Welcome to my Webpage



Welcome to my Webpage!

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My idea of education is to unsettle the minds of the young and inflame their intellects.  ~Robert Maynard Hutchins

My name is Nicole Young, and I am a student at the University of Missouri St. Louis. I am currently completing my internship at Ritenour High School, and I will continue my student teaching in the same placement next semester. I will be instructing three Freshman English classes and co-teaching in the Yearbook course. I’m very excited and nervous about the near future. Even after four and half years of college, I know that there is much more to learn once I’m actually in front of the classroom full time. My experiences and education have prepared me for this road ahead leading to graduation in May. I look forward to getting to know each and every student in my classes, their strengths and weaknesses, and helping each of them succeed. I am ready to teach because I look forward to opening young minds, sharing my knowledge, and learning from each individual in my classroom as well.

Feel free to take a look at the units I prepared in my methods course. I will be teaching both of them next semester to my Freshman classes.

Thanks!

Romeo and Juliet – How Does This Impact Me?

Freshman English

Ms. Nicole Young

Spring Semester, 2011

October 5, 2010

Overview of Fiction Lesson Plan Unit

Methods 4885

The Rationale:

The question the students are trying to answer throughout this school year is, “How does the world impact individuals differently?” It is important that Freshman understand that what they do in these next four years is going to affect the rest of their lives. This reoccurring theme of the year has helped students adapt to their new surroundings and lifestyle at the high school through literature and writing. The essential questions of this unit are: “Why do things written hundreds of years ago still impact me? Why are themes of love, death, friendship, family, and sacrifice universal and enduring?” Romeo and Juliet is a traditional text read by 9th grade students; however, we will read this story in a different light. I will make this information important and relevant to the students’ lives, to help them better understand the text. They will compare and analyze the decisions made by these teenagers and their families, looking at how it essentially impacted the rest of their lives. I believe this lesson is important because it allows the students to read a beautiful classic piece of literature while acknowledging the fact that the world has changed, but these major themes are still relevant to their lives.

The Summary:

During this unit, the students will learn not only about Romeo and Juliet, but also about the author, Shakespeare. The students will begin this unit exploring themselves and writing their own short stories about some major themes that are prevalent in their lives, which also connect to the play. Then they will learn about drama and Shakespeare. They will be quizzed over this information before beginning the play. Together over the next two weeks, students will learn about the characters, the use of language, and read the play. During this time, they will also complete different small assignments, connecting the play to their everyday lives. These include: decorating masks representing a character, listening to the hip hop version of the play, writing a summary using the format of a letter, and watching the video to compare and contrast. Once the text is completed, the students will finish watching the movie and then read the urban, more modern version, of the same story. The students will also review the figurative language once we complete these assignments and be tested over their knowledge. Finally, the students will complete a summative assessment over the last few class periods. There will be a list of options available for each student to choose from, all of which have specific rubrics to be followed. These options include the following:

*timeline *paper dolls *valentines *diary entries *graffiti wall notes *letters *eulogies *a memory facebook page * a scrapbook *casting of a movie *finding examples of figurative language *finding songs that represent the characters and events.

Objectives:

CLE’s

1, 3abc, 5ef, 6adef, 8/11, 9bc, 9/12ad, 10bd, 16a, 17ad, 18acd

Length:

This unit should take approximately 7 weeks to complete, about 18 class periods.

Materials and Resources:

School – textbooks, laptops, movies

Teacher- worksheets, outlines, time in class, tests and quizzes

Students – journals, paper, writing utensils, whatever materials they need for the project they choose

Means of Assessment:

Students will be graded on their participation in class, completion of the assigned worksheets, oral feedback, written communication and assignments in journals, peer evaluation, and tests and quizzes over the materials.

The cumulative assessment is completed during the last few class periods. The students will have the opportunity to choose which assessment they would like to complete, and a rubric will be given to make sure that students know each required component for their projects. The different options are listed above in the summary section of this unit plan.

LESSON PLANS

Nicole Young

October 18, 2010

Lesson Plan #1- Fiction Unit

Class Period #2

Student Centered Lesson Plan

Rationale: To begin the Romeo and Juliet unit, I feel it is important to connect the main themes of the play to the student’s lives. This fictional play focuses a lot on society, opinions, and right from wrong. These topics are also relevant to my students’ lives. There is also some difficult language in the text. Introducing these basic ideas early on will provide a good introduction to the rest of the unit.

Objectives: Compare, contrast, analyze, and evaluate connections between the text and the world.

Resources: Pre-test for Figurative Language

Handouts: “State your Opinion” “Social Offenses” “What’s the story?”

1 hour and 40 min class period

5 minutes: Allow students to come into class and get settled. Explain the difficult language and the focus we will take during the unit. Also explain the pre-test and hand it out.

30 minutes: Figurative Language Pre Test

25 minutes: “State your opinion” and “Social Offenses” handout

20 minutes: Discuss the handouts. Explain different opinions and how some of the social offenses and other information are relevant to everyday life. Allow students to give explanations and stories.

20 minutes: Hand out the “What’s the Story?” handout. Read the instructions and allow students to begin writing their own stories. Due next class.

