Chelsea Anderson Writing Standards: o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.

6.3d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events. Rationale: By having students write from their perspective about the characters they were so immersed in, it will strengthen their working knowledge of the characters. By mixing both reading and writing. This will also give students a chance to work on their writing skills because they will be forced to include descriptive words and phrases to describe each characters personality. Objectives: Students will explore how to understand and analyze characters inner motives by taking on a characters persona through strengthening their writing skills. Materials: Class novel, Surviving the Applewhites Writing notebook Procedures: o This lesson would be following the completion of the novel Surviving the Applewhites and the completion of the novel test. This would be the writing portion of the assessment. It would be an in class assignment where they would write at least a page in their notebooks. o I will ask students to get out their writing notebooks and turn to a fresh page As students get settled I would write on the board the characters that they can choose from: Jake or E.D. o Students will then have the choice of how they want to write about either one of the characters. The only requirement is that they have to write at least one page. They can choose to write: an extra scene in the book, as if you are making a short biography of yourself, as that character, or even a small epilogue from that persons point of view. But the theme is, from a certain characters point of view This will encourage them to think and go back into the book for clues as to how this specific character would respond. This is really where the reading aspect comes in, if students have read thoroughly and have analyzed material as we went which would be expected, this should be a fun exercise. This is a technique from an article, Reading between the Lines called Becoming a Character o They do not have to write this from the end of the books perspective, if they can choose whatever part of the book you like? Whichever point they choose to start from, they have to specify so I can understand what point of view they are taking. They will have 5 minutes to brain storm During this time I will walk around and monitor the work being done and I will answer questions as they arise. I expect students to be excited and have questions since this is most likely a new concept for them o I will ask students to share their ideas and I would let several students share and explain their ideas so that they can all hear some different takes on the assignment.

This way, if some students felt stuck or confined then they could borrow each others ideas to enhance their own work and make sure they can at least meet the page minimum. o For the remainder of the period they will write the page. I will sit at the front of the class and answer questions and guide students as needed. I expect this shouldnt be too hard for students to come up with a page especially if they choose the Biography route. Assessment: o These pieces would eventually be edited, peer reviewed, and then typed for a final grade. This is a summation piece as a final unit closer to incorporate some reading and writing together. Homework: o Students will have to complete their first writing draft of becoming the character so the following days lesson can be applied to the work.

Chelsea Anderson Reading Lesson Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone Rationale: Students will be able to understand the text in a deeper meaning through vocabulary. This will help students strengthen and expand their vocabulary repertoire as well as encourage the development of close reading through students picking words as they go. Students will have to be conscious of what they understand as well as the individual words in the text. Objectives: To deepen knowledge of the book through exploration of difficult vocabulary words while also reinforcing close reading skills. Materials: Speak novel Dictionaries, Loose-leaf paper, Pens/pencils, Highlighters Procedures: o Students will have read pages 104- 123 and will have picked out several vocabulary words that are difficult. o I will check for the list of unknown Vocabulary Work After checking with students I will move to the board and begin the lesson. Students will be in their base groups of 4 kids per table/cluster. o Students will compare their words with their base groups; compile a list of words that they believe they should learn. They will have 25 minutes to complete the assignment. I would then walk around the room to monitor the conversations and make sure for the most part they are on track completing the work. Only adding when I feel necessary. By working together the hope is that they will retain the information better through associating the information with social interaction. If students have many words I will help them select the ones that would be most appropriate and useful to their current level o I would then lead a class discussion where students would volunteer their word, the definition, and then the page number they found it on. I would then compile the list of words on the board as students share 1015 words they found difficult with their. I would follow up each word with page number but leave enough room for a short definition that I have created as a summary of what they provided me with. o I would ask students what they have noticed about the words they have chosen; did they have the same words? Ect.

Lead the discussion about words they had in common, and transition into sentence clues. Only 3-4 students would share what they felt was a common denominator. o Students would then return to their base groups to create a sentence for 5 of the words we chose. This will be creative incorporating figurative language and also collected at the end of the period. They will have 10 minutes to compose and then some groups will share a sentence if there is time. By creating sentences collectively the hope is that they are having fun, while still learning and reinforcing the meaning of the words. I will be walking around monitoring and encouraging students to use their imagination Each group will share and I will praise an element in each sentence. o I would explain to the class that by looking at the context that the word is set in we could deduct what the word means. So if we examine sentences to understand the vocabulary better, we can also begin a deeper understanding of the plot lines of the story. This lesson will also transition into my writing lesson on figurative language. Assessment: Have students go into their home groups of 3-4 with specific vocabulary words and have then visually represented an assigned group of words as best as possible. Each base group would have words I assign to them waiting on their desks the next day. This would be graded as group work and participation not based upon artistic skill. Then the following day there will be an individual vocabulary test including definition, matching the words to the definition, and fill in the blank sentences. I hope to use some student created sentences from the previous days work. I feel that by doing that but not announcing whose in particular it is that it boosts students self-esteem

