After many struggles and adaptations due to snow days and frustrated students, my American Dream unit with the juniors is finally coming to an end. I feel like everyone who reads that sentence should be applauding right now, because I was beginning to think it would be impossible to complete it before Spring Break, which I feel is essential to me finished my KPTP. And, while you're applauding me, let's also send youtube a huge thanks for being an invaluable resource to teaching. Part of me wonders if the creators ever expected it to be used in a classroom...
I thank them (and my CT for coming up with the idea) because instead of having the juniors trudge through the last three chapters of the novel over the past week while attempting to complete their American Dream Interview Projects and fit in a test, I had the students watch them.(Chapter 7-8/Chapter 8-9) This particular version was made in the 40's so it had some rather cheesy parts but almost instantaneously, their interest in the book skyrocketed! Now, we are able to review for their test on Monday before spending the rest of the class period preparing for their presentations on Wednesday.
Macbeth is going surprisingly well also! The students have really taken to it even though they openly admit that the language is complicated. However, we are going through it slowly; taking out time so that they can really experience the language and grasp the meaning behind the words. Youtube has also been instrumental in their learning. To help them examine the themes, I had them watch a compilation of three different versions of Macbeth (Hurlyburly Exercise) and compare the visuals seen in each. They loved being able to actually see the play in action, even if it was the first scene over and over again.
I also hope to include a funny little clip from Studio C (Shakespearean Therapy) so that they can laugh at the absurdity of some of Shakespeare's characters, then write their own therapy session with either Lady Macbeth or Macbeth. Tomorrow, I'm bringing in props to have them act out a bit of the murder scene. The play I performed in 6th grade (which I'm trying to hunt down to show them as their "movie" version) has a sword fight at the end with specific choreography that I would like to have them act out in April.
Clearly, I'm bursting with ideas for Macbeth and very excited because I am not on such a time crunch with the seniors like I am with the juniors. The seniors are also much easier to do fun things with because their classroom management is effortless. I am definitely looking forward to having some fun with my seniors!
My lesson plans have also been changed a lot since the snow days. My sophomores had less time for research and I cut out a couple of minor assignments. The juniors though, had less time to read through Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men outside of class. Unfortunately, this resulted in three reading quizzes over the course of four class periods. My CT had suggested holding the students accountable for their reading, so I did write up these reading quizzes. However, I didn’t expect the students to do so poorly on them, and I definitely did not expect the heavy feeling of over-testing. My CT suggested taking a step back because the reading quizzes could easily take the place of a comprehensive final test. So, the students gained half a class period for catching up on assignments and an opportunity to take re-tests after spring break. After our ISAM class, I started to wish I had started literature circles, or something similar, early on instead of forcing the reading quizzes. I think my students are beginning to like me again, and I’m excited that spring break is around the corner.
ReplyDeleteReply from Natalie:
ReplyDeleteTheresa,
I am definitely applauding for you! I know how you feel about getting everything done in time to complete your KPTP, because I'm in the same boat! Hopefully I will soon be on par with you and finally wrap up my unit. Those snow days were rough! And I definitely owe YouTube a card or thank you basket or something, because I utilize that sight on a regular basis. It's a lifesaver. I'm glad it helps you out as well. I personally think YouTube is an excellent resource. I've found tons of great material for my unit through the site. I am currently teaching Night, and I have found so many great videos about survivor stories, the Holocaust, and interviews with the author as well. Videos like this really seem to help the students connect, and they really pay attention to what is being presented!
I'm so glad your Macbeth unit is going well, but I didn't have any doubt that you would create a unit that would get the students excited and motivated to learn. I think the way you have gone about introducing Macbeth and Shakespearean language is fantastic. Your approach allowed the students to recognize the difficulty of the language while still showing them that Shakespeare can be interesting and fun. Acting out scenes from Shakespeare sounds very exciting as well. I love activities that get students actively involved, and your idea sounds like a great one! I can't wait to see how the rest of your unit goes!
Sincerely,
Natalie Skidmore