Pamela M. Fowler
Goal: TO INCREASE THINKING SKILLS AND RECOLLECTION
The student will read a series of short stories, verbally and manually demonstrating his comprehension of the following parts in relation to the story: the main point, interpretation of characters, description of characters, setting, action, and illustration of events.
The writing component is divided over the last 8 weeks of the academic year. It begins by slowly introducing the student to the reading of short stories. As mentioned before the teacher includes in his/her lessons two additional vocabulary assignments. Using these the student will find himself re-reading the entire story.
The student is given two to three stories per week and a worksheet with questions relating directly to the themes and the five components of the theme. The students are already accustomed to the format for outlining various questions dealing with the story classics from quarter one.
The teacher should purchase or make a task board for this quarter. The board includes 4-4”x6” folder for daily instructions and 4-9”x12” folders for the assignments attached to a piece of sturdy cardboard and securely tacked to the wall. (fig. 1)
Each 4”x6” folder holds the assignments for a given story, the author, name of the anthology, page number, due date and folder corresponding worksheets can be found in. I chose the following list of short stories and divided them so that the students are focused on one component at a time and to assure both of us that they will be competent in the work the future quarters of this unit demand.
Although most of the stories contain all five components they are divided into sections which denote a specific component. For example
TV as a Baby Sitte
r explains more of a main point than does
A Hanging
by George Orwell.
Main Point:
Salvation
by Langston Hughes
The Name of the Game
by Peter Farb
“Christmas Eve” by Dich Gregory
TV as a Baby Sitter
by Jerzy Kosinski
Why Jessie hate English
by Sloan Wilson
Characters/Interpretation of:
Uncle Kwok
by Jade Snow Won
ROOTS
by Alex Haley
OLD MOTHER HUBBARD
by A.B. Guthire, Jr.
THE BIRDS
by Daphne du Maurier
Action:
A PIG FROM JERSEY
by Berton Roueche
The AFRIC
AN by Alex Haley
38 WHO SAW MURDER DIDN’T CALL THE POLICE
by Martin Gansburg
Setting:
TWO CITY SCHOOLS
by Paul Jacobs
TRICKS! TREATS! GANGWAY!
by Ray Bradbury
A HANGING by George Orwell
THE KITCHEN
by Alfred Kazin
THE CASK OF ARMONTILLADO
by Edgar Allan Poe
The teacher is to arrange a scheduled meeting with each student at least twice per week. During such meeting the discussion is centered around the work they have done so far. Together the teacher and student suggest various ways of writing and try new experiments. If the teacher finds that a student is stuck or confused about a certain component of the story he/she may wish to make this student’s work more focused and have him spend more time on a particular part than another.
Once the teacher and the student feel a sense of security with each component, themes which encompass all four are assigned and the lessons follow the same format as mentioned earlier.
LESSON PLAN
Day 1
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1) Introduce the word “characters” to class. Discussion on various characters they know and comparisons.
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2) Read theme 1 aloud in class. Discuss the characters. Interpret from reading what the characters may do in the “real world”.
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3) Class outlines descriptions and personalities of characters read. See format from previous section.
Day 2
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1) Review all of day one.
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2) Read theme 2 aloud in class. Discuss the characters.
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3) Individually the students outline descriptions and personalities.
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4) Class discusses various answers and compares thought.
Day 3
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1) Review days 1 and 2.
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2) Class reads themes silently.
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3) Class outlines the characters’ personalities and descriptions.
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4) Teacher begins holding conferences with individual students to discuss work.
Day 5-9
Repeat day three, changing and exchanging themes.
Day 10
Brief quiz on characters’ descriptions and interpretations.
For main point, setting and action repeat the above lesson plan substituting the appropriate material.