miss elizabeth swoboda - umsl

Miss Elizabeth Swoboda

Bio: I am a work in progress. To some extent, we are all a summation of our

experiences. Coming from a 225 acre farm where I was homeschooled up until college,

my experiences and point of view are a little out of the ordinary for most people. I feel

this uniquely prepares me to see the world differently and bring that outlook to the

field of education. I have returned to my alma mater, UM- St. Louis, as a graduate

student working toward her teaching certification in English, although I plan to take

the PRAXIS in Music and drama as well. I graduated May 2010 Magna Cum

Laude with a BA in English, Music minor, and Creative writing certificate. In my

downtime I love to write fiction. I am also a certified trainer and server at Red Lobster

(where we SEA food differently!). I live in St. Louis and grow zinnias, freesias, and

morning glories outside my window while the weather allows. Having been playing the

piano and singing for almost as long as I can remember, music is one of the real joys in

my life. My family is very large and includes my boyfriend of four years and his two

sons. I can not wait for my chance to share my enthusiasm and outlook with high school

students. While working toward my certification I have applied for substitute teaching

positions so that day will be arriving soon! The path my life has taken has been

unexpected, however; I meet each curve in the road with excitement and confidence

that around the bend will be a challenge that I am equal to.

My Mission Statement: I am on a quest to get people of all ages excited about the

search for knowledge and rediscover the joy of learning. In today’s world of instant

gratification, the “answer” is often doled out and, while the “answer” might be correct,

it is incomplete and lacking context. I believe that the most valuable answer leads to

more questions. Questions are wonderful! I want a classroom where together we will

learn and eventually get to a point where I, as the teacher, can say, “I don’t know

personally, but let’s find out!”

Thought to hold up to the light:

“This day before dawn I ascended a hill and look'd at the crowded heaven,

And I said to my spirit When we become the enfolders of those orbs, and the

pleasure and knowledge of every thing in them, shall we be fill'd and

satisfied then?

And my spirit said No, we but level that lift to pass and continue beyond.

You are also asking me questions and I hear you,

I answer that I cannot answer, you must find out for yourself.”

~Walt Whitman

Work completed in English 4880:

My List of Nothing in Particular:

List of Nothing in Particular

Life Lessons I Learned Being a Goat Wrangler

Elizabeth Swoboda

English 4880 Final Draft

Sept. 29, 2011

Life Lessons I Learned Being a Goat Wrangler

I. How to Act or the Paint

Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.

~Albert Camus

I walked toward the front of class to hand in my completed MAP test,

instinctually avoiding the leg that swung out to trip me. I still stumbled. “Spazoid,”

someone offered from the back and the small titters of laughter that swept the room was a

wave that carried me in its wake and beat against my back as I handed the test into the

monitor. It was done.

It was only one day every year or so. I think when depended on whether anyone

had driven by the farm, saw children outside during school hours and called DFS. The

first time, when I was eight, I approached the day with excitement. I was going to school

like the ‘regular’ kids! By the time I was twelve, it was met merely with resignation. I

wasn’t a ‘regular’ kid. I was what they called a “freak”: I was a homeschooler. After

twelve my parents found a way for our elderly neighbor to be the monitor instead of

making me go back. I had never talked to them about how hard it was. One of those

things they simply noticed I suppose.

MAP testing day always began with great confusion for the teachers: no one knew

what to do with me. I didn’t have a set grade level; my texts often spanned several grades

so instead, I was put with my age group. That first year I had been given strict parental

instructions to be an “ambassador of our family” and do my very best. Class after class, I

unknowingly committed the cardinal social sin in being the first to be done in every

subject area, I double and triple checked my work before handing it in. I had been drilling

with flashcards for weeks and had used hardly any of what we had been studying. Did I

do it wrong? Why isn’t anyone else done? Why don’t they hurry so we can go out and

play?

I had never been around so many kids. I saw some I recognized from 4-H and

Sunday school and couldn’t wait to be invited into their groups and their games. I began

to fidget with anticipation and earned a reprimand from the teacher in response. If

everyone didn’t know I was done at that point, they did now and soon I realized that I

was getting unfriendly glares from all sides. At morning recess I tried talking to some of

the kids I knew but they ignored me and when their friends asked how they knew me:

“She’s just some know-it-all from church.” “Yeah, plus she’s weird, all she ever talks

about is her goats or horses.” I got the hint. At lunch I didn’t bother to find anyone to sit

with. Instead I found a table in the corner and thought about the young doe, a female

goat, who we had bought and tried to introduce to the herd.

“Felicity” was what I named her because she made me so happy. The first few

weeks after we brought her home she always was running. No one wanted her in their

group and they chased her around the barnyard and kept her away from the food. I had

thought that the other goats were just being silly and mean. But here were kids doing it

too. I went home that day and took Felicity aside and fed her by hand. That was my first

lesson as a goat wrangler: different and new is sometimes seen as weird and off-putting

and herds will repulse newcomers who don’t fit in. You have to know the herd and

identify the leaders. Felicity soon learnt that each little clique within the herd had its

dominant alphas, the meek subordinates, and those on the fringe who were unpredictable

and would pick a fight with anyone. She learned to navigate the new environment, adapt,

and even start to fit in a little. I wasn’t so lucky.

I had to remind myself, Felicity had the benefit, or curse, depending how you

looked at it, of being with the herd 24/7. I saw these other kids once a week at our small

community church, once a month at the 4-H meeting, and once every year or so in the

school. I could navigate the environment and I could adapt my behavior. I learned how to

read groups well and anticipate consequences of individual actions. I learn how to

identify pecking orders in cliques and to move in the social pond with out making any

troubling ripples. I never could completely fit in though.

I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather

than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence. ~Frederick Douglass

At the peak of our dairy’s career we had fifty-plus head of Toggenburg and

Saanen dairy goats, Swiss breeds known for the sweetness of their milk. On our two

hundred and twenty acre farm that had horses, cattle, dogs, chickens, and pigs, it was the

goats that ruled the roost. Waking up at six am every morning, we milked over twenty-

five goats by hand and repeated the process at six every night. It did not matter what else

was going on, those animals depended on me and my family to be there and take care of

them. It was a responsibility I loved. On top of that, we were successful. Within the dairy

goat community, Swoboda Family Farms was competitive and my three younger siblings

and I routinely won showmanship and judging competitions; our goats always were in the

top three, if not winning the class. Regarding my peers and their teasing, I learned that I

had a choice: I could either be embarrassed and ashamed of my life, or I could embrace it

and be proud of the genuine accomplishments I had achieved. I chose to respect myself

and my life, though that didn’t stop the teasing. Their jibes and small hurts didn’t bother

me as much once I had decided that the fact they couldn’t understand my life experience

did not render my life invalid. I also gained a very healthy respect for the power of group

persuasion. Mobs to this day terrify me because I know all too well that the values of the

individual are reduced to their lowest common denominator when there is, as Nietzsche

termed it, “herd mentality,” at play.

