To begin, the grade level and content area I will be working with is 9th grade English/Language Arts. This portion of class will focus on the book "Native Son" by Richard Wright. The class activities will be individual, small group and whole class, but the final project will be individual. This lesson plan will be an introduction to the book and an idea of what they can look forward to in their final project. https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=1hOoUjOMtBgna1djhDiAjloaDNqeOzdbTxvDOR9RTBzXLWfGQ72Yqb3aYtWYD&sort=name&layout=list&num=50A Link to my lesson plan
The beginning of the class, before they even open their book, will start with my use of PhotoPeach.com. The slide show and accompanying music (embedded below) will be used to activate their prior knowledge and to help create a mental image about Chicago in the 1930's. The slide show will also work to give insight into the political struggle within the book (Communism vs. Democracy)and introduce them to the racial tone of the time. My use of this particular tool will address ISTE teacher standards of facilitating and inspiring student learning and creativity as well as design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments. This is very important to addressing the different learning styles of each of the students.
The students will have two main assignments, one will be ongoing and one to be done after their completion of the book. Throughout the unit, students will communicate with each other via Edmodo.com, an educational social networking site. Through the site the students will address teacher posted essential questions as well as student generated questions. The purpose of this is to increase the students comprehension of the book and encourage their engagement. When the book is complete, the students final assignment will be to chose something (an idea, people, location, etc)and illustrate the polar opposites found in the book and create a Glogster (Glogster.com) in addition to either a 2 page explanatory paper or an oral presentation. My model for the students is about different worlds of Bigger Thomas (embedded below, showing how his life with his own family is in stark contrast to his brief life with the Dalton family. These assignments will address the NCRS regarding finding important details in a passage as well as the ISTE standard of using technology effectively and productively and communicate and collaborate.