Chelsea Anderson Writing Lesson Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone Rationale: Have students come prepared with a simile or metaphor to share with the class through a gallery experience. Students will write out their unique simile or metaphor on construction paper, then post around the room. Students will then tour and read others work. Grade based upon creativity and accurate use of figurative language. This will then be used in future writing assignments as a part of the grading criteria. Objectives: To encourage students use of writing techniques, especially similes and metaphors, through close reading. Explore what makes good and bad figurative language and create their own figurative language using the books examples as a base. Materials: o Speak novel o Figurative language worksheet o Loose-leaf paper o Pens/pencils Procedures: o Students will have read the chuck of pages 104-123 for this days class period. But I will have told students from the start of the book to be on the lookout for these types of things or what they believe to be similes and metaphors because I recognize that they are not as common as difficult vocabulary word. This also helps the hopes of diversification with students choices since they have over a hundred pages of material to pick from. I will have handed out the attached worksheet in the beginning of the book and explained the basis of both, a smile and a metaphor. o I would ask students to take out his or her metaphor or simile they have found within the book so far and I will go around to check that they have one prepared. This will serve as a homework grade. I want to use homework as something that boosts grades. I plan to do little assignments like this majority of the time. Something simple that while they are reading they can be on the lookout for items to help deepen their reading while still checking that they have read. o I would ask students to find the page that their figurative language is on and share amongst their base groups which sentence that they have picked. They will discuss which they liked which they didnt like. They will have 10 minutes to complete this I will be walking around observing and listening in on groups. Hopefully the students will all have different picks making for a lively discussion. I will check in with each group asking thought provoking questions such as Did you pick this because you thought it was successful? Or was there

another reason or Do you think that this was a good place in the book for this language? o I will ask students to be creative and in pairs, take each of the sentences they have selected and change them. Make them the most exaggerated while still making sense, but with fun similes and metaphors you can. They will have 2 minutes to complete this I will let the students run their imaginations and then reconvene them. o Then in base groups they will share their sentences and pick the best of the two to share with the class. They may combine and alter them to suit everyone but they only have 1 minute. I will time them so they have to make the decision fast o I will have them all share and hopefully get a few laughs while learning to use figurative language. The goal is through having fun and being silly the kids while gain a small base concept of what it is like to create figurative language. o I will ask, do we understand the difference between which is a simile and which is a metaphor? Remember the trick that a simile is comparing something similar while a metaphor is a direct and affirmative statement. Hopefully there will be about 10 minutes left for students to work individually on their own similes and metaphors. o Then they will individually work on creating both a simile and a metaphor. I will go around and give them a slip of paper with a specific subject or event to write their figurative language about. The homework for the night it to write one statement, either a simile or a metaphor, on a nice piece of paper to be hung up in the room. I will walk around with a hat of topics that range from birthday parties to eating a new kind of food. The goal is to have students use a prompt to create something they are sure is figurative language. After I finish passing out he students will work individually and I will walk the classroom and ask questions as they arise. Assessment: Have students come prepared with a simile or metaphor to share with the class through a gallery experience. Students will write out their unique simile or metaphor on construction paper, then post around the room. Students will then tour and read others work. Grade based upon creativity and accurate use of figurative language. This will then be used in future writing assignments as a part of the grading criteria.

Name:________________________________________ Can you tell the difference between a Simile and a Metaphor? An easy way to remember how to tell the difference is to think of the word similar when you think of similes. Similes use the word like or as to describe things because they are saying that the subject is like or as something. In other words, the subject is similar to something else. Its as hot as an oven in here. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared without the use of like or as. A metaphor takes the form of a direct statement (or direct comparison). For example: Dad is a bear today. Metaphors are often defined by their use of the word is unlike similes which use the words like or as. Metaphors must share common ground. In the example, Dad is a bear today, the common ground is grouchiness. That car is a boat!

Please write the Metaphors or Similes on the provided lines: 1.____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 2.____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 3.____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 4.____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________