II. How to See or the Brush

"All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man

does not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web,

he does to himself. ~Chief Seattle

I was in that setting K-12, until I graduated high school at sixteen, and the thing

is, we did school 24/7/365. School was never out of session. Everything was learning and

there was never anything that was out of my reach. I was never told I would learn about it

later. If I wanted to know something, if my parents could not answer me, then I was given

the tools to find out. For example: At birth when we gave the baby goats, otherwise

known as kids, their immunizations for tetanus, I wanted to know how and why it

worked. That launched a whole unit study on Louis Pasteur, historical context, biology of

a disease, contagion spread, DNA of viruses and mutations of them, word problems

formulated around genetic probabilities or extrapolation of data. My desire to know took

over every subject. Knowledge was like a thread you pulled and the more you examined

the thread, the further it lead and the more you understood the whole tapestry of life and

who humanity is today. When I flicked that needle lightly, clearing air bubbles that if

shot into any blood vein would be lethal, pulled delicate skin slightly away from the

small frame, carefully pushed the sliver of metal home, then finally pressing the plunger:

I was part of a larger picture and history. My goats helped teach me that no one action is

independent. Everything is connected. We are enacting generations of learning,

knowledge, and history everyday. Knowledge evolves with its uses and, in turn, the users

of knowledge evolve as well. Within our American culture very many possess, as

William Fullerton termed it, “the leisure to be wise”; however, it is up to the individual to

take advantage of the opportunity.

They say opportunity's only got one hair on its head and you got to grab it while it’s

going by. ~ William Demarest

“Opportunity” was her name and in 2001: she was our champion. For a goat, she

was a looker with a coat like silk, a delicate frame that trembled with dairy character, and

perfect bold markings. However, she was not the shiniest apple in the cart, if you know

what I mean. We had to keep her separate from the other goats because she would pick

fights endlessly. If a bucket of water was given to her to drink, for some reason she felt

the need to stand in it. If there was a nearby fence, somehow, she would manage to get

her head stuck in it. Despite all that, she was our ace in the hole every show that year and

we already had several offers to buy her or her future offspring. Given the trouble she

was we were sorely tempted. At this particular moment however, we were stuck. It was

the middle of August, over 115 degrees, and our 1986 GMC Suburban’s transmission had

just gone out. We were on our way back from the Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield, MO

and on one of my dad’s famous shortcut routes that involved a gravel road in the middle

of nowhere. This was before any of us had a mobile phone so my dad started trekking

down the road to see if he could find anyone. My sister and I were left with the truck and

the rusty brown trailer that held twenty-three hot and crowded goats on it. They were

inquiring, baaing loudly, about what was going on and why had we stopped. Given her

special needs, Opportunity had her own partition, which just did not seem fair given the

heat and the conditions, so I took out Opportunity, put a leash on her, tied it to the trailer,

and opened up the partition, giving the other goats some room to breath for a bit. We had

a spray bottle of water and were trying to cool the goats down when I heard from the

front of the trailer, bu dump bu dump. I peeked around the edge, sweat beading my

forehead, and the first thing I saw was Opportunity’s leash, empty collar attached, on the

ground. Bu dump, I looked up and the next thing I saw was Opportunity perched on top

of the roof of the Suburban.

I yelled several words that I really was not supposed to know. Wrong move.

Opportunity startles, jumps off the roof to the ground below, and takes off for the nearby

woods. I leapt and had her hoof in my hand for a split second but as sweaty as I was, she

slipped through my fingers and lickity-split, was in the trees. My sister and I ran after her

with no luck, chasing her darting shape this way and that through the thick brush of

brambles, shrubs, trees, poison ivy and who knows what else, only to have to call the

chase to a halt as dusk quickly fell and she quickly disappeared from sight.

Soon our neighbors from home came with their trucks to haul us home: there was

no more time and no choice but to leave Opportunity behind. I’m sure she inspired some

wild stories in the area for a time. Opportunity is fleeting and this one taught me, literally,

to not let it slip through my fingers.

III. How to Listen or the Canvas

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down

and listen. ~Winston Churchill

When a person says something to an animal, they do not worry about the animal

judging them; they are in no danger of the animal cutting them off, or jumping to

conclusions. The animal simply is. When I was thirteen, something happened during one

of our annual goat shows that ripped through the fabric of who I was, changing me

forever. I had been very good about reading groups and while I distrusted individuals, I

was also desperate for a true friend. I decided to trust someone and that trust was

misplaced. The details are brutal and in the world we live in, unfortunately, predictable.

When I tried to tell my mother what had happened she did not understand. I did

not really possess the language to tell her. She jumped to the wrong conclusion and I was

left with the impression that it was all my fault and the person who hurt me was right: if

anyone knew, they would blame me and could not love me. Instead, I told Fiona,

Felicity’s daughter. I told Fiona again and again how it had happened and how I felt so

afraid and alone. I wondered if there was anything I could have done to stop it. Fiona

would look at me with her calm golden eyes and begin chewing her cud. She carried on

with her everyday normal life. Her world was not sundered with what I told her. She

would lay down with her head in my lap and would still love me. I don’t know who I

would be if she had not been there. Now when I listen to people, especially those I love, I

open myself and try to hear what it is they are truly saying. I reserve judgment. You may

laugh, but, I try to listen like a goat.

Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

I am stubborn. I cannot blame my goats for this trait and while I could probably

blame my parents or genetics, that is a cop-out. Frankly, I like doing things my way. The

old adage --“where there’s a will, there’s a way”—has always been my Standard

Operating Protocol. However, after several train wreck-esque experiences, I have had to

grudgingly allow the following stipulations: 1) one’s will cannot outweigh one’s reason

and 2) as my Grandma Leola always morbidly uttered, “There’s always more than one

way to skin a cat.” These caveats usually imply a compromise must be made on some

level. When Compromise attempts to visit Stubbornville, population: me, a riot of some

sort occurs in my head which is only resolved when Logic appoints itself Sheriff and tells

me to sit down and shut up. Having that Sheriff is the fine line between being stubborn

and being pig-headed. That difference was made clear to me by my goats.

My siblings and I love to sing and play piano. That fact coupled with our need for

more social interaction, led my parents to find a homeschool group that had a choir/music

program that met once a week. Despite the fact it was over an hour away, they made the

commitment to take us there and so, one of best experiences of my life began.

My siblings and I were still considered a little odd. My family was Catholic and

the entire group was Protestant or Evangelical, they were all city slickers and well, we

were not, at least one of their parents did not have a job and was their teacher, while both

my parents worked and we were, for the large part, self-taught; nonetheless, all of these

kids knew what it was like to not fit in anywhere else and so, for the first time, when I

was fourteen, (for all intensive purpose a junior in high school) I began making

connections with kids my own age. There was one stumbling block: I thought I was a

soprano, the highest singing part in the choir that usually carries the melody. Mrs. Horn,

our choir director, knew that, while I was able to sing the notes of a soprano, my tone was

so much richer and more natural in a lower octave. I will admit to some sibling rivalry

here. My sister Hannah was a true soprano and we had always sung together. Silly me

was stuck on the fact that alto was a lower voice part and so Hannah would get the

melody more often: If I’m an alto, she will have the lead! It was a very silly thought and

yet so seemingly important at the time.

Mrs. Horn tried to convince me of the truth; however, I was prideful and pig-

headed. After one silent battle of wills where she assigned me to sit with the altos but I

decided, (like I said, pig-headed) to sing the soprano part instead. I was brooding over it

in the barn back home. From where I sat in the dusty hayloft, I noticed two goats fighting.

They would circle each other, baaing and wagging their short tails vigorously, then, they

would back up, posturing and scratching the dirt with their hooves, and finally, crash,

they would come together, butting their heads and pushing against one another in this

ancient ritualistic dance of dominance. I watched for a few minutes and then it dawned on

me that, there were certain goats that always had bald spots on their head for exactly this

reason. They were always fighting. They never proved anything or got anywhere with it.

What did they hope to gain? I ruminated over that for a moment before mustering the

courage to put myself under the magnifying glass. What did I hope to gain by fighting

with my director? She had vastly more vocal experience then I did, the choir needed more

altos, and, to be honest, I secretly enjoyed singing lower parts better anyway. Was I

fighting just for the sake of saving my pride? Was I like a goat, just hurling myself

against the issue again and again, so concerned with being right, that I ignored the true

goal of making beautiful music? I apologized the next week and took on the alto part.

