Jaime McCabe Teaching Reading in the Content Areas Unit Plan

The Giver

Thematic Unit Plan Rationale

I have designed this unit as a theme-­based unit revolving around individuality and conformity in society. This unit is designed for a nineweek period of time and will be taught to ninth graders in an English class. Students will be reading Lois Lowry’s book The Giver;; story about a dystopian society, in literature circles. Students will be analyzing the characters, plot, setting, and figurative language as wellas looking closely at the theme of individuality versus conformity in society. Students will be looking at other shorter pieces of work duringthis unit including Ray Bradbury’s short story “All Summer in a Day” as well as Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron”. Bothof these short stories have a similar theme of individuality versus conformity and utopian/dystopian societies. Students will analyze thesetwo stories as well as The Giver to compare and contrast the communities within each reading. Students will also be watching the moviePleasantville which shares a similar theme. Students will use the two short stories, the novel, and the movie to synthesize a response toan essential question about the theme as a final assessment. Although the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry is usually associated with middle school, I have chosen to teach it to a 9th grade EnglishLanguage Arts class and delve a little bit deeper with the theme of individuality versus conformity in society. I feel that this novel can beused in a variety of ways in the classroom and can be analyzed deeper by older students. Although the book was written over twentyyears ago, the theme of a dystopian society is still relevant today and commonly used in current young adult fiction popular with today’schildren such as, The Hunger Games and Divergent. Students will be familiar with the theme because of these popular books and movies, but even more so because the high school years are when children typically are confronted with the same issues;; do they conformto societal thinking or will they express their individuality? This topic will be thought provoking and interesting to students at this age. Thenovel itself, although typically a middle school choice, still provides an opportunity for character analysis, setting and plot development, aswell as figurative language analysis.

Standards Addressed in this Unit

Common Core ELA Reading: Literature Standards:

CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.RL.9-­10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.RL.9-­10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details;; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.RL.9-­10.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

Common Core ELA Writing Standards:

CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.W.9-­10.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.W.9-­10.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-­generated question) or solve a problem;; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate;; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.W.9-­10.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.W.9-­10.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Common Core ELA Speaking and Listening Standards:

CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.SL.9-­10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-­on-­one, in groups, and teacher-­led) with diverse partners on grades 9-­10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.SL.9-­10.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

Common Core ELA Language Standards:

CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.L.9-­10.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.L.9-­10.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-­meaning words and phrases based on grades 9-­10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.L.9-­10.5.a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text.

Desired Outcomes

Essential Questions:

·∙ How does utopia appear in a novel and how does it relate to dystopia? ·∙ How can media be utilized to comprehend literary elements? ·∙ How does setting affect characterization? ·∙ What does it mean to conform? ·∙ What are the dangers of conformity?

Understandings:

·∙ Everyone has the right to choose between conformity and non-­conformity. ·∙ Authors use characterization as a method to convey the theme of a piece of literature. ·∙ Authors use several figurative elements to develop a piece of literature.

Students will know:

·∙ What the advantages and disadvantages are to conformity. ·∙ How the relationships are characterized within the community in the novel The Giver. ·∙ Whether it is possible to have a utopian society.

Students will be able to:

·∙ Identify figurative elements such ascharacterization (indirect characterization and direct characterization), the events of a plot diagram (introduction, rising action,climax, falling action or denouement), andtheme ·∙ Use textual evidence to support a position or claim

Technology Used

·∙ Computers with Internet access for students to conduct research on utopian communities ·∙ Projector used

o to view videos/video clips to support concepts being taught in class o to project PowerPoints used to present new information to the class o to project text selections on the board as a visual and for teacher to mark up during class discussions

Accommodations/Modifications

English Language Learners/Special Education

·∙ Scaffold handouts and teaching ·∙ Audio books of the stories used ·∙ Adapted texts (as needed) ·∙ Reading individually, as a whole class, in small groups ·∙ Guiding questions ·∙ Graphic organizers of varying levels ·∙ Allowing students to work at their own paces ·∙ Follow individual IEP and 504 Plans as needed ·∙ Visuals ·∙ Using para-­professionals for small group instruction when needed.

Instructional Methods/Strategies Used

·∙ Anticipation Guide ·∙ Author information research ·∙ Activating prior knowledge ·∙ Directed Reading Activity ·∙ Think-­Pair-­Share ·∙ Literature circle reading and roles ·∙ Read-­aloud ·∙ Vocabulary Self-­Collection through literature circle groups/discussion ·∙ Discussions ·∙ Graphic organizers-­ character charts, setting charts, compare/contrast ·∙ Individual writing projects ·∙ Cooperative learning ·∙ Internet research

Assessments

Formative Summative

·∙ Graphic organizers ·∙ Journal responses ·∙ Anticipation guide ·∙ Observation ·∙ Discussion ·∙ Identity collage

·∙ Formal essay-­Final assessment ·∙ Reading quizzes ·∙ Utopian Community Group Project

Final Assessment

Final Essay Question: Throughout this unit you have watched movies and read texts which portray a utopian society. After having readand learned about utopian societies within these works of literature and films, do you believe Utopia is possible? Which is a better place tolive? The utopian communities presented in these works of literature and movies or in the world we live in today? In a well-­developedessay, explain your reasons by using evidence from several sources we have explored in class.

Resources

Readings Media

·∙ “All Summer in a Day” short story by Ray Bradbury ·∙ “Harrison Bergeron” short story by Kurt Vonnegut ·∙ The Giver novel by Lois Lowry ·∙ “Origins of the Utopian Idea,” by Rustin Quaide ·∙ “Book II: Of Their Trades, and Manner of Life,” from Utopia by Sir ThomasMore ·∙ Utopias and dystopias characteristics handout http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson926/DefinitionCharacteristics.pdf ·∙ Lois Lowry’s biography http://www.loislowry.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=196 ·∙ Printed Song Lyrics: o “Utopia” by Alanis Morissette (2001)

·∙ Pleasantville (1998) Motion Picture rated PG-­13 ·∙ YouTube clip showing conformity from DeadPoets Society https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnAyr0kWRGE&list=WLaMjA8c7Hs0jW50qujwTZTI1dm5i4-­MKf

·∙ Movie 2081 based on “Harrison Bergeron” short story (can be found on YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1eHkbmUJBQ&list=WLaMjA8c7Hs0jW50qujwTZTI1dm5i4-­MKf ·∙ Songs: o “Utopia” by Alanis Morissette (2001)

o “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by E.Y. Harburg o “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan (1963) o “Imagine” by John Lennon (1971)

o “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by E.Y. Harburg o “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan (1963)o “Imagine” by John Lennon (1971)

Activities

Whole Group Activities Small Group Activities

·∙ Students will be introduced to key concepts for the unit including utopia, dystopia,conformity, individuality, identity, and community. ·∙ Throughout the unit the teacher will, through direct instruction, introduce the topics forfurther analysis;; plot development, setting, characterization, and figurative language. ·∙ Teacher will model literature circle roles, how to fill in graphic organizers for setting,plot, and characterization. ·∙ Students share their research of utopian societies in American history. ·∙ Whole group discussion on utopia/dystopia and individuality/conformity. ·∙ Watch movie clip on conformity and discuss ·∙ Whole group discussion on supplemental readings;; “Harrison Bergeron” and “AllSummer in a Day” ·∙ Whole group discussion on movie Pleasantville;; what are the similarities/differencesbetween movie and novel? ·∙ Sharing anticipation guide answers

·∙ Group work on ideas of a “perfect society” ·∙ Group work on the meanings of utopiaand dystopia based on readings given in class·∙ Group research on a utopian community in American history ·∙ Group project creating a utopian society ·∙ Anticipation guide discussion ·∙ Literature Circles: Students will be placed into literature circles for their reading ofThe Giver. In each literature circle there willbe 4-­5 students;; each student receives a role, roles will change each week. The roles will be: § Literary Luminary § Summarizer § Discussion Director

§ Vocabulary Enricher § Connector The teacher will circulate the room and

check for understanding within each group. Students will read and discussthe novel in their groups each week. Some reading may be done in class and some outside of class.

·∙ Peer review for essay writing

Individual Activities

·∙ “Do Now”/Journal responses ·∙ Anticipation guide ·∙ Individuality collage

·∙ Complete graphic organizers for compare/contrast between readings and movie·∙ Essay writing-­ prewriting, editing, finaldraft

Teaching Plan

Day One Students will discuss the meanings of utopia and dystopia. Students will be introduced to the words theywill discuss as a class what the words mean. Teacher will directly instruct students on the meanings of thewords utopia and dystopia. Students will read “Origins of the Utopian Idea,” by Rustin Quaide and writedown 4-­5 main facts from the reading. Class will discuss as a whole group what students found. Students

will then read “Book II: Of Their Trades, and Manner of Life,” by Sir Thomas More and use evidence fromthe text to prove if it fits into a utopian or dystopian world. Class will discuss as a whole group and recordthoughts.

Day Two Students will break into groups and share ideas of what their “perfect society” would look like. After groupdiscussion, students come back and discuss as a whole group their ideas of a “perfect society”. Group ideasare recorded on the board by the teacher. Teacher then asks students to think of and create a list of the biggest problems the United States faces as a society. Go back into groups and students will discuss howtheir ideas of a “perfect society” could solve any two problems the United States faces. The idea is to try tocome up with a utopian society that solves the problems faced in the United States.

Day Three Students will research several current utopian communities in the United States and will fill in a graphicorganizer for three chosen communities comparing community beliefs, religions, economies, governments,education, etc. Students will come back to whole group and discuss their findings.

Day Four Students will preview text. Students read about the author of The Giver, Lois Lowry, and write down 5important things about her life. Class will discuss the life of Lois Lowry. The students complete an anticipation guide where they write true/false to each question and write a short response on why they feelthat way. Students will then discuss their reactions to the questions in small groups or whole class. Studentswill look at the title “The Giver” and try to predict what the story may be about using their own backgroundinformation.

Day Five Teacher reads aloud the first two chapters of The Giver. Students fill in graphic organizer about the elementsof setting using textual evidence with teacher support. Characters are introduced and discussed as a wholegroup.

Weekly Plan

Week Topic/Lesson Assignments and Activities Assessments

(formal, informal, summative, formative)

1

·∙ Utopia/Dystopia ·∙ Intro to book/author biography ·∙ Setting-­ how is setting important to the novel as a whole?

·∙ Group work on utopia/dystopia ·∙ Research on current utopian communities-­comparing to each other ·∙ Previewing reading/predicting what the story is about ·∙ Students complete an anticipation guide ·∙ Graphic organizer on setting in the story is introduced and filled in.

·∙ Discussion ·∙ Graphic organizer completion

2

·∙ Literature Circles introduction ·∙ Introduction to utopian community project

·∙ Students are introduced to literature circles and roles;; teacher models ·∙ Students read chapters 3-­4 and fill in role sheets ·∙ Students use readings and role sheets as a basis for discussion in class in lit circles. ·∙ Students begin a unit long project focused on building their own utopian community. Students work in groups to create this project.

·∙ Literature circle participation ·∙ Lit circle role sheet completion ·∙ Group participation

3

·∙ Conformity and individuality

·∙ Students discuss conformity as a class o Watch clip from Dead Poets Society for a visual ·∙ Students create an “identity collage” for themselves ·∙ Students read chapters 5-­7 ·∙ Students continue with literature circle roles and discussions ·∙ Students continue to work on utopia project

·∙ Quiz on chapters 1-­4 ·∙ Class discussion and participation ·∙ Identity collage ·∙ Literature circle participation ·∙ Lit circle role sheet completion

4

·∙ Character Analysis o Major vs. minor o Static vs. dynamic

·∙ Students fill in a graphic organizerabout the characters of Jonas and The Giver in The Giver ·∙ Students read Ray Bradbury’s short story All Summer in a Day analyze the character in the story-­how does she not fit in in her community? How does this connect to The Giver? ·∙ Read chapters 8-­11 ·∙ Students continue with literature circle roles and discussions ·∙ Students continue to work on utopia project

·∙ Quiz on chapters 5-­7 ·∙ Literature circle participation ·∙ Lit circle role sheet completion ·∙ Class discussion and participation ·∙ Character chart

·∙ Plot development ·∙ Euphemisms

·∙ Read chapters 12-­15 ·∙ Quiz on chapters 8-­11

5

·∙ Students learn about plot development and begin to chart the plot in The Giver ·∙ Students read Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron” compare the society featured in that story with the community in The Giver students watch the movie 2018 based on the story as a visual representation. ·∙ Students are introduced to “euphemisms” and complete a chart with euphemisms found in the text and their meanings ·∙ Students continue on utopia project

