Week 16: Wednesday, 4/26
Final Project: Student Presentations (15 minutes each)
1. Kylee
2. Kennedy
3. Cian
Week 16: Friday 4/28
Final Project: Student Presentations (15 minutes each)
1. Sophia
2. Brock
3. Kaitlyn
Final Project: Close Reading Modeling and Facilitation
Format: See below
Due:
presentation due in class in Week 16 as assigned
written components due by midnight Wednesday 5/3
Instructions
In their book Teaching Shakespeare with Purpose: A Student-Centered Approach, Ayanna Thompson and Laura Turchi establish that "learners gain independent facility with complex texts when their teachers: (a) demonstrate close reading while enumerating their analytical moves; (b) acknowledge contradictory readings and/or interpretive lenses; (c) facilitate dynamic class discussions of specific passages through specific frames." This assignment invites you to put these moves into practice in a mini-lesson, first by modeling close reading and then guiding your classmates through a close reading and text-based discussion.
You’ll take the following steps as you complete this assignment:
- Select one of the texts assigned for class as your model text.
- Select two passages from your chosen text: one you will use to model close reading practices and one you will use to facilitate group close reading and discussion.
- Prepare your close reading of the first passage to present to your students (your classmates and I) and prepare to guide us through close reading of the second passage. Write down your preparatory notes as a mini-lesson plan.
- Write a detailed rationale for your choice of text and passages, following the rationale prompts included below.
- Put your mini-lesson into action in class by modeling close reading of your first passage and facilitating close reading and discussion of the second one. This is the practical component of the assignment.
- Write your reflections on the experience of modeling and facilitating close reading and discussion, including your preparation and how things went in class. Follow the reflection prompts below for guidance.
- Submit the written components of the assignment (mini-lesson plan, rationale, reflections).
As you can see from the attached rubric, you will be assessed on both the written and practical components of this assignment.
Passage of this assessment is based on the successful scoring of mostly threes and fours with an average score of 80% (25/32). See the rubric below for more specific guidelines. Failure to pass this assessment may result in failure of the course or redoing the assessment.
Presentation
You will design a close reading exercise for the class that will be presented in Week 16. Your presentation should be approximately 15 minutes long and engage the class. You should be able to evaluate whether the class has successfully completed a close reading analysis through your presentation/activity.
Prompts for the Written Rationale
Working through the questions below will help you prepare for your presentation. Formal written responses to these questions are due after the presentation during exam week.
- Explain why you selected this text. In your response, you might address such aspects of the text as: complexity, structure, genres, represented identities, authorship, represented themes/issues, questions raised. Consider the following angles:
- What makes it appropriate and relevant for secondary students?
- How might it affirm or speak to students’ experiences?
- What opportunities does it offer to critique embedded social narratives?
- How might it help students connect with social, political, or cultural contexts in the past or the contemporary moment?
- Explain why you selected the two passages for close reading. The same questions posed above for your choice of the whole text can help you articulate why you picked your passages, but this explanation should focus on the details of your passages, and you might also point to specific textual features (like literary devices) as you justify your choice.
- What are the learning goals for your mini-lesson? In other words, what skills and ideas do you want your students to take away from the close reading and discussion of your selected passages?
- How have you designed the close reading mini-lesson to support your goals for your students? Your response to question 3 tells me where you want your students to be by the end of the lesson. Your response to this question tells me how you’re going to get them there. In your response, please address the following:
- How will you frame the text to engage your students and make it accessible to them?
- How will you effectively model close reading for your students? Remember that modeling isn’t just "doing"; it's doing while calling attention to what you’re doing and why. So be sure to name the skills you're using (analyzing, interpreting, annotating, thinking aloud) and demonstrate the reasoning behind your choices to highlight certain aspects of the text.
- What questions will you use to guide students through the passage? To focus their attention to your chosen frame and spur their analysis and discussion?
- What do you want students to do when it’s their turn to work through the passage? For example: Annotate the passage in their books or on handouts? Freewrite? Talk in small groups or a big group? Engage in metacognitive activities?
- How will you respond to differing or conflicting interpretations of the passage?
Promopts for Reflection
- Reflect on your experiences modeling and facilitating close reading and discussion with your classmates. In your reflection, please address the following:
- How well did your preparations serve you in the classroom?
- What did you learn from the experience, either about teaching practices or your chosen text?
- What would you do the same and what would you do differently if you were to repeat this mini-lesson with another group of learners?
Close Reading and Modeling and Facilitation Rubric
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Unsatisfactory 1-A level of performance that demonstrates a lack of understanding of the topic and little competence when attempting to implement related activities to the topic. |
Basic 2-A level of performance that demonstrates a limited level of understanding of the topic and low level of competence when implementing related activities to the topic. |
Proficient 3-A level of performance that demonstrates a fairly high level of understanding of the topic and some degree of competence when implementing related activities to the topic. |
Distinguished 4- A level of excellence that demonstrates a very high level of understanding of the topic and strong competence to implementing related activities to the topic |
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Candidates will analyze and interpret literary texts through critical
reading and in relation to historical, cultural, literary, linguistic,
and aesthetic contexts.
ENG: 1 5-9, 7-12: ELA9.b., ELA.12.h. Liberal Arts: Critical Thinking |
Candidate’s prep notes and modeling exhibit little or no attention to language/detail. Candidate does not demonstrate the ability to analyze and interpret literary texts. | Candidate’s prep notes and modeling exhibit some attention to language/detail. Candidate attempts to analyze and interpret literary texts, including the critique of embedded social narratives and the ability to read with and against a text. | Candidate’s prep notes and modeling exhibit careful attention to language/detail. Candidate demonstrates evidence of the ability to analyze and interpret literary texts, including the critique of embedded social narratives and the ability to read with and against a text. | Candidate’s prep notes and modeling exhibit exceptional attention to language/detail. Candidate demonstrates ample evidence of the ability to analyze and interpret literary texts, including the critique of embedded social narratives and the ability to read with and against a text. |
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Candidates create opportunities for students to engage in
literary analysis and interpretation through critical reading and
in relation to historical, cultural, literary, linguistic, and aesthetic
contexts.
