Author:
Audrey Ruoff, Kathleen Maher-Baker, MSDE Admin
Subject:
English Language Arts
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Level:
High School
Grade:
11
Tags:
  • MSDE
  • MSDE ELA
  • RI.11-12.10
  • RI.11-12.7
  • SL.11-12.1
  • W.11-12.10
  • W.11.12.7
  • License:
    Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial
    Language:
    English
    Media Formats:
    Downloadable docs, Text/HTML, Video

    Education Standards

    Grade 11: Writers on Writing (Remix) Day 1

    Grade 11: Writers on Writing (Remix) Day 1

    Overview

    Image source: "Writing" by Ramdlon at https://pixabay.com/en/writer-writing-paper-letter-author-605764/

    Unit Overview: 

    The Writers on Writing Unit engages students in reading, analyzing, and creating literacy narratives, or stories about learning to read and write. The unit begins by asking students to view and read literacy narratives, and to analyze author’s literacy narratives through annotation, discussion, and writing a formal analysis essay. As students go through the narratives, they are asked to analyze author technique and purpose, paying close attention to style, syntax, and organization in preparation for writing their own authentic literacy narratives and ultimately creating digital storytelling projects about those narratives. By the end of this unit, students will have composed analysis writing, creative nonfiction, and multimedia stories. They will have had the ability to select certain reading assignments, to work in groups and with partners to brainstorm, edit, and revise, and they will have had guided writing lessons on composing strong sentences. 

     

    Introduction to Literacy Narratives

    Day 1 Overview:  

    These plans are for Day 1 of the Writers on Writing Unit. Day 1 includes central questions about learning to read and write and how those lessons shape student identities. Day 1 also includes videos of literacy narratives, and resources for students to learn about literacy narratives online and select narratives to read. There is enough material to make this a multiple day lesson if needed, or to assign additional student reading on an electronic classroom platform.

     

    This task asks that students view one of the literacy narrative TED Talks and respond to questions about why authors write literacy narratives. It's a good alternative to playing a video clip in class if time is an issue, or if a classroom is not equipped to play a video clip during class. You might modify by adding additional selections for students to choose from. Since the Garr Reynolds TED Talk focuses on presentation skills more than the narrative itself, it is not included as an option in this assignment. You might show it in class if you are introducing the final project at the beginning of this unit, or you might save it for the last lesson of this unit, which asks students to turn literacy narratives into digital stories. 

    “The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (TED 2009)  or “Everyday Moments Caught in Time” by Billy Collins (TED 2012) 

    Watch and listen to one of the two following TED Talks. While you are watching, consider and take notes on the elements of the author's literacy narrative that make the story compelling. 

    “The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (TED 2009)  

    or “Everyday Moments Caught in Time” by Billy Collins (TED 2012) 

    After watching and taking notes on what makes the story compelling, select a literacy narrative to read from your textbook or online resources. Remember that a literacy narrative is a nonfiction story about how someone learned to read or write, or about an experience that shaped their understanding of reading or writing. Follow your teacher's instructions about submitting a digital or print copy of the narrative you find. 

    Read and annotate your narrative, and discuss its strengths. Answer the following questions:

    What makes this literacy narrative compelling?

    Was there anything unusual about how the person learned to read or write?

    What do you notice about structure in the beginning, middle, and end of the narrative?

    What do you notice about details?

    Is there anything you would like to model or do differently in your own narrative?