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SREB

Standards-based UnitStandards-based UnitMiddle Grades to High School

Transition Program

Foundations of English:Foundations of English:A 9th-grade English

Catch-up Course

SouthernRegionalEducationBoard

592 Tenth Street, N.W.

Our Heritage: Influences That Shape OurOur Heritage: Influences That Shape Our LivesLives

Unit PlanUnit Plan

Atlanta, GA 30318(404) 875-9211www.sreb.org

Our Heritage: Influences that Shape Our Lives 1

Unit Plan OverviewUnit Plan Overview

Unit Title: Our Heritage: Influences that Shape Our Lives

Course Name: Foundations of English

Grade Level(s): 8th & 9th Grade

Timeframe: 11 100-minute classes (Unit may be extended if the class is large because of presentation times.)

Prerequisite Knowledge/Skills Writing Process Procedures for working in small group

Essential Questions: (Open-ended style which promote in-depth investigation)1. What are life’s greatest lessons?2. How do people influence each other?3. What special relationships shape who you are?

SREB Readiness Indicators

1. Develop vocabulary appropriate to reading, writing, and speaking proficiency.6. Identify and interpret literary structures, elements, devices, and themes.8. Compose writing that conveys a clear main point with logical support.

12. Use appropriate organization, language, voice, delivery style, and visual aids to match audience and purpose of oral presentations.

13. Use active listening strategies to organize and respond to information presented in different formats for different purposes.

State/Local Standards: Mississippi

1. Produce writing which reflects increasing proficiency through planning, writing, revising, and editing and which is specific to audience and purpose.

2. Communicate ideas through listening and speaking.3. Read, evaluate, and use print, non-print, and technological sources to research issues and problems, to

present information, and to complete projects.5. Complete oral and written presentations which exhibit interaction and consensus within a group.8. Read, discuss, analyze, and evaluate literature from various genres and other written material.9. Sustain progress toward fluent control of grammar, mechanics, and usage of standard English in the

context of writing and speaking.

Acknowledgment(s)Claire Craig and Elizabeth Bailey, West Point (MS) School District

Our Heritage: Influences that Shape Our Lives– Overview 2

Unit Plan OverviewUnit Plan Overview

Literacy Strategies Habits of Success_X_ Admit/Exit slips_X_ Graphic organizer___ Know/Want to

Know/Learn Chart (KWL)

_X_ Open-response questions

___ Two-column/Cornell notes

_X_ Re-telling___ Reflection___ Jigsaw reading___ Peer Review___ Peer Editing___ Anticipation Guide___ RAFT

(Role/Audience/Format/ Topic)

___ Summarization (GIST)(Generating Interactions Between Schemata and Text)

___ Paired Reading___ Other

1. _X_ Create RelationshipsTeamwork/responsibility/effective communication2. ___ Study, Manage Time, OrganizeOrganization/time management/study skills3. ___ Improve Reading/Writing SkillsUse reading and writing to learn strategies4. ___ Improve Mathematics SkillsEstimate/compute/solve/synthesize5. ___ Set Goals/PlanSet goals/plan/monitor progress6. _X_ Access ResourcesResearch/analyze/utilize

Assessments: Pre, Daily/Weekly and Post

Post1. Content-based

Reader Response Dialogue Journal (Attachment 1) Letter to the author (Attachment 21) Vocabulary/Reading test (Attachment 15)

2. Performance- or product-based Oral presentation-Reader’s Theater (Attachment 19)

Our Heritage: Influences that Shape Our Lives– Overview 3

Daily Activities PlanDaily Activities PlanUnit Title: Our Heritage: Influences that Shape Our Lives

Day 1 of 11

SREB’s Readiness Indicator(s) for Daily Activities

1. Develop vocabulary appropriate to reading, writing, and speaking proficiency.13. Use active listening strategies to organize and respond to information presented in different formats for

different purposes.

State/District Standard(s) for Daily Activities: Mississippi1. Produce writing which reflects increasing proficiency through planning, writing, revising, and editing and

which is specific to audience and purpose.2. Communicate ideas through listening and speaking.3. Read, evaluate, and use print, non-print, and technological sources to research issues and problems, to

present information, and to complete projects.5. Complete oral and written presentations which exhibit interaction and consensus within a group.8. Read, discuss, analyze, and evaluate literature from various genres and other written material. 9. Sustain progress toward fluent control of grammar, mechanics, and usage of standard English in the


Anticipated Times*(90-min. Block Schedule) Sequence of Instruction Activities Checklist

5 minutes Get Started: Language Bites(LB)Present essential questionsDiscuss vocabulary of questions (ie., Influential) How do you figure out what a word means if you

don’t have a dictionary handy? (context clues) What clues are in the sentences before and after

the word as well as in the same sentence with the word?

Make prediction about the meaning of the word. Let’s check with the expert [dictionary] to test our

prediction. As you read, you may encounter words you don’t

know. Try to use the clues around the word before you check your dictionary or ask someone. Keep a list of the new words you find and bring the list with you each day.

Answer questions

15 minutes EngageShow cover of Tuesdays with Morrie. Discuss the quote: “An old man, a young man, and life’s greatest lesson”Reader Response 1a Handout (Attachment 1)

Display object/ picture

15 minutes ExploreShare/Discuss their ideas from the writing.

Other - share writing

60 minutes ExplainRead aloud pp. 1-23 (Attachment 2). Show a clip from the first Ted Koppel interview with Morrie.Reader Response 1b (Attachment 1)

Media presentation

Our Heritage: Influences that Shape Our Lives– Day 1 4

Daily Activities PlanDaily Activities Plan

5 minutes Closing ActivitiesMake assignment: Read pp. 23-68 in TWM

Assign/explain homework

Resources/Instructional Materials Needed A copy of Tuesdays with Morrie for each student VHS or DVD (depending on available equipment) of

Ted Koppel interviews (www.abcnewsstore.com, Code: S050413, price $29.95)

TV and VCR or DVD player Chart paper

Reader’s Response Guide Handout (Attachment 1)

Vocabulary list (Attachment 2) DIDLS Chart (Attachment 3)

Enrichment/Extension/Re-teaching1. Lead a close reading of the final paragraph on p.15

that begins “After the funeral” and ends on p. 16 with “never to end up like him.” Have students pick out the main idea, the details that support the main idea, and the conclusion of the paragraph.

2. Lead or assign a close reading of paragraph of pp. 16-17 that begins “I stopped renting” and ends “But that day never came.” Use a DIDLS chart (Attachment 3) to analyze the tone created by the diction, imagery, and sentence structure of this paragraph. Why does Mitch repeat the pronoun “I”? What effect is created by the use of short

sentences that all follow the same patters: subject-verb-direct object.

Look at the specific verbs. What do they tell us about the way Mitch felt about himself?

3. Ask interested students to research in order to discover the meaning and origin of the allusion on

Reading


http://www.abcnewsstore.com/


Day 2 of 11



11. Use research skills to locate, gather, evaluate, and organize information for different purposes.12. Use appropriate organization, language, voice, delivery style, and visual aids to match audience and

purpose of oral presentations.13. Use active listening strategies to organize and respond to information presented in different formats for

different purposes






5 minutes Get StartedVocabulary:(Attachment 4) What new words did you encounter? List on chart paper. Use one or two of the students’ words or see attachments for other words to unlock through context clues. Examples to practice are in Attachment 5 “Guessing Vocabulary in Context 1.” Try 2 or 3 of these as practice.

Answer questions

5 minutes EngageNow that you’ve read through p. 68 and seen the interview with Ted Koppel, consider how Mitch Albom tells the story. Lead brief whole class discussion. (Students will be thinking off the top of their heads.)

Discuss previous experiences

5 minutes ExplainSay:We are going to analyze and represent through a graphic organizer the structure of the story. [Review meaning of “structure” if needed.] Show an example of the flow chart on the overhead. (Attachment 6)

Other - Graphic organizer



15 minutes ExploreCreate their own or fill in a flow chart that follows the events as they are told in the book.Explain the structure of the story so far by developing a flow chart. Teacher will guide discussion using the chart transparency.

Other - graphic organizer

15 minutes Practice TogetherComplete flow chart with a partner.

Whole group graphic organizers

20 minutes Practice in Teams/Groups/Buddy-pairsReader Response 2a(Attachment 1)Reader Response 2b

Other - Respond to reading

5 minutes Evaluate Understanding (Daily/Weekly/Post-Assessment)Ask class: How did the flow chart or graphic organizer help you understand the book? How might you be able to use these tools in other classes?

Discussion

30 minutes Closing ActivitiesShow clip of Ted Koppel’s 2nd interview with Morrie.Make assignment: Read pp. 69-107


Resources/Instructional Materials Needed Reader Response handout (Attachment 2) Flow chart transparency Copies of the flow chart if you want students to fill

in rather than making their own. (Attachment 6) Ted Koppel interview VHS (See Day 1 for ordering

information.)Enrichment/Extension/Re-teaching Encourage interested students to watch Nightline or

another in-depth interview show and journal about what they learn and the interview techniques the host used. Place in portfolio.

Provide extra help for students who struggle with classroom assignments and homework.

Ask a strong reader to tape record the assigned pages for an ELL student

To go deeper into the text, ask: Why does Mitch include the details found in the last paragraph on p. 66?

Tutoring Individual

assignment



Day 3 of 11








5 minutes Get StartedVocabulary activity:(Attachments 7 and 8)) Another way to unlock the meaning of an unfamiliar word is by breaking it into parts—prefix, root, suffix. If you know what any part means, you will make a better prediction of the meaning of the word. Use examples from “Tending to Word Roots” (attachment 9). Give each student a copy of “Simple Teaching Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes” to use as a reference. Demonstrate how a word can be dismantled and analyzed.

Answer questions

5 minutes EngageHow has Ted Koppel changed his approach since the first interview? How has the relationship between Ted and Morrie changed?


15 minutes ExploreComplete flow chart (Attachment 6) on pp. 68-107. For this activity, the teacher will elicit student input rather than providing the information herself.

Graphic organizer

10 minutes ExplainUse overhead projector with topics of “Morrie’s Musings.” (See Assignment 3 on Attachment 1.) Divide class into 5 groups and assign each group one of the categories.

Interactive discussion

20 minutes Practice in Teams/Groups/Buddy-pairsGroups will select one of the Tuesday topics of discussion and list Morrie’s thoughts on the topic. They will write their answers on the transparency.Share.

