Final Mini-Lesson Unit

Running Head: Final Mini-Lesson Unit 1
Final Mini-Lesson Unit

DEvelyn Wymore
Florida State University

Final Mini-Lesson Unit 2

Table of Contents
Touching Spirit Bear 3
The Book Thief 6
Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children 10
Fault in Our Stars 14
American Born Chinese 17
13 Reasons Why 20
Unwind 24
Mockingbird 28


Touching Spirit Bear Mini-Lesson
Our Own Circle Justice: Literary Analysis

Purpose/rationale:
In this regular sixth grade Language Arts class, students will be reading Touching
Spirit Bear by Ben Nikaelsen. They have been just started reading this novel and have
discussed (as a pre-reading activity) their opinions of troubled teens, the juvenile system,
and morality. Students have also been keeping literary journals for each chapter, answering
guiding questions like, Why do you think Garvey wants to help Cole? or Why do you
think Peters lawyer is adamantly against Circle Justice helping Cole? Now, the students
will explore that further through a literary analysis activity where they set aside their own
thoughts and opinions and look at it from someone elses point of view. This activity is
taking place after the students have completed reading Chapter 6 of the novel.
The purpose is for students to assess Coles character while understanding the
dramatic irony the author is presenting: The characters in Circle Justice do not know (or at
least they do not fully understand) that Cole is trying to cheat the system. With this in mind,
the students, in groups of 4-5, must take the stand point of one of the members of Circle
Justice (Coles father, Peters lawyer, Garvey, the Keeper, or Cole himself) and argue for
what they feel is the right course of action. The students will understand by the end of the
lesson that each character has their own viewpoint of Coles situation based on experience
and understand and their own morals. This is also a good way to have students understand
the importance of discussion as a whole; People have differing opinions and they must be
respectful of those opinions.

Common Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.1a Come to discussions prepared having read or studied
required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on
the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.6 Explain how an author develops the point of view of the
narrator or speaker in a text

Objectives:
Students will be able to interpret different points of view by acting out the given role
of different characters.
Students will be able to discuss the different points of view respectfully with one
another.

Materials:
A fake feather for each group to mimic the Circle Justice discussed in the book.
Roles for the students to act out as (these are written on a slip of paper, one character for
each student; one set of characters for each group)

Anticipatory set:
At the beginning of class, the students are already in their pre-assigned groups based on
the set-up of the classroom, and the teacher will write on the board, Circle Justice, then

launch into a brief review of the ideals of Circle Justice: You should all remember from
your reading that Circle Justice is the system that is used to help heal kids with problems. It
is different from the prison system because it seeks to heal, not punish. In Circle Justice, a
feather is used to control who talks and everyone must respect that persons right to talk.
Now, were going to act out Coles circle justice meeting. Im currently giving each of you a
role that you will have to play. You must discuss Coles situation based on that characters
feelings. You ARE that character. Think about what your character would say and why.
Then, share that with the group. Try to speak AS the character. Remember, the person with
the feather is respected and listened to during this activity! Nobody else may speak unless
they have the feather! The Keeper should start with the feather. If you need to, you can read
through your writing journals to remember what your characters view of the situation is.
From there, the teacher should address any questions before the students begin the
activity.

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:
Time Student is doing Teacher is doing
2 minutes: Anticipatory
Set
Students, pre-arranged in
groups of 4-5 people,
receive a character to
impersonate. They will
then review their
characters personality
and association with
Cole/perception of the
situation based on their
journals from each
chapter.
Teacher will explain the
activity while giving each
student a character to
impersonate within the
circle. He/she will also
review the ideals of Circle
Justice with the class,
mainly respect the feather.
10 minutes: Circle Justice
Activity
Students will impersonate
the characters that they
were assigned and argue
for their ideas about how
to help Cole. The students
should back up their ideas
with reasoning deducted
from their understanding
of the character they are
impersonating.
Teacher will observe the
group discussions and
provide guiding questions
when needed, such as,
What experience have
you had with Cole that
makes you think ____ is a
good idea?
3 minutes:
Summary/Closure
Students will discuss as a
class the viewpoints that
the different characters
had and why.
Teacher will facilitate the
class discussion and write
the main ideas understood
from the activity on the
board.

Summary/Closure: The class will have a brief review of how each character had a
different opinion for different reasons to emphasize the point that people bring different

experiences to conversations. The teacher should facilitate this discussion with questions
like, What did you notice about each persons/characters view on the topic? She should
also sum up these ideas for student comprehension by writing key things the groups say on
the board. The teacher should ask students to write these main ideas down like she is doing
so they can review them later.

Assessment:
Formal assessment: See homework assignment.
Informal assessment: Students contribution in the Circle Justice activity and class
discussion. Level of activity will provide insight to students understanding of
different points of view.

Homework/follow-up assignment:
Students will decide on and write a short description of a treatment for Cole that the book
did not discuss and how it would help him forgive and get over his anger. (This is for
deeper understanding of the Circle Justice ideals rather than the individual characters
beliefs).

Accommodations/adaptations:
Gifted and Talented students will be given the more challenging roles of The Keeper and
Coles father (these are more challenging because there is not a lot of context about their
views in the novel) to inspire the students to think more analytically about the text.
ELL students will be given a chance to discuss like any other student in this activity.
Students with visual disabilities are seated closer to the board in their groups so they will
be able to copy down the main ideas of the discussion, but otherwise, they will be able to
discuss with their classmates for the main activity without any problems.
The students with physical disabilities will be able to fully participate in this mini-lesson by
contributing to the group and class discussion.
Students below reading level will be given a warning the day before the activity to be better
prepared for the discussion by rereading the chapter and reviewing their notes and journal
entries the night before.
Students with ADHD will be actively stimulated by their contribution to the discussion, but
may have difficulty listening to the other members. For this reason, they will be asked to
write down what their group-mates are saying throughout the activity. This will keep them
actively engaged.

