ELA TEST PREP UNIT PLAN - iLearnmarist.edu/... · ELA TEST PREP UNIT PLAN 8th Grade 3 Hudson City...

8th Grade

Amanda Ward

Marist College

April 2012

ELA TEST PREP UNIT PLAN

ELA TEST PREP UNIT PLAN 8th Grade

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Table of Contents_________________________________ Hudson City School District ............................................................................................................................... 3

Unit Objectives........................................................................................................................................................ 4

Objective 1……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5

Objective 2……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

Objective 3……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7

Pre-Assessment ..................................................................................................................................................... 8

Lesson Plans………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10

Day One……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...…10

Day Two……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………......11

Day Three……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...………12

Day Four……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…13

Formative Assessments ..................................................................................................................................... 14

Post Assessment ................................................................................................................................................... 18

Reflection................................................................................................................................................................ 20

Appendix A………………………………………………………………………………………………………………21

References…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…31


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Hudson City School District____________________ The Hudson City School District is one that often receives a great deal of scrutiny from the public eye. As an intercity school district, the population is one of a low socioeconomic status where development is slow growing and the school budget rarely passes. Education is not valued in this district the way it is in others, and as such the teachers are often faced with adversity from district officials, parents, and the general community for the student’s lack of success.

While there is a strong Caucasian student population, many of the students come from minority backgrounds, including African American, Middle Eastern and Spanish. However, excluding race as a factor, quite a few of the students have difficult home lives; abuse, drugs and split families are battles they face on a regular basis. This causes a vast amount of behavioral problems in the classroom, as well as an overpopulation of students classified under special education regulations. While there can be up to twelve classified students per class, there are cases where more are placed into the inclusive classrooms, which is difficult on both the regular and special education teachers. Teaching 35 students with twelve classified in a forty minute period proves to be one of the most difficult challenges of my day.

When it comes to state standardized tests, the Hudson City School District is on the low side of scoring. This is because of the fact the overwhelming majority of the students have very low motivation to succeed in academics. After teaching in both the high school and junior high school, I have noticed that as the students reach higher grade levels their motivation further decreases. In 8th grade the students are less reluctant to complete school work than their 9th and 10th grade peers, although resistance is still a prevalent issue. Therefore the students do not work to their greatest potential to learn the skills they need to achieve high scores of the state exams. Many students are satisfied if they receive the equivalent of a passing 65, and do not strive for higher achievement.

Finally, each year the school board faces the problem of the inevitable budget failure. Teachers are always the first to be cut causing shortages, and there is never enough money to buy extra books or supplies. As a result, classrooms are overpopulated, which causes challenges for the teachers to teach and the willing students to learn. Also, lessons have to be modified on a constant basis because the classrooms receive one full set of books for all of the students in the grade level to share.


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Unit Objectives____________________________________ The overall objective for this ELA test prep unit plan is to assess where students stand in regard to the different parts of the state exam, as well as to review students of the skills and strategies they should use to be successful on the exam. Further, the main understanding is for students to recognize that there is always more that can be found in a text than what is right there on the page; that is, they must use their skills to interpret an author’s meaning and decode the true message. Considering the students have been practicing these skills all year, this unit plan is designed to refresh students of their skills, while only introducing a few new strategies they can use so as to not overwhelm the students. The skills to be assessed in this unit include reading, writing and listening. As such, since the unit is directly based on skills and strategies for the state exam, I was able to tailor parts of each lesson plan specifically to the New York State common core standards. However, the important thing to recognize is that although this unit is designed to assess skills needed for the exam, it is also a benchmark exam to test the students’ individually so he or she knows what skills they have and can work on to better.

Each day there are at least two common core standards that are met within the day’s objective. The importance of this is due to the fact it is only a four day unit plan; with so few days to review everything, it was important to double up on skills and information to ensure all of the important information was covered. Also, because of the challenges of each assignment, there was a need for multiple skills to be used to complete each assignment, which fulfilled multiple core

requirements. For example, in order to complete the paired passage assignment on day two, the students had to utilize skills of reading carefully and writing a coherent response using information from the passage. The following are the specific unit objectives used within this unit plan that are addressed in various combinations on different days:

• Students will be able to analyze and interpret the passage individually and/or with collaborative partners for a deeper understanding of the overall meaning.

• Students will be able to infer from the text to interpret vocabulary meanings and identify literary terms important to the passage.

