Akers-Pecht 1

Dottie Akers-Pecht
EDIS 5401
29 April 2015
Introductory Week
Lesson Plan 1
Week 1; Plan #1 of 3; [90 mins.]
Plan type: Full detail
Learning Objectives (lettered)
SWBAT:
Cognitive (know/understand):
a) Students will know norms for participating in class discussion.
b) Students will know the expectations for contributing to a positive learning community.
c) Students will understand that creating a classroom environment in which everyone feels
comfortable is crucial to our success.
Affective (feel/value):
d) Students will feel that they are creating a classroom community.
e) Students will value others contributions to our classroom community.
Performance (do):
f) Students will be able to participate in class discussion via peer interviews.
g) Students will be able to create and deliberate a list of class expectations.
SOLs: [List with numbers portrayed in the SOL document]
8.2 h Use a variety of strategies to listen actively.
CCSs:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.1.b: Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track
progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
Procedures/Instructional Strategies
[Note: Any words that represent what I would say directly to students appear in italics.]
Beginning Room Arrangement:
[Changes in this arrangement that become necessary later will be noted in the plan]

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Desks will be arranged in clusters of two, or pairs, for the duration of this lesson plan. All desks
will be facing the front of the classroom. During step 3, students will be asked to pair up with
someone they do not know well already. The desks will not be moved at this point; rather,
students will be asked to move to a different desk and return to their original seats at the
completion of this discussion.
1. [15 mins.] Introduction
Good morning, students! My name is Miss Akers and Im very excited to be teaching you all this
year. Lets start off by quickly going around the room and introducing ourselves you all might
know each other already, but Id love to learn a little about you before we start class. How about
we list our name, favorite movie or TV show, and something fun we did over the break. Ill start
my name is Miss Akers, my favorite TV show is The Office, and over break, I visited my sister
in Chicago. Who would like to go next?
The students will continue around the class until Ive heard everyones names and learned a little
bit about them. Some students may wish to ask me a little more about myself, or may even want
to discuss The Office further; for example, they might ask, Whos your favorite character? I
love Dwight. In order to build rapport and trust between myself and the students, I may allow
this discussion to continue for a minute or so before transitioning to the students themselves.
Students may also choose to comment on one anothers interests, and I will allow these
conversations to continue for a minute or so as I listen for both commonalities and differences
between my students. It may also be that they comment on each others favorite shows, etc. at
which point you could also find out some commonalities (and differences) among your students.
2.

[20 mins.] Step 1: Student Interest Inventory

Right now, Im going to pass out some surveys; I want to emphasize that this is not a test and it
is not graded. I designed these to help me get to know you, and also to help me figure out how
you all might enjoy learning this semester. You dont have to write in complete sentences for all
of the questions. Just try to answer them honestly and take some time to think as you respond. If
you all dont have a pencil today, you can borrow one of mine from the blue cup on my desk.
However, in the future, class will run much more smoothly if you remember to bring a pencil and
paper with you, although I have extras if you forget accidentally.
Students will remain in their even rows as they complete the interest inventories. I will ask
students to pass their papers forward to me when everyone is finished.
A couple of the students in my class, including Ral and Chris, may find parts of the interest
inventory difficult to get through. Ral is an English language learner and Chris reads two grades
below the 8th grade level. In order to provide them with a reading scaffold while not singling out
these students on the first day of class, I will read the interest inventory aloud to students as they
work with periodic pauses for them to complete their answers. This way, the students can easily
access and respond to the information that the survey is asking of them. If students have

