Assignment Introduction
As a part of the environmental criticism unit you will be conducting research using narrative inquiry. You will be building a relationship with nature through your own interests and conduct research to build a relationship between the two. As you will also be working on a book club presentation, these texts will become your parent text that you should use throughout your research. We will be discussing all of the texts in class, but specific examples will be made in relationship to your text which will further develop your understanding of this form of research.
Rational
As a global citizen, it is important that you build relationships with the natural world. These connections will inform you as a citizen and participant researcher. While research in general can be dehumanizing and be removed, this project intends to connect you with your research and the natural world.
Assignment
You will conduct a 5 page narrative research paper on a topic of your choice. Through narrative inquiry you will develop a voice for yourself as a participant researcher and for your topic. In writing your research paper you will use a collection of texts that you gather in research to demonstrate how your topic relates to nature. You will be responsible for including up to four texts in your research including your parent text from the book club assignment. Depending on your topic the parent text will directly relate to your research or will serve as a piece to compare and contrast yourself as a participant researcher to others doing the same work.
Assessment
You will be graded on your use of secondary sources, development of yourself as a researcher, effective communication and ability to address your research questions. A rubric will be handed out at a later date. As this is one of five major papers for the class, you should develop a well-constructed paper that is presentable and complete as a text. However, as this is a major paper it is also a paper that can be used in the final assignment to expand upon your research in this text or be revised with the three other papers.
Audience
You will be writing to a global audience. As a global citizen and researcher you will be writing to reach a general audience to inform the ways in which your interests are connected to the environment. In making this reach a general audience you will submit your final paper in two modes, as a blog post and via email to the instructor.
Rubric Narrative Inquiry Research Paper
Teacher Name: Mr. McCreary
Student Name: ________________________________________
CATEGORY
4
3
2
1
Organization
Information is very organized with well-constructed paragraphs and subheadings while giving a strong voice to you as a researcher.
Information is organized with well-constructed paragraphs but lacks a strong voice from the researcher.
Information is organized, but paragraphs are not well-constructed. Researcher has minimal voice.
The information appears to be disorganized. There is no voice of the researcher
Quality of Information
Information clearly relates to the research question. Paper includes several supporting details and/or examples in relation to the research.
Information relates to the research question. Paper includes some supporting details and/or examples in relation to the research.
Information poorly relates to the research question. Paper includes few supporting details and/or examples in relation to the research.
Information does not relate to the research question. Paper includes no supporting details and/or examples in relation to the research.
Sources
4-5 sources including book club tex,t are accurately documented in the MLA format.
3 sources including book club text, are accurately documented in the MLA format.
2 sources including book club text, are poorly documented in the MLA format.
0-1 sources including book club, text are poorly documented in the MLA format.
Mechanics
Effective use of, "They Say I say\". Sentence structure clearly communicates understanding of grammatical conventions and has no spelling errors
Good use of, "They Say. I say". Sentence structure communicates understanding of grammatical conventions and has few spelling errors
Poor use of, "They Say I. say". Sentence structure lacks communication in understanding grammatical conventions and has several spelling errors
No use of, "They Say. I say". Sentence structure poorly demonstrates communication in understanding grammatical conventions and has many spelling errors
Adapted from Rubistar
Positioning researcher in research Teacher: Date:
School: Grade Level: 12 Content Area: Language Arts
Title: Writing a narrative inquiry paper Lesson #:_2_ of _20_
Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson: (Write Content Standards directly from the standard) 3.1b, 3.2a, 4.1a, 4.1d
Understandings: (Big Ideas)
Positioning one’s self as a researcher in relationship to research.
Inquiry Questions: (Essential questions relating knowledge at end of the unit of instruction, select applicable questions from standard)
1. How do authors measure the quality of their argument along the way?
2. What criteria do authors use to evaluate the quality of their reasoning? (clarity, validity, logic, relevance, completeness, depth, breadth)
3. How do researchers identify a significant problem or issue to study?
4. Why is relevance a key element of technical writing?
5. How is credibility of sources pertinent to academic or persuasive writing?
6. Who would your intended audience be for this piece of work?
Evidence Outcomes: (Learning Targets)
Every student will be able to: (Create your own lesson objectives from the standard, follow the ABCD format, using student voice)
I can: position myself in relationship to my research.
This means: I understand how I relate to my topic of research and see how this relationship influences my research as a participant researcher.