• Students will analyze the text passage in a coherent and informative written response that demonstrates a deeper understanding.


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Objective 1

The first objective, which states, Students will be able to analyze and interpret the passage individually and/or with collaborative partners for a deeper understanding of the overall meaning, is an objective that addresses the reading and listening standards. Specifically, the objective attempts to satisfy aspects of the following common core standards:

• Speaking and Listening 1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one on- one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

• Speaking and Listening 2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

• Reading 1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly. Within the design of this unit plan, students will be exposed to passages either through text on the page or as a listening passage. In order for students to achieve that deeper understanding of the text, they must either read or listen very carefully to what is being read. However, while they are completing either of these skills, they are using different strategies to obtain this information. For example, if the students are completing a listening passage, it is their responsibility to take notes while listening to the passage being read so they can write down and include as much important information to support their response. On the other hand, if the students are reading the passage, they can highlight the important information and make notes and references that they can later refer back to for support. While these are two very different skill strategies, the goals of the assignment, which tend to be a written response or multiple choice that includes understanding questions, force students to comb the text for their inferences and understandings. Since this unit plan is being conducted for practice, each day will include some kind of discussion where students will have the opportunity to share ideas with their classmates and the teacher to expose everyone to varying perspectives. My goal with this addition to the unit plan is that the students gain a new insight for a strategy they can use on the exam by listening to their peers.


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Objective 2

The second objective, which states, Students will be able to infer from the text to interpret vocabulary meanings and identify literary terms important to the passage, is the objective which addresses strictly reading skills. Within this understanding is not only the reading common core standard, but also one of the reading performance indicators:

• Reading 1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

o Reading PI Lit 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

When the students are completing any reading assignment, their task includes reading closely to ensure they understand the message of the text. As he or she does this, the students will most likely face vocabulary words that they do not understand. Since the multiple choice sections of the test often use higher vocabulary that the students need to use context clues in order to define, the students need to understand the proper skills to interpret these words. As such, without reading the passages closely, the students will have a difficult time interpreting the meaning of these words.

Within this unit plan the students will be exposed to many questions where they will have to use context clues to figure out vocabulary and interpret larger meanings from the text. Regardless of whether it is for multiple choice or extended response questions, the students will need to identify the skills needed to answer these questions. If they do not read carefully or closely, they raise the potential to misread information and ultimately get a question incorrect from a careless mistake. Therefore throughout this unit plan there is at

least one question that is intentionally written tricky so that the students see just how easy it is to misread information and draw the wrong conclusion.


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Objective 3

The third and final objective, which states, Students will analyze the text passage in a coherent and informative written response that demonstrates a deeper understanding, is the only objective that focuses on the writing sections of the exam. As such, there are multiple indicators and standards that are addressed to satisfy this objective:

• Writing 1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

• Writing 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

o Reading PI Lit 1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

o Reading PI Lit 5. Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style.

o Reading PI Info 6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.

There are two separate types of responses the students will be required to write on the exam: short answer responses and extended responses. Within these two types of writing, students will have to complete various requirements, such as comparing and contrasting two articles, inferring from the article to draw conclusions, or finding supporting evidence to support any claim they make. This unit plan provides students with the opportunity to complete each of these requirements: there is a paired passage with poetry reading where the students must compare and contrast in writing and then draw an inference based on the texts, as well as a non-fiction listening piece that they will have to write about and include supporting information into their response. However, while writing strong arguments is a large portion of the written response, it is not the only requirement students must fill. The students must also demonstrate their ability to write coherently and with proper English to prove that they are on the proper developmental level for their age. By including this as an objective, it means that as a teacher I will have the chance to see where the students’ measure before the exam and either provides additional help to those who need it or make adjustments to assignments to ensure the students learn exactly what is expected of them on the exam.


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Pre-Assessment___________________________________

As a pre-assessment for this unit plan, I created an anticipation guide to survey the students on where they felt they needed additional instruction on each section of the exam. I administered the sheet as a “Do Now” on the first day of the unit plan so we could gather a sense of the student’s perceptions of their abilities. This did not affect the remainder of the class period because the students did not need to be separated for groups until the second and third days of the unit.

