Course
Profile English, Grade 9
academic, Public
Unit 1
Course Profiles are professional development materials designed to help teachers implement the new Grade 9 secondary school curriculum. These materials were created by writing partnerships of school boards and subject associations. The development of these resources was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training. This document reflects the views of the developers and not necessarily those of the Ministry. Permission is given to reproduce these materials for any purpose except profit. Teachers are also encouraged to amend, revise, edit, cut, paste, and otherwise adapt this material for educational purposes.
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to particular commercial resources, learning materials, equipment or technology
reflect only the opinion of the writers of this sample course profile and do
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production of the document.
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Acknowledgements
Lead Board Upper Grand District School Board
Director: Martha Rogers
Superintendent of Education: Dave Euale
Project Leader Linda May Bell
Course Profile Writing Team
Linda May Bell, Arthur DHS,
Upper Grand DSB Joanne
Bridgeman, Bradford DHS, Simcoe DSB
Laura Cannon-Sherlock, Grey
Highlands SS, Bluewater DSB Patti
Collins, College Heights SS, Upper Grand DSB
Karen Fraser, J. D. Hogarth
PS, Upper Grand DSB Larry
Hincks, Grey Highlands SS, Bluewater DSB
Phil Midgley, Pauline Johnson
CVS, Grand Erie DSB Peggy
Raeburn-Bell, Georgian Bay SS, Bluewater DSB
Wilf Smyth, Stratford Central
SS, Avon Maitland DSB Judy
Stormes, Norwell DSS, Upper Grand DSB
Ann Varty, Program
Department, Trillium Lakelands DSB Ian
Waldron, North Toronto CI, Toronto DSB
Margaret Young, Westmount SS,
Hamilton-Wentworth DSB
Feedback Team
Pamela Brown-Wass, J. F. Ross
CVI, Upper Grand DSB Marilyn
Crooks, J. D. Hogarth PS, Upper Grand DSB
Kate Dodsworth, Arthur DHS,
Upper Grand DSB Catherine
Eagles, Pauline Johnson CVS, Grand Erie DSB
Jane Enticknap, Pauline
Johnson CVS, Grand Erie DSB Laura
Espinoza, University of Waterloo, student
Dianne Fenner, Toronto DSB Janet
Franklin, Pauline Johnson CVS, Grand Erie DSB
Nancy Fulton, Centre
Wellington DHS, Upper Grand DSB Leslie
Harrison, St. Mary’s DCVI, Avon Maitland DSB
Judith Hunter, Toronto DSB Clair
Keodprom, Brantford CI&VS, Grand Erie DSB
Amanda Leathem, Elora PS,
Upper Grand DSB Carol
Leis, John F. Ross CVI, Upper Grand DSB
Gillda Leitenberg, Toronto
DSB Robert
Lyon, Canadian Forces
Troy Maracle, Moira SS,
Hastings/Prince Edward DSB Mark
McKechnie, Lasalle SS, Limestone DSB
Betty Mick, Centre Wellington
DHS, Upper Grand DSB Scott
Montgomery, Arthur PS, Upper Grand DSB
Lynda Noppe, Westside SS,
Upper Grand DSB Beth
Paterson, Arthur DHS, Upper Grand DSB
Paola Rowe, Silvercreek
Education Centre, Upper Grand DSB Doreen
Smith, Arthur, parent
Amanda St. Jean, J. F. Ross
CVI, Upper Grand DSB Michael
Stubitsch, Toronto DSB
Sherri Van Sickle, Pauline
Johnson CVS, Grand Erie DSB Philip
Vousden, Mitchell DHS, Avon Maitland DSB
Christine Walker-Bird, Centre
Hastings SS, Hastings/PE DSB Jim
Wibberley, Brantford CI&VS, Grand Erie DSB
Assistants
Geoff Burchill, Arthur Barbara
Fatt-Merilees, Upper Grand DSB
Beth Smeltzer, Rockwood
Unit #1: Narrative Forms and Voices
Activity 1 | Activity
2 | Activity 3 | Activity 4 | Activity 5 | Activity 6 | Activity
7 | Activity 8
Time: 25 hours
Unit
Developers: Linda May Bell, Laura Cannon-Sherlock, Karen Fraser, Larry
Hincks,
Peggy Raeburn-Bell, Wilf Smith,
Margaret Young
Development
Date February – April 1999
Unit
Description
The students will develop an understanding of the conventions of narrative literature and language. The students will read and study a range of short narratives, including short stories, novellas, narrative poetry, myths, legends, short animated films, and short feature films. The students will use their knowledge of the elements of narrative, such as plot, character, setting, conflict, theme, and atmosphere, to understand and interpret narrative texts. The students will record their thoughts, ideas, and feelings in a variety of personal and interactive responses, and will create and share their own narratives. The students will write descriptive and expository paragraphs, thus providing a foundation for writing the five-paragraph essay. On-going personal reading and writing are essential for students to develop mature communication skills.
Strands and
Expectations
Strands: Literature Studies and
Reading, Writing, Language, and Media Studies
Overall Expectations: LIV.01D, LIV.02D, LIV.03B,
WRV.02D, WRV.03D, WRV.05B, LGV.01D, LGV.02B, MDV.01D, MDV.02D
Specific Expectations: LI1.02D, LI1.02B, LI1.03B,
LI1.05D, LI1.06B, LI2.01D, LI2.02D, LI3.02D; WR2.02D, WR3.01D, WR3.02D,
WR3.05D, WR4.02B, WR5.04B, WR5.05D, WR5.06D, WR5.07B, WR5.08B, WR5.09B,
WR5.10B, WR5.11B, WR5.14B, WR5.15B, WR5.16B; LG1.01B, LG1.02B, LG1.05D,
LG1.07B, LG2.02D, LG2.07D; MD1.02D, MD2.01D.
Activity
Titles
|
Activity 1 |
Introduction to Narrative
Form |
225 minutes |
|
Activity 2 |
The Structure of Narrative
Fiction |
225 minutes |
|
Activity 3 |
Setting and Mood: “It was a
dark and stormy night...” |
150 minutes |
|
Activity 4 |
Narrative Point of View |
225 minutes |
|
Activity 5 |
Characterization: A
Blueprint for Character |
150 minutes |
|
Activity 6 |
Themes in Narrative
Fiction |
150 minutes |
|
Activity 7 |
The Whole Picture |
75 minutes |
|
Activity 8 |
Create Your Own Narrative |
300 minutes |
Unit Planning
Notes
The teacher needs to develop
a collection of short narratives, such as ballads, media works, music videos, and
short films. The teacher-librarian will
prove invaluable as a co-planner and co-developer of this unit.
Prior
Knowledge Required
The Ontario Curriculum
Grades 1–8: Language outlines the principles of Response Journals and co- operative
learning principles, and an understanding of print and electronic thesauri and
dictionaries.
