English II Lesson Plans for January 7--30
Wednesday, January 7
1. See pages 308—309 for the introductory material to “By the Waters of Babylon.” Discuss first-person point of view and the naïve narrator.
2. Read the story beginning on page 310.
Thursday, January 8
1. Review allusion. Discuss the allusions in the story.
2. Review the ARC method of answering short answer questions. Show students how to answer a question about an internal or external conflict. Answer the following question together: What is an external conflict John faces? Then have the students answer the following question: What internal conflict does John face when he reaches the great river? Hand in today.
Friday, January 9
Activity to prepare students for Unit 4: Argument and Persuasion
Tell students that they will take a position on a controversial topic and then provide support for their position.
Topics:
1. Should everyone be allowed to leave school for lunch, or just seniors?
2. Should public schools have a dress code?
3. Should junk food be banned in schools?
Monday, January 12
1. Tell students that they are going to read two selections about the same topic (the ethics of using animals for medical research), but the selections have opposite perspectives. After they read and discuss the selections, they will write an essay in which they discuss their opinion about the issue. They will learn the structure of a persuasive essay, which is the type of essay they will have to write on the STAAR English II writing test.
2. Explain that the first selection uses emotional appeals based on personal observations, facts, and expert testimony, for the most part, to show that animals deserve ethical treatment, but the second selection relies on other types of evidence. Use the overhead to teach the types of evidence that writers use to show that their arguments and conclusions are valid (anecdotal evidence, empirical evidence, and logical evidence.)
3. See pages 664—665 for introductory and background material for “I Acknowledge Mine” on page 666.
4. Read “I Acknowledge Mine” and discuss the questions under “Critical Analysis” on page 675.
Tuesday, January 13
1. Finish yesterday’s lesson, if necessary.
2. Explain that today the students will read a selection that argues for using animals in medical research. As they read, they should identify the types of evidence that the American Medical Association uses to support its position.
3. See introductory and background material on pages 678—679.
4. Read “Use of Animals in Biomedical Research” on page 680. Discuss the questions under “Critical Analysis” on page 685. Complete the chart with arguments against animal testing and arguments for.
Wednesday, January 14 AND Friday, January 16
COVER AS MUCH OF THIS MATERIAL AS YOU CAN TODAY, AND THEN TAKE UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 16. THE STUDENTS WILL SPEND THE ENTIRE PERIOD ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, IN THE THEATER WITH THE COUNSELORS.
1. Together, the class will write a persuasive essay that takes a position on the issue, and they will provide text evidence from the selection to support the position.
2. Teach the structure of the introduction in a persuasive essay:
è a lead, such as a startling statement, quote, background information, a general statement,
or a description
è a claim / position (thesis statement)
3. Write the claim / thesis statement together. The students must write their own lead.
4. Teach the structure of body paragraphs one and two
è a topic sentence beginning with an appropriate transition, stating one of the supporting reasons
è supporting details explaining the topic sentence. The details will be text evidence from the selection supporting their position. Also explain about paraphrasing and providing parenthetical documentation for quotes or paraphrased material.
5. Write the first body paragraph together. Show the students how to paraphrase the text evidence and provide documentation.
6. The students will write the second body paragraph by themselves. Show them the reason and the text evidence to use in this paragraph. Remind them of the parenthetical documentation they must provide.
7. Explain the structure of the third body paragraph, which will be a counterargument. Show the students how to word the topic sentence. Students paraphrase the evidence sentences and include parenthetical citations.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 15 SCHEDULING IN THEATER
Friday, January 16
Continue the work from Wednesday.
MONDAY, JANUARY 19 MLK DAY
Tuesday, January 20
1. Finish persuasive essay. Teach the structure of the conclusion
è restatement of the conclusion
è closing remarks, such as call to action, personal reaction, or emotional appeal
2. Write the restatement of the thesis together. Students will write their own closing remarks.
3. Hand in the persuasive essay for a major grade.
4. page R21: Review the structure of a persuasive essay. Analyze the example essay about exempting student athletes from the PE requirement. Show students that the essay fits on 26-line paper.