I chose to administer an anticipation guide because of the fact these are not new skills we would be testing. These are skills the students have been working on all year, and thus the information was not new. Rather, this was a way to assess where the students felt they needed the most assistance and as such we were able to place more emphasis on what they wanted out of the lessons based on what categories they fell into. Therefore, even though this unit plan would provide the students with information, the unit was actually designed to reintroduce skills to the students, not teach them entirely new material. The anticipation guide included six questions that addressed the needs of reading skills, writing skills, and the student’s overall confidence on taking the exam. These questions were:

1. I am ready to take the 8th grade ELA exam. 2. I know at least two reading strategies I will use. 3. I know how to write a strong paragraph. 4. I know how to carefully read the multiple choice. 5. I feel like I can get at least a 3 on the exam. 6. I know all of the parts of an extended response.

The students completed the anticipation guide on the first day, and would then complete it as a post assessment on the last day of the unit as an exit slip. However, based on the first day’s results, the following is where the students fell as far as the specific areas of need in order to be successful on the exam:


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Of the 140 students surveyed, 7% felt they needed assistance in reading skills, 46% needed assistance in writing skills, while the highest need was confidence at 47%. However, as far as confidence as a whole, the 140 students fell into the following categories of confident and not confident:

Of the entire eighth grade, 79% of the students were confident in their ability to perform on the ELA exam, whereas 21% were not.

Based on these results, my cooperating teacher and I broke the students into separate groups per class where the students could spend additional time working on the skills they felt they needed the most help with. Since there were some students who felt completely confident on every question, we were able to scaffold the groups so that these students were scattered through the other groups to also help lead their classmates to a higher understanding. From there, the groups were split into reading help and writing help with the higher students intermixed. My cooperating teacher and I each took one of the groups and work on the specific skills they needed more help in.

Confidence 47%

Reading 7%

Writing 46%

Students' Areas of Need Before Unit Plan

Confident 79%

Not Confident

21%

Confidence Level on ELA: Day 1


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Lesson Plans ___________________________ Day One

Standards • SL2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including

visually, quantitatively, and orally. • W4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style

are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Understandings

• There is always more that can be found in a text than what is right there on the page. Instructional Goals




Essential Question

• There is always more that can be found in a text than what is right there on the page. Instructional Materials/Resources

• Anticipation Guide about confidence • Test Taking Strategies power point • Jacqueline Woodson excerpt • Multiple choice/extended response packet

Instructional Strategies/Activities

• Do Now: Complete the anticipation guide in reference to how confident the student feels in regard to taking the eighth grade New York State ELA exam.

• Power point Presentation: Students will engage in a discussion with the teacher regarding the best test taking strategies. This will cover all of the important points.

• Listening: Students will listen to a passage read by the teacher regarding author Jacqueline Woodson. Students are required to take notes while listening.

• Independent Practice: Students will complete the packet about Jacqueline Woodson independently, answering multiple choice questions and writing a short answer response.

Assessment • Anticipation Guide • Responses in the packet • Informal observation


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Day Two Standards

• R1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

o Lit 1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

o Lit 4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text. o Lit 5.Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the

differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style. • W1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using

valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Understandings • There is always more that can be found in a text than what is right there on the page.

Instructional Goals




Essential Question

• Why do authors take the time to use a double meaning in a text? Instructional Materials/Resources

• Text of “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath • Text of “Mirror” by Lil Wayne • Video of “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath • Video of “Mirror” by Lil Wayne • Multiple choice questions and short answer response packet


• Class Discussion: Go over the entire packet with the students before they are introduced to the media. Read and interpret multiple choice and short answer response to ensure students have understanding of the task.

• Show both videos so the students can both hear and read the passages. • Independent Practice: Students re-read the texts and answer the multiple choice and short

answer response questions. Assessment

• Multiple choice and short answer response results • Informal observation


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Day Three Standards

• R1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

• R4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text • SL 1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one on- one, in groups, and

teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Understandings





Essential Question


• The Hunger Games excerpt by Suzanne Collins • The Hunger Games movie clip • Multiple choice questions


• Do Now: Write down some reading strategies students will use on the ELA exam • Turn and Talk: Students will work in pairs to read a passage from The Hunger Games by

Suzanne Collins. Together they will dissect the passage to find the underlying information that will assist them in answering the multiple choice questions that follow.

• Whole Group Instruction: Class will reconvene as one to discuss the passage and answer the multiple choice. The reading strategies students used to find the information will be discussed as a class.

