Search results matching tags 'vocabulary', 'lessons', 'writing', and 'reading'

Integration Is Key

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:39:29 GMT

I’ve been on vacation and upon returning I had a full inbox of questions about how to integrate multiple language arts elements into a single assignment. I thought I would use an example from my own curriculum to illustrate the idea of integration.

One novel we teach during the Sophomore year is Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, and we also teach SAT-frequent vocabulary words and grammatical skills. Thus, I now have three elements to combine. Many teachers prefer to teach each of these items separately–which may be fine for introductory lessons–but I prefer to combine them in the application stage.

A possible in-class assignment could be as follows:

Describe two types of courage in Part I of To Kill A Mockingbird using at least two cited quotations from the novel. In a response of at least two 3-5 sentence paragraphs, use at least four of our vocabulary words correctly and use each of the sentence types learned in this class (simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex).

This seemingly simple assignment forces the students to do the following:

identify and describe two types of courage in the novel (analysis),
locate, incorporate, and cite two quotations into the response (evidence and citation use),
organize the two types of courage into two short paragraphs (organization/structure of ideas),
apply the use of at least four vocabulary words (vocabulary application), and
incorporate the four types of sentence (sentence fluency and variation).

Of course, now comes the difficult part for the teacher. How do you score or assess the student products? Or, do you?

Possibly, one may decide not to score the products for the purpose of the grade book (an assessment of learning) but may decide to use this assignment as a means of improving the students’ skills (an assessment for learning). I would most likely not enter a score in the grade book with the students’ first attempt but might use this as a rough draft assignment to be edited and improved over time or as an introduction to another assignment using the same elements.

However, when I do decide to enter something like this into the grade book, I would recommend one of two methods. Either score each element separately for the grade book (the analysis, citation use, organization, vocabulary application, and sentence fluency) to reveal the students’ abilities in each of the five areas, or use a rubric separating each of these elements into a distinct column resulting in a final total score.

Regardless, the students need to know how well they performed in each of the five areas. I would hope that these five areas also relate to the course’s core requirements (learning outcomes, Power Standards, etc.). These five areas would either be end of course learning targets or skills leading to the end of course learning targets.

By integrating the elements in a course, the students can begin to add complexity to their products while also saving the teacher time. Plus, this mixing of skills allows students to see the interconnected nature of the course’s learnings.

P.S. I tend to have the students label each element for me before they turn in their final drafts. For example, I would have the students circle the four (or more) vocabulary words, label the four sentence types (and possibly the individual elements of each non-simple sentence), and number each description of courage (a 1 and a 2 would suffice). This simply forces the students to identify what they have and have not done as well as help me identify where problems may lie, much like showing one’s work in math.

Filed under: Lessons, Literature, Reading, Vocabulary, Writing

Teaching Diction Terms

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:45:39 GMT

Previously, I posted about a diction analysis assignment I use in class. While I designed it originally for my honors students, I have modified it to use with my mainstream students as well. I thought I would present an example of this here.

The first key idea that the kids have to understand is that a diction device is not the same as a literary term. A literary term is a broad category of Language Arts terms while a diction device is a subcategory of literary terms. A diction device focuses solely on word choice, the reasons why authors choose specific words and the subsequent effects (cacophony, euphony, connotation, denotation, dialect, colloquialism, simile, metaphor, symbol, etc.). Even subtle items can be included, especially when an author violates rules of grammar, syntax, or punctuation for effect. Literary terms such as climax, denouement, flashback, and so on focus on plot, not word choice; therefore, I have to focus the students on analyzing word choice (diction).

Let’s use a sentence from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities as an example of how to analyze diction:

“Repression is the only lasting philosophy. The dark deference of fear and slavery, my friend,” observed the Marquis, “will keep the dogs obedient to the whip…”

First, the kids have to know the context of the quotation. With this section of text, Charles Darnay has renounced his family’s name and money and left to live in England instead of France. He returns briefly to his uncle’s mansion in France and has a conversation with his uncle, the Marquis, and the disgust of one for the other is evident. The quotation above is the Marquis’ philosophy for keeping the commoners in line.

Secondly, the students need to know the definitions of every word in the selected sentence. My students asked about repression (the act of keeping someone/something under control), deference (respect), obedient (willing to comply or to give in to authority), and Marquis (a nobleman ranking below a duke and above an earl or count). I use Dictionary.com right in front of the students to look up the words, so they see me look up words to encourage them to do the same. Here, I wanted to make sure the kids understood the denotation (the primary or most popular definition of a word) of the words, which is a diction device.

