zackoski-8th grade language arts-literatue circle

7/27/2019 Zackoski-8th Grade Language Arts-Literatue Circle

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PA Middle School Literature

Elliot Zackoski

Dr. Sherry

Literature for Young Adults INSIDER


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RIFF/INSIDER Elliot ZackoskiA Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie Is change inevitable? Whatparts of your life do you have total control over, andwhat parts are out of your hands?Criterion 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0

Process Assignment completed fully and on-time in professional manner X

Purpose uses details/evidence thoroughly and specifically to make point(s) X

Audience clearly arranges relevant details/evidence for audience X

Genre adopts perspective, and suits medium and conventions to the task X

Engagement demonstrates self-awareness and willingness to take risks X

4.0

Elliot, thanks for your good work on this compelling lesson sequence. I liked that you annotated your plans to explain how your

observations informed your planning. Your Rationale provides a clear explanation of why the PURPOSE of this lesson

sequence matters and how it might benefit your students, and I like your Big Question: it seems both appropriate to the

text/subject area and to your students interests (I used to regularly teach a unit on this questionso relevant for secondary

school students!). I like that youve included a variety of interactive activities for your AUDIENCE that appeal to their interests

and strengths (as represented by your data) and also scaffold more serious engagement with the text, as well as with skills like

comparison and use of evidence. In terms of GENRE, youve included all the right elementsI can see how these three lessons

connect to each other and to the final assessment so that they build on each other (though Im not sure how the multiple choice

questions align with your Goals and BQ). Thanks for your ENGAGEMENT in learning to adapt your instruction to students

choices! Great work!J


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Student Data Analysis

Genre Responses:

Least Liked:

1. Romance (2 votes)2. Poetry

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Science

Ficon

Fantasy Realisc Adventure Romance Historical Other

Series1


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BOOK CHOICES:

Sleeping Freshman Never Lie by David Lubar

Starting high school is never easy. Seniors take your lunch money. Girls you've known forever

are suddenly beautiful and unattainable. The guys you grew up with are drifting away. And you

can never get enough sleep. Could there be a worse time for Scott's mother to announce she's

pregnant? Scott decides high school would be a lot less overwhelming if it came with a survivalmanual, so he begins to write down tips for his new sibling. Scott's chronicle of his first year of

bullies, romance, honors classes, and brotherhood is both laugh-out-loud funny and touchingly

wise. (http://lexile.com/book/details/9780525473114/)

Lexile: 560

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Daniel Half Human and the Good Naziby David Chotjewitz

All his life, Daniel has been hiding. He just doesn't know it. Until the spring of 1933, he'senjoyed a comfortable German boyhood with his well-to-do family, in school, at soccer. Daniel's


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even enjoyed jail -- for one exciting night -- with his best friend, Armin, after they've been

caught painting a swastika on a wall in the hated Communist section of Hamburg. In their cell,

the boys cut their wrists, mingle blood, and swear lasting brotherhood. Then, a thunderclap:

Daniel learns to his horror that his mother is Jewish, that he is therefore half-Jewish and, in

Aryan eyes, half-human. Daniel keeps the truth a secret. He and Armin still talk of joining the

Hitler Youth. But Armin's father, an out-of-work longshoreman and a Socialist, forbids it. Armin

joins anyway, with fateful consequences for Daniel's family. Throughout World War II, and until

the story's haunting final scene, each friend holds the life of the other in his hands.

(http://lexile.com/book/details/9780689857478/)

Lexile: 740

Genre: Historical Fiction

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury's classic, frightening vision of the future, firemen don't put out fires--they start

them in order to burn books. Bradbury's vividly painted society holds up the appearance of

happiness as the highest goal--a place where trivial information is good, and knowledge and

ideas are bad. Fire Captain Beatty explains it this way, "Give the people contests they win by

remembering the words to more popular songs.... Don't give them slippery stuff like philosophy

or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy."

Guy Montag is a book-burning fireman undergoing a crisis of faith. His wife spends all day with

her television "family," imploring Montag to work harder so that they can afford a fourth TV

wall. Their dull, empty life sharply contrasts with that of his next-door neighbor Clarisse, a

young girl thrilled by the ideas in books, and more interested in what she can see in the world

around her than in the mindless chatter of the tube. When Clarisse disappears mysteriously,

Montag is moved to make some changes, and starts hiding books in his home. Eventually, his

wife turns him in, and he must answer the call to burn his secret cache of books. After fleeing to

avoid arrest, Montag winds up joining an outlaw band of scholars who keep the contents of

books in their heads, waiting for the time society will once again need the wisdom of literature.


