Running Head: THE WHIPPING BOY 1

The Whipping Boy

Erin L. Yaremcio

001185125

University of Lethbridge
THE WHIPPING BOY 2

Table of Contents

Part One.....pgs. 4 - 13

Rationale and Overview of the Whipping Boy and Why I Chose This.pg. 4

Essential Inquiry Question pg. 5

Key Questionspg. 6

Prior Knowledgepg. 7

List of All Assessment...pg. 8

Resource Explanations . pg. 9

Differentiation..pg. 12

Part Two .pgs. 14 - 20

Hand-Out for Students for the Whipping Boy.pg. 14

Lesson Plan One for the Whipping Boy...pg. 15

Formative Checklist for Lesson One...pg. 19

Rationale for Formative Checklist for Lesson One.pg. 20

Part Three... pgs. 21 - 27

Lesson Plan Two for the Whipping Boy..pg. 21

Formative Checklist for Lesson Two ..pg. 25

Formative Assessment for the Whipping Boy ...pg. 26

Rationale for Formative Checklist and Assessment for Lesson Twopg. 27

Part Four...pgs. 28- 34

Lesson Plan Three for the Whipping Boy ..pg. 28

Formative Checklist for Lesson Three pg. 33

Rationale for Formative Checklist for Lesson Three ..pg. 34

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Part Five ..pgs. 35- 39

Summative Assessment and Marking Schema for Performance Task ...pg. 35

Group Work Assessment for the Whipping Boy Performance Task ..pg. 36

Self Assessment for the Whipping Boy Performance Task ...pg. 36

Rationale for Summative Assessments ...pg. 37

Overall Assessment Defense ...pg. 39

Part Six ...pgs. 41 - 43

Personal Reflection/Rationale..pg. 41

References ...pg. 44
THE WHIPPING BOY 4

Rationale and Overview of the Whipping Boy and Why I Chose This Project

I chose to do the Whipping Boy WANTED Poster project, as I had started this

assignment in Johns class (ED3504) for the Differentiating Individuals Case Study Assignment.

I had put a lot of time and effort into creating a project that I could see myself using in the

classroom and thus I talked to John about using the materials that I had created, as a baseline for

this project. As a part of the Differentiating Individuals Case Study Assignment, I had created

the four rubrics and found how I could relate my project back to my Grade Four English

Language Arts based on the Program of Study. I didnt want to have to create another whole new

project, as I had taken the project from the Differentiating Individuals Case Study Assignment

and already changed it to such a degree that the only connection between my copy of the

assignment and the original we were given to change, was the fact that it was to be a WANTED

poster.

I believe that by creating a WANTED poster, my class will be able to understand

protagonists and antagonists, the value of group work, and learn how to effectively summarize

viewpoints and storylines. I wanted to have a paired project because I believe that as a teacher I

have the opportunity to pair students together that would benefit from the others contributions. I

wanted to have checklists for everyday, but also a formative assessment for students as I believe

that once formative assessment has been given, students will only continue to prosper through

acknowledging their mistakes and working towards enhancing their strengths.

The WANTED poster is extremely relevant to the students in my class as they are able to

explore how different viewpoints affect our perceptions of people. Although it is simple to see
THE WHIPPING BOY 5

the connections of this lesson to the English Language Arts Program of Studies, it is my hope

that I will be able to impart to my students the real life lesson about judging others.

Within the unit I have chosen only to apply English Language Arts Outcomes because I

wanted to solely focus on as many Specific Learning Outcomes as possible. It is crucial as a

teacher that I am able to create projects that cover a large section of the curricular outcomes, in

order to ensure that I have multiple opportunities for students to prove that they have mastered

the outcome. As well, I believe that it is necessary to expose students, whether or not they are at

the appropriate grade level, to books that are at the reading level in hopes that students will be

able to move up to the grade level.

As well, because students are able to create a visual representation of their character I am

able to pull in the six pillars of English Language Arts. I am very glad that I am able to address

not only the visual representation pillar but also the reading, writing, and viewing pillars. A

project-based mini-unit allows for me engage my students in deeper thinking, as it is at the end

and students have learnt the majority of the materials throughout the novel study.

Essential Inquiry Question

In the universe of the Whipping Boy, who can be viewed as the antagonist if we

consider different characters perspectives? What wording can influence our views and feelings

of our antagonists/protagonists?
THE WHIPPING BOY 6

Key Questions

Why do authors write protagonists and antagonists in novels?

When you think of good versus bad, and right versus wrong what do you think of?

If we flip the protagonists and antagonists positions, can you explain the new viewpoint?

What do all protagonists have in common?

What do all antagonists have in common?

What classifies this character as an antagonist?

What is quick summary of the viewpoint of our original story? What about if we change

the viewpoint?

What remains the same if we change the viewpoint of a story?

What are strong wording choices that can replace weak wording choices?

How will you incorporate the formative feedback into your own work?

Who would look at this WANTED poster in the world of the novel? How can you work

towards gearing this poster towards them using strong words that can create emotion?

Have you followed spelling and grammar rules?

Can you explain to me your choices?

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Prior Knowledge

For this assignment I am assuming that my students are able to:

They have a basic level of comprehension

Are able to work in partners cooperatively

Are self-motivated, able to self-assess and evaluate

Are able to understand and implement feedback

Follow along with in-class readings

Ability to answer questions while on topic

Think critically

Summarize plots

Think about others viewpoints

Write short descriptions about a character

Visually represent their ideas

Able to communicate with rudimentary grammar and spelling

Able to use checklists and rubrics for guidance

Translate written descriptions into physical representations

THE WHIPPING BOY 8

List of All Assessment

Formative

Lesson Wise

Lesson One Formative Checklist

Lesson Two Formative Checklist

Formative Group Work Rubric

Lesson Three Formative Checklist

Otherwise

Handout for the students that is a checklist of order of duties

Handout for the students that is a checklist of materials to be included in

the project

Summative

Self Assessment

Partner Assessment

Final Rubric
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Resource Explanations

The Whipping Boy

o This is a Grade Four approved novel from Alberta Education. The novel details

the life of a spoiled prince and his whipping boy that receives the princes

punishments, and their trials and tribulations.

