Knudsen

Beth Knudsen

Censorship Unit: “Looking Critically at Censorship”

Prefatory Statement

Students constantly want to have a say in what they are learning. They also want to know how their time from 8-3:30 will affect their “real lives.” I believe that the concept of censorship has a great impact on how students analyze their own beliefs about literature, and ultimately, gets them excited about literature and its place in their lives. This is not to say that I believe that an English teacher should necessarily teach censored or questionable material. This is not what this unit is about; however, it is a chance for students to explore a number of concepts, beliefs, and ideas that go into censoring material, and it has a “real life” aspect that will allow them to argue for or against censorship in literature and other mediums. Due to the higher levels of thinking, this unit would be appropriate for older students who have the abstract thinking necessary to take in this information and analyze it appropriately. Students will be exposed to a variety of cultures and the views those cultures have of censorship, as well as material from other cultures that has been questioned for different reasons. How does censorship affect each and every one of us, and how do we feel about it? This unit will include activities such as journal writing, literature circles, group presentations on an aspect of censorship, and a debate in order to give students a variety of views about censorship. I believe that this will be a very engaging unit that will have students talking and debating long after the class hour is over.

Class Specifications

Since this can be viewed as a highly controversial subject, it will need to be done in classrooms that can understand and appreciate debate, different viewpoints, other diverse ideas, and implications for future selves. Basically, the class needs to be mature enough to be able to identify, analyze, and talk about the issues surrounding censorship. This would be appropriate for a 12th grade class or an honors 11th grade class. We would be looking at a variety of ways that censorship is seen and felt in students’ everyday lives from different media, such as books, magazines, and the Internet. We will also be doing a number of activities such as group presentations on a certain aspect of censorship and journal prompts so that students will be able to formulate and think about their own ideas concerning censorship, both positive and negative.

Significant Assumptions

Students will be familiar with the term “censorship,” and will either have or develop a strong opinion on this topic; they will be able to formulate, discuss, and write about their opinions. This material will have a clear connection to the real world, and students will be able to identify with or imagine situations in the literature of the unit. Students will be able to put themselves into another perspective (take on another role) to further their understanding of censorship. Students will be familiar with journaling and will understand the role that their journal will take in forming their beliefs, values, and opinions.

Minnesota State Standards:

• Comprehension: Analyze a variety of nonfiction sources, selected from journals, speeches, essays, biographies and autobiographies.

• Reading: Students will read, analyze, and evaluate traditional, classic, and contemporary works of literary merit from countries and civilizations around the world.

• Writing: Students will engage in a writing process with attention to audience, organization, focus, quality of ideas, and purpose.

Desired Outcomes

Students will be able to:

• articulate their beliefs about censorship

• project themselves into a role in a mock debate

• formulate and argue points about censorship

Big Questions

Who has the power to censor and why?

What, if anything, should be censored?

What would you censor if you were in charge of… the Internet? the library? the school?

What can you do to make a difference supporting my own beliefs about censorship?

How do you react to censorship? Is it similar or different to a character in a novel that you have read in this unit?

Interdisciplinary

I feel that this topic can work well in collaboration with a variety of other classes. Humanities, History, Geography, and Civics are all classes that lend themselves to the exploration and discussion of censorship. Classes could look at censorship over the years in U.S. history, the role of censorship in other countries around the globe, and censorship of ideas, religion, and other cultural beliefs. There are also ways to discuss censorship in science classes, as many controversial topics find their way into science classes. For as how to teach the creation of the universe what extent we should be using scientific knowledge, and what role science should have in our culture are all topics that lend themselves to censorship.

Possible Whole Class Activities

• Reading and discussion of the texts, including books, poems, and short stories.

What physical or emotional role does censorship take?

How do the characters deal with the situation? Why? What would you do?

How do you think the author feels about the subject? Why do you think so?

• A role playing debate at the end of the unit.

How does your role feel about censorship? How do you know? What research (Internet, journals, books, interviews) did you conduct? What would they say in this debate? What would they stand for? How are you going to portray them?