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questions about the survey, I will also answer them in a full class format to ensure that others
with the same questions know how to fill out the form.
3. [10 mins.] Step 2: Writing Classroom Norms and Expectations
For this instructional step, I will use the projector to show a Word document where I will
compile all of our class norms and expectations. I will have gotten the projector ready as students
completed their interest surveys.
Now were going to talk about creating class expectations together. I know you all already have
school rules, but every classroom is different, and I want to know what it is thats going to help
you all learn in this English class. I think its important that we create a class community where
everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas. One example I have up on the projector already
to get us started is the golden rule: Treat people the way you would want to be treated. I
propose that we try to upgrade this guideline even further to a platinum rule, Treat people the
way they want to be treated. Students may wish to parse out this first example, and I will
discuss with them how the platinum rule encourages use to think about our peers different
perspectives on what it means to be comfortable and part of a community in a classroom
environment. We will then move on to establishing other rules after I have given an example.
So what are some more of the things we should do to create an atmosphere where everybody
feels free to share their thoughts? How should we all treat one another during class?
I ask more guiding questions like these as we compile a list of classroom expectations. Some
more of these questions may include things such as:
How can we show each other respect?
What should we do when other people are talking?
How can we work together in groups? What if someone says something you disagree
with?
Why is it important for us to follow these expectations?
I will type these up into a computer that is connected to the overhead projector so that all
students can follow along with what is being added to our list. Expected topics of discussion to
be added to the norms will be respecting one another and everyones opinions, trying to consider
different perspectives on an issue, listening actively, asking for help when needed, etc.
These rules will be especially useful for students like our profiled student Karen, who has failed
a grade and often speaks out of turn. If she happens to speak out without raising her hand, I will
refer her back to our norms. I will try not to single her out due to her behavioral issues, but rather
say, I need everybodys eyes up here now, and I need everybody listening. I almost have
everybody
4. [5 mins.] Step 3: Forming Mnemonics to Help Remember Norms

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So now weve got a long list; how might we combine these as shorter rules that we can all easily
remember? We will try to consolidate our list into concise points. I may encourage students to
think up a rhyme or acronym that will help them to remember class expectations.
5. [10 mins.] Step 4: Creating Strategies for Carrying Out Norms
Underneath each rule weve composed together, lets think up some strategies for how we might
successfully carry out each one. For example, weve got, be respectful to each other. What
does it mean to be respectful? How can we show one another respect through our actions and
words? As a subtopic under each rule, I will type up strategies for carrying out the different
norms: for example, show respect remember to let others finish what they are saying before
you jump in.
Alright, later today Im going to post these up on a big poster board at the front of the class so
that we can all remember whats expected of us. Eventually, well remember them without the
poster, but for now Ill leave it up where we all can see it.
6. [5 mins.] Step 5: Introducing the Getting to Know You Activity
Since weve learned all of our classroom rules and expectations now, lets see if we can
remember to follow them as we carry on a discussion together. I want you all to find someone in
the class who you dont know very well already. Try to make eye contact with somebody before
you get up and move Ill let you know when you can go and sit with them. When you get
together, try and learn as much as you can about them hobbies, favorite books, movies, and TV
shows, pets, family members, favorite subjects, etc. Then well get back together as a whole class
and you will have to introduce your partner to the class with as much information as you
remember about them. You will have five minutes to get to know your partner. Are there any
questions? Ill provide some wait time for students to think up any possible questions.
As I give students wait time, Ill pass out index cards. If youd like, you can take a couple of
minutes to jot down any initial ideas for questions you want to ask their partners. You can use
these index cards that Im passing out now. I will give students a minute or two to write down
ideas for questions. Okay, if thats all of your questions, you can now move to a different desk
beside your partner. I will help students point out people who dont already have a partner if they
are having trouble finding someone.
7. [10 mins. 5 mins. for each interview] Step 6: Getting to Know You
As students talk, I will circulate the room and monitor their conversations. I might ask questions
if students get stuck, such as, Have you asked Fred if he plays sports or a musical instrument?
Have you asked Sally how many siblings she has?
Students will be given a heads up when the first five minutes are nearly over. In just a minute,
youre going to transition roles. So if you just got interviewed, youre going to switch and start
asking your partner questions next. Then for the next five minutes, students will reverse roles.

