MVanHorn

Monica Van Horn EDC 448 Dr. Coiro March 9, 2010 // Adolescents live in a world of conflict. How they respond to the playground bully, family dilemma, or social problem shapes not only their character, but also the future of our planet. Literature offers many examples of characters who deal with conflict creatively without resorting to violence. // // When designing this text set on Nonviolence, I pictured designing it for my former students at a Southern inner-city school. My seventh grade class featured readers who read as low as at a 4th grade level to as high as the 10th grade. Because of this discrepancy and in light of my study of reading, I included texts at three different levels for the novel and poetry selections. This is an attempt at differentiating instruction in terms of text. // // This school’s demographics were approximately 50% Caucasian, 40% African American, and 10% Hispanic or Asian. With this in mind, I focused a lot of the content on the Civil Right’s Era, about which my students were particularly interested. We will then extend our knowledge of this time period to include other examples of conflict and resolution. // **Below-grade level novel: ** Nye, N. “Changed.” In: Nye, N. (2005). //A maze me: Poems for girls//. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books. Culleen, C. “Incident.” In: Cullee, C. (1998) //Caroling dusk: An anthology of verse by black poets of the twenties//. New York, NY: Citadel. Nye, N. “Kindness.” In: Nye, N. (1994). //Words under the words: Selected poems//. Portland, OR: Eighth Mountain Press. Dunbar, P. “We wear the mask.” In: Heyman, A. (2007) //The best poems of the English language//. New York, NY: Mud Puddle Books. Cullen, C. “Yet do I marvel.” In: Cullee, C. (1998) //Caroling dusk: An anthology of verse by black poets of the twenties//. New York, NY: Citadel. Hughes, L. “The negro speaks of rivers.” In: Cullee, C. (1998) //Caroling dusk: An anthology of verse by black poets of the twenties//. New York, NY: Citadel. **Text #10: Journal Article** **Using these texts together in the classroom:** This unit’s structure will follow a problem/solution format. First, students will learn about the “problem”—in this case, the prejudiced world of the segregated South in the first half of the 20th century. Their visit to the Jim Crow website and reading selections from //We Were There Too// will provide background knowledge that will help with their reading of the novels. Students then will read a novel at their reading level throughout the rest of the unit. After exploring the “problem” and seeing how it relates to the characters in their novels, students will turn to possible “solutions” to the unjust conditions, examining the photo collection of //Remember//, song clips, poetry, and how the characters in their novels cope. We will emphasize creative, nonviolent responses to conflict. Finally, students will relate what they learned about this time period and relate its lessons to current conditions. The video game, picture book, and nonviolent vignettes will help students see how the nonviolent yet constructive approaches of the Civil Rights Era can be applied to current problems. I envision a final performance assessment that would integrate the texts and students’ personal beliefs, such as a speech/essay about one’s beliefs or an artistic creation to honor a fictional or nonfictional character. //Content//: SWBAT compare and contrast character traits and actions. SWBAT evaluate character responses to problems through connections to historical and personal experiences. // Supporting State Standards: // R-7-5.2 Describing characters’ traits, motivations, or interactions, citing thoughts, words, or actions that reveal characters’ traits, motivations, or their changes over time. R-7-16.1 Generates a personal response to what is read through comparing stories or other text to related personal experience, prior knowledge, or other texts. //Reading//: SWBAT make connections across texts to draw conclusions about unit theme. SWBAT use questions and inferences to assist in text comprehension. // Supporting State Standards: // R-7-13 Uses comprehension strategies (flexibly and as needed) before, during, and after reading literary and informational text. (The activities of this unit tend towards drawing connections across texts and with ones life as well as asking questions and inferring.)
 * Nonviolence: A Middle School Study in Character **
 * Context for using the text set: **
 * A. Print Resources: **
 * Text #1: Novels **
 * Citation: Curtis, C. (1995). //The Watsons go to Birmingham—1963//. New York, NY: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books.