IV. Paint + Brush + Canvas= Art(x). Make the Formula Balance. Solve for x.

Most action is based on redemption and revenge, and that's a formula. Moby Dick was

formula. It's how you get to the conclusion that makes it interesting. ~ Sylvester Stallone

My interactions with goats showed me that groups will often condemn that which

they do not understand and how to “mine own self be true.” I learned how to perceive the

connections present through all of life and how to recognize the moments when there is

an opportunity and not let it pass me by. I learned to listen with compassion and also with

reason. Basically, I learned how to see, hear, and act from my goats.

I could go on and dissect every little tic in my inner clockwork and probably

relate it to something I learned from goats. I could continue to relate my life as spliced

reels of near formulaic life lessons, bookended by the words of others; however, this is a

life being lived, a work in progress, not an autopsy or a documentary. Does the

summation of the parts equal the entirety of the whole? When the whole in question is a

human being, I think not.

My list is the key underpinnings to who I am today. Who I am becoming for my

tomorrows is certainly based off much of that; however, I regard it as a more of a jazz

score than baroque bars. Before it comes to the final notes, I guarantee some

improvisation is in store.

A small collection of lesson plans:

Lesson Plan Template

Heading English Fall 2013 Elizabeth Swoboda

“Fiction as a Method of Social Change” 50 Min.

Objective Introduction to the style of “Realism”

Reading

Material

Rebecca Harding Davis “Life in the Iron-Mills”

Instructional

Framework

Initiating Constructing Utilizing

Lesson Plan

Format

Teacher Centered:

Direct Instruction – providing information and building skills

Presentation – demonstrating, lecturing

Concept – introducing a new theory, symbol, idea

Student Centered:

Discussion

Cooperative Learning

Problem Solving

Grouping Whole Class Pairs Individuals

Materials &

Resources

School – Textbooks, blackboard

Teacher – Historical Timeline/communication with Soc. Studies

Teacher, previous WTL index cards

Student – Index card, pencils

Literacy

Strategy

Short ungraded free write identifying clues about the writing that are

different than previous works and set it in the realm of “realism”

“Knowledge Pool”

Phase One Begin Class by reading the first two paragraphs of “Life in the Iron-

Mills” aloud. Have them continue to read on their own the rest of the

introduction. Write on the board: What do you find most different

about this style of writing than previous authors? Write a sentence

or two. Then think of 3 words that describe the tone and/or style. Take out index card and pencil and each student has 5 min. to

complete the free write. Have students volunteer to share one of the

three words they wrote down. “Direct address” or “talking to the

reader” hopefully comes up.

Compare and contrast in class discussion differences from previous

works discussed. Take out old WTL index cards and remind class of

previous 3 words associated with older works. Work back

chronologically from Stowe, Melville, Poe, and Hawthorne.

Phase Two Talk about the author, Rebecca Davis Harding. Discuss Historical

context and have a “Knowledge Pool.” Ask “What was going on in the

year 1861?” and have students brainstorm (communicate with Soc.

Studies teacher about points discussed as they approach the Civil War

Era in American History) and write down ideas on blackboard. Civil

War should come up as well as: racial tension, Industrial Revolution,

women’s rights, state’s rights, level of government involvement,

worker’s rights…etc.

Compare Harding to other female author previously covered, Harriet

Beecher Stowe.

Phase Three With the historical and political context in mind, assign the 1st half of

the short story as reading at home.

Formative

Assessment

Students will hopefully be actively engaged in the discussion and

using their critical thinking skills to apply the fiction they are reading

to a real life historical base. They will be utilizing the knowledge they

have gained in other classes to enhance their understanding of the

story. They will be learning from each other. Success will be based on

the level of participation and activity that is experienced.

Lesson Plan Template

Heading English Elizabeth Swoboda

“Fiction as a Method of Social Change” 50 Min.

Objective Further exploration of “realism” and examining character

development.

Reading

Material

Rebecca Harding Davis “Life in the Iron-Mills”

Instructional

Framework


Lesson Plan

Format

Teacher Centered:




Student Centered:

Discussion


Problem Solving


Materials &

Resources

School – textbooks, blackboard, projector and screen

Teacher – clip from “October Sky”

Student – Journal, paper, index cards, pencils

Literacy

Strategy

Admittance writing demonstrating knowledge and understanding of

the material

“What might happen” writing that employs critical thinking and

application of prior knowledge

Exit Slips

Phase One Before class write on board: Take out your journal and write a

response to the reading. Pair up with student clockwise to you and

discuss your responses. If there are an odd number of students I will pair up with one. Each

pairing will share one thing that was brought up in observation.

One of the issues brought up will be the attitude of the upper class.

Another might be the desire to better oneself. Perhaps the atmosphere

in a town built around the iron mines.

Use these questions to transition to next part.

Phase Two Give some introduction to clip from “October Sky,” emphasizing it is

based on a true story. Give historical context and show the clip where

Homer is being ridiculed for his desire to build rockets instead of work

in the mine.

Compare Hugh and Homer. What do they want?

Are the attitudes of the wealthy men in the short story believable?

What should they do? Are they right to act the way they do?

Phase Three Examine the last part read of the story so far…Hugh has kept the

stolen money. Why would he do that? Given what we know so far,

what is going to happen to Hugh? Have students write their

predictions down on index cards and put them in a hat. Draw out a few

and read choice cards aloud anonymously to inspire discussion on

Hugh’s options. 5 minutes before class end have students take index

cards and write down one thing they would change if they could at

school. Assign last of story for at home reading.

Formative

Assessment

Today is about discussion of the characters, atmosphere, and attitudes

presented in the fiction. How “real” does realism make this fiction

feel? Students will use their imagination and prior knowledge to

envision a future for Hugh. Success will be based on level of depth to

discussion and ability to assimilate prior knowledge and a factual basis

into a fictionalized setting.

9th-12th Grade English

Miss Swoboda

Fall 2013

Overview

Rationale: “We both have truths. Are mine the same as yours?”~ (Pontius Pilate)

Andrew Lloyd Webber

We have reality tv, video games that try to project more and more realistic graphics and

sound effects, 3D movies, movies that push the boundaries of fiction by masquerading as

documentaries (i.e. Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity, and District 9 etc.). All

entertainment is pushing for more realistic and graphic sensory input while still retaining

an aura of fiction. This is not a new trend. Some of the most famous classics in their own

day were pushing the envelope on blurring the line between reality and imagination.

Reading the Canterbury tales one can find some of the first examples of attempting to

capture “real life” through the use of commoners as characters, much of Shakespeare’s

work has political leanings from his time, when H. G. Wells “War of the Worlds” was

first read over the radio it was believed to be breaking news and had people hiding from

aliens. Despite the different mediums that these works of literature use, the effect is the

same: People believed in the characters and the work had a greater, heightened impact as

a result of the writer’s choices.

One of the most popular entertainment genres is that of the police procedurals.

Law and Order, CSI, Castle, Fringe, and many others that Americans are familiar with on

a daily basis. One of the most classic and famous collections is The Adventures of

Sherlock Holmes. Combining knowledge and logic in a way that made this character

appear to have nearly magically powers made Holmes appealing to multitudes of

audiences despite his emotionally detached and inaccessible attitude.

Combining facts into fiction is part of what makes characters believable. Fiction

writing is not just ‘flights of fancy’ but usually requires exhaustive research in order to

make all the pieces fit perfectly. Learning how to write believable plots, settings, and

characters will help students in any walk of life. Students are not just learning to write

fiction but also how to view any undertaking in the larger context of where it fits. In life

students will need the ability to take the facts/resources at their disposal and envision a

possible future which fully utilizes the groundwork already in place.

