UTL 640E, Haug Pflugerville High School/PISD Date of lesson: April 9, 2014

Molly Whiting AP English IV/12th grade Lesson Plan #5/Teaches # 7 & 8

Linguistic Relativity
Objectives: After reading two texts that each focus on a different version of the theory of linguistic relativity, students will work individually to write a paragraph that includes a thesis and one piece of textual evidence and explains which version of the theory they find more persuasive in order to practice close reading and writing a position statement.

Enduring Understanding/Essential Questions: Critical examination of language use and differences can provide valuable insights into how individuals beliefs and perceptions are shaped by the language(s) that they use. Factual: What is linguistic relativity? What is the difference between the two versions (strong and weak) of this theory? Conceptual: How does the New York Times article advocate the weak version of this theory? How is the strong version of linguistic relativity expressed in Bill Holms poem The Icelandic Language? Philosophical: Which version of the theory do you find more persuasive? Can linguistic relativity be transcended (through, for example, art, music, or math?)

Resources/Materials: A. To Do Before: a. Read NYT article and Bill Holms poem multiple times for familiarity. b. Compile background information on linguistic relativity. c. Complete poem analysis activity students will do during lesson. d. Make handouts for students. B. Needed on the Day of Lesson: a. Handouts for students b. Students notebooks for free-writing and poem analysis

TEKS: From 110.34 English Language Arts and Reading, English IV (1) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to: (A) determine the meaning of technical academic English words in multiple content areas (e.g., science, mathematics, social studies, the arts) derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes; (B) analyze textual context (within a sentence and in larger sections of text) to draw conclusions about the nuance in word meanings; (3) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to evaluate the changes in sound, form, figurative language, graphics, and dramatic structure in poetry across literary time periods.

UTL 640E, Haug Molly Whiting Pflugerville High School/PISD AP English IV/12th grade Date of lesson: April 9, 2014 Lesson Plan #5/Teaches # 7 & 8 (7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze how the author's patterns of imagery, literary allusions, and conceits reveal theme, set tone, and create meaning in metaphors, passages, and literary works. (8) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze the consistency and clarity of the expression of the controlling idea and the ways in which the organizational and rhetorical patterns of text support or confound the author's meaning or purpose. (15) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to: (C) write an interpretation of an expository or a literary text that: (i) advances a clear thesis statement; (ii) addresses the writing skills for an analytical essay including references to and commentary on quotations from the text; (iii) analyzes the aesthetic effects of an author's use of stylistic or rhetorical devices (24) Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students will use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to: (A) listen responsively to a speaker by framing inquiries that reflect an understanding of the content and by identifying the positions taken and the evidence in support of those positions (25) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Steps in Lesson: A. Engagement13 minutes Open with some questions for students to respond to in their notebooks: What do you think the saying lost in translation means? Are there things you can express in one language that you cant in another? What examples can you come up with? Encourage any bi-/multilingual students to draw from their experiences. Do you use one language over another for certain purposes? Do you think or express yourself differently using different languages? How so? Have students free-write in their journals in response to these questions. (5 minutes) Regroup into whole class discussion and have them share their thoughts. (5 minutes) Introduce students to the concept of linguistic relativity. (3 minutes)

UTL 640E, Haug Molly Whiting Pflugerville High School/PISD AP English IV/12th grade Date of lesson: April 9, 2014 Lesson Plan #5/Teaches # 7 & 8 - The idea that the structure of a language affects the ways in which its respective speakers conceptualize their world and influences their cognitive processes. - Generally considered as having two variations: the strong version, which states that language determines thought and that linguistic categories limit and determine cognitive categories, and the weak version, which states that linguistic categories and usage influence thought and certain kinds of non-linguistic behavior. B. Stated Objective1 minute Today, we will explore the theory of linguistic relativity by reading two texts, an excerpt from a New York Times article and a poem, that both deal with this idea. As we read, I want you to think about which version of linguistic relativity each text seems to support. Afterward, you will write a paragraph that explains which version you find more persuasive, using evidence from the text to support your argument. C. Active Learning45 minutes As a class, read the excerpt from the New York Times article. (8 minutes) Modeling/Checking for Understanding: Discuss the article. Which version of the theory does this text seem to be supporting? What examples does the author use to explain the concept? How effective is the article in presenting this version of the theory? (5 minutes) As a class, read Bill Holms poem The Icelandic Language. (2 minutes) Guided Practice: Break students up into their multiple choice groups and have them analyze the poem using the SOLLIDD framework: Syntax/Organization/Literary Devices/ Level of Discourse/Imagery/Diction/Details. Ask groups to decide which version of the theory is supported by the poem, and why. (15 minutes) Regroup to discuss poem as a whole class. Again, which version of the theory does this text seem to be supporting? What examples does the author use to explain the concept? How effective is the poem in presenting this version of the theory? (5 minutes) Independent Practice: Individually, have students write one paragraph (thesis statement and one supporting quote from either text) that states which version of the theory they find more persuasive, and why. (10 minutes) D. Closure10 min Collect students paragraphs and ask for several students to share which position they took and the reason for their stance. In doing so, ask for students to restate their understanding of linguistic relativity and the two versions of the theory. (5 minutes) Leave the students with a final question: in what ways can linguistic relativity be transcended? Have students discuss alternate forms of communication (music, visual art, mathematics, etc.) that can overcome language barriers to express an idea. (5 minutes) Thank students for their attention and participation.

! Modifications/Differentiation: Follow the IEPs. !

Evaluation Strategies: Throughout the lesson, I will use questions to informally check for understanding.

UTL 640E, Haug Molly Whiting Pflugerville High School/PISD AP English IV/12th grade Date of lesson: April 9, 2014 Lesson Plan #5/Teaches # 7 & 8 After the lesson, I will review the students paragraphs to determine if they achieved the instructional objectives.

Notes/Recommendations: Student engagement was extremely high during this lesson! Lots of bilingual students were eager to share anecdotes about how attempts at communication can get lost in translation; it was a bit of a challenge to balance honoring these contributions and moving the conversation on to the texts about the concept that I really wanted them to grasp. Engagement flagged during the analysis of the poem, but students paragraphs demonstrated that they understood the concept and were mostly successful in using the texts to identify and support a position about this new concept.