Resources:
Mikaelsen, B. (2001). Touching spirit bear. New York: Harper Collins.


The Book Thief Mini-Lesson
Tracking the Book Thief with a Timeline: Reading Strategy
Purpose/rationale:
For the past four weeks, students in this regular ninth grade class have been reading
The Book Thief. The class chose to read this book from a variety of choices because of its
recent popularity from the release of the movie. I chose this book as an option because the
topic correlates with their current studies in World History (World War I and II) and also
because of the great literary features that have been discussed.
As they have been reading The Book Thief the students have been employing active
reading skills by writing summaries on their classroom blog after each part in the novel as
well as what they thought about the section they just read. They have also circled and
discussed important key words from the novel to review and elaborate on, including
defining them and using them in their blog posts. They have explored the Nazi Germany
time era through research and video clips during class and drawn connections to their
World History class lectures. They have discussed themes of morality brought up in the
book (stealing food and books, hiding a Jew, etc.). They have analyzed literary components
such as the personification of death, imagery, and character development and how each of
these literary components affects the meaning of the writing to them.
Because the students have spent a long period of time reading and analyzing the
novel, this activity is a good review session to remind them of what has happened from the
beginning to the end of the novel in preparation for their unit exam in a couple days. The
students may use their notes/completed worksheets and outside understanding (e.g. their
knowledge of WWII) to complete the following assignment in order to create a
comprehensive compilation of the events discussed throughout the novel.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze
in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is
shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with
multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with
other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Objectives:
Given one key event from the novel they just finished reading, students will be able
to recognize those key events and accurately place the events in a chronological
order to create a timeline at the front of the room.
Students will be able to cooperate with one another through discussion in order to
create this timeline as a class.

Materials:
The students will be supplied with one key event written on a piece of cardstock or
paper (see appendix A).

Anticipatory set:
To begin, the teacher will draw a timeline on the whiteboard at the front of the
classroom and will explain the activity:
Today, we will be creating a chronological timeline of the novel you have finished
reading. [Write chronological timeline above the timeline itself.] A chronological timeline is
a line that shows events that took place from the earliest time on the left [write earliest
on the left side of the timeline] to the most recent time on the right [write most recent on
the right side of the timeline]. You each are getting one main event from the novel and will
have to discuss, or talk to, your classmates in order to figure out what order the events go
in. You may use your notes or the novel if you need to, but try your best to remember when
each event took place!
At this point, the teacher will give each student an event written on a piece of paper
that they will need to identify and place accurately on the timeline.
When you figure out where your event goes, come up to the board and tape it in the
right order. Remember, you need to work together to figure out where it belongs. Try
working with your usual group members first, then, group leaders, start trying to fit your
groups events with the rest of the class. You can NOT place your event in the middle of the
timeline because it is in the middle of the book. It needs to be next to an event that
precedes it (comes before your event) or next to an event that proceeds it (comes after
your event). Give me a thumbs up if you understand and a thumbs down if you dont!

When the students understand, they may begin working together to create the timeline!

Anticipatory Set: 3
minutes
Students are listening to
the instructions for the
activity. (See anticipatory
set)
Teacher is explaining the
activity to students. (See
anticipatory set)
Timeline Activity: 4-7
minutes
Students are discussing
their events with each
other trying to figure out
where they belong in
relation to one another. As
they figure it out together,
group leaders will tape
the events to the timeline
at the front of the room.
Teacher is monitoring the
students progress and
giving leading questions if
needed.
Leading Questions may
be: Where in the book is
your event? What
happened before or after
your event?

Summary: 5 minutes Students will agree or
disagree with the
placement of each event
and explain their
reasoning if there is not a
consensus. (See
Summary)
Teacher will guide the
class in checking the order
of the events. (See
Summary)
Summary/Closure:
The lesson will be concluded by reviewing the timeline as a class to check for accuracy. The
teacher will go to each event, from left to right (earliest to most recent) and ask the class if
they think the event is in the right place. The students will give a thumbs up if they agree
that it is in the right place and a thumbs down if they do not think it is in the right place. If
there is not a consensus, the students will have to explain why they think the event is or is
not in the correct place and the teacher will make the adjustments accordingly.
Assessment:
Formal assessment: In the next few days following this assignment, students will
complete a written exam based on their understanding of the novel overall (as they
just reviewed with the timeline) and the concepts previously discussed in class
about the novel.
Informal assessment: After the students have finished piecing the events in order at
the front of the room, the teacher will go through each event, asking if students
agree with where that particular event is placed. Thumbs up means the students
agree; thumbs down means they do not agree. If there is not a consensus, the
student(s) will have to explain where they think the event belongs and why. This
will indicate understanding of the timeline of events throughout the novel.

Homework/follow-up assignment:
None

Accommodations/adaptations:
The gifted and talented students are in leadership positions during this activity and help
guide students who are confused to figure out what to do with the event timeline.
ELL students can be helped by fellow students as they piece together their events, or the
teacher can help clarify things they dont understand. The teacher may also inform the ELL
students ahead of time of the activity they are going to do to make sure they fully
understand.
The strips of paper will be in a 20 point font to accommodate the visually impaired and
they will be seated at the front of the classroom if they need to read the strips at the end.
Everything will be read aloud as well as written down throughout this activity.
The student with a physical disability will be accommodated by other students/the teacher
reading and discussing his event with him. The other students/teacher can tape it to the
board for him.

