Grade Nine English Language Arts Thematic Unit:



Grade Nine English Language Arts Lesson Plan Four:

“Step Outside the Box.”

For the Thematic Unit:

“Brothers and Sisters: The Good, the Bad and the Only Child.”

By Miss Angela Roach

Lesson Plan Four

Unit Topic: Brothers and Sisters: The Good, the Bad, and the Only Child.

Unit Rationale: This unit is intended to have students explore the many different types of relationships that siblings share. The students will be encouraged to explore through a variety of texts examples of both good and the bad sibling experiences. Students will be invited to reflect on their own relationships with their siblings, or someone they share a comparable bond with. The importance and the uniqueness of a bond between siblings will be explored at a time in students’ lives when they may not be aware of the quality of this bond. If students do not have a sibling, they will be able to explore their experience as an only child.

Grade Level: Grade 9

Lesson Topic: “Step Outside the Box”

Length of Lesson Period: 50 minutes

Lesson Rationale: Family in the traditional sense is becoming a rarity. This lesson takes a look at a different family dynamic; two families combined into one potentially complex family! Many of the students will have step brothers and sisters in their lives, and the bond, or lack there of, is no less important between step siblings than it is between related siblings. This lesson will establish, and for some students reinforce, the significance of the relationship between step siblings.

Learning Objectives:

• Students will develop viewing skills by watching media text to see an example of a less traditional family dynamic.

• Students will take notes while watching the media text to show an awareness of characters’ relationships and reactions to each other.

• Students will brainstorm ideas as a pre-representing strategy.

• Students will work in small groups to create a representation of their ideas.

• Students will perform a skit depicting interaction between step-siblings, developing their imaginations, team work skills, and ability to represent ideas.

Learning Outcomes from English Language Arts Curriculum Guide:

General Curriculum Outcomes

• SPEAKING AND LISTENING

(1) Speak and listen to explore, extend, clarify, and reflect on their thoughts, ideas, feelings, and experiences. P 20.

(2) Communicate information and ideas effectively and clearly, and to respond personally and critically. P 20.

(3) Interact with sensitivity and respect, considering the situation, audience, and purpose. P 20.

• READING AND VIEWING

1) Select, read, and view with understanding a range of literature, information, media and visual texts. P 21.

2) Interpret, select, and combine information using a variety of strategies, resources, and technologies. P 21.

3) Respond personally to a range of texts. P 21.

4) Respond critically to a range of texts, applying their understanding of language, form, and genre. P 21

• WRITING AND REPRESENTING

1) Use writing and other forms of representing to explore, clarify, and reflect on their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and learnings; and to use their imaginations. P 21.

2) Create texts collaboratively and independently, using a variety of forms for a range of audiences and purposes. P 21.

3) Use a range of strategies to develop effective writing and other ways of representing and to enhance their clarity, precision, and effectiveness. P 21.

Specific Curriculum Outcomes

• SPEAKING AND LISTENING

(1) Examine others’ ideas in discussion to extend their own understanding. P 26.

(5) Participate constructively in conversation, small-group and whole-group discussion, and debate, using a range of strategies that contribute to effective talk. P 27

(6) Adapt vocabulary, sentence structure, and rate of speech to the speaking occasion. P 27

(7) Give and follow instructions and respond to questions and directions of increasing complexity. P 27

(8) Evaluate their own and others’ uses of spoken language in a range of contexts, recognizing the effects of significant verbal and non-verbal language features. P 27

(10) Demonstrate an awareness of the power of spoken language to influence and manipulate, and to reveal ideas, values and attitudes. P 28

(11) Demonstrate an awareness that spoken language had different conventions in different situations and cultures and use languages appropriate to the situation. P 28

• READING AND VIEWING

(4) Use cueing systems and a variety of strategies to construct meaning in reading and viewing increasingly complex print and media texts. P 29

(7) Respond to some of the material they read or view by questioning, connecting, evaluating, and extending. P 31

(11) Respond critically to texts of increasing complexity- demonstrate an awareness that personal values and points of view influence both the creation of text and the reader’s/viewer’s interpretation and response – identify the values inherent in a text. P 32

• WRITING AND REPRESENTING

1) Use a range of strategies in writing and other ways of representing. P 33

2) Use note-making to reconstruct knowledge and select effective strategies appropriate to the task. P 33

(3) Make informed choices of language to create a range of interesting effects in imaginative writing and other ways of representing. P 33

(4) Demonstrate facility in using a variety of forms of writing to create texts for specific purposes and audiences, and represent their ideas in other forms (including visual arts, music, drama) to achieve their purposes. P 34

(11) Integrate information from several sources to construct and communicate meaning. P 35

Materials/Resources Needed for Lesson:

A copy of Episode Three of “Step by Step” the television sitcom (see Appendix for description of program and episode).

