Literature and the Human Experience: Fahrenheit 451 and Independent Reading

Transcription

1 Literature and the Human Experience: Fahrenheit 451 and Independent Reading Farmington Public Schools Grade 10 English Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 1

2 Table of Contents Unit Summary....page 3 Stage One: Standards Stage One identifies the desired results of the unit including the broad understandings, the unit outcome statement and essential questions that focus the unit, and the necessary knowledge and skills. The Understanding by Design Handbook, pages 4-7 Stage Two: Assessment Package Stage Two determines the acceptable evidence that students have acquired the understandings, knowledge and skills identified in Stage One. pages 8-9 Stage Three: Curriculum and Instruction Stage Three helps teachers plan learning experiences and instruction that aligns with Stage One and enables students to be successful in Stage two. Planning and lesson options are given, however teachers are encouraged to customize this stage to their own students, maintaining alignment with Stages One and Two... pages Appendices.... page(s) Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 2

3 Unit Summary English 200 students will explore the implications about the importance of literature and the ability to make personal connections to universal themes through the reading and study of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. They will apply this exploration to the selection, reading, response and presentation of another text of their choice. This unit follows the discussion of summer reading texts and will be completed in six weeks. Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 3

4 Stage One: Standards Essential Understandings and Content Standards: English Essential Understandings and Content Standards Reading Essential Understanding #1 Students will understand that successful readers comprehend texts by reading fluently, strategically, and accurately. Content Standards: Students will be able to: Use a variety of comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading Communicate understanding orally and in writing Reading Essential Understanding #2- Students will understand that accomplished readers read a wide range of literature and respond in personal, interpretive, and critical ways. Content Standards: Students will be able to: Form an initial understanding by identifying or inferring relationships among characters, setting, events, and conflicts Develop interpretations by examining text evidence, predicting events, inferring characters motives, and generalizing beyond the text Explain how the theme reflects human nature and/or addresses universal ideas Evaluate literary merit of selected text Demonstrate how literary works reflect the culture that shapes them Reading Essential Understanding #3- Students will understand that accomplished readers make effective decisions, explain complex issues, draw conclusions and solve problems by strategically reading informational texts. Content Standards: Students will be able to: Make effective decisions using explicit and implicit information from text Solve problems by connecting background knowledge with new information from the text Evaluate the information in the text to draw logical conclusions Reading Essential Understanding #4- Students will understand that independent reading is a way to explore personal interests, satisfy information needs, and build an understanding of the many dimensions of human experience. Content Standards: Students will be able to: Read across a range of genres Choose appropriately challenging books Define personal taste in reading Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 4

5 Writing Essential Understanding #1- Students will understand that a deliberate processprewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing- is essential to effective writing. Content Standards: Students will be able to: Use one or more effective prewriting strategies in planning and drafting written work Identify, select, and apply the most effective processes to create and present a written, oral, or visual piece Writing Essential Understanding #2- Students will understand that to communicate effectively writers use a wide range of forms Content Standards: Students will be able to: Adjust tone and voice to fit audience and purpose Writing Essential Understanding #4-Students will understand that writing is a way to clarify thinking in all content areas. Content Standards: Students will be able to: Use writing to communicate information, generalizations, theories, and interpretations Use writing for a variety of reflective purposes Technology Essential Understanding #1: Information Accessing- Information skills and strategies are necessary to effectively locate and use resources for solving problems conducting research and pursuing personal interests. Content Standard: Students will demonstrate ability to extract and organize relevant information from a variety of source formats. Students will demonstrate ability to synthesize information to answer a question or support a thesis position. Students will demonstrate ability to analyze quality of information based on timeliness, authority, reliability and relevance. Technology Essential Understanding #2: Communication- Technology can be used to create written, visual, and multimedia products to communicate ideas, information, or conclusions to others. Content Standard: Students will use video, audio, and multimedia tools to create clear and meaningful presentations of ideas. Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 5

