Focus+Lessons

Monday-Intro Tues, Wed, Thurs- Kaleb Fri, Mon, Tues - George Wed, Thurs, Fri -Dana

Kaleb Watkins Focus Lesson One Dr. Pace

>> **LA.1112.2.1.4** The student will analyze the way in which the theme or meaning of a selection represents a view or comment on life, providing textual evidence for the identified theme.  **i.** compare what happened in the Great Depression with the setting of OMAM. F. **__Assessment__** Students will be assessed based on the answers they submit from the questions we posed about The Great Depression. They will also turn in the name of the website they got the information from.The main reason I am having students turn in answers to the questions about The Great Depression is so that they stay on task. Also, because I want to check and make sure the websites they are looking at are a good resource. Since we have already had a discussion on what constitutes a good internet source, this check is simply to make sure they stay on track. The questions are a completion grade because some answers may vary. This intial discussion on The Great Depression is an excellent opportunity for a formative assessment. By understanding the types of questions my students have and getting to know the extent of their knowledge I will better be able to assess the introduction to tomorrow's lesson. For the poem part the students will be graded on their participation in class discussion. Scores will be based on did/ did not participate. If the student participates he will receive full credit for participation that day—if not the student will get a zero for that day for participation. Journal grades will be given at the end of OMAM based on completion. Those students who did not know anything about The Great Depression had time to find out background information that will help them create a setting for the book in their mind. It will be interesting to see if any immigrant students can relate to the idea of itinerant work. There discussion of that type of lifestyle would be helpful for the other students. For our ESOL students, many of their families have come to America to make a better life. This also can be discussed when talking about The American Dream in the early 1900s which ties directly into the idea of itinerant work.
 * 1) **__Purpose of the Unit/Concept (long term goals)__**
 * 2) **LA.1112.2.1.2** The student will read, analyze, and compare a variety of traditional, classical, and contemporary literary works, and identify the literary elements of each (e.g., setting, plot, characterization, conflict).
 * 1) **This lesson will relate help relate Of Mice and Men to The Great Depression.**
 * 2) **__Objective for this lesson (short term goals)__**
 * 3) Students will be able to--
 * ii.** argue whether “Of Mice and Men” is an appropriate title for a book set in the Great Depression.
 * C.** **__Process/Procedures for Students__** – Students will first journal and tell me everything they know about The Great Depression. Also, they will write down any questions they have about The Great Depression. Then we will compile the students’ questions on the board. Students will then get online and search for the answers to the questions they have about The Great Depression. Paying special attention to Black Tuesday (Oct 29, 1929), the unemployment rate, “itinerant workers,” and the Dust Bowl. Then the students will then read “To A Mouse” by Robert Burnes. Students will then write down the answers to the questions and any information about the above topics—to be turned in at the end of the period. When they are finished I will have written on the board and we will discuss the quote, “The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men gang aft agley.” Why does Burnes compare the two? What are their similarities? Why might this comparison be an appropriate name for a novel based in The Great Depression? We will then discuss allusion and the quote from OMAM, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Based on our discussion of the poem, the students will answer, “What do they predict will happen to Lennie and George from the poem?” (http://sitemaker.umich.edu/joshuafriendly/of_mice_and_men_unit_plan )
 * 1) **__Process/Procedures for Teachers__**
 * 2) **__Before__**—I will have printed out copies of “To a Mouse”. I will also have suggested sites that students can go to for information about The Great Depression.
 * 3) **__During__**— I will assign up through page 16 for Wed. After the students have finished their journal, I will be asking students to give me their questions they have about The Great Depression. I will also locate Soledad for the students so they can understand where the book is set. I will write these on the board. While the students are looking online at facts about The Great Depression, I will be walking around and making sure they are on appropriate websites and answer any questions. I will then help with reading of “To a Mouse” and write the important quotes on the board and discuss them.
 * 4) **__Closing / Summation__** – I will pass out Of Mice and Men. To wrap up we will be discussing whether “Of Mice and Men” is an appropriate title for a book set in The Great Depression based on our reading of the poem and what is going on in at that time.
 * 5) **__Materials Needed__****—**
 * 6) Computers with internet access
 * 7) [[file:To A Mouse.doc]] Handout
 * 8) Of Mice and Men books
 * __G. Modifications Accommodations*__**