Possible Small Group Activities

• Literature circles

• Teaching the class a concept about censorships that they have discovered through research. Ideas include but are not limited to:

a poem dealing with censorship

how a culture deals with censorship (Communism, propaganda, etc)

historical aspects of censorship (oppression of a group of people, ideas, religion)

the Bill of Rights

Court cases dealing with censorship

burned and banned books

current events dealing with censorship (US Patriot Act, Internet sites)

ratings for movies, video games, TV shows

Possible Individual Activities

• Writing a letter in support of their own beliefs about censorship.

• Journaling

• Reading/homework in preparation for discussion, debate, and literature circles

• Web Quest

Ongoing Activities

Some of these follow with the individual activities. Students will be expected to keep a journal throughout, documenting their reactions, experiences, and any changes to their ideas or beliefs about censorship. They will also be responsible for a role during the debate, and will spend time throughout the unit researching and developing their role.

Student Resources

• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

• Memoir of a Bookbat by Kathryn Lasky

• Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Cris Crutcher

• 1984 by George Orwell

• A Matter of Principal by Susan Beth Pfeffer

• Snow on the Mountain by James Moffet

Unit Launch

I will begin the unit with a scenario: we have just learned that all of the music that has been created in the United States past the year 1995 has been banned. No one will be allowed to write any more original songs, perform new songs or music, or listen to anything that has been made after the year 1995. Every CD that we own that contains any of this music will be confiscated by the government, and music videos and radio stations will be banned from playing new music. (So long, TRL!) There will be government spies that will constantly be on the lookout for anyone who is in violation of this new law, and the punishments are extremely severe.

Students must write in response to the following questions.

1. How does this new law make you feel?

2. How does it affect your life?

3. What do you think that you will do- and what will the consequences be?

4. Do you disagree with this new law? Why or why not? What can you do about it?

A discussion will follow about censorship. After we have looked at students’ ideas and concerns about censoring the music, we will talk briefly about where they have seen censorship before in their own lives. I will go over the larger parts of the unit, such as the debate, the group presentations, and the response letters.

Organization of Unit- see chart for a visual

Week One: This week will be concerned with getting students thinking about censorship and how it plays a role in their lives. We will begin the unit by reading the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Throughout the week, I will ask students to talk in partners in response to scenarios that will be paralleled in the day’s reading. This will get the students thinking about the situations that occur throughout the novel, as well as help them make connections to their own feelings and the plot of the book.

Sample Lesson Plan: Day Two

Objectives: Students will:

• understand the role that censorship will play in the book

• begin to analyze their own views about censorship

Method

• Introduce quotes about book burning

What role has this played in society? What message does it send? Is it effective?

• Introduce the idea of the firefighters being responsible for fires

What are some other examples of “backwards” jobs? Why do they seem so ridiculous?

• Begin reading Fahrenheit 451.

• Journal # 1 during the last 10 minutes of class.

How would you feel if you were a part of this society? What do you feel that you could do if you wanted change?

Assessment: The journal writing is the first of a series of entries that will follow the students’ ideas and perceptions about censorship. By reading the literature and participating in discussions, students will gain a clearer idea of the role censorship in society and how they react to it. Students will be asked to turn in certain parts of their journal so that the teacher can document how they are coming along with their observations.

Week Two: This week we will finish Fahrenheit 451 on Tuesday. Their last journal entry about the novel will have the topic of “choice.” What choices does the main character make? What are the outcomes? In that situation, what would you do? Why? On Monday, I will also pass out their role assignments for the debate. They can start thinking about their research, and we will do an evaluation Web Quest on websites on Friday (they will use this Web Quest for both their debate research and their group presentation research). This week we will also talk about book banning and book burning: the groups that participated in this and the outcomes of it, along with organizations that support reading banned books. We will look at short stories and book excerpts that are both fiction and non fiction that deal with banning books. On Friday, the students will have an opportunity for extra credit if they bring in a quote or picture dealing with censorship that I can put up on the bulletin board. At the end of the week we will go to the lab to do the website Web Quest to find out what makes up a good source on the Internet. Also, I will hand out a worksheet describing their literature circles.

Sample Lesson Plan: Day Ten

Objective: Students will:

• Research and distinguish their role in the debate

Set Up:

• The hour will be spent in the media center

• Students who have same or similar roles in the debate may pair up, or they may work in their groups for the presentations (according to time and need after the Web Quest)

Method:

• Students will go to the Web Quest website and work on the tasks

• For their research for their roles and the group presentations, students must find at least

one credible websites and give three reasons why it is appropriate.

