kkenneally

Kaitlin Kenneally Dr. Coiro EDC 448 5 March 2009 **Annotated Text Set ** **Topic: ** Author-Frank McCourt This text set is designed to be used in a heterogeneously grouped 10th grade English language arts classroom. The topic of study has to do with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frank McCourt and the question: “What does it mean to be a writer?”. The materials allow for students at several reading levels to be able to access and comprehend the reading. Students that struggle with reading will be supported via materials such as the children’s trade book, video clips, and interactive online materials.
 * Context for using the text set: **

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 * A. Print Resources **
 * Text #1: Novel (Memoir) **
 * Citation: McCourt, F. (1996). //Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir//. New York, NY: Scribner
 * Text Summary: In //Angela’s Ashes//, author Frank McCourt writes about his childhood in Brooklyn, New York and Limerick, Ireland, and the poverty and hardship experienced by his family. This memoir was published in 1996, and subsequently won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.
 * Rationale: //Angela’s Ashes// was the first piece of writing that earned Frank McCourt fame. It allows the reader a deep, personal look into the affects of poverty, alcoholism, and family struggles on a childhood. It also provides an excellent foundation for studying the author because of this personal context.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Use of text: This memoir is the text that this unit will center on. The students will continually refer back to it, making meaningful connections with the other materials listed here.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Attachment: This was a 363 page book, so I did not include it here.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text #2: Novel (Memoir) **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Citation: McCourt, F. (1999) //‘Tis: A Memoir//. New York, NY: Scribner
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text Summary: //‘Tis// is the follow-up to //Angela’s Ashes//, and chronicles the author’s life into adulthood. He returns to America, graduates from NYU, serves in the army, becomes a teacher, and eventually gets married.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rationale: I selected this text because it picks up where //Angela’s Ashes// leaves off, and provides the students a chance to see how McCourt’s poverty-stricken childhood impacted him as he tried to form a life on his own in a new place.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Use of text: This text can be used to provide an opportunity for students to make predictions using literature. They would take the context they have gained from //Angela’s Ashes//, and make inferences about how McCourt’s childhood experiences will impact him in his new life. This also gives students a chance to reflect on how their own life experiences thus far have affected them-making a connection between their own lives and the author they are studying.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Attachment: This was a 367 page book, so I did not include it here.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text #3: Children’s Trade Book **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Citation: McCourt, F. (2007). //Angela and the Baby Jesus//. New York, NY: Scribner
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text Summary: This book comes from a story that Frank McCourt’s mother, Angela, told in his childhood. It is a Christmas story that comes from an experience that she had as a child in Limerick, Ireland.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rationale: The artistic and visual elements of this book, as well as the simplified language, will give students a different approach to the topic. It simultaneously offers a unique view into the life of the author’s mother, and also provides a supportive text for students that may struggle with lengthier and more complex reading assignments.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Use of text: This children’s book would be read in class and used in conjunction with an extended anticipatory statement guide. This will help focus their reflections and perceptions in regard to this book and its connection to McCourt’s other work.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Attachment: This was a 32 page book, so I did not include it here. I have included an online clip from a radio interview. At the beginning and end of the clip, McCourt discusses his newly published children’s book, //Angela and the Baby Jesus//:

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Also, see attachment #4 for the transcript of this interview.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text #4: Primary Source (Interview) **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Citation: McCourt, F. (Interviewee). (1999). //A Writer Risen From the Ashes.// [Interview transcript]. Retrieved from Academy of Achievement Web site: http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/mcc1int-1
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text Summary: This interview transcript was found on the Academy of Achievement: Museum of Living History website. In it, McCourt answers questions and offers his insight to topics from his childhood, teaching, writing, and the world around him.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rationale: This interview gives the reader insight into the “real” Frank McCourt as he candidly speaks about his experiences and views. This is a valuable resource because it alludes to many of the events described in the author’s published books, but in conversation and in his own, uncensored/unedited words. It also includes several anecdotes and elaborations that go beyond what is provided by the memoirs.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Use of text: The students would be split into groups to read excerpts from this interview and take notes on their observations and thoughts. A class would then be spent in a “jigsaw” activity. Students would teach each other about their sections of the interview, and then spend the remainder in discussion about how it connected to their readings and their own lives.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Attachment: []

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Also, see attachment #5 for a copy of this poem.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text #5: Poem **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Citation: Roethke, T. //My Papa’s Waltz//. Retrieved March 2, 2009, from http://gawow.com/roethke/poems/43.html
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text Summary: This poem by Theodore Roethke describes a young child’s relationship to their father through the portrayal of a memory.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rationale: I selected this text because it recalls many of the same feelings that Frank McCourt describes in his writing in his relationship to his father. This poem is also mentioned in the interview transcript above by the author himself.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Use of text: This poem would be used as a starting point for class discussion about difficult relationships between children and parents, and the repercussions that those difficulties can have. Students will look at the situation from the views of the mother, child, and father in the poem, and offer their insights about each.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Attachment: []

