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McCoy Douglasson

Shoffner

MSSE 470

1 May 2018

Final Unit Planning

Element 1: Novel Analysis

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk has an enormous amount of potential for use in middle

grades ELA classrooms. The protagonist is a strong young female character that students will

relate to and admire. The story is exciting and filled with drama, which will hook young readers

and promote active reading. The writing encourages learning by being simultaneously

challenging, yet accessible. Wolf Hollow is an excellent whole classroom text because it is

packed with complex, engaging issues and good writing techniques that students can wrestle and

experiment with. As a future ELA teacher, I believe it extremely important to use reading and

writing together in the classroom whenever possible and this book makes it easy to do so. It may

be a tough text with some intense and challenging situations, but students will be able to engage

with these in a safe and supportive environment where they can explore through writing and

discussing.

Middle grades learners are developing into active citizens of the world who want to

tackle big issues, especially those that impact their daily lives. The three essential questions I

have chosen cover what I believe to be the biggest and most relevant issues that middle grades

learners should examine. One of the central questions running throughout Wolf Hollow relates

to honesty: Is it ever ok to lie or hide the truth? And what are the consequences? Middle

schoolers struggle with this question every day, as they live in a world where the truth is bent
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and lies are constantly spread by their peers, by adults, by media, and even by public figures.

The main character, Annabelle, struggles with telling the truth throughout the story. She hides

the truth about Betty in the beginning of the novel and then must hide the truth about Toby

towards the end and must deal with the effects of her decisions. She also must deal with the lies

spread by Betty and Andy to save Toby.

Another essential question posed by Wolf Hollow is, how do stereotypes influence how

we look at and understand the world? Judging others based on stereotypes causes several major

conflicts throughout the story. Mr. Faas is judged based solely on his German heritage, Toby is

targeted because of his military background and how he looks, and Betty is believed innocent

and honest because she is a young girl. I believe that middle grades learners would benefit

greatly from examining the how stereotypes influence society and their day-to-day lives. Middle

schoolers have it rough. They are constantly judging each other based on stereotypes and

forming prejudice. I believe Wolf Hollow can be used to address this misuse of stereotypes in a

productive way for middle grades learners.

My third essential question is, when should an individual take a stand against what

he/she believes to be an injustice? In the book, Annabelle takes a stand for justice when she

hides Toby and seeks to clear his name. In our current political climate, young people are taking

a stand against injustice every day. I believe we as educators must encourage our students to try

and make a difference in the world and reinforce the idea that their voices matter. Wolf Hollow

provides a good platform for encouraging these things because the protagonist, Annabelle, stands

up and makes a real difference. She serves as a great role model for middle grades students.

The last essential question I gathered from the text is, what are the causes and

consequences of prejudice and injustice, and how does an individual’s response to them reveal
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his/her true character? This question covers the complex issues of injustice and passing

judgement that were introduced by the previous questions, but it builds upon them by having

students look closely at individual characters. Students will have to use their understanding of

the novel’s complex issues to interpret character traits, motive, and growth. Middle grades

students are ready to engage with challenging questions and I believe this question is both

challenging and comprehensive of the text’s major themes.

I believe Wolf Hollow would be an extremely engaging text for middle grades students.

The pacing is excellent so there is rarely a dull moment. Lauren Wolk does a great job of

subverting expectations and sparking reader curiosity. The story is driven by dramatic situations

and problems that Annabelle must solve. While I read the text for the first time, I felt myself

engaging with the text, trying to solve the problems along with Annabelle. I believe middle

grades learners will become equally invested in the drama.

Overall, there is a lot to unpack in Wolf Hollow and I believe this will provide and

abundance of fuel for writing and discussion. The themes are relatable and challenging. The

characters are deep and develop significantly over the course of the novel. There is enough

happening chapter to chapter that in-class discussion will be organic and engaging. Additionally,

the essential questions the text introduces are controversial, invite several different answers, and

need to be looked at through multiple perspectives.

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Element 2: Using the Novel With 7th Grade Students

7th grade students are in the awkward middle stage between just out of elementary school

and almost in high school. I believe that this is a crucial point where 7th graders need to be

challenged into developing a strong, unified foundation of literacy. Wolf Hollow is the perfect

mentor text for accomplishing this goal. It contains powerful, relatable themes such as not

judging others, compassion, issues of lying/hiding the truth, and standing up against injustice.

These themes can be easily simplified or expanded to either ease struggling students into reading

or challenge advanced students to read more closely. My EQ’s cover these themes and build

upon them in a way that will inspire close reading, responsive writing, and active discussion.

These three components of literacy (reading, writing, and communication) need to be cultivated

simultaneously to maximize learning.