Wednesday, January 21
1. Begin adjective and adverb usage. To introduce the topic, show students the cartoons related to adjective and adverb usage.
2. Teach the rules for adjective and adverb usage.
3. Together, do the first five sentences in each of the four sections on worksheet #1. Students finish the rest of the handout for homework, and it is due at the first of class tomorrow.
4. Begin teaching Section 5 in the Reading Handbook on pages R21—26. The material is divided into 4 subsections, each with its own “practice and apply” exercises. Teach the appeals on R22 and do the practice and apply exercise orally. Teach types of faulty logic on page R24 and do the practice and apply exercise orally.
Examples of appeals to show the students:
1. See document: CS—Unit 4—Reading Handbook Section 5—R2—APPEALS—examples of testimonial, etc. Show these and ask the students what type of appeal is used in each one
2. from YouTube:
Al Pacino coffee commercial celebrity endorsement (testimonial)
grey poupon son of rolls commercial; (snob appeal)
Coca Cola Australian Summer Commercial 2009 2010; (transfer)
sad ASPCA Commercial May 2012 Roberta Flack (appeal to pity)
guaranteed to blow your mind—seat belt commercial.mp4 (appeal to emotion)
Thursday, January 22 STUDENTS SEE COUNSELORS IN HALLWAY 2-3 AT A TIME FOR SCHEDULING.
1. Check and correct #1 adjective and adverb usage worksheet.
2. Complete worksheet titled “Correcting Errors with Adjective and Adverbs”. Hand in at the end of the period.
Friday, January 23
1. Finish Reading Handbook. Page R25: Teach how to evaluate persuasive texts. Do the Practice and Apply exercise on page R26. Write the answers on notebook paper.
2. Teach the strategies for determining a strong argument. Do the Practice and Apply exercise on R26.
Write the answers on notebook paper.
3. Hand in all answers to the Reading Handbook.
4. Teach the students about dangling and misplaced modifiers using the overheads.
5. Do #’s 1—5 on the back of worksheet #2 together. The students do the rest of the worksheet, front and back, for homework. It is due Tuesday.
Monday, January 26
1. Begin the Critical Reading Workshop on page 632—637. Teach Part 1: The Analysis of an Argument & Strategies for Evaluating an Argument. Do the Close Read questions for Models 1 and 2 on page 633.
2. Teach Part 2: The Craft of Persuasion. Remind the students of the persuasive techniques on page R22. Do the Close Read questions for Models 1 and 2 on page 635.
3. Teach Rhetorical Devices on page 636. Do the Close Read questions at the bottom of the page.
4. Remind the students of the persuasive techniques on pages 634 and R22 and rhetorical devices on page 636. They will use this information to analyze the text in Part 3 on page 637. Have the students complete the Close Read questions on page 637.
5. Reminder: #2 adjective and adverb usage worksheet is due tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 27
1. Check and correct #2 adjective and adverb usage worksheet. Keep to hand in on the day of the test.
2. Assign #3 worksheet, which is formatted just like the test tomorrow. Students work on the worksheet in class and finish it for homework. It is due tomorrow.
3. Show students the benchmark persuasive essay prompt, which they will write in class on Thursday.
Wednesday, January 28
1. Check and correct #3 worksheet.
2. Hand in worksheets 1A and 1B, 2, and 3.
3. Take the test over adjective and adverb usage.
Thursday, January 29 Benchmark persuasive essay
Friday, January 30
1. Today the students will read a persuasive speech and analyze its syntax, diction, tone, imagery and figurative language. See background information on page 710.
2. Read “The Question of South Africa” on page 711.
3. The students will complete the chart explained on page 710. (Have the students add figurative language to the chart.) They will also answer comprehension questions 1—4 and critical analysis question 1.