Summary: Through deconstructing Sherlock Holmes students will combine Social

Studies, (as this lesson will coincide with a unit of study on the rule of Queen Victoria),

Science, Math, and some Art/Music in order to see how the character of Sherlock Holmes

was created and how the genre of forensic crime investigation was launched.

Students will ultimately be creating their own crime fiction (or “faction”) in

which the rules of science, math, and culture will serve as grounding points for the

imagination to build off of. In order to quickly focus student direction, two bowls will be

passed with Polaroids of different objects. Each student will take one picture from each

bowl and their story must connect in Holmesian logic/induction fashion what is pictured.

Each story must have these elements in play: 1) a historical or present-day culturally

significant event that influences character behavior in the story and 2) at least one math

and/or science exchange where the resulting knowledge helps lead to the conclusion of

the story. Finally, each student will use publishing software (Quark, InDesign,

Wordpress) to format their story in the style of a magazine, emulating how Sherlock

Holmes was first published. Students will use both historical magazines and present day

literary journals as format examples, choosing a style that will enhance their work. Each

story will have a MLA-formatted bibliography attached which documents the research

performed. During the writing process, students will peer-edit each others first draft in

small groups, raising questions and giving feedback to each other.

Literacy Strategies: The entire lesson is a KWL construct.

Carousel Brainstorming

Collaborative Annotation

Mind Mapping

RAFT

Faction

Magazine page

Admit and Exit Slips

Teacher-Student Conferences

Objectives:

Show-Me Standards:

Goal 1:

1.2. conduct research to answer questions and evaluate information and ideas.

1.4. use technological tools and other resources to locate, select and organize

information.

1.6. discover and evaluate patterns and relationships in information, ideas and

structures.

1.10. apply acquired information, ideas and skills to different contexts as students,

workers, citizens and consumers.

Goal 2:

2.1. plan and make written, oral and visual presentations for a variety of purposes

and audiences.

2.7. use technological tools to exchange information and ideas.

Goal 3:

3.5. reason inductively from a set of specific facts and deductively from general

premises.

Goal 4:

4.1. explain reasoning and identify information used to support decisions.

Length of Curriculum: one week/five days (see daily breakdown and calendar)

Materials and Resources:

Provided by the school: Chart paper, copy machine, white board, computer paper,

computer access, and publishing software. Reading material.

Provided by the teacher: student handout, poster board, markers, construction paper,

scissors, tape, student calendar, appropriate search engine websites, Polaroids, excerpts

from reading.

Provided by the students: writing utensils, paper.

Means of Assessment: Level of participation throughout the project based on all work

done. The finished Magazine page based on rubric. Teacher-Student Conference will be

orally assessed. Some level of individual assessment will be called for as each student’s

level of understanding of the larger concepts will differ based on their development level.

Day One:

Having Read

“A Study In

Scarlet”

Introduce

concept of

“Faction”

Examine

Cultural

Contributors

Examine

Science and

Math

contributors

Discuss

interplay of

fiction and

fact

Read

Encyclopedia

Brown

Short story as

food for

thought.

Day Two:

Introduce

Assignment

through

Student

Handout

Pick Polaroids

Divide into

brainstorming

groups.

Draw maps

connecting

Polaroids

Assign basic

outline/first

draft for next

day.

Day Three:

Share First

draft in Peer

Writing

Groups.

CSI Lab: Use

sample from

handout to

show how

math/science

can interplay

Students

share ideas for

their own

Science/Math

connection.

Assign “The

Adventure of

the Sussex

Vampyre” as

well as

Second draft

Day Four:

Discuss

Sussex

Vampyre.

Examine

character

emotional

motivations.

Have each

student circle

emotional

motivations

within their

own story.

Talk about

Final draft

and Polishing

work.

Show

examples of

historic and

present day

magazine

publications.

Show use of

graphics and

pull-quotes.

Day Five:

Computer

Work Day!

Each student

has the period

to format their

finished work.

Teacher-

student

Conferences

through-out

the period.

Students have

the weekend to

proofread and

edit their

work.

Monday will

begin with a

sharing, in

peer groups, of

finished

project. Project

will contribute

to student

portfolio

Connect the Dots! Class: English, Miss Swoboda 10/16/13 Student Name:

What do these tire marks have

to do with cookie crumbs?

It is up to YOU to find out!

S= √30*d*f*n Point A S = Speed, in miles per hour.

30 = A constant value used in this equation.

D = Skid Distance, in decimal feet and inches.

f = Drag factor for the road surface.

n = Braking efficiency as a percent.

Pick one Polaroid out of each of the two bowls. Your task over the next four days will be to

write a “faction” that connects your Polaroids.

Rules: 1. No trading Polaroids 2. Must be at least one page, Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, single

spaced 3. Must use one cultural event (historic, present-day, or future)

that influences character behavior (Example: The event of September 11th has changed the way people travel by air.)

4. Must use one math and/or science exchange that helps “solve” the case. (Example: See the Formula above? That can help determine how fast a vehicle was moving when the brakes were applied!)

Point B

Start Sleuthing!

Lesson Plan for English 9-12

Fact in Fiction: The Key to Believing

Miss Swoboda

Five Day Lesson Plan

Reading Material: Prior to this A Study in Scarlet will have been read. Excerpt from

Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol will be read in class. The

Adventure of the Sussex Vampyre by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Instructional Framework: All three styles will be blended and employed within the LP

Lesson Plan Format: Both Teacher and Student Centered strategies will come into play.

Grouping: Each day will incorporate each level of grouping.

Materials and Resources: See Overview

Learning Strategies: See Overview

Phase One or What do you know: Day one will cover discussion and deconstruction of

The Study in Scarlet. Using Carousel Brainstorming Students will have three boards that

all pertain to late 19th

Century Britain. The boards will be labeled as follows: People,

Events, Ideas. On the People board hopefully Queen Victoria will appear, Gladstone,

Emily Dickinson, Thomas Edison, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,

Mark Twain…among others.

Events: Industrial Revolution, first commercial automobile, first electrical power plant,

invention of Coca-cola, along with the British Empire colonization of India, Burma,

Egypt, and much of Africa.

Ideas: Growing belief in the theory of evolution, Abolishment of slavery, Euro-centric

eugenic pseudo-science, legal drug use…etc.

Bring out paper with excerpts from different Sherlock stories taped to it. Collaborative

annotation/Silent discussion of excerpts that are shared with class.

Discuss how the interplay of fact with fiction heightening the reading experience.

Read Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective: Case One aloud to demonstrate how the same

theories of induction and logic that Holmes employs are applied more simply in a

children’s book.

Exit slip that asks what student would like to know about Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson

or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Phase Two or What would you like to know/Acquiring Knowledge:

Day Two:

Entrance slip on what was the biggest addition to your knowledge that you learned

yesterday.

Give out student handout and pass out polaroids. Divide students into small groups to

brainstorm how to find connections between their polaroids. Draw maps or clusters that

show the ideas that surface. Employ RAFT to help direct their stories

Assign Basic Outline and first draft due next day.

Day three:

Have three groups pre-assigned, written on board, and chairs arranged in a circle. These

are the peer review groups. Each student will share within their group their outline, after

group feedback, they will then pair with the student on their right and trade first drafts.

Feedback written on the drafts.

Using sample polaroids from handout, model the scientific/mathematical principles that

can come into play, while being put into a culturally accurate yet fictional context.

