Concept Unit: Lesson Plan #5

Unit Working Title: This I Believe

Unit Big Idea (Concept/Theme): Status Quo
Unit Primary Skill focus: Questioning, personal essay
Week __2__ of 3; Plan #__5__ of 9; [90 mins.]
Plan type: ____Full-Detail ____Summary
Content Requirement Satisfied: N/A
Unit Learning Objectives:
SWBAT:
Cognitive: None in this lesson.
Affective and/or Non-Cognitive:
2. Students will understand that asking questions can help us explore who we
are.
b. Students will understand that questioning laws and existing traditions can lead to
real change.
Performance:
4. Students will feel optimistic about the possibilities of questioning the status
quo.
b. Students will consider a local high school students call for change in
cultural/historical tradition in
our city.
6. Students will be able to reflect on the purpose of questioning the status quo.
a. Students will use their reflective learning blogs to share their own opinions of a
local article and its
significance.
7. Students will be able to explore and develop their own belief systems.
a. Students will begin drafting their own This I Believe statements.
SOLs:

8.7 The student will write in a variety of forms, including narration,

exposition, persuasion, and informational.
b. Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas.
h. Use computer technology to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writing.
CCSs:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.6

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present
the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact
and collaborate with others.
Methods of Assessment:
Diagnostic

Last class, students

began brainstorming
and drafting their initial
ideas for their TIB
statements. The teacher
will have had time to
read over these in
preparation for
conferences today. (7a)
At the very start of class,
the teacher will ask
students what they
know about the Lee
Park Story. This will help
the teacher know how
much the students
already know and/or if
they have formed
opinions prior to class.
(2b, 4b)

Formative

Students will complete

blog posts and blog
comments to reflect on
their opinions of this
local current event. They
will have the opportunity
to further explore ways
that their own
questioning could lead
to real change. (2b, 4b,
6a)
The teacher will hold
writing conferences with
each student to note
topics and questions for
the TIB project. (7a)
The teacher will end
class so that students
can share what they
have been working on
with each other and to
ask any burning
questions they have
about the project. (7a)

Summative

Throughout the
remainder of this week,
students will have time
in class to continue
discussing ways to
question the status quo
as well as developing
their own beliefs in a
persona, This I Believe
statement. Students will
continue working on
their written This I
Believe statements in
each class period this
week. (2, 5, 7a)

Beginning Room Arrangement:

[Changes in this arrangement that become necessary later will be noted in the plan]
Students will be seated in their base groups. As they enter class, the Do-Now will be
written on the board. They will need to pick up a copy of the Lee Park article and begin
reading.
Procedures/Instructional Strategies
[Note: Any words that represent what I would say directly to students appear in italics.]
1. [__5__ mins] Welcome:
Good afternoon everyone. Thanks to those of you who have come in and gotten right to
work on the Lee park article. I just want to briefly go over todays agenda with you. Last
class we read and discussed a childrens story about how to challenge rules at school.
Today were actually going to read a short article, the Lee Park article many of you have
already picked up, about a local high schooler, Zyahna, who is working hard challenge
cultural traditions right here in our city. Youll have a chance to blog and discuss this
article in your base groups. Then, well watch a video of Zyahna at the park protest. I think

youll really enjoy seeing someone about your age doing such a powerful thing. After
weve talked through the article youll have a chunk of class time to continue working on
the drafts you started yesterday for your This I Believe statements. I have skimmed
through your blog posts and will be circulating around to help you as you are working.
Then, at the very end of class well have some time for you to ask any burning questions
you have about any part of the project.
2. [__20__ mins] Read & Respond to Lee Park Article in Blogs:
So, if you have not already gotten a copy of the Lee Park article, please come up and grab
one of those so that you can start reading and blogging. Ive specifically bolded some of
the quotes the city got from Zyahna. These are to help you narrow your focus on the blog
prompts. If youll look up to the board for your Do-Now, youll see your TWO questions for
today:

How do you think Zyahna feels about her role in the Lee park debate?
Think of an issue you see in the status quo of our school (think back to our
discussions yesterday). What could you do to help make a change?

