1 USING PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE CONCEPT OF PHOTOVOICE AS A PEDAGOGICAL TOOL IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS CLASSROOM By Brittany A. Carroll A project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION IN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY Ogden, Utah July 28, 2021 DeeDee Mower, Ph.D. Approved Caitlin Byrne, Ph.D. Nissa Green, M.Ed. 2 Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………….………………………….3 Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………..…..4 Nature of the Problem….…………………………………………………….…………..........5 Literature Review….………………………………………………………….……………….8 Core Requirements and Skills ……………………………………………………......8 Struggling Students……………………………………………………….............. ..10 Photography in the Classroom……………………………………………………....13 Summary.…………………………………………………………………………………... 17 Purpose..……………………………………………………………………………………..19 Method.……………………………………………………………………………………...20 Photovoice………………………………………………………………………….. 20 Context……………………………………………………………………………...21 Approach……………………………………………………………………………22 Evaluation…………………………………………………………………………...23 Feedback and Implications…………………………………………………………………..24 Feedback…………………………………………………………………………….24 Implications…………………………………………………………………………27 Summary……………………………………………………………………………28 References…………………………………………………………………………………. 29 Appendix A..………………………………………………………………………………...35 Appendix B..………………………………………………………………………………...37 3 Abstract Critically analyzing text is an essential component of English Language Arts instruction. Students of every ability in the English Language Arts classroom struggle to understand abstract concepts such as theme. The purpose of this project was to create a curriculum that uses photography and the concept of Photovoice to help students understand the abstract concept of theme while keeping engagement levels high. This curriculum provides a differentiated way for students to work within their level of understanding and still reach the objective of being able to comprehend the theme(s) of a text. The concept of Photovoice can help make the element of theme relevant as students learn using examples from their own lives while communicating and collaborating with peers. This curriculum was designed for high school students, grades 11 and 12. The designed unit is for students of all levels and can be used to introduce the concept of theme through the medium of photography. Feedback implies that this curriculum will help make the abstract concept of theme accessible to students of varying abilities and help make text relevant to their lives by using examples from their real-life experiences and collaboration with others. It will heighten analytical skills and increase engagement throughout the process. Based on reviewer feedback, there are several changes that could enhance this curriculum and should be considered before implementation. These changes include adding a detailed step-by-step process for the students to follow while going through the process of determining theme, adding varying levels of text to encapsulate a range of reading abilities in the classroom, finding audio versions of the text for those students who need that extra support, and differentiating the final assessment by creating a mix of multiple-choice questions and analysis questions 4 Acknowledgements I extend a sincere “thank you” to the members of my committee for helping me achieve the goal of a master’s degree in education. My heart is especially full of gratitude for my committee chair, Dr. Caitlin Byrne, for all her advice, her wealth of knowledge, her relentless guidance, and her encouragement. My committee was a perfect combination of expertise in education, and I am incredibly thankful for all that they shared during this process. Without the patience and sacrifice of my better half, Michael Anaya, and the tolerance and understanding of my children, this journey would have been much more difficult; I don’t know that I would have attempted it without their support. There were many times when I faltered in my belief that I could do this while working full time and being a mother (during a global pandemic), and that is when the strength of my family buoyed me up and motivated me to continue. So, I extend a heartfelt sentiment of appreciation for the endless support of my family through the trials and frustrations that come with pursuing higher education. 5 Nature of the Problem Critically analyzing text is an essential component of English Language Arts instruction. The Common Core Standards of Education recognizes the importance of literacy across many tiers and sets standards that will ensure teachers write and utilize curriculum which establishes and meets those standards. The skills in the English Language Arts and literacy standards include students learning how to read texts in ways that will help them understand complex works of literature. These skills include critical thinking and close reading while analyzing, reasoning, and collecting evidence (Common Core, 2021). Specifically, Common Core asserts that students will be able to determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and urges that students be able to analyze multiple sources presented in different types of media, such as visual, as well as in words. Literate students will be able to engage with text in an open-minded but discerning manner, and work to understand what the author is saying. When students do not meet Common Core standards, questions of readiness to pursue college and careers upon graduation arise. As I observed in my own classroom, students of every ability in the English Language Arts classroom struggle to understand abstract concepts such as theme. Since the theme of a work is an abstract idea, it is often difficult for students to grasp. In order to be able to identify the theme of a text, students must first be able to summarize important parts of the story, distinguish the theme from the main idea, and be able to make inferences. They must tap into prior knowledge, ask questions, visualize, form interpretations, monitor, revise meaning, and reflect and relate (Olson et al., 2010). In my own experience, I have found that students have a hard time comprehending the concept of theme. Most of the time, when asked what a theme of a particular text might be, students would do one of a few things: give blank looks, cast their eyes down toward their desks 6 so that they did not get called on, or give one-word answers like “love” or “family” or “courage,” which each qualify as topics, not themes. Without that basic level of understanding, the central idea or meaning of the text is lost. The whole reason why the author told the story is missed by many students, and application of the message to their own lives simply cannot happen. For English Language Learners (ELLs), it may be challenging to grasp the concept of theme for a variety of reasons. When ELLs struggle with abstract concepts, it can be traced back to a difficulty in truly understanding vocabulary (Sibold, 2011). It is not enough for ELL students to have vocabulary terms memorized. They must also have substantial opportunities to have collaborative conversations with peers and teachers in order to negotiate deeper meaning of language and maintain a certain depth of knowledge of vocabulary and how to use it (Harper & de Jong, 2004; Pica, 1994; Swain & Lapkin, 1995). Students with learning disabilities also struggle with the abstract concept of theme. Many times, they are unable to understand the meaning of a word within the context of a sentence. This means there is an inability to analyze and understand the meaning of a text as a whole (Sencibaugh & Harris-Stowe, 2007). When students struggle with vocabulary and using words in context, understanding and expressing abstract concepts can prove especially challenging. For students with learning disabilities, challenges such as visual processing, language development and metacognition are present (Atkinson et al., 2002). In my English Language Arts classroom, I have witnessed an interesting phenomenon in which students who typically struggle with written texts find success when given other means to express themselves. When other avenues of expression are permitted, they are able to communicate more clearly and in a more engaged manner. For example, in some of my units, I give a list of choices to the students from which they can choose what type of final project they want to do. I am thinking particularly of a boy in 7 one class who chose art as the avenue through which he would illustrate a message of the book we just read. For this choice, students could illustrate a scene from the book and explain why the illustration depicted an important part of the novel, tying it back to the author’s intended message. This young man created an amazing piece of art, sketched with pencil and shaded in, that was absolutely wonderful (one of my favorites). And even more amazing was his ability to explain his illustrated scene to the rest of the classroom. This artwork came from him, which made it easier for him to communicate his own personal thoughts on the topic. These experiences in my own classroom made me wonder why my students were struggling with the concept of theme and how I could teach them this concept in a way that was engaging to them and helped make important connections between a concept and the application of the concept. After learning about Photovoice in a research methods class, I wondered how I might incorporate photography and the Photovoice practices as a means of engaging students with the challenging concept of theme. I began my literature review to see what information was out there about the process of Photovoice and bringing images into the English Language Arts classroom. Incorporating photography into the curriculum could make thematic analysis more accessible to all students. Using visuals in the classroom can help scaffold learning to support comprehension and retention of complex information (Gangwer, 2005). Photography in the classroom can help with reading comprehension and attention to detail and can help students see elements such as theme, symbolism, and setting within a text (Jordan & DiCicco, 2012). Furthermore, utilizing [photos as] visual text can provide another way for those struggling with the English language or those who need extra support in communicating ideas and constructing responses that fully demonstrate their level of understanding (Capello & Lafferty, 2015). 8 Specifically, using photographs to introduce thematic analysis to students facilitates their understanding of theme and develops their analytical skills without the additional language demands they would face when analyzing theme in written texts. Literature Review This literature review begins with a discussion of the core requirements and skills that students must demonstrate in English Language Arts. Then, some of the challenges that students face in meeting those objectives are described, with specific attention to English Language Learners and students with learning disabilities. Finally, photography is discussed as a possible means for making curriculum more accessible to students, with support from the literature. Core Requirements and Skills Often, in an English Language Arts classroom, a theme of a novel, nonfiction text, or poem is discussed in class. Without finding a way to connect the theme to the real lives of the students, the meaning and significance within the context of honest, authentic human experience is lost. Struggling students get left behind or are forced to move on without the important educational foundations being established. It is imperative that students learn how to critically engage with texts and stories and to do so by engaging with texts by viewing it in the context of their lives (Cadiero-Kaplan, 2002). Many skills are needed to be able to do this, and these same set of skills are critical later on in life as students become participants in work, life, and democracy (Walmsley, 2006). Recognizing and connecting with the theme(s) of a work also serve students well in English Language Arts high stakes assessments when asked to critically analyze and evaluate big ideas. In fact, these skills of critically analyzing a text and discerning the author’s key points while articulating their comprehension of the text are part of the Common 9 Core, as seen in CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.2 and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1 (Common Core, 2021). Metacognitive thinking, determining relative importance of a text, using sensory and emotional images, activating prior knowledge (using schema), inferential reading, synthesis of new information, and questioning the author are all skills used by proficient or advanced readers to elevate their comprehension of a text and understand it more deeply (Keene & Zimmerman, 2007). When proficient readers are exercising metacognitive thinking, they monitor their own comprehension and immediately know when they are unclear of the meaning of a text. They self-correct or go back and re-read when this realization occurs (Penticoff, 2002). As readers engage with a text, they go to the past to access memories which will help them make sense of what they are reading now and combine it with new knowledge. This type of activating prior knowledge can be from personal experience, stories told to them by others, or books they have read before (Keen & Zimmerman, 2007; Penticoff, 2002). These skills can greatly enhance students’ abilities of ferreting out the theme(s) or big ideas of a text. However, developing these skills takes time and many students need help to be able to synthesize the experiences of the world around them with the text in front of them in order to be able to recognize the abstract concept of theme. Theme is an underlying message explored throughout a text. It is the author’s stance on the message or topic and applies universally rather than to the characters in a piece of literature (International Literacy Association/National Council of Teacher Education). A child starts learning about the world around them at a young age and begins to develop concrete knowledge based on remembered instances, and knowledge of abstract categories develop in those children as they gradually experience and synthesize more information to higher-order thinking (Simons & Keil, 1995). Since theme is abstract by nature, it is much harder to teach and learn the concept. 