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(www.amazon.com)

Lexile: 890

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Hidden Talents- David Lubar

When it comes to adult authority. Junior high school student Martin Anderson cannot keep his

mouth shut as he rejects the constant advice with smart answers and insults. He has been

expelled from six schools, the boy scouts, and the little league. He rides the bus to his final

destination the prison-like Edgeview Alternative School, an institution used to lock up the

violent and other losers (where is Pink Floyd when you need them?)

Martin realizes he must be on the cutting edge to survive the ready fists of bully Bloodbath and

the shock therapy of Warden, (make that Principal) Davis. On the plus side Martin meets four

fellow weirdoes with special psychic powers. Torchy lights fires without matches or lighters;

Cheater copies test answers from anyone sitting anywhere; Lucky steals anything; and Trash

trashes stuff. Martin believes his only power is what adults label acerbic while he would say

satirical tongue. The five losers band together as Martin discovers his HIDDEN TALENTS

and try to stop a plot to shut the school of last resort down.

(http://www.allreaders.com/topics/Info_16264.asp)

Lexile: 630

Genre: Science Fiction Story


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Book Choice Rationales

I chose Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar because the main character began as an 8th

grader who was skeptical about entering high school. He decides to create a survival guide for

high school for his sibling who has yet to be born. This book does not correlate to the student

survey responses; however, I included it as an option, because the students I am encountering are

8th

graders who will be entering high school in less than a year. Thinking back to my own past

experiences I wish I had received more of background knowledge regarding high school and the

pressures it came with before I started it.

I choseDaniel Half Human and the Good Naziby David Chotjewitz as a possible book option

because two of the students expressed interest in historical books while one of those students

along with another member of the group chose adventure as a quality they looked for in texts.

This book is about to friends growing up in Nazi Germany and one of them is Jewish; however,

they are both in Hitlers youth. The story covers many historical facts and depicts an adventure

through life between these two friends who are loyal Nazis, but the Jewish friend is hiding his

heritage out of embarrassment and safety.

Fahrenheit 451by Ray Bradbury is an award winning science fiction book. All three of my

surveyed students expressed interest in science fiction texts. I also incorporated this text because

one student surveyed expressed dislike for reading, and the story line ofFahrenheit 451 involves

the burning of all the literature in the world. I felt the science fiction component and thealternative take toward literature would entice the students.

Lastly, I choseHidden Talents by David Lumbar. This was another science fiction novel chosen

because of the unanimous interest by the students for science fiction texts. The story depicted a

young troubled African American student who is constantly ignoring advice and getting into

mischief. I incorporated this text to provide some adversity and a diverse character.


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Meeting by Meeting Reflections:

October 1, 2012: Day 1

Today, I met with my literature circle group for the first time. I originally was assigned three

students, but was added a fourth today. We introduced ourselves, watched a movie modeling

literature circles, and then played a get to know you game. The game we played involved writing

three statements in which two were true and one was a lie. The other members of the group had

to try and guess each persons lie out of their statements. The game went well, and I feel Iestablished a level of rapport with my four middle school students.

I understood now that three of my group members had siblings, and two have divorced parents.

Two of my fellow group members enjoy reading outside of school, while the other two are

somewhat turned off to reading. All four of the middle school students seem to get along, and

have no problem sharing personal details with each which I find quite helpful.

After playing the game I explained each book to the students and then asked them to read over

the descriptions I provided, and choose a first and second choice. Two students chose Sleeping

Freshmen Never Lie as their first choice andDaniel Half Human as their second. Coincidently

the other two students choseDaniel Half Human as their first choice and Sleeping Freshmen

Never Lie as their second choice. I asked their teacher for advice and he said it was important to

see how strongly each student felt about their second option. I asked the students if they would

be upset reading either book. They all agreed they would be fine with either. I then asked eachstudent to make a case for their choice book and to conduct a revote. After the revote the

decision was still split. After careful consideration I decided to flip a coin to decide our book

choice. One student called the tails side, forDaniel Half Human, and then I conducted the toss.

The coin came up heads; therefore, we decided to read Sleeping Freshmen Never Lieby David

Lubar.

Dr. Sherry then brought the class together for a whole group debriefing, and asked one member

from each group to announce their book choices. After every group went I asked the students if

they would like to know any more about me before I left, and then thanked them for their time.

After todays class I have high hopes for the book discussion and literature circle process. An

interesting factor I would like to note is: the students chose a book that I chose at random. Their

chosen book does not align with their reading habit surveys I looked over. The book pertains to

going into high school next year, and experiencing the transition. I look forward to hearing theirthoughts and providing my own experience.

October 22, 2012: Day 2

Today was our second meeting with our literature circle groups from Bloomsburg Middle

School. All of the students in my group were present, and they successfully received their copies

ofSleeping Freshmen Never Lieby David Lubar.