Nicole Young

October 18, 2010

Lesson Plan #2 – Fiction Unit

Class period # 4

Teacher Presentation

Rationale: I believe it is important for students to learn about the author and context before reading a piece of literature. Shakespeare was and still is a very famous writer. I want my students to have an appreciation for classic authors. Before reading the play, I also feel as though students should be able to see and understand how it would have actually been performed. This will give them prior knowledge that will be important once they start reading.

Objectives: Compare, contrast, analyze, and evaluate connections between the text and the world. Develop vocabulary through text using context clues and/or a glossary, dictionary, or thesaurus

Resources: Journals

Video

Textbook and Handouts to complete notes

1 hour and 40 minute class period

15 minutes: Students will choose a topic off of a pervious class handout (Opinions and Social Offenses) and write about how something has affected their lives.

10 minutes: Students will have the opportunity to share their journals and discuss if they didn’t participate in the previous class session about the topic.

50 minutes: Brief introduction about the video. Watch the video about Shakespeare’s world and the Globe Theatre.

25 minutes: Reviewing the information from the video and the textbooks, students will complete notes about Shakespeare and the Globe theatre to help them better understand the background information prior to beginning reading the play.

Nicole Young

October 19, 2010

Lesson Plan #3 – Fiction Unit

Class Period # 6

Student Discussion

Rationale: Now that we have a basic understanding of some of the characters, it is time to begin reading. “Romeo and Juliet” begins with a prologue that we will focus on during this class period. First we will find out what makes a prologue poetry and practice putting pieces of text in the correct order. Then we will listen to a more modern day version of this story, the hip hop version. This gives the students a fun and exciting way to learn the same information. Also, in connection with our figurative language assessment during this unit, we will focus on words to know, helping to build our vocabulary and better understand while reading.

Objectives: Identify, explain and demonstrate figurative language. Develop vocabulary through text using context clues and/or a glossary, dictionary, or thesaurus. Compare, contrast, analyze, and evaluate connections between the text and the world.

Resources: Journal, Quiz, Prologue handout, Hip Hop cd, “Words to know” worksheet

1 hour and 40 minute class period

15 minutes – Journal entry about feuds and details about how this affected your life.

20 minutes- Character quiz from information over last class

10 minutes – Explanation about Prologue and what makes it poetry- examples

20 minutes – Prologue Handout – Group activity – work with table

5 minutes – Listen to Prologue – Hip Hop version

10 minutes – Discussion about how this is relevant to the play – connect with everyday life

15 minutes- Words to know worksheet – finish before next class

5 minutes – assign actors to read for next class

Nicole Young

October 19, 2010

Lesson Plan #4 – Fiction Unit

Class Period # 9

Student Cooperative Group

Rationale: For those who have not read Shakespeare, it can be a difficult task. After Act I, we are going to take a break from reading and collect our thoughts to this point. We will have a quiz to make sure everyone knows the characters in the play. There is also a summary assignment to finish during this class period. I feel it is important for students to be able to write this play in their own words to make sure they comprehend the ideas and themes that we have focused on. Our main idea has been to relate this play to our own lives. Today I will ask the students to chose a character that they can relate to in some way, and decorate a mask highlighting the main ideas and events from that person. We will work with our partners during the last part of class, giving a small explanation of our projects.

Objectives: Identify, explain, and demonstrate figurative language. Summarize after reading. Use details from text to analyze character, plot, setting, and point of view.

Resources: Quiz – Act I, Letter Summary, Mask Handout and Rubric

1 hour and 40 minute class period

20 minutes – Quiz – Act I characters

30 minutes – Finish Letter Summary Writing Assignment

50 minutes – Hand out and explain mask assignment, allow students to work with partners (each student needs to turn in their own mask and they much be different), and turn in before the end of class.

Teacher Calander

Romeo and Juliet Unit

|Day 1 – Introduction | |Day 2 – Pre-test | |Day 3 – 1500s question |

|(rules and policies). | |figurative language, | |and answer, discussion |

|Paper doll exploring self| |Opinion and Social | |about life changes, |

| | |handout, discussion, | |Punnery fun fact |

| | |What’s the story handout/| |worksheet |

| | |writing assignment | | |

| |Day 4- Journal #1, Video | |Day 5 – Journal 2, quiz | |

| |over Shakespeare and | |over notes from last | |

| |Globe Theatre, Cloz notes| |class, view summarization| |

| |over both movie and text | |video, get to know | |

| | | |characters and identify | |

|Day 6- Journal #3, | |Day 7 – Journal #4, | |Day 8 – Journal #5, Act I|

|character quiz, prologue | |finish words to know, | |scenes iii, iv, and v – |

|poetry handout, put | |Listen to audio for Act I| |listen to audio and |

|prologue in correct order| |scenes i, ii, iii, | |discuss, Watch video |

|handout, listen to hip | |discuss, watch video of | |finishing Act I, being |

|hop version, words to | |these scenes | |letter summary |

|know worksheet | | | | |

| |Day 9 – Quiz over | |Day 10- Journal #6, | |

| |characters act I, finish | |listen and discuss Act II| |

| |letter summary, mask | |scene i and ii, read and | |

| |assignment | |discuss urban version act| |

| | | |II scene iii, and iv, | |

| | | |listen to and discuss Act| |

| | | |II scene v, Read and | |

| | | |discuss urban act II | |

| | | |scene vi, Answer | |

| | | |questions over Act II on | |

| | | |handout | |

|Day 11- Journal #7, Watch| |Day 12 – Journal #8, read| |Day 13 – Read Juliet’s |

