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ALEX Lesson Plan

Beyond Plot Summary Part 2: Critical Thinking and Writing About Plot Development

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This lesson provided by:

Author:	Deidra W. Crain
System:	Tuscaloosa City
School:	Paul W Bryant High School
The event this resource created for:	CCRS

General Lesson Information

Lesson Plan ID:	33077
Title:	Beyond Plot Summary Part 2: Critical Thinking and Writing About Plot Development
Overview/Annotation:	In this second half of a two-part lesson, students will identify and explain the plot development of a class text, generate their reflections and original ideas, and participate in a discussion regarding how events interact and shape character, mood, tone, and conflict. This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.

Associated Standards and Objectives

Content Standard(s):

English Language Arts ELA2021 (2021) Grade: 9	R2. Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation. Examples: short and long prose texts, poetry, dramas
English Language Arts ELA2021 (2021) Grade: 9	R3. Utilize active listening skills in formal and informal conversations, following predetermined norms.
English Language Arts ELA2021 (2021) Grade: 9	4. Analyze how authors use characterization, connotation, denotation, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view to create and convey meaning in a variety of texts.
English Language Arts ELA2021 (2021) Grade: 9	9. Compose both short and extended narrative, informative/explanatory, and argumentative writings that are clear and coherent, use an appropriate command of language, and demonstrate development, organization, style, and tone that are relevant to task, purpose, and audience. Examples: paragraphs, constructed responses, essays a. Write a memoir, narrative essay, or personal or fictional narrative to convey a series of events, establishing a clear purpose and using narrative techniques. Examples: dialogue, pacing, description, reflection b. Write explanations and expositions that incorporate evidence, using transitions and techniques that objectively introduce and develop topics. Examples: relevant and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations c. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning, relevant and sufficient evidence, transitions, and a concluding statement or section that follows from the information presented.
English Language Arts ELA2021 (2021) Grade: 10	R2. Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation. Examples: short and long prose texts, poetry, dramas
English Language Arts ELA2021 (2021) Grade: 10	R3. Utilize active listening skills in formal and informal conversations, following predetermined norms.
English Language Arts ELA2021 (2021) Grade: 10	4. Interpret an author's use of characterization, connotation, denotation, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view to create and convey meaning in a variety of texts.
English Language Arts ELA2021 (2021) Grade: 10	9. Compose both short and extended narrative, informative/explanatory, and argumentative writings that are clear and coherent, use an appropriate command of language, and demonstrate development, organization, style, and tone that are relevant to task, purpose, and audience. Examples: paragraphs, constructed responses, essays a. Write a memoir, narrative essay, or personal or fictional narrative to convey a series of events, establishing a clear purpose, using narrative techniques, and sequencing events coherently. Examples: dialogue, pacing, description, reflection; chronological order, reverse chronological order, flashbacks b. Write explanations and expositions that incorporate relevant evidence, using effective transitions that objectively introduce and develop topics. Examples: specific facts, examples, details, statistics/data, examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic c. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning, relevant and sufficient evidence, appropriate transitions, and a concluding section that follows from and supports the information presented.

Local/National Standards:

Primary Learning Objective(s):

Students will compose an effective response addressing the development of the plot of a major text/in-class reading.

Students will identify and label elements of an effective response within their own writing.

Additional Learning Objective(s):

Preparation Information

Total Duration:	31 to 60 Minutes
Materials and Resources:	Materials for Both Teacher and Students: major text/in-class reading plot development toolkit model responses/exemplars highlighters/markers/colored pencils graphic organizer/triple T-chart
Technology Resources Needed:	For teachers: Technology is not required; however, an interactive whiteboard and document camera would be optimal. For students: If technology is available, having students digitally annotate and label and/or highlight model responses would be optimal, from a computer, tablet, or slate using a stylus and sharing online. Additionally, popplet.com is a great app/ website that is easily accessible to students.
Background/Preparation:	Students must be able to identify, explain, and support elements of the plot including exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, and falling action. Students must also be aware of the Essential Question for the unit or series of lessons, as well as possible themes for the text. In the previous lesson, (Beyond Plot Development: Part 1) students analyzed a sample response on plot development, identifying and categorizing elements of an effective response.

Procedures/Activities:

At the conclusion of Beyond Plot Summary Part 1: Critical Thinking and Writing About Plot Development, students analyzed a sample response for effective discussion of plot development, highlighting and/or labeling each element of an effective response according to the plot development toolkit and sharing it with the class.

Next, assign students a reading selection from a major text or other in-class reading. For this lesson's purposes, a shorter selection, such as a chapter out of a novel, or a short story, would be optimal.

Directions to the class:

1. Before reading, please draw the plot development graphic organizer (triple T-chart shown in attached lecture notes) on your own paper.

2. While you read, briefly list major plot events in chronological order on the left side of the organizer.

3. After reading, go back to the second column and tell how that plot event affects the character. Remember to go beyond "emotions" such as sad, angry, scared, etc., and tell "how" it influences their thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

3. Next, go to the third column and tell what this event "does for the story." Be sure to address a specific literary device or element of the plot such as conflict, tone, theme, etc.

4. Then, take all three columns and fashion your response in paragraph format, imitating the model paragraphs you have seen in class and have in your notes. It is okay this time to "imitate" the model, although you should not copy it. Feel free to use your toolkit, and if you like, your evidence anchor chart to introduce your textual evidence (these are readily accessible and easily available on sites such as Pinterest should you choose to include this portion of the resources; see link below).

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/364580532305074058/

5. Lastly, take your highlighters/markers and label each element of your plot development response with a different color/label.

Directions to teacher: To conclude class, have students pair and share their responses, then choose a few responses to be modeled for the class. Alternatively, you could have them pair and share with a classmate and label/highlight their partners' papers instead of their own.

Assessment

Assessment Strategies

Teacher should conduct informal observations and questioning while circulating around room as students work.

Teacher might choose to score the annotated/highlighted and labeled responses for correct answers, since there are five parts to each effective response which students should identify. Alternately, the teacher might prefer to have students assess each others' papers and provide feedback using the plot development toolkit.

Acceleration:

The elements in the plot development toolkit can also be applied to theme, character, and setting development.

Intervention:

Anchor charts for introducing textual evidence may be easily found online on sites such as Pinterest:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/364580532305074058/

The teacher might also choose to scaffold the lesson through the use of a frame paragraph created for a specific text, allowing students to "flesh out" the frame using their own reflections and example with the teacher's introductions and transitions.

View the Special Education resources for instructional guidance in providing modifications and adaptations for students with significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for the Alabama Alternate Assessment.