Jennifer+Cranford+Thematic+Unit+Wiki

I will be teaching 8th grade Language Arts. My cooperating teacher would like me to teach a unit on either a novel or creative writing such as poetry or inventive writing. I'm not sure which one I am going to do, but I am in the process of going over it with him.

I have changed my topic to creative writing with a focus in American Folklore: I want to focus on our America's greatest stories, where they originated from, and what modern versions we have today. These stories will range from Indian short stories, to ghost mountain stories, to vampire stories as well. I would then have them create their own and act some stories out as well. The point is to teach them to write creatively through our histories rich story past.

Here is my map and resources:



resources and questions

**Teacher**: Jennifer Cranford **Grade**: 8th **Subject Area**: Language Arts **Class Time**: 60 minutes **Number of Students**: 30-32 each class. Four classes **Theme for Unit**: Creative Writing With a focus on Folklore

-What is Folklore? -What value does it have in our society and history? - Where did it originate from? - How is it seen today? -what can we learn from it? 1. I want my students to see how folklore is a reflection of the culture it originated in, and to look into it to see what truth can be found in it. 2. I want my students to learn from the styles of writing it originated from and to be inspired by it. 3. I want my students to create their own “folklore” that is reflective of the culture they are living in. 1. Read and analyze folklore literature in groups and individually. 2. Analyze and replicate poetry and short stories by creating their own. 3. See the connections in culture reflected from folklore by “investigating” the particular culture’s history. 4. Contrast modern examples of folklore against traditional folklore by looking at the works side by side. 5. Identify the different examples of creative writing seen in folklore by analyzing different works. 6. Critically dissect texts based on what creative elements are seen in the literature they read by copy, identifying, and replicating works. 7. Explain the origins of folklore and why they arose by completing their own inquiry research and presentation. 8. Students will be able to critically analyze and understand poetry be means of deciphering the works and creating their own. 9. Competency Goal 5: The learner will respond to various literary genres using interpretive and evaluative processes. **5.01** Increase fluency, comprehension, and insight through a meaningful and comprehensive literacy program by: 10. **5.02** Study the characteristics of literary genres (fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry) through: 1. **Novel**: Dracula- covered for one week. Days 1-5 2. **Poetry/ music**- Poetry= Night Peace On Death. day 6 Music= Jocab’s song. day 7 3. **Short Stories/Art**- Ichobad Crane and Man who sleeps for 100 years. day 8 4. **Western folklore**- Billy the Kid and Doc Holiday= day 9. Cassiday and Sundance Kid= day 10 5. **Non-fiction**- Geronimo and Uwharrie Mountains= day 11. Discuss them= day 12 6. **Drama**- Main traveled road. and performance/ celebration= days 12-14 - Student copies for Dracula -student copies for Night Peace on Death -student copies for Jacob’s song -student copies for Ichabod Crane -student copies fro Man who sleeps -Story of Billy the Kid, Doc Holiday, Cassidy, and Sundance kid. -Student copies of Geronimo story and Uwaharries stories. -Student copies of the Main Traveled Roads -Doc Cam -power point presentations for: Elements of stories- as a review, types of creative writing -handouts of directions for: writing letter, writing poem, making a drawing, and wanted poster. -smartboard -white board -markers 1. **Novel**: **//Pre-reading//**: Initial ideas about letters? Importance, value, learn from… Make castles for Dracula’s mansion. **//During reading//**: Create a journal: what is going on in the story? What changes are taking place? Keep records as if you are the main character? **//After Reading//**: Write a letter to your favorite Villain. 2. **Music/ Poetry**: **//Pre-reading//**: Mini-lesson on elements of poetry. **//During reading//**: Keep track of the mental images that appear in your head. How does the author create these images. **//After reading//**: what folklore character did this story remind you of and why? **//Pre-reading//** for Jacob: Split into groups and talk about when you were the most scared and why? **//During reading//**: what does the songwriter and singer do to set the scene. **//After Reading//**: what do these two pieces have in common. How do they differ? Which is more powerful? **//Evaluation//**: Write your own poem or song? 3. **Short stories and Art**: Ichobad Crane and Man who Sleeps: **//Pre-reading//**: Tell your neighbor the scariest ghost tale you have ever heard. Teacher shares one**//. During reading//**: What elements make this story folklore and why. What elements are used to create imagery? **//After reading//**: How do these stories relate/ differ. What is the difference between those stories and this painting? Which is more powerful. Make a drawing of the headless horseman. 