|video of Act II, listen | |urban version Act III | |poison speech from text, |

|to and discuss act III, | |scenes i, ii, iii, iv. | |Listen to Act V scene iii|

|scene i, Thinking and | |Listen and discuss act | |in traditional version |

|Feeling handout, A tense | |III scene v, read aloud | |and discuss. Read acts |

|time quote handout | |from urban version act | |IV and V in the urban |

| | |III, scene v, Questions | |version. Act IV |

| | |and Diary Entry over Act| |assignment over Friar |

| | |III handouts | |Lawrence’s plan and |

| | | | |explanation of Juliet’s |

| | | | |speech |

| |Day 14 – Finish | |Day 15- Finish Modern | |

| |assignments, Handout | |movie, Review Figurative | |

| |project outline and | |Languague | |

| |discuss, modern movie | | | |

| |compare and contrast with| | | |

| |text, complete metaphor | | | |

| |worksheet | | | |

|Day 16 – Work on | |Day 17 – Figurative | | |

|Projects, Review | |Language Post Test, | | |

|Figurative Language | |Complete Projects | | |

Student Calander- Romeo and Juliet

|Day 1 – Paper Doll | |Day 2 – Pretest and Class| |Day 3 – Handouts in class|

|Assignment | |work | |and discussion |

| | | | | |

| |Day 4 – Journal, Video, | |Day 5 – Journal, QUIZ, | |

| |Notes | |video, class work | |

|Day 6 – Journal, | |Day 7 – Journal, begin | |Day 8 – Journal, reading,|

|handouts, listen to hip | |reading, video | |video, and begin summary |

|hop version, class | | | |assignment |

|participation work | | | | |

| |Day 9 – QUIZ, finish | |Day 10 – Journal, Read | |

| |summary assignment, mask | |and listen to traditional| |

| |activity | |and urban version, Answer| |

| | | |questions on handout | |

|Day 11- Journal, Video, | |Day 12 – Journal, read | |Day 13 – Read Juliet’s |

|Read, Handouts | |and listen to traditional| |speech, text and urban |

| | |and urban version, | |version, writing |

| | |Questions and Diary Entry| |assignment explanation of|

| | |assignment | |Friar Lawrence and Juliet|

| |Day 14 – Finish | |Day 15 – Finish movie, | |

| |Assignment, Handout | |Figurative language | |

| |Project outline, | |review | |

| |discussion over text and | | | |

| |movie, worksheet | | | |

|Day 16 – Work on | |Day 17 – Figurative | | |

|Projects, review | |language post test- | | |

|figurative language | |finish projects | | |

Ms. Young Name: ________________________

Date: _______________________

Romeo and Juliet

Text Movie

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Do you enjoy the movie or play better? ________________________________________

Why? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why do you think there are differences between the play and movie? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

STUDENT HANDOUT Name : ____________________________

Ms. Young Date: _____________________________

Show Me What You Know!!

Now that we have finished reading the play, “Romeo and Juliet,” each student will be required to complete a long term creative project. You will be able to choose from the list of items on the bottom of this handout. There will be multiple class periods focused on this assignment, and I will also expect you to do work outside of class to finish the project. I will give you each a specific rubric (which you must follow CAREFULLY!) when you decide which project is best for you; however, I will focus on grading for clarity, connection to the play, and creativity.

A few things to remember:

This is a long term assignment. Absences do not cause an extension to the due date.

The grade will be reduced 10% every class day after the due date.

The due date is Feb 26, 2011.

Attach a blank scoring guide to your project when you turn it in!!!

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This is meant to be a fun and creative assignment, allowing each student to share their knowledge of the play. There are options provided so that you can find something that interests you. Please enjoy this activity and put forth as much effort as possible both in the class as well as at home to ensure that you do well on this project.

Options for Creative Assignment:

1. Timeline map with pictures and information. (10 items minimum)

2. Paper dolls for three of the major characters.

3. Valentines (2) One for Romeo from Juliet and one for Juliet from Romeo.

4. Juliet’s diary with a minimum of 10 entries (5 must be writing, but the other 5 may be mementos).

5. Graffiti wall with notes to Romeo and/or Juliet from 10 people who were in the story.

6. Letters from the parents of Romeo and Juliet to their child. (2 letters)

7. Write two Eulogies, one for Romeo and one for Juliet to be read at their funerals.

8. Create a memory Facebook or Myspace page (on paper) for Romeo and Juliet.

9. Create a scrapbook for Romeo or Juliet that their mother might have kept (10 items – 5 must be writing, but the other 5 may be mementoes).

10. Cast a new movie of Romeo and Juliet. (10 characters)

11. Find examples of figurative language in Romeo and Juliet.

12. Find songs that represent characters and events in Romeo and Juliet.

Reminder: I will give you an additional scoring guide for your choice. You must follow that carefully and meet every requirement for full points!

Ms. Young

Romeo and Juliet Rubric

Name: __________________________

Date: __________________________

Final Project Rubrics

100 points

Last Day Accepted without a Late Grade is March 1st, 2011

This is a long term assignment. Absences do not cause an extension to the date.

