Sean T. Griffin
The following sample lesson plans are provided for key moments in this unit. I have provided a sample with a journal entry, a sample from writer workshop, and finally a sample from the art section of the project.
Sample Lesson Plan One- Journal writing
Objectives
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Students will discuss Steve Harmon's feelings at the beginning of Monster
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Students will brainstorm fears in the seeds section of journal
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Students will write about fears in journal entry
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Students will empathize with feelings of others
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Materials
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Student journals
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copy of Monster by Walter Dean Myers
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Initiation
Ask for a volunteer to read Steve Harmon's journal entry that begins Monster. Ask the student to read it as if he were Steve. Ask other students to try. See if some of your students reveal the fear that must be coming from Steve's voice. Ask students what they hear in the reading and have a brief discussion on Steve's scary situation.
Procedure
After your discussion ask students to turn to their seeds section of their journals. They should head the page "Things that scare me" and make sure (as always) that they put a date on the page. Give students about five or six minutes to brainstorm the things that scare them.
After students have had a chance to brainstorm, ask volunteers to read their list out loud. Remind students that they should feel free to add any scary things to their list that they did not think of before when other students share. Once students lists are complete they should go back and "star" the scariest things in their list. Having done this, ask students to go back to their journals and write a journal entry about the thing that scares them most.
As sharing is an essential part of journal writing, ask students to either share in pairs, in small groups, or as a class. Those not willing to read their entries should at least share the topic matter with their partners, but try to get everyone to participate.
Closure
Bring the class back together, ask if anyone would like to share with the entire class and then bring Steve's journal entry back into focus. Have a brief discussion with students about their fears in comparison with Steve's. How do they compare? Ask students to write a brief letter to either Steve or one of their classmates advising them on how to deal with their fears.
Sample Lesson Plan Two-Writer Workshop Mini Lesson
Objectives
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Students will understand different types of leads
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Students will revise leads on memoir piece
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Students will continue with writer workshop on memoir
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Materials
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Writing workshop pieces
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Narrative leads handout or notes for journals
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Initiation
Have students reread the first paragraph of Monster, or another novel or short story. Ask students to point out what about the beginning of the story catches the reader. Point out this is the lead and how important a lead is in hooking the reader.
Procedure
Ask students to look back at their own leads. On their own or with a partner students should talk about what a good lead is, if they are hooked, or if the lead doesn't work well. Have students share strong leads. Introduce the various types of narrative leads to the students. You might make a handout that students can stick in the craft section of their notebooks, or simply list the types of leads on the board or overhead and have students takes notes on them.
The types of leads that I introduce to students are shock leads, humorous leads, quotation leads, question leads, and statistical or factual leads. After discussing the types of leads, ask students to go back to their mini-memoirs, which they should have started by now, and rewrite their leads in two different styles or types of leads.
Closure
Have students share the original lead and two new ones in small groups. Group members should vote on which lead they like the most. Students should then return to writers workshop, and be prepared during peer editing to make sure their partners have strong leads.
Sample Lesson Plan Three- Getting started with art
Objectives
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Students will review significance of final pages of Monster
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Students will write proposal for "All About Me" art project
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Students will review "All About Me" art project score sheet
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Materials
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Monster by Walter Dean Meyers
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All About Me art project score sheet
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Journals
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Initiation
Ask students to re-read pages 280-281 in Walter Dean Myers' book, Monster. In their journals, ask students to jot down what exactly is going on with Steve in this part of the book. They can write in the third person or the first person.
Procedure
Students will begin the art project section of the unit doing two things: recognizing that Steve is trying to find himself and planning their own project which parallels Steve's "project" at the end of the story.
Lead a discussion on Steve's actions at the end of the book. Next tell the students that the end of the unit project will involve a similar project and go through the score sheet with students. Give students their folders and journals and ask them to take ten minutes to quietly review the materials which they have amassed.
Finally, ask students to write a proposal to you in which they lay out their plans for their project.
Closure
Ask students to share their project ideas. Again remind them that it is ok to borrow ideas from their classmates in the planning of their projects.