Teaching/Learning
Strategies
Because students learn in a
variety of ways, teachers must accommodate various learning styles in their
teaching. For the academic level student,
approaches should be more abstract than concrete. Students must be given the
opportunity to work independently, with partners, in small groups, and with the
whole class. There should be a range of activities to provide students with
optimal opportunities to develop their language skills. The traditional
practices of teacher lecture or instruction, the Socratic lesson, and whole
class discussion should be complemented with opportunities for brainstorming,
experimenting, discussing, debating, interviewing, researching, writing, role
playing, dramatizing, designing, and constructing. In the English classroom, the use of personal and interactive
Response Journals should play an important part of helping students to identify
and develop their ideas for writing and discussion and their awareness of their
own learning.
Assessment/Evaluation
Teachers must develop and
utilize a full repertoire of evaluative tools and strategies, including
checklists, rubrics, exemplars, criteria-referenced tests, quizzes, examinations,
portfolios, collections, performance-based tasks, and assignments, in order to
measure the students’ achievements against the course expectations.
Both formative and summative
evaluation must be used to enhance student learning and to ensure fair
evaluation. All evaluation procedures must include opportunities for learning.
Students must be given opportunities for peer- and self-evaluation, and for the
design of evaluation criteria.
Accommodations in assessment
are necessary to ensure that the assessment accurately measures student
learning. Accommodations are appropriate for exceptional pupils and students
for whom English is a second language. Assessment tools and strategies should
reflect a sensitivity to the cultural diversity within the English classroom.
Resources
National Film Board of
Canada, C.B.C., TVO web site, Clio Awards
Barry, J. (Ed.) Coast to
Coast Stories, Poetry, Non-fiction and Drama. Toronto: Nelson Canada, 1995. ISBN 0-17-604-704-2
Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Don Mills: Oxford
University Press, 1999. ISBN 0-19-541120-X
Geddes, G. (Ed.) Art of
Short Fiction. Toronto: Addison Wesley Longman, 1993.
ISBN 0-00-647424-1
Moss, D., and T. Goldie.
(Eds.) An Anthology of Canadian Native Literature in English. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1992.
Perreault, J., and S. Vance.
(Eds.) Writing the Circle/Native Women of Western Canada. Edmonton:
Newest Publishers Ltd., 1993. ISBN
0-920897-882
Transparencies for Writing:
Literature: The English Tradition. Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall,
1991. ISBN 0-13-981929-0
Activity #1: Introduction to Narrative Form
Time: 225 minutes
Description
This introductory activity
is a diagnostic tool to assess students’ prior knowledge of the narrative form.
Information from this activity will enable the teacher to determine the focus
of activities in this unit and individual student’s needs for remediation,
consolidation, and/or enrichment. The students will enhance their appreciation
of the narrative by examining its historical origins and critically assessing
its purpose and relevance.
Strands and
Expectations
Strands: Literature Studies and Reading,
Writing, and Language
Overall Expectations:
At the end of Grade 9
students will:
• L1V.03B - identify and explain the effect of
specific elements of style in a variety of literary and informational texts;
• LGV.02B - use listening techniques and oral
communication skills to participate in classroom discussions and more formal
activities, such as storytelling, role playing, and reporting/presenting
information for specific purposes and audiences.
Specific Expectations:
Students will:
• LI1.02D - select and read texts for
different purposes, with an emphasis on recognizing the
elements
of the literary genres and the organization of informational materials,
collecting
and
assessing information, responding imaginatively, and exploring human
experiences and
values;
• LI2.02D - use elements of the short story,
such as plot, characterization, setting, conflict,
theme,
mood, and point of view to understand and interpret examples of the genre;
• LI1.05D - analyze information, ideas, and
elements in texts to make inferences about
meaning;
• WR3.05D - structure expository paragraphs using
a topic sentence, supporting sentences to
develop
the topic, connecting words to link the sentences, and a concluding sentence;
• LG2.02D - communicate in group discussions
by sharing the duties of the group, speaking in
turn,
listening actively, paraphrasing key points made by others, exchanging and
challenging
ideas
and information, asking appropriate questions, reconsidering their own ideas
and
opinions,
managing conflict, and respecting the opinion of others; *
• LG2.07D - analyze their own and others’ oral
presentations to identify strengths and
weaknesses,
and plan ways to improve their performance.
Planning Notes
• The teacher will determine parameters for
classroom management and course expectations.
• Teachers and students will collect stories
that reflect the diversity of Ontario’s students for the reading collection.
• Teachers will provide an organizer chart
that includes the following elements: plot, characterization, setting,
conflict, theme, mood, and point of
view.
|
Plot |
Characterization |
Setting |
Conflict |
Theme |
Mood |
Point of View |
Prior
Knowledge Required
• The students will have met expectations as
outlined in The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1–8: Language.
• The students will have an understanding of
and experience with co-operative learning.
Teaching/Learning
Strategies
1. At the outset of this unit, the teacher will clearly establish parameters regarding classroom
management and course expectations (e.g., policies regarding late assignments,
attendance procedures, resources or materials for class, the course outline,
assessment and evaluation practices, personal Response Journals, learning logs,
writing portfolios, notebooks, and other departmental policies).
2. As a means of initiating class discussion
about this unit, sketch a mind map on the board with the word “narrative” as
the focus. Then ask students to respond to the question: What is a narrative? Responses may include a short story, a
legend, a myth, a ballad, a novella, an operetta, and/or a stained glass
window. The students should have the opportunity to respond to and express
their ideas constructively, building on the ideas of others. This initial
discussion may be used as a means of
establishing the courtesies for class discussion (i.e., the need for a
supportive atmosphere, attentive listening, constructive interaction, tact and
diplomacy, and the need to support responses appropriately).
3. In order to establish a definition of
“narrative,” the teacher will ask the students to refer to the mind map and
respond to the following questions: What conclusions can be drawn about what is
a “narrative“? What ideas justify these conclusions? What is the relationship
between these different forms of narrative? Using their responses to the
questions, the teacher will guide the class to write a definition of narrative.
The teacher needs to remind the class that definitions are constantly evolving;
therefore, literary critics’ definitions of narrative may also vary.
4. How did the short narrative form evolve?
Discuss how stories reflect our human experience. How do they depict human
nature? Why have stories been passed down in oral and written traditions? To
stimulate students to make a connection between their definition of the
narrative and the collective human experience, ask students to respond in their
Response Journals to the quotation “Today we live, but by tomorrow, today will
be a story. The whole world, all human life, is one long story.” (Isaac Bashevis
Singer)
5. So that the students will have an opportunity
to enhance their understanding of the narrative form, the teacher will provide
a rich, diverse collection of stories for students’ daily reading. Teachers and
students will add stories that reflect the diversity of Ontario’s students for
the Reading Collection.