Three Little Pigs Cartoon YouTube Video

o I chose a cartoon video to quickly retell the story of the Three Little Pigs, as I

believe that it is a great way to incorporate technology into the classroom. Not

only do students get to watch a video, but the video takes less time than if I were

to read the full tale to the students.

Alberta Program of Studies for Language Arts

o The Program of Studies guided me towards the outcomes that best suited my

project. I chose to create the project first and then relate it back to the outcomes,

because I feel as if it creates the most creative and interesting projects for my

students.

First Grade Skills Checklist resource

o This resource was a downloadable copy of a Microsoft Excel template for

marking and assessing students. I really enjoyed this resource because it was the

cleanest and simplest checklist format that I found and it was really easy to

interact with.
THE WHIPPING BOY 10

the True Story of the Three Little Pigs

o This book is an excellent way to teach students about perspectives in writing. As

it is the fairy tale of the Three Little Pigs, but flipped. Students are able to see the

tale that they all know through a new pair of eyes, but still understand the main

characteristics.

Blooms Taxonomy

o Blooms Taxonomy is a great teacher resource that examines how different words

create different outcomes in assessment. I used Blooms to ensure that my

questions were inquisitive and thought provoking.

Weak and Strong Words Worksheet (Pearson Education Limited)

o I really enjoyed this worksheet, as it was an easy way to compare words that were

strong and weak in the contexts that they were used. A way to strengthen this

resource would include students reasoning why the word was strong/weak and

providing an example of the opposite.

Powerful Words Scholastic Resource

o Scholastic provided a nice printable sheet that would be hung up in my classroom

as reference for the project. The sheet has a list of some great strong words that

students can use to emphasize their project.

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How To Write Descriptively YouTube video

o TedEd talks are incredibly informational and engaging and I particularly enjoyed

this resource. The beautiful animation captures how strong words can enhance a

description while weak words can leave us without a clear picture.

THE WHIPPING BOY 12

Differentiation

I wanted to incorporate group work as a way to ensure that all students would be able to

complete the assignment even when they arent able to grasp the concepts. Each individual in the

class would benefit from the reminder to stay on task and a person to bounce ideas off of.

Motivation also increases when the assessment tasks are relevant to the students

backgrounds and goals, challenging but possible, and structured to give students

individualized feedback about their performance. (McMillian 72)

I wanted the assignment to reflect a book that students would have read in class. Under the

Alberta Education Grade 4 Curriculum approved resources, I chose the Whipping Boy because

the plot best aligned with the overall theme of this assignment. I created reliability within my

assignment, as I know that students will have had to read this book and thus everyone is exposed

to a book at the level that they should be reading at. For students who do not read at home, or are

not at grade level, it is still important that they are exposed to materials at their grade level.

Fairness is enhanced by student knowledge of learning targets before

instruction, the opportunity to learn, [and] the attainment of perquisite knowledge

and skills (McMillian 76)

Partners for this assignment are chosen, in order to ensure fairness through the grade

distributions. As students often pick their friends to do assignments with, often someone is left

out. I need to choose partners in which each individual feels safe and comfortable with, in order

to achieve their best work. I am able to average out strengths and weaknesses in my classroom

by pairing high achieving students with students who may face difficulties.
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You need to select your assessments on the basis of what will provide the fairest

indication of student achievement for all your students. (McMillian 71)

I created a formative aspect to this assignment in order to create reliability in my marking. As

students will be given a formative rubric after my assessment of their rough work, they will be

able to make the choice whether or not to take my assessment into consideration. As well, this

shows students where they need to continuously improve so when they are faced with a poor

mark, they have been pre-warned. I believe that having a formative assessment will be beneficial

as all of the students will be able to self-reference and find where they can improve.

You must plan instruction that focuses specifically on helping students understand,

providing students with feedback on their progress, and giving students the time they

need to learn (McMillian 69)

I created a self-evaluation and a partner-evaluation in order to show students the importance of

group work and the importance of their contributions. Students are able to see then that they

must be reliable in their team, and must be fair in the assessment of the other. I have the marking

schema with checks and balances in place in order to account for those who might not get along

with their partner but still do a fair share of the word. Students should be able to see where they

are and where they need help.

If an assessment technique or approach advantages one type of student, another

technique may be a disadvantage to that type of student. (McMillian 71)

THE WHIPPING BOY 14

Name:_____________ Date Today: ___________

Partner:____________ Date Due:_____________

WANTED
_

As a guard in the world of The Whipping Boy you are to create a

wanted poster for someone you feel deserves to be in jail. Follow
the checklist below to warn the kingdom of the person, before
disaster strikes!

Hand in completed reading log

Choose who belongs in jail with your partner
Create a rough draft of your poster and submit for feedback
Take into account feedback and finish good copy
Hand it in!
Complete self assessment
Complete partner assessment

Your poster must include:

The name of the character
Description of what the character looks like
Why they are wanted
Who wants them
Reward description
What will happen when they are found
A drawing of the character
The title of the book
The Authors name
You and your partners name

Have fun!

*to be handed out as a handout with the three summative assessments and one formative (see pages 25, 35-36)
THE WHIPPING BOY 15

Lesson
Protagonists and Antagonists Date Day One (Monday)
Title/Focus
Subject/Grade Time
Grade Four English 60 minutes
Level Duration
Unit the Whipping Boy novel study Teacher Erin Yaremcio

