Teaching a Text: The Scarlet Letter

11
th
Grade
Dakota Ridge High School
Littleton, CO




















Molly Zwisler
E 401: Teaching Reading
Spring 2014
Honor Pledge: I have not given, received, or used any unauthorized sources or materials. MZ
Teaching a Text #1
The Scarlet Letter
A. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Mineola: Dover Publications, 1994. Print.
B. The main reason I chose this text was because this was my favorite book I was
taught in high school. One of my favorite teachers taught it, as well, and I think she
did it in a really wonderful and understandable way. This book is also a
recommended novel for Eleventh Grade in the Poudre School District, as I think it is
for most school districts in Colorado. I like this book for eleventh grade because the
language used is higher-level but it is still mostly understandable. I do not think this
book would work in tenth grade because the themes and content are still too
mature. The themes in the book are, or can be, controversial which will allow for
deep discussion and critical thinking by students. Some of the themes in the book
students will be able to relate to, such as the humiliation Hester faces due to her
punishment of wearing the letter could easily be related to high school bullying in a
much lesser degree.
This book would meet most of the literature Common Core State Standards but
there are a few I would like to specifically focus on with this book specifically,
according to the handout Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
and Literacy in Historical/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. Standard
number two discusses how students should be able to determine two of more
themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of
the text, including how they interact and build upon one another to produce a
complex account; provide a complex summary of the text. This standard will be
important in understanding the story; students will need to understand the multiple
themes and how they correlate in order to create meaning within the text. Standard
number four discusses how students should be able to determine the meaning of
language as it is used within the story and should be able to analyze the impact of
those specific choices on meaning and tone. Although the language the characters
actually use may be difficult for students to understand and analyze, students
should be able to analyze the language and how it creates the tone and mood of the
text.
C. Goals:
a. Students will learn to identify themes and analyze them within the context of
the text.
b. Students will be able to critically analyze the language used within the text.
c. Students will be build stamina while reading the text in order to think
critically about the text and its role in larger society.


















Teaching Text #2
A. I used multiple reading strategies as I read The Scarlet Letter. When I first began
reading we had not finished Notice and Note and so I did not use the signposts as a
reading strategy initially. I first started with annotations. I would underline or
bracket phrases, sentences, and paragraphs that stood out to me. There are multiple
reasons why these things stood out to me: important event, important dialogue,
important characterization, etc. I use these annotations to look back in the text and
be able easily identify part of the text. After we had worked more with the Notice
and Note signposts, I began to use them while reading. I initially found a lot of the
contrasts and contradictions, but as I was constantly reminded of the other
signposts, I began to notice them more thoroughly throughout the text. With these, I
was able to make better connections and create better dialogue about the text.
While I think that the initial annotations I made will be helpful in finding evidence,
the signposts were more helpful in thinking critically about the text and being able
to have discussions about the text.
B. I took most of my notes in the actual book. I find it very hard to take notes outside
of a book while still remaining engaged with the text. I began with notes accounting
for the importance of parts of the texts, such as when Hester is first introduced or
when she meets with Roger Chillingworth in the jail cell. I took notes in the
margins to remind me of the things that occurred during that section of the text. I,
also, took notes on possible themes or motifs at the top of pages where there was
evidence of such themes or motifs. Once I started working with the signposts, I
began using abbreviations for each of the signposts and putting them in the margins
where I found them or where I thought I could defend them. I used these
abbreviations: CC (contrasts and contradictions), AM (aha moments), TQ (tough
questions), WW (words of the wiser), AA (again and again), and MM (memory
moment). While these abbreviations were helpful, I found it hard to remember all
six signposts while reading. With this information I think I would insist on
providing my students with a bookmark that would simply have the names of each
signpost on it, in order to remind students of the signposts while reading. With
these notes I plan to evaluate different sections of the text and I plan to use it in my
lesson planning and as assessment tools.




























Teaching a Text #3
Contrasts and Contradictions (adapted from Notice and Note by Kylene Beers and
Robert Probst)

Materials teacher will need:
Copy of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Poster board to make sign to hang up in classroom

Materials students will need:
Copy of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Pen or Pencil
Sticky Notes
Notice and Note Reading Log

Explanation of Signpost:
As we have been discussing characterization, the signposts will help students
understand a different way to analyze characterization. All seven signposts will be
used during a characterization unit that will help students analyze different ways
authors characterize different characters***
I will introduce students to the term Contrasts and Contradictions by writing it on
the piece of poster board.
I will ask students to think about what they would think if a friend, who normally sat
with them at lunch, came in one day and sat in the far corner of the cafeteria.
o Students will hopefully say that they would think it was strange and weird
and I would explain how that contrasts the friends normal actions.
When authors show us something that doesnt fit with what we expect , when they
present us with a contrast or a contradiction, then we want to pause and ask
ourselves one question: Why would the character act this way? (Beers & Probst,
115).
I would also have students consider what the purpose would be when authors
create contrasts and contradictions within other aspects of the story, such as the
setting.
I would then write on the poster board and have students take notes on the
definition and the questions they should ask when they find such.
o Definition: a sharp contrast between what we would expect and what we
observe the character doing; behavior that contradicts previous behavior or
well-established patterns.
o Anchor Questions: Why would the character act or feel this way? Why would
the author create this contrast or contradiction?
I will explain the questions should be asked in order to get more information about
the character and sometimes the problems he or she faces.