Assessment:

• The students must hand in the assigned work from the Web Quest

• Students must turn in their papers and paragraphs with their intended sources, sites, and research found. What stance does this site take on censorship?

Week Three: The first half of this week we will focus on different media and how censorship is portrayed or used. On Monday they will journal about a song, movie, television show, poem, or magazine that they enjoy was either censored by someone else, rated in a way that they didn’t agree with, or was about censorship.

Sample Lesson Plan: Day Twelve

Objectives: Students will:

• analyze a different medium about or relating to censorship

Method:

• Start the hour by playing “Media” by John Butler Trio (Australia)

Pass out the lyrics on handout

What are they trying to say about censorship? Who are they blaming?

• Group work: “They Have Not Yet” poem

• Students will read the poem aloud, and then have five minutes for a freewrite response to the poem. What emotions did it make you feel? What does the title mean? What does the rhythm of the poem do for the listener?

• Group members have roles similar to the lit circles roles. Get out those sheets and pick one role. Each group must work towards an understanding of the poem, focusing on those four specific roles. Each group must write one thing that they have learned in their roles on the board.

Assessment: Students will be assessed on the written work that they turn in about the poem, as well as their participation and contribution to the group discussion at the end of class. Each group must include how they felt that the role they chose was either directly related or created understanding of censorship.

The rest of the week will be focused on working on group work on their presentations that will start on the following week. They will have time one or two days to do library research, and will spend the rest of the time deciding on roles during the presentation and creating their visual aids. Students will be expected to use class time wisely.

Week Four: This week we will start off by journaling about the research that the students have done so far for their presentations and their roles. What have they learned that has surprised them? Angered them? Interested them? What else will they try to look for in their research that they haven’t found yet? On Monday, their interviews will be due, as they received their assignment during week two. Monday will also be a work day for research about their roles, as well as a final day to work on their group presentations. Two days during this week will be devoted to group presentations, with any remaining groups going on a third day. We will also work on setting up the debate, deciding on rules, and making sure everyone understands what they will need to accomplish before the debate starts in one week. The final day of the week will be devoted to lit circles.

Week Five: This week we will start of by journaling about change. What has changed in their perceptions about censorship? Is there anything that hasn’t changed? What would they like to change about what they have seen so far? How would they go about doing that? This week will start off by looking at censorship in cultures. We will look at censorship in other cultures and countries as well as censorship of other cultures and countries. Why do we censor what is unfamiliar to us? Why do we hold such beliefs about other cultures? How do other countries censor things, and how do their people react? On Wednesday, it is the last day to work on the debate, and we will finalize and answer any questions. They will also be asked to start brainstorming about their letter that will be sent to an organization of their choice regarding censorship. On Thursday, the actual debate will take place! On Friday, students will do a debate reflection and work in their lit circles group.

Week Six: We will move out of censorship and into working on the students’ letters. On Monday, their first draft is due, and we will spend time working on grammar and spelling logs. On Wednesday, another draft is due that will be peer edited. On Friday, students will meet with the teacher with their final working draft, to go over any mistakes that their peer editor might have missed. The students will send out their revised letters the following Monday.

Assessment of Unit

Students will be assessed on daily work, participation in discussions (possibly using a fishbowl technique), and on projects that follow the objectives’ goals.

Journals: Students will need to turn in a completed journal with at least three entries marked for the teacher’s evaluation. Journals may be creative and include drawings, poems, stories, or a student’s own interpretations of their feelings of the unit.

Debate: Students will be assessed on a variety of different aspects of the debate. They must turn in a description of their research, including sources, that they have used to find information on their role. They will also need to include a paragraph describing their role and their role’s beliefs about censorship, as well as a paragraph introductory statement to be used in the debate. Their arguments, those created for their role, will be assessed on how the argument matches the research and how they have applied it to the topic of censorship.

Final Reflection Letter: Students will write a letter supporting or arguing points of censorship that will be sent to an organization of their choice from a list that will be provided. Organizations could include the public library association, the national coalition for censorship, or a local newspaper. This paper must be proofread, have multiple drafts, and include research. It must state their ideas and beliefs about censorship that they have accumulated throughout the unit.

Resources for Teachers

The American Library Association, www.ala.org

This site has close to a hundred suggestions of what teachers can do in their classrooms to support the reading of banned books.