List of Assessments: (Write the number of the learning target associated with each assessment)
Blog post
Planned Lesson Activities
Name and Purpose of Lesson
Should be a creative title for you and the students to associate with the activity. Think of the purpose as the mini-rationale for what you are trying to accomplish through this lesson.
Positioning yourself in your research
Approx. Time and Materials
How long do you expect the activity to last and what materials will you need?
45 minutes
Class in learnscape classroom
Anticipatory Set
The “hook” to grab students’ attention. These are actions and statements by the teacher to relate the experiences of the students to the objectives of the lesson, To put students into a receptive frame of mind.
· To focus student attention on the lesson.
· To create an organizing framework for the ideas, principles, or information that is to follow (advanced organizers)
An anticipatory set is used any time a different activity or new concept is to be introduced.
Quick Write: What makes an author credible? Why?
- Guided thinking: Is it because they are an author, have to go through a publisher/editing process? They list their resources? They are professionals of their field? All or some of the above?
Procedures
(Include a play-by-play account of what students and teacher will do from the minute they arrive to the minute they leave your classroom. Indicate the length of each segment of the lesson. List actual minutes.)
Indicate whether each is:
-teacher input
-modeling
-questioning strategies
-guided/unguided:
-whole-class practice
-group practice
-individual practice
-check for understanding
-other
5 minute check in: classroom development/student relationships
5 minute quick write: unguided instruction, critical thinking
10 minutes credibility activity: critical thinking, whole class practice
10 minutes discussion of book club texts: guided questioning and writing, whole class practice
- What makes you believe this author?
- What did your guided research inform you about their credibility?
- Writing prompt: why is your author credible?
Closure
Those actions or statements by a teacher that are designed to bring a lesson presentation to an appropriate conclusion. Used to help students bring things together in their own minds, to make sense out of what has just been taught. “Any Questions? No. OK, let’s move on” is not closure. Closure is used:
· To cue students to the fact that they have arrived at an important point in the lesson or the end of a lesson.
· To help organize student learning
To help form a coherent picture and to consolidate.
Begin to position yourself in your own research as a researcher with a credible voice in your field of interest. Think about how your author has or has not positioned themselves in their book and how they are positioned in their field. Begin to write your thoughts as a researcher in relation to your research. This will be transferable to your blog post. If you have any questions or need guided assistance feel free to ask the instructor for assistance, or briefly brainstorm with a partner. If you are brainstorming keep your conversation quiet and limit discussion to two minutes or less. This time is intender writing, however collaboration can be useful to start the writing process.
Differentiation
To modify: If the activity is too advanced for a child, how will you modify it so that they can be successful?
To extend: If the activity is too easy for a child, how will you extend it to develop their emerging skills?
Modify: Allow for more time practicing the understanding of credibility
Extend: Write how your author is a credible source of information, use quotes from texts and websites using MLA citations.
Assessment
How will you know if students met the learning targets? Write a description of what you were looking for in each assessment.
Blog post: In 500 words or more, write about an activity you enjoy. You will continue to be researching this topic over the unit so make sure it is something that you truly enjoy. Write about how you are knowledgeable as a participant in this activity. Use this post to place yourself as a knowledgeable person in the field of inquiry.
Credibility Activity
Credibility Activity
3 students will take on a roll and will explain to the class that what their expertise is in the field. Students from the class will vote on who they believe to be the most credible and defend their position as to why. This activity is intended to build critical thinking on individual credibility and what makes a person credible in a particular field. Following this activity students should brainstorm and prewrite the ways in which they are a credible participant researcher in their field of study.
Class role, seeking advice on your car:
Role 1: I am your local mechanic. I have been working on your family’s car for years and have always given you a fair deal on the price. Though your car seems to be in the shop once a year each time the car has had a different problem that was unrelated to the previous.
Role 2: I am a physical mechanics Phd. Professor at your local college. I specialize in motors and complex mechanics. I wrote my dissertation on the effectiveness of combustible engines and am currently doing research on electric cars. The Tesula is a great design but I believe I can develop a better electric car.
Role 3: I am your neighbor who works on his car all the time. I can take apart a whole car and piece it back together. Though I only work as a delivery driver, I have worked on cars since I was 16 (I am 37).
Class role, seeking financial advice:
Role 1: I am a cooperate banker for Wells Fargo and have been working in the banking industry for years. I got my BA in business and began working as a teller in college. I have worked my way up to be a CEO.
Role 2: I am a small bank manager. I have worked in the industry professionally for 10 years after getting my MBA in finance. I specialize in personal investment and home financing.