6. The students will listen to a short story,
review briefly the definitions of the narrative elements, then complete the
elements of the story organizer. The students will create a glossary of
literary terms, either in their notebooks or on disk, which will be developed
during the course. The first entry will be a definition of the term
“narrative."
7. The teacher will explain the principles of
group work: how each student must be an active participant; how to express and
listen to ideas within a group; how to deal with conflict within a group; how
to organize and prepare material for presentation. The students will be given a
group evaluation check list, and the teacher will explain the specific criteria
for peer evaluation, answering any questions that may be raised. This modelling
of evaluation is the first step towards teaching students how to establish
objectives and assessment procedures.
8. The teacher will organize the students into
groups of three, giving each group a story and an organizer. All students will read the story silently,
then complete the organizer co-operatively.
9. Members of each group will read their story
aloud, act it out for the class, or present it in a series of tableaux. They
will submit a completed organizer for teacher evaluation.
10. The class will briefly discuss each group’s
presentation and organizer.
11. Using a group-evaluation check list, group
members will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their presentation, and
how effectively the group members worked together.
12. The teacher will explain to the students that
the following activity is a diagnostic activity to help focus their unit of
study on narrative structure.
13. Each student will select a story from the
Reading Collection and complete an organizer. The student will independently
write a paragraph summarizing the story, indicating what the story reveals
about the human experience and where the story fits in literary history. This
will be submitted for teacher evaluation. Students will need to review the
components of the expository paragraph (i.e., a topic sentence, supporting
sentences to develop the topic, connecting words to link the sentences, and a concluding
sentence).
Assessment/Evaluation
1. Formative: -
teacher’s observation notes on class participation
- peer group-work evaluation
check list (LG2.02D)
2 Diagnostic: - knowledge of
narrative elements from the initial exercise using the story
organizer
- assessment of writing
skills based on paragraph
- assessment of group’s
completed story organizers
Resources
Appleford, D. (Ed.) SF:
Inventing the Future. Agincourt: Books Society of Canada, 1972.
ISBN 0-7725-5065-4
Barton, B., and D. Booth. Stories
in the Classroom: Storytelling, Reading Aloud and Roleplaying with
Children. Markham: Pembroke
Publishers, 1990. ISBN 0-435-08527-1
Bemister, M. Thirty
Indian Legends of Canada. Vancouver: J.J. Douglas, 1973. ISBN 0-88894-025-4
Booth, D., and C.
Thornley-Hall. (Eds.) Classroom Talk. Markham: Pembroke, 1991.
ISBN 0-435-09596-4
Ellsworth, B., and A.
Keller. (Eds.) English Simplified Canadian. Toronto: Addison Wesley
Longman,
1996. ISBN 0-673-99962-9
Fisher, D., and S. Jeroski. Voices 1: Contemporary Short Fiction.
Toronto: Oxford University Press,
1993. ISBN 0-19-540887-X
Fisher, D., and S.
Jeroski. Voices 2: Contemporary
Short Fiction. Toronto: Oxford University Press,
1993. ISBN 0-19-540888-8
Gordon, J. Fiction: The
Elements of the Short Story. Illinois: National Textbook Co., 1999.
ISBN 0-8442-5991-8
Hargreaves, H. North By
Two Thousand: A Collection of Canadian Science Fiction. Toronto: Peter
Martin, 1975.
Hayakawa, S. Language In
Thought and Action. 3rd ed. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Inc.,
1972. ISBN 0-15-550118-6
Hill, K. Glooscap and His
Magic: Legends of the Wabanaki Indians. Toronto: McLelland and Stewart,
1973. ISBN
0-89845-479-4
Kooy, M. (Ed.) Reading
Response Logs. Markham: Pembroke, 1996. ISBN 0-435-07208-0
Moss, S. (Ed.)
The World’s Shortest Stories. Santa Barbara, CA: Fithian
Press,1995.
ISBN 1-880284-11-1
Norton, S., and B. Green. The
Bare Essentials, Form A. Canada: Harcourt Brace and Co., 1996.
ISBN 0-7747-3361-6
Roman, T. (Ed.) Voices Under One Sky: Contemporary Native
Literature: Reflections and
Fiction & Non-Fiction. Scarborough: International
Thomson Publishing Nelson Canada, 1994.
ISBN 0-89594-720-X
School Achievement
Indicators Program: Report on Reading and Writing Assessment
1998. Toronto: Council of
Ministers of Education, Canada, 1999. ISBN 0-88987-116-7
Tesenga, S., and M. Bell. Character,
Plot, and Setting: Contemporary English Modules. Morriston,
NJ: Silver Burdett, General Learning Corp.,
1975.
Web Sites
http://www.teachers.net
http://www.lessonstop.org
http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/classroom/
Accommodations
1. The teacher could pair
successful students as peer mentors to assist those needing remediation and
consolidation of skills and to assist
with reading/writing tasks.
2. Using a variety of multicultural stories will assist students for whom English is a
second language.
3. The teacher could provide an audio recording
of the story provided by a parent or community volunteer, or the story could be
read in choral reading fashion to role-model pronunciation and pace for
students for whom English is a second language.
4. A diagnostic check for knowledge and
understanding of content would be appropriate for students for whom English is
a second language or who are language impaired.
5. The teacher and student could provide a
variety of short stories at various reading levels for the Reading Collection
to accommodate exceptional pupils and students for whom English is not the
first language.
Activity
#2: The Structure of Narrative Fiction
Time: 225 minutes
Description
The students will review the
structure of narrative plot and the following literary terms: introduction,
inciting incident, conflict, crisis/es, climax, dénouement, and resolution. Students
will apply this structure to a variety of narrative forms. Students will
recognize that plot structures vary and that these variations represent the
diversity of human existence.
Strands and
Expectations
Strands: Literature Studies and
Reading, Writing, Language, and Media Studies
Overall Expectations:
At the end of Grade 9, students will:
• LGV.01D
- use knowledge of vocabulary and language conventions to speak, write, and
read competently using a level of language appropriate to the purpose and
audience;
• LGV.02B
- use listening techniques and oral communication skills to participate in
classroom discussions.
Specific Expectations:
Students will:
• LI1.O6D
- use specific evidence from a text to support opinions and judgements;
• LI2.02D
- use knowledge of elements of the short story, such as plot, characterization,
setting, conflict, theme, mood, and point of view, to understand and interpret
examples of the genre; *
• WR5.04B
- edit and proofread their own and others’ writing, identifying and correcting
errors according to the requirements for grammar, usage, spelling, and
punctuation;
• WR5.08B
- make compound subjects agree with verbs in simple and compound sentences;
• WR5.15B
- use punctuation correctly;
• LG2.07D
- analyze their own and others’ oral presentations to identify strengths and
weaknesses;
• MD2.01D
- adapt a work of literature to another media form and determine what aspects
have been strengthened and/or weakened by the adaptation.
