Elizabeth MarshallCURR 665

Unit Plan 1: Differentiating Content

Course: Honors English 9

Preparing to Differentiate……. Pages 2-6

Lesson 1……. Page 7Lesson 2……. Pages 8-9

Lesson 3…….Pages 10-11Appendix of Handouts……. Pages 12

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9th Grade Honors English Student Survey

GENERAL INFORMATION

Name:________________________________________________________________________

Preferred Name: _______________________________________________________________

Birthday:______________________________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian’s name(s): _______________________________________________________

Address:______________________________________________________________________

Home phone number:____________________________________________________________

Student cell phone (if applicable):__________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian cell phone (if applicable):___________________________________________

FAMILY

I live with… Both parents Father Mother Relative:________________

ACADEMICS

What are your favorite subjects? Why? What are your LEAST favorite subjects? Why?

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Do you, or want to, participate in any extracurricular activities (sports, dance, band, clubs)? If yes, what are they?

TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION

Do you have a computer with internet access at home?□ Yes, all the time. □ Yes, most of the time. □ No

Do you have a smart phone?□ Yes □ No

What are your computer skills?□ I’m a pro□ I can figure most things out on my own□ If someone guides me, I can figure most things out□ I know what I’m doing but I get lost sometimes□ I can check e-mail and use Microsoft Word (or other word processor)□ I need continual instruction on how to use the computer

READING INFORMATION

Do you enjoy reading?□ Yes □ No

Do you read for pleasure (outside of school)?□ Yes □ No

If yes, how often do you read? If no, why not?

What was the last book you read?

PERSONAL INFORMATIONHow would you describe yourself?

What’s your greatest strength?/ What do you like most about yourself?

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Is there anything else I NEED to know about you as a student? Anything else you’d like to share? Or is there anything you need to know about me?

Student Learner Profile

Students took ‘What’s My Learning Style?’ quiz on http://www.whatismylearningstyle.com. The questions were primarily about how they prefer to learn, how they remember best, and about how they give instructions. They had to indicate “seldom” “some” or “often” for each question. When they were done, they submitted their results and a new window opened explaining what their learning style was.

Out of a class of 32, 35% are visual learners, 15% auditory, and 50% tactile-kinesthetic.

Initial Personal Reflection of the Results: These results are not surprising to be however I do find them to be difficult to reconcile in a high school English classroom. Sure I can incorporate some more activities that require movement and hands on learning; but my subject is about reading and writing, do disciplines that by nature are solitary and sedentary. Additionally I find myself in a tough position because part of my job as a high school teacher is to prepare my kids for college, which is almost exclusively auditory and visual learning—at least for the first year or two while one completed basic graduation requirements.

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Upon Further Review: After considering these results a little further, I realized that I could really use this high percent of tactile-kinesthetic to my advantage in teaching how to write a research paper while also fostering critical thinking and really push my students to a transformational and social action level on Banks’ Multicultural Model. By selecting a meaningful and multicultural topic for students to research, I can broaden their world knowledge and thinking but also teach them the skill of writing a research paper.

Student Readiness Profile

Readiness GroupingMethods used to determine grouping:

NWEA Reading MAP RIT Scores and Lexile Levels

Classroom observations and past course work

Struggling Learner AdvancedM. ChandlerK. Ward

Y. JonesS. SloneN. CraigD. GlennJ. MelchorK. RichardsL. BarksdaleM. KingD. ZagulaA. McClendonB. BoatmonD. DavisJ. SkoglandB. WalkerK. SauersD. BudaiA. BustamanteN. TerryA. VargasR. Bohannon

T. HaileK. KoubaK. LeondardI. FosterR. PinkowskiT. VanNormanJ. McRaeM. Schneider

“Night” by Elie Wiesel and Global Genocide Research Paper Unit

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The following lessons are all part of a much larger unit of lessons and activities. The lessons that follow are near the middle to end of this unit, so the following presumptions must be made:

Students have already had a lesson about the five stages of the Holocaust Students have already completed their reading of “Night” by Elie Wiesel Students have engaged in several in-class essays in which they explored and

analyzed specific sections of the text. Students have been working on reading packets that have questions about each

chapter.

