Thursday November 27, 2012

Grade 7E ELA

Lesson Plan
OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

Grade/Subject: Grade 7E/F ELA Unit: Suspense Lesson Duration: 9:32-10:32 60 min LEARNING OBJECTIVES ASSESSMENTS
(Observations, Key Questions, Written Assessments, Performance Assessments) Observations: - Are students actively participating in discussion? - Are they on task and paying attention to the videos, text and discussion? Key Questions: - What is suspense? - What do authors or directors do to make us feel suspense? - What is atmosphere? - How does the author create atmosphere in a piece? - How does the atmosphere of a piece contribute to suspense? - What do you think the difference between mystery and suspense is? Written Assessments: - Written assessments will be collected in the form of The Listener when they have completed it. - Did they apply what they learned to suspense into The Listener?

GLOs Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to: I. 1. Explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences. II. Comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts. SLOs: I. 1.1.1 Extend understanding of ideas and information by finding and exploring oral, print and other media texts on related topics and themes. II. 1.1.2 Express personal understandings of ideas and information based on prior knowledge, experiences with others and a variety or oral, print and other media texts III. 2.2.3 Organize interpretations of oral, print and other media texts around two or three key ideas.

Students will: I. Explain suspense and how it is created. II. Explain atmosphere and how it is created. III. Describe how atmosphere has an affect on suspense? IV. Analyze how suspense is created in the Black Rider and Monsters Inc. clips. V. Analyze how suspense is created in the Monkeys Paw and The Tell-Tale Heart. VI. Identify the similarities and differences between how suspense and atmosphere are created in film and writing. VII. Distinguish between mystery and suspense. VIII. Identify what alliteration and imagery are? IX. Provide examples for alliteration and imagery.

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED

Resource #1: Black Rider Clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L0A2D7zV7A&feature=fvwrel Resource #2: Monsters Inc. Clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07l6HgPDJn0 Resource #3: Tell-Tale Heart Excerpt http://www.literature.org/authors/poe-edgar-allan/tell-tale-heart.html Resource #4: Creating Suspense Monkey Paws Excerpt http://ateacherswrites.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/creating-suspense-a-look-at-two-classic-tricks/ Resource #5: Mystery vs. Suspense Alfred Hitchcock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xs111uH9ss

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

You-tube videos Tell-Tale Heart Excerpt Monkey Paws Excerpt Notes Smart-board Notebook document with excerpts etc.

Thursday November 27, 2012

Grade 7E ELA

PROCEDURE
Introduction (5 min.): Hook/Attention Grabber: Stand in the front of the class, silently, and wait for students to quiet themselves and pay attention. If this is unsuccessful, step forward to call their attention: Ladies and gentlemen Assessment of Prior Knowledge: Ask if they know what suspense and atmosphere are, and how they are created. Ask if they know what techniques a writer or director might use to create suspense having them draw from real life experiences? What makes them nervous for characters etc.? Expectations for Learning and Behaviour: Students should participate and answer questions when possible. They should listen quietly and respectfully to both their peers and myself. Advance Organizer/Agenda: Have the clips pre-loaded and the Notebook document ready. Have the smart-board turned on and ready to go. Transition to Body: Today we are going to be talking about suspense. Who can tell me what suspense is? Body (50 min.): Learning Activity #1: DISCUSSION/ BRAINSTORM ON SUSPENSE Were going to brainstorm how suspense is created. Not just in writing but in movies and video games. First ask the students what is suspense? What kinds of emotions does it give you? Then ask how it is created? Mention different movies and video games that might cause suspense. Help lead them into discussion by mentioning things about how they feel when theyre home alone and something scary happens. Does their stomach tighten, do they want to grab a weapon or hide? Do they know of any videos or games or moments in time that have given them that feeling? Relate suspense to atmosphere. What is the atmosphere in writing or in films/ games etc.? How does the artist create it, what techniques do they use?
Assessments/Differentiation: Assessment will be through observation and discussion. Do they understand what suspense and atmosphere are? And how both are used in oral, print and other media texts. Do they know how they are created?