Now we can analyze. Here’s the sentence again:

“Repression is the only lasting philosophy. The dark deference of fear and slavery, my friend,” observed the Marquis, “will keep the dogs obedient to the whip…”

We looked at the words in the example, and I asked the kids which words they thought felt positive or negative. Essentially, we’re discussing the words’ connotations (the secondary or associated meaning of words; the feelings or emotions attached to words). They said these words were negative feeling, and I included what they said:

Repression (makes people feel powerless & takes away choices)
dark (seems evil)
fear (can’t be comfortable if afraid)
slavery (no control & horrible life)
dogs (people are not dogs because it’s wrong & makes people seem unequal)
obedient (feels like there is no choice)
whip (painful if hit with it & creates fear)

These are the words the kids felt were positive and how the words made them feel:

philosophy (ideas and idea systems are good things)
deference (people should respect each other & “I want to be respected”)
friend (friends make us feel good & feel wanted and valued)

Since we noticed more words were negative than positive, the students felt that the statement is meant to be seen as “a bad thing.” This is where we decided to use connotation as the first diction device to write up. Here is what one of my mainstream students wrote about the word “slavery.” This is rough but a good start:

Connotation is the feeling a person gets from a word. In the sentence from A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens used the word “slavery” to show how the Marquis feels about the common people on his land. Because people see slavery as something scary and giving people no rights, this is a word we expect the Marquis to use. The effect of this word is to show the reader that the Marquis does not want to give his people equality. They have to be afraid and poor and always working. This gives the Marquis control.

This example uses connotation, which requires an understanding of denotation, but we also used the following terms as well with that single sentence:

alliteration (“dark deference” – creates an emphasis on the “evil respect,” as one student explained, “to make people afraid”)
metaphor (“dogs” – makes the Marquis look arrogant like’s “he’s better than the [common] people”)
tone (based on the words used, the kids thought the Marquis was lecturing in a “sinister” way)

A single sentence incorporated five diction devices!

The entire lesson took a period, but it set the groundwork for numerous lessons and deeper insights into the literature and into the careful selection of words.

I can use this as an introduction into more literary devices, character analyses, and most importantly the students’ choices about their own diction when speaking and writing. This type of lesson can help students improve their reading, writing, and speaking abilities.

P.S. I have the students fit their answers into a specific three-part structure.

I have the students start their responses with the diction device they believe is employed in a piece of text. [Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in words close together, often at the beginnings of words.]
Next, I have the students identify exactly where in the selected text, they believe the diction device is employed. [Alliteration is used in "dark deference" because the 'd' sound repeats in two consecutive words.] Sometimes I make the students use the finger test; they have to put their fingers on the evidence of the diction device.
Lastly, I have the students start with “The effect of this is…” to ensure they have selected an example that has an intended purpose; it creates an intentional effect and is not accidentally present. [The effect of this use of alliteration is that the reader is drawn to the phrase "dark deference" (based on the repeated sound) because Dickens wants the reader to see that the Marquis desires obedience from fear and not respect.]

All together now:

Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in words close together, often at the beginnings of words. Alliteration is used in “dark deference” because the ‘d’ sound repeats in two consecutive words. The effect of this use of alliteration is that the reader is drawn to the phrase “dark deference” (based on the repeated sound) because Dickens wants the reader to see that the Marquis desires obedience from fear and not respect.

Posted in Lessons, Literature, Reading, Vocabulary, Writing

How to Lessen My Workload

Anonymous — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:23:56 GMT

In a previous post I discussed how I combine skills when assigning work in my classroom. One poster responded, “that though this seems like a lot of work on my part, I do think and hope that it will pay off for me to try with my students.” However, I have actually reduced my workload and gotten more success out of my students.

I should state right away that I like my students to move a bit in the room and to complete short tasks that build, which keep my students attentive and reduce discipline issues.

Let’s use my assignment example from my previous post: explain where an example of situational irony is employed in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar using 2-3 sentences. Include two vocabulary words and a coordinating conjunction (correctly using a comma) in the answer.

I would give my students about 5-10 minutes to write the 2-3 sentences, and then I would have the students share with a partner. This would allow the students to help each other edit their work first in a no-pressure situation. Sometimes I would have the students placed in groups of three, and the first editor would look for a correct example of situational irony while the second editor would check the comma rule use.