10 Abstract concepts are defined as “entities that are neither purely physical nor spatially constrained” (Barsalou & Wiemer-Hastings, 2005, p. 129) and there are many types of information upon how humans recognize, learn, and understand abstract concepts. McRae et al. (2018) purport that knowledge of real-world situations may be one of the most important parts of learning and using abstract concepts, and in two experiments, found that people learn about abstract concepts by “being involved in and observing situations in which they are relevant” and that situations “shape our ability to comprehend and produce abstract concepts” (p. 529). Perhaps this is why it is so difficult to teach the abstract concept of theme in an English Language Arts classroom: different students have varying degrees of life experiences from which to draw in order to facilitate the processing and comprehension of abstract concepts. Struggling Students The number of ELL students in American classrooms is growing. The percentage of ELL students in public schools in fall of 2017 was 10.1% (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2020). These students speak a language other than English at home, yet they spend their entire day at school in classrooms where English is used to give instruction. One of the misconceptions of ELLs is that if they are exposed to enough English and opportunities to interact in English, they will develop the English-language skills naturally (Harper & de Jong, 2004). While it is true that they need this exposure, it is not enough, especially for older learners who must recognize and utilize abstract concepts such as theme. Interaction with other students, such as in small group assignments, are brief exchanges and do not necessarily provide experiences during which ELLs can develop language skills (Harper & de Jong, 2004). ELLs need ample opportunity to provide “output” or share the product of the language skills the learner has acquired (Swain & Lapkin, 1995). This means ELL students must have ample activities where they can question the 11 author, peers, or teacher; agree or disagree with what has been presented; interrupt the conversation to add their input; articulate their opinion on a certain matter; and ask for clarification or for help (Harper & de Jong, 2004; Pica, 1994; Swain & Lapkin, 1995). ELLs need opportunities to practice the English language in order to negotiate meaning in interactive setting where reciprocation can occur. When ELLs struggle with comprehension and other concepts, it is traced back to a difficulty in truly understanding vocabulary (Sibold, 2011). It must also be attributed to the depth of knowledge of their vocabulary and how they use it. This type of depth comes from students being given the chance to activate prior knowledge and to cooperate in group learning (Harper & de Jong, 2004). When students work together, collaborative dialogues can take place and students can internalize the knowledge gleaned from the process of problem solving as a group, which can then be transferred to individual problem solving (Anthony, 2008). ELLs should be expected and urged to contribute to the conversation when participating in group work; this will maximize the output opportunities and ensure that students are reaching their communicative goal (VanPatten, 2003). When these strategies and experiences ensue, it may promote recognition and utilization of the abstract concept of theme to take place for the English Language Learners, and the application of text to real life and connection with the text for these students can occur. Another reason the abstract concept of theme may be difficult for ELL students is the understanding that international cultural variations are present and profound (Hook, 2011). Geert Hofstede, a Dutch anthropologist who spent a lifetime investigating the various dimensions of culture, compares culture to computer software. If culture is the software of our minds, we need shared software to be able to communicate (Hofstede, 2010). If the software is not compatible, 12 difficulties arise. In the context of the English Language Arts Classroom, an abstract concept of theme may be even more challenging for ELL students to grasp if cultural perspectives lead to different interpretations of theme within a text. For students with learning disabilities, there are often challenges in comprehending text. Underlying difficulties are found in areas such as visual processing, language development, and metacognition (Atkinson et al., 2002). Research has shown that comprehension for learning disabled (LD) students improved when they learned to identify text structures, tap into prior knowledge, use cognitive strategies such as self-monitoring and self-questioning, and take part in cooperative learning (Faggella-Luby & Deshler, 2008). They are successful at learning when content is taught explicitly, but struggle when generalizations must be made. Therefore, when considering abstract concepts such as theme, it would be beneficial to present an array of examples of theme within a context (Williams et al., 1994). Since many times interpretation of the meaning of a text depends on the unique ability, past experience, background, and interest of the reader, a single reading of a text can yield many different interpretations. In order to find theme(s) in one text, cooperative learning, discussion, collaboration, and space to ask and answer questions must be provided. These elements of learning provided in the English Language Arts classroom naturally benefits LD students. Williams et al. (1994) stated that “It is easier to impart knowledge when it is presented in the form of a concrete example, because the example immediately illustrates how that knowledge is related to real-life situations.” When learning cooperatively, LD students can learn to identify text structure, big ideas, questioning, and cognitive strategies while working with peers who already have these reading comprehension skills and integrating new skills with those already acquired. 13 All students must be engaged with the curriculum in order to be successful. Those who are highly engaged with the curriculum show higher achievement than their peers who are less engaged (Shernoff, et al., 2003). Students disengage and do not learn when they do not understand why they are learning particular information or do not have an opportunity to connect with implementation of lessons in an authentic way (Egbert & Roe, 2014). A chasm has begun to appear between curriculum and the lives of the students, which, in turn, impacts the level of interest students have in their schooling process (Jackson, 2011). Research shows that increasing engagement can occur when lessons focus on the autonomy of students (Shernoff, et al., 2003), which can keep motivation and performance in the classroom high (Egbert & Roe, 2014). When students are engaged, they will think about a particular topic more deeply and more frequently, and students’ working memories are utilized (Pickering & Marzano, 2010). Connecting past experiences and real-life situations of students to text could help keep students engaged with the curriculum and may help the abstract concept of theme to become less of a struggle for many students to recognize and comprehend. A way in which personal experience and real lives of the students can be brought into the classroom is through photography. Photography in the Classroom Photos are visual texts that are open for interpretation, and a multitude of interpretive perspectives can be uncovered during discussion. Photography shares important characteristics with communicative and structural verbal language; it uses signs to “produce and communicate meaning – just as we do when we speak” (Moran & Tegano, 2005, p.2). Collections of photos could provide an opportunity to explore the concept of theme through a group of images taken by students and shared in class. New understandings of photographs would be co-constructed as 14 different interpretations and meanings are shared between students during discussion, enabling students to discover shared themes and parallel meanings found within the photos. Incorporating photography practices into the curriculum could make critical analysis of text more accessible to students. It can offer a way for students to express experiences through both visual and written means, which creates authenticity in responses (Stevenson, 2016). Photography can help students recognize abstract concepts in language and bring the meaning into focus for each of the students on an individual level. It may also provide students a way to have their voices and interests heard as they bring language to life by finding concepts such as theme of texts in their own lives and giving them meaning by assigning personal images to those concepts. Using photography as a medium in the English Language Arts classroom can increase student engagement and heighten analytical skills by creating and utilizing shared meaning through visual images. Through photographic analysis, teachers and students become co-participants in learning. Such cooperative learning facilitates content being approached and acted upon in different ways and from various viewpoints. This is beneficial in understanding abstract concepts in the classroom because “moving around a topic allows for several takes and gives legitimate voice to individual differences and competing conceptions” (Sullivan, 1993, p. 8). Photography offers different ways in which students can express themselves; communication and knowledge are less dependent on linguistic ability. When students can express themselves or provide information through a nonverbal system, it facilitates strength in verbal awareness and comprehension; the process of utilizing more than one system of communication (visual imagery to language and back again) emboldens students to deepen their understanding and process meaning in new ways (Spina, 2006). Using visuals in the classroom 15 can help scaffold information and support student understanding in the classroom, as well as provide an alternate language for students who need help communicating their ideas in school. Constructing responses through photography “may allow students new or alternate ways to communicate their understandings, improving learning outcomes by creating varied opportunities for assessment” (Capello & Lafferty, 2015, p. 293). Photography in the English Language Arts classroom is a medium through which students can express themselves and their ideas in a way that does not require 100% proficiency in the English language to show an understanding of difficult concepts. Generating ways in which students can wholly engage with curriculum and make connections with the world around them will help to ensure that higher-thinking skills are being successfully incorporated and utilized (Abedin, 2010). When educators pay attention to enhancing curriculum through the arts, opportunities to learn beyond what is assessed by standardized testing occur. When students with challenges are offered ways to participate in learning without relying on language-based skills, the chance for having positive, successful experiences in the classroom increases. When success is experienced, students with learning disabilities improve self-efficacy beliefs and stay motivated to remain engaged in school (Abedin, 2010). Photography-based curriculum is a way in which teachers can reach students of differing abilities and make learning more meaningful and retention more likely. All students can benefit from using photography in the English Language Arts classroom. For ELLs, using different modes while learning can help in the process of language development because both visual and perceptual skills are central to language development (Britsch, 2005, 2009), and working with images and ideas may support struggling readers and writers in the classroom (Zenkov, et al., 2008). Including photography in education provides a medium for 16 students who struggle in academics such as math, reading, and writing, and allows them a way to become more engaged by providing avenues in which they can learn that are more in line with their strengths (Abedin, 2010). The arts offer LD students choices through which they can participate in learning that does not require language-based skills; this increases the chance for positive, successful learning experiences, which, in turn, improves the LD student’s beliefs of self-efficacy and motivates them to stay engaged in school (Abedin, 2010). Photography, reading, and writing are tools that provide students ways in which they can explore and respond to the environment around them (Hollingworth, 2020). In a study done by Cappello and Lafferty (2015), the researchers examined how photography could help students. They found that photography “enhanced student learning and reflection as the visuals and visual process helped students see what they knew” (p. 292). They found that it provided a safe place for students to take risk and a setting which supported engagement and a way to express their ideas safely without the fear of measuring up to their peers for the less proficient language users. For students who struggle with reading and writing, photography can provide a meaningful way in which students can apply their knowledge according to their own mode of understanding and form of expression that best fits their abilities (Wiseman et al., 2015). Photography can be used in the classroom to support reflection and critical thinking while connecting to the various aspects of the students’ own lives and pathways of comprehension by tapping into the experience of each student (Wiseman, et al., 2015). By using photography in the English Language Arts classroom as a medium for curriculum, images can become tools that may help learners acquire content knowledge and fortify their vocabulary (Cappello & Lafferty, 2015), further motivating those students to stay engaged, self-motivated, aware, and more apt to 17 visually verbalize elements of the English language as they continue along their journey of education. The literature affirms what I have experienced in my own classroom and bolsters the idea that using visuals in the classroom may facilitate collaborative dialogue, the ability to tap into prior knowledge, and provide a way to present an abstract concept in a concrete way. Using images in the English Language Arts classroom can support comprehension, help retention levels of complex information, assist in scaffolding learning, and make identifying and analyzing theme more accessible to students of all levels. The literature supports my belief that creating curriculum which utilizes photography can help bridge the gap between the abstract concept of theme and the application of it using real life experience and text. Summary Critically analyzing text is an essential component of the English Language Arts instruction. Many times, abstract concepts such as theme in the English Language Arts classroom are difficult to learn and understand. This is true with students of all abilities and can be especially hard for English Language Learners or students with learning disabilities. Challenges in critical higher-thinking skills occur when meaning of the text as a whole cannot be recognized or understood. Research has suggested that social experience plays a large role in understanding abstract concepts, and cooperative group learning may help to mitigate the challenges for struggling students. Creating ways in which students can wholly engage with curriculum and make connections with the world around them, while connecting with the text, helps to ensure that higher-thinking skills are being incorporated and utilized. It will help to facilitate meaningful and long-lasting lessons. 18 By creating curriculum that brings photography into the classroom, students can learn the concept of theme and be able to connect with literature in a way that becomes applicable to their own lives. Using photography as a medium for connecting curriculum to the students’ lives is a way in which students can become comfortable with the abstract concept of theme and become adept at generalizing the skill of recognizing theme in other texts. Students will be able to apply relevant skills in a way that does not require only verbal language to show concepts they have learned. In turn, this will help students feel connected to the curriculum, their peers, and become more engaged in the learning process. 19 Purpose The purpose of this project was to create a curriculum unit that uses photography to help students understand the abstract concept of theme. The curriculum provides a way for teachers to engage students while providing a naturally differentiated way to work within their level of understanding and reach the learning targets of the lesson. Specifically, the project takes inspiration from the research method of Photovoice and applies it to curriculum within the classroom by utilizing photography as a medium. Being able to make meaning out of a text and recognize themes that run throughout is an important part of not only reading comprehension, but of life. Students who are unable to do so may suffer problems and challenges in school, future work, and their communities. This inability to comprehend text creates difficulties in reflecting, sharing ideas with others, and in reasoning (van den Broek et al., 2009). In creating a curriculum that teaches students how to recognize theme and apply it to their own lives by utilizing photography and the concept of Photovoice, students will be able to connect with literature in a way that increases engagement and heightens analytical skills. 20 Method This method review discusses the concept of Photovoice, the stages involved in Photovoice, and how the concept of Photovoice may be used in the classroom. Who the curriculum was created for and the specifics of what the curriculum includes are then described, including steps taken throughout the unit, extension activities, and a final assessment. Lastly, the evaluation process is briefly discussed, with attention to who the evaluators are and how they evaluated the project. Photovoice A curriculum utilizing photography and inspiration from the Photovoice concept was created for this project. Wang and Burris (1994) originally developed the action research method called Photovoice. Although it was developed to examine social justice issues, Photovoice in the classroom may promote equity by making curriculum accessible to all students. There are stages involved in the Photovoice process: setting up the group, finding themes of the project, taking pictures, selecting photos from pictures taken, discussing meanings behind the photos, cataloguing or grouping pictures together, and presenting to an audience outside of the participants (Wang & Burris, 1994; Booth & Booth, 2003). When teachers use the Photovoice process as a tool in the classroom, additional stages are recommended: instructing students how to analyze and interpret photographs; producing/writing captions for photos; categorizing, explaining, and supporting themes; venues for displaying outcomes of the project or final products. It has been suggested that the Photovoice process may help people with learning difficulties because it provides a way for abstract concepts to become concrete by combining visual images with group discussion (Booth & Booth, 2003). This process may help 21 break the barriers of communication and increase participation for those with language challenges (Booth & Booth, 2003). In a project in which Photovoice was used in K-12 classrooms by teachers who had been trained in the Photovoice process, it was found that students enjoyed the process, engaged in the process, and made significant progress in language proficiency and writing (Adams & Brooks, 2014). In their experience, Adams and Brooks (2014) came up with questions to ask their students and the students then took pictures that represented how they answered that question. Photographs could represent the answers either abstractly or concretely. After categorizing photos by theme, they were displayed in an exhibition for others to observe. Students were successful through the utilization of Photovoice in the classroom and felt they were able to “express themselves in sophisticated and empowering ways” (Adams & Brooks, 2014, p. 8). Expressing oneself in an empowering way lends to success and feelings of connectedness. Creating curriculum utilizing photography as a medium and elements of the Photovoice method may help make abstract concepts such as theme accessible to all students and help to make meaning of a text for struggling readers and writers. It could help students take knowledge of life through their own experiences and become involved in the learning process by shaping their ability to recognize and comprehend the abstract concepts of theme in text. This method can help make the concept of theme relevant as they learn using examples from their own lives while communicating and collaborating with others. Context This curriculum project was created for an English Language Arts classroom, levels eleventh and twelfth grade. The curriculum is for students of all levels, including general education students, ELLs, and mainstreamed IEP students. This curriculum can be used to 22 introduce the concept of theme through the medium of photography prior to performing thematic analysis of written text. Approach This curriculum uses photography and Photovoice practices to support students’ understanding of thematic analysis. The Photovoice process involves participants, (in this case students), taking photographs based on central topic and then analyzing the photographs collectively to identify themes (Wang & Burris, 1997). Traditionally, the aim of Photovoice as a research methodology is to deeply understand social issues as a means of promoting social justice (1997). In contrast, the focus of this curriculum project is to help students understand thematic analysis. Thus, the practices of Photovoice are incorporated, but the aims are different. Specifically, this curriculum includes a series of teacher-led exercises during which photos will be shared with the class and, together, common themes of presented photos will be discovered and discussed. This happens over the course of a few days, according to the speed of learning in each classroom, and with groups of photos that gradually rise in difficulty to ensure the process of finding common themes in photos is instilled upon the students and fully understood. It helps familiarize students with the concept of theme and how to identify it in photographs. Next, students are assigned topics (in the form of questions) about which they will independently take photos that portray the answers to the questions. An example of a question is, “What is it like to be a student attending school in the middle of a global pandemic?” Students will take and submit photos of what the answer to that question looks like. Once the photos have been taken, students will be put into small groups of three or more (depending upon the class size), and analysis of the photos will be performed by the small group. Meaning behind each photo will be discussed, photos will be selected by members of the group, and selected photos 23 will be catalogued according to the themes that are found and chosen. The students, still in their small groups, will create and assign captions to the photos according to the themes they have discovered and organize a presentation to share with the rest of the class. Class discussion will take place with each presentation. Upon completion of that activity, the teacher will present children’s books that contain common themes, pictures, and text, so that students can extend the knowledge gained with photos into pictures and text together in short, easy-to-understand, illustrated stories. Extension assignments will occur after the presentations by all small groups have been completed. These assignments include the grouping of texts (poems, short stories, etc.) that contain identical, similar, or related themes. Students will read the group of texts and ferret out the themes that run throughout all passages, completing a worksheet as they move through the pieces given to them. The unit concludes with a final assessment in which students independently read and analyze a short story, identifying themes and textual evidence to support those themes. Evaluation Upon completion of writing the curriculum for this project, the curriculum was shared with two high school English Language Arts teachers, one special education teacher, and the director of the charter school, Venture Academy. Those evaluating the curriculum answered a survey wherein a Likert scale was utilized, and open-ended questions were answered (see Appendix A). Reviewer feedback was used to identify changes to be made prior to implementing the curriculum in the classroom. 24 Feedback and Implications The purpose of this project was to develop a curriculum that used photography and Photovoice practices to support student understanding of thematic analysis. The curriculum was created with the goal of making the abstract concept of theme accessible to all students while helping to make it relevant by using examples from their own lives and collaborating with others through the process. This curriculum was made to enable students to connect with literature and increase engagement while heightening analytical skills. After developing a series of nine lessons, feedback was sought from four experts regarding the organization, content, and appropriateness of the curricular unit. Their feedback and the implications of that feedback are discussed below. Feedback To gain feedback from the experts, a survey was used. The survey included seven Likert-scaled questions and four open-ended questions. Each of the Likert-scaled items are discussed below, and where appropriate, are considered in relation to the open-ended responses. Any additional open-ended responses that do not align with the Likert-scaled items are discussed at the end of this section. When asked to rate their agreement with the statement: “The curriculum content is well-organized with a structure that makes it easy to follow,” three of the evaluators indicated that they strongly agreed with the statement, and one evaluator agreed. Since none of the evaluators commented specifically on the organization and structure in the open-ended questions, it remains unknown what they appreciated about these features of the curriculum. From my perspective, as the curriculum’s author, I feel that using a common template for each of the lessons enhanced the organization and structure of the curriculum. 