Role 3: I am a day trader. I never completed college but stared a degree in business economics. I have built a portfolio that has a net worth of $2.5 million. To be successful at what I do I conduct intense research on the areas in which I intend to invest to make sure that I make a good investment.
Class role seeking cooking advice:
Role 1: I am your mother, or grandmother.
Role 2: I am a chef for the Kitchen. I have been working in the restaurant industry for 10 years after moving my way up from a bus boy to server and finally working my way into the kitchen. I have a love for cooking and have
Role 3: I just completed my education at the Culinary school of Portland. I have not worked in a restaurant outside of my internships. I was at the top of my graduating class and am a potential candidate at a five star restaurant in New York under Gordon Ramsey.
Teaching notes: Positioning Self in Research Teaching notes:
Key terms:
Validity: The quality of being well-founded on fact, or established on sound principles, and thoroughly applicable to the case or circumstances; soundness and strength (of argument, proof, authority, etc.).
Credibility: The quality or state of being credible; capacity to be believed or believed in.
Definitions from Oxford English Dictionary
Guided research on authors:
Michael Pollan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Pollan
http://michaelpollan.com/
Elizabeth Kolbert:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Kolbert
http://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert
Doug Fine:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Fine
http://dougfine.com/
Relations to texts:
The texts do not offer a note about the author so much of their credibility is left to an understanding of their previous work. However there is information offered in the introduction of the texts that validates their positionality in their research and understanding.
Elizabeth Kolbert “Field Notes From A Catastrophe” pp Preface
Doug Fine “Farewell My Subaru”pp 3-4
Michael Pollan “Omnivores Dilemma”pp 15-16
Connecting to nature Teacher: Date:
School: Grade Level: 12 Content Area: Language Arts
Title: Writing a narrative inquiry paper Lesson #:_6_ of _20_
Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson: (Write Content Standards directly from the standard)
3.1a, 3.1b, 3.2a, 32.b, 3.2c, 4.1a, 4.1f, 4.2a
Understandings: (Big Ideas)
Connecting my personal interests to the environment
Inquiry Questions: (Essential questions relating knowledge at end of the unit of instruction, select applicable questions from standard)
1. How does figurative language enhance the writer’s intended meaning?
2. Who would your intended audience be for this piece of work?
3. . How do writers select appropriate details to develop and support a strong thesis?
4. Why is it important to identify audience needs and address counterarguments?
5. Why is relevance a key element of technical writing?
6. How is credibility of sources pertinent to academic or persuasive writing?
7. How do researchers identify a significant problem or issue to study?
8. To what extent can researchers compare and contrast their research conclusions/results with alternative conclusions/results? (breadth)
9. `How do authors measure the quality of their argument along the way?
Evidence Outcomes: (Learning Targets)
Every student will be able to: (Create your own lesson objectives from the standard, follow the ABCD format, using student voice)
I can: make personal connections to the natural world
This means: I can critically think about my personal interests and see how it relates to the natural world.
List of Assessments: (Write the number of the learning target associated with each assessment)
Blog post
Planned Lesson Activities
Name and Purpose of Lesson
Should be a creative title for you and the students to associate with the activity. Think of the purpose as the mini-rationale for what you are trying to accomplish through this lesson.
Connecting to nature
Approx. Time and Materials
How long do you expect the activity to last and what materials will you need?
45 minutes
Class in learnscape classroom
Anticipatory Set
The “hook” to grab students’ attention. These are actions and statements by the teacher to relate the experiences of the students to the objectives of the lesson, To put students into a receptive frame of mind.
- To focus student attention on the lesson.
- To create an organizing framework for the ideas, principles, or information that is to follow (advanced organizers)
Quick Write: Write about how this three (specific organism to learnscape) relates to you. What about it have you observed over the course of the year? How does it affect your daily life? This can be directly related to class or relating your understanding of biology.
Procedures
(Include a play-by-play account of what students and teacher will do from the minute they arrive to the minute they leave your classroom. Indicate the length of each segment of the lesson. List actual minutes.)
Indicate whether each is:
-teacher input
-modeling
-questioning strategies
-guided/unguided:
-whole-class practice
-group practice
-individual practice
-check for understanding
-other
5 minute check in: classroom development/student relationships
5 minutes quick write: unguided instruction, critical thinking
10 minutes building extended definition of terms: Biophilia, Biophobia; guided whole class practice and building understanding
10 minute lecture on texts and relation to nature; guided instruction
10 minute practice; finding examples in specific book club groups relating authors text to nature
5 minutes writing about interests in connection to nature; unguided practice
Closure
Those actions or statements by a teacher that are designed to bring a lesson presentation to an appropriate conclusion. Used to help students bring things together in their own minds, to make sense out of what has just been taught. “Any Questions? No. OK, let’s move on” is not closure. Closure is used:
- To cue students to the fact that they have arrived at an important point in the lesson or the end of a lesson.
