L3+Merrifield,+Jared

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

Teacher’s Name:** Mr. Merrifield **Facet of Understanding:** Empathy
 * Grade Level:** 7-8 grade **Topic:** Conflict

__**Objectives**__

 * Student will understand that** every text has a plot, including a conflict.
 * Student will know** the basic plot of __Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone__, identifying the beginning, body, rising action, main conflict, climax, and resolution in terms of the story itself.
 * Student will be able to** write and perform a brief skit that depicts characters in conflict.

__**Maine Learning Results Alignment**__
English Language Arts - A. Reading A2 Literary Texts, Grades 7-8: __Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone__ Students will read fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry, within a grade appropriate span of text complexity, and analyze the characteristics noting how structural features and common literary devices help shape the reader's response.


 * Rationale:** This lesson focuses primarily on conflict, one of the most essential devices in literature. They will familiarize themselves with different kinds of conflict and understand why a plot cannot be cohesive without conflict.

__**Assessment**__
Students will write a script for a brief skit - about five minutes - and act it out in the form of an iMovie. The most attention will be paid to student's understanding of conflict and how well they incorporate a conflict and its resolution into the skit. Other factors that will be considered are the clarity of the script, the quality of the video, and the video's length and editing.
 * Formative (Assessment for Learning)**

The students will evaluate others' presentations as well as their own to check for understanding, and any constructive criticism is highly encouraged. The students must also be able to answer any questions that the class or I might have about the iMovie, especially those that actually pertain to the flow of the plot..
 * Summative (Assessment of Learning)**

__**Integration**__

 * Technology:** For many students, this will be the first time that a complex computer program (in this case, iMovie) will be actively used in the classroom. Thus, a tutorial of how to use the basic features of iMovie will be required, and an article or video online should be sufficient for this (or they could simply ask the teacher, of course). This will also require students to use digital cameras and/or recorders and learn how to import images and video onto computers.


 * Theater:** Any students who appreciate acting, set/costume design, and/or script writing are sure to excel in this lesson.
 * Math/Logic:** Every problem has a reasonable solution, and this lesson will encourage students to think in terms of this.

__Groupings__
At the beginning of the lesson, the students will participate in a round-robin brainstorming activity. I will pose a specific problem to the class, and each member is required to think of at least one possible solution, while the recorder writes them down and shares them with the rest of the class. Some of the conflicts I present may be featured in the novel, and the student will be required to think of a solution OTHER THAN the one featured in the reading.

__**Differentiated Instruction**__

 * Strategies**
 * Linguistic:** Students will attempt to write a believable, coherent script for their iMovie
 * Logical:** Students will come up with reasonable solutions to various conflicts
 * Bodily:** Students will get the chance to act in a short film
 * Interpersonal:** Students have the option to interact in a small group for the film
 * Musical:** Students are welcome to incorporate music into their film, whether it be background music or if the film is a musical itself
 * Spatial:** Students will watch and react to the short films made by other students

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

Absent students MUST make up their work. The class will be provided with a contact sheet with all the student's phone numbers and email addresses. If a student does not show up for class, he or she is responsible to contact one of the other students to get the assignment they missed. Buddy systems or contact partnerships are encouraged. For this activity, the student must be provided with a computer, camera, and USB cord, if not already equipped. They must also set time to meet with the group with which they are assigned, since most of the work may actually be done outside of school. If the student cannot appear in the film at all, he or she must make up for this by contributing to the formation of the script.

For many students, this will be the first time that a complex computer program (in this case, iMovie) will be actively used in the classroom. Thus, a tutorial of how to use the basic features of iMovie will be required, and an article or video online should be sufficient for this (or they could simply ask the teacher, of course). This will also require students to use digital cameras and/or recorders and learn how to import images and video onto computers.
 * Extensions**

__**Materials, Resources and Technology**__
Computers/laptops iMovie program Digital camera/recorders USB cords Online tutorial __Harry Potter__ book Problem-solution chart Ideas for possible conflicts (expressed by the teacher) An imagination!

