Huckleberry Finn Sample Lesson

Lesson #11

Tasks:
• Collect Journal Entries
• Ch. Questions 26-31
• Vocab – Ch. 32-33
• Theme Statements
• Reading

Collect Journal Entry #2
Journal Entry #2 is due at the beginning of class.

Chapter Questions 26-31
1. Write questions on the board. Students are to answer in writing in full sentences. These are to be handed in or checked for completion marks.

2. Discuss answers to chapter questions. Facilitate discussion by asking follow up questions.

Vocabulary 32-33
1. Write the list of vocabulary words on the board.
2. Call on students to guess at the definitions.
3. After giving students a chance to define the words orally, write the definitions on the board for students to copy into their notes. Remind students that they will be tested on this material.
4. Students must now practice using the vocabulary by writing sentences using the words. Challenge students to use as many vocabulary words as possible in a single sentence – words must be used correctly and in a way that makes sense.
5. Invite students to share their sentences and check to proper use.

Theme Statements
1. Ask students to define the word ‘theme.’
2. Write the literary definition on the board: Theme is the main idea or message in a story. It says something about life and/or people.
3. Explain that theme is different from a moral. It doesn’t state what people should or should not do. Instead, it says something about what it means to be alive. A moral might be as follows: look before you leap. While the theme from the same story might be as follows: people are often impulsive and hedonistic.
4. Review the formula for theme: Topic + Insight = Theme
5. Present the structure for theme statements:

Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn shows…[insert theme].

6. Review the list of topics on the board from last day.
7. Students are to write three theme statements using proper structure.
8. Invite or call on students to share their theme statements with the class. Check for understanding of theme.

Reading
Students are to use this time to read silently. If necessary, attach marks to silent reading time to keep students quiet and on task. Reading is the best way to improve vocabulary, spelling, comprehension, and general writing skills. It is a valuable use of class time.

Objectives While Teaching Animal Farm

George Orwell’s Animal Farm remains one of the most frequently taught novels in American secondary schools.  And with good reason.

Orwell’s lampooning of the Russian Revolution shows students the power of satire and fable.  It teaches them about he pitfalls of autocratic states and dictatorships, and it demonstrates the validity of the old adage, “power corrupts.”  In just 100 pages, students can get lost in the fable of Animal Farm, and can also learn a tremendous amount about history and ideology.

When planning a unit on Animal Farm, teachers should begin with clear objectives.  Beginning with clear objectives helps ensure your curriculum is goal-oriented, structured, and effective.  First, ask yourself what you want your students to get out of the unit you planning.  Then you can shape your major and minor assignments and activites to reach those goals.

With Animal Farm, there are some obvious objectives and there some less obvious ones.

Below is a list of possible objectives or teaching outcomes for Animal Farm.

While studying Animal Farm, students will…

• Learn about fables
• Learn how to use satire
• Learn about the Russian Revolution
• Study other revolutions
• Engage with the text on a personal level
• Practice writing
• Develop their reading comprehension
• etc.

The objectives you identify and select should guide you through the planning process.

Main Objectives While Teaching Romeo and Juliet

Objective #1 – Get Students to Engage With and Enjoy the Play

It sounds simple, too simple.  But it’s the number one thing that must happen if you are going to achieve meaningful success with your other educational goals.  You want your students to enjoy and engage with literature.  Otherwise they will not forge a significant connection to the text and the higher-level thinking so essential to education will not occur.

To this end, it is imperative that you create an atmosphere conducive to enjoying and engaging with the play.  Your lessons, assignments, and projects should emphasize the humor and emotion of Romeo and Juliet.  You must make the play “come alive” for your students.

The Complete Romeo and Juliet Unit Plan gives you step-by-step lesson plans and amazing assignments that will ensure your students form a personal connection with the play.

Objective #2 – To Develop Cultural Literacy

I am often asked why we continue to teach Shakespeare.  Well, other than the fact that he was one of the greatest writers and poets ever to walk the earth, I believe it is important to teach Shakespeare to develop cultural literacy.

Cultural literacy is the ability to recognize and understand references and allusions to culturally relevant literature and art.  There is real value in knowing what someone is referring to when they say “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

It is also important that students become adults who can converse about a variety of things with intelligence and understanding.