• The Hunger Games: Students will have the opportunity to watch a video clip of the scene they read so they can visually address where they were right or wrong in their assumptions of the text.

Assessment

• Do Now responses • Multiple-choice responses • Informal observation/discussion


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Day Four Standards

• SL 1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one on- one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Understandings




Essential Question


• Anticipation Guide about confidence • Castle Learning program • Computers/laptops


• Do Now: Complete the anticipation guide for the second time to see if the student’s confidence has grown.

• Castle Learning: Students have the option to work alone or in a group to complete the Castle Learning online program. This offers an array of ELA information that students can practice for the upcoming exam.

Assessment

• Anticipation Guide • Test scores • Informal observation/discussion


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Formative Assessments_________________________ Each day of the unit plan contained some form of a formative assessment. This way we could assess the students on the various skills we discussed each day. The majority of these assessments were writing assignments or multiple choice questions that the students had to complete based on a reading or listening passage. The final day was the only different day where the students completed a computer-based learning program called Castle Learning that included information on grammar, sentence structure and other mechanics.

Jacqueline Woodson Writing For this assignment, the students were required to listen to a passage written by Jacqueline Woodson, whose book Hush they had just completed. Their requirement was to take notes, answer four multiple choice questions regarding the passage, and then write a short answer response to a question. On this day we were assessing the students for their ability to listen, take sufficient notes, and write a strong response to the question. The assignment began with a student based compilation of note taking strategies written on the board, such as listing or creating a T-chart, that the students found the most useful. From there we read the passage and then provided the students with thirty minutes to complete the multiple choice and the response question, which was more than enough time. When we collected assessed the gathered information after they had all completed the assignment, we found that few of the students had answered all of the multiple choice questions correctly. We thought perhaps it was because of their note taking skills, but upon comparing the notes to the passage, it was not the notes that were the problem. In fact, the students excelled at taking notes. The problem lay within the fact the students were misreading the questions, either as a result of reading too quickly or lack of enthusiasm toward the topic. Motivation is often a problem with these students and as such it appeared motivation was holding them back again. For the most part the writing was also done poorly. On average, about 75% of each class did not write a strong paragraph with the technique they had been using for the past two years. Many of the students wrote their responses in two to three sentences, when they should have been no less than six, based on the model. This was disappointing because when we asked the students for the parts of the strong paragraph they were able to recite it, but when it came to applying it the overwhelming majority were unable to do it. Another interesting trend we saw through the student’s papers was their inability to pull information from the text to support their response. With this handicap, the students would only complete half of the assignment, and even that was not always correct. Without


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the skill to pull information directly from the text the students’ could not support their responses and therefore could not receive full credit. Overall from this assignment we decided the students needed the most help with reading carefully (though many of them said they did not need help in this area) and how to write the strong responses with textual evidence. The following day we decided to try something a little different. We added an addition to each lesson, which was the use of the exam rubric, which the teachers had been given early and were allowed to share with the students. We were able to show the students exactly how they would be graded and what key things they needed to pay attention to. We did a few exercises with them where they had the opportunity to grade other student’s papers using the rubric, which was highly beneficial. The students often moved into heated debates over a grade which became interesting because as they were to defend their argument we asked them to show us exactly where in the text they felt the student either succeeded or failed. With this practice the students were able to see how to go back into a text, find the information to support their argument, and make a valid point. When the students began to realize that this was what they needed to do on the exam we made our first educational turning point.

Poetry Comparison The second major formative assessment we used was that of a poetry comparison essay. For this assignment, we decided to use new literacies to capture the students’ attention since the previous day’s reading did not. We decided to use a Sylvia Plath poem and a Lil Wayne song both entitled Mirror to compare. Since the overall meaning of the two were similar yet not quite the same, we found it to be a perfect comparison for the assignment’s objective. For this assignment we were interested in assessing the students on their ability to read carefully, their ability to draw inferences from the text, as well as writing a short answer response. First we went over all of the strategies we had discussed on previous days in regard to reading. Then we took a look at the multiple choice questions one at a time and dissected them so the students knew what they had to look for. For the most part the students realized they had to pay attention to key words, but even as we read over them many of them had read the question wrong. We corrected them before moving on but did not give the answer. As a treat, we decided to show videos of both the song and the poem so the students could hear this as well. While this was not a true listening section on the exam, it still gave them the opportunity to practice listening carefully for information.


