CURRICULUM PLAN: THE POWER OF EMOTIONS 1

Curriculum Plan: The Power of Emotions

Mickaela Biron

Department of Education, McGill University

EDES 461: Teaching Secondary English

Mr. Jayson Lister

Feb. 16, 2020

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General Overview​:​ Level Appropriateness, Progression of Learning, Subject Specific

Competencies

The curriculum plan highlights the activities, lessons and evaluations students will

undertake throughout the term. This specific plan was created for a term 1 curriculum and is

titled “The Power of Emotions”. The curriculum consists of four units, three of which focus

on a specific emotion (fear, joy, and sorrow), all culminating to the last unit titled simply

“Emotions”. The three first units follow the same pattern, studying their specific emotion

through a variety of media. The fourth unit on the other hand acts as a summative unit,

requiring students to utilize the knowledge and understanding they acquired in units one, two,

and three to read and study the novel ​Lord of the Flies​, and to create a final summative

assessment project.

This curriculum plan was created for a Cycle 2, Year 1 class. It was created for this

level for various reasons, the main reason being because it is in line with the ​Progressions of

Learning r​ equired by the Quebec Education Program. Firstly, in accordance with the

“Reading Profile” section of the POL, students are expected to have mastered their ability to

study “cues conveyed by the structure, features, codes and conventions of spoken, written and

media genres to determine significance in a text while listening/reading/viewing” by

Secondary 3 (Ministère de l’Éducation et Enseignement Supérieur, 2019). Students are also

required in Secondary 3 to develop their ability to study a variety of media, genres, author

styles, narratives, realities, while also developing their ability to utilize this knowledge to

create their own works (Ministère de l’Éducation et Enseignement Supérieur, 2019). This

curriculum plan therefore allows for ample opportunities for students to develop and utilize

these skills, keeping in line with the requirements of the QEP.

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Moreover, the curriculum map was created with the Understanding by Design

Framework in mind, working backwards so as to ensure the curriculum is serving students

and their learning. Thus, the curriculum map focuses on the “development and deepening of

student understanding and transfer of learning”, while also including constant opportunities

for formative and summative assessment. This is also in line with the third of the seven tenets

which make up the UbD, which states that “understanding is revealed when students

autonomously make sense of and transfer their learning through authentic performance”

(Wiggins & McTighe, 2012)

Lastly, the curriculum map also follows the Quebec Education Program Competency

requirements by utilizing the three Secondary English Language Arts competencies (Talk,

Reading, and Production) throughout the various lessons, activities, and assessments of the

term. While keeping in check with competency requirements, the curriculum plan also

considers many other instructional strategies like “Culturally Responsive Instruction”,

differentiation, “Equity by Design”, and “Assessment ​for ​Learning” to ensure it is meeting

the needs of the students in an equitable way.

Units 1, 2 and 3: Fear, Joy and Sorrow

Overview (Structure)

Units 1, 2, and 3 each follow the same structure, but focus on a different emotion.

Each unit therefore begins with an affect assessment, followed by the study of various media

(two songs, a short story, a video/short film), and then finishes with a unit formative

assessment. Each of these three units takes approximately 5 periods to complete, leaving

enough time for any modifications that might need to be made along the way. There are

multiple reasons for why the three units follow the same structure. The first being because it
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allows students to know what to expect, and feel organized and structured within their

learning experience. Secondly, it also allows for repetition which according to Robert F.

Bruner is “the first principle of all learning” (Bruner, 2001). Bruner argues that repetition is

an important tactic for enhancing learning in a student-centered teaching approach, referring

to the quote by T.S. Eliot which states “We shall not cease from exploration / And the end of

all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time”

(Bruner, 2001). As this quote acknowledges, when students continually return to a previous

point of departure, they are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to embark on

their journey once more, but this time with a better understanding of that journey. With this

being said, the curriculum plan takes on the same format three times in a row so that students

increasingly master their skills and understanding, from the first unit to the last.

Throughout the units, the works that are to be studied focus on a particular emotion.