6 Unit Outcome Statement As a result of this unit, students will understand that one aspect of good literature is its ability to express universal themes. Through their reading of Fahrenheit 451, students will develop the ability to connect these themes in literature to the human condition and their own lives. Students will then apply this understanding to the selection, reading, analysis and presentation of an independent reading book. Essential Questions How can literature teach us about the issues in our society? How do we make meaningful connections with literature? Knowledge and Skills Knowledge Review of literary terms such as characterization, theme and symbolism Reading strategies such as questioning, drawing inferences and activating relevant prior knowledge Traits of futuristic science-fiction genre General information on and definition of censorship Reading Skills Use a variety of comprehension skills during reading to monitor for understanding (visualizing, retelling, clarifying, predicting) Set a purpose for reading Connect prior knowledge with text to enhance understanding Ask and answer questions before, during, and after reading Use strategies to expand comprehension during and after reading (inferring, summarizing, synthesizing) Use connections (text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-world) to enhance understanding of text Demonstrate comprehension orally and in writing Develop and support a thematic idea through accurate interpretation and reflective thinking throughout the text Generalize enduring themes to contemporary life and times Select significant quotes that show evidence of understanding of text Use text evidence to support inferential thinking Determine if the author s reasoning is logical or emotional Describe a character as either dynamic, static Analyze internal and external conflicts and their resolution Recognize and critique the author s use of literary devices including symbolism, imagery, irony, satire, figurative language, diction, dialogue, allusion Define and explain the concept of human nature (universal traits such as love, kindness, greed, envy etc.) as it relates to the text Distinguish between essential and nonessential information to draw a conclusion Articulate the author s purpose Make judgments about the quality of the text and/or reliability of the author Select appropriately challenging texts for independent reading Demonstrate a sense of purpose for reading Identify favorite reading topics, genres or authors Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 6

7 Writing Skills Take notes, make lists, and/or diagram to generate ideas about a subject or topic Participate in group discussions: acknowledge other points of view, initiate questions, share insights and opinions, and elaborate upon ideas Create outlines, complete a variety of graphic organizers to create an organizing structure appropriate to specific purpose, audience, and context Revise and edit written work to enhance organization and clarity, e.g. selection of form, order, sequence, audience, information, word choice, and sentence structure. Write a response to literature that reflects an initial reaction to the text; uses evidence to defend an interpretation; supports a judgment that is interpretive, analytical, and evaluative; brings personal knowledge that supports understanding of author s intent Write an oral presentation that is informative and clear Use precise language and content specific vocabulary Presentation Skills Creating an effective, organized technology presentation Presentation is engaging and has clear awareness of audience Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 7

8 Stage Two: Assessment Package Authentic Performance Task Goal- The novel Fahrenheit 451 describes a society in crisis because of people s reluctance to read and an organized effort to wipe out literature that provokes thought. You will take ownership of an independently read work and make a presentation that expresses and explains its importance and your appreciation of it. Your presentation will become part of a library exhibit about books and reading. Role- You are a student persuading other students, your teacher, and the school librarian to read and appreciate the book you read. Audience- Other students, teachers, and librarians Situation- Your Powerpoint presentation needs to include the following: Title, author and genre Background on author Reasons for book selection Plot summary Description of main characters Universal themes Connections- personal, text-to-text, text-to-world Pictures that represent theme and/or character Product/Performance and Purpose: You will construct and present a Powerpoint presentation which explains your reasons for selecting your text and clearly expresses the importance and value of the book. The librarians will use your presentation to order books and to prepare an exhibit in the library. Standards and Criteria for Success: Your presentation shows a thorough understanding of the plot, characters, themes and importance of the work. It should include important background information about the author and the history of the book. Through your presentation, your reasons for selecting and recommending the book are clear and convincing. Your presentation should be organized and your delivery should be engaging. Tests, Quizzes, and Other Quick and Ongoing Checks for Understanding Reading quizzes: students will take quizzes that assess their initial understanding of Fahrenheit 451 in order to ensure that students are ready to engage in an in-depth analysis of the reading. Reading/Thinking Guides: Students will complete close reading guides designed to move students through multiple layers of thinking. Reading Strategies: Students will practice collaborative and independent reading strategies for Fahrenheit 451 in order to improve literal and analytical levels of understanding. Reader response: students will analyze quotes from Fahrenheit 451 in order to demonstrate development of their interpretations of character and theme. In-class essay: o Developing an Interpretation/ Making a Connection: What does Fahrenheit 451 say about people and society in general? Be sure to make a specific connection between the book and our society or people in our society. o Demonstrating a Critical Stance: Explain, using specific details from the text, why Fahrenheit 451 is an effective and important book for students to read. Final Reflection: Students will answer the prompt- Why is Fahrenheit 451 included in the English 200 curriculum. For the Independent Reading project, students will submit a Book Proposal explaining their rationale for the selection of their independent reading book. Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 8

9 Independent Reading Update: students will demonstrate an initial understanding of their book, as well as the development of a deeper interpretation. Projects, Reports, Etc. Censorship Research Report: Students will read an article about a specific incident of censorship of literature. Students will identify specific information about the incident and either defend or refute the reasoning behind the censorship. Students will then be asked to connect the censorship incident to a specific quote from Fahrenheit 451. Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 9