Answer questions



25 minutes Practice AloneAfter reading Morrie’s musings on the world, regrets, death, family, emotions, etc., pick one and write a letter comparing Morrie’s thoughts to your own thoughts on the topic. (Reader Response 3)Read silently pp. 109-159. (Complete for homework.)

Draft writing

5 minutes Evaluate Understanding (Daily/Weekly/Post-Assessment)Take up reader response 3.

Writing sample

5 minutes Closing ActivitiesConcluding discussion on how Morrie’s ideas would be accepted today

Student reflection activity

Resources/Instructional Materials Needed Reader Response assignment sheet Transparencies Vocabulary Handouts (Attachments 7, 8 and 9)Enrichment/Extension/Re-teaching Complete reading at home. Extension: Do a little research to discover the date

of the OJ Simpson trial. Complete the flow chart alone as an assignment. Explain the implied analogy (metaphor) on p. 76:

“love for education was hatched in her arms.” Why is the implied comparison appropriate?

Find sources of lines of poetry quoted on p. 91: “Love each other of perish.” “Without love, we are birds with broken wings.” Take a deeper look at the structure of the novel:

On pp. 98-99 Mitch inserts memories which are not in chronological order. Why? What effect does the structure have on the meaning? How do shared memories help to advance meaning or characterization?

Individual assignment



Day 4 of 11




13. Use active listening strategies to organize and respond to information presented in different formats for different purposes






5 minutes Get StartedVocabulary activity:Who found an interesting word in your reading for us? How did you predict the meaning? Put the following words, which are all found on p. 109, on the overhead: deceptively, exploiting, intravenously. (Attachment 10) Ask students to use context clues and word analysis to predict the meanings of these words. Do one together and let the students try one with a partner and then one alone. Check their meanings with a dictionary only if necessary and only after they have predicted and tried out their own synonyms in the context.

Answer questions

10 minutes EngageEngage students in a discussion of the 2 pivotal events in Morrie’s life (pp. 73-78 and pp. 109-113).Ask: What makes Morrie a different kind of teacher/professor?


5 minutes ExplainAt this point in the book, Morrie is very sick and very weak. However, his influence over Mitch, Ted, viewers and others is growing stronger and stronger! How does Albom develop this paradox? How does this paradox relate to the “tension of opposites?”Ask students to identify one bit of dialogue, one passage, one image, or one idea from the last three chapters that reveals Morrie’s weak body and strong influence and illustrates a life lesson. Share the images from the book and the life lesson with the

Interactive discussion Graphic organizer



class and explain in your own words what it means and why it strikes you as important.Instruct students to explore the text and pick out the most important passages in relation to an assigned topic. Assign each member of the group one passage to read. Give students Frayer Model template which asks for the following information in relation to the assigned idea: essential characteristics, images that illustrate the idea, a quote that expresses the idea, and examples from their own experiences that support the idea. (See Attachment 11)

5 minutes Practice TogetherModel this by using transparency of template and talking out loud through the process

Whole group graphic organizers

30 minutes Practice in Teams/Groups/Buddy-pairsCarry out assignment in groups of 4 people. Appoint reporter, encourager, recorder, and timekeeper. Prepare to share with the whole group. Rubric included in attachments

Practice active reading strategies

30 minutes Evaluate Understanding (Daily/Weekly/Post-Assessment)Presentations assessed with rubric

Group presentation

25 minutes Closing ActivitiesShow Clip of Koppel interview 3.Assignment: Read pp. 160-192.


Resources/Instructional Materials Needed Ted Koppel interview (VHS or DVD) Group instructions with rubric (Attachment 11)Enrichment/Extension/Re-teaching Carry out research to discover who the people

mentioned on p.111 are: Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Angela Davis. Ask: Why does Mitch give us this information?

Consider the historical context (pp. 157-158) of the OJ trial. Why does Mitch include that detail? How does it connect to the story/meaning?


Research



Day 5 of 11










5 minutes Get StartedVocabulary activity:Who found interesting words? Call on 2 or 3 volunteers to share a word and explain how they arrived at the meaning. (Attachment 12)

Answer questions

10 minutes EngageYou saw the 3rd and last interview with Koppel and you read it. Morrie whispers parting advice on p. 163. When Morrie says, “I gave you what I had,” what had he given? Was he successful? What are some life lessons you have learned from Morrie? (This whole class discussion is an opportunity for students to talk about their feelings about the ending of the book, Morrie’s death, the way that Mitch has changed, etc.)


10 minutes Explore Ask each person to write his or her own questions which have not been answered or explored. These may be questions about things they don’t understand or things that bothered them or things that they felt were significant. Some questions examples: Why did Mitch use the details of Morrie’s physical decline? Why did he give the historical detail about the OJ trial? Did the Koppel interviews exploit Morrie?)

Write questions

5 minutes ExplainIntroduce the fishbowl discussion strategy.(See “Model peer response...”p. 91 in Literacy Across the Curriculum.) Divide class into 2 groups. Group 1 will discuss first and group 2 will observe and record. Explain the roles of the




people in the inner and outer circles and the characteristics of a good discussion. Make a transparency of these rules and keep them before the class for this activity. (Attachment 13).

10 minutes Practice AloneGive students time to dig through the text to identify and write appropriate questions. With each question the students should write the page number of a relevant passage which is the springboard for the question. Give them index cards. Write their questions with page references on the cards.

Answer questions/ problems

60 minutes Practice TogetherPlace the question cards in a big bowl or bucket. Divide the class into 2 groups. Arrange chairs so that there is an inner and outer circle. The students in the inner circle carry out the first discussion and the outer circle observes and records the following:

Keep time and allow 3 minutes per question. Students in the outer circle will use the Discussion Scoring Guide (Attachment 14) as they listen to one specific person. After 10 minutes, have the outer circle share with the person they are observing about what they saw that was good. Then switch chairs with the outer group moving into the inner chairs and the inner group moving into the outer chairs. Repeat

Group discussion

5 minutes Evaluate Understanding (Daily/Weekly/Post-Assessment)Students complete discussion and scoring guide (Attachment 14). Turn in scoring guides with comments.

Evaluate presentations

5 minutes Closing ActivitiesPass out all question cards randomly. Everyone will write an answer to the question on the back of the card and sign their name. Turn in.Assignment:Reader Response 5 (Attachment 1)

Answer questions

Resources/Instructional Materials Needed Rules for discussion (Attachment 13) Discussion Scoring Guide (Attachment 14) Note cardsEnrichment/Extension/Re-teaching Who has noticed the hibiscus plant that sits in

Morrie’s study? One reference to it is on page 173. Does the hibiscus plant serve as a symbol in the book? If so, what does it symbolize?

On demand writing: What life lessons did you learn from reading this book? Choose one and elaborate by describing the lesson you learned and explaining how you will apply that lesson in your own life.

Writing



Day 6 of 11










15 minutes Get StartedVocabulary/Reading quiz (Attachment 15)

Answer questions

20 minutes EngageShare Reader’s Response 5 with a partner (Attachment 1). Students will write in their Reader Response Journal 3 specific suggestions that the partner made about what needed to be developed or expanded.Read some aloud to the class. Take up the students’ Reader Response Dialogue Journals for a grade. (Teacher will read the letters and write feedback questions to prompt revision.)


5 minutes ExploreIntroduce the idea of Reader’s Theater:(Attachment 16)Reader’s Theater is a “medium in which two or more oral interpreters through their oral reading cause an audience to experience literature.” The intent of Reader’s Theater is to present a work of literature in such a way as to make it come to life in the mind and imagination of the audience. The attention of the audience is directed towards the author’s creation.

Read



5 minutes ExplainExplain that the students will practice “Reader’s Theater” today. They will use scripts based on stories they have known since they were children.

Lecture with guided notes

10 minutes Practice TogetherIntroduce the script selection by retelling the familiar stories (“Goldilocks,” “Three Billy Goats Gruff” and “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs” are suggestions. Find these and other scripts at http://cpanel.servdns.net/~reading/Readers_Theater/Scripts/scripts.html)

Complete practice problems/labs

Oral presentation

30 minutes(Give groups 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to present.)

Practice in Teams/Groups/Buddy-pairsDivide students into 3-4 groups and distribute a set of scripts to each group. Instruct the groups to assign the parts and then practice reading. Circulate as the groups practice. Each group will present their “Reader’s Theater” to the whole group

Practice presentations

10 minutes Evaluate Understanding (Daily/Weekly/Post-Assessment)Debrief after the presentations and list these on chart paper: What were the elements that each of the

presentations had in common? Based on what you experienced, what are the

distinctive features of Reader’s Theater in general?

Discussion

1 minutes Closing ActivitiesExit Slip:What do you like about Reader’s Theater and what do you still have a question about?Tell students to review the “Tuesday” chapters in the book and think about the one they would like to script for a Reader’s Theater.

Exit slip

Resources/Instructional Materials Needed Scripts, runoff enough so that each person in the

group has a copy. Background information on Reader’s Theater

(Attachment 16).Enrichment/Extension/Re-teaching Ask students who are interested to look up Reader’s

Theater on the Internet and bring anything they find/learn to class tomorrow.

Reading


http://cpanel.servdns.net/~reading/Readers_Theater/Scripts/

http://cpanel.servdns.net/~reading/Readers_Theater/Scripts/


Day 7 of 11










5 minutes Get StartedEntrance Slip:What is Readers Theater?

Admit slip

5 minutes EngageShare some of the most interesting exit responses from yesterday.


10 minutes ExploreLook together at the chart paper. Review the distinctive features of Reader’s Theater that students identified.Ask if anyone researched the form and has information to share with the class. Allow them to share briefly.

Create lists

10 minutes ExplainToday we’re going to adapt the text for our own Reader’s Theater script. Let’s work together to write a script based on the chapter entitled “The Classroom” on pp. 32-38.Give students Handout “Reader’s Theatre—How to adapt a script” as a guide.http://bms.westport.k12.ct.us/mccormick/rt/rtadapt.htm

“Tips on Scripting” www.aaronshep.com/re/Tips1.html

Student presentations


http://www.aaronshep.com/re/Tips1.html

http://bms.westport.k12.ct.us/mccormick/rt/rtadapt.htm


20 minutes Practice Together[Make transparencies of pp. 32-38. Place a blank write-on transparency on top of the printed ones so that you can reuse them with each class.]Think aloud, model, and involve students in the process of selecting lines to include and lines to delete. [Prepare in advance by thinking through the chapter. See Attachment 17 for example.] Look through the chapter to determine who the

characters are. Assign a color to each character. Highlight all dialogue with the appropriate color. The text that is left is narration. Read through the narration and mark out any lines

which can be deleted without changing meaning or leaving our critical information about characterization, mood, setting, theme, etc.