Application of Signpost:
I will then ask students to open up their copy of The Scarlet Letter to Page 37, where
Hester Prynne is described.
I will read the paragraph aloud to students
o Starting at The young woman was tall
o Ending at inclosing her in a sphere by herself.
I will then create an example for students to use identifying the contrasts and
contradictions that are made in this paragraph.
o Perfect elegance
o Had the impressiveness belonging to a marked brow and deep black eyes
o To perceive how her beauty shone out, and made a halo of the misfortune
and ignominy in which she was enveloped.
o Exquisitely painful
o Was that SCARLET LETTER, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated
upon her bosom
We will talk about these examples and what they mean in accordance with Hesters
character and her characterization.
I will then ask students to think-pair-share
o Think: Go back to your reading from last night. Consider this signpost in this
reading and note any places where you think this signpost is apparent. Why
is this important? Why would the character act or feel this way?
o Pair: Now, get with a partner and discuss what the two of you found. Discuss
the anchor questions and what you think it reveals about the character.
o Share: We will come back as a class and go over the different examples that
the class came up with in their previous nights reading.

Review of Signpost:
I will thank students for their hard work and ability to close read.
I will then go back to the poster board that we made and go over contrasts and
contradictions and the questions that you need to ask.
I will give students the Notice and Note reading log and tell them that they need to
complete the reading log for their reading that night.
o Depending on what reading they are doing, I will give them a number of logs
to aim for, so students have an idea as to what they are looking for. (This will
be dependent on the section that students are reading for the night.)
o Dont forget to note why the character would act that way or why the
contradictions would be being made.









Aha Moment (Adapted from Notice and Note by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst)

Materials teacher will need:
Copy of The Scarlet Letter
Aha Moment Poster (already made)

Materials students will need:
Copy of The Scarlet Letter
Pen or Pencil
Writing Notebook
Reading Log

Explanation of Signpost:
I will put the already made poster on the board as students walk into the room.
o The only thing that students will be able to see is the words Aha! Moment,
the rest of the poster will be covered up for now.
For students free write, I will ask them to infer what they believe this signpost to
be, how they think it is used in the text, and what are the anchor questions that
surround this signpost.
o After students are finished I will ask them to share some of their responses.
What is the definition?
What is the anchor question?
What does this tell you about the text? (Purpose)
I will then unveil the rest of the poster and go over the definition of this signpost:
o Definition: a characters realization of something that shifts his actions or
understanding of himself, others, or the world around him.
o Anchor Question: How might this change things?
I will also write some of the students anchor questions on the board
next to the poster, if those questions are more helpful to these
students
I think it is important to note that these moments do not have to have
an explanation point in order to be an aha moment. It is a moment
when a character realizes something that will change them.

Application of Signpost:
I will ask students to consider if they have had an Aha Moment recently and we will
do a THINK-PAIR-SHARE
o THINK: consider the last time you had an aha moment. When was it? What
was it for? What did it change?
o PAIR: get with a partner and discuss your aha moment. Be sure to go into
specifics of what it changed for you.
o SHARE: students will share aloud their aha moments, in order to solidify the
concept of an aha moment.
We will then have a discussion about how this translates to literature
o Students will be asked to turn to page 118
I will read this section aloud
Starting at And what am I now
Ending at out of this dismal maze!
o Once I am done reading aloud I will ask students to identify where they
believe the aha moment to be.
This is an interesting section to do this signpost with, because there
could be multiple moments considered aha moments, or different
statements that could be considered the aha moment.
I would consider the moment when Hester states, I must
reveal the secret an aha moment for Hester.
What changes, or would change, is that Roger Chillingworth
would be ousted as the father and would have to share some
blame with Hester now.
When students give me different instances of an aha moment it would
be expected that they:
Give me evidence as to why they believe so
And what they believe will result because of the moment
Students should be able to discuss how an aha moment moves the progress of the
story along, creating moments when the character had a realization and often does
something as a result of this moment.
o Hester realizes that she needs to tell her community that Chillingworth is the
father of Pearl in order to take some burden off her.
o It moves the story along as she begins to defy the Puritan community and the
strict guidelines that are provided to her throughout her life.

Review of Signpost:
I will ask students write the definition of this signpost in their notes.
I will go over the definition and anchor question again.
And then I will give students the Notice and Note reading log in order to record the
aha moments of their reading for the night.
o Students will be given a number to identify on the reading log for that night
of reading.
o Students will be reminded to identify their thoughts about the answer to the
anchor question.