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After getting into our groups we did a community building exercise led by Dr. Sherry. He

instructed the students to trace their hands and write two to three words that themselves both

inside and outside of their hand tracings. The words placed inside of the hand drawing were to be

characteristics that people could not see just from looking at the person. The words written

outside the hands were to be attributes in which were obvious to the naked eye, or commonly

pointed out by others. Everyone including myself had trouble coming up with attributes;

however, we all successfully shared some interesting personality traits with each other.

This activity unveiled several details about the students that could be considered during

instruction. Two students said they were sporty, so sports comparisons could be implemented

when trying to relate certain topics. For example, the idea of teamwork in a community could be

related to a sports team working together. One student noted that he/she was shy; therefore, I feel

it is important not to force that individual to participate, but to let that person ease into

conversations at their own pace.

Following the community building activity the middle school students and I attempted to make a

tentative reading schedule for our book discussions. After examining the book for some time the

children and I were a little apprehensive about the length required week by week. However, the

students said the book looked interesting, and unanimously agreed they were up for a challenge.

One student proposed we read 11 chapters for next Monday. Another student was very nervous

about reading that much and expressed concern. After a brief group discussion the studentsagreed to read 8 chapters for next Mondays talk, and agreed to gage the rest of the reading

assignments based on how they felt about this one. I agreed that was a fair deal. Then the

students each chose a role to play in our literature circle groups. There were only four roles listed

and five group members, so I decided to add Devils Advocate to the list of roles. The purpose

of this role is to give a voice to an un-favored or underrepresented character or opinion. The

person who takes on this role must consider contradictory thoughts in relation to what his or her

peers are saying. In other words, the individual must refute statements made by peers in a kind

and respectful manor. After implementing this 5th

role each student cooperatively chose a role,

and then we started examining our book.

We had a brief discussion on the cover of the book which depicts a student asleep at his desk. All

of us shared a time in our lives in which we fell asleep in class. Then we proceeded to read the

back cover of the book. We discussed each red bolded word on the back cover individually. The

words are: freaks, bullies, ridicule, romance, homework, and home havoc. The words freaks and

bullies unraveled a conversation about students who will attend vo-tech instead of high school

next year. The students presented a stereotypical view of all these children, and categorized them

as hicks who love country music and farming. The word ridicule didnt spark any reaction

from the students. The word romance brought some laughter into the group, but nothing

substantial was said on this topic. The word homework didnt lend itself to discussion much

either. The words home havoc, created an uneasiness in which two students in particular tried to

move the conversation along swiftly.

Comment [1]: J


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The uneasiness raised a red flag in my head, but the students were unwilling to continue on with

conversation; therefore, I made a note that: hard home situations should be addressed cautiously.

Following our words discussion, we read the back cover introduction and spoke about that for a

minute or so. The back cover informed us that the book involved an 8th

grade student named

Scott who would be starting high school, and his mother had recently become pregnant during

this time. Additionally, Scott is searching to find himself, win over a girl he is crushing on,

maintain sanity, and record a survival guide for his sibling. The students agreed the book the

seemed interesting, and we proceeded to read the first six pages together.

The students and I read the first six pages of the book aloud, and then practiced our roles. Our

conversation unraveled some interesting personal information about the middle school students

in my group. The book introduced the idea of losing old friends in high school transition, and

one student in particular spoke about losing some friends in the transition from elementary to

middle school. Many of the group members shouted our predications regarding whether or not

the main character of the book and his middle school friends would remain friends in high

school. Another topic that aroused reflection in everyone was a comparison between the main

character Scott and his brother Bobby. Three of the four students gave stories about being

compared to either a brother, sister, or stepsibling. One student was an only child and did not

have a like experience in which s/he felt the need to share.

After this discussion of siblings the class period ended, and we all agreed again to read the first 8

chapters for next Monday again.

When designing instruction for these students I could consider that most of them have

background knowledge in being a sibling; however, one student did not. Therefore, I feel partner

activities such as think-pair-share could be useful in situations where one person may have

experienced a sibling moment that another student did not, or could not.

October 29th

, 2012: Day 3

Our second discussion (third official) meeting was canceled due to pending weather condition as

a result of Hurricane Sandy.

November 5th

, 2012: Day 4

Our session today began with Dr. Sherry leading the whole class in a listening game. The object

of the game was to count up as high as possible starting at 1. The only stipulation to the game

was if two people called out the same number then all the participants had to start over at 1. After

several trials we only got up to seven.

Based on this activity, I concluded that the students in the class may have a hard time allowing

others to speak. The object of the game was to listen then wait for the right opportunity to speak.

Comment [2]: J


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Holding everything else constant, and considering just this activity I noted that the students may

have some trouble listening to their peers before speaking themselves.

