Title: To Kill A Mockingbird Pre-Reading Articles Summary Ball & Poster Brief Description/Abstract According to authors Nell Duke, P. David Pearson, Stephanie Strachan, and Alison Bilman in the book What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction, when we read, we use knowledge along with our perceptions of what we think the text says to literally build, or construct, mental representations of what the text means. (Duke et al., 2010, p. 53). Students must learn to pull main or key ideas from a text; an easy, fun way to do so is to use a summary ball (Ellery, 2009, p. 205). The use of a summary ball appeals to many different learning styles. Overview Students will be divided into groups and assigned a topic related to the themes and time period of Harper Lees novel To Kill a Mockingbird. This activity will be done prior to students reading the novel. Each group will receive one inflated beach ball, markers, and large piece of construction paper. Students in the group will toss around the ball in their small group. Each student will catch the ball and take note of which word is closest to their right thumb. This will be the role that particular student takes one when creating the groups summary poster. Once all roles are assigned, students will work together to complete a summary poster for their article. Grade Band = 9 th Grade RWT Lesson Plan Proposal 3
Lesson Plan Type = Standard Lesson Estimated Lesson Time = Two 50-minute sessions. One session to create product; one session to present. Featured Resources Copies of each pre-selected topic article: (below are suggested websites to receive article information, but any informational websites may be used) o http://tvhs.k12.vt.us/WMHS/Faculty/Kurucz/html/eng9/TKAM/Bird1.htm This is a site used to allow students to participate in a webquest. There are several topic options listed that would work very well for this lesson plan. The cybrary at the bottom may also be very useful for article information. o http://trackstar.4teachers.org/trackstar/ts/viewTrackMembersFrames.do;jsessionid =1851CD3AA25C4D5EF0F645B17EB85EBA?number=265465&password= This is another site used to allow students to participate in a webquest. The topics are listed on the side of the screen and all go to separate websites on each individual topic. Note taking handout Printouts Topic Articles Who, What, Where, When, Why, How Note Taking Sheet
RWT Lesson Plan Proposal 4
Materials & Technology Boxes of markers, crayons, colored pencils, etc. Large construction paper (one per group) 5-8 inflated, labeled beach balls From Theory to Practice Students must learn how to appropriately pull key information from a text and be able to share that information with other people. This summary ball activity gives them a chance to do both while also allowing students to build relationships with one another and practice working in a cooperative environment. NCTE Standards: 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works. 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., soundletter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics). 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities. RWT Lesson Plan Proposal 5
12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information). Preparation: 1. Using various websites, print off informational articles or sites concerning topics that serve as pre- reading topics for the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by author Harper Lee. Topics should include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
The Scottsboro Boys The 14 th Amendment Plessey vs. Ferguson The Little Rock Nine The Murder of Emmett Till Jim Crow Laws The Great Depression Brown v. Board of Education
Consider selecting an article that is not too long and mostly covers the basics of each topic.
2. Review the article that you have selected. Be sure that it is appropriate for 9 th grade students and that is provides the information you desire your students to learn.
3. Once you have selected your articles, make at least 4 copies of each.
4. Make copies of the Who, What, Where, When, Why, How Note Taking Sheet for each group. 5. Label several small inflated beach balls with the questions Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How written in permanent marker.
6. Gather a set of colored pencils and/ or markers for each group along with one large sheet of construction paper.
Instructional Plan Student Objectives
Students will:
Collaborate with classmates to practice summarizing strategies with a shared reading piece.
Select & read an article addressing themes, ideas, and events present in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Complete a piece of a summarizing role that will add to a whole group effort.
As a team member, create a summarization poster to be presented to the rest of the class. RWT Lesson Plan Proposal 6
Session Introduction and Activities
Session One:
1. Review the previously learned rules of summarization with students and the importance of focusing on only the key information.
2. Hold up the summarization ball for students to see; explain that they will be divided into cooperative groups and will each be assigned a selected role to take on when reading an article related to the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.
3. Divide students into groups of at least 3. Larger groups will work if they are possible in your class.
4. Ask students to toss the ball back and forth. Students will take note of where their left thumb lands when they catch the ball. This is the role they will take one.
5. Have students continue tossing the ball until all roles are assigned; depending on group sizes, some students may take on more than one role.
6. Once all roles are assigned, pass out materials to each group: (do not pass out the materials needed to create the poster yet)
a. Copies of selected articles- you may pre-assign topics to groups, choose at random, or allow students to choose based on when they finish assigning roles.
b. Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How worksheet
7. Tell students they will first read their article as a group, then they will complete their assigned section of the worksheet.
8. Ask that students come show you their summarization sheets when they have all finished and checked each others work.
9. Once you have approved their summary sheets and have checked to see that they have included all desired/ appropriate information, give them the materials needed to complete their summary poster.
10. Explain to groups that each role must be represented on their poster.
Session Two:
1. If needed, allow students time to complete summary posters.
2. Once all groups are finished, groups will present their summary posters to the rest of the class.
3. Ideally, the audience of students will take quick notes in their journal or on a separate worksheet during group presentations.
RWT Lesson Plan Proposal 7
Extension Activities
After this initial introduction, students may select a topic from all the presentations to study further. Students will complete an independent study project such as an essay, poster, presentation, etc. This project will go more in-depth over the selected topic, as well as explore how the topic relates to the novel.
Student Assessment/Reflections
By selecting an article, reading, and then creating a cooperative summary, students are providing evidence that they can identify the main idea and supporting details of a nonfiction text and write an accurate summary. They are also providing evidence that they are able to work together with others.
A rubric will be provided to students. They will self-assess their contribution to the group summary, as well as the contributions of their group members.
A rubric will be provided for the teacher to use to evaluation group presentations and content of the summary.
Related Resources:
Student Interactive Bio Cube, grades 3-12
Scaling Back to Essentials: Scaffolding Summarization With Fishbone Mapping, grade 3-8
Suggested Image
Keywords
Nonfiction Reading Summarizing Main Idea Cooperative Learning Summary Ball
RWT Lesson Plan Proposal 8
References Ellery, V. (2009). Creating strategic readers: Techniques for developing competency in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. (2nd ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association, Inc. Samuels, S.J., & Fastrup, A.E. (2011) What research has to say about reading instruction (4 th
ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.