Jaclyn Marta

CI 403
Novel: The Fault in Our Stars, John Green
Title: A Eulogy for Augustus Waters
Time: This lesson will be taught in a 50 minute class period. The lesson as a whole will take a week to
prepare, write, and perform. The last day of the class will be a funeral for Augustus where students will
have to perform their eulogy in class. It will be done after chapter twenty two, the chapter with his
funeral.
Setting: The classroom is a Freshman year English classroom. There are 22 students in the class, with 10
being boys and 12 being girls. Three students are above level, 12 are at an average level, and 7 are
below level. It is a primarily middle class level classroom, with 5 being of a lower financial level. One boy
and one girl have ADHD. 5 of the students are from a primarily Spanish background, 5 are from a
Caucasian background, 10 are from an African American background, and 2 are from an Asian
background. Of the 22 students, 3 of the students have an anxiety disorder.
Objectives:
(Content) Students will use clues from the text as well their own original work to being creating their
own eulogy for Augustus.
(Language) Students will learn that their everyday, colloquial voice is appropriate in a classroom
environment .
(Social) Students will brainstorm together to create ideas for a final project.
Discussion Ideas:
1. What activities does the author tell us that Augustus did when he was alive?
2. How would you describe Augustus personality?
3. How did you feel when you read that Augustus had died?
4. What type of things would you say about your own friend if you had to speak about them in such a
manner?
5. What do Isaac and Hazel say in their eulogy? What did you like and dislike about their speeches?
Language Accommodations:
Since this eulogy will be written in their own voice, students should not have many problems with this
assignment. In the explanation of the eulogy, I will encourage students to make it sound as much like
how they would talk as possible. If this meant they wanted to use some of their native language, I would
welcome that with open arms.
Special Education Accommodations:
If students were not at a right emotional state to write a eulogy for this character or ones that were too
afraid to perform it out loud, I would allow them to do some type of multimodal version of the lesson.
Maybe they could make a video montage, an art piece that states how they feel, etc. They would then
have to write half a page describing their piece and how it shows their feelings towards Augustus death.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their ability to write a eulogy that describes Augustus well, flows logically,
and is emotionally stimulating. When they are performing their eulogy they will be expected to give the
speech in a way that would be appropriate for a funeral
Category Exemplary Satisfactory Needs Improvement
Organization Eulogy flows
effortlessly, with each
piece understandably
moving from one idea
to the next, with no
awkward transitions
Eulogy flows easily.
Most ideas transition
from one another
intelligently, although at
times a bit awkward
and out of place
Eulogy has no
understandable order.
Statements are thrown
together and have little
to no transitions at all
Focus on Topic Speech stays entirely on
target, with each idea
focusing on Augustus
character and his
impact on the speaker.
They mention at least 3
parts of Augustus that
they will miss
Speech is focused on
Augustus and his impact
on the speaker. They
mention 2 parts of
Augustus they will miss.
Speech does not focus
on Augustus as a
character or his impact
on the speaker. They
only give 1 part of
Augustus they will miss
Content Speaker uses
information, whether
from the book or their
own imagination, that
makes sense with who
Augustus is as a
character.
Speaker uses
information, whether
from the book or their
own imagination, that is
questionable at times
on how similar it is to
Augustus as a character.
Speaker's information is
not formed in any type
of fact or reality. They
are making a speech
about a version of
Augustus that does not
go along with what the
author presented us
Voice Speaker's voice is clear
in their feelings on the
situation
Speaker is mixed in
their feelings, that
makes it difficult to
determine their feelings
Speaker gives no sense
of how they feel about
the situation
Performance Speaker gives a strong
performance of their
eulogy. It is appropriate
for a funeral setting.
Students give a fine
performance of their
eulogy. It is appropriate
for a funeral setting.
Students give a subpar
performance of their
eulogy. It is not
appropriate for the
Their performance gives
a sense of their feelings
for the situation
Their performance
makes in confusing as to
their feelings
setting. They give no
sense of their feelings
on the character.

This would be a rubric for a student with special needs
Category Exemplary Satisfactory Needs Improvement
Display Students work is
creative and original. It
clearly shows how they
feel about the situation,
as well as their
relationship to
Augustus. It is
appropriate for a
funeral setting
Students work is
creative and original. It
shows how they feel,
although is vague about
the extent of it. It is
appropriate for a
funeral setting.
Students work seems to
have been ill prepared.
It gives no sense of how
the artist felt about
Augustus or the
situation at hand . It is
not appropriate for a
funeral setting
Content Speaker uses
information, whether
from the book or their
own imagination, that
makes sense with who
Augustus is as a
character.
Speaker uses
information, whether
from the book or their
own imagination, that is
questionable at times
on how similar it is to
Augustus as a character.
Speaker's information is
not formed in any type
of fact or reality. They
are making a piece
about a version of
Augustus that does not
go along with what the
author presented us
Voice Speaker's voice is clear
in their feelings on the
situation
Speaker is mixed in
their feelings, that
makes it difficult to
determine their feelings
Speaker gives no sense
of how they feel about
the situation
Reflection Paper is at least half a
page and gives a clear
vision of what their
piece is and how it
shows their feelings
Paper is at
length/almost at length.
It gives basic details,
with little information
as to what their piece is
or their feelings
towards it
Paper is nowhere near
at length. It is sparse in
what their piece is, as
well as how it shows
their true feelings

Illinois Professional Teaching Standards:
-Standard Six | Reading, Writing, and Oral Communication: This lesson is focused on expanding students
creative writing, as well as their performance of said piece.
-understands writing processes and their importance to content learning: This lesson will have them
writing over time, starting with a brainstorming activity, then a first draft, then a peer review, then a
final written version, and finally an oral performance. This is forcing them to write over a period of time,
not just in one sitting, the day before it is due
-integrates reading, writing, and oral communication to engage students in content learning: By having
them not only write their own eulogy, but perform it, they will be engaging in multiple communication
methods. They will need to use the written text of the novel as a basis for their eulogy.
Extension Ideas:
Students will start handwriting their first draft of the eulogy. They will then work with a partner and
perform it to see how they can improve in performing or the content of it. They will then write a final
draft of it and will perform it out loud on the last day of class. Although we don't know if she dies, at
the end of the novel, students could write a more formal one for Hazel at the end of the discussion of
the novel.
Source of Activity:
I was having a very hard time coming up with ideas that would work as a writing assignment and engage
students. I did a simple Google search and found this website, which had a rubric for a eulogy
assignment . I decided I wanted to expand upon that. I didn't want them to just write a eulogy, I wanted
them to perform it. I wanted my version of the assignment to be focused more on the content of the
speech, instead of the more technical side of writing. I want their eulogy to be about the good side of
Augustus and why they will miss him. I want the final product to give a feel as though they truly knew
Augustus and will miss him.
Resources and References:
Gannon-Slater, Nora. "Week 5." Assessing Student Performance. UIUC. Animal Sciences Lab,
Urbana. 24 Sep 2013. Lecture.
Green, John. The Fault In Our Stars. 1st ed. New York : Penguin, 2012. Print.
"The Fault In Our Stars One Note ." Bishop Fenwick High School . N.p.. Web. 24 Sep 2013.
<https://www.fenwick.org/ftpimages/557/download/Eulogy Rubric Juniors 2.pdf>.