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When this was over the students had the remainder of the period to answer the multiple choice questions and write a short answer response. Many of the students worked diligently on this assignment and did not complain as they usually did. Since the subject matter was of more interest to the students, we found it much easier to focus the student’s attention. As a result, the students paid closer attention to the subject matter and worked harder on the assignment. When it came time to assess the results, we found that there was a higher rate of correct multiple choice questions on this assignment, and many of the students wrote higher quality responses than on the Jacqueline Woodson assignment. We assumed this was because we had taken the time to explain the questions to the students so they could see where they were reading the questions wrong. Also, since the students had an idea of what the song was about, it gave them a clue as to what the poem was about. This helped their confidence, which showed in their writing results. The results showed us that the students have the ability to write and read the multiple choice carefully, but they just choose not to, which is unfortunate. However, it gave us more confidence in their ability to take the exam since we saw that they were actually able to produce.

The Hunger Games Day three of the unit plan was a day dedicated to reading strategies using The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. As this was another attention grabber, the students were highly motivated to complete the assignment. Their task for the day was to read a section of the first chapter and then answer six multiple choice questions. Since we had seen the success in their writing, we chose not to continue pushing this. Instead we chose to focus on their reading the multiple choice because the students found that as they read the questions too quickly they were getting them wrong. Thus, we wanted to give them another opportunity for practice.


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One accommodation we made was for our fourth period class, which was an inclusive class with twelve special education students. Since there was already an abundance of students, we thought it would be beneficial for all if they worked collaboratively on this assignment. Therefore we offered them the chance to read with a partner and answer the questions together. Many of the students chose to work with someone else, and what we found was that because this was another topic of interest everyone worked rather than pushing the work off to someone else. This time we did not go over the multiple choice first. Rather, we went over it after everyone was finished. I intentionally included questions that would confuse them if they read them wrong as a way to continue showing them that they have to read carefully. Many of the students this time did not get fooled by a few of them, though there was still one difficult question regarding irony that many students did not get right. This was a difficult question that they really had to think about and unfortunately not many of them took the time to do so, and thus they got it wrong. Those who did get the question right were able to explain why which was every exciting for me because it showed that they understood exactly what I was trying to do, and thus they would have an even higher chance on the exam.

Castle Learning The final day of the unit plan we wanted to focus on wrapping things up, but also the mechanics and grammar in their writing. To do so, we utilized the Castle Learning program, an online website that teachers can use to create mini-tests on any topic they are interested in. Therefore we created twenty different tests that the students could choose from to practice any of the skills they were still uncomfortable with. Upon observation, we found that many of the students were motivated from the use of the computers over paper and pencil. The students were more competitive about getting responses right, and therefore many of them tried harder. There were still students who refused to be motivated no matter what we had tried, but for the remainder of the classes we saw them making even more progress. When we received the results online, many of the students increasingly did better as they continued to practice the different exams. This was an interesting finding because the tests were in fact different, yet they must have realized that they had to read carefully to answer the questions correctly. More than 85% of the students received high scores on the majority of their tests which was a very positive find.


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Post-Assessment__________________________________ At the end of the fourth day, we finished the unit plan with anticipation guide we had used on the first day. The students completed it and turned them in as an exit slip. Upon assessing the data, I was rather pleased with what I saw. Of the entire eighth grade, 85% of the students felt confident in their ability to perform on the ELA exam, which was an increase from the 79% found in the pre-assessment. That meant of 140 students, only 15% did not feel ready to take the exam.

While this was not a very high increase, it was an increase nonetheless. When we assessed the breakdown of where the student’s felt they had made gains, we found that the majority of the increase was in their reading ability. Few students gained in the writing, though no one admitted to knowing less than before. Either the lessons taught them something new or it did not teach them anything at all. However, there was no negative impact.

Confident 85%

Not Confident

15%

Confidence Level on ELA: Day 4

Reading 96%

Confidence 82%

Writing 76%

1

2

3

Student Confidence Levels in Specific Areas after Unit Plan


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Based on the information we collected, we were able to see specifically which students had grown and which had not. Overall there was the greatest increase in students learning something compared to students who did not change at all.