- To help organize student learning
In what ways can we connect our personal interests and research to nature? With the building of a class definition of biophilia and biophobia practice writing how your research connects to nature. Use the remainder of class to connect to your research to nature. . This will be transferable to your blog post. If you have any questions or need guided assistance feel free to ask the instructor for assistance, or briefly brainstorm with a partner. If you are brainstorming keep your conversation quiet and limit discussion to two minutes or less. This time is intender writing, however collaboration can be useful to start the writing process.
Differentiation
To modify: If the activity is too advanced for a child, how will you modify it so that they can be successful?
To extend: If the activity is too easy for a child, how will you extend it to develop their emerging skills?
Modify: Demonstrate how defined terms relate to the student’s lives and research
Extend: Compare and contrast your research to the parent text and the authors research
Assessment
How will you know if students met the learning targets? Write a description of what you were looking for in each assessment.
Blog post: In 500 words or more write about connections of your research to nature. Please head the blog post with your research questions so other readers have a context to your post. This post should explore your research in connection with nature. You should explore the ways in which your research connects with nature. If you are having trouble, think about direct relations, attire required, the space required and its impacts on the environment.
Connecting to nature: Graphic organizer Find Examples of how the author of your book makes connections of their research to nature. The claim is already defined, you need to find textual evidence and explain your rationale.
Claim:
(Blank Author) relates their research to nature.
Evidence:
Textual information
Warrant:
Why
Claim:
(Blank Author) relates their research to nature.
Evidence:
Textual information
Warrant:
Why
Claim:
(Blank Author) relates their research to nature.
Evidence:
Textual information
Warrant:
Why
Claim:
(Blank Author) relates their research to nature.
Evidence:
Textual information
Warrant:
Why
Teaching notes: Connecting to nature Teaching notes:
Terms:
Biophilia: The biological drive towards self-preservation; love of life; (now chiefly Psychoanal.) this drive as an indicator of normal and healthy emotional and social development A love of or empathy with the natural world, esp. when seen as a human instinct. Biophobia: a refusal or marked reluctance to consider or accept biological (esp. genetic or evolutionary) factors or theories in relation to human life; (b)avoidance of contact with animals, plants, or organic materials; strong aversion to aspects of the natural world Definitions from Oxford English Dictionary
Relations to texts
The authors offer a good connection of their research and interests to nature in complex ways. The texts as a whole are an example of biophilia, however individual excerpts can be made to exemplify this understanding.
Elizabeth Kolbert “Field Notes From A Catastrophe”
pp 12-13
Doug Fine “Farewell My Subaru”
pp 182-183
Michael Pollan “Omnivores Dilemma”
pp 6-7
Unguided Practice:
In your book club groups use the graphic organizer to find textual evidence on how your author is connecting their research to nature.
They say I say Teacher: Date:
School: Grade Level: 12 Content Area: Language Arts
Title: Writing a narrative inquiry paper Lesson #:_13_ of _20_
Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson: (Write Content Standards directly from the standard)
3.1a, 3.1e, 3.2a, 3.2b, 3.2c, 3.2g, 4.1a, 4.1b, 4.1c, 4.2a, 4.2e
Understandings: (Big Ideas)
Including your thoughts and understanding from derived quotes and information pulled from a text.
Inquiry Questions: (Essential questions relating knowledge at end of the unit of instruction, select applicable questions from standard)
- Who would your intended audience be for this piece of work?
- What literary genre best fits your interest and why?
- How do writers select appropriate details to develop and support a strong thesis?
- Why is it important to identify audience needs and address counterarguments?
- Why is relevance a key element of technical writing?
- How is credibility of sources pertinent to academic or persuasive writing?
- To what extent can researchers compare and contrast their research conclusions/results with alternative conclusions/results? (breadth)
- How do researchers check their resources and evaluate evidence to ensure that they were relevant and significant to the research question or purpose?
- How do authors measure the quality of their argument along the way?
Evidence Outcomes: (Learning Targets)
Every student will be able to: (Create your own lesson objectives from the standard, follow the ABCD format, using student voice)
I can: Summarize in my own words my understanding of a quote from a text and explain my interpretation of the quote.