Organizational Approach:

Students will watch a clip from an episode of the TV sitcom “Step by Step”. They will be instructed to take notes on the relationships between the step siblings and their reactions to each other. This is a strategy for students to develop ideas about the different ways step siblings can possible interact. There are 6 step sibling characters on the show; therefore, a variety of relationships will be portrayed. The class as a whole will brainstorm ideas for possible everyday interactions or conflicts that step siblings may encounter, (i.e. obeying rules given by their step parent). The students will then be put into groups of five to create a 5 minute skit on an interaction (whether positive or negative) between step siblings. The small groups will then present their skits to the class.

Step by Step Lesson Activities and Estimated Time:

Activity One: The class will come in, get settled, and attendance will be taken. (Approx. time 3-5 minutes).

Activity Two: The class will watch a clip from an episode of the TV sitcom “Step by Step”. While viewing the clip, they will take notes on the relationships between the siblings and their reactions to each other. (Approx. time: 15 minutes).

Activity Three: The class will be told that they will be getting into groups to create skits and they will be told the expectations for the skits. The class will then engage in a whole-class discussion and brainstorming activity to develop ideas for their skits. (Approx. time: 10 minutes).

Activity Four: Students get into their small groups and create a skit depicting a possible interaction or conflict between step siblings. (Approximate time: 15-20 minutes).

Activity Five: Students will perform their skits for the class. (Approx. time: 30 minutes). Time will be set aside at the beginning of the next class to allow the groups that have not yet presented to present.

Assessment: Refer to appendix for rubric.

Plans for Reflection:

Should the students be able to pick their own groups for skits?

Would it have been better to have the small groups each do their own brainstorming activity so as to gain a sense of independence and ownership of the work?

Plans for Follow-up Lesson:

“Siblings Provide Comic Relief”.

The students will have a fun final lesson for the unit, looking at siblings and the only child depicted in comic strips. They will then create their own comic strip.

Appendix

Rubric for Class Participation

| |1 |2 |3 |

| |(no) |(somewhat) |(yes) |

|Student was actively engaged in media | | | |

|text | | | |

|Student contributed to class discussion | | | |

|Student participated in small group | | | |

|Student showed an awareness for effective| | | |

|representation of ideas | | | |

Total: ________

“STEP BY STEP”: TV Sitcom

Premise: Two appealing stars, winsome kids, and a can't miss time slot in the middle of ABC's hit Friday lineup was more important than plot in the early success of this standard issue family sitcom. Frank (Patrick Duffy of Dallas) was a freewheeling, divorced contractor who had impetuously married widowed beautician Carol (Suzanne Somers of Three's Company) when they met during separate vacations in Jamaica. They flew home to Port Washington, Wisconsin, where they both lived, told their kids-his three and her three - and all of the problems of a merged family began. She orderly, he was chaotic. The kids eyed each suspiciously. Hers were teenager Dana (the oldest), as compulsively neat as her mom, middle sis Karen, a budding fashion plate and young worrier Mark. Franks were teenager J.T. (short for John Thomas), a cool customer, preteen Al, into insects and animals, and carefree Brendan. Working with Carol in her beauty shop next door were her mother Ivy and sister Penny. Cody was Frank's spaced-out 19-year-old nephew, who nutty schemes and obsessions kept everyone in an uproar but who was really smarter than he seemed.

Episode 3

Noticing a certain lack of discipline about her new stepchildren, Carol sets about creating order by instituting a few rules -- which so infuriate Al that she threatens to go live with Grandmother in Milwaukee. The rule that really upsets Frank's kids is Carol's control of the television viewing time: everyone is allowed to watch no more than six hours of television per week. Everyone is given 12 tickets, and each is good for viewing one half hour of television. When Frank has run out of tickets but desperately wants to watch the World Series, he persuades Carol to lighten up a little.

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