4. **Western Folklore**: **//Pre-reading//**: Have two students duel with water guns. Talk about the skills they would need, their weapons, any tricks… **//During reading//**: analyze the truth from fiction. How do we know what is real about these guys and what was made up? **//After reading//**: Create a wanted poster of your favorite Western character. Include how they can be identified, major feats, rumors, and their reward amount. 5. **Non-fiction**: **//pre-reading//**: What defines a hero? Who are your heroes and why? **//During reading//**: How do these stories differ. What methods do the authors use to explain them. What values can we gain from their cultures? **//After Reading//**: Create a life story of your hero. Justify why you include certain details of their life. 6. **Drama**: **//Pre-reading//**: Teacher comes in dressed up like one of the characters and must act like the character the whole time. **//During reading//**: students (assigned by the teacher) read their parts as a whole group. **//After reading//**: Students act out the play (adjustments may be made for length, materials, etc.) Celebration on performance day for end of unit. Days 1-5: Students will be reading Dracula. They will read assigned chapters at night and then come into the classroom to discuss the chapters. Students will be analyzing how the book is written, voice, imagery, POV, and mythic characteristics. Students will be working in reading groups to have discussions on the book. Within this group, students will come up with five total examples that represent each element of creative writing. Students will then jigsaw out and share with the other groups. At the end of this reading, students will all come together to discuss how this story is folklore, how it represents creative writing, what it tells us about history, and will then write a letter to their favorite bad guy. 1. Prepare students for the beginning of the units. 2. Begin Dracula 1. Work together as a group in an activity 2. Discuss common myths in America 3. Review the common elements within folklore 4. Discuss the favorite types of folklore within the US 5. Begin Dracula 1. Students come in and meet for first day in the unit. 2. Students begin the day with bell work- “Who is your favorite vampire and why?” 3. Split the students into groups and have them discuss what they think common myths are in America. Students should draw upon their prior knowledge of myths taught earlier in the year. 4. Students will rejoin as a class and discuss their knowledge with the class. They will then discuss the villain myths in America and Dracula will be introduced. 5. The class will discuss the common Vampire obsession going on in the Nation. Teacher will address how Dracula differs from the common books. 6. Students will begin reading the book - Computer -projector -projector screen -Bell work question -Copies of Dracula for all the students -discussion groups and tables set up The teacher should evaluate the discussion and prior knowledge from what the students talked about. The teacher may want to consider using color coating for the students to keep track with the certain elements within the book- I would use this with my more challenged class in Core 1. This would also help the students plan for the journal they will be writing during the reading- the letters will be their bell work. Focus on the letter element: What is the importance of letter writing? What can we learn from it, about the author, values in a culture? As writers, what freedom does it provide us with? Later on in the week, students will make Dracula’s castle based on the imagery presented in the book. The Castle must be made from a shoe box, so students must really focus on what is important about the details. The final project will be a letter written to student’s favorite villain. Lesson: Night Peace on Death: Goals: 1. See poetry as a form of creative writing. 2. To see connections between poetry and music 3. To see the elements of culture within poetry Objectives: SWBAT 1. Analyze a piece of poetry 2. Review alliteration, rhyme, and beat within a piece of poetry. 3. Review the use of imagery in a piece of poetry 4. Connect historical aspects within a piece of poetry Sequence of Events: 1. Bell work: 5 minutes 2. Lesson: 54 minutes -mini review lesson on elements of poetry: 10 minutes 3. Closing: 1 minute Materials: -Student copies of Night Peace on Death -Smartboard (if available) or white board -markers -bell work question Lesson: 1. Bell work: 5 Minutes Tell the class good afternoon and have them begin with bell work. The question will be: What has been your experience with poetry? 2. Lesson: After the students have finished with bell work, start the lesson with a mini lesson on poetry. Take 10 minutes. There are common three elements to review with them: alliteration, rhyme and beat. Alliteration are phrases that begin with the same letter. EX. Peter Piper picked a bag of pickled peppers. Rhyme are phrases that begin or end with the same sound. EX wind, bend. cat, hat, fat, pat. Finally, there is beat. This is the amount of time it takes to get through the sentence. Snap along as you read the Peter Piper sentence again. The students have already done a poetry unit, so they will remember all this. 34 minutes: Read over the poem with them. Begin with a discussion of what they students think the poem is about based off the title. After reading each stanza, ask the students what they think it is about. What mental images are appearing as they read it and how the author creates this. If there are any other poetry elements appearing. When you finish reading, go through the story and discuss the cultural elements reflecting in it: idea about death, afterlife, theme of fragility of life. What folklore character could this come from? Grim reaper. Closing: 1 minute: Tell the students we will be reading another folklore story and poem tomorrow. Tell them to review the story tomorrow and come up with more examples and themes of folklore in the story. Lesson: Jacob’s Song: Goals: 1. 