Purpose: The purpose of this unit beyond increasing reading and writing proficiency, and developing critical reading and writing skills, is to engage students in global history and injustices. The unit was developed to teach the skills of critical analysis and research paper writing, however I wanted my students to learn deeply about their topics or research and feel connected to the material on a deeper level.

Materials: The following resources will be needed “Night” by Elie Wiesel MLA Formatting guide (Purdue Owl- online or an MLA handbook) Computers with internet access for all students Poster board /butcher paper Markers, colored pencils, construction paper, and/or crayons Copies of the accompanying handouts for students. Smartboard or a projector

Lesson 1: “Night” Review for Final TestFocus Strategies: Blooms Taxonomy and Multiple Intelligences-

indicated in blue font on the handout in Appendix AThis activity would take one week: 2 days for groups to work on presentations and 3 days for students to present

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Day 1-2 (Day 1 is in the classroom and computer lab, Day 2 is in the computer lab)Opening: Students are to get out their “Night” Reading Packets and a copy of the book (pass out if a class set).

Say: We are going to start reviewing for our final “Night” test. To do this, we are going to have mini chapter projects and presentations.

Procedures: 1. Pass out copies of the “Night” Chapter Review Mini Project Assignment Sheet

(Appendix A) and read over it with the whole class2. Instruct students to get into groups of 3-4 (nine groups are needed). 3. Once students are in groups, walk around with cards numbered 1-9 fanned out,

number side down to have students randomly select their chapter. 4. A few minutes will be allowed for groups to divide up parts of the project/ develop

a plan of attack to create the presentation once in the computer lab.5. After students have their chapter, they are to follow the directions on the

assignment sheet to create their presentations.6. As groups work on developing their presentations, circulate throughout the room

asking questions about discussions, offering assistance when asked, monitoring division of labor for struggling groups

a. Differentiation Intervention- Struggling learners will receive the most attention during this time initially. Visits with groups with these struggling is needed to make sure that they are asking the struggling learner to participate and/or that the work assigned to help is at their skill level and interest level.

b. Periodically remind the class to save any document or presentation that they have begun creating

***Steps 5 and 6will be repeated for Day 2 in the computer lab.

Closing: With 5-7 minutes remaining in class Address positives and negatives that I observed the day Remind students again to save their assignments Tell students that Presentations will begin in two/one day(s) and that they will

present in chapter order

Lesson 2: Intro to Genocide Research PaperFocus Strategies: Williams Taxonomy

This activity would take 2-3 days to complete

Day 1 (Day 1 is in the computer lab, Day 2/3 is in the classroom)Opening: Students need their writer’s notebooks and a pen or pencil.

Say: We have been reading and learning about the Holocaust through reading Elie’s narrative in “Night”. Now I want to deepen our understanding of what the Holocaust was and relate it to more events in history.

Procedures:

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1. Instruct students to look up a definition of “Genocide” and record the definition in their writer’s notebooks.

2. Next, instruct students to write down 3 reasons why the Holocaust would be considered a genocide based on the definition they found. (Fluency)

3. Instruct students to look up at the board and research each of the genocides listed (Listed genocides include: War in Darfur, Rwandan Genocide, Armenian Genocide, and Cambodian Genocide). As they look up each genocide, they need to write down 2-3 reasons why each event would be considered a genocide. (Fluency)

a. As students are working, I will be circulating throughout the room assisting students.

b. Differentiation: Struggling learners will be given a list of preselected websites about each genocide. This websites have the information about the genocides written at an easier level so students can accomplish the same task as their peers with confidence.

Closing: 5-7 minutes before the end of classExit Ticket: Pass out index cards and instruct students to write their name on one side and then write their reactions to what they read and learned today.

