SUBJECT/Grade: The Writer's Craft (Grade 12, College Preparation) Suggested Time: 75 minutes
COURSE/Type/Code: English- EWC4C
UNIT TITLE: One Act Plays- From Page to Stage
LESSON TITLE : How can identifying the target audience of my play, and understanding strategies used in various promotional texts, help me advertise a performance of my show?
Connection to CULMINATING ACTIVITY: Working on a piece of writing to be included in the submission of unit writing portfolio. This portfolio will include a completed one-act play script, the rough draft with self and peer evaluation sheets, a Learning Journal (collection of weekly reflections/ Exit Passes), and a poster/advertisement or playbill/program to present and promote the show.
Planning Information:Curriculum Connections
Overall Expectation(s):
· Investigating Writing- Understanding writing as an art, a craft and a career
· Practicing Writing- Drafting and Revising
· Reflecting on Writing- Metacognition
Specific Expectation(s):
· Analyse the ways in which writers use elements of form/style.
· Select and organize ideas and information to draft texts appropriate for the purpose and audience.
· Explain how their own beliefs, values and experiences are revealed in their writing.
Learning Goal(s):
· I will be able to contribute to group discussions by listening to and sharing personal experiences
· I will be able to work in a team to analyze different styles of writing used in playbills/programs, etc.
· I will be able to clearly identify effective and ineffective writing and visual strategies for promoting a play
· I will be able to connect what I have learned back to my own play that I have written
· I will be able to identify the target audience of my play in preparation for creating my own promotional text
Essential Questions:
· What are some effective writing strategies used to promote a piece of theatre?
· What information do I, as a writer, need to know to create a playbill/program or other promotional text?
(ex. target audience, connection to real-world events, connections to other pieces of literature, actor biographies,
key quotes from the script)
· What are the different parts of a playbill/program? of a poster/advertisement?
· How are the visual elements connected to the writing?
· How can I/will I use this information to promote my own piece of theatre through writing and creating a program?
· What is my target audience for my play, and how can cater my promotional piece to them?
Assessment and Evaluation
Assessment/Success Criteria
Knowledge and Understanding
· Students will demonstrate a knowledge of text genre, format and purpose (Jigsaw)
Thinking
· Students will demonstrate critical thinking processes by analyzing other writers' work (Jigsaw)
· Students will demonstrate metacognition skills by reflecting on the choices they make in their writing (Exit Pass)
Communication
· Students will complete assigned tasks through communication with peers (Jigsaw)
· Students will share their perspectives and provide responses to the ideas of their peers (Jigsaw)
· Students will learn to tailor their writing to communicate for different audiences and purposes (Exit Pass/ Rough Draft)
Application
· Students will participate in establishing Learning Centres by bringing required resources (Whole-class discussion)
· Students will make connections to their own experiences attending a theatrical production (Show and Tell)
· Students will apply what they have learned in class to creating their own promotional piece for their play(Culminating Project- to be assessed later) / Assessment Tools
· Whole-class Discussion
· Group Discussion
· Teacher Observation (Checklist)
· Learning Journal (Exit Pass)
Differentiated Instruction Details
w How will you differentiate your lesson? Provide details
Knowledge of Students
Differentiation based on student:
r Readiness x Interests x Learner Profile:
r Styles x Intelligences r Other (e.g., environment,
gender, culture)
· Interests: The materials used in class will be selected by the students based on the productions they have seen. This gives students ownership of the learning process, and each of them is an “expert” because they are allowed to contribute with their prior knowledge they gained from their own personal experiences as audience members at a show.
· Interests: Students will be working independently at the end of class to produce a promotional piece for their own one-act play. They will have the choice of the form they wish to use: Poster, Advertisement, Program, Playbill
· Learner Profiles: Teacher will provide all instructions orally and in written form (handouts). The class will read all the questions on the handouts aloud together and discuss, before dividing into groups. This will cater to how different students process information, while reinforcing the activity expectations.
· Learner Profiles: The lesson incorporates skills that apply to Interpersonal learners (Show and Tell/ Jigsaw/ Class Discussion), Intrapersonal learners (Writing Workshop/ Quiet Reflection Time), Visual/Spatial learners (analyzing visual texts) , and Linguistic learners (analyzing written texts). The target audience of the lesson is high-achieving students at an arts school who have chosen to pursue this course in creative writing, and therefore it is safe to say that these four Intelligences apply to the vast majority of students in the class.