Ask questions: What should the narrator say? [Write “Narrator” in

the margin.] Does the narrator need to say all of this? What can be deleted?

Collaborative writing

45 minutes Practice in Teams/Groups/Buddy-pairs[The students must have the text copied in order to highlight and notate. Prepare in advance by making 3 copies of each section from the book and placing these in folders.] Divide students into groups of 3. Instruct each group

to select one of the Tuesdays. Give each group a folder of copies to match their choice. First come, first serve!

Provide highlighters Remind them to refer to the handout and the

sample. Each group will adapt the text to prepare to write a

Reader’s Theater script based on the chapter chosen.

Group writing

(As the teams work) Evaluate Understanding (Daily/Weekly/Post-Assessment)Observe each group. Provide help as needed. Note specific misunderstandings or gaps and address those for the whole class if needed.

Discussion

5 minutes Closing ActivitiesExit Slip:Are you ready to write your script? If not, what help do you need?

Exit slip

Resources/Instructional Materials Needed 3 copies of each “Tuesday” chapter from Tuesdays

with Morrie. Folders for the copies Highlighters Transparencies of the “Classroom” chapter Blank transparencies to write on over the printed ones Background information on Readers’ Theater from

internet sources (see above)NotesReserve the computer lab for tomorrow.



Day 8 of 11










5 minutes Get StartedVocabulary:Create two new words, using a prefix, suffix and root from our earlier study. Write a definition for the word.

Answer questions

5 minutes EngageRead a few of the most pressing exit slips from the previous day.


5 minutes ExploreAddress any issues that students raise in relation to adapting the script.Distribute rubrics (Attachment 19) and review together. Ask, “What do you need to know in order to create a proficient script and presentation?”

Evaluate steps

5 minutes Explain Show students a sample script on the overhead.

See p. 4 of Aaron Shepard’s Tips for a sample script pages link. http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/Tips1.html

Distribute handout on Formatting a Script (Attachment 18)

Point out the following features of the format: Large, readable type (14 pt.) Line spacing set at 1-1/2 Left margin 1-1/2

A right-hand header with one or two key words from the script title, plus the page number

Block paragraph format—no indent, either regular or hanging. A blank line after each

Present exemplar



speech. Lines flush left—not “justified” at the right

margin but left uneven No splitting speeches—or at least of paragraphs

—between one page and the next.75 minutes Practice in Teams/Groups/Buddy-pairs

Go to the computer lab. Groups will type scripts directly from the adapted text. Print the scripts. Save to a disk.

Write

1 minutes Evaluate Understanding (Daily/Weekly/Post-Assessment)Instruct students to turn in the completed scripts.(Read through the scripts and provide feedback so that students can revise tomorrow.)

Writing sample

4 minutes

Closing ActivitiesExit Slip:Reflect on the process. What do you like most about your script? What parts do you think need more work?

Exit slip

Resources/Instructional Materials Needed Handout on Formatting a Script Transparency of sample script Computer lab Rubric (Attachment 19) DisksEnrichment/Extension/Re-teaching Groups who did not complete typing their scripts

may come in after school or complete typing at home.

Extended time



Day 9 of 11










5 minutes Get Started(It might be good to start this class in the lab to save time.) Share/respond to some of the exit slips from the previous day.

Answer questions

5 minutes EngageReview rubrics (Attachment 19) again and discuss what they still need to know in order to have an effective presentation. Ask, “Look at the rubric closely. What do you still need to know in order to create a proficient or advanced presentation?” Allow at least 10 seconds wait time. If no one volunteers, ask each group to take about 1-2 minutes to discuss. Share out. Note what they say or record on chart paper.

Discuss rubric

10 minutes ExploreMini-lesson on script handling, set, reader movement, sound effects, focus, beginnings, and endings. Refer to “Tips on Staging Part 2” http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/Tips2.htmlor other Reader’s Theater resources. Make a transparency or handouts for the students. Review the elements together and discuss. Point out ways that Readers Theater is different from a full stage play (e.g., minimal sets, readers on stools, minimal costumes and props, scripts read rather than memorized)

Investigate

5 minutes ExplainReturn the scripts to the groups with teacher

Review writing


http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/Tips2.html


feedback.Explain that their task now is to mark places that need revision or editing. Also, they will add stage directions to indicate movements, sound effects, facial expression, vocal expression that they feel are especially important. (As the students work, the teacher will circulate among the groups to observe and facilitate as needed.)

30 minutes Practice in Teams/Groups/Buddy-pairsWork on revision, editing, and stage directions. Make corrections on the typed script. Correct and print. SAVE on diskette.Print 4 copies of the script and bind them with black construction paper.

Peer review/edit

30 minutes Practice AlonePractice reading parts and enacting all stage directions.

Rehearse presentation

5 minutes Evaluate Understanding (Daily/Weekly/Post-Assessment)Take up a revised script from each group for script evaluation.

Writing sample

5 minutes Closing ActivitiesExit Slip:In what ways is our script better now than it was yesterday? What new insights do I have about the book after creating the script?

Exit slip

Resources/Instructional Materials Needed paper for printing construction paper for binding background information for mini-lesson (see URL

above) student scripts with teacher feedback diskettes used to save scripts.Enrichment/Extension/Re-teaching Some groups may need more time to complete the

revision of their scripts. If possible, arrange for them to work after school or to take the script home to complete revision.

Groups that finish the revision process may create props, backdrop, etc. to enhance their presentations.

Encourage groups to take the script home and read through it several times to familiarize themselves thoroughly with their parts.


Extended time



Day 10 of 11










5 minutes Get StartedVocabulary Activity:Look over script and pick out 2 or 3 new words that you have used on one side of a notecard. Without using a dictionary, write the words and their meanings in your own words on the back side of the card. [Take up these cards to use tomorrow. Do not spend longer than 5 minutes on this activity.]

Answer questions

4 minutes EngageShare comments from the previous day’s exit slips.


10 minutes ExplainPresent mini-lesson on “Student Actor Objectives” http://bms.westport.k12.ct.us/mccormick/rt/rtstudobj.htm

And Preparing, Rehearsing, and Performing from “Tips on Reading Part 3” at http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/Tips3.html

or other Reading Theater sources. Model reading from a script for the students.

Lecture with guided notes

10 minutes Practice TogetherReview the rubric. (Attachment 19) Ask for a volunteer to read a part from a script and let the class give feedback based on mini-lesson and rubric.

Student responses


http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/Tips3.html

http://bms.westport.k12.ct.us/mccormick/rt/rtstudobj.htm

http://bms.westport.k12.ct.us/mccormick/rt/rtstudobj.htm


10 minutes Practice in Teams/Groups/Buddy-pairsIn teams, practice the Reader’s Theater and prepare for presentation. [There is not time here for students to prepare props, etc. Groups must have completed those elements outside of class.]

Rehearse presentation

60 minutes Evaluate Understanding (Daily/Weekly/Post-Assessment)Present the Reader’s Theater. (Consider presenting in the library and inviting another class or special guests.) Use the presentation rubric to evaluate.[We strongly recommend video taping the presentations. The tape will provide a way for the teacher to reevaluate and give students additional feedback as well.]

Group presentation

1 minutes Closing ActivitiesStudents complete student response sheets (Attachment 20) after each presentation.

Student reflection activity

Resources/Instructional Materials Needed Note cards Script to model reading Rubrics (Attachment 19) Video camera and video tape to record

presentations Student Response Sheets (Attachment 20) Background information for mini lesson (See URL

above)Enrichment/Extension/Re-teaching If there is not time for all groups to present today,

extend the presentations until tomorrow. If the presentations were made to the class only,

allow the students to plan a night time performance for their parents and friends.

Extended time



Day 11 of 11










5 minutes Get StartedAsk a student volunteer to use the vocabulary notecards created yesterday as flashcards. Call on students to suggest the meanings of these “new” words. (You may want to add a little competition by keeping score of the teams that can define the most words, not counting their own!)

Answer questions

5 minutes EngageReturn the Readers Response Dialogue Journal

Return work

10 minutes ExploreLook specifically at the letter to the author. Ask students to reflect on what they wrote before the Readers Theater. After the RT, what would they change, add, delete?

Brainstorm

5 minutes Explain Distribute rubric for the letter (Attachment 21) Remind students that their goal is to create a clear

and interesting letter to Mitch Albom that will be mailed; therefore, the letters must be free of all language errors.

Make transparencies of some of the students’ letters. Lead discussion/mini lesson on the quality (form and

content) of the letters. Is the letter form correct? Is the content clear and interesting? Is the letter well-organized? Are language conventions correct?


5 minutes Practice Together Collaborative writing


Daily Activities PlanDaily Activities Plan(This is part of the explanation)

Engage students in making suggestions for revision of the sample letters. Allow think time. Press students for specific suggestions.

15 minutes Practice in Teams/Groups/Buddy-pairsIn groups of 4, students will read and respond to their classmates’ letters. Set timer on 15 minutes and push them to move along! Tell them to spend about 2 minutes reading and 3 minutes responding to each of the 3 letters they will read. Let them use highlighters to mark words or phrases that seem unclear as well as language errors. In the margin, they should note C for clarity or L for language.

Peer review/edit

50 minutes Practice AloneMake revision and edit the letter individually.Go to the computer lab to type the letter which will be mailed to Mitch Albom.

Revise work

2 minutes Evaluate Understanding (Daily/Weekly/Post-Assessment)Turn in the letters. Use the rubric, but do not put a final grade on letters with language convention errors. (These letters must be perfect since they will be mailed to the author. Students whose letters are not perfect will have to redo.) (Attachment 22 – Email from Mitch Albom to Elizabeth Bailey with mailing address and email address. Feel free to share this message with the students!)

Writing sample

3 minutes Closing ActivitiesExit slip:What is the best part of my letter?

Exit slip

Resources/Instructional Materials Needed Friendly letter rubric (Attachment 21) Sample student letters copied on transparencies for

mini-lesson. Teacher cover letter to Mitch Albom (Attachment

22) Manila envelope for mailing letters.Enrichment/Extension/Re-teaching- If needed, add another day devoted to Writing

Workshop to revise the letters one more time.