All projects must include:

_____ Quotes should have correct citations (10)

_____ Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of characters and storyline (10)

_____ Neatness and evidence of effort (10)

_____ Creativity and Organization (10)

_____ Demonstrating the ability to understand and develop beyond what is written in the story

_____ Correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling (10)

_____ Use of class time to work (10)

Specific Projects and Requirements:

1. Timeline Map with pictures and information. There should be at least 10 items in chronological order from the pay detailing the main events in the story.

_____ Each item should have an illustrations (10)

_____ Each item should have two to three sentences in your own words explaining what is happening at that point in the story (10)

_____ Each item should have a quote from the traditional play to support the illustration and information

2. Create Paper dolls illustrating three of the major characters.

_____ Each paper doll should be clothed as the character would be dressed (10)

_____ Each paper doll should have a paragraph (minimum 5 sentences) telling about the character and what he/she experiences, thinks, and feels in the story (10)

_____ Each paper doll should have a quote from the traditional play to support the illustration and an explanation of the quote in your own words.

3. Valentines (2) One for Romeo from Juliet and One for Juliet from Romeo.

_____ Each item should have an illustration and look like a card (10)

_____ Each item should have a verse or saying as part of the card and four or five sentences would be Romeo/Juliet’s “own words” as their “writing” on the card to the one they love (10)

_____ Each item should have a quote from the traditional play to support the illustration and information (10)

4. Juliet’s Diary with a minimum of 10 entries (5 must be writing, 5 may be mementos)

_____ The diary should have a cover with an illustration or decorated appropriately (10)

_____ Each written entry should be a minimum of 5-6 sentences in your own words explaining what is happening at that point in the story (10)

_____ There should be at least 5 quotes from the traditional play to support the information in the diary (10)

5. Graffiti Wall with writing and pictures from 10 people who were in the story.

_____ Write at least 10 entries of 1-2 sentences in your own words telling about what a character has experienced and what she/he is thinking or feeling in the story. It must be signed by the character. (10)

_____ At least five entries should have the illustrations (10)

_____ There should be at least five quotes from the traditional play on the wall and an explanation of the quote in your own words (10)

6. Letters from the parents of Romeo and Juliet to their child. (2 letters)

_____ Each letter should be minimum of 150 words, and should explain how each parent felt about the main events in the story (10)

_____ Each letter should use letter format, appropriate point of view, and voice (10)

_____ There should be at least 2-3 quotes from the traditional play to support the information in each letter (10)

7. Eulogies, write one for Romeo and one for Juliet to be read at their funerals (2)

_____ Each eulogy should be minimum of 150 words, and tell about the family and main pieces of information about each character’s life (10)

_____ Each eulogy should mention what at least three family members or friends have to say about the person (10)

_____ There should be at least 2-3 quotes from the traditional play to support the information in each eulogy (10)

8. Memory Faccebook or Myspace page (on paper) for Romeo and Juliet

_____ The page should be decorated with information, pictures and things that show about Romeo and Juliet characters (at least 10 items) (10)

_____ Write at least 10 entries of 1-2 sentences about what other characters would post on the site because of what they experienced and are feeling during or after the story. It must be signed by the character (10)

_____ There should be at least five quotes from the traditional play on the wall and an explanation of the quote in your own words (10)

9. Scrapbook for Romeo or Juliet that their mother might have kept (10 items – 5 must be in writing but the other 5 may be mementos).

_____ The scrapbook should have a cover with an illustration or decorated appropriately (10)

_____ Each written entry should be minimum 5-6 sentences in your own words explaining what is happening at that point in the story. (10)

_____ There should be at least 5 quotes from the traditional play to support information in the diary (10)

10. Cast a new movie of Romeo and Juliet

_____ Choose current actors and actresses to play the main characters in Romeo and Juliet (at least 10). Have a picture of the actor/actress, his/her real name, and the character he/she would play. (10)

_____ Write 2-3 sentences explaining why that actor/actress should play the part you chose for him/her. (10)

_____ Have a quote (from the traditional play) from each character that is being cast and an explanation of the quote in your own words (10)

11. Figurative language in Romeo and Juliet – identify and explain figurative language

_____ Find and quote 10 examples of figurative language in Romeo and Juliet (10)

_____ Explain each piece of figurative language (10)

_____ Illustrate 5 of the examples of figurative language found and explained (10)

12. Songs that represent characters and events in Romeo and Juliet

_____ Find and list 10 songs that make you think of an event or a person in Romeo and Juliet. Write one to two sentences explaining what or who this song represents and why it makes you think of that event or person (10)

_____ Write or type a verse or chorus from 5 of the songs and illustrate each. (10)

_____ Have a quote from the traditional text to support each of your song choices (10)

Descriptive Writing Unit

Freshman English

Ms. Nicole Young

Spring Semester 2011

November 7, 2011

Methods 4885

Writing Unit Plan

Rationale:

Writing is a crucial part of every academic subject. The written language is a form of communication used in everyday life, and it is important to practice these skills in the English classroom. Continuing with our theme of the year, “How the world impacts individuals differently,” the class is going to complete a long term writing and research project learning about our subject at hand as well as the lives of different famous individuals. It is important for the students to understand that the individuals they admire and look up to were once students sitting in the classroom as well. They have gone through many of the same trials and tribulations that our freshmen are dealing with during these impressionable years. Adolescence is a difficult time in life, and many students do not understand that the choices they make now will lead the pathway for their futures. Researching and understanding another person’s life can put some of these ideas into perspective and can also help to positively influence the children’s lives.

