What defines a generation? Introductory lesson to the unit, What defines a generation? Disillusion and Discontent in the Modernist Era Context: Grade: 11 Subject: American Literature Setting: fairly rural, mostly Caucasian Class size: range of 25-30 students Access to technology: The teacher has access to either a computer lab or lap top cart plus two computers in the classroom. Expanded lesson I. Planning Grade _11th_ Teacher __Stephanie Watson___ Subject English Unit __What defines a generation?__ Topic _What defines a generation? What defined the Lost Generation? Scenario/Topic: This lesson will introduce and help students explore the essential question for the unit. I want to make sure that I grab the students’ attention by immediately pointing out the material relates to their lives. I also want to deeply explore the essential question so that the unit is framed with the bigger picture in mind. The lesson will include discussion and activities on what defines a generation, what defined the Lost Generation, representative figures from that generation, and how can they take those defining features and apply them to their own generation’s identity. A. Objectives Unit Objectives: 1. The student will understand characteristics of the Lost Generation (Summative assessment: Lesson 11). 2. The student will analyze connections between the Lost Generation and their own generation’s identity, beliefs, and concerns. (Formative assessment: Lesson 1, Summative assessment: Lesson 11) 3. The student will understand the literary and political events preceding and surrounding the literature of the Lost Generation and parts of Hemingway’s biography through the creation of a class wiki page. (Formative assessment: Lesson 2, Summative assessment: Lesson 11) 4. The student will evaluate whether or not “the hero is dead” and articulate their views in a class wiki. (Formative assessment: Lesson 2) 5. The student will apply technology to research historic and biographical information. 6. The student will analyze the literary elements in The Sun Also Rises that support Hemingway’s principal of the iceberg. (Summative Assessment: Lesson 11) 7. The student will create a short descriptive piece using the principal of the iceberg. (Formative
assessment: Lesson 5) 8. The student will apply the full range of research-based comprehension strategies to perform close readings, literary analyses, and interpretations of texts. (Summative Assessment: Lesson 11.) 9. The student will analyze and evaluate complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content through reflective and informative writing. (Summative Assessment: Lesson 11) 10. The student will more fully understand the writing process through planning, revising, editing, rewriting. (Summative assessment: Lesson 11) 11. The student will apply the rules of MLA documentation (Summative assessment: Lesson 11) 12. The student will understand and analyze major characters, themes, symbols, and events in The Sun Also Rises. (Summative assessment: Lesson 11) Goals for the lesson: My overarching goal this lesson is to show students how much they may have in common with the characters in the novel and short story we will be reading. I want them to understand why this unit is relevant to them by starting the unit with an activity in which they will personally be invested. Lesson Objectives: Cognitive The student will remember how historical and cultural events can shape the identity of a generation. The student will understand characteristics of the post-WWI “Lost Generation” The student will understand generation shaping events and figures of their own age. The student will work collaboratively to choose (evaluate) a name that defines their generation. B. Which of these instructional techniques/tools do you plan to use? lecture __X__ questioning __X__ testing/quizzing projects __X_ guided practice __X__ individual inst review _____ reading _____ media group discussion __X__ class discussion __X__ other
_____ _____ _____ __X_
C. What preparation materials will the student be using? (all material for this lesson except a writing utensil will be provided by the teacher): Timeline graphic organizer Magazines and newspapers Access to computers and printers—the assumption is that the teacher has a few computers in the classroom or can bring a laptop cart in—there would not be time to go to a computer lab. If computers are unavailable the magazines and newspapers should work just fine. Scissors Staplers
Markers/pens Typing or construction paper Stick glue D. Various Pedagogical Considerations 1. Academic Ability a. What is the range of academic ability that exists in the class? Students represent a range of academic ability. Students who do have special needs will receive accommodations and modifications as outlined in their IEP. A modified assignment asking the student to find a picture and write one, rather than two reasons for choosing that generation-defining feature will be given to the students who need it. b. What individual bits of expertise might certain students have? While the classes are not incredibly ethnically diverse, some students will have differing views on what defines their generation. This will definitely be an issue I will tap into as we read through The Sun Also Rises since the novel really only depicts the lives of upper class whites. We will discuss how the experiences of this limited group of people have become ‘representative’ of that time and whether or not students