The Other Side of the Wall: Life in East Germany at the End of the Cold War

10th Grade, World History II

Ashley Green
Simmons College
July 2015

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Ashley Green
July 27, 2015
TESL 417 -- SEI Endorsement

The Other Side of the Wall: Life in East Germany at the End of the Cold War
10th Grade, World History II
Rationale: The following mini-unit covers the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the surrounding
sociopolitical culture of East Germany during the time of economic restructuring in the Soviet Union
(glasnost and perestroika) and popular uprisings throughout the Eastern Bloc. The three lessons combined
therein align with the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks in World History II, but aim to take a
different approach to the study of this time period. Students will examine migration to and from East
Germany, East German satire, and the use of humor as social criticism to understand the cultural milieu of
those who actually lived and worked in the Eastern Bloc. Through a bottom-up approach to history
rather than focusing on abstract economic terms and one or two powerful leaders, my objective is for
students to have a stronger understanding of why the Soviet Union and its satellite states eventually fell
and the importance of a democratic and robust political life to civil society.
Structure: The three enclosed lessons are designed to take place over the course of 6-7 45-minute
class periods and is potentially the culmination of a larger unit on the final decades of The Cold War
(1969-1991). In accordance with the timeline of a World History II class during a typical academic year,
the subject material would likely be taught in the latter part of the school year when the students would
have acquired recent background knowledge not just relevant to the Cold War, but of other time periods in
global history. Additionally, because World History II is a writing and reading intensive course, students
will have experienced a variety of literacy strategies and, at this juncture, the more advanced students in
class are writing independently with minimal instructional support.
Differentiation for ELLs: The mini-unit is written for an inclusive classroom of mixed reading
and writing levels, ranging from below grade level to advanced. Regarding ELLs, no student is below
WIDA Level 2 (Beginning), but above WIDA Level 4 (Expanding) at the high school (9-12) level.
Because of this diversity, the instructional support I have chosen for vocabulary, reading, and writing
activities is designed to be useful and engaging for everybody, not just for those students in the lowest
tiers. Cooperative activities, graphic organizers, and visual aids ranging from photojournalism to video
clips are a few example of strategies used throughout this unit. Also, all pre-taught vocabulary has been
strategically selected to reflect either a unit theme (such as the characteristics of an autocratic society in
Lesson 1), words that students will likely see again in both their studies and real life, as well as words that
signify recurrent patterns in the English language that can be confusing or otherwise dissimilar to
students native languages.

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LESSON PLAN #1: VOCABULARY

I. Background Information
This lesson is the first part of a three-lesson mini-unit on the Berlin reunification in 1989, focusing on
the political background of East Germany and trends in migration among its residents.
Name: A. Green

Date: July 27, 2015

District: Newton

Lesson Length: 2 45-minute class sessions

Content Area and Grade: World History II,

Grade 10

Lesson Topic: Background Information and the

Emerging Civic Participation in the Eastern Bloc

CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK:
MA.WHII.42 Analyze the consequences of the Soviet Unions break-up. (H E)
Content Objective:
After reading the informational text
Background Information: Changes in the
Soviet Union and excerpts from two political
speeches, students will be able to evaluate and
orally defend the differing perspectives of
immigration in the former Soviet Union after
the reunification of Berlin in 1989.

Focus Language Domain(s) (R, W, L, S):

Reading and Speaking

Language Objective for students at WIDA

ELD levels 1-3 (choose one level):

Language Objective for students at WIDA ELD

levels 4 or 5 (choose one level):

ELD Level 2 students will be able to, in small

groups through a role-playing exercise in
which each group constitutes an East German
family, evaluate and orally defend an assigned
character based on the reading material and
using a graphic organizer chart (homework)
and sentence starters.

ELD Level 4 students will be able to, in small

groups through a role-playing exercise in which
each group constitutes an East German family,
evaluate and orally defend an assigned character
based on the reading material and using a graphic
organizer chart (homework) and sentence starters.