Kaleb Watkins Focus Lesson Two Dr. Pace F. **__Assessment__** Students will be assessed by their participation in group discussion, as well as through their production and presentation of their group art project. Discussion and group scores will be based on did/ did not participate. The art project is not meant to affect the students grade it is meant as a tool for envisionment building. By building a setting for the story the students will be able to "step into" the story. If the student participates he will receive full credit for participation that day—if not the student will get a zero for that day for participation. For the first reading we are building character profiles for Lennie and George together as a class. From this conversation, I will do a formative assessment on whether or not the students are understand the complicated relationship that is building between Lennie and Geoerge. It is imperative that they understand the beginning of their friendship so that they can see how it unfolds and changes. This idea is vital to their body biography project. Thus, I have to make sure that we do not move on tommorrow, before we have a good grasp of our first look at their friendship. Tomorrow, they will be broken up into groups to start building background knowledge for their body biographies they will be completing next week. Journal grades will be given at the end of OMAM based on completion. Those students who struggled with the first assigned reading will be able to ask questions in their journals and present them at the beginning class before we read the picture book. The reason for reading the picture book is to allow students to understand the mental state of Lennie. It is important for them to realize that he has the understanding of 4 or 5 year old. This activity is extremely helpful for those students who struggle with the concept of a mental disability. The art project is meant to help those kinesthetic learners actively create a setting for the story. This is also extremely benifitial for understanding Lennie's frame of mind. Students who struggle with answering questions about the relationship between Lennie and George will be asked to think about the relationship between them and their best friend. They then will be able to compare that to the class’s answers about Lennie and George’s friendship. It will be interesting to see how similar their experiences with their friends are compared to Lennie and George.
 * 1) **__Purpose of the Unit/Concept (long term goals)__**
 * 2) **LA.1112.2.1.4** The student will analyze the way in which the theme or meaning of a selection represents a view or comment on life, providing textual evidence for the identified theme.
 * 3) **__Objective for this lesson (short term goals)__**
 * 4) Students will be able to-
 * i.** argue the impact of Lennie’s disability on his social standing and his relationships as supported by the text in OMAM
 * ii.** argue the importance Steinbeck placces on friendship (as portrayed by Lennie and George in OMAM.)
 * C.** **__Process/Procedures for Students__** – Students will first journal about their initial impressions of the book. Then the students will sit on the floor in a circle. We will read __What does Bunny See__, a picture book, aloud to the class. We will then discuss this book as a class, looking at 4 major questions. What reading level is this book at? What grade level is Lenny at? How old is he? “What would Lenny do without George?” Then the students will move into small groups (4 or less) for an art project. The students will be asked to draw a picture of Lennie and George’s plot of land and display it for the class. (Activity adopted from https://www.msu.edu/~wittanne/lesson%20plans.htm)
 * 1) **__Process/Procedures for Teachers__**
 * 2) **__Before__**—I have found a picture book that relates to the mental capacity Lennie has in this book. Allows the students to get a feeling for just how big the gap was between Lennie and George.
 * 3) **__During__**-- -Assign reading for tomorrow up to page 37. I will be reading a picture book to the class. Then I will scaffold this reading with the four questions mentioned above. As they are working in their groups I will be walking around to make sure they are on task and help answer any questions they have about the text up to this point.
 * 4) **__Closing / Summation__** – In closing we will discuss 3 final questions concerning this section to set up the next section of reading. Do you think George is using Lenny? Which one is better off? How did they end up together?
 * 5) **__Materials Needed__****—**
 * 6) What does Bunny See? Picture Book
 * 7) Construction Paper
 * 8) Crayons
 * 9) Colored Pencils
 * __G. Modifications Accommodations*__**

