Building Background Knowledge

ESSENTIAL QUESTION How can the resources of http://mypodcast.com/ be used to teach characterization and visual literacy? STANDARDS New York City Technology Standards for Students Social Studies The Arts ELA DO NOW: Write down five ways that you believe an iPod may be used to enhance your learning experience. KEY CONCEPTS: Genocide, Racism, Stereotyping, Prejudice, Change,Belief System SS SKILLS: Getting, Using and Presenting Information; Participating in Interpersonal Group ELA SKILLS: Read, Write, Listen, Speak, Interpret, Research,Organize, Synthesize OVERVIEW The ability to activate schema is one of the most important contributors to reading comprehension. In order for a reader to truly comprehend what he/she has read, he must be able to activate schema or prior knowledge. Making connections (text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world) is an effective way of activating schema. If the child’s prior knowledge is limited, the teacher has to create learning experience for the child that will serve to build his schema. Literature does not operate in a vacuum. All literary works have a setting which often times influence the other elements in that work. Writers too, are often times, directly or indirectly influenced by the context in which they work. Knowledge of these factors will help the reader to better understand choice of subject matter, choice of vocabulary, and much more. PRIOR KNOWLEDGE: Research Note-taking Essay writing Writing for specific audience DEVELOPMENT RESEARCHING: Teacher will work with the Library Media Specialist to help students gather background information on the holocaust, Wiesel, Hitler, Judaism, World War II, and other relevant information. DISCUSSING: Students will return to their small group, where they will discuss the information gathered. BRAINSTORMING: Students will brainstorm possible ways of presenting their information. It could be in the form of a radio interview, role-play, panel discussion, and so forth. SYNTHESIZING: Students will compile their information to produce the transcript for their radio program. REVISE and EDIT for clarity: This will be done within the groups, but students may ask an outside group to give their work the final edit. RECORDING: Students will practice recording their voices on the CD Player provided. Once satisfied, students will go to the teacher’s station for assistance with uploading their program. If the class has enough computers, then the recording could be done directly to the computer. UPLOADING: Students will upload their final product to our Classroom Radio. PLAYBACK: Teacher will use a multimedia projector to playback student’s recording from the class’ site PEER EVALUATION: Students will use the attached rubric to evaluate each group’s performance. SUMMARY Students will share what they believe to be the main idea of the lesson. Additionally, they will highlight areas of strength in the lesson, and areas that they believe require more work. Teacher will close by explaining what is required for the following day’s homework. HOMEWORK Reflection on Wiesel's Night: Today you created Podcasts in your groups in order to Build Background Knowledge on Wiesel's Night. Visit the class’ blog and post your reflection on today's lesson. Your reflection may take the form of a poem, a drawing, or any other means you see fit. . RESOURCES Teacher-made charts Teacher Students Computer (laptop) Microphone CD Player with mike (optional) Multimedia Projector Speakers Rubric http://mypodcast.com/ Elie Wiesel Foundation Elie Wiesel’s Biography Classroom Radio Activating Schema Holocaust Memorial Museum The Complete Guide to the Holocaust The Holocaust CATEGORY 4 3 2 1 Content… Evidence of Research The information conveys an in-depth knowledge of the topic The information conveys a general knowledge of the topic The information shows that the students have a basic understanding of the topic The information shows that the students have very little knowledge of the topic Audience Appropriate Presentation of content demonstrates a keen awareness of the audience Presentation of content demonstrates an awareness of the audience Presentation of content occasionally demonstrates an awareness of the audience Audience are ignored for the most part Appropriate Language Use sophisticated language throughout the presentation. Presentation is free of careless errors Use sophisticated language for the most part. Presentation has very few errors Standard language used with minimal errors Presentation is riddled with syntactic and vocabulary errors. Speech Defects Presentation is free of pauses, and defects like (um, arm, like, aint, I be) Presentation as less than five pauses, and less than five defects like (um, arm, like, aint, I be) Presenters pause in excess of 8 times, and frequently display speech defects like (um, arm, like, aint, I be) Presentation is riddled with pauses, and defects like (um, arm, like, aint, I be) Intonation and Mannerism Excellent: Presentation is audible, respectful and coherent Very Good: Presentation is generally audible, respectful and coherent Fair: Presentation is sometimes audible, respectful and coherent Poor: Presentation is inaudible, lack of respect for listeners and lacks coherence This rubric will be used for peer evaluation at the end of activity six.

Character Delineation

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How can the photo-sharing website http://www.flickr.com/ be used to teach characterization and enhance visual literacy?

AIM: How does Wiesel use characterization to provide information about the mind-altering effects of the holocaust?

