Dr. Victoria Pettis November 11, 2006 EDUL 6020 & 6021 Term Project
EDUL 6020/6021 (1 hour each) Both EDUL 6020 and 6021 are intended to introduce educators to the rudiments of curriculum evaluation for K-12 school settings. The term project for EDUL 6020 was for me to develop a unit of study (equivalent to about two weeks duration) that applies Tyler's basic principles of selecting educational purposes, educational experiences, and organizing educational experiences. The unit was required to have the following: A statement of major objectives that emerge from the three sources and are stated consistently with Tyler's form. An outline of learning experiences appropriate to achieving the purposes that conform to Tyler's criteria. An explanation of how the learning experiences are organized, including connections between this unit and other components (subjects) of the school curriculum. NOTE: For EDUL 6021, I took the term project for 6020 and added an evaluation component.
Where are we going?
Established standards: (Note: These Georgia Performance Standards have been rewritten to conform to Tyler’s form.) ELA7RL1: The student develops comprehension skills and applies them to a grade level novel. ELA7RL2: The student develops a familiarity with new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing. ELA7RC2 The student participates in discussions related to curricular learning in all subject areas. ELA7W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and provides a satisfying closure. ELA7W2: The student produces a response to literature that demonstrates an understanding of the themes of the literary work. ELA7W3 The student applies research and technology to support writing. ELA7W4 The student consistently uses the writing process to develop, revise, and evaluate writing. ELA7C1 The student develops an understanding of the rules of the English language and applies the appropriate application of conventions and grammar in both written and spoken formats. ELA7LSV1 The student participates in student-to-teacher, student-to-student, and group verbal interactions.
Understandings: The student will understand that… An author uses a variety of strategies for character development An author uses Point of View to develop characters and events We respond to author’s purpose in writing Any opinion about writing is valid, supported with examples from the text. We use literature to define, understand, and redefine our realities and to connect our experiences. Individuals make meaning using their own experiences. Language is situational, comes from many sources, & constantly evolves. Depending on the context, words may have different meanings, spellings, and pronunciations. Word choice influences comprehension.	Essential Questions: How can readers connect literature to their own lives? How can the fictional experiences of characters shape my opinions of stereotyping and prejudice? What makes literature worth responding to? What happens when we respond to literature? What does it mean to respond to literature? How does the writer’s use of words influence the reader?
Students will know… How to relate messages/themes from their readings to their daily lives. How to contribute to collaborative learning/discussion. Subject area contents relate to their own life experiences. Characterization: Direct (writer states directly what a character is like) and Indirect (writer develops character through character’s speech, thoughts/feelings, actions) Point of View (first person, third person) They must understand a literary work before responding to it. An appropriate response to literature contains judgments though references to the text. 8. Different types of writing have different structures. The speaker’s voice is made up of the writer’s point of view, tone, and style. The beginning of the response needs to engage the reader by using quotations from the work. 11. The context is the writer’s purpose, intended audience, and genre in which they choose to write. 12. Interpretive judgments explain the meaning of the work in its own words and consistently use examples and textual evidence from the work. 13. An effective response must be supported with examples, facts, or details from the work. An effective response to literature has a satisfying and complete closure that can be achieved through How to use different strategies of context clues to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word {compare & contrast, causes & effect, example, restatement, definition}. How to use reference materials {dictionary, thesaurus, glossary, Internet}. The meanings for different prefixes, suffixes, and roots. Words can have multiple meanings depending on the context, spellings, and pronunciations. How to find word meanings in idioms and analogies.	Students will be able to… Interpret a character’s traits, emotions, or motivations and gives supporting evidence from a text. Analyze characterization (dynamic and static) in prose and plays as delineated through a character’s thoughts, words, speech patterns, and actions; the narrator’s description; and the thoughts, words, and actions of other characters Identify and analyzes how an author’s use of words creates tone and mood giving supporting evidence from text. Identify events that advance the plot and determine how each event explains past or present action(s) or foreshadows future action(s). Engage the reader by establishing a context, creating a speaker’s voice, or otherwise developing reader interest. Demonstrate an understanding of the literary work. Organize an interpretation around several clear ideas, premises, or images from the work. Support a judgment through references to the text and personal knowledge. Justify interpretations through sustained use of examples and textual evidence from the literary work. Provide a sense of closure to the writing. Determine the meanings of unfamiliar words using context clues (e.g., contrast, cause & effect, etc.). Use knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon roots and affixes to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. Identify and explain idioms and analogies in prose and poetry. Determine word meanings through the use of definition, example, restatement, or contrast.
How will we know when we get there?
Performance tasks: Culminating Activity · Students will make a poster-size Venn diagram that illustrates the perceived differences and similarities between two groups of individuals (self-selection) in The Outsiders. On the back of the Venn diagram, students will create another Venn Diagram that illustrates their perceived differences and similarities between themselves and other CMS students. Students will prepare an oral presentation in which they present and explain their comparisons- allowing for constructive feedback and questions.	Other evidence: Writing samples Journal entries Student/teacher oral conferences Self/peer assessment Participation in oral discussion Visual Poster Presentation Reader response logs Chapter quizzes Novel Test
How will we get there?