Im going to give you about 20 minutes to read and respond to this article in your blogs.
Go ahead and get started. While students are getting started, I will take attendance. Then
I will circulate around the class. I will pay particular attention to Cody & Grace who may
need some help getting through the article even though it is only a page long.
3. [__10__ mins] Blog Comments:
Finish up the sentence you are currently writing, and publish your post so that others can
see it. You can look up and take your hands off of your keyboard to let me know that you
are ready. Pause until 80% of the class is ready.
Please go to your partners blog so that you can comment on todays post. Read through
the post, then provide a comment, question, or idea that comes to mind when you read
the post. This doesnt have to be long; one or two sentences will work just fine. Remember
to reference something specific about your partners blog, as weve discussed before.
At this time, let students read and comment on blogs. Circulate around the class and assist
any groups that are having issues sharing or comments.
4. [__5__ mins] Watch News Broadcasting of Lee Park:
Now that we are familiar with Zyahnas story and you have started to process how you
think shes feeling and what you could do to take action, I actually have a video of Zyahna
in action. So, before we discuss Im going to show you the video of Zyahna on the local
news so that you can really see her at work and hear her voice in the community. Que and
show the video to the students.
5. [__8__ mins] Small group discussions:
Ok, so now weve read about and seen what Zyahna, a freshman in high school is doing to
challenge the status quo right here in our community. Its pretty remarkable, isnt it? Last
you all blogged and discussed a Facebook post in your base groups and then you
completed an Exit Card together. We are going to follow that same procedure again today
to further discuss the Lee Park article and video. You should have already completed your

blog posts and comments, so you already have an idea of what other folks in your base
group are thinking about. Im going to give you 8 minutes to chat with your base groups.
Lets get started!
While students are discussing, I will circulate around the class and periodically join groups.
I will scaffold discussion when needed, most often referring students back to their blog
posts and comments as a starting point. I will pay particular attention to how students
discuss their ideas about the status quo at school. Later in the class, if students are having
issues finding a topic for their This I Believe statements, I can use these ideas as a
scaffold for them during the drafting workshop.
6. [__2__ mins] Exit Card in Groups:
If you would make this the last person to share in your groups and start working on your
Exit Card. Just give me a couple of bullet points to summarize what you all talked about
today. I also want to check in on Home Court norms as well. Tell me what you talked about
and how the class is doing with Home Court. Dont forget to put your names on the Exit
Cards! When youre done, please designate one person to turn them in at the turn in
table.
7. [__25__ mins] Writing Workshop:
For the next chunk of class, Im going to give you time to keep working on the drafts that
you started in class yesterday for your This I Believe statement. The more you are able
to accomplish in class, the more feedback and help I can provide to you. During this time I
will hold conferences in the back corner of the room. When no one is conferencing, Ill be
circulating around the class to check-in with you periodically.
Throughout this time I will hold mini-conferences with students to note their topics and
how they are individually feeling about the project. I will go to each student to note these
things. For students who are having larger issues, we can go to the back corner to further
discuss and avoid distracting other students. I will also catch and release students if
particular concerns or questions seem to be reoccurring.
8. [__10__ mins] Wrap Up // Q & A:
Lets finish up the last few sentences you are working on. Please put away everything
except for your This I Believe project handout. There are extras in the back of the room
if you need another copy. Pause for students to clear their desks and get out the project
assignment sheet. I want you to take just a second to skim over this again and note
anything that doesnt make sense to you, particularly the writing part since thats what we
are working on this week. You can ask questions about the multimedia or the reflection
portion, however we will spend substantial class time on those next week leading up to
your presentations. Go ahead and skim over the sheet and note anything you have
question about. Pause for a minute or so to let students look over the handout again.
At this time, I will take any questions students may have about the project. I assume they
will ask more questions about the multimedia portion of the assignment since we have not
discussed it in depth. This is okay, and will actually help prepare students to fill out an Exit
Card tomorrow brainstorming what kind of project theyd like to complete.
Differentiated Instruction to accommodate one or more of my profiled students:

Grace & Cody I have noted in the lesson plan that I will work with these two students
during this assignment to help them through the language of the article. It is a short
article, but it does have some advanced language and tricky names in it. I will pull them
aside and read it aloud with them and clarify anything that might not make sense to them.
Materials Needed:
Laptops or tablets
Link to the Lee Park Article: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U77sIi0QYJE

Index Cards
This I BelieveHandout

Materials Appendix:

