LESSON 2: “THE APRIL WITCH”

 Topic and rationale (this equals the narrative) o The topic of this lesson continues the class’s discussion of the American Dream in literature.  Grade Level: o 11 - 12  Michigan standards addressed in the lesson—please write out o CE 1.2.2.: Write, speak, and visually represent to develop self-awareness and insight (e.g., diary, journal writing, portfolio self-assessment o CE 2.2.3: Interpret the meaning of written, spoken, and visual texts by drawing on different cultural, theoretical, and critical perspectives. o CE 3.1.4.: Analyze characteristics of specific works and authors (e.g., voice, mood, time sequence, author vs. narrator, stated vs. implied author, intended audience and purpose, irony, parody, satire, propaganda, use of archetypes and symbols) and identify basic beliefs, perspectives, and philosophical assumptions underlying an author’s work.  Lesson objectives o Students will be able to write a short piece during a five-minute timeframe. o Students will be able to identify and correct any grammar and spelling mistakes made by their peers. o Students will be able to identify basic components of the short story “The April Witch” including characters, conflict, climax, setting, etc. o Students will be able to analyze the deeper meanings behind actions taken by characters in “The April Witch.” o Students will be able to practice various pre-writing activities, including brain-storming, outline writing, story mapping, etc. o Students will be able to write a draft of a long writing assignment.  Resources/materials o Photocopies of “The April Witch” by Ray Bradbury o Paper o Pencils o A pencil sharpener  Initiating activity o Journal writing activity: Students will be given the prompt question “What would you give up to find happiness?” They may then either write on that topic for five minutes or on a topic of their choosing. After writing, students will spend five to ten minutes discussing what they wrote (if they feel comfortable doing so) or just sharing their ideas on the subject.  Main lesson—brief description/overview of day’s activities o “The April Witch” Discussion: Students will discuss the assigned reading from the previous night – “The April Witch,” a short story by Ray Bradbury. The discussion will focus on how the story portrays the pursuit of happiness in American life.  Steps/components of lesson—indicate estimated time. Provide significant detail —as outlined above o Journal Writing: Students write a short piece in a short amount of time. They are given a prompt to write on, but they don’t have to use it if they choose not to. 5 minutes. o Journal Discussion: Students discuss what they wrote in their journal (if they feel comfortable doing so) and/or their general thoughts about the day’s writing prompt. 5 – 10 minutes. o “The April Witch” Analysis: Students will break into their groups and write down a list of characters in “The April Witch,” as well as the story’s setting, conflict(s), climax, and resolution. 15 – 20 minutes. o Class Discussion: The entire class discusses the groups’ findings before digging deeper to discuss the story’s theme. The discussion should eventually turn into a discussion of how the story handles the American Dream. The story will be held in contrast to the previous class’s reading, “The Chaser,” as both present different takes on a man trying to achieve happiness through the love of a woman. 40 - 50 minutes. o American Dream Assignment Prewriting: Students will receive a handout explaining the big writing assignment due at the end of the unit: a piece discussing the concept of the American Dream. Students will then be allowed to work on some pre-writing activities for the assignment – mainly brain-storming their own thoughts and feelings about the concept. 5 - 25 minutes (or any time that is remaining). Students will be given guidance with the American Dream Writing assignment at this time. They may ask questions or use the time to do valuable pre-writing.  Concluding activity o American Dream Assignment Prewriting - Students will then be allowed to work on some pre-writing activities for the assignment – mainly brain- storming their own thoughts and feelings about the concept.  Assessment(s) o Journal Writing Activity: Journals are collected every week and returned at the start of the following week. I can use the journals to assess the students’ writing skills and give them feedback so they can improve. o Group Work Analysis Sheets: Students will turn in worksheets showing their analysis of the day’s reading. The sheets will show whether or not the students were able to correctly identify basic components of story structure like conflict, characters, setting, etc. o In-Class Discussions: The several in-class discussions will allow me to assess the students’ analytical skills.