Lesson Plan: EDIS 4882

Context:
Course name: Honors English
Grade level: 8th
Length of lesson: 90 Minutes
Description of setting, students, and curriculum—and any other important contextual
characteristics:

This lesson will be taught to an 8th grade honors class at Henley Middle School during
the third block of the day (roughly 11:00-1:15 with lunch in the middle). The class is
mostly white with two students of color. One student in the class is an ELL and five
qualify for gifted services. All students are at or above grade level. We have taught this
class before and are beginning to develop rapport with them, even though we have
limited opportunities to engage with the students unless we’re teaching a lesson. We’ve
previously used sports and pop culture to make our lessons relevant to them. Active
classroom management techniques that we’ve been asked to use are: “Give Me 5” and
“TAB.” When students are asked to “Give Me 5,” they are expected to hold their hands
up and provide the teacher with their full attention. “TAB” is a “take a break” chair at the
back of the classroom where students can go to reset expectations before returning to
class.

Prior to this lesson, students have begun reading John Steinbeck’s The Pearl until
Chapter 3. The lesson that we teach will be an introduction to the theme of power that
pervades the novel. We will use an experiential lesson in which students engage with
contemporary events, poems, and other literary connections to help students understand
the concept of power in society so that they can apply it to The Pearl.

Strategy Requirement Satisfied:

Objectives (KUD format)

SWBAT:
Know:
1. Students will know the definition of discrimination as an unfair system that treats
one group of people worse than another.
2. Students will know that the same themes can be represented across genres.

Understand:
1. Students will understand the universality of power as a theme across cultures
and time periods.
2. Students will understand that the struggle for power permeates all levels of
society.
3. Students will understand that prejudice, stereotypes, discrimination, and
oppression shape power within a society and among individuals.

Do:
1. Students will be able to make connections between contemporary events and
literature, and The Pearl.
2. Students will be able to recognize the representation of power between genres.
 3. Students will be able to use textual evidence to identify themes of power in the
text.
4. Students will be able to use background knowledge to better comprehend texts.

SOL’s:
8.5 The student will read and analyze a variety of fictional texts, narrative nonfiction, and
poetry.
a) Explain the use of symbols and figurative language.
b) Make inferences and draw conclusions based on explicit and implied
information
using evidence from text as support.
i) Summarize text relating supporting details.
l) Use prior and background knowledge as a context for new learning.

CCS’s:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course
of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an
objective summary of the text.

Methods of Assessment:

Diagnostic Formative Summative

Title of assessment tool: Title of assessment tool: Title of
assessment
Opening Discussion Students will show their tool:
progress toward understanding
Students will demonstrate what power dynamics across different Students will
they already know about power societies by presenting in small ultimately be
dynamics by participating in a groups about their assigned text assessed in a
debrief conversation about these questions “Who has future lesson
power dynamics after a mock power? Who is powerless? on…by…
power simulation. They will Why? What would need to
answer the questions: “What change for this individual to have Criteria:
does it feel like to be the person power?”
without marbles? What does it
feel like to be the person with the Criteria: How data will
most marbles? How does each We will look for presentations be used:
person view the marble? How that demonstrate an ability to
does this relate to power? How infer main ideas, key people How students
does the token marble relate to affected, and identification of the will receive
Kino’s pearl?” vehicles of power in the texts. feedback:

Criteria: How data will be used:

We will look for responses that This data will be used to help
show critical thinking about how shape the next lesson as
the marbles represent access to students continue to analyze the
opportunity and to power. effects of power in The Pearl.
Without the token marbles, Ms. Sweatman will be able to
students are without power. We expand on concepts and
will look for responses that connections that students seem
connect this idea to to struggle with and perhaps
provide more background
How data will be used: information when reviewing
This data will be used during reading.
student small group work time as
we have students read and write How students will receive
a summary together in small feedback: students will receive
groups about different texts that feedback via oral discussion.
center on the theme of power. Peers will also provide feedback
How students will receive along with teachers.
feedback:
Students will receive feedback [SOL 8.5 b, i, l, CCSS 8.1, 8.2,
via oral discussion. K2, U1, U2, U3, D1, D2, D3]

[SOL 8.5 l, K1, K2, U3, D2, D4]

Differentiated Instruction to accommodate one or more of my profiled students:

Student Readiness Interest Learning Environment
Name

Spencer is a very active student

Spencer and works best when there are
“breaks” to get up and stretch
before refocusing on a lesson.
This is why we made the stations
so that students can get up and
move around between focusing
on different texts.

