1) Instructor: Ms. Rachel E. Wycoff
Course Title: College Preparatory English: Literature and Composition
Grade: 10
Class Size: 35
Class Time: 57 minutes
Tentative Dates for Presentation: 9/10-9/14
Unit Title: Getting to Know You – Personal Narrative Style
2) Statement of Teaching Philosophy:
Writing is a process that takes different form for each individual student. I want each of my students to be able to ask questions about a piece of writing and then answer them using evidence from the text. I would like to provide the form that student essays should take and then allow my students to discover for themselves how they write best, using me as a tool if necessary. Process should be addressed so that a quality product can be achieved. Process should be an individual choice, with minimal guidance. I believe in a highly affect-centered writing approach in which the students base their writing, especially in this particular unit, on themselves. They should be able to make discoveries through their writing process that they may never have made otherwise. Students will be able to develop their own writing through questioning themselves and their classmates to make further discoveries. Assessment will be based on the textual evidence provided in answer to any inquiries students may have, as well as on basic structure and grammar of Standard American English. Mostly, students will be expected to answer their own questions using the text as evidence and then connecting it with their own thinking within the structural bounds of the English language. However, the questions they ask and the answers they give are entirely up to the students.
3) Writing Processes (ODE Content Standards 246)
1. Generate writing ideas through discussion with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas.
10. Use available technology to compose text.
11. Reread and analyze clarity of writing, consistency of point of view and effectiveness of organizational structure.
15. Proofread writing, edit to improve conventions (e.g., grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization), identify and correct fragments and run-ons and eliminate inappropriate slang or informal language.
Writing Applications (247)
1. Write narratives that:
a. sustain reader interest by pacing action and developing and engaging plot (e.g., tension and suspense);
b. use a range of strategies and literary devices including figurative language and specific narration; and
c. include and organized, well-developed structure.
4) 1. Everyone has the capacity to write, writing can be taught, and teachers can help students become better writers.
2. People learn to write by writing.
3. Writing is a process.
4. Writing is a tool for thinking.
8. Writing has a complex relationship to talk.
11. Assessment of writing involves complex, informed human judgment
5) a) Students will be able write a personal narrative.
b) Students will be able to develop critical questions based on their own writing.
c) Students will be able to give constructive feedback to their peers based on a certain format as well as incorporate the ideas of others into their writing.
d) Students will be able to present their personal narratives before the class, as well as be a participating member of an audience.
6) Materials needed: The Color Purple by Alice Walker, pencils/pens, paper, arts supplies for those who require them, an example of a personal narrative written by the instructor, thought (That last one is pretty important.)
7) Session One – Final Discussion and Lead-in
a) Materials needed: The Color Purple by Alice Walker, pencil/pen, paper, and brains
b) Objectives: Students will be able to discuss major themes and characters from Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Students will be able to identify something in the text which interests them and which they wish to question further.
c) Activities:
1.Teacher will facilitate a discussion on the major themes and characters from The Color Purple. This is a wrap up discussion so teacher should touch lightly on the following topics: feminism in the novel, the nature of the relationship between Celie and Mr., the relationship between Celie, Mr., and Shug, race politics (the difference between Squeak, the mulatto woman, and Sofia or Celie). The students should know at least a little about all of these topics based on previous discussion so this should be a refresher on what they already know to get them thinking about it again.
2. Next, students should pick one of the discussion topics and come up with one question they have that could further their thinking on the subject. Instruct students that questions should not be able to have a yes or no answer.
3. Have the students share the questions – each student will have to tell their question so just start at one end of the room and go around.
4. The last few minutes of class should be spent should be spent introducing the concept of a personal narrative, connect it with the way Celie tells her story.
5. Tell students to think about a childhood story that they might want to write about.
d) Assessment: Each student will have to participate at least once in the discussion to get credit for the day. Students will turn in their questions at the end of class.