Summary:

During this unit, the students will learn how to research using technology in the classroom, identify valid sources and cite them, write a descriptive/biographical essay explaining the lives’ of celebrities, and complete creative projects highlighting the information that they have learned to showcase it to the rest of the class. Most class periods will begin with a short journal prompt, helping to introduce or review the writing concepts we will be teaching throughout the unit. The students need to be familiar with the technology accessible in their schools. It is important to use the resources available to help them learn about their subjects. When completing the research portion, we will teach the students about MLA format as well as how to identify reliable sources and how to cite them. The students will be held responsible for filling out a research packet, explaining what sites they accessed and what information they found that will be helpful for their assignment. We will then teach about the correct formation of a descriptive/biographical essay and the students will write their papers attaching a works consulted and cited page.

Finally, I feel that after all this hard work, the students should use their creativity to complete a project for the entire class to see and learn about the other famous individuals that were researched. The summative assessment of the unit will require the students to produce a scrapbook that encompasses all of their hard work and research each student completed about their celebrity. The students will each compose four writing/creative projects and five memorabilia projects. The students will have a list of options that fit their interests and can chose accordingly. These assignments, along with the essay requirement, will be included in the scrapbook. During the final class period, the students will share what they learned during this unit. Each student will give a small speech about their chosen person, and then the class will complete a gallery walk. It will be an informational celebration for all to enjoy. Once this last class period has taken place, we will share our projects with other Freshman English classes in the school so that their hard work can be admired.

Objectives:

CLE’s - technology, writing, sources (7b, 15abce, 16ab, 17ac, 20abc, 21ae)

Length

This unit should take approximately 6 to 7 weeks to complete

Materials and Resources-

School – computers

Teacher – handouts, construction paper, glue, markers, paper

Student – Journals, paper, writing utensils, additional materials for scrapbook if they need to complete at home

Means of assessment – Students will be given participation credit for journal entries, completion of in class assignments (research and research packet), and discussions (what makes a valid and reliable source, mini speech on last day). Students will be given point values for completing their works consulted and cited pages, and they will be graded on their essay assignments.

Students will also have the summative assessment (scrapbook). There will be a rubric with point values given for completing each portion of the long term assignment (creative writing projects (4), memorabilia projects (5) and final project appearance).

Lesson Plans

Nicole Young

November 7, 2010

Lesson Plan #1 – Unit 2

Class Period #1

Rationale: To begin the writing assignment, I feel that it is important to explain your expectations for each student and help them to understand why this unit is important and relevant to their lives. During this unit, the children will research a famous individual and find a way in which they can connect themselves to that person. The students will also find out how this person came to be famous and well known, highlighting their struggles growing up. Once this unit is completed, I hope the students will have a better understanding of why they must follow their dreams and finish school to become successful people. We will use this first day to introduce the unit, choose the famous people we will begin researching, and being looking at some of the websites, deciding whether they are reliable or not and why. Essential Question of the day/unit- Who is your favorite celebrity and why? What makes you admire that person and how does your life connect with theirs? (This question will be answered throughout the entire unit)

Objectives: Students will learn to compare, contrast, analyze, and evaluate connections with text (their research) and the outside world.

1 hour and 40 minute class period

20 minutes – Students will journal about their favorite famous person and why that person is influential in their lives.

20 minutes – I will assign the unit projects and answer any questions about what the students will be doing.

15 minutes – Students will choose their famous person and I will write these down to make sure no one has the same individual.

45 minutes – We will brainstorm as a class what a reliable source is, what makes a source reliable, and look at different websites on the projector.

Nicole Young

November 7, 2010

Lesson plan #2 – Unit 2

Rationale: To find information about the chosen celebrities, students will need to use the technology accessible within the school. Technology has become such an important part of everyday lives, and students need to become familiar with different programs and how to find reliable information on the internet. To complete this project, there will be multiple research days in class using the laptops. This will give the students an opportunity to do independent research as well as speak directly to the teacher or other students to help one another find promising websites.

Objectives:

One hour and 40 minute class period

10 minutes: Students will journal about how the internet is useful and review the techniques about finding a reliable source. They will share with their partners at the table for a few minutes before we begin the class discussion. “Think, pair, share”

15 minutes: The class will discuss and review the main points to look for on a website to figure out whether the source is valid or not. We will also discuss internet etiquette and the expectations for each student. We will hand out the research packet worksheets and explain the expectations and requirements for this class period and the following two class periods while students conduct their research.

75 minutes: Students will conduct their web based research. They are required to fill out their packets and include the data chart about the sources as they go along. The teacher will walk around the room during this time and provide assistance for the students. The children will be able to discuss their findings with their neighbors and give one another ideas and tips to help them find reliable sources.