Learning Activity #2: VIDEO CLIPS & DISCUSSION Have them watch the Dark Rider clip first. Ask how did it make them feel and if it made them nervous for the characters. For those who havent seen Lord of the Rings give them an idea of why Frodo putting the ring on would have been bad. Explain how paying attention to the small details and really dragging out the course of the scene heightens suspense. Ask if it would have been as suspenseful if the Rider quickly looked over the tree root, thought, Oh, theyre not here and left would it have been as suspenseful? Or was it more suspenseful showing these close ups of the riders metallic boots, the snarling horse, and all the creepy crawlies. After the Dark Rider clip and discussion, move onto the Monsters Inc. clip. Explain how suspense can be used even in comedies. The clip starts off in a little boys bedroom, just as he says goodnight to mom and dad. It constantly switches from the ordinary to the menacing and once again it focuses on inane details. The ticking of a clock, the breeze rolling in from outside etc. In between these moments we see the kid start to get frightened as he notices his closet door creep open, and then a sweater sleeve on a chair. The shadow from the monster sweeps across the room and under the bed we see its glowing eyes. Slowly the monster raises itself above the boys bed, until the screaming commences. Ask the children why it was suspenseful? Or if they even thought that it was suspenseful? They should note, how are we supposed to feel about this child in bed, are we anxious for him do we think something bad is going to happen? Ask how is it similar or dissimilar to the Black Rider clip?
Assessments/Differentiation: Assessment will be through observation and discussion. Do they understand or show interest in how the director creates suspense in these clips?

Learning Activity #3: EXCERPTS ON SUSPENSE & DISUSSION Two pieces of text that illustrate suspense will be used in this activity. The first from Monkey Paws and the second from Poes Tell-Tale Heart. Both are excellent examples of text that have suspense embedded within them, and both have interesting stories that should intrigue this age level. The first Monkey Paws shows a part in the text when an elderly mother and father are concerned that their son has turned into the walking dead, a zombie. The mother just wants her son back in any form and so, when they hear what could be their son coming to the house, she runs to answer the door! This action is slowed down, much like in the clips, using descriptive detail and micro-minute details. The rusty bolt slid back etc. It takes its time to build suspense. In the Tell-Tale Heart, Poe uses a lot of language and repetition to create suspense. Explain the story and circumstances to the students so that they know whats at stake fo the narrator. Poe has the narrator freaking himself and getting really suspicious of the cops. He starts pacing back and forth, and ranting and raving as he goes mental. When reading it aloud to the students, try to emphasize this by

Thursday November 27, 2012

Grade 7E ELA

dramatizing the text a little bit. Then ask if they found it suspenseful and why?
Assessments/Differentiation: Assessment will be through observation and discussion. Do they know how they are created and used within these two pieces? Do they understand how it creates an image in our mind and how it is used in much the same way as it is in film? Can they point out details and words that make it suspenseful repetition, figurative language etc.?

Learning Activity #4: THE LISTENERS Once we have gone through these suspense activities have the students pull out their Listeners worksheets. Last class they should have been working on their vocabulary through context section. This class they should be working on the next questions starting at #2. Before they start ask them if they remember our discussion from last class, and if they remember what imagery and alliteration are so they are able to answer questions #4 and #11.
Assessments/ Differentiation: Students will work silently on their workbooks. They may raise their hands if they have questions. They wont be finished this activity before class is over so they will not be expected to hand it in yet. When they have completed it in a future class then it will be taken in to assess their learning.

Closure (5 min.): Consolidation/Assessment of Learning: Assessment will be taking place mostly through observation and class discussion. I want to ensure they understand what the terms mean and that they have an idea of how they are used and created in different mediums. Feedback From Students: Did those videos and text excerpts help you to understand suspense and atmosphere? Did it help you understand how its created? How did it make you feel? Transition To Next Lesson: Next class, we will be working on the Listeners again, so dont lose it! Have a good rest of the day!

Things That Were Done Differently Most of the lesson I did today was as I had planned. Not a lot changed except for maybe a few of the childrens responses prompted extra discussion in other areas. Or they talked about other examples of suspense that we could expand on some more. My TA said this was my best lesson yet because it incorporated a lot of interesting media and text to help children understand suspense. I was pretty proud of the content I found, although I was just borrowing from different places on the internet.