As stated above, 28% of students felt completely confident in every area before the unit plan. However, 56% of the students had improved in some area of reading, writing or confidence, which was an exceptional growth. Only 16% of the entire eighth grade did not have any type of improvement, although no students admitted to feeling less confident after the four days. I was pleased that so many students had grown, though I was not pleased to see that the writing area did not have a vast improvement like the other categories. Looking back on it, I feel we should have focused even more on the writing and less on the reading, though I feel each section was just as important as the other. Unfortunately we had motivation working against us; that is, if the students did not like the topic they were writing about, they did not put as much effort into their task. Perhaps if I had included a writing assignment with The Hunger Games, I would have had more success in teaching them.

No Improvement

16%

High Improvement

56%

Steady High Results

28%

Overall Unit Improvement


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Reflection__________________________________________ Overall the results were satisfying since I only had four days to teach them as much as I could before they took the exam, but if I could do it over I would certainly change some things. For example, as I stated earlier, rather than focusing so much on the reading since the students seemed to have grasped most of this, I would have focused more on the writing assignments. I feel I should have taken even more time to go over the writing components so that the students could see the essence of it broken down even further. Perhaps had I done this, there might have been a larger growth in this area. I do not regret spending so much time on the reading component, however, because the students did still need assistance in this area. They mostly needed help understanding how to read the questions carefully and what key things to look out for. By the end of the unit I feel many of the students were very close to mastering how to do this, while some had already crossed over and proved their ability through the assignments. Including so many reading practices was also important because the students needed help dissecting passages and identifying important information. After a few of the discussions where students were able to identify and defend their points in regard to the answer was very enlightening to see that the students understood. In fact, I let them keep debating until they came to a conclusion before giving them the correct answer. Although only one person was right in the debate, I still allowed them to strengthen their speaking skills and then delivered the correct answer in a way that would not cause the student who was wrong to shut down. Unfortunately motivation was a key component to why students did not excel. From informal observations, I noticed that the students who did want to improve did, while those who were indifferent to the subject matter did not improve. The unfortunate part is that there were many students who did not want to have anything to do with this unit plan, and as such it was much more difficult to motivate them and keep their interest so they would do well. I feel including the new literacy components of the lesson plans (such as the video of The Hunger Games, the computer based learning programs, and the music videos for the poetry assignment) was an important aspect to the lesson plans because it brought in media that the student’s respond positively to. Without this, it’s possible that The Hunger Games would have been the only successful day overall because the students were already interested in the topic because of the movie release. In conclusion, even though I came into this eighth grade classroom feeling blind about what I would be teaching, I feel I did the best with what I had to face. I could see where my teaching had improved the student’s within their academics, and as such that made me feel like I had been successful. Though I would have liked to see more students make gains for the exam, I was still pleased to see that some of them had made some improvement. I would have liked to have more time to focus on this with the students, but I feel I did the best I could with the time that I had.


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Appendix A_________________________________________

CONFIDENCE Answer the following questions as honestly as possible! For each question use

+ (confident), – (not confident) to describe your confidence level.

Monday Thursday

1. I am ready to take the 8th grade ELA exam. _________ ___________

2. I know at least two reading strategies I will use. _________ ___________

3. I know how to write a strong paragraph. _________ ___________

4. I know how to carefully read the multiple choice. _________ ___________

5. I feel like I can get at least a 3 on the exam. _________ ___________

6. I know all of the parts of an extended response. _________ ___________


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Name ______________________________________ Poetry Comparison

Read the poems “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath and “Mirror” by Lil Wayne. Then answer the multiple choice questions and write a response based on the text.

Mirror by Sylvia Plath I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions. What ever you see I swallow immediately Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike. I am not cruel, only truthful--- 4 The eye of a little god, four-cornered. Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall. It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long I think it is a part of my heart. But it flickers. 8 Faces and darkness separate us over and over. Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me, Searching my reaches for what she really is. Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon. 12 I see her back, and reflect it faithfully. She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands. I am important to her. She comes and goes. Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness. 16 In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.