Nicole Young

November 7, 2010

Lesson plan #3 – Unit 2

Rationale: Once the students have completed their research and essay portions of the unit, they will begin to work on their scrapbooking projects. The students will take the information they have already learned about their celebrity, add in some creativity, and produce a final product for all to see. I think it’s important to give the students assignments to complete that allow them to share what they have learned with others. This unit takes a lot of time, effort, and work, and the students should be proud of what they have accomplished and share the connections they have made to their own lives.

Objectives:

One hour and 40 minute class period

10 minutes: The students will complete a journaling prompt expressing the most important or best thing they learned about their celebrity while completing their research.

15 minutes: The teacher will assign the students the scrapbooking project in detail. The students will each get a handout explaining their creative options, and they are required to complete 4 of the writing tasks and 5 of the memorabilia tasks. There will be one class period per writing activity and it will be up to the student to work at their own pace to complete the assignment.

The optional writing tasks include:

- 2 Diary entries -A newspaper article

- Obituary (If they are deceased) -Personal Letter

- Acceptance Speech -Timeline

- Poem -Letter to the Editor

- Cover letter

The optional memorabilia tasks include:

- Birth certificate -Document (ex. Marriage license)

- Quotes -Menu

- Family Tree -Cover (movie or cd)

- Collage -Police report

- Cards -Award

- Magazine Cover -Announcement/Invitation

- Myspace/Facebook page

- Movie/ Concert poster

- Creative Idea of your own choosing (must be approved by the teacher)

75 minutes – The students will begin working on their first creative writing assignment. If they finish this, they can then work on the memorabilia assignment.

Nicole Young

November 7, 2010

Lesson plan #4 – Unit 2

Rationale: After the students have completed their writing and memorabilia assignments, it is now time to publish their work. During this class period, the students will sort through their work and combine the different artifacts to make the actual scrapbook. The students will need to remember the components of a book (cover, table of contents, back cover, etc). Together, the students will compose a list of additional materials that are needed to create their masterpieces. Once this is finished, the students will have the remainder of the class to compose their scrapbooks.

Objectives:

One hour and 40 minute class period

10 minutes- The students will complete a quick write exercise about the components of a book. They will have their textbooks and other short novels at hand to look at the text features of the books.

10 minutes- The students and teacher will have a short factstorming session about what components should be included in a scrapbook. Together, the students will need to agree on 5 additional components that need to be included. Three of these components must be the front cover, back cover, and table of contents.

80 minutes- The remainder of this class period will be used to complete the final components and put the finishing touches on the scrapbooks. They will need to be ready to be shared for the next class period. Anything that is not completed will need to be finished for homework.

Nicole Young

November 7, 2010

Lesson plan #5 – Unit 2

Rationale: After weeks of hard work, the students now have the opportunity to share their work. Each student will be given about 2 minutes to give a short speech about the person they researched and why they chose that person. They will also share with one another the most interesting thing they learned about the celebrity when completing their research. Once each student has finished their explanation, we will have a showcase galleria, during which time the students will be able to walk around the class and see each other’s work. They can spend time looking at the scrapbooks and reading one another’s essays.

Objectives:

One hour and 40 minute class period

15 minutes: The students will write a journal entry reflecting on this unit. They will express their likes and dislikes, and give explanations as to why they feel the way they do. This will help me as a teacher make changes for the next year to better the unit for the following classes.

40 minutes – The students will give a mini speech about their celebrity, why they chose that person, and an interesting fact about the person.

45 minutes – The students will participate in the gallery walk, looking at one another’s work and admiring the effort and time spent by each student over the past 5 weeks.