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Key Content Vocabulary:

Tier 1
gifted, obvious, fate
Tier 2
crackdowns, suppressed, grievances, strikes, catalyst, withdrawal, dissolve/dissolution, credibility,
autonomous, exploit, citizen, obsolete, fragmentation, obligation, nuts and bolts
Tier 3
glasnost, perestroika, civic unrest, satellite states, constituent
Materials/Equipment:
large poster boards
markers
slips of paper marked with assigned individual
roles and brief descriptions
copies of readings and written homework
(Personal Decision Chart), along with glossary
of key vocabulary for support

Prerequisite Knowledge:
As this lesson is situated at the end of a larger unit
The Cold War (1969-1991), students will be
expected to understand the primary ideological
differences between the two oppositional
governments during the Cold War as well as the
major events experienced by residents of the Eastern
Bloc.

II. Instructional Procedure

Duration

Description

5 minutes

BACKGROUND building activity

Pair-Share: Discuss the following question with the person sitting next to you: Have
you or someone you know ever migrated from another country to the United States?
What were your/their (or your/their parents) reasons for doing so? Do you/they think it
was a good decision? Why or why not? After one minute, prompt a few students to
share their responses (by sharing your own!). Be sure to include at least 1 student who
needs to practice oral speech.

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30 minutes

LANGUAGE:
Activities, resources, and materials to teach and practice new language knowledge
or skill:
A. Teach:
Pre-teach Vocabulary: dissolve/dissolution, exploit, autonomous, suppressed,
crackdowns
7 Steps to Teaching Vocabulary

*see chart below this table

B. Vocabulary Practice
Frayer Model
Model how to create the Frayer Model using the word dissolve. Students participate in
making of the model.
In small groups, students create on large poster board Frayer Models for the remaining
key words: exploit, autonomous, suppressed, crackdowns. Make sure there is at least
one group doing each word before students begin.
Each group presents their poster board via a gallery walk. Hang in classroom afterwards
as a reminder for students.

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50-60
minutes

CONTENT:
Activities, resources, and materials to present/teach and practice new content area
knowledge, skill, or strategy:
Preparation for Reading and Activity: For the remaining ten minutes of the first class
period, students are introduced to the homework reading and to tomorrows project.
Inform students that the people within their small groups are now their family and this is
now the year 1988 in a small community/township in East Germany before the opening
of the Berlin Wall. Explain the implications of this (e.g. censorship, aspects of the
culture in the Iron Curtain).
Hand each student a folded slip of paper with their assigned role and a brief description
of of their role. There are 8 roles are as follows: Grandfather, Grandmother, Father,
Mother, Aunt, 23-year-old son, 6-year-old son, 16-year-old daughter.
Explain that as they read the background information tonight, the excerpts from the
Vaclav Havel and Mikhail Gorbachev speeches, they are to imagine themselves as their
assigned characters and think about their reactions to events outlined and feelings
expressed by the speakers. Briefly model this approach through a think aloud for one
character example. After reading, they are to fill out a personal decision chart as their
character explaining after each event listed why they would leave the country or why
they would not. Note: A family member can choose to stay in East Germany and not
leave the country during any event.
Pre-Discussion Prep: When they arrive at the next class, this will turn from an
individual decision to a family decision. Prior to joining with their families, all
students will given a printed list of sentence starters as their character, as a means to
help organize their thoughts and speech. Students will choose one from the list and
practice with a nearby partner for two minutes. Examples from the list include, I
would/wouldnt stay in East Germany because or As a ________, I feel
__________ about my country because ________________.
Family Discussion: Then, as a family unit, students will discuss and decide upon
whether and when the family should move. Students must be prepared to debate the
decision in character.
Group presentation: Now that the family unit has arrived at a decision about whether
and when to migrate, each person in the group has to orally defend the familys choice.
Each family member has one minute and one point to argue, from their perspective, to
convince the other families around (i.e. the other groups in the class) why their choice is
the most appropriate. Each family member must speak on one point (whether its
defending when or when not to leave) for one minute and all of the members must be in
agreement about the ultimate decision to leave. As each member is presenting,
remember to stay in character and stay a part of your family.
After all groups have presented, students will vote on the best time for the community to
leave. As a reminder, staying in East Germany is also a valid decision.
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5 minutes

REVIEW/SUMMARIZER/CLOSER:
Activities, resources, and materials to assess or review learning of new language,
content, and/or skill:
Collect Personal Decision Charts to assess comprehension of new content and
vocabulary.
Use a Presentation Rubric to assess speaking skills. Use WIDA standards to craft rubric.
Circulate between groups to assess class participation and group dynamics as well as to
facilitate student understanding.