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When the ten minutes for this step comes to a close, I will let students know that they are about
to share. Make sure you have some information about your partner to share with the class. Take
a minute to gather your thoughts and then well get back in a whole class setting.
8. [10 mins.] Step 7: Sharing Getting to Know You Responses
After five minutes of talking, students will remain seated by their partners as they introduce one
another with as much information that they can remember. I will monitor students active
listening skills, use of respect, and other classroom expectations that we created together as a
class. On a clipboard or in a journal, I will make a list of norms we need to work on together or
that I will remind students of during the next class period.
9. [5 mins.] Closure: Exit Slip
Before you leave today, I want you to get out a sheet of paper. You can tear it in half if you want.
Based on our discussion of class expectations and rules today, and our getting to know you
activity, what rules do you think youll have trouble following? What do you think will be easy
for you to follow? And if you didnt get the chance to add something you thought would be
important to our class rules, write it down. So three things: A rule you think will be hard to
follow, a rule you think will be easy to follow, and a rule you think should be added to our list. I
will write these three points up on the board so that students can refer back to them as they write.
Please remember to write your names on the exit slips; no one else will read them but me. When
youre done, you can pass them forward or leave them in the yellow bin on my desk labeled exit
slips as you leave class.
Methods of Assessment:
[How will you know if the intended learning occurred?]
Diagnostic
o Brainstorming discussion to develop classroom norms: This assessment will
show me how much students already understand about the importance of a
positive classroom environment for learning. I will also learn how much value
they initially place on their peers contributions as well as their own
understanding of their own ability to contribute to the community [a, b, c, d, e, g]
Formative
o Exit Slip: Reading my students exit slips will show me how much they
understand about their own ability to contribute to the classroom community [d]
o Getting to Know You Activity: These discussions will show me students ability
to follow class norms and expectations [objective f, SOL 8.2h, and CCSS.ELALiteracy.SL.8.1.b]
Materials Needed:
Students will need to bring paper and a pencil

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Overhead projector connected to a computer

Dry erase or chalk board
Copies of student interest inventories for all students
Poster board and markers to later write up all of the class rules after this lesson

Materials Appendix: (e.g., supplementary texts, Ppts, overheads, graphic organizers,

handouts, etc.)
The student interest inventory can be found within the following pages of this document.

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Name _____________________
Block _____________________
What kind of writing do you enjoy? (Check marks by different genres)
__ Poetry
__ Short stories
__ Comics
__ Nonfiction
__ Stories
__ Novels

___ Letters
___ Facebook posts
___ Emails
___ Blogs
___ Text messages
___ Other
Explain __________________________

What kind of reading do you enjoy?

__ Magazines
__ Newspapers
__ Poetry
__ Short Stories
__ Blogs
__ Sports
__ History

___ Facebook posts

___ Emails
___ Comics
___ Novels
___ Text Messages
___ Biographies/memoirs
___ Other
Explain _______________

How do you prefer to learn? For example, do you like hands-on work, using technology, reading,
writing assignments, or creative projects?

Do you prefer to work in groups or by yourself? Why?

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What are three things you want to do in your lifetime?

1) ________________________________________________
2) ________________________________________________
3) ________________________________________________

List some of your hobbies or interests outside of school.

What character from a book, movie, or TV show do you relate to the most? Why?

Akers-Pecht 9
Lesson Plan 2
Week 1; Plan #2 of 3; [90 mins.]
Plan type: Summary
Critical Learning Objectives
SWBAT:
Cognitive (know/understand):
a) Students will know the norms of our classroom.
b) Students will know strategies for working together collaboratively.
c) Students will understand that they will need to work together to achieve class objectives
throughout the year.
Affective (feel/value):
d) Students will feel confident that they can reach class goals through collaboration.
e) Students will value one anothers contributions during group activities.
Performance (do):
f) Students will be able to recognize and follow class norms and expectations.
g) Students will be able to collaborate to create a story.
SOLs: [List with numbers portrayed in the SOL document]
8.2 g Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work.
CCSs:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
Methods of Assessment:
Diagnostic
o Bellringer: journal entry on working together: This assessment will show me
students previous values on collaboration and group work, as well as inform me
of some basic writing skills for later instruction [objectives c and d]
o
Participation in discussion about strategies for working together: This assessment
will tell me what students have already learned from group work in previous classes as
well as their values placed on teamwork [objectives a and b, and CCSS.ELALiteracy.SL.8.1]
Formative
o Exit slip about the zoom activity and working together. This assessment will show
me how well students understand the importance of collaboration in our class, as
well as inform my future group instruction and activities [objective c]