Example: While running late to the airport, (darn those useless security measures) John

Doe, a newly diagnosed diabetic, forgot to take his insulin shot, hasn’t been following his

diet, and eats a cookie on the drive there. He has been ignoring the flu-like symptoms that

have plagued him the last couple days. The cookie is the last straw for his system and he

begins to enter diabetic ketoacidosis. He starts to feel woozy, begins to black out, and

slams on his brakes, the person behind almost stops in time, and dings him bumper. They

end up calling 911. At least that is the story they are telling you, the insurance

investigator. Using the math formula show you have doubts about his story and the

choice you have to prove or disprove it.

Have students do in-class research on math and science input for their own stories. Walk

around and give feedback on ideas. Remind students about how emotional motivations

entered the example story. Assign The Adventure of the Vampyre of Sussex asking student

to keep the emotional and logical character motivations in mind while writing their

second draft.

Admit slip next time, day four, on the strongest moments in the reading.

Day four: Back in the same groups, circle all of emotional character motivation and

highlight the math/science moment and cultural background within second draft. Share

this time with person on your left. Peer feedback.

Phase Three or Showcase Learning: Still day four, discuss the publishing method Sir

Arthur Conan Doyle employed: Magazines. Look at historical examples. Discuss

magazine/journal conventions like graphics and pull-quotes. Show present day examples

like literary journal “Natural Bridge” or “River Styx.”

Day Five: Students will already be familiar with publishing software. They are going

spend the last day formatting their work into a magazine format. They will play editor to

their work and individual Teacher-Student conferences will take place through the last

period. Work to be presented and turned in Monday.

Formative Assessment: See Overview

9th-12th Grade English

Miss Swoboda

Fall 2011

Overview

Our humanity rests upon a series of learned behaviors, woven together into patterns that

are infinitely fragile and never directly inherited.

~Margaret Mead

Rationale: Continuity, connectivity, and community; these will be the bywords for this

project. We are all one community of humanity. This very week the worlds’ population is

set to reach 7 billion! Homo Sapiens is the predominant life form on the planet, despite

our lack of natural defenses, despite all the mortal perils of nature, disease, and predators,

humanity has persisted. Why? Understanding the movement and transmission of ideas is

essential to a successful adult life. It is counter-productive to segregate disciplines and

have that goal. Life does not segregate math from literature or science from music or art,

each discipline intersects and influences the other helping create this tapestry that is

human knowledge and culture. One of the best periods to demonstrate that fact is the 19th

century, the heart of the industrial revolution.

Summary: Having spent the last month on the literature of the 19th

century it is time to

bring it all together in a composite that shows the living nature of ideas. Patterned off of

Times 100 Greatest People issues but with a tabloid edge, the class will use the

knowledge gained through all their disciplines to create a magazine that showcases the

movement of thought throughout the 19th

century. This will be a ten day project that uses

the first week to establish parameters as well as generate content, with the second week

reserved for editing, layout, and printing. The magazine will be written in modern day

language, but will adopt some of the publishing styles and treat late 19th

century like

present day. We will pick twenty-five people from the late 19th

century (echoing the

sentiments of the time, these will be predominantly Europeans and Americans.) Students

brainstorm for nominees and narrow the field. Ultimately each student will be responsible

for writing a bio for one person, telling why that person deserves to be on the list. Student

will learn the subtle differences that constitute magazine writing voice/style. There will

be an editor’s page, an opinion page with guest opinion (hopefully contributed by another

teacher), along with a gossip column, a news section, fashion column, and a people to

watch for section that includes student work. Having it treat that time period as present

day will lead to reports that are “breaking” and can demonstrate social norms of the time.

Objectives: Show-Me Standards Goals:

1.1. develop questions and ideas to initiate and refine research

1.2. conduct research to answer questions and evaluate information and ideas

1.4. use technological tools and other resources to locate, select and organize information

1.5. comprehend and evaluate written, visual and oral presentations and works

1.6. discover and evaluate patterns and relationships in information, ideas and structures

1.7. evaluate the accuracy of information and the reliability of its sources

1.8. organize data, information and ideas into useful forms (including charts, graphs,

outlines) for analysis or presentation

1.9. identify, analyze and compare the institutions, traditions and art forms of past and

present societies

1.10. apply acquired information, ideas and skills to different contexts as students,

workers, citizens and consumers

2.1. plan and make written, oral and visual presentations for a variety of purposes and

audiences

2.2. review and revise communications to improve accuracy and clarity

2.3. exchange information, questions and ideas while recognizing the perspectives of

others

2.4. present perceptions and ideas regarding works of the arts, humanities and sciences

2.5. perform or produce works in the fine and practical arts

2.7. use technological tools to exchange information and ideas

3. 5. reason inductively from a set of specific facts and deductively from general premises

3.6. examine problems and proposed solutions from multiple perspectives

3.7. evaluate the extent to which a strategy addresses the problem

3.8. assess costs, benefits and other consequences of proposed solutions

4.4. recognize and practice honesty and integrity in academic work and in the workplace

4.5. develop, monitor and revise plans of action to meet deadlines and accomplish goals

4.6. identify tasks that require a coordinated effort and work with others to complete

those tasks

4.8. explore, prepare for and seek educational and job opportunities

Communication Arts Goals:

1. speaking and writing standard English (including grammar, usage, punctuation,

spelling, capitalization)

2. reading and evaluating fiction, poetry and drama

3. reading and evaluating nonfiction works and material (such as biographies,

newspapers, technical manuals)

4. writing formally (such as reports, narratives, essays) and informally (such as outlines,

notes)

6. participating in formal and informal presentations and discussions of issues and ideas

7. identifying and evaluating relationships between language and culture

Length of Curriculum: ten days/two weeks (see calendar)

Formative Assessment: Each student will be assessed on both a group and an individual

level. Participation points will be given each day. All work, including drafts, will be

turned in so that a progression of work can be seen. The final magazine rubric will assess

both the success of the magazine as a whole and that individual student’s contribution.

Top 25 most Influential People

?

1850-1900

We’ve spent the last two months covering the last half of the 19th century.

It’s time for the big picture! Everyone has seen People magazine and their yearly top people list. To

showcase what you know about the last half of the 19th century, as a

class, we are going to make a magazine that parodies that medium. We will

make a list of the people we have learned about and they will be the

“celebrities” we review. Do you devour the juicy details in fashion and gossip columns?

Always waiting for the newest tech to come out?

Love to share your opinion?

Your Moment is NOW! Exit slip today is your preference of department, listed on the board. Put

down three choices, numbered by preference. The work starts tomorrow!

Student Calendar: Week One, Content

Day

One

Day

Two

Day

Three

Day

Four

Day

Five

Nominations of

“celebrities” and debate!

(30 min.)

Explanations of each

department: News,

Gossip/Fashion,

Advice/Opinion,

Feature, and

Sports/Entertainment.

(15 min.)

Exit slip today is your

preference of

department, listed on

the board. Put down

three choices, numbered

by preference.

(5 min.)

Finalize list of

“celebrities!”

(20 min.)

Divide into

departments.

Receive

assignments

and

departmental

deadlines.

Develop

outlines for

content.

Homework:

Pick name out

of hat and write

a short bio-

500 word

minimum

Submit bios.

Work in

departments to

assign writing

topics. Each

person has a

paragraph.

(15 min.)

Pass the bio

you wrote to

the person on

your left. Read

and give notes

to each other.

Not about

grammar but

about content.

(20 min.)

Tell class what

the department

plans to do

with its column.

Homework:

Write your

paragraph.

Polish Bio.

Submit

paragraph.

Pass finished

bio to the

person on

your right.

Submit for

approval!

(10 min.)

Share

paragraph with

department

group, work on

making

transitions

flow between

different

writing styles.

Discuss final

touches, divide

work load, and

share progress

with class.

(35 min.)

Homework:

Complete

department

column.