Homework/Extension Activities:
Reading and Personal Decision Chart
*scaffold reading with glossary of Key Content Vocabulary

7 Steps to Teaching Vocabulary

Repeat

Dissolve

Dissolutions

Exploit

Autonomou
s

Suppressed

Crackdown

Context

Gorbachev
resigned as
leader of the
Communist
Party and
Soviet
Government,
and the
Soviet Union
was no
longer a
country; the
former
Soviet Union
dissolved
into 15
separate
nations.

Dissolution
of the Soviet
Union (secti
on header)

A state
which calls
itself a
workers'
state
humiliates
and
exploits
workers.

It reduced
gifted and
autonomou
s people,
skillfully
working in
their own
country

Longsuppressed,
bitter inter-ethnic,
economic, and
social grievances
led to clashes,
strikes, and
growing crime
rates.*

For a time
in the 1980s
and 1990s,
lines got
longer for
scarce
goods in the
stores, civic
unrest
mounted,
and bloody
crackdown
s claimed
lives

Definition

To close
down or
dismiss of an
assembly,
partnership,
or official
body.

The closing
down or
dismissal of
an assembly,
partnership,
or official
body.

To make
use of
meanly or
unfairly for
one's own
advantage

Acting
independent
ly or having
the freedom
to do so

To curtail or
prohibit the
activities of

Severe
measures to
restrict or
discourage
undesirable
or illegal
people or
behavior

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Student
Definition

Entire
governments
can be
ended or
dissolved
due to a
popular
uprising or
military
overthrow.
Not like AlkaSeltzer.

An end,
suggests
permanency
unlike
dismissed.
The noun
form of
dissolved or
dissolve
Imagine the
student
government
experienced
a
dissolution
for some
reason. What
reasons
might this
happen?

To take
advantage
of someone
weak or
innocent for
your own
gain (e.g. a
bully)

When youre
18, youre
considered
an adult and
youre
autonomous
because
you dont
have to
listen to
your parents
and can
make your
own rules.
You can
also feel
autonomous
now by
doing things
by yourself
without help.

Teacher doesnt
want you to
interrupt while
she's talking, so
she suppresses
interruptions and
disruptions from
students in class.
Usually a
punishment
involved.

I could have
a
crackdown
on texting in
class by
making you
all give your
phones to
me. A bit
extreme,
no?

Features

Present
tense verb,
has other
forms such
as
dissolution
and
dissolved
(past tense)

Noun form of
dissolve

Regular
verb; other
forms:
exploitative
(adjective),
exploited
(by), past
tense but
in other
contexts
can be used
as a noun
with a very
different
meaning

Adjective;
other forms:
autonomy
(noun)

Adjective used
with the word
long to denote
that things have
been this way for
awhile; Other
forms: suppress
(verb),
suppression
(noun)

Noun;
Informal,
idiomatic
speech,
from phrase
crack
down

Practice

Our student
council was
dissolved
because the
Class
President
________.

n/a: since an
extension of
the first word

Practice
with partner:
_____ is
exploited by
______.

Practice
with partner:
I feel
autonomous
when
__________
.

Practice with
partner: Her
_______ was
suppressed by
the _________.

Practice
with partner:
The
Principal
started a
crackdown
on
________.

Reminder

You will see and use these words when we read and in assignments, you will see these words
with some frequency even outside your studies! For example, on the news. You will definitely
see these terms again if you are interested in politics.

*can explain grievances, clashes, strikes, inter-ethnic on the side as needed, though these words
are not the focus.

!8

LESSON PLAN #2: READING

I. Lesson Background Information
This lesson follows the East German Family Activity lesson as part of a three-lesson mini-unit on the
fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. It is potentially the culmination of a larger unit on final decades of The
Cold War (1969-1991).
Name: A. Green
District: Newton
Content Area and Grade: World History II, 10th Grade
CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK:
MA.WHII.42 Analyze the consequences of the Soviet Unions break-up. (H E)
Content Objective:
Focus Language Domain(s)
Students will be able to apply what they have learned through direct
(R, W, L, S):
instruction and previous readings to infer the political context of East Reading
German civilian humor as famously collected by Western intelligence
units.
Language Objective for students at WIDA ELD levels 1-3 (choose
one level):
In pairs, Level 2 ELD students will be able to apply recently learned
content to relevant primary source texts through teacher modeling of
active reading, direct instruction, structured note-taking, and visual
aids to supplement verbal information.