For example, the unit on “Joy” includes songs, a story, and a video which relate to the

emotion of joy. Moreover, the study of the works focuses on understanding and learning to

utilize the various factors that make up the media form, especially the factors that create the

specific emotion in each work. The essential question/big idea for each unit is included in the

top row of the curriculum plan. Each unit’s essential question is slightly different to allow for

variety in the lesson focuses, but ultimately lead to similar results. They each focus on

understanding the role of emotion in humans, and thus how these emotions translate into

humanity’s various creative works.

Specifics: Differentiation, Cumulative Evaluation, QEP, UbD

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Differentiation was at the forefront when creating the various components of the

curriculum map. Differentiation therefore permeates the entirety of the unit, whether it is

through the choice of work, subject matter, activity, lesson or assessment.

Firstly, an affect assessment was included at the beginning of each unit. In doing so,

the teacher can get a better understanding of how students are feeling prior to beginning the

lessons regarding the material. Since the unit will be dealing with emotions, it is important to

acquire an idea of how comfortable each student is with the material. For example, some

students may be fearful of the “Fear” unit at first, and might therefore require extra attention

or reassurance throughout certain parts of the lessons, therefore adding to differentiation

efforts. Next, each unit will embark on the study of two songs. Each unit features one older

song with which the students may be less familiar, and one newer song which is currently

part of the ​Canada Top 50 ​on Spotify​. T

​ he chosen songs also cover a wide variety of genres,

time periods and subject matter, so as to ensure each student can appreciate and relate to at

least one of the songs.

The “Fear” unit includes Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, and Billie Elish’s “Bad Guy”.

Students will most likely have already heard “Thriller”​, ​considering it is one of the most

well-known songs of all time. With this being said, it is important to include it in the

curriculum because it will allow for students to dissect and therefore understand what they

are hearring in their daily lives. It is also important to mention the controversies associated

with Michael Jackson, and therefore open the floor to class discussion on whether it is

morally justifiable to continue to listen to Jackson’s music. The second song is “Bad Guy”.

This song was included because it is written by a young girl, in the age bracket of the

students, and has experienced mass praise from the public and the music industry. The

subject matter is also something out of the ordinary, boasting about being a villain. These two
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songs feature a black male in the 80s, and a white teenage female in the present day. The

activities and lessons surrounding these two songs will therefore take into account the

authors, subject matter, style, and reception of each song, allowing for diversified content.

The “Joy” unit includes Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” and Post

Malone’s “Congratulations”. Once again, the two songs represent two very different genres,

time periods, subjects and musical genres. Students will learn about the reality within which

each was created, highlighting the identity of Louis Armstrong as a black man in the 60s, and

Post Malone as a white male in current hip hop and rap culture, alongside their study of the

emotion of joy within the songs.

In the last unit on “Sorrow”, students will study Patsy Cline’s song “Crazy” and

Lewis Capaldi’s song “Someone You Loved”. Once again, alongside the study of sorrow,

students will take into account the realities of each artist (Patsy Cline being a woman in the

1930s to 1960s in America, and Lewis Capaldi being an emerging British artist). I have

decided to include music into my curriculum plan because I believe the way one studies

music, is perfectly transferable into more common ELA works like short stories and novels,

but it makes it more fun. Music is usually a common interest amongst students, something

relatable and exciting. I therefore included music to differentiate learning for students and get

them dealing with different forms of media outside of the usual realm of ELA. In doing so, I

believe I will be able to reach students with different interests, tastes, and abilities while

keeping in line with the QEP requirements.

Following the music component of each unit, students will be studying one short

story. The unit on “Fear” includes the story “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs which was

chosen simply because it is a riveting ELA classic. The short stories for the unit on “Joy”

include a few works from the collection of short stories titled ​Heads of the Colored People ​by
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Nafissa Thompson-Spires. These works take a satirical approach to recounting life as a black

person in America. This work is important because it is written by a black woman and offers

alternative narratives to the lives of black people, profoundly authentic narratives with variety

and depth outside of the usual constraints of mainstream media. The last story (novella) titled

“Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka has been included because it is a classic, but also because I

myself have found this short story to be especially successful in helping students reflect on

their own lives. This work is one that allows for links to be made with everyday life,

therefore allowing students to perhaps see themselves in the works they are reading. When

completing my last field experience, I taught “Metamorphosis” and the students were very

receptive. It turned out to be a short story which encouraged much class discussion and

student reflection, therefore justifying its inclusion in the unit. As a whole, the three short

stories were chosen because they cater to different interests, offer differing narratives

(culturally responsive-pedagogy), and bring varying ethical issues and subjects into the

classroom which allow for ethical reflection. The short stories are also each read in a different

way (audiobook, group reading, teacher reads aloud) so as to cater to different intelligences

and learning profiles.