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Mirror Lil Wayne feat. Bruno Mars

With everything happening today You don't know whether you're coming or going But you think that you're on your way Life lined up on the mirror don't blow it 4 Look at me when I'm talking to you You looking at me but I'm looking through you I see the blood in your eyes I see the love in disguise 8

I see the pain hidden in your pride I see you're not satisfied And I don't see nobody else I see myself I'm looking at the 12 Mirror on the wall, here we are again Through my rise and fall You've been my only friend You told me that they can understand the man I am 16 So why are we here talkin' to each other again? Uh, I see the truth in your lies I see nobody by your side But I'm with you when you are all alone 20 And you correct me when I'm looking wrong I see the guilt beneath the shame I see your soul through your window pane I see the scars that remain 24


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1. The poem “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath is an example of: a. Personification b. Symbolism c. Mood d. Irony

2. What can be inferred from lines 2 and 3 of Sylvia Plath’s poem?

a. The mirror is laughing at the narrator b. The mirror reflects exactly who the person is without judgment c. The mirror reflects exactly who the person is with judgment d. The mirror loves what it sees

3. In “Mirror” by Lil Wayne, which of the following is the best response for what the mirror is

symbolic for? a. Feeling bad about yourself b. Looking at your life as a whole c. Looking at your reflection d. Seeing the person for who they really are

4. What can be inferred about both authors?

a. They are unhappy with their lives b. There are things they would like to change about themselves c. Their lives are passing by them and they don’t feel successful d. All of the above

5. Who is speaking in each poem?

a. The author b. The mirror c. Bruno Mars d. None of the above

6. Which of the following is not the main idea of both poems?

a. You should accept yourself for who you are b. You should face yourself through challenges c. You should continue to lie to make yourself feel better d. You should look inside yourself to find your inner strength


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Short Answer Response “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath and “Mirror” by Lil Wayne are two poems by two very different people but whose poems share a meaning. Discuss the similarities and differences between the two poems. Then explain what an audience can infer about human nature from these two poems. Your Task:

• Discuss the similarities and difference between the two poems • Explain what an audience can infer about human nature from these two poems • Use details and evidence from the text

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The Hunger Games Chapter One Excerpt

At one o’clock, we head for the square. Attendance is mandatory unless you’re on

death’s door. This evening, officials will come around and check to see if this is the case. If not,

you’ll be imprisoned.

It’s too bad, really, that they hold the reaping in the square—one of the few places in

District 12 that can be pleasant. The square’s surrounded by shops, and on public market days,

especially if there’s good weather, it has a holiday feel to it. But today, despite the bright

banners hanging on the buildings, there’s an air of grimness. The camera crews, perched like

buzzards on rooftops, only add to the effect.

People file in silently and sign in. The reaping is a good opportunity for the Capitol to

keep tabs on the population as well. Twelve- through eighteen-year-olds are herded into roped

areas marked off by ages, the oldest in the front, young ones, like Prim, toward the back. Family

members line up around the perimeter, holding tightly to one another’s hands. But there are

others, too, who have no one they love at stake, or who no longer care, who slip among the

crowd, taking bets on the two kids whose names will be drawn. Odds are given on their ages,

whether they’re Seam or merchant, if they will break down and weep. Most refuse dealing with

the racketeers but carefully, carefully. These same people tend to be informers, and who hasn’t

broken the law? I could be shot on a daily basis for hunting, but the appetites of those in charge

protect me. Not everyone can claim the same.

Anyway, Gale and I agree that if we have to choose between dying of hunger and a bullet

in the head, the bullet would be much quicker.

The space gets tighter, more claustrophobic as people arrive. The square’s quite large,

but not enough to hold District 12’s population of about eight thousand. Latecomers are directed

to the adjacent streets, where they can watch the event on screens as it’s televised live by the

state.

I find myself standing in a clump of sixteens from the Seam. We all exchange terse nods

then focus our attention on the temporary state that is set up before the Justice Building. It holds

three chairs, a podium, and two large glass balls, one for the boys and one for the girls. I stare at

the paper slips in the girls’ ball. Twenty of them have Katniss Everdeen written on them in

careful handwriting.


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Two of the three chairs fill with Madge’s father, Mayor Undersee, who’s a tall, balding

man, and Effie Trinket, District 12’s escort, fresh from the Capitol with her scary white grin,

pinkish hair, and spring green suit. They murmur to each other and then look with concern at the

empty seat.

Just as the town clock strikes two, the mayor steps up to the podium and begins to read.

It’s the same story every year. He tells of the history of Panem, the country that rose up out of

the ashes of a place that was once called North America. He lists the disasters, the droughts, the

storms, the fires, the encroaching seas that swallowed up so much of the land, the brutal war for

what little sustenance remained. The result was Panem, a shining Capitol ringed by thirteen

districts, which brought peace and prosperity to its citizens. Then came the Dark Days, the

uprising of the districts against the Capitol. Twelve were defeated, the thirteenth obliterated.