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General
General Outcome 5: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and
Learning
represent to respect, support and collaborate with others.
Outcomes:
Specific Learning
5.2 Work within a group
Outcomes:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Be able to identify what makes an antagonist and what makes a protagonist
2. Be able to explain how their own experiences influence their views of antagonists and
protagonists and apply this knowledge in the context of the novel
3. Be able to identify and label the negative and positive characteristics of the main
characters in the Whipping Boy
ASSESSMENTS
Observations: Are students actively participating in the group discussion?
Are students struggling to come up with ideas? Or is it no problem?
Key Questions: Why do you think authors write protagonists and antagonists in
novels?
When you think of good versus bad, and right versus wrong what do
you think of?
Products/ Students will be able to classify antagonists and protagonists using the
Performances: criteria we set up in the Whipping Boy and understand how our
experiences and others experiences influence our views of others.
See formative checklist following the lesson plan
LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
Alberta Program of Studies for Language the Whipping Boy
Arts Three Little Pigs YouTube Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
gdcgnSrUvU
White Board
2 contrasting white board markers
flipchart paper
permanent markers
PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson Set up the projector for the YouTube video and make sure everything is
working properly. Make sure the flipchart paper is up.
Introduction and Body Time
Hook 1) Bad guys, evil plots, damsels in distress, knights in 10 min
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shining armour We see all so much of this in the

movies from Iron Man to Beauty and the Beast
theres so much out there. When you think of good
versus bad, and right versus wrong what do you think
of whos the good guy and whos the bad guy? This
can be any book, movie, real world example.

2) Have students provide 12 examples of books,

movies or real world examples and write them
down on the white board.
Formative assessment point one (see checklist)
Introduction Begin the class with a video of the Three Little Pigs 8 min
Learning Activity 1) Now, in the classic tale of the Three Little Pigs
usually everyone thinks that the wolf is the bad guy
and the good guys are the three pigs. However, what
if we were to look at the story from the viewpoint of 1 and 2)
the wolf all he wanted was a cup of sugar! And 15 min
instead he got boiled! BOILED! Ok, now lets re-
examine the examples we have on the board and
look at who we originally thought were the bad
guys and imagine them as the good guys, tell me
about the issues that these new (use air quotes)
good guys are facing

2) Have students figure out the issues of the new

good guys and write them on the board in a
contrasting color. Be prepared to answer questions or
ask prompting questions such as How so? Can you
tell me why you think?
Formative assessment point two (see checklist)

3) In each scenario, no matter who was the (use air

quotes) good guy or the (use air quotes) bad guy,
there were similar characteristics all the good guys 3) 10 min
had and all the bad guys had similarities too. I want
you to think of what these characteristics are right
now. (pause for 30 seconds) Ok, now that you have
had time to think on your own, when I say go I want
you to turn to your elbow partner and share with
each other what you thought made a bad guy the
antagonist, and the good guy the protagonist. GO
(3 minutes pass, in which I will create a T-Chart on
the flip chart paper labelling it protagonist features
and antagonist features) 54321 When I
say go as a pair create a little t-chart that
compares protagonist features with antagonists.
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You will have 5 minutes to do so and then we will

come back together as a class and examine our ideas
and compare it to the Three Little Pigs. GO I will
walk around the classroom and answer questions and
see how students are doing.
Formative assessment point three (see checklist)

4) 543.2.1. Ok class what did we find as

a pair that all protagonists have?
(spend 3 minutes getting answers and asking 4) 14 min
prompting questions such as can you be more
specific? (repeat their phrase back to them) so is
that what you are saying? how did you come to
this conclusion?)
Now antagonists, what did we find all antagonists
had in common?
(spend 3 minutes getting answers and asking
prompting questions such as can you be more
specific? (repeat their phrase back to them) so is
that what you are saying? how did you come to
this conclusion?)
The Big Bad Wolf and the Three pigs fit in here
somewhere, can you give me some reasoning as to
why the Big Bad Wolf and Three Little Pigs can
be either antagonists and protagonists?
(spend 8 minutes fielding answers from the class. Be
prepared to ask prompting questions as how so?
can you elaborate for me well how does that
show this evidence?)
Formative assessment point four (see checklist)
Teacher Notes: Complete the formative checklist after class, but maintain a
Assessments/ mental checklist of who is participating and who is not. This
-
Differentiation should be a fairly simple assessment as there is forced
interaction and discussion.
Closure Time
Wrap Up Activity Today, we have found evidence of how the Big Bad Wolf
and the Three Little Pigs can be both antagonists and
protagonists depending on whos view you look at. We
looked at (motion to the writing on the board) other
examples of protagonists and antagonists as well. You are
now able to label antagonists and protagonists in any 3 min
situation! Good job class! When I say go lets do a weigh
scale (students will stand up and face the board, they will
level their arms to the right if they liked the lesson, and to the
left if they didnt on the board sides will be I liked this I
could have liked this more)!
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Reflections
from the
lesson
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Formative Checklist for Lesson One

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Rationale for Formative Checklist for Lesson One

I found the Formative Checklist template online at http://www.thesmartteacher.com

and I really enjoyed the format of this resource. I feel as if it is easy to replicate and change to

whatever you may need in order to assess your classroom. This checklist only contains four

assessment points as I believe that it is easy to understand who in your classroom is

understanding the concept and who is not based on the points in my rubric. I chose to also

include the assessment format that if one student completes the assessment successfully, then all

will as it would take too much time to assess each individual student about their knowledge and

provision of examples of protagonists and antagonists. I also wanted to be able to check in with

the pairs this assessment is the most important out of the entire chart. Being able to tell if the

pairs have evidence of their knowledge about protagonists and antagonists provides me with an

understanding of who understands the concept and who does not and may need some assistance

that I can provide them while walking around.

THE WHIPPING BOY 21

Lesson Applying Protagonists and Antagonists Day Two

Date
Title/Focus to the Novel (Wednesday)
Subject/Grade Time
Grade Four English 60 minutes
Level Duration
Unit the Whipping Boy novel study Teacher Erin Yaremcio

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General General Outcome 2: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and
Learning represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print
Outcomes: and other media texts.