Day 2/3 (Day 2/3 is in the classroom)

Opening: Students need their writer’s notebooks and a pen or pencil.Say: “Yesterday we defined genocide and used that definition to prove that the Holocaust and the other events were genocides. Now we are going to explore the importance of learning about these genocides”

Procedures: 1. Instruct students to get with a partner, and to grab the following supplies

from the front table: Poster paper and markers/crayons/colored pencils2. Instruct partners to discuss the genocides that were researched yesterday

and come up with an explanation for why it is important for other students to learn about genocide. (Flexibility)

3. Instruct partners to create a poster that tells their peers the importance of learning about genocide. (Originality) And on the other side of the poster, they need to create a design or image that shows how genocide makes them feel. (Elaboration)

4. As groups work, I will be circulating to monitor progress and discuss with students.

a. Differentiation- struggling students will be visited early during discussion about why it is important to learn about genocide to guide their thinking and question them deeper about their responses.

Closing: with 5-7 minutes remaining Ask students if anyone would like to share what she/he and their partner came up

with. What I saw and heard Clean up of materials

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*** Day 2 may need to extend into a third day. It depends on how quickly students are able to create their posters.

Lesson 3: Genocide Research Paper Formatting and Compare and Contrast Paragraph

Focus Strategies: Banks and ARCH

The research paper assignment (Appendix B) as a whole is an example of Banks’s Transformational level of Multicultural Integration. These lessons should be done as mini lessons, the formatting at the beginning of the research and then the Compare and Contrast later on, once students have researched and have already written the informative part of the research paper. When before turning in their papers students will write a short reflection about that they learned during the unit and how they would have felt or reacted if they were a victim of the genocide that they researched.

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MLA FormatThe assumption is that students have already been assigned their research paper

and have already begun researching.

Opening: Students are to have their writer’s notebooks out and a pen or pencilSay: “As we start to finish up our research and near the actual writing, we have to

talk about format. Instead of telling you, I want to show you examples of previous student’s papers.”

Procedures: 1. Students will need to be in small groups (3-4 people per group). Groups will be

given 3-4 example papers from pervious students. All papers are in MLA format with works cited pages. (Authentic/Accurate, and Holistic)

2. Instruct students in their groups to examine the papers and to look for similarities in how they look. They each need to keep a list of the similarities in their writer’s notebooks. (Authentic/Accurate, and Holistic)

3. After 10 minutes, bring the class together for whole group discussion of what was similar.

4. Show students papers I have written in college and graduate school. (Authentic/Accurate, and Holistic)

a. Questions to ask the whole group:i. What are the similarities to the papers you viewed? ii. Why do you think formatting is an important skill?

b. Key points: formatting keeps things fair- i.e. page requirements. Formatting keeps things neat. Formatting keeps writers from plagiarizing- works cited pages.

5. Pass out copies of MLA format and the steps for doing it in a word document. Review those steps while creating a correctly formatted word document on the smartboard.

Compare and Contrast to the Holocaust Paragraph

Opening: Students are to have their writer’s notebooks out and a pen or pencilSay: “Now that you are becoming an expert on the genocide that you chose for

your paper, it is time to talk about how you will compare that genocide to the Holocaust.”

Procedures:1. Review the Dos and Don’ts of compare and contrast PowerPoint Slides (Appendix

C). 2. Ask students to create a Double-Bubble Thinking Map in their writer’s notebooks

and to use the questions listed on the Dos list to start brainstorming comparisons and contrasts with the genocide you researched and the Holocaust. (Context)

3. Once students have brainstormed ideas, they need to draft their paragraph in their writer’s notebook.

Final Reflection:

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1. Once students have completed and printed their papers, instruct them to write a reflection on what they learned during this unit and how they would have reacted or felt if they had been a victim of the genocide that they researched (Banks- transformative).