This means: I understand the relationship to the selected quote in relation to my research as a whole.
List of Assessments: (Write the number of the learning target associated with each assessment)
Blog post
Planned Lesson Activities
Name and Purpose of Lesson
Should be a creative title for you and the students to associate with the activity. Think of the purpose as the mini-rationale for what you are trying to accomplish through this lesson.
They Say I say
Approx. Time and Materials
How long do you expect the activity to last and what materials will you need?
45 minutes
Class in learnscape classroom
Anticipatory Set
The “hook” to grab students’ attention. These are actions and statements by the teacher to relate the experiences of the students to the objectives of the lesson, To put students into a receptive frame of mind.
- To focus student attention on the lesson.
- To create an organizing framework for the ideas, principles, or information that is to follow (advanced organizers)
Quick Write: What is your favorite food and why. Because “it is good” is not enough justification. Think about what the food means to you culturally, socially and personally.
2 Circle pair and share: Inside circle shares with a partner why they like a specific food while outside partner listens and takes notes. Rotate partners. Outside partner explains their previous partner’s reason why they like a specific food using summary and quotes from that conversation. Following up with their understanding why this is offers a good understanding of a relationship to food.
Procedures
(Include a play-by-play account of what students and teacher will do from the minute they arrive to the minute they leave your classroom. Indicate the length of each segment of the lesson. List actual minutes.)
Indicate whether each is:
-teacher input
-modeling
-questioning strategies
-guided/unguided:
-whole-class practice
-group practice
-individual practice
-check for understanding
-other
5 minute check in: classroom development/student relationships
5 minutes quick write: unguided instruction, critical thinking
10 minutes 2 circle pair and sharing activity: whole class group practice
10 minute lecture on “They say. I Say”; guided instruction
10 minute practice; finding examples in specific book club groups on how text exemplifies how the author uses “They say. I say
”
5 minutes practice writing on selected quote using “They say. I say”
Closure
Those actions or statements by a teacher that are designed to bring a lesson presentation to an appropriate conclusion. Used to help students bring things together in their own minds, to make sense out of what has just been taught. “Any Questions? No. OK, let’s move on” is not closure. Closure is used:
- To cue students to the fact that they have arrived at an important point in the lesson or the end of a lesson.
- To help organize student learning
After practicing “They say. I say” do you have any questions regarding this technique of writing?
For the remainder of class I want you to practice writing a paragraph that uses a quote from your book club text using “They say. I say.” Use the quote in relationship to the class understanding of biophilia.
Differentiation
To modify: If the activity is too advanced for a child, how will you modify it so that they can be successful?
To extend: If the activity is too easy for a child, how will you extend it to develop their emerging skills?
Modify: Use they Say I say Worksheet
Extend: In class practice of compare and contrast techniques between student research and parent text.
Assessment
How will you know if students met the learning targets? Write a description of what you were looking for in each assessment.
Blog post: In 500 words or more, write using the “They say. I Say” technique using a quote from your book club text. Try to relate this to your own research and connection to nature. This will utilize comparing and contrasting techniques that we have worked on earlier in the year. This practice is intended to work on relating your parent text to your research.
They say I say pdf
They Say/I Say Templates
Why Templates?
Academic writing requires presenting your sources and your ideas effectively to readers. According to Graff and Birkenstein, the first element in the process involves “entering a conversation about ideas” between you—the writer—and your sources to reflect your critical thinking (ix). The templates allow you, the writer, to organize your ideas in relationship to your thesis, supporting evidence, opposing evidence, and the conclusion of the argument.
The Most Important Templates: On the one hand, __________. On the other hand, __________.
Author X contradicts herself. At the same time that she argues __________, she also implies __________.
I agree that __________.
She argues __________, and I agree because __________. Her argument that __________ is supported by new research showing that __________.
In recent discussions of __________, a controversial issue has been whether __________. On the one hand, some argue that __________. On the other hand, however, others argue that __________.
Introducing Standard Views:
Americans today tend to believe that __________.
Conventional wisdom has it that __________.
My whole life I have heard it said that __________.
Making those Views Something You Say:
I have always believed that __________.
When I was a child, I used to think that __________.
Writing a Summary:
She demonstrates that __________.
In fact, they celebrate the fact that __________.
Introducing a Quote:
X insists, “__________.”
As the prominent philosopher X puts it, “__________.”
According to X, “__________.”
In her book, Book Title, X maintains that __________. X complicates matters further when she writes that __________.