General Outcome 3: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and
represent to manage ideas and information.
Specific Learning 2.2.7: identify the main events in oral, print and other media texts; explain
Outcomes: their causes, and describe how they influence subsequent events

2.2.9: develop own opinions based on ideas encountered in oral, print and
other media texts

2.3.3: identify the main problem or conflict in oral, print and other media
texts, and explain how it is resolved

3.3.5: paraphrase information from oral, print and other media sources

3.4.1: communicate ideas and information in a variety of oral, print and

other media texts, such as short reports, talks and posters
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Be able to work in partners in order to choose a character from the Whipping Boy
to base their project upon
2. Be able to summarize the plot of the story through the viewpoint of their character in
their own words
3. Be able to list characteristics of their chosen character to support their claim that their
character is the antagonist
ASSESSMENTS
Observations: Are students working in pairs cooperatively?
Are students struggling to come up with ideas?
Are any partners unequally contributing to their pair?
Are students using the T-Chart, Ven Diagram and Example for
reference?
Key Questions: What classifies this character as an antagonist?
What is quick summary of the viewpoint of our original story? What
about if we change the viewpoint?
What remains the same if we change the viewpoint of a story?
THE WHIPPING BOY 22

Products/
Chosen character
Performances:
Small summary of the story through their chosen characters viewpoint

Evidence of the antagonist claims

Understanding that even though a viewpoint of a story may change, the
details do not
LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
Alberta Program of Studies for Language Handout
Arts Whiteboard and whiteboard markers
Blooms Taxonomy Exemplar based on the Three Little Pigs
the True Story of the Three Little Pigs
chart paper and markers
t-chart from last class
SMART board with exemplar
Copies of the handout
PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson Rehang the t-chart from the prior lesson at the front of the room. Have a
list of the partners on the board and instructions that students are to sit
with their partners when they come in from recess. On the other
whiteboard have a ven diagram up on a piece of chart paper.
Introduction and Body Time
Hook 5..4..3..21. Ok class! I know we have just come in from
recess and our brains are still on the loose so we are going to
keep that energy going for just a few more minutes! I want
you to share with your elbow partners 3 things you 3 min
remember from last class about protagonists and
antagonists.
Formative Assessment point one: see following checklist
Introduction 54321.. Alright class, who here has read the
True Story of the Three Little Pigs (scan for hands) ok..
well for those of us who dont know the story I am going to
15 min
read it to you now
I begin by reading on my stool at the front of class the True
Story of the Three Little Pigs
Learning Activity 1) Based on our analysis of protagonists and antagonists
last class we are able to get a sense of who is the protagonist
and who is the antagonist in this story through the eyes of
Alex. We see the plot of the classic fairy tale has been 1) 7 min
flipped on its head but it still has the same details; can you
give me some examples of what has remained the same
between the classic tale of the Three Little Pigs and
the True Story of the Three Little Pigs? (look for
answers such as; three pigs, wolf, houses falling down,
huffing and puffing etc.)
Formative assessment point two: see following checklist
THE WHIPPING BOY 23

2) Ok, so we have gone over protagonists and antagonists,

and what is similar between the two stories and we
understand that based on the writers viewpoint, we see a
difference in who the bad and good guys are. 2) 7 min
Lets connect this with the Whipping Boy (walk to the
ven diagram and label the diagram as Original Tale,
Similarities, Through a different characters eyes).
Who here can give me a quick summary of the viewpoint
of our original story? (ask for answers that fill in the
Original Tale side of the ven diagram).
Ok, What about if we change the viewpoint? I want you to
be able to tell me which character you are seeing the story
through and tell me what they see. And the similarities
between the two? (students raise their hands and answers
fill the similarities portion of the ven diagram).
Formative assessment point three: see following checklist
3) 5 min
3) OK when I say go I want you to look at the handout than speaking
I am distributing and see what is expected for this
assignment. You have all already handed in your reading
logs for the Whipping Boy so you can check that off right
away! Notice that I have included a group work evaluation, 20
and a personal evaluation that you will do of your partner minutes
when you are done the project. Use the information that students
we've gone over in the last two classes to help you. If you working
need any help you can look at the chart paper on the board or together
put your hand up and wait patiently. I will be displaying the
example of what I did for this assignment on the SMART
board if you need any more references. For the end of class I
want you and your partner to have chosen a character and
started a rough draft. If you do not finish by the end of class
that is ok! You have till the end of tomorrow to hand in your
draft, and you have a Flex block today and tomorrow that
you can work on this in. Alright? Any questions? And GO!
Formative assessment point four: see following checklist
Closure Time
Wrap Up Activity 54321.. Alright class pencils down and eyes on
me! While I was walking around, answering questions and
looking at what you had come up with so far I was very
impressed! You all have a solid understanding of your
viewpoint that I know you will only continue to enhance
3 minutes
with time. A little bit more about this assignment before we
move onto Science today; when you are done your rough
draft, I want you to hand it in to me. I will provide some
formative feedback back to you and your partner and I want
you to read and think about what I have said and how
THE WHIPPING BOY 24

you can use this in your assignment to make your

assignment even better! Any questions?

Reflections
from the
lesson
THE WHIPPING BOY 25

Checklist for Formative Assessment Lesson Two

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Group Assessment of WANTED Poster Formative Names of Group Members:________________________

Grade Excellent Proficient Adequate Limited Insufficient

Criteria
Grammar Students used proper Students used Students Students rarely There is a lack
and Spelling grammar and proper grammar sometimes used proper of an
spelling to enhance and spelling in used proper spelling and understanding of
their project. their project. spelling and grammar in their proper spelling
grammar in project. and grammar in
their project their project and
it takes away
from the project.
Students were Students used text Students were able Students used Students Students did not
able to create and pictures to to combine media media or print ineffectively use either media
an effective portray their opinion and print to portray exclusively to used media or or print to
poster using effectively. Details their opinion. portray their print to portray convey their
print and were enhanced due Details were opinion. their opinion. opinion. No
media to their choices. present. Details in the Details were details were
other medium confusing if present.
were not present.
present.
Students were Students were able Students were able Students Students Students
able to to fully articulate to articulate their opinion was opinion was opinion was
develop their their opinion opinion. somewhat present if difficult if
own opinion effectively. Connections vague. confusing and impossible to
and Connections between the Connections contradictory. find. Project
paraphrase between the students project between the The project did wasnt
the main students project and and the text were project and the not draw any connected to the
events and the text were clear present. Students text were connections to text at all
connections and concise. showed some unclear. the text. Not seemed to be
of the story. Students understood understanding of Understanding enough material disjointed. Lack
all details of the text. the text. of the text was to reflect the of materials to
minimally understanding of portray needs.
reflected. the text.