__Formative Assessment__ For my second lesson I am expecting my students to be able to define Lennie’s and George’s friendship and explain to me what it looks like, but first they must understand the difficulties that Lennie has when trying to communicate his thoughts to George. The first way I can gauge my students understanding is by their journal entry. The students will be responding to the prompt, discussing their initial impressions of the book. From this I will be see what dialogue they do not understand. I always encourage students to write any questions they have about the text we are reading in their journal so that we can discuss them. My next opportunity to formatively assess my students is after we read the picture book. This picture book activity is designed to give students a better understanding of the reading level and mental capacity of Lennie. Hopefully, the students can make that connection back into the text. For those who are struggling I will be asking them to look at their relationship with your siblings. It is very similar to the relationship they would have with their siblings that are 4 and 5 years old. It is important for my students to be able to use the events in the book to comment on life (as part of the sunshine state standards). Much of this initial work in the story is to allow the students to gain the background knowledge necessary to relate to the rest of the book. It is important to understand the way George treats Lennie, so that you can understand why the end is so tragic. Steinbeck is a expert when discussing relationships and the American Dream. The purpose of this unit is to show how Steinbeck’s writing portrays the American Dream as unattainable. To do that we need to understand how Lennie’s and George’s dream of own land was crushed because of the events of this book. Thus, making the development of their relationship an essential part of class discussion, throughout the novel. The assessment for these first lessons are simple because I want to get feedback from the students so I can properly direct the class discussion on the next day—making sure that the important themes are covered.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Kaleb Watkins Focus Lesson Three Dr. Pace >> **LA.1112.2.1.4** The student will analyze the way in which the theme or meaning of a selection represents a view or comment on life, providing textual evidence for the identified theme. F. **__Assessment__** Students will be assessed by their participation in group discussion as well as the questions the present turn into me. Discussion and question scores will be based on did/ did not participate. If the student participates he will receive full credit for participation that day—if not the student will get a zero for that day for participation. Today was their first day of character profiling in groups and I walked around to each group and help answer student questions and also make sure they had no questions about the directions. Journal grades will be given at the end of OMAM based on completion—5 points per day 25 points a week. Those students who struggled with this reading will have time to write their questions down for group discussion. For those students who have had a hard time keeping up with the reading the group work will allow them to catch up. A day of class discussion on a text allows everyone to have a similar background in the readings up to this point and should allow for easier reading as the week continues. This day is important because Lennie and George have now changed scenery and it is fital to understand the relationships being built for the upcoming reading.
 * 1) **__Purpose of the Unit/Concept (long term goals)__**
 * 2) **LA.1112.2.1.2** The student will read, analyze, and compare a variety of traditional, classical, and contemporary literary works, and identify the literary elements of each (e.g., setting, plot, characterization, conflict).
 * 1) **__Objective for this lesson (short term goals)__**
 * 2) Students will be able to-
 * i.** discuss the changing relationship between Lennie and George within OMAM
 * C.** **__Process/Procedures for Students__** – Students will be responding to the following journal prompt (7 min): Why does George lie to the boss about Lennie’s mental limitations? Then the students will base take 5 minutes and write down questions they have about what is going on in the book. The students will break up into small groups (4 or less) and work through the questions they have. In groups the students will be working on character profiles (trait lists) for Lennie and George leading up to their body biography. The students will also be writing questions they do not know the answer to and provide them to the teacher; they will also write down the answers to the individual questions that they got answered while working in their groups. These students will also compare their reading with the other students based on what textual evidence. An important theme for them is to understand the developing relationship between George and Lennie. After 15 minutes of group work, we will come back together as a class and continue to discuss this reading. I will read the questions that are still concerning the students and see if someone in the class can shed light on them. We will look for contextual evidence to support our reading.
 * 1) **__Process/Procedures for Teachers__**
 * 2) **__Before__**—I have separated them into their groups ahead of time in order to limit the time it takes to get into groups.
 * 3) **__During__**—I will assign up to page 65 for Friday. As the students are working in their groups I will be walking around and helping direct students questioning and learning. I will also be asking questions to think about specific questions having to do with the relationship of Lennie and George. I will be collecting their questions to present them to the class and see if as a group we can answer them. As the students are building their character profiles I will be walking around to ensure all the students are on task and help answer any questions they might have regarding Lennie and George.
 * 4) **__Closing / Summation__** – We will discuss part 2 of the book and make predictions about where we see Lennie’s and George’s relationship going? What effects will other people have on their relationship (Candy, Slim, Curley).
 * 5) **__Materials Needed__****—**
 * 6) Paper for Student Questions
 * 7) [[file:Lennie and George Character Profile.doc]]
 * __G. Modifications Accommodations*__**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> George Lastinger LAE 6366 Pace Focus Lessons