 * Text Summary: This story follows the adventures of the Watson family, an African American family living in Michigan in the 1960’s. It starts with their day-to-day moments of growth and conflict, and takes a serious turn when they travel to Birmingham, AL where the young children slowly awaken to the Southern world of Jim Crow. Their family becomes involved in one of the cruelest acts of racial violence of the time period.
 * Rationale: Curtis’s book is both hilarious and heartbreaking. It includes likeable characters who face problems any middle school student could relate to. At the same time, Curtis delicately introduces a world of racial prejudice by focusing on how the characters react and make sense of racially motivated violence. The theme of family triumphing over the cruelty of others relates to the set theme.
 * Use of text: When using these three novels, we would follow a reading workshop and literature circle format. We would begin with small group practice with comprehension strategies where the teacher would model strategy use and students would practice in pairs and eventually individually. Students would discuss their novels by sharing their comprehension strategy use as recorded on post-it notes. These discussions would be with both students who read the same book and students who read different books.
 * Attachment: N/A
 * At grade novel: **
 * Citation: Taylor, M. (1976) //Roll of thunder, hear my cry//. New York, NY: The Dial Press.
 * Text Summary: The Logan children are growing up in the Depression stricken, segregated South. They witness educational and other inequalities and experiment with how to deal with their unjust world. They observe and learn from their strong-willed parents, who lead the community in a fight for dignity.
 * Rationale: This text describes in detail the inequalities of the “separate but equal” system of this time period. It features well-developed characters who respond creatively to their situations, connecting to the set theme of creative responses to problems. Character stereotypes are rare. The dialect and heavy description makes the text more challenging than the “below-grade” novel.
 * Use of text: See //Watsons//
 * Attachment: N/A
 * Above grade novel: **
 * Citation: Lee, H. (1960) //To kill a mockingbird//. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
 * Text Summary: Jem and Scout Finch come of age in the small town of Maycomb, AL in the 1930’s. They discover more about their friends, family, and neighbors through their daily adventures. Their world changes dramatically when their father is asked to defend a black man accused of the rape of a white female. The stark realities of class and race cause them to grow up quickly.
 * Rationale: The complex plot will challenge readers at the seventh grade level, making it appropriate for advanced readers. The book presents a noble character in Atticus Finch, who teaches his children how to react with dignity to the world as they find it. Scout famously comes to the conclusion that humankind is made up of one category only—“folks”.
 * Use of text: See //Watsons//.
 * Attachment: N/A
 * Text #2: Nonfiction frontloading **
 * Citation: Hoose, P. (2001). //We were there, too!: Young people in U.S. history//. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
 * Text Summary: This book presents American history from the perspective of young men and women. There are two nonfiction text selections from the same time periods of the novels: “Claudette Colvin” and “Charles Denby”. Colvin was the young lady who refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus. (She did it before Rosa Parks!) Denby leaves the Depression Era South in hopes of more opportunities of the North.
 * Rationale: Students enjoy hearing about people their age who were part of the history they study. These texts help give students background knowledge so that they can comprehend their novel and make connections between their novel and historical fact.
 * Use of text: We would read these selections before our novels. The lesson would be structured around a K-W-L chart about this historical period, examining our existing prior knowledge, creating questions, and reading to learn more. As we read the novels, we will practice making connections to the historical information (modeled by the teacher, practiced by students). Also, the questions on the “want” to know section of the KWL chart will create later learning objectives and study.
 * Attachment: See appendix pp. 1-8.
 * Text #3: Poetry: Using affective reading strategies to make connections **
 * Citation:
 * Below grade-level poems: **
 * Grade-level poems: **
 * Above grade-level poems **
 * Text Summary: These poems are connected in that they relate to the set theme of nonviolence/character response. Some focus on describing an injustice (ranging from school teasing to racial prejudice) while others focus on a response.
 * Rationale: It is important that students practice comprehension strategies with poetry as well as with other texts. Poetry involves a high engagement with language. These poems also refer to the theme of reaction/feeling of this text set.