Extended time


Attachment 1Attachment 1Reader Response Dialogue Journal

Tuesdays with Morrie

Directions: All responses must be in friendly letter form, with date, greeting, body, and appropriate closing and signature.

1. Assignment One1a. Before you begin reading the book in earnest, write a brief letter to a classmate about the book’s

sub-title, An Old Man, A Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson and speculate about what life’s greatest lesson might be according to this author.Exchange your response with a friend and invite him or her to write back to you agreeing or disagreeing and why.

1b. In turn, you must respond to another classmate’s letter agreeing or disagreeing and telling why. .Note: Each response must be at least ½ to 1 page.

2. Assignment Two2a. After reading pp. 24-68, write a letter to a classmate explaining how Mitch Albom tells the story.

Explain the structure of this biographical work to a classmate and tell why you think Albom chooses to tell his story in this way. Invite them to respond to you by writing back and telling whether they agree or disagree and why.

2b. In turn, you must respond to another classmate’s letter by agreeing or disagreeing and why. Tell how you think the story could have been told differently and how you think the story would have been different.Note: Each response must be at least ½ to 1 page.

3. Assignment Three3a. After reading pp. 69-107, and hearing Morrie’s musings on the world, regrets, death, family and

emotions, pick one of these and write a letter in which you compare Morrie’s thoughts on the subject to your own. Explain how your thoughts are similar or different. Invite a classmate, friend, or parent to respond to you in writing explaining their thoughts on your topic.

3b. Write a short note telling what you learned from this exchange.Note: Your letter must be at least ½ to 1 page.

4. Assignment Four4a. After reading pp. 108-159, select another of Morrie’s musings on aging, money, love, marriage or

culture and write a letter in which you compare Morrie’s thoughts and ideas to those generally accepted by your friends, family, or society in general. Invite a classmate, friend, or parent to respond to you in writing by explaining their thoughts on the topic.

4b. Write a short note telling how and why your own ideas about this topic or another have changed or not changed over time.

5. Assignment Five5a. After reading pp. 160-192 and viewing the third and last interview with Ted Koppel, Morrie

whispers parting advice, “Be compassionate. And take responsibility for each other. If we only learned those lessons, this world would be so much better a place. Love each other or die.” Write a letter to the teacher stating how Morrie has influenced your thoughts or ideas. Choose at least three topics or ideas from the book or come up with your own to write about. This letter must be at least 1 to 2 pages.

5b. The teacher will write back in response to you.

Note: Rubric(Scoring Guide) for Reader Response Dialogue Journal on back.

Rubric (Scoring Guide) for Reader Response Dialogue Journal

Our Heritage: Influences that Shape Our Lives– Attachment 1 26

Attachment 1Attachment 1

1. Student completed all assignments and met length requirements.

(50 points) _______Comment: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Student wrote clearly and provided details and examples to support ideas and opinions.

(20 points) _______Comment: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Student’s responses followed friendly letter form and demonstrated command of language (usage and vocabulary).

(20 points) _______Comment: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Student demonstrated originality, creativity, and thoughtfulness in responses.

Comment: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ (10 points) _______

Major Grade Total Pts. _______

Student response: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Attachment 2Attachment 2VOCABULARY STUDY TO ACCOMPANY TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE

Pages 1-24

Note: Do not ask students to find definitions of all of the words on this list. This list is meant to illustrate the interesting words which may be defined through context clues and/or root-prefix-suffix study. Use this list sparingly to supplement words that students themselves identify

PAGE WORDS1 Curriculum, oral exams, to pose, in lieu3 Whisk5 Syllabus, blissful, prominent , sociology6 Asthma inexplicably7 Biopsy, neurological, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis8 Normalcy theology

10 Wither, demise11 Colleagues12 Synonymous13 Sequoia, rousing15 Bloat, averting16 Insatiable18 Audiovisual, philosophies, aphorisms*19 Buzzed, clamor, ushered21 Narcissist, dignity, humor, composure22 Humility, induced, insidious decay


Attachment 3Attachment 3DIDLS ANALYSIS CHART

LITERARY DEVICE EXAMPLE FROM TEXT EFFECT ON TONE OR MEANING DICTIONThe author’s choice of words and their connotations: What words appear to have been chosen

specifically for their effect? What effect do these words have on your mood

as the reader? What do they seem to indicate about the author’s

tone?

IMAGERYThe use of descriptions that appeal to sensory experience: What images are especially vivid? What senses do they appeal to? What effect do these images have on your mood

as a reader? What do they seem to indicate about the author’s

tone?

DETAILSFacts that are included or those that are omitted: What details has the author specifically included? What details has the author apparently left out? What effect do these included & excluded details

have on your mood as a reader? What do these included & excluded details seem

to indicate about the author’s tone?

LANGUAGECharacteristics of the body of words used; terms like slang, formal, clinical, scholarly, and jargon describe language: How would the language be described? How does the language affect your mood as a

reader? What does the language seem to indicate about

the author’s tone?

SENTENCE STRUCTUREThe way the sentences are constructed:



Are the sentences simple, complex, long, short, declarative, interrogative, etc.?

(short=emotional or assertive; longer=reasonable or scholarly)

How do these structures affect your mood as a reader?

What do these structures seem to indicate about the author’s tone?



The __________________________, __________________________, and __________________________

reveal that the passage has a tone ___________________________________________________________

which relates to the theme that ______________________________________________________________

DICTION: Word Choice Controls Tone

WORDS HAVE NEGATIVE, POSITIVE, OR NEUTRAL EFFECTS

DISLIKE: resent, lament, hate, scorn, disapprove, deplore, decry, oppose, regretODD: bizarre, singular, outlandish, curious, unusual, extraordinary, remarkable, noteworthy, out

of the way, strangeTHRIFTY: saving, tight, miserly, frugal, economical, careful, budget-minded, prudent, penny-pinching,

mean, penuriousCONFESS: admit, acknowledge, concede, give in, grant, come clean, own up, allowAMATEUR: buff, enthusiast, nut, fan, hobbyist, connoisseur

FUNNY: hilarious, facetious, joking, comic, ribald, farcical, silly, slapstick, humorousSAD: morose, depressed, melancholy, blue, somber, down

HAPPY: joyous, delirious, ecstatic, high, euphoric, delighted, gladUPSET: annoyed, vexed, worried, cross, indignant, uneasyLAUGH: guffaw, chuckle, titter, giggle, cackle, snicker, snigger, roar

SELF-CONFIDENT: proud, conceited, egotistical, stuck up, haughty, smug, over-bearing, complacent, arrogant, condescending, snooty, cocky, vain, supercilious

HOUSE: home, hut, shack, mansion, cabin, chalet, abode, dwelling, shanty, domicile, residenceKING: ruler, leader, tyrant, dictator, autocrat, rexOLD: mature, experienced, antique, relic, ancient, elderly, seniorFAT: obese, plump, corpulent, portly, roly-poly, stout, rotund, burly, full-figured, heavy set, fleshy,

paunchy, burly, over-weight, bulky, pudgy, weightySINGLE WOMAN: spinster, old maid, bachelor girl, maiden lady, career woman

SAD: glum, sullen, withdrawn, reticent, silent, taciturnSHORT: laconic, terse, economical, concise, pointed, pithy, compressed, brief, boiled downSTEAL: purloin, embezzle, filch, pilfer, burglarize, rob, hold up, snatch, grab, help oneself to,

appropriateSMART: shrewd, calculating, clever, sly, adroit, knowing, astute, cunning, skillful, smooth



Pages 24-68Note: Do not ask students to find definitions of all of the words on this list. This list is meant to illustrate the

interesting words which may be defined through context clues and/or root-prefix-suffix study. Use this list sparingly to supplement words that students themselves identify.

PAGE WORDS26 Orientation, suburban27 Gaunt28 tabouli30 Deferments34 Grappling35 Gingerly39 Scholarly, contagious, defers41 Cued up, tabloids42 Lamented, diminishing46 Unique50 Dwindling52 Rational55 Confrontations

56-57 Mourn62 Intrusive, clamoring63 Nostalgia, mystical clarity64 Imminent, lament, ambivalence, egotistical65 Grapple67 Ritualistic, footnoted, documented68 Tension of opposites



English-Zone.Com ...the BEST English-Learner's site on the 'Net!

Guessing Vocabulary in Context 1Learning how to guess words you don't know is an important skill. Nobody wants to look every word up in a dictionary! If you learn how to guess the unfamiliar words in sentences, then you won't have to read with your dictionary open all the time!

How to Guess Words in ContextExample sentence: The snake slithered through the grass. He was hunting. You must discover what slithered means by using logic. Here are your choices, and the analysis:

О A. stopped moving INCORRECT: the sentence above says THROUGH the grass. 'Through' means there is some movement.

О B. slept in the grass INCORRECT: the sentence above says he is hunting. Snakes don't sleep when they hunt.

О C. ate something INCORRECT: the sentence above says he is hunting. Snakes don't eat when they are hunting. They eat AFTER they hunt.

О D. moved or traveled CORRECT ANSWER: the sentence above says THROUGH the grass. 'Through' means that there is movement.

READ the sentence, CHOOSE the answer, and get your score instantly!

1. The tiger's roar could be heard in villages far away. What does roar probably mean?О A. food a tiger eatsО B. a tiger's dreamО C. a tiger's earО D. a sound a tiger makes

2. The thought of eating a rat is abhorrent to most people. What does abhorrent probably mean?

О A. fun, livelyО B. horrible, repugnantО C. delicious, tastyО D. sweet, sugary



3. My absent-minded teacher loses his keys, his book and his chalk almost every day!What does it mean to be absent-minded?

О A. be hatefulО B. not pay attentionО C. be intelligentО D. not like someone

4. You can trust the salesmen at that store because they always conduct business in an aboveboard manner. What does aboveboard probably mean?

О A. honestly, openlyО B. sneaky, dishonestО C. horrible, repugnantО D. strange, unusual

5. Petra has so many friends because she is a gregarious person. What does gregarious probably mean?

О A. introverted, self-containedО B. shy, quietО C. friendly, outgoingО D. rude, hostile

6. The lovely egret is in danger of extinction because clothing manufacturers use their long, beautiful tail feathers to make ladies' hats. What is an egret?