Learning Activities Students will read and discuss S.E. Hinton’s novel The Outsiders and identify the writer’s purpose for writing, make connections and meanings between the novel and their own experiences, and write effective responses to the literature that can be supported with examples, facts, or details from the work by completing the following assignments: Pre-Reading Activities: Students will orally and in written form engage in pre-reading activities (predicting and making connections discussion). Daily Oral Language (DOL): Each day, students will be responsible for editing two sentences for grammar, spelling, and mechanics taken from The Outsiders. Literature Responses: The students will write responses to literature which demonstrate their understanding of novel events, themes, and connections to their own life experiences. Students will keep literature response journals that include paragraph and multi-paragraph compositions that include topic sentences, transitions expressions, unity, coherence, clarity, conventions of the English language, and organization. The journals should be used to document their thoughts, ideas, observations, and questions. Small and Whole-Class Oral Discussions: Students will express through small group and whole group discussions their development of understanding of the concepts of prejudice, stereotyping, and classism. Timeline: Students will create a time-lime that will be presented as a synopsis if events from each chapter written in a line with a small illustration. Compare/Contrast Writing: Students will compare and contrast The Outsiders novel to the movie of the same name in a few paragraphs. Wanted Poster: Students will create a wanted poster for the character Ponyboy or Johnny. [The wanted poster should include a drawing of the boy, and a description and the reason for which the character is wanted.] Compare/Contrast Writing: Students will compare and contrast the Robert Frost poem recited by Pony Boy in The Outsiders with another Robert Frost poem titled “The Oven Bird.” Research paper: In 2-3 pages, students will research the topic of “gangs” and write a research paper that focuses on three specific areas: 1) the importance of being in a gang; 2) the significance of being in a gang; and 3) the dangers faced or posed by gangs. Character Sketch: Using a large sheet of white construction paper, students will complete a character sketch of a character of your choice from The Outsiders. [The sketch should include the name and a picture drawn of the character (a whole body or just the face) in the middle of the page. Around the edges of the paper, students should write adjectives and nouns that describe the character. These descriptive words should describe the character’s physical appearance as well as his/her personality. Graffiti Wall: Students will create a “graffiti” wall using a bulletin board. Students should be supplied with markers and asked to write messages from the point of view of the major characters in The Outsiders. Messages should stress themes that are revealed in the reading of the story and be appropriate for the classroom. Conflict Resolution Strategies: Students will work in small groups to resolve scenario conflicts using discussed conflict resolution management skills. Students will dramatize one approach for classmates Vocabulary Puzzles – Using the website puzzlemaker.com, students make their own crossword puzzles using vocabulary words and definitions. Book Presentation: Students will select ONE: (1) assignment present it before the class: 1) select a character and write a short story telling what happens to him/her after the novel; 2) create an oral or written presentation that demonstrates how Ponyboy or another character changes from the beginning of the book to the end; 3) write both a hard news story and feature story on a topic from a list; 4) adapt a scene from the book into a radio play; 5) create a booklet of poems that revolve around themes or characters in the novel; 6) write an original song about the events and characters in the book; 7) draw a series of editorial cartoons that depict incidents from the novel; 8) write and videotape a short play (or just a short story) that shows what life is like for the Curtis brothers five years after the novel ends; 9) create your own children’s storybook about an important idea in the novel; 10) create a cover illustration for The Outsiders; 11) create sketches of the Greasers’ and Socials’ clothing and hairstyles; 12) create a “sunset” on poster board using a variety of materials; 13) design a bulletin board for a room featuring scenes, symbols, or messages from The Outsiders; and 14) rewrite a scene from The Outsiders from the point of view of another character.
Rationale for this Unit
In my effort to design this unit on S.E. Hinton’s novel The Outsiders, there were several factors I considered. First, this three-week unit was designed for my 7^th grade English/language arts (ELA) class. This unit, called a “source unit,” provides so many activities that any 7^th grade ELA teacher – gifted to special education -- can pick it up and modify according to the needs, interests, and abilities of his/her students. It offers a wide range of possible experiences for students. A second factor I considered when designing this unit was the interest of my students. I wanted to make sure this unit of study – based on a book about a 14-year-old boy’s struggle with peer acceptance and gang membership – would be relevant and engaging to my students. Gangs are a hot topic with teens in Athens. Many of my students report that have relatives who are members of gangs, and/or they have been approached by gang members. To “hook” the students’ interest in this unit, I would first invite detectives from the “gang unit” to visit my class and initiate a discussion on gangs before reading the novel. Once students finished reading the novel, we would watch The Outsiders movie. Finally, I considered carefully the how the learning experiences were organized and the connections between this unit. Note that the organization of this unit involved the use of questions and subheadings: 1) Where are we going? (Established Standards, Understandings, and Essential Questions); How will we know when we get there? (Performance Tasks and Other Evidence); and How will we get there? (Learning Activities). The learning experiences in this three-week unit totally saturate students in The Outsiders – from the start of class with journal writing to class discussions to independent projects. What makes this unit especially exciting for students is its variety and choice of learning experiences.