Need to Know
· The variety of ways to promote a theatrical production and the writing/visual strategies used in these promotional pieces to suit a target audience. This is in preparation for creating their own work to promote their one-act play.
How to Find Out
· Relating back to a personal experience attending a production
· Analyzing a wide variety of playbills/programs/posters
· Discussing ideas in small groups and as a class
· Submitting an Exit Pass ( which counts as their Learning Journal)
· Beginning their rough draft in class- teacher on the floor for feedback
Differentiated Instruction Response
x Learning materials (content) x Ways of learning (process) x Ways of demonstrating learning (product) r Learning environment
· Learning materials: Students will analyze a variety of texts that use both written and visual elements. They have selected their own materials to share with the class and analyze in groups, based off of shows and theatrical performances they have been to.
· Ways of learning: Students will be provided with the opportunity in class to share and learn from peers, work and reflect independently, and consult with the teacher.
· Ways of demonstrating learning: Students will complete an Exit Pass, or can opt to answer the same questions orally in a one-on-one consultation. All students must complete and submit a Promotional Text, but they will have a choice in the format they wish to use.
Necessary Prior Knowledge & Skills
Prior to this lesson, students will have:
Knowledge …
· Analysed and responded to a one-act play- a thorough knowledge of the literary genre
· Attended a theatrical production- knowledge of how a production takes place and how it differs from a script reading
Note: some students may have seen a different kind of production, such as a poetry reading or a concert. The important point is that they understand a show from an audience perspective (through experience), and are able to provide a piece of writing that promoted the show (poster/advertisement/program/playbill)
Skills …
· Written/edited/self-evaluated/peer-evaluated a one act play script. The good copy should be ready for submission with the portfolio at this point. Students will now have the skills to identify successful and unsuccessful writing strategies, and evaluate or critique the work of other writers.
· Analyzed and produced a variety of media texts (articles, captions for photos, reviews, etc.). Students will have the literacy skills necessary to interpret genres that fall outside of literature (poems/novels/plays).
Materials & Resources
Materials:
· Programs, playbills, posters that advertise productions/ shows/ theatrical performances (each student should bring one to class)
· Projector/computer- Teacher can provide online examples as a back-up if students don’t bring enough materials, if a greater variety is needed, or to take a look at together if there is extra time (Optional)
Appendices:
- Assessment Checklist
- Advertising for Theatre: Text Investigation
- Promotional Piece Rough Draft
-Exit Pass
Internet Resources:
Dean, D. (2006). Brochures: Writing for Audience and Purpose(Lesson Plan). ReadWriteThink. Retrieved from http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/brochures-writing-audience-purpose-1002.html
Note: Learning resource from this online Lesson Plan used to create Handout 1 (see Appendices)
Resources:
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2000). The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/english1112curr.pdf
Note: Curriculum used to establish Overall and Specific Expectations / Agenda (to be listed on blackboard, in student language)
1) Show and Tell!
2) Creating our Learning Centers
3) Jigsaw Groups- Analyzing the texts you brought in
4) Debrief
5) Writing Workshop- Exit Pass, begin drafting work
Minds On (Hook)
w Establishing a positive learning environment
w Connecting to prior learning and/or experiences
w Setting the context for learning/ Sharing learning goals/essential questions / Connections
L: Literacy
AfL, AoL: Assessment for/of Learning
Home Groups (4-6 students) Þ Show and Tell
Description of Steps/Task
1. Students have been asked to bring in a promotional piece of writing for a theatrical production they have seen in the recent past (or one that they have found, if they do not have any materials on hand from prior experiences). Students may have also opted to bring something from alternative kinds of performances (concerts/ poetry readings, etc.)
2. As a back-up, the teacher should also bring in some examples of play programs, or find online posters and advertisements that can be used for analysis if there are not enough materials (make sure the computer/projector is set up for presenting these resources before hand).
3. Divide students into their Home Groups (these should already be established groups based off of prior Jigsaw Activities).
4. The number of students in each group will determine the number of learning center, so groups should be as even as possible.
5. In the Home Groups, each students does a brief 1 min ''Show and Tell" of the material they brought in. Use the following questions as a guideline:
- What production did I see?
- Did I enjoy the show?
- What kind of promotional text did I bring in (program/playbill/poster/advertisement)?