10 Stage Three: Learning Experiences and Instruction Learning Experiences and Instruction Guiding Questions Instructional Strategies Checking for Understanding Lesson Topic: The Importance of Ideas and of the Literature and Art that Express Them Hook: What literature, music, or art that you pay attention to expresses something so important that modern life would be poorer if it were to disappear? Why have you been required to read certain books? Which of these required reading books do you think are important? Which of these books do you think should not be required? What should guide the decision to require the reading of a book? Class discussion of question one. Students will write quick, immediate responses to the guiding questions. Students will share their responses in small groups. Each group will select one work that they feel should continue to be required and one work that should not be required. They will explain their choices. Each student or group will submit an answer to the last guiding question that avoids cynicism and demonstrates serious reflective thinking. Lesson Topic: Making Inferences based on Pre-reading Strategy( 1st 7-10 pages) Hook : What can we tell about this book from its cover? What questions do you have about the book because of the cover? Into which genre does this book fit into What expectations do you have for the book based on its genre? Students will individually answer the guiding questions. The class will fill in a KWL chart, using the information from their question responses. The class will read the first 7-10 pages of the novel and fill in any new information on the KWL chart Exit ticket- Students will write down the name of the main character of the novel, his occupation and a description of the setting of the novel. Initial Response to the opening of Fahrenheit 451. Best responses will provide models for revision. Lesson Topic: Initial Characterization (to page 18) Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 10

11 What do we know about Guy Montag? How do Clarisse and Mildred differ? Concept web for Guy which includes characteristics of him and quotes from the text to support. Venn Diagram of Clarisse and Mildred which will include evidence from the text to support their findings. Open mind for Guy, Clarisse, or Mildred which will include images and words which represent what the student has learned about the character. Which character(s) seem happy? Lesson Topic: Character Development (pages 18-32) What is Guy s internal conflict? Students will make inferences Which other characters cause and use quotes to answer the the development of Guy s guiding questions and support internal conflict? How? their inferences. Exit question: Who or what do you think is most strongly influencing Guy s internal conflict? Why? How does the author show Guy s growing internal conflict? The information that the students gather will be put onto a graphic organizer. Lesson Topic: Conflict and Thematic Development (pages 32-48) How does the old woman s suicide affect Guy? How do you Teacher reviews definition of know? internal and external conflict. What have we learned about the society in which Guy lives? What conflict in society is becoming evident? How does external conflict create internal conflict? In what ways is Mildred symbolic of their society? What does Clarisse seem to represent? Hook: Students will brainstorm situations in which moral, political, personal, or social conflicts cause internal conflict. Student groups create charts elaborating on the connection between setting and conflict. Students will select the quote or passage that they feel most clearly shows how the woman s suicide affects Guy. Students share charts with groups or with the entire class. Students consult each other s charts and revise as needed. Teacher checks charts. Teacher will select three quotes from student work; students write a CAPT-like response explaining what one of the quote shows about character or theme. Best responses will provide models for revision. Lesson Topic: Conflict and Thematic Development (pages 48-68; end part 1) Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 11

12 What theme or themes are developing in the novel? How is the author developing these themes? What connections exist between the society in the book and our own society? Hook: What is necessary for happiness? What is happiness supposed to mean in the society in the book? Who is happy in the book? What is it about this society that is interfering with Guy s happiness? Theme worksheet which entails finding evidence of themes in the book and in our society. Students will complete webs that show what they think is needed for happiness and what the people in control of the society in F451 think is needed for happiness. Student groups will develop responses to passages from the text that address the issue of happiness. Students will determine how these passages relate to present day America. Students will create a visual representation of their definition of happiness. Students will write a response to the last two guiding questions, using specific evidence from group work and the text to support their responses. Quiz on Section 1 of the book will provide check on students initial understanding of plot, character, setting, and theme. Lesson Topic: Censorship Hook: Why have certain communities censored certain works? Why have books been banned in Fahrenheit 451? How are real instances of censorship related to the censorship in Fahrenheit 451? Library session on accessing information about examples of censorship of literature. Discussion of passage in F451 in which Beatty defends book burning.(54-61) Checklist in which students define censorship, note example, cause, and response. Written report that includes details about the incident of censorship they researched. Students will connect their example with a passage from pages Best responses will provide models for revision. Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 12