NOTES FOR CONSIDERATION: _________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
THE WHIPPING BOY 27

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Rationale for Formative Assessments

I chose to do a two part formative assessment for lesson two and lesson twos project as I

feel that continuous formative feedback gives students the most opportunities to succeed. Two

formative assessments will give students the ability to critically look at their own work and

examine what they need to enhance and support in order to find success.

The formative checklist allows for me as a teacher to look for individuals who are

struggling with remaining on task and finding motivation to start. I have many criteria labelled as

if one meets criteria all should as during class discussion students are subject to learning about

a topic even if they didnt want to, because they are listening to the conversation at hand.

Personally, I do not like creating projects where students are unable to get formative

feedback on the project before handing it in for summative grading. By providing formative

feedback, I as the teacher, am insuring that students are on the right task and able to receive help

and guidance if they are scared to do so. Not only am I creating a pathway for success by giving

students the opportunity to receive formative feedback on this assignment, but also I am creating

a bond of trust between the student and myself in which the student will soon feel comfortable

asking for help in other scenarios.

THE WHIPPING BOY 28

Lesson Strong/Weak and How it Influences Our

Date Day Three (Friday)
Title/Focus Writing
Subject/Grade Time
Grade Four English 60 minutes
Level Duration
Unit the Whipping Boy novel study Teacher Erin Yaremcio

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General General Outcome 2: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and
Learning represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print
Outcomes: and other media texts.

General Outcome 3: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and
represent to manage ideas and information.

General Outcome 4: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and
represent to enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.
Specific Learning 2.2.11: alter sentences and word choices to enhance meaning and to create
Outcomes: mood and special effects

2.4.2: experiment with modeled forms of oral, print and other media texts
to suit particular audiences and purposes

3.4.1: communicate ideas and information in a variety of oral, print and

other media texts, such as illustrated reports, charts, graphic displays and
travelogues

4.1.2: use developed criteria to provide feedback to others and to revise

own work

4.2: Attend to convention

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Be able to examine examples of strong wording versus weak wording and apply it
to their own practices
2. Be able to visualize the audience to which this project is based at (in the non-
fictitious world)
3. Be able to analyze the formative feedback that I have given them and incorporate
the suggested changes
THE WHIPPING BOY 29

ASSESSMENTS
Observations: Are students using strong words, or are they just using weak ones
Are students willing to work with their partner
Are students examining their feedback and working towards
incorporating this into their project
Key Questions: What are strong wording choices that can replace weak wording
choices?
How will you incorporate the formative feedback into your own work?
Who would look at this WANTED poster in the world of the novel?
How can you work towards gearing this poster towards them using
strong words that can create emotion?
Have you followed spelling and grammar rules?
Why are you .
Products/ Students, by last bell on Monday, will have handed in their completed
Performances: project
Students are able to provide examples of strong words
Students are able to explain why strong words work
Students are able to explain how they will use strong words to
influence their audience
Students are able to incorporate formative feedback into their project
Students are working collaboratively together
Students will have completed the worksheet and have asked questions
that they might have
LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
Alberta Program of Studies for Language WANTED poster example
Arts SMART board
https://image.slidesharecdn.com/testyourpron Enough handouts of the strong vs. weak
unciationebook-150102202426-conversion- word worksheets
gate01/95/test-your-pronunciation-e-book- Scholastic Printable (electronic copy)
18-638.jpg?cb=1420251980 YouTube video that has been cut to the
http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/ parts that I want to emphasize
free-printable/reading-printables/powerful- Formative feedback on the desks of the
words students
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSoRzTt Whiteboard markers in a variety of colors
wgP4
PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson Have the YouTube link up and ready to go. Have the Scholastic Printable
ready on the SMART board. Enough copies of the handout should be
printed off. WANTED poster example should be hanging on the
whiteboard. Formative feedback sheets on the desks.
Introduction and Body Time
Hook 543..21... Ok Students! We are going to watch a
little video before we start todays lesson. Today we are
6 minutes
going to go over strong and weak wording, how our words
influence our audiences, and how to incorporate this new
THE WHIPPING BOY 30

concept and your formative feedback that is on your desks. I

will give you 2 minutes before we start the video to look
over your formative feedback and think on what you
want to improve. (2 minutes later) 5..4..3..2..1.. Alrighty
class papers flipped and eyes on the board! (play the
YouTube video)
Formative feedback point one (see following checklist)
Introduction Today we are going to examine how are wording affects
our audiences. I want you, when I say go, to discuss with
your elbow partner what you learned. After that you as a
pair will choose one unique strong word that you think
you can use in your project and write it on the
5 minutes
whiteboard. You will have two minutes of discussion and
two minutes to write everything up. After that please return
to your desks for further instructions. GO (I hand out the
worksheet)
Formative feedback point two (see following checklist)
Learning Activity 1) 5..4..3..2..1.. And now we are going to examine why
you use strong words in literature. In the video we
saw two descriptions of Billie. We saw how using
pointed detailed descriptions helps us imagine what
was the character was doing, feeling or what they
even look like. Without the detailed description like
poison needles, legs like noodles, we wouldnt have 1) 9
known or felt how truly awful Billie was feeling. minutes
From what I can see on the board you as a class have
a strong understanding of what strong words are. We
will come back to these words in a moment. When I
say go, I want you to look at the worksheet in
front of you. Using your elbow partner again, I
want you to go through the worksheet together,
before we do as a class and choose which words
are strong words and which ones may need some
help. It is alright if you dont understand one because
we will look at the together. I will give you 7 minutes
to do this. GO (students work on sheet)
Formative feedback point three (see following checklist)

2) 5..4..3..2..1.. And pencils down! Lets look at the 2) 10

worksheet together and try to understand why strong minutes
words are strong words. Answer one (I go
through the worksheet stopping at each question to
ask why this word is powerful and what a
weak/strong word could have replaced it)
Formative feedback point four (see following checklist)
THE WHIPPING BOY 31