Objective #3 – Learn and Practice Critical Analysis

As is always the case when studying literature in an English class, one of the primary objectives is to improve analytical abilities. Students must learn to examine a piece of literature and make critical observations about aspects such as character, theme, symbolism, etc.

These skills are developed through close and careful reading together, through modeling of the critical process, and through challenging assignments that require students to delve deeply into the text and go beyond the obvious or superficial.

The Complete Romeo and Juliet Unit Plan emphasizes critical analysis without letting go of the principles essential to objective #1 – to enjoy the play.  The trick is to get your students to want to engage in critical analysis by compelling them to engage with the play in a personal way.

Objective #4 – Develop and Practice Writing Skills

Every unit and almost every assignment in an English class should have some connection to improving writing skills.  This unit should help students work on their personal and persuasive paragraphs.

Use the controversial issues and major themes as places to begin from.  Ask your students to develop and express their opinions.  Discuss these opinions.  Then get them to write about it.

Work on paragraph structure.  Have them start with a thesis, then provide explanation and evidence in the form of quotes and specific references, then finish with a strong, thought-provoking conclusion.

The Complete Romeo and Juliet Unit Plan integrates writing activities with engaging, thought-provoking discussions and activities.  Students learn the fundamentals while enjoying a deeper, more meaningful connection to the text.

Objective #5 – Cover the Curriculum

Like it or not, there is stuff that just needs to be covered.  I wish we could just go to the theatre, watch the play, and then discuss it and write about it, but the fact is we have a responsibility to cover the curriculum.  And that responsibility isn’t just to our bosses or the board of education; it’s also a responsibility to the students.  They need to know this stuff so they can perform on standardized tests and exams (don’t get me started on these).

So, that means you have to work in the relevant terminology and jargon.  You have to give your students the vocabulary they will need to effectively converse about the important elements of the play.  Ideally, your lessons and assignments should integrate these terms and concepts so that meaning learning occurs, not just memorization.

Fortunately, The Complete Romeo and Juliet Unit Plan covers the entire curriculum in a smooth, engaging way.  It really can be that simple.

Below is a sample lesson for Romeo and Juliet.  The Romeo and Juliet Unit Plan available at www.EnglishUnitPlans.com is full of amazing lessons, assignments, handouts, etc.

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1. Distribute Handout #2 – Character Chart

2. Today we are going to start a character chart to keep a record of what each character is like.  Just put them in the order in which they appear.  Start with Benvolio and Tybalt since we read and watched their parts yesterday.

3. Discuss Romeo as he appeared in the film version of scene 1.  Point out how brooding and emotional he is.  Who is he in love with (it’s not Juliet)? Watch it again if the students need reminding.

4. Now enter Romeo into the character chart as well.

5. Arranged Marriage Pros and Cons – create a web with the words “Arranged Marriage” in the middle.  List the pros on the left on the cons on the right.  Have the students spend five minutes listing them individually before you discuss it as a group and fill in more.  Push them to think of positives for arranged marriage.

6. Now read Scene 2 together.  In this very short scene, Paris (a respected nobleman), is asking Capulet for his blessing for Paris to marry Juliet (who is only 13).  Capulet tells Paris to be patient, to wait a bit for Juliet to grow up, and to win her heart.  Paris isn’t concerned with Juliet’s age and points out that “Younger than she are happy mothers made.”

7. Discuss how things have changed in our society.

8. Add Paris to the Character Chart.

9. Opinion Paragraph – At what age are people ready for marriage?  (opinion, reasons, examples, conclusion)

10. Discuss opinions.

Teaching The Crucible

Some teachers dislike The Crucible.  One colleague of mine absolutely detests teaching it.  He doesn’t think there’s enough there to build a real unit out of.  They read the play, discuss McCarthyism, and move on.  But I disagree (to a degree).  While The Crucible might not be as interesting and rich as some other texts, it can grab students’ attention if taught the right way, and it can be a starting point for meaningful research and discussion.