Students will be able to answer questions relating to the content and vocabulary found in part three of __Of Mice and Men.__ **Process/Procedures for Students** Students will begin the lesson by answering the journal question: “Is Candy a good addition to George’s and Lennie’s plan to get a place of their own? Why or why not?” They will be given the opportunity to share their journal entries with the class. The students will then break up into their character profile groups. The students will then participate in an online jeopardy activity, with questions from part 3 of __Of Mice and Men.__ After finishing the activity the students will work on their character profiles until the end of the period. __Intro:__ The teacher will put the discussion question on the board. The teacher will tell the students to get out their journals and answer the question. When the students have finished writing their journal entries the teacher will give the students the opportunity to share their entries. __During:__ The teacher will have the students get into their character profile groups. The teacher will then give instructions for the online jeopardy activity (link: http://www.quia.com/cb/102631.html). The students will raise their hands to answer the questions. Each group’s score will be kept on the board. __Closing/Summation:__ At the end of the jeopardy activity the students will work on their character profiles for part 3. The teacher will move through the groups answering questions and helping the students. The teacher will take up the students journals for weekly grading. White board, markers, journal, pens or pencils, computer, internet, means to project the jeopardy game, character profiles, copies of __Of Mice and Men__ **Assessment** Their journal entries will be checked at the end of the two week period with each entry worth 5 points, 5 entries a week, amounting to a total of 25 points per week. The character profiles for Lennie and George will be turned in with the body biography on Friday. The students participation in the jeopardy activity will also be noted. The jeopardy activity will be used as formative assessment to gauge students understandings of the content and vocabulary of the previous nights readings. The students journals will be turned in for weekly grading. The journals will serve as formative assessment and as a means of evaluation. The teacher can gauge students understandings of the previous weeks reading and evaluate their answers to the reading questions. ESOL students will be given the opportunity to write down their thoughts before and during the discussion. ESOL students will be placed in groups that support diverse discussion. The questions will be projected as well as read aloud giving ELL more oportunities to understand the questions.
 * __Lesson Plan Friday (Week 2)__**
 * Purpose of the Unit/Concept**
 * LA.1112.2.2.2 ** The student will use information from the text to answer questions or to state the main idea or provide relevant details.
 * LA.1112.1.6.6** The student will distinguish denotative and connotative meanings of words.
 * Objectives**
 * Process/Procedures for Teachers**
 * Materials**
 * Accommodations**

Students will be able to compare the themes of the non-fiction work, //The Migrant Experience,// to those found in __Of Mice and Men__ **Process/Procedures for Students** The students will have read pg.66-98 for homework the night before. The students will answer the journal question: ”Why is Crooks so doubtful about the possibility of George and Lennie achieving the dream?” For the next part of class the students will move into their groups. The groups will have been determined earlier in the weeks. The students will then write down and discuss what they know about migrant workers in their groups. The students will then be given an article about the lives of migrant workers during the great depression. The students will read the article. The students will then be asked about how their ideas about migrant workers may or may not have changed because of the article. The whole class will then discuss the American dream and how it relates to George and Lennie as migrant workers. The teacher will bring up questions relating to Crooks and why he would have the opinion he does about Lennie’s and George’s dream. The students will be given the remainder of the class to work on their character profiles for Lennie and George __Intro:__ The teacher will put the journal question on the board before the students come into class. The teacher will tell the students to get out their journals and answer the questions. Once the students have finished their journal entries they will be asked to share with the class. __During:__ The students will be moved into their groups and asked to write down and discuss what they know about migrant workers. After a few minutes they will be given an article about the lives of migrant workers during the great depression (link: []). When they have finished reading the article they will discuss in their groups the changes in their conceptions of migrant workers. There will then be a class discussion on the journal topic and how it relates to Lennie’s and George’s life as migrant workers. Students will be asked questions like: “How did Lennie’s and George’s life as migrant farm workers affect their view of the American Dream?” and “How did reading the article on migrant workers alter your perspective on Crooks comments about Lennie’s and George’s Farm?” __Closing/Summation:__ The students will be given the remainder of the period to work on their character profiles in their groups. The teacher will move between the groups helping and answering questions as needed. White board, markers, journals, paper, pen or pencil, The Migrant Experience ( [] ), character profiles, copies of __Of Mice and Men__ for each student Their journal entries will be checked at the end of the two week period with each entry worth 5 points, 5 entries a week, amounting to a total of 25 points per week. The character profiles for Lennie and George will be turned in with the body biography on Friday. The discussion on migrant workers and the American Dream will be assessed by participation and input. The discussion will be used as formative assessment. The discussion is meant to expand student's thinking about the ideas of the American Dream. It will be a part of a participation grade. Students will be given adequate time to read //The Migrant Experience.// ELL students will be given the opportunity to write down their thoughts before and during the discussion. During the discussion they will be allowed to speak when they want. ELL students will be given adequate time to express their thoughts during discussion. I will take into account the needs of the ELL when designing the body biography groups. I will also encourage encourage ELLs to share cultural experiences that relate to the discussion and the text. **(ESOL Competency 22).** The discussion on the lives of migrant workers and the American Dream will be an excellent time to let ELL talk about their own cultural heritage and communities. The American Dream is something that relates to everyone, especially students who have just come to the United States. Students who are new to the country can offer up some very unique and real perspectives in to the idea. The idea of the American Dream can mean many different things to many different people. Talking about it will give alll of the students to share how it relates to them as Americans. Students will be able to share their and their families stories about the idea of the American Dream. All students will be able to share how the American Dream relates to their communities and their own lives.
 * __Lesson Plan Monday (Week 3)__**
 * Purpose of the Unit/Concept**
 * LA.1112.1.7.6** The student will analyze and evaluate similar themes or topics by different authors across a variety of fiction and non-fiction selections.
 * Lesson Objectives**
 * Process/Procedure for Teachers**
 * Materials**
 * Assessment**
 * Accommodations**


