With family in Gonzales, LA!

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1 Imagination is more important than knowledge. ~Albert Einstein This is one of my favorite quotes. Knowing Einstein was one of the smartest in history, it shows you how important imagination was during his life, especially professionally. With family in Gonzales, LA! Figuring out my professional life has been a wild ride. I struggled academically in undergraduate school not knowing what I wanted to major in. I started out as undecided major for a while until my advisor said I needed to make a decision. I told her I wanted to become a comedian which there was no major for that. After taking a few Biology classes I realized I enjoyed the study of the physical life and living organisms. I started volunteering in an ER and following doctors around observing. While watching a doctor stitch someone bleeding I started sweating and almost fainted. I went back an almost fainted again. After deciding that the medical profession was not for me I decided to finish school and make sure I get my undergraduate degree. Though it was hard completing such difficult classes I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Louisiana State University. A cousin of mine working in Cambodia invited me to visit and I found a program called Volunteer in Conversations with Foreigners teaching English. I enjoyed the program, people, country, and teaching. The program was about three months. Afterward I went back to the USA for a little Myself along with cousin in red dress with strips looking at the balloons with Khmer Buddists Monks walking behind me in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. before leaving for a 10-month volunteer program in Israel called Otzma. During this program I also had the opportunity to teach English. Teaching and helping others learn valuable skills was something really enjoyable to me. I figured out that I should try the teaching world by getting a teaching certificate. I hope I like it and if I end up not liking it I will still use my experience in my classes, especially WB s Writing for Teachers class, and any teaching I may do for my future professional life. At a bus station in Israel about to go on a hiking trip. Eating my tomatoes for nutrition. Taking a break on a hiking trip in northern Israel with friends. Hiking trail is called Nahal Yehudia(Jewish Stream) located in Golan Heights. Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind. ~Albert Einstein Interesting quote from Einstein who was not a very observant Jew but more so secular. I would never teach religion in science class, even in a Jewish private school because I am not a rabbi or expert on the Torah(Jewish bible) but I would encourage students to not forget their religion while doing and/or thinking science.

2 9 th Grade Science Class Subject: Creating and Acting out a Play related to the History of the Atomic Bomb Teacher: Jacob Valentine Fall 2012 Rationale: Overview Students are always learning specific things about the living world in Science. This usually occurs with using lectures, experiments, and exams on the material. I am creating this assignment to challenge my students in being creative by using history of science, having students write a play and acting out this play. This will increase their ability to retain important parts of history and learn about many science ideas. This assignment will push students to think philosophically about the ethical/non-ethical and moral/not moral behavior of working on experiments that may give a country the ability to kill many people with one bomb. Students will also learn about the history of the Atomic Bomb, who built the bomb, who used the bomb, and why the scientists who worked on it regretted creating such a destructive bomb. Students will have fun with this assignment because they will act out the non-fiction play they create. Having fun in school is very important because the more students enjoy school the more they will be engaged, try harder, and look forward to their future assignments. Summary: In my class we studied about atoms, the scientists who worked on the atomic bomb, and many other issues related to the atomic bomb the last two weeks. The assignment for my students this week is writing a non-fiction play using the scientists involved in the process of creating the atomic bomb. Students will use their creative side to make an interesting play about the creation of the atomic bomb and the dropping of it on Hiroshima, Japan during World War II. Each student will pick a character who was instrumental in the making of the atomic bomb. They will write how their character was involved in the making of the atomic bomb or the dropping of the atomic bomb, or the discovery of the splitting of an atom. Students will improve their knowledge about the process of the atom bomb and how so many scientists were involved in the making of the atom bomb. Students will write the play from the beginning of when scientists were experimenting on atoms to the letters scientists sent to the president of the US to not drop the bomb. Objectives: Students will improve their writing skills and their creativity while writing their character s part. Students will discover and learn about scientists in great detail. Writing a play and acting it out will help students remember what they have learned.

3 Writing for a play and acting it out will be fun for the students which will get them to stay interested in learning more in science. Students will build classroom chemistry by interacting with each other no matter how diverse they are. Students will work on team building skills when pulling all of their written parts together to create an awesome play. Materials and Resources: School: Computer lab to do more research on the scientists they choose. Teacher: Will help students answer questions about how best to put their play together and with their clothes to act the play out. Student: Their textbook, notes from last chapter, paper to write ideas down and write their part down. Length of Curriculum: 1 to 2 weeks depending on the pace of the play developing. Literacy Strategy: Brainstorming with the class about the best way to pull their ideas together and their parts for a wonderful play. Formative Assessment: Students will get participation points for helping other students with their parts and working hard on their own. Summative Assessment: Quality and effort students put in their part they wrote and acted. Use a rubric on their final draft to grade them.

