Novel+Expertise+Lesson+Plans

**Wednesday, day 3:** ** Thursday, day 4: ** · Free-write: “What did you write down for last night’s homework and why?” · **Prewriting activity:** Show students the video(s) chosen from [|www.wmich.edu/teachmlk] (directions for accessing the videos are in the “Teacher Preparation” section on the Novel Expertise main page).  o “A Time To Break Silence” is a particularly good choice for this unit, though you may choose to use audio only so as to avoid present political debates and keep the focus on oppression. · Discuss the video(s) and what it implies about oppression and its effects. · If used, discuss “Letter From A Birmingham Jail” in conjunction with the videos.  o Discuss the letter’s effectiveness - how the use of syntax, commas, semi-colons, short sentences, et cetera make the letter more effective. · Group discussion for the remainder of the class period.  o Discuss your passages/quotes from last night’s homework.
 * Novel Expertise Unit Plan **
 * Week 1 **
 * Monday, day 1: **
 * Free-write for 15 minutes: even if free-writing is not a regular part of your classroom, __it should be done nearly every day of the Novel Expertise unit__ . Prompts can gear thinking toward the issues you want students considering while they read, and __any__ writing they do will help them prepare to write their essays.
 * Answer some or all of the **discussion prompt: ** 
 * Think of some groups of people who have been oppressed. How have they been oppressed, who is responsible for their oppression? How do you think the oppression affected/affects the individuals, the group? How does your/society’s knowledge of historical oppression factor in to your/people’s lives (what you do/don’t say or do or think, the little things you notice)? Are there any people today who are being oppressed? Who and how?
 * Ask students to share and talk about some of their answers.
 * Ask students to get in their teacher-chosen groups.
 * Introduce the unit.
 * Distribute [[file:Novel Expertise Assignment Sheet.doc]] (one per student), [[file:Novel Expertise Group Contract.doc]] (one per group), and the [[file:Novel Expertise Book List .doc]] (one per group).
 * Groups should choose their books from the list so they don’t have the opportunity to pick a novel based on its apparent length or illustrations.
 * Group Contracts should outline what students expect of each other, what behavior the group finds unacceptable, and the group’s reading schedule (p.1-20 by Tues., p.21-45 by Wed., et cetera).
 * Discuss the essay.
 * Talk specifically about note taking.
 * Remind students that they will have to use quotes and examples from their novels.
 * Discuss using a notebook or index cards to:
 * Write down significant passages or quotes or page numbers.
 * Keep track of emerging themes and symbols (again, page numbers).
 * Distribute books to groups.
 * Collect and file Group Contracts.
 * Homework: **
 * Start reading!
 * Tuesday, day 2: **
 * Free-write: “A time I felt oppressed…” (approximately 10 minutes).
 * Students get in groups to discuss their reading.
 * Walk around to groups and guide discussions with questions:
 * Do you already notice a theme or themes emerging?
 * How do you feel about the protagonist so far? Why?
 * How does the author want you to feel about the protagonist or his/her situation?
 * Ask leading questions based on what you hear your students talking about.
 * The goal is to help them learn to ask these questions on their own.
 * Homework:**
 * Give each group a “thinking question” to be considered while they read.
 * For instance, if a group is reading //Frankenstein//, you may ask them to consider, “Why is Dr. Frankenstein’s creation called a monster? Does he seem like a monster?”
 * Or, for those reading Alexie’s novel, “Whose name is written in Junior’s book? Why is he really upset about it? ”
 * Remember, you have each group’s contract, so you know what reading they have assigned themselves every night (most will divide the number of pages in the book by 10 (class days to read the book) or 14 (total time to read the book) to get a nightly page requirement).
 * Read.
 * Free-write: open topic.
 * Quiz.
 * Have each student write a two to five sentence plot summary of her/his book’s progress.
 * Have students get back in discussion groups.
 * Each group should discuss its thinking question from last night.
 * Monitor groups and guide discussion when necessary.
 * Homework: **
 * If you have chosen to use “Letter From A Birmingham Jail” for tomorrow’s prewriting activity, pass out copies so the students can read the letter before class.
 * Write down a poignant sentence, image, idea, metaphor, et cetera and its page number in the novel.
 * Read.
 * Homework:**
 * Read and take notes!

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">** Friday, day 5: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Free-write: open topic.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Students get in groups to discuss their reading (10-15 minutes).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Students are in “mixed book groups.”
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Groups are comprised of one student representative for each book.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Each representative discusses her book’s plot progression and emerging themes.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Students ask and answer questions and find common themes, images, symbols.
 * Homework:**
 * Look up ([|Google] should be sufficient) your author, write a __short__ (1-2 brief paragraphs) biography.
 * Read.

**<span style="display: block; font-size: 16pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: left;">Week 2 Lesson Plans ****