LESSON ONE: Afraid! Who, Me?
LESSON DESCRIPTION
Students analyze fear and its presence in their lives. Students analyze connections between text ideas and own experiences.
GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS
R1I Compare, contrast, analyze and evaluate connections between information and relationships in various fiction and nonfiction works, text ideas and own experiences, text ideas and the world by analyzing and evaluating the relationship between literature and its historical period and culture.
LESSON MATERIALS
§ Sources of literature
o War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
§ Supplies
o Whiteboard or Overhead Projector
o Copy of The Scream by Edvard Munch
o Downloaded MIDI file of War of the Worlds on computer with speakers
o Copies of local newspapers or magazines
§ Handouts provided
§ Words to know
o analyze
o compare
o contrast
o evaluate
o fiction
o nonfiction
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT Assessment Scoring Guide
Students describe a section of War of the Worlds that was frightening to them. Students use two details and/or examples from the passage to support the answer.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
1. Students write a journal entry/free-writing to answer these questions: What is fear? Why do people like to be frightened?
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Idea
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If students need prompting, ask them to consider movies, thrill rides, scary novels, television programs, NASCAR races, etc. |
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Questions for Students
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What makes your favorite horror author so appealing? What does your favorite horror author write about? Why do people pay money to be frightened (attend/rent horror movies; go to haunted houses)? Who is your favorite horror author? Why? |
2. Discuss the horror genre.
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Idea
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Refer to the following resources for definitions of genre, horror, and other related terms: Harmon, W. C. Thrall and H. Holman. (1999). A Handbook to Literature. New York: Prentice Hall Kennedy, X. D. Gioia and M. Bauerlein. (2004). Handbook of Literary Terms: Literature, Language, Theory. Lebanon, IN: Pearson Longman |
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Questions for Students
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What is fear? What generates fear in our generation? What scares children today? What scares teenagers today? Adults? |
3. Show students The Scream by Edvard Munch. Discuss the painting. Brainstorm a list of things in life that would make students scream the same scream as the figure in the painting.
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Idea
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The Scream is available to download at http://www.art.com or conduct a site search for The Scream by Edvard Munch. An overhead or interactive whiteboard may be used to show the painting. |
4. Pass out copies of a national or local newspaper. Divide students into groups using the line-up strategy. Students scan newspapers for articles discussing occurrences where someone was frightened and skim the articles. Groups list additional frightening elements based on the content of the articles. Students share group findings with the class. Discuss horror in reality, instances where people were involved in a seemingly “normal day”, but their lives turned into what could be considered a subject of a horror film/story. Add to brainstormed list of frightening items students began when looking at the painting The Scream by Edvard Munch.
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Strategy
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Line-up strategy places students in a sequential line and then divides them into groups of the desired size. Kagan, S. (1994), Cooperative Learning. San Clemente, CA: Resources of Teachers, Inc. |
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Idea
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Pre-select newspapers that contain articles of fearful situations. News magazines may also be used. |
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Questions for Students
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Is there horror in reality? What do people in our culture fear? Does anything in our history cause us to fear? Does location/environment affect fear?
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Idea
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The audio version of the War of the Worlds is available at http://www.mercurytheatre.info/
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