A Strategy Plan for Literature Level: 3rd Year High School Content: American Literature Text: I Stand Here

Ironing by Tillie Olsen

I.

Objectives and Rationale A. Objectives At the end of lesson, students should be able to: 1. Express their reactions and observations towards motherhood through a photograph study 2. Understand the hardships faced by women during the Great Depression by presenting a video 3. Infer and make judgements about the characters actions and behaviours through a class discussion 4. Recognize the ambiguity of making difficult decisions and living with their consequences by creating a monologue in first person point of view B. Rationale(Optional)

II.

Subject Matter A. I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen B. Study of setting and character as well as the condition of women during the Great Depression

III.

Assumption A. Students should have read the text previously.

IV.

Activity Sequence Expected Student Behaviour Students view the photograph; they express reactions and observations towards the woman in the photograph. Students make inferences on what they think the woman in the portrait will say and support their claims. Students watch and listen to the video attentively and answer the questions raised by the teacher. Planned Teacher Behaviour Teacher post the picture; she asks the students to view and talk about the photograph; she asks them to imagine the woman looking up and speaking to them; she asks the question, What do you think the woman will say? Teacher asks the students several questions after pausing to several parts of the video : a. What effects did the Great Depression have on American families? b. Why women were extremely affected during the Materials Time Frame

Activity Purpose

1. Allow students to do a photograph study of a portrait by the famous artist Pablo Picasso called Woman Ironing.

Picture of Picassos Woman Ironing, scotch tape

5 mins.

2. Allow the students to watch a video about the Great Depression.

Laptop, LCD Projector, speakers

10 mins

Depression? c. How were women discriminated against in the work force?

3. Allow the students to focus on the similarities between Tillie Olsen and the narrators life.

Students use their knowledge about Olsens biography and the narrator in the short story to give their similarities.

4. Allow students to focus on the characters of the story

Students compare and contrast the characteristics of Emily and Susan using a worksheet.

Teacher Whiteboard discusses a and marker short biography of Tillie Olsen focusing on her life as a mother during the Great Depression; she asks the students to give her the similarities between the author and the narrator. Teacher gives Worksheets worksheets to the students and reads the direction to them. After sometime, the teacher relates these two characters in terms of their relationship to their mother; she tells the students to refer to their worksheet to

5 mins

8mins

5. Allow students to evaluate the story.

Students make critical comments or judgments about the story by answering the questions raised by the teacher.

answer the questions. The teacher asks students the following questions: a. What are the important facts of Emilys childhood? Under what circumstances was she raised? b. What are some of the mistakes that the narrator made in raising Emily? Are there any factors in their lives that are beyond her control? c. What is happening in Emilys life at the present? How has she turned out? d. Consider the symbolism of the iron and ironing board at the end of the story. How is this related to the mothers wish for her

Whiteboard, marker

12 mins

daughter? 6. Assess students learning. Students make their own monologues. The teacher asks the students to make a monologue about their personal experiences wherein they have to make difficult decisions. Pen, paper 10 mins