 * __Lesson Plan Tuesday (Week 3)__**

Students will be able to write about the relationship between Lennie and George in the final scene of __Of Mice and Men.__ Students will be able to write about George’s motives for killing Lennie in the final scene. Students will begin the class by answering the journal question: “. How would you describe the atmosphere at the opening of this chapter? Why do you think Steinbeck begins the chapter with this mood?” Students will be given the opportunity to share their journal entries. Students will then watch a few minutes of the final scene from the movie __Of Mice and Men.__ The students will then be led in a discussion on the implications of that scene. Students will be asked questions like: “Do you believe George was right in killing Lennie?”, “What does this say about George’s feelings for Lennie?”, and “Why do you think Steinbeck ended the novel in that way?” After the discussion students will move into their character profile groups and work on their character profiles until the end of the period. __Intro:__ The teacher will put the discussion question on the board. The teacher will tell the students to get out their journals and answer the question. When the students have finished writing their journal entries the teacher will give the students the opportunity to share their entries. __During:__ The teacher will show the students a clip of the final scene from __Of Mice and Men.__ The teacher will then lead the students in a discussion on this final scene. The students will be asked questions like: “Do you believe George was right in killing Lennie?”, “What does this say about George’s feelings for Lennie?”, and “Why do you think Steinbeck ended the novel in that way?” The teacher will facilitate the discussion and question student’s responses, probing students and attempting to help them reach a deeper understanding of the text. media type="youtube" key="9irH7ruetdo" height="344" width="425"
 * Purpose of the Unit/Concept**
 * LA.1112.5.2.2** The student will apply oral communication skills in interviews, formal presentations, and impromptu situations according to designed rubric criteria.
 * LA.1112.2.1.4** The student will analyze the way in which the theme or meaning of a selection represents a view or comment on life, providing textual evidence for the identified theme.
 * Objectives**
 * Process/Procedures for Students**
 * Process/Procedures for Teachers**

__Closing/Summation:__ After the discussion the students will get the rest of the period to work on their character profiles. The teacher will move between the groups helping and answering questions as needed. White board, markers, journal, pen or pencil, means to play YouTube clip, YouTube clip of the final scene (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9irH7ruetdo), character profiles, copy of __Of Mice and Men__ for each student Their journal entries will be checked at the end of the two week period with each entry worth 5 points, 5 entries a week, amounting to a total of 25 points per week. The character profiles for Lennie and George will be turned in with the body biography on Friday. Discussion will be assessed by participation and input. The discussion of Lennie's and George's relationship serves as a means of formative assessment. It will give the teacher the opportunity answer any questions the students might have about their relationship. ESOL students will be given the opportunity to write down their thoughts before and during the discussion. During the discussion they will be allowed to speak when they want so that they can share any related thoughts. Allowing them to share quickly keeps the discussion topic closely related to their thoughts. ESOL students will be given adequate time to express their thoughts during discussion. I will take into account the needs of the ELL when designing the body biography groups. I will also encourage cultural opinions relating to the text.
 * Materials**
 * Assessment**
 * Accommodations**