feel that these experiences are an accurate representation of that generation. Some students will have more historic knowledge to offer while other will have information on art and literature to share. c. How will I allow for this range of academic ability, e.g. cooperative learning, individualization, etc.? I will have the students work in heterogeneous groups of 4-5 to analyze what defines their generation. They will also be working collaboratively on the class bulletin board. I will be circulating around the room throughout the lesson to provide any needed individual instruction. This activity should be accessible to students of all reading levels. d. Community. How might the community (or context) provide resources for this lesson? The Des Moines Art Center will be a good resource for information on how art can reflect and define a generation. The Art Center will probably also have information on current trends in art and how they reflect the ideology of the present generation. d. How can I carry out and capitalize on formative assessment? I will be using group and class discussion as the large portion of my formative assessment. Each student will also be required to come up with at least one generationdefining picture for the bulletin board and an explanation of why they chose that picture. See formative assessment below for more information. 4. The major stimuli/activities and guided practice 1. Teacher draws 9 columns on the board labeled 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s. As a class, students will brainstorm characteristics of each of the generations that came into adulthood during those decades and major events or people that stand out from that time (Hippies led to Yuppies led to Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Next.) Student will record the brainstorming session on a graphic organizer timeline. (Objectives: The student will remember how historical and cultural events can shape the identity of a generation. The student will understand characteristics of the post-WWI “Lost Generation”—will be
summatively assessed at a later date, but formatively assessed through class discussion and students filling out of timeline) 2. Lecture: The teacher will then focus in on the 1920s and the period leading up to that time. The teacher will introduce students to the phrase “ Lost Generation” and explain to them why Hemingway’s generation was called lost. The teacher will explain that the phrase “ Lost Generation” referred to American youth who came to adulthood during World War I. Their experience in the war alienated them from t heir parents’ values and left them directionless. The war caused these young people to become cynical and to search for values to replace the ones they had been taught. In their “search for values” they lived recklessly—drinking, fast driving, jumping in and out of relationships, listening to jazz. (Auxiliary material such as American literature and history textbooks will contain information about the Lost Generation for students to read. They will be available throughout the unit.) The student will be taking notes. (Objectives: The student will remember how historical and cultural events can shape the identity of a generation. The student will understand characteristics of the post-WWI “Lost Generation”—will be summatively assessed at a later date, but formatively assessed through class discussion and students filling out of timeline) 3. Lecture: The teacher will outline major events, artists, and notable people that have become known as representative of that time. Examples include an overview of WWI, rebellious fashions, prohibition, major Jazz musicians Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, and other expatriate writers, etc. The student will be taking notes. (Objectives: The student will remember how historical and cultural events can shape the identity of a generation. The student will understand characteristics of the post-WWI “Lost Generation”—will be summatively assessed at a later date, but formatively assessed through class discussion and students filling out of timeline) 4. The teacher will ask student to take 2 minutes and do a quick write that outlines what types of things (idea, people, events, etc.) the student believes would define his generation. Students should think about the things that their generation seems to care the most about and how the way they live their lives reflects that. After two minutes students should share their answers in groups and then decide as a group on a name that could represent their generation. They should consider the names the press and media have given their generation already and decide whether those ideas are accurate. The class should vote on the name that best represents their generation. They should be able to explain why the name they’ve picked represents their age. (Objective: The student will work collaboratively to choose (evaluate) a name that defines their generation.) 5. Next, the teacher should talk about the way in which art and literature both influence and reflect the ideologies, beliefs, and concerns of a generation. In the 1920s, for example, many young artists and writers of the Lost Generation made Paris their home and there they created a generation-defining art scene. Think, pair, share: Ask students to think about where the generation-defining art scene is