Submit final

columns.

Trade

columns with

another

department.

Get

feedback.

Does each

department

have a voice?

(30 min.)

Start talking

about what

each

department

wants their

page to look

like.

Over

weekend,

conceive a

design

theme.

Voting on

Monday!

First Day Lesson Plan


“Celebrity Showcase” 50 min.

Objective Showcase knowledge and create magazine

Reading

Material

Previous reading over last two months from late 19th

century authors

People magazine example

Instructional

Framework


Lesson Plan

Format Teacher Centered:




Student Centered:

Discussion


Problem Solving


Materials &

Resources

School – board,

Teacher – People magazine

Student – Previously acquired knowledge, paper, pencil

Literacy

Strategy

Collective Brainstorming

Exit Slip

Phase One Bring up the concept of the magazine. Introduce with ppt magazine

examples. People magazine in particular

Phase Two

Start brainstorming list of celebrities based on what has been studied

across the disciplines.

Phase Three

Narrow down list. Debate the influences of different people. Persons

who are contentious put on “honorable mention list”. Urge students to

champion for a person if they are not making the list.

Exit slip on departmental choices.

Formative

Assessment

See overview

Homework

Assignment

Think about the list and any additions or reductions. Stand up for the

people want to see on that list tomorrow.

Lesson Plan 2


“Celebrity Showcase” Week 1: Tues-Fri.

Objective Create content for the magazine.

Reading

Material

People, Time, River Styx

Instructional

Framework


Lesson Plan

Format

Teacher Centered:




Student Centered:

Discussion


Problem Solving


Materials &

Resources

School – Projector, Board

Teacher – Magazines, Powerpoint on Departmental duties and

deadlines. Paper, pencils.

Student – Notebooks, pencils, folder.

Literacy

Strategy

Entrance and Exit Slips

Peer silent discussion

Group Review

Cluster writing

Phase One Solidify list of celebrities and settle into departments. Natural leaders

will emerge as discussion occurs. Use cluster writing to come up with

the important points students feel should be included in their column.

Sift the clusters down to an outline of the column. Assign paragraphs

within departments/within columns.

Phase Two Talk about the voice of a newspaper/publication/group vs. the voice of

the individual/character. Identify what this magazine’s voice will be

and work within departments to achieve a cohesive column with

smooth transitions. Peer review work on columns.

Phase Three Bring the content phase of the magazine to a close. Proofing for

grammar and fact checking will take place during this time. Start

looking ahead to the design aspects.

Formative

Assessment

Level of participation matched with the quality of work being

submitted for review. Demonstrating grasp of literary concepts/authors

learned from the last month of study. Shows understanding of the

elements behind a magazine publication.

Lesson Plan 3


“Celebrity Showcase” Week 2: Mon-Fri.

Objective Complete layout, design, and photography. Promote and prepare for

distribution

Reading

Material

People, Time, River Styx

Instructional

Framework Initiating Constructing Utilizing

Lesson Plan

Format

Teacher Centered:




Student Centered:

Discussion


Problem Solving


Materials &

Resources

School – Projector, Board, Computers, InDesign (or similar

publication medium) Costumes, printers,

Teacher – Magazines, Powerpoint on Layout. Paper, pencils, Camera,

Student – Notebooks, pencils, folder, makeup, flashdrive

Literacy

Strategy

Entrance and Exit Slips

KWL

Teacher-Student Conferences

Phase One Finalize design plan. Do a KWL to assess computer proficiency and

desires of class. Start pasting content into magazine columns to see

how it fits. Edit content to fit. Talk about making difficult cuts and

decisions. Split bios in half, one half of the class works on costuming

and pictures for bios, other half works on formatting first half of

magazine so bios can simply be pasted in. On Wednesday switch. Be

doing Entrance and Exit slips on individual progress.

Phase Two Bring in Guest Speaker, Richard Newman, Editor-in-Chief of River

Styx for a Q & A and discussion of real-life jobs in publishing.

Teacher-Student conferences during computer work to assess where

everyone is at. Do photos and art for Departmental columns.

Phase Three Assign personal bios and take headshots for staff page. Create fliers to

promote the publication and discuss distribution methods. Complete

and finalize magazine to send to print.

Formative

Assessment

Level of participation matched with the quality of work being

completed. Teacher-Student Conference will be assessed for

commitment to project along with understanding of concepts.

Individual progress will be tracked and growth observed.

Magazine Project Rubric ` Student Name:

Week One

Points Possible: 100 Points Achieved:

Bio: 25 Bio:

Content 15 Content:

Grammar 5 Grammar:

Submitted on time 5 On time:

Column Paragraph: 25 Column Paragraph:

Content 15 Content:

Grammar 5 Grammar:

Submitted on time 5 On time:

Departmental Work: 50 Departmental Work:

Participation 20 Participation:

Grasp of Concept 20 Grasp of Concept:

Met Deadlines 10 Met Deadlines:

Week Two


Bio Layout: 25 Bio Layout:

Photo and Costuming: 15 Photo and Costuming:

Proofreading: 10 Proofreading:

Column Layout: 25 Column Layout:

Photo and Costuming: 15 Photo and Costuming:

Proofreading: 10 Proofreading:

Computer Work: 25 Computer Work: Grasp of Program: 15 Grasp of Program:

Teamwork: 5 Teamwork:

On Time: 5 On Time:

Advertisement: 25 Flier: 15 Flier:

Teamwork: 5 Teamwork:

Posted on Time: 5 Posted on Time:

Individual Assessment: 50 Individual Assessment: Demonstrated Understanding Demonstrated Understanding

of Content and Medium: 25 of Content and Medium:

Commitment to Project: 10 Commitment to Project:

Teacher-Student Conference: 10 Teacher-Student Conference:

Individual Bio: 5 Individual Bio:

Total: 250 Total:

Miss Swoboda

12th

Grade English

Overview

Rationale: Literature is a piece of humanity telescoped into a contagious form. Reading

any piece of well-written literature can impart a snapshot of a different time, place,

setting, and people. Exceptional literature will do all these things, but will also translate a

deeper understanding of the current time, place, setting, and people that the reader is

familiar with. Science Fiction is one of the most exploratory forms of literature. It uses

known variables of human life, adds unknown variables, and transmutes something

wholly new that, hopefully, grants greater perception. It is essential that maturing adults

have the ability to interpret information, extrapolate that information, and use it to

formulate predictions of their own.

Summary: We will explore the genre of Science Fiction these five weeks. At the end, the

students have the opportunity to create some sci-fi of their own in the form of a short

video. A short essay introducing the Science Fiction genre, along with four different

works of sci-fi, each representing different subsets within the genre, will be read,

discussed, and analyzed. As formative assessment, short write summaries will take place

after each story. As an example, the short film, 9, will be shown. The student created

video will be the summative assessment. For the film preview, students will divide into

groups that will each do a preview for an alternate history sci-fi film. Each student will

play a vital role in not only their own film, but also their classmates. They are each

other’s production crew.

Objectives: Students will learn to analyze a new genre of fiction that will demonstrate

how fiction, even the absurd, can be used as a lens to examine higher truths. Metaphors,

predictions of the future, possible jobs, inventions, and sciences, all of these things are

present in science fiction. Students need to learn how to envision the world differently

than it already is. In order to create realistic science fiction, students will need to conduct

research, identify credible sources, and be able to create reasonable hypotheses. The film

side allows students to create a product and lend their own interpretations. Student need

to understand the impact media has on cultural movements. These fulfill several ShowMe

Standards.

