Language Arts RWLO Template Title Placeholder



Exercising Creative Anachronism in a College-Level American Literature I Class: Exploring Connections between History and William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation

Project Overview

When reading Colonial American literature, students should have a sense of the contemporary settler’s life. Composed from about 1630-1647, William Bradford chronicled the thirty years of events surrounding the Puritan’s decision to make the journey, to settle, and to colonize the new world in his journal Of Plymouth Plantation.

This RWLO affords college-level students access to resources that will guide them to a better understanding of the conditions the would-be settlers faced before, during, and after the journey once the settlement began. Exploring virtual Plimouth Plantation, a virtual Mayflower II, a virtual passenger list, supplies list, and various History Channel video clips, students can better conceptualize the period.

Student Learning Objectives

For this RWLO, the student will be able to:

• Follow assignment directions to access various components of this RWLO and complete the required written assignment

• Report orally in small groups interesting and compelling details after exploring virtual Plimouth Plantation, Mayflower II, passenger and supplies lists, and various video clips.

• Synthesize significant information gathered from virtual exploration to generate prewriting ideas for the written assignment.

• Write a *”mishnah” that synthesizes information gathered from the virtual exploration and the work itself.

*A “mishnah” (Hebrew for “what is repeated and learned” or to “imitate”) refers to a writing that may imitate the style of the original work but is told from a different voice.

Procedure

Time:

In class: About two class periods (approximately 60 minutes to access and view RWLO material and to write down some ideas for the Web Exploration Focus Questions handout; 45 minutes to discuss material in small groups and to generate prewriting ideas for the writing project)

Out of class: Create the blog (See Instructions for Creating a Class Blog handout, practice blogging, draft, revise, proofread and post the “mishnah” to the class blog. (The time taken to complete the out of class assignment will vary.)

Materials:

The text of Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation, paper, and a writing implement for note taking during the exploration of RWLO material and the small group discussion.

Prerequisite:

Before the RWLO assignment is presented, the instructor must assign William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation to be read outside of class.

Implementation:

In a computer lab: If the instructor has access to a computer lab for the class period, the students may follow the web links individually or in small groups during the allotted time for the RWLO exploration. Before accessing the web links, distribute the Web Exploration Focus Questions to the students. The questions should provide material to discuss during their collaborative activity and provide preplanning opportunities for their written assignment.

In a Smart classroom: If the classroom is not a computer lab but is equipped with a computer, projector, and a projection screen, the instructor may take the students on a virtual tour of the RWLO material and then break the class up into small groups for their discussion.

As homework: The instructor may assign the RWLO material as homework, asking the students to come to class ready to discuss the material.

Steps:

1. Provide the assignment directions and a rubric before explaining the RWLO material. This will help guide them in their exploration, small group discussion, and prewriting for their “mishnah.” (The reading assignment for Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation should have already been completed. Additionally, make sure that the Instructions for Creating a Class Blog and Web Exploration Focus Questions have already been distributed.)

2. Depending upon the method of exploration, the steps to implement the RWLO include (To view the video clips, depending upon your specific viewer, a playlist may need to be created):

• Access the following website and read about the Mayflower II:



• Access the following website and take the virtual tour of the Mayflower II:



• Access the following website and read about a traditional Pilgrim village:

• Access the following website and take the virtual tour of the interior of the interior of a Pilgrim village and of the exterior:



• Access the following website and read about the Wamponaog Homesite:

• Access the following website to view a passenger list:

• Access the following website to view a list of recommended provisions for the journey:

• Access the following website and view the video about Plymouth Rock:

• Access the following website and view the video trailer of Desperate Crossings:

• Access the following website and view the video clip about the Wamponoags:

• Access the following website and view the video clip about the Plimouth Plantation Recreation settlement:

3. Break the students into small groups to discuss interesting and compelling details that help them relate to Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation. The students can use the Web Exploration Focus Questions during the discussion.

4. Reconvene the class for large group discussion to explain how the RWLO material will help them further their understanding of Bradford’s work and the importance of “verisimilitude” in their “mishnah.”

5. Establish a due date for the out of class writing assignment to be posted to the blog.

Content Material

Student Directions:

• Students will complete the following writing assignment after having read William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation and having explored the assigned RWLO materials that follow. While students explore the web links, they will want to focus their exploration on the Web Exploration Focus Questions document that should be distributed prior to accessing the websites.

The instructions for the written material are as follows:

After reading Bradford’s journals and reviewing the RWLO material that follows, select a passenger from the passenger list and compose a “mishnah” from his or her voice but imitating the style of Bradford. Please include a work consulted list at the end of your “mishnah” in MLA format. Post your “mishnah” in your class blog. Your “mishnah” should be about one thousand words.