Planning Notes
• The teacher will need to develop, in
co-operation with students and the teacher-librarian, a collection of several
short stories which includes a variety of plot structures.
• This activity may be enriched by making
cross-curricular links with teachers from other subject areas.
Prior
Knowledge Required
• The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1–8:
Language.
Teaching/Learning
Strategies
1. In order for students to analyze and evaluate
the effectiveness of plot structure, the teacher will present a short story and
pose the following questions: Does the plot have unity? Is there a sequence to
the action? What are the conflicts? Are the conflicts subtle or complex? Is the
conflict physical, intellectual, or moral? What incidents are used to initiate,
complicate, or resolve the story? Is suspense aroused? Is suspense a result of
the conflict and complication? Where is the climax? What type of ending has the
writer used? How effective is the plot structure?
2. The students will review the literary terms
introduction, inciting incident, conflict, crisis/es, climax, dénouement, and
resolution, adding any unfamiliar terms to their print or electronic glossary
of literary terms.
3. The teacher will introduce the concept of
plot variations. How do writers change the structure of a story and still have
it make sense? In a whole class
discussion, students will be encouraged to describe stories, television
episodes, and film treatments that represent a variety of plotline structures.
For example: Star Wars is open-ended
because it leaves the door open for a sequel; ER depends on multi- climaxes to mirror the intensity of an
emergency ward; flashbacks demonstrate how the decisions and actions of a
character have repercussions on later plot developments, as in many soap operas
or in Star Wars: Episode 1; Choose Your Own Adventure series
books demonstrate multiple endings; Titanic
would not have been as popular if Jack had survived in the typical “they lived
happily ever after” mode. A blackboard or overhead chart will be developed and
the teacher will consolidate the lesson by helping students define the four
alternative narrative structures: flashback, open-ended, multiple climaxes, and
multiple endings. These structures,
with definitions and appropriate examples, will be added to students’
glossaries. How are these different plot structures effective? Assess the
merits of each plot structure.
4. The teacher will organize students into
groups and give each group a visual stimulus, a genre (i.e., legend, myth,
mystery, horror, action-adventure, romance, etc.), and a card identifying one
of the plot structures. Each group will
create a story based on this information.
The group will use a progressive storywriting technique (i.e., each
student within the group writes four to five lines based on the previous
student’s four to five lines, until each group member has contributed to the
story).
5. Each group will rehearse and then tell its
story to the class. The class will assess the strengths and weaknesses of each
of the plot structures. In their Response Journals, students will assess the
merits of the plot structure they were assigned, and reflect upon the varying
plot structures and how they parallel the diversity of our human existence.
6. Each student will select a story from the Reading
Collection. In a paragraph, students will use specific examples from the story
to analyze the writer’s use of conflict, complication, and suspense. What plot
structure has the writer used and why? Is the resolution effective and why?
7. The students will revise their work carefully
before submitting. They will recognize and correct sentence errors and use
punctuation correctly.
8. Extension: The students might establish an
Editing Workshop, assigning each member of the group responsibility for one aspect
of editing (e.g., paragraph structure, use of vivid examples, grammar,
spelling, punctuation) so that each student’s paragraph is edited several
times.
9. Extension: The students could apply the
techniques of plot variation to a commercial, music video, or a short film, and
reflect on the adjustments and adaptations needed.
Assessment/Evaluation
1. Formative: -
informal teacher observation of group dynamics and tracking sheets
- Response Journal evaluation
- peer evaluation of group participation
2. Summative: -
students’ paragraphs (LI2.02D)
Resources
National Film Board of
Canada catalogue for short feature films
CBC web site, TVO web site,
Clio Awards for international commercials
Hays, M., P. Joong and J.
Shallhorn. Grass Roots II. Toronto: OSSTF, 1993.
Moses, D., and T.
Goldie. (Ed.) An Anthology of Canadian Native Literature in English.
Toronto:
Oxford University Press, 1998.
ISBN 0-19-541282-6
Midwood, D., K. O’Connor,
and M. Simpson. Assess for Success. Toronto: OSSTF, 1993.
Videos: Clue (multiple endings).
Accommodations
1. Students who have difficulty with handwriting
or time management might tape record their analyses.
2. Storyboards and cartoons could be used for
those students who have difficulties with sequencing and for those students new
to the English language.
Activity #3: Setting and Mood: “It was a dark and stormy night...”
Time: 150 minutes
Description
This activity will review
the literary terms “setting” and “mood” and will teach vocabulary to help
students identify and describe mood. It will review the steps of the writing
process and of paragraph structure. The students will write a descriptive paragraph
and will review the following parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and
adverbs.
Strands and
Expectations
Strands: Literature Studies and Reading, Writing, Language, and Media
Studies
Overall Expectations:
At the end of Grade 9,
students will:
• WRV.02D - identify the
literary forms suited to various purposes and audiences and use the forms
appropriately in their own writing with an emphasis on supporting opinion;
• MDV.01D
- use knowledge of the elements, intended audience, and production practices of
a variety of media forms to analyze specific media works.
Specific Expectations:
Students will:
• LI2.01D
- use knowledge of elements of drama, such as plot and subplot, character
portrayal, conflict, dramatic structure, dramatic purpose, dramatic irony,
dialogue, and stage directions, to understand and interpret examples of the
genre;
• LI3.02D
- explain how authors use stylistic devices to achieve particular effects in
their writing;
• WR3.01D
- use a unifying image, mood, or voice to structure descriptive paragraphs or
poems;
• WR5.14B
- use a variety of resources to correct errors in spelling;
• WR5.05D
- use parts of speech correctly;
• WR5.11B
- use knowledge of a wide range of spelling patterns and rules to identify,
analyze, and correct spelling errors;
• LG1.01B
- describe strategies to expand vocabulary;
• LG1.05D
- recognize, describe, and use correctly, in oral and written language, the
language structures of standard Canadian English and its conventions of grammar
and usage;
• MD1.02D
- identify how elements of media forms are used in a variety of media works and
explain the effects of different treatments. *
Planning Notes
• The teacher and students will collect short
video clips with contrasting settings (e.g., dark, stormy night vs. serene,
sunny day) and generate a list of words to describe mood.
• As preparation for writing the descriptive
paragraph, the teacher will need to organize a work sheet on nouns, verbs, adjectives,
and adverbs, several models of descriptive paragraphs, and pictures/video
clips/music to stimulate creative ideas.
Prior
Knowledge Required
• The students will require a basic knowledge
of setting and mood, of nouns, verbs,
adjectives, and adverbs, and of the writing process and the structure of the
paragraph.