Or, if my students seem a bit nervous about the assignment I might have them work as team with a partner. In this way, the students can experience the assignment and work with another student to complete the assignment. We’ll be doing this type of assignment numerous times, so working in tandem the first time is not a problem.

Then, no matter which method was used to create the sentences, I would ask the students for a good example of an answer. I could either project the student’s paper onto the screen with a document camera or have one or two responses written on the white boards. Next, we could look at the example(s) and check to see if all elements are present: 2-3 sentences, an example of situational irony, two vocabulary words, and a coordinating conjunction.

We edit as a class, and the point is to create a good example to keep for later. Sometimes I will post an example on a display wall or just keep a copy for students to use later (like an anchor paper).

At first this entire process might take 20-30 minutes, but after a couple times the time drops dramatically to 10-15 minutes.

At this point everyone has

reviewed a part of the content (the text),
used two vocabulary words,
connected a literary device to a text,
practiced a comma rule,
made an attempt at the assignment which synthesizes skills (high on Bloom’s Taxonomy),
helped edit 1-2 others’ assignments (thus seeing other examples),
looked at a couple examples as a class,
and edited one or two examples as a class.

Plus, we now have an anchor or two for comparison later, and I didn’t need any special supplies to gather. And, I still have half of the class period for another activity!

Note: I do not grade this assignment. It is practice only and not grading it allows students to have a risk-free, low-stress activity to improve their skills. I can move around the room and check on the students and help here and there as they work, which allows me to see who is struggling and who is excelling.

Posted in Discipline, Lessons, Literature, Reading, Vocabulary, Writing

Teaching in Isolation

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:07:34 GMT

When people hear the term “teaching in isolation,” they probably think it has something to do with PLCs or collaboration (or its lack thereof). But there’s another kind.

I believe many teachers make the mistake of teaching every skill set or unit separately, in essence in isolation. Instead of teaching sentence structures, then comma rules, then vocabulary, and then the reading content, why not combine these after introducing a skill at a time.

For instance, my department’s curriculum calls for Sophomore students to learn how to integrate correctly about 18 comma rules, active voice, parentheses and semicolon rules, and so on all the while teaching the content (the readings). Most teachers with whom I speak teach the list of comma rules and then a book and then active voice and then a book and then semicolons and then a book, etc. What drudgery for kids!

I prefer to combine these elements after teaching one skill at a time. As an example in a typical week, I would introduce the week’s vocabulary on Monday and one comma rule Tuesday. I would also ensure none of these activities would exceed 10-15 minutes, so we could continue discussing the novel and work on the writing skills (thesis statements, quotation use, etc.).

Thus, a Wednesday assignment might be: explain where an example of situational irony is employed in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar using 2-3 sentences. Include two vocabulary words and a coordinating conjunction (correctly using a comma) in the answer. If I were to go a step or two further, I might add the requirements of using active voice or labeling the independent clauses or some other part of the sentence.

On Thursday I might have the students do a similar response using dramatic irony, active voice, two different vocabulary words, and another coordinating conjunction.

These short responses might take a few minutes of class time but could be shared with partners, shown to the class, or turned in to me to check for understanding. It doesn’t have to be graded–not everything does–but used as a practice and a risk-free attempt to incorporate seemingly separate skills.

I like having a grammar/punctuation focus of the week as well as a writing skill of the week to use with the reading and vocabulary. The more that I teach these together, the more I have seen students use them in their own writing. Exposure and practice, practice, and practice. Repetition isn’t always such a bad thing. Neither is avoiding isolation.

Mini-lessons and recursive teaching works.

Posted in Lessons, Literature, Reading, Vocabulary, Writing

Teaching Connotation & Denotation - Part II

Anonymous — Sat, 10 May 2008 22:23:31 GMT

To follow my previous post, here is another exercise I use with my students regarding adjectives. First, I put a list of words on the board all synonymous with “angry:” mad, upset, incensed, perturbed, enraged, disgusted, indignant, annoyed, peeved, infuriated, provoked, and irate. If I have the time I sometimes give each small group the words [...]

Teaching Denotation & Connotation - Part I

Anonymous — Sat, 10 May 2008 03:57:42 GMT

One of the first sets of literary devices I teach at any level is connotation and denotation. These are two of the most basic diction analysis techniques for students to learn since they are wide-reaching and allow students to discover tone, mood, inferences, and more. Denotation (the primary definition of a word) and connotation (the [...]