L5+Smart,+Darren

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, HEALTH AND REHABILITATION LESSON PLAN FORMAT
 * UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FARMINGTON

Teacher’s Name:** Darren Smart **Date of Lesson:** Fifth Lesson: Character Perspectives
 * Grade Level:** 12th Grade **Topic:** //Watchmen//

__**Objectives**__
Students will understand that achieving justice is relative to characters or persons involved. Students will know the following terms: holism, reductionism, hero, villain, icon, symbolism, imagery, and origins. They will be able to identify and understand character perspectives, reactions, relationships, the sequence of plot and subplots, and be able to identify Tales of the Black Freighter, Rorschach, Doctor Manhattan, Ozymandias, the Comedian, Silk Spectre, and Nite Owl. Students will evaluate the themes within //Watchmen.//

__**Maine Learning Results Alignment**__
Maine Learning Results: English Language Arts- A. Reading A2 Literary Texts Grades 9-Diploma //Watchmen// Students read text, within a grade appropriate span of text complexity, and present analyzes of fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry using excerpts from the text to defend their assertions. Evaluate the theme or themes, whether explicitly stated or implied, in a literary text.
 * Rationale:** Now, both the hero and the relativity of justice should be known and understood by the student. It is important to address and examine the ambiguous ending of the text because its insight presents a new perspective on the entirety of //Watchmen//. Students will realize that both the idea of justice and heroes in media and social interaction are manipulated by the event surrounding them. By understanding this, students will be more adept at viewing social and political spheres and issues that envelope this country and form more knowledgeable opinions

__**Assessment**__
Students will be given a graphic organizer with columns for holism, reductionism, and unsure. Students will write each character's name under the column they believe is appropriate and describe why. The students will be broken up into groups to pool their answers. Then, as a whole, the class will then discuss and come up with a final list of characters.
 * Formative (Assessment for Learning)**

For summative assessment, the students will be asked to create a blog entry or podcast. In this, the student will choose a favorite character from //Watchmen//. They will then write about why they chose the character and how they think their actions were or were not justified by the end of the graphic novel.
 * Summative (Assessment of Learning)**

__**Integration**__
At the beginning of class, the students will be shown the film adaptation of //Tales of the Black Freighter.// For optimized viewing, a projector should be available. Students will also use technology to finish the summative task.
 * **Technology:**

__Groupings__
Students will be grouped together to discuss the different attributes of a hero and report their findings to the class as a whole. They will also be together for the Cubing activity. To make groups, the teacher will use the [|Shake, Rattle, 'N Roll method.]For this, the teacher will bring in the same amount of canisters as there are kids in the class. If there are eighteen students in the class, there will be eighteen canisters. If the teacher wants the class in groups of three, there will be six sets of items in each of the canisters. For example, there would be three paperclips in three canisters, three cotton balls in three canisters, etc.. Students will choose a canister from a hat or bag, and students who choose the same items are grouped together.

__**Differentiated Instruction**__

 * Strategies**: These intelligences will be addressed **(Tailor)**:
 * **Verbal:** The teacher will give instruction and there will be discussions held both as a class and in groups.
 * **Logical:** Students will discuss abstract meanings as they apply logically to the individuals.
 * **Visual:** Each student will be given a graphic organizer in which to brainstorm and develop answers.
 * **Intrapersonal:** For assessment, students will choose a favorite character and write or speak about their actions and the justification for those actions.
 * **Interpersonal:** The class will discuss each character's moral ambitions as a group and a whole.
 * **Musical/Rhythmic:** Students can choose to incorporate audio and musical effects into a podcast entry

//**I will review each student's IEP, 504, or ELLIDEP and make appropriate modifications and accommodations.**// If the student is unable to attend the lesson, the student is responsible for collecting the resources and assignment from their class wikispace. If necessary, the student should arrange a meeting with the teacher for instruction and assistance.
 * Modifications/Accommodations**:

A large aspect of the summative assessment requires students to analyze a hero of their choosing. This character or person can be someone fictional, an iconic figure, someone they know, etc.. Because they are able to choose their hero, the students can delve deeply into the topic. There will be no limitation on the amount of detail and creativity a student may wish to use in their project. If a student is particularly excited about the topic, there is plenty of room in the project to expand and add depth.
 * Extensions**

__**Materials, Resources and Technology**__

 * Materials and Technology:**
 * LCD projector
 * Laptop for teacher and students
 * Speakers
 * Writing utensils
 * Copies of //Watchmen//
 * Access to the internet
 * Copy of //Tales of the Black Freighter//
 * Holism/Reductionism handout


 * Resources:**
 * [|Holism and reductionism.]

__Source for Lesson Plan and Research__
This lesson plan was designed entirely by Darren Smart.

__**Maine Standards for Initial Teacher Certification and Rationale**__
Rationale:** The focus of this lesson is that students are given the chance to choose a character from //Watchmen// and examine them thoroughly. Class discussions, group brainstorming, and internal reflection will first teach the students the terms necessary for the summative assessment task. This range of learning will support a student's strengths on multiple levels. For example, a student who learns more through organizing their ideas and the ideas of others will have a graphic organizer to arrange key thoughts. Kids that are more socially inclined can discuss ideas and plans within a group environment. Finally, the teacher will allow the students to choose a favorite character and explore their characteristics. This character could be one that the students identify with or find the most interesting.
 * //Standard 3 - Demonstrates a knowledge of the diverse ways in which students learn and develop by providing learning opportunities that support their intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and cultural development.//