The discussion of the final part of __Of Mice and Men__ is an excellent time to assess student’s understanding of the text. This part of the novel is sure to illicit an emotional response within the students. I am sure that most of the students will have some pretty strong opinions about the final scene. It will be my job to let the students express those opinions and direct them to a productive reading of the scene. I will need to make sure the students move beyond their emotional response and analyze the scene as a piece of literature. Their analysis of the scene will give me an idea of their understanding of Lennie’s and George’s relationship. The discussion will also provide an opportunity to wrap the book. The students should have finished the text the night before. As we discuss their opinions about the book and the final scene I will direct their questioning to look at the complexities of the Lennie’s and George’s relationship. We will talk about the nature of Lennie and George’s relationship and why they believe Steinbeck ended the novel in that way. While we talk I will note the student’s understandings and determine how I will need to scaffold the discussion to meet the student’s needs. This time will also allow the students to ask any questions they might have about the book. I will be able to check their final readings and help them to formulate their final opinions about Lennie’s and George’s relationship. It will help them get their final ideas for their character profile sheets that they should be finishing at the end of the day on Tuesday. I will use the group work at the end of the period to continue what was started with the discussion. The groups will finish their character profile sheets and be given the opportunity to ask questions they might have about the assignment. The goal of this assessment will be to determine the student’s readiness for the body biography and relationship essay. It will be imperative that I check the student’s understandings before they do assignments that will impact their grading.
 * __Formative Assessment Plan__**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">

Dana Waschitz LAE 6366 Pace Focus Lessons Lesson Plan for Wednesday (Week 3) ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> A. __Purpose of the Unit/Concept__:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">LA.1112.2.2.3 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The student will organize the information to show understanding or relationships among facts, ideas, and events (e.g., representing key points within text through charting, mapping, paraphrasing, summarizing, comparing, contrasting, outlining).

B. __Lesson Objective__: -Students will be able to discuss relevant themes, symbols, and the story line and answer any questions after finishing the text to wrap up __Of Mice and Men__.

C. __Processes/Procedures for Students__: The students will have had to finish the novel __Of Mice and Men__ by this day in the unit, and be prepared to discuss final thoughts and wrap up the ending of the story. To begin the class period the students will be given about seven minutes to answer the follow question in their journals: After reading the entire novel, what connections to the Great Depression and the American Dream do you see? The second part of class will be devoted to a class activity where the students will make a chart with three symbols on one side, drawing them in, including The Farm, Lenny’s Puppy, and Candy’s dog in their notebooks. Then, on the other side of the chart, they will be asked to draw or write down what each of these symbols represents. The students will then pair up with one another, share, and have a class discussion. They will answer discussion questions such as “what are the themes of the story?” And in groups, they will think of three themes and share their ideas with the class. Lastly, we will have a class discussion about any questions they may have about the story and wrap it up. Finally, the students will have the rest of the class to work on their Body Biographies that they have previously been making character trait lists on about Lennie and George. They will be notified that they only have today and Thursday to work on finishing up this project to then present during Friday’s class period. For homework, they will then be assigned to answer an essay question given by the teacher that will be due on Friday along with their group presentations on __Of Mice and Men__. They will be asked to bring in a very rough first draft of the essay assignment to do peer editing during the follow class day.

D. __Processes/Procedures for Teachers__: __Intro:__ Students will be asked to answer the journal entry question at the beginning of class, and then have finished the novel in order to discuss and wrap up any comments, questions, or concerns they have with the ending of the novel. __During:__ I will instruct the students to do a class activity with the follow directions: make a chart with three symbols on one side, drawing them in, including The Farm, Lenny’s Puppy, and Candy’s dog in their notebooks. Then, on the other side of the chart, they will be asked to draw or write down what each of these symbols represents. The students will then pair up with one another, share, and have a class discussion. __Closing/Summation__: I will have the students get into their body biography groups in order to spend the rest of the class period working on them, knowing they will present them on Friday during class. I will then hand out a writing assignment I have come up with to really finish wrapping up the novel that will be due Friday in class. They will be asked to get as much of the essay done and to bring in a very rough first draft the next day in class for a short peer editing activity. The students will be asked to respond to the following: __Essay Assignment:__ **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Symbiosis is a biological term, but it can easily be applied to human relationships. **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Symbiosis ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> is a relationship between two forms of life. The relationship can be one where both forms live together and benefit each other; this relationship is called **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Mutualism ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">. Another kind of symbiosis occurs when one form is helped and the other form is neither helped nor hurt; this relationship is called **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Commensalism ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">. This last type of symbiosis is called **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Parasitism ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">. In this relationship one form benefits, but the other is always hurt. Think of the relationships in __Of Mice and Men__. Write a separate, well-developed 2-3 page essay for ONE of the relationships listed above. Be sure to give specific reasons from the text to support your decisions as to whether the relationships are mutualism, commensalism, or parasitism. Look at these three relationships: Curley and his wife, Slim and George, and George and Lennie. This essay must be typed, double-spaced with the usual fonts and formats. This is due on Friday at the beginning of class.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">

E. __Materials__: Crayons or colored pencils, class notes, pens/pencils/paper, __Of Mice and Men__ novel, story map/chart, and writing assignment handout.