Middle grades students have a wide array of learning styles and reading levels that I plan

to address by leaving room for adaptation and differentiation in my lessons. I will use a variety

of multimodal texts including images, videos, and a song alongside Wolf Hollow to introduce and

elaborate on different themes before reading the text. By using these different forms of text, I

will be reaching visual and auditory learners and providing struggling readers with a chance to

become familiar with the novel’s themes before diving in. After the first week, reading, writing,

and discussion will be occurring in every class period. For at least the first two weeks, I will be

reading Wolf Hollow aloud to the class. This will help to engage students and will allow

everyone to stay at the same pace regardless of reading level. Reading aloud will help auditory

learners, visual learners will benefit from following along in the text, and by incorporating

writing along with the reading, kinesthetic learners will benefit as well. Additionally, Students

with attention disorders will benefit from frequent full class and small group discussion. I plan
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to incorporate movement in as many activities as possible to keep those students with

ADD/ADHD engaged.

I will use Wolf Hollow to cultivate a system of civil discourse in my classroom because

communication is an important and often overlooked component of literacy. Wolf Hollow

contains several tough topics including violence, death, and the effects of war. According to

O’Donnell-Allen, “By reading tough texts, students learn to grapple personally with subjects,

themes, and issues that figure large in character’s lives as well as our contemporary culture”

(2011, p.26). I intend to provide students with a safe, civil environment where they can explore

and discuss these tough themes openly. My essential questions are designed to encourage

discussion about the novels tough themes. “By discussing tough texts, they(students) also figure

out how to engage in civil discourse – that is, to consider the perspectives of their peers in

respectful, productive ways” (O’Donnell-Allen, 2011, p.26). I plan to provide my students with

many opportunities to discuss and write about the tough topics in Wolf Hollow. If I do my job

right, my students will practice civil discourse on a daily basis.

I will try to keep my lessons relevant to my students lives by making connections to

modern issues and situations they are likely to face in middle school. The themes in Wolf

Hollow can be applied to a variety of different situations and sources that will make students

aware of their relevance. The theme of lying/hiding the truth can be easily applied to

hypothetical situations of middle school drama and to modern media. One of my supporting

texts is a modern rock song that will help introduce the theme and make it seem more relevant to

their lives. Two of my texts are news articles that discuss modern issues relating young adults

and the theme of standing up against injustice in Wolf Hollow. One text covers a fairly recent
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speech made by a high school student in response to the recent school shootings. By linking the

books themes to their lives, students will be more likely to engage in class discussion.

I plan to use scaffolding to introduce new concepts during individual lessons and over the

course of the entire unit. For example, I will use Wolf Hollow as a mentor text to ease students

into learning subordination and clauses for one of the first week’s lessons. We will start by

discussing how sentence variety makes reading Wolf Hollow more interesting. Then, we will

look at examples of good sentence variety from the text and then discuss how simple sentences

can be combined to make more interesting ones. I will have prepared several deconstructed

alternatives to examples from the text and will model different ways that they can be combined.

From there, we will discuss direct and indirect clauses and how to use subordination to combine

sentences. We will practice subordinating together as a class and then volunteers will try their

hand at it. Then my students will attempt to individually create 4 sentences using subordination.

I use scaffolding by slowly building to the concept I want to teach. Students will discover the

purpose and need for the concept before it is even mentioned. I will model the concept and,

finally, slowly remove support until students are able to work independently.

Element 3: EQ’s, UKD’s, SOL’s and Alignment

Essential Questions:

1. Is it ever ok to lie or hide the truth?

2. How do stereotypes influence how we look at and understand the world?

3. When should an individual take a stand against what he/she believes to be an injustice?
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4. What are the causes and consequences of prejudice and injustice, and how does an

individual’s response to them reveal his/her true character? (compassion)

UKD’s:

Students will understand:

1. Every student will understand that good group discussion means respecting one another

(understanding).

2. Every student will understand that context is important for the comprehension of any

historical text(understanding).

3. Every student will understand how the writing notebook will be used in this unit to enact

writing as a recursive process(understanding).

4. Every student will understand that having good sentence variety will improve

writing(understanding).

5. Every student will understand that negative stereotypes foster prejudice(understanding).

Students will know:

1. Every student will know that “standing up against injustice” will be a central theme in

Wolf Hollow(remembering).

2. Every student will know to look for key components of setting, speaker, and character

when engaging with a text(remembering).

3. Every student will know several strategies for making freewriting more effective

(remembering).
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4. Every student will know the definitions of independent and dependent

clauses(remembering).

5. Every student will know that there are good and bad stereotypes(remembering).

Students will do:

1. Be able to participate in civil, productive group discussion about literary

themes(applying).

2. Every student will be able to identify central theme(s) of a text(applying).

3. Every student will be able to explain multiple elements of a complex literary

theme(applying).

4. Every student will be able to make inferences about character motivation using details

from the text(applying).