After several rounds each group started their literature group discussions. Today my literature

circle group faced its first obstacle. When the meeting began I only had one participant who

forgot to read his chapters. Shortly after another member of our group arrived and luckily she

had read the assigned chapters. We decided to discuss the chapters and abandon our roles; in

order to, better incorporate our member who forgot to read. We made predictions about our main

character Scott, his brother Bobby, and his friend Mitch. This seemed to go well, the three of us

made several predictions as to whether or not Scott would ever get together with Julia (the girl

he had a crush on). We each gave a different prediction on where Bobby would be at the end of

the book, and we were all in agreement that Mitch would no longer be a part of Scotts life.

I agreed to come back Thursday November 8th

and make up the previous Monday our group lost

due to Hurricane Sandy which canceled school for both Bloomsburg Middle School and

Bloomsburg University.

November 8th

, 2012: Day 5

Today, was a make-up day for our literature circle group. All of our participants were present

and the discussion went very well. Our classroom teacher put us in an empty classroom, so we

wouldn't disrupt his class and for our own privacy. We started the session with a pattern game.

One participant was asked to put their head down while another person chose a pattern for the

group to perform. The person who chose the pattern was required to change the pattern

periodically without revealing it to the person who had their head down. We played several

rounds to warm up, and then began our discussion.

The activity took off slowly and there was some confusion for the first couple of rounds. Perhaps

I did not explain the rules clearly enough, or did not provide enough examples of possible

patterns to implement. Two rounds seemed to go nicely, and the students appeared to have gotten

the hang of it; however, due to time constraints another round could not be played. I do not think

enough time was allotted to this activity for judgments to be made for instruction; however, I

would like to note that I think the game would have worked better with more people. Perhaps

this activity should be used for a whole class setting rather than a small group setting.

We set up a formal reading schedule prior to beginning our discussion as well. Our discussion

director did a great job picking topics from the book. We discussed how people put themselves

in situations to impress others for attention from a hopeful significant other for the majority of

our discussion. Then we discussed the different types of teachers we have come into contact with

over the years. The labels we gave these teachers were from our text and they were: the legend,

the natural, the ogre, the lifer, and the newbie. The students and I were able to identify many

teachers with these characteristics which helped build rapport for our group. Our summarizer


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The students were able to label and provide evidence as to why they were labeling groups as

they were; however, they were either unable or unwilling to make the applications on a personal

level. When designing instruction for these students perhaps a personal journal would allow them

to express personal applications more readily and comfortably.

November 19th

, 2012 Day 7

Today was our last literature circle meeting. Unfortunately only two students were present, but

our discussion went well. The class began with Dr. Sherry explaining a statue activity. Each

group had to create a freeze frame scene from their books and explain the scene to the class.

Our group chose a scene in which our main character Scott was lured into a classroom by girl

and then beat up by the school bully.

Following this activity we began our discussion. Our discussion manager chose to start us off by

asking everyone what they thought about our main characters former best friend turning on him.

We spoke briefly about how we experienced relationship changes with our peers and others, and

then our citation manager raised a question. S/he asked everyone how they felt about our main

character Scott going to the dance with the freaky girl. We all agreed that it was a bold move

on his part, but it was appropriate because they were slowly becoming good friends.

After our discussion Dr. Sherry instructed each group to create a poster representation of our

books. Our group came together and decided to represent the hierarchical food chain of high

school and recreate the book by listing each character in a category. The categories we chose

were: unpopular, popular, strong, weak, and freaky. Many characters found themselves in

multiple categories, and some were specified as dynamic moving from one category to another.

When designing instruction for these students I think I can incorporate questions that require

higher order thinking based on the activity results today. The students were able to group

characters and explain as to why they were chunked into a certain category. In an assessment I

feel comfortable asking these students to compare and contrast characters and asking them to

evaluate a characters development from the beginning to the end of the text. In relation to

Blooms Taxonomy I believe these students have demonstrated an ability to analyze, synthesize,

and evaluate through their creation of the hierarchical food chain.


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Unit: Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar

Big Question: Is change inevitable? What parts of your life do you have total control over, and

what parts are out of your hands?

Rationale: Sleeping Freshmen Never Lieby David Lubar introduces an 8th

grade student who is

about to enter his freshmen year of high school. He has many expectations about what high

school life will be like, and is sure it is going to be difficult and filled with upper classmen

tormenting him. He makes several predictions on matters that will never change, because he feels

certain aspects life stay the same forever. The main character Scott Hudson believes he knows all

the problems he is going to endure and begins writing a survival guide for his unborn sibling.