F. __Assessment__: Students will be assessed based on discussion as a class and their work in groups. I will walk around and make sure that all students are participating together and adding to the discussion. Their journal entries will be checked at the end of the two week period with each entry worth 5 points, 5 entries a week, amounting to a total of 25 points per week. The essay assignment will be worth 50 points as a part of the overall unit grades.

G. __Modifications/Accommodations__: For the students who have trouble answering and understanding the questions asked for their journal entries, I would help by responding to their writing and give them pointers on how to use more detail and how to answer the questions more fully for future responses. The group work will be helpful for all types of students with different abilities and ESL students who need more practice working with others and understanding conversational and written English. Group work allows for more discourse varying and will help ESL students’ understanding of the key concepts in the novel. I will be available for conferences before or after school on these days in regards to their essay assignments. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Lesson Plan for Thursday ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">:

A. __Purpose of Unit/Concept__:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">LA.1112.3.1.1 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The student will prewrite by generating ideas from multiple sources (e.g., brainstorming, notes, journals, discussion, research materials or other reliable sources) based upon teacher-directed topics and personal interests.

B. __Lesson Objective__: -The students will be able to peer-edit one another’s papers during the class that is beneficial to all of them in order to develop their __Of Mice and Men__ papers.

C. __Processes/Procedures for Students__: To begin the class period the students will be given about seven minutes to answer the follow question in their journals: What does George’s action represent in the story? What else does he kill when he kills Lennie? Then the students will be given about fifteen minutes to partner up in pairs I give them in order to read and peer edit one another’s rough drafts. They will be asked to write a few comments on their peer’s papers for positive reinforcement and help. If they finish quickly, they will be assigned another partner and students will be expected to finish at least one peer editing during the time allotted. The rest of the class period will be given to the students to work on and finish their Body Biographies on Lennie and George for presentations the following day in class.

D. __Processes/Procedures for Teachers__: __Intro__: I will assign the journal entry question to work on at the beginning of class for about seven minutes. __During__: The students will be asked to peer review one another’s rough drafts of their essay assignment due the following day. I will instruct the students to get into partners that I give them in order to do the editing. The students will be asked to write comments and helpful strategies for their peers in the margins of their rough draft papers. It is important for the students to know that peer editing is important and useful as long as they take it seriously and be kind with respectable feedback for one another. After peer editing, the students will be instructed to get into their body biography groups to finish working on their projects for the remainder of the class time that are to be presented the next day. __Closing/Summation__: Remind students that the final draft of the essay assignment is due the next day along with their final Body Biography projects on Lennie and George.

E. __Materials__: Rough Drafts, Peer Editing sheets, pen or pencil for each student, body biography list, crayons/markers or any material needed for projects, and __Of Mice and Men__ novel.

F. __Assessment__: Students will be assessed by their work in peer editing. It is important that I circulate the room to facilitate a positive working environment and students will be checked periodically to make sure they are creating positive and insightful comments on their peers rough drafts. Their journal entries will be checked at the end of the two week period with each entry worth 5 points, 5 entries a week, amounting to a total of 25 points per week. I will also walk around and make sure that all students are participating together and adding to the work on their Body Biography projects.

G. __Modifications/Accommodations__: Same as previous lesson: For the students who have trouble answering and understanding the questions asked for their journal entries, I would help by responding to their writing and give them pointers on how to use more detail and how to answer the questions more fully for future responses. The group work will be helpful for all types of students with different abilities and ESL students who need more practice working with others and understanding conversational and written English. Group work allows for more discourse varying and will help ESL students’ understanding of the key concepts in the novel. I will be available for conferences before or after school on these days in regards to their essay assignments and peer editing. Lesson Plan for Friday: ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> A. __Purpose of Unit/Concept__:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">LA.1112.3.4.2 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The student will be able to explore and discuss the meaning of a character trait, how they are evident in the human characters and how understanding these traits can help explain and predict the characters’ actions within the text.

