S+Jones,+Timothy

**E-mail:** Timothy.b.Jones@maine.edu
 * Teacher:** Mr. Timothy B. Jones
 * Office:** Dunder Mifflin Farmington Branch
 * Office Phone:** 207-408-1087
 * Office Hours:**

=Summary of Unit= Students will learn how to compare great works of literature through overarching themes within the books such as: successfully portraying a specific time period within a book to enhance the books value, comparing minor characters within books and how they have major impacts on characters and the affects of racial inequality. Students will learn and understand how these themes in books can enhance the books readability and have impacts on the books by creating projects throughout the unit. Projects include: a brochure, Power Point, Comic Life, I-Movie, class debate over a blog and by creating their own Wiki page. The student will show a deeper understanding of the book, //To Kill a Mockingbird,// and will ultimately create a Wiki page integrating both Comic Life and I-Movie into the final summative assessment. =Establish Goals= Maine Learning Results: English Language Arts- A. Reading A2 Literary Texts Grades 9-Diploma //To Kill a Mockingbird// Students read text, within a grade appropriate span of text complexity, and present analyses of fiction, nonfiction, drama and poetry, using excerpts from the text to defend their assertions. d. Evaluate the theme or themes, whether explicitly stated or implied in a literary text. =Students will understand that= •Specific time periods are accurately portrayed in fictional books. •Racial inequality can severely affect a character's moral values. •Mystery characters and their influences on a book can be both positive and negative for characters. =Essential Questions= •What other fictional books have accurately portrayed specific time periods and how does it effect the book? •Why is racial inequality able to have such dramatic effects on characters? •How does a mysterious character enhance a books value? =Students will know= •Critical details: the real story behind Tom Robinson's case, Atticus' motives in preventing Jem and Scout from furthering a relationship with Boo, the importance of empathy for Scout. •Important events and people: The Great Depression, racial inequality into the 30s, Tom Robinson's trial, Bob Ewell's attack on the Finch children, Boo's gifts to Scout and Jem, Boo Radley, Atticus Finch, Scout and Jem Finch, Bob Ewell •Sequence and timelines: What lead to the Great Depression, encouraging factors for racial inequality, events leading up to Bob Ewell's attack, events leading up to Tom Robinson's trial. =Students will be able to= •Demonstrate an ability to connect two works of fiction by comparing accurate time period portrayal and it's enhancements of the book. •d. Evaluate the theme or themes, whether explicitly stated or implied in a literary text. •Place the events of //To Kill a Mockingbird// in a different time period and explain how it would alter the storyline. •Analyze Atticus' views on Boo Radley and why he dislikes Boo's interactions with Scout and Jem. •Consider how the role of racial inequality negatively affects Atticus. •Reflect on Boo Radley's positive and negative influences on Scout and Jem. **Performance Task Overview** You are an up and coming journalist who has just been hired by the New York Times. After months of covering boring stories you've finally gotten your big break! The Times has asked you and your team (of 3-4 members) to chronicle the events of the controversial Tom Robinson case as it unfolds. They have picked you and your team due to your ability to creatively report the news to viewers using the latest technology. In an effort to gain more viewers and earn some money, the Times has asked you to cover the Robinson case via the internet by creating a Wiki page. The Wiki should include analyses of important events of the trial as they unfold, as well as using I-movie to create video interviews with important people such as Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell. Comic Life graphics are also a must in order to truly convey the feelings within the courtroom. =Expectations= Plagiarism is a very serious offense in this classroom and will NOT be tolerated by me. While it is very tempting to copy another person’s work and label it as your own, it is an act that is immoral and wrong. I will be checking for plagiarism frequently throughout the semester so if you include information from a book or website that is not yours, do everyone a favor and cite it in a bibliography. Attending this class on a daily basis is very important to succeed in it. I realize that sometimes you will be sick or you will be placed in situations where you cannot come into class, if any of these arise please get in touch with me so we can set up a time period to review what you missed. By not attending this class not only will you be missing a full days worth of lessons, but you will also be losing participation points. All assignments and readings will be expected to be accomplished by the class they are due. Students will have a chance to turn in late assignments for a lower grade. Most out of class readings will be supplemented by a journal entry or a short quiz that will be left ungraded. This will help me recognize who is and isn’t doing the daily readings. It is also important for every student to get a composition book of sorts to keep a daily journal in. This journal will also remain ungraded but will provide me with feedback on how well you are each following the lessons. Students will be held to a certain level of respect within this classroom. A respect for both me the teacher and your fellow learners will be exhibited by all that walk through my door. If you have an issue with another student within the classroom, please bring the problem to me and I will help sort it out. Respect one another’s beliefs, opinions and feelings. If every student puts forth an effort to respect everyone within this classroom, than we should have a smooth semester with no problems.  =Benchmarks= A list of assignments has been created that the students will have to complete throughout the unit. Each assignment has been given it's own point value. All points earned by the student throughout the semester will be combined and the final grade will be a percentage of the total points earned out of **600.
 * Plagiarism **
 * Attendance **
 * Homework policy **
 * Respect **

__Pre-assessment__** (25 Points) Students will be given a short pre-assessment to the book //To Kill a Mockingbird.// The assessment will show the teacher the student's knowledge of the time period depicted in the book. The assessment will also question the student's ability to recognize major themes and motives within a book. A short description of major characters will also be given in the assessment.