• The students will know how to use a
dictionary and thesaurus, both print and electronic.
Teaching/Learning
Strategies
1. The teacher will introduce the terms “setting” and “mood” through
short contrasting video clips. The students will add these terms to their
glossaries, located either in their notebooks or on a disk. The teacher may
wish to include an activity encouraging students to predict what they think
will happen next in the videos based on what they have already gleaned from the
setting and mood.
2. The class will generate a vocabulary list
of “mood” words (e.g., grim, ominous,
foreboding, calming, soothing, tranquil) using dictionaries and thesauri
(electronic where possible) and apply the appropriate terms to the video clips.
3. The teacher will divide the class into pairs.
Each pair of students will be given a visual stimulus and will decide what
impression the stimulus evokes. Each pair will brainstorm a list of words that
would describe the setting and mood, then collaboratively write a descriptive
paragraph which they will share with the class.
4. The teacher will distribute models of
paragraphs describing settings, and the class will explore the methods that the
authors have used to evoke mood; in particular, they will note the use of
evocative nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. The teacher will also review
the requisite steps of the writing process, plan, draft, revise and edit, and
publish.
5. A prepared worksheet on nouns, verbs,
adjectives, and adverbs will be completed to ensure that students can discern
these four parts of speech. The teacher should select an entertaining or
interesting paragraph (e.g., a review of a popular movie, a humorous
descriptive paragraph) in which students identify the four parts of speech.
6. After examining model paragraphs and
reviewing paragraph structure, students will write descriptive paragraphs using
visual or auditory stimuli. They will use the steps of the writing process.
7. In their Response Journals, students will
justify the methods they chose to
reveal setting and evoke mood.
8. Extension: The students might describe the
sound effects for the beginning of a silent film, and outline the mood they are
trying to create.
Assessment/Evaluation
1. Formative: - teacher
observation tracking sheet (MD1.02D)
- vocabulary lists
- Response Journals
2. Summative: -
rubric for writing, including the writing process
- completed vocabulary list
- quiz on parts of speech
Resources
Chapman, M. (Ed.) Windows
and Mirrors: Short Stories. Scarborough, Prentice Hall, 1987.
ISBN 0-13-960444-8
Pratt, L. Grammar: Step-By-Step.
Illinois: National Textbook Co., 1985.
ISBN 0-8442-5490-8
Sebranek, P. Writers Inc.
Wisconsin: Write Source, 1992. ISBN
0-939045-78-8
dictionaries and thesauri,
both electronic and in print
National Film Board of
Canada catalogue
teacher-created word lists
picture folios
computer lab
http://www.edsitement.neh.fed.us/guides/g_intro2.htm
Accommodations
1. A peer mentor or community/parent volunteer
might scribe the written work for students with difficulty with handwriting or
language.
2. Augmentative communication devices might be
used for students with communication exceptionalities.
3. The teacher could emphasize the development
and understanding of vocabulary studied for students for whom English is a
second language.
4. The teacher could use simpler descriptions
and reading passages as role models or reinforcements of skills.
Activity
#4: Narrative Point of View
Time: 225 minutes
Description
In this activity, students
will review pronouns and their correct use in order to prepare for the study of
narrative point of view. The teacher will introduce the literary terms related
to point of view, first person and third person, in preparation for an analysis
of narrative point of view and students’ application of the narrative point of
view to their own writing and reading.
Strands and
Expectations
Strands: Literature Studies and Reading, Writing,
Language, and Media Studies
Overall Expectations:
At the end of Grade 9, students will:
• WRV.03D
- use a variety of organizational techniques to present ideas and supporting
details logically and coherently in written work;
• LGV.01D
- use knowledge of vocabulary and language conventions to speak, write, and
read competently using a level of language appropriate to the purpose and
audience;
• LGV.02B
- use listening techniques and oral communication skills to participate in
classroom discussions.
Specific Expectations:
Students will:
• LI1.02D
- select and read texts for different purposes, with an emphasis on recognizing
the elements of literary genre;
• LI1.03B
- describe a variety of reading strategies and select and use them effectively;
• WR2.02D
- select third or first person and an appropriate level of language to suit the
form, purpose, and audience of the work; *
• WR3.02D
- use changes in time, place, speaker, or point of view to structure narrative
paragraphs;
• WR5.07B
- identify and correct sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and comma splices;
• WR5.09B
- make pronouns agree with their antecedents;
• WR5.10B
- use consistent and appropriate verb tense and voice for clarity in narrative
and expository writing;
Planning Notes
• The teacher will need to collect short
narrative works (e.g., brief short stories, fairy tales, myths, narrative
ballads) which include the narrative points of view identified in this
activity.
• The teacher will need to prepare worksheets
on the correct use of pronouns.
Prior
Knowledge Required
• The students will be familiar with pronouns
and the function of pronouns and with the terms first and third person from The
Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8: Language.
• The students will know the expectations for
co-operative learning.
Teaching/Learning
Strategies
1. For the students to understand that the
writer’s decision regarding who tells the story affects the style of the story,
the teacher will introduce short narrative works written from different points
of view. The class will discuss how in a first-person narrative, the narrator speaks
as “I” and is a character in the story (for example, Scout in To Kill a
Mockingbird); and in a third-person narrative, the narrator is someone
outside the story who refers to the characters either as he, she, they, or by
their proper names (for example, the outside storyteller in To Catch a
Killer).
2. The teacher will review the correct use of
pronouns, focusing on person and case in order to consolidate learning. The worksheet could be in the form of a
re-written, error-riddled narrative text that students will enjoy reading.
3. Working in pairs, students will select a
story from the Reading Collection and, using the following questions as a
guide, will critically examine how the writer’s choice of point of view affects
the story. What point of view does the writer use? Is the view consistent? What
are the advantages and disadvantages of the writer’s choice? Does the narrator
have a bias? Is this bias positive or negative? Is the narrator trustworthy? How does the writer’s choice of
point of view influence the choice of diction, and ultimately what does it
reveal about the action, the
characters, the theme, and the ideas of the story? The students will be
encouraged to share their findings with the class.
4. Each pair of students will rewrite a segment
of the story from the alternate point of view. Students should ensure they use
the appropriate pronouns. They will evaluate the effectiveness of the changes
using these questions as a guide.
5. Using their notes and information about the
point of view in their selected story, each pair of students will
collaboratively write an expository paragraph analyzing the effectiveness of the writer’s point of
view. The teacher and the students will create a set of criteria for evaluating
this paragraph.
6. The students will be given the opportunity to
use the computer lab to write and revise their expository paragraph. The
students will revise their work carefully to avoid sentence fragments, run-on
sentences, and comma-splices. The students will use electronic dictionaries and
thesauri to assist in the final polishing of their paragraph.
