copy of You Don’t Know Me

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~5 minutes / 8:02-8:07am - Ask students to journal for five minutes on how they felt after reading Chapters 15-17. - Prompts: - What shocked you about the characters’ behavior in the chapters? - What would you have done in John’s shoes? Activities/Procedures: ~50 minutes / 8:08-8:58am 1. Discussion of Chapters 15-17 (10 minutes) - What happened between John and his mother’s boyfriend? - Were you scared for John? - What would you have done in John’s shoes? - Would you have run away? - Where would you go? - Do students have any sticky notes from their reading that they want to share or need help with? 2. Dear Abby Activity (15 minutes) - Show overheads of letters written to Dear Abby and other advice columns. - Read columns aloud and ask students how they would respond to the advice seeker. - Then show the writer’s response. - Note differences between student’s advice and writer’s advice. 3. Create Outline for John’s Advice Letter (10 Minutes) - Pass out handout and rubric to students. - Explain the rubric while as a class you create an outline for an advice letter from John. - Instruct students to create a more cohesive letter on their own. 4. Individual/Small Group Work on Handout (15 minutes) - Students may work individually on the assignment or in small groups of 2-3 to create their letters. - Students should hand in rough draft of letter at end of class period.

Adaptations/Individualization: - Teacher is available to work individually with students to complete handout. - Students may work on the handout overnight if they need extra time. - All overhead materials will be available for non-auditory learners.

Assessment: - Monitor class discussions: Who is participating? What is being said to the group? - Collect and check advice letters for reading comprehension and writing skills, small completion grade. - Collect and check journals at end of week to read responses, no grade.

Closure: ~2 minutes / 8:58-9:00am - Homework: Read chapters 18 and 19 at home. - Tomorrow we will… discuss what happened with John and continue reading the novel.

Reflection: Since there isn’t much time to work on the advice letters, students should be given an opportunity to revise their letters. It will be important to read and comment on the rough drafts of the columns before the next class period in order to keep students invested in the activity. Advice Columns From Dear Abby, Associated Press Title: Son creates a family feud Dear Abby: My 19-year-old son, "Clay," took his grandmother's car while she was sleeping to run over to his friend's house around the corner. He doesn't have a driver's license, and ended up wrecking her car, which is completely totaled. His uncle and I want our mom to press charges against him, but she doesn't want to. Clay is my son and I love him, but I think he needs to step up, act like an adult and take responsibility. Should we make her press charges? - Disgusted in Galveston, Texas

Dear Disgusted: At 19, your son is no longer a child. How is he going to learn about consequences if he isn't forced to take responsibility for his actions? Although I'm not sure you can force your mother to press charges, if your son is living at home, you can insist that he somehow make restitution for the damage he caused. As it stands, this young man has already broken two laws - driving without a license and car theft. (I wonder if he was also under the influence when he totaled the car.) Perhaps you, your son and your mother can agree on an amount and a schedule of repayment.

From Dear Prudence on www.slate.com Dear Prudence, What do you do when values clash? I know it's up to my husband and me to set the standards in our house, and we always have, but we now have a problem. Our teenage son (17) has started going out with his first girlfriend. He badgers us to let her stay overnight in our house, but we've said no and explained that as long as he is in high school, we don't approve of having him bring home girlfriends overnight. There were a few tantrums in which we were accused of "living in the 19th century" and then a long period of the silent treatment. Meanwhile, he has found a way around the problem. His girlfriend's parents offer to let him stay with them overnight, anytime. We feel they are encouraging our son to disregard the values in our family—something he is very happy to do—and are very upset about their interference. I think we should approach the girlfriend's family about it, but my husband is against that. —Old-Fashioned Dear Old, Some parents feel that as long as behavior they don't entirely approve of is taking place under their roof—underage drinking, taping sessions of Girls Gone Wild—they are in control of it. But these two teenagers are minors, and you have an obligation to set the standards for your son's behavior. He makes quite a case for his maturity: He throws a tantrum, then pouts. As for you, what's the point of having old-fashioned values if you're not going to enforce them? You need to have a talk with the girl's parents. Don't be either defensive or self-righteous; just say your son is not allowed to sleep at their house. Yes, your son will be angry, but what you are doing is not just for now, but for when he is a parent and can draw on the lessons you taught him about standing firm. However, since it is obvious your son has become sexually active, you must have a blunt discussion with him about the necessity of always using birth control. You certainly don't want him to start using your valuable parenting lessons in his senior year of high school. —Prudie

From Dear Dr. Nina on www.askninanow.com Dear Dr. Nina, Whenever I am stressed or feel sad I scratch my arms. It is very compulsive scratching and I take off the first layer of skin. The scratch I have on my forearm right now looks like a rash and it burns. Only some of my closest friends know and two of my managers know at work. One of the managers threatened to call my family and I begged him not to. My aunt noticed my scratches once and told me to stop. I only scratch once and awhile. But I used to cut myself and I stopped that and went to scratching. I don't want to go to someone and ask for help, I'd rather someone ask me if I want it. What do you think I should do? Gina