Difficult words are defined in the explanation of the activity for students who have
difficulty reading and understanding complex vocabulary. The events are written at a lower
level than the book and will be easily comprehended by all students.
The constant movement of this activity will hold the attention of ADHD.

Resources
Zusak, M. (2005). The book thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children Mini-Lesson
Emulating Ransom Riggs: Writing
Purpose/Rationale:
In this 8
th
grade class, the students are currently reading Miss Peregrines Home for
Peculiar Children. It is a Young Adult fantasy novel that employs great figurative language
and demands imagination from its readers. For this reason, the students are currently
working to improve their writing skills in preparation for their narrative essays they will
be writing at the end of the unit in two weeks (and for the narrative essays that they will
write for their standardized test in two months).
In the past five days, the students have read the first six chapters of the book and
have discussed similes and metaphors as a means of describing the world around them.
They have also been maintaining writing journals about the novel for every two chapters.
In these journals, the students could write what they liked/disliked about the novel, quotes
that they found interesting, and predictions about what will happen. These journals are
graded for completion/effort and will often be commented on to make to students think
deeper about the novel, writing, and themselves.
Today, the students will practice writing similes and metaphors on a topic of their
own choice. This allows the students to choose a topic they have an interest in while
practicing their writing skills.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of
specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other
texts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.3d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive
details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and
events.

Objectives:
Students will be able to recognize similes and metaphors in a given text they have
seen before by underlining the figurative language.
Students will be able to write similes and metaphors of their own invention to
create a comprehensible scene/image for their reader.

Materials:
Opening passage from Chapter 5 of Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children: It
was an almost-too-perfect morning. Leaving the pub felt like stepping into one of
those heavily retouched photos that come loaded as wallpaper on new computers:
streets of artfully decrepit cottages stretched into the distance, giving way to green
fields sewn together by meandering rock walls, the whole scene topped by scudding
white clouds. But beyond all that, above the houses and fields and sheep doddering
around like little puff of cotton candy, I could see tongues of dense fog licking over

the ridge in the distance, where this world ended and the next one began, cold,
damp, and sunless.
Students will have their own paper and writing utensil to work on.

Anticipatory Set
At the beginning of class, the class will briefly review what a simile and metaphor
are: the teacher will prompt the class with questions like, What is a simile? What is a
metaphor? How are they different? Why do we use them? The teacher should call on
students with their hands up, and as the student gives the answer, the teacher should write
key phrases on the board. The key phrases should include like or as, compares, and
creative writing. She will then display the passage from the novel on the overhead and
the class will identify similes and metaphors together by students saying which phrases are
similes and which are metaphors and explaining why while the teacher underlines those
phrases. [If the students do not show comprehension of the literary terms through
participation, the teacher may review it by explaining them and showing them the
examples in the passage.]
After this brief review, the teacher will explain the activity that the students will do.
Now, were going to create our own scenes. I want to you think of a place that you really
love and then write about it. You can describe any place you like, but you have to use
similes or metaphors in your description! We should be able to imagine the place based on
your description. It doesnt have to be very long, only a few sentences. So, get out a piece of
paper and pencil, or a pen. You only get 5 minutes! *Timing will be based on how long the
review took.

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity
7 minutes: Anticipatory Set Students will contribute to
discussion, and then listen
to description of the
assignment. (See
anticipatory set)
Teacher will be guiding the
discussion and
writing/displaying the key
words and phrases at the
front of the room. (See
anticipatory set)
5 minutes Students will write about a
topic of their choice,
describing a scene using
similes or metaphors.
Teacher will monitor student
writing, giving particular
attention to students who
may be struggling to get
started. She may recommend
places that the student can
describe.

2-3 minutes:
Summary/Closure
Students may share their
work with the class, if they
wish.
The teacher will call on
students who wish to share
their
passages/similes/metaphors.
She should write the simile
or metaphor on the board for
the other students to see in
addition to hearing.

Summary/Closure

To wrap up, the teacher will call time on the assignment, then ask for a couple
volunteers to share their writing. As a student shares their writing, the teacher should
write the simile or metaphor the student used on the board for the other students to see in
addition to hearing and succinctly discuss how it is (or is not) a simile or metaphor. After 2-
3 examples, the teacher will collect students work individually (see accommodations). The
teacher will tell the students as she collects their work to include at least one example of a
simile or metaphor from the novel in their next reading journal.

Assessment:

Informal Assessment: Students show comprehension by participation in
review/anticipatory set and the summary/closure.
Formal Assessment: The students show comprehension by the examples of
metaphors/similes that they wrote in their passages. Also, their use of similes and
metaphors should appear in their final narrative writings in two weeks.

Homework:

Students will continue reading Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children, and they
should include at least one simile or metaphor in their next reading journal.

