Night Mini Lesson

TPA Lesson Plan #_1______

1. Teacher Candidate	Shenice Gillespie	Date Taught	3/13/17
Cooperating Teacher	N/A	School/District	EWU
2. Subject	English	Field Supervisor
3. Lesson Title/Focus	Theme, Night	5. Length of Lesson	20 min
4. Grade Level	8th graders

 

6. Academic & Content Standards (GLEs/EARLs/Common Core)	CCS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
7. Learning Objective(s)	The students will be able to define theme and topic in their own words.   The students will be able to list a variety of topics that derive from the book Night.   The students will be able to apply their prior knowledge about theme, topic, and the book to create their own theme based on Night.
8. Academic Language	Vocabulary: theme, topic. Function: define, list, apply. Discourse: the students will discuss a variety of topics from the book Night, and afterwards they will partner up and create their own theme based on the topics that we organized as a class.

 

9. Assessment

**Attach** all assessment tools for this lesson Theme and topic worksheet After I go through the first half of the worksheet with the class, the students will be asked to partner up and create their own theme. The theme is based off the list of topics we made as a class. In addition, the students must provide two examples from the book that support their theme. This assess the state standard I have provided because they are determining a theme within the book Night, and how the theme develops over the course of the text. Providing two examples to support the theme assesses how the theme influences the characters, setting, and plot.

 

10. Lesson Connections

Since the students have finished the book, this lesson is one of the last lessons in the Night unit. Since the students will be familiar with the book, they will understand the meaning of theme and topic in this lesson. They will also have prior knowledge on theme from other classes; however, I want to scaffold the meaning of theme and topic, so the class has the definition fresh in their minds. This lesson will focus on the meaning of a book. The theme is vital to a reader’s mind because if the story lacks a theme, the reader cannot connect with the book. Night has internal and external theme related struggles that follow the protagonist all the way through the book. My students will connect with Elie Wiesel by creating their own theme.   In Readicide, Kelly Gallagher discusses that he “cannot simply hand students who are simply unaware of the Holocaust copies of Elie Wiesel’s Night and ask them to have it read by October 15. . . these books are rigorous and heavy” (Gallagher, 2009, p. 107). Therefore, I want to discuss theme with my students because this book is very emotional and raw. I want my students to understand and connect with the author, but they can’t do that without my instruction. Otherwise, they won’t read it and will head straight to CliffNotes as Gallagher also states.

 

11. Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks to Support Learning
Learning Tasks and Strategies Sequenced Instruction 1)     00-02 State learning objectives, pass out worksheets, introduction to theme and topic. 2)     03-08 List out topics, theme formula 3)     09-14 Students create their own theme 4)     15-20 Students share their theme they created, closing.
Teacher’s Role: 1.a. Greet students, and state learning objectives. b. Pass out worksheets, tell students to put their name and date on the worksheet. 2.a. Ask students to define theme and topic in their own words. b. Create a list of topics that originate from the book Night. Provide theme formula for the students. 3.a. Explain directions and example that I have provided on the worksheet. -Tell students to partner up with someone in their row, and create a theme based on one of the topics we came up with as a class. -Tell the students to provide two examples that support their theme. 4.a. Bring class back together after 5 minutes, so students can share their theme with the class. b. Close the lesson by referring back to the learning objectives, and how today’s lesson will tie into tomorrow’s lesson. Socratic seminar will take place as tomorrow’s lesson, and the topics we created as a class today will serve as topics tomorrow in the seminar.	Students’ Role: 1.a. View the learning objectives on the whiteboard, and listen to the teacher read them aloud. b. Receive worksheets, put name and date on the worksheet. 2.a. Volunteer to define theme and topic in their own words. b. Create a list of topics as a class that originate from the book Night. c. Review theme formula and how theme and topic go hand in hand with one another. 3.a. Listen to directions that are provided by the teacher. If students are confused over directions, the directions will be provided on the worksheet or they can ask me to clarify. b. Partner up with elbow partners or someone in their row. Create a theme based on one of the topics we came up with as a class. c. Provide two examples from the book that support the theme they created. 4.a. Discuss the themes they came up with as a class, including their examples that support their theme. b. Listen to the teacher close the lesson and explain how today’s lesson ties into tomorrow’s lesson. Topics that they created as a class will be used tomorrow as verbal topics in Socratic seminar.
Student Voice to Gather While gathered as a class, ask the students to provide different topics that correspond with the book Night, ask if they understand how theme and topic go hand in hand with one another. In the final analysis, students will share their themes they created. Ask the students if they feel like they have the tools to define theme and topic, gather information from the book to create multiple topics, and construct a theme that you believe connects you to a certain character or book.

 

 

12. Differentiated Instruction

Plan Audio learners will sit in the front, so they can hear the class define theme and topic and come up with a variety of topics that correspond with the book.  Visual learners will benefit from seeing the list of topics on the board, the learning objectives, and the definition of theme and topic as well. Kinesthetic learners will benefit from the opportunity to create a theme of their own with a partner. Students who are struggling to grasp the concept of theme will benefit from working in partners. I will walk around, making sure the class is on task and to answer any questions; however, if the group seems to understand the meaning of theme, then I will move on to a group that is actually having difficulties.

 

13. Resources and Materials

Plan Whiteboard Whiteboard markers Pencils Theme and topic worksheet Night Gallagher, K. (2009). Finding the “sweet spot” of instruction. How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It Readicide. Retreived from print.

 

14. Management and Safety Issues

Plan The morbidity of the book may be a sensitive issue to some students. It should be acknowledged throughout the unit that the Holocaust was a historical event that happened, and even though it is gruesome, it is vital to learn because it creates a sense of awareness within. Some students may have trouble creating a theme, but that is why I go through the first half of the worksheet with the class and the second half is done with a partner/s. If the student does not comprehend theme, they can either ask me to clarify or ask their partner/s to clarify for them.

 

15. Parent & Community Connections

Plan A monthly bulletin will be emailed to parents, detailing what we’re planning to read or view and encouraging the parents to write back with any concerns or questions. After this lesson, the students may be able to apply what they learned from Night, and help with a Jewish community/church. Or stand up for what is right whenever they witness stereotype/prejudice/racism occurring.