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Also, see attachment #8 for the homepage of this website.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">B. Media Resources **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text #6: Online Video Clip (Interview) **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Citation: Roy, S. & McCourt, F. (2007). //Frank McCourt-Writing About Povert////y//. You tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9H5PolaUME
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text Summary: This is a video clip from an online source. In an interview, McCourt shares his opinions and feelings on his “miserable Irish Catholic childhood”, poverty in today’s world, and how his experiences have affected his writing and his life.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rationale: The visual element of a video clip allows the students to actually see the author that they have read, and observe how he interacts and speaks in person. They can then compare their perceptions of his life on the page, to their impressions of him as they see him in reality.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Use of text: I might show the full interview, or at least clips from it as an in-class activity. I would ask the students to take notes, and then share their thoughts on/responses to Frank McCourt as an author, and as a person.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Attachment: []
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(The full interview is about an hour long, and can be found at the link in the children’s trade book entry under “attachment”)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text #7: Videotape **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Citation: Parker, A. (Director). (1999). //Angela’s Ashes// [Motion picture]. USA/Ireland: Paramount Pictures.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text Summary: The film //Angela’s Ashes// is based closely on the written memoir by Frank McCourt, and chronicles his childhood experiences in Brooklyn and Ireland. The author himself in an interview described it as “authentic” and felt that it correctly portrayed the themes and experiences found in his book.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rationale: In a way similar to the interview, the visual aspect of the text portrayed through film is useful to the students. Students that are visual learners benefit from being engaged with the text they have read in a different media, helping them to better remember and place into context the characters and events in the book.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Use of text: I feel that the viewing of segments of the film in class is a valuable tool. As students completed certain portions of the book //Angela’s Ashes//, we would view the corresponding clips of the movie in class. This helps the students to associate the text with a visual element, aiding in their comprehension.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Attachment: Movie trailer can be found at []
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">C. Online Interactive Resources **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text #8: Webquest Activity **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Citation: Spencer, D., Woods, M., & Acevedo, R. (2004). //Life Experiences: An Influential Factor in an Author’s Style//. Retrieved March 2, 2009, from http://www.ats.edu.mx/proyectos/racevedo/lifeexp/index.htm
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text Summary: This source seems to have been used as an assignment for a 10th grade Language Arts class at the American School of Tampico. It requires students to work in groups to research different authors, and make meaningful connections between the author’s life experiences and their written work.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rationale: I chose this resource because I felt that it worked well with the theme of autobiography in Frank McCourt’s writing. It also gives students firsthand experience in looking at how they can use their own life experience to produce meaningful literature.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Use of Text: The framework of this activity would be adapted and used as a culminating group project for the students. It would assess their historical/factual knowledge regarding the author, their opinions of what it means to be a writer, and the connections they have made to their own lives.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Attachment: []

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Also, see attachment #9 for the entry page to this simulation activity.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text #9: Simulation **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Citation: GCD Technologies. [Interactive informational website on the Irish potato famine]. //Irish Potato Famine.org//. Retrieved from http://www.irishpotatofamine.org/flash.html.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text Summary: This is an interactive website that allows students to click on images to learn more about this historical event and time period (the potato famine in Ireland in the 19th century). Those that visit the website can view primary source documents, video clips, photos, and other information by clicking objects throughout different parts of the site.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rationale: Although this event occurred before McCourt’s time, it directly affected the consciousness of Ireland as a nation, and these aftereffects carried over into his childhood. The mood of the country, the attitude of its people, and the role of the church were influenced by this, and provided the framework for the environment in which McCourt was brought up.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Use of text: Students would complete the various activities either outside of class, or in class (depending on the availability of computers in the classroom). Depending on which part of the site they visited, they would share with the class what they had learned and how they connected it to the Ireland depicted in McCourt’s writing.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Attachment: []

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text #10: Summer reading Wiki ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Also, see attachment #10 for a copy of the homepage to this Wiki.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">D. Instructional Resources **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Citation: Lassiter’s AP Lang Summer Spot! (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2009, from the Lassiter Summer Reading Wiki: http://aplangsummerashes.wetpaint.com/?t=anon
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Text Summary: This is a Wiki page devoted to a high school summer reading assignment, specifically the memoir Angela’s Ashes. It contains useful web links, discussion and essay prompts, directions, and assignments for students. It also employs the use of a blog forum for discussion and Q & A between teachers and students involved with the book.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rationale: This would be a useful resource for posting discussions and questions concerning the text outside of class, and among the students and their peers. It also contains numerous links to supplementary materials and information about Ireland, the author, and the time period described in McCourt’s memoirs.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Use of text: Students would use this site to post homework having to do with the unit on Frank McCourt. For extra credit, they would participate in discussions, posts, and comment on each other’s work on the site outside of class. As an educator, I would use this site to assess students’ knowledge and progress with the unit of study, as well as to provide an extra measure of support for them. For example, the students would be able to post their questions on the site to be answered by me.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Attachment: []


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Using these texts together in the classroom: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> These texts would be used both inside and outside of the classroom throughout the unit. I feel that this completed list of sources works well together because of the varied media and style, and also because they are all closely connected. Sources like the poem “My Papa’s Waltz”, the potato famine simulation, and the webquest activity are not directly connected to McCourt’s story, but provide a beneficial, supplementary way for the students to access some of the themes and history connected with his writing. Sources that are more directly connected, like //Angela’s Ashes// and its sequel, and primary sources connected to McCourt (interviews, video clips) are valuable because they build upon each other and offer students a wide range of knowledge about the author and his life. Because I feel that these resources complement and build upon each other so well, the entire class would complete all of the various readings and tasks together throughout the unit.