Students will have some

familiarity with civil Rights
movement figures from
previous history classes, which
will serve as a background for
student understanding of the
works of Langston Hughes and
Sojourner Truth.

Zola Zola likes to verbally bounce

ideas off of other students to help
guide her train of thought- she
will have Amber in her group,
someone that she’s comfortable
with.

Ray Ray has moved from Romania

and although he is proficient at
the English language, it will be
helpful for him to read the
transcript of Sojourner Truth’s
“Ain’t I a Woman?” while
listening along to the reading
online.

Who is Students have read Refugee and had author Alan Gratz come visit. They are
this? familiar and interested in the topic of immigration, so the text “Salvadoran
immigrants fear being forced back to a dangerous country” will be particularly
relevant to students.
Procedures/Instructional Strategies

Beginning Room Arrangement: Students sit in pods of 4-5 students at desks or tables,
all oriented in such a way that they only need to turn their heads to see the SmartBoard
at the front of the room. There are two chalkboards on either side of the SmartBoard,
and a whiteboard along one wall. Students’ “Where I’m From” poems hang along the
wall opposite the whiteboard. The teacher’s desk is at the back of the classroom near
the windows and two armchairs. Some of the tables at the back of the classroom can be
raised to become standing desks.

1. [1 mins.] Welcome/greeting/announcements
Hi everyone! Ms. Miller and I are going to teach you another lesson today about The
Pearl. Mrs. Sweatman told us that you’ve been reading it, and we’re here to help you
guys start to dig into the text. We’re going to start off with a small activity.

2. [5 mins.] Bridge and/or Hook to lesson

Angela and Jen will pass out marbles to students around the classroom. Students will be
randomly given 0-3 marbles. After students are handed out marbles, we will reveal to
them what the marbles represent.

Okay everyone! So now that we passed out the marbles, we’re going to tell you all what
they mean. Everyone who has a marble can have one piece of candy per marble they
have. Everyone who did not get a marble cannot have a piece of candy. Great, we’re
going to pass out the candy after this activity. Can someone tell me who had a marble
tell me what it felt like to be a person with a marble? [Look for: I felt happy because I
could get candy, I felt lucky, I felt guilty because some of my friends wouldn’t get candy.]
Okay thanks, could someone tell me who did not get a marble tell me what it felt like?
[Look for: I felt upset or frustrated that I didn’t get candy, I wanted to get a marble from
one of my friends.]

Thanks guys for that, in reality we’re going to give you all a piece of candy after this
activity.
What we’re going to do next is talk about power. So in this situation we just played out,
some people had power and others did not. We’re going to fill out these questions
together. Who had power in this situation? Who did not have power? [Record student
answers on the board]

[On the Smartboard, “fill out” the handout with the activity we just did, eliciting student
participation. Who had power? Students with marbles, teachers handing out marbles;
Who didn’t have power? Students without marbles. ]

[Pass out 1 piece of candy to all students and collect marbles from students.]

Let’s take a moment to bring these ideas to the Pearl. What does Kino discover that
gives him power in The Pearl? (Student response: the pearl.)

Okay great. Let’s think about that. In what ways does he think it gives him power? What
new opportunities does he thinks he has? [Follow up questions in case no one answers:
Is he able to solve the issue of his son’s illness? How? What were his dream plans with
his wife? ]

3. [50 mins.] Graffiti/Jigsaw

Station 1: “Ballad of the Landlord” by Langston Hughes

Station 2: Match Girl Short
Station 3: House on Mango Street -- “House on Mango Street” by Sandra
Cisneros
Station 4:
Newsela: “Salvadoran immigrants fear being forced back to a dangerous country”

Awesome job everyone! So power plays a role in so many different situations- not just
what you read for today in The Pearl. So what we’re going to do next is have “stations”
where you will read a poem, listen to a speech, watch a video, or read a news article that
all deal with some people having power and others not. You will have 7 minutes to read
or watch the text and then fill out the handout individually. You will answer the same
questions we just answered together as a class: “Who has power? Who does not?”
Because this is happening individually and folks need to concentrate, how should we be
doing this? [Student response: quietly, by ourselves, not talking to each other.] Great
ideas. Ms. Schnelle and I will be walking around if y’all get stuck or need help at all. Try
to work quietly. When it’s time to switch we’re going to take a couple seconds to switch
quietly and get back to work with the next station.