__Source for Lesson Plan and Research__
Problem-solution chart from [|Education Place]

__**Maine Standards for Initial Teacher Certification and Rationale**__
Rationale:**
 * //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.//
 * Beach Ball:** As long as the conflict and plot are coherent and the subject matter is appropriate, students have virtually limitless freedom of what to make their skit about, and they can be as elaborate as desired provided they do not go over the time limit.
 * Clipboard:** Students will be provided with a step-by-step tutorial about how to use iMovie, and they will have to incorporate an organized structure to have their script make sense.
 * Microscope:** Students will be able to explore an extensive selection of possible solutions to numerous problems and conflicts.
 * Puppy:** Students will be required to work in groups, and each member must do their part for the final product.

Rationale:** Please refer to my content notes. English Language Arts - A. Reading A2 Literary Texts, Grades 7-8: __Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone__ Students will read fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry, within a grade appropriate span of text complexity, and analyze the characteristics noting how structural features and common literary devices help shape the reader's response.
 * //Standard 4 - Plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, curriculum goals, and learning and development theory.//
 * Empathy:** Students will understand the importance of conflict in a literary text, and the best way for them to do this is to have them experience conflict for themselves. They will formulate their own conflict that can be acted out in a skit, and they will resolve the conflict in the most practical and logical sense. This way, they will get the chance to "become" characters in a literary text.

Rationale:**
 * //Standard 5 - Understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies and appropriate technology to meet students’ needs.//
 * Linguistic:** Students will attempt to write a believable, coherent script for their iMovie
 * Logical:** Students will come up with reasonable solutions to various conflicts
 * Bodily:** Students will get the chance to act in a short film
 * Interpersonal:** Students have the option to interact in a small group for the film
 * Musical:** Students are welcome to incorporate music into their film, whether it be background music or if the film is a musical itself
 * Spatial:** Students will watch and react to the short films made by other students


 * Technology:** For many students, this will be the first time that a complex computer program (in this case, iMovie) will be actively used in the classroom. Thus, a tutorial of how to use the basic features of iMovie will be required, and an article or video online should be sufficient for this (or they could simply ask the teacher, of course). This will also require students to use digital cameras and/or recorders and learn how to import images and video onto computers.

Rationale:** Students will write a script for a brief skit - about five minutes - and act it out in the form of an iMovie. The most attention will be paid to student's understanding of conflict and how well they incorporate a conflict and its resolution into the skit. Other factors that will be considered are the clarity of the script, the quality of the video, and the video's length and editing.
 * //Standard 8 - Understands and uses a variety of formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and support the development of the learner.//
 * Formative (Assessment for Learning)**

The students will evaluate others' presentations as well as their own to check for understanding, and any constructive criticism is highly encouraged. The students must also be able to answer any questions that the class or I might have about the iMovie, especially those that actually pertain to the flow of the plot.
 * Summative (Assessment of Learning)**

__Teaching and Learning Sequence__
Desks will be arranged in clusters of four so the round robin groups can communicate effectively. Students will understand that every text has a plot, including a conflict. //**Students will read fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry, with a grade appropriate span of text complexity, and analyze the characteristics noting how structural features and literary devices help shape the reader's response.**// Structure is one of the most important aspects of a literary text; without one, the text would be disjointed and incomprehensible. Plus, it would make no sense for your own life to suffer from such lack of order!

__Day 1__

Once all the students are seated, I will ask them about the last time they were really upset about something, perhaps with a teacher, parent, friend, or sibling, or didn't understand something. I will ask for a few prime examples, then I will ask the same students how they reacted to the problem and if it was ever resolved. (5-10 minutes)

I will then pass out a problem-solution chart. The "problem" column will have been filled out by me, and the students are required to fill in the corresponding "solution" column with what they believe is the best solution to each problem. (5-10 minutes)

I will allow a few students to share what they wrote. (5 minutes)

