Crystal's+Page

=LESSON PLANS= LESSON 1 - Resource ("How a Poem Happens" blog)

__**Instructional Context:**__ This lesson is designed for a 7th-grade English-language arts class. It is part of a 5-week unit called “Influences.” For this unit, students will learn about how people, things, and events influence them, while reading the book, Bad Boy. In this lesson, we’ll consider how our families influence us, and write a poem about it in the style of Li-Young Lee.

__**Instructional Purpose:**__ Unit Title: 7th Grade Influences Unit Goal/Objective: SWBAT write a poem in the style of poet Li-Young Lee. CA Content Standards: Assessment: Rubric: See attached.
 * Reading 1.1 – Identify idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes in prose and poetry.
 * Reading 1.3 – Clarify word meanings through the use of definition, example, restatement, or contrast.
 * Personal poem about family in the style of Li-Young Lee.
 * Reflection on the process of writing the poem

__**Resources:**__ Copies of “The Gift” for each student Paper Pencils Overhead projector Computer Vocabulary Knowledge Rating worksheets for each student Poem outlines for homework assignment “How a Poem Happens” blog (http://howapoemhappens.blogspot.com/) - Tech rich sample

__**Instructional Activities:**__ (50 minutes total) 1. Respond to a “do-now” written on the whiteboard. “Who or what influences you? How?” (5 minutes) 2. Read “The Gift” together. The teacher will begin by reading the first stanza, and then call on other students to read the remaining three stanzas aloud. (6 minutes) 3. Write down, on an index card placed you, how well you understand the poem, on a scale of 1 to 5. (1 minute) 4. Fill out a vocabulary knowledge rating worksheet whether or not you have seen or heard the words listed before. Then guess the words’ meanings based on the way they are used in the poem, and mark your answers on the vocabulary knowledge rating worksheet. (10 minutes) 5. Split into groups of three based on the seating chart. 6. Discuss the meanings of the vocabulary words, and update your vocabulary knowledge rating worksheets to reflect your new understanding. (10 minutes) 7. Discuss the definitions as a class. (5 minutes) 8. Reread the poem silently once more, and then rate how well you now understand the poem, on a scale of 1 to 5, on your index cards. (5 minutes) 9. Visit http://howapoemhappens.blogspot.com to read about the process of writing poetry. (8 minutes)

__**Homework:**__ Use the provided outline to write your own family influence poem in the style of Li-Young Lee. Write a 1-2 paragraph reflection on your writing process, answering the following questions:
 * When was this poem composed? How did it start?
 * How many revisions did this poem undergo? How much time elapsed between the first and final drafts?
 * How did this poem arrive at its final form? Did you consciously employ any principles of technique?

**Vocabulary Knowledge Rating**
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
 * **Vocabulary Word** || **Have you seen or heard this word? Y or N** || **Guess the word’s meaning based on the way it is used in the poem** || **After discussing with your group members, what do you think the word means now?** || **Write the dictionary definition of the word.** ||
 * recited ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * sliver ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * recall ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * measures ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * tenderness ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * discipline ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * shard ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * christen ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ore ||  ||   ||   ||   ||

**Homework:**
= = = = = = For your homework assignment, you will write a poem about your family (mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, aunt or uncle, guardian, etc.) in the style of Li-Young Lee. Each stanza must follow the outline below.

The Gift by Li-Young Lee

To pull the metal splinter from my palm my father recited a story in a low voice. I watched his lovely face and not the blade. Before the story ended, he'd removed the iron sliver I thought I'd die from.

I can't remember the tale, but hear his voice still, a well of dark water, a prayer. And I recall his hands, two measures of tenderness he laid against my face, the flames of discipline he raised above my head.

Had you entered that afternoon you would have thought you saw a man planting something in a boy's palm, a silver tear, a tiny flame. Had you followed that boy you would have arrived here, where I bend over my wife's right hand.

Look how I shave her thumbnail down so carefully she feels no pain. Watch as I lift the splinter out. I was seven when my father took my hand like this, and I did not hold that shard between my fingers and think, Metal that will bury me, christen it Little Assassin, Ore Going Deep for My Heart. And I did not lift up my wound and cry, Death visited here! I did what a child does when he's given something to keep. I kissed my father.

For the first stanza, write about a memory you have of a family member (mother, father, aunt, uncle, etc.) teaching you or helping you with something.

For this stanza, describe what he/she sounded like, smelled like, felt like, using metaphor.

For the third stanza, write about where you are in the present, reminiscing on that past experience.

For the final stanza, write about putting what you’ve learned from your family member to good use. Tell the audience to watch you as you do what you were taught successfully.