SOL’s:

Communication:

7.1 The student will participate in and contribute to conversations, group discussions, and oral

presentations.

c) Ask probing questions to seek elaboration and clarification of ideas.

d) Participate in collaborative discussions with partners building on others’ ideas.

e) Make statements to communicate agreement or tactful disagreement with others’ ideas.

Reading:

7.5 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fictional texts, literary

nonfiction, poetry, and drama.

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a) Describe the elements of narrative structure including setting, character development,

plot, theme, and conflict and how they influence each other.

b) Identify and explain the theme(s).

c) Identify cause and effect relationships and their impact on plot.

i) Make inferences and draw conclusions based on the text.

Writing:

7.7 The student will write in a variety of forms to include narrative, expository, persuasive, and

reflective with an emphasis on expository and persuasive writing.

a) Engage in writing as a recursive process.

g) Clearly state a position and organize reasons and evidence, using credible sources.

l) Expand and embed ideas by using modifiers, standard coordination, and subordination in

complete sentences.

m) Use clauses and phrases for sentence variety.

Alignment of EQ’s, UKD’s, and SOL’s:

The overall purpose of this unit is to advance students’ reading, writing, and

communication skills together by capitalizing on the powerful themes and exceptional writing in

Wolf Hollow. The goal is to eventually get students reading and writing every class, building

their overall literacy instead of jumping back and forth between reading and writing. To achieve

this goal, I have chosen to center the unit on a writing notebook where students will participate in

brief free writing and editing exercises. Using the notebook, students will be able to explore

themes and essential questions from the readings and experiment with different writing

techniques, grammar concepts, and mechanics. The writing notebook will be used as both a
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source of formative and summative assessment. Students will participate in non-graded free

writes where they will show their understanding of the lesson material and will occasionally

participate in graded writing and editing activities. Notebooks will be kept in the classroom for

most of this unit so that they can be checked for both formative and summative assessment.

My chosen SOL standards, UKD’s, and EQ’s reflect my goal by building off one another

in a way that promotes the growth of unified literacy. Instead of throwing reading and writing

techniques at students without context, I try and introduce these concepts using the literature.

Essentially, I want to teach students to eventually know how to fish for themselves rather than

just handing them fish. My four essential questions lay the literary foundation of the unit by

highlighting some of the central themes of Wolf Hollow: not judging others based on stereotypes,

showing compassion, issues of lying/hiding the truth, and standing up against injustice. My

UKD’s address how we will go about answering these questions with a focus on close reading,

recursive writing, and frequent discussion. The standards I have identified highlight what areas

of literacy will be developed over the course of this unit by exploring the 4 EQ’s. The UKD’s

identify more specific goals found within each standard.

The first week of lessons is designed to introduce the essential questions/themes of the

novel and core literacy elements that will be worked on over the entire unit. During the first

week, more direct instruction and guidance will be given to the students and a daily routine will

be established of reading, discussing, and freewriting/editing. Over the weeks, students will be

given more responsibility. They will have less specific guidelines for freewriting and will be

expected to make their own inferences through close reading of the text and identify

advancements of the story’s theme in their writing.

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The essential questions themselves build in difficulty and build off each other. Question

1 addresses the moral implications of lying/hiding the truth. Question 2 introduces stereotypes,

which prepares students for addressing prejudice in question four. Question 3 introduces

injustice, which is also covered in question 4. By the end of the third week, students will be

ready to answer question 4: What are the causes and consequences of prejudice and injustice,

and how does an individual’s response to them reveal his/her true character? In the second

week students will prepare for tackling the first half of question 4 by focusing on identifying

cause and effect/consequences of events/actions of characters. In week three, students will get

into identifying causes and effects relating to character development, which will prepare them for

answering the second half of question 4.

I plan to initially use a variety of short multimodal texts along with new concepts and

activities to engage students and peak their interest; however, I plan to allow Wolf Hollow to

hook students to the point where they can remain engaged during the last two weeks where we

will focus solely on the text. Depending on how many texts I have access to and how well the

students are doing, I may stop reading to them at some point during the third week and allow

them to finish the book outside of class. This way, students will have more in-class time to work

on their photo caption project.

Element 4: Texts

1. TED talk video: The Dangers of Silence

https://www.ted.com/talks/clint_smith_the_danger_of_silence/transcript#t-129613

My first text is The Danger of Silence, a TED talk by educator Clint Smith (I have used

this in a previous assignment, but it works perfectly here). It is a short, powerful speech about
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speaking up against ignorance and injustice. Smith warns the audience about being silent in the

face of injustice by sharing his personal experiences, claiming, “If I was going to ask my

students to speak up, I was going to have to tell my truth and be honest with them about the

times where I failed to do so.” The speech is great for relating the theme of “standing up against

injustice” to students because the speaker’s focus is getting young people to stand up and break

their silence. Smith uses anecdotes from when he was his students age that make the speech

relatable and accessible to middle grades learners. The multimodal benefit of this text is that it

will help engage students. Middle grades learners simply enjoy watching videos. Students with

ADD/ADHD will have an easy time paying attention to this text because of its brevity and

medium.