This guide is suppose to address all the problems Scott believes he will face, and provide details

on how to evade them. Scott soon finds out that some of the problems he believed he would face

are non-existent, and aspects he believed were unchangeable, changed. People encounter

situations every day that diverge from their original expectations of that particular matter. Little

changes that occur one day can become big changes in the overall scheme of a life matter. The


what parts are out of your hands?, appropriately relates to this book because of all the changes

that Scott endures that shape him as an individual. Young adults and adults in general undergo

changes in day to day life that are either inevitable or unexpected; however, individuals in

general always maintain the power of decision making. This Big Question will dictate this

lesson, and provide opportunities for students to answer it through personal and contextual

examples.

The students I encountered in my literature circle group were 8th

graders who expressed several

predictions of aspects of high school they were certain about. They also expressed interest in the

forming of intimate relationships with members of the opposite sex. However, in relation to the

text when asked to make predictions about character relationships students often changed their

mind several times over the course of one discussion. Each student brought a various amount of

background knowledge and had a different family structure, but based on feedback received from

the activities done I feel the chosen Big Question adequately provides opportunities for these

students to use their own experience and each others experiences to relate to the text and the

idea that we live in a society that is guaranteed to change at some point.

Comment [4]: J

Comment [5]: J


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Lesson 1:

UNIT: Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David LubarLESSON: Book Introduction

TIME LENGTH: 45 minutes

Introduce Big Question:

Is change inevitable? What parts of your life do you have total control over, and what parts are

out of your hands?

MOTIVATIONAL DEVICE: Have you ever wanted to go back and do something differently

then you did the first time?

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES:

1. Students will reflect on (write) a past experience and develop steps (at least 2) toimprove that experience; in order to, relate to the idea of self improvement.

2. After students create instructions to improve their instance they will adapt and simplifytheir instructions so an average entering 8

thgrade student could easily understand and

follow the instruction for the instance they chose. This process will allow the students to

better relate to the main character Scott in Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie.

MATERIALS NEEDED: Paper and writing utensils.

LESSON TYPE: Independent writing, partner discussion, and whole group sharing

LESSON OUTLINE:

I. Introduction:o Todays lesson will help you relate to the main character of a story we are going

to be reading. The book is about an 8th

grader getting ready to start high school.

The 8th

grader decides he is going to record his experience so his younger sibling

who isnt born yet can learn from his mistakes, and not have to endure the same

struggles.

o Quick Write (10 minutes)

Comment [6]: If students can personally sta

thinking about self improvement they will be

understand the main character in Sleeping Fres

Never Lie. The main character (Scott Hudson)creates a journal for his unborn sibling based on

experiences in which he reflects on what he did

certain situation, and what he wished he did in

particular situation.

Comment [7]: Thisisaremindertoexplain

relevanceofclassactivities.


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Think of a time in your life when the outcome could have been better.Write down what that instance was and write how it could turned out

better.

Example: I got 5th in the cross country race, but threw upafterwards because I ate too much. It could have been better if I got

1st

and didnt throw up.

II. Content and PedagogyA. (Think-pair-share) Discuss your instance with the person sitting next to you. (5

minutes)

B. On your own: Create a list of things you could have done to make your instance morefavorable in the end. (5 minutes)

C. With a different partner discuss the steps you decided to take to improve yourinstance (5 minutes)

D. On your own: Simply your instructions so a younger individual who has not met youcould easily follow your steps and successfully complete your task with the outcome

you desired. (5 minutes)

III. Summary1. Get into groups of 4

1. As a group discuss your instances and choose one person to present their instanceand their instructions to younger person on how to achieve the desired outcome.

2. Class votes on best presentation.2. Closure :

a. Our book depicts a character who is trying to write down instructions on howto survive high school as he goes through it. He hopes he can create a

handbook for his unborn sibling, so he or she can go through high schoolwithout a problem.

DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

Tier 1: Give students the writing topic and allow them to think without help. Tier 2: Provide an example for struggling students, and allow them the opportunity to

discuss possible topics with a classmate. Struggling students can benefit from a more

Comment [8]: J

Comment [9]: Thissastatementtobema

thestudentsthatreiterateswhytheydidthe

activitiesinthisparticularlesson.Withthisbe

saidstudentswillhaveabetterideaofwhatt

expectwhenreadingthetext.Thisstatement

furtherusedinthehomeworksectionofthisl


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advanced student and more advanced students can benefit by relating their ideas to a

struggling student.

