ASLRoleShift/PersonificationUnit

TerminalUnitGoal
StudentswillcreateandperformanASLstory,appropriatelymodelingroleshiftandpersonification.

Shorttermobjectives/miniprojects
StudentswillidentifyroleshiftinapieceofASLmentorlit.
Studentswillcompleteaminipersonificationproject.Theywillselectanobject,drawapicture,andpersonifyitfortherestoftheclass.
Studentswillparticipateincreatingagroupsharedstory.
Studentswillindependentlyperformthesharedstory.
Studentswillcreatetheirownstorywithmultiplecharacters.
Studentswillperformtheirstoriesandgradeeachotherusingaclassdeterminedrubric.

Materials
Mentorlit:
PointyThree
byASLized!
PlasticforksasavisualaidforstudentsinanalyzingPointyThree
SmartboardNotebookfile
Coloredpapertoaidinidentifyingroleshift
Scrappaperandartmaterials

Whilewrittenasa3weekplan,thisunitmaytakeupto5weekstocomplete,dependingonthelengthofeachlesson.

SignersWorkshopWeek1

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Objectives

Studentswillbeginanew
ASLstorytellingunit

Studentswillidentifyrole
Studentswillselectanitem
shiftandcopypersonification andcreatetheirown
showninthestoryPointy
personification.
Three

Studentswillpracticeandperform
theirpersonificationpieces.

Materials

PointyThreevideo
Smartboard

Drawingmaterials

Procedures

Startbytalkingaboutthe

WatchPointyThree

Nowthatstudentshavea

Continueindividual

playtheyrecentlywroteand
performedBlueBird.

Withtheirbirdplaytheytold
astorybutwasitjustone
person?No!Manypeople
tookturnstoactoutandtell
thestory.

Wearenextgoingtowork
ontellingstoriesin
ASLtellingagoodstory
canbelikeoneperson
doingallthepartsinaplay.

Watchthementorlitvideo
PointyThreefrom
ASLized!

Whatmakesthisagood
story?(Facialexpression,
pictures,Roleshiftyoucan
seethecharactersthe
signersfacialexpression
andposturelooklikethe
pictures)

Relatethepartsofthestory
toourstorymapwejust
usedinreading.
(beginning/problem,
happen,happen,happen,
end/solved)
Assessment/ StudentswillwatchPointy
Evaluation
Threeandidentifystory
featuresasagroupaswell
asASLgrammatical
featuresimportantforstory

againKidswilldrumrollthe
tablewhentheyseerole
shiftmakeitexplicitforthe
kindergarteners.

Kidswilltaketurnscoming
uptothefrontoftheroomto
showwhoseturnitis/whois
talking.(Demonstratingthe
roleshift/pointingatthe
smartboard)

Emphasizethe
personification/
characterizationofdifferent
charactersaswell.(Howdo
weknowshechanged
characters?Howdoyou
knowitistheknife?)

*Ifanyoneisstrugglingwith
connectingtothestory,use
plasticforkstorepresentthe
characters(andothercutlery
asnecessary)aswe
discuss.

betterunderstandingof
personificationandrole
shift(theycanidentifyitina
piecetheycanview)itistime
foraminiproject.

Brainstormideasofobjects
wecanpersonify.

Taketurnspracticing
personifyinginfrontofthe
group(Ex:Everyonetakes
turnbecomingadryerase
marker)

Pullnamesfromourmarker
cupforstudentstoselect
theircharacter.

Aftereveryonehaspicked,
theycandrawapictureof
theircharacterandworkon
howtodescribeand
becometheircharacter.

personifications.

Taketurnsperformingour
personificationsforeachother.

Aftereachone,talkaboutthegood
thingswesaw.Wasthereanything
confusing?

Begincreatingarubricforuse
later.

StoreourpicturesinourASL
workshoppockets.

Studentswilldemonstrate
understandingofroleshiftas
theycomeupfrontand
identifywhichcharacteris
speakingandmatchesthe

Studentswillapplytheir
understandingof
personificationtocreatetheir
owncharacter,basedoffof
characteristicswediscussed

Studentswillevaluateandother
studentsstoriesbasedontraitswe
haveidentifiedasdesirableforASL
personification.

telling.

appropriateroleshift.
Studentswillalsoshow
personification/
characterizationwithNMS
andbodymovement.

duringanalyzingPointy
Three

SignersWorkshopWeek2

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Objectives

Studentswillbrainstorm
andbegindraftingour
groupstory.

Studentswillcontinueto
workonasharedstory.