1. See poetry as a form of creative writing. 2. To see connections between poetry and music 3. To see the elements of culture within poetry Objectives: 1. Analyze a piece of poetry 2. Review alliteration, rhyme, and beat within a piece of poetry. 3. Review the use of imagery in a piece of poetry 4. Connect historical aspects within a piece of poetry. Sequence of Events: 1. Bell Work: 5 minutes 2.Lesson: 50 minutes 3. Closing: 5 minutes Materials: -copies of the song and story for the students -smart board or white board -markers Lesson: Bell Work: 5 minutes- “Write down the lyrics that you can remember of your favorite song.” Lesson: 50 minutes -hand out the lyrics -play the song -read over the lyrics -discuss what they mean. -read over the true story and discuss the elements that are reflected in the story -discuss how the differences and similarities from the lyrics in the poem. -activity for 15 minutes- write your own poem or song. If you do not finish, finish for homework. closing: 5 minutes -review how poems and songs are similar and both are parts of creative writing. How truth can be reflected in poetry with the story. Goals: 1. End the Unit 2. celebrate student work Objectives: SWBAT 1. Review each others’ work through the unit 2. Work together to present a piece of their work Sequence of Events: 1. Students will get refreshments 2. View the movie they made Materials: -tv -video camera -refreshments and eating utensils for students Lesson: 60 minutes -5 minutes to allow students to come into the classroom and collect food and drink. -55 minutes to watch the video students made, read any poetry they may want, or read/ show short stories they wrote. Evaluation: -the work the students did. Works Cited: Reflection Letter:
 * Guiding Unit Questions**:
 * Unit Goals**:
 * Unit Objectives: SWBAT**
 * using effective reading strategies to match type of text.
 * reading self-selected literature and other materials of interest to the individual.
 * reading literature and other materials selected by the teacher.
 * assuming a leadership role in student-teacher reading conferences.
 * leading small group discussions.
 * taking an active role in whole class seminars.
 * analyzing the effects of elements such as plot, theme, characterization, style, mood, and tone.
 * discussing the effects of such literary devices as figurative language, dialogue, flashback, allusion, irony, and symbolism.
 * analyzing and evaluating themes and central ideas in literature and other texts in relation to personal and societal issues.
 * extending understanding by creating products for different purposes, different audiences, and within various contexts.
 * analyzing and evaluating the relationships between and among characters, ideas, concepts, and/or experiences.
 * reading a variety of literature and other text (e.g., young adult novels, short stories, biographies, plays, free verse, narrative poems).
 * evaluating what impact genre-specific characteristics have on the meaning of the text.
 * evaluating how the author's choice and use of a genre shapes the meaning of the literary work.
 * evaluating what impact literary elements have on the meaning of the text.
 * Unit Sequence of Events:**
 * Unit materials:**
 * Possible Activities/ strategies:**
 * Unit Narrative**:
 * Lesson plans**:
 * Opening Day**:
 * Goals**:
 * Objectives SWBAT**:
 * Sequence of Events**:
 * Materials**:
 * Body**:
 * Bell Work**: 5 Minutes- “Who is your favorite Vampire and why?”
 * Set up**: 20 Minutes-Students will separate into six groups of five. Within these groups, students will receive will begin discussing what some common myths are in America. They will draw upon their prior knowledge of myths that were learned prior to the unit.
 * Lesson**: 30 minutes-Students will return and discuss what they came up with during the break out session. The teacher will then bring the conversation into relation of common obsession with Vampires. She will introduce the novel (Dracula) and the class will discuss how it differs from modern Vampire students. The teacher should allow the students to fan through the novel and see some characteristics about. The teacher should also introduce some really important elements within the book, and discuss that the students will be focusing on creative writing as they read the book. Major elements that the teacher should focus on: written in the form of letters, changes POV, changes voice, and uses strong imagery. Depending on time, students can begin reading the book- students may popcorn read.
 * Ending**: 5 minutes- The teacher should review what all was discussed within the class. The teacher should explain that students should focus on the form of writing, POV, voice, and imagery that is used.
 * Evaluation**:
 * Preview for tomorrow and rest of the week**:
 * Lesson plan for day 6:**
 * Lesson for day 7:**
 * Celebration Day/ Unit End:**

Unit Final: