Tammy Westfall

July 26, 2004

Dr. Cope

Final Exam Narrative

Grade: 7

Ability Level: Regular Education

Overview:

My thematic literature unit consists of two novels. The first Novel is called Hatchetin which a male protagonist is forced to survive in the wilderness after the pilot of his plane suffers a heart attack. Brian, the main character, is forced to try to land the plane after it runs out of gasoline. Luckily, he lands in water and is alive, but now he has to hopethat someone will rescue him and has no idea how long that will actually be. I chose to introduce this book by reading poems that had to do with some of the aspects that Brian is going through. For instance, a poem about hope, courage, luck or mistakes creates a discussion about what Brian is experiencing. If we want our students to grow up loving to read and write, we should be modeling our love for reading and writing. (Graves, 1985.)

Students are asked to have a novel of their choice to read silently at the end of every other day. This is called DEAR time, which stands for drop everything and read. The DEAR time is alternated with writing time. The writing time is given so that students can respond to the literature that they are reading. I use journal prompts to engage the students and give a more clear sense of what their responses should be. According to Best Practice in Writing by Zemelman & Heinemann ,if the topic matters to the students, they work hard to express themselves well and are willing to invest time and effort in crafting and revising their work. I chose to create specific time for students to read and write because throughpractice they will become more efficient. Coaching and being coached in any subject, whether it is a sport or a craft takes time, dedication, hard-work, and patience. Teaching, reading and writing are two subjects that cannot be mastered, but are continuously being sculpted so that you can become more skilled. (Kirby, 2001.) Teachers also have to learn in the classroom because common sense, good intentions, and the world’s best writing and reading program are not enough. (Atwell, 2003.) Teaching is about life first and literature second. (Brewbaker, 2001.) Just as school divides into different subjects, so is life divided into themes, topics, and worries. Students should use “real life” skills for each subject that makes learning seem more useful.

The second novel that I read is called The Cat Ate My Gymsuit. This novel has a female protagonist that is struggling to survive with her self-esteem in school and at home. Her teacher, friends, and family help her to survive. She learns to be courageous and stand up for what she believes. I use children’s short stories and poems to introduce similar subtopics that this main character is experiencing. During the reading of this novel, students are asked to complete tasks in literature circles. Literature circles are a way for the students to continuously be engaged with what they read. They help the student to go back and remember what they were thinking while they were reading which leads to better peer discussions.

I chose these two novels because I am studying gender differences in the classroom, and it is good to have female and male protagonists. I tried to choose books that relate to both genders. Students are asked to read some of the chapters on their own at home while others are read aloud as a class. Sometimes students read in pairs and have to ask each other questions as they read. Modeling good questioning techniques is important. I used the Tell Me: Children Reading and Talking by Aidan Chambers as examples of good questions to ask. These questions move students beyond knowledge level learning.

The main theme explored for this literature unit is survival. I read short children’s books to introduce each subtopic. Common children’s books use elements of learning to relate to practical situations. (Applebee, 1963.) At least one of the characters in the novels that we read experiences some of the issues that are explored in the subtopics. Diverse short stories can introduce many various topics in the curriculum, which gives more opportunity for the student to become connected to the curriculum. Reading in school and allowing choice gives students an opportunity to become addicted. Filling your classroom with popular titles of books and promoting social interaction around literature can create an environment that welcomes readers. For instance, book talks, and literature circles allow exploration of different experiences through the exposure of varied genres.This creates student responsibility, which elicitsproud ownership of student’s written work. It also provides multiple assessments so that students are fairly graded. I use different children’s novels and poems to introduce the literary concepts such as character, plot, symbolism, etc. I introduce one literary concept at a time so that students do not become overwhelmed.

A lesson that may be obvious to some is that literature has the capacity to enter our lives, to interact with what we already know and believe, and perhaps even to change us. (Salvner, 2001.) Therefore choosing theme and sub-themes proves to be rewarding for both the student and the teacher.

New Standards

Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-LanguageArts

Preparing the Way for Student Learning

I. Knowledge of Learners

Accomplished Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts teachers draw on their knowledge of learning and child development theories and their relationships with students to acquire knowledge of their students as intellectual, social, emotional, cultural, and literate beings. Teachers use this information to inform teaching and learning practices.

  • Knowing the students by taking a course through the county called Adolescents in Middle School.
  • Leading the drama club preparing students for a performance helps me to know the students interests on a different level.

II. Knowledge of the Field of Literacy: Reading-Language Arts

Accomplished Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts teachers know and understand current literature and theories about reading-language arts. They evaluate this knowledge and use it in their instructional practice.