Disagreeing:
I think that X is mistaken because she overlooks __________.
I disagree with X’s view that __________ because, as recent research has shown, __________.
Introducing Your Point of View: X overlooks what I consider an important point about __________.
I wholeheartedly endorse what X calls __________. My discussion of X is in fact addressing the larger matter of __________.
Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. New York: Norton, 2006.
These conclusions will have significant applications in __________ as well as in __________.
They Say/I Say Templates
Why Templates?
Academic writing requires presenting your sources and your ideas effectively to readers. According to Graff and Birkenstein, the first element in the process involves “entering a conversation about ideas” between you—the writer—and your sources to reflect your critical thinking (ix). The templates allow you, the writer, to organize your ideas in relationship to your thesis, supporting evidence, opposing evidence, and the conclusion of the argument.
The Most Important Templates: On the one hand, __________. On the other hand, __________.
Author X contradicts herself. At the same time that she argues __________, she also implies __________.
I agree that __________.
She argues __________, and I agree because __________. Her argument that __________ is supported by new research showing that __________.
In recent discussions of __________, a controversial issue has been whether __________. On the one hand, some argue that __________. On the other hand, however, others argue that __________.
Introducing Standard Views:
Americans today tend to believe that __________.
Conventional wisdom has it that __________.
My whole life I have heard it said that __________.
Making those Views Something You Say:
I have always believed that __________.
When I was a child, I used to think that __________.
Writing a Summary:
She demonstrates that __________.
In fact, they celebrate the fact that __________.
Introducing a Quote:
X insists, “__________.”
As the prominent philosopher X puts it, “__________.”
According to X, “__________.”
In her book, Book Title, X maintains that __________. X complicates matters further when she writes that __________.
Disagreeing:
I think that X is mistaken because she overlooks __________.
I disagree with X’s view that __________ because, as recent research has shown, __________.
Introducing Your Point of View: X overlooks what I consider an important point about __________.
I wholeheartedly endorse what X calls __________. My discussion of X is in fact addressing the larger matter of __________.
These conclusions will have significant applications in __________ as well as in __________.
Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. New York: Norton, 2006.
Teaching notes: They Say I say Teaching notes
Key Terms:
“They say. I say” Technique developed by Michael Brody practicing the use of an author’s understanding of a selected quote in relation to what they are writing about.
http://www.theysayiblog.com/
Relations to text:
The authors of your texts use various texts in demonstrating the “They say. I say” technique. While Doug Fine separates the two in his text, his use of “They say” stands alone from his narrative but direct connections can be made between the two. Michael Pollan uses a lot of factual information that he summarizes in relationship to his research and builds upon that understanding. Elizabeth Kolbert uses a lot of quotes from the researchers she works with and uses summary to relate to her own understanding.
Elizabeth Kolbert “Field Notes From A Catastrophe”
pp 16-17
Doug Fine “Farewell My Subaru”
pp 174-175
Michael Pollan “Omnivores Dilemma”
pp 60-61
Extended Lessons plan Developing research questions Day 3 of 20
Plan of day:
Check in
Defining research questions
Reading research questions
Looking at our own research and writing a research question
Charrette
The day will start with a check in to continue to build a positive classroom environment. Following the check in the class will discuss and make a working definition of what a research question is. After defining a research question students will break into groups and read several research reports to build their understanding of what a research question is and entails. After group work the class should return to the definition to develop a more precise definition of a research question. After the class has made a final version of a research question, which will be posted to the classroom webpage, students will take time writing out their own research question. Students should have already done some prewriting as homework and will work with the questions they have already started. This time is for students to refine their questions over 10 minutes. Following the writing of research questions students will break into charrette groups and read aloud their question and briefly state what they are working on. Following, other students in their group will offer suggestions and concerns about the research while the speaking student listens and takes notes. All students should get a chance to speak and have their research questions heard before the class is out. The homework assignment for this class is to write out a complete version of their research question and reflect on the charrette process.
Tools of inquiry in research Day 4 of 20
Plan of day
Quick write: What elements are included in research that we have read?
Look at data collection for lit review
Look at data collection from interview
Students will start the day with a quick write. This will be a reflection of research articles that students have read to understand the properties of a well-constructed research paper. The quick will lead into a discussion of the qualities of research papers. As this is the first day of this lesson the remainder of the class will look into data collection for a literature review and an interview. Since students have not collected any data for their projects they will take the time to think about the specifics they want to look at in getting data for a literature review. This will lead to brainstorming of what they want to look up for their project so that when they get to the library they have a plan of action. Though an interview is not required we will spend some time looking at the interview process. This will allow students to think about this form of data collection and do some writing about how an interview would be beneficial to their research. As this is not a required part of the paper they will write for the unit, it will be an option for students who want to extend this paper at the end of the year.