**Rubric**

 * **Evaluative Criteria Category** || **4 (Sophisticated)** || **3 (Good)** || **2 (Acceptable)** || **1 (Struggling)** ||
 * Memory (stanza 1) || Student wrote about a memory he/she has of a family member (mother, father, aunt, uncle, etc.) teaching him/her or helping him/her with something. || Student wrote about a memory he/she has of a family member, but it wasn’t about a family member teaching him/her or helping him/her with something specific. || Student wrote about a memory he/she has of a family member, but it is unclear who he/she is writing about. || Student did not write about a family member. ||
 * Metaphor (stanza 2) || Student used metaphor to describe what the family member sounded like, smelled like, or felt like. || Student described what the family member sounded like, smelled like, or felt like, but didn’t use metaphor. || Student used non-descriptive words to describe a family member. || Student did not describe the family member. ||
 * Reflection (stanza 3) || Student connected the memory to the present. || Student reminisced on the memory, but did not connect the memory to the present. || Student wrote about the present, but does not connect it to the memory. || Student did not mention the memory or connect it to the present. ||
 * Conclusion (stanza 4) || Student wrote about putting what he/she has learned from his/her family member to good use. Student told the audience to watch as he/she does what he/she was taught successfully. || Student wrote about putting what he/she has learned from his/her family member to good use, but did not instruct the audience to watch as he/she does what he/she was taught successfully. || Student wrote about how the family member helped him/her, but did not write about using the skill he/she learned from the family member. || Student did not show the impact the family member’s teaching or helping had on him/her. ||
 * Conventions || Poem is nearly error-free (<1 error). || Poem contains minimal mistakes that do not interfere with meaning (<2 errors). || Numerous minor errors often make poem difficult to read. || Many errors in spelling, capitalization, and punctuation often interfere with meaning. ||

LESSON PLAN 2 - Competency (Audacity)

__**Instructional Context:**__ This lesson is designed for a 7th-grade English-language arts class. It is part of a 5-week unit called “Influences.” For this unit, students will learn about how people, things, and events influence them, while reading the book, Bad Boy. Students have been learning about peer pressure techniques and refusal tactics. In this lesson, they’ll demonstrate what they’ve learned by writing responses to “Dear Abby” letters about peer pressure, and recording their responses as podcasts, using Audacity.

__**Instructional Purpose**__ Unit Title: 7th Grade Influences Unit Goal/Objective: SWBAT suggest ways to resist peer pressure. CA Content Standards: Writing 2.4 – Write persuasive compositions: a) State a clear position or perspective in support of a proposition or proposal. b) Describe the points in support of the preposition, employing well-articulated evidence. Assessment: Teacher will review the students’ “Dear Abby” responses and podcasts to determine whether or not students fully grasp the techniques and strategies used in peer pressure. Rubric: See attached.

__**Resources**__**:** Paper Pencils Whiteboard Dry erase markers “Dear Abby” letters “Dear Abby” response Laptops for each student Audacity – tech rich sample

__**Instructional Activities:**__ (50 minutes total) 1. Recall different tactics one could use to resist peer pressure, and write your answers on the whiteboard. (5 minutes) 2. Listen as the teacher introduces “Dear Abby.” (2 minutes) 3. Read the “Dear Abby” letter shown on the overhead projector aloud. (one student) (3 minutes) 4. Read Abby’s response to the letter. (one student) (4 minutes) 5. Read the “Dear Abby” letter in front of you silently. (2 minutes) 6. Identify the technique that is being used to pressure the writer, then write a response to the letter, suggesting tactics the writer could use to resist peer pressure. (13 minutes) 7. Pay attention as the teacher instructs you on how to use Audacity – a student-friendly program used to record and edit sounds or speech. (10 minutes) 8. Work with a partner to create a “Dear Abby” podcast using Audacity. One partner should read the letter, and the other, should read the response. (11 minutes)

**“Dear Abby” letters**

Hey Abby, There's this girl. She's real cool and all that. I'm thinking about asking her out or something, but there's a problem. All my mates would think I'm a total reject if I did. I want to go out with her but I don't want to be excluded or dissed either. I know it's not fair to let that be part of my decision, but when I am dissed I take it seriously. I can't help it, it's just the way I am. I don't want to have to go through that. But I really want that girl, too. Please Help!! What do I do?? Stuck-in-the-Middle

Hey Abby, My boyfriend and I have been going out for over a year. I am pretty conservative with my boundaries and don't want to go past kissing. He tries to persuade me that going further physically in our relationship will bring us closer together and that I need to just trust him on that. We are super close, but still I don't want to go further than kissing even though I really love him. What should I do? I feel like I am letting him down. How do I explain to him that we can have a really serious relationship without going further physically? Confused