B. __Lesson Objectives__: - Students will be able to recognize and identify qualities of characters in this particular work of literature. - Students will be able to function in a group atmosphere and visually depict traits of a character utilizing symbolic representations. - Students will develop an appreciation of the significance of evaluating characters’ traits and be able to explore how these traits are responsible for actions that occur within the work of literature, __Of Mice and Men__.

C. __Processes/Procedures for Students__: To begin the class period the students will be given about seven minutes to answer the follow question in their journals: At the end of the novel, do you consider George a hero? Why or why not? In order to successfully complete the Body Biographies, the students must demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the novel and characters, be able to translate these traits into visual symbols, and work cooperatively in groups to determine which are the most important traits of the character. Then, during the Body Biography presentations, they must be able to predict (based on their knowledge and evaluation of the character) how the character would respond to some questions and the overall appearance of the Body Biographies created. Throughout the class period after writing their journal entries, each group will present their final Body Biographies of George and Lennie to the rest of the class for a grade.

D. __Processes/Procedures for Teachers__: __Intro__: I will introduce the idea of character traits and qualities by having the students verbally respond to prompts focused around famous personalities (i.e. Spongebob, Bilbo Baggins). Then I will discuss what aspects make up these traits (physical, personality, etc.) and ask how these traits become evident, and what effect they have on the larger literary work.

__During__: I will assign directions for what group will present first and so forth for the Body Biography projects. Since each group will do both Lennie and George as their characters, they will take turns guessing which character is which that the other groups have depicted and what the symbols they have chosen to represent him/her mean after each group presents. After the other team has guessed which drawing is George or Lennie, the other students will be allowed to ask four questions (which they will have already formulated) as to why or what the character’s motivations were for his/her actions in the novel. (i.e.- why do you think George kills Lennie?) These will be answered by members of the other groups based on what they know about that character’s traits and personality that they have researched and come up with in their Body Biographies.

__Closing/Summation__: Review the significant character traits that the two main characters and students have highlighted and how these traits affect the two character’s emotions, motivations, and actions throughout the novel. I will be sure to stress the importance of paying close attention to character traits and their overall significance to the study of literature.

E. __Materials__: Final paper copies, pen/pencil/paper for each student, body biography list and final project for presentations, and __Of Mice and Men__ novel.

F. __Assessment__: Their journal entries will be checked at the end of the two week period with each entry worth 5 points, 5 entries a week, amounting to a total of 25 points per week. Since this activity involves higher level thinking skills, the assessment that would best ensue progress would be the teacher’s observations of how well the individual students cooperate with one another and contribute to the groups’ effort as a whole. Then each individual student can receive an overall total of 100 points based on 5 categories of neatness, team work, visual images, passages/quotes, and the attention to the time period. Depending on how well they worked together, how much they contributed to the end result, and their presentations will result in this grade. I think that keeping a close watch of the students can ascertain the teacher assessment of this lesson over the groups and individual involvement as well as how meaningful the end product is.

G. __Modifications/Accommodations__: This lesson on characterization and this activity known as the Body Biography provide many interesting opportunities in the classroom. For one, it covers all levels of the character traits of both Lennie and George. Because of the group work and hands-on assignment, the use of different learning modalities is a key component for the different learning abilities and types of students there are in the classroom.

__Formative Assessment Plans__ As formative assessment for my students, I will be sure to check each journal entry for the two weeks to see that they not only did the work, but fully understood what I was asking of them, and the purpose of the journal entries. If the students did not do many of the entries, I will assume he or she did not understand the text or just did not do the reading. In order to change this, I may next time check the journal entries right after each one is answered instead as a quiz grade to ensure that the students are actually doing the reading, or feeling that they should. The essay assignment would be the next type of formative assessment I will have for my students. These will be graded by myself at the end of the first three weeks of this unit using a grading point system out of 100. These children were given a rubric, and should know what is expected to get the full 100 points. If the students are not getting these points and/or do not hand in an essay, I would maybe modify this assignment the next time I assign it. I would maybe space it out over a longer period of time so the students could really work hard on it, or have made more time for peer editing and revision. I want my students to answer this question at the end of the reading because I think it is a very important theme and issue throughout the novel and makes for a good writing prompt. If some of my students do not understand what I am asking of them, I would be more than happy to meet with them before or after school in order to better aid them through their writing processes. Throughout the few weeks, I will continually be walking around for participation assessment to make sure that each student is contributing to class discussions, group work, peer editing, and an overall environment that promotes positive learning and teaching. .