Tough Questions (adapted from Notice and Note written by Kylene Beers and Robert
Probst)

Materials teacher will need:
Copy of The Scarlet Letter
List of tough questions

Materials students will need:
Copy of The Scarlet Letter
Writers notebook
Construction Paper
Markers/Crayons/ Colored Pencils
Reading Log

Explanation of signpost:
When students walk into the classroom there will be numerous tough questions
pertaining to the signpost as well as the reading:
o Why will Hester not out the father of Pearl?
o Why the name Pearl?
o Should Hester have been sentenced to death?
o What would have happened to Pearl if Hester were not publically
humiliated?
o Why does public humiliation work?
o Does public humiliation work in todays society?
o Would this form of punishment for adultery work in todays society?
o Why are men more important than women?
o What is wrong with Pearl?
o What does this say about the culture of the society?
o Do you take pity on Hester? Pearl? Chillingworth?
o What would you do if you were a friend of Hester?
I will ask students to take a minute or two and discuss with their partner some of
these questions and the difficult moral issues they raise.
I will then explain that we are looking at Tough Questions as our next signpost.
o Students will partake in making their own sign of the signpost on
construction paper.
o The sign post is called Tough Questions
Definition: questions a character raises that reveal his or her inner
struggle
Anchor Question: What does this make me wonder about?
o I will instruct students to leave a space on their signs to put examples.
I will also make students aware that not every question is a tough question
o The tough questions lie in the questions that reveal a struggle or inner
thought that will give insight into the text.

Application of Signpost:
I will then ask students to bring out their books of The Scarlet Letter.
o A few students will read the two paragraphs on pg. 171
Starting at Once more, therefore,
Ending at upon the dust of earth?
In groups of 4-5 I would then have students discuss the anchor question in
accordance to the questions:
o How fared it with him?
o Were there not the brilliant particles of a halo in the air about his head?
o So etherealized by spirit as he was, and apotheosized by worshipping
admirers, did his footsteps in the procession really tread upon the dust of
earth?
o WHAT DOES THIS MAKE ME WONDER ABOUT?
Then we will discuss as a large class what this made us wonder and why it made us
wonder these things.
o Students will then write the example on their sign they made for the
signpost.
o We will also discuss how these tough questions bridge the gap between this
time period and ours, as we are still dealing with many of the tough
questions this book poses throughout the course of the public.
It allows us to make connections through history.

Review of Signpost:
I will then ask one student to read aloud the definition of Aha Moment
I will ask one student to read aloud the anchor question
I will ask one student to read aloud their example from The Scarlet Letter
Students will be given the Notice and Note reading log
o For homework students will be asked to record a specific number of aha
moments in that nights reading. (The number will be dependent on the
number of aha moment apparent in the section of reading)
















Words of the Wiser (adapted from Notice and Note by Kyleen Beers and Robert Probst)

Materials teacher will need:
Copy of The Scarlet Letter
Poster board to make sign

Materials students will need:
Copy of The Scarlet Letter
Pencil/Pen
Notebook
Reading Log

Explanation of Signpost:
For students free write they will respond to the following questions:
o What does the word wise mean?
o Are people wise or do they just say wise things?
o Discuss something wise your mother or father have told you? What makes it
wise?
o Discuss something wise a teacher or mentor have told you? What makes it
wise?
o How did these wise words make you feel? What did they teach you? How
did it affect you?
I will then introduce the Words of the Wiser Signpost to students by writing it at the
top of the poster board, along with the definition and anchor questions.
o Definition: the advice or insight a wiser character, who is usually older, offers
about life to the main character.
o Anchor Question: whats the life lesson and how might it affect the character?
o I am also going to use the clues here, because I think it will be helpful for
students to understand the difference between words from the wiser person
and simple conversation.
Clues: the main character and another are usually off by themselves
in a quiet, serious moment, and the wiser figure shares his wisdom or
advice in an effort to help the main character with a problem or
decision.
I will then ask students to go back to their writing notebooks and answer the anchor
question in regards to their words of the wiser moments they shared in their free
write.
o What life lesson did you learn?
o How did it affect you as a person?
Look back to the last answer to your free write
Then I will ask students to consider the setting they were in when they received the
piece of advice to see if it matches the clues that they were given.

Application of Signpost:
Students will be asked to turn to page 130 in their books.
Students will read silently to themselves from page 130 136.
o This is where Hester is convincing Dimmesdale to leave with her.
I will then point out to students that I believe the section on pg. 136 is a Words of
the Wiser moment.
o From Hester to Dimmesdale
o About the path his life should take
o How he should not worry about the past
o Think about the future he has with Hester and Pearl
I will explain to students about how it seems a little odd because the main character
is offering advice to another character.
o This then puts Hester in the role of a minor character for a moment and the
reader becomes focused on Dimmesdale and his internal struggle.
o It demonstrates the importance of Dimmesdale throughout the book.
Students will then be asked to discuss the anchor question with a partner.
o Students should provide evidence for the answer to their anchor questions
What they believe to be life lessons that Hester imparts on
Dimmesdale?
How it affects Dimmesdale? (If students read on to the next chapter,
they will know the answer to this question)

Review of Signpost:
I would ask students to get out a piece of paper.
o At the top students would write the definition and the anchor question of the
signpost at the top of their page.
I would then ask students to write a letter to Hester as though they were creating a
words of the wiser moment in The Scarlett Letter.
o Students would be asked to focus on one piece of advice they would like to
impart of Hester.
o They should use evidence from the book in the letter to demonstrate their
understanding of the book and their understanding of how their advice
would impact Hester.