•Bachelor of Science in Education from The University of Akron.

•I am Certified in Language Arts.

•I have taught English/Language Arts for 6 years.

•I completed a summer course at KSU called The National Writing Project.

•I am currently in a Masters programfor Language Arts at KSU.

•I evaluate the knowledge learned from experience, colleagues, teacher conventions, and college courses and incorporate it into the classroom.

III. Equity, Fairness, and Diversity

Accomplished Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts teachers practice equity and fairness; they seek and capitalize on diversity and diverse perspectives. They encourage all students to know, value, and respect themselves and others in the classroom, school, and larger community.

•I create a welcoming learning environment in which procedures, rules, and the daily agenda are posted.

•Rubrics are always given to studentsfor clarification and to ensure fairness in grading.

•Books are assigned that appeal to both genders.

•Subtopics are discussed that the characters in the books are experiencing.

IV. Learning Environment

Accomplished Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts teachers establish with their students a caring, supportive, inclusive, challenging, democratic, and safe learning community in which individuals take intellectual, social, and emotional risks and work both independently and collaboratively.

  • I encourage students to read books with both female and male protagonists.
  • Students work in literature circles collaboratively but are asked to prepare assignments independently.

V. Instructional Resources

Accomplished Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts teachers select, adapt, and create a rich and varied collection of instructional resources; regularly involve students in the process of creating and selecting such resources; and engage students, teachers, parents, and other adults from the community to enrich instruction.

•I provide thoughtful classroom discourse by providing opportunities for the students to listen and speak.

•For example, students create presentations on self-selected literature while the audience is accountable through a comment sheet.

•These book talks, and literature circles give opportunity for viewing, listening and speaking.

•I work with the Professional Community by attending national conferences with colleagues.

•Family Outreach is a goal that I want to achieve by giving assignments in which parents can be involved. For example, I will be asking parents to read the same book as their child and present a book talk together.

VI. Instructional Decision Making

Accomplished Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts teachers set informed and purposeful goals for students, develop meaningful learning opportunities, and interact effectively with students while extending to them increasing responsibility for their own learning.

  • Allowing students to read novels of their choice for DEAR time.
  • Asking students to respond to literature through journaling.

VII. Assessment

Accomplished Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts teachers use a range of formal and informal assessment strategies to shape instructional decisions, monitor student progress, encourage student self-assessment, and gather information to report to various audiences.

•I use different teaching strategies to engage students. For example, Cooperative learning, peer teaching, and projects that involve speaking, viewing, and listening skills.

•Students are asked to give a book talk about the book they are reading for DEAR time.

•Students are asked to respond to journal prompts which helps me to monitor student progress.

Advancing Student Learning

VIII. Integration

Accomplished Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts teachers understand the reciprocal nature of the literacy processes of reading, writing, listening, speaking, and viewing, and they provide developmentally appropriate learning activities that integrate among the language arts and across the curriculum.

•I integrate instruction of other disciplines by working with the social studies teacher. We read stories in which main characters are in the country that is being studied.

•In the bookHatchetstudents discuss heart attacks and what causes them, geography, and survival techniques.

•In the book The Cat Ate My Gymsuitstudents discuss the history of when the novel was written, how to deal with anger, and what is considered tactful ways to stand up for what you believe.

IX. Reading

Accomplished Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts teachers use their knowledge of reading processes, language development, texts, and ongoing assessment to advance literacy, develop strategic readers, promote an appreciation of reading as vital to lifelong learning, and create effective instruction so that readers can negotiate, inquire about, and construct meaning across the curriculum.

Students are asked to read silently and write independently every other day which promotes language development.

Promotion of an appreciation of reading is developed through the “real life” experiences that the characters are facing.

X. Writing

Accomplished Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts teachers use their knowledge of writing processes, language development, writing development, and ongoing assessment to provide instruction in the components of writing, assist students in constructing meaning in their written work, and provide genuine opportunities for students to write for a variety of purposes and audiences.

  • Students are encourage to write every other day using the journal prompts to respond to their independent self selected literature.
  • Students are asked to write for a variety of purposes and audiences by using the writing process as a tool. For example, students write newspaper articles for the book Hatchet.

XI. Listening and Speaking

Accomplished Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts teachers know, value, and teach oral language development and listening and speaking skills as essential components of literacy, and they provide opportunities for students to listen and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences.