 * Use of text: These poems will be part of a lesson on affective reading strategies. (See Text #10) The teacher will model these strategies (i.e. identifying with speaker) and students will practice with a poem at their reading level. The teacher and students will also incorporate poems into their novel reading as they make connections between texts.
 * Attachment: See appendix pp. 9-15
 * Text #4: Nonviolence tales: Vignettes **
 * Citation: Wink, W. “Edifying tales of nonviolence.” In: Rohr, R. (2006) //Contemplation in action//. New York, NY: The Crossroad Publishing Company. Pp. 64-76.
 * Text Summary: These vignettes show how people, ranging from a famous archbishop to average school children, have responded creatively to acts of violence. Who wouldn’t love to read about a boy whose runny nose saved him from a bully?
 * Rationale: These stories are short in structure and clear in message. The simple text structure will help students engage in higher level thinking, such as drawing conclusions across stories and applying knowledge to other contexts.
 * Use of text: Students will read these in small groups and discuss what the stories share. They will select a favorite tale and write a response to this tale that includes the theme they found in the story and why it stood out to them. This activity could be extended by presenting the tales to younger students or by brainstorming similar solutions to those that their characters encountered.
 * Attachment: See appendix pp. 17-18
 * Text #5: Picture Book/Biographies jigsaw **
 * Citation: Zalben, J. (2006) //Paths to peace: People who changed the world.// New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Books.
 * Text Summary: This book contains quotations and brief biographies of 16 men and women who changed the world through pursuing peaceful solutions to problems. A collage of artifacts from that person’s time period and work accompanies each biography.
 * Rationale: This text will introduce students to a diverse group of peacemakers. It represents men and women from across cultures and time periods. It is accessible to students at all grade levels; a teacher could ensure that those who might struggle with the text be given the biography of a person for whom they have more background knowledge.
 * Use of text: Since there are several short biographies, I would use this text in a jigsaw format. Students would read one or two of the biographies, and meet in groups to share and compare what they learned about these peacemakers. Given the clever collages, I would include a creative/reflective assessment where students could show what they learned and relate it to other course readings..
 * Attachment: See sample page in appendix p. 19
 * B. Media Resources **
 * Text #6: Photograph Collection **
 * Citation: Morrison, T. (2004) //Remember: The journey to school integration//. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co.
 * Text Summary: This profound collection of historical photographs depicts the early days of school integration. Viewers see white and black students cautiously eyeing each other across the school aisle. There are also depictions of the anger and protest that integration caused. Still, a tone of hope is evident in these photos, stressing the ideal of education as a means of social change.
 * Rationale: These photographs help create background knowledge for students by showing them what life was like fifty years ago. The people in the photographs can be treated as characters, and students can practice making inferences with the photographs before they do so with characters in print.
 * Use of text: (My use of this text comes from an inference demonstration by Ellin Oliver Keene at “Comprehension and the Development of Thought” July 11-12, 2007.) I would use this text as a way to practice making inferences and provide helpful visuals to accompany the novel study. I would model how to “read” a historical photograph by sharing inferences I would draw from facial expressions, setting, gestures, etc. I would then distribute copies of the photographs and let students practice making inferences in pairs. I would end class by asking each student to make an inference about a photograph on his/her own.
 * Attachment: See sample pages in appendix pp. 21-23.
 * Media Resources **
 * Text #7: Songs of the Civil Rights Era—article with music, video files **
 * Citation: Evstatieva, Monika. (February 12, 2010). //I’m gonna let it shine. Will you?// Retrieved on March 3, 2010 from National Public Radio’s website at: __http://www.npr.org/blogs/tellmemore/2010/02/im_gonna_let_it_shine_will_you.html?ps=rs__
 * Text Summary: Evstatieva reflects on some of the best-known songs of the Civil Rights Era, pondering the deep themes in these simple texts. An Audio clip of a member of Freedom singers explains how she saw “This Little Light of Mine” as a child and as a jailed demonstrator. There is also video and music from Sam Cooke and Bob Dylan. The content comes from a conference for high school students held at the White House on the day of the Music of the Civil Rights Era concert.
 * Rationale: These common tunes take on a profound meaning when considering that they came from an era characterized by struggle and violence. They relate to many of the characters we read about and illustrate nonviolence in a lovely, catchy tune.
 * Use of text: Students will listen to these clips either as a whole group or individually during a web quest, depending on technology available. Then, small groups will discuss the theme of these songs.
 * Attachment: See print out (though audio and video files do not appear) in appendix pp. 25-31.
 * C. Online interactive resources **
 * Text #8: Frontloading webquest **
 * Citation: Public Broadcasting Service. (2002). //The rise and fall of Jim Crow//. Retrieved March 2, 2010 from Rise of and fall of Jim Crow website at __http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories.html__.
 * Text Summary: This is the companion site for the 2002 Public Broadcasting Service’s documentary on the Jim Crow Era. There are personal testimonies, rare documents, and events from this time period. Audio and video clips enhance the experience. There are activities that help students enter this world (i.e. students can try to register to vote in the old South) and connect the themes of the time period to today. (i.e. how racial profiling is still used, why band-aids are a certain color) My favorite feature is the literacy test students could use to see if they would have been able to vote. WARNING: All material on site may not be appropriate for students of a certain age—visuals of hate crimes.
 * Rationale: The world of Jim Crow is something that modern students initially struggle to grasp (thankfully). The images, stories, and activities help students understand the prejudiced world they will enter when they read their novel selection.
 * Use of text: This will serve as a frontloading tool before students read their novel. It will help build background knowledge.
 * Attachment: See appendix for home page pp. 33-35
 * // Text #9: Nonviolent Game //**
 * Citation: International Center on Nonviolent Conflict. (2006). //A force more powerful: The game of nonviolent strategy//. Washington D.C.: York Zimmerman, Inc.
 * //A Force More Powerful// is an interactive computer game that simulates ten historical examples of conflict that could be solved through nonviolent means. ($9.99—only for PC’s) Players take on roles and explore creative options for solving problems with dictators and human rights violations, to name a few. The game’s companion site is also a useful source of information as it contains links to websites dealing with nonviolent conflict resolution and 200 ideas for nonviolent change. Because it requires the purchase, I have not previewed the game; reviews helped me decide that it would be useful in this unit. I would preview it extensively first before using it in my classroom.
 * Rationale: The interactive game should be an incentive for students to apply their knowledge. It also extends the unit themes beyond the Civil Rights Era.
 * Use of text: Students will take turns in pairs playing the game. They will write a report for their classmates on what situations and solutions they encountered.
 * Attachment: See appendix for description pp. 37-41
 * D. Instructional Resources **
 * Citation: Eva-Wood, A. (2008) “Does feeling come first? How poetry can help readers broaden their understanding of metacognition.” In: //Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy//. 71 (7): 564-575.
 * Text Summary: Eva-Wood describes a four week unit on poetry that encourages students to use “think and feel alouds” in reading poetry. She mentions four reading strategies that build on students’ affective responses to poetry: Responding to key words/phrases, Visualizing, Connecting text to personal experiences, and Identifying with the speaker. She asserts that beginning with affective responses is a way to make cognitive strategies come alive.
 * Rationale: So much of the content of this unit lends to student emotive reaction. This article illustrates how teachers can guide students to use their emotional reactions to texts to increase their understanding of the text. Furthermore, as I want students to take some personal knowledge about dealing with conflict from this unit, this framework helps students connect reading material to their own lives and experiences.
 * Use of text: The four affective strategies will be introduced in the poetry lesson plan of this unit. We will continue using the strategies during our reading of the novel.
 * Attachment: See appendix pp. 43-55.
 * Learning Objectives: **