3) Now that we have figured out why and how we can 3) 3

make strong words the list on the board makes more minutes
sense now right? Do you think you will use these
examples in your project? How so? (students will
answer question)
Formative feedback point five (see following checklist) 4) 3 min

4) Lets think about our project for a moment. How

do you think the flipped world of the Whipping
Boy would react if we say that our antagonist was a
protagonist? What words would give our audience an
even deeper hatred of our antagonist? (students will
answer questions)
Formative feedback point six (see following checklist)

5) Before we move into some group work time, take a

minute to look over your formative feedback.
GO. (students take one minute to read over it) And
eyes on me, on lots of your evaluations I wrote use 5) 20
strong words! Now that we have examined strong minutes
words together I can imagine that incorporating
strong words into our projects will be so much easier.
Many of you have other comments like spelling and
grammar suggestions as well. I want you to think
back to the rubric and see that I want to see how you
have incorporated this formative feedback into your
final project. How will you do this? When I say go,
think on this and talk to your partner before
starting on the project. Just a reminder that this
project is due before the end of the day on Monday.
That means you have the entire flex block today and
Monday to work on your project as well as the
weekend if you need to. Do not do the partner and
self-assessments now. We will go through them as a
class on Monday. I am very impressed with the hard
work that you have all put into your projects. I know
that with a few adjustments your projects will be
lovely! And GO! (students start working on project
with project partners, I will walk around answering
questions and checking in with students to see how
they are doing and asking lots of why are you doing
this questions)
Formative feedback point seven (see following checklist)
Closure Time
Wrap Up Activity 5..4..3..2..1.. and pencils down and eyes on me! I know
3 min
that might not have felt like enough time to work on the
THE WHIPPING BOY 32

project but just remember you have flex today and on

Monday to work on this. When I was walking around I heard
some excellent questions and was amazed to see how you
have incorporated the feedback into your project. You have
all provided some great examples of what strong words are
and have been able to explain to me why a strong word will
influence our audiences in the Whipping Boy. When the
bell rings, it is time to go to science. So when I say go you
may start packing up and getting ready for science. GO

Reflections
from the
lesson
THE WHIPPING BOY 33

Formative

Checklist

for Lesson

Three
THE WHIPPING BOY 34

Rationale for Formative Assessment

I chose to have a formative checklist that reflects each individual learning outcome as I

felt for the final unit in my mini-unit that I should be very diligent in what I am observing as my

next assessment of the students is summative. It is important that I am closely observing my

students capabilities so that I can guide the students that are struggling on to the right path

before the final assessment. As well, in this formative checklist as compared to my other two

formative checklists, I have more individual assessments instead of if one gets this, all should

type of marking. I wanted to include more individuated assessment, because it will give me a

clear idea of who really understands the subject, and who is coasting off of anothers work.

There are seven different criteria on the checklist that correspond to the seven direct

learning tasks on my lesson plan. I do not feel like it was necessary to have individual

assessment of whether or not a student is listening to what I say or whether or not a student is

putting their hand up to answer my questions. Each student will undoubtedly have their own

levels of comfort in how they respond to my questions in front of an audience such as their class.

It is my responsibility as a teacher to not discriminate in my marking against those who may

 THE WHIPPING BOY 35

have anxiety or other fears that may be causing the student to not speak aloud in front of the

class as a whole.

Grade 5 4 3 2 1
Criteria
(A) Students were Students were Students Students Students did not
Worked effectively responsible for the best sometimes responsible completed the completed some complete any part
and responsibly in a work and completed task and completed the task. task. Sometimes but not the of the project. Did
group to the best of their Asked for help and asked for help. entire project. not give an
(based on peer abilities. Asked for help sometimes provided Did not ask for indicator to the
reflection) and provided support to support. help even when teacher that they
(5.2) other group members. struggling. were struggling.
(B) Students used the Students used the Students Students Students
Students were able formative feedback to formative feedback in eliminated their attempted to disregarded the
to identify their enhance their project. some areas. Strengths weaknesses, but remedy at least formative feedback
strengths/weaknesse Both strengths and and weaknesses were did not enhance one weakness. and did not change
s and use feedback weaknesses were considered, however their strengths. any part of their
to their advantage. enhanced. only one was truly project.
(3.4.3, 4.1.2) enhanced.
(C) Students properly and Students used proper Students Students rarely There is a lack of
Grammar and effectively used grammar grammar and spelling sometimes used used proper an understanding of
Spelling and spelling to enhance in their project. proper spelling spelling and proper spelling and
(4.2) their project. and grammar in grammar in their grammar in their
their project project. project and it takes
away from the
project.
(D) Students were able to Students were able to Students used Students Students did not use
Students were able combine print and media combine media and media and/or print ineffectively either media or
to create an to effectively and print to portray their exclusively to used media or print to convey
effective poster persuasively portray opinion. Details were portray their print to portray their opinion. No
using print and their opinion. Details present. opinion. Details in their opinion. details were
media were enhanced due to the other medium Details were present.
(2.2.11, 2.4.2, 3.4.1) their choices. were not present. confusing if
present.
 THE WHIPPING BOY 36
Individual Assessment of WANTED Poster Summative Students Name:______________
(E) Students were able to Students were able to Students opinion Students Students opinion
Students were able fully articulate their articulate their opinion. was somewhat opinion was was difficult if
to develop their own opinion effectively. Connections between vague. present if impossible to find.
opinion and Connections between the the students project Connections confusing and Project wasnt
paraphrase the students project and the and the text were between the contradictory. connected to the
main events and text were clear and present. Students project and the The project did text at all seemed
connections of the concise. Students showed some text were unclear. not draw any to be disjointed.
story. understood all details of understanding of the Understanding of connections to Lack of materials to
(2.2.7, 2.2.9, 2.3.3, the text. text. the text was the text. Not portray needs.
3.3.5) minimally enough material
reflected. to reflect the
understanding
of the text.