·∙ Literature circle participation ·∙ Lit circle role sheet completion

6

·∙ Symbolism ·∙ Music Lyrics-­utopian/dystopian qualities

·∙ Read chapters 16-­19 ·∙ Students look at symbolism in The Giver and complete a chart of symbols found in the text and the meanings. ·∙ Students work in groups to analyze song lyrics for utopian/dystopianthemes and compare to The Giver ·∙ Students continue to work on utopia project

·∙ Quiz on chapters 12-­15 ·∙ Literature circle participation ·∙ Lit circle role sheet completion

·∙ Discussion of ending of book ·∙ Utopia Project Presentations

·∙ Read chapters 20-­23 (end of book) ·∙ Discuss the ending of The Giver

·∙ Literature circle participation

7

·∙ Students write about what they believe happens to Jonas and Gabriel at the end of the book since it is an ambiguous ending

·∙ Lit circle role sheet completion ·∙ Quiz on chapters 16-­19 ·∙ Utopia project presentations

8

·∙ Pre-­writing for final assessment-­essay ·∙ Whole class watches the movie Pleasantville and discusses characteristics of the movie that are the same or different from those discussed in The Giver.

·∙ Quiz on chapters 20-­23 ·∙ Graphic organizers ·∙ Discussion

9

·∙ Final assessment-­essay ·∙ Students will be using graphic organizers to draft an essay comparing texts and movies discussed in class to determine if “utopia” is possible. ·∙ Students will peer edit essay drafts in class.

·∙ Pre-­writing ·∙ Drafts ·∙ Peer editing checklist ·∙ Final draft of essay

Student Evaluation Rubric for Unit

Components

Point Value

1. Participation in class discussions /15 points

2. Daily journal responses /10 points

3. Utopian community project /50 points

4. Literature Circle participation including at least one example from each role /60 points

5. Identity collage /10 points

6. Reading quizzes /30 points

8. Final assessment –Essay ·∙ Includes pre-­writing graphic organizers, draft, and participation in peer edit

/75 points

Total possible points: /250 points

Samples of Materials Used in Unit

Graphic Organizers Used in This Unit

Characterization:

Characterization – Jonas and The Giver

Character Name Actions

of

Charact

er

Speec

h

Appearan

ce

Thoughts/Feeling

s

Affec

ts on

Other

s

Jonas

The Giver

Symbolism:

Symbolism in The Giver

Symbol (Object/Tangible) Definition of

Symbol

Textual Evidence

(Page Numbers and

sentences)

Explanation or

Meaning of

Symbol

Apple

Color (Red)

Gabriel

The Sled

Light Eyes

The River

The Giver

Comparison of sources used in unit:

Utopia vs. Dystopia – Comparison of Short Stories/Novel/Movie

Title of Source Utopian Qualities or

Characteristics

Dystopian Qualities or

Characteristics

“All Summer in a Day,” by Ray Bradbury

“Harrison Bergeron,” by Kurt Vonnegut

Pleasantville movie

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Setting Graphic Organizer – Chapters 1 and 2

Elements of Setting Time Place Social/Environment

al Factors

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Setting:

Literature Circle Roles Defined

Vocabulary Enricher: Your job is to be on the lookout for a few especially important words in today’s reading. If you find words that are puzzling or unfamiliar, mark them while you are reading and then later jot down their definition, either from a dictionary or from some other source. You may also run across familiar words that stand out somehow in the reading – words that are repeated a lot, are used in an unusual way, or provide a key to the meaning of the text. Mark these special words, and be ready to point them out to the group. When your circle meets, help members find and discuss these words. Discussion Director: Your job is to develop a list of questions that your group might want to discuss about this part of the book. Don’t worry about the small details;; your task is to help people talk over the big ideas in the reading and share their reactions. Usually the best discussion questions come from your own thoughts, feelings, and concerns as you read. You can list them below during or after your reading. You may also use some of the general questions below to develop topics for your group.

Summarizer: Your job is to prepare a brief summary of today’s reading. Your group discussion will start with your 1-­2 minute statement that covers the key point, main highlights, and general idea of today’s reading assignment.

Connector: Your job is to find connections between the book and you, and between the book and the wider world. Consider the list below when you make your connections.