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o
Ability to follow class norms and expectations during the group zoom activity.
This assessment will show me how well students can apply their understanding of our
class norms to practical group discussion situations [objectives e, f, and g, SOL 8.2 g,
and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.1]
Procedures/Instructional Strategies
Beginning Room Arrangement: Desks are arranged in clusters of three, all facing the front of
the classroom. This arrangement is set up so that later, in step 3 of the lesson, the students can
work in groups of three for the zoom activity. Having students already strategically grouped
together will ensure that no one has trouble finding partners for the activity. I will group students
based on their interests as shown on the previous lessons student interest survey and will
incorporate photos that reflect these interests to get conversation going; for example, I may
provide students with a photo of a microphone if they all say that they enjoy singing or
performing. I will mark students names on the desks using sheets of paper that are taped to each
desk so that students immediately know where to sit as they enter the classroom.
1. [10 mins.] Opening to lesson: Bellringer journal activity
As soon as students enter the classroom, they will notice the bellringer journal prompt on the
board requesting them to retrieve their journals from the class bin. They will then respond to the
quotation: Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progressing; working together is
success. Henry Ford. I will also have questions written on the board for students to consider in
their responses, including What does Henry Fords statement mean to you? and What does
this statement mean to our class community? During this time, I will monitor students noise
level and their ability to get started on the bellringer activity quickly as they enter the room. In a
journal or on a clipboard, I will take notes on what behaviors I may see that I will need to
address at the end of this step after students share their entries (i.e., talking while writing or
taking several minutes to get out their journals from the class bin).
2. [5 mins.] Step 1: Sharing journal entries
After students write for five minutes or so, I will ask them to share their ideas about Fords
words. I will ask students to try and connect Fords quotation to what we talked about last class
while forming our norms. For example, how did we set goals for success through working
together? I will use these ideas as a jumping off point for our first class discussion today about
strategies for working together collaboratively. Additionally, I will let students know that I have
read their interest inventories, and that these will really help me to understand their interests and
get to know them better, as well as plan ways that I can make the class more enjoyable for them.
Additionally, I will let students know that these types of bellringers, which will include journal
entries, graphic organizers, and readings will be used at the beginning of every class period.
They can work on these before the bell rings and within the first few minutes of class. I will let

Akers-Pecht 11
them know that I expect them to keep the noise level as they enter class to a minimum so that
students working on the bellringers can do so without being disrupted. These instructions will
likely benefit students like my profiled student Karen, who frequently speaks out of turn. Giving
her these expectations clearly in the first week will serve as a proactive way to helping her stay
on task.
I will also explain to the whole class that these bellringers will help us to get started thinking
about important topics for the day or themes that will come up in our lesson or units. They are
designed to introduce what we will talk about when class starts. These bellringers will also factor
in to students participation grades, and I will leave feedback on some of the entries from time to
time for students to consider when theyre writing for other assignments, including essays and
stories later in the year. I will let students know that they are to remember to return their
composition books to the class bin before they leave; often, I will ask students to pass their
journals to the left so that I can collect them all and place them back in the bin. We will practice
this process now; I will ask students to please pass their journals to the person to their left until
they reach the final column of desks, where I will pick up each rows notebooks and drop them
in our bin.
3. [15 mins.] Step 2: Review of class syllabus with time for questions
After we have this discussion about bellringers, I will pass out copies of the class syllabus and
quickly review some more of my academic expectations for students, including that they come to
class prepared with the proper materials (i.e., pencil and paper, journal for bellringers, and a
binder to organize handouts). Other expectations will include participation in class discussion,
reading of the required materials including some reading assignments for homework, writing
assignments including those for homework that we cannot complete during class time, and
conducting research about the different works that we read, most of which will be done during
class time to ensure that students all have computer access. I will provide some wait time for
students to think of any questions they have about these academic expectations.
Then, I will direct students to the last page of the syllabus where there will be a place for their
own signatures as well as those of their parents. I will ask students to review the syllabus once
more with a guardian and sign to show that they have understood their expectations. These
signed papers will be turned in within the next couple of class periods, preferably by the next
lesson. I will let students know that the final deadline for turning in these signed pages will be
Monday (as this class will take place on a Wednesday, and students can return them either during
the next class on Friday or Monday following the weekend, but no later than Monday). On
Monday, the first day of the short-text unit, I will ask to collect everyones forms at the
beginning of class following the bellringer activity.
3. [10 mins.] Step 3: Discussion about strategies for working together
After discussing academic expectations, I will ask students to think back to last class when we
talked about behavioral expectations and rules for discussion. Using a computer hooked up to the

