Newburgh Enlarged City
School District Mini - Lessons for Task IV
"Universal Truths"
Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4| Lesson 5 | Lesson 6
Lesson
7 | Lesson 8 | Lesson 9 | Lesson 10 | Student Task
Sheet | Parallel Tasks IV
Lesson #: 1
Task Developers:
Carol Lama, Mary Porpora, Doris Strakosch
NYS Standards Addressed:
- Standard 1
- Standard 3
- Standard 4
Duration of Lesson:
30-40 minutes
Topic/Theme:
Paraphrasing
Materials/Resources:
- list of
proverbs for each student
- paper and pencils
- printed instructions
- dictionaries
- blank overhead
transparencies, transparency pens, or
- large sheets of paper and
markers
Outcomes :
- Students will overcome their
reluctance to change someone’s original language
while paraphrasing familiar proverbs by restating them in
complete sentences. We want their comfort level enhanced
as they learn to manipulate language. We also want them
to value numerous interpretations and to realize that
more than one interpretation of an idea is acceptable and
valid.
Skills Addressed:
- recognition of universal
truths
- recognition of idiomatic
expressions
- paraphrasing
- writing sentences
- speaking and listening in a
group context
Procedures:
- Students will work in pairs
or groups to respond to the following situation:
- "Your little brother or
sister has come from school with the assignment to
explain the meaning of ten American proverbs. He or she
is having trouble understanding them. Since you are more
experienced and have more knowledge of American culture,
you help your little brother or sister with the
assignment. You must write an explanation of each proverb
in a complete sentence."
- Each group will have twenty
or twenty-five minutes (depending on your students) to
discuss each proverb and to write a one sentence
paraphrase of each one.
- When each group has finished,
a member of the group will write its paraphrases on an
overhead transparency or on a piece of large paper. Class
will look for similarities and differences (compare and
contrast) among the paraphrases.
- The teacher will ask the
class to determine which paraphrases are not appropriate
(if any) and why.
- Students will appreciate the
different ways of expressing the same idea.
Assessment:
- Assessment will be
accomplished by observation of the discussion.
Ideas for Other Language
Levels:
For students with lower level
language proficiency, the teacher may ask for experiences that
the students have had that illustrate the proverbs. From this
basis, the teacher may then lead the students into paraphrases of
the proverbs.
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Lesson #: 2
NYS Standards Addressed:
- Standard 1
- Standard 2
- Standard 3
- Standard 4
Duration of Lesson:
30-40 minutes
Topic/Theme:
Interpretation of an image and text
Materials/Resources:
- posters with text or quote on
the bottom (sources for such posters are book companies,
Argus, Hammett’s, teacher stores)
- paper and pencils
- overhead transparencies and
transparency pens
- or large sheets of paper and
markers
Outcomes :
- Students will overcome their
reluctance to change someone’s original language by
interpreting quotations supported by images on posters. They
will work in groups to come up with a broader meaning for
the quotation using the image. They will understand that
with the added perspective of the image, they will be
able to expand their understanding of the quotation. The
teacher will make the connection between the importance
of the students’ prior knowledge to their
understanding of the image and its impact on their
understanding of the quote. We want their comfort level
enhanced as they learn to manipulate language. We want
them to value numerous interpretations and to realize
that more than one interpretation of an idea is
acceptable and valid. They will practice writing complete
sentences.
Skills Addressed:
- listening and speaking in a
group context
- interpretation of images and
written text
- application of prior
knowledge
- restatement of
interpretation/paraphrasing
- writing complete sentences
Procedures:
- Teachers will provide posters
for use by the students. Teachers will hang posters
around the room or distribute a poster to a pair or a
group of students.
- The teacher will distribute
written instructions to each group:
"You will look at each
poster and answer the questions: who, what, why, when, where.
Then you will read the quotation and answer the question: Why
is this quotation on this picture? Write all the reasons why
you think this quotation is on this poster. Write the reasons
in complete sentences. The last thing you have to do in your
group is to write the quote in your own words without
changing its meaning."
- The teacher will distribute
transparencies or large sheets of paper to each group.
They will write their reasons and their paraphrase on the
transparency or paper.
- The class as a whole will
read and discuss each poster and each group’s
interpretation of the poster.
Assessment:
- The teacher will assess the
accomplishment of the objectives through observation.
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Lesson #: 3
NYS Standards Addressed:
- Standard 1
- Standard 3
- Standard 4
Duration of Lesson:
20-25 minutes
Topic/Theme:
Recognition of quotations and how they are read and written
Materials/Resources:
Outcomes :
- We have found that students
do not recognize a quotation in context, and there is a
lack of understanding that what is between the quotation
marks is the exact words of the speaker. Therefore,
students will practice recognizing the exact words of a
speaker and they will practice the mechanics of the
punctuation of a quotation.