О A. a small childО B. a type of foodО C. a sound a tiger makesО D. a type of bird

7. I can't believe it! Right in the middle of our conversation, Peter turned around abruptly and walked out of the room! What does abruptly probably mean?

О A. formallyО B. slowly, in no hurryО C. suddenly, without noticeО D. quietly, in an unusual manner



8. After the harvest, we had an abundant amount of apples. We made apple pie, apple sauce, and apple juice because we had so many apples! What does abundant probably mean?

О A. a shortageО B. not enoughО C. very redО D. plentiful

9. When Sara was sick, her voice was almost inaudible. We couldn't hear what she was trying to say clearly. What does inaudible probably mean?

О A. very loud, easy to hearО B. very soft, hard to hearО C. very strange, uncommonО D. very shy, introverted

10. The hill was too arduous for us to climb. We had to walk our bicycles up the hill. What does arduous probably mean?

О A. tall, sharpО B. fun, excitingО C. easy, not challengingО D. difficult, steep

You have _____ correct answers out of 10


Attachment 6Attachment 6FLOW CHART



Pages 69-107Note: Use this list only if students don’t have words to contribute. Do not try to cover all these words!

PAGE WORDS73 Tenement75 Polio, synagogue, hawked, murky76 Yiddish, incredibly78 Exploited, default80 Indecipherable81 Agnostic82 “a religious mutt,” to transcend, exuberance84 Spiritual, deficient, materialistic86 Inspiration90 Teeming, dwindling, lavaliere91 Mulled, dilemma95 Ingest96 Feverish, remission

102 Phlegm103 Impermanent104 Vulnerability106 Instinctively, serenely


Attachment 8Attachment 8Simple Teaching Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes

ROOT WORDS | SUFFIX | PREFIX

TABLE 1: COMMON ROOT WORDS AND WORD ORIGINS

ROOTS MEANING WORDalter other alternate, alter egoami, amic- love amiable, amicableamphi both ends or all sides amphibian ann, enni year anniversary, annual, biennial, perennialanthrop human, man anthropology, anthropomorphic, misanthropeaqua, aque water aquatic, aquarium, aqueductarch chief, leader, ruler archangel, monarch, archaic, archenemyarthro joint arthritisaud sound auditorium, audible, audiologist, audiotapebell war belligerent, bellicosebiblio book bibliography, bibliophilebio- life biography, autobiography, biology, antibioticbrev short brief, abbreviatecap take, seize capture, captivate, capacitycarn meat carnivorous, chili con carneced yield, go recede, secede, proceed, intercede, concessionchrom- color chromatic, monochrome, polychromechron- time chronicle, chronology, chronometer, synchronizecogn know recognize, cognitive, incognitocord/chord cord harpsichordcorp body corpus, corpse, corporalcrac, crat rule, ruler autocrat, democracy, bureaucrat, democracycred believe credible, credulous, credibility, credit, credocruc cross crucifix, crucialcrusta shell crustaceancrypt hidden cryptogram, cryptology, crypticculp guilt culpable, culpritdei god deity, deifydemo- people demography, democracy, epidemicdent tooth dentist, dentifrice, dentinderm- skin dermatology, epidermis, hypodermicdic speak, say dictate, predict, diction, indictdox belief, opinion orthodoxy, paradox, heterodoxyduc, duct lead induce, deduce, seduction, conduct, abduct



duo two duodynam- power dynamo, hydrodynamicsego self egotist, egomaniaequ equal equal, equity, equanimity, equate, equidistantfac make, do manufacture, factory, benefactorfil threadlike filament frater brother fraternal, fraternizegam- marriage monogamy, polygamy, bigamygeo- earth geopolitical, geology, geography, geothermalglyph vertical groove Hieroglyphics—Egyptian “sky writing”grad, gress step gradual, progression, transgressiongraph- writing, printing graphology, biography, telegraph, geographygym naked gymnasiumgyn- woman gynecologist, androgynoushemo, hema, hem blood hemophilia, hematology, hemoglobinholo whole, entire holographhydro, hydr water dehydrate, hydraulics, hydroelectric, hydroplaneiso equal, identical isolateject throw inject, reject, subject, projectionjud judge judicial, judge, adjudicateleg, lect read, choose legible, lectern, lecturer, electionliter letter literature, illiterate, literalloc place local, locationlog word monologue, epilogueluc light lucid, elucidatemagn large magnify, magnate, magnificentman hand manufacture, manual, manuscriptmar sea marine, marinermater mother maternal, maternity, matriarchy, matricidemere part, segment meremeta, met behind, between metacognition—behind the thinkingmetri, meter- measure geometric, thermometer, odometermin small minority, minuscule, minutemit, miss send permit, submission, mission, emit,mob, mot, mov move mobile, automobile, motion, promote, moviemon warn premonition, admonitionmor, mort death mortal, mortician, immortalitymorph form, structure metamorphosis, amorphous, morphologymut change mutant, mutability, mutate



neuro nerve neurology, neurosis, neurobiologynomen /nomin name nominal, nominate, nomenclaturenov new novel, renovate, innovation, novellanym, onym word, name synonym, acronym, anonymous, pseudonymodonto tooth orthodontist—one who straightens teethortho- straight, correct orthodox, orthodontist, orthopedicpac peace pacify, Pacific Ocean, pacifistpater father paternal, paternity, patricide, patrilineal, patrioticpath feeling, suffering sympathy, apathy, empathy, telepathy, pathologyped, pod foot pedal, pedometer, centipede, gastropodpel, puls push pulsate, repulsive, impulse, compel, propelpend hang, weigh pendulum, pendant, suspend, pendingphon-, phono- sound, voice telephone, euphony, cacophony, phonographplan flat planar, plantation, planepneum lung pneumaticpod feet podiatristport carry portable, transport, portage, report,pot power potent, omnipotent, potentatepsych- soul, spirit, mind psychology, psychic, psychobiographypugna fight pugnacious, pugilistquer, quis ask query, inquisition,scent, scend climb ascend, ascentschizo, schiz division, split schizophrenicsci know scientificsciss cut scissorsscrib, script write manuscript, scribe, proscribe, scripturesec, sect cut dissect, sectionsed, sess sit sedentary, sessionsens, sent feel, be aware sensible, sentientsequ, secu follow sequence, sequel, consecutiveserv serve, protect servicesimil same similar, assimilate, simile, facsimile (fax)siphon tube siphonsol sun solarson sound sonar, resonate, unisonsoph wisdom, knowledge philosophy, sophisticated, sophomore (wise fool)spec, spic look, see spectacles, spectator, inauspicious, prospect spir coil spiralspir breathe inspire, respiration, conspire, perspiration



spond, spons promise, answer for respond, responsiblespont by one's own force spontaneousstat stay, position stationtang, tact touch tactile, tangibletemp time temporary, temporizeten, tent hold tentative, tenable, tenuousterr earth subterranean, terrain, terrestrial, disintertheo god, deity theology, polytheism, atheist, monotheismtherm- heat thermal, thermos, thermometertrophy nutrition, food atrophy—without nutritionuro urine urologist vac empty vacation, vacuum, vacuous, vacantven, vent come, go intervene, convene, contravenever truth veracity, verify, verityvert turn introvert, irreversible, vertigovit life vital, revitalize, vitaminvoc call revoke, invocation, vocal, evocative, convocationzoo animal zoo, zoology, zoolatry


Attachment 8Attachment 8PREFIXES

PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLESa-, an- not, without amoral, anesthetic, apolitical, asocialab- away from abduction, abstain, abnormalad- to, toward adjoin, adjacent (lying near to)ambi- both ambidextrous, ambivalentana- up, back, again analogy, anatomy, anagramanti- against antipathy, antiwar, antisocialapo- from, away from apology, apologizeauto- self autobiography, automobile, autocracy, automatonbene- good benediction benevolent benefactor cata-, cat- down, against catastrophe--a turning downcentro, centri- around, center concentric, centrifugalcircum- around circumlocution circumference, circumventcom- with, together communal, communitycon- with, together connect, confide conspire contra- against contradict, contravenede- down, away descend, deject (cast down)dia-, di- through, across diameter, divisiondis- apart, not disengage, discord, discomfortdys- ill, difficult, bad dysfunctional, dysenterye- out of, from elect (choose out of), eject (throw out)ecto- on the outside ectoderm--outer skinen-, em- in empathy--feeling inendo- within, inside endoscope--instrument for observing insideepi- upon epitaph epidermis, epicentereso- inward, within esoteric--more inward, esophaguseu- well, good euthanasia--good deathex- out of, from exhume, exhale, exodushetero- other, different heterosexual, heterodoxy, heterodox heterogeneoushomo- same homosexual, homogeneous, homogenizedhyper- over hypertension, hypersensitive, hyperactivityhypo- under hypotension, hypodermicil- not illegitimate, illicit, illegal, illegibleim- not imperfect, impolite, impossibleim- into imbibe (drink in, take in)in- not indiscreet, invisiblein- into incorporate (take into the body)inter- between intervene (come between), interstate



intra- within intrastate, intramuralir- not irregular, irrational, irredeemablemacro- large macrocosm, macroeconomicsmal, male- bad, evil malediction malevolent, malnutritionmeta- beyond metaphysicalmicro- small microscope, microcosm, microeconomicsmono- one, single monologue, monotheism, monarchy, monogamyneo- new, recent neologism, neo-liberal, neonatology. neolithicob- against object, obstruct (build against)palin-, pali- back, again palindromepan- all, every pantheism, Pan-Hellenic, panorama, pandemicpara- false paramilitary, paralegal, parachuteper- through percolate (flow through) perforate (punch through)peri- around perimeter, periscopephil-, philo- like, lover of philosophy, Francophile, bibliophile, philanthropypoly- many, several polygon, polygamy, polytechnic, polytheismpost- after postgraduate, posthumous postponepre- before precede, predict (tell before)pro- for, forward promote, project pros- toward, in front prospect—view in front, something coming upproto- first prototype, protoplasm, protobiologypseudo false pseudonym, pseudosciencere- again, back repeat, recede, regress (step back)retro- back retrogression, retroactivese- away from seduce (lead away), secedesub- under submarine, subject, subhuman subterranean sur-, super- over, above superhuman, superego, superintend, surpasssyn-, sym-, syl-, sys-

with, together symphony, synonym, system, syllable

tele- distant, far off telephone, telepathy, television, telegramtrans- across transient, Transatlantic, transport (carry across)


