Erin Percacciolo & Donika Zherka Education 376 Learning Segment Outline: Concept: Loss of Innocence Reading Literature

= Symbolism Outcomes Conceptual Knowledge Students will be able to 1. Argue a point in a written product. 2. Analyze a text 3. Apply what has been interpreted from the text to ones own experience in comparison with the text. 4. Construct reasoning from oral, written, and graphic communication both individually and collaboratively. 5. Cite textual evidence to support analysis. 6. Interpret symbolism Assessment: 1. Composition of an essay in which the student can connect comprehension of the concept to his or her own personal experience and knowledge. Students must provide evidence from the text to demonstrate their understanding. The goal of this summative assessment is to evaluate student learning at the end of the unit. Description of Lessons: Introduction of the concept of Loss of Innocence What does it mean to have lost your innocence? How can we read a text to fully understand what the author is trying to say? What is symbolism?

How can we argue a point while giving textual evidence? The reading of Catcher in the Rye will occur throughout the segment independently.

Planning Commentary: 1) Central Focus a) The central focus requires students to construct meaning from and interpret complex texts. The students must then create a written product interpreting the assigned text. The purpose for the content that will be taught to the students is so that they will be able to interpret the symbolism in the complex text and then be able to produce an argumentative written product while citing specific passages. This will teach students to how to argue a point which will be useful in other content areas.

b) Assigned Text: The Catcher in the Rye Author: J.D. Salinger Genre: Fiction Text Structure: First Person Narrative Theme: Loss of Innocence Plot: The setting is around the 1950s in the life of Holden Caulfield. The main character makes it clear to readers that he is currently receiving treatment in a mental hospital. Holden continues on to recount a time in his past to when he was sixteen years of age. The narrative of his past begins with Holden at boarding school where we find out that this is the fourth school he is being expelled from. Holden goes on to describe the next couple of days he spends in the city after leaving school. We learn about encounters with prostitutes, old school mates, old girlfriends, his habit of lying and much more. Throughout this whirlwind journey through the city, the reader gets to know Holden on a deeper level. He is a sixteen year old boy, learning how life

works and not being able to stop what occurs. Throughout the text, we encounter many incidents in which the theme Loss of Innocence comes into play.

Text: The Giver Author: Lois Lowry Genre: Fiction Text Structure: First Person Narrative Theme: Loss of Innocence, Dystopia

Plot: The setting is sometime in the very distant future. The book presents a sort of utopian society. This society controls everything that goes on within its walls. Whether it be who you marry, what job you pursue, how you dress, what you eat, and so on. There are no choices for the inhabitants of this society to make. It is all up to the leaders of the society so that everything can run smoothly. The main character of this book receives the honor of being the new receiver. This means that he will be receiving all the memories of the past; of the world that used to be. Only Jonas and his mentor know about these memories and the world that used to be. Being privy to these memories causes loss of innocence for Jonas and makes him want to break out of this routine that was built and chosen for him. He knows there is something better than what this simple life has to offer.

c) The learning objectives of this unit clearly correspond with the central focus of the English content area. The central focus states that the student will construct meaning from and interpret complex text. Throughout the learning segment, the students will be reading a complex text; The Catcher in the Rye. With each assigned reading, the class will have discussions to talk about the symbolism and metaphors that occur throughout the text. The students will be able to do this themselves by building off of each others ideas. The assessment for this learning

segment requires students to hand in a written product interpreting the theme of the book while citing examples of symbolism. They must argue the point throughout the written product. All this addresses the students ability to interpret a complex text and the ability to come up with a written product.

d) The lesson plans in this learning segment are able to build off of each other to deepen the learning of students in the English-Language Arts content area. These lesson plans have the ability to do this due to the fact that they are linked in some way. The learning segment starts off with a lesson on how to do a close reading of a text. This helps students in the reading of The Catcher in the Rye by helping them understand what they are reading even more. The students will then have a lesson on what Loss of Innocence really is. By learning this, the students will then be able to use their new knowledge on close reading to help them look for instances of Loss of Innocence. Afterwards the students will be taught how to argue a point and cite textual evidence. This goes hand in hand with the essay that students will have to produce as the end product of the lesson segment. All this ties together because you cant have any of it without the other.

2. Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching a. In the eleventh grade, the students should have a very big background in a lot of what the lessons are based off of. The majority of the lessons are there to refresh the minds of the students to help the students with their reading and writing. The students know how to read complex texts and how to interpret the complex texts. The students are able to produce a written product interpreting the complex text that is assigned. The students are learning how to focus what they already know. Reading is something that they have been doing for a while, but they dont know how to read effectively which is why the students will be learning how to do a

close read of a complex text. The student is also learning how to write an effective paper by arguing a point and using textual evidence.

b. The majority of the students are of African American descent with a few Hispanics and Caucasians in the mix as well. The students do not live in a great area. These students are from The Bronx and the majority of them come from low income households. Their everyday experiences arent the same as those in the suburbs. These children have seen a lot more than other kids their age. Many students have an interest in the ROTC program provided by their school while others are interested in sports. 3. Supporting Students English-Language Arts Learning a. Prior knowledge of the students background in the English content area guided the lesson plans. Knowing their prior academic learning and their personal backgrounds allowed me to produce a lesson segment that the students will be challenged by, but will be able to learn. The lesson segment that I have constructed also allows for the students to use their personal backgrounds. This will allow students to engage in the lesson and have interest in what is being taught. The students need their interests and their life struggles to be used in the class because it is something that they know and have an interest in. This is how an interactive classroom is constructed; through the interests of the students.

b. Every single student learns differently. Appropriate accommodations must be made for the students for optimal learning. The use of an interactive Prezi Presentation helps students who learn visually. This moving presentation is like a movie. It keeps the students interested and helps those who learn better visually. Any use of technology throughout the lesson segment is beneficial for the students because technology is a part of their everyday lives. Edmodo comes in because it is like a social network which students these days are always on. Students who do well when writing will benefit as well because there will be many writing portions.

Throughout the lessons we take a moment to ask students if they understand what is being learned. Students are able to ask us questions about anything they do not understand or if they are truly struggling. During group activities they may ask for help. A safe environment is provided for these students so they feel comfortable asking for help. c. There are many common errors that will occur from the students within the central focus. Students may have difficulty constructing meaning from the complex text which will then hinder them from interpreting it correctly. A lot of what is being done in this lesson segment is constructing meaning and interpreting complex texts. The way I will address these errors that the students might make is by having group discussions throughout each lesson to reinforce what is being learned and to also make sure that the students are not making errors. If the students are making errors throughout the group discussions then I will help guide them by using questions that will further their thinking. This will then prevent the students from making any error while creating a written product interpreting the complex text.

4. Supporting English-Language Arts Development through Language a. Analyze Through close reading students will be asked to analyze the text, The Catcher in the Rye. b. A key-learning task that provides students with opportunities to practice analyzing in the close reading lesson is identifying a song of their choice, one that is appropriate, and analyzing the lyrics to formulate meaning from those lyrics. Lesson Day: Day 1 Lesson Number: 1

c. Vocabulary: Close Reading a thoughtful, disciplined reading of a text or other object. Students need to know and understand what it entails to perform a close reading of a text. Symbolism the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. Students will observe concepts of symbolism in their close reading of The Catcher in the Rye. Loss of Innocence when a

human has endured difficult circumstances that change their life forcing them to grow up, mature, or not be as nave. Students will elaborate and develop this concept over the course of the lessons and utilize their understanding of it to compose an argumentative essay. Discourse will be demonstrated within this segment through the composition of an argumentative essay and written journals. Students will use class discussion and a variety of collaborative learning techniques such as think-pair-share and grand conversation to exert their use of verbal communication. d. A PowerPoint will be used during the lesson provided with examples that will aid in the support of the lesson and childs development of the concept being taught. Pictures will be used to generate class discussion on topics that adhere to the overall lesson. Poetry will be utilized to aid in the development of analyzing skills. Collaborative learning strategies will encourage students to exchange their ideas with peers through class discussion.

5. Monitoring Student Learning a. The argumentative essay is a form of formal assessment that will demonstrate the childs ability to clearly and concisely compose an argument through writing. The journal entries are a form of informal assessment that the students write in an effort to demonstrate their understanding of the concept of loss of innocence and how it applies to the text The Catcher in the Rye. The Song assignment will be another formal assessment and provide students with the opportunity to practice the skill of close reading and analyzing a piece of written work to construct meaning. Group and class discussion will be informal and allow the students to exchange their ideas and provoke higher order thinking amongst other students in the class. Students will be asked questions that provoke critical thinking in relation to the concept and encourage them to make connections to both the self and the text. b. The design of this learning segment addresses multiple intelligences and is designed to accommodate for English Language Learners. The incorporation of pictures allows for those

who struggle with written language to comprehend the concept that is being taught. The text we are reading can be purchased on audio book for ELLs who are still struggling with the language.