Selecting quotes, direct quotes and summary Day 11 of 20
Plan of day
Check in
Looking at quotes
Selecting effective quotes
Summarizing block quotes
Students will start with a check in to continue to develop a positive classroom environment. Following the check in students from each book club will present to the class a group of quotes that they have selected from their book. As a class we will discuss the importance of the quotes selected and analyze the specifics of the quote to understand what makes a quote relevant and what makes it irrelevant. As students will be the ones bringing the quotes to the class for discussion, we will have a variety of quotes that will be analyzed to compare and contrast quotes that are similar to determine the best quality of selected quotes. After analyzing quotes we will transition into looking at block quotes and ways to effectively summarize them. This process will invite students to select a block quote and work on summarizing the quote. The final portion of this class will move into writing paragraphs that use two quotes, one which is summarized and another that is put in quotations. This paragraph will be posted to their individual blogs as homework.
Task Analysis Adapted from The Dynamics of Writing p24
Goals, objectives outcomes:
- What is the purpose of the instruction?
o The purpose is to engage students in research while also connecting their interests to nature. As I intend to utilize learnscapes in my teaching, this will connect the instruction to space. Students will engage in a research project that relates to their own interests while also making connections to the natural world. This will allow for students to gain a voice as researchers and global citizens.
- What kind of final products will the students be responsible for?
o Students will be responsible for completing several blog posts as well as a 5 page research paper. The research paper will be published as a blog post as well as an electronic submission to the instructor. This is intended to keep the use of paper to a minimum. The final product should be a well drafted research paper. Though this will be a potential paper that students can expand upon at a later date, the paper they will hand in should stand alone as a completed piece of writing.
- What intermediate processes and process and products will be involved as students work their way towards a final product?
o The blogs will work to scaffold their learning towards the final goal of completing the paper. As they will be working on blogs and writing a paper, students will be required to write well written blog posts as well as a paper because they will be making their posts public. As students will be writing blogs that will be accessible for the entire world to see they will be gaining a voice as writer because they will be writing to a larger audience than just the instructor and their peers.
Knowledge needed to perform the task:
- What kinds of things does a student need to know in order to accomplish tasks of this type?
o Students need to have an understanding for conducting research and basic research methods practices. As students will get instruction on the basics of qualitative research and go through the library to understand how to use research tools they will be given the basic tools to begin the research process. They also need to know how to use and publish to their blog and submit emails to instructors. These will be practices established before completing the assignment.
- Is content knowledge required?
o Students will need to know the basic conventions of grammar. Though there will not be an emphasis on grammar practices in this project, students will need to know how to organize and structure basic sentences and paragraphs to write an effective paper. While we will be working with ecocritical texts, students will also need to understand issues involving the environment to make rational arguments about their own research and compare their understanding to their parent text.
- Is knowledge of a particular readership’s expectations required?
o Students will need to know and understand ecocritical writing and structure. As I intend to scaffold this by reading a separate ecocritical text before beginning this activity, students will have an understanding of the conventions and arguments used in environmental writing.
Activity Analysis Adapted from The Dynamics of Writing p24
Student knowledge:
- How prepared are students to generate the kind of text they will be attempting to produce?
o Students will have 4 weeks to complete the assignment. Each lesson is developed to build to the final piece of writing. By scaffolding the writing process students will have constricted a series of blog posts that will be transferable to their paper and will be given the necessary tools to complete the assignment. Looking at the quotes, and summary will give students a better understanding of how to pick and select the most appropriate quotes, while working with specific techniques to add voice in their own writing and research.
Resources:
- Can students readily access and sort the information they already have?
o As students will be making connections from their personal interests, they will be beginning with a bank of their own knowledge. As we will be doing research, students will spend a class understanding the resources offered by the school as well as brainstorm what they want to research before going to the library for a second day. This will build more knowledge in student’s ability to research as well as begin with knowledge that they already have.
- What materials are available for the activities?
o As we will be working primarily in a learnscape, students will have access to the resources they bring to the class. Most classes will be discussion based and have all class notes posted to the class blog. This will require students to be actively participating in discussions and take active notes. The intention is to not distract the learning process with excessive notes written on a board or failure of technology. Though we are moving into a technology driven society, class is intended to be void of technology while offering all of the class resources to be accessed outside of class in case they missed something or need to reference things discussed in class.