The last work that is studied in each unit is a short film/video. The first unit includes

“Vincent” by Tim Burton. The “Fear” unit is a touchy one because teachers have to be careful

how they go about the emotion of fear. It is important to ensure every student feels safe in the

classroom, and it is therefore crucial to include media which is level appropriate. “Vincent” is

a short film which utilizes many of the techniques typical to scary stories meant to instill fear,

although it is done in a very child-friendly way. The video therefore allows for the study of

fear without actually causing fear, thus not making any students uncomfortable.
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The “Joy” unit video titled “I Don’t Want to Go Back Alone” by Daniel Ribeiro is

especially important because it focuses on a homosexual relationship. Including a work by,

and about, the LGBTQ+ community is important because it demystifies LGBTQ+ sexualities

and gender identities. Students who identify as being on the spectrum often experience

barriers within their schools put up by peers, teachers, admin, and the community as a whole

(Blackburn & Miller, 2017). It is therefore important as an inclusive teacher to use the

curriculum as a “tool for fostering civil rights in inclusive education for LGBTQ youth”

(Blackburn & Miller, 2017). By including this video in the curriculum, I can create a safe

space for students where they feel heard, valued, and respected. This video does not only

differentiate to include LGBTQ+ students, but also to teach non-LGBTQ+ students how to

become positive allies for the community.

The last short film for the “Sorrow” unit is titled “Skin” by Guy Nattiv. Nattiv is an

academy award winning director from Israel, who created this short film about race relations

(black and white). This film focuses on a young boy who is part of a Neo-Nazi gang and

decides to leave. This short film allows for rich class discussions and individual

self-reflection because it highlights racial inequalities in our society, and how one can

become complicit to them if one does not actively fight them. As a white person, it is

important for me as a teacher to “locate myself” for my students (Parmar & Steinberg, 2008).

Priya Parmar and Shirley Steinberg in the article titled “Locating Yourself for Your Students”

argue that I must identify my own positionality within society to my students, and then

actively work towards teaching outside of that position (Parmar & Steinberg, 2008). This

video, along with other resources being utilized throughout this curriculum map, therefore is

a conscious effort on my part to provide students with alternative realities. This allows for
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students of varying backgrounds to feel represented within the classroom, and also teaches

students about these varying backgrounds.

Finally, each unit ends with a formative assessment. Throughout the entirety of each

unit, students will be formatively assessed to ensure understanding, but to wrap-up, students

will be given a larger, all-encompassing formative assessment. This is included so that I can

ensure every single student is on the same page before moving onto the next part of the term.

The formative assessment also acts as a final opportunity for the teacher to be flagged in case

any students are still struggling following previous interventions. The summative assessment

from unit to unit varies in format and content, but ultimately serves the purpose of assessing

student understanding of that unit, without assigning any weighted grade.

The purpose of including such a variety of lessons, activities, assessments, and forms

of media is to ensure constant and authentic differentiation. As was previously highlighted,

the curriculum map is designed to cater to multiple intelligences by including a variety of

assessments, delivery methods, activity styles and content options, as well as being designed

to cater to multiple interests by including a large variety of content, media, activities, and

lessons. The make-up of the curriculum also shows evidence of an active effort on my part to

offer a culturally responsive pedagogy which explores various cultures through different

stories and voices. Although it is not explicit in the curriculum map, students will be given

choice within their formative assessments and content activities throughout the unit so as to

provide a student-centered learning experience. For example, following the short film section

of each unit, students will be required to complete a formative assessment titled “Transition

Reflection”. Multiple different reflection questions from which to choose will be offered, and

students will even be given the choice to hand-in their reflections in a variety of formats

including a pamphlet, movie poster creation, word web, comic strip, or audio recording. The
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opportunity to choose assessment format and content will be offered throughout the units,

therefore ensuring each student is capable of excelling in their own way.