Accommodations/Adaptations:
The gifted and talented students will be given an additional homework assignment to
create extended metaphors (a more advanced form of creative writing).
ELL students will be allowed to complete their passages for homework if needed. (The
papers will be collected individually, so that the teacher can make that judgment and so
that other students are not aware of the accommodation.)
Preferred seating, close to the front of the class and a large-print copy of the passage will be
given to the visually impaired student to help them follow along in the review session. Also,
everything will be read aloud as well as written down throughout this activity.
The student with a physical disability will be able to complete this activity without
difficulty and is placed close to an exit in case of emergency.
The content-specific words (simile and metaphor) are defined and exemplified in the
review activity for students who have difficulty reading and understanding complex

vocabulary. The students will write at their own level of understanding on a topic of their
choice, so they will not have any difficulty completing this assignment.
Students with ADHD will be able to participate in the discussion and sharing of this activity
and may work quietly with a partner in the back of the room to create their
simile/metaphor description during the silent writing time.

Resources:
Riggs, R. (2011). Miss Peregrines home for peculiar children. New York: Penguin.


Fault in Our Stars Mini-Lesson
Creating our own definitions: Vocabulary
Purpose/Rationale:
In this regular tenth grade classroom, the students have recently been exposed to
their end-of-the-year research project for which they are now brainstorming topics. This
lesson is aimed towards catching students literary interest through a popular Young Adult
novel while exposing the students to new vocabulary that will increase their ability to
write. The topic of the novel (Cancer) is heavily researched and this novel may serve in
inspiring students to choose a topic of interest to them for their final project since the
narrator of the novel is very close in age to this group of students.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.4a Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence,
paragraph, or text; a words position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the
meaning of a word or phrase.

Objectives:
Students will be able to define a given set of vocabulary words based on context
clues.

Materials:
The Fault in Our Stars opening passage
Paper and pen/pencil (students should have these materials daily)

Anticipatory Set:
To begin this vocabulary lesson, the teacher will explain to the students that she is
going to display a word on the overhead/projector and I want you to hold up one finger if
you know the word on the screen, two fingers if you sort of know the word, and three
fingers if you do not know the word. Then, Id like for you to write down the word. Finally,
if you know the word or sort of know the word, write your own definition for it. If you dont
know the word, leave a space blank for it.
She will then display the words veritably, decrepit, prospects, and facet from the
passage they are about to read on the overhead/projector one at a time and assess the
classs understanding from the number of fingers they hold up.
To transition into the reading, the teacher should ask for four students who feel
comfortable reading aloud and explaining where they will read from and to, before starting
herself. (The teacher will read from Late in the winter to a weekly Support Group. The first
student will read from This Support Group to sacred heart and whatever. The second student
will read from So heres how it went to AND YOU TOO MIGHT BE SO LUCKY! The third student
will read from Then we introduced ourselves to I gotta outlast four of these bastards. The final
student will read from The only redeeming facet to the three dots on page 15.)

Time Students will: Teacher will:

5 minutes (Anticipatory Set) Observe the word on the
overhead, listen to it said by
the teacher, and respond if
they know the word (by
holding one finger up), sort
of know the word (by
holding two fingers up), do
not know the word at all
(hold three fingers up).
Show a word on the
overhead, say it out loud,
and ask the students if they
know the word, sort of know
the word, or dont know it at
all.
5 minutes (Reading Passage
Aloud)
4 students will read the
passage out-loud in turns
while the rest of the
students follow along to the
reading, noting when the
words they just heard are
read.
The teacher will begin the
reading, and then listen to
four different students
complete the section of the
chapter with the four
vocabulary words in it.
3-5 minutes
(Summary/Closure)
Students will review and
revise their original
definitions based on the
contextual reading of the
words and create definitions
for words they did not know.
The teacher will observe the
students work, ask students
to share their definitions,
and then collect the
students work.

Summary/Closure:
Now that the students have heard the words once out-of-context, made predictions
about what the word means, and heard the words again in the context of a novel, the
students will revise their previously written definitions or fill in ideas of what the word
means if they left if blank originally.
The teacher may ask students to share their definitions.
**The dictionary definitions of the words will not be provided to the students. This activity
helps to build reading and vocabulary skillsnot grade students on whether they are right
or wrong.
Definitions for substitute/for checking students understanding:
Veritably: to be true
Decrepit: weak, feeble, worn-out
Prospects: outlook for the future, probability of something
Facet: one side of a multi-sided object

Assessment:
Informal Assessment: Students comprehension of the vocabulary words will be
initially assessed at the beginning of the mini-lesson by asking students to show
their understanding of each word as it is displayed on the overhead/projector by
raising one finger for know the word, two fingers for sort of know the word, and
three fingers for do not know the word.

Formal Assessment: Students self-made definitions will be collected as a formative
assessment to see if the students gained anything from reflection on the initial
vocabulary and the contextual reading of the vocabulary.

Homework/Follow-up:
Students will read the remainder of Chapter One of The Fault in Our Stars and write
any words that they do not recognize/know to create a cumulative list in the next class.

Gifted and Talented students may already have been exposed to many of these
vocabulary terms, but it will be advantageous for them to complete this activity by writing
out their understanding of the words; it challenges them to think critically about what they
know and how best to define the words. In addition the students may be asked to write
example sentences with the vocabulary terms in it to help other students gain a better
understanding of the word (giving them a leadership position).
English Language Students will be able to use the vocabulary they currently
understand to construct their own idea of what the new terms mean. However, this may
not be enough for level 1 and 2 students, and, to keep them on pace with the rest of the
class, may be allowed a multi-lingual dictionary (e.g. Russian-English) in order to create
understanding from their own language.
Students with a visual disability have preferential seating, close to the board in
order to see better when the words are displayed and will have a larger-print copy of the
novel (possibly on an e-reader) to follow along during the reading.
Students with a physical disability will be able to participate in this activity and have
easy access to the door if needed.
This book is written for 14-17 year olds, so students who are below reading level
will be able to follow along with the reading easily and learn the new vocabulary with the
rest of the class.
Any students who are repeating the year will be exposed to a new novel through
this lesson because it is not a typically canonical text read year-after-year.
Students with ADHD will be stimulated by having to be engaged with the numbering
technique, writing their own definitions (which could be totally awesome), and will have an
easier time following along in the reading than if they were reading the text on their own.