Hey Abby, I "had" a friend in school. I'm not sure if I want to be her friend because she ignores me in school and she pressured me into smoking a cig. I wrote that to her in an email and then she said that I was a loser and that she didn't want to be seen with me. Then she posted really nasty stuff about me on her site and she got her friend to post nasty things about me on her site. What should I do? Dazzling Dina

Dear Abby, My friends invited me to a party and they said they will have alcohol and pot there. They keep telling me that I should try some. But, I don’t think I want to because they are bad for your body. But, I’m afraid that if I tell them that they will not want to be my friend anymore. So, I am stuck in the middle and I don’t know what to do. Sincerely, Marie C.

Dear Abby, I have a problem. All my friends have started having sex, and I haven't even been kissed yet. I'm beginning to think that maybe I should tell guys I'm experienced, so I can have sex and be like my friends. What do you think? Out in the Cold Up North

**Rubric**

 * **Evaluative Criteria Category** || **4 (Sophisticated)** || **3 (Good)** || **2 (Acceptable)** || **1 (Struggling)** ||
 * Peer pressure technique || Student identified the peer pressure technique in the letter. || Student mentioned the peer pressure technique in the letter, but did not identify it by name. || Student did not mention the peer pressure technique in the letter, but his/her response demonstrates an understanding of the technique. || Student did not mention or identify the peer pressure technique in the letter. ||
 * Refusal tactic || Student proposed a refusal tactic that makes sense under the circumstances mentioned in the letter, and discussed why that tactic is the best option. || Student proposed a refusal tactic that makes sense under the circumstances of the letter, but did not mention why that tactic is the best option. || Student proposed a refusal tactic, but it is not the best one under the circumstances. Student also did not discuss why their suggestion tactic is the best option. || Student did not propose a refusal tactic. ||
 * Audacity || Student recorded the letter and his/her response using Audacity. || Student recorded only his/her response to the letter. || Student recorded his/her response to the letter, but did so sloppily, and in such a way that it is difficult to hear. || Student did not record the letter or response using Audacity. ||
 * Conventions || Response is nearly error-free (<1 error). || Response contains minimal mistakes that do not interfere with meaning (<2 errors). || Numerous minor errors often make the response difficult to read. || Many errors in spelling, capitalization, and punctuation often interfere with the meaning of the response. ||

= = =WEEK 4 - COMPETENCY (Prezi)=

The students in one of my middle school classes have created tons of PowerPoint presentations, and it's easy to see that they are over them. PowerPoint presentations, though useful, can be very boring to create and watch. Until now, I was unaware that we had other options. Enter Prezi. Prezi is a new program that allows you to create presentations that are interactive and show the audience the whole picture. With Prezi, you can zoom in and out, and easily see how the different ideas connect to each other. Frames can be used to group ideas related by topic.

I found Prezi a little difficult to figure out at first, but immediately noticed how much more fun it is to make a Prezi than a PowerPoint presentation. I think my students will love the freedom Prezi gives them to organize ideas in their own way. I love that those who view my Prezi presentation will never lose sight of the "big picture," since the entire presentation is essential the same "slide." Prezi presentations can be shown manually, or you can put the slides in an order and let them pan over them automatically.

I decided to create a short Prezi presentation based on //The Outsiders.// It's not the best, but it should give you an idea of how Prezi works. I suggest you manually move around the presentation and zoom in and out using your mouse.

@http://prezi.com/rbn9bagdje5z/the-outsiders/

=WEEK 4 - RESOURCES= http://www.yourdailypoem.com/index.jsp http://howapoemhappens.blogspot.com/

One of the resources I explored this week was a blog called "How a Poem Happens." On "How a Poem Happens," poets post their poems, and the site master asks the poet questions about inspiration for the poem, techniques used to write/revise the poem, etc. The site features different types of poems, though they don't seem to be organized in any way other than poet name. I think this blog is a great way to get students acquainted with the process of planning a poem, writing it, and revising it. Most students think that good writers are born, not made, so it's important to show them that even the best writers sometimes scrap their work, revise their work, and build on it over time. I would even consider sending the site master a poem my class has read, and asking if he would interview that poet about the poem (it never hurts to ask, right?).