2. Tell students to brainstorm their response before writing and to check their grammar and spelling.

3. Once students have written their reflections, they will turn them in with their final papers.

Closing: 5-7 minutes before the end of class What I saw or noticed during brainstorming and drafting time. Open the floor for student questions and remarks.

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Appendix A

“Night” Test Review Mini Chapter Group ProjectDirections: Once your group has been assigned a chapter from “Night”, your group must create a digital project (Multiple Intelligences- verbal and visual) that your group will present to the class. Your presentation must ONLY focus on your assigned chapter.

In your presentation your group must:

Give the Chapter Number and create an appropriate title for the chapter (Blooms- Create)

Provide a short chapter summary (Blooms-Remember) Explain how your group thinks Elie is feeling during this chapter, and use two

quotes to support this conclusion (Blooms- Understand, Multiple Intelligences- Interpersonal)

Identify the stage in the Holocaust represented in your chapter (Blooms- Apply) Create a 2-3 song playlist that your group feels would match Elie’s emotions or

thoughts (Blooms- Create, Multiple Intelligences- Musical)

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Appendix BThe Holocaust and Other Global Genocides Research

Paper

Genocide is the intent to systematically eliminate a racial, ethnic, religious, linguistic (language), cultural or national group. The Holocaust was the largest genocide in world history, however there are some other very important and just as horrific genocides in history that deserve our attention and remembrance. This research paper is designed to do just that.

Project Overview: For this paper, you will conduct preliminary research to determine which of the preselected genocides in history most interests you. Then once you have determined which genocide you will focus on, you will conduct research using MEL.org and other sources to learn about the genocide. You will then write a research paper that first informs your reader about the genocide, and then compares it to an aspect or aspects of the Holocaust. This is a major assignment and we will therefore be spending a great deal of time on researching and writing the paper.

Possible Genocides to Research:Armenian Genocide (WWI)

Cambodian Genocide (late 1070s)Rwandan Genocide (1994)War in Darfur***if there is a genocide that you would like to research that is not on this list- SEE ME

Preliminary ResearchTo begin, you must read up on these genocides to see which you would like to

learn more about. To do this, conduct a basic internet search (Wikipedia is fine at this stage) and fill out the chart that will be given to you to record your findings. This step is

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really important because you will want to select a genocide that you are interested in so that the paper is more meaningful and fun for you!Research Requirements

For your paper you will a minimum of need 5 sources. All sources will need to be cited correctly in MLA format on your works cited page AND in your paper. Your sources must come from CREDIBLE sources, Wikipedia at this stage is no longer acceptable. We will primarily be using MEL.org databases, which filter out only reliable and factual information for you- bonus: almost all of these databases have these sources already documented in MLA format for you.

What to ResearchYou will want to find out the following information about the genocide you have

chosen: Where and when it took place Groups involved: those committing the genocide and the victims Causes Major events Resolutions- some of these may be on going but know how the

situation stands now Any remaining problems currently? Are there any side effects or lasting

impacts of the genocide?

Compare and Contrast to the HolocaustYou will also need to decide how or in what ways the genocide you chose is similar and different to the Holocaust. You will likely not find this in your research, so this will be a judgement that YOU make based on YOUR research and knowledge of the Holocaust. Selection one aspect of the Holocaust and the genocide to focus on: such as how the victims were treated/killed, how/why the dominate group rose to power, or how resolution was brought about. Do not simply say that the Holocaust was larger and the genocide was smaller; I want you to think critically about how these genocides compare to one another.

The Research PaperYour paper will be 2-3 pages long with a separate works cited page documenting

your 5, or more, sources. The paper will have two parts: Information on the research genocide and a compare and contrast to the Holocaust. The first part should make up about 2/3s of your essay, with the later only 1/3. The primary focus is on presenting your research, not the comparison to the Holocaust.

Additional must haves: Minimum of 3 quotations, and no more than 5. Minimum of 2 paraphrases Correct MLA in text citations for each quote and paraphrase

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Correct MLA format for the paper and the work cited page Appendix C

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