I will have the students organize themselves into their round robin/iMovie groups according to the numbers taped under their desks. I will pose more unique conflicts to the class and have the recorder write them down one at a time. A few of these conflicts feature in the __Harry Potter__ book. I will give the groups some time to think of possible solutions to each problem, and for the ones pertaining to __Harry Potter__, they must come up with a different solution than the one mentioned in the book. Every member has to contribute at least one solution to each problem. There will be five conflicts total. They will then vote on which solution to each problem is the best, with a brief explanation of why that is. (15 minutes)

After the groups have finished, I will have each group share the best solutions they came up with for two or three out of the five problems, along with their explanation. (15 minutes)

The iMovie activity will be introduced, and each group will be fitted with a camera. Each student will be required to observe an iMovie tutorial. (5-10 minutes)

The students have the rest of the class period to start on their scripts. (20 minutes)

__Day 2__

The students will have a completely free period to work on their iMovies. They are encouraged to shoot their scenes around the school where there is not much disrupting activity, as long as they do not stray too far from the classroom. I will answer any questions that students have and attend to any difficulties they might be experiencing. (80 minutes)

__Day 3__

By this time, the students should be confident with their five-minute-long product; thus, the present and evaluating will take place during this period. (80 minutes)
 * Where, Why, What, Hook, Hook Tailors: Linguistic, Logical, Spatial, Musical, Interpersonal, Bodily**

Students will familiarize themselves with the basic plot of __Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone__, identifying the beginning, body, rising action, main conflict, climax, and resolution in terms of the story itself. For this lesson, however, special attention will be paid to conflict. The problem-solution chart would be a perfect pre-assessment exercise. I would fill in the "problem" column myself with a realistic conflict and have the students fill in the "solution" column with what they think is the most logical or practical solution. Students will be encouraged to share their findings, as well as compare and contrast them.
 * Equip, Explore, Tailor: Linguistic, Logical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal**

For a cooperative learning activity, students will participate in round-robin brainstorming. The groups will be determined by numbers taped at random underneath their chairs. Once they are organized, I will present more conflicts to the class, most of which are actually featured in __Harry Potter__. The challenge for the group will be to devise a solution that is NOT featured in the book. Each group member must contribute at least one possible solution. Once every group has the specified number of possible solutions, they will share them to the class as a whole. Using those same groups, students will start making their iMovie. They must construct their own original script featuring a unique problem that must be solved. I would prefer if this problem is realistic and not related to __Harry Potter__. Students will get some extra time in class (and outside class) to work on this project. Although not everyone needs to be featured in each film as an actor, every group member must contribute to the final product in some way. Participation, script, presence of conflict and resolution, and understanding of the assignment will be graded via rubric.
 * Experience, Rethink, Revise, Rehearse, Refine, Tailor: Linguistic, Logical, Intrapersonal, Spatial, Bodily**

Using the rubric and any constructive criticism they might have, students will evaluate others' presentations as well as their own. After they have presented and listened to comments, they will reflect on what they might have done different with their iMovie. This lesson elaborates the ideas posed in the first lesson about plot structure: a plot is useless is there is no conflict. It also makes a text much less enjoyable, as does the absence of most other essential devices that are addressed in this class.
 * Evaluate, Tailor: Intrapersonal, Logical**


 * Content Notes**

Conflict: a state of disharmony between two or more characters or elements within a text that builds over time and is later resolved.

Resolution: the end of a literary work during which the conflict is completely resolved.

Character vs Self: an internal conflict, usually in terms of desire or a moral dilemma, that the protagonist suffers.

Character vs Character: one of the most common conflicts, between a protagonist (hero) and an antagonist (villain).

Character vs Society: a conflict in which the protagonist challenges social traditions or concepts, such as law.

Character vs Nature: a conflict in which the protagonist must endure a natural disaster or abnormality. This is most commonly used in survival stories.

Character vs Supernatural: a conflict in which the protagonist must battle an inhuman entity such as a ghost or demon.

Character vs Machine: a conflict in which the protagonist must battle a technological foe such as a robot or supercomputer.

Character vs Destiny: a conflict in which the protagonist refuses to accept a predetermined path.


 * Handouts**

Problem-solution chart (see resources)