National Coalition Against Censorship, www.ncac.org

This site includes many current issues that surround censorship.

English Journals

I found many references to censorship in these magazines. Teachers speak out on what they are willing to teach, what they believe their students should be exposed to, and how they feel about the censorship of books in the classroom.

www.PBS.org and www.PBS.org/teachersource

These sites have many helpful resources, from links and media to teacher support.

There are many well developed lesson plans that focus on the definition and implications of censorship. There are also related links that could be beneficial to a classroom websearch.

Debate Rubric

Excellent Good Fair Poor

Research Interview Interview Interview Interview

4 written sources 3 written sources 2 written sources 1 or no source

(1 Internet Credible site according Credible site according No credible site No credible site

site) to Web Quest to Web Quest

Intro 4 descriptions of role 3 descriptions 2 descriptions 1 or none

Paragraph Their stance on censorship same same none

Intro 4 convincing arguments 3 convincing arguments 2 arguments 1 or no argue.

Statement plan of action plan of action plan of action no plan of action

(word choice) catchy opening catchy opening unpolished opening no clear opening

Participation Remained engaged, Remained attentive and Attentive at times, but Distracting to

attentive, and contributed contributed a few times at times distracting other students

often to the debate to the debate Only contributed their No contribution

opening statement to the debate

Write A Letter- Either in Support of or Against Censorship!

This is the chance that you have been waiting for! It is a chance to tell others what YOU think… others who may have an influence on your school, community, society, and world. What you say could influence them to change their policies, or you could even be published!

For these reasons, it is very important that your letter is error-free. People will not take your letter seriously if it is full of grammatical mistakes or spelling errors. We will be working on multiple drafts to make sure that your letter is the very best that it can be so that it will make the most impact on the person or company that you send it to.

Letters must include:

• Your own beliefs about censorship

• Evidence, facts, or statistics that is found from a reliable source (check the Web Quest for any questions about how to tell if a source is reliable)

• Your plan of action or personal statement regarding censorship

REMEMBER: these letters are going to a real audience. They need to be:

• Courteous and polite language regarding your beliefs and their standpoints (no rude or obscene language)

• Proof read by three peers

• Spell checked and grammar checked

Feel free to use anything in your letter that you have learned from this unit on censorship. This could include reflections from your journal, information from group presentations, material from the debate, or material from one or more of the novels.

Letters need to be at least one page (double spaced, 12 point font), but no longer than three pages.

FIRST DRAFT DUE DATE______________

SECOND DRAFT DUE DATE____________

FINAL DRAFT DUE DATE ______________

GROUP PRESENTATIONS

(These will be interesting and fun! Get excited!!)

You will be teaching the class about a concept of censorship during a 10-15 minute presentation. Ideas include, but are not limited to:

A poem dealing with censorship

How a culture deals with censorship- propaganda, communism, wartime messages

Historical incidents concerning censorship- an oppression of a certain group of people,

ideas, or religion

The Bill of Rights

Court cases dealing with censorship

Burned and banned books

Current events dealing with censorship- the US Patriot Act, reading material

Internet censorship

Ratings for movies, video games, television shows

In a group of 3 or 4, you will need to cover these questions:

Why is this relevant to censorship?

What is the historical background or timeline in which this occurred?

Who was involved? (could be many, could be few)

Does it have a conclusion? (for example, was it solved? Was there a law made about it?)

How does this impact our class?

What did you learn from this topic?

You can include any other question that you think is relevant. SEE ME if you have any questions about what you can include in your presentation.

It is up to you how you want to present this to the class. However, I would like you to include a visual or audio aid of some sort. This could include a poster, a chart, a powerpoint presentation, a graph, a picture, a comic strip, a diorama, music, a video, or anything else that you can think of.

Grading:

Presentation lasts for 10-15 minutes 10

Presenters speak clearly and use strong eye contact 5

Presentations answers 5 of the questions above (or your own questions) 30

Visual aid/ sound aid 10

Analysis of the work contributed by group members (checklist) 5

60 points possible

Debate Roles

By now, we have talked a great deal about the “big debate”! This will take place at the end of the unit, and will be a great way for you to bring in your ideas, your research, and your thoughts about censorship to the class.