Attachment 8Attachment 8SUFFIXES

SUFFIX DEFINITION EXAMPLE-agog, -agogue leader demagogue, pedagogue-cide kill(ing) patricide, infanticide, herbicide. suicide-ectomy cutting appendectomy, splenectomy-ia, -y act, state amnesia, mania, democracy, anarchy-ic, -tic, -ical, -ac having to do with anthropomorphic, dramatic, biblical, cardiac-ics things having to do with optics, physics-isk, -iscus small asterisk--a little star-ism the belief in pacifism, terrorism, socialism, communism-ist one who believes in pacifist, terrorist, socialist, communist-ite one connected with meteorite, polite, cosmopolite-logy study field of biology, geology, etymology, cardiology-oid resembling, like-shaped asteroid, spheroid-or, -er one who takes part in doctor, actor, teacher, driver-phobia exaggerated fear photophobia, claustrophobia, agoraphobia-sis act, state, condition of analysis



Tending to Word Roots Adapted From: Vocabulary For Dummies

A root is the basic element of a word, and it is the foundation on which the meaning of a word is built. Many roots are real words in their own right: graph (a diagram) and term (a fixed time or date), for example. Although these roots can have other elements, they don't need other elements to be complete. Most roots, however, do need other elements. For example, the roots archy (government) and dox (opinion or belief) need to be combined with other word elements, like prefixes, suffixes, or even other roots:

dyarchy: a government with two rulers, from the prefix dy- (meaning two) and the root archy (meaning government)

anarchist: one who rebels against governmental authority, from the prefix an- (meaning without or no), the root archy (meaning government), and the suffix -ist (meaning one who)

orthodox: conforming to established doctrines and practices, from the prefix ortho- (meaning right or true) and the root dox (meaning opinion or belief)

The following sections give you the lowdown on roots and how you can use them to uncover the meaning of words you don't know — yet.

Exploring the basics of roots

In order to use roots to uncover a word's meaning, you need to know a few things about how roots work. Here's a quick rundown:

Some roots form whole words by themselves. For example: Arbor means "tree"; vent means "opening to allow air to enter"; and audio means "sound" or "hearing."

Although these roots form words in and of themselves, you can also combine them with other word elements (like prefixes and suffixes) to make new words, as in the following:

Root Word Element New Word Part of Speech DefinitionArbor Eal arboreal

(ar-bor-ee-al)adj. of or relating to

treesvent ilate ventilate

(vent-il-ate)verb to expose to air

audio ible audible (aw-di-ble) adj. able to be heard

Some roots must be combined with other word elements to form words.Consider the following examples:

Root Meaning Word Element New Word Part of Speech Definitioncapit head al capital

(kap-ih-tul)agj most important

cam flesh age carnage(kar-nij)

noun Slaughter

chrono time logy Chronology(krah-nahl-ih-jee)

noun timeline



Some roots must be combined with other word elements to form words.Consider the following examples:

Prefixes and suffixes alter or refine a word's meaning. For example, the word audible means "able to be heard." With the prefix in-, the word becomes inaudible, which means "unable to be heard."

A word can contain more than one root. For example, matrilineal contains the roots matri (mother) and lineal (line). Matrilineal, therefore, means "determining descent through the female line."

Whenever you come upon an unfamiliar word, first check to see if you recognize its root. Even if you can't define a word exactly, recognizing the root gives you a general idea of the word's meaning. For example, if you read the word geocentric, knowing that the root geo means "earth" helps you figure out that geocentric has to do with the center ("centric") of the earth, or earth as the center.

Using roots to grow wordsKnowing how words are created gives you the key to figuring out the meaning of new words. When you can put together the meaning of a root with the meaning of a prefix and/or a suffix, you can unlock the definitions of words in a snap.

Adding prefixes and suffixes to rootsA prefix is a letter or group of letters attached to the beginning of a word that changes the word's meaning. A suffix performs the same function at the end of a word. You can use the blueprints below to decipher combinations of roots, prefixes, and suffixes.

Examples of adding a prefix to a root:de + hydrate = dehydrate (to remove the water or moisture from)anti + depressant = antidepressant (something that combats depression)

Examples of adding a suffix to a root:zoo + ology = zoology (the study of animals)bronch + itis = bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchial tubes)

You can figure out a word's meaning simply by recognizing its root and prefix. Table 1 shows several examples of how the combination of prefixes, roots, and suffixes work together to form words.

Table 1: Putting Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes Together

Prefix + Root + Suffix = WordPart of Speech Definition

ab + duct + ed = abducted verb kidnappedde + ter + ent = deterrent adj. impedimentdis + pell + ed = dispelled verb scatteredim + peril + ed = imperiled verb put in

dangerin + cred + ible = incredible adj. unbelievabl

ere + puls + ion = repulsion noun strong

dislikere + ferr + al = referral noun connectionre + tract + able = retractable adj. able to be



drawn back


Attachment 10Attachment 10VOCABULARY STUDY TO ACCOMPANY TWM

PP. 108-159

PAGE WORDS108 Reincarnation, gazelle (Ask: Why would Morrie want to be reincarnated as a gazelle? How does

that image contribute to the reader’s understanding of who Morrie is?)109 Deceptively, exploiting, intravenously110 Befriended111 Antiwar, deferments112 Levitate113 Naïve, diffused116 Revel117 Sultry, oblivion118 Manipulating123 Mogul124 A capella

125 Comradeship126 Depleting127 Railing against138 Ruddy139 Accosted141 Engender, replenish143 Intuitive152 Alabaster, calisthenics154 Inherent155 Innately


Attachment 11Attachment 11Frayer Model (Adapted)


Essential Characteristics Images that illustrate the idea

Quote that expresses the idea Example from your own life that illustrates the idea

TOPIC

_____________________________

Attachment 12Attachment 12VOCABULARY TO ACCOMPANY TWM

PP. 160-192

PAGE WORDS167 Audible171 Cremated172 Incredible173 Hullabaloo178 Negotiated182 Buoyant183 Mustering190 “lure of advertised values”


Attachment 13Attachment 13Rules for Discussion

1. Ask open-ended questions that have many right answers. Questions that begin with “How” or “Why” usually have many possible answers.

2. Insist that everybody support their answers with logical evidence.

3. Listen to each other with open minds.

4. Ask appropriate follow-up questions to enhance the discussion: I don’t understand what you mean by _____. Will you clarify that? In light of what you said, why do you think_____________? What evidence from the book do you have to support that opinion? Do you think that ____________? I disagree because________(cite evidence and explain.) I agree because__________(cite additional evidence and build on the idea. Your interpretation is very interesting, but I see it another way. (Explain and cite evidence.)

5. You do not have to reach consensus; however, closure on a question is helpful. When discussion on a particular question or topic is dying, the leader may call on someone in the group to summarize the various opinions. Another option is to ask each person to state his or her own position after the discussion.


Attachment 14Attachment 14Discussion Scoring Guide

Name of Talker__________________________________________________ Date_____________________

Topic___________________________________________________________________________________

Check all of the ways that the person you are observing participates in the discussion:

1. Contributes often to discussion with appropriate comments ____________

____________

2. Follows the focus of the discussion ____________

____________

3. Elaborates in answering questions ____________

4. Provides support for opinions ____________

____________

5. Builds on ideas of other students ____________

____________

6. Avoids overgeneralizations ____________

____________

7. Asks questions of other students ____________



____________

8. Demonstrates respect for the opinions, ideas, and values of others ____________

____________

9. Avoids interrupting others ____________

____________

10. Reads background material carefully and is prepared for discussion ____________

____________

Cite a specific comment or remark this person made and explain briefly how the comment contributed to the discussion.

From listening to this discussion, I learned or enjoyed:

The question I would like to ask you is:

Signed___________________________________________________ Date__________________________Student Observer’s Name


Attachment 15Attachment 15QUIZ

The Lights Are Coming Back on the Coast

An AP Opinion ExchangeBy Stan Tiner

The Sun Herald

The night Katrina passed, a darkness fell on our land and our soul. The lights had gone out across the coast, leaving us to contemplate life in the age of our new condition.

We first felt the closeness of the dark, as if we were enclosed in a cocoon, or something even darker. But after a night or two of this separation from electricity, we came to see the oldest light, the illumination of the heavens.

The stars, which had been subdued by the neon haze of casinos for a decade or more, suddenly held our attention. It was a sky such as the original Biloxians, the native dwellers of the coast, must have watched in wonderment. We were bathed in starlight and moonglow. Their eternal place above somehow gave perspective to the awful moment which held us in its grasp. Long before Katrina, and long afterward, their sparkle will hold the attention of the mortals who will look up to their brilliance. I found myself drawn to the idea of the longer view and found solace in the thought.

In the days since, I have found hope in other signs of nature. Our beloved garden was destroyed, or so it seemed at first glance. But new signs of life quickly emerged among the fallen trees and broken stone. The garden spider whose web was lost in the storm quickly constructed another among the bishop’s caps whose blooms defiantly resisted the wind.

Wisteria and gardenias bloom, and I found the last sad tomato of summer awaiting harvest. Butterflies and hummingbirds graded us with their flight. Where in God’s name did they hide from the wrathful Katrina? And only a bight or two ago as we placed garden angels and wind chimes back in their special spots and propped up bent butterfly plants and a gentle kumquat, I was thrilled to see that other old friends in the garden—the fireflies—were back, blinking here and there as if to say, “Look at us!” The lights are coming back all over the cost and they are most welcome.

Read the article above entitled “The lights are coming back on the Coast.” Answer the questions below which refer to the article:

_ 1 Using context clues, decide which of the following words could best replace the word contemplate without changing the meaning of the sentence:a. to question wonderinglyb. to see clearlyc. to experience fearfully d. to observe thoughtfully

Explain your choice:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_ 2. Which of the following phrases is NOT a clue to the meaning of contemplate:a. “The night Katrina passed, a darkness fell on our land and our soul.”b. “we came to see the oldest light, the illumination of the heavens.”c. “We were bathed in starlight and moonglow.”d. “I found myself drawn to the idea of the longer view and found solace in the thought.”