Either as small groups or individually (teacher preference based upon classroom environment): (To access the video clips, depending upon your viewer, you may have to create a playlist.)

• Access the following website and read about the Mayflower II:



• Access the following website and take the virtual tour of the Mayflower II:



• Access the following website and read about a traditional Pilgrim village:

• Access the following website and take the virtual tour of the interior of the interior of a Pilgrim village and of the exterior:



• Access the following website and read about the Wamponaog Homesite:

• Access the following website to view a passenger list:

• Access the following website to view a list of recommended provisions for the journey:

• Access the following website and view the video about Plymouth Rock:

• Access the following website and view the video trailer of Desperate Crossings:

• Access the following website and view the video clip about the Wamponoags:

• Access the following website and view the video clip about the Mayflower Passengers coming ashore:

• Access the following website and view the video clip about the Plimouth Plantation settlement recreation:

• Participate in small group discussion, sharing details of the RWLO exploration that illuminated better understanding of the plight of the early colonists and focusing on the Web Exploration Focus Questions.

• Compose a minimum of a thousand-word “mishnah.” (See assignment above.)

• Post the “mishnah” to your class blog. Read each others’ “mishnahs” and comment on at least two. (See instructions attached for creating a class blog.)

Referenced URL’s:

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Instructions for Creating a Class Blog

Create the blog and practice blogging as homework.

Step 1:

1. Go to .

2. Click on “Create a New Account.”

3. Enter email address (must already exist).

4. Enter password (must be at least six characters).

5. Type name to display.

6. Verify displayed letters by typing letters in the box provided.

7. Check “I accept terms of use and conditions.”

8. Click “Continue.”

Step 2:

1. Create a blog title (Make sure to put course name and section number in title).

2. Create blog address.

3. Select template (may be changed later).

4. Begin blogging!

Web Exploration Focus Questions

As you view the web links, consider the following:

1. What sort of obstacles do the settlers experience during the journey?

2. What sort of obstacles do they experience once they have landed and begin their settlement?

3. What sort of relationships exists between the Native peoples and the settlers?

4. What concerns do you think the settlers had before the journey, during the journey, or upon landing?

5. What do the settlers rely upon to cope with the unknown?

6. What role does their faith play in the settlers’ daily lives?

7. If you were creating a fictional journal for one of the settlers, which one would it be, and why?

8. How do the web sites enhance your understanding of Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation?

9. What did you learn from the web sites?

10. What didn’t you learn that you would have hoped to have learned?

Assessment

Creative Work Assessment Rubric

| |Excellent (90-100) |Good (80-89) |Satisfactory (70-79) |Unsatisfactory (0-69) |

|Credibility & |• The work is highly credible |• The work is credible and authentic, |• The work is largely credible, but |• The work is not credible, for the most part. |

|Authenticity |and compelling. |with an occasional lapse. |sometimes believability suffers. |• Characters, settings, theme, and historical |

| |• Characters, settings, theme, |• Characters, settings, theme, and |• Characters, settings, theme, and |elements are not believable or authentically |

| |and historical elements are |historical elements are believably |historical elements are believable, for |conveyed. |

| |portrayed in a near-flawless |rendered, with a rare lapse along the |the most part, but sometimes |• The work is not original and authentic |

| |and highly convincing way. |way. |inconsistently managed. |but comes across as imitative, derivative, or |

| |• The work is uniquely original|• The work is original and authentic, |• The work rarely rises to the level of |stereotypical. |

| |and authentic. |for the most part, and rarely |originality or authenticity and is | |

| | |imitative, mechanical, or |sometimes mediocre, imitative, or | |

| | |stereotypical. |stereotypical. | |

|Use of Language & |• The command of language, |• The use of elements of language is |• The use of elements of language is |• The use of elements of language is i |

|Devices |vocabulary, and writing |generally at a high level of |satisfactory but rarely rises to a high |nsufficient and damages the effect of the |

| |devices, such as figurative |accomplishment. |level of accomplishment. |work. |

| |language, description, lyrical |• The high quality of vocabulary and |• The quality of vocabulary is sufficient,|• Vocabulary is poor or severely limited |

| |elements, and dialog is |the high quality of writing devices, |sometimes predicable and plodding, and |overall. |

| |exceptional. |such as figurative language, |offers few if any surprises. |• The use of writing devices, such as |

| |• At times the command of |description, lyrical elements, and |• The quality and frequency of writing |figurative |

| |language startles in its |dialog, is abundantly evident although |devices, such as figurative language, |language, description, lyrical elements, and |

| |originality and freshness. |the quality level is inconsistent. |description, lyrical elements, and dialog,|dialog, is infrequent and of poor quality. |

| | | |are at a level that meets or only slightly| |

| | | |exceeds a satisfactory minimum. | |

|Content & |• The material content is |• The material content is suitable and |• The material content is suitable |• The material content is inadequate or |