There are a few things that you will need to do in order to be prepared for the debate. They include:

Research- 5 total sources (follow the guidelines of the Web Quest)

An interview with someone who holds your role

Intro Paragraph- written in preparation for your role in the debate,

and turned into the teacher at the end of the debate

Intro Statement- what you will say to introduce your role to the rest

of the class during the debate

You will randomly be assigned with a role. You may not agree with the position of the role that you are assigned. You may think that it will be too difficult to do the assignment if you are arguing for a position that you do not agree with, but this will help you to understand how another role feels and why. Do your best to “get into” the persona of the role.

Roles include:

a parent who would like more Internet censorship

a member of an organization who gives ratings to movies/TV

a librarian

a pastor of a local church

a teacher

a principal

a legislator who supports the US Patriot Act

a legislator who does not support the US Patriot Act

an author of a book that has been banned

a news reporter

someone who supports censorship of wartime media coverage

Can you think of any other people who are concerned with censorship? If you think of a role that you would like to take, let me know.

Lit Circles

During this unit, you will be expected to read a novel that deals with censorship. You will be working on understanding and analyzing this book with the help of your literature circle group.

Each group will have people in different roles:

Summarizer: Your job is to prepare a brief summary of today's reading. Your group

discussion will start with your 1-2 minute statement that covers the key points, main highlights, and general idea of today's reading assignment.

Discussion Director: Your job is to develop a list of questions that your group might

want to discuss about this part of the book. Help people talk over the big ideas in the reading and share their reactions. Usually the best discussion questions come from your own thoughts, feelings, and concerns as you read.

Illustrator: Your job is to draw some kind of picture related to the reading. It can be a

sketch, cartoon, diagram, flow chart, or stick figure scene. You can draw a picture of something that is discussed specifically in your book, something that the reading reminded you of, or a picture that conveys any idea or feeling you got from the reading.

Connector: Your job is to find connections between the book your group is reading and

the world outside. This means connecting the reading to your own life, happenings at school or in the community, similar events at other times and places, or other people or problems that this book brings to mind.

We will be switching roles each Friday when we do lit circles! Enjoy your books!

Each person must document their role in the group with a (minimum) five sentence paragraph. What did you contribute? What did you learn? How did your group members respond? How well did you accomplish your role? How did this role help you understand the novel?

(adapted from www.allamericareads.org)

John Butler Trio, “Media”

What you watch, what you read

What you perceive is to be truth

It is all so subjective

So what you believe is up to you

But what are we to believe in

Between the lies and the truth? Youth

Media has vested interest

So what you believe is up to you.

But how are we to make sense of these turbulent times

When all they do is censor our minds

Only telling what they want us to know

Only half of the story told

So what is wrong? What is right?

No truth can there be seen

Well it's all there in your new religion

Just turn on your TV screen

Watch the sex and drugs and all that violence

Look what they are feeding you

Propaganda yes indeed its,

its all there to confuse

But how are we to make sense of these turbulent times

When all they do is brainwash our minds

Only telling what they want us to know

Only half of the story told

And if the truth can't be found

I'll find my own underground

And if the truth is never to be seen

I'll find my own in between

What you watch, what you read

What you perceive is to be truth

It is all so subjective

So what you believe is up to you

But what are we to believe in

Between the lies and the truth? Youth

Media has vested interest

So what you believe is up to you.

You know its up to you

Don't believe the lies, read between the lines,

Don't believe the lies, critically analyze

Day 26: Draft of Reflection letter due for grammar/spelling logs

Day 28: Draft of Reflection letter due for peer editing

Day 30: Final copy of Reflection letter due with two rough drafts

Last day to work on debate

Letter Brainstorm

Journal

Interviews Due

Roles Info Search/work day

Debate Reflection

Lit Circles

Debate!

Censorship in Cultures

Journal

Censorship in Cultures

Fahrenheit 451

Farenheit 451

Lit Circles

Debate Set Up

Group presentations

Internet and Media censorship

Group work on presentations

Songs and Poetry

Journal

Songs and Poetry

Book Banning

Book Burning

Quotes/pictures due

Lit Circles Intro

Web Quest

Book Excerpts/

Short Stories

Journal

Fahrenheit 451

Role Assignment

Fahrenheit 451

Journal

Intro to the Unit

-debate roles

-group presentations

Fahrenheit 451

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday