Rebecca J. Hickey
This unit will address the following Language Arts and Information Literacy Standards for grades 6 and 7 as are approved by the New Haven Board of Education. The standards are virtually identical for grades 6 and 7 in these areas, so I have listed them only once.
Language Arts
Content Standard 1.0: Reading
Demonstrate strategic reading skills after reading:
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• Students will identify and give examples of metaphors, similes, imagery, sarcasm, irony, propaganda, persuasion, humor, heroism.
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• Students will draw conclusions and make inferences about the author's purpose.
Content Standard 2.0: Writing
Demonstrate strategic writing skills before, during, and after writing:
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• Students will add descriptive words, phrases, metaphors, similes, and sensory details.
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• Students will create various types of poetry, limericks, ballads, and sonnets.
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Information Literacy
Use of Information
Students will engage in the source:
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• Participate in group discussions and activities and express opinions about materials heard, read or viewed.
Synthesis
Students will present the information:
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• Create a final product using appropriate and/or assigned format, such as written, oral, visual, dramatic, electronic, musical, etc.
Evaluation
Students will judge the result (effectiveness):
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• Read, reflect, and respond to reviews and comments from peers, parents, and teachers.
Students will judge the process (efficiency):
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• Keep a diary/log of the process.
The assessment of our students' work has always been important. Though, currently, it seems to be taking an ever-more prominent place in our curriculum. I, as a library media specialist, do not assign grades for library work. The Extended Day Academy does not require a grade. This leaves me with a dilemma. I know that if the students know that they will not receive a 'grade' for their work, I risk getting poor quality and poor effort in the program. Students attending the program will have a syllabus on the first day. This prepares them right away for what the program will offer; that I am taking the Academy seriously, and that I expect the same from them.
The requirements for the final project, while fairly loose and negotiable, will be given to them, as well as what I expect in the way of journal content and use. There can be no mistake about what I hope to accomplish during the eight weeks. While the spirit of the workshop is one of experimentation and risk, it is also meant to be less strict and structured than an academic class. I will give written feedback on the student's journals, as well as conferencing with them. I will monitor the activity of the workshop while they work on their poetry or talk about a poem we are reading. For our first meeting together I have prepared a pre-workshop survey about poetry. The survey asks about terminology and previous experience with writing poetry, as well as any feelings they may have about reading poetry. I will administer the same survey during the last session of the workshop. Hopefully, any negative attitudes have changed and base knowledge of the mechanics of poetry has also increased. I am sure that this assessment plan will provide what I need to determine a student's progress and effort.
From the very outset, I will make it very clear that I cannot, and will not decide whether or not what they write is "good." That they are writing and making efforts at poetry at all means that they are being successful. I can only determine whether or not their efforts are sincere, and, perhaps offer some counsel on direction or word choice.