Again and Again (Adapted from Notice and Note by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst)

Materials teacher will need:
Copy of The Scarlet Letter
Again and Again poster (made before class)

Materials students will need:
Copy of The Scarlet Letter
Writing notebook
Reading Log

Explanation of Signpost:
I would begin this lesson by asking students the question: What is repetition?
o Merriam-Webster: the act of repeating something that has already been said
or written
I would then ask students: What is a pattern?
o Merriam-Webster: an arrangement or sequence regularly found in
comparable objects or events
I would then ask students to discuss in pairs how these things could be related to
The Scarlet Letter
o What types of repetition have you seen in the text? Are there any patterns
evident?
This leads into the introduction of the Again and Again signpost:
o I would unveil the Again and Again poster
o Definition: events, images, or particular words that recur over a portion of
the novel
o Anchor Question: Why might the author bring this up again and again?
o I will ask students now to consider what they talked about with their
partner:
What repetition have you seen in the text? Images? Particular words?
Why do you think these patterns are present within the text?

Application of Signpost:
I would then ask students to list some of the things that they saw were being
repeated again and again in the text.
o I would write these things on the board.
I would then direct students to two passages:
o The first is on page 34:
Starting at This rose-bush
Ending at frailty and sorrow
o This section describes a rosebush
Some meanings of flowers:
New life
Contrast between good and evil (thorns/rose)
Beauty of life
o The second is on page 61:
Starting at We have as
Ending at owed her being
o This section relates Pearl to a lovely and immortal flower
I would then discuss with students the idea that this is being brought
up again as a way to describe Pearl.
I would advise students to look at the parallels between the
two passages.
o Contrast between good and evil
o Beauty of life
o New life
All are symbolized in the first passage but the
second they are being used to describe Pearl as a
child.
o I would then describe to students this specific again and again moment helps
us determine some of the themes that Hawthorne was trying to portray
throughout the story.
Because flowers are repeated throughout, we should look towards the
symbolism of the image, and consider the reason as to why
Hawthorne makes this decision in the text.
I would then ask students to take a few of the items that they came up with and find
evidence of it throughout the text, as I modeled for them.
o Students should also consider why the author might bring the item up again
and again.

Review the Signpost:
I would bring the again and again poster to students attention again.
I would ask students to review the definition and the anchor question and write
them down in their writers notebook.
I would remind students we notice this in order to consider the purpose of bringing
something up again and again.
For the remainder of the book, students will keep a specific again and again reading
log where they will keep track of again and again moments throughout the text.
o This would look the same as the Notice and Note Reading Log it would simply
be specific so students were able to chart where they saw the different items
of again and again.









Memory Moment (adapted from Notice and Note by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst)

Materials teacher will need:
Copy of The Scarlet Letter

Materials students will need:
Copy of The Scarlet Letter
White Printer Paper
Markers
Reading log

Explanation of signpost:
I will ask students to spend 10 minutes writing down a memory that is very
important to them.
o I will ask students to remember who was there, the events during the
memory, the weather, etc. Everything that will make the memory come to
life on the page.
o While students are doing this I will write Memory Moment on the board.
Once students have finished, I will ask them to then write down why this memory is
important to them?
o I would offer the students my memory:
Fourth of July barbecues at my house when I was younger.
Family and Friends
Everyone was happy
The weather was great
Fireworks are my favorite
It is important because it reminds me to be happy in the moment and
the importance of my family in my life.
I would then introduce students to the signpost memory moment
o Each student will be given a piece of paper where they will make their own
signpost board
They will be asked to write memory moment at the top of the page
Definition: a recollection by a character that interrupts the forward
progress of the story.
Anchor question: Why might this memory be important?
o I will ask students to make a space on their sign to write their own memory.
I will describe to students how a memory moment helps the story progress
o Often memories are an insight into why a character thinks a certain way or
why a character acts a certain way. These memories will help us understand
and analyze the character better.

Application of Signpost:
Students will turn to Conclusion, pg. 176, in their text
I would have students first turn to page 179 and look to the line And, once, Hester
was seen embroidering a baby-garment, with such a lavish richness of golden fancy
as would have raised a public tumult, had any infant, thus apparelled, been shown to
our sobre-hued community (179).
o I would discuss with students how this memory moment of Hester
embroidering Pearls clothing as foreshadowing for Pearls life, as she
marries a wealthy man and is allowed the exuberant clothing.
With a partner I will ask students to read through the chapter and identify the
memory moments within this section.
o Because this is the conclusion of the text, it goes through each of the
characters and how they ended up, it makes mention of the past and other
moments that happen throughout the book.
As they go through each memory moment, when the speaker mentions a different
moment from the past, the students should be discussing why they chose to add that
memory.
o Is it to characterize the character throughout his or her life?
o Remind the reader the type of character he or she is?
o Absolve the character from his or her faults?