·∙ Your own past experiences ·∙ Happenings at school or in the community ·∙ Stories in the news ·∙ Similar events at other times and places ·∙ Other people or problems that you are reminded of ·∙ Between this book and other writings on the same topic or by the same author

Literary Luminary: Your job is to locate a few special sections or quotations in the text for your group to talk over. The idea is to help people go back to some especially interesting, powerful, funny, puzzling, or important sections of the reading and think about them more carefully. As you decide which passages or paragraphs are worth going back to, make a note why you picked each one and consider some plans for how they should be shared. You can read passages aloud yourself, ask someone else to read them, or have people read them silently and then discuss. Remember, the purpose is to suggest material for discussion.

Lessons Used in Unit

The Giver Unit Lesson Plan 1

Topic: A lesson using book title, author background, and an anticipation guide as a pre-­reading activity for students prior to reading the novel The Giver, by Lois Lowry in order to predict what they story is about.

Goals of the lesson:

·∙ Common Core State Standards-­Reading Informational Texts o CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.RI.9-­10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. ·∙ Common Core State Standards-­ Writing o CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.W.9-­10.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. ·∙ Common Core State Standards-­ Speaking & Listening o CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.SL.9-­10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-­on-­one, in groups, and teacher-­led) with diverse partners on grades 9-­10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. o CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.SL.9-­10.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task. Grade: 9th

Objectives:

·∙ Knowledge o Students will be able to use their own background knowledge to help answer questions related to the book they will be reading. o Students will be able to use information they read about the author to make predictions about the book they will be reading. ·∙ Skill o Students will be able to make predictions using prior knowledge and author background.

o Students will be able to write answers to questions posed by the teacher based on their own knowledge of the subject. o Students will be able to orally share their responses with the class as a whole. o Students will be able to listen to others while they speak and add to other’s discussions. ·∙ Affective o Students will be able to share their own knowledge with others. o Students will be able to build upon other’s ideas during a discussion. o Students will be able to use author background as well as their own background knowledge to predict.

Materials:

·∙ Pencils ·∙ Lois Lowry biography-­one for each student ·∙ Teacher created anticipation guide for each student Procedures:

·∙ Introduction: o Teacher will explain to students that they will be starting a new book in class called The Giver, by Lois Lowry. Teacher will ask the class to brainstorm some ideas about what they think the book will be about based solely on the title. Teacher allows 5-­10 minutes for whole group discussion of ideas and records them on the whiteboard. ·∙ Teaching Steps: o Teacher will explain to students that they can make predictions based on many different factors. One way to make a prediction about a book is to read about the author because sometimes the author’s own experiences make them want to write about something in particular. Teacher may give an example of this from another story and may ask students for examples. o Teacher will have students break into pairs to read a short biography of the author Lois Lowry. Students are to share reading responsibilities and will discuss and write down five important things about the author’s life. o Students come back to a whole group and teacher asks students if they can make any other predictions about the book based on what they read and discussed. Each pair should share one more prediction. Students will be encouraged to share their prediction and back it up

using evidence from the author biography. For example a student may say, “I predict this story will be about someone dying at a young age because in the biography it said that Lois Lowry’s son died while he was in the Air Force and he was young when he died”. Teacher will model this for the students. Teacher writes down the new predictions or additions to earlier predictions on the whiteboard. o Teacher will now hand out an anticipation guide with 8 questions. Students will silently answer true or false to each question and will write a brief explanation for each answer they gave.

o Students will either share responses as a whole group or they will share with a partner or possibly a small group.

·∙ Closure o Teacher will bring students back together where they may look at the predictions already made from earlier that are on the whiteboard. Teacher will ask students if they can think of any other predictions to add to the list based on the anticipation guide. o Before leaving class, the teacher will have students write down their own predictions using the information they discussed in class. Students will have to supply a reason for their prediction and may write “I predict that the book The Giver is about _____________________ because ________________________________.”

Assessment:

·∙ I would use informal assessment methods for this lesson since it is mostly a whole class discussion. I would observe students for their participation during discussions. I would also observe students while they are in their pairs or groups during reading and discussion to check for participation and understanding.

·∙ The prediction students make at the end of the lesson would be checked for understanding of the concepts introduced in class. I would be able to determine if the student was able to use either the author information or personal background knowledge to make a valid prediction about the book and if they were able to back up their prediction.