A Total: (Own Assessment (percentage) (___) x 1, Partners Assessment (percentage) (___) x2) /
3 = ______ (rounded up to the closest mark)
B Total (___) x 1 = _____ D Total (___) x 1 = _____
C Total (___) x 2 = _____ E Total (___) x 2 = _____ Final Total:

Self Assessment of Group Work on the WANTED Poster Name: ____________________

_____/ 40
Category 5 Excellent 4 Proficient 3 Adequate 2 Limited 1 - Insufficient
Criteria
I am always willing I was cooperative. I I was sometimes I was seldom I was not
to help and do more did my part of the cooperative. I could cooperative. I did cooperative. I
Contributions than others. I work. I usually have done more. I not do any work did not do any
always offered offered useful sometimes offered on my own. work. I did not
useful ideas. ideas. useful ideas. Rarely offered offer any ideas.
useful ideas.
I always listened to, I usually listened to, I often listened to, I rarely listened I did not listen,
shared with, and shared with, and shared with, and to, shared with, or share or
Working supported the supported the supported the effort supported the support my
With efforts of others. I efforts of others. I of others. I efforts of others. I group. I was
Others tried to keep people did not cause sometimes was often was not a not there
working together. problems in the distracted. good team enough to be a
group. member. part of the
team.
I focused on the I focused on the Sometimes I focused I did not focus on I did not work
task and what needs task and what needs on the task and what the task and what on the project. I
Focus on the to be done. I am to be done most of needs to be done. needs to be done. distracted the
Task very self-directed. the time. Group Other group members I let others do the group.
members can count had to remind me to work.
on me. stay on task.

My Assessment of my Partners Groupwork for the WANTED Poster Their Name:__________

Category 5 Excellent 4 Proficient 3 Adequate 2 Limited 1 - Insufficient

Criteria
They always are They were They were sometimes They seldom They were not
willing to help and cooperative. They cooperative. They cooperated, did cooperative.
 THE WHIPPING BOY 37

Contributions do more than did their part of the could have done not do any work They did not do
others. They always work. They usually more. They on their own, and any work. They
offered useful offered useful sometimes offered rarely offered did not offer
ideas. ideas. useful ideas. useful ideas. any ideas.
They always They usually They often listened They rarely They did not
listened to, shared listened to, shared to, shared with, and listened to, shared listen, share or
Working with, and supported with, and supported supported efforts of with, or supported support the
With the efforts of others. the efforts of others. others. They the efforts of group. They
Others They tried to keep They did not cause sometimes were others. They often were not there
people working problems in the distracted. was not a good enough to be a
together. group. team member. part of the
team.
They focused on They focused on Sometimes they They did not They did not
the task and what the task and what focused on the task focus on the task work on the
Focus on the needed to be done. needs to be done and what needs to be and what needs to project. They
Task They are very self- most of the time. done. Other group be done. They let distracted the
directed. Group members members had to others do the group.
could count on remind them to stay work.
them on task.

Rationale for Summative Assessments

I wanted to include three different types of summative assessment in order to give a fair

grade to all of my students. As you can see, there was a rubric for self-evaluation, partner

evaluation and my own final evaluation of their work.

The self-evaluation rubric will be used for students to critically examine how they

worked in their group and as an individual. As Davies says when students self-assess, they gain

insights that help them monitor their learning (8). A part of learning and growth mindsets is to

evaluate and learn from our own experiences and thus by embedding a section of self-evaluation,

it is necessary for the students to then look at their actions and the mark that they will receive

and see how the two interact. Because this rubric was handed out ahead of time students know

what they are to [do in their group] to be successful they are informed enough to self-monitor

their way to success (Davies 60).

THE WHIPPING BOY 38

The peer-evaluation rubric will also be used as an extension of a teachers individual

assessment of a student in their groupings. As it is hard for teachers to keep an eye on everyone

at all times, often group misunderstandings and unequal workloads are overlooked. In the final

summative rubric, you can see that I have chosen to weigh the partners observation of the

students contributions over students individual assessment of their own work, in order to

achieve fairness. If we isolate the child's present inclinations, purposes, and experiences from

the place they occupy and the part they have to perform in a developing experience, all stand

upon the same level; all alike are equally good and equally bad (Dewey 14). Fairness is

achieved as a students own perception of their workload still influences their mark, without

ignoring what their partner believes them to have done and it equates in the partners mark as

well.

Finally, the final summative rubric is used in order to ensure justness in my marking. As

students are given a copy of the final rubric with the original handout, they are aware of the

criteria that I will be marking them on. I am [l]et[ting] the child proceed step by step to master

each one of these separate parts, and at last he will have covered the entire ground (Dewey 8).

Thus when examining the formative group work rubric (see page 25), students are able to see

how the formative rubric ties directly into the final summative rubric when examining the two

side by side. I wanted to keep the formative group work rubric as similar as possible to the final

summative rubric in order to achieve a high degree of fairness in my marking as well as to

maintain validity.
THE WHIPPING BOY 39

Overall Assessment Defense

Throughout this project I have provided rationale and defense for each of my

assessments. I wanted to ensure that my defense of the strategies that I was using were clear and

concise, while still retaining the validity of the objectives. It is my understanding that assessment

is more of a conversation than a straight rubric, hence my lack of formative checklist materials.

If I am to be focusing on my students, I want to focus on the critical parts of their project while

still always checking for the background abilities. I do not believe that in a project based

assessment; I need to assess a grade four classroom on their ability to raise their hand because

again, assessment is more of a conversation. Depending on the dynamic of the class (and it could

anywhere on the spectrum) and the needs/abilities of my students, not everyone will raise their

hand to talk; whether they remain silent and write me emails, or if they dont raise their hand but
THE WHIPPING BOY 40

just carry on a conversation with you and the class. I focused on the larger aspects of each lesson

plan as I felt as if they were the most important parts that students need to understand and get.

However, I do see how I must continuously monitor for skills that students are developing, such

as their ability to participate in classroom discussions. For me, when students arent participating

I pick it out quickly, and am able to address it later on in the class one-on-one with the students

instead of writing it down and not doing anything.

