Taylor Tessitore

EDU5170 - Edwin Vega

Micro-Lesson Plan
Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,
well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.C

Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a
coherent whole.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.10

By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in
the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
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 technology's capacity to link to other information and to
display information flexibly and dynamically.
Objectives:
Students will:

Identify the steps of a heros journey and apply these steps to a story of their own
Create an image that represents their story in a book cover-type visual
Outline a story using a mind mapping software
Use a design program to efficiently manipulate an image

Introduce the Learning Activity:

A. As part of a larger unit on mythology and storytelling (including reading parts of
Homers The Odyssey and also modern poems with Greek allusions, as well as oral
stories, lyrical ballads, and flashbacks), we will be studying the elements of mythical
stories which includes the heros paradigm.We will have also already studied the idea of
the modern myth and how it changes the ancient myths. This mini lesson comes at the
beginning stages of them writing their own modern myth, and creating a new god to fit
todays ideals. It will also be the introduction to idea of the heros paradigm as a form of
storytelling.
B. Before starting this lesson, I will have already produced a final copy of my own
story, including the book cover that we will start in this introductory stage. It will act as
the motivator because it shows them the final product they are working to create. I will
describe how I used the tech in each segment and how it contributed to the overall goal.
Their personal story is a motivator as well because it will be something of their own
creations that ties the ancient greek world with their own, enabling them to gain a better
understanding of that time period.
Provide Information:

A. This lesson will be the start of the drafting process for their final story. As an
introduction to the heros journey as a mode of storytelling, the students will explore the
steps through an example I create using Harry Potter as an example. The website they
are introduced to will also be a guide when they plan the steps of their story, because it
has the definitions on it. I will also provide a sample of my own book cover and a new
god example that I want them to invent in their own stories. This way, they see the final
copy and can ask questions before they begin drafting process.
Provide Practice:
A. I will introduce the individual project we are starting on the first day. The heros
journey is the base format for this story, so I will begin by handing out an example of the
heros journey that outlines Harry Potters journey in his seven book series. Their job will
be to create a god that represents an idea of todays culture. We will have already
studied the ancient Greeks polytheistic religion and the stories of all the major deities,
and will know the reasoning behind the gods and what they represent. They can
experiment with any kind of storytelling method weve studied, but the story has to
feature the path of a hero.
B. The students will use an interactive website from readwritethink.com where they
can see the steps and the definitions of the paradigm. They can create it directly on the
website and print it out for their own future use, as well as a copy for me. They will then
use Xmind, a mind mapping software, to lay out the steps in a visual format that makes
sense to them. They can use any template, they just have to figure out how to
manipulate it to fit their own thought process. They can add notes and more details on
this map, which they can then print and add handwritten notes if they wish, again they
will need to hand a copy into me as well. Since their stories will be unfinished, they will
not know their story in depth yet, but they still need practice creating book covers before
they can make their own. For homework, they will continue making notes about their
hero and add as much detail as possible to their drafting ideas. Students will come in the
next day and begin using the Paint program to come up with a rough sketch of their book
cover. It wont be the final draft, they just need to get their ideas out before they go into
actually writing their story.
Provide Knowledge of Results:
A. As students are working with their characters, I will go around the room providing
consultation and verbal feedback for as many students as possible. I will be available to
answer questions as they work individually, but I will also ask questions about some of
their artistic choices to ensure they arent doing things randomly and have purpose.
B. Once they are finished with their website activity, they will have to print out a
version of it and hand it in to me, as well as a copy of their mind map. I will review all of
their ideas, ask questions where needed, and leave comments where things can be
improved. I will hand it back to them the next day while they are experimenting with book
cover designs and will be able to take my suggestions into account before they delve
into their stories.
Review the Activity:

A. The summation of the essential skills will come in how well they are able to
include each segment of the lesson in their story. It requires an in depth knowledge of
each of the parts so that they can transpose them into their own work. I will summarize
the importance of the mind mapping by modeling how I picked my own template to
match my thoughts, and how to pick a visual outline effectively to achieve the effect they
want.
Methods of Assessment:
A. Their final story will be my method of assessment for this mini unit. It will be the
wrap up of the entire unit on storytelling and mythology as a combination of both. I will
grade based on use of the heros paradigm, how much their content makes sense with
the assignment, and the effectiveness of their storytelling elements. Since it is a creative
writing assignment, however, the grades will focus more on their grammar and execution
of the elements. Students will aid me in creating a rubric that is fair when it comes to
grading the creativity aspect.