Review of Signpost
I will ask students to look back to the definition and anchor question
I will discuss with students the ability of a memory moment to reveal information
about the text that the reader may have not noticed while they were reading
through the text.























Name

Signpost Reading Log

Page Number Signpost I Noticed Importance of Signpost








Teaching a Text #4

A. As we read The Scarlet Letter, I will help students set realistic goals by allowing students
to determine their average reading per week pace, in class before we started reading. I
would tell students that we were doing this in order to figure out a class average, and that
would be how many pages each class would read, which would determine the pace of the
text. I would have the students use this equation:
# of pages read in 10 minutes x 6 = x 2 = goal # of pages per week
I will determine these averages per class, in order to help students be realistic and
challenging in a book that has more challenges than simply the amount of reading. I will
use a Weekly Reading Recording Sheet in order to keep track of what students are
reading (See Below). Students will be responsible for filling this out each class period. I
think giving each student their own reading record sheet allows them to see their progress
more concretely, which will help build their stamina. I will check these at the end of every
week to check up on students and to make sure they are reading and meeting their weekly
goals. I will also be checking in with students during conferences, so that there is dual
accountability during a week. To help students set realistic goals for the semester and the
year, I will use the equation from above but multiply the final number by 18 weeks
(average number of weeks in a semester) and then divide the that number by 200 pages, as
an average number of pages in a young adult novel, and that should be a students goal
number of books to read that semester. This equation was taken from Book Love, written
by Penny Kittle. I will grade the work that surrounds the books that students are reading,
students will be asked to do different kinds of projects (book talks, blog posts, short essays,
etc.) in order to help other students be interested in the books they are reading. These will
be graded for different standards but will give the teacher something to assess as students
are reading. As students are beginning to read more and more, I will begin to suggest more
complex books for students whos stamina is increasing over the semester. I will be able to
do this through conferences, as well as on their reading record sheet. This informal way of
suggesting books for students will push them, but not scare them away. In regards to The
Scarlet Letter, I will be available for students to contact as they work through the text,
because it is a more challenging book. But I hope that by setting realistic goals by class
period, students will feel more confident in the challenge the book posses.

B. Book Talk (Book Love, Penny Kittle)

Themes: adultery, outsiders, bullying, parenting, deceit, guilt
Hook: Hester has a baby out of wedlock; well she was married just not to her baby
daddy, and has to deal with the consequences of her actions in a very strict puritan
society.
The language may seem more difficult, but once you get past that, the plot and
themes are not too difficult and still relatable to todays society.
This book is definitely dramatic and controversial and will allow for some very
interesting and in depth conversations.
Passage to share: p. 135-136
I would keep a Book Talk Record on a bulletin board in my classroom, so that
students are able to go back to the record in order to find books to read next. This
would also be helpful in connecting books to other books that have already been
book talked, to help students find connections between books.
I might include some clips from YouTube of the movie The Scarlet Letter, perhaps
the moment when Hester is being released from the jail, in order to give students
some interest into the drama of the story.

C. I would conference with students during their Silent Sustained Reading time. This
would happen at some point during each of my classes, and would seem the most
reasonable time to conference with students. During students reading of The Scarlet Letter
I would conference with students while they are doing independent work, this would
happen at any point during class, and would continue until the book was over. I would
make sure that I would initially conference with students who the book would be more
difficult for and then move to students who are grasping the text better. I would
conference for however long the student would need to conference for. If a student was
really struggling it seems unfair to cut their time short simply because I need to meet with
other students. I would always be available for students to conference with me before or
after class, if there was something pressing that they could not wait for their conference.
For The Scarlet Letter I would specifically address Kittles categories teaching strategic
reading strategy and helping the student plan the complexity and challenge of her reading.
Because this text is more difficult, students will need to be aided through their reading, and
by giving them different resources during conferences should help them. This will also be
the time to help students if they are struggling or push students how are not struggling to
dig deeper and be more critical of the book. This will help them plan their complexity and
challenge of their reading. I would ask the following questions (from Book Love, Penny
Kittle):
Is this an easy or hard read for you? How do you know?
Tell me about a time when this book has confused you and what youve done to get
yourself back on track in understanding.
What questions are at the heart of this book? What questions might the author be
trying to answer through the struggles of Hester and Pearl?
How are some of the other books youve read this semester the same or different?
How does this book challenge you as a reader? If you dont think it does, what can
you do to make it more challenging?
I would keep a narrative conference record sheet (see below/ adapted from Molly Zwislers
Assessment Portfolio, Spring 2014) so that I could keep notes about what students need.



