L2+Cole,+Eric

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, HEALTH AND REHABILITATION LESSON PLAN FORMAT
 * UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FARMINGTON

Teacher’s Name:** Mr. Cole
 * Date of Lesson:** Application
 * Grade Level:** 7
 * Topic:** Narrative Writing

__**Objectives**__
Students will understand that writing is about connecting things to you in a personal way.

Students will know a few of the basic practices when first starting out on writing a story. These items include brainstorming ideas with the class, a small group, or by themselves, creating venn diagrams that will compare and contrast two topics, and creating story webs/trees to organize their thoughts, and ideas about the story.

Students will be able to create stories based on their own personal experiences.

__**Maine Learning Results Alignment**__
Maine Learning Results: English Language Arts: B. Writing B2. Narrative Grades 6-8 Students write narratives that convey complex ideas, observations, events, or reflections.

This lesson meets this MLR because students will be writing a blog about their observations, events, and reflections and then crafting a story out of this blog.
 * Rationale:**

__**Assessment**__
At the conclusion of this project Students will fill out a self-assessment on their project, and they will write a short paragraph on their general feelings on the project, the process of putting their story together and keeping up with the blog, and how they believe they did on the project. The self-assessment that they fill out will be the same rubric that I will use to grade them on their project. Students will also be able to receive feedback from myself and their classmates in the form of comments left on their blog.
 * Formative (Assessment for Learning)**

On their own, students will write a blog for at least a week on their own everyday lives. These blogs can be about various events that the student experiences throughout the week, feelings that they have, or just their general thoughts on various issues. Students will then take these blogs, and using what is written in them students will write a short story, skit, song, poem, etc... These items will be posted on the class wikispace, and students will also have the opportunity to share their stories in class. These stories will be graded using a rubric that I will create.
 * Summative (Assessment of Learning)**

__**Integration**__

 * Technology:** Students will be asked to write or record a blog/vlog for at least a week then write a story, poem, song, skit, etc... based on their blog/vlog.


 * History:** In an obscure way, this project could be connected to history because students will be asked to write a story on their own past/history.

__Groupings__
For this lesson, students will be put into groups twice. The first time that they will be in groups will be when the class receives a lecture at the beginning of the project talking about blogs. During this lecture students will be given multiple opportunities for a Three Minute Review in which students will be allowed to ask questions and get clarification on what a blog is, how you set a blog up, etc... The second time that students will be put into groups will be after they have selected what they would like to turn their blog into. Students who have picked to write a story will be grouped together. Students who have selected to create a skit will be grouped together, etc... These groups won't be working together to create anything. They will simply be used as a source of help for each student as they create their item.

__**Differentiated Instruction**__

 * Strategies**


 * Verbal:** Students will be able to read their stories out loud to the class.
 * Visual:** Students could write a children's book based on their blog that could include illustrations.
 * Bodily/Kinesthetic:** Students could write a skit that they could perform for the class.
 * Musical:** Students could write a song/rap based on their blog.
 * Naturalist:** Students could take us to some of the places around the school that they wrote about in their blog.
 * Intrapersonal:** Students can use their blogs to express their feelings or emotions about something they care about.


 * Modifications/Accommodations**

I will review student’s IEP, 504 or ELLIDEP and make appropriate modifications and accommodations.


 * Absent Student:** If a student is absent it will be their responsibility to look at the class wikispace and get the assignments, and understand what we did in class that day. Students will also be able to email me, or text me, and set up a time to come in and see me to help them understand something that they are confused about.


 * Extensions**

Students will be asked to write or record a blog/vlog for at least a week, and then create a song, skit, poem, story, etc... out of this blog/vlog.

__**Materials, Resources and Technology**__
T-Chart Laptop Computers Internet Blank Paper Webcams Projector and Screen Analytic Grading Sheet

__Source for Lesson Plan and Research__
[|Collection of Short Stories] Collection of Various Short Stories. Students will choose one story to read for every class period. Students will write a short piece on the story that they select describing how they connected to the story. [|Blogger] Blogging Site that students will use to create the blogs they will use for the project. [|Brainstorming] This site has a great description on what brainstorming is, and has a list of a variety of brainstorming techniques.