Session 2 – Introduction to the Project and Topics
a) Materials: pencil/pen, paper, brain
b) Objectives: Students will be able to identify a topic on which they would like to expand for a personal narrative. Students will be able to decide on how they would like to present their personal narrative.
c) Activities:
1. Re-introduce the concept of a personal narrative: a story about one’s own life usually told from the first person perspective. Point out what makes Celie’s story from The Color Purple a personal narrative.
2. Remind students that they were all to have come up with at least one idea of a story that they think they would like to tell.
3. Inform the students that they will have to share this story in a presentation of their narrative to the class. Allow them a moment to take that into consideration.
4. Break the class into groups of 5. Have students discuss their ideas for what story they would like to tell with the people in their group. Allow about 10-15 minutes for this. Float between the groups at this point, offering advice and listening to ideas.
5. Bring the class back together and share with the class several ways in which they may present their personal narrative, including, but not limited to: a letter, an outright story, a play script, a picture book, etc. Students are allowed to be creative with this.
6. Allow students a moment or two to think, then break back into groups. Have students discuss how they might try to present their story.
7. Break off into individual students again and begin drafting. If students are doing something more art oriented, like a picture book, allow them to work on the written element of their story for the remainder of the class.
8. They should finish the first draft as homework and bring 2 copies to class (hand written or typed). Tell them to come in with questions that they can ask their classmates to make their own writing more clear or more effective.
d) Assessment: Students will have participated in groups and will have at least one sentence written by the time they leave the classroom.
Session 3 – Peer and Instructor Conferencing
a) Materials: pencil/pen, paper, brain
b) Objectives: Students will be able to give and receive constructive criticism on preliminary drafts of their personal narrative projects. Students will be able to receive feedback from the instructor on their first rough draft.
c) Activities:
1. Today is a peer revision day, as well as teacher writing conferences. This is a time for students to look at others’ writing to help the writer and themselves through constructive criticism. Emphasis: CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.
2. Inform the students that the format for response during the revision session will be as follows: Tell something you like about the narrative. Find something that you think needs more time and explain why. Ask one question of your partner that could help them with their writing.
3. Remind students that focus today is on content, not execution. Instructor should probably remind themselves of that as well.
3. Break class into pairs for peer revision. The extra person will be conferencing with the instructor. Teacher conferences should last no more than 5 minutes each and should follow the same format being asked of the students.
4. After 15 minutes, the students in pairs should switch partners and begin the process again. Repeat the process every 15 minutes. All student comments should be written on a single draft.
5. Homework will be to consider how students can use the comments of their peers and of the instructor, if they’ve spoken to the instructor, in their writing.
6. Students will turn in the copy of their draft that has no student comments before they leave.
d) Assessment: Students will have participated in peer conferencing and some will have received feedback from the instructor.
Session 4 – Drafting and Conferencing
a) Materials: pen/pencil, paper, arts supplies, brains
b) Objectives: Students will be able to revise their writing, incorporating suggestions from their peers and the teacher.
c) Activities:
1. Students may work individually or in groups no larger than 3 to revise their rough drafts. With groups, remind the students that their fellow students are only allowed to offer suggestions on how to write something. This is not a social hour.
2. Instructor will continue 5 minute conferences with students following format presented the day before.
3. Students should leave the classroom with a good start on what is to be their second draft, in whatever format they so choose.
4. Homework is to complete the second draft.
d) Assessment: Students will have at least one new sentence in their new drafts that they did not have to day before.
Session 5 – Presenting an Example and Peer Editing
a) Materials: pencil/pen, paper, teacher example, arts supplies, brains
b) Objectives: Students will be able to give and receive feedback based on grammar from their own works. Students will receive an example for how their presentation should look.
c) Activities:
1. At the beginning of class, instructor will present their own personal narrative. (If this is used multiple years, have a different one for each year) This is to serve as an example, so make it interesting. Remind students that they will have to present the next week.
2. Break students into groups of 2 or 3. Have them edit each others papers. This is editing, checking for grammatical and punctuation. Remind students to focus on that rather than content.