Skills Addressed:
- The students will read
sentences that should have punctuation marks in them and
place the marks where they belong.
- The students will write
complete sentences with proper quotation punctuation.
Procedures:
- Teachers will use the lists
of ideas from the previous lesson to illustrate the
concept of a quotation coming from a specific speaker.
The teacher will point to various ideas on the lists and
ask, "Who said this yesterday?" As students
respond with names, the teacher will say, "Joe said,
‘I think this means that the woman is
dead’." The teacher will write a list of these
quotations on the board without punctuation. Then the
teacher will show the correct punctuation for two or
three of the sentences and ask the students to copy the
rest and add the correct punctuation.
- Then the teacher will
distribute a list of quotations from famous people that
have no punctuation. As the quotations are difficult,
students should work in pairs to add the appropriate
punctuation.
- When the students have
finished, the teacher will show the quotations correctly
punctuated on the overhead. Each student will be asked to
self-assess.
Assessment:
- Students will self-assess.
Teacher may ask for random papers to check students’
comprehension, or teacher may choose to collect all the
papers. However, these papers are needed for the next
lesson.
Ideas for Other Language
Levels: Choose easier quotations for students at lower
language proficiency levels.
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Lesson #: 4
NYS Standards Addressed:
- Standard 1
- Standard 3
- Standard 4
Duration of Lesson:
40-60 minutes
Topic/Theme: Supporting
personal opinions by writing statements
Materials/Resources:
Outcomes :
- Students will interpret
quotations and practice supporting their opinions by
writing statements.
Skills Addressed:
- Interpretation of a difficult
idea
- Writing lists of supporting
reasons
- Writing reasons as complete
sentences
Procedures:
- The teacher will ask the
students to reread the list of quotations from the
previous lesson. The teacher will then direct the
students’ attention towards four or five that the
teacher has selected as being most applicable to the
task.
- The students will receive the
following directions: "You will choose one of the
quotations and write an interpretation of that quotation.
Then you will write whether you agree or disagree with
the quotation. Finally, you will write a list of three
reasons why you agree or disagree with the quotation.
Write your reasons as complete sentences."
- The teacher will group
students according to the quotations that the students
have chosen. (If it happens the group is made up of
students of lower language proficiency, the teacher may
have to closely monitor this group to help them express
their ideas.) In their groups, the students will share
their reasons and make a list of all the reasons why they
have agreed or disagreed with the quote on the large
paper. (We like the large paper better for this group
work as it allows the class to see the variety of reasons
all at once as reinforcement of the idea that
students’ opinions and reasons are valuable, varied,
and valid.)
- Students will share their
reasoning as a validation of their opinions. If there is
not enough time for this last discussion, the teacher
should collect and reproduce the lists for distribution
to the students at the next session. It is IMPORTANT for
the teacher to emphasize that it is the sense of the
quotation that counts and NOT who said it. The students
should not be hung up on the name of the speaker because
it doesn’t matter. They MUST understand this as
preparation for Task 4. The speaker has NOTHING to do
with the question or answering the question.
Assessment:
- Students will self-assess by
reading and discussing the various opinions expressed by
the class.
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Lesson #: 5
NYS Standards Addressed:
- Standard 1
- Standard 2
- Standard 3
- Standard 4
Duration of Lesson:
60 minutes
Topic/Theme:
Interpretation and paraphrasing of critical-lens-type quotations
Materials/Resources:
Outcomes :
- We want the students to apply
the paraphrasing strategies of previous lessons to more
difficult quotations in preparation to manipulate Task 4
quotations and to apply them to literature they have read
or studied.
Skills Addressed:
- Interpretation of a difficult
idea
- Writing lists of supporting
reasons
- Writing reasons as complete
sentences
Procedures:
- The teacher will distribute a
list of literary quotes.
- The students will work in
pairs or small groups to interpret four or five literary
quotes. They will write the group’s interpretation
on transparencies or large sheets of paper.
- The teacher will use the
transparencies or large sheets of paper to share the
ideas with the class.
- The teacher will select a
quotation from the list such as "You must look into
people as well as at them". (You want to choose a
general quote that will allow the later introduction of
actual class material and a discussion of universal
literary truths.) Using a T-chart, the students will
think of all possible reasons why they might agree or
disagree with this quote.
- Discussion of agreement and
disagreement as validation of students’ ideas.
Assessment:
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Lesson #: 6
NYS Standards Addressed:
- Standard 1
- Standard 3
- Standard 4
Duration of Lesson:
60 minutes.
Topic/Theme:
Application of quote to literature studied in class.
Materials/Resources:
- Same quotation teacher
selected in the previous session.
Outcomes :
Students will :
1) see that their work on
interpreting quotations is directly applicable to a work
studied in class;
2) apply what they know about
the literary work to THEIR INTERPRETATION of the literary
quote;
3) write justification for the
application;
4) realize that all
interpretations are valid as long as they make sense and are
justified by reference to the specifics in the text.