Resources:
Green, J. (2012). The fault in our stars. New York: Penguin.


American Born Chinese Mini-Lesson
Creating your own panel: Arts/Music
Purpose/Rationale:
In a unit about Acceptance, this group of seventh grade students will read American
Born Chinese, a graphic novel that promotes the importance of accepting who you are and
portrays how harmful stereotypes can be. Before reading the graphic novel, the students
discussed how stereotypes are harmful and how they can help fight against stereotypes by
accepting our peers and seeing people for who they truly are. Students completed an
activity with one another by listing positive, non-stereotypical things about their
classmates to demonstrate how everyone is more than their looks. This was to create not
only a positive mindset for reading the graphic novel, but also to promote Acceptance in
the classroom/school as a whole. The students have also read and discussed the graphic
novel, focusing particularly on how the author conveys his meaning through images.
Now, the students are going to create one panel (picture) of a time when they were
excluded from something or accepted into something. The panel has to consist of: a
drawing (stick figures are fine if the student is not exceptional at drawing), quote(s) from
the character(s), and have a sound effect at the bottom of the page that emphasizes the
situation. A good example from American Born Chinese is the bottom panels on page 115.
The students are arranged in groups of 4-5 for a collaborative classroom
atmosphere.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact
(e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

Objectives:
Students will be able to artistically express an event in their lives based on the
graphic novel they have previously read.
Students will be able to discuss the difference between text, image, and image as
text.

Materials:
Directions for the activity at each group (desks are in groups, but this is an
individual assignment.)
Printer Paper for panels to be drawn on
Set of markers/crayons at each group table

Anticipatory Set:
Brief Review of what the discussions they have had so far: So far, we have
discussed stereotypes, *teacher should write this word on the board/overhead for the class to
see* or the assumptions we make about people. And we have talked about acceptance
*teacher should place stress on this word* as a way to avoid stereotyping people. Then we
looked at how the graphic novel American Born Chinese addressed these themes as well
through images.

Instructions for the activity: Today, were going to create our own stories through
images just like Yang did for his book. You may have noticed that in the center of each of
your groups, there are markers and paper. There are also the directions for this
assignment. Lets read through it together:
Using the paper and markers provided, create your own panel. A panel is one
image, like the one below. In this panel, you should draw one image of a time that
you were not allowed to join something or a time when you were accepted. In
addition to the drawing, include some quotes from the characters and a sound
along the bottom of the frame that adds more meaning to the event.
(Yang, 2010, p. 115)

After answering any student questions, the students should begin working.

Time Student is doing: Teacher is doing:
2-5 minutes: Anticipatory
Set
Listening to the review and
instructions for the
assignment
Reviewing the past couple
days and explaining the
assignment (see anticipatory
set)
7-10 minutes: Activity Drawing/Creating their own
panel using the markers and
paper provided, following
the directions given to them.
Monitoring and observing
student work.
3-5 minutes: Summary Share their work with their
table-group members, and
then participate in class
discussion about the activity.
Facilitate the class
discussion about text v.
image/image as text.

Summary/Closure:
Students will be given an opportunity to share their work with their table-group members,
explaining the image they drew.
The teacher will then call the class to attention and ask some guiding questions about the
activity to draw out student understanding of how images are a different form of text. Was
it easier to understand the picture your classmates drew or the explanation they gave?

How might it have been different if we wrote the stories instead of drawing them? The
teacher should conclude the discussion with an explanation about how images can be a
different form of text and writers have to make their own decisions about when to use
them.

Assessment:
Formal assessment: Students will hand in their panel drawings. Their work will
show understanding of graphic representations of stories.
Informal assessment: None.

Homework/Follow-up Assignment:
Students will write a brief paragraph in their weekly journals answering the following
prompt: What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages to using images (like a
graphic novel) instead of text (like a standard novel)?

Gifted and Talented students may be challenged to create a short story using
multiple panels during this activitythey should be informed prior to the activity.
ELLs will be able to express themselves through images and do not require strong
English skills in order to complete the assignment. They may ask their group
members for help when writing the quotes and sounds for their image.
Visually Impaired students will be supplied with larger text for the directions and
the directions will be read aloud as a class. They should be able to complete the
assignment/image without any disadvantage.
Physically Disabled students will be able to participate in this lesson because it does
not require any movement, but they will have preferred seating by the door/teacher
if they need help/need to leave.
Any students with difficulty reading will be able to complete this activity because
the graphic novel does not require an extensive vocabulary/syntactical understand
and the activity is completed based on the students own experiences.
Any Retread students, if they have not completed this activity before, may find it
interesting to reflect on. If they have completed this activity before, they may use a
different personal experience than they used previously. The teacher may also want
to ask him/her to explain the difference of text versus image or image as text to the
other students in the conclusion.
ADHD students should be stimulated by this activity for its interactive engagement,
but, if needed, may be allowed to get up and pace the back of the room.

Resources
Yang, G.I. (2010). American born Chinese. New York: Macmillan.