Language Objective for

students at WIDA ELD levels
4 or 5 (choose one level): In
pairs, Level 4 ELD students
will be able to infer meaning
from primary source texts
related to the current content
objective through teacher
modeling of active reading,
direct instruction, and visual
aids to supplement verbal
information.

!9

Key Content Vocabulary: (from translated primary sources)

Tier 1

Tier 2
nervy, demonstrations, sow, exhaust, wheelbarrow
Tier 3
Trabant, Stasi
Materials/Equipment:
Keynote/PowerPoint slides on computer with Internet access and
overhead projector,
white board,
applicable handouts

Prerequisite Knowledge:
As this lesson is situated at the
end of a larger unit The Cold
War (1969-1991), students
will be expected to understand
the primary ideological
differences between the two
oppositional governments
during the Cold War as well as
the major events experienced
by residents of the Eastern
Bloc.

II. Instructional Procedure

BACKGROUND building activity (10 minutes)
Pair-Share: Write the George Orwell quote and the following question on the board, or display as the
first slide of presentation.. Every joke is a tiny revolution. What do you think this quote means?
What do you think this quote has to do with East Germany? Students will discuss this prompt in
pairs as a bell ringer and then teacher lead group discussion (5 minutes)
Show clip from modern political comedy show (e.g. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) to demonstrate
a comparison to the more subversive humor of East Germany. (5 minutes)

!10

LANGUAGE: (15-20 minutes)

Activities, resources, and materials to teach and practice new language knowledge or skill:
A. Teach:
Pre-teach Vocabulary: nervy, demonstrations, sow, exhaust

7 Steps to Teaching Vocabulary

Repeat
Nervy
Demonstrations Sow Exhaust
Context
"Nervy break-in last night at the Ministry of the Interior!"
7th Wonder: Even though there were regularly demonstrations, the old
government was always reelected with 99.9 percent of the vote!
He has a large wild sow slung over his shoulder.
A new Trabant has
been launched with two exhaust pipes -- so you can use it as a wheelbarrow.
Definition bold or impudent public meetings or marches protesting against
something or expressing views on a political issue a fully grown female pig mixture of
gases produced by an engine
Student
Definition Brave or daring
Think of the sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement or Occupy Wall Street.
(Include picture) A male pig is a boar.
A female big is a sow.(Include picture)
The hot, gas cloud that comes from the
pipe under your car. (Include picture)
Features
Adjective; can also mean agitated or nervous (not used as much
though)
Plural noun; verb form is demonstrate
Noun Noun; also has other
meaning that could be confusing (to tire, to be exhausted)
Practice
Lead class and choose a few volunteers to fill in this sentence: He asked
the teacher ______. That was nervy. Practice with partner: The demonstrations were
successful because _________.
Practice with a partner: Look at that sow in the
______.
Practice with partner:
The cars exhaust felt _______.
Reminder You will see and use these words when we read and in todays lesson, but
these are words that youll see in more than just a history text.
B. Vocabulary Practice
Word Wheel
1.) Model Demonstration on white board by drawing the diagram. Add Protest and March, then
model the use of a thesaurus (via Internet if available) for the other synonyms.
2.) Split class into partners or groups and assign the other three words to each group. Duplicates are
fine since there are few words. Word Wheels can be a quick sketch in their notebooks, following the
model on the board.
3.) Convene after five minutes (or sooner if students are finished or becoming distracted). Each group
shares the words they used as teacher writes on board (to show proper spelling).
!11