Skills Addressed:
- Interpretation of a difficult
idea
- Writing lists of supporting
reasons
- Writing reasons as complete
sentences
- Synthesis
- Application
Procedures:
- The teacher will use the
quotation selected for the previous lesson (the quotation
with which the students agreed and disagreed).
- The teacher will ask the
question, "How does (name of literature) show that
your idea of what the quote means is true or not
true?"
- Students will work in pairs
or groups to make lists of all the reasons they can think
of to answer this question.
- When the students have
finished, they will share their lists with the whole
class. (At this point, the teacher should reteach,
remind, or restate the universal themes and values
applicable to all great literature. This point, this is
necessary as a coping strategy. The students need to be
able to recall them at this point to enable them to
accomplish Task 4. The idea of universal themes gives
them vocabulary to use when and if they have trouble with
the interpretation of the quote and therefore with the
application of the literature to the quote.)
Assessment:
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Lesson #: 7
NYS Standards Addressed:
- Standard 1
- Standard 2
- Standard 3
- Standard 4
Duration of Lesson:
40-50 minutes
Topic/Theme:
Interpretation of the Task 4 pilot critical lens and application
of literature to the critical lens
Materials/Resources:
- Copy of pilot Task 4 for each
student
- Papers and pencil
Outcomes :
- The student will apply what
he has learned about interpretation, restatement of a
quote, and justification of an interpretation to the
critical lens and two pieces of literature.
Skills Addressed:
Procedures:
- The teacher will distribute
copies of the pilot Task 4.
- The students will interpret
the critical lens: "The best literature is about the
old universal truths, such as love, honor, pride,
compassion, and sacrifice."
- After a discussion of their
individual interpretations, the teacher will show the
students how to create a graphic organizer such as:
| |
Love |
honor |
pride |
compassion |
sacrifice |
| Literature
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
| (Title
and author) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Literature
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
| (Title
and author) |
|
|
|
|
|
- The teacher will tell the
students to think about two specific works of literature
they have read, and to fill the chart with ideas from
each literary work that illustrate each universal truth
of the critical lens. The students will put on X through
those that don’t apply.
- Then the students will write
a complete sentence using the graphic organizer about the
themes in the works of literature. Each sentence must
make a statement about each universal truth. For example,
"Literature 1 by so-and-so shows that real love is
only accomplished through some suffering. The main
character X suffers through his relationship with Z
before he realizes that by suffering one gives to another
person and becomes that person."
Assessment:
- The teacher will collect the
student papers and will give specific feedback to each
student.
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Lesson #: 8
NYS Standards Addressed:
- Standard 1
- Standard 2
- Standard 3
- Standard 4
Duration of Lesson:
20 minutes
Topic/Theme:
Understanding the requirements of Task 4
Materials/Resources:
- A copy of Task 4 sample A
- Paper and pencils
- Highlighters
Outcomes :
- The students will understand
what is required to be successful in answering Task 4.
Skills Addressed:
- All of the above (see Lesson
6)
Procedures:
- The teacher will distribute
the copies of Task 4 sample A.
- The teacher will tell the
students to read the task, find the verbs that tell them
the things they have to do and underline or highlight
them.
- The teacher will direct the
students to think of the order in which they must do
these things.
- The teacher and students will
make a chronological list of the things to do.
- The teacher and the student
will discuss the ramifications of the items on the list.
Assessment:
- To follow. The teacher will
be able to assess the students’ understanding of
this list when the students write the actual Task 4
essay.
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Lesson #: 9
NYS Standards Addressed:
- Standard 1
- Standard 2
- Standard 3
- Standard 4
Duration of Lesson:
60 minutes
Topic/Theme:
Writing Task 4
Materials/Resources:
- A clean copy of Task 4 Sample
A
- Their notes and lists from
lessons 7 and 8
- Paper and pencils
Outcomes :
- The students will accomplish
the actual writing of Task 4.
Skills Addressed:
- All of the above (see lesson
6)
Procedures:
- The students will work
individually to write Task 4.
Assessment:
- The teacher will collect,
read, and provide feedback to the students.
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Lesson #:
10
Duration of Lesson:
40 minutes
Topic/Theme:
feedback on Task 4
Materials/Resources:
- Student papers
- Simplified teacher-generated
rubric
Outcomes :
- Students will understand the
strengths and weaknesses of their answers and will
receive a simplified explanation of the grading
guidelines.
Skills Addressed:
Procedures:
- The teacher will return
papers, discussing with students general observations and
relate them to concepts in the rubrics.
- The teacher will then answer
specific student questions about their own papers.
Assessment:
- At this point, the teacher
may wish to reteach concepts which are not clear to
students or to provide additional practice of component
pieces that they need to be successful.
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