D. Students respond to reading
Questions that drive response (adapted from Book Love, Penny Kittle)
o How has the author taken a flat portrait of Hester and added flesh and bones?
What are the moments that define Hester after she received the A?
o What are things that you have read in your reading of The Scarlet Letter that
still have you thinking?
Two passages from The Scarlet Letter:
o Page 61- 62
Starting at We have as yet
Ending at been no longer Pearl!
o Students would respond to this passage in a character portrait. The passage
is a description of Pearl and her out-of-this-world character traits.
Students will use words that describe Pearl in order to create a portrait of
her. They will be asked to consider different things such as environment,
parents, and education in order to create this portrait of Pearl.
o Page 135 136
Starting at Then there is
Ending at Then, all was spoken.
o Students would respond to this passage with a letter to Dimmesdale to offer
him advice what he should do. I would ask students to consider what
Dimmesdale should do and chose whether or not he should leave with Hester
or not. Students will be asked to use evidence of the text and evidence of the
character traits in order to create their argument.
I would have students reread different sections of The Scarlet Letter in order to
analyze the craft of writing. Different parts of the book seem to have different styles
of writing and different reasoning as to why they are different.
o I would have students get into small groups and work through these different
sections analyzing the craft of Hawthornes writing considering the use of
description, character analysis, characterization, and place.
o By allowing students to do this, it will help them understand the decisions
the author is making in order to progress the story along.
I would use Penny Kittles example from Book Love in order to model thinking about
themes. Because The Scarlet Letter is more distant from teenage students I would
find a book that many students have enjoyed that has similar themes and ideas.
This would not only connect students to a book that may not be initially as enticing
as others, but it would allow students to see the connections among canonical texts
and present texts.
o I think in particular, I would connect The Scarlet Letter to The Hunger Games.
Both governments use their people as a form of public humiliation as a
punishment for past events. I also think there is a common theme of
devoting love, Hester for Pearl/ Katniss for Prim. Similar to Kittle, I would
make a list of major ideas and themes in both books, and then discuss
(model) with students how the two books intersect.


E. Students reflect on their reading (Book Love, Penny Kittle)
Determining Difficulty
o In Book Love Kittle describes having students order books from least hardest
to hardest. Before we begin reading, I would have students use the books
that we had already read during the semester and their initial impressions of
the book to order them.
o I would then ask students to consider What makes a book difficult? I would
write students answers to this question on the board. We would talk about
why they think The Scarlet Letter will be difficult for them to read from their
list that they made.
o After students have finished the book, I would have them reconsider their
placement of the text in the greater scheme of semester books. I would ask
students why it had changed and what caused the difference.
Determining Reading Rate
o I would ask students to write a short reflection about their reading rate they
determined at the beginning of the semester and how much of that goal they
accomplished. They should analyze the reading that they did outside of class
and the reading they did for class. I would also ask students to consider
areas of success and improvement.
Minireviews of Favorite Books
o I would ask students to write reviews of their favorite outside reading books,
in order to keep a record of this for future classes.
o After students finish reading The Scarlet Letter I would ask them to also
write a book review. They would be allowed to dislike the book as long as
they provided evidence as to why they disliked the book. They would, also,
have to describe reasons as to why they enjoyed the book. Students should
provide a brief summary for the book as well.
o This will provide a good assessment tool for me as well. I will be able to see
how students comprehended the book and what students enjoyed the book
and what students had difficulty. I will also be able to figure out why
students struggled through the book.
Set Goals
o While writing their reflection I would ask students to assess their goals that
they set in the beginning of the semester. They should consider if they
accomplished their goals and how successful they felt. They should consider
also reason they may not have met their goals. Students should also set new
goals for the new semester considering volume and complexity of the books
they chose to read and the books that are provided to them in class.
Reflect on Reading in a Short Essay
o I would provide students with a prompt in order for them to consider the
reading that they have accomplished over the course of the semester.
Over the course of the semester, we have done a lot of reading. A lot
of reading that many of you had confessed you never would have
done. In a short essay reflect on your progress as a reader. How has
your reading life changed since the beginning of the semester? What
do you still want to accomplish as a reader? Has your opinion of
reading changed throughout the semester? What changed it?












































Student Reading Record (adapted from Book Love by Penny Kittle)
Student Name:
Book Title Date & Page # Total Pages Read









































Conference Record
Student Name

Date Book:

Book:

Book:

Book:

Book:

Book:

Book:

Teaching a Text #5
Hoods
Paul B. Janeczko

In black leather jackets,
watching spider work
the wire coat hanger
into Mrs. Koops car,
they reminded me of crows
huddled around a road kill.
Startled,
they looked up,
then back
as Spider,
who nodded once,
setting them free
toward me.
I bounded away,
used a parking meter
to whip me around the corner
past Janellis Market,
the darkened Pine Street Grille,
and the steamed windows
of Sudsys Modern Laundromat.
I climbed-two at a time-
the granite steps
of the Free Public Library
and pushed back think wooden doors
as the pursuing pack stopped-
sinners at the door of a church.

From the corner table of the reference room
I watched them
pacing,
until Spider arrived
to draw them away.
I waited,
fingering hearts,
initials carved into the table,
grinning as I heard myself telling Raymond
of my death-defying escape.