Unit 4: Emotions

Overview: Pre-Assessment, Differentiation, UbD, Cumulative/Summative Evaluation

Unit 4 begins with a pre-assessment to find out what students already know about the

novel format, plot structure, response writing, etc. This ensures modifications can be made if

required student knowledge is lacking prior to beginning the unit. Then, over the 25 periods

reserved for this unit, students will be reading “Lord of the Flies” and creating a final term

project which will count as a summative assessment.

Reading the novel will be done in multiple phases, changing up the structure of the

reading throughout the novel (ex: take-home, in class audiobook, interactive class reading,

group chapter presentations, etc.). This will keep the reading interactive and interesting. For

example, one of the ways the novel will be read is through group chapter presentations.

Students will be placed in teams of 3-4 and assigned a specific chapter. Although everyone

will be required to read that chapter individually at home prior to class, a group for each

chapter will be tasked in summarizing and analyzing that part of the novel for the class

through a quick presentation. This format requires students to become active in their learning,

tasking them with teaching their peers. In my experience, allowing students to take on the

role of the teacher ensures mastery of the material. When students are required to relay

information to their peers, their understanding and deepens.

The final term project will consist of two parts, a response and a creative project. The

response will follow the typical response format required by the Ministry of Education for the
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sake of mastering that skill for an eventual Ministry exam, while the creative project will

leave room for more choice and creativity. For the creative project, students will be required

to choose one emotion and create a story which embodies that emotion. Students will be

given the choice to create the story in the format they prefer, be it in the short story format, as

a script, song, short film, or comic strip. The purpose of assessment is to help all students

succeed in meeting standards (Stiggins). Students are therefore given the opportunity to

decide the assessment format they wish to use for the sake of their summative assessment.

This not only allows student learning to be more authentic and meaningful, but also creates

an assessment ​for ​learning wherein students and teachers are partners in the learning process

(Stiggins). Through the creation of the response and creative project, as the UbD template

highlights, students will not only be able to analyze and dissect various works, but also apply

that acquired knowledge to the creation of such works. When given the freedom to create

their own works, students have the opportunity to express their own identities in an authentic

and meaningful way.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the curriculum map was created to offer students with a term

curriculum which is meaningful. Many educational techniques and theories were taken into

consideration when creating the map, with the aim of each decision being justifiable. The

curriculum was created to ensure equitable teaching within the classroom, by taking into

consideration the reality of a classroom full of diverse learners (“Culturally Responsive

Differentiated Instructional Strategies”, 2008). Each student has a different cultural reality,

different interests, abilities and potential. The curriculum therefore attempts to cater to this

diverse student body, ensuring each student feels valued and involved in his/her learning

experience.
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References

Blackburn, M., and Miller, M. (2017). ​Equity by Design: Teaching LGBTQ-Themed

​ idwest & Plains Equity Assistance

Literature in English Language Classrooms. M

Center. Bloomington, IN.

Bruner , R. F. (2001). Repetition is the First Principle of All Learning. ​Research Gate .​

Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228318502_Repetition_is_the_First_Princip

le_of_All_Learning

Culturally Responsive Differentiated Instructional Strategies . (2008). Retrieved from

https://mycourses2.mcgill.ca/d2l/le/content/428148/viewContent/4742727/View

Ministère de l’Éducation et Enseignement Supérieur (2019). ​Québec Education Programme

​ ouvernement du Québec.
& Progression of Learning. G

Parmar , P., & Steinberg, S. (2008). Locating Yourself for Your Students . ​Everyday

Anti-Racism ,​ 283–286. doi:

https://mycourses2.mcgill.ca/d2l/le/content/348339/viewContent/4062419/View

Stiggins , R. (n.d.). Assessment through the Student's Eyes . Retrieved from

https://mycourses2.mcgill.ca/d2l/le/content/427814/viewContent/4795521/View

Wiggins, G. and McTighe. (2012). ​Understanding by Design Framework. ​ASCD.