|Development |highly appropriate and is well |appropriate. |overall, but there may be some inadequacy |inappropriate given the guidelines of the |

| |developed throughout. |• Development is good overall, with no |or inappropriateness in the material. |assignment. |

| | |more than a rare moment in the work |• Development is adequate to meet or |• Development is insufficient or lacking, |

| | |where development is thin or |slightly exceed a satisfactory minimum but|for the most part. |

| | |insufficient. |is sometimes thin or insufficient. | |

|Grammar, Mechanics,|• The work is nearly free of |• The work is free of most major |• The work exhibits an occasional major |• The work contains numerous major |

|& Format |all types of grammatical and |grammatical and mechanical errors |grammatical or mechanical error and some |grammatical or mechanical errors and |

| |mechanical errors. |although it may contain an occasional |misspellings, typos, punctuation mistakes,|many misspellings, typos, punctuation |

| |• The work is correctly headed,|misspelling, typo, punctuation mistake,|or other minor errors. |mistakes, or other errors. |

| |titled, formatted, and |or other minor error. |• The work is correctly headed, titled, |• The work is incorrectly headed, titled, |

| |paginated |• The work is correctly headed, titled,|formatted, and paginated, for the most |formatted, or paginated. |

| | |formatted, and paginated. |part, but it may have one or more errors. | |

Created by GCCC Professor Lynn Wallace, creative writing teacher and novelist

Permission given for use

Links to Course Competencies

This RWLO, based upon William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation, could be assigned in the following college-level classrooms: American Literature I, Introduction to Literature, Multicultural Literature, Survey of Nonfiction Literature, Diaspora Literature, etc? Because of its historical and social implications, this RWLO could be modified and incorporated into a history or sociology class. At the middle school, junior high, or high school level, the instructor may decide to assign excepts of Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation and to incorporate the RWLO as part of a social studies or language arts program.

This RWLO fills the following course competencies by developing:

Critical Thinking Skills:

• Students will augment their reading experience by exploring related RWLO material, reacting to it, and relating it to the journals. Students must engage in and synthesize the material in order to do so.

Writing Skills:

• In the “mishnah,” students must synthesize details gathered in the RWLO exploration with their impressions of the journal.

• Students must follow assignment directions, create a believable imitation of the original work in another passenger’s voice, cite sources consulted, develop a focused, structured, and edited creative writing assignment.

Reading Skills:

• Students will be forced to engage in close reading and analysis of the original work and the RWLO material in order to imitate the style and period realistically.

Annotating, Note taking, Prewriting, Drafting, Revising, Proofreading, and Documenting Skills:

• Students will practice taking notes on a text, taking notes on the RWLO material, synthesizing the notes into prewriting to prepare for the writing assignment.

• Students will be required to follow the standard writing process by drafting, revising, and proofreading their writing assignment.

• Students will be required to use their sources responsibly by creating a works consulted list for their writing assignment.

Technology and Internet Skills:

• If assigned in a computer lab or as homework, students will practice web navigation while exploring the RWLO material.

• If instructor presents the material in a SMART classroom, students will observe web navigation. Students will also be able to explore the websites on their own once they receive the assignment guidelines.

• The students will be required to post their “mishnah” to a “weblog” or “blog,” where they will learn and practice web publishing.

Interpersonal and Oral Communication Skills:

• In small groups, students will share their reactions to the RWLO material, requiring them to interact and orally communicate with their small group members in a face-to-face setting.

• Once the students publish their “mishnah” to their “blog,” by reading and commenting on each others’ postings, students will be practicing interpersonal and communication skills in a virtual environment.

Supplementary Resources

Many other resources for early American and Colonial literature, William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, the Puritans, the Mayflower, and the Wamponoag Indians, among other helpful sites are available on the Internet. A few other helpful sites follow:

For more information on early American and Colonial literature:



For more information on William Bradford:



For more information on the Native Peoples:



For articles and lesson plans:





For information on the Puritans:





For information on the Mayflower:

For help with MLA format and citing sources:





For a synopsis of the journal:







Recommendations

Recommendations for integration:

This RWLO works best for students who have read or will read William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation or excerpts of it. However, the RWLO material would easily be integrated into other language arts, history, or social science lesson plans with the journal or with other historical or fictional works.

Instructors interested in incorporating web material in a lesson plan for another historical work, either fiction or nonfiction may be able to find related material on the Internet. In that case, this RWLO could serve as a model.

Backup:

In the case of technological failure or lack of availability, in order to use the RWLO material, instructors would need to print copies of the material for students to view. The video clips might pose a problem without access to a computer; however, if funds permit, the History Channel miniseries Desperate Crossing could be purchased.

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