__**Maine Standards for Initial Teacher Certification and Rationale**__
Rationale:** This lesson demonstrates this MLR because it provides a variety of ways for students to learn how to incorporate their own experiences into their writing. For **clipboards** the blog that the students will be writing provides a concrete structure for the lesson, and also provides a resource for students to utilize when writing their pieces. For **microscopes** this lesson asks students to think critically on how they can creatively integrate one of their own experiences into a piece of writing. This student also asks students how they connect to a piece written by someone else. For **puppies** this lesson provides multiple opportunities for students to meet with me and their fellow classmates to receive feedback. For **beachballs** this lesson provides variety by letting students choose the story they wish to write about each night. This lesson also lets students decide what they wish to write for the final project: a song, a story, a poem, a skit, etc..
 * //Standard 3 - Demonstrates a knowledge of the diverse ways in which students learn and develop by providing learning opportunities that support their intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and cultural development.//

Rationale:** Refer to my content notes. For this lesson I used the MLR: **Students write narratives that convey complex ideas, observations, events, or reflections.** I also used the facet of Apply. Students satisfy this MLR because they will be asked to write a story, poem, song, skit, etc... that conveys their own personal experiences, observations, and reflections.
 * //Standard 4 - Plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, curriculum goals, and learning and development theory.//

Rationale:**
 * //Standard 5 - Understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies and appropriate technology to meet students’ needs.//


 * Verbal:** Students will be able to read their stories out loud to the class.
 * Visual:** Students could write a children's book based on their blog that could include illustrations.
 * Bodily/Kinesthetic:** Students could write a skit that they could perform for the class.
 * Musical:** Students could write a song/rap based on their blog.
 * Naturalist:** Students could take us to some of the places around the school that they wrote about in their blog.
 * Intrapersonal:** Students can use their blogs to express their feelings or emotions about something they care about.


 * Technology:** Students will be asked to write or record a blog/vlog for at least a week then write a story, poem, song, skit, etc... based on their blog/vlog.

Rationale:** At the conclusion of the project students will fill out a self-assessment describing how they felt about the project, and how it could be improved in the future. Students will also evaluate themselves using the same grading sheet that I will use to grade their stories, poems, skits, etc... on. I will use an analytic grading sheet to provide comments, and feedback to each student on how each story turned out. These grading sheets will be given to the students no later then three days after they present. In addition, if a student chooses to present their story, students will receive feedback from their own classmates before the next person presents. All of the homework assignments in this lesson works towards the story that the students will write. This lesson connects to future lessons because students will learn how to write about their own lives, and think deeply and critically about how to do this in a creative way.
 * //Standard 8 - Understands and uses a variety of formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and support the development of the learner.//

__Teaching and Learning Sequence__
This lesson's primary focus is to teach students how to take experiences in their own lives, and turn them into a story, a song, a poem, or a dozen other things. If students know how to talk about and write about their experiences comfortably then they will be able to develop relationships and friendships easier. The room will always be set up in a Perimeter Arrangement. A lot of what will be done in this class will be achieved through discussion, and this arrangement is the best one for a discussion based class as it will allow everyone to see and hear each other clearly, and feel more like a group rather than a face in the crowd.


 * Class One:**


 * Students will do a free write in their journal based on a prompt that I will provide. (10 minutes)
 * Students will be allowed to share their writing with the class. (5 minutes)
 * Students will be given a lecture on blogging/vlogging (30 minutes)
 * Short writing exercise where students will pick something that they enjoy in their life and write about it. (5 minutes)
 * Students will swap papers with a neighbor, and try and connect to what their neighbor wrote. (3 minutes)
 * Discussion on how students connected. (5 minutes)
 * Discussion on various ways to integrate your own experiences into your writing. (20 minutes)


 * Class Two-Five**


 * Periodic checks on how students are doing on their blogs
 * Discussions on various ways students can use the events in their blogs (songs, poems, stories, etc...)
 * Mini Lessons on various pre-writing exercises students can use to help them along in their writing. (Venn Diagrams, Story Webs/Trees, Brainstorming)
 * Meetings with me on what students believe they will do with their blogs.
 * Students will be asked to read one story a night from [|here] and write a short paragraph on how they connected to the story. Students will be able to choose the story that they like to read.


 * Class Five-Seven**


 * Students will begin work on their writing.
 * Students will do various peer review activities with their group to help their writing along.
 * Students will meet with me and discuss how they are coming along with their writing.


 * Class Eight**


 * Students will be given the opportunity to present their story, poem, song, to the class. (30 minutes)
 * Discussion on the project. (10 minutes)
 * Students will fill out the self-assessment grading sheet. (10 minutes)
 * Begin work on next lesson.