13 Reasons Why Mini-Lesson
Linking Concepts
Rationale/Purpose:
In this tenth grade classroom, the students have been reading the novel, 13 Reasons
Why (they are about half way through the novel). The novel is being taught for its multiple
perspectives and real-life issues/relatability as a scaffolding tool towards more canonical
coming-of-age novels (such as To Kill a Mockingbird). The students have been introduced to
blogging and have begun discussing the novels themes/topics of suicide, bullying, growing
up, reputations and images, and grief in their online reading logs and in literature circles.
Since these topics can be controversial and difficult to discuss, this lesson is aimed at
exposing students to facts on suicide and bullying. Students will then relate these facts to
the novel and their beliefs in order for them to make strong connections between real-life
issues and literary merit as well as dispute incorrect assumptions.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce,
publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of
technologys capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly
and dynamically.

Objectives:
Students will be able to create and articulate how topics discussed in a novel
correlate to facts in real life.

Materials:
Computer lab/COWs/laptops brought to class
Class blog site
Informational Websites
o Bullying
http://www.stopbullying.gov/news/media/facts/#listing
http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/teenage-bullying.html
o Suicide
http://www.afsp.org/understanding-suicide/facts-and-figures
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/suicide-in-the-us-
statistics-and-prevention/index.shtml

Anticipatory Set:
The first 3-5 minutes of this activity should be expected to be used for setting
students up on the computers and explaining the activity. Before allowing the students to
log on, the teacher will explain the activity and set some ground rules: When you log on,
you will go to our class blogging site. I have posted a new blog post. You will look at two of
the links about either suicide or bullying. Id like you to read the pages, browse the sites,
then respond to the questions I asked in my blog post in your personal blog, just like we do
for reading logs. Remember, you are only going to those websites. You can do more

research on the topics later if you want. For now, were only going to be on the class blog
and the websites I provided.
When the students are all logged on to a computer, the teacher will direct them to
their class blogging site where there is a new blog post with four links to different websites
and instructions: How does the novel 13 Reasons Why exemplify or not exemplify the facts
discussed on the websites you have reviewed? How do the facts from the websites affect
your understanding/feelings towards the main character? Are any of your own
assumptions about the topic changed?

Time Students will Teacher will
3-5 minutes Anticipatory Set Log onto computers, sign on
to their classroom blogging
site, read the instructions for
the activity.
Assist students with logging
onto the computer/website,
and review the instructions
with the class
5 minutes: Browsing Read/browse the two
websites to gain a general
idea of the facts
Monitor students (make
sure they are on task) and
give a 5 minutes warning
that the students should
begin working on their blog
posts now.
5 minutes: Writing Write a response to the
initial blog post, addressing
the questions posed in about
3-4 sentences, citing the
page or site they are
discussing. (see anticipatory
set)
Monitor students (make
sure they are on task), giving
a 1 minute warning for
students to start wrapping
up their blog posts.
2-3 minutes:
Summary/Closure
Comment on what they
learned or gained from the
website and log off of the
computer.
Ask students to share an
overview of what they
learned

Summary/Closure:
To wrap up this activity, the teacher will ask the students to log off the computer before
asking students to share some of their general responses were to the questions posed.
What did you learn/gain from reading the facts? Did you change your mind about
anythingthe book, the character, the reasons for her decision?

Assessment:
Formal: The blog post the students created based on their review of the websites
will be assessed for completion/effort.
Informal: The teacher will informally be assessing the students ability to stay on-
task and write meaningful responses to questions posed on the blog.

Students will be asked to respond to one of their fellow students blog posts and discuss
what they have learned with their family for a more well-rounded understanding of the
topic. When they respond to the students blog post, they should incorporate the new
source in their response. (The additional website must be respectable; it should have facts,
not opinions.)

Gifted and Talented students will be adequately challenged in the follow-up assignment to
find a reputable resource to incorporate in their response to another students blog post.
ELL students will be asked to read the websites ahead of time so they may spend the full
ten minutes writing and responding to the questions. If possible/needed, they may type
their responses in their native language.
Students with visual disabilities can enlarge the screen in order to more clearly read the
websites and their own writing.
Students with a physical disability may work from a laptop or be seated a handicap-
accessible computer desk.
The websites do not consist of difficult vocabulary or jargon, so students who are below
reading level should not have much difficulty.
Any retread students may bring up new ideas and concepts in association with the facts
they may not have before. (The Young Adult novel is not likely to have been taught
previously either.)
Students with ADHD should be stimulated by the short time they have to work and the
readings are primarily bullet-listed and will not require a great deal of focus.

References
Asher, J. (2007). Thirteen reasons why. New York: Razorbill
Facts about bullying. Retrieved 2/27, 2014, from
http://www.stopbullying.gov/news/media/facts/#listing
Facts and figures. Retrieved 2/27, 2014, from http://www.afsp.org/understanding-suicide/facts-
and-figures

Suicide in the U.S.: Statistics and prevention. Retrieved 2/27, 2014, from
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/suicide-in-the-us-statistics-and-
prevention/index.shtml
Teenage bullying. Retrieved 2/27, 2014, from http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/teenage-
bullying.html


Unwind Mini Lesson
Activating Prior Knowledge through Current Moral Issues: Reading Strategy
Rationale/Purpose:
This activity is designed for a tenth grade class. The students are about to begin a
research project of which they have already been informed. They will choose a topic from a
predetermined list of current moral issues (Gun control, healthcare, poverty, or drunk
driving). To scaffold into this project, the students will be reading the book, Unwind by
Shustermann, which touches on multiple moral issues that are prevalent in our society
through a fictional dystopian society. The book is Young Adult literature, an easy read that
will grab students attention and make them start thinking critically about the current
issues in their own society. Furthermore, the fictional novel allows the students to discuss
real-world issues through literature, rather than directly.
Before they begin reading this book however, the students will complete this
discussion activity which jumpstarts their thinking about what topics they might discuss in
their papers and their own beliefs on the topics. It will also help students think critically as
they begin to read the novel as a step into a research unit dealing with similar real-world
problems.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1c Propel conversations by posing and responding to
questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas;
actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas
and conclusions.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1d Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives,
summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or
justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the
evidence and reasoning presented.

