In-Depth Lesson Plan
War: What are we fighting for, and how does it change us?
Unit: Two / Semester 1
Duration: 5 weeks (19 days)
Introduction to the Unit
Textual Materials:
1. Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried
2. Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home”
Rationale:
Conflict is common among all nations, but reasons for the conflict and how the conflict is dealt with can really help define a culture. A closer look at war literature is essential to an American literature course because so many American generations have been influenced and in part defined by wars, so not taking a look at a soldier’s perspective would not provide a complete view of American culture and history. Studying war literature has great cultural significance. It is important for students to understand the history of their nation because knowing where you come from can help you decide on where you need to be going, which feeds into civic awareness as well. Studying this literature provides students with a better understanding of their country’s history. “His [O’Brien’s] stories resonate with students on both intellectual and emotional levels and prompt classes to make important connections between the historical and the personal, between style and idea, between memory and storytelling” (Gilmore ix). Students should be able to recognize the multiple purposes of a text. Stories are not always just an entertaining story; good literature is a gateway to understanding important historical events and time periods. Students can also gain knowledge of mentalities, opinions, and perspectives that extend across time periods and various wars that are important to understand. Even though WWI and the Vietnam War took place over 50 years apart from one another, there are common themes across similar experiences such as these that students should be aware of. It is important to understand that while wars and individuals’ experiences will differ, there are some common threads that help define the American mentality on war.
The two major texts to be used in this unit will be Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried and a small selection of Ernest Hemingway’s short stories including “Soldier’s Home.” Not only will this selection of texts provide a variety in genre, but it will also provide a variety in perspectives; The Things They Carried deals with the Vietnam War while Ernest Hemingway writes about World War I. While none of these texts are non-fiction, these selections were written with strong autobiographical influence from the authors’ personal experiences with war. Supplementary texts for this unit may include non-fiction letters or accounts made by soldiers and also music and other pop culture texts from each time period in order to help students become more immersed in the settings in which these stories take place. A huge part of understanding literature is understanding its context. I understand that there have been many other wars that America has been involved in, and there are important lessons to be learned from each of them, but with a limited amount of time to cover such a vast topic, picking these two wars seemed appropriate because they are far enough apart to give two different perspectives. There is a lot of good war literature out there to choose from, but I believe that The Things They Carried is an upstanding option, and the novel also provides the opportunity to explore other literary elements apart from the topic of war including the idea of metafiction and the use of various literary elements like metaphor and symbolism. O’Brien’s writing is the perfect writing model for students to use when composing their own personal narratives, a standard for the 11th grade English classroom. “If the reassuring statement that ‘stories save us’ from the last chapter of The Things They Carried is true, it’s been our experience that O’Brien’s own stories—and the stories students write on their own as a result of reading his work—are well-suited for the job” (ix Gilmore). Choosing Hemingway’s “Solider’s Home” is also appropriate. Because of Hemingway’s great influence on American literature, he had to be included in the curriculum. Reading Hemingway will also expose students to another writing style, and to the experiences of someone who experienced a different war. Studying a short story by Hemingway in 11th grade will also help prepare students to study his longer works in 12th grade.
Works Cited
Gilmore, Barry , and Alexander Kaplan. Tim O'Brien in the Classroom: "This too is true: Stories can save us". Urbana, Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English, 2007. Print.
Goals:
By the end of the unit, my students will...
-Write a personal narrative.
-Understand the writing process and be able to implement all elements of the process.
-Give other students constructive feedback on their writing as well as be able to revise their work based on constructive feedback they receive from their peers.
-Recognize the differences and similarities in the writing styles of O’Brien and Hemingway.
-Understand the role that war plays in American culture and literature.
By the end of the unit, I as an educator will...
-Write my own personal narrative to model for the students as well as undergo this self-examination for myself.
-Know my students on an even deeper level based on what they write about in their narratives.
Standards:
1. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
2. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3a Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
3. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
4. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3c Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).
5. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3d Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
6. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3e Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.
Textual Materials:
1. Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried
2. Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home”
Rationale:
Conflict is common among all nations, but reasons for the conflict and how the conflict is dealt with can really help define a culture. A closer look at war literature is essential to an American literature course because so many American generations have been influenced and in part defined by wars, so not taking a look at a soldier’s perspective would not provide a complete view of American culture and history. Studying war literature has great cultural significance. It is important for students to understand the history of their nation because knowing where you come from can help you decide on where you need to be going, which feeds into civic awareness as well. Studying this literature provides students with a better understanding of their country’s history. “His [O’Brien’s] stories resonate with students on both intellectual and emotional levels and prompt classes to make important connections between the historical and the personal, between style and idea, between memory and storytelling” (Gilmore ix). Students should be able to recognize the multiple purposes of a text. Stories are not always just an entertaining story; good literature is a gateway to understanding important historical events and time periods. Students can also gain knowledge of mentalities, opinions, and perspectives that extend across time periods and various wars that are important to understand. Even though WWI and the Vietnam War took place over 50 years apart from one another, there are common themes across similar experiences such as these that students should be aware of. It is important to understand that while wars and individuals’ experiences will differ, there are some common threads that help define the American mentality on war.