[Students will move from station to station. During this independent work time, Jen and
Angela walk around and monitor student engagement with the texts, being readily
available to answer any questions and observe student responses to the handout. For
students who have finished, we will ask, “What made you write down these answers?”]

Okay guys, great work. Now that you’re back at the station you’ve started at, you’re
going to work with your small group to answer the following questions and present your
ideas to the class:
Who has power, who is powerless? What would need to change for this individual to
have power? And How does this person’s situation relate to Kino’s situation before he
discovered the pearl? (include a quote from The Pearl that supports your idea and be
able to explain why it does) [These questions are projected on the board, SLIDE 7]

You will have 15 minutes to do this. You will be given a large sheet of paper and
markers to write down the answers to your questions and provide explanations. You
must include an answer written down on the sheet of paper for each question that we
have on the board. Your classmates will need these for their notes. Don’t forget to
include a quote from The Pearl to explain how those ideas are related!

[While students are working on their group work, Jen and Angela walk around and
monitor student engagement with the texts, being readily available to answer any
questions and help facilitate group cooperation as necessary.]

Okay guys, so there’s about 2 minutes left to organize before we begin presenting. You
may want to begin deciding who will speak. Decide on a person who can speak or if your
group wants to break up the presentation into multiple speakers.
4. [15 mins.] Presentations

Okay guys, that’s time! What we’re going to do next is have each group present what
they came up with from their own text. We need to give our presenters our full attention
out of respect but also because we are going to be filling out Part II of our handouts for
each text. So as each group presents, make sure you’re paying attention to what they’re
saying and filling out your handout from what they say. Okay great, can the group who
did The Little Match Girl video please present first?

[Students will present their summaries of their texts as a group to the whole class and
use big white paper to guide their ideas.]

Students may decide to nominate a speaker or break up the presentation into multiple
speakers. The presentations will be about 2-3 minutes long because they are answering
the questions. Peers will give brief affirmation and an opportunity for questions/feedback
and we will provide verbal feedback.

5. [2 mins] Closure:

Great job with the presentations, everyone. I feel like you guys are really beginning to
understand how individuals are powerful or powerless because of society. Now we’re
going to spend a bit of time drawing connections to The Pearl. Based on the evidence
that you all presented, how do you guys think Kino and Juana are powerful or powerless
in The Pearl? What makes them that way? Does the pearl make them powerful? Pause
for student responses. Expect answers such as: they’re poor, they’re discriminated
against, they have the pearl, and that the pearl will allow them to be able to afford things-
-this gives them power.

Hopefully today has helped you understand some of the themes that you see in The
Pearl so that you’re able to follow along when you continue reading.

Thanks class for being so wonderful and attentive today! We have loved hearing your
growing understanding of the Pearl and how power plays into this novel. We hope that
you’re excited to continue reading The Pearl. We’ll see you all next week!

Materials Needed (list):

1. Station Materials
a. “Ballad of the Landlord” by Langston Hughes
b. Match Girl Short
c. House on Mango Street -- “House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros
d. “Salvadoran immigrants fear being forced back to a dangerous country”
2. Station Notes Handout
3. Powerpoint
4. Marbles
5. Candy
6. Student Laptops
7. Teacher Laptop & Projector
Materials Appendix: (e.g., supplementary texts, Ppts, overheads, graphic
organizers, handouts, etc.)

Appendix A - Stations

Remember the Titans Clip:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Neoih-gRdbU)

Little Match Girl Short

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib32vvxBoV4)

House on Mango Street -- “House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros

(http://gtulitapp.wikispaces.com/file/view/The+House+on+Mango+Street+-
+Sandra+Ci
sneros.pdf)

“I Have A Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr.

( http://bit.ly/1fMQ7et)
Appendix B - Stations Handout