happening for their own generation. Have students think about the writers, artists, and musicians of their generation who they will look back on fifty years from now as generation defining. Where do these writers and artists live? (Objective: The student will understand generation shaping events and figures of their own age.) 6. Teacher explains final activity: Students will now look through newspapers, magazines, and the Internet to find images of historical and cultural events or people that have shaped their generation. They will be using these images to create a class bulletin board of pictures and phrases that define their generation. Each class will also get to display the name they have chosen for the generation on the bulletin board. (Objective: The student will understand generation shaping events and figures of their own age.) 5. I will provide feedback and formative/summative assessment: I will provide feedback/formative/summative assessment throughout the lesson during discussion and while walking around listening to the groups discuss. The last part of the lesson has students contribute 1 picture to be put on the bulletin board. If the bulletin board is not big enough, each group should pick one picture but each student should still do the project and turn in their explanation for a formative assessment. Students should then write labels for each of the images they display. They should explain: • what or who is depicted in the image • when the event happened • why or how the event or person helped shape their generation (Objectives: The student will understand generation shaping events and figures of their own age. The student will work collaboratively to choose (evaluate) a name that defines their generation.) This assessment is both formative and summative because students will receive a grade for it, but it will also help the teacher know if they understood the concepts presented today and whether she needs to recap any information tomorrow. Possible extension: If students finish early they can create images that they predict will shape their generation in the future. These images should have the same kinds of labels as the real ones. Homework: read chapters 1-3 of The Sun Also Rises 6. I will bring the lesson to closure by…(how will I wrap things up so there is a sense of completeness about the lesson, e.g. reiterating main points, linking to the larger unit, etc?) In the last 5 minutes of class the teacher will review the generation defining pictures and statements that the students posted on the bulletin board. The teacher will ask students to think about any similarities or major differences that can be seen between the Lost Generation and the students’ generation. The teacher will also discuss the reading and vocabulary log that students are expected to keep throughout the unit.
7. I will provide feedback/formative assessment about students’ new understandings or skills by…(key things to remember: comments and correctives are prompt, precise, and equitable; making yourself readily available to students during seatwork and projects) I will provide feedback/formative assessment throughout the lesson during discussion and while walking around listening to the groups discuss. I will also be formatively and summatively assessing each student by having them choose a picture that reflects their generation and writing a short explanation about why they chose that picture. See formative/summative assessment in ‘activities’ section for more explanation. 8. I will address the needs of atypical learners by… Because this is a fairly straightforward introductory lesson that is useful and necessary but not incredibly cognitively challenging I do not expect it to be inaccessible to any students. Students with IEPs for physical, mental, or behavioral disabilities will be given the accommodation outlined in their learning plans. Students who need more concrete directives during the activity will be given a checklist of how to move through the part of the lesson where they independently find pictures defining their generation. The teacher will also be present and circulating the room throughout the lesson to clear up any confusion and help students stay on task. III. Explication/reflection 1. Why do you think your methodology fits well with the objective and content of this lesson? (Research basis here) My research basis for this lesson comes from Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock’s (2001) book titled Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. This lesson utilizes cooperative learning (p. 84) by having students complete most of the activities in groups. It utilizes nonlinguistic representations by having students fill out a graphic organizer as we talk about generation defining characteristics (p. 72) as well as identifying similarities and differences (p. 13) by having students compare their generation to the Lost Generation. I will be reinforcing effort and providing recognition by have students put their work on the bulletin board and talking about the vision the class creates with them. I will be providing cues and effective questioning (p. 111) throughout the early part of the lesson as I help students activate what they already know about generation-defining characteristics. I will also be using best practices for lecturing by keeping the lecture interactive and broken up by other activities (Rose, 2011). I will using an “I do, we do, you do” approach by modeling the process of identifying generation defining characteristics with the timeline activity, then letting the students discuss characteristics in groups, and then having each student choose a characteristic to portray on our bulletin board (Lemov, 2010, p. 72-72). The entire lesson is also done in an attempt to provide meaningful engagement with the material by tying the lesson to the students’ lives while also helping them develop the background knowledge they need to fully appreciate and understand the readings. 2. Why and how do you think students would be meaningfully engaged? As I discussed in the previous section, research shows that cooperative learning and