Rationale:** When the students investigate holism and reductionism, it is not only meant to further the themes of //Watchmen//, but it also opens the students' eyes to new ways of viewing the world. It also places labels and organization to thoughts they may have been having already. The student will first discuss characters of the graphic novel on general points and ideas, but the summative assessment will ask and allow each student to investigate the specifics of one character of the student's interest. This will help the student by allowing them to push their knowledge from general understanding to application.
 * //Standard 4 - Plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, curriculum goals, and learning and development theory.//

Rationale:** These intelligences will be addressed:
 * //Standard 5 - Understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies and appropriate technology to meet students’ needs.//
 * **Verbal:** The teacher will give instruction and there will be discussions held both as a class and in groups.
 * **Logical:** Students will discuss abstract meanings as they apply logically to the individuals.
 * **Visual:** Each student will be given a graphic organizer in which to brainstorm and develop answers.
 * **Intrapersonal:** For assessment, students will choose a favorite character and write or speak about their actions and the justification for those actions.
 * **Interpersonal:** The class will discuss each character's moral ambitions as a group and a whole.
 * **Musical/Rhythmic:** Students can choose to incorporate audio and musical effects into a podcast entry

Rationale:** Students will be given a graphic organizer with columns for holism, reductionism, and unsure. Students will write each character's name under the column they believe is appropriate and describe why. The students will be broken up into groups to pool their answers. Then, as a whole, the class will then discuss and come up with a final list of characters.
 * //Standard 8 - Understands and uses a variety of formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and support the development of the learner.//

For the students' summative assessment task, they will be asked to create a blog entry or podcast. In this, the student will choose a favorite character from //Watchmen//. They will then write about why they chose the character and how they think their actions were or were not justified by the end of the graphic novel.

__Teaching and Learning Sequence__

 * DAY ONE:**
 * 1) The teacher will show //Tales of the Black Freighter// to the class. //**35 minutes.**//
 * 2) The teacher will describe the tasks (both formative and summative) and divide the class into their groups. From here, the students will search the text and discuss each character's standpoint by means of opinions and general thoughts. //**20 minutes.**//
 * 3) The class will discuss each character and write where each character belongs on the classroom board. The teacher can help by asking if this is truly where a character belongs, by discussing other ideas or perspectives. //**20 minutes.**//
 * 4) The teacher will remind the class about the specifics of their summative task. //**5 minutes.**//

Students will understand that achieving justice is relative to characters or persons involved. Now, both the hero and the relativity of justice should be known and understood by the student. It is important to address and examine the ambiguous ending of the text because its insight presents a new perspective on the entirety of __Watchmen__. Students will realize that both the idea of justice and heroes in media and social interaction are manipulated by the event surrounding them. By understanding this, students will be more adept at viewing social and political spheres and issues that envelope this country and form more knowledgeable opinions. //**Examine the theme or themes, whether explicitly stated or implied, in a literary text**//. The teacher will begin class by showing the film adaptation of //Tales of the Black Freighter//.
 * **Where, Why, What, Hook, Tailor: //Visual, Intrapersonal.//**

Students will know the following terms: holism, reductionism, hero, villain, icon, symbolism, imagery, and origins. They will be able to identify and understand character perspectives, reactions, relationships, the sequence of plot and subplots, and be able to identify Tales of the Black Freighter, Rorschach, Doctor Manhattan, Ozymandias, the Comedian, Silk Spectre, and Nite Owl. Students will be given a graphic organizer with columns for holism, reductionism, and unsure. Students will write each character's name under the column they believe is appropriate and describe why. The students will be broken up into groups to pool their answers. Then, as a whole, the class will then discuss and come up with a final list of characters.
 * **Equip, Explore, Rethink, Tailor: //Visual, Logical, Verbal, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal.//**

By finding evidence in the text for each of their choices, the students will have to reflect on each of their answers. The class will then gather in groups where different ideas may be presented by other students and accepted as right. Then the class will present their findings as a whole and create a final draft that details each character's moral opinion.
 * **Explore, Experience, Rethink, Revise, Refine, Tailor:** **//Visual, Logical, Verbal, Naturalist, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal.//**

For the students' summative assessment task, they will be asked to create a blog entry or podcast. In this, the student will choose a favorite character from //Watchmen//. They will then write about why they chose the character and how they think their actions were or were not justified by the end of the graphic novel. The student will also identify if the student's perspective was holistic or not.
 * **Evaluate, Tailor:** **//Visual, Logical, Verbal, Naturalist, Intrapersonal.//**

Summary of the Tales of the Black Freighter (from graphicnovelreporter.com): First, it is the long comic narrative that runs through much of the original graphic novel, a dark tragedy about a man trying to reach his home before a band of evil pirates does. But his arrival in the port city is far worse than anything that he imagines the Black Freighter will do. The story was an allegory for the entire //Watchmen// series, a unique framing device Moore used both to anchor the story in the real world and also to deconstruct the comics format. Moore reasoned that a world that already //had// superheroes would have no need for superhero comic books. But the format would still exist, and one part of it for him took form in pirate comics. In the real world, pirate-based comics were a small part of comics history; they never quite flourished, but they definitely had their place. Moore used them to macabre and breathtaking effect in //Watchmen//.
 * Content Notes**

Definitions of reductionism and holism: Reductionism holds that the nature of complex entities can always be understood by breaking them down into simpler or more fundamental components. Holism takes the contrary view that the whole can be more than the sum of its parts.


 * Handouts**
 * Holism/Reductionism handout