Tier 3: Model a full example for students who are very frustrated, and allow an excellingstudent the opportunity to present their work or progress to the class; in order to, provide

multiple examples for the struggling student, and allow the gifted student to showcase

their work.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:

Were students able think of a past experience?1. Were they able to analyze or break down improvements into steps (at least 2)?2. Did students evaluate their steps and examine how they could improve their

particular situation? (Results based on informal observation of partner

discussions)

3. Were students able to simplify their instructions? (Collect student writing andcompare original writing to their simplified version)

HOMEWORK:

1. Write down 5 things about high school you would like to know about.2. Read first 8 chapters ofSleeping Freshmen Never Lieby David Lubar.3. Choose anything in the 8 chapters that Scott complains about and offer him detailed

advice.

a. Example Instance: Scott decides to join the school paper in chapter 7. Scott lovesto write; however, he hates the section he is assigned.

i. Advice:1. Step One: Give the assignment a fair chance, and do it to the best

of your ability.2. Step Two: Find ways to bring what you are interested into what

you are not interested in. You like poetry so I think you should try

to include poetry in your articles.

3. Step Three: Ask someone who is knowledgeable on the particulartopic to help you.

4. Step Four: Ask for a new assignment.

Comment [10]: Usingthestudentsinmy

literaturecirclegroupasacasestudy,Ibeliev

besttomodelexamplesasmuchaspossible.

thinkitisimportanttomodelexamplesthatg

somespecificdetails,butleaveothersout.It

intentionthatdoingthiswillcreateanticipatio

enticethestudentstoread.


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B. In groups of four have students create prediction guides individually, but with theinput of their fellow group members. (10 minutes)

1. Prediction guides must contain an evaluation of Scotts relationship with hisbrother Bobby, and prediction on whether their relationship will change or stay

the same. Students must cite one piece of text that defends their prediction.

Example: Scott and Bobby are very different, and have a distantrelationship. Bobby mainly enjoys working and talking about cars with his

father, while Scott is much more scholarly. I dont think Bobby and Scott

will grow closer, because Bobby showed a lot of resentment towards Scott

when they were talking about the new baby. Bobby said, Its all going to

change, you know. Everything after the babys born; they wont have time

for anything else. I was only four when you were born, but I can

remember how much it changed things (Lubar 51).

VI. Summary3. As a whole class discuss predictions.

a. Create a class prediction list that will be on display for the duration of the text.(5 minutes)

1. Closure :b. Scott is experiencing change at home with the preparation of a new sibling.

He has less interaction with his friends from middle school, and he has a crush

on a girl he is afraid to talk to. As a class we predicted(insert class

predictions). Now what advice would you give Scott if he were your friend?

(5 minutes)

c. Discuss as class (5 minutes)DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

Tier 1: Students will be permitted to collaborate with their fellow students while workingthrough each activity.

Tier 2: Students will receive structured anticipation guide worksheets with an exampleprediction.


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Tier 3: Any student can choose to represent their prediction in any other format they feelcomfortable with. (a picture, a skit, a poem, etc)

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Did the students successfully make at least three predictions?1. Did they cite a portion of text with their predictions?2. Did student predictions change after they had an opportunity to share with peers?

Did students make a sensible evaluation based on the first eight chapters of Scott andBobbys relationship as brothers?

1. Was contextual evidence cited?HOMEWORK:

Write a paragraph that compares the things you wanted to know about high school andthe predictions you made about the main character Scott. Is there any relationship? If

there is what is it? If there is not describe what might happen that will make your

prediction come true.

Read the next 8 chapters in the text.

Lesson 3:

UNIT: Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David LubarLESSON: Second Half of the School Year



what parts are out of your hands?

MOTIVATIONAL DEVICE: Who made the most accurate predictions? Scott was unable to

predict that his best friend would move away, and his other best friend would turn on him, were

you able to see that coming though?



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1. Students will evaluate their anticipation guides, and revise their predictions based on thenew information presented in the text, in order to, form an understanding of aspects of

Scotts life that are changing beyond his control.

2. Students must make at least two more prediction citing a part of the text that justifieseach prediction, in order to; develop the ability of using new information to make better

informed predictions.

3. Students will evaluate (discuss) the social order of the lunchroom at Scotts school.Students in groups of four must present an opinion of Scotts definition of the lunchroom.

They must decide if his definition is realistic or not, and provide at least one supporting

detail to their argument, in order to, compare the text to their life experiences.

MATERIALS NEEDED:Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar, paper and writing

utensils.

LESSON TYPE: Small and whole group

LESSON OUTLINE:

VII. Introduction:o Individually revise anticipation guides. (5 minutes)o Discuss as a whole group who made the most accurate predictions. (5 minutes)o In small groups make two new predictions. (10 minutes)

VIII. Content and PedagogyC. As a class review the next 8 chapters of the text. (5 minutes)D. In groups of four construct a social diagram creating stereotypical labels of an

imaginary high school cafeteria. (10 minutes)

IX. Summary4. As a whole class discuss predictions.

a. Have one student from each group present and explain their diagrams. (5minutes)

1. Closure :b. Scott defined the high school cafeteria as, a miniature map of everyones

social standing (Lubar 159). Do the diagrams presented today confirm or

disprove this statement? Can people fit multiple stereotypes? Is it possible to


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change from one stereotype to another? Who decides which stereotype a

person or group is assigned? (5 minutes)



Tier 2: Allow students to choose roles to play in their groups. (Example: more artisticchildren can draw the diagram, while more analytical students can write down the official

categories to use.)

