Language Arts Lesson Plans

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Language Arts Lesson Plans

• An Integrated Component of the Problem-Based
  Learning Unit
• Joan Leonard

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Overview of Language Arts Lessons Flow

• Following is a series of lesson plans for the
  six-week PBL Unit. The role of Language Arts in
  this Unit is principally to drive the research
  and presentation phases of the Unit.
• At the end of the lesson plans is a rubric for
  the language arts aspect of the final
  presentation. Embedded within each lesson is an
  assessment and description of attributes for
  students to aim for.
• Before the details of the lesson plans is a
  calendar that indicates the particular lesson
  provided on each subject-specific class day.
  This calendar indicates the role of Language Arts
  in the Unit by including the group work lesson,
  Creating a Contract and the lesson devoted to
  Creating a Work Plan.

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Language Arts Lesson Plan 1 The Voice in the
News Note This lesson runs during the
preparing the learners section of the PBL Unit.

• QCC Objective 8.19, 8.21, 8.24, 8.28
• Lesson Objective(s) (1) Students articulate the
  stylistic techniques and conventions used in
  journalism. (2) Students explain the role of the
  op-ed pages and letters to the editor. (3)
  Students articulate the strengths and weaknesses
  of each.
• Learner Outcome(s) While students will have used
  the newspaper for current or research activities,
  they may not have utilized or been exposed to the
  op-ed/letters to the editor page. This section
  offers a very different view of topics in a
  community, but is important as a resource in
  understanding how to grasp the current issues of
  the day in a community.
• (1) Understand how public issues get reported
  (newspaper, magazines, TV news). (2) Understand
  op-ed pages letters to the editor vs reported
  articles in the paper.
• (3) Students articulate the strengths,
  weaknesses, purposes of journalistic genre.
• Assessment Student groups create a poster with
  examples of the attributes of journalistic
  writing. Each group highlights the differences
  in a sample article and op-ed piece vs a reported
  piece from the local paper OR groups compare and
  contrast the styles and elements of the genre in
  a 2-page paper. Important points relevant
  examples, clear differences, refection on
  differences to you as a reader.

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Language Arts Lesson Plan 1 Continued

• Introduction Students explain their familiarity
  with reporting in the newspaper and then asked to
  articulate the differences in the front section
  to the op-ed and letters to the editor pages.
  Students are curious to know more.
• Procedures During the NYC exercise, students
  work with a portfolio of articles about the NYC
  problem. The NYC articles and reporting on the
  outbreak will be used to ask students what they
  learned from reported pieces vs what they learned
  from the op-ed/letters to the editor pages.
  Students will be directed to the local paper to
  identify like conventions. Students will be asked
  to determine the ways in which various issues get
  raised, reported and played out in the
  communitys paper.
• Closure Throughout the Unit, the coach shares
  interesting reportage stories/pieces from the
  local paper with students and engages them in
  discussion. Students are encouraged to bring
  interesting op-ed/letters to the editor into
  class that they discover in their own reading and
  discuss those articles with the class.
• Materials and Resources On-line Augusta
  Chronicle will be used by students to monitor
  community voice/concerns on issues through review
  of the editorial pages.

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Language Arts Lesson Plan 2 Create a Group
Contract

• QCC Objective 8.64, 8.70
• Lesson Objective(s) (1) Students work
  effectively in groups on a long term project. (2)
  Students can explain the benefits of group work.
  (3) Students can demonstrate the elements of
  collaboration as they work.
• Learner Outcome(s) Students have a chance to
  simulate effective teamwork in this project.
  Because of the length of the project, some of the
  more difficult to master elements of working on a
  team will be tested. Students will have to deal
  with these issues and come to resolution for the
  good of the team and group. This skill is
  essential in all adult work settings and will be
  most useful as an exercise to better
  understanding group behavior.
• Assessment Each group will create a final draft
  of their contract and will work against a rubric
  containing the following elements
• Group behaviors encouraged by your group
• Group behaviors that will not be tolerated
• How conflicts will be resolved
• Team responsibilities
• Clearness of writing style and accuracy

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Create a Group Contract Continued

• Introduction Students are asked to recall groups
  in which they have worked and to reflect on what
  they know from successful group work and
  unsuccessful work.
• Procedures Students will be asked to devise a
  group contract that will be binding during their
  project. Students will brainstorm to identify
  elements of how to work in a group, what kinds of
  behaviors make for successful group work and
  rules for how they want their groups to function.
• Closure The goal is to provide students with a
  mechanism for encouraging best group work
  practices to assist in ensuring a smooth PBL
  Unit experience. Students will be advised that
  the first place to resolve group issues will be
  in the group for the course of the PBL Unit. If
  issues cannot be resolved there, the Coach will
  assist. Students will be asked to think
  critically about how they can best make a
  contribution to their team and to create a
  personal goal for themselves.
• Materials and Resources Word processors.
• Scholtes, Peter. (1988). Groupwork The team
  handbook. Salem, NH GOAL/QPC-Oriel.
• Scholtes, Peter. (1995). The team memory jogger.
  Salem, NH GOAL/QPC-Oriel.