Studentswillfinishtheir
versionofourgroupstory.

Studentswillstartdrafting
theirindividualstories.

Materials

PointyThreevideo
Smartboard

CakeandCandlestory
cutouts
Paperanddrawingmaterials

Procedures

Nowwecanmakeastory
together!
Brainstormideasforastory.
Whoareourcharacters?
Whatisourproblem?
Whatwillhappen?(Draw
thestoryonapaneledstory
map)

Workonourstory.
EmphasizetheRSand
personificationofappropriate
charactersifIstandlike
characterBincharacterAs
spotdoesthatmakesense?

Workonourgroupstory.
Continuemappingitusing
clipartandnotebook.

Afteritiscompletelydrafted,
printitoutandgiveacopyto
eachstudenttocutoutso
theycanmixitupand
reorderthepicturestoaidin
sequencingandmemorizing
thestory.

Reviewthestoryasagroup. Catchuponanythingweare
Pointtodifferentframesand behindon.
askthekidswhathappens.
Aswego,reviewthethings
weneedforagoodstory
(Gooddescriptions,roleshift,
facialexpression,flow)

Givethekids25minutesto
practice

Eithertaketurnscomingup
toperformthestoryandfilm
eachkiddoaswego(with
theotherkidsratingthemon
ourrubric)orhavethekids
filmtheirstoriesinpairs
usingseesaw.

Assessment/ Aswego,askstudentsfor
Evaluation
ideasforourcharacters.
Whatarethecharacters
doing?Astheyanswerin
logicalprogressions,Ill
knowtheyare
understandingtheprocess
andreadytomoveforward.

(Storyboardcharacters,
start,problem,happen,
happen,happen,
resolution/mainconflict,end)

Onceeveryonehasfilmed
theirversionofourgroup
story,gobacktotheidea
boardandtalkmoreabout
theirownstories.Mostof
themwanttomakeastory
withthecharactersthey
madebeforesotheycan
startthere.(Iftheywant,they
canpickentirelynew
characters)

Forindividualstories:
Followthesameformatas
ourgroupstory
Pick3+characters(Sshould
haveaminimumof5
characters)
Firstdrawtheircharacters
andmaketheircharacter
descriptions.
Aftercharactersare
planned,drawouttheirstory
inaformatsimilartoour
groupstory(frames)

Arestudentsabletocreate
realisticdialogue?

Evaluatestudentsgroup
storiesusingtherubricwe
developedlastweek.

SignersWorkshopWeek3

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Objectives

Studentswillbrainstorm
andbegintheirownstory.

Studentswillcontinue
workingontheirASLstory.

Studentswillworkontheir
individualstories.(Comeup
withclearpersonificationfor
eachcharacterwithintheir
story.)

Studentswillworkonandperform
theirindividualstories.

Materials

Framesfordrafting
remindersfortheirstory.

Storyframes
iPad/SeeSawforfilming.

Procedures

Continuepracticingthe
groupstory.

Brainstormideasfortheir
stories.

Whatcouldwehaveas
characters?

Mainideatobelookingfor
somethingandnotfind
it???(everyonesbasic
storyline)

Whowillourcharacters
meet?

Afterwebrainstorm,have
thekidspicktheir
characters.Printareminder
forthem.

Startdraftingtheirstories
on6panelstoryboard.

Keepworkingontheir
stories.

NMS
matching/personification
gameifneededfortime?

Continueplanningand
practicingtheirindividual
stories.

(Theycandrawinthe9
frameslikeweusedforour
groupstoryiftheyprefer,we
canprintoutclipartpictures
ofcharactersandthenthey
cancut/glueanddraw
aroundandonthepictures
fortheirstory)

Workwithstudents1on1to
developstrong
characterizationandpractice
RS.

5minutepracticewithstuffed
animals.

Performourstoriesforeachother,
fillouttherubricforeveryone
together,andiftimegobackand
practiceindividualstoriesmore.

(Filmeachstoryaswegousing
SeeSaw)

Assessment/ Dostudentspickcharacters Studentsshouldbeableto

Evaluation
thatrealisticallyfittogether? stayontaskworkingontheir
storieswithappropriatehelp
andguidancefromteacher
andstaff.

Observestudentsindividual
workaretheyabletowork
independentlyordothey
needconsistent
redirection/help?

Havestudentsbeenabletoapply
theskillswepracticedinourgroup
videotoindividualstories?

Evaluateindividualstories
preliminarilyusingthesamerubric
weusedforourgroupstory.