As described briefly in the “use of text” section of each entry above, I would use these sources in the following order. I would use texts #4 and #6 to introduce the students to the author and begin building their background knowledge about his personality. //Angela’s Ashes// (text #1) would be the main text, introduced during and after texts 4 and 6. Students will continually refer back to it and make connections with the other listed resources. Text #2, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 10 would be used to supplement and enrich the students’ reading and knowledge of the author at various points throughout their reading of text #1. Finally, text #8 would be adapted for this unit and used as a culmination to assess what the students have learned, and allow them to reflect back on their reading and experiences.

In the end, I believe that the topic of Frank McCourt and his writing is not only valuable in teaching students about a specific author and writing style. It also incorporates meaningful learning having to do with history, the theme of poverty, the ability to rise above hardship, and the possibilities that writing can offer them in their own lives. Giving students the opportunity to make so many connections between these elements by studying this topic is an extremely important step in the way that they approach literature and writing, and therefore is invaluable in a high school English classroom.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Learning Objectives: **I found that the following standards and expectancies applied to my text set.

__According to the Rhode Island Framework for English Language Arts__: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> __According to the Rhode Island Grade Level Expectancies for Reading Grades 5-12 students will__: >> > >> >> > >
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“All students will demonstrate the ability to understand and respond to a wide variety of text”
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“All students will know the processes used to construct and convey meaning through text, and will develop and apply criteria for the evaluation and appreciation of their own and others’ texts”
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“All students will use themes and topics from text to make connections and demonstrate an understanding of commonalities and diversity through exploration of universal issues”
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[]
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> · ** R–10–4 Demonstrate initial understanding of elements of literary texts by… **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> R–10–4.1 Identifying, describing, or making logical predictions about character (such as protagonist or antagonist), setting, problem/solution, or plots/subplots, as appropriate to text; or identifying any significant changes in character, relationships, or setting over time; or identifying rising action, climax, or falling action
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">R–10–4.3 Generating questions before, during, and after reading to enhance/expand understanding and/or gain new information
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> · ** R–10–5 Analyze and interpret elements of literary texts, citing evidence where appropriate by… **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> R–10–5.1 Explaining and supporting logical predictions or logical outcomes (e.g., drawing conclusions based on interactions between characters or evolving plot)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> R–10–5.2 Examining characterization (e.g., stereotype, antagonist, protagonist), motivation, or interactions (including relationships), citing thoughts, words, or actions that reveal character traits, motivations, or changes over time
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">R–10–5.3 Making inferences about cause/effect, internal or external conflicts (e.g., person versus self, person versus person, person versus nature/society/fate), or the relationship among elements within text (e.g., describing the interaction among plot/subplots) (State)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> · ** R–10–16 Generates a personal response to what is read through a variety of means… **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> R–10–16.1 Comparing stories or other texts to related personal experience, prior knowledge, or to other books
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">R–10–16.2 Providing relevant details to support the connections made or judgments (interpretive, analytical, evaluative, or reflective)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> ** R–10–14 Demonstrates the habit of reading widely and extensively by… **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">R–10–14.3 Reading multiple texts for depth of understanding an author, subject, theme, or genre

Response to Diverse Text Set: Dania Schnell

Kaitlin, Although English is not my content area and I am not too fond of it, I really enjoyed exploring your diverse text set. Your printed texts were very diverse and included a children's trade book, an interview, and a poem. I liked how you are going to have students read Angela's Ashes and then are showing them the movie that was made, inspired by the book. When I was in high school, I loved whenever teachers did this because I got to compare how I visualized things when I read the book, to how the movie portrays things. I found this very interesting and I am sure your students will too. I also thought it was such a good idea when you included the simulation that let students get familiar with the history at this time. This gives students background knowledge and context, which will help them better understand this unit. The portion about how you would use the texts in the classroom, was very well written, detailed, and clearly explained how this diverse text set is going to benefit your students. I think that you have provided your students with a great amount of resources and support. Great job Kaitlin!! Dania Schnell

Joyce: I think your use of text 4 was especially great because it allows the students to practice their note taking skills. I also liked your extra credit idea of having the students participate in a sort of blog similar to ours for this class. Overall, you obviously did a large amount of work and blended your ideas together really well. Fantastic job, your students are lucky!

John Ritchie: The one interesting aspect of your text set that I felt would be very useful particularly for students that would have difficulty connecting with the books was the introduction of the author using texts #4 and #6. By introducing the author it will possibly allow the students to comprehend the background and purpose for the topic of the books. Also, the webquest activity and videotape offer a great alternative to the normality of a regular English classroom that students may not necessarily get elsewhere. This was a great group of sources and it's obvious that the way the texts are ordered creates the maximum utilization and effectiveness to help the students learning.