CONTENT:
Activities, resources, and materials to present/teach and practice new content area knowledge,
skill, or strategy: (70 minutes, split between two classes)
Brief Overview: Before displaying Part A on slides (see appendix at end of document), provide
background information on the politics and political structure of East Germany, particularly being
sure to identify Erich Honecker, Erich Mielke, and context relating to upcoming slide (so that students
get the jokes). Use a sociogram graphic organizer to show the diplomatic relationships between
these political figures and their Western counterparts (e.g. Reagan). Students should be given a partially
completed organizer that will be filled out as a class so that the teacher can clarify connections and
model how to make such connections. (5 minutes)
Direct Instruction/Think Aloud: Display Part A on slides with applicable examples of
photojournalism. Read aloud each joke (one joke per slide) and explain context through the questions:
1.) What is the subject of the joke? 2.) What is the authors opinion?/How do they feel about the
GDR? This will (a) provide new information and (b) model the questions students will need to answer
on their own in the next part of the lesson. (15-20 minutes) (End of class 1)
Student Practice/Partner Reading Variation #3: In partners, students will receive a list of new jokes
(Part B) from the GDR, not yet explained by the teacher. In partners or small groups, they will alternate
reading each joke aloud as the other partner takes notes relating to the previously modeled historical
context questions. Students will write their answers to these two questions about each joke. Circulate to
assess student participation and clarify questions. (Class 2, 40 minutes)
Exit Ticket/Journal Entry: Before you go, think about your initial response to the George Orwell
quote, Every joke is a tiny revolution. Has your opinion changed in light of what you have learned
about East German humor at the end of the Cold War? Why or why not? (5 minutes, end of class 2, see
end of document for sample template)
REVIEW/ASSESSMENT:
Activities, resources, and materials to assess or review learning of new language, content, and/or
skill:
Primary sources photos and text
Sociogram graphic organizer (partially completed) for background information
Small groups and dictating to a partner as supports during practice activity
Answer Sheet from Partner Reading Activity
Exit Ticket Writing Practice
Supplementary reading as homework with reading guide questions and applicable annotations for
further clarification of language
Homework/Extension Activities:
After Class 1 Infotext on East German culture (continuation of reading in preparation for next
sessions independent practice) and mini-reading guide with 3-5 questions
After Class 2 Topic idea for writing assignment for Lesson #3 (critical commentary on an aspect of
modern society in the form of a story, sketch/play, or 5-paragraph essay)
!12

!13

LESSON #3: WRITING

I. Lesson Background Information
This is the final lesson of a three-part mini-unit the the reunification of Germany in 1989, mainly
focusing on the sociopolitical culture of East Germans as compared with their Western counterparts.
Students will have a topic in mind for the creative writing assignment that is the focus of this lesson,
which seeks to connect modern World History with contemporary social problems.
Name: A.Green

Date: June 27, 2015

District: Newton

Lesson Length: 2-3 45-minute class periods

Content Area and Grade: World History II, 10th

Grade

Lesson Topic: The Write to Dissent: The

Importance of Freedom of Speech to a Civil
Society

CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK:
MA.WHII.42 Analyze the consequences of the Soviet Unions break-up. (H E)
Content Objective:
Focus Language Domain(s) (R, W, L, S):
Students will be able to critique an aspect of
Writing and Reading
society or of modern politics in the United
States through a choice of three writing
activities and consequently identify and
recognize the underlying grievances of the
popular uprisings in the Eastern Bloc countries
at the end of the Cold War, namely the
suppression of civil liberties rights.
Language Objective for students at WIDA
ELD levels 1-3 (choose one level): Level 2
ELD students will be able to construct a
creative work based on their own political
culture using a genre of their choice and
graphic organizer as support.

Language Objective for students at WIDA ELD

levels 4 or 5 (choose one level): Level 4 ELD
students will be able to construct a creative work
based on their own political culture using a genre of
their choice and graphic organizer as support.

Key Content Vocabulary:

Tier 1 confronted, overboard, nursery, lack/s, respected, aim/ed
Tier 2 parody, nostalgia, indoctrination, subversive, adamant, enticing, glance, rigid, acute
Tier 3 Oestalgie, wunderbar, Mark(s), Volkspolizist, regime, authoritarian, ideological, personnel,
shortfall, municipality
!14

Materials/Equipment:
-- Large posterboard
-- Markers
-- Copies of article for Jigsaw activity
-- Copies of graphic organizer for which to
take notes during Jigsaw student presentations
-- Copies of RAFT guidelines
-- Compute with internet access and overhead
projector
-- copies of short story Hills Like White
Elephants

Prerequisite Knowledge:
Not only will students be expected to understand the
previous events of The Cold War as covered in this
unit, but they should also understand, from their
writing and language classes, at least a rudimentary
comprehension of drama, fiction, and informational
writing (e.g. expository vs. persuasive essays).