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overhead projector, I will post up the norms and expectations that we formed during the last class
period. I will share with students the results of last class exit slips where they were to name one
rule they considered easy to follow, and one rule they found difficult to follow. If there are any
trends, I will ask students how we can help one another to stick to a difficult rule. For example, I
could ask, How might we make sure to include someone who is quiet during group discussion?
About half of you listed this rule as possibly being hard for you to keep in mind as you work in
groups.
We will briefly review these norms to jog students memories and to see if they have anything
new to add from last class. Focusing on the rules we created on treating one another with respect,
listening actively, and working in groups, I will ask students to discuss in a whole class format
why these norms are important. I will let students know that they will be participating in a group
activity during which they should keep these norms in mind. I will direct them back to the
acronym or mnemonic device that we created last class which I will have posted on the front
wall of the classroom, reminding students that this resource is available for them to refer back to
as they work on their group activity.
These mnemonic devices will be useful reminders for students like Karen who struggle with
focusing their attention and with interpersonal skills. Additionally, my profiled ELL student Ral
will likely find a catchy mnemonic device helpful for him to remember specific class rules and to
refer back to throughout the school year.
4. [10 mins.] Step 4: Introduction to group zoom activity
Before students get started on their group work, I will introduce the zoom activity to them and
post these instructions on the overhead projector via a PowerPoint presentation. Each group will
receive a series of photographs of objects, places, and events that they must incorporate into a
cohesive story. Working together, they can use humor, creative details, or other strategies to
create a story using all of the photos they are given. They will need to write this story down on
paper, which I will provide to students while explaining the instructions for this activity. The
story should not be too long though, no more than one side of a page. They will then share the
story aloud with the whole class by reading it off their papers. Students can choose one
spokesperson or share the parts of the story and decide which student reads what part aloud.
After explaining the instructions to the students, I will tell them to work with the people sitting
next to them in their desk clusters (3 students to each group). This way, students will not have to
move and the classroom will not become disorganized. Additionally, everyone will be placed into
a group without having to worry about finding two partners to join them.
For students like Jessica, my profiled gifted student, I think that the zoom activity will serve to
challenge them as well as provide them with a creative outlet. Using strategic grouping, I will
have already seated students based on their interest surveys completed in the previous lesson.
(Students desks will all feature name tags as they walk into class, as described in the beginning
room arrangement section of the beginning of the lesson.) Ral and Chris, my two profiled
students who struggle with reading, will likely find this activity using pictures nonthreatening. I

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can pair them with someone who has more readiness in terms of writing skills to work with them
to compose a story about their photos.
5. [25 mins.] Step 5: Zoom activity
I will circulate as students work on their zoom stories, providing guidance to students who are
stuck or experience writers block. Students will help one another to add interesting details and
to find creative ways to connect random objects and scenes from their photos. As students work,
I will observe how they are working together and take notes on what class norms and rules I
think the students are doing well in, as well as those that I think students need extra help with. I
will make a note to review these latter rules for next class. If a group finishes early, I can provide
them with an additional photo to incorporate in the ending of their story as an extra challenge.
For students who cannot finish in the allotted time, I will reassure them that its okay if they
havent come to a solid ending in their story or if they didnt get to incorporate all of the photos.
They can share what they have and keep this activity in mind as something that they can return to
during our free write and creative writing sessions later on in the school year.
6. [10 mins.] Step 6: Sharing zoom stories
When students are done, they will read aloud their short stories to the class. Students can choose
one spokesperson from their group to read the entire story, or can take turns by splitting the story
into thirds. The students will hold up their photos as they read their story so that the whole class
can see what images the group had to incorporate into their narrative. As students share, I will
monitor their confidence while speaking as well as active listening skills from the audience
members. I will make a note once more on what norms need to be worked on. I will use a
clipboard with a list or chart of our class norms and will draw an asterisk next to those that need
work, with space for details as to how students broke on of our rules. I will continue to monitor
students discussions in this way for the first two weeks of class, both this introductory week and
the first week of our short-text unit.
7. [10 mins.] Closing: Exit slip on zoom activity
In the last few minutes of class, I will ask students to reflect on the zoom activity in an exit slip.
After students have gotten out sheets of paper, I will project a series of questions on the board
and ask them to answer: What did you like about this activity? What did you dislike? How do
you think your group worked together? If you dont think your group worked together well, what
do you wish had happened differently?
Students will leave these exit slips in a basket at the front of the class. I will say goodbye to
students as they exit the class, then take up these slips and record the students reactions to zoom
as well as to working together in groups to see what I can do differently in future group
activities. I will compile my chart of adherence to class norms alongside these exit slips in a