  • Students present book talks and prepare materials in various ways. For example, students can write a poem summarizing their book and illustrate it, make a puppet show that summarizes the book or pretend they are keeping a diary for one of the characters in the book.
  • Students are also asked to speak in groups about their prepared assignment with their peer during the literature circles.

XII. Viewing

Accomplished Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts teachers know, value, and teach viewing as an essential component of literacy. They use a wide variety of print and nonprint resources to develop students' viewing and visual- representation skills.

  • Students will watch a movie A Cry in the Wildand compare it to the book called Hatchet.
  • Students will watch as their peers present book talks in creative ways.

Supporting Student Learning

XIII. Collaboration with Families and Communities

Accomplished Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts teachers develop positive and mutually supportive relationships with family and community members to achieve common goals for the literacy education of students.

  • Students will be asked to keep an independent reading log in which parents have to sign.
  • Students will be asked to read a short novel with their parents and complete a book talk together.

XIV. Teacher as Learner

Accomplished Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts teachers constantly seek to improve their knowledge and practice through a continuing process of professional reading, writing, dialogue, inquiry, and reflection.

  • I am currently in the Language Arts Masters Program at KSU.
  • I reflect on the positives and negatives of the lessons and daily routines by journaling.

XV. Professional Responsibility

Accomplished Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Reading-Language Arts teachers actively contribute to the improvement of teaching, learning, and the advancement of knowledge and professional practice.

  • I am currently in Language Master program at KSU.
  • I reflect on the positives and negatives of the lessons and daily routines by journaling.

Tammy Westfall

Final Exam Project

July 26, 2004

Unit Theme: Survival

7th Grade Literacy

Subtopics are in bold.

Read Miss Nelson is Missing by James Marshall
Review rules in the classroom.
Remind students to bring a silent reading book. / Create “Where I Am From” Poem” I am from
What is a good writer?
Purpose: Getting to know the student. DEAR / Share poems in pairs.
Read poem by Jack Prelutsky
When I Grow Up
Write and share / Students will write a When I Grow Up poem in groups and share with the class.
DEAR / Read Hogula, Dread Pig of Night by Jean Gralley
What makes a good friend?
5 things you don’t know about a peer
Name game
Write and share
Divorce
Whopper by Jack Prelutsky
Read Novel Hatchet
DEAR
Intro to Lit. Circles / Survival survey


Read Hatchet
Write
Read Hurricane by David Wienser / Hope
Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport
Read Hatchet
DEAR
Lit. Circles / Depression
It’s Hard to Be an Elephant by Jack Prelutsky
Read Hatchet
Write / Secrets
Someone Swiped the Cookies by Jack Prelutsky
Read Hatchet
DEAR
Lit. Circles
Luck
The Lion and the Mouse by Bernadette Watts
Read Hatchet
Write / Attitude
I’m Drifting Through Negative Space by Jack Prelutsky
Read Hatchet
DEAR
Lit. Circles
Parent Book Talk / Mistakes
We Often Walk on Water by Jack Prelutsky
Read Hatchet
Write / Patience
I’m wrestling with an Octopus by Jack Prelutsky
Read Hatchet
DEAR
Lit. Circles / Goals
Herman Sherman Thurman
By Jack Prelutsky
Read Hatchet
Write
Courage
Read Hatchet
DEAR
Lit. Circles / Fairness
Read Hatchet
Write
Read “The Relatives Came” by Patricia Polacco / Friendship
Read Hatchet
DEAR
Lit. Circles / Trust
Read Hatchet
Write / Watch Movie A Cry in the Wild
Compare the book and the movie using Venn Diagram
DEAR
Work on Hatchet Projects
Venn Diagram
& Brochure
Write / Work on Hatchet Projects
Venn Diagram
& Brochure
DEAR
Read Tough Cookie by David Wisniewski / Explanation of ABR
Intro to The Cat At My GymsuitBy Paula Danziger
Journal / Self-esteem
Read The Cat Ate My GymsuitBy Paula Danziger
DEAR / Courage
Read The Cat Ate My GymsuitBy Paula Danziger
Journal
Friendship
Read The Cat Ate My GymsuitBy Paula Danziger
DEAR / Respect
Read The Cat Ate My GymsuitBy Paula Danziger
Journal / Fairness
Read The Cat Ate My GymsuitBy Paula Danziger
DEAR / Struggles
Read The Cat Ate My GymsuitBy Paula Danziger
Journal / Devotion
Read The Cat Ate My GymsuitBy Paula Danziger
DEAR
Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting survival by both protagonists in Hatchet and The Cat Ate My Gymsuit.