The second resource I discovered this week was a blog called "Your Daily Poem." "Your Daily Poem" was started by a poet named Jayne who set out to prove to her brother and brother-in-law that poetry could be fun and interesting and enjoyable. Jayne began sending her brother and brother-in-law a poem each day, and before long, many others asked to be added to her email list. That lead Jayne to start "Your Daily Poem." This blog posts a different poem everyday. All of the poems are selected for accessibility and appeal, so even though the topics and styles vary, there is something for everyone each week. I think "Your Daily Poem" is a great classroom asset because it helps demystify poetry and open students' minds to it. Reading a poem to my students each day could be the starting point for discussions about poetry, or could simply be a way to incorporate literature into every lesson. I highly recommend it.

=WEEK 3 - COMPETENCY (Google Lit Trips)=

This week, I learned how to create a Google Lit Trip. Google Lit Trips use Google Earth to show students different locations discussed in a text. They are a great way to help students relate to a text by seeing where it takes place. Each trip is an interactive multimedia experience, and is stored as a KMZ file. Teachers can either show the Lit Trip on an overhead projector, or send it to students' computers for them to access and manipulate themselves. To create or view a Google Lit Trip, you must first download Google Earth. I struggled for over an hour to create the Lit Trip I've attached, based on the memoir, //Bad Boy// by Walter Dean Myers. Google Earth crashed on me, and I lost my trip. Though my Lit Trip is a little rudimentary, I still think it shows you the value of Lit Trips, and the flexibility they give you. I would definitely use them in the classroom, and even perhaps assign students to do them for the books they are reading.

[|Bad Boy.kmz]

For those of you don't want to download Google Earth to see my Lit Trip, I've attached a snapshot below.



If you want to learn how to create Google Lit Trips, I suggest you check out these YouTube videos:

@http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l4y0xfiA3Y @http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chm38KqK4KY&feature=relmfu @http://www.googlelittrips.org/ is a great place to check out other Google Lit Trips, but doesn't offer comprehensive tutorials.

=WEEK 3 - RESOURCES= Google Teacher Newsletter/Google for Educators: [] Carol Tomlinson's blog on differentiation: []

The Google Teacher Newsletter, though helpful, seems a bit out of date. The last edition is from January 25th, 2011. I really like that it includes information about upcoming teaching workshops, though I wish more subjects were represented. Though I’ve signed up for the newsletter, I don’t expect it to be a huge help to me, since it comes so rarely and is so short. Still, I was pleased to see on the last newsletter that Google offers professional development webinars for teachers that shows them how to use Google Apps. Webinar topics include “Managing Google Docs with your classroom” and “Building a class site with Google Sites.” That is something I know a lot of us would benefit from, and since it is an online course, it is accessible to everyone with internet access.

Although I didn’t find the Google Teacher Newsletter particularly helpful, I do think Google for Educators is a good resource. Google for Educators has a ton of useful resources for teachers, including tips on how to use different sites, like Blogger, Page Creater, Picasa, SketchUp, Picnik, and Google Notebook, in the classroom. I especially like the section called “Classroom Activities,” which shows you different activities you can do in your classroom, organized by subject and grade, using Google Apps. I’m always looking for new teaching ideas, so this resource is incredibly valuable to me. I’m particularly interested in learning how to use Google Lit Trips (which I’ll probably do for my competency this week.).

Another resource I explored this week was Carol Tomlinson’s blog about differentiated instruction. I find differentiation to be difficult, so any help I can get in that area is welcome. Erin calls Tomlinson the “guru” of differentiation, and I can see why. Carol has been teaching for 21 years, and is Co-Director of the University of Virginia School of Education’s Institutes on Academic Diversity. Carol defines differentiation as “an approach to teaching that advocates active planning for student differences in classrooms.” It is clear that Tomlinson has a wealth of knowledge on differentiated instruction; I just wish she’d post it online! Her blog has categories like “Articles” and “Presentations,” but the “Articles” page is simple a list of articles that one can look up at the library, not actual articles. I guess Tomlinson’s site is more about directing you to other resources than it is about suggestions for differentiated instruction. Still, I’m considering purchasing one of her books to help me reach as many middle schoolers as possible!

__** WEEK 2 **__ COMPETENCY

This week I discovered Dropbox. With Dropbox, you can save documents on one computer, and access them on any and all linked computers. Dropbox also saves all documents online, so you never have to worry about losing your information if you computer crashes. Any documents, images or folders you add to Dropbox are automatically accessible on all linked computers. To access your documents online, just go to https: // [|www.dropbox.com] // and sign in.

Apparently, my fiancé uses Dropbox to access work files at home. I think Dropbox would be a great resource for group projects. Each student would be responsible for one aspect of the project, and must upload his/her work by a certain time. The teacher could then monitor who’s contributing and who is not.

