Smith+Field+Experience+(Annotated)

(Feedback Sheet from Lesson) Peer Review Worksheet (Sides 1 and 2)


 * **
 * UNIT: **// Tuesdays with Morrie // by Mitch Albom **DATE:** Nov. 22nd, 2013
 * LESSON: ** Letter Writing **TIME LENGTH:** 40 minutes


 * PA CORE STANDARDS: **
 * 1) ** CC.1.4.11-12.M: ** Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events.
 * 2) ** CC.1.4.11-12.O: ** Use narrative techniques such as dialogue, description, reflection, multiple plotlines, and pacing to develop experiences, events, and/or characters; use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, settings, and/or characters.
 * 3) ** CC.1.5.11-12.A: ** Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade-level topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

 I will ask students to brainstorm a list of why we use letters. What do letters do for us as a society? What unexpected forms of letters might technology have brought us? (Ex: blog posts, Twitter, Facebook, texting, email, etc.) 
 * MOTIVATIONAL DEVICE: **


 * INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES: **
 * 1) Students will brainstorm the functions of letters in order to gain a clear understanding of why we use letters or the letter format to communicate.
 * 2) Students will write a letter of their own in order to produce a clearly written and organized narrative.
 * 3) Students will discuss their letters in order to build an understanding of how people and events change us.


 * MATERIALS NEEDED: ** //Tuesdays with Morrie//, paper, and writing instruments.
 * TECHNOLOGY NEEDED: ** PowerPoint, computer, and projector.

Albom, Mitch. //Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson//. New York, New York: Doubleday, 1997. Print
 * RESOURCES USED: **
 * LESSON TYPE (Pedagogy): ** Lecture, Large Group Discussion
 * LESSON OUTLINE: **
 * 1) Introduction (5 minutes)
 * 2) For the first few minutes of class, we brainstorm and list the functions of letters
 * 3) After that, we will briefly review the discussion of the letter on page 71 and then discuss the passage on pages 85-87 regarding Morrie's letters
 * 4) Why were people writing to Morrie? What purposes did they have?
 * 5) Why do you believe people were able to be so open to Morrie about their problems when they wrote to him?
 * 6) Letter Writing (15 minutes)
 * A. ** I will read the students my letter and explain how I was influenced by Mitch and Morrie's conversation about family.
 * B. ** For the next fifteen or so minutes, students will work on their own 1-2 paragraph letter to someone that has impacted them, tying in a theme or lesson from //Tuesdays// that they have encountered.
 * 1) Students will be notified that we will be discussing the letters after the writing process
 * 2) Students are reminded to consider their audience while writing; write with an authentic voice
 * C. ** I will have already written my letter and will circulate while students write to check in with them, making sure that they understand the assignment and are on task
 * 1) Discussion of Letters (10 minutes)
 * 2) Students will then share their work using a think-pair-share, discussing why they chose to write about what they did.
 * 3) While students are sharing, they will fill out the three questions on their handout.
 * 4) Finally, we will discuss how narrative letters can reveal how events change us (my letter and the letter from page 85 as examples)
 * 5) At the end of the class, students will be encouraged to engage in the cathartic act of "detaching" as Morrie calls it by ripping up their letters.


 * FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS: **
 * 1. ** During the discussion portions of the class, I will keep track of who has spoken to make sure that all students are engaged and participating.
 * 2. ** During the letter writing process, I will circulate and ask students questions to gauge whether or not they understand the assignment.
 * HOMEWORK: ** Homework will be assigned by Mrs. C or Mr. B at the end of the class period.
 * REFLECTION (Include at least three questions): **
 * 1) Was I able to modify and adjust according to the reactions of the students? If not, how could I better prepare myself to roll with the punches of "doing it live?"
 * 2) Were students engaged and connected to the lesson? If not, how can I assure that this lesson is engaging in the future?
 * 3) Did students make natural connections to the text? If not, how can I encourage this to occur more frequently?


 * WORKSHEET (Front and Back) **
 * FRONT **


 * Writing Your Letter **

(see my example if you get stuck)
 * Task: ** Write a letter to someone that has wronged or offended you in some way
 * Length: ** 1-2 paragraphs
 * Voice: ** Informal, authentic


 * Think-Pair-Share Guide **


 * 1) ** What did you find most compelling about your partner's letter?