Gina, Honestly, I would see a counselor for this. You mentioned, you would rather someone ask you if you want counseling. Do you? If not, why? You mentioned, when you feel sad or stressed, you scratch. Why do you think you do this? To numb the pain you are feeling? Why? I just think whatever is making you stressed and sad, needs to be talked about. Find out what that is. You could continue doing what you are doing and get the same results. I encourage you to take a leap of faith and visit a couple of counselors and choose one you like that you will feel comfortable with. Resolving issues now, will only make for a solid and brighter future for you. Are you comfortable enough telling your parents you want to see a therapist? My hope is that they will be supportive and understanding. Dr. Nina John’s Advice Letter & Your Response Name ______Imagine that you write an advice column for a national newspaper. Write a letter from John to your column based on the events in Chapters 15-17 of You Don’t Know Me. Use the notes we made as a class to create a well-written, grammatically correct letter at least four sentences long from John. This letter should refer to the events of the chapter, as well as what we know about the relationship between John and his mother’s boyfriend. Then create a response letter that is also well-written, grammatically correct and at least six sentences long, giving John advice on what he should do now.

Dear ______, ______From ______

Dear ______, ______From ______Rubric for John's Dear Abby Letter Name ______

Category 5 4 3 2 1 Comments Relevance to The letter The letter The letter The letter There is no the Novel contains contains mostly contains contains information accurate facts accurate facts mostly inaccurate in the based on the based on the inaccurate facts based letters. novel's novel's facts based on on the characters. characters. the novel's novel's characters. characters. Advice and The advice The advice The advice The advice There is no Response John sought John sought John sought John sought requested was expressed was expressed was somewhat seemed to advice or in a clear and in a pretty clear organized, but be a response organized manner, but the were not very collection of given. fashion. The organization clear. The unrelated response letter could have response letter sentences. related to the been better. mostly did not The advice and The response relate to the response was helpful. letter advice and was letter did not somewhat fairly relate to the related to the unhelpful. advice and advice and was was not somewhat helpful. helpful. Structural All sentences Most sentences Most sentences Sentences There are Quality are complete, are complete are not are no well- and well- complete and unreadable. sentences, constructed constructed (no are poorly- Writer only poorly and of varied fragments, no constructed. makes more spelled structure. run-ons). Writer makes than 4 errors words. Writer makes Writer makes 3-4 errors in in grammar no errors in 1-2 errors in grammar and/or grammar or grammar and/or spelling spelling. spelling. and/or spelling. Length of There were at There were 3 There were 2 There was 1 There were Letters least 4 sentences in sentences in sentence in 0 sentences sentences in John's letter John's letter John's letter in John’s John's letter and 5 sentences and 4 and 3 or less letter and 2 and 6 in the response sentences in sentences in or less sentences in letter. the response the response sentences the response letter. letter. in the letter. response letter.

Total ______/20 You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 12

Lesson Plan – Fateful Tuesday Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: Chapters 18-20 describe a really bad day for John. It is important to connect the character’s bad day to students’ bad days, noting how they are similar and different. This lesson attempts to form a deeper connection between students and the character of John.

Standard(s) Addressed: 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. 6. Students read and recognize literature as a record of human experience.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - Students will connect the novel to their own lives by thinking and writing about a topic from the novel. - Students will practice active listening techniques. - Students will practice journal writing in class.

Materials: - White board markers or chalk - Copy of You Don’t Know Me

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~3 minutes / 8:02-8:05am - In their journals, students should write down three things from Chapters 18-19 that made John’s Tuesday so bad and why. Activities/Procedures: ~50 minutes / 8:06-8:57am 1. Class discussion of Chapters 18-19 (10-15 minutes) - What did students write in their journals? - List answers on the front board: - John fought with his locker - John had an argument with Gloria in the school hallways - Gloria won’t return John’s clothing or money - John doesn’t understand the math Mrs. Moonface is trying to explain - Billy Beezer is mad at him and keeps calling him “dead meat” - Mrs. Moonface calls on John to answer a math problem - John calls his teacher by her nickname, Mrs. Moonface, and she is very hurt - What was the worst of these? Why? - Would they have laughed because a student hurt a teacher’s feelings? - Would they feel bad for the teacher? - What do they think will happen to John next? 2. Teacher Reading of Chapter 20 (10-15 minutes) - Hand out sticky notes to students for use during in-class reading. - Read Chapter 20 aloud to class. - Stop along the way to check for comprehension. 3. Class Discussion (10-15 minutes) - Was this a bad day? Not so bad? - Have students experienced days like this? - What things made their bad days bad? - Tell students about a bad day you had and why it was bad. 4. Journal (5 minutes) - Prompt: - Write about a bad day you had. What made it so bad? Did it get better? How?

Adaptations/Individualization: - Non-auditory learners may follow along with the teacher’s reading using their books.

Assessment: - Collect and check journals at end of week to read responses, no grade.

Closure: ~2 minutes / 8:58-9:00am - Pass back the rough drafts of the advice letters with teacher comments. - Homework: Students should revise their letters for the next day and read chapter 21 at home. - Tomorrow we will… create an artistic response to the novel and revisit our “I Am From” poems.

Reflection: This class could be pretty arduous. The discussion of John’s bad day and the reading aloud of the continuation of his bad day may be boring for students. It is important to connect John’s bad day to the bad days students and yourself have had. Reading the entire chapter aloud to students may also be difficult or boring, but it is important to try different types of reading in the classroom. You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 13

Lesson Plan – Open Mind/Collage Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: Now that students have read the repercussions of John’s Fateful Tuesday on Mrs. Moonface, it is important for them to try to get a better picture of what John might be thinking and feeling. A lot has happened to him so far. This is an opportunity for the class to pause so students can explore who John is at this moment in the story.