Each member of the group would then be able to access each other’s work at school or at home. This seems like an ideal resource for students who are too shy to participate in group projects, and would ensure accountability among students. Students could also add their essay drafts to Dropbox, which would get rid of the age-old excuse, “My computer crashed!”

Although you only get two free gigabytes with the free Dropbox account, it should be enough for small classes. If not, you could always delete the work once it is complete to make more room.



RESOURCES

One resource I explored this week was Middleweb. MiddleWeb is a website devoted to improving middle school performance by offering articles, teaching strategies, classroom management suggestions, and listserv conversations where teachers can encourage each other and get help from other teachers.

I especially like the blogs on Middleweb, one of my favorites being “Lessons Learned in the Middle.” The author, Tom Saunders from Maryland, is a middle school teacher and former principal who posts videos, news articles, and teaching strategies related to middle school. As an avid blog reader, I like having an interesting or inspiring article to read each day related to teaching. Some of the other blogs listed are “[|**Engaging Parents in School**],” “The Good Habits Blog,” and “Teaching Isn’t for Wimps.”

I think Middleweb is a great resource for middle school teachers, especially first-year teachers who need all the help and support they can get! I love the idea of asking teachers questions and offering advice on the listserv. I know teachers sometimes feel alone, so creating a sense of community is key. To access Middleweb, go to [|http://www.middleweb.com].

The second resource I discovered is a website called “Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips.” The host of “Grammar Girl” is not a teacher, but a former magazine and technical writer. Grammar Girl offers grammar advice, such as when to use “Like” versus “Such As.” Many of her grammar explanations are recorded, so students can listen to certain lessons and follow along by reading the article. I could see myself using this as a way to incorporate grammar lessons without taking up too much class time. I could tell students to listen to a certain lesson using headphones, and then write a reflection about what they learned. The next day, I could perhaps assign a Do Now that tests students’ knowledge of the grammar rule they learned the day before. Check out Grammar Girl at []

//__**WEEK 1**__// COMPETENCY

This week, I learned how to use Audacity. Audacity is a free open-source software for recording and editing sounds. It is available for both MAC and PC's. With Audacity, sound files are easy to edit using 'cut,' 'paste,' 'delete,' 'undo,' and 'redo,' which is ideal for middle school students who often get easily-frustrated learning new technologies. Audacity allows users to fade volume and change their pitch without changing the speed of the recording.

Audacity could be used in a number of ways in the classroom. For my English language learners, I could record myself reading books and ask them to listen to my recordings using headphones as they follow along with the book. This activity would allow my ELL's to hear the correct pronunciation of words and improve their comprehension.

I could also use Audacity to monitor my students' reading and speaking ability. I could ask students to record themselves weekly reading chapters of a novel, and listen to their recordings to gauge their development.

For more proficient students, I could create a text-tapping activity in which they read a short story that is heavy on sounds, and write their own with sound effects. Students could then record themselves reading their stories, and layer sound effects and/or music on top of the recording. Students could even fade the volume to build suspense, or change the pitch to create different characters. I could then make a CD of students' stories for them to take home.

Overall, I think Audacity is a great resource for the classroom. Although its layout is not the most user-friendly, with a little instruction, I think my middle schoolers would have no problem using it.

I've attached a screenshot of Audacity, and an audio file I created in Audacity as an example.



media type="file" key="The Happy Prince.wav" width="360" height="30"

RESOURCES

The first resource I discovered is ViewPure. ViewPure allows users to watch YouTube videos without comments, suggestions, or advertisements. To use ViewPure, you simply type the URL of the YouTube video you would like to watch and ViewPure cleans it up. ViewPure is a great resource for teachers because it allows us to access YouTube (which honestly has the largest selection of videos) without distracting comments, ads and related videos. At Everett Middle School, YouTube is blocked, which limits the videos students are able to watch. With ViewPure, I could email myself YouTube links, and watch them on the ViewPure website.

Here is the link to a video I accessed using ViewPure.

http://viewpure.com/zanfqBpFBXM

60 Second Recap is another great resource for the classroom, particularly English language arts classes. 60 Second Recap is a website that offers 60-second videos that give overviews, contexts, and plots for classic novels. The videos are made for teens, and are entertaining and short enough to engage them. I would use 60 Second Recap in my classroom to give students an overview of the text before reading, and then as a starting point for discussions about the plot and characters in the text.

60 Second Recap could be a great starting point for students to create their own 60 Second Recaps for books they are reading. Students could then view each other's recaps to decide what book they would like to read next.

Here is an example of a video overview of Night.

http://www.60secondrecap.com/library/night/2///