Modifications:

·∙ Teacher can do a guided reading of the author biography for struggling readers and/or ELL students ·∙ Pre-­teach vocabulary that may be difficult or unknown possibly using visuals if needed

The Giver Unit Lesson Plan 2

Topic: Analyzing song lyrics for utopian/dystopian qualities and relating them to the novel The Giver.

Goals of the lesson:

·∙ Common Core State Standards-­Reading Literature o CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.RL.9-­10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. ·∙ Common Core State Standards-­ Writing o CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.W.9-­10.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. ·∙ Common Core State Standards-­ Speaking & Listening o CCSS.ELA-­Literacy.SL.9-­10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-­on-­one, in groups, and teacher-­led) with diverse partners on grades 9-­10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. Grade: 9th

Objectives:

·∙ Knowledge o Students will be able to use knowledge of utopia/dystopia to analyze song lyrics o Students will be able to compare text. ·∙ Skill o Students will be able to analyze the meaning of song lyrics o Students will be able to discuss themes of utopian/dystopian ideas with peers o Students will be able to compare ideas from one type of text with another text o Students will be able to use evidence to support their ideas in writing ·∙ Affective o Students will be able to build upon other’s ideas during a discussion. o Students will be able to support their ideas with evidence from text.

Materials:

·∙ Songs to play in class o “Imagine” John Lennon (1971) ·∙ Copies of song lyrics for each student o “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” o “Imagine” John Lennon (1971) o “Blowin’ in the Wind” Bob Dylan (1963) o “Utopia” Alanis Morissette (2001) Procedures:

·∙ Introduction: o Teacher will play the song “Imagine” by John Lennon at the start of the class. Teacher will direct students to write in their journals any feelings the song evokes as it plays. Teacher will allow students to write during the song and for about 5 minutes after song finishes and then will

ask the class to share what they wrote. Teacher will explain how music is a powerful medium by which the authors can create strong images and emotions for those who listen to their lyrics. ·∙ Teaching Steps: o Teacher will pass out the song lyrics for “Imagine” to each student as well as projecting it on the board. Teacher will also pass out a graphic organizer for each student;; a T-­chart with “Utopian Words” on one side and “Dystopian Words” on the other side. o Teacher will ask students to read the lyrics silently and look for qualities of a utopian world and/or a dystopian world as they read. Students will be instructed to fill in their charts based on their findings. o Students come back to a whole group and teacher asks students to share what they found while reading the lyrics. Teacher will underline (or circle) the words in different colors (one color for utopian words and one color for dystopian words) on the white board for everyone to see. Class will discuss why they chose certain words/phrases. o Teacher will have students break into groups and will assign each group a song to look at and create a T-­chart for their song finding utopian and dystopian words/phrases as they read. Students will discuss their findings within the group.

o Students come back as a whole class and discuss if their song was more utopian or dystopian in nature and give one piece of evidence to support their findings.

·∙ Closure o Students are instructed to either use the “Imagine” lyrics or the song they analyzed in their group to write two-­three paragraphs comparing or contrasting the image of a utopian or dystopian society with the society portrayed in The Giver. Students will answer questions such as: how does each author describe utopia? What words or phrases in the song make you think it is a utopia? What about a dystopia? Are there any similarities in the song you chose and the “utopia” described in The Giver? Students will provide evidence from both the song as well as the book to support their answers. At this point in the unit the students have read most of The Giver, therefore students should be able to determine the utopian/dystopian qualities the community in the book possesses.

Assessment:

·∙ Informal assessment such as watching for participation in whole class discussion as well as when students are working in smaller groups would be one part of assessment for this class.

·∙ The paragraphs students write at the end of the class will be a way to assess individual student understanding of utopian/dystopian ideas and themes in various types of text as well as being able to use evidence to back up their reasoning.

Modifications:

·∙ Pre-­teach any vocabulary that may be difficult/unknown ·∙ Play song for student as they read the lyrics ·∙ Simplify the language in the lyrics ·∙ Give a list of possible words/phrases to look for Resources: Cunningham, Patricia M, and Richard L. Allington (2003). Classrooms That Work: They Can All Read and Write. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Ruddell, M. R. (2008). Teaching content reading & writing, (5thed.). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Tierney, R., & Readence, J. (2005). Reading strategies and practices;; A compendium (6thed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.