Tier 3: Implement Tier 2, and provide more teacher support for students with lesserability, and allow more advanced students to take the activities in their own direction.

(Give those students freedom to change the logistics of the assignment).


Were the students able to create an evidence based opinion on Scotts definition of thelunchroom?

HOMEWORK:

Based on the diagrams created today and the statement made by Scott on page 159 in thetext write a paragraph about social labeling. Do you agree with it, and do you think it is

fair? Why?

Finish NovelLesson 4:

UNIT: Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David LubarLESSON: The End of Freshmen Year


Is change inevitable? What parts of your life do you have total control over, and what parts are

out of your hands?

MOTIVATIONAL DEVICE: Scotts former best friend Mitch arranged him to beaten up. He

went to the school dance with the freaky girl he was trying to avoid, and his new best friend

was one of the upperclassmen he was most afraid of. Scott didnt predict any of this. Was this

change inevitable, or did certain decisions cause these changes to take place?


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1. Students in small groups will receive specific situations Scott endured in the last halfof the novel. Students must use this situation to create a poster that depicts an

outcome of that situation, and they must state at least one warning sign or clue of

that situation, in order to, better assist their ability to answer the Big Question.

2. Using the stereotype charts created from the last class students in groups must decidewhether characters: Scott, Bobby, Lee, Mitch, and Julia fit into a category and explain

why or why not citing (at least 1) instances from the text, in order to, evaluate these

characters using previously made criteria.

3. Given the same list of characters students must decide if each are static or dynamicand cite one example from the text to support their assertion, in order to, assist

character analysis in relation to the Big Question.

MATERIALS NEEDED:Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar, paper and writing

utensils.

LESSON TYPE: Small group

LESSON OUTLINE:

I. Introduction:o Students will get into groups of 4 the final the final chapters of the book. (5

minutes)

II. Content and PedagogyA. Groups will receive one of three possible situations in which they must create a poster

that depicts at least 1 outcome of that situation from the text, and either illustrate or

state one warning sign or clue that could have foreshadowed that situation from thetext. (15 minutes)

Possible Situations:

1. Scott learns that Mouth tried to commit suicide, and is currently hospitalized dueto a failed attempt.

Possible Solution:

Comment [12]: Scottenduresmanysituat

thathadwarningsignsthatcanonlybeidentif

hindsight.Thisgoalofthisobjectiveistogethstudentsrealizethatcertainsituationsare

unpredictable;however,theyteachusvaluab

lessonswhenwethinkbackonthem.


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Outcome: Scott felt remorseful and partly responsible for Mouths

decision, so he decided to visit him in the hospital, and after Mouth

decided not to return to school Scott continued to keep in touch with him

as a pen pal.

Warning Sign/ Clue: Mouth asked every girl at the dance alphabetically to

dance and was turned down twice by each one.

2. Lee gives Scott a note asking him to the dance. Scott doesnt take her seriously.3. Scott discovers Bobby barely knows how to read.

B. Following the above activity students will discuss and transcribe an evaluation (as agroup) of characters: Scott, Bobby, Lee, Mitch, and Julia. Students must discern

whether these characters fit into any of the stereotypes they worked on the previous

class and state whether each character changed over the course of the novel or stayed

the same. Students must cite at least one piece of text that defends why each character

fits a stereotype or a piece of text that defends the assertion that they cannot be

stereotyped. An additional text citation must be made to defend whether each

character is static or dynamic. (15 minutes)

III. Summary4. As a whole class discuss predictions.

a. Each group will present their posters and their character analyses. (10minutes)

Closure Statement for the Lesson and Homework Assignment: Based on the

predictions made, the topics of discussion, and the poster activity is change inevitable?

What parts of Scotts life did he have total control over, and what parts were out of his

hands?



Tier 2: Allow students to choose roles to play in their groups. (Example: more artisticchildren can draw the diagram, while more analytical students can write down the official

categories to use.)


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Tier 3: Implement Tier 2, and provide more teacher support for students with lesserability giving more examples and possible answers or direction to take the activities, and

allow more advanced students to take the activities in their own direction. (Give those

students freedom to change the logistics of the assignment).


Were students able to work through the situations they were provided.o Were they able to identify one result of their given situation?o Was the text cited appropriately in relation to the given situation?

Were students able to identify each provided character as dynamic or static?o Was a portion of the text cited to defend the students assertion that the character

was either static or dynamic?