2. News article 1 - Profile: Malala Yousafzai

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-23241937

By now, most people have heard of Malala’s inspiring story. This short and easy to read

article/profile gives an overview of Malala’s experiences with the Taliban and her life as an

activist. This article works well within my lesson for day one because we are talking about the

theme of standing up against injustice. It is relevant to middle grades students because Malala

was around their age when she was shot and decided to become an activist. Using these news

articles will give a good foundation and reference point for discussing this theme throughout the

unit.

3. News article 2 - Florida student Emma Gonzalez to lawmakers and gun advocates: 'We

call BS'
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https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/17/us/florida-student-emma-gonzalez-speech/index.html

I do not plan on using the full speech due to time constraints, but I believe this text works

perfectly for adding to the discussion of the theme, “standing up against injustice.” Students will

be interested and engaged with the article because it was written by a fellow student. Middle

grades learners are at a point in their development where they want to be heard and reading about

Emma’s speech should fire them up for class discussion.

4. WikiHow images

These are out-of-context images from the webservice WikiHow. The first image

picturing a woman thinking about a casket is taken from an article about how to keep a straight

face. The idea here is that if you think about death you won’t break. The second image contains

the likeness of John F. Kennedy floating in water with a pair of pigs. This photo is taken from an

article on improving your memory. The idea is that picturing JFK floating in a bay with some

pigs serves as a mnemonic device for remembering JFK’s involvement in the Bay of Pigs. When

I show these images to my students, I will give them absolutely no context. They are meant to

get the students engaged, coming up with funny and crazy ideas for the purpose or meaning of

these pictures. The purpose of this activity is to emphasize the importance of context when
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interpreting a text. The lesson will move into discussing the historical context and other

contextual information regarding Wolf Hollow. My hope is that these images will catch the

attention of ADD/ADHD students due to their silly nature. This activity will also help get

students considering various types of texts as actual texts.

5. Video - Stereotypes, Prejudice & Discrimination

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewE2K8A7Ddw

This video discusses and defines stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination using current

examples that should be relatable to middle grades learners. It uses stereotypical “basic white

girls” to explain these concepts. Being about such a potentially delicate topic, this video does a

great job of avoiding being offensive. It contains what appear to be high school age individuals

acting out and explaining examples of prejudice and discrimination. Even though I think it does

a pretty good job, I feel as though the video should be prefaced with a short disclaimer to avoid

hurting anyone’s feelings.

6. Song and Lyrics: A Beautiful Lie by Thirty Seconds to Mars

Lie awake in bed at night

And think about your life

Do you want to be different?

Try to let go of the truth

The battles of your youth

Cause this is just a game

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It's a beautiful lie

It's a perfect denial

Such a beautiful lie to believe in

So beautiful, beautiful, it makes me

It's time to forget about the past

To wash away what happened last

Hide behind an empty face

Don't ask too much just say

Cause this is just a game

This song should be great for introducing the theme of lying/hiding the truth to middle

grades learners. It is a modern song written by Jared Leto (whom students are most definitely

familiar) that conveys a mixed message about lying and being honest. It calls lies beautiful but

describes lying with a sarcastic and lamenting tone. It goes perfectly as a spring board for

jumping into a discussion about whether it is ever ok to lie or hide the truth. I believe this is a

versatile text. It is at an accessible level of difficulty for potentially struggling students and it

can be picked apart in order to challenge “gifted” learners. This mode of text will help engage

students, getting them in the mood for discussing theme.

Element 5: Lesson Plans

Week 1 Day 1

Topic: Good discussion techniques

Content Overview: This lesson introduces good discussion techniques such as respecting one
another, which the class will be using throughout our unit on Wolf Hollow. We will practice
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these techniques by discussing “standing up against injustice,” one of the major themes from
Wolf Hollow. Context for the topic will be provided using a video and short news articles
relating to the theme.

SOL’s: 7th grade class, English Language Arts

7.1d Participate in collaborative discussions with partners building on others’ ideas.

7.1e Make statements to communicate agreement or tactful disagreement with others’ ideas.

Instructional Objectives:

a. Every student will understand that good group discussion means respecting one
another (understanding).
b. Every student will know that “standing up against injustice” will be a central
theme in Wolf Hollow(remembering).
c. Every student will be able to participate in civil, productive group discussion
about literary themes(applying).

Assessment Plan:

Objectives (UKD’s) Assessments: Formative and Summative

a Formative: I will observe group discussion closely throughout
the unit.

Summative: Students’ peer evaluations during the photo caption

group assignment during week 4.
b Formative: Guided discussion

Summative: Photo caption assignment during week 4 and

writing notebook exercises during the unit.
c Formative: I will observe group discussion closely throughout
the unit.