ENG: 1, 2 5-9, 7-12: ELA.6.L., ELA.9.a.,ELA.9.b., ELA.9.e., ELA.9.f., ELA.9.h. Core Teaching Practices: 2 Liberal Arts: Creativity |
Candidate lacks a plan and struggles to implement a mini-lesson in close-reading. Candidate may or may not model and guide students through analysis and interpretation of a literary text. | Candidate attempts to plan and implement a mini-lesson in close-reading. Candidate shows limited effectiveness in modeling and guiding students through the analysis and interpretation of a literary text. May lack attention to interpretive lenses. | Candidate plans and implements a mini-lesson in close-reading. Candidate models and then guides students through the analysis and interpretation of a literary text, with attention to multiple theoretical or critical lenses. | Candidate effectively plans and implements a mini-lesson in close-reading. Candidate models and then guides students through the analysis and interpretation of a literary text, with attention to multiple theoretical or critical lenses. |
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Candidates select texts that are relevant, appropriate to students'
needs, and represent a range of world literatures, cultural and historical
traditions, genres, and the experiences of a range of genders, ethnicities,
and social classes, and can articulate those qualities.
5-9, 7-12: ELA.2.e., ELA.3.d., ELA.9.b., ELA.12.b.,, ELA.12.i., ELA.12.k. Liberal Arts: Communication |
Candidate provides an insufficient rationale for text selection that does not reflect consideration of instructional purpose, students’ needs, and the value of representation of diverse world literatures, cultural and historical traditions, genres, and the experiences of a range of genders, ethnicities, and social classes. | Candidate attempts to provide a rationale for text selection that reflects some consideration of instructional purpose, students’ needs, and the value of representation of diverse world literatures, cultural and historical traditions, genres, and the experiences of a range of genders, ethnicities, and social classes. | Candidate provides a rationale for text selection that reflects consideration of instructional purpose, students’ needs, and the value of representation of diverse world literatures, cultural and historical traditions, genres, and the experiences of a range of genders, ethnicities, and social classes. | Candidate provides a thorough rationale for text selection that reflects careful consideration of instructional purpose, students’ needs, and the value of representation of diverse world literatures, cultural and historical traditions, genres, and the experiences of a range of genders, ethnicities, and social classes. |
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Candidates frame texts to facilitate access and to engage learners. 5-9, 7-12: ELA.1.a., ELA.10.d. Liberal Arts: Communication |
Candidate fails to introduce the mini-lesson and frame the selected text. May not facilitate access or engage learners. | Candidate attempts to introduce the mini-lesson and frame the selected text to facilitate access and engage learners. | Candidate introduces the mini-lesson and frames the selected text to facilitate access and engage learners. | Candidate skillfully introduces the mini-lesson and frames the selected text to facilitate access and engage learners. |
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Candidates facilitate discussion and elicit and interpret individual students'
thinking
ENG: 5 Core Teaching Practice 1, 3 Liberal Arts: Communication, Critical Thinking |
Candidate does not facilitate discussion that advances learners’ shared understanding. May stall at a superficial level or fail to encourage and respond to multiple points of view. | Candidate attempts to facilitate discussion but may not advance beyond superficial understanding of the selected text and the processes of textual analysis and interpretation. Attempts to encourage and respond to multiple points of view. | Candidate facilitates discussion that advances learners’ shared understanding of the selected text and the processes of textual analysis and interpretation, while encouraging and responding to multiple points of view. | Candidate effectively facilitates discussion that advances learners’ shared understanding of the selected text and the processes of textual analysis and interpretation, while encouraging and responding to multiple points of view. |
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Candidates use reflective practices to design, monitor, and adapt
instruction as a means for gauging professional growth.
5-9, 7-12: P.2.b. |
Candidate may or may not reflect on experiences modeling and facilitating close reading and discussion. Response lacks depth or consideration of how experiences could inform future instruction. | Candidate attempts reflection on experiences modeling and facilitating close reading and discussion. Response may lack depth or consideration of how experiences could inform future instruction. | Candidate reflects on experiences modeling and facilitating close reading and discussion, with consideration of how it could inform future instruction. | Candidate thoroughly and thoughtfully reflects on experiences modeling and facilitating close reading and discussion, with consideration of how it could inform future instruction. |
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Organization and Coherence Liberal Arts: Communication |
Candidate’s rationale and reflections are not organized effectively. No discernable logic to order of paragraphs. Main ideas may be difficult to identify. | Candidate’s rationale and reflections are organized somewhat effectively, with an implied logic to the order of paragraphs. May be harder to pick out main points from supporting material. | Candidate’s rationale and reflections are organized coherently and effectively, with logical transitions between paragraphs. Main points and progression of ideas are mostly clear. | Candidate’s rationale and reflections are organized coherently and effectively, with logical transitions between paragraphs. Main points and progression of ideas are clear. |
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Sentence-level clarity Liberal Arts: Communication |
The document includes consistent errors that impede the reading experience or obscure meaning. | The document includes more frequent errors that occasionally impede the reading experience or obscure meaning. | The document generally uses grammar, syntax, spelling, and formatting in ways that support clear communication of ideas, with very few errors. | The document is polished. Uses grammar, syntax, spelling, and formatting in ways that support clear communication of ideas. |