One of the best things about The Crucible is how infuriating it is.  I get angry every time I read it.  How could Judge Danforth condemn these innocent people to death based on the obviously sensational lies of a group of affected young girls?  Every time I teach The Crucible, I find a new level of loathing for Abigail and Parris.  But I also find more and more respect for John Proctor.  He is an important, if unlikely, hero.  He is flawed, as are we all, but he is essentially good.  He works hard and expects nothing out of life but what his labors earn.  He has faith, but he is practical.  He doesn’t believe in extremism.  It is this last point that makes such a relevant hero today.

In a world full of extremists and fundamentalists, Proctor and The Crucible can provide some poignant lessons.  Teachers can build lessons based on The Crucible, which require their students to consider the dangers of dealing in absolutes.

To help other teachers get the most out of teaching The Crucible, I have developed a complete unit plan including lessons, assignments, activities, questions, quizzes, and tests.  Detailed lesson plans will guide you and your students through this American classic, and will ensure that students are engaged and interested and that the curriculum is covered.

You can get the full unit plan at www.englishunitplans.com/thecrucible

Teaching Of Mice and Men

Teaching Of Mice and Men is all about exploring issues.  There is lots to talk about in Steinbeck’s great novel.  Having issues to explore makes coming up with teaching activities easy.  You simply have to find contentious topics and provide your students with opportunities to consider and discuss them.  This will keep them engaged.

The primary issue in Of Mice and Men is obviously euthanasia.  Students find the idea of mercy killing quite interesting.  While most students will argue that George did the right thing, there are always some who will counter that argument effetively.  The result is wonderful classroom discussion.

Teach the vocabulary, the reading comprehension, the writing skills, but let the issues in Of Mice and Men drive your unit plan.

True History of Macbeth

Shakespeare’s portrait of a great tragic hero, whose fate was linked to black magic and fuelled by the fire of greed and ambition, bears little resemblance to the historical figure. Duncan (1034-40) was not Shakespeare’s venerable, elderly monarch, but a young king who was killed in battle, possibly by Macbeth, although this is not certain. We do know that Duncan was not murdered in the home of a so-called host.

Macbeth, King of Moray, was elected King of Scotland in place of Duncan’s son Malcolm, who was only a child, and for 14 years Macbeth is believed to have ruled equably, imposing law and order and encouraging devout Christianity. In 1050 he is known to have travelled to Rome for a Papal Jubilee. He was also a brave leader and made successful forays over the border into Northumbria, England.

In 1054, Macbeth was challenged by Siward, Earl of Northumbria, who was attempting to return Malcolm (later Malcolm III) to the throne. It was not until 1057 that Macbeth was killed and not by MacDuff but in battle at Lumphanan. The battle of Dunsinane and the encampment in Birnam Wood referred to in Shakespeare’s tragedy are both earlier events. The final battle was probably not between armies, but between two champions – Macbeth, who was middle-aged or even elderly, and Malcolm, still a young man. The two fought in a stone circle near Lumphanan where Malcolm triumphed. It was Malcolm, not Macduff, who beheaded Macbeth.

Macbeth’s stepson, Lulach (1057-8), was proclaimed king and, up until his death at Essie in Aberdeenshire, he continued to challenge Malcolm III (1057-93).

Literary Paragraph Sample

Much of the focus in grades nine and ten is on writing a solid literary paragraph.  Whether we are studying Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, To Kill a Mockingbird, or advertising and media, I am always teaching students the fundamentals of paragraph structure.

I often use samples that they can use as models.  The following sample is one I used in a short stories unit.  It compares two stories, “The Most Dangerous Game,” and “Saturday Climbing.”  It demonstrates use of a hook to get the reader’s attention, a clear thesis, explanation, and a conclusion.

SAMPLE PARAGRAPH

“Are you not entertained?”  This Gladiator quote mimics the question I ask myself after every story I read.  Literature should provide an escape.  I want to feel my pulse quicken as I turn the pages.  I want to be taken somewhere outside my own experience.  “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell achieves these objectives.  It is a story full of suspense, action, and adventure far beyond the scope of daily life.  Unfortunately, W.D. Valgardson’s “Saturday Climbing” does not provide the literary escape I crave when reading.  It is a story of familiar themes and environments.  “The Most Dangerous Game” is a superior story because it entertains.

