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I’m lying - Discovering the importance of critical analysis

Link to a Microsoft Word document of this lesson:imlying.doc

Overview:

This lesson is designed for students to inductively discover through a guided discussion some of the topics that will be discussed throughout the grading term such as evaluating sources, kinds of lying, and elements of persuasion.

Desired Outcomes:

Students will identify at least three topics in example that misled them, or tried to, and identify how these examples appear in their daily lives.

Materials:

Enough copies of an article that was designed to mislead the students and covers a topic that is important to the students.

Attention Getter:

Come in upset and frustrated. After all, your favorite pop band just announced it is breaking up. It just so happens that your favorite pop band is the same as the majority of the students (you could replace pop band with any kind of news, such as the implementation of school uniforms, or a city wide curfew of 10:00, or any such topic that the teacher thinks will get the student's attention).

Methods:

After settling yourself down a bit, hand out the article. Ask students to take some time to read it and journal their response. Don’t allow anyone to talk. After journaling, ask the students to share their opinions.

With any luck, at least some of the students bought it. The teacher should at some point reveal that she or he has in fact misled the students.

Points for further discussion:

Assessment:

The students will be told about their journals. They are to keep a log of each time they come across something that intends to deceive, mislead, or underestimate their intelligence. They need to find at least five examples a week. It is ok to find more than one a day, but you must log five entries on different occasions throughout the week.

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My Milk is Better! - Discovering the elements of persuasion

Link to a Microsoft Word document of this lesson:milk.doc

Link to a Microsoft Word document of this lesson's overhead:milkoverhead.doc

Overview:

This lesson will ask students to take a side on an innocuous issue and argue it. Students will identify different types of arguments they used and discuss which kinds of arguments are more effective.

Desired Outcomes:

Materials:

Two large pieces of poster paper per class that is cut into the shape of milk cartons. One carton is chocolate milk and one is plain. Make sure that there is plenty of space on the ‘cartons’ on which to write. Milk can be substituted with many things like the way you like your pizza cut, Coke or Pepsi, sports or academics, and so on. The teacher should also have a prepared overhead with brief explanations of pathos (emotion), ethos (speaker), and logos (logic). An example of the overhead is available here: milkoverhead.doc

Attention Getter:

Greet the students as they come into the room. Tell them to set their stuff down and pick a side of the room to side on. Don’t let anyone take their seat. One side of the room will have and large Chocolate Milk sign, and the other side will have a Plain Milk sign.

Methods:

Tell the class that the Dairy Farmers of America needed advice on whether to produce more chocolate or more plain milk.

The class is to act as a focus group that is to decide which milk was needed more production.

Once the class is all to their sides, ask the two main groups to break into smaller groups of three to four. Each smaller group is to come up with as many reasons as possibly why their milk is better. This should take about 5 minutes. Ask the small groups to reconvene and put their reasons on the poster. The larger groups will then have some time to generate an argument in defense of their milk. The groups will be told to stop that activity after a while and try to think of what the other group may be thinking, and come up with counter arguments.

Put the overhead up and briefly describe pathos and logos, tell them that “we will get to ethos later”. Ask the students to underline any arguments that they have that fall under pathos and circle any that fall under ethos.

The class should be given some time to argue their sides and respond to statements.

Assessment:

Ask each student to do a journal entry. The entry should reflect on commercials and what method(s) of persuasion they use. Try to think of specific examples. Are there other times in your daily lives where you come across these methods being targeted at you?

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Presenting Lies

Link to a Microsoft Word document of this lesson:presentlies.doc

Link to a Microsoft Word document of this lesson's examples of lying:lyingexample.doc

Overview:

This lesson will ask the students to work in small groups to select and prepare a presentation for examples of lying according to the lessons on Bollinger.

Desired Outcomes:

Materials:

Students should come to class with examples that they found in the previous days. They can use examples from their journal and examples they found in the previous day’s class. They could also use examples they found outside of class from any sort of media.

Students will need paper and a writing utensil.

Some students may wish to use the television, projector, or LCD projector with the internet. Arrangements should be made with students prior to class if this is to be the case.

Attention Getter:

Show the students some examples of lying that you have found. Take a moment to discuss the kind of lie it is and ask the class what it really means. Prepare an agreed upon translation for the lie with the class.

An example from Bollinger's essay is available here: lyingexample.doc

Methods:

After the class has gone through several examples with the teacher, divide the class into small groups.

The charge of the group is to use two of the examples they have found, identify the sorts of lies, and prepare translations. The students should be ready to present their findings. Tell the students to make sure that they record these things on paper because the teacher will collect them.

While students are working in groups, travel around to make sure they get it. Once all groups are set, take some time to conference with students on their journaling.

Take the rest of class for the students to present.

Assessment:

Ask each group to hand in the work they have done for the day with each group members name on it.

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Show, don’t tell: Learning to Share Experience Inductively

Developed and delivered by Al Barnicle and Stacy Mittag

Link to a Microsoft Word document of this lesson:showtell.doc

Click on the link to see a video clip of the lesson: Video clip of Mr. Barnicle teaching.

Overview:

This lesson uses a process attainment model o teach the students how to ‘show’ in their writing.

Time:

This lesson should take a 50 minute period.

Desired Outcomes:

MN Standards Met:

8 – II – B – 2 – Create narratives that develop settings, people/characters, dialogue, and conflicts using descriptive, concrete language to engage audiences.

9-12 – II – A – 1 – Plan, organize and compose narrative, expository, descriptive, persuasive, critical and research writing to address a specific audience and purpose

Target:

This could be used for writing groups ages 12 and up.

Attention Getter:

Who of you has ever had a hard time expressing what you wanted to say? I know I have. Hopefully this lesson will help us to allow our readers to experience what we want them to.

Materials:

Methods:

Have prepared sheets with examples and non examples printed on them, on one side of the blackboard write “Example”, and on the other side of the blackboard write “Non Example”. Go through two or three examples / non examples with the students and ask the students to sort out the rest on their own.

Ask the students to define what Showing is and how it differs from telling.

Confirm or refine their answers.

Ask the students to write individually for 15 minutes on a prompt. The prompt can be something like “how I got to school today”, it doesn’t have to be real. Ask the students to include at least three instances where they show the reader what is going on. Ask the students to include as many senses as possible.

During this time the teacher should conference with the students individually to give nudges and feedback.

After the 15 minutes ask the class to turn to a partner, groups of no more than three, and share their stories for five minutes.

For the remainder of class ask if the class would like to share anything that they have written. Share something that you (the teacher) wrote first to start them off.

Collect the writings.

Assessment:

Students will turn in their writings at the end of the period.

Some students will make writings that have more than one instances of ‘showing’ and use more than one sense.

Many students will make writings that have am instance of ‘showing’ and use a sense.

All students will make writings that have either ‘showing’ or a sense.

Resources used to generate lesson:

Atwell, Nancie . In the Middle. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook, Inc., 1998.
This is a book including directions and reflections on the use of mini lessons.

Concept Attainment. 23 Dec. 2003. University of Saskatchewan. 1 Nov. 2004 http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/mcvittiej/methods/conatt.html.
This is a website containing information on how to use a 'concept attainment' process to teach a concept.

Noden, Harry R. Image Grammar: Using grammatical structures to teach writing. Ed. Lisa Luedeke. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 1999. 1-10.
This is a book describing how different sentence structures can ‘show’ the reader what is going on.

The Language of Literature: Writing Mini Lessons. Evenston: McDougal Littell , 1997.
This resource contains the examples used in the lesson.

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