The Treaty of Treason gave us the new laws to guarantee peace and, as our yearly reminder that

the Dark Days must never be repeated, it gave us the Hunger Games.

The rules for the Hunger Games are simple. In punishment for the uprising, each of the

twelve districts must provide one girl and one boy, called tributes, to participate. The twenty-

four tributes will be imprisoned in a vast outdoor arena that could hold anything from a burning

desert to a frozen wasteland. Over a period of several weeks, the competitors must fight to the

death. The last tribute standing wins.

Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch – this

is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we

would stand of surviving another rebellion. Whatever words they use, the real message is clear.

“Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there’s nothing you can do. If you lift a

finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District Thirteen.”

To make it humiliating as well as torturous, the Capitol requires us to treat the Hunger

Games as a festivity, a sporting event pitting every district against the others. The last tribute

alive receives a life of ease back home, and their district will be showered with prizes, largely

consisting of food. All year, the Capitol will show the winning district gifts of grain and oil and

even delicacies like sugar while the rest of us battle starvation.

“It is both a time for repentance and a time for thanks,” intones the mayor.

Then he reads the list of past District 12 victors. In seventy-four years, we have had

exactly two. Only one is still alive. Haymitch Abernathy, a paunchy, middle-aged man, who at


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this moment appears hollering something unintelligible, staggers onto the stage, and falls into the

third chair. He’s drunk. Very. The crowd responds with its token of applause, but he’s

confused and tries to give Effie Trinket a big hug, which she barely manages to fend off.

The mayor looks distressed. Since all of this is being televised, right now District 12 is

the laughingstock of Panem, and he knows it. He quickly tries to pull the attention back to the

reaping by introducing Effie Trinket.

Bright and bubbly as ever, Effie Trinket trots to the podium and gives her signature,

“Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!” Her pink hair must be a wig

because her curls have shifted slightly off center since her encounter with Haymitch. She goes

on a bit about what an honor it is to be here, although everyone knows she’s just aching to get

bumped up to a better district where they have proper victors, not drunks who molest you in front

of the whole nation.

Through the crowd, I spot Gale looking back at me with a ghost of a smile. As reapings

go, this one at least has a slight entertainment factor. But suddenly I am thinking of the boys.

And maybe he’s thinking the same thing about me because his face darkens and he turns away.

“But there are still thousands of slips,” I wish I could whisper to him.

It’s time for the drawing. Effie Trinket says as she always does, “Ladies first!” and

crosses to the glass ball with the girls’ names. She reaches in, digs her hand deep into the ball,

and pulls out a slip of paper. The crowd draws in a collective breath and then you can hear a pin

drop, and I’m feeling nauseous and so desperately hoping that it’s not me, that it’s not me, that

it’s not me.

Effie Trinket crosses back to the podium, smoothes the slip of paper, and reads out the

name in a clear voice. And it’s not me.

It’s Primrose Everdeen.


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1. Which District does the narrator belong to? a. District 4 b. District 8 c. District 12 d. District 13

2. Which literary term best describes this excerpt?

a. Personification b. Irony c. Symbolism d. Foreshadow

3. Why were the Hunger Games created?

a. To starve the people of Panem b. To have a celebration for the districts c. To suppress the districts from uprising d. To show that the districts have total control

4. Which is the best definition for the word ‘reaping’?

a. Gather b. Kill c. Sweep up d. Lottery

5. Panem is a country that rose out of:

a. South America b. Africa c. Europe d. North America

6. What can be inferred about the narrator from this passage?

a. She is excited for the Hunger Games b. She is impatient for the reaping to be over c. She hopes Gale is chosen d. She resents the Capitol for the Hunger Games

7. Who is Haymitch Abernathy?

a. Katniss’s uncle b. A previous victor c. The mayor d. All of the above


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References

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. 1. 1. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008. Print.

Sitomer, Alan Lawrence, and Michael Cirelli. Hip-Hop Poetry and the Classics. 1st Ed. New

York: Milk Mug, 2004. Print.

Wayne, Lil. Mirror. 2012. Web. 21 Apr 2012.

Woodson, Jacqueline. Hush. New York: Speak, 2010. Print.

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