Teacher Calendar – Ms. Young

|Day 1- Journal Assignment| |Day 2- Journal assignment| |Day 3- Journal |

|– favorite celebrity – | |– what make reliable | |assignment- what have you|

|give unit assignments, | |source? Why is the | |found so far? |

|pick favorite person, and| |internet important? | |Continue background |

|begin source discussion | |Review components of | |information and |

| | |effective computer | |background information |

| | |use-begin background | |packets |

| | |information and complete | | |

| | |packets | | |

| |Day 4- What is the most | |Day 5- Journal- How do | |

| |reliable website you have| |you connect with the | |

| |found? What made it | |celebrity? | |

| |reliable? Research | |Lesson about MLA format | |

| |celebrities | |and how to complete a | |

| | | |works cited and consulted| |

| | | |page. Finish research | |

|Day 6 – Journal – What | |Day 7 – Journal – | |Day 8- Rough draft of |

|will you highlight about | |Sentence additions | |essay due at the end of |

|your celebrity in your | |(description) Continue | |class. Also, works |

|essay? Research packet | |writing rough draft – | |consulted and works cited|

|due- Give essay | |teacher conferences - PQP| |due. |

|assignment and begin | | | | |

|rough draft | | | | |

| |Day 9- Journal – Most | |Day 10 – No Journal – | |

| |important or best thing | |Finish writing project 1 | |

| |you learned about your | |and complete writing | |

| |celebrity- Give | |project 2 – any extra | |

| |summative assignment to | |time should be spent on | |

| |students- begin working | |memorabilia assignments | |

| |on writing project #1 | | | |

|Day 11- No Journal – | |Day 12 – Journal – How do| |Day 14- No journal – |

|Complete writing project | |you think this unit has | |Finish all writing and |

|3 and work on memorabilia| |helped you to realize | |memorabilia assignments /|

|assignments | |what you want to do after| |peer review / write final|

| | |high school? | |draft |

| | |Complete writing project | | |

| | |4 and work on memorabilia| | |

| | |assignment | | |

| |Day 15- Journal – What | |Day 16- Journal- | |

| |are the components of a | |reflection of the unit, | |

| |book? Discuss – Complete | |what the students liked | |

| |the assembly of the | |and didn’t like – mini | |

| |scrapbook and include the| |presentation (1-2 minutes| |

| |new components (cover, | |per student) – gallery of| |

| |table of contents, etc) | |student work | |

| |finish final draft | | | |

Name: ________________________

Date: _________________________

Student Calendar

Hold on to this calendar! This will let you know what is due each class period!

|Day 1- Journal entry – | |Day 2- Journal entry- | |Day 3- Journal entry – |

|Assign unit – Pick your | |Discuss reliable sources, | |continue research on the |

|favorite celebrity | |hand out computer packets, | |computers and complete |

|figure! – Begin looking | |and look at different | |research packets |

|at different sources | |websites to find valid and | | |

| | |non-valid sources- begin | | |

| | |research | | |

| |Day 4- Journal entry - | |Day 5- Journal entry – | |

| |Continue research | |learn about MLA format | |

| | | |and how to complete a | |

| | | |works cited and consulted| |

| | | |page. Finish research | |

|Day 6 – Journal entry- | |Day 7 – Journal entry– | |Day 8- Rough draft, works|

|Research packet due- | |continue working on rough | |consulted, and works |

|Essay Assignment given- | |draft-STUDENT/ | |cited due at the end of |

|begin rough draft | |TEACHER CONFERENCES | |class. |

| |Day 9- Journal entry-End | |Day 10 – No Journal – | |

| |of unit project assigned!| |Finish writing project 1 | |

| |writing project #1 | |and complete writing | |

| | | |project 2 – any extra | |

| | | |time should be spent on | |

| | | |memorabilia assignments | |

| | | | | |

|Day 11- No Journal – | |Day 12 – Journal entry- | |Day 14- No journal – |

|Complete writing project | |Complete writing project 4 | |Finish all writing and |

|3 and work on memorabilia| |and work on memorabilia | |memorabilia assignments |

|assignments | |assignment | | |

| |Day 15- Journal entry and| |Day 16- Journal entry- | |

| |Discussion – Complete the| |Scrapbooks due!!! | |

| |assembly of the scrapbook| |mini speeches (1-2 | |

| |and include the new | |minutes per student) – | |

| |components (cover, table | |gallery of student work –| |

| |of contents, etc) | |Enjoy!!! | |

Final essay and scrapbook project are due on the same day! Late work will be accepted up to one week after the due date with a penalty point deduction of 5 points per day.

If you have any questions during this unit please feel free to speak with me! I’m here to help each and every one of you. This is supposed to be a fun unit in which you learn about your favorite person as well as yourself! (

Ms. Nicole Young

Descriptive Writing Unit

Sources handout/Data chart:

Name: ____________________________

Date: ____________________________

Works Consulted Information

Title:  ____________________________________

Author:  __________________________________

Copyright or date found: _____________________

Website:  _________________________________

URL:  ____________________________________

Pages used: ________________________________

What makes this a reliable source?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ms. Nicole Young

Descriptive Writing Unit

Scrapbook handout

Name: _____________________________

Date: _____________________________

[pic] [pic]

Biographical Scrapbook  (225 points total)

WHAT TO INCLUDE:

A.  Cover page, table of contents and back page (25 points total)

Cover (10 points) - Create a cover page that symbolizes your person in some way.  The person’s name should be very large and prominent.  The front should be colorful and creative.  It is my first impression of your scrapbook, so make it look good! 

Table of Contents (10 points) - Include a table of contents which is titled and lists each writing and artifact along with its page number.  (Make sure to number the pages in your scrapbook) 

Back (5 points) - Create a back page that has your name, the date, and your class hour on it.  Make the back colorful and creative. 

D.  Four Creative Writing Assignments (see below) (80 points)

E.  Five Creative Assignments (see below) (50 points)

F.  Biographical Essay Final Draft (will need to be included in scrapbook) (50 points)

E.  Overall Project and Use of Time (Be productive and produce a masterpiece of your own!!) (20 points)

 Use of neatness and good writing skills (grammar, usage, & mechanics) are part of your grade on every writing and creative assignment. 

Creative Writing Assignments:   Choose four of the following creative writing assignments to include in your scrapbook: EACH ITEM MUST BE CREATED BY YOU!  It may not be copied from online, a magazine, or a book. You may use each type of writing only once (20 each = 80pts.) 

A. 2 Diary Entries - The diary entries should be written from the point of view of your person telling personal feelings and reactions to a specific event in his life.  Each should be dated appropriately for your person’s life and should be hand written. Keep in mind if your person is well educated, then the entries should be well written; if your person is a child, then they should be written as a child.  It should be ½ -1 page.