25 To the question, “The curriculum is an appropriate way to introduce them/thematic analysis,” all four evaluators answered that they strongly agreed. There was no specific feedback from evaluators following this question, but I feel that the idea of introducing the abstract concept of theme to students through photography is backed by valuable information found during the literature review. Photos can offer a way for students to express via visual means and help bring meaning of language into focus for students on all levels of learning. Photos can heighten analytical skills by utilizing shared meaning through the visual images. All four evaluators indicated that they strongly agreed with the statement, “The photos in the teacher-led activities are appropriate for the lesson and grade levels.” I would like to add that each grouping of photos has been thoroughly thought out, and each photo has been carefully placed with others of its kind to make meaning more easily extracted. All groups have an overarching theme associated with them so that applying one theme to a group of elements can be taught as well, if desired by the teacher. When asked to rate their agreement with the statement, “The final assessment is fair and appropriate,” two of the evaluators strongly agreed, and two of the evaluators agreed. Feedback included making a differentiated final assessment that is a mix of written form and multiple-choice questions. Another evaluator suggested that perhaps a photo project might make a good final assessment instead of having students analyze a written text. To the question, “The texts used for the extension activities are appropriate for the task and grade levels,” three evaluators strongly agreed, and one evaluator agreed. An evaluator suggested having multiple texts with different levels of reading comprehension available for students of varied ability. Texts of different reading levels will be added to the curriculum as options for students of all abilities. 26 Three evaluators strongly agreed with the statement, “The unit’s pacing is appropriate,” while one evaluator agreed. Feedback suggested that stronger, better structured steps could be provided to help students do the task that is being asked of them. In his feedback, the director of the school suggested something similar to “The Explanation Game” found in Making Thinking Visible (Ritchhart, Church, & Morrison, 2011), wherein there are structured steps laid out to help guide the students through a solid process of looking more closely at something and building interpretations or explanations. The steps might include the following: students spend time just looking at the photo to see all they can possibly see; then, they turn to a partner and work through any features they might have missed; next, students take time to generate explanations, sharing as many different explanations as possible; they then generate reasons why their explanations might work; and last, students generate alternative explanations, asking each other the question, “What makes you say that?” This process, or something similar to it, can help provide solid steps for students to go through when they are analyzing a photo or text for theme later on in the unit and when approached on an independent level. When asked, “Activities are appropriately scaffolded to help students move from analyzing themes in photographs to analyzing themes in written texts,” all four evaluators strongly agreed. As the author of this curriculum, I feel that there is a natural scaffolding process that occurs when photography is brought into the classroom as a medium of expression and understanding. The literature review also showed that when communication and knowledge are less dependent on linguistic ability, greater engagement and relatability take place, which facilitates strength in verbal awareness and comprehension. Photography in the classroom is a way in which teachers can reach students of all abilities and make retention more likely, and the scaffolding provided by photography can ensure that more students experience success. 27 Implications Students of all abilities struggle with abstract concepts in the English Language Arts classroom. This curriculum seems to provide a more concrete way to teach the abstract concept of theme. Based on the evaluators’ feedback, several changes will be made to the curriculum before it is used with students. The changes and their intended benefits are described below. The first change will be made to lesson one. Based on the feedback from the director of the academy, who suggested inserting a “discovery lesson,” lesson one will be adapted to allow students to analyze the images before discussing the concept of theme. This means that a step-by- step process will be provided to the students so that they can have a simple path of arriving at a conclusion about what the message of the image is. Giving students a process to follow as they analyze images will help ensure that students will have already discovered the meaning of “topic” even though they may not be calling it that yet. Students are also likely to realize that they probably have a sense of the concept of theme, even though they don’t necessarily call it “theme” yet. A benefit of this is that, when the meaning of theme is discussed, students will go into the discussion of theme feeling like they already have some kind of handle on it rather than being confused. Another change to the curriculum involves the texts that are used in the lessons. The Special Education teacher suggested that texts of varying difficulties be added to this curriculum for the varied levels of understanding and comprehension in a classroom. Reading levels can be assessed using test results from evaluations such as the Scholastic Reading Inventory or the DIBELS measuring tool. Then, texts that fall on the reading level ranges of each group of students will be incorporated. This will ensure confidence within each student and a higher level of success found within the classroom. 28 The Special Education teacher also suggested that an audio version of certain texts be provided to those who might need the added support. This will enable students who have more challenges with reading find success and understanding while following along as the text is read to them. This will also help to expand vocabulary and increase comprehension, while providing a way to enable struggling readers to enjoy a text that might be slightly above their reading level. A final suggestion made by the Special Education teacher was to add a differentiated assessment to the end of the unit. An assessment will be created which will include a mix of multiple-choice questions and written form, instead of 100% analysis of theme. Also, the text to be analyzed will be on a lower reading level. This will help accommodate for students who have an IEP or 504. Summary With the aforementioned changes, this curriculum provides a concrete way to teach students the abstract concept of theme. It helps students connect to literature, helps make the text relatable, and increases engagement. The more success students have in the classroom, the more engaged they become, and they remain involved in the learning process. Bringing visual images into the English Language Arts classroom facilitates a depth of knowledge that written text can sometimes miss. Photography in the classroom can help scaffold learning when dealing with complex information, it can help with comprehension and attention to detail, and can provide a way for those struggling with the language and communication. This curriculum utilizes photographs to introduce the abstract concept of theme and facilitates the understanding of it while developing analytical skills without additional language demands students may face when analyzing written text. The curriculum provides a way to provide more success to students while solidifying the abstract concept of theme. 29 References Abedin, G. (2010). 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Multicultural Perspectives, 10(3), 162-166. 35 Appendix A Rate your agreement with the following statements. 1. The curriculum content is well-organized with a structure that makes it easy to follow. a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Disagree d. Strongly disagree 2. This curriculum is an appropriate way to introduce theme/thematic analysis. a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Disagree d. Strongly disagree 3. The photos in the teacher-led activities are appropriate for the lesson and grade levels. a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Disagree d. Strongly disagree 4. The final assessment is fair and appropriate. a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Disagree d. Strongly disagree 5. The texts used for the extension activities are appropriate for the task and grade levels. a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Disagree d. Strongly disagree 6. The unit’s pacing is appropriate. a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Disagree d. Strongly disagree 7. Activities are appropriately scaffolded to help students move from analyzing themes in photographs to analyzing themes in written texts. a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Disagree d. Strongly disagree Please respond to the following questions. 8. What gaps (if any) exist in this curriculum that need to be addressed? 36 9. What are the strengths of this curriculum? 10. What are the weaknesses of this curriculum? 11. Specifically, what recommendations do you have for improving this curriculum? 12. Is there anything else that you would like to add in response to this curriculum? 37 Appendix B From Images to Text: A Scaffolded Unit for Examining Theme Duration: Ten 70-minute lessons The purpose of this unit is to bring visual images and photos into the English Language Arts classroom in order to help students utilize a more concrete way to understand the abstract concept of theme in photos, children’s books, short stories, and larger text. The overarching thought is that photos can help make meaning and evoke high level thinking when faced with the challenge of finding theme in a variety of texts. Students will first analyze images, then children’s books, then short stories for theme(s) of the work. They will learn how to work collaboratively with others and then independently as they work their way through this unit, adjusting spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively. Students will create, reflect, and collaborate as they come to understand the abstract concept of theme. It will be helpful for students to have prior knowledge of conflict, plot, summary, and character development before diving into this unit. Note: This curriculum may be expanded into more days per lesson as needed in order to make sure each concept is understood at an appropriate level by the students. 38 Utah Standards Taught and Utilized within this Unit on Theme Reading: Literature Standard 2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. Reading: Literature Standard 5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact. Writing Standard 4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience Writing Standard 5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. Writing Standard 6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information. Writing Standard 9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. Speaking and Listening Standard 1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. Speaking and Listening Standard 3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used. Speaking and Listening Standard 5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest Speaking and Listening Standard 6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. Language Standard 1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. Language Standard 2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. Language Standard 3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. Language Standard 6 Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level 39 Lesson Plan 1 Theme Unit Brittany Carroll Subject: Grade: Topic: English 11/12 Theme Essential Question: Unit Objective: ~What is theme? ~How is theme different than a moral of the story or a topic? ~What are some topics you see in presented images and how can those topics be put in a sentence about what the photographer is saying about the images? ~How can these topics be translated and written into statements about theme? Students will understand how to analyze pictures, and then texts, for the theme(s) of the work. They will use this skill of finding and understanding the abstract concept of theme to dive deeper into the meaning and main idea of a text. Students will learn how to visually respond to a prompt and collaborate with others to find commonalities throughout their photos. They will adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively and employ a wide range of strategies to gather and synthesize information and communicate knowledge of theme(s). Students will participate in