People Show Support for, Opposition to Lee Statue in

Charlottesville
Posted: Mar 22, 2016 11:29 AM EDT Updated: Mar 22, 2016 3:41 PM EDT
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va (WVIR) A rally asking the city of Charlottesville to remove a Confederate war hero's monument in
Lee Park turned into a yelling match as a total of almost a hundred people argued about
the statue.
Charlottesville Vice Mayor Wes Bellamy held a press conference Tuesday morning to show
his and other citizens' disapproval of the statue of Confederate Army General Robert E.
Lee in a public park.
Fifteen-year-old Zyahna Bryant, a student at Charlottesville High School, started
a petition to remove the statue after meeting with Bellamy.
The petition calls the monument "offensive".
"Keeping a statue here is representing hate and a subliminal message of racism that has
existed in Charlottesville for a very long time," Bryant said.
Several civil rights activists spoke at the conference, but supporters of Confederate history
interrupted, yelling comments like racist' and "stop spreading hate.
[The statue] means all the horror of the legacy of black people. It romanticizes citizens
who don't know. They look at that statue, they think that was a gallant person that saved
us, but he was a terrorist," Albemarle-Charlottesville NAACP President Rick Turner.
One group says city council and Bellamy are disregarding Lee's historical significance and
how important he was to Virginia.
"This man served the United States as a veteran, and so why would you dishonor an
American veteran? Its just that simple, Virginia Flagger member Barry Isenhour said.
"I just don't feel like history needs to be changed and this monument here. It does not
need to go, it represents history," said Robert Elliott.
"Their heritage is in the history books, online, on the internet. Its everywhere,
in museums, I have to look at it every day when I go to school," Bryant said.
She also said, "I think they know their heritage, and its right there in their own
homes. It does not belong here in a public park."
A counter petition on change.org is calling on Charlottesville City Council to keep the
statue and add a monument to the late civil rights leader and University of Virginia
professor Julian Bond.
Mayor Mike Signer released a plan to create a commission that would get public input and
create options, like moving memorials to a museum or adding new memorials.

Charlottesville City Council is expected to take up the issue at its meeting on April 18.

This I Believe Project

Objectives Assessed:
You will understand that other peoples values have validity through your experiences in our community of
diverse learners (Objective 3)
You will be able to explore and develop your own belief system (Objective 7).
You will be able to express the significance of diverse perspectives in various communities (Objective 8).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Throughout this unit we have been discussing things that influence the way things are
around us, or to use our buzz word, the status quo. We have looked at rules from our
school and our own homes, laws and cultural traditions in our nation, and morals and
beliefs.
As we dig deeper as a class, you will have the opportunity to dig deeper for yourself too.
You will write a This I Believe statement using personal anecdotes, opinions, and
examples that will explain your belief and how it either aligns with or questions the
status quo. These will be comparable to the examples we will study from the NPR
initiative. Your statement will allow YOU to articulate something that you believe in. You
will choose your own topic.
To enhance your presentation, you will choose ONE option from the list below to create a
multi-media component. Your media presentation should complement what you have
written and allow us to better understand your statement.
Visual Options
Digital Story
Podcast
Silent Film
o Note: You will need to read your statement aloud while the class watches
your silent film
Propose your own topic to be approved!
Finally, after you have written your This I Believe statement and digitally enhanced it,
you will share your statement with our classroom community at the end of the unit. After
our celebration and presentation day, you will write a brief unit reflection considering the
belief statements of your peers as well as your own.
SUMMARY STEPS TO FOLLOW:

 Re-read your blog posts

List OLD ideas from your blog and add NEW ideas that could
be your topic
Choose 1-2 of your favorite topics
Brainstorm anecdotes, opinions, and examples to support 1-2
topics
Begin drafting your statement
Revise in class AND on your own
Digital Workshop your visuals

Grading Rubric
Scoring
Category

Powerfully
Proficient

Belief
Statement

Personal
anecdotes,
opinions, &
examples

Multi-Media
Presentation

Clearly
articulated
Central to the
piece
Explains how it
favors or
challenges the
status quo
Personal
examples are
relevant and
support the
belief
statement
The authors
opinions are
clear and
appropriately
used to expand
the belief
statement

Quite
Competent

Relevant use of
visuals, audio,
and belief
statement

Media used
supports and
extends ideas
presented in the
belief statement

Rethinking
Required

Present, but
somewhat
unclear
Somewhat
linked to the
status quo

Examples are
somewhat
relevant, but
unclear
The authors
opinion is
somewhat
present, but
unclear or not
appropriately
used to expand
the belief
statement

Some visuals
and audio are
relevant
Media used
supports the
belief
statement, but
does not fully
extend ideas

Statement is
not relevant
Does not fully
discuss the
status quo

Examples are
not relevant,
coherent, or
clearly linked to
the belief
statement
The authors
opinion is
unclear, and
does not fully
extend the
belief statement

Visuals and
audio or not
relevant or cited
properly
Media does not
clearly support
and/or extend
ideas presented
in the belief
statement

Points Earned

/15

/35

/30

Reflection

Clear personal
evaluation of belief
statement and
visual presentation
based on the
learning goals
Includes at least
ONE take-aways
from peer
presentations
Includes at least
TWO lessons
learned from blog
discussions

Personal evaluation
of belief statement
and visual
presentation is
unclear or not
totally based on the
learning goals
Partially includes
ONE take-away from
peer presentations
Partially includes
ONE-TWO lessons
learned from blog
discussions

Personal evaluation
of belief statement
or visual
presentation does
not fully address the
learning goals
Lacking any
complete takeaways from peerpresentations
Lacking complete
lessons learned
from blog
discussions

Total Points Earned: ________ / 100 points

/20