_ 3. Using context clues, decide which of the following words could best replace the word illumination without changing the meaning of the sentence:a. lightb. decorative lightingc. spiritual enlightenmentd. understanding


Break the following words into prefix, root, and/ or suffix and predict a meaning that uses your knowledge of these word parts and makes sense in the context of the sentence and article:

4. subdued: prefix root suffix part of speech

Predicted meaning:

5. wrathful: root suffix part of speech

Predicted meaning:

_ 6. Which of the following sentences is the best statement of the main idea of this article:a. “The night Katrina passed, a darkness fell on our land and our soul.”b. “I have found hope in... signs of nature.”c. “But new signs of life quickly emerged among the fallen trees and broken stone.”d. “The lights are coming back all over the coast and they are most welcome.”


7. In one clear paragraph explain how Stan Tiner, the author of the article, is like Morrie Swartz, and what lesson about life Stan Timer has learned from his experience described in the article?

Rubric: has clear topic sentence that addresses the prompt.Paragraph has clear beginning, middle, and end.Student makes logical connections between Tiner and Swartz with support from article & book.Student articulates at least one life lesson learned by Tiner that clearly relates to the article.Paragraph has no distracting errors.

KEY

Read the article above entitled “The lights are coming back on the Coast.” Answer the questions below which refer to the article: D 1. Using context clues, decide which of the following words could best replace the word

contemplate without changing the meaning of the sentence:a. to question wonderinglyb. to see clearlyc. to experience fearfully d. to observe thoughtfully


A 2. Which of the following phrases is NOT a clue to the meaning of contemplate:a. “The night Katrina passed, a darkness fell on our land and our soul.”b. “we came to see the oldest light, the illumination of the heavens.”c. “We were bathed in starlight and moonglow.”d. “I found myself drawn to the idea of the longer view and found solace in the thought.”


A 3. Using context clues, decide which of the following words could best replace the word illumination without changing the meaning of the sentence:a. lightb. decorative lightingc. spiritual enlightenmentd. understanding


Break the following words into prefix, root, and/ or suffix and predict a meaning that uses your knowledge of these word parts and makes sense in the context of the sentence and article:

4. subdued: prefix sub root due suffix ed part of speech verb

Predicted meaning: lessened, weakened (or something close)

5. wrathful: root wrath suffix ful part of speech adjective

Predicted meaning: filled with rage (or something close)

B 6. Which of the following sentences is the best statement of the main idea of this article:a. “The night Katrina passed, a darkness fell on our land and our soul.”b. “I have found hope in...signs of nature.”c. “But new signs of life quickly emerged among the fallen trees and broken stone.”d. “The lights are coming back all over the coast and they are most welcome.”


Reader's TheatreReaders' Theatre is "a medium in which two or more oral interpreters through their oral reading cause an audience to experience literature." The intent of Readers' Theatre is to present a literary work in such a way

that the attention of the audience is directed toward the author's creation. Originally popular on college campuses, reader's theater is seen as a key tool for creating interest in reading. Readers ' Theater was developed as a convenient and effective means to present literary works in dramatic form.

Readers' Theater is minimal theater in support of literature and reading that share the traits that follow: No full memorization. Scripts are held during performance. No stage sets. Narration introduces and provides the framework for dramatic action. Character portrayal through voice, facial expressions and hand gestures. Readers usually sit on stools. No costumes. The performers are usually dressed in ensemble, however, that is usually all-black. Purpose: to develop students' awareness and appreciation for scripted plays as a form of literature to

provide opportunities for students to use oral reading as a means of interpreting and understanding characters to provide opportunities for students to use elements of voice to interpret dialogue and communicate meaning

Assessment Rubric1. Students' willingness and ability to make predictions and inferences about character and plot

development.2. Students' efforts to interpret characters and communicate meaning through voice (volume, pitch, stress

and juncture), facial expression and hand gestures.3. Students' interest in participating.4. Students' interest in independent script writing, both collaboratively and individually.5. Students' willingness to explore various interpretations of characters (personal interpretations of and

responses to literature).6. Students adapt topics presented in Readers Theatre to topics for reflective discussions.7. Students maintain strong focus on the text as the authority for their reading/discussion.

Presentation in Readers Theatre differs from the conventional play in various ways, and one of them is that there is no attempt made to create the sense of reality on stage. In this aspect Readers theatre is presentational rather than representational. The images are formed not on stage but in the minds of the audience and the readers themselves--that's where the action takes place. The voice of the interpreter serves only as a stimulus for the audience to experience the text. Therefore, the audience is as much involved in the performance as the readers.

There are several elements of Readers Theatre that help create the unique experience of Readers Theatre. The most prominent element is the physical presence of the text on stage. A script is visible to the audience no matter whether the performers actually read from it or not. The audience is constantly reminded that the text is the primary source for the performance. Since the scene locates in the imagination of the participants (audience and readers), the physical elements are not as important as aural. This applies not only to stage settings but to actors' actions as well. Performers of the Readers Theatre try to develop the connection with the audience. This relationship between a reader and an audience should assist the audience to concentrate their attention on the literary text.

Each script is to feature at least one special section where all readers read in unison (choral reading approach). Pay special attention to these sections, rehearsing until readers develop a feel for the proper rhythm and flow of the words or phrases.

Stress oral interpretation. Rehearse until the piece runs smoothly, but don't ask readers to memorize lines. Readers are encouraged to explore each character part in depth. Emphasizing eye contact, diction, character development, controlled movement or mime, and performance energy will help achieve a well-paced, well-rehearsed performance.

When appropriate, help readers examine the feelings of each character. How does a character feel at the beginning of the tale? How and why do those feelings change as the story progresses? In what ways might each reader communicate these feelings to the listeners? Encourage the use of vocal and volume changes, facial expressions, posture, and varying tempo patterns.

HOW TO BEGIN A READERS' THEATRE PRODUCTION

On a given signal, all cast members walk into the performance space, line up in a semicircle, and face the audience. On another signal, readers lift their script folders to chest height and open scripts to the first page.

An optional beginning may be for all members to be seated at the appropriate level on stools, ladder, and stage itself but with their backs to the audience. On a given signal, all cast members turn in the same direction to face the audience, then on another signal, bring their scripts up to chest height and open to the first page.

SPEAKING TO THE AUDIENCEAsk your cast members to speak directly to the audience, not to each other. Cast members will focus upon the audience just as a storyteller focuses upon the listeners. Cast members are never to face each other, even when talking to each other. They should assume what is referred to as off-stage focus, a focus slightly above the heads of audience members.

SCRIPT FOLDERS

Script folders should be designed to convey either the character reading or some aspect of the work chosen (skull and crossbones on outside of script for murder mystery). Remind readers to hold script folders down and away from their bodies. Readers may need to experiment to find comfortable and workable positions. Explain that facial expressions must be seen by the listeners, and spoken words must not be muffled by folders.

PROCEDURE FOR PRACTICING:1. Read through the story silently.2. As a group, identify the roles in the story and divide them among you.3. Go over the story together, deciding who will read what and also what to cut. On your own sheet, in pencil,

cross out the cuts and underline your own speeches. [They don't need to mark the speeches of others ~ but if they want to anyway, they can put a circled name, initial, or number above where each reader will start.]

4. Try out your script by reading together. Go back and change it as needed. SCRIPTING for READER'S

SCRIPTING for READER'S THEATRE1. Scripting as an art form

books to movies: treatments, adaptations aesthetic decision making process

2. The scripting process how many readers in the group? select stories that support this many voices who are your readers? suite the literature to the groupAfter selection: make xerox of story! do all markings on copy

3. What type or category of story? first person narrative? best done solo? diff. readers represent diff. aspects ofMTII many "I's" diff attitudes of "I" reflective / interactive "I" third person omniscient look at and separate exposition vs. dialogue

4. Problems you might encounter:A. amount of narrative much greater than dialogue

split narration? multiple narrators? how to split? let the pattern emerge, don't impose.

narrator for each character (2 main characters) narrator for different "qualities" action vs. description exposition vs. character digital vs. analogic

B. amount of narrative greater than dialogue (esp. w/ 3 characters) third person personal narration let reader representing char, read: "internal dialogue" lines of thought lines of emotions lines of sensory perception character descriptions (theirs & other's) descriptions of actions (theirs & other's) settings the character is in nothing omniscient

5. FINE TUNING: if it is too long. strike superfluous characters create with focus can narrator play one or two? can 1 reader play multiple roles? edit subplots are they important to main theme? what is the author's intent? what is your intent? present an excerpt: Ex: chapter of Huck Finn does the excerpt read like a short story? does the excerpt have a shape? (beginning, middle, end) tag on needed character/scene descriptions

6. FINER TUNING: (polishing!) edit "stage directions" (perform them) description of vocal qualities descriptions of actions edit impossible situations edit tags: "he said, she said" leave necessary ones character designation in and out of narrative blocks.

7. TRIAL READING have designations clearly marked numbers for readers listen for flow is there a balance of voices? listen for continuity esp. where you have edited does it still make logical sense? does it still have integrity? does it have a shape?

8. PROPER SCRIPT FORMAT title page title and author character designations (numbers and abbreviations) wide left margin bold character designation (visual weight) consistent character designation single spaced blocks, double between slight indent to text "up next" at bottom rest of pages: numbered of how many

Attachment 17Attachment 17Example for adapting text for Readers Theater (Highlighted lines would be crossed out and deleted.)

The Classroom

Narrator: The sun beamed in through the dining room window, lighting up the hardwood floor. We had been talking there for nearly two hours. The phone rang yet again and Morrie asked his helper, Connie, to get it. She had been jotting the callers' names in Morrie's small black appointment book. Friends. Meditation teachers. A dis-cussion group. Someone who wanted to photograph him for a magazine. It was clear I was not the only one inter-ested in visiting my old professor—the "Nightline" ap-pearance had made him something of a celebrity—but I was impressed with, perhaps even a bit envious of, all the friends that Morrie seemed to have. I thought about the "buddies" that circled my orbit back in college. Where had they gone?Morrie: "You know, Mitch, now that I'm dying, I've become much more interesting to people."Mitch: You were always interesting.Morrie: "Ho." Morrie smiled. "You're kind."Conscience: No, I'm not, I thought. Morrie "Here's the thing," he said. "People see me as aThe Classroom bridge. I'm not as alive as I used to be, but I'm not yet dead. I'm sort of ... in-between."

He coughed, then regained his smile. "I'm on the last great journey here—and people want me to tell them what to pack."