Students will be required to blog daily on the required readings. A question will be posed for the assigned reading in which students must create their own response to the question. Students must also respond to at least two classmate's responses. The blog will be used in part as a discussion board and also as a tool for the teacher to monitor everyone's progress in the book. Students will be required to print out their blogs and bring them to class to help participate in class discussion.
 * __Blog__** (50 Points)

Students will be required to write entries into their journals almost daily. Journal entries will include; reactions to the readings, answering short questions and entering very short essays. The journal will be handed into the teacher at the end of every week to document the students understandings of the readings and to make sure students are keeping up with the readings.
 * __Daily Journal__** (25 Points)

Students will be placed into groups for this project. Students will create a movie script that will depict the more important parts and themes of the Tom Robinson trial. Groups will then recreate the Tom Robinson trial making sure to include major concepts and ideas from the book. Groups will also be required to have a follow up after the trial telling how the trial negatively affected the town and some of the major characters. Groups will be assessed using a rubric I created.
 * __i-Movie__** (75 Points)

The class not be broken up into groups for the final Comic Life product. Students will be required to create a Comic Life that will depict a major scene for the book //To Kill a Mockingbird.// The Comic Life should be at least five pages long and no more than 10. The final product should be able to accurately show one of the major overarching themes of the book. Students are encouraged to take their own photos but pictures from the web will also be accepted. Just make sure to accurately cite all of the work that is not yours. Students will also be required to turn in a storyboard with their final product.
 * __Comic Life__** (75 Points)

Students will not be placed into groups for this project. Students will create a list of the pros and cons in regards to Jem and Scout being exposed and interacting with Boo Radley. After the lists are compiled, students will create a brochure via Microsoft that will state the pros and cons along with a short example from the book. Graphics will also be required within the brochure. Students will be given the option of drawing their own graphics into the brochure or finding picture off of the web. A citations page will be required for students who get their pictures off the internet.
 * __Brochure__** (75 Points)

Students will be placed into groups for this project. Groups will create a debate outline in regards to Boo Radley's positive or negative impact on Jem and Scout. After the debate outlines are created and finalized, students will participate individually in an online blog discussing and debating Boo Radley's impact on the Finch children. The online debate will be supplemented with an in-class debate with two separate sides debating and a group of students acting as the judge. Students will be assessed using a grading rubric.
 * __Debate__** (75 Points)

Students will be placed into groups for the duration of this project. Teams will then create a storyboard which will depict the layout of their Wiki Page. The Wiki Page will center around major themes within //To Kill a Mockingbird// and how they affect the plotline and main characters. The groups will then apply their storyboard to a Wiki Page that will be posted online. The Wiki Pages will be assessed using a rubric I created.
 * __Wiki Page__** (75 Points)

Students will primarily work alone on their final product, except for when they are participating in small group discussion. Students will select another work of fiction to compare to //To Kill a Mockingbird// and fill out a venn diagram documenting the differences and similarites between the two pieces of fiction. The venn diagram will then be applied to the student's Power Point presentation. The Power Points will be assessed using a rubric I have created.
 * __Power Point__** (75 Points)

Students will create a Wikipedia page based on the guidelines below: You are an up and coming journalist who has just been hired by the New York Times. After months of covering boring stories you've finally gotten your big break! The Times has asked you and your team (of 3-4 members) to chronicle the events of the controversial Tom Robinson case as it unfolds. They have picked you and your team due to your ability to creatively report the news to viewers using the latest technology. In an effort to gain more viewers and earn some money, the Times has asked you to cover the Robinson case via the internet by creating a Wiki page. The Wiki should include analyses of important events of the trial as they unfold, as well as using I-movie to create video interviews with important people such as Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell. Comic Life graphics are also a must in order to truly convey the feelings within the courtroom.
 * __Product Assessment__** (200 Points)

=Grading Scale= **A** (93 -100), **A-** (90 - 92), **B+** (87 - 89), **B** (83 - 86), **B-** (80 - 82), **C+**(77 - 79), **C** (73-76),
 * C-** (70 - 72), **D+**(67 - 69), **D** (63 - 66), **D-** (60 - 62), **F** (0 - 59).