creation, reflection, and collaborative learning to gain knowledge of and understand the concept of theme as it applies to visual sources and written word. Lesson Objective(s): To understand how theme is different than the main idea and the moral of the story. To gain skills in analyzing images and finding common topics. To understand how topics can be translated into statements. To be able to write a thematic sentence about images. Assessment: K-W-L Chart about Theme (see below) Preparation Materials: Pre-assessment K-W-L Chart on theme Table of difference between theme, topic, and moral of the story Slideshow #1 (pictures from slideshow found below) Paper and a pen or pencil for each student Overview: Students will fill out the first two columns in the K-W-L Chart. The teacher will define what theme is by first asking students what they think it is and then defining the term. There will be a discussion about the difference between a topic, a moral of the story, and the theme of a work while using the table attached to this lesson plan. Then, the teacher will present a slideshow that has several different images. With each image, the teacher will ask the students to write down any topics they might see in the photo. The teacher will write any statements he or she deems good for the lesson on the whiteboard while the discussion is taking place. Once the students and teacher have jotted down topics seen in the image, the teacher will instruct students to make the topic into a sentence about what the photographer is trying to say about the topic. When this step has been completed, the phrase, “The photographer is saying” will be deleted from the sentence, and what is left will be made into a statement about theme, making any adjustments necessary to have the statement make sense. This process will occur with every slide in the slideshow. Upon completion, a debrief will take place, and students will complete the “What I learned” portion of the K-W-L chart. This lesson is a combined effort with the entire class working through the slideshow together to arrive at conclusive statements about theme. 40 Time: 5 min. 15 min. K-W-L Chart: Students will take 5 minutes and complete the first two columns of the K-W-L chart on theme. Identification of Element: First, you must identify theme before it can be discussed and practiced. Ask your students, “What is theme?” You will get many answers, such as the following: It is the main idea; it is the topic of a story; it is the moral of a story. These are not correct. You must differentiate between these elements. To do so, use the provided table which illustrates the difference using Little Red Riding Hood as an example (Coffee Shop Teachers). One-word topics are never a theme! If someone says the theme is love, family, education, power, or freedom, they are incorrect. A theme can never be just one word. The topics may be important to the text but cannot be a theme unless a statement is made about the topic. 40 min. Presentation and Practice: Teacher will present a slideshow of photos (slideshow #1). He or she will ask the students to look at each photo and write a list of topic(s) that are seen in each photo. For example, some common topics in in the slides might be curiosity, exploration, study, asking questions, experimenting, research, finding answers, etc. Once this part has been completed, ask the students to write a statement about what the photographers think about the topic(s) you chose, for example, “The photographer thinks that children are curious.” Then, have the students remove the “The photographer thinks” from their sentences and rewrite any necessary parts to form a thematic statement. For example, “Children like to explore.” The class will do this exercise with the entire slideshow of photos. 15 min. Debrief: The teacher and students will discuss the themes/statements that the class has come up with. During this discussion, student questions will be answered and checking for knowledge will be done as students take a minute to fill out the “L” section of their K-W-L worksheet. (Students will hang on to these worksheets so that they may add to them as the lessons on theme continue. 41 K-W-L Chart on Theme Assess what you know about theme before and after you have engaged with the concept. Fill the columns below with what you know about theme, what you want to know, and what you’ve learned. What do you know about theme? What do you want to know? What did you learn about theme? 42 secondaryenglishcoffeeshop.blogspot.com/2016/11/teaching-theme-tips-and-resources.html 43 Guided Topic/Theme Worksheet Study the image given to you. What topics do you see in the image? ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ Choose a couple of topics from the list above. What is the photographer trying to show in the photo? Write it in a full sentence using the sentence frames below. The photographer is trying to say ________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________. The photographer is trying to say ________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________. Now, take away the phrase, “The photographer is trying to say” and make any necessary adjustments to the sentence to make sure the statement makes sense. ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________. ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________. 44 Lesson one, photo one 45 Lesson one, photo two Lesson one, photo three 46 Lesson one, photo four Lesson one, photo five 47 Lesson one, photo six 48 Lesson one, photo seven Lesson one, photo eight 49 Lesson one, photo nine 50 Lesson Plan 2: Theme Unit Brittany Carroll Subject: Grade: Topic: English 11/12 Theme Essential Question: Unit Objective: ~What are some topics you see in presented images and how can those topics be put in a sentence about what the photographer is saying about the images? ~How can these topics be translated and written into statements about theme? Students will understand how to analyze pictures, and then texts, for the theme(s) of the work. They will use this skill of finding and understanding the abstract concept of theme to dive deeper into the meaning and main idea of a text. Students will learn how to visually respond to a prompt and collaborate with others to find commonalities throughout their photos. They will adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively and employ a wide range of strategies to gather and synthesize information and communicate knowledge of theme(s). Students will participate in creation, reflection, and collaborative learning to gain knowledge of and understand the concept of theme as it applies to visual sources and written word. Lesson Objective(s): To gain skills in analyzing images and finding common topics. To understand how topics can be translated into statements. To be able to write a thematic sentence about images. Assessment: Formative: Completed Guided Worksheets (Students will be able to repeat the outcomes of yesterday’s lesson by completing the same process in small groups while utilizing worksheet.) Preparation Materials: Students divided into small groups (you’ll want to do this before class so that ability levels are mixed correctly) Guided Topic/Theme Worksheet (One for each slide should be given for each small group) Slide show #2 (pictures from slideshow are found below) Chromebooks Overview: Students will be put into small groups. The teacher will post a slideshow that has several different images on Google Classroom (or equivalent). With each image, students will write down any topics they might see in the photo. Then, taking the topics they see from each photo, they will write a sentence about what the photographer is saying in the image. Once this step has been completed, the phrase, “The photographer is saying” will be deleted from the sentence and adjustments will be made so that the sentence still makes sense when converted into a theme statement. This process will occur with every slide in the slideshow. The teacher will walk the classroom during this process to ensure the concept is being understood and worksheet is being completed correctly. Upon completion, the class will come back together and discuss what they have accomplished. Sentences will be shared, and conversations will take place about what each group has accomplished. Time: 10 min. Review: Class will do a quick review of the prior lesson, going through the details of how theme statements were completed through the process used before. 51 45 min. Practice/Application: After being divided into small groups, students will log into Google Classroom on their Chromebooks. The teacher will have already posted Slideshow #2, and the students will complete the same process as the class went through during Lesson 1. This time, they will practice the process in small groups and while filling out a guided worksheet as they go. The teacher will wander the room, helping students stay focused and making sure the concept is understood and the worksheet is being completed correctly. 15 min. Debrief: The class will come back together and discuss what each group accomplished. Groups will share their theme statements and any questions on the process will be answered. 52 Guided Topic/Theme Worksheet Study the image given to you. What topics do you see in the image? ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ Choose a couple of topics from the list above. What is the photographer trying to show in the photo? Write it in a full sentence using the sentence frames below. The photographer is trying to say ________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________. The photographer is trying to say ________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________. Now, take away the phrase, “The photographer is trying to say” and make any necessary adjustments to the sentence to make sure the statement makes sense. ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________. ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________. 53 Lesson two, photo one Lesson two, photo two 54 Lesson two, photo three Lesson two, photo four 55 Lesson two, photo five Lesson two, photo six 56 Lesson two, photo seven Lesson two, photo eight 57 Lesson Plan 3 Theme Unit Brittany Carroll Subject: Grade: Topic: English 11/12 Theme Essential Question: Unit Objective: ~What are some topics you see in presented images and how can those topics be put in a sentence about what the photographer is saying about the images? ~How can these topics be translated and written into statements about theme? Students will understand how to analyze pictures, and then texts, for the theme(s) of the work. They will use this skill of finding and understanding the abstract concept of theme to dive deeper into the meaning and main idea of a text. Students will learn how to visually respond to a prompt and collaborate with others to find commonalities throughout their photos. They will adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively and employ a wide range of strategies to gather and synthesize information and communicate knowledge of theme(s). Students will participate in creation, reflection, and collaborative learning to gain knowledge of and understand the concept of theme as it applies to visual sources and written word. Lesson Objective(s): To solidify skills in analyzing images and finding common topics. To solidify the understanding of how topics can be translated into statements. To solidify the ability to write a thematic sentence about images. Assessment: Formative: Completed Guided Worksheets (Students will be able to repeat the outcomes of the last two lessons by completing the same process individually w hile utilizing worksheet.) Preparation Materials: Guided Topic/Theme Worksheet (One for each slide should be given to each person; you may want to print double-sided, one slide per side, to save paper) Slide show #3 (pictures from slideshow are found below) Chromebooks Overview: The teacher will post a slideshow that has several different images on Google Classroom (or equivalent). With each image, students will write down any topics they might see in the photo. Then, taking the topics they see from each photo, they will write a sentence about what the photographer is saying in the image. Once this step has been completed, the phrase, “The photographer is saying” will be deleted from the sentence and adjustments will be made so that the sentence still makes sense when converted into a theme statement. This process will occur with every slide in the slideshow. The teacher will walk the classroom during this process to ensure the concept is being understood and worksheet is being completed correctly. Upon completion, the class will come back together and discuss what they have accomplished. Sentences will be shared, and conversations will take place about what each student has accomplished. Time: 5 min. Review: Class will do a quick review of the prior lesson, going through the details of how theme statements were completed through the process used before. 58 45 min. Practice/Application: Students will log into Google Classroom on their Chromebooks. The teacher will have already posted Slideshow #2, and the students will complete the same process the small groups went through during Lesson 2. This time, they will practice the process individually and while filling out a guided worksheet as they go. The teacher will wander the room, helping students stay focused and making sure the concept is understood and the worksheet is being completed correctly. 