II. Instructional Procedure

Duration

Description

5 minutes

Background building activity:

Admission Ticket: Students will write 1 paragraph about the topic that they had to
choose for homework, why they chose it, and how they intend to develop it as per the
assignment guidelines. Collect tickets in order to assess that students completed last
nights assignment as well as to provide commentary and additional support on their
chosen topic as needed.

!15

20 minutes LANGUAGE
Activities, resources, and materials to teach and practice new language knowledge or
skill:
A. Teach:
Pre-teach:
parody, nostalgia, indoctrination, subversive, adamant, enticing
7 Steps to Teaching Vocabulary:
Repeat parody (v.) nostalgia
adamant
subversive
Context
...they sometimes even go overboard looking for what they miss about the
GDR, a phenomenon called Ostalgie and deftly parodied in pop singer Kai Neumanns
2001 hit "Im Osten" ("In the East") as well as Wolfgang Beckers 2003 film Good Bye,
Lenin!.
Its good nostalgia, but not everything holds up when you check the
historical record.
...I was told in an adamant tone by my childs nursery school
teacher (an older woman from the East), that parents received 1,000 eastern marks per
child upon birth, and children got free breakfast and lunches in nurseries which had
longer hours (beginning at 6:00 a.m.) and were open more days than those of
today. People across Central and Eastern Europe say the best jokes were aimed at the
Communist regimes and thus had something subversive about them.
Definition
to produce a humorously exaggerated imitation of (a writer, artist, or
genre). a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or
place with happy personal associations.
refusing to be persuaded or to change one's
mind.
tending or intending to overthrow, destroy, or undermine an established or existing
system, especially a legally constituted government or a set of beliefs.
Student-friendly
The GDR jokes used in the last lesson. What they do on Saturday
Night Live. Wanting to go back to your childhood when things were simpler.
Stubborn. Like a teacher who wont give you an extension on the paper that you had 3
weeks to work on.
Usually when an established authority is adamant/resistant to
change or just doesnt listen to criticism, people have to be subversive. Example: Psys
Gangnam Style lyrics/video
Features
verb, often used as a noun, literary device and can be its own genre-other forms: parodying, parodied (as used in text) noun; other forms: nostalgic
(adjective), Oestalgie (specific link to content)
adjective -- also adamantine, which is
archaic form can also be used as a noun referring to a person;
other forms: subvert (verb), subversion (noun)
Practice
(in partners) I saw ______ parody _______ when _________.
I have nostalgia for __________.
My teacher was adamant when I asked her/him to
__________.
He is being subversive in school when he ___________.
Reminder
One of the examples of the types of writing activities you can choose for
todays assignment. Remember Oestalgie when you see or hear it in todays reading.
You can use this in everyday conversation and will probably hear it away from this
classroom.
Being subversive isnt necessarily a bad thing -- especially in societies
!16