Objectives:
Students will be able to express their opinions on current moral issues
Defend their opinions in an appropriate manner.

Materials:
Power point slide show to display the questions/statements of the activity
Anticipatory Set:
What defines a moral issue? This question should be projected on the screen for
students to contemplate as they enter the classroom.
To kick start this lesson, the teacher will ask the class what they think defines a
moral issue and what moral issues they think are important in todays society. As students
respond, the teacher should probe the students further with questions about why they
think the issue is important right now. Take the following discussion as an example:
Teacher: Every society has a set of morals that they live by, but not everyone always
agrees on those morals. What do you think are some moral issues being debated lately?

Student: Gun control/health care/drunk driving/poverty. *Teacher should guide the
discussion and try to steer clear of controversial topics.
Teacher: What do you think makes that a moral issue? What sides do people take?
How is wrong in one persons eyes, but right in another? How are people addressing this
issue?
The student should make a case that the topic is a moral issue based on the different
perspectives of the public on the topic. For example, pro-life versus pro-choice activists
define life and murder differently.
The teacher should then explain the activity they are going to do. Im going to
display a statement on the board. If you agree with the statement, move to the left side of
the room (teacher should point to her right), if you do NOT agree with the statement, move
to the right side of the room (point to her left). If you do not know if you agree or disagree,
move to the middle of the classroom.

Time Students will Teacher will
3-5 minutes Anticipatory Set Suggest examples of current
moral issues
Prompt and guide students
in an opening discussion
about current moral issues
6 minutes: Activity After hearing/reading the
statement on the projected
PowerPoint, students will
move to a section of the
room that aligns with agree,
disagree, or I dont know.
Given two minutes for each
statement, they will then
explain why they agree,
disagree, or cant decide.
Read each statement from
the PowerPoint out loud,
and then facilitate the
discussion by making sure
multiple students are given
the opportunity to discuss
their opinion. The teacher
should also guide students
thinking with critical
questions regarding their
answers.

2 minutes:
Summary/Closure
Reflect and informally write
about their experience with
the activity.
Ask students to write about
their experience with the
activity. She should ask
prompting questions like,
Did you change your mind
about any statement based
on what others said? Was
there something you wanted
to say, but didnt have the
opportunity? Did this
activity make you want to
research a particular topic
and why?
She will then collect the
dialogues and begin
explaining the novel they are
about to read.

Summary/Closure:
To conclude, the teacher will ask students to reflect again on the three statements of
activity and write an informal dialogue to her about their experience with the activity.
Finally, the teacher should collect the dialogues and explain that many of these topics are
addressed in the novel they are about to read.

Assessment:
Informal assessment: Students will write dialogue responses about the activity through
which the teacher may gain insight about the students thoughts in regards to the activity

Students will brainstorm specific topics for their research papers by browsing for
factual information on their own. They will also begin reading the novel, Unwind,
and respond in a reading journal with their initial thoughts on the Heartland War
and the concept of unwinding.

Gifted and Talented students will be challenged to think critically about the issues
presented.
ELL students may have difficulty relating to the topics at hand because their culture may
not have considered these issues. The students will be encouraged to ask for clarification
and to offer their unique opinions on the subject based on their own experiences/culture.
The statements/questions will be read aloud and projected on a screen, so students with
visual disabilities will be able fully participate in this activity.
Students with a physical disability will be given adequate room to move for this activity.

Students below reading level should not have any issues with this activity; the vocabulary
for the questions is simple and the statements are read aloud.
Any retread students may bring up new ideas and concepts in association with the facts
they may not have before. (The Young Adult novel is not likely to have been taught
previously either.)
Students with ADHD should be stimulated by the short time they have to work and the
readings are primarily bullet-listed and will not require a great deal of focus.

Resources
Shusterman, N. (2009). Unwind. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Appendixes:
Unwind Powerpoint: Appendix A


Mockingbird Mini-Lesson
Formulating Figurative Phrases: Writing
Purpose/Rationale:
In this regular 8
th
grade classroom, the students have been reading Mockingbird by
Katheryn Erskine. The complex issues of the novel make the novel good for deep
discussions about real-life issues, and the rich, yet simple, language serves as a good
foundation for expanding students writing skills.
The class is about a quarter of the way into the novel (through page 41, Chapter 9)
and have briefly researched the aspects of Aspergers and have been maintaining reading
logs (responses to questions, interesting quotes, thoughts/feelings on the passage, etc.) in
response to each nights reading to continuously develop their writing skills. The easy
reading level of the novel serves as a scaffolding tool into more complex informational texts
that they will have to read for an upcoming research project.
In this mini-lesson, the students will be developing writing skills through their
understanding of the figurative language in the novel. In particular, the class will focus on
idiomswords or phrases that dont mean what they literally say. This should be a type of
review for the students (Common Core State Standards indicate that students should learn
idioms in the fifth grade), but should be treated as an activity in which to build upon
developing writing skills involving figurative language. This lesson serves as a tool for
deeper comprehension of the novels meaning and tone through word choice.
Side-note: The classroom is pre-arranged into groups of 4 for a collaborative
classroom environment on a daily basis. This will play a role in this mini-lesson.