Assessment/Evaluation
1. Formative: -
teacher observation of co-operative learning
2. Summative: -
student/teacher designed rubrics for paragraph (WR2.02D)
- quiz on correct use of
pronouns
Resources
Building English Skills:
Orange Level.
Evanston, IL. Houghton-Mifflin,
1981. ISBN 0-88343-874-7
Chapman, M. (Ed.) The
Reader Writes the Story. Toronto: Prentice Hall, 1991.
ISBN 0-13-763509-5
Kalman, J., F. Ahenakew and
G. Leitenberg. (Eds.) Voices of the First Nations. Toronto: McGraw
Hill Ryerson, 1995.
ISBN 0-07-551691-8
Perrault, J., and S. Vance.
(Ed.) Writing the Circle Native Women of Western Canada. Edmonton:
Newest Publishers Ltd., 1993.
Robinson, S. D. Glide Path Destinations. Scarborough:
Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., 1991.
ISBN 0-13-356247-6
Robinson, S. D. Overdrive Destinations. Scarborough:
Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., 1991.
ISBN 0-13-647546-9
Simmons, J. S. The Short Story and You. Illinois: National Textbook Co., 1996.
ISBN 0-8442-5545-9
Accommodations
1. The teacher might assign or seek a peer
mentor or parent or community volunteer to act as a scribe for students who
have dysgraphia or organizational problems, or to put the story on tape for
those with visual impairments or slow reading pace.
2. Augmentative communication devices might be
used for those students with communication exceptionalities.
3. For students who have difficulty visualizing
the finished product, samples could be made available as role models.
Activity
#5: Characterization: A Blueprint for Character
Time: 150 minutes
Description
In this activity, students
will learn how a writer reveals and develops character in a narrative
work. They will also learn the
conventions of writing dialogue as they explore how characters reveal
themselves. As they write dialogue, students will consider the different levels
of language, including the use of slang, jargon, dialect, colloquialism, and
standard Canadian English.
Strands and
Expectations
Strands: Literature
Studies and Reading, Writing, Language, and Media Studies
Overall Expectations:
At the end of Grade 9, students will:
• LGV.01D
- use knowledge of vocabulary and language conventions to speak, read, and
write competently using a level of language appropriate to the purpose and
audience;
• LIV.03B
- identify and explain the effect of specific elements of style in a variety of
literary and informational texts.
Specific Expectations:
Students will:
• LI2
.01D - use knowledge of elements of drama, such as plot and subplot, character
portrayal, conflict, theme, mood, and point of view, to understand and
interpret examples of the genre;
• WR5.16B
- adapt punctuation and capitalization for the special requirements of direct
quotations, scripts, dialogue, and poetry;
• LG1.02B
- identify and explain examples of jargon, dialect, and colloquialism, as well
as of standard Canadian English, in literary texts and in their own oral and
written work; *
• MD1.02D
- identify how elements of media forms are used in a variety of media works and
explain the effects of different treatments.
Planning Notes
• The teacher will need to select short
stories that provide examples of flat and round characters, and which
illustrate the methods of developing character (e.g., “showing” through a
character’s words, actions, and thoughts, and “telling” through other
characters’ statements and through the author’s/narrator’s direct commentary).
• The teacher will need to prepare a
worksheet on the use of punctuation in the
writing of dialogue, and a list of adjectives and adverbs to describe
character, and examples to illustrate the appropriate use of informal versus
formal language (e.g., slang, jargon, dialect, colloquialism, standard Canadian
English).
• The teacher will need to book the computer
lab and co-plan with the teacher-librarian and others.
Prior
Knowledge Required
• The students will know how an author
reveals character.
• The students will know the types of
conflict and the terms “protagonist” and “antagonist.”
• The students will know how to use
adjectives and adverbs, and correctly use quotation marks.
• The students will recognize the differences
between formal and informal language and when it is appropriate to use each
style.
Teaching/Learning
Strategies
1. The teacher will use a short story or other
narrative text with clearly developed characters to initiate a class discussion
about how character is revealed.
2. Using a thought web, the students will
generate an outline of attributes or character traits possessed by the
characters in the story.
3. A teacher-librarian will teach the students
how to use the computer to create a table to generate a list of vocabulary
words describing character.
4. The teacher will introduce the methods
writers use to delineate character: “showing and telling” a character’s thoughts,
words, and actions, and observing the comments of other characters and the
author. A distinction will be made between author and narrator, protagonist and
antagonist.
5. The teacher will conduct a lesson on the
conventions of writing dialogue, focusing on the use of quotation marks, the
placement of punctuation (e.g., commas, periods, exclamation marks, question
marks), and paragraphing for each new character’s speech. The teacher will use examples from texts or worksheets to
illustrate these conventions. Instruction on the conventions of script writing
may be necessary, depending on the type of text being studied.
6. The students will select a character who is
not physically present in a narrative work, but is either alluded to or could
be included. The students will re-write
a specific section of the story, delineating the new character using at least
two of the techniques studied throughout this activity. Alternatively, students, in pairs, will
choose two characters from different texts and have them meet and clash in a
conflict. Using a narrative text (e.g.,
script, dialogue, letters), the students will resolve the characters’ conflict
logically and effectively. The students
might also assume the persona of a famous individual (e.g., entertainer, world
leader, historical figure) and recall an incident that was a catalyst to the
person’s rise to fame. This latter
strategy could involve library and Internet research, as well as
cross-curricular learning.
7. The students will use the writing process to
publish and polish their written products, attending especially to syntax and
diction. The students will submit their polished products for evaluation.
8. Extension: The students will write and/or
present their work in a variety of formats (e.g., audio or video recording of
their script, dramatic reading, etc.).
9. The students will view a short video clip
that focuses on character development and discuss what elements help to
delineate character in this media form.
Assessment/Evaluation
1. Formative: -
writing checklist
2. Summative: -
writing rubric
- quiz on narrative dialogue punctuation
- product (LG1.02B)
Resources
Booth, D. The Writing
Program 9. Toronto: Globe/Modern Curriculum Press, 1987.
ISBN 0-88996-124-7
Boswell, W., B. Lamont and
J. Martyn. The Writer’s Voice 1. Agincourt: Methuen Publications,
1984. ISBN 0-458-98450-7
Struthers, J. R. The Possibilities of Story. Toronto:
McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd., 1992.
ISBN 0-07-551198-3
Struthers, J. R. The Possibilities of Story: Volume 2.
Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd., 1992.
ISBN 0-07-551200-9
Accommodations
1. The teacher could provide the story on tape.
2. The story could be read aloud in choral
reading style, in a small group with a good oral reader, by the teacher, or by
a visiting story reader to model pronunciation and pace for students for whom
English is a second language or with language impairments.
3. Peer tutors could be assigned to assist exceptional
pupils.