B. A Newspaper Article - Write a news article about your person with a headline and lead. This is NOT something you copy, but an article YOU create.  Choose an important event from your person’s life and write about it as though you were living during that time period.  Remember to use who, what when, where, why, and how. The written material should be ½ to ¾ page typed, and you may use a picture that is appropriate to the story.   If you use a picture, be sure to have a caption. 

C.  Obituary. – Write an obituary for your person (this can only be done if he/she is actually dead).  The obituary should name the important people in his/her life, birth/death dates, cause of death, important details from his/her life.  You may include a headshot of the person.  Should be about ½ page typed.

D.  Personal letter - Write a letter from your person to someone important in her life.  Tell about something significant that she wants to share OR write a letter from someone in your person’s life discussing one of the events happening in her life from his perspective. This should be one page hand written.

E.  Acceptance Speech – Write an acceptance speech for an award your person has won.  Who would he/she thank, what would be said about the award?  This should be one page hand written or ½ page typed.

F.  Timeline - Create a timeline of important events about your person beginning with her birth and end with her death or most current fact about her. Have at least fifteen items on your timeline along with the year it occurred.  You should have at least two sentences explaining each event.  Spread out the events on your timeline.  Don’t have everything within a year or two of each other.  You may have more than one event per year only if the events are very important to your person’s life.

G.  Poem – Write a poem from your person to someone they care about (this must be original and created by YOU).  Must be at least 15 lines long and may be typed or handwritten.   

H.  Letter to the editor – A letter from your person or from a fan defending the actions of your person or refuting a news report about your person.  This should be ½ page typed or one page hand written.

I.  Cover Letter – A letter from your person applying for a job.  Why should he/she be considered for the position?  What makes him/her a good candidate?  What experience does he/she have?  Use correct letter format.  Should be typed ½ to 1 page.  

Use of neatness and good writing skills (grammar, usage, & mechanics) are part of your grade on every writing and creative assignment. 

Creative Memorabilia Projects:  Choose minimum of five (maximum eight) of the following creative projects to include in your scrapbook.  EACH ITEM MUST BE CREATED BY YOU!  It may not be copied from online, a magazine, or a book.  Each creative project should fill the complete page. You may use each type of project only once.  (50 points - 10 each)

A.  Birth Certificate - it must be made to look like a certificate.  The following information must be on the certificate: person’s full name (first, middle, last), date of birth, place of birth (city, state, country), mother’s maiden name, father’s name. 

B.  Document - Create a document such as a birth certificate for another member of the family, a death certificate, marriage license, divorce decree, etc. 

C.  Quotes - Find 5-7 quotes by your person. Be creative in the way you put it all on paper.

D.  Menu – Create a specialized menu featuring all of your person’s favorite foods.  Make sure it looks like a menu.

E.  Family Tree – Create a family tree for your person with the names of all the relatives you can find. 

F.  Cover - Create a book cover or album cover for one of his favorite books or records.

G.  Collage - Create a photo collage of important people in his/her life labeled with names and events.

H.  Police Report – If your person was ever arrested (or a family member was arrested) create a police report about the incident.  Be sure to include what, when, where, why. 

I.  Cards – Create a card given to your person from someone important in his/her life - Birthday, Christmas, Valentine, Anniversary, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc.

J.  Award – Create a certificate of award for you person.  Make clear what the award is for, when it was presented, and who gave it.

K. Magazine Cover – Create a magazine cover for your person.  Title of magazine, date, picture of person, headlines of articles inside

L. Announcement/Invitation – Wedding invitation, party invitation, birth announcement, etc.

M.  My Space/Face Book Page – pictures of your person, favorite things, friends, messages from friends.

N.  Movie/Concert Poster – Images from the movie/concert, dates/times, prices, who is involved, blurbs/songs

O.  Creative Idea of Your Own Choosing – must be approved by the teacher

Use of neatness and good writing skills (grammar, usage, & mechanics) are part of your grade on every writing and creative assignment. 

Ms. Nicole Young

Descriptive Writing Unit

Scrapbook handout

Name: _____________________________

Date: _____________________________

Biographical Research Project Score Sheet

YOUR NAME: ______________________________________________________

Person Chosen for Research ______________________________________

Appearance ______/25

___ Cover Page (10 pts.)

___ Table of Contents (10 pts.)

___ Back Page (5 pts.)

Essay _______/50 – final draft with works consulted page   

Writing Assignments _________/80

___  Writing assignment choice _____________________ (20 pts.)

___  Writing assignment choice _____________________ (20 pts.)

___  Writing assignment choice _____________________ (20 pts.)

___  Writing assignment choice _____________________ (20 pts.) 

Creative Assignments ________/50      

___ Creative assignment choice _____________________ (10 pts.)

___ Creative assignment choice _____________________ (10 pts.)

___ Creative assignment choice _____________________ (10 pts.)

___ Creative assignment choice _____________________ (10 pts.)

___ Creative assignment choice _____________________ (10 pts.)

___ Bonus creative choices (up to three)  ______________________   

                 ______________________                 

               ______________________  

___ Overall Project (20 pts.)

 

____________TOTAL SCRAPBOOK POINTS

 

Use of neatness and good writing skills (grammar, usage, & mechanics) are part of your grade on every writing and creative assignment. 

 

KEEP THIS PAPER AND TURN IT IN WITH YOUR PROJECT!!!

Due Date: _____________________

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