4 9th Grade Science Class Subject: Creating and Acting out a Play related to the History of the Atomic Bomb Teacher: Jacob Valentine Fall 2012 LESSON PLAN 1: DAY 1 of Unit: Beginning of The Atomic Bomb Play Summary: I will introduce the unit by reminding students the ideas related to the atom, atomic bomb, and the scientists and others who were involved in the making of the atom bomb. I have an awesome handout to hand to the students that covers the overall curriculum. I will challenge the students to start on a unit that will engage them by creating a play. Students will have a graphic organizer to organize their thoughts on paper. Objectives: Students will get their creative side going in science class by having to research and get to know someone that was involved in the making/dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Students will improve their thinking and team work skills by helping each other come up with ideas for the characters that should be included in the play by brainstorming. Materials Needed: One handout for each student of the class, one graphic organizer planning chart for each student of the class, notes from last chapter, textbook, computer. Phase I: Explain the overall assignment and go over rubric to know what students need to do to get a certain grade. Give handout to students and introduce unit. Review last chapter with class. Engage students to see what they remembered from previous chapter. Phase II: Brainstorm with class the many different characters that could be included in the play. Make sure the characters on my list were mentioned. I will pick which student will write and perform a certain character knowing who will be good for what part. Also, to keep students from fighting over parts. Phase III: Have students start researching their specific parts I give them. 15 minutes before the end of class give the students a graphic organizer planning chart to have the students write down on paper and get them to focus on what they are doing. The graphic organizer has them answer questions about their character. Ask students if they have questions about the assignment. Formative Assessment: Mark down which students participate in discussion and brainstorming sessions.

5 9th Grade Science Class Subject: Creating and Acting out a Play related to the History of the Atomic Bomb Teacher: Jacob Valentine Fall 2012 LESSON PLAN 2: Middle of Curriculum Summary: Students are finishing up writing their parts and starting to practice their parts. Objectives: Students have been improving their writing by writing their parts. Students have been working on team building skills by working with others students to improve everyone s parts and thinking about the order the parts should go in. Students are improving their reading skills by practicing their parts. Students will use their creative side again by working on props and costumes for the play. Materials Needed: Acting clothes and other items from theatre department for students to pick from. Paper, glue, scissors, and other material for students to make props. Phase I: Have students who have finished their parts help other students. Phase II: I will help students with the order of who says what and when they say it. Students will practice their parts in front of other students and me. I will have student also pick clothes that they would like to wear to make their character come more alive. Phase III: Have students turn in a rough draft. I will help correct some of their work if needed and show them where they can improve. Students will continue on their work and try to finish up and get to a final draft in the next couple of days. Formative Assessment: See how well students help other students and how much they work they put in their rough draft.

6 9th Grade Science Class Subject: Creating and Acting out a Play related to the History of the Atomic Bomb Teacher: Jacob Valentine Fall 2012 LESSON PLAN 3: Putting on a Performance Summary: Students have completed their final drafts of writing their parts. They have practiced their parts at school with uniform in the theatre. Students are ready to come together to complete the curriculum and put on a performance for the school. Objectives: Students become teachers and actors at the same time while putting on a play for the school. Students have really gotten to know the scientists by this time and have been challenged to think about if the atomic bomb was the right thing to do. Materials Needed: Acting clothes, clean stage, and props in place in the theatre. Phase I: Gather students and tell them to do their best and make sure all props are in place. Start the play with an announcement about how hard the students worked and how they expect silence and respect during the play. Phase II: Students perform play. Phase III: Students get a standing ovation, change back into school clothes and drop acting clothes off in theatre and go back to classroom. I have students talk about what they thought of the play and what they think about the dropping of the atomic bomb. Formative Assessment: Students graded on the performance in theatre and participation in classroom after play.

7 Come be a scientist in the theatre for this assignment! Research, write, and act out your part with the rest of the Next you will research and write your part using good writing techniques and creativity. Also being truthful to the kind of scientist/other character you are representing is important. First you will you will pick a scientist or assistant or someone involved in the making of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. We also need someone to play President Harry Truman s part too because he decided to ultimately drop the bomb. Finally, you will act out your part along with the rest of the class and come out of the assignment thinking about if would you have been for or against the atomic bomb being dropped.

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9 Rubric for Students Summative Assessment Making Bricks Making a Wall Making a Hospital Grammer/Punctuation More than 8 mistakes Bet. 5-8 Mistakes. Good but could be improved. Not many mistakes. Very clear part and easily understandable. Helping other students 0-5 Not helping others much Helping others somewhat. Students use time when they are finished to help students Helping others a lot. Students help others in class but also do work at home so they finish their some of their work outside of class. Creativity 0 Not much creativity. Not into character or writing an interesting part More Creativity. Lots of interesting lines while also being true to the real person Lots of Creativity. Very interesting writing and creative while performing. Being in the moment while acting. Performance 0-9 Doesn t Care and not enthusiastic. Doesn t remember any of their part Talks clear but doesn t remember part very well and has to keep looking at their part Lots of enthusiasm and cares very much. Practiced a lot, remembers their part very well Total Score(out of 80)

10 US President Harry Truman Graphic Organizer Name Date Planning Chart for your Character Circle or write your purpose for writing in the first column. Answer the questions in the second column. Topic Circle one. to tell a real story to tell a made-up story to describe a person, place, or thing to explain how to do something to find something out to give an opinion to ask something other Write answers to these questions. 1. Which character do I want to be? 2. What does the audience already know about my character? 3. What do I want them to know about my character? 4. What part of my character would interest them most? Japanese Bomb Victim