Graphic Novels in the Classroom

I personally feel that graphic novels are a great resource in the classroom. They can be used to introduce the novel, supplement confusing parts/language use, or appeal to readers that prefer text in this format. As a slower reader, I think that having access to graphic novels would have helped me "see" the novel and gather more details without the pressure of having to read it quickly. In thinking about Readicide, adding graphic novels to the mix can add more flow and encourage genuine reading and not just going through the motions and wresting with a novel they may not particularly like.

On the flip side, the graphic novel can leave a lot out. The language is really chopped down and as a reader, we can lose a lot of appreciation and understanding of the original writing. That being said, I would use graphic novels to supplement vs taking the place of the novel. It would be an excellent vehicle to allow students to fulfill the CCSS of comparing different modes of writing and how they add to or take away from the meaning of the text. Or if the class is working on themes, the graphic novel can help highlight the meanings and scenes that occur around the theme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTgaqVOIOfQ
I liked this video that interviewed a teacher and comic book expert on the subject of comic books (graphic novels) in the classroom. This is just a couple people's ideas on the subject, but I like that they brought in a real teacher and made a good point about appealing to imagination and how much more easily accessible and relevant graphic novels are today (movies, tv shows, etc based on graphic novels, for example). My one negative would be that they focus a lot of the benefit on boys and being appealing to boys, and girls are sort of the afterthought. Now, statistically boys do have more issues with ADD/ADHD and not liking to read, but I'd like to see what the opinions/appeal is for female students and if that even plays a role in their usefulness in the classroom.

Night by Elie Wiesel Response

Night is a powerfully written story. The detailed accounts of Wiesel's experience really stick with you, especially The Night of Broken Glass. I still remember the impact it had on me when I got to read it in high school and it came back to me after reading it again. For  me, it gave a humanness to the facts and statistics the Holocaust can be presented as in history books I am not knocking history at all...I'm just saying the personal accounts of that time always add more depth and horror to those events than textbooks. That being said, I think that this would be the best addition to any history class going over the events of WWII and a great informational text for an ELA classroom. 

Two CCSS I would use in a unit using Night would be:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.3
Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.6
Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.

Night would be an excellent vehicle for discussing current world problems, as well. In Wiesel's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in 1986, "Human rights are being violated on every continent. More people are oppressed than free. How can one not be sensitive to their plight? Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere." This text can help students make the connection from horrific events of the past and how to improve the horrific events of today. Perhaps the Informational text unit can begin with Night and the class can work their way to a text like I am Malala. As an educator, I think that it is important that we know how to help students grapple with social justice issues no matter how long ago they occurred or how far away they are from their own front door. Texts like Night force you to empathize and recognize the horrors that have occurred at the hands of evil. 

Poe Response (Mini-Lesson Week)

In my opinion, everyone should study Poe, especially secondary students.
Poe is an accessible writer to all. What I mean by this is that his writing has its mysterious undertones, but the language is accessible and not something that will confuse younger readers the way that Shakespeare or Beowulf can. Poe is an excellent vehicle for analyzing literary texts. His writings range from short stories to poetry (and sometimes poetry within a short story).  His wide range of material provides context for CCSS such as comparing different types of texts, analyzing themes, and analyzing mood and tone. Also, considering he is a darker, more disturbed writer, Poe's "weirdness" is something that will stick in students minds better. In my experience, I remember more about Poe due to the fact that his writing style and dark themes were very different from many writers of the time.

How I would use Poe in the Classroom w/ CCSS

Cask
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.3
Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

This short stories requires a few re-reads to analyze the themes of betrayal and how the narrator goes about confessing. The actions in the story can be analyzed to understand motive, character depth/analysis and what drove the narrators decision. 

Fall
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

This is an excellent text for analyzing the impact of words. Specifically, Poe uses a lot of words setting the mood for a dark, dank, scary scene. The first couple of paragraphs alone can be dissected for deeper meanings, allusions and the impact of his mood-setting word choice. 

Ligeia
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

While I don't know this story as well, it has great themes to discuss and explore such as mortality, reality vs versions of reality (ie what is the truth and what is the characters delusions w/evidence) and appearance due to his obsession with her looks. 

Some concerns with Poe, especially for younger secondary students is that some themes could be difficult to use in the classroom. For example, House of Usher has evidence of incest and most of his work references drug and alcohol use. These issues would be important to clear with administration and preface for students ahead of time. 

Mini Lesson TPA

Department of Education College of Arts, Letters and Education 312 Williamson Hall Cheney, WA   99004

TPA Lesson Plan #_1______

Course:

1. Teacher Candidate	Ashley	Date Taught	11/8/17
Cooperating Teacher		School/District
2. Subject	Reading	Field Supervisor
3. Lesson Title/Focus	Poverty	5. Length of Lesson	20 minutes
4. Grade Level	10th

6. Academic & Content Standards (Common Core/National)	CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
7. Learning Objective(s)	Given a reading of poverty quotes Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and watching the video Child Poverty: In Their Own Words, students will be able to analyze how particular lines of dialogue/incidents propel and reveal aspects of a character and provoke a decision by dividing into two groups and debating whether or not they agree or disagree with the quote, “Poverty doesn’t give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance. No, poverty only teaches you how to be poor (p. 13)” and explaining their reasoning for agreeing or disagreeing.
8. Academic Language demands (vocabulary, function, syntax, discourse)	Vocabulary: Students will be informed that there are incidents of inappropriate language and racial slurs. Discourse: The central focus of this lesson is to encourage students to explore what poverty looks like, how it feels, and debating on a topic that is not addressed in the classroom very often. By adding the debate element gives students’ the chance to offer opinions on the topic of poverty, as well as exploring a stance they may not personally agree with. By using Sherman Alexie’s text as a vehicle, and not noting specific students in poverty, the discussion can stay open and impersonal. Function: Students will be able to analyze how Junior/Arnold’s dialogue and actions drive him to make the decision to leave the reservation and understand the deeper effects of poverty on a young child. Syntax: Fiction related closely to actual feelings surrounding poverty allows a class to debate the effects of poverty on students in a way that does not single any one student out.

9. Assessment

This lesson will be a modified Think-Pair-Share. There will be minimal time to think individually, therefore the focus will be more on group sharing and then whole-class discussion. Informal assessment will be conducted during the debate. Students will be assessed on their engagement, thoughtfulness of answers, and encouragement of other group members. This assessment will take place through observation and a debrief after the class is over where the teacher will note overall student engagement and note students who did not participate fully. Formal assessment will be given in the form of a two-column debating sheet. This sheet allows the smaller groups to record thoughts and ideas from each member and add more ideas if necessary. This sheet will also aid in the whole class discussion because students will have already thought their answers through enough to share.

10. Lesson Connections

Previously, students have had to analyze character development over the course of a text and how dialogue/incidents drove their motivation to make a decision. For example, in a reading of Lord of the Flies, students had to analyze how Jack’s dialogue drove other boys to engage in acts of violence.

11. Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks to Support Learning
Learning Tasks and Strategies 1.    Share with students about personal experience and connections to poverty. Express how poverty doesn’t always “look” poor. Poverty is not often addressed in the classroom, but is an important theme from the book. Students will be given the learning objective and how they will go about reaching the end analytical goal. Students will then be read the quote from the text to ponder. 2.    Play video from YouTube and explain how everyone is effected by poverty differently and how these stressors take away from classroom engagement. 3.    Students will then be asked to name themselves off either A or B. A agrees with the quote and B disagrees. 4.    Then, the room will be divided into 2 groups, with a mix of A and B 5.    Groups 1 and 2 will be given the debate sheet and asked to take a minute to quietly think about their stance and whether or not they agree with what Junior/Arnold says about poverty. 6.    Groups 1 and 2 will then discuss their ideas and record them on their debate sheet 7.    After the small group discussion, students will be guided through a whole class discussion and students will be asked to share their responses and if they personally feel like they are really an A or a B 8.    To conclude, the teacher will ask that students be empathetic to their students and understand that sometimes what appears to be laziness is hunger, fear or insecurity about their living situation.
Teacher’s Role The teacher’s role is to ensure that students know how to unpack the issue of poverty within the text whether or not students can understand how poverty was a motivating factor for Junior/Arnold to make changes in his life. The teacher also needs to ensure that students are debating respectfully and participating in the small and large group discussion.	Students’ Role Students will be asked to analyze the effects of poverty on Junior/Arnold and how one quote can be interpreted in multiple ways. Ideally, they will see that Junior/Arnold’s decision to be better than what he has grown up in, develops over the course of the text and how he may brush it off early on as just a fact of life, but how it does, in fact, drive him to rise above his poverty.
Student Voice to Gather The teacher will ask students if they feel that they were assigned the letter that corresponds with how they really feel. Are they really and A or a B and why or why not? They will also be asked if seeing both sides of the quote helped them understand poverties central theme in the book.

12. Differentiated Instruction

Student interest should be high because it is a local author, has interesting discussion points and reveals a lot of deeper, emotional issues that many readers can connect with. If there were an ELL student in the class, I would add the closed captioning in English/their native language (depending on their learning goals and strengths). If I had a student with an IEP related to ADD, I have designed the lesson to run promptly and change from reading, discussing, writing and sharing. This should help maintain interest by adding this variety. By not asking the students to move around the room, I will accommodate any student with a disability or injury. Learning styles will be reached through group collaboration which involves listening and speaking, as well as visually through the video of the children sharing their experience.

13. Resources and Materials

Resources: Readicide by Kelley Gallagher emphasizes focusing on more meaningful parts of a book. By having students focus on the social justice issue of poverty and its effects, students gain more insight to the struggle of the main character, as well as the real life struggle for their fellow classmates. Gallagher, K. (2009). Readicide how schools are killing reading and what you can do about it. ____Portland, Me: Stenhouse. Materials: Internet Projector Debate sheets Writing utensils Copies of Sherman Alexie’s text

14. Management and Safety Issues

Students will be informed of the teacher’s attention signal before beginning to inform them that this is the sign to wrap up conversations and pay attention. Safety issues could include students dealing with poverty stress currently or in the past. These feelings could be negative and they will be informed of EWU’s counseling services if they need to unpack their personal issues with the topic further.

15. Parent & Community Connections

Students will be informed of the date, time and location that Sherman Alexie will be coming to the Spokane area and will be encouraged to see him in person.