Summative: Students’ peer evaluations during the photo caption

group assignment during week 4.

Materials:

 Students need their writing notebook (which will be kept in class for most of the
unit)
 Prepared PowerPoint
 TED talk video
 Printed articles for discussion
 Prepared discussion questions
 Smartboard
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Warm Up/Hook: Class will begin with a TED talk video on the theme of “standing up against
injustice.”

Closure: Students will be asked to recap good discussion techniques and will be introduced to
Wolf Hollow by hearing the preface read aloud.

Lesson Body and Sequence:

Time Teacher Actions Student Actions

(50min)
4min Play video: The Dangers of Silence.
5min Explain the video’s connection to
the lesson and ask the students to
briefly respond to the video.
10min Short PowerPoint presentation and
guided full class discussion of good
discussion techniques with a quick
review of theme.
10min Explain the small group discussion
activity and ask students to read the
short articles related to the theme of
“standing up against injustice.”
16min Facilitate small group discussions
and reinforce good discussion
techniques.
5min Explain the link to our upcoming
full class novel, Wolf Hollow.
Students will watch and listen
carefully.
Students will listen and volunteer
Students will follow along and will
volunteer to answer questions/ add to
the discussion.
Students will listen and read the articles
silently after getting into 6 groups of 4.
Students will engage in discussion
while applying good discussion
techniques. They will then choose a
group member to share some of their
main ideas with the class.
Students will listen.

Diversity Plan:

Student Characteristic Method/Strategy/Activity

ADD/ADHD Students get a chance to talk in several
different formats and engage with different
modes of text.
Gifted Students will be challenged to volunteer in
whole class discussion and to lead group
discussion.
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Week 1 Day 2

Topic: Close Reading Techniques and Practice

Content Overview: This lesson introduces the close reading techniques of identifying a text’s
important contextual information, noticing important details, and identifying themes. It will also
include practicing these techniques.

SOL’s: 7th grade class, English Language Arts

7.5a Describe the elements of narrative structure including setting, character development,
plot, theme, and conflict and how they influence each other.

7.5b Identify and explain the theme(s).

Instructional Objectives:

a. Every student will understand that context is important for the comprehension of
any historical text(understanding).
b. Every student will know to look for key components of setting, speaker, and
character when engaging with a text(remembering).
c. Every student will be able to identify central theme(s) of a text(applying).

Assessment Plan:

Objectives (UKD’s) Assessments: Formative and Summative

a Formative: Guided discussion and exit ticket.

Summative: Photo caption assignment during week 4 and

writing notebook exercises during the unit.
b Formative: Guided discussion and exit ticket.

Summative: Writing notebook exercises during unit.

c Formative: Guided discussion and exit ticket

Summative: Photo caption group assignment during week 4.

Materials:

 Students need their writing notebook

 Prepared PowerPoint
 Out of context WikiHow images
 Wolf Hollow class set or printouts of the preface
 Smartboard
 Guided note sheet
 Exit ticket survey
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Warm Up/Hook: Class will begin with showing two out-of-context images from WikiHow and
asking students to interpret the images. I will then explain their context to demonstrate how
context is important for comprehension and that this is especially true for literature.

Closure: I will recap important contextual information, key details, and central themes to
prepare my students for reading Wolf Hollow.

Lesson Body and Sequence:

Time Teacher Actions Student Actions

(50min)
5min Show two out-of-context images
from WikiHow and ask students to
interpret the images and write down
their ideas. After a brief sharing
period, explain the image’s in
context to demonstrate how context
is important for comprehension and
that this is especially true for
literature.
10min Provide a PowerPoint presentation
and guided discussion covering
contextual items to identify during
close reading (setting, historical
context, speaker, character
information, theme).
10min Explain the historical context note
taking activity and facilitate the
activity.
5min Read the preface to Wolf Hollow,
touch on the importance of re-
reading a text, and instruct students
on the guidelines for the close
reading activity.
15min Facilitate the close reading activity
and create a master list of elements
on the board using the students’
shared ideas.
5min Recap of the master list of elements
and key historical background.
Students will attempt to interpret the
meaning and purpose of two images.
They will briefly share some answers
and then listen to the teacher’s
explanation and link to the lesson.
Students will listen, take guided notes,
and participate in full class discussion.
Students will move around the room
and take guided notes at different
stations set up around the room
containing images and historical
context concerning Wolf Hollow.
Students will listen closely and follow
directions.
In groups of 4, students will re-read the
preface together and identify as many
specific elements as possible from the
list on the board. They will then share
their ideas with the class and write
down key elements they may have
missed.
Students will listen and double check
notes for completion.
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Diversity Plan:

Student Characteristic Method/Strategy/Activity

ADD/ADHD Students get a chance to work with different
people. Movement is incorporated in the
activities. Different modes of text are used
Gifted Students will be challenged to volunteer in
whole class discussion and to lead group
discussion. During discussion of the
important contextual elements, students will
be challenged to synthesize the information
and make a prediction about the text.