Activity #6: Themes in Narrative Fiction
Time: 150 minutes
Description
In this activity, students will learn to distinguish between plot and theme, to distinguish between topic statement and theme, to identify theme in a work of narrative fiction, and to analyze the writer’s purpose for exploring a particular theme.
Strands and
Expectations
Strands: Literature Studies and
Reading, Writing, Language, and Media Studies
Overall Expectations:
At the end of Grade 9, students will:
• LIV.03B
- identify and explain the effect of
specific elements in a variety of literary and informational texts.
Specific Expectations:
Students will:
• LI1.03B
- describe a variety of reading strategies and select and use them effectively
before, during, and after reading to understand texts; *
• WR5.06D
- construct complete and correct compound and complex sentences, using the
following sentence components as required: subject, predicate, object, subject
complement; main and subordinate clauses; prepositional and participial phases;
• MD2.01D
- adapt a work of literature to another media form and determine what aspects
have been strengthened and/or weakened
by the adaptation.
Planning Notes
• The
teacher will need to compile a variety of short narrative texts, either in
print or on video, focusing on a central character’s development. The teacher
should be aware of making choices appropriate to her/his classroom composition.
• The teacher will also require resources to
teach the terms subject and predicate.
• The teacher will prepare a sample reader
response to use as a model.
Prior
Knowledge Required
• The students will know the definition of
plot and the methods of characterization.
• The students will be able to identify and
apply the terms “subject” and “predicate.”
Teaching/Learning Strategies
1. The teacher will conduct a mini-lesson on the
use of subject and predicate to enable students to make complete thematic
statements later in this activity.
2. The students will read a narrative text. The
students will observe the main character’s development in the story as a method
of understanding the story’s theme(s).
3. The teacher will review the definition of
plot, and distinguish it from the definition of theme. The students will add
these terms to their print or electronic glossary.
4. In their notebooks or using word processing, students will describe
the character’s personality at the beginning of the story and again at the
conclusion. What has the character learned? How has the character changed as a
result of this new knowledge? What conflicts has the character faced?
5. The class will discuss these changes and list
them using single words or phrases. The teacher will explain that it is through
the conflict that the main character experiences and the changes that occur
that the author shows the readers the theme. The list the class will have generated
will include topics that can become the themes. From this list, the teacher
will help the students to identify the story’s major topics or issues (i.e.,
love, regret, prejudice).
6. The teacher will demonstrate how to make the
story’s topic (i.e., the subject of the sentence), and make it a complete
thematic statement by adding the predicate, noting that changing the predicate
changes the theme completely. For example, “Power corrupts those who abuse it”
is very different from “Power ennobles when used wisely.”
7. As a class, the students will read a short
story and then view the video version of it.
The latter version must have an ending that is different from that of
the former.
8. After viewing the video, the students will
engage in a brainstorming session focusing on the portrayal of character, the
resolution of the conflicts, and consequently, the differences/similarities in
the themes of the two versions. The students will write in their Response
Journals.
9. Using the information gathered above, the
students will produce an organized paragraph comparing the short story and
video version, detailing which they prefer and why.
10. Extension: In pairs, the students will create
a thematic statement and, in point form, create a short plot that illustrates
that statement.
11. Extension: The students will choose a thematic
statement and, using magazine photographs, newspapers, and pictures, they will
create a collage that will demonstrate that theme.
12. Extension: The students will select a theme or
themes from a narrative text and will produce a soundtrack which would reflect
the theme(s). They will identify the songs and the artists chosen, the lyrics
of the songs, and will explain why they have chosen particular songs for that
soundtrack.
Assessment/Evaluation
1. Formative: - organized
paragraph rubric
- assessment of Response Journal
2. Summative: -
glossary completion
- notebook completion (LI1.03B)
- quiz on the use of subject and predicate
- creative project rubric
Resources
Banel, et al. More Strawberries: Reflections in Fiction. Scarborough: Nelson Canada, 1990.
ISBN 0-17603044
Barry, J. (Ed.) Coast to Coast: Canadian Stories, Poetry,
Non-Fiction and Drama. Toronto:
Nelson
Canada, 1994. ISBN 0-17-604704-2
de Bono, E. Lateral
Thinking: Creativity Step by Step. New York: Harper and Rowe Publishers,
1973. ISBN
0-06-090325-2
de Bono, E. de Bono’s Thinking Course. London:
British Broadcasting Corp., 1982. ISBN
0-56316500-6
George, J. (Ed.) On Common Ground (3). Toronto: Oxford
University Press, 1994. ISBN
0-19-541020-3
Haberman, A. On the Edge:
Literature and Imagination. Don
Mills: Oxford University Press, 1993.
Hilker, D. Transitions. Canada: Harcourt Brace & Co. Canada Ltd.,
1995. ISBN 0-7747-0151
Accommodations
1. The teacher could provide the stories on
audiotape.
2. The students could be paired for discussion
purposes.
3. The teacher could simplify the information by
using visuals for those students who learn holistically or have difficulty
organizing details.
4. Peer coaching would be useful for some
students who have difficulty with completing written work.
Activity #7: The Whole Picture
Time: 75 minutes
Description
This activity will help
teachers assess students’ overall knowledge of the elements of the narrative
text. The students will learn that the form of a work should suit the audience
and purpose. It will prepare them for
the task of completing the culminating activity, Activity #8.
Strands and
Expectations
Strands: Literature Studies and
Reading, Writing, and Language
Overall Expectations:
At the end of Grade 9, students will:
• LIV.02D
- demonstrate an understanding of the elements of a variety of literary and
informational forms with a focus on plays, short stories, and short essays;
• WRV.05D
- edit and proofread to produce final drafts, correctly using grammar,
spelling, and punctuation according to the conventions of standard Canadian
English, with the support of print and electronic resources when possible.
Specific Expectations:
Students will:
• WR1.03D
- group and label information and ideas; evaluate the relevance, accuracy, and
completeness of the information and ideas; and discard irrelevant material;
• WR2.01D
- demonstrate an understanding of literary and informational forms, such as
myths, poems, short stories, scripts, advertisements, formal letters, reviews,
and supported opinion essays, by selecting and using forms of writing
appropriate to different purposes and audiences; *
• LG1.07B
- recognize, describe, and use correctly, in oral and written language, the
conventions of standard Canadian English for spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation, including:
- spelling: homophones and possessive pronouns and
adjectives;
- capitalization: for proper nouns and in direct
quotations, scripts, dialogue, and poetry;
- punctuation: period, question mark, exclamation mark,
comma, dash, apostrophe, colon,
quotation marks,
parentheses, ellipses.
Planning Notes
• The teacher will need to select a
challenging narrative sight passage.
• The teacher will replicate the narrative
elements organizer used in Activity #1.