The phone rang again."Morrie, can you talk?" Connie asked."I'm visiting with my old pal now," he announced. "Let them call

back."Mitch’s conscience: I cannot tell you why he received me so warmly. I was hardly the promising student who had left him sixteen years earlier. Had it not been for "Nightline," Morrie nriight have died without ever seeing me again. I had no good excuse for this, except the one that everyone these days seems to have. I had become too wrapped up in the siren song of my own life. I was busy.Chorus: What happened to me? I asked myself. Morrie's high, smoky voice took me back to my university years, when I thought rich people were evil, a shirt and tie were prison clothes, and life without freedom to get up and go— motorcycle beneath you, breeze in your face, down the streets of Paris, into the mountains of Tibet—was not a good life at all. What happened to me?Mitch’s conscience: The eighties happened. The nineties happened. Death and sickness and getting fat and going bald happened. I traded lots of dreams for a bigger paycheck, and I never even realized I was doing it.

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE

Yet here was Morrie talking with the wonder of our college years, as if I'd simply been on a long vacation.Morrie:"Have you found someone to share your heart with?" he asked.

"Are you giving to your community?"Are you at peace with yourself?"Are you trying to be as human as you can be?"

Chorus: I squirmed, wanting to show I had been grappling deeply with such questions. What happened to me? [I once

promised myself I would never work for money, that I would join the Peace Corps, that I would live in beautiful, inspirational places.Mitch’s Conscience: Instead, I had been in Detroit for ten years now, at the same workplace, using the same bank, visiting the same barber.] I was thirty-seven, more efficient than in college, tied to computers and modems and cell phones. I wrote articles about rich athletes who, for the most part, could not care less about people like me. I was no longer young for my peer group, nor did I walk around in gray sweatshirts with unlit cigarettes in my mouth. I did not have long discussions over egg salad sandwiches about the meaning of life.



My days were full, yet I remained, much of the time, unsatisfied.Chorus: Wliat happened to me?

The Classroom

Mtich: "Coach," I said suddenly, remembering the nick-name.Morrie: Morrie beamed. "That's me. I'm still your coach."

He laughed and resumed his eating, a meal he had started forty minutes earlier. I watched him now, his hands working gingerly, as if he were learning to use them for the very first time. He could not press down hard with a knife. His fingers shook. Each bite was a struggle; he chewed the food finely before swallowing, and sometimes it slid out the sides of his lips, so that he had to put down what he was holding to dab his face with a napkin. The skin from his wrist to his knuckles was dotted with age spots, and it was loose, like skin hanging from a chicken soup bone.

For a while, we just ate like that, a sick old man, a healthy, younger man, both absorbing the quiet of the room. I would say it was an embarrassed silence, but I seemed to be the only one embarrassed.

"Dying," Morrie suddenly said, "is only one thing to be sad over, Mitch. Living unhappily is something else. So many of the people who come to visit me are unhappy."

Why?"Well, for one thing, the culture we have does not

make people feel good about themselves. We're teaching the wrong things. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it. Create your

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE

own. Most people can't do it. They're more unhappy than me — even in my current condition.Morrie:"I may be dying, but I am surrounded by loving, caring souls. How many people can say that?"Mitch’s Conscience: I was astonished by his complete lack of self-pity. Morrie, who could no longer dance, swim, bathe, or walk; Morrie, who could no longer answer his own door, dry himself after a shower, or even roll over in bed. How could he be so accepting? I watched him struggle with his fork, picking at a piece of tomato, missing it the first two times — a pathetic scene, and yet I could not deny that sitting in his presence was almost magically serene, the same cairn breeze that soothed me back in college.

I shot a glance at my watch — force of habit — it was getting late, and I thought about changing my plane reservation home. Then Morrie did something that haunts me to this day.Morrie: "You know how I'm going to die?" he said.Mitch: (I raised my eyebrows).Morrie: "I'm going to suffocate. Yes. My lungs, because of my asthma, can't handle the disease. It's moving up my body, this ALS. It's already got my legs. Pretty soon it'll get my arms and hands. And when it hits my lungs . . ."

He (shrugged his shoulders.)"... I'm sunk."Mitch: I had no idea what to say, so I said, "Well, you know, I mean...you never know."


Attachment 17Attachment 17The Classroom

Morrie: Morrie closed his eyes. "I know, Mitch. You mustn't be afraid of my dying. I've had a good life, and we all know it's going to happen. I maybe have four or five months."

Come on, I said nervously. Nobody can say—"I can," he said softly. "There's even a little test. A

doctor showed me."A test?"Inhale a few times."I did as he said."Now, once more, but this time, when you exhale,

count as many numbers as you can before you take an-other breath."

I quickly exhaled the numbers. "One-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight . . ."I reached seventy before my breath was gone.

"Good," Morrie said. "You have healthy lungs. Now. Watch what I do."

He inhaled, then began his number count in a soft, wobbly voice. "One-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight-nine-ten-eleven-twelve-thirteen-fourteen-fifteen-sixteen-seventeen-eighteen—"

He stopped, gasping for air."When the doctor first asked me to do this, I could reach

twenty-three. Now it's eighteen."

He closed his eyes, shook his head. "My tank is almost empty."

The End


Attachment 18Attachment 18Script Format

Scripts should be neat and easy to read. Readers are supposed to look up often from their scripts, and they will have trouble finding their place again if the page is too crammed with text—or if the text is too spread out.

Large, readable type. On a Mac, I recommend 12-point Geneva. For a smaller font like Times, Helvetica, or Arial, 14-point is best. The initial documentation can be in a smaller size to save space.

Line spacing set at 1-1/2 (halfway between single spacing and double spacing). The initial documentation can be single-spaced.

Left margin, 1-1/2 inches. (This is extra-wide to allow for binding and to let readers add stage directions). Right margin, 1 inch. Top margin, 1 inch, including the header. Bottom margin, 1/2 inch or more.

A right-hand header with one or two key words from the script title, plus the page number. Block paragraph format—no indent, either regular or hanging. A blank line after each speech. Lines flush left—not “justified” at the right margin but left uneven. No splitting of speeches—or at least of paragraphs—between one page and the next. Your word

processor may let you “protect” paragraphs or marked blocks against splitting, or let you “keep lines together,” either case by case or as a paragraph “style.” If not, you can insert a page break above any speech that would be split.


Attachment 19Attachment 19Readers’ Theater Presentation Rubric

Name____________________________________________________ Date__________________________

Excellent Good Needs worksOral DeliveryVolume

Consistently speaks loudly enough for audience to hear

8-10 pts.

Usually speaks loudly enough for audience to hear

4-7 pts.

Speaks too softly or loudly to hear.

0-3 pts.

Oral DeliveryClarity

Words are pronounced correctly and easily understood

8-10 pts.

Most words are pronounced correctly and easily understood

4-7 pts.

Many words pronounced incorrectly, too fast or slow, mumbles

0-3 pts.

Oral DeliveryReads with expression

Consistently reads with appropriate expression

8-10 pts.

Usually reads with appropriate expression.

4-7 pts.

Reads with little or no expression.

0-3 pts.

Oral DeliveryReads in turn

Takes turns accurately on a consistent basis.

8-10 pts.

Takes turns accurately on a somewhat consistent basis4-7 pts.

Takes turns rarely on a consistent basis

0-3 pts.

Cooperation with group

Consistently works well with others

8-10 pts.

Sometimes work well with others.

4-7 pts.

Difficulty in working with others.

0-3 pts.

Total points possible 40

Points earned ________ Percentage _______%



Student Response Sheet

Title of Presentation:_______________________________________________________________________

Name of Presenters:_______________________________________________________________________

My response:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Signed:______________________________________

Date:________________________________________




My response:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Signed:______________________________________

Date:________________________________________




My response:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Signed:______________________________________

Date:________________________________________


Attachment 21Attachment 21Rubric for the Friendly Letter

Score 1 2 3 4Layout/ Design Letter is

unattractive or inappropriate. Text is difficult to read. It does not have proper grammar or punctuation for a friendly letter.

Letter appears busy or boring. Text may be difficult to read. May have some grammar and or punctuation that indicates it is a friendly letter.

The letter is eye-catching and attractive. Text is easy to read. Grammar, style, and punctuation are indicative of a friendly letter.

The letter is creatively designed with easily read text. Grammar, style, and purpose are all excellent for a friendly letter.

Information, style, audience, tone

Information is poorly written, inaccurate, or incomplete.

Some information is provided, but is limited or inaccurate.

Information is well written and interesting to read.

Information is accurate and complete, is creatively written, and is cleverly presented.

Accurate Parts of the Friendly Letter

Improper form is used.

Most friendly letter elements are out of place or missing.

Some friendly letter elements may be missing.

Letter is complete with all required elements.

Grammar, Punctuation, and choice of words for the friendly letter

Grammar, punctuation, and choice of words are poor for a friendly letter.

Information is mislabeled or missing with inaccurate punctuation or grammar.

Style, purpose, audience, grammar, and punctuation all are fair and indicative of a friendly letter.

Excellent job on presentation, style, grammar, and punctuation.

Following Classroom Guidelines and Directions

Students are often out of their area without permission and are disruptive to the class.

Students occasionally leave area without permission.

Students stay in their area and talk quietly to their own partner only.

Students are always on task, stay in their own area, and work quietly. Students followed project directions and classroom directions.

Note For those teachers that have to use letter grades, you easily can convert the scores or an average of the total score to a letter grade.1 = "D"2 = "C"3 = "B"4 = "A"

Anything below a "1" obviously constitutes the grade "F".If you need number grades, use1 = 742 = 833 = 924 = 100.

Use judgment for below 74 projects.



From: Albom, Mitch [[email protected]] Sent: Tue 10/4/2005 1:34 PMTo: Elizabeth BaileyCc:

Subject: RE: Student lettersAttachments:

Thank you, Elizabeth. This is very kind of you, and I'm flattered. Morrie would have been thrilled. It's really best if your students e-mail me to this address, but if they must write their letters longhand and send them through the mail, here's the address: Sports Dept., Detroit Free Press, 600 W. Fort St., Detroit, MI 48226. Again, thank you for sharing this with me.

Mitch Albom

-----Original Message----- From: Elizabeth Bailey [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Mon 10/3/2005 12:43 PM To: Albom, Mitch Cc: Subject: Student letters

A colleague and I are writing a unit for 8th and 9th graders using Tuesdays with Morrie. As a concluding authentic assessment, students will write a letter to you. May I have a physical address to which the letters can be mailed?

The book is wonderful, and we believe that the students will be highly engaged in reading it.

Thank you.

Elizabeth BaileyWest Point High SchoolP.O. Box 616West Point, MS [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

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