I was able to incorporate the assessment for, of and as learning principles into my

assessments. In assessment for learning I was able to address the principle of learning through

mistakes and instruction by incorporating my formative group work assignment. Here students

are able to see how they can progress with the rubric and my own notes. It is crucial that I am

able to write descriptive feedback for my students so that they are able to consider my remarks

and work towards improvement. For assessment of learning I have the final summative rubric

that records and evaluates my students abilities. Students are able to see which specific learning

outcome(s) that they struggled with due to the detail on the rubric. Assessment as learning is

covered in my assignment through the self and partner group-work evaluations. Because students

are able to look at these rubrics ahead of the assignment when I hand all the project materials

out, they are able to see what they will be marked and will be marking on. I will make sure

during the partner evaluations to acknowledge the power dynamics that have been created due to

this evaluation. Students will have opportunities on the Monday the assignment is due to do the

partner and self-evaluations.

I hope that the combination of all my assessment rationales and defenses this overview

provides more insight into my own assessment styles in the classroom.

THE WHIPPING BOY 41

Personal Reflection/Rationale

My mini-unit for the Whipping Boy has comprised of countless checks and balances to

ensure that students are able to identify which characters are viewed as protagonists and

antagonists from certain viewpoints, and what words we can use to emphasize their positions. It

is my hope that students are able to engage with the concept of viewpoints, and understand how

it applies to their own lives. My students will be able to self-monitor and self-assess if they are

the antagonist in someone elses story thus promoting a positive learning environment using

restorative justice. Restorative justice can be defined as; [r]ather than being treated as an

external group upon whom rules are imposed, students are treated as important members of the

community who assume responsibility for maintaining harmony (Ogilvie 89). I fully believe
THE WHIPPING BOY 42

that through this unit, students not only are able to meet the requirements from the Program of

Studies, but also attitudes and skills that they need in everyday life.

I planned this unit over a course of a month, adding and thinking about every detail. I

wanted to incorporate some learner-centered concepts such as the need to communicate with

others the desire to understand ones world and the need to express oneself through

creative endeavours (Schiro 106). Students are able to communicate with others through our

class discussions or with their partner, hopefully opening avenues of discovery. Although the

desire to understand ones world is somewhat hidden in my objectives, it is my hope that

students will be able to understand their place in the collective community. Creativity will be

bountiful as students are given the creative freedom of designing the poster, only constrained

slightly by the details that students must have on their poster for the purpose of this assignment. I

believe that learner centered thinking, when thinking of lesson plans, help us to envision what we

would need if we were in our students shoes.

For planning and instruction, and keeping in mind learner centered practices, I wanted to

rely heavily upon scaffolding in every lesson. Each lesson starts with a recap from the last class,

and a way for students to actively explore what they remember. Throughout the lesson references

to the last class are made so students see the purpose of what we are learning and how everything

ties together. I wanted to give students the skills that they would need to be successful in this

assignment, starting with a complex idea and working towards enhancement (lesson plan one

versus lesson plan three). This way students who feel as if they are able to work towards

enhancement are able to, while students who are struggling with concepts are able to work and

refine the concept for a continual period of time. Students will be engaged in active learning, as I
THE WHIPPING BOY 43

believe that active learning is the most effective when time comes for students to apply the

concept to a real life scenario.

My assessment relies upon formative and summative assessment. Without formative

assessment leading to summative assessment, I do not believe that students are given the best

opportunities to realize and address concepts they are struggling with. I hope that my rationales

and defences of my assessment choices has been clear enough to give the reader an

understanding of where I stand and why I made the choices that I did.

Overall, this was a very unique project. I can honestly say that I have not written a report

this long, ever. Though at times this project was challenging I understand and recognize the

benefits of learning how to plan a mini-unit and the assessment that comes with it. As a teacher, I

now know that I have to think about how I will incorporate my own ideologies of what learning

and education should be like, into my classroom while considering the needs of my students.

Though it may seem like I have good intentions, I now understand that I must use continual

assessment to determine if my strategies are effective. I wish I could use this project in my

practicum because I am proud of the work that I have done, but I am in a grade 6 math and

science classroom!
 THE WHIPPING BOY 44

References

C. (2012, August 29). Resource: First Grade Skills Checklist. Retrieved from
http://www.thesmartteacher.com/exchange/resource/344/First_Grade_Skills_Checklist

Davies, A. (2011). Making Classroom Assessment Work (3rd ed.). Courtneay, BC:
Connect2learning.

Dewey, J. (1966). The child and the curriculum, and the school and society (28th ed.). Chicago:
University of Chicago Press.

Enns, M. (2001). Blooms Taxonomy.

 THE WHIPPING BOY 45

[Fairy Tales and Stories for Kids]. (2017, June 23). Three Little Pigs kids story cartoon | Bedtime
Stories for Kids [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gdcgnSrUvU

Fleischman, S., Charlot, J., & Sis, P. (2008). The Whipping boy. Paw Prints.

Hopkison, Nalo. [TED-Ed]. (2016, November 15). How to write descriptively [Video File].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSoRzTtwgP4

McMillan, J. H. (2001). Classroom Assessment: Principles and Practice for Effective

Instruction (2nd ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon.

Nevin, L. (n.d.). Assessment For, Of and As Learning. Retrieved from

http://www.tvdsb.ca/webpages/takahashid/techdia.cfm?subpage=128207

Ogilvie, G., & Fuller, D. (2016). In the Classroom | Restorative Justice Pedagogy in the ESL
Classroom: Creating a Caring Environment to Support Refugee Students. TESL CANADA
JOURNAL, 33(Special Issue 10), 86-96. http://dx.doi.org/1018806/tesl.v33i0.1246

Program of studies for English language arts, Kindergarten to grade 9. (1999). Edmonton, AB:
Alberta Learning, Curriculum Standards Branch.

Powerful Words. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/free-

printable/reading-printables/powerful-words

Schiro, M. (2013). Curriculum theory: conflicting visions and enduring concerns. Thousand Oaks
(Ca.): SAGE.

Scieszka, J., & Smith, L. (2014). The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. NY, NY: Viking, an imprint of
Penguin Group (USA).

Vaughan-Rees, M. (2002). Test your pronunciation. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

THE WHIPPING BOY 46