LESSON ONE: Background Knowledge and Making Connections
Students create found poems on the Holocaust and briefly present them to their classmates.
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, and text ideas and the world by analyzing and evaluating the relationship between literature and its historical period and culture.
LS2A Create concise presentations incorporating media and technology in which the speaker responds to feedback, defends ideas, and demonstrates poise and self-control.
LESSON MATERIALS
§ Sources of Literature
o None
§ Supplies
o Holocaust stimulus materials for Holocaust found poem
o Scissors, glue, and colored paper
o Colored/typing paper
o Writing materials and utensils
o Scoring guide for formative assessment and follow-up
§ Handouts provided
§ Words to know
o theme
o nonfiction
Using the materials provided, create a 10 word/phrase Found Poem on the Holocaust. When students finish their poem, they will present it to the class, explaining what the words/phrases mean in both a historical and literary context. Students use appropriate presentation skills according to the criteria in the scoring guide. As the audience listens to the presentation, its members should add information to their KWL charts (the L column) and compose questions to ask the presenter at the end of the presentation. Scoring guide provided.
Formative Assessment Follow-up: In a reflection paragraph or journal entry, students should address the following prompt: Would you have liked to be alive during the time of the Holocaust? Why/why not? Use details and/or examples to support your answer. Scoring guide provided.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
1. Do a KWL on Hitler and the Holocaust. Students complete the K and W columns of the chart. The L column will be filled in later in the lesson.
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Questions for Students |
What are some of the characteristics of the Holocaust? Who was involved? Who were the leaders? Were Jews the only people persecuted? Why did Hitler come into power? Why did no one stop the persecution? Could anything similar to the Holocaust happen today? |
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Ideas
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Use student questions after students have completed the KWL. Teachers may want to consult a history teacher to refresh details concerning the historical period and its perspectives. |
2. Lead students through a Missouri Conservationist magazine (or similar media). In a “think aloud” process, point out significant phrases and words that exemplify a Found Poem on the theme of hunting (or similar historical/cultural aspect of our society). Discuss with students how the choices are representative of our culture’s views on hunting. Using the student presentation scoring guide, present the completed poem to the class. Model correct presentation and content skills.
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Strategy
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Wilhelm, J. and J. Lynch. (2001). Improving comprehension with think-aloud strategies. New York, NY: Scholastic Professional Books. A Found Poem is created from words and phrases the students locate in the given literature. When students create their poems, they place the words/phrases they found in the prose into poetry form. Teachers may want students to cut out the actual words from the sources and glue them on colored paper. If not, the students may make lists of the words they locate in the sources and then write them on paper with colored markers. |
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Ideas
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Placing materials on a table where they can easily be viewed, removed, and returned works well.
Be discriminating when choosing materials. When choosing 10 significant words and phrases, model evaluation of choice. Use creativity to complete this assignment. This is not meant to be an intense activity. It is to be a snapshot which builds background knowledge before reading a given text (Night) later in the unit and is intended to help students see the connections between history/culture and literature. Use this opportunity to teach the connection between history/culture and literature of the event/person in their area.
During the presentation modeling, use appropriate eye contact, nonverbal communication, voice intonation and other aspects of the scoring guide. When finished, discuss with students the presentations skills practiced. |