The two major texts to be used in this unit will be Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried and a small selection of Ernest Hemingway’s short stories including “Soldier’s Home.” Not only will this selection of texts provide a variety in genre, but it will also provide a variety in perspectives; The Things They Carried deals with the Vietnam War while Ernest Hemingway writes about World War I. While none of these texts are non-fiction, these selections were written with strong autobiographical influence from the authors’ personal experiences with war. Supplementary texts for this unit may include non-fiction letters or accounts made by soldiers and also music and other pop culture texts from each time period in order to help students become more immersed in the settings in which these stories take place. A huge part of understanding literature is understanding its context. I understand that there have been many other wars that America has been involved in, and there are important lessons to be learned from each of them, but with a limited amount of time to cover such a vast topic, picking these two wars seemed appropriate because they are far enough apart to give two different perspectives. There is a lot of good war literature out there to choose from, but I believe that The Things They Carried is an upstanding option, and the novel also provides the opportunity to explore other literary elements apart from the topic of war including the idea of metafiction and the use of various literary elements like metaphor and symbolism. O’Brien’s writing is the perfect writing model for students to use when composing their own personal narratives, a standard for the 11th grade English classroom. “If the reassuring statement that ‘stories save us’ from the last chapter of The Things They Carried is true, it’s been our experience that O’Brien’s own stories—and the stories students write on their own as a result of reading his work—are well-suited for the job” (ix Gilmore). Choosing Hemingway’s “Solider’s Home” is also appropriate. Because of Hemingway’s great influence on American literature, he had to be included in the curriculum. Reading Hemingway will also expose students to another writing style, and to the experiences of someone who experienced a different war. Studying a short story by Hemingway in 11th grade will also help prepare students to study his longer works in 12th grade.
Works Cited
Gilmore, Barry , and Alexander Kaplan. Tim O'Brien in the Classroom: "This too is true: Stories can save us". Urbana, Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English, 2007. Print.
Goals:
By the end of the unit, my students will...
-Write a personal narrative.
-Understand the writing process and be able to implement all elements of the process.
-Give other students constructive feedback on their writing as well as be able to revise their work based on constructive feedback they receive from their peers.
-Recognize the differences and similarities in the writing styles of O’Brien and Hemingway.
-Understand the role that war plays in American culture and literature.
By the end of the unit, I as an educator will...
-Write my own personal narrative to model for the students as well as undergo this self-examination for myself.
-Know my students on an even deeper level based on what they write about in their narratives.
Standards:
1. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
2. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3a Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
3. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
4. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3c Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).
5. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3d Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
6. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3e Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.
*Teaching Context is the same as the Yearlong Plan. Look under the "Teaching Context" tab.
Daily Lesson Plans Calendar Overview
unit_plan_calendar_overview.docx | |
File Size: | 20 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Daily Lesson Plan Breakdown
daily_lesson_plan_breakdown_1.docx | |
File Size: | 56 kb |
File Type: | docx |
UbD Lesson Plan: Day 7: Wednesday, September 17, 2014
ubd_lesson_plan.docx | |
File Size: | 31 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Madeline Hunter Lesson Plan: Day 11: Wednesday, September 24, 2014
madeline_hunter_lesson_plan_-_beach_thein__webb_chapter_6.docx | |
File Size: | 17 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Grammar Mini-Lesson: Day 13: Tuesday, September 30, 2014
grammar_mini-lesson.docx | |
File Size: | 15 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Handouts/Class Notes
Day 2: The Things You Carry Pre-Writing Poem PowerPoint
Day 4: Brief Review of the Writing Process
Day 5: Tim O'Brien's Writing Style handout
Day 7: Vietnam Through Photographs: Photos for the activity
Day 8: Creating Snapshots in Writing handout
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Day 9: Creating Thoughtshots in Writing handout
Day 10: Preseting Dialogue and Comic Strip handout
Day 12: Peer Review handout
Day 13: Grammar Mini-Lesson PowerPoint
Day 17: Annotation Notes
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Assessments/Assessment Tools
Personal Narrative Assignment Sheet
Personal Narrative Checklist (Grading Criteria)
Personal Narrative Portfolio Checklist (Grading Criteria)
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Dialectical Journal Assignment Sheet/Grading Criteria
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Questions/Notes to Self
questions__notes_to_self.docx | |
File Size: | 15 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Reflective Commentary
reflective_commentary.docx | |
File Size: | 14 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Self-Evaluation
educ_463_self-evaluation.docx | |
File Size: | 22 kb |
File Type: | docx |