Standard(s) Addressed: 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - Students will create an artistic, imaginative response to an aspect of the novel

Materials: - White board markers or chalk - Overhead projector, overhead markers, overhead copy of handout - Copies of handout - Paper, markers, magazines, scissors, glue, tape - Copy of You Don’t Know Me

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down. - Collect the revised advice letters.

Anticipatory Set: ~3 minutes / 8:02-8:05am - In their journals, students should write down three things they are thinking or feeling right now that no one could guess just by looking at them.

Activities/Procedures: ~50 minutes / 8:06-8:57am 1. Class Discussion of Fateful Tuesday (5 minutes) - What do students think about Dr. Whitefield, the principal? - What do students think about what we learned about Mrs. Moonface? - Do students have any sticky notes from their reading that they want to share or need help with? 2. Explanation of Handout (2 minutes) - Pass out character perspective handout - Using overhead version of handout, explain that students are to fill in the handout with words and phrases that describe what John is thinking and how he is feeling at this point in the book - Offer one suggestion for handout and write this on the overhead version: - John feels “ashamed” that he made fun of Mrs. Moonface 3. Student Pairs Complete Handout (5 minutes) 4. Collage Activity (30 minutes) - Now that students have their handouts filled in, encourage students to make collages that represent John - Students may work together, but each must make his or her own collage using the provided art supplies 5. Student Volunteers Display and Talk about Collages (8 minutes) - Ask for volunteers to show and explain their collages to the class - How does their collage represent John at this point in the novel?

Adaptations/Individualization: - None Assessment: - Collect advice letters, grade them based on the rubric. - Collect handouts and collages, small completion grade.

Closure: ~2 minutes / 8:58-9:00am - Clean-up and put away art supplies. - Homework: Read Chapters 22-23 at home. - Tomorrow we will… have a special class period. Come prepared to have fun.

Reflection: There may not be enough time for students to create a collage that they feel is complete. It may be necessary to allow students to finish their collages at home or during the next class period. Open Mind Handout

Imagine that this is John’s head. Fill it with words and phrases to describe what he is thinking and how he is feeling after Fateful Tuesday. Think about his discussion with Dr. Whitefield about Mrs. Moonface.

Name ______You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 14

Lesson Plan – Holiday Dance Party Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: Students have been working really hard on reading and comprehending the book. By throwing a holiday dance party, similar to the one in the book, they will be reenergized about the story. Students will connect the story to their lives, and gain a deeper understanding of the plot. This is a chance to have fun with the students!

Standard(s) Addressed: 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - Students will attempt to enter the world of the novel by recreating the events of a particular chapter. - Students will practice reading aloud and active listening techniques.. - Students will reflect on the novel and their personal experiences, and how the two relate. - Students will practice journal writing in class. - Students will have fun!

Materials: - Streamers - Banner Reading “Holiday Dance Party” - Disco Ball - Punch Bowl, Cups, Punch - Cookie Platter, Cookies - TV, DVD Player, DVD of Movie Scenes of Dances (Sixteen Candles, Footloose, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Can’ Buy Me Love, Drive Me Crazy, Save the Last Dance) - CD Player, CD of Holiday and Rock Music - Copy of You Don’t Know Me

Classroom Set-Up: Push the desks and chairs against the walls to create a dance floor. Hang streamers, banner, and a disco ball along the ceiling, and set-up a punch bowl, cups and cookies along the walls. Have Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” playing as students enter, but this should change to rock music.

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am 1. Greet students at the door with by giving them a ticket to enter the dance party. 2. Tell students to go inside and put their bags against the wall and mingle. 3. Once all students have arrived, ask students to sit down in the center of the room.

Anticipatory Set: ~15 minutes / 8:03-8:18am 1. Welcome students to the Holiday Dance Party 2. Watch video of famous dance party scenes from movies Activities/Procedures: ~40 minutes / 8:18-8:58am 1. Class Reading of Chapter 24 (15-20 minutes) - Ask students to move into a circle on the floor to read Chapter 24 together. - Hand out sticky notes to students for use during in-class reading. - Reading should be done “Popcorn” style, with the reader choosing someone of the opposite gender to read next, teacher starts reading 2. Class Discussion of Chapter 24 (10 minutes) - Ask for students’ reflections on the chapter - Did they expect John to enjoy himself? - What do they think will happen between John and Violet? - What are their dances like? - Have they ever been to a Holiday Dance? - How did it feel to go with a date? 3. Journal (5 minutes) - Prompts: - Write about John’s experience at the dance, is it realistic? OR - Write about an experience you have had at a dance 4. Dance Party! (5-10 minutes) - With any remaining time, encourage students to act like they are at a dance, turn on music and encourage dancing and fun!

Adaptations/Individualization: - During Popcorn reading, students may pass if they do not want to read out loud.

Assessment: - Collect and check journals at end of week to read responses, no grade.

Closure: ~2 minutes / 8:58-9:00am - Homework: Have students think about how the novel might end and jot down ideas in their journals. - Tomorrow we will be… storyboarding possible endings for the novel

Reflection: This should be a really fun class period. The teacher and students should unwind and relax since the ending of the novel is so disturbing. You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 15

Lesson Plan – Storyboarding the Ending Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: Students will read the last two Chapters and the Epilogue at home over the weekend. Therefore, students may have fun predicting the ending. This will also give them practice applying extrapolation and imagination to literature.

Standard(s) Addressed: 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. 5. Students read to locate, select, and make use of relevant information from a variety of media, reference, and technological sources.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - Students will use imagination to predict the novel’s ending. - Students will practice non-traditional and traditional forms of writing in class.

Materials: - White board markers or chalk - Overhead projector, overhead markers, overhead copies of storyboard examples, overhead copy of handout - Copies of storyboard handout - Copy of You Don’t Know Me

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~3 minutes / 8:02-8:05am - In their journals, students should write about what they think will happen at the end of the novel. Activities/Procedures: ~50 minutes / 8:06-8:57am 1. Class Discussion of How the Novel May End (10 minutes) - What will happen when John drops Violet off after the dance? - What do students think will happen to John? - What do they think will happen to other characters? - Will his mother’s boyfriend get caught? - Why do we think some things may happen (John will kiss Violet) and not others (John will be abducted by aliens)? 2. Mini-Discussion of Storyboarding (5 minutes) - What is a storyboard? - A storyboard is essentially a large comic of the film or some section of the film produced beforehand to help people in the film and advertising industry to visualize the scenes and find potential problems before they occur. Often storyboards include arrows or instructions that indicate movement (www.wikipedia.com). - Show overhead examples of storyboards 3. Explanation of Handout (5 minutes) - Show overhead of handout - Students are to draw and write what they think will happen to John at the end of the novel - They should draw in the boxes and write explanations in the space below the boxes - No one has to be an artist to do this 4. Individual Work on Handout (20 minutes) - Students should work on their handouts while the teacher walks around helping students 5. Student Volunteers Display and Talk about Storyboards (10 minutes) - Ask for volunteers to show and explain their storyboards to the class - Is the storyboard realistic? - Do students think this is how the novel may end? Why? Why not?

Adaptations/Individualization: - None

Assessment: - Monitor class discussions – Who is participating? What is being said to the group? - Monitor students’ work on their storyboard handout, no grade. - Collect and check journals to read entries, respond to students in writing, no grade.

Closure: ~2 minutes / 8:58-9:00am - Pass back graded letters to students. - Homework: Finish storyboarding the ending before reading Chapters 25-26, Epilogue at home over the weekend. - Next week we will… discuss the ending and begin the Hot Seat activity.

Reflection: This should be a time for creativity and imagination, but it may be difficult to get there in such a short amount of time. Hopefully students will be able to grasp the storyboarding concept and dive in, but if not, more time may be needed during the following class period to revisit this activity. Storyboard Examples Brian Yang

James Randolf Peter Carpenter Storyboard the Ending of You Don’t Know Me Name ______You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 16

Lesson Plan – Novel Wrap-Up and Introduction to Hot Seat Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: Students finished the novel over the weekend and due to the dramatic nature of the ending, it is important to allow for discussion and closure on the story. The teacher will also need to prep students for the next activity, The Hot Seat, as the culminating creative response to the novel.

Standard(s) Addressed: 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - Students will discuss the novel’s ending in small and large groups. - Students will be introduced to the Hot Seat activity.

Materials: - White board markers or chalk - Overhead projector, overhead markers, overhead copy of Hot Seat handout, overhead copy of handout - Copies of “Hot Seat Activity” handout - Copy of You Don’t Know Me

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~3 minutes / 8:02-8:05am - In their journals, students should write about what they thought about the novel’s ending. - Prompts: How did the ending compare to your storyboarded ending? How was it similar and how was it different? Activities/Procedures: ~53 minutes / 8:05-8:58am 1. Class Discussion of How the Novel Ended (15 minutes) - Briefly remind students how the novel ended: the fight, the hospital, the concert. - As a class, discuss the following plot questions to check for comprehension: - What was your reaction to the fight between John and his mother’s boyfriend? - What did you think would happen to John at the hospital? Did you think he would die? - Why was the concert scene special? 2. Small Group Discussions (6 minutes) - Count off students into groups of no more than four people. - Give each group one of the following character questions for discussion: - Why do you think John’s mother’s boyfriend wanted to kill him? - Were you surprised that Mr. Steenwilly came to John’s rescue? - How did you feel about John’s mother’s declaration to John in the hospital? - What do you think about Mr. Kachooski stepping in at the concert? - During the standing ovation for John, do you think Mrs. Moonface forgave John for hurting her? - Why do you think Gloria wasn’t sincere during John’s standing ovation? - What do you think John meant by the “silent communication” between him and Violet? - Why do you think Violet’s father was sitting next to John? 3. Class Discussion and Transition to Explanation of Hot Seat Activity (15 minutes) - Ask each group to read their question aloud and briefly tell what they talked about as a group. - After all groups have spoken, explain that this was a warm-up to begin thinking more deeply about the novel’s characters. - Explain that the next class activity is called the Hot Seat and it is a way for students to get to know the novel’s characters more fully by asking questions related to characters’ actions in the novel, their pasts and futures outside of the novel, and any other information students want to know. 4. Pass out Hot Seat Explanation Sheet (6 minutes) - Read over handout with students, elaborating on the details of the Hot Seat activity. - Ask for general student questions, reminding students that this will be modeled for them tomorrow. - Have students write characters on their handout silently before discussing as a class. - Students may look at their sticky notes in their books for help if they are having trouble coming up with characters. 5. Generation of Hot Seat Character List (11 minutes) - Ask students which characters from the novel they would like to see on the Hot Seat? - Use the overhead version of the handout to generate a character list from student responses. - John, John’s Mom, Mother’s Boyfriend, Violet, Gloria, Mrs. Moonface, Mr. Steenwilly, Violet’s father, Gloria’s father, Billy Beezer, Mr. Kachooski, Mr. Kessler, Dr. Whitefield… - Pay special attention to whether or not students come up with John’s father as an option. Bring this up if they do not as an example of how the Hot Seat may be used to gain information on characters outside of the novel. - What questions would they ask John’s father? - Where do students think he was during the novel? - Do students think he cares about John? - Once a comprehensive list has been created, ask students which characters they think they would definitely like to have in the Hot Seat. - As a class, choose the appropriate number of characters needed for groups of four students to work on for the activity (ex. 6 characters for 24 students). - Based on the generated character list, have students rank which characters they would like to explore on their handout. - Collect completed handouts so teacher can form groups over night.

Adaptations/Individualization: - None

Assessment: - Monitor class discussions – Who is participating? What is being said to the group? - Collect and check handouts for whether or not students were on task. Closure: ~2 minutes / 8:58-9:00am - Homework: Students should write one paragraph on the prompt: - Do you feel that John has changed over the course of the novel? - Tomorrow we will… see how the Hot Seat activity works and set-up character groups.

Reflection: Overnight the teacher will need to read the students’ preferences for groups and create character groups for the activity. The teacher should also note which students are not willing to perform during the activity so he or she can monitor that those students are contributing to the activity. Hot Seat Activity

Name ______

General Explanation of Hot Seat: One person sits in the “Hot Seat,” a chair at the front of the classroom. This person must speak and act as a particular character from You Don’t Know Me while in the seat. Other students and the teacher may ask the person in the Hot Seat anything they wish about that character and his or her actions in and out of the novel. Students must ask questions that are relevant to that character; questions about his or her past or future outside of the novel are encouraged. This means that groups will have to come up with information about what that character was doing before the story began and after the novel’s end. Further, the person in the Hot Seat must be imaginative and creative when responding to questions that don’t relate directly to the novel’s events.

Note: You will see this modeled tomorrow so you will have a better understanding of how this will work.

Character List: What characters from the novel would you like to put on the Hot Seat?

Now, rank which characters you would like to focus on for this activity (Number 1 is the one you want most!). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Are you willing to perform on the Hot Seat? Yes _____ No _____ Maybe _____ You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 17

Lesson Plan – Teacher Modeling of Hot Seat Activity Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: Students may not fully understand the Hot Seat activity, so it is important that the teacher model what he or she expects the activity to look like. Further, the class period should be fun and get students excited about participating in the activity, as well as allow time for students to work in their Hot Seat groups.

Standard(s) Addressed: 1. Students read and understand a variety of materials. 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. 5. Students read to locate, select, and make use of relevant information from a variety of media, reference, and technological sources.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - Students will witness the teacher model a character in the Hot Seat. - Students will work in small groups to research information using their novel and the web for their character’s Hot Seat. - Students are encouraged to work with their knowledge of the novel’s character. - Students are encouraged to use their imagination to go beyond the novel to explore characters. - This activity will determine whether students have read the novel thoroughly and understand the different characters.

Materials: - White board markers or chalk - Chair at the front of the room - Props related to the Hot Seat characters or a box of random clothing and objects that students may use as props - Copy of the students assigned to what characters for the Hot Seat activity - Overhead projector, overhead markers, overhead copy of Hot Seat character handout, overhead copy of handout - Copies of the Hot Seat character handout - Computer access - Copy of You Don’t Know Me

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~3 minutes / 8:02-8:05am - In their journals, students should write down 2-3 questions they would ask John’s father. Activities/Procedures: ~53 minutes / 8:05-8:58am 1. Set-Up Ground Rules for Hot Seat (5 minutes) - Ask students what rules there should be during the Hot Seat; write these on the board. - If students have trouble coming up with rules, offer the following: - Respect the person in the Hot Seat. - No name calling or derogatory words. - All questions should relate to the character, not the student acting as the character. - Hand-raising is not required, but if students talk over and interrupt one another, then it will be. - The person in the Hot Seat may “tag out” with another group member if they feel uncomfortable or want to sit down, or if other group members want a turn on the Hot Seat. 2. Teacher Model of John’s Father in the Hot Seat (10 minutes) - Explain that when the teacher sits in the Hot Seat (chair at the front of the room) he or she will be acting as John’s father. - Students should ask questions related to John’s father based on what they know from the novel and what they imagine about him. - Teacher sits in chair at front of room in the character of John’s Father, possibly with clothing and props related to his character (business suit and briefcase or construction clothing or with lots of letters addressed to John with “return to sender” written on them). - If students have trouble coming up with questions, the teacher should get up from the Hot Seat and lead a class discussion on appropriate and interesting Hot Seat questions, such as: - What are you doing now? - Where were you when this event from the novel happened? - Do you feel like the other characters know you? - How would the novel be different if you weren’t in it? - What do you regret? - How have you changed over the course of the novel? 2. Class Discussion of Teacher Model (5 minutes) - Ask students what they thought of the teacher’s model of John’s father on the Hot Seat. - What made it interesting? - How could it have been better? - Which questions were good and probing, and which questions flopped or could be given one word answers? 3. Set-Up Character Groups for the Hot Seat Activity (5 minutes) - Tell students that based on their preferences, the following groups were made. - Announce the four students in each character group and the order that the groups will go in tomorrow. - Tell students to move desks into quads and get in their groups. - Remind students that they will evaluate their own participation, as well as the participation of their other group members for this activity, so everyone should contribute in some way. 4. Group Work on Hot Seat Activity (28 minutes) - Pass out Hot Seat character handout and using the overhead version, tell students to write at least 4 things in each box as a group. - If students have trouble understanding the handout, lead a short discussion to fill in a couple of items in a couple of boxes. - Tell students they should use their books to find information about each character, then they may use the internet to find general information on people (if stealing is a felony or info on skin diseases or recuperation time for an intense physical beating) to use for their questions.

Adaptations/Individualization: - Students may choose not to participate in the performance aspect of the Hot Seat, but they must contribute to their group via the information on the handout.

Assessment: - Monitor class discussions – Who is participating? What is being said to the group? - Monitor group discussions – Who is participating? What is being said to the group? Closure: ~2 minutes / 8:58-9:00am - Homework: Students should fill in their handout - Tomorrow we will… perform the Hot Seat activity and evaluate ourselves and the other group members.

Reflection: The modeling of the Hot Seat by the teacher should be fun and engaging for students. It should make them excited to watch and perform the next day. If there is little time for group work during this class period, considering allowing more group work time at the start of the next day’s class period. You Don’t Know Me Hot Seat Activity

Instructions: Think of at least four observations about each character. Then, think about what you don’t know about the characters. List two or three questions you would ask these characters if you were given the chance? Character What do you know? What do you want to know?  Left his wife and John.  Why did you leave John’s mom?  Never talks to John.  What are you doing now? John’s  Do you still love John? Father  Will you ever come back?

#1

John’s Mom

#2

Glory Hallelujah

#3

Mr. Steenwilly

#4

Violent Hayes

#5

John’s Stepdad

#6

John You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 18

Lesson Plan – Hot Seat Activity Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: We want to explore the theme of “knowing” others and oneself; and whether this is even possible. This novel lends itself to this exploration because the main character, John, feels as if no one knows him, and yet he presumes that he knows everyone else. Adolescence is a dynamic time, during which students struggle with self-identity and their relationships with and perceptions of others. This activity strives to encourage students to think about their peers, teachers, and adults as people with their own unique identities. By working in small groups and as a larger class, students will be challenged to communicate clearly and think creatively.

Standard(s) Addressed: 1. Students read and understand a variety of materials. 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. 6. Students read and recognize literature as a record of human experience.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - Students are encouraged to work with their knowledge of the novel’s character. - Students are encouraged to use their imagination to go beyond the novel to explore characters. - Students are encouraged to make the characters multi-dimensional with their own voices. - Students are encouraged to develop empathy for others. - This activity will determine whether students have read the novel thoroughly and understand the different characters. - This activity encourages group work skills and artistic performance skills. - This activity encourages public speaking skills and articulation of ideas. - This activity encourages students’ creativity.

Materials: - White board markers or chalk - Chair at the front of the room - Props related to the Hot Seat characters or a box of random clothing and objects that students may use as props - Copy of the students assigned to what characters for the Hot Seat activity - Watch or clock to keep time during activity - Copies of student evaluations - Copy of You Don’t Know Me

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~5 minutes / 8:02-8:07am - Tell students to sit with their Hot Seat character groups and share their completed handouts with one another. - Tell students to finalize who will be performing within their groups and finish discussing the information about their character. Activities/Procedures: ~50 minutes / 8:07-8:57 am 1. Hot Seat Activity (40 minutes) - Remind students of the Hot Seat rules, which should still be listed on the board at the front of the room. - Groups go in order one at a time based on the handout (5-7 minutes per group). - Students may “tag out” of the seat with other group members. - All students and teacher may ask questions of the person in the Hot Seat, that person must stay in character or tag out. - During the Hot Seat activity, the teacher should sit with the class as one of the students, inserting his or her authority only if the rules of the activity are being broken. 2. Class Reflection (5 minutes) - Ask students for any remaining questions they may have concerning any of the characters. - Ask students how they enjoyed the activity. 3. Student Evaluations (5 minutes) - Pass out evaluation sheets and ask every student to fill one out before he or she leaves class. - Tell students that the evaluations will contribute significantly to their overall grade for the Hot Seat activity.

Adaptations/Individualization: - None.

Assessment: - Monitor Hot Seat performances – Who is performing? Is what is being said related or unrelated to the character? - Monitor Hot Seat questions – Who is asking questions? Is what is being asked related or unrelated to the character? - Collect and check handouts, small grade. - Collect student evaluations, medium grade.

Closure: ~3 minutes / 8:57-9:00am - Collect handouts and evaluations from every student. - Homework: None. - Tomorrow we will… start thinking about the essay that will wrap up the unit.