 * 2) ** After reading your partner's letter, what changes (if any) would you make to your own?


 * 3) ** Do you think you would ever send this letter? Why or why not?


 * BACK **


 * My Letter to Jen (my father's girlfriend) **

Dear Jen, I want you to know that I don't want to be friends. Ever. I know that it's hard for you, coming into our family and all, but you haven't made it easy on yourself. Telling my grandmother, a mere two years after she lost her youngest son to cancer, that she needed to get over the death of my Uncle Tim and move on- not your finest hour. No parent should have to watch their child waste away like that, and if you'd have loved him like we loved him, you would understand. I can't say I'm surprised you would say such an insensitive thing, though, because of the way that you treat your son. I'm in college training to become an educator, and it sickens me that you treat your child the way you do. David has ADHD, but he isn't stupid. So what if he is in learning support? He's a valuable human being, and you treat him like a servant. He's 18 years old, not a little child. You are always telling him that he's dumb and lazy, but you don't bother to ask if he's having trouble understanding the content. You say he's a slob, but you pile papers around the house and expect him to clean them up. I can honestly say that, no matter who or what my child becomes, I will never call them "the boy" or "the kid." I'm apologetic, I really am, but I cannot be close or care for someone that treats people in such a way. The truth is, I'm only nice to you because I love my father. The best I can do is keep smiling and protect the ones I love, even if it means that I have to hide how disgusted I am with the way you treat people. My only hope is that you can change, but I'm not sure you can. I hope you can overcome whatever has made you this way.

Sincerely, Sam

http://www.viddler.com/v/7541c2f0?secret=72952425 media type="custom" key="24684238" At 3:42: I could have scaffolded this concept a little more because it becomes very important later in the lesson when they rip up their letters. It seems random the way I'm presenting it now. At 4:00: I think that this point scaffolds well with the lesson that is to be taught after mine on Monday, which was important. At 5:00: My hand motions are a bit distracting for me and I could have moved around a little more. At 5:25: I think here it would have been good for me to have a student read this passage to diversify the lesson a little bit. I also think that asking students to elaborate, rather than elaborating for them, would have been more effective. At 7:00: I think I could have aligned the questions better with the lesson overall, I wanted to make it all fit but it might have been more beneficial to do a think-pair-share for this as well, rather than just lecturing. At 8:20: I could have been a little more clear with the directions to show how the activity aligns with the unit and what they've been doing all semester. At 9:00: I think sharing my story made the lesson more relevant to them because a lot of them understand my experience and can relate to what I've been through, making them more willing to write more emotional letters. At 11:00: I tried to encourage them to express themselves in a way that was eloquent, and I think that was important in the spirit of the unit and the novel. At 12:00: If I had provided paper ahead of time, this transition would have been smoother. At 12:00: Giving them such an open-ended assignment allowed me to conform to the natural diversity of experiences within the classroom. At 13:30: I did a good job of circulating and making sure that I checked up on students while they were working. What was frustrating was not knowing whether or not my comments were helping to oil the gears, as it may, in some cases. At 14:20: Mrs. C saves the day here and jumps in; I think this suggestion is a good one in terms of brainstorming and it even gave me the idea to suggest siblings. At 15:50: There are two students on this side of the room that seem to need a little more nudging to do their work, which is why I made sure to come in that direction right away. At 16:50: I tried to indirectly encourage them to be open, which may or may not have worked. At 20:15: I'VE BEEN WAITING MY WHOLE LIFE TO PULL THE CLASSIC ENGLISH TEACHER "USE THE DICTIONARY" STUNT. Dreams do come true. At 22:30: I tried to stay close because he was having a good deal of trouble really getting rolling with the assignment. I didn't necessarily take into account the introverts out there when designing this lesson, I could have accounted for the diversity in personalities better here. At 25:00: You can tell here that I was nervous about the time. I wanted him to be able to get something, anything on paper, but I also didn't want to sacrifice the entire class time because one student was working more slowly while others were going to town. That was pretty difficult for me. What you don't get to see here is the end, because the camera died, in which the students tear up their letters. I think that I should have left more time for this, but you live and learn.