3. As students are doing this, have students draw papers to see what order they’re going to present in. Pass around a numbered sheet and have students write their name next to the number they drew.
4. Switch pairs/groups after 30 minutes. And continue peer editing. While this is going on, instructor should be floating around room helping with editing, keeping students on task, etc.
5. Homework is to finish editing papers. Final draft is due the next class session, when presentations begin.
d) Assessment: Students will have participated in the peer editing portion of the day and paid attention during the teacher presentation.
Session 6 – Presentations
a) Materials: finished drafts
b) Objectives: Students will be able to stand in front of the class and read/perform/show and explain their personal narrative.
c) Activities:
1. Instructor will follow the order that was set in place the previous session for student presentations. Remind students to be respectful of others presentations – you are allowed to laugh if it’s funny, but don’t make fun of people.
2. Presentations should last anywhere from 2-5 minutes, but not necessarily.
3. Final drafts will be collected at the end of this session. Those who have not presented will receive theirs when they present.
Session 7 – Presentations Continued
a) Materials: final drafts from the previous session
b) Objectives: Students will be able to stand in front of the class and read/perform/show and explain their personal narrative.
c) Activities: SEE SESSION 6. IT WILL BE THE SAME FOR THE MOST PART.
2. If there is left over time, which there very well may be, have students give feedback about what they thought of the assignment. Did they like it? Why? What didn’t they like? Why? Was is useful to get to know something about the people in their class?
d) Assessment: All students participated. All drafts were turned in. The drafts will be graded on craft alone; one can’t exactly grade personal experience for content. This exercise was more to learn about the students, their styles, etc. and to have them learn a little more about each other. Before grading, make copies of each story for each student, bind them as a class history and pass them out to the class.
8) When it comes to writing assessment, I would rather focus on content than craft. Because I generally have a very affect-centered philosophy of teaching writing, I would rather that my students have the basic concepts of writing the content of their essays than the form in which it comes. I do believe that grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. should be assessed, but they take a back seat, in my mind, to the big picture of the essay, especially when dealing with persuasive, informational, and researched essays. Personal narratives can only be graded based on craft because it is impossible to grade personal experience. Students will be informed of how they will be graded before they begin an assignment. When told what to expect, students will rise to the occasion and give you the best of their ability within the parameters of the assignment.
9) One possible pitfall is the amount that students must rely on peer help and advice for their drafts. Personally, peers are the most valuable source of advice on writing because they may have similar experiences and can relate. Peers also lack the ambiance of the teacher with the red pen, so peer revision/editing seems far less invasive than does the teacher. In order to combat the desire for students to goof around and be stuck in their own worlds, the instructor should circulate through the classroom, checking on people and making sure that they are giving worthwhile and meaningful help to their peers. During conferences, the instructor should ask how the peer section was going to make sure that students are doing what they’re supposed to. Another possible pitfall is the complete lack of structure for the essay given by the instructor. I think it allows the students to be creative and go in their own direction with a story about themselves. Some students could find it unsettling to not be told what to do. That’s why I’ve built in the day for ideas. The first day the narrative idea is introduced, students are asked to discuss their ideas with those around them. Discussion has the possibility of removing and apprehension, and if that doesn’t do the trick, there’s always the conference with the instructor.
10) This unit took a great deal of effort to finish, but now that it’s through, I think it looks pretty good. I chose the personal narrative because I think it’s a good way of getting to know a little about somebody without them really being aware. Most students don’t enjoy opening up to teachers, especially in the beginning of the year, but if there is an assignment in place that requires a student to tell a personal story, they have no choice. It also gives the students a chance to know each other a little better or in a different light than previously. This unit also gives students an opportunity to ease into the grading system. Because this will be graded on craft only, students should have it a little easier. I learned through this exercise that this whole teaching thing is a lot of work without much reward. One has to find the reward in knowing that a student will take something worthwhile – a skill, a thought, a question – away from your class.