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folder that I keep for this block. I can color code these folders to keep track of separate classes of
students.
Materials Needed:
Students will need to bring a pencil and paper as explained on the first day of class
Students will use their journals/composition books, which will be stored in this
blocks color coded bin. (Journals should not leave the classroom unless I give
students specific assignments where they need them for homework.)
Copies of class syllabus for each student
Overhead projector with computer
Photos for zoom activity
List of class norms and expectations
Poster of mnemonic device for remembering class norms and expectations
Materials Appendix:
I.
Photos for zoom activity
II.
Instructions for zoom activity to be projected on the board
III.
Copies of class syllabus

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Lesson Plan 3
Week 1; Plan #3 of 3; [90 mins.]
Plan type: Summary
Critical Learning Objectives
SWBAT:
Cognitive (know/understand):
a) Students will know the importance of class norms for showing respect to classmates
when responding to their ideas.
b) Students will know that identity is constructed from many different sources.
c) Students will understand that both self identity and class community will contribute to
our success this year.
Affective (feel/value):
d) Students will feel that their unique identities are valued by classmates.
e) Students will value one anothers ideas for name stories.
Performance (do):
f) Students will be able to show listening skills and respect for others.
g) Students will be able to identify and discuss sources of their own identities.
SOLs: [List with numbers portrayed in the SOL document]
8.2 h Use a variety of strategies to listen actively.
CCSs:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.5
With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as
needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well
purpose and audience have been addressed.
Methods of Assessment:
Diagnostic
o Journal entry Who am I? I will learn how students define their own identities as
well as their ability to express these identities through writing [objectives b and g]
Formative
o
Participation in identity webs planning with a partner: I will observe my students
and look for their active listening skills and ability to engage in respectful conversation
with one another which will tell me how they are progressing in our class norms as well
as discussion skills [objectives d, e, and f, SOL 8.2 h, and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.5]
o
Participation in discussion of class norms I will observe my students and look for
students adherence to discussion norms which will tell me how they are progressing in
their understanding of our class community [objectives a and c, and SOL 8.2h]

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Procedures/Instructional Strategies
Beginning Room Arrangement: Desks are arranged in clusters or pairs of two, all of which will
be facing the front of the classroom. Later in step 5 of the lesson, students will pair up with the
classmate sitting next to them in order to share their ideas for their name stories. Students name
tags will be taped to the front of their desks so that they immediately know where to sit upon
entering the classroom.
1. [10 mins.] Opening to lesson: Bellringer journal entry - Who Am I?
Students will respond to an open-ended journal entry asking the question, Who am I? This
entry will be written on the board as soon as students enter the classroom. I will remind students
that for the last couple of classes, we have worked on creating a class community and working
together. Today, we will start to think about how we as individuals can be successful, as well as
how many individuals come together with all of their background experiences and unique
characteristics to create a classroom community. As such, they will need to reflect on their own
identities. Students may express frustration at being given such a vague question to respond to,
but I will emphasize that there are no right or wrong answers, and that students should just keep
writing without overthinking the question. I will let students know that they will share these
answers with the person sitting next to them in their desk pairs. As students work, I will circulate
the classroom in case they are having trouble coming up with things to talk about in their journal
entries. Additionally, I will set up the audio recording of Sandra Cisneros to be used during step
3 of the lesson so that we can transition smoothly to this literary work after discussing journal
entries.
2.

[10 mins.]: Sharing responses to journal entries

Before students share their responses and as they finish their journal entries, I will ask them to
pass up copies of the last page of their syllabus that they and their guardian were meant to sign if
they have these ready; students have the opportunity to turn them in until Monday so that they
also have the weekend to ask their family members to sign them (todays class takes place on a
Friday). Students can pass these over to the left and then up to the front of the classroom where I
will collect them. I will store these in my records in a manila folder to be placed in the class
filing drawer and make a note of students who have not yet turned in these papers.
Then, students will be asked to share their responses to their journal entries with their partners
sitting next to them. I will produce a list of my own responses on the overhead projector. Some
sample responses I might give in this list include I Am a teacher, a sister, a reader, a traveler,
a dancer and so on, as well as adjectives like, quiet, curious, adventurous, etc. As the students
then list off characteristics aloud in a whole class format that make them who they are, I will
record these different categories on a document on the overhead projector. For example, students
will likely define themselves by physical characteristics, personality traits, hobbies, interests,

Akers-Pecht 17
family, culture, and friend groups. I will list these as multiple facets of ones self-identity so that
students can see identity as a complex concept.
3. [20 mins.]: Introduce the concept of identity with Sandra Cisneros excerpt My
Name
I will introduce who the author Sandra Cisneros is, as well as what The House on Mango Street
is about, using a very short PowerPoint presentation with photos of the author. I will explain that
Cisneros is Mexican American and was born into a family with six brothers as the only daughter.
Growing up, she often moved between Mexico and the states, which left her, in her words,
always straddling two countries but not belonging to either culture.
In discussing The House on Mango Street, I will explain how the main character Esperanza also
belongs to Mexican and American cultures, and she introduces herself with the vignette called
My Name. I will pass out copies of the vignette for students to read along with. We will listen
to an audio recording of Cisneros reading this chapter aloud, available at the website
http://eslbits.net/ESL.English.Learning.Audiobooks/Mango_Street/.
Following the audio recording, we will discuss the story and how Esperanza defines herself
through her culture, family relationships, and social class.
Using the audio recording as a complimentary tool to reading will likely help students such as
Ral and Chris who struggle with reading. They can read along while simultaneously hearing the
words pronounced clearly and with emotion by the author. Additionally, Ral may be interested
in and relate to some of the experiences of Esperanza, an immigrant.
4. [20 mins.] Students brainstorm
Following our discussion of Cisneros description of Esperanzas self identity, the students will
be asked to create a word web in which they tell us about the origins of their names. These webs
can include multiple facets of the students personalities, including descriptions of their
personalities, family life, culture, and other characteristics to help us to get to know one another
better. I will present my own name web up on the overhead projector for students to view as a
model. My name, Dorothy, will go in the middle, and I may draw lines connecting it to a photo
of my grandmother, who I was named after. Additionally, I might draw a photo to Dorothy from
The Wizard of Oz, one of my favorite characters growing up because she had the same name as
me. Using these examples, I will show students how many different ideas they can use as well as
how creative or funny they can be in their own name webs. I will pass out graphic organizers in
the shape of webs as well as extra blank sheets of paper and colored pencils/markers for the
students to use as they brainstorm. While they plan, I will circle around the room and help them
to get started.
5. [10 mins.] Students share with a classmate

Akers-Pecht 18

After students have brainstormed for several minutes, they will share their identity webs with a
classmate. I will likely allow students to choose who to work with to guarantee that students are
paired with someone they are comfortable talking to. The students can help each other to think of
more details to add to their brainstorm maps or lists. In doing so, they might ask questions of one
another and about each others interests, passions, and lives outside of school. I will listen in on
students active listening skills and ability to show respect for one anothers ideas while taking
notes on what students need to improve upon.
6. [10 mins.] Closing Part 1: Reflection
Students will keep their identity webs with them to return to later. I will begin to discuss with
students how todays lesson will get us ready to talk about the overarching concept or theme of
our first unit, identity crisis. I will inform them that we will be reading short works of literature
together that involve a problem or conflict with a character trying to figure out who he or she
really is. This conflict is similar to the one that Esperanza faces in The House on Mango Street
which its author, Sandra Cisneros, also faced that of straddling between two countries or
belonging to two places or identities at once. Our identity webs will help us to start thinking
about what happens when some of these facets or parts of identity culture, personal desires or
dreams, gender, family, and friend groups dont mesh well or go against each other, and we are
faced with choosing whats most important.
7. [10 mins.] Closing Part 2: Review of norms
I will quickly review our list of norms again and ask students to have a discussion on things they
think they need to work more on. I will review those expectations that seem to be lacking in the
classroom a little more closely and ask students to give examples of how they might carry out
these rules successfully in future class meetings. I will use my own notes from class observations
as well as students exit slips from the first day of class to talk about what norms we should focus
more closely on following in the future as we begin our first unit of the year.
Giving explicit examples of how to follow class rules will likely help students like Karen who
have difficulty expressing their engagement in ways that are accepted by the teacher and
classmates. Instead of shouting out an answer, we can discuss how Karen can raise her hand or
wait for someone else to finish speaking before jumping in.

Materials Needed:
Students will need to bring paper and a pencil
Overhead projector

Akers-Pecht 19

Recording of Cisneros reading of My Name

Copies of My Name for students to follow along
Graphic organizers of identity web outlines

Materials Appendix:
I. Copies of My Name one for each student
II.
Identity web graphic organizers