- What did I find useful or effective about the promotional text, as an audience member?
6. In their Home Groups, students suggest categories for organizing the promotional texts.
Ex. Theme based- Musical, Comedy, One-Act Play, School Production, Professional Production
Ex. Genre based- programs, posters, advertisements from newspapers, text-heavy, image-heavy
7. Teacher circulates and checks off all students that have brought material in. / Strategy/Assessment Tool
Assessment for learning:
· Group Discussion
Assessment as learning:
· Teacher Observation (checklist)
Action
w Introducing new learning or extending/reinforcing prior learning
w Providing opportunities for practice and application of learning (guided > independent)
Jigsaw Groups (4-6 students) Þ Learning Centers/ Textual Analysis
Description of Steps/Task
1. Before putting students into Jigsaw groups, the Learning Centers must be created collaboratively by the class.
2. Each Home Group shares their proposed categories for organizing the promotional texts that have been brought into class. The teacher writes a list on the board
3. Once all the categories have been listed, the class votes on the ones they would like to use (4-6 total).
4. Stations are set up, where all the texts that fit a particular category are compiled at that Learning Centre.
5. The students are divided into Jigsaw groups, with one member from each Home Group going to a different Learning Centre.
6. Before starting the activity, the teacher will go through all the questions orally with the students to clarify expectations.
7. Collaboratively, the Jigsaw groups look through the materials and select 2-3 texts that they would like to focus on.
8. Together they begin discussing and filling out the work sheet (Handout 1).
9. The teacher circulates, and using the checklist, assesses the students contributions to the activity. ( See Assessment/Success Criteria).
10. Once the handout is complete, the students reconvene in their Home Groups
11. Each member of the Home Group presents a general overview of their findings at the Learning Centre.
12. The teacher can continue to circulate during this time to complete the checklist.
Whole Class Þ Debrief
Description of Steps/Task
1. The teacher leads the class in a debrief of the Jigsaw activity using the Essential Questions.
2. Based off of student input, teacher creates summary list on blackboard of essential elements for each promotional text, and effective writing/visual strategies.
3. Teacher ends with key question: Why is identifying your target audience so important for this form of professional writing?
4. Teacher passes around Exit Pass, and together the class reads the instructions and questions. Teacher responds to any needs for clarification. / Strategy/Assessment Tool
Assessment as learning:
· Group Discussion
· Teacher Observation (checklist)
Assessment of learning:
· Whole-class Discussion
Consolidation and Connection
w Helping students demonstrate what they have learned
w Providing opportunities for consolidation and reflection
Whole Class Working Independently Þ Writing Workshop/Quiet Reflection Time
Description of Steps/Task
1. Students will work independently in their seats to complete the Exit Pass (Handout 3).
2. Once students have submitted their exit pass by placing it in a folder on the teacher's desk, they may take a copy of Handout 2 and use the remainder of the period to begin drafting their promotional text.
3. The teacher is on the floor for one-on-one consultations, feedback and guidance. / Strategy/Assessment Tool
Assessment of learning:
· Exit Pass (Learning Journal)
Accommodations/Special Needs: (this may have been identified above in DI section) How will you accommodate for students with IEPs, ELLs etc.?
· Change groupings- instead of larger groups for the Jigsaw activity, students with special needs may opt to work in partners and divide up the questions into smaller chunks, or work on their analysis independently.
· Students with IEP’s- Let students know ahead of time what you will be evaluating in your teacher observation assessment so that they have time to mentally prepare. Be specific. (Ex. Making 2 observations, providing 2 comments on other student’s opinions, writing down point form notes on the sheet).
· For ELLs- Rather than having them complete the Exit Pass (Learning Journal) in class where they are required to write under pressure of time constraints, assign it as homework so that the students will be given more time to reflect and edit their work. Still provide time in class to get started, so they have the opportunity to ask the teacher for any clarification. Provide students with a model of a completed Exit Pass.
· Offering a different form of assessment- instead of completing the Exit Pass (part of Learning Journal) in writing, students with different needs may chose to answer the questions orally in a private consultation with the teacher (informal discussion where students have the opportunity to demonstrate the same metacognition skills as the Learning Journal writers).
Teacher Reflection on Lesson: (to be completed after teaching, you do not need to fill this out for this assignment, just an FYI for reflective practice)
Aspects that worked: / Changes for next time:
Teacher Observation Checklist- Assessment As Learning