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Language Arts Lesson Plan 3 Creating a Work
Plan

• QCC Objective None specific to this lesson.
• Learning Objective Demonstrate the ability to
  plan a project to meet deadlines and utilize a
  division of labor.
• Learner Outcomes Skills related to creating an
  effective work plan are skills for life as well
  as school as these skills can be used over and
  over on many projects. Organization is key to
  all successful project completion, especially
  when an issue is complex and a team is involved.
  This work plan will help groups ensure that all
  steps of the process are completed, that dates
  are met, etc. Each group will be asked to keep
  track of the actual versus expected time,
  problems encountered and how they were resolved.
  This map of the process will be handy in the
  de-briefing later and it will also show the kids
  how far they have come.
• Assessment Student groups are assessed twice
  during the lesson. (1) When the work plan is
  devised. Rubric looks for completeness, logical
  order of work and detail of the task list. (2)
  Midway through project, students share their
  timeframes and work plans with class. Each group
  speaks to a critical event in their work plan
  tough problem solved, timeline missed and how
  they dealt with it, miscalculation of time and
  what they might do differently next time.

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Creating a Work Plan Continued

• Introduction Once students have been briefed on
  the calendar and course of the PBL Unit, created
  their groups and begin their work, it will be
  important for each group to develop a work plan.
  The three major headings of Task, Responsible
  Person and Due Date will be the structure for the
  plan.
• Procedures Students will develop a plan in their
  groups. Students will work in their groups and
  create work plans to fit the structure named
  above.
• Closure Students will be asked to reflect to the
  class the difficulties of devising a work plan.
  Students will be advised that work plans are
  meant to be helpful and they can change as the
  project unfolds. They should be rigid, but
  flexible too.
• Materials and Resources Example work plans and a
  structured work plan document will be provided
  for assistance in addition to the coach in the
  classroom to assist each group. Students may use
  word processing or Excel as a means to keep track
  of their performance against the work plan as
  they choose.

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Language Arts Lesson Plans 4-6 Data, Data
Everywhere, References R Important Better
Notes Outlining

• Note This lesson plan spans three Language Arts
  class periods.
• QCC Objective 8.46, 8.47, 8.51, 8.52, 8.55
• Lesson Objective(s) Demonstrate effective
  research skills and techniques
• (1) data retrieval, (2) source referencing and
  (3) note-taking and outlining of information from
  a source for use in a presentation (either
  written or verbal).
• Learner Outcomes Source identification,
  referencing and comprehending information for the
  purposes of research are important skills that
  are relevant to both oral and written
  communication. This exercise assists students in
  improving their skills in both media.
• Assessment Each group prepares a 5-10 minute
  class presentation on 2-3 sources used in their
  research efforts (e.g., expert, news article,
  book, Internet). Key rubric issues include
  suitability of source to information need,
  characteristics of that mode, how others would
  know to consider the method in planning their
  research process. The group also shares the
  source reference and how to document it in a
  bibliography as well as their notes or outline of
  the information.

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Data, Data Everywhere, References R Important
Better Notes Outlining Continued

• Introduction This project is a chance for
  students to put it all together and use their
  skills effectively with independence. The lesson
  is introduced as part review and as part
  refinement of these skills. Students identify
  the important points involved in the skills
  utilized during this week. A class discussion of
  research techniques begins the lesson. Student
  comfort level with these skills are assessed from
  this discussion and the mini-lessons for the week
  will be constructed accordingly.
• Procedures Much of the project is devoted to
  this objective and these skills. Students work
  as groups to accomplish this objective and
  prepare themselves for their role in the final
  assessment. The coach works with students
  throughout the Unit on these skills they are
  highlighted this week. Students have a great
  deal of freedom to identify and pursue sources
  for their research experts, written materials,
  Internet, etc. The coach assists them in
  pursuing multiple options. Students work as
  groups and alone in their various roles and based
  on their various perspectives of the problem.
  Use the jigsaw method for students to share
  multiple methods of research and learn from one
  another.
• Closure The presentations work like the jigsaw
  technique of information sharing by allowing
  students to see new techniques and ways of
  researching a topic. Following the group
  presentations, students (individual) will prepare
  a one-page reflection on the new tricks their
  learned from work in their own group or from
  other groups presentations.
• Resources and Materials Defined by students
  curiosity and potential information sources for
  the Unit.

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Language Arts Lesson Plan 7 Interviewing Made
Easy

• QCC Objective 8.18, 8.48
• Learning Objective Conduct an effective
  interview for research purposes.
• Learner Outcomes Students interview an expert
  (can be in person or by phone) during the course
  of their research in the PBL Unit and they will
  need to know how to do this effectively.
• Assessment There are two opportunities for
  assessment in this skill.
• (1) After the in-class exercise described below.
  In this case, student groups prepare a road-map
  for the successful interview.
• (2) Student groups demonstrate success in
  mastering these concepts during their interviews
  of experts. Pre-interview questions, as well as
  notes form the interview itself and a reflective
  conference with the teacher will serve as
  assessment tools.