Week 1 Day 3

Topic: Wolf Hollow Theme: Lying/Hiding the Truth and Freewriting Strategies

Content Overview: This lesson delves into the theme of lying/hiding the truth in Wolf Hollow
and uses this theme to introduce freewriting strategies and the writing notebook. The writing
notebook will be used daily during this unit and this lesson will cover guidelines for the
notebook and strategies for journaling/freewriting.

SOL’s: 7th grade class, English Language Arts

7.5b Identify and explain the theme(s).

7.7a Engage in writing as a recursive process.

Instructional Objectives:

a. Every student will understand how the writing notebook will be used in this unit
to enact writing as a recursive process(understanding).
b. Every student will know several strategies for making freewriting more effective
(remembering).
c. Every student will be able to explain multiple elements of a complex literary
theme(applying).

Assessment Plan:

Objectives (UKD’s) Assessments: Formative and Summative

a Formative: guided discussion

Summative: writing notebook exercises during the unit

b Formative: guided discussion and freewriting exercise
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Summative: writing notebook exercises during unit

c Formative: guided discussion and exit ticket

Summative: photo caption group assignment during week 4.

Materials:

 Writing notebooks
 Prepared PowerPoint
 Wolf Hollow class set or printouts of the preface
 Prepared discussion questions
 Smartboard
 Guided note sheet
 Exit ticket question

Warm Up/Hook: Class will begin with revisiting the preface of Wolf Hollow and focusing in on
the theme of lying/hiding the truth.

Closure: Class will end with reading the first two chapters of Wolf Hollow together.

Lesson Body and Sequence:

Time Teacher Actions Student Actions

(50min)
5min Open class playing a section of the Students will listen to the song and
song A Beautiful Lie by Thirty read along in the preface.
Seconds to Mars. Show lyrics on
the board. Introduce the theme of
lying/hiding the truth by briefly
revisiting the preface of Wolf
Hollow and pointing out the theme.
5min Instruct and facilitate small group Students participate in small group
discussion using the song lyrics and discussions in groups of 4-5.
discussion questions: Is it ever ok to
lie? And Is it lying if you hide the
truth? Interject regularly to prompt
conversation.
5min Facilitate a full class discussion Students will have to make a firm
activity of the theme of lying/hiding decision and walk to a side of the room
the truth. Write important based on their decisions. They will
observations on the board and have to defend their position on
provide hypothetical moral dilemas. whether it is ever ok to lie in specific
situations provided by the instructor.
5min Short power point presentation Students will listen closely and take
covering the writing notebook and notes.
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highlighting good freewriting

strategies.
10min Instruct students on the freewriting
activity and participate to model its
importance. The prompt will be:
Write about a time you told a lie and
ended up regretting it.
20min Read the first two chapters of Wolf
Hollow aloud.
Students will free write for 10min in
their writing notebook on the provided
prompt.
Students will listen follow along in
their text.

Diversity Plan:

Student Characteristic Method/Strategy/Activity

ADD/ADHD Students get a chance to work with different
people. Movement is incorporated in the
activities.
Gifted Students will be challenged to volunteer in
whole class discussion and to lead group
discussion.
Low Level Readers Students will have the novel read to them and
may ask for clarification of any difficult
vocabulary.

Week 1 Day 4

Topic: Improving Sentence Variety Using Subordination

Content Overview: This lesson begins with reading chapters 3 and 4 of Wolf Hollow and
pointing out good sentence variety within the text. We will go over using clauses and phrases to
add variety to writing and practice by editing the free write from the previous class.

SOL’s: 7th grade class, English Language Arts

7.7m Use clauses and phrases for sentence variety.

7.7l Expand and embed ideas by using modifiers, standard coordination, and
subordination in complete sentences.

Instructional Objectives:

a. Every student will understand that having good sentence variety will improve
writing(understanding).
 Douglasson 23

b. Every student will know the definitions of independent and dependent

clauses(remembering).
c. Every student will be able to use subordination to combine sentences(applying).

Assessment Plan:

Objectives (UKD’s) Assessments: Formative and Summative

a Formative: guided discussion and future freewriting activities.

Summative: photo caption group assignment

b Formative: guided discussion and identifying clauses in their
editing exercise.

Summative: photo caption group assignment.

c Formative: guided discussion and whole class practice

Summative: photo caption group assignment.

Materials:

 Writing notebooks
 Prepared PowerPoint
 Wolf Hollow class set
 Prepared discussion questions
 Smartboard
 Guided note sheet
 Exit ticket question

Warm Up/Hook: Class will begin with reading chapters 3 & 4 of Wolf Hollow.