RL.8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts
RL.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
W.8.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Objectives:
Students will be able to recognize and cite examples of figurative language within
the context of the novel.
Students will be able to construct writing using figurative language.
Students will be able to critique the use of figurative language through their peers.

Materials:
Students reading journals
Students daily logs
Paper and Pen/Pencil
Mockingbird by Erskine


Anticipatory Set
At the beginning of class, students complete a daily bell-ringer. The bell ringer today
relates to the novel. On the projector, the teacher will have the following prompt: In
Mockingbird, what situations did Caitlin misunderstand the true/implied meaning of a
conversation or phrase? Cite two or three of these situations in your daily logs by including
the page number and explaining the implications of the phrase used and how Caitlin
misunderstood it. You are encouraged to use your book and reading journals.
After three minutes, the teacher should ask the students to share the examples they
found from their readings so far in the novel. She should then explain that these types of
language are forms of figurative language. *The teacher should write this phrase on the
board as she explains that figurative language is often characterized by its implied meaning
and not its literal meaning, such as an idiom, like its raining cats and dogs. (This is all to
activate students prior knowledge of figurative language.)
Next, the teacher should introduce the activity, explaining, Now, Id like you all to
write a short paragraphjust a few sentencesin which you use figurative language. You
may write it as a conversation, or as a journal, or as a description of something, whatever
you feel like writing. You will have 3 minutes to do this. You will then have 2 minutes to
share your responses with your group. At the end of the lesson, I would like you to write a
short note giving one compliment and one critique each group members writing. You will
be turning in all parts of this assignment. After answering any questions, the teacher will
start the timer for the writing time.

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity
5-6 minutes: Anticipatory
Set
Activating prior knowledge
by reviewing and citing
instances of figurative
language from the novel.
Monitoring student progress,
followed by facilitating the
sharing of daily logs. She will
then briefly define figurative
language and explain the
activity.
3 minutes: Writing Students will write their
own example of figurative
language.
Monitor student writing. She
will also answer questions
and guide students thinking
when necessary.
Teacher will call time when
the writing portion is
complete and ask students to
share their responses with
their group members,
reminding them to listen in
order to compliment and
critique each group
members use of figurative
language.

2 minutes: Collaborating Students will share their
examples of figurative
language with their pre-
assigned table group,
listening respectfully to each
member.
Monitoring student learning
and giving a warning for
students to wrap-up their
sharing time.
2-3 minutes:
Summary/Closure
Students will write one
compliment and one
critique of each of their 3
group members writing.
Teacher will ask students to
write one compliment and
one critique of each of their 3
other group members use of
figurative language on
separate sheets of paper. She
should remind them to write
their name and the name of
the person they are
critiquing on the paper.

Summary/Closure:
To close the mini-lesson, the teacher will ask the students to write one compliment
and one critique of each of their three group members writing on separate sheets of paper.
It will be turned in to the teacher (to check for appropriateness) before being redistributed
to the appropriate individuals. This allows for students to reflect on what figurative
language is, how it is employed, and how to make it better while providing constructive
feedback to their peers, and participating in a mini-writing workshop (draft and review
stages). It also serves to further students awareness and comprehension of figurative
language within the book being read and its implications to the writing
style/mood/message.

Assessment:

Informal Assessment: Student participation throughout the activity will
demonstrate understanding of the task(s) at hand.
Formal Assessment: Student writing and responses to peers will demonstrate their
ability to compose and critique figurative language.

HW: Students will read Chapters 10-12 of Mockingbird, and reply to the following
question in their reading logs: How does Caitlins literal interpretation of closure
affect her quest to find it?
CW: Students will edit and expand their figurative language drafts, exploring
different forms of figurative language throughout the reading unit. (E.g. hyperboles,
similes, metaphors, onomatopoeias, personification, etc.)
*The gradual introduction/review of figurative language serves students well for
writing and language throughout life, especially for standardized tests and future
grade levels without cognitively overloading them with the terms all at once.

The gifted and talented students are designated as group leaders within their table
groups. For this lesson, they will facilitate the sharing of the writing and keep the
group focused. They are also able to express their creativity in this open-ended
lesson, which may be more advanced than other students.
ELL students are accommodated by the additional explanations and examples of
figurative language given and explained to them during the bell ringer (front-
loading). They are also assigned to groups that may assist when needed.
Visually impaired students are accommodated with enlarged print of prompts and
instructions are given out loud.
The student with a physical disability will be able to participate fully in this activity.
He/she is situated at a special desk in a group, located near the door for easy
maneuvering.
Students who have difficulty reading will be able to participate fully in this activity
because the novel is below reading level and the activity is open-ended enough to
allow students to generate their own level of writing.
RETREAD students are encouraged to think outside of the box for their writing
responses and offer unique advice to their classmates.
Students with ADHD will be stimulated by this fast-paced activity, but may be
permitted to release anxiety through walking along the back of the room or
otherwise indicated by their IEP.

Resources:
Erskine, M. (2010). Mockingbird. New York: Puffin Books.


Appendix A
Power Point for Unwind Mini-Lesson


Final Mini-Lesson Unit

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