For this lesson students will understand how to not only be able to write about their own experiences in creative and unique ways, but how to connect to the stories that they read everyday. If they know how to do this then students will grow into sociable people who will be able to connect with people, and make friends easily. For this lesson I will use the MLR: **Students write narratives that convey complex ideas, observations, events, or reflections.** In order to hook students into this lesson I will have students write a short piece on something that they enjoy about their life. Students will then swap this paper with a neighbor in the classroom, and then try and connect to their neighbor's piece in any way they can. We will then have a short discussion in class on the various ways that people were able to connect to the piece they received.
 * (What) (Why) (Hook Tailor): Lingustic, Logical/Mathematical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal**

For this lesson students will know how to write about their own personal experiences, and learn how to connect to the experiences of their fellow classmates. They will also know a few of the basic practices when first starting out on writing a story. These items include brainstorming ideas with the class, a small group, or by themselves, creating Venn Diagrams that will compare and contrast two topics, and creating story webs/trees to organize their thoughts, and ideas about the story. In order to achieve this students will write up a blog for at least a week. Throughout this week students will receive various lectures on how to connect to a piece of writing, and how to write about their own experiences. Students will also receive comments on their blogs from me, and their classmates throughout the week. Once students begin writing their stories, songs, poems, etc... students will meet up with me and their classmates periodic for peer/teacher reviews.
 * (Equip) (Explore) (Rethink) (Tailors): Interpersonal, Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, Visual, Musical, Intrapersonal**

In order to explore and experience what I would like students to learn in this lesson I will have them do several things. First students will receive a lecture from me on how to create a blog/vlog, and the various techniques on how to modify it to the students liking. During this lecture students will be given several opportunities to do a Three Minute Review during which students can ask questions, and clarify things that they do not understand. Students will then have a discussion on how to connect to a piece of writing, and how to put their own experiences into the writing they do. Students will then go home, create their blogs, and begin to add entries every night for homework throughout the week. Also throughout this week students will read one short story a night from a site I will provide. Students will write a short paragraph after reading the story they choose talking about how they connected to the story. During this time students will receive comments from me and fellow classmates on their blog page, and meet with me to discuss how they are keeping up with their blog, and their general feelings on it. During this time there will also be several discussions on how students can integrate their own personal experiences in creative ways into a story, poem, song, skit, etc...At the end of five days students will take the events, thoughts, or feelings that they portrayed in their blog, and they will write a story, song, poem, etc... based on what they wrote in their blog. Students will use a [|T-Chart] to help organize their thoughts on what they would like to write about. Throughout the time that students write their items students will peer review with their group, as well as do a conference with me. Students will be given various opportunities to rethink what they would like to do for their project, and revise the item that they decide to work on.
 * (Explore) (Experience) (Rethink) (Revise) (Refine) (Tailors): Interpersonal, Visual, Verbal, Logical, Intrapersonal, Musical, Bodily, Naturalist**

At the conclusion of the project students will fill out a self-assessment describing how they felt about the project, and how it could be improved in the future. Students will also evaluate themselves using the same grading sheet that I will use to grade their stories, poems, skits, etc... on. I will use an analytic grading sheet to provide comments, and feedback to each student on how each story turned out. These grading sheets will be given to the students no later then three days after they present. In addition, if a student chooses to present their story, students will receive feedback from their own classmates before the next person presents. All of the homework assignments in this lesson works towards the story that the students will write. This lesson connects to future lessons because students will learn how to write about their own lives, and think deeply and critically about how to do this in a creative way.
 * (Evaluate) (Tailors): Verbal, Logical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal**

[|Collection of Short Stories] This site will be used throughout the lesson. Students will read a short story a night from this site, and write about how they connect to the story. [|Blogger] The blogger site will be used for students to create and maintain the blogs that they will use throughout the lesson.
 * Content Notes**

In addition, throughout the lesson various discussions will occur on how to use your own experiences to create a song, poem, story, skit, etc... Many of the ideas that will spring from these discussions will come from the students. I will just ask the questions to guide the students there. How do you incorporate an experience into a song? into a story? etc...

In addition to these discussions, students will receive various mini lessons on some pre-writing exercises that they can utilize to help them along in their writing.

[|Brainstorming] This site has a great description of what brainstorming is, as well as a list of a few of the more popular brainstorming techniques. I will use this site to get the students thinking, and I will have them practice some of the methods described on the site (Freewriting, Journalistic Questions, Consider Purpose and Audience, etc...)

Venn Diagrams: Venn Diagrams are often used in writing to organize two sets of facts and quotations for a compare/contrast essay. They can also be used to organize a person's thoughts when they have to combine two different stories together.

Story Webs/Maps: Story maps are another useful tool for students to organize their thoughts before they have to write a story. Story maps are structured in a variety of different ways, but some examples of them are: [|Story Map One], [|Story Map Two]

[|T-Chart] [|Story Map One] [|Story Map Two] Analytic Grading Sheets
 * Handouts**