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Unit Assessment: Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lumbar

Name__________________________ Date: _________

1) Two of Scotts original best friends from middle school were:a. Mitch and Kyle

b. Peter and Jackc. Mitch and Jackd. Kyle and Peter

2) Name 2 organizations Scott joins in order to get better acquainted with Julia.1_________________________________________________________

2_________________________________________________________

3) Which one of Scotts friends moves away shortly after high school begins?a. Mitch

b. Kylec. Patrickd. Ryan

4) What does Scott catch Lee doing that encourages him to talk to her for the first time?a. Eating gummy worms

b. Sleeping and snoring loudly during a classc. Reading a poem about vampiresd. Trying to steal candy from the lunchroom

5) What is Scotts role in the school play?a. Equipment manager

b. Stage crewc.

Lead actor

d. None of the above6) The following school day after the first school dance Scott overhears someone say, that

weird kid committed suicide, what is Scotts initial reaction?

__________________________________________________________

Comment [13]: Correctanswer

Comment [14]: Theschoolnewspaper,stu

council,andtheatergroup




Comment [18]: ScottbelievesLeekilledhe

becausehesawmarksonherwrists.


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7) What does Scott learn about his brother after he asks him to read his article from theschool paper?

____________________________________________________________

8) What is Scotts new siblings name?a. Joe

b. Seanc. Maryd. Sue

9) What section of the school paper is Scott assigned?a. Book reviews

b. Headline newsc. School lunch reportd. Sports

10)Scott puts teachers into several categories name and explain 2 of them.1____________________________________________________________

2____________________________________________________________

11)When Scott returns the book Lee lent him what happens and why?______________________________________________________________

12)Describe Lees appearance.______________________________________________________________

13)Scott previously was afraid to be seen with Lee, but what does he do when Kyle makesfun of her at the dance?

a. Agree with himb. Tell him to shut upc.

Fight him

d. Nothing14)How does Bobby and Scotts relationship change from the beginning of the text to the

end?

___________________________________________________________________

15)Who defends Scott when Vernon is about to beat him up?a. Kyle

Comment [19]: Scottlearnsthathisbroth

Bobbyhasextremedifficultyreading.



Comment [22]: TheNewbie-freshoutofc

andenthusiastic

TheLegend-greatteacher/makesclassfun

TheOgre-hatesteachingandchildren

TheEnthusiast-ateacherwholovestheirsubtoomuchandcangooverboardattimes

TheLifer-Ateacherwhojustgoesthroughth

motions

TheLameDuck-aliferwhoisabouttoretirea

doesnotcareanymore

TheComic-makestoomanyjokes.Somearef

andsomearejusttorture.

TheNatural-arareteacherwholovesteachin

makesclassenjoyable,anddoesntseemtotr

atall.

Comment [23]: Scottquicklyreturnstheb

Leeandcutsheroffwhilesheistalkingandle

Hedoesthisbecausehedoesntwantotherp

toseehimtalkingtoher.

Comment [24]: Shehasmanyfacialpiercin

andwearsverydarkclothing.


Comment [26]: BobbyandScottlettheir

differenceskeepeachotherdistantinthebeg

ofthebook.TowardstheendScotthelpsBobb

withhisreadingandtheybothstartencourag

eachother.


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Part 2:

After choosing a situation, please describe why in your opinion Scott was wrong. Please cite

at least one example from the text to accompany your opinion.

Example:

Scott predicted that he would have to hide from upperclassmen all year. Wesley Cobble

was an upperclassman who looked big and strong. On page 168 Scott said, I had no idea

what Wesley might steal from me if he thought I wasnt conscious. Probably a kidney.

Later, in the story Wesley and Scott become best friends. I think Scott tried to generalize all

upperclassmen into one category and thats why he was immediately afraid of Wesley. When

Wesley sat with him at lunch for the first time on page 170, Scott told him that the main

character in one of his favorite books name was Westley and he thought it was funny at how

close their names were. Scott reluctantly told Wesley that the name of the book was titled

The Princess Bride, because he didnt want Wesley to be offended that the title wasnt

tough sounding. To Scotts surprise Wesley wasnt offended. As the story progresses

Wesley offers Scott rides to school, defends him when Vernon the football player tries to

bully him, and even goes to great lengths to help him arrange a nice time for he and Lee to go

to the school dance together.

According to Scotts original prediction he and Wesley were never suppose to be friends,

and Mitch, Patrick, Kyle and he were always suppose to be friends. Scott was wrong because

things happened that he could not predict. Scott could not predict Kyle would move away or

Mitch would just choose to abandon him and stop liking him altogether. Scott also couldnt

predict Wesley would show him kindness for no reason at all.

Comment [33]: J

zackoski-8th grade language arts-literatue circle

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