55 minutes CONTENT
Activities, resources, and materials to present/teach and practice new content area
knowledge, skill, or strategy:
Jigsaw:
1.) Students will read the following article from Foreign Policy magazine in 2014, 8
Things That Were Better in East Germany. http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/11/07/8-thingsthat-were-better-in-east-germany/
2.) Students will form three groups of eight. In their groups, each student will be assigned
a number 1-8 which is the article item on which they will be assigned to read, take notes
and teach to their respective groups.
3.) Once finished reading and taking notes, each student will teach their portion to their
respective groups in numerical order. Annotate the article for easier summarizing.
4.) Students will take notes using a graphic organizer as each student explains their
section.
5.) Students will join with teacher for a broader discussion of the article until the end of
the class period.
RAFT writing activity
Role Audience
Format/Genre
Topic
Option 1
Pundit readers of a mainstream newspaper (e.g. The Boston Globe)
Persuasive Essay
Your Choice
Option 2
Comedy Writer
viewers of The Daily Show or Saturday Night Live
Script Your Choice
Option 3
Fiction Writer Young Adult (ages 14-22) [think of what you like to read
when not in school] Short Story Your Choice
6.) At the start of the next class periods, students will receive a copy of the RAFT writing
assignment (Role, Audience, Format, Topic) that will be due in the next class period and
upon which the topic they previously chose for homework is based.
7.) First, model how the RAFT model works through the Foreign Policy article that they
read. Specify what the authors role is -- how the author views himself with respect to his
subject matter. This is a good chance to define the term pundit or commentator. Next,
identify the intended audience for the piece, prompting students if they are ready. Next,
identify the format as a persuasive essay, though some students might identify it as the
more modern listicle. Last, ask students to summarize the topic of the piece in a few
succinct words. Model as needed (Myths about nostalgia in West Germany.) Also,
identify phrases in this article commonly used in this style of writing.
8.) Ask students to look at the handout you gave them containing their writing assignment
options. Summarize all three options and address each type of format listed: Persuasive
Essay, Script, and Short Story. Provide visual scaffolding with a list of grammar, sentence
structures, conjunctions, transitions, phrases commonly each option. Differentiate
between formal and informal tone.
9.) For examples of a comedy script, show an appropriate clip (no more than 5 minutes)
from The Daily Show.
10.) For an example of a short story that offers a social critique, use Hemingways Hills
Like White Elephants. Students read aloud the story in groups of three in order to answer
the question: what is the story about? (Though the story is short and plainly written, the
meaning is purposefully cryptic.) Copies of the reading can be annotated to demonstrate
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10 minutes REVIEW/CLOSER
Activities, resources, and materials to assess or review learning of new language,
content, and/or skill:
For the rest of the period, students are to work on their RAFT assignments, which is also
the homework, due in two class periods. For all options, assignments must be 4 pages
minimum, typed and double-spaced.
NOTE: Depending on the skill level of the class, this section can be extended into another
45-minute period devoted to writing; here, the teacher can offer increased one-on-one
support through circulating as students work on their pieces.
Homework/Extension Activities:
RAFT Assignment