Materials and Resources: School: Board, Computers, Cameras, Tripods, Costumes,

Projecter, screen, craft supplies, and Texts. Teacher: Copy of Preface to Left Hand of

Darkness for each student, the film 9, paper, pencils, powerpoint presentation on

terminology and culture. Craft supplies Students: Makeup, perhaps some costume

pieces, paper, pencils, craft supplies.

Length of Curriculum: 5 weeks

Formative Assessment: A short formal book report will be turned in on each of the

reading assignments. Entrance and exit slips will cover terminology of the genre and

gauge student comprehension. Participation in group discussion will also be observed.

Summative Assessment: As a class, we will produce a short film. Students will be

assessed on both an individual and group level. Participation will count highly as this is

an interactive project.

The following are thought-provoking quotes to be written on the board, one by one, each week, for

group reflection and lesson enhancement.

"While thought exists, words are alive and literature becomes an escape, not from, but into living."

- Cyril Connolly

"What is wonderful about great literature is that it transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of

the man who wrote."

- E.M. Forster

"Literature is where I go to explore the highest and lowest places in human society and in the human

spirit, where I hope to find not absolute truth but the truth of the tale, of the imagination and of the

heart."

- Salman Rushdie

"Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily

life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become."

- C.S. Lewis

The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp. The reader, reading it, makes it

live: a live thing, a story.

Ursula K. Le Guin

Teacher’s Calendar

Teacher: Ms. Elizabeth Swoboda

Unit: 12th

Grade English

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Week

One Intro to Sci-Fi

Powerpoint on

sub-genres, terms,

and cultural

impact.

In class reading of

Le Guin’s essay

prefacing The Left

Hand of

Darkness.

Do KWL on

Frankenstein

Assign the first

six chapters of

Frankenstein

Exit slip:

What do you think

of Le Guin’s

statement that

writers are liars?

Entrance Slips

“What type of

Sci-fi is

Frankenstein?”

Discuss history

and context of

how Mary

Shelley came

to write

Frankenstein.

Knowledge

Pool on Time

Period

Assign next

six chapters

Exit Slips on

“Why do you

think

Frankenstein

is considered

Sci-fi and

Twilight is

not?

Entrance Slips

“Is Frankenstein

written in a

similar style

comparable to

other works we’ve

studied from that

period?” Briefly

discuss exit slips.

Discuss reading.

Divide into

groups and create

character trees.

Assign next six

chapters Exit slip: “Where

do your

sympathies lie in

the story?”

Entrance slips

“What do you

think was the

public reception

to

Frankenstein?”

Add to character

trees based on

the events read.

Assign last

chapters

Exit Slips: How

closely would

you say Mary

Shelley’s

personal life

influenced her

writing?”

Entrance Slips:

What, if

anything,

could have

prevented the

way the story

ends?

Discuss the

ending.

Assign Short

formal book

report over

weekend.

Week

Two

Turn in book

report

Introduce “The

Man in the High

Castle.” And the

alternative history

genre.

Assign first four

chapters

Entrance slip

“What is the

vital historic

difference that

created the

world depicted

in the story?”

Discuss the

cultural

aspects

present,

particularly

use of the

“oracle”.

Create

character trees.

Assign next

four chapters

Entrance slip:

“What is the term

used to describe

the world Phillip

K. Dick is

describing?”

Discuss events of

reading.

Hold silent

written discussion

on the importance

put on “historic

Americana”

within the book.

Assign next four

chapters

Entrance slip:

What is a theme

in the story?”

Show “Pawn

Stars” clip with

“historic item.”

Should the value

of the item be

reflective of the

history?

Assign last

chapters

Exit slip: What

historic item

would you pay

for?

Entrance Slip:

What did you

think of the

ending?

Recurrent

theme of truth.

Bring up quote

on board and

Le Guin

preface. What

is truth?

How is it

changed by

perception?

Assign book

report

Week

Three

Turn in Book

Report

Intro to Flatland:

A Romance of

Many Dimensions.

Background and

cultural impact.

Discuss Pen

Names.

Assign first eight

sections

Think up a Pen

Name for

yourself!

Examine text for

social

commentary

Entrance Slip:

What Pen

Name did you

come up with?

Discuss

mathematical

constructs

brought up in

book. What are

they metaphors

for?

The women in

Flatland, how

does that

compare with

Victorian

society?

Assign next

eight sections Exit slip: How

do you think

this story was

accepted in its

day?

Entrance Slip:

What word would

you choose to

describe the world

of Flatland?

Discuss

emergence of

psychology in

Abbots time.

Project timeline of

predominate

theories of

psychology. Split

into groups that

represent each

major point of

view. Do brief in

class research,

where each group

psycho-analyzes

an assigned

character from

High Castle

Assign last

sections

Entrance slip:

How would you

have attempted to

explain

3dimensions to a

Flatland

inhabitant?

Partner up with

the student next

to you and

roleplay that

conversation.

Next pretend that

you are

describing the

sky to a blind

person. Switch

partners and take

turns attempting

to describe

Native American

lifestyle to a

1400 European.

What about

Western

fashionable dress

to a Middle

Eastern native?

During these

convos, one

student draws

what is being

described.

Discussion of

experiences.

Does the familiar

sound alien when

the base of

perception is

changed?

Entrance slip:

What did you

think of

yesterdays

exercise?

Before being

watching 9 ask

students to

watch for

conventions of

sci-fi. What

would you call

the world

being

presented? Is

there social

commentary

on our present

world and

values?

Assign short

formal four

page

reflection on

truth as

portrayed in

the

reading/movie

and using

literature as a

social

commentary

or influence.

Use at least 3

specific

examples

within the

essay.

Week

Four

Turn in Essay

Introduce Ender’s

Game

Give background,

as it is fairly

contemporary

(1985), have

students divide

into 3 groups:

culture/philosophy

Technology and

science/ current

events and write

the influences

they will expect to

Admit slip:

What was the

result of the

fight with

Stiltson?

Divide into

same groups,

what

influences

were present

that you

thought would

be? Were there

any that were

not thought of?

Admit Slip: Write

Idea for sci-fi

movie preview.

Box will be set up

for open

submission

through next

Monday.

Discuss the Battle

School. Could it

happen?

Discuss the Free

Play game and the

metaphor behind

Admit Slip:

What will the

future be like?

Discuss some

alternative

histories.

Give Student

Handout about

movie preview.

Discuss reading.

Divide into

groups and write

letters from

Ender to home.

On Board:

Alternative

history ideas

for film

Discuss the

occurrences in

the reading,

How would

the fights

compare? How

responsible do

you hold

Ender?

Divide into

find in the writing.

Assign first 3

chapters

Start thinking of

what alternative

history to present

Discuss the

subtle

manipulation

within the

book.

Assign next 3

chapters

Exit slips: Is

the future

pictured in

Ender’s Game

a dystopia?

the Giant’s Drink

game.

Assign next 3

Chapters

Exit thought:

What do you

think the future

will be like?

Think it over and

be ready for an

admit slip

tomorrow

From

Valentine/Peter

to Ender. Turn

in Letters

Assign next 3

chapters

groups and

explain

production

roles.

Assign last

chapters

Voting on

Scene

Monday!

Week

Five

Admit Slip:

Should Ender

have saved the

queen?

Discuss end of

story and gather

student opinions

on the work.

Vote on

Alternative

Histories-

Narrow it down

to four

Short presentation

on stage direction

With accuracy in

mind, develop

concept for a film

based on the

alternative history

that group picked

out of the hat.

Need a

background and a

basic plotline to

include in

preview. What

kind of world will

it be? Who will

the main

characters be?

Finalize outline

for film preview

Watch movie

preview

examples.

Groups present

their sketch for

their film

preview.

Finalize what

will be the

sequence of

events and

dialogue

within group.