learning that students can feel invested in or personally relate to is one of the most effective form of learning. I have tried to capitalize on this fact by using both group and whole class discussion so that they will be meaningfully engaged by learning from one another and by articulating their thoughts themselves. I have also allotted time for quick writes so that students can collect their thoughts before sharing them with the class. This will hopefully alleviate any nervousness about sharing answers out loud and all for the students to participate more fully. I expect that talking about the issues that relate directly to their lives will be both interesting and engaging for the students. 3. Why you think this lesson would be do-able in a real-world setting? I think this is a very practical lesson that utilizes basic good teaching strategies to help the students start thinking about the essential question for the unit and how the topic relates to their lives. 4. What specific management issues should you be concerned with, given the way you’ve structured the activity? The major management issues for this lesson will be ensuring that students are engaged during the lecture, participating in the group and class discussions, and on task during the independent bulletin board activity. To ensure that students are engaged during the lecture I will be asking them to use the note taking strategy from Lemov (2010) called “Board = Paper” in which their notes should look exactly like what they see on the board. I will also be “Breaking the Plane” as I circulate the classroom and using “Cold Call” so that students do not know who will be called on next and all students will be ready to answer questions just in case they are called on (Lemov, 2010, p. 84-85; 111). I will be using “Tight Transitions” during the transitions between lecture, discussion, and the individual activity. I will be “Naming the Steps” for the independent bulletin board activity so that there is no confusion and students remain on task (Lemove, 2010, p. 77). 5. How were the objectives achieved? The student will remember how historical and cultural events can shape the identity of a generation. The student will understand characteristics of the post-WWI “Lost Generation” The first and second objectives were achieved through teacher-directed instruction and class discussion. The students also filled out a timeline graphic organizer to aid in comprehension and function as a formative assessment for the teacher. This objective will be summatively assessed at a later date. The student will understand generation shaping events and figures of their own age. The student will work collaboratively to choose (evaluate) a name that defines their generation. The third and fourth objectives were achieved through the quick write and group/class discussion about the students’ generation and events, figures, and ideas that shape its identity. Group and class discussion functioned as formative assessment. The bulletin board activity functioned as an individual summative assessment for these objectives because it provided tangible evidence of the student understanding (explanation they provide with chosen picture) how an event, figure, or idea can shape a generation as well as their evaluation of what event, figure, idea, etc. lends to the class definition/name of their generation.
6. How does this lesson lead into the next lesson? In the next lesson students will completing a WebQuest in which they will be doing more research to build background knowledge and deepen their understanding of the experiences and historical significance of the Lost Generation and one of its principal authors, Ernest Hemingway (building on objectives one and two of this lesson). They will be using a blend of reciprocal teaching and jigsaw to become an expert in one area of the time period or Hemingway’s life and then contribute the information they gather to a collective class wiki. The final part of the lesson will introduce the idea of the ‘death of the hero’ and ask students to make an evaluation of that concept. This lesson provides a good introduction to the background information of this unit without going so in depth that students will not be able to construct their own knowledge of the topic in lesson two. This lesson is meant to help students connect to the material and give them a base knowledge to build on so that the consecutive lessons, which deepen their knowledge, are accessible and relatable to them. Resources for this lesson: Marzano, Robert J, Pickering, Debra J., and Pollock, Jane E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria: ASD Rose, Steve (2011). Lecturing effectively. Unpublished manuscript. Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery (2011). Picturing Hemingway: A writer in his time, Four Classroom lessons on the writer and his world. Retrieved from http://www.npg.si.edu/education/resource2.html