Closure: Class will end with reading the first two chapters of Wolf Hollow together.

Lesson Body and Sequence:

Time Teacher Actions Student Actions

(50min)
20min Read chapters 3 and 4 of Wolf
Hollow.
5min Facilitate short whole class
discussion on having good sentence
variety using examples from Wolf
Hollow.
10min Go over PowerPoint notes on
independent and dependent clauses
and use example sentences from
Students will listen and follow along.
Students will listen and participate in
whole class discussion. Volunteers will
point out examples of good sentence
variety that they find.
Students will listen, take notes, and
participate in discussion. Volunteers
 Douglasson 24

Wolf Hollow to demonstrate. Go will attempt to subordinate sentences

over notes on subordinating
sentences, model how it can be
done, and then practice with the
class.
15min Instruct students on the free write
editing activity and help individual
students.
with help from me and their peers.
Students will go back to their free write
from the previous class and attempt to
use subordination to combine
sentences. They will try to create at
least 4 new sentences using
subordination. They will also label the
direct and indirect clauses in each
sentence.

Diversity Plan:

Student Characteristic Method/Strategy/Activity

ADD/ADHD Music will be played in the background
during their independent work to help
students focus.
Gifted Students will be challenged to volunteer to try
and combine sentences during whole class
practice.
Low Level Readers Students will have the novel read to them and
may ask for clarification of any difficult
vocabulary.

Week 1 Day 5

Topic: Wolf Hollow Theme: Having Compassion/Not judging others and Making Inferences
Practice

Content Overview: This lesson begins with a class discussion on good and bad stereotypes and
pointing out examples we have seen in Wolf Hollow so far. We will read the next two chapters
of Wolf Hollow and then briefly discuss the two of the central themes of having compassion and
not judging others. With these themes in mind, we will participate in a free write using elements
from the novel.

SOL’s: 7th grade class, English Language Arts

7.5a Describe the elements of narrative structure including setting, character development,
plot, theme, and conflict and how they influence each other.
7.5b Identify and explain the theme(s).
 Douglasson 25

7.5i Make inferences and draw conclusions based on the text.

Instructional Objectives:

a. Every student will understand that negative stereotypes foster

prejudice(understanding).
b. Every student will know that there are good and bad stereotypes(remembering).
c. Every student will be able to make inferences about character motivation using
details from the text(applying).

Assessment Plan:

Objectives (UKD’s) Assessments: Formative and Summative

a Formative: guided discussion and free write

Summative: photo caption group assignment

b Formative: guided discussion and free write

Summative: photo caption group assignment.

c Formative: guided discussion and free write

Summative: photo caption group assignment.

Materials:

 Writing notebooks
 Prepared PowerPoint
 Wolf Hollow class set
 Prepared discussion questions and examples from the text
 Smartboard

Warm Up/Hook: Class will begin with a challenging question: Is it good to have stereotypes?

Closure: Class will end with recapping full class discussion.

Lesson Body and Sequence:

Time Teacher Actions Student Actions

(50min)
5min Ask students a provoking question Students will answer the discussion
about having stereotypes (explain question and explain their reasoning.
what stereotypes are if needed). They will listen and ask questions
Facilitate whole class discussion.
Explain how although we typically
see stereotypes as bad things, they
 Douglasson 26

can be good and bad (Ex: fearing

snakes because they can be
poisonous and not trusting
strangers).
5min Explain how stereotypes can lead to
prejudice with help from a short
video.
5min Have students reflect on video and
point out potential examples of
stereotypes/subverted stereotypes in
Wolf Hollow focusing on the
characters Betty and Toby.
20min Read chapters 5 and 6 of Wolf
Hollow aloud.
5min Short whole class discussion
introducing the themes of not
judging others and having
compassion for others using
evidence from the text.
10min Facilitate small group discussion and
explain instructions, which will be
posted on the board. Have students
share their findings. Short recap of
lesson.
Students will listen and watch the
video.
Students will comment on the video
and try to point out examples of
stereotypes/subverted stereotypes in
Wolf Hollow.
Students will listen and follow along.
Students will participate in full class
discussion.
Students will discuss why we shouldn’t
be so quick to judge Betty as a
stereotypical bully by making
inferences about her character
motivation from highlighted sections
from the text.

Diversity Plan:

Student Characteristic Method/Strategy/Activity

ADD/ADHD A lot of discussion with very little lecturing.
Use of multimodal text.
Gifted Students will be challenged to volunteer to
share ideas during whole class discussion.
Low Level Readers Students will have the novel read to them and
may ask for clarification of any difficult
vocabulary. Use of multimodal text.