Reflection: Today’s activity should be really fun for everyone. It should also be a good way for students to get to know the novel’s characters more fully. The assessment strategy for the Hot Seat activity should not be totally clear to students. The teacher should deliberately be unclear on how students will be graded for this activity to create the idea that all students should contribute to the activity. If students object to not knowing exactly how much the activity is worth, consider using a number like 100 points; evaluations making up 50 of the total points. Hot Seat Student Evaluation Your Name ______Did you perform on the Hot Seat: Yes ____ No ____ Why did you perform or why didn’t you perform: ______How much information did you contribute for the Hot Seat handout to the other group members? 1-2 Items ____ 3-4 Items ____ 5-6 Items ____ 7-8 Items ____ 9+ Items ____

Group Member Name ______Did he or she perform on the Hot Seat: Yes ____ No ____ Why did he or she perform or why didn’t he or she perform: ______How much information did he or she contribute for the Hot Seat handout to the other group members? 1-2 Items ____ 3-4 Items ____ 5-6 Items ____ 7-8 Items ____ 9+ Items ____

Group Member Name ______Did he or she perform on the Hot Seat: Yes ____ No ____ Why did he or she perform or why didn’t he or she perform: ______How much information did he or she contribute for the Hot Seat handout to the other group members? 1-2 Items ____ 3-4 Items ____ 5-6 Items ____ 7-8 Items ____ 9+ Items ____

Group Member Name ______Did he or she perform on the Hot Seat: Yes ____ No ____ Why did he or she perform or why didn’t he or she perform: ______How much information did he or she contribute for the Hot Seat handout to the other group members? 1-2 Items ____ 3-4 Items ____ 5-6 Items ____ 7-8 Items ____ 9+ Items ____ You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 19

Lesson Plan – Essay Set-Up Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: Now that the students have completed the reading and activities related to the novel, it is important to bring closure to their work. An essay that relates to the overall unit goals and rationale will tie everything together and allow for a summative assessment. Today’s lesson will provide an introduction to the essay topic and a start for writing.

Standard(s) Addressed: 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. 5. Students read to locate, select, and make use of relevant information from a variety of media, reference, and technological sources.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - Students will begin working on their essay.

Materials: - White board markers or chalk - Overhead projector, overhead markers, overhead copy of essay prompt and rubric - Copies of essay rubric - Copy of You Don’t Know Me

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~3 minutes / 8:02-8:05am - In their journals, students should write to the following prompts: - Which character do you now know best? - What do you like and dislike about that character? Activities/Procedures: ~53 minutes / 8:05-8:58am 1. Class Discussion of Character Knowledge (10 minutes) - Now that the students have finished the novel and completed the Hot Seat activity, which characters do they know best? - Which characters do they like? Which do they dislike? Why? 2. Essay Set-Up (10 minutes) - Knowing the characters will help students write an essay on the following prompt (show on overhead): - Pick any character from the Hot Seat and write about how John's understanding of this person changed throughout the book and/or how this person's understanding of John changed throughout the book. - If you choose John, write about how his understanding of himself changed or how his understanding of the other Hot Seat characters changed. - Ask students for any clarifying questions on the essay prompt. 3. Essay Rubric (10 minutes) - Pass out copies of the essay rubric. - Using the overhead version of the essay rubric, explain the essay requirements. - Ask students for any clarifying questions on the essay rubric. 4. Individual Work Time (23 minutes) - Encourage students to begin working on their essays by choosing a character and creating an outline. - Remind students to refer to their sticky notes for information and quotes to support their position. - Tell students that they may work together, but every student must turn in an original essay and any hint of plagiarism or co-writing will result in a teacher/student/parent conference and demotion of at least one letter grade.

Adaptations/Individualization: - For students with disabilities who cannot write, an alternative assignment of a collage or video may be assigned. - For students with disabilities requiring additional time, this may be granted as needed.

Assessment: - None.

Closure: ~2 minutes / 8:58-9:00am - Homework: Students should write an outline and one page of a rough draft, or no outline and two pages of a rough draft for writing workshop the next day. All students should bring at least two quotes they plan on using in their essay to class for workshopping. - Tomorrow we will… have writing workshops so it is imperative that students bring in some writing.

Reflection: By taking an entire class period to set-up the essay and go over the rubric with the class, hopefully the quality of essays will be high. Ideally there would be more than one day for individual work on the essay, but depending on the students, they may be able to handle the tight deadline. You Don’t Know Me Essay Rubric Name ______

CATEGORY 4 - Accomplished 3 - Adequate 2 - Needs Improvement 1 - Insufficient

Introduction The introduction poses The introduction states the The introduction states the There is no clear thoughtful questions, states main topic and provides a main topic, but does not introduction of the main the main topic and provides purpose for the paper adequately provide a topic or the purpose of the a purpose for the paper. purpose for the paper. paper. Transitions A variety of thoughtful Transitions clearly show Some transitions are clear; The transitions between transitions are used. They how ideas are connected but connections between ideas are unclear or clearly show how ideas within and between other ideas are unclear. nonexistent. within and between paragraphs. Little variety of transition is paragraphs are connected. used. Support for Relevant, telling, quality Supporting details and Supporting details and Supporting details and Topic details from the text give the information from the text are information are relevant, but information are typically reader important information relevant. Includes at least 3 may not come from the text. unclear or not related to the that goes beyond the quotes that support the Includes 1 or 2 quotes that topic. Does not include obvious or predictable. purpose of the essay. support the purpose of the quotes that support the Includes at least 3 quotes essay. purpose of the essay. that support the purpose of the essay. Conclusion Conclusion reviews the Conclusion reviews the Conclusion reviews some There is no conclusion. points made in the essay points made in the essay. points made in the essay, without being redundant. but leaves other topics Conclusion opens up further covered in the essay questions for inquiry. dangling. Language Language is clear and Use of language is strong. Use of language is shaky. The language is not at a concise. Attention to word There are few obvious Some incorrect word grade level. Grammatical choice and sentence errors in grammar. Overall choices and grammatical errors detract from the structure adds to the overall impression is good. errors. overall meaning. impression of the paper.