Before Reading: (adapted from Reading Poetry in the Middle Grades, Paul Janeczko)

Why I Admire This Poem
This poem speaks to me for a number of reasons. I think the first being that when I was in
high school I spent of my free time working with a group of students on an event called Day
Without Hate. It was a non-violence moment created by students after the Virginia Tech
shooting in 2007. We spoke out against bullying in schools in creating a day that created
solidarity within the school community. While this poem takes place outside of school,
bullying is still the issue at hand.
The second reason I really admire this poem is that its strong point of view of the
speaker. We understand and can feel what the speaker is experiencing. I think this is
similar to The Scarlet Letter in that, as a reader, we can really understand what Hester
Prynne experiences and understand her feelings that surround those experiences. While
the text is not all from the first person point of view, as this poem is, the speaker
consistently gives us insight into Hesters emotions and thoughts.

Companion Poem
In Ode to Family Photographs by Gary Soto, there is a strong male narrator similar to the
narrator in this poem. This would be a good companion poem so that students are able to
compare and contrast the two narrators and the different perspectives they have on the
world.

Special Words to Work Through
While the language of the poem is relatively simple, the title of the poem could be discussed
with students. Many students will consider the word hoods as a place, a neighborhood.
But hoods could also be considered short for hoodlum, a tough guy or a thug. Creating two
different ways that students could understand this poem and its title, as a place or a person.

First Reading: (adapted from Reading Poetry in the Middle Grades, Paul Janeczko)

Meeting the Poem
Before students were given the poem, I would invite them to do a free write surrounding
the idea of bullying. I would ask them to respond to different questions: what are some
characteristics of bullies? Have you ever encountered a bully? Or perhaps been the bully?
Can you recall specific details about the bully how he spoke or how he dressed? What
were the circumstances of the encounter? Did the bully act alone? Why did the bully
choose to pick on them? Did they do something or did the bully pick on them simply
because he could?

I would also ask students to consider this connection to The Scarlet Letter. How does
bullying play into our understanding of the text? Do you think that Hester is bullied?

Close Reading: (adapted from Reading Poetry in Middle Grades, Paul Janeczko)

Noticing Action-Reaction
This poem is an action-reaction poem, meaning that each action has a direct reaction as a
result. Students will be asked to track the progress of the action and reactions throughout
the poem. I would hand out the handout Action-Reaction (see below) where students
would track the actions throughout the poem. This would allow students to see the
progress of the poem and how it is tracked throughout the poem.

Action Reaction




Noticing Line Breaks
This poem has an unconventional method of using line breaks. Janeczko describes, how
the words on a line needs to feel as if they belong together. It seems as though these
words are meant to be together but there is a suspense that Janeczko creates by using the
unconventional line breaks. Janeczko wanted to create a sense of breathlessness in the
poem to imitate how the narrator is running and feeling a similar way.

Noticing Images
The language the poem uses creates a very visual description of the actions occurring in the
poem. Janeczko sets up the scenes in order to create the mood. Janeczko describes how he
used the black of the jackets and the black crows, and the scavenger crows picking at the
dead animal, to create a sense of danger, at the beginning of the poem. I would ask
students to recognize specific words or phrases that emphasized this sense of danger, as
that would provide concrete evidence for the claim.

I would ask students to analyze the remainder of the poem for its images and examine the
mood that each of the images creates. I will use the example from the first part of the
poem, to demonstrate for students, so they will then be able to do it on their own. Students
will need to provide example for their claims of tone and mood.

After Reading: (adapted from Reading Poetry in the Middle Grades, Paul Janeczko)

Say It Out Loud
I would have one student read the poem, while another students acted out the poem while
the reader was reading the poem. Then students would be able to see the events unfold
before them as they were hearing it. It would create a very visual aspect to the poem, as we
had talked about with students when we were noticing images. I also think that I could
read the poem out loud and have students close their eyes while I read for the first time,
really taking the time to create those mental images of the poem. Then have a student read
it out loud and the other students act it out. This would allow students to discuss the
different images they created in their head and how it differed from the actions other
students acted out.

Write About It
1. From the free write, what did you learn from your experience as bully or victim?
2. Create a Hood 2 poem where you write about what happens after the narrator is
in the library. Does Spiders gang come back? What does the narrator do?
3. Rewrite the poem from the perspective of Spider. What are the things he would see
differently from the original narrator?

Issues/Themes
Bullying
Adolescence
Tall Tales
How do we react to bullies in society?

Related Poems
Spider Paul Janeczko (After students write their poem from Spiders perspective, I could
have them read this poem and analyze why Janeczko made the decisions he did about
Spiders character)
Blubber Lips Jim Daniels

Book Bridge: (adapted from Reading Poetry in the Middle Grades, Paul Janeczko)

Fiction
Belling the Tiger Mary Stolz
Bob and Ozzie are mice, and brothers. Their job is to slip a bell around the neck of
the cat. This novel is about realizing that the bullies you need to face arent quite so
tough. Its also a book about the value of best friends(Janeczko, 136).
The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne
Hester Prynne is condemned to wear a scarlet A on her chest in order to publically
humiliate her for having a child out of wedlock. She has to deal with the pain and
guilt as a result from the other members of her community.