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Interviewing Made Easy Continued

• Introduction Students identify what they believe
  to be the key steps to good interviewing
  technique. This takes place as a whole class
  brain storming session within categories provided
  by the coach attitude and manners question
  format listening skills, note-taking, summary
  and thank you.
• Procedures The coach informs students that the
  class will interview a non-teacher school
  employee to find out more about that individuals
  job. The interview will last for approximately
  10-15 minutes.
• Closure After the interview, students are asked
  to discuss what worked well/what did not in the
  course of the interview and what they observed
  about interview.
• Materials Resources The interviews in the
  classroom could be videotaped for de-briefing
  purposes and identification of good interviewing
  techniques.
• Zinsser, William. (1990). On Writing Well An
  informal guide to writing non-fiction. 4th ed.
  New York Harper and Row.
• Interview technique The dos and donts.
  online http//www.icaa.org.au/yo/interview
• http//www.incent.com/connection.indx/techniques.h
  tml2

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Language Arts Lesson Plan 8 Organizing Info
Data

• QCC Objective 8.49, 8.53
• Lesson Objective Demonstrate effective data and
  information organization skills.
• Learner Outcomes Understanding how to organize
  data and information collected during a research
  project is key to assimilating that information
  and preparing it for presentationwhether it is
  oral or written.
• Assessment Each group prepares a 5-7 minute
  presentation on two techniques to the class with
  a visual aid of their choosing. Key rubric
  components are usefulness and effectiveness in
  teaching other students how to use the
  trick/technique.
• Introduction Students are asked to share their
  personal techniques and tricks for organizing
  data and information. This is useful to students
  because these techniques will be real and
  applicable to their needs.
• Procedures The coach helps students cull from
  the list to identify common themes and methods.
  The coach will share his/her own techniques as
  well as other recommended techniques in the
  class.
• Closure Each individual is asked to write a
  brief summary of a new technique they plan to
  adapt in their own research process.
• Materials and Resources Based on students
  imagination for presentation.

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Language Arts Lesson Plan 9-11 Take a Stand,
ManSpeaking to Make a Point and Creating a
Rebuttal

• Note This lesson plan spans three Language Arts
  class periods.
• QCC Objective 8.18, 8.56, 8.57, 8.58, 8.59,
  8.60. 8.62, 8.63
• Lesson Objective(s) This lesson plan assists the
  learner in understanding how to take a role,
  prepare an argument and then respond to rebuttal
  from the opposing viewpoint. I.e., how to work
  effectively in the technique of debate (1)
  Research a topic with the goal of stance-taking
  as outcome. (2) Demonstrate the ability to
  consider a problem and argue for a solution that
  may be counter to ones personal beliefs. (3)
  Demonstrate the ability to anticipate rebuttal to
  an argument and to argue effectively against it.
• Learner Outcomes The ability to present ones
  point in a cogent manner, anticipate
  counterpoints and argue effectively are important
  skills that are relevant to both oral and written
  communication. These exercises will assist
  students in sharpening their skills in both
  media.
• Assessment Mini-debates are assessed by the
  coach and class for success in making points,
  taking a stance, role and effectively developing
  arguments. The rubric is based on participation
  vs no participation. Participants self-critique
  argument and logic following each debate in an
  informal way. Improvements that can be made are
  identified. See Final Assessment for another
  assessment.

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Take a Stand, Man, Speaking to Make a Point,
Creating a Rebuttal Continued

• Introduction Tell students they are going to
  argue this week in school. The arguing will be
  structured and productive, will follow the rules
  of debate and will assist them in making their
  thoughts know more efficiently. This moves to a
  mini-lesson on debate. Because much of ones
  skill with debate comes through practice, the
  focus of this lesson is on performance of the
  skill.
• Procedures Conduct mini-debates in class
  (across two sub-groups) so that students
  experience making their point and staying in role
  as well as a tool to helping them flush out
  additional research needs or arguments to
  consider. These debates follow from discussion
  and mini-lessons on the principles of debate,
  stance taking and argument preparation. Topics
  can be limited to Unit topics or unrelated debate
  topics. Give students 10 minutes to prepare
  arguments on the topic to practice logical
  argument flow. E.g. School issues on athletic
  events, dances, school policies.
• Closure Individuals prepare a one page
  reflection on what they learned in the debate and
  how they might change their argument, do more
  research or prepare more rebuttal.
• Materials and Resources
• Daley, P. (1998) Ready, read, debate. Instructor.
  October, 1998, 84.
• http//www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/comm20/mod7.html

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Final Assessment At the Forum Language Arts
Rubric

• Students will be assessed according to the
  following factors on their final. During the
  Unit, each assessment is noted and its key rubric
  components (see individual lesson plans). This
  Final is a group assessment and is meant to be
  combined with those throughout the Unit. Each of
  the assessments, and this final one, are of equal
  weight as all components of the Unit are
  important parts of the total package.
• Presentation Components
• Participation
• Style (Ability to stay in role)
• Rebuttal
• Mechanics voice, posture, eye content
• Presentation Notes/Document
• Content
• References
• Logic of argument
• Strength of argument