15 min. Debrief: The class will come back together and discuss what each group accomplished. Groups will share their theme statements and any questions on the process will be answered. 59 Guided Topic/Theme Worksheet Study the image given to you. What topics do you see in the image? ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ Choose a couple of topics from the list above. What is the photographer trying to show in the photo? Write it in a full sentence using the sentence frames below. The photographer is trying to say ________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________. The photographer is trying to say ________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________. Now, take away the phrase, “The photographer is trying to say” and make any necessary adjustments to the sentence to make sure the statement makes sense. ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________. ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________. 60 Lesson three, photo one Lesson three, photo two 61 Lesson three, photo three Lesson three, photo four 62 Lesson three, photo five Lesson three, photo six 63 Lesson three, photo seven Lesson three, photo eight 64 Lesson three, photo nine 65 Lesson Plan 4 Theme Unit Brittany Carroll Subject: Grade: Topic: English 11/12 Finding Theme Essential Question: Unit Objective: ~How can I answer a question with visual image(s)? ~How can I visually represent what I am thinking, experiencing, or feeling? ~How can I best explain my visual images to convey their meaning? Students will understand how to analyze pictures, and then texts, for the theme(s) of the work. They will use this skill of finding and understanding the abstract concept of theme to dive deeper into the meaning and main idea of a text. Students will learn how to visually respond to a prompt and collaborate with others to find commonalities throughout their photos. They will adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively and employ a wide range of strategies to gather and synthesize information and communicate knowledge of theme(s). Students will participate in creation, reflection, and collaborative learning to gain knowledge of and understand the concept of theme as it applies to visual sources and written word. Lesson Objective(s): To be able to answer a question with visual images and explain the meaning of those images to peers and teachers. Assessment: Students will show competency by submitting original photos of what represents answers to a specific question. Preparation Materials: Specific question(s) planned ahead of time by teacher: “What is it like being a student during a pandemic?” Phones with a camera on them OR a camera checked out by the student from the school Handout of criteria details Overview: Students will be asked a question by the teacher and each student will take photos of what best represent their stance or answer to that question. Once they have taken the images, they will submit photos in jpeg format to Google Classroom. The teacher will make sure each photo is appropriate for the school environment before the next lesson, making sure to omit any questionable images. Time: 15 min. Presentation: Teacher will present the details of the assignment. The question which they will answer will be presented and criteria for photos will be announced with an accompanying handout (see below). Students who do not have a phone with a camera will be able to check a camera out at this time. 40 min. Application: Students will have time in class to begin taking their photos. This will be an excellent time for the teacher to wander and give encouragement or help to those who are stuck. At first, students may struggle to pinpoint the visual representation of their answer, and the teacher will need to make suggestions, ask questions, or further prod students to understand the concept of the assignment. 66 15 min. Debrief: Students will come back together as a class and discuss the process. The students will be given the extension assignment of going home and taking photos of things within their life outside of school which represent their answers to the question. It is important that students continue this assignment outside of school so that a true representation of their l ives (answers) can be submitted. 67 Photo Project Instructions Directions: Take 10 photos that represent the answer to this question: What is it like being a student during a global pandemic? You will put your photos on a Google Slideshow in preparation for sharing them with your peers in a small group. Here in class, once you have been put into your small groups, you will work together to sift through the photos and put them into categories of similar representations/messages. Assign a title to each category and write captions for each image in each category. Once your group has decided on images, categories, and captions, you will collaborate and make a Google Slideshow, which you will present to the rest of the class on presentation day. Your slideshow must include theme(s) found in student photographs, and themes must be in full sentence/statement form. All pictures must be original, appropriate, and not show images of substances or activities that are prohibited at school. Pictures should not show intimidation or any type of bullying in any way. You must follow school guidelines, or you will be banned from this project, will receive a zero on this assignment, and will not be able to make up the points. 68 Lesson Plan 5 Theme Unit Brittany Carroll Subject: Grade: Topic: English 11/12 Finding Theme Essential Question: Unit Objective: ~How can I conduct analysis of photos for theme? ~How can I collaboratively discuss meaning behind photos for the goal of categorizing them? ~How can I select photos that fall under specific themes and provide captions that express the meaning behind them? Students will understand how to analyze pictures, and then texts, for the theme(s) of the work. They will use this skill of finding and understanding the abstract concept of theme to dive deeper into the meaning and main idea of a text. Students will learn how to visually respond to a prompt and collaborate with others to find commonalities throughout their photos. They will adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively and employ a wide range of strategies to gather and synthesize information and communicate knowledge of theme(s). Students will participate in creation, reflection, and collaborative learning to gain knowledge of and understand the concept of theme as it applies to visual sources and written word. Lesson Objective(s): To understand the process of analyzing, categorizing, and presenting photos according to common themes and collaborative design. Assessment: Students will show competency by analyzing, categorizing, and providing descriptions of photos in a concise, aesthetically pleasing w ay for viewing by a future audience. Preparation Materials: Details of the assignment Images from prior lesson Chromebooks Google Slides Overview: Students will be put into small groups (3 or 4 per group). In small groups, they will each present their images and explain the meaning behind each photo. Photos will be catalogued according to themes that are found and chosen by the group. It is important to note that all photos do not need to be selected or used, especially if they do not fall under a specific theme or category. Once this process has been completed, the group will create captions for each photo or group of photos according to the themes they have discovered and chosen. These will be organized into a presentation on Google Slides and presented to the rest of the class. Time: 20 min. Presentation: The assignment will be presented to the class and small groups will be assigned by the teacher. It is important that the teacher plans the groups ahead of time so that groups of mixed ability will be strategically formed. Application: 69 35 min. Students will get into small groups and share their photos with each other. Each student will explain the meaning behind their photos and students will categorize photos according to common things they find. Categories will be chosen by the students and photos will be assigned to those categories. (All photos do not need to be used.) Once photos have been separated into categories, students will then create captions to go with each group or photo. The captions must be in statement form (full sentence) that explains what the photographer is trying to say with the picture. A presentation will be made by each group so that it can be presented to the rest of the class on presentation day. Students will work on this for the remainder of the class period and into the next day if necessary. 15 min. Debrief: Students will come back together as a class and discuss the process so far. This is a question-and-answer time as well. 70 Lesson Plan 6 Theme Unit Brittany Carroll Subject: Grade: Topic: English 11/12 Finding Theme Essential Question: Unit Objective: ~How can I best present photos to an audience and fully portray the meaning/theme behind the photos? ~How can I work collaboratively with a group of peers to complete a common goal? Students will understand how to analyze pictures, and then texts, for the theme(s) of the work. They will use this skill of finding and understanding the abstract concept of theme to dive deeper into the meaning and main idea of a text. Students will learn how to visually respond to a prompt and collaborate with others to find commonalities throughout their photos. They will adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively and employ a wide range of strategies to gather and synthesize information and communicate knowledge of theme(s). Students will participate in creation, reflection, and collaborative learning to gain knowledge of and understand the concept of theme as it applies to visual sources and written word. Lesson Objective(s): To create a presentation that fully portrays analyzed and categorized photos according to their common themes. To create captions that express the theme in a comprehensive manner. Assessment: Students will show competency by completing a presentation re ady to share with the class. Preparation Materials: Chromebooks Google Slides Materials worked on in the prior class Overview: Students will complete the assignment from the prior class and be ready to present to their peers. Time: 15 min. Re-cap: Teacher will give a re-cap of the assignment from prior class. This will also be a question-and-answer session. 40 min. Application: Students will complete the assignment they started last time. The presentation on Google Slides will be finished and ready to be presented by the end of class. It is important that, during this time, the teacher walks around the class, engaging with the students and guiding them toward the goal of the assignment. 71 15 min. Debrief: Students will come back together as a class and talk about the process of what they have just accomplished. Teacher will tell them that when we meet again, presentations will commence. 72 Lesson Plan 7 Theme Unit Brittany Carroll Subject: Grade: Topic: English 11/12 Theme Essential Question: Unit Objective: ~How can I apply what I have learned to finding common themes running through different children’s books? ~What is the plotline of a story and how does the author us it to get his or her message across? Students will understand how to analyze pictures, and then texts, for the theme(s) of the work. They will use this skill of finding and understanding the abstract concept of theme to dive deeper into the meaning and main idea of a text. Students will learn how to visually respond to a prompt and collaborate with others to find commonalities throughout their photos. They will adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively and employ a wide range of strategies to gather and synthesize information and communicate knowledge of theme(s). Students will participate in creation, reflection, and collaborative learning to gain knowledge of and understand the concept of theme as it applies to visual sources and written word. Lesson Objective(s): To be able to apply what I have learned about collaboration and analyzing photos for theme in photos to children’s books. Assessment: Formative: Group work and participation; discussions to check for understanding. Preparation Materials: Three children’s books (Zero by Kathryn Otoshi, Stand Tall, Mary Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, and Where Oliver Fits by Cale Atkinson) Determining Theme Worksheet (see below) Paper and writing utensil for each student Overview: Teacher will read the first book to the students, asking them to write down any messages they hear from the story in full-sentence form. Upon completion of the children’s book, the class will have a discussion about what the students think are themes running through the story. The teacher will write common themes from students on the board during the discussion. This process will continue throughout a total of three books. Once the third discussion has taken place, the class will decide upon which themes written on the board apply to all three books as a whole. Time: 15 min. Presentation of Assignment/Activity Teacher will take the time to explain the process of this lesson to the students. Instructions are as follows: The teacher will show images from the picture books on the document projector, asking students to write down what messages can be found in the pictures. The class will discuss what students came up with. Upon completion of this activity and discussion, the teacher will read the three children’s picture books to the students. While the teacher reads, the students will write down what message the author has about each story that is conveyed as it is being read. After each book, the class will discuss the various themes, writing common ones on the whiteboard. Then, the class will discuss how similar or different the themes 73 are from seeing the images and then hearing the story. This process will repeat two more times for a total of three books. Once all images have been shown and then all books have been read and discussed, the class will discuss what the common themes are that run through all of the books as a whole. 40 min. Reading of Books and Discussion: The teacher will read the following books in any order he or she wishes: Zero by Kathryn Otoshi, Stand Tall, Mary Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, and Where Oliver Fits by Cale Atkinson. While the teacher reads, student will write down themes of the story. The class will discuss each one after completion of the reading. 15 min. Debrief: The class will debrief the lesson and tie it back to the process that was utilized during the photo section of the unit. This is a fabulous time for a question-and-answer session about the entire unit so far. 74 Determining Theme What is the conflict? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ How do the characters change? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ What do the characters learn? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 75 Theme(s): ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 76 Lesson Plan 8 Theme Unit Brittany Carroll Subject: Grade: Topic: English 11/12 Theme Essential Question: Unit Objective: ~How can I take the skills of finding theme in images and children’s books and apply them to short stories? ~What is the plotline of the story and how does the author use it to give a message? Students will understand how to analyze pictures, and then texts, for the theme(s) of the work. They will use this skill of finding and understanding the abstract concept of theme to dive deeper into the meaning and main idea of a text. Students will learn how to visually respond to a prompt and collaborate with others to find commonalities throughout their photos. They will adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively and employ a wide range of strategies to gather and synthesize information and communicate knowledge of theme(s). Students will participate in creation, reflection, and collaborative learning to gain knowledge of and understand the concept of theme as it applies to visual sources and written word. Lesson Objective(s): To analyze short stories for theme. To apply skills learned earlier in this unit to finding theme in short stories. Assessment: Formative Assessment: Class discussion Summative: Completed worksheets Preparation Materials: Two short stories. These two stories are suggested as a start (although, the teacher may choose any he or she would like): “The Dinner Party” by Mona Gardner, “Lather and Nothing Else” by Hernando Tellez. (Short stories found below.) Determining Theme Worksheet (found below) Overview: Teacher will explain the lesson to the students and read the first short story out loud to the class. While the teacher reads the story, the students will complete the worksheet on the story. After this process of the read-aloud and class discussion after completing the worksheet, students will get into small groups and do the second story together. After the small groups have accomplished the task, the class will have a discussion about what they determined and how the author uses the plotline to portray a message or messages (theme). Time: 15 min. Presentation: Teacher will explain the lesson to the students and present the worksheets to the students with instructions of how to fill them out. Reading: 77 2 days of 45 min. (multiple days if needed) Teacher will read the first short story out loud to the class while the students try to complete their worksheet. After the first story is read, the class will discuss what they have come up with on their worksheet and adjustments will be made accordingly. The students will then get into small groups to do the second story together and complete the worksheet as a group. The class will come back together and discuss the finding of the groups. The class will discuss the story in depth, talking about the plotline, how the plotline helps the author get the message across, and how the theme applies to people in general, not just to the characters in the story. 10 min. Submission of completed worksheets and KWL Charts: Students will make sure they have completed their worksheets and submit them for grading. 78 The Dinner Party by Mona Gardner The country is India. A large dinner party is being given in an up-country station by a colonial official and his wife. The guests are army officers and government attaches and their wives, and an American naturalist. At one side of the long table, a spirited discussion springs up between a young girl and a colonel. The girl insists women have long outgrown the jumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouse era that they are not as fluttery as their grandmothers. The colonel says they are, explaining women haven't the actual nerve control of men. The other men at the table agree with him. "A woman's unfailing reaction in any crisis, “the colonel says, "is to scream. And while a man may feel like it, yet he has that ounce more of control than a woman has. And that last ounce is what counts. " The American scientist does not join in the argument but sits and watches the faces of the other guests. As he looks, he sees a strange expression come over the face of the hostess. She is staring straight ahead, the muscles of her face contracting slightly. With a small gesture, she summons the native boy standing behind her chair. She whispers to him. The boy's eyes widen: he turns quickly and leaves the room. No one else sees this, nor the boy when he puts a bowl of milk on the verandah outside the glass doors. The American comes to with a start. In India, milk in a bowl means only one thing. It is bait for a snake. He realizes there is a cobra in the room. He looks up at the rafters-the likeliest place - and sees they are bare. Three corners of the room, which he can see by shifting only slightly, are empty. In the fourth corner, a group of servants stands, waiting until the next course can be served. The American realizes there is only one place left - under the table. His first impulse is to jump back and warn the others. But he knows the commotion will frighten the cobra and it will strike. He speaks quickly, the quality of his voice so arresting that it sobers everyone. "I want to know just what control everyone at this table has. I will count three hundred - that's five minutes - and not one of you is to move a single muscle. The persons who move will forfeit 50 rupees. Now! Ready!" The 20 people sit like stone images while he counts. He is saying ". . . two hundred and eighty . . ." when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees the cobra emerge and make for the bowl of milk. Four or five screams ring out as he jumps to slam shut the verandah doors. "You certainly were right, Colonel!" the host says. "A man has just shown us an example of real control." 79 "Just a minute," the American says, turning to his hostess, "there's one thing I'd like to know. Mrs. Wynnes, how did you know that cobra was in the room?" A faint smile lights up the woman's face as she replies. "Because it was lying across my foot." "The Dinner Party" by Mona Gardner, 1942, 1970, Saturday Review 80 LATHER AND NOTHING ELSE by Hernando Tellez He came in without a word. I was stropping my best razor. And when I recognized him, I started to shake. But he did not notice. To cover my nervousness, I went on honing the razor. I tried the edge with the tip of my thumb and took another look at it against the light. Meanwhile he was taking off his cartridge-studded belt with the pistol holster suspended from it. He put it on a hook in the wardrobe and hung his cap above it. Then he turned full around toward me and, loosening his tie, remarked, “It’s hot as the devil, I want a shave.” With that he took his seat. I estimated he had a four days’ growth of beard, the four days he had been gone on the last foray after our men. His face looked burnt, tanned by the sun. I started to work carefully on the shaving soap. I scraped some slices from the cake, dropped them into the mug, then added a little lukewarm water, and stirred with the brush. The lather soon began to rise. “The fellows in the troop must have just about as much beard as I.” I went on stirring up lather. “But we did very well, you know. We caught the leaders. Some of them we brought back dead; others are still alive. But they’ll all be dead soon.” “How many did you take?” I asked. “Fourteen. We had to go pretty far in to find them. But now they’re paying for it. And not one will escape; not a single one.” He leaned back in the chair when he saw the brush in my hand, full of lather. I had not yet put the sheet on him. I was certainly flustered. Taking a sheet from the drawer, I tied it around my customer’s neck. He went on talking. He evidently took it for granted that I was on the side of the existing regime. “The people must have gotten a scare with what happened the other day,” he said. “Yes,” I replied, as I finished tying the knot against his nape, which smelt of sweat. “Good show, wasn’t it?” “Very good,” I answered, turning my attention now to the brush. The man closed his eyes wearily and awaited the cool caress of the lather. I had never had him so close before. The day he ordered the people to file through the schoolyard to look upon the four rebels hanging there, my path had crossed his briefly. But the sight of those mutilated bodies kept me from paying attention to the face of the man who had been directing it all and whom I now had in my hands. It was not a disagreeable face, certainly. And the beard, which aged him a bit, was not unbecoming. His name was Torres. Captain Torres. I started to lay on the first coat of lather. He kept his eyes closed. “I would love to catch a nap,” he said, “but there’s a lot to be done this evening.” I lifted the brush and asked, with pretended indifference: “A firing party?” 81 “Something of the sort,” he replied, “but slower.” “All of them?” “No, just a few.” I went on lathering his face. My hands began to tremble again. The man could not be aware of this, which was lucky for me. But I wished he had not come in. Probably many of our men had seen him enter the shop. And with the enemy in my house I felt a certain responsibility. I would have to shave his beard just like any other, carefully, neatly, just as though he were a good customer, taking heed that not a single pore should emit a drop of blood. Seeing to it that the blade did not slip in the small whorls. Taking care that the skin was left clean, soft, shining, so that when I passed the back of my hand over it not a single hair should be felt. Yes. I was secretly a revolutionary, but at the same time I was a conscientious barber, proud of the way I did my job. And that four-day beard presented a challenge. I took up the razor, opened the handle wide, releasing the blade, and started to work, downward from one sideburn. The blade responded to perfection. The hair was tough and hard; not very long, but thick. Little by little the skin began to show through. The razor gave its usual sound as it gathered up layers of soap mixed with bits of hair. I paused to wipe it clean, and taking up the strop once more went about improving its edge, for I am a painstaking barber. The man, who had kept his eyes closed, now opened them, put a hand out from under the sheet, felt of the part of his face that was emerging from the lather, and said to me, “Come at six o’clock this evening to the school.” “Will it be like the other day?” I asked, stiff with horror. “It may be even better,” he replied. “What are you planning to do?” “I’m not sure yet. But we’ll have a good time.” Once more he leaned back and shut his eyes. I came closer, the razor on high. “Are you going to punish all of them?” I timidly ventured. “Yes, all of them.” The lather was drying on his face. I must hurry. Through the mirror, I took a look at the street. It appeared about as usual; there was the grocery shop with two or three customers. Then I glanced at the clock, two-thirty. The razor kept descending. Now from the other sideburn downward. It was a blue beard, a thick one. He should let it grow like some poets, or some priests. It would suit him well. Many people would not recognize him. And that would be a good thing for him, I thought, as I went gently over all the throat line. At this point you really had to handle your blade skillfully, because the hair, while scantier, tended to fall into small whorls. It was a curly beard. The pores might open, 82 minutely, in this area and let out a tiny drop of blood. A good barber like myself stakes his reputation on not permitting that to happen to any of his customers. And this was indeed a special customer. How many of ours had he sent to their death? How many had he mutilated? It was best not to think about it. Torres did not know I was his enemy. Neither he nor the others knew it. It was a secret shared by very few, just because that made it possible for me to inform the revolutionaries about Torres’s activities in the town and what he planned to do every time he went on one of his raids to hunt down rebels. So it was going to be very difficult to explain how it was that I had him in my hands and then let him go in peace, alive, clean-shaven. His beard had now almost entirely disappeared. He looked younger, several years younger than when he had come in. I suppose that always happens to men who enter and leave barbershops. Under the strokes of my razor Torres was rejuvenated; yes, because I am a good barber, the best in this town, and I say this in all modesty. A little more lather here under the chin, on the Adam’s apple, right near the great vein. How hot it is! Torres must be sweating just as I am. But he is not afraid. He is a tranquil man, who is not even giving thought to what he will do to his prisoners this evening. I, on the other hand, polishing his skin with this razor but avoiding the drawing of blood, careful with every stroke—I cannot keep my thoughts in order. Confound the hour he entered my shop! I am a revolutionary but not a murderer. And it would be so easy to kill him. He deserves it. Or does he? No! No one deserves the sacrifice others make in becoming assassins. What is to be gained by it? Nothing. Others and still others keep coming, and the first kill the second, and then these kill the next, and so on until everything becomes a sea of blood. I could cut his throat, so, swish, swish! He would not even have time to moan, and with his eyes shut he would not even see the shine of the razor or the gleam in my eye. But I’m shaking like a regular murderer. From his throat a stream of blood would flow on the sheet, over the chair, down on my hands, onto the floor. I would have to close the door. But the blood would go flowing along the floor, warm, indelible, not to be staunched, until it reached the street like a small scarlet river. I’m sure that with a good strong blow, a deep cut, he would feel no pain. He would not suffer at all. And what would I do then with the body? Where would I hide it? I would have to flee, leave all this behind, take shelter far away, very far away. But they would follow until they caught up with me. “The murderer of Captain Torres. He slit his throat while he was shaving him. What a cowardly thing to do!” And others would say, “The avenger of our people. A name to remember”—my name here. “He was the town barber. No one knew he was fighting for our cause.” And so, which will it be? Murderer or hero? My fate hangs on the edge of this razor blade. 83 I can turn my wrist slightly, put a bit more pressure on the blade, let it sink in. The skin will yield like silk, like rubber, like the strop. There is nothing more tender than a man’s skin, and the blood is always there, ready to burst forth. A razor like this cannot fail. It is the best one I have. But I don’t want to be a murderer. No, sir. You came in to be shaved. And I do my work honorably. I don’t want to stain my hands with blood. Just with lather, and nothing else. You are an executioner; I am only a barber. Each one to his job. That’s it. Each one to his job. The chin was now clean, polished, soft. The man got up and looked at himself in the glass. He ran his hand over the skin and felt its freshness, its newness. “Thanks,” he said. He walked to the wardrobe for his belt, his pistol, and his cap. I must have been very pale, and I felt my shirt soaked with sweat. Torres finished adjusting his belt buckle, straightened his gun in its holster, and smoothing his hair mechanically, put on his cap. From his trousers pocket he took some coins to pay for the shave. And he started toward the door. On the threshold he stopped for a moment, and turning toward me, he said, “They told me you would kill me. I came to find out if it was true. But it’s not easy to kill. I know what I’m talking about.” 84 Determining Theme What is the conflict? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ How do the characters change? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ What do the characters learn? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 85 Theme(s): ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 86 Lesson Plan 9 Theme Unit Brittany Carroll Subject: Grade: Topic: English 11/12 Theme Essential Question: Unit Objective: ~How can I take the skills of finding theme in images and children’s books and apply them to short stories? ~What is the plotline of the story and how does the author use it to give a message? Students will understand how to analyze pictures, and then texts, for the theme(s) of the work. They will use this skill of finding and understanding the abstract concept of theme to dive deeper into the meaning and main idea of a text. Students will learn how to visually respond to a prompt and collaborate with others to find commonalities throughout their photos. They will adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively and employ a wide range of strategies to gather and synthesize information and communicate knowledge of theme(s). Students will participate in creation, reflection, and collaborative learning to gain knowledge of and understand the concept of theme as it applies to visual sources and written word. Lesson Objective(s): To analyze short stories for theme. To apply skills learned earlier in this unit to finding theme in short stories. Assessment: Formative Assessment: Class discussion Summative: Completed worksheets Preparation Materials: Two short stories. These two stories are suggested as a start (although, the teacher may choose any he or she would like): “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, and “Dead Man’s Path” by Chinua Achebe. (Short stories found below) Determining Theme Worksheet (see below) KWL Chart (see below) Overview: Teacher will explain the lesson to the students and read the short stories out loud to the class. While the teacher reads the story, the students will complete the worksheet on each story. After each story has been read, the class will have a discussion about the plotline and how the author uses it to get a message Time: 15 min. Presentation: Teacher will explain the lesson to the students and present the worksheets to the students with a reminder of instructions of how to fill them out. Reading: 87 2 days of 45 min. (multiple days if needed) Teacher will read the first short story out loud to the class while the students try to complete their worksheet. After the first story is read, the class will discuss what they have come up with on their worksheet and adjustments will be made accordingly. The students will then read the second story and complete the worksheet independently. The class will come back together and discuss the findings. The class will discuss the story in depth, talking about the plotline, how the plotline helps the author get the message across, and how the theme applies to people in general, not just to the characters in the story. (This part of the lesson can span over how many days the teacher sees fit. An extension of this lesson could include poetry. Perhaps poetry consisting of the same type of themes could be fun.) 10 min. Submission of completed worksheets and KWL Charts: Students will make sure they have completed their worksheets and submit them for grading. Upon completion of worksheets, the class will talk about the KWL charts students filled out at the beginning of the unit. They will complete the charts with what they have learned. 88 Determining Theme What is the conflict? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ How do the characters change? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ What do the characters learn? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Theme(s): ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 89 The Story of an Hour Kate Chopin Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death. It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing. Her husband's friend Richards was there, too, near her. It was he who had been in the newspaper office when intelligence of the railroad disaster was received, with Brently Mallard's name leading the list of "killed." He had only taken the time to assure himself of its truth by a second telegram, and had hastened to forestall any less careful, less tender friend in bearing the sad message. She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance. She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister's arms. When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone. She would have no one follow her. There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair. Into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul. She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which some one was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves. There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled one above the other in the west facing her window. She sat with her head thrown back upon the cushion of the chair, quite motionless, except when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams. She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength. But now there was a dull stare in her eyes, whose gaze was fixed away off yonder on one of those patches of blue sky. It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought. There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully. What was it? She did not know; it was too subtle and elusive to name. But she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scents, the color that filled the air. Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously. She was beginning to recognize this thing that was approaching to possess her, and she was striving to beat it back with her will—as powerless as her two white slender hands would have been. When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: "free, free, free!" The vacant stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body. She did not stop to ask if it were or were not a monstrous joy that held her. A clear and exalted perception enabled her to dismiss the suggestion as trivial. She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death; the face that had never looked save with love upon her, fixed and gray and dead. But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome. 90 There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in that brief moment of illumination. And yet she had loved him—sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter! What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in the face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being! "Free! Body and soul free!" she kept whispering. Josephine was kneeling before the closed door with her lips to the keyhole, imploring for admission. "Louise, open the door! I beg; open the door—you will make yourself ill. What are you doing, Louise? For heaven's sake open the door." "Go away. I am not making myself ill." No; she was drinking in a very elixir of life through that open window. Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her. Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own. She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long. She arose at length and opened the door to her sister's importunities. There was a feverish triumph in her eyes, and she carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory. She clasped her sister's waist, and together they descended the stairs. Richards stood waiting for them at the bottom. Someone was opening the front door with a latchkey. It was Brently Mallard who entered, a little travel-stained, composedly carrying his grip-sack and umbrella. He had been far from the scene of the accident, and did not even know there had been one. He stood amazed at Josephine's piercing cry; at Richards' quick motion to screen him from the view of his wife. But Richards was too late. When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease—of joy that kills. Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” originally published 1894 91 Dead Man’s Path [1953] 1972 by Chinua Achebe Michael Obi’s hopes were fulfilled much earlier that he had expected. He was appointed headmaster of Ndume Central School in January 1949. It had always been an unprogressive school, so the Mission authorities decided to send a young and energetic man to run it. Obi accepted this responsibility with enthusiasm. He had many wonderful ideas and this was an opportunity to put them into practice. He had had sound secondary school education which designated him a “pivotal teacher” in the official records and set him apart from the other headmasters in the mission field. He was outspoken in his condemnation of the narrow views of these older and often less-educated ones. “We shall make a good job of it, shan’t we?” he asked his young wife when they first heard the joyful news of his promotion. “We shall do our best,” she replied. “We shall have such beautiful gardens and everything will be just modern and delightful…” In their two years of married life she had become completely infected by his passion for “modern methods” and his denigration of “these old and superannuated people in the teaching field who would be better employed as traders in the Onitsha market.” She began to see herself already as the admired wife of the young headmaster, the queen of the school. The wives of the other teachers would envy her position. She would set the fashion in everything…Then, suddenly, it occurred to her that there might not be other wives. Wavering between hope and fear, she asked her husband, looking anxiously at him. “All our colleagues are young and unmarried,” he said with enthusiasm which for once she did not share. “Which is a good thing,” he continued. “Why?” “Why? They give all their time and