Total Points ______You Don’t Know Me Unit Plan Day 20

Lesson Plan – Writing Workshops Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Rationale: Writing workshops are a great tool for teachers and students. They provide an opportunity for constructive feedback through peer editing, and one-on-one teacher-student interaction. This lesson is modeled after Nancie Atwell’s2 writing workshops. Ideally, students would participate in multiple writing workshops, but due to time constraints, they will only have this class period to workshop.

Standard(s) Addressed: 1. Students read and understand a variety of materials. 2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 3. Students write and speak using conventional grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. 4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing.

Lesson Objectives Addressed: - Students will participate in writing workshops. - Students will participate in peer editing. - Students will give and receive constructive feedback on their and others’ written work.

Materials: - White board markers or chalk - Overhead projector, overhead markers, overhead copy of Peer Writing Conference Record - Copies of Peer Writing Conference Record3 - Highlighters - Copy of You Don’t Know Me

Opening: ~2 minutes / 8:00-8:02am - Calmly greet students and encourage them to sit down.

Anticipatory Set: ~3 minutes / 8:02-8:05am - Students should pull out their writing and quotations, and grab a highlighter for editing.

2 Atwell, Nancie. In the Middle, New Understandings About Writing, Reading, and Learning. Second ed. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook, 1998. 3 Atwell, Nancie. In the Middle, New Understandings About Writing, Reading, and Learning. Second ed. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook, 1998. Activities/Procedures: ~53 minutes / 8:05-8:58am 1. Set-Up Writing Workshop (11 minutes) - Give students the choice between spending part of class time on writing or beginning workshopping immediately. Regardless, every student will participate in at least half of the workshop time. - Remind students of workshop rules: - Use soft voices. - Edit in a different color pen than you used for writing, or use a highlighter. - During peer conferences, face your partner and record responses as a reminder of what happened using a Peer Writing Conference Record. - Hand out copies of the Peer Writing Conference Record and, using the overhead version, read through it with students as a refresher. - Remind students that every student should leave class with a completed Peer Writing Conference Record for use over the weekend when completing their essays. - Based on who is ready to workshop and who needs silent writing time, the teacher should break up the room into silent working and conferencing areas, paying attention to the formation of peer editing groups (put certain students together to build on the strengths of each student). 2. First Round of Silent Writing and Writing Workshop (21 minutes) - During this time, the teacher should make a point of working one-on-one with every student for at least a couple of minutes. - This will allow the teacher the opportunity to assess where students are in their essays and whether students will be able to complete the essay over the weekend. 3. Second Round of Silent Writing and Writing Workshop (21 minutes) - Students who were working silently should now be encouraged to workshop. - Students that are done workshopping may work silently on revising their drafts.

Adaptations/Individualization: - If a student does not have a rough draft or their quotations, he or she should work individually for the first round of writing workshops and then join in during the second round.

Assessment: - Check in with every student on the quality of their written work, visually checking that all students have brought in part of their rough draft and at least two quotations. - Monitor the workshops while moving around the room. - Visually check that every student has a completed Peer Writing Conference Record.

Closure: ~2 minutes / 8:58-9:00am - Homework: Over the weekend, students should complete their essay. - Tomorrow we will… see how the Hot Seat activity works and set-up groups.

Reflection: Completing the essay over four days is asking a lot from students. And only allowing one day of workshopping may be difficult for students. This lesson assumes that these students are very proficient at writing and workshopping, and that they have reached a point in the year that they know how to write a well-crafted essay in a short amount of time. If this lesson were applied to a classroom of students that did not meet this high standard, more time would be allotted for writing workshops, drafting, and editing. However, regardless of the students, anyone that requests more time or more conferencing should be granted that, assuming that he or she has been performing on task. Also, all students should be given the option for revision if they are not happy with the comments they receive on their final draft. The teacher should consider assessing a revised paper at 75% of the total value of the paper’s worth. Peer Writing Conference Record 4

Writer’s Name ______Date ______Responder ______Topic/Genre ______

Writer, your job is to consider what you want help with: ideas, language, images, organization, coherence, a part of the piece, a sense of the whole? Tell the responder what you want response to:

Responder, your job is to help the writer think and make decisions about the writing:  Ask what he or she needs help with.  Listen as the writer reads, try to understand the writing, then tell what you heard.  If there are parts that confuse you, you don’t understand, or you’d like to know more about, ask the writer about them. It will help you-and the writer-if you jot down your questions during and after the reading in the space below.  Ask the writer what he or she plans to do next.  Give this record of the conference to the writer.

Writer, jot down your plans before you forget them:

4 Atwell, Nancie. In the Middle, New Understandings About Writing, Reading, and Learning. Second ed. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook, 1998.

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