Summative Assessment

Photo Caption Group Activity

Groups of 4-5
 Douglasson 27

Group roles: Photographer, Director, Actors

You will work together in your assigned group to identify a major theme of the text and 4-5 key

moments (1 moment for every group member) where important character development takes

place relating to your chosen theme. You will be assigned roles and will stage photos where the

actors act out those 4-5 key moments. The photographer will be in charge of taking the picture

and the Director will instruct the actors on what to do, making sure to be as accurate to the text

as possible. Each student will write a caption to one of the photos explaining how it shows a

moment where character development takes place and how it relates back to one of the book’s

major themes. Captions must contain least 8 sentences that show variety. Character

development is explained in the caption through addressing cause and effect. Each student is

responsible for presenting a different photo to the class and explaining the caption then they will

clothespin it to the wall. Students will evaluate each other’s participation and contribution to the

group.

Rubric:

Points: 40 Requirements

5pts Your caption contains a variety of complete sentences that show use of

subordination and coordination.

5pts Caption is at least 8 sentences with correct spelling and punctuation.

5pts You have clearly explained the character development using cause and

effect.

5pts Caption reveals a clear understanding of the chosen theme.

 Douglasson 28

10pts Presentation (good volume, pacing, and clarity)

10pts Group work (Graded through self and peer evaluation)

Element 6: Reflection

I believe I have come a long way this semester in terms of confidence and knowledge of

pedagogical concepts. I have always had a lot of anxiety about becoming a teacher and I tend to

second guess myself at every step of the way. Being able to take methods and ideas from class

and implement them in my practicum and peer teaching experiences has really helped me grow

as a future educator. Planning is probably my biggest source of anxiety and working on this unit

plan has both increased my confidence and scared me to death. Picturing all the different factors

that go into a unit plan is very overwhelming; however, I often find myself naturally synthesizing

different pedagogical concepts into a single activity and that is reassuring. I need to stop

worrying about what I might be missing and focus on how to make the most out of what is

already working.

One of my biggest weaknesses is being unfamiliar with educational technology resources.

I don’t have a problem with using digital resources, but I need to start familiarizing myself with

software like the one that allows you to take quick exit ticket surveys and the one that lets you

make mock social media posts. I thought of several points within my lesson where I could have

used those but I decided I didn’t have the time. I need to take the time over the summer to

explore different tech resources before my next semester of practicum.

While working on this unit I noticed that I have developed some good teaching instincts

this semester that I did not have two semesters ago during 370. I found myself scaffolding my

lessons and my unit without thinking about it too explicitly. When developing activities and
 Douglasson 29

discussions, I pictured how my current practicum students would engage with them and that

helped me gage whether I needed to simplify or make something more challenging. Instead of

thinking about a faceless student with ADHD, I was able to picture actual students who struggle

with paying attention. Instead of imagining how “gifted” learners would respond to a lesson, I

was able to picture how actual students would need to be challenged. I did not hesitate to add

whole class and group discussions to my lessons because I know I can facilitate them effectively

thanks to my practicum experience. The more experience I get and the more students I work

with, the easier this becomes.

I think one of the biggest advances I have made this semester is my confidence about

teaching grammar. I absolutely loved Mechanically Inclined. It taught me how naturally and

effectively grammar can be taught using reading and writing. Centering learning on reading and

writing makes every topic far more impactful and relevant. I found myself adapting the methods

described in that text for every instance of merging reading and writing in my unit plan. I love

the idea of beginning with mentor texts and using writing activities as much as possible.

Timing is a big concern of mine moving forward. I struggled a lot with timing my

lessons and fitting all I wanted to cover in only 50min. I also need to give myself more time to

plan and learn to pace myself better while planning. I have been working non-stop (besides

studying and going to my Spanish exam this morning) for several days and I should be done with

this by now.
 Douglasson 30

References:

Florida student Emma Gonzalez to lawmakers and gun advocates: 'We call BS'. (2018, February

18). Retrieved May 1, 2018, from https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/17/us/florida-student-

emma-gonzalez-speech/index.html

Leto, J. (2005, August 30). Thirty Seconds to Mars – A Beautiful Lie. Retrieved May 1, 2018,

from https://genius.com/Thirty-seconds-to-mars-a-beautiful-lie-lyrics

O’Donnell-Allen, C. (2011). Tough talk, tough texts: teaching English to change the world.

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Profile: Malala Yousafzai. (2017, August 17). Retrieved May 1, 2018, from

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-23241937

Smith, C. (2014, July). The Danger of Silence. Retrieved April 10, 2018, from

https://www.ted.com/talks/clint_smith_the_danger_of_silence/transcript

Stereotypes, Prejudice & Discrimination. (2014, November 11). Retrieved May 1, 2018, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewE2K8A7Ddw

United States, Board of Education Commonwealth of Virginia, Richmond, VA. (2017). English

standards of learning for virginia public schools. Retrieved January 30, 2018, from

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/english/index.shtml

Wolk, L. (2016). Wolf Hollow: A Novel. New York, NY: Dutton Children's Books.