DO NOW: Examine the picture of the old man above (in previously assigned groups). Write a quatrain that is inspired by this photo. The most appropriate poem will be used with this photograph to introduce the characterization segment of our class’webcast.

Pain and anguish in every line

Suffering untold within each eye.

What can be said to make you see

How devastating life is to me?

-Patricia Joseph-Cockburn

KEY CONCEPTS: Genocide, Racism, Stereotyping, Prejudice, Change, Belief System

SS SKILLS: Getting, Using and Presenting Information; Participating in Interpersonal Group

ELA SKILLS: Read, Write, Listen, Speak, Interpret, Visualize, Analyze, Synthesize

OVERVIEW

In this lesson students are expected to examine the mind-altering effects of the concentration camp experience. They will achieve this end by comparing and contrasting different passages that one could use to delineate some key characters in Wiesel’s memoir.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE:

Students have been exposed to different poetic forms, including the quatrain; also, they were previously taught the different types of character, and ways of delineating characters. Students have also covered the concept and principles of the different types of essays. The chart below was used as a part of a previous lesson:

MOTIVATION

How often do you use a person’s appearance to influence what you think about that individual? Share an experience with the class, and state what caused you to assume what you did about the individual. Was your first impression accurate?

DEVELOPMENT

1. Teacher will explain that more and more we are becoming a visual society. Advertisers are aware of this and that has contributed to the explosion of graphic campaigns in that industry. Furthermore, one of the seven habits of a good reader is the ability to visualize what one has read.
2. Upon completion of the DO NOW activity, at least one member of each group will share a poem that was produced in the group.
3. Teacher will try to build students’ awareness of the power of the visual image by discussing the motivational question.
4. SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY: Students will work with their peers to identify passages from the text that illustrate character growth, or character change.

PEER SHARE: Students will share information with the rest of the class. They will identify their character, and point out how he/she has changed with time. They must state whether or not the change is positive. Students will use selections from the text to support their opinion. During the share out session, the whole class is invited to offer positive criticisms or comments.

1. Students will then be asked to use the same selection to reproduce a piece of work in another genre. Students have the choice as to whether they want to create a graphic novel, or a magazine cover that depicts the essence of the passage.

SUMMARY

Students will share what they believe to be the main idea of the lesson. Additionally, they will highlight areas of strength in the lesson, and areas that they believe require more work. Teacher will close by explaining what is required for the following day’s homework.

HOMEWORK

“If everyone chooses to mind his own business, unthinkable atrocities will continue to be a sub-culture of modern society.” - Patricia Joseph

Restate and explain the quote; then write a persuasive essay in which you state to what extent you agree or disagree with this statement. Use Wiesel’s Night, and connect the events described therein to current events as a means to support your position on the issue.

RESOURCES

• Teacher-made charts
• Copy of text
• Teacher
• Students

• Use this website if you wish to create caption for your images in order to transform it into a Graphic Novel: http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/captioner.php

• Use this website if you wish to design a magazine cover that will effectively represent Night: http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/magazine.php

STANDARDS

New York City Technology Standards for Students

Social Studies

The Arts

ELA

GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION RUBRIC

Created by Patricia Joseph

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Relevance	The information and the graphic convey an in-depth knowledge of the text.	The information and the graphic convey a general knowledge of the text.	The information and the graphic show that the students have a basic understanding of the text.	The information and the graphic show that the students have very little knowledge of the text.
Labels or Captions	The labels and captions convey an in-depth understanding of the text, and make use of vocabulary that is peculiar the text. Labels are legible.	The labels and captions convey a general understanding of the text, and make use of some vocabulary that is peculiar the text. Labels are legible.	The labels and captions convey a basic understanding of the text, and make little use of vocabulary that is peculiar the text. Labels are barely legible.	The labels and captions show that the very little understanding of the text, and make no use of vocabulary that is peculiar the text. Labels are not legible.
Appropriate Graphics	Use of a variety of graphics that are relevant, and that effectively convey the meaning clearly without words.	Use of a few graphics that are relevant, and that convey the meaning clearly with little use of words.	Use of a few graphics that are relevant, but fails to convey meaning clearly without words.	Use of graphics that does not aid in the comprehension of the text.
Appearance	Graphic is neat and clean and extremely attractive.	Graphic is clean and fairly attractive.	Graphic is neat and clean.	Graphic is very untidy.
Conventions	Grammar/Mechanics show that the child edit and revise work.	Grammar/Mechanics quite good. Less than 4 errors.	Grammar/Mechanics somewhat weak. 5 to 8 errors.	Grammar/Mechanics poor. Word riddled with errors.

This rubric will be used for peer evaluation at the end of activity six.