Move on to

Costume,

makeup, and

prop sketch for

each preview.

Join with

partner group

and share

visions of how

they want it

shot. Agree for

each group.

Do a cold run-

through of

lines and

action

sequences for

preview.

Finalize

setting

Finalize costume,

prop, and design

list

Go to “set” and

start doing

walkthroughs of

previews to get

spacing down.

Practice filming

angles.

Go through

costume closet

and gather

materials.

Do a few more

run-throughs.

Bring everything

needed to class

Thursday.

Filming starts

then.

Spend

day

filming

shots of

previews.

Transfer

to

computer!

Edit, Splice,

and cut

digitally to

create finished

project.

Teacher-

student

conferences to

see where each

student is at.

Present

finished

project for

viewing on

Monday!

Are you the next

Spielberg?

Ron Howard?

Kate Winslet?

Hugh Jackman?

RED CARPET READY? Lets Make a Movie

Together!

In your groups you will create the

preview for a movie

We will narrow down the choices of

plot lines as a class.

In groups we will help each other

produce our previews and share them

on Monday!

Get ready! Everyone will be both

behind and in front of the camera!

Lesson Plan 1


Flights of Imagination: Sci-fi 14 days

Objective Introduction to the genre of Science Fiction

Reading Material Preface to Left Hand of Darkness

Frankenstein

The Man in the High Castle

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions

Instructional


Lesson Plan

Format

Teacher Centered:




Student Centered:

Discussion


Problem Solving


Materials &

Resources

School – Textbooks, blackboard, projector, screen

Teacher – Butcher paper, powerpoint, video clip

Student – Index card, pencils, markers

Literacy Strategy Admit and exit slips

Character trees

Short Book Reports

Knowledge Pool

KWL

Silent discussion

Mind Pictures

Phase One Begin Class by reading the preface to The Left Hand of Darkness aloud, having students,

stopping after every few paragraphs for comment. Do KWL on Frankenstein and

Knowledge Pool. Character trees.

Assign Book Report.

Phase Two Transition to The Man in the High Castle. Discuss Cultural elements. Watch “Pawn Stars”

clip. Silent written discussion on perception of value, use to transition and draw

connections into themes of “what is true.” Assign Book Report.

Phase Three Flatland is shorter so can spend more time on philosophical implications. Look at social

commentary aspects. Examine emergence of psychology. Do group activity on timelines

that involves the research aspect. Do Mind Pictures in order so as to transition to discussion

of modern day example where one person’s perception can be very different from

another’s. Is there common ground?

Formative

Assessment

The formal book reports will gauge student comprehension and depth of insight will assess

student’s personal development.

Homework

Assignment

The Book reports

Lesson Plan 2



Objective Continued exploration of Sci-fi

Reading Material Film 9

Ender’s Game

Instructional

Framework


Lesson Plan

Format

Teacher Centered:




Student Centered:

Discussion


Problem Solving


Materials &

Resources


Teacher – Butcher paper, powerpoint, movie 9


Literacy Strategy Admit and exit slips

Carousel brainstorm

Formal letter writing

Formal Short reflective essay

Phase One Begin reading Ender’s Game

Have students make hypotheses about what cultural influences will be present within the

story through carousel brainstorms.

After the letter writing, discuss the world Valentine and Peter live in. Is it possible there is

someone doing what they are doing? What would it take to make that happen, if it is not.

Could it happen?

Phase Two Start slowly shifting focus to the film project.

Phase Three Start reviewing and discussing ideas for the alternative history film preview project.

Formative

Assessment

The letter writing will give insight on student comprehension and the essay will show the

individual grasp of the concept of truth and media influence.

Homework

Assignment

The essay.

Lesson Plan 3



Objective Continued exploration of Sci-fi

Reading Material Watch previews for War of the Worlds, I am Legend, 28 Days Later

Instructional


Lesson Plan

Format

Teacher Centered:




Student Centered:

Discussion


Problem Solving


Materials &

Resources


Teacher – Butcher paper, powerpoint, movie previews clips


Literacy Strategy Outlines

Teacher-Student conferences

Student film project

Phase One Narrow down to 4 alternative timelines.

Short presentation on stage direction

With accuracy in mind, develop concept for a film based on the alternative history that

group picked out of the hat.

Finalize setting Finalize costume, prop, and design list

Go to “set” and start doing walkthroughs of previews to get spacing down.

Practice filming angles.

Phase Two

FILM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phase Three Edit, Splice, polish, and have ready for presentation on Monday

Formative

Assessment

Level of participation, group work, and Teacher-Student Conferences

Summative

Assessment

Level of quality of finished product and evidence of thought, grasp of science fiction

concepts, and individual perception and depth of understanding of issues discussed will be

gauged.

STUDENT FILM SCHEDULE: Let’s Roll!

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Vote on your choices of storyline!

What do you want to see

a movie about?

For example: What would the world be

like if the Native

Americans had not

helped the pilgrims

survive the first

winter? Storylines

will be assigned today and

we will divide into four groups and finalize

the bare outlines of our movie. Remember we are only

making a preview!

Watch movie

preview examples.

What make you want to watch that

movie? Construct

your preview

with those elements.

Finalize the where,

when, and how

everything will look.

This includes

costumes!

Be creative! This is the future!!!

Bring out your inner actor,

makeup artist, and techie!

Please though,

leave the divas under

wraps!

Let’s start practice on

filming! Does it look cool, like it would make people say, “That looks

like it could be pretty good!”

That’s what we are going for!

F I L M I N G

“Cut! That’s a Wrap!”

Today we edit, splice, and polish our final

project for presentation on Monday!

Popcorn will be provided!

Graphic Organizer of Your Production Role

DURING FILMING 1

st camera 2nd

camera

Director Editing

Riley ‘ ‘

Amanda ‘ ‘

Tyler ‘ ‘

Hunter ‘ ‘

Tracy ‘ ‘

Monecke ‘

Alai ‘ ‘

Farrah ‘ ‘

David ‘ ‘

Ashley ‘ ‘

Trevor ‘

Joshua ‘ ‘

Hakar ‘ ‘

Regina ‘ ‘

LaShawna ‘

Marty ‘ ‘

Chris ‘ ‘

Alice ‘ ‘

Raquel ‘ ‘

Miguel ‘ ‘

1st camera takes in left side, edging into front for the first

2 minutes.

2nd camera takes in right side, edging into front for the

last 2 minutes

Director helps actors with lines, directs camera angles, and

ensures group vision is upheld.

Editing will make marks while filming for good moments

to splice and put together

Film Preview Project Rubric ` Student Name:


Group Work 90-100 Was cooperative

Contributed creatively

Had truly unique point of view

Respected views of others

Helped group turn in quality project

Fully committed to project

Group Work 60-89 Could have work better with others

Did not contribute equally

Very conventional

Unwilling to see others point of view

Group work 0-59

Did not participate

Handicapped team in project completion

Individual Work 90-100 Truly exhibited a full grasp of Science Fiction concepts

Had a clear understanding of implications of historic changes to all

Original thought processes that heightened the experience of those that

worked with them

Was an instigator of productive discussion

Completed all individual assignments with a train of thought that illustrated

deep understanding

Individual Work 70-89 Was able to use basic terms discussed in class

Has some grasp of the implications of history

Might not instigate productive discussion but will participate in it.

Completed all individual assignments and reading that showed good grasp of

concept

Individual Work 50-69

Understands but does not know terminology

Basic grasp of Historic implications

Rarely participates in discussion

Did not complete all of reading or assignments

Individual Work 0-49

Does not know terminology

Shows no grasp of concepts discussed and worked on

Do not participate

Did not complete reading and/or assignments

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