Prior Learning
Required
• The students will know the concepts taught
throughout Activities #1– 6.
Teaching/Learning
Strategies
1. The teacher will distribute a challenging
narrative sight passage (ballad, story) and an organizer outlining the elements
of a short story.
2. The students will read the passage and
complete the organizer individually. They may use their notebooks as a
resource. The organizers should be
completed in more detail than the organizers completed initially in Activity
#1.
3. The students will submit their organizers at
the end of the period for teacher evaluation.
4. At the beginning of the following class,
students will be given fifteen to twenty minutes to complete an entry in their
Learning Log in order to evaluate their learning progress. They will consider what they have done, what
they have learned about the narrative form, what questions they still have,
what skills they have developed, what skills they still need to develop, what
goals they will set to improve their learning and thinking skills.
5. As an alternative, the teacher may wish to
prepare a formal unit test.
6. This will also be an opportunity for students
to start writing an assessment of the Narrative Forms and Voices Unit in their
Response Journals.
Assessment/Evaluation
1. Formative:
- self-evaluation using Learning Log
2. Summative: -
teacher evaluation of organizer (WR2.01D)
- unit test (optional)
Resources
Graham, N. Marking
Success: A Guide to Evaluation for Teachers of English. Markham, Pembroke,
1992. ISBN 0-921217-85-4
Iveson, M., and S.
Robinson. What’s Fair? Scarborough: Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., 1993.
ISBN 0-13-020256-8
MacNeill, J. A. Three Way Mirror. Scarborough: Nelson
Canada, 1989. ISBN 0-17-603093-X
Web Sites
http://www.schoolnet.ca/
http://www.wier.yorku.ca/~wier/cdnauthor.html
http://www.cyberscol.qc.ca/
http://humanitas.ucsb.edu/users/hwang/English30/index.html
Accommodations
1. Narratives may be read aloud to the student.
2. The students may watch a video version of the
story.
3. The teacher could provide the narrative at
the appropriate reading level for students for whom English is a second
language.
Activity
#8: Create Your Own Narrative
Time: 300 minutes
Description
Using information from the activities
in this unit, the students will create their own narrative in the form of a
short story, narrative ballad, myth, legend, fairy tale, or radio drama.
Strands and
Expectations
Strands: Literature Studies and
Reading, Writing, Language, and Media Studies
Overall Expectations:
At the end of Grade 9,
students will:
WRV.04D
- revise their written work, independently and collaboratively, with a focus on
support for ideas and opinions, accuracy, clarity, and unity;
• WRV.05D - edit and proofread to produce
final drafts, using correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation according to the
conventions of standard Canadian English, with the support of print and
electronic resources when appropriate;
• LGV.02B - use listening techniques and oral
communication skills to participate in classroom discussions and more formal
activities, such as storytelling, role playing, and reporting/presenting, for
specific purposes and audiences;
• MDV.02D - use knowledge of a variety of
media forms, purposes, and audiences to create media works and describe their
intended effect.
Specific Expectations:
Students will:
• LG1.05D - recognize, describe and use
correctly in oral and written language the language structures of standard
Canadian English and its conventions of grammar and usage, including:
- parts of speech: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs,
adjectives, conjunctions, prepositions, and
interjections;
- simple, compound, and complex sentences;
- components of sentences: subject, predicate,
object, subject completion, prepositional and
participial
phrases,main and subordinate clauses;- agreement between subject and verb, and
between
pronoun and antecedent;
- consistency of verb tenses, and of voice;
• LG2.03D - plan and make oral presentations
to a small group or the class, selecting and using vocabulary and methods of
delivery to suit audiences and purpose; *
• LG2.04D - use specific examples, facial
expressions, gestures, intonation, humour, visual aids, and technology, as
appropriate, to engage the audience’s interest during oral presentations.
Planning Notes
• The
teacher will have prepared a writer’s checklist to help students organize their
tasks and manage their time.
• A detailed outline to plan and write a
narrative should be available to students who require it.
• The students will be given the assessment
scheme before they begin the assignment.
• The teacher will arrange for a storyteller
to visit the class.
• The teacher will know how to create
certificates on the computer for the Writers Festival.
• The teacher will establish a date for the
Writers Festival.
• Teachers may contact community groups or
clubs, such as literary guilds, public libraries, historical societies, and art
galleries, to help make links between this activity and the community.
Prior
Knowledge Required
• The students will know the major concepts
related to narrative structure: plot, setting, mood, conflict, point of view,
characterization, and theme.
• The students will know the conventions of
paragraphing and punctuation, particularly with regard to writing dialogue
Teaching/Learning
Strategies
1. The teacher will preface this activity with an
inspirational quotation: “In the tale, in the telling, we are all one
blood. Take the tale in your teeth,
then bite until the blood runs, hoping it’s not poison; and we will all come to
the end together, and even to the beginning: living, as we do, in the middle.” (Ursula K. Le Guin)
2. The teacher will review the writing process,
explaining that methods will vary. The
teacher will describe several approaches to storywriting: a highly structured
approach for those students who need support and guidance (e.g., a story
planner), and brainstorming or a thought-webbing approach for those who are
confident writers.
3. The teacher will distribute the assessment
scheme and explain the criteria for evaluation.
4. The teacher will schedule time for
conferencing, peer evaluation for each student, and computer use. The teacher
must be sensitive to the fact that not all students will have equal access to
computers.
5. The students working on the same type of
project (e.g., narrative ballad or radio drama) will create their own
peer-evaluation criteria for oral presentations with guidance from the teacher.
6. The students working on the same type of
projects will serve as peer editors to prepare the presentations for the
Writers Festival and the final draft to be submitted to the teacher for
evaluation.
7. The students will present their narratives to
the whole class using a variety of forms such as reading, acting, audio or
video recording. This presentation will constitute the “Writer’s
Festival.” A storyteller could be asked
to participate in this event.
8. The students will be given an opportunity to
continue their reflections on, and assessment of, the Narrative Forms and
Voices Unit in their Response Journals.
9. Extension: The students will present their
stories at a library, a bookshop, an elementary school, a coffee house, a
senior citizens’ home.
10. Extension: The students will create their own
certificates of achievement on the computer. The class will vote for which one
they like best for presentation at the awards ceremony.
Assessment/Evaluation
1. Formative: -
group co-operation for peer editing
- effort during creation of the product and participation in
Writers Festival
2. Summative: -
oral presentation based on student-generated assessment criteria (LG2.03D)
- rubric for narrative writing
- student assessment of the Narrative Forms and Voices Unit
Resources
http://www.cyberscol.qc.ca/
http://www.imt.net/~gedison/bookbind.html
http://www.wier.yorku.ca/~wier/cdnauthor.html
Accommodations
1. Augmentative communication devices for those students with
severe communication disabilities
should be provided