Analyze an Ad Assignment

Analyze an Ad Assignment – Individually or with a partner

Your task is to analyze a magazine ad by answering the following questions and writing a brief statement that expresses the essence of your findings. You must determine exactly what an ad says and explain how the ad says it.

Choose an ad that is ripe for analysis, one with different levels of meaning and message.

How to Analyze an Advertisement – Finding Ads’ Hidden Messages

There’s more to advertising’s message than meets the casual eye. An effective ad, like other forms of communication, works best when it strikes a chord in the needs and desires of the receiving consumer — a connection that can be both intuitive and highly calculated.
The following questions can help foster an awareness of this process. Use them for class or group discussions or your own individual analysis of ads or commercials. You may be surprised by the messages and meanings you uncover.

Answer these in point form:
1. What is the general ambience of the advertisement? What mood does it create? How does it do this?
2. What is the design of the advertisement? How are the basic components or elements arranged?
3. What is the relationship between pictorial elements and written material and what does this tell us?
4. What is the use of space in the advertisement? Is there a lot of ‘white space” or is it full of graphic and written elements?
5. What signs and symbols do we find? What role do they play in the ad’s impact?
6. If there are figures (men, women, children, animals) what are they like? What can be said about their facial expressions, poses, hairstyle, age, sex, hair color, ethnicity, education, occupation, relationships (of one to the other)?
7. What does the background tell us? Where is the advertisement taking place and what significance does this background have?
8. What action is taking place in the advertisement and what significance does it have? (This might be described as the ad’s “plot.”)
9. What theme or themes do we find in the advertisement? What is it about? (The plot of an advertisement may involve a man and a woman drinking but the theme might say something about jealousy, faithlessness, ambition, passion, etc.)
10. What about the language used? Does it essentially provide information or does it try to generate some kind of emotional response? Or both? What techniques are used by the copywriter: humor, alliteration, definitions” of life, comparisons, sexual innuendo, and so on?
11. What is the item being advertised and what role does it play in our culture and society?
12. What sociological, political, economic or cultural attitudes are indirectly reflected in the advertisement? An advertisement may be about a pair of blue jeans but it might, indirectly, reflect such matters as sexism, alienation, stereotyped thinking, conformism, generational conflict, loneliness, elitism, and so on.

Once you have answered the questions above, you must write a statement (paragraph of 8-12 sentences) that summarizes your findings – what is the ad saying and how does it deliver the message?

Sample Lesson

Here’s an example of a Romeo and Juliet lesson I used one year.

Romeo and Juliet

Day 2

So, today you are going to start a character chart to keep a record of what each character is like.  Just put them in the order in which they appear.  Start with Benvolio and Tybalt.  Then, once you’ve had a look a Romeo, put him in as well.  I don’t know how far you guys read, but I wouldn’t worry about trying to slog through the remainder of scene 1 (after the Prince tells them “If ever you disturb the peace again, your lives shall pay the forfeit”).  Just watch it and point out what a sap Romeo is (emphasize all the “O”s).  At this point he is desperately in love with a woman, but it isn’t Juliet (this may surprise the students).  He’s in love with Rosaline, who does not return is affection.  Once you’ve watched the rest of Scene 1, add Romeo to the chart.

1. Character Chart

Character	Description	Quote
Benvolio	-          Montague -          Romeo’s cousin -          Known as a peacemaker	“Put up your swords; you know not what you do”(1.1, 61).
Tybalt	-          Capulet -          Juliet’s cousin -          Great swordsman -          Looks for trouble	“What. Drawn, and talk of peace!  I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee”(1.1, 67).
Romeo	-          Son of Montague -          Sappy -          Emotional -          Quick to love -          Worships women	Save this one.  There will be better quotes for Romeo in the scenes to come.

2. Paris isn’t concerned with Juliet’s age and points out that “Younger than she are happy mothers made.”

3.  Read the scene and discuss how things have changed in our society.

4.  Discussion – at what age should people be allowed to marry?  Canadian law puts it at 16, but are teenagers really ready for such a commitment?

5.  Opinion Paragraph – at what age are people ready for marriage?  (opinion, reasons, examples, conclusion)

6.  Add Paris to the character chart.