Nonfiction
Gangs Laurie Willis
A exploration of gangs, including their appeal, the difficulties of leaving a gang, and
their impact on families and on society in general (Janeczko, 136).

Online Resources
West Side Story the musical demonstrates the idea of gangs
Teaching a Text #6
A. Standards:



B. Persuasive Rationale:
I plan to have students participate in a discussion on a classroom blog. Students will
not be going to an outside blog, but there will be a fully functioning class blog that will be
used for many other reasons, as well. Students will answer a question that I will post on
the blog. Questions will be related to The Scarlet Letter and this is the place where students
will begin thinking about the reading they are doing outside of class. The questions will be
thematic questions, moral questions, and bigger idea questions, rather than plot
summary. I chose blogging because it allows students to discuss the text outside of class.
This text is more difficult for most students and in allowing students to have a forum
outside of class to have discussions, gives students another way to think critically and
comprehend the text. Blogging is also an accessible way for most students to have an
interactive conversation with their classmates.
This idea was adapted from The Facebook Generation: Homework as a Social
Networking, where Stacy Kitsis discusses the use of blogs in the classroom as a public
extension of our classroom. Students are able to create a discussion in a place where they
feel more comfortable as they are digital natives. Kitsis also discusses how blogging takes
away the isolation factor in doing homework and creates more of a community. My
purpose in creating a blog for students to respond to is to get out of the habit of regular
English homework that students typically think of. Students are typically on the computer
while doing their homework anyway. I also think it is beneficial for students to have a
place outside of the classroom where they will be able to discuss the text and ask any
questions they might have trouble with as they are reading The Scarlet Letter. The blog will
be a place that students are able to consider their ideas in a non-threatening space, where
they will hopefully take chances with their ideas, thoughts, and critical thinking skills.
C. Here is the URL: http://misszenglish.wordpress.com/welcome/

The first image is of the header to the site, each class will have a different page, so students
are able to respond to their classmates. Next is the welcome page, here I have reminded
students of the expectations that have been set for them when responding to questions.
The last is an example of a question that I would ask students (from The Facebook
Generation: Homework as Social Networking). I have also provided an example of a post
that I would expect from students as they are responding on Wordpress.com. I would
discuss with students the length requirement and the use of examples in order to
demonstrate their understanding of the question, the claim, and the text. I would leave this
model on the website in order for students to return to this as they are doing their own
posts each week.








































Blogging and The Scarlet Letter

As you know, we are beginning The Scarlet Letter this week in class. We are also going to
begin to incorporate BLOGGING into our classroom. I understand that many of you
enjoy technology and would much rather be doing assignments that more interactive,
where you are able to get direct feedback from your peers and myself. This is how we are
going to combat this issue, with a more difficult text. I want each of you to have a place
where you are able to talk with your peers outside of the classroom in order to better
understand The Scarlet Letter and think critically about it.

Definition of Blog: a website on which an individual or group of users produces an ongoing
narrative (Merriam-Webster).

Definition of Blogging: add new material to or regularly update a blog (Merriam-Webster).

Each Monday, I will post a question on your classes page on my website. You will have
until Friday at 5pm to answer that question in order to receive credit for that weeks
blog post.

Requirements:
Each response should be between 300-500 words.
You MUST provide concrete evidence to support your point of view.
You need to make an argument. (You know what is required of an argument)
Commenting on peers responses is not required but it is absolutely encouraged.
Remember that a blog is a space for an ongoing narrative.

Grading:
2 points for getting it done by Friday at 5pm
2 points response is required length
4 points for making a clear argument
2 points for using evidence












(Adapted from The Facebook Generation: Homework as Social Networking by Stacy Kitsis)
E. Assessment Tool
I will provide students with a checklist assessment sheet that tells them what they
have accomplished and what they still need to work on in their blog posts. I will
complete these over the weekend and give them to students on Monday so that they
are able to improve for the next week. I will give students a point value for each
aspect of the blogging that I laid out on the assignment sheet.
I will do this type of assessment because it allows students to get feedback on
weekly basis in order to improve their writing. This type of assessment allows me,
as a teacher, to track the progress of my students throughout the semester. I will be
able to view the Common Core standards that students are reaching, such as finding
evidence and forming a claim, and where they need to improve. This type of
assessment will be able to help me assess students progress throughout The Scarlet
Letter. Because there is a section for comments, I will be able to provide narrative
feedback for students on their blogs but also on their ability to read the text and
comprehend what is happening.


Student Name
The Scarlet Letter Blogging Assessment

(2 pts) Blog was posted by Friday at 5 pm

(2 pts) Blog was between 300-500 words

(4 pts) Blog made a clear argument based on the text and the question presented

(2 pts) Blog used evidence in order to support students claim

/10 pts

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