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Reflections
Lesson 1 -- Vocabulary
The infotext that I selected, while brief, was much far more dense than the political speeches I also
included in the readings for this lesson, but this resonates with what we learned in class on July 16th, that
academic texts, as opposed to literature, tend to have lower readability in terms of vocabulary, likely
because of their tendency towards academic vocabulary. Politicians, on the other hand, are trying to
communicate with as many people as possible, so they would be less inclined to use technical vocabulary
in their speeches. As a history teacher, this is valuable information as I can use political speeches as
readings for my ELL students.
The 4-6 words for pre-teaching were difficult for me to narrow down. I ended up choosing
dissolve/dissolution, exploit, autonomous, suppressed, and crackdowns because they best conveyed the
main theme of the lesson: the political culture of East Germany and the Soviet satellite states at the end of
The Cold War.
I first heard about the Frayer Model during Teaching Content Literacy last semester, and used it in
the form of vocabulary notecards (to review for an upcoming quiz) in my unit for that class. Actually, I
didnt realize that the Frayer Model could be used for another, more visual purpose besides notecards; I
was intrigued by the idea of designing posters in the Frayer Model and having them displayed throughout
the classroom as an easy reminder of learned vocabulary (great for visual learners who notice classroom
details).
Also, in the previous unit that I wrote, we needed to include a vocabulary-related lesson plan. I
found my lesson plan for this class to include more specific scaffolding and differentiation, probably
because here I am focused on the academic success of ELLs. This contrast has made me more aware that
when supporting ELLs in a mixed class, a teacher must be careful not to isolate them by highlighting
possible language deficiencies in front of their peers. For this reason, one must add support measures that
everybody can benefit from, such as sentence starters used to aid discussion. Individual extra help can be
given to ELL students on an as-needed through vigilance on the part of teachers in forming and
maintaining a personal rapport with students.
The easier parts of lesson planning for me are consistently content-related, thinking about the
subjects and course material I want to teach and what information I want to students to take away from
my lesson. In this lesson, I want students to develop a fair-minded, empathetic view of the Cold War,
away from the black-and-white, good-versus-evil thinking that comes with bipolarity. I want them to
understand that the Eastern Bloc citizens lived, worked, and went to school as we we do, and the decision
whether or not to emigrate is a complex one. I hope this aspect of my objective will resonate in particular
with English Language Learners.
However, one aspect of lesson plans with which I definitely struggle is presenting the material in
an accessible way. Criticisms of my past lesson plans often say that they seem more like they should be
for a college course. In this particular instance, I made an effort to keep the homework reading short and
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use scaffolding in addition to it. Plus, if students are required to turn in written work in addition to merely
reading, it increases comprehension as well as accountability (meaning less students will think they can
get away with not reading).
Lesson 2 -- Reading
When I created this lesson on Monday evening, I used a model that I learned in last semesters
course Teaching Content Literacy. Interestingly, there has been a fair amount of overlap between
GEDUC 420 and this current course, both in terms of theme and instructional strategies, likely due to the
focus on language. This comes as a bit of a relief, that many of the same strategies that work for
strengthening the literacy of native speakers can also be used for ELLs. This is good not just for being
efficient as teachers, but being less likely to further alienate ELLs from their peers.
That being said, last semester I learned of a strategy for the modeling close or active reading
that is closely in line with Common Core standards, which in the context of this course is actually called a
Think Aloud. In my Literacy unit last semester, a English/History hybrid unit on the topic of The
Harlem Renaissance, I planned a close reading of a Booker T. Washington speech where I wrote out my
own inner dialogue, just as the Think Aloud strategy advocates. This is particularly noteworthy to me as
I was was not implicitly or directly thinking about ELLs when I designed this last semester, which attests
to the universality of many of these models.
Without knowing that it was called Partner Reading Variation #3, I also designed the student
practice portion of the content lesson based on reading aloud with a partner. Though this strategy is
slightly modified from what was described in the session on Tuesday, my main motivation was to have
them try listening, speaking, reading, and writing/note-taking in an activity that wasnt overwhelming or
daunting. Chunking the tasks and having students switch roles seemed interactive and fast-paced. Plus,
using jokes from other cultures seemed like a more innovative method of examining primary texts than
looking at letters and administrative records. As the sociopolitical culture of GDR society is the major
objective I am attempting to convey in this mini-unit, a societys most popular humor often contains
historical truths, and there are certainly links that can be drawn to modern U.S. society; this will be the
topic of my next lesson involving writing. In general, my unit topic has invariably been a major historical
research interest of mine and one for which I would like to explore more sources in a larger unit given
more time; in fact, I am thinking of focusing on the final years of The Cold War for my upcoming
Methods class in the Fall.
In terms of ELLs, I had the most difficulty narrowing down language objectives for the differing
WIDA levels, but I hope I eventually narrowed it down to a multifaceted method that supports all students
in their reading abilities without losing the interest of the more advanced readers. Additionally, I didnt
have that much vocabulary from the readings as my texts were initially German and translated into
language that was largely Tier 1. However, this might be better for our Level 2s and less advanced readers
since this is really a lesson focused on content; Id rather them not be bogged down in dense terminology
this time around.
I chose to keep the term nervy as a part of my pre-teaching words since the more commonly
used version differs in definition from the word nervous yet sounds similar. Since I am not using a
Frayer Model here and am instead using a short partner activity, these are not necessarily words that I
want them to focus on for the unit. Instead, I would rather students use this pre-teaching exercise as an
opportunity to take in yet another English word with a double meaning so that ELLs can become more
accustomed to our vocabulary rules.
Lesson 3 -- Writing
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First, I would like to comment on my strategy in writing my language objectives. After spending a
considerable amount of timing glancing back-and-forth between the WIDA standards for the different
ELD levels, I decided to use the same objectives for both levels because I think that the same instructional
support should be available to all students, whether one is a native or beginning speaker. What this means
is making sure that the support that I offer students at the lowest levels is available to everybody should
they need it. Not only will having these options available aid in integrating less advanced readers and
writers, but will also let more advanced learners know that I am willing to work with them should they
stumble. The support that I used also does not make my assignments too easy, but rather supplements it
and provides students with an organizational strategy.
I also chose the Frayer Model again for vocabulary practice as I did in Lesson 1. I tend to find this
approach more intellectually compatible with adolescents than the other models, and decorating the
classroom for each unit with Frayer posters would only be increased instructional support appropriate for
more visual learners.
I have also implemented the Foreign Policy article which focuses on my curriculum framework,
plus a seemingly unrelated short story and video to demonstrate the differences in format and attempt to
forge a Humanities collection between History and English. I think this would be a helpful and
entertaining way provide worthy exemplars and further help them choose a format for their topic in the
RAFT writing exercise.

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