13 Lesson Topic: External Influences on Character (Part 2-pgs ) What is the nature of the relationship between Mildred and Guy? How does the author show the nature of this relationship? How is Guy attempting to resolve his internal conflict? Hook: Recall a time when you tried to make someone understand something that you feel strongly about. Dramatize your story with a partner. Explain your understanding of why the person was unable to see things your way. Perform the scene between Mildred and Guy in which Guy tries to explain to Mildred why he wants to read books.(72-77) Self-made Reading quiz in which students ask and answer their own questions about plot, character and theme. Lesson Topic: The Role of Literature in Society(pgs ) Hook: What gives books power? Why are books hated and feared in the society of Fahrenheit 451? What is Faber s explanation for the troubled state of society? What does Faber say is necessary for change? Read aloud, think aloud (pgs 81-88) : Teacher will model first few pages. Class will decide the three most important ideas in this section. Rehearsal for in-class response: Students will continue in small groups. Each group will determine the three most important ideas in their passage. In-class response: What does the following quote say about character and/or theme? So now do you see why books are hated and feared? They show the pores in the face of life. The comfortable people want only wax moon faces, poreless, hairless, expressionless (83). Best responses will provide models for revision. Lesson Topic: Symbolism(pgs ) How does the author use symbols to develop theme? How does this section of the text connect to the title of Part 2: The Sieve and the Sand? Review definition of symbolism. Student groups will determine the symbolism of 2-3 of the following: Mrs. Phelps, Mrs. Bowles, the mechanical hound, Mildred, the poker game, the books he buries in the bushes, fire, Clarisse McClellan, the poem Guy reads, the snow, water, and the salamander. Group presentations of symbols. Students will explain the symbolism and support their answers with specific examples from the text. Quiz on Section 1 of the book will provide check on students initial understanding of plot, character, setting, and theme. Students will create a chart for their symbols which will include a picture of the object and a statement about what it represents. Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 13

14 Lesson Topic: Literary Devices and Character Motivation-Part 3 (pgs ) What literary devices does the author use to enhance the story? What motivates the characters actions in this section? Students will find an example of symbolism, irony, and imagery in pages Class discussion of characters actions and motivations. Lesson Topic: Denouement (pgs ). How does the author build suspense as the story approaches its conclusion? How does the author continue to reinforce the themes of the society? Flow chart of Guy s escape, including the aspects of society that he encounters as he flees: Lesson Topic: Resolution of Conflict (pgs ) What causes Montag to feel reborn in this section? How does this rebirth provide the beginning of the resolution of his conflicts? How does Granger convey the responsibility of enlightenment to Guy? What is it in stories that cause some people to make the story part of their lives? Class discussion of the river, Montag s death and meeting with Granger. Hook: Give students pictures of people dressed up like characters from Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter and other cult classics. Ask students to explain this type of behavior. Relate behavior to Granger s conversation with Guy. Reading quiz to check for initial understanding of events leading to the end of the book. Lesson Topic: Evaluation(pgs ). As a reader, what do you expect from the conclusion of a story? Can an open-ended conclusion be effective? Student survey- Do you prefer all the pieces of the puzzle to fit together at the end or do you prefer having some questions left unanswered? Discussion of survey results in relation to the conclusion of Fahrenheit 451, which provides rehearsal for writing assignment. Taking a Critical Stance: Students will respond, in writing, to the question, is the ending of the story effective? Why? In-class essay (described in assessment package) Best responses will provide models for revision. Lesson Topic: Independent Reading Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 14

15 How does a reader find a book to read? What is interesting or important about the book I ve chosen to read? What ideas, influences, interests, concerns, or experiences of the author affected the writing of this book? How do you account for the critical and popular response to this book? What is the essential conflict in this book? How is the conflict developed? How does the author develop interesting, dynamic characters? How does setting affect other elements of the story such as character or theme? How does the way a story is told affect the reading of the book? What elements of genre influence the plot, characterizations, and themes of the book? Review with students the passage from Fahrenheit 451 when Guy realizes the thinking that goes into books: And for the first time I realized that a man was behind each one of the books. A man had to think them up on paper. And I d never even thought that thought before (51-52). Library: One day. Choosing books. Students come to library with at least one recommendation for a book or author. Librarian, teacher, and students recommend books for individual reading. One week into project, students return to library for follow up lesson on finding information about books. Students submit initial proposal that names the book they plan to read and explains why they are reading it. Reading Update: Students fill out organizer about their reading that asks for characters, setting, conflict, and theme. Final or revised graphic organizer or checklist for students to compile and organize information and insights about their book. Outline of background information about the author and the book. Outline detailing the reader s interpretative and critical responses to the story. In-class reading assessment: Making a Connection. Paragraph long response: What does this book say about people? What other book, story, play, movie, or personal experience does this theme remind you of? Explain. Lesson Topic: PowerPoint Skills Review What are the elements of an effective PowerPoint presentation? Review of PowerPoint basics. Lesson on adding menus and buttons (with tech ed help) Students will practice presenting their PowerPoint projects in small groups. The group members will provide feedback to each presenter. After making two or three slides, students will rehearse their incomplete slide shows for classmates and teacher. Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 15

16 Appendices Complete set of Essential understandings for your discipline Any student work sheets List of resources including texts, videos, field trips, web sites, etc. Ted Bartolotta and Melissa Lukanik June 2005 Farmington Public Schools 16