Sunday, May 11, 2008
8:40:46 PM
I am currently working on my Master's degree in Education. I was recently asked to identify a power standard and create a context/scenario that would allow my students to master this power standard in an engaging way. Below is my response to this challenge. I welcome any advice, comments, and ideas before I implement this plan in my classroom. Thanks for reading!
Lesson Plan: Students Organize and Manage a School Fundraiser
Grade level and subject area: 10th grade English
Power standard: E.W.27: Students will write for a variety of purposes, audiences, and occasions both formal and informal.
Knowledge/skills targeted: knowledge of Standard American English, formal composition guidelines, and definitions and interrelation of audience and purpose
Scenario/context: Students will propose, organize, and carry out a school fundraiser.
Tasks:
1. Students will write a formal proposal to the school principal describing their fundraising concept. This will target the skills of using Standard American English and formal composition skills. Students must have a good understanding of audience and purpose in order to present their ideas in an effective and persuasive way.
2. Students will write a formal letter to parents informing them of the purpose and details of the fundraiser. Students will also write an informal letter to their fellow classmates in an attempt to elicit support for the fundraiser. Composing these two letters will require students to think about and apply the dynamics of audience and purpose as well as practice their formal and informal writing skills.
3. After completion of the fundraiser, students will compose an analytical essay describing the effectiveness of the fundraising campaign and evaluating their strategies. Again, this will provide students the opportunity to practice using Standard American English and applying the fundamentals of formal writing, this time for a different audience and purpose.
Complementary standards:
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Recognize fallacies of logic in written, oral, and visual presentations.
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Apply the principles of standard English by adjusting vocabulary and style to suit the occasion.
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Produce thoughtful compositions through improved use of phases in the writing process.
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Write to clarify and to organize thoughts and ideas.
Reflection:
In the DVD: Designing Curriculum and Instruction: View Program Six, "Essential Knowledge.” and the DVD: Designing Curriculum and Instruction: View Program Seven, "Learning Experiences.", I learned about how to identify types of knowledge and break down a power standard in order to identify the essential knowledge that a student needs in order to meet a certain standard. Having identified that essential knowledge, I was able to create a single context or scenario that allowed students to demonstrate this knowledge.
In the article, "What do all Engaging Scenarios Have in Common," I learned that in order to truly engage students, I needed to create a way for them to apply the standard to a real world situation. Having recently organized a fundraiser for a school club, I began to think about all of the writing that goes into planning and executing such a campaign. I know from experience that as soon as you mention fundraisers to students, they have many ideas to share, so I thought this might be an interesting experience for them. I also think that this particular scenario will allow them to connect English standards to math and economic standards as they begin to speculate sales, target market, supply/demand, potential profit, etc.
Melissa Maypole
Graduate Student at Walden University