Designing and sequencing activities
- What sequences of activities will help students proceed from accessible materials and challenges to more complex tasks of the same type?
o The activities are intended to build upon one another to complete the paper. While the research is student driven, they will be completing the task of finding their own sources. By having the majority of research conducted under the supervision of the instructor and library staff, students will have a strong understanding to find sources so that at a later date they should be able to complete the same type of research on their own.
- How much instructional time is available for activities that teach students how to engage in task-related thinking and writing?
o Eleven of the twenty lessons are geared to the instruction of writing and research gathering while also offering two days for students to work on research and write in class. The remainder of the classes relate to the second project that students will be working on that will influence the paper that they are writing. While this can be viewed as a tentative schedule, more time could be added to improve the overall outcome of the paper by focusing more attention to grammar and getting more detailed in developing research. However I do not intend that this be to only research paper that students would write, so other aspects of research can be highlighted in later projects.
- In what ways does the instruction fit within the parameters and the requirements of the broader curriculum?
o These activities are intended to match the environmental language arts curriculum that I am designing for my grad project. The instruction is intended to match the goals of the curriculum by moving students understanding of the natural world from a landscape of observing nature, to loving nature and finally defending nature. This sequence of activities is intended to move between the first two landscapes.
Standards Based Rationale This assignment follows the 12th grade Colorado Academic Standards in writing and composition. The standards that this assignment fits in this section are 3. Writing and composition, and 4. Research and reasoning. While students will be required to develop a research paper that connects their personal interests to nature. In combination with this assignment students will also be working on a separate project that will be reflected in their research paper. This is a separate assignment that follows standards 1 and 2, however this project is not reflected in this assignment. As students will be working on writing a research paper they will be meeting the needs of standard 3.
Through a series of blog posts students will be working on writing for general audiences as well as an ecocritical audience. The student’s research will require them to position themselves as a credible researcher since they are writing in a field of their choice. The intention of this is to give the students an active voice as a writer rather than asking for a research paper where students offer a series data and information. They are being asked to position themselves in the research community to give their research credibility. As students complete the assignment blog posts will scaffold their work in developing thoughts and ideas to make the writing process structured rather than asking them to complete an assignment from scratch after a series of lessons. In completing this assignment students will conduct individual research.
While we will be discussing research methods in this unit student’s research will build their understanding of a topic of their choice and relate it to nature. This follows an understanding of the biophilia theory which will be discussed in class. This theory intends to make connections in the ways which things are related to one another through nature. Students will have to make logical arguments supported by their research and offer an understanding through a “They say. I say” technique developed from Gerald Graff and Michael Brody. This technique works to support students reasoning for selecting quotes and adding it to their research. This will continue the understanding that they need to maintain an active voice throughout their research.
Reflection I designed this CAS project with intensions that it will fit into the curriculum that I will be developing for my grad project. With that in mind I paid attention to minimal use of technology in the instruction and rather attention to using the books as examples for what I was intending to teach. The use of technology is intended to be outside of class. Student blog writing, teaching notes posted to a class wiki and the use of the library for technology are the intended uses of technology rather than using technology for instruction. Keeping this in mind, I am following John Dewey’s philosophy by connecting learning with space and am working with a theory of biophilia to connect student learning to the natural world. As you will notice that in the class materials list I have noted that class is to be held in the class learnscape rather than the classroom. This is intended to connect place with instruction.
While this is my first stab at making a unit plan and I am trying to work within the parameters of the curriculum I am developing, I think I was successful at making a completed first draft. I believe that there is still room for improvement, such as including grammar instruction and further expanding the instruction for writing a research paper. Seeing how I am in a 16 week course in graduate school, discussing how to write a research paper, this is a very fast track version of that. Though I do not intend students to go the same level of detail as a grad project, I think that there is room for more to be added in the instruction. While thinking about a yearlong plan, I do not intend for this to the final draft for all students. Writing is a process and takes a series of drafting and revision to have a complete product, and there is always room for revision from there. With that understanding, I would intend that a final project would take one of the five major papers over the semester and extend the draft to a more substantial piece of work or have students edit all of their papers to demonstrate proficiency. Similarly, I intend to continue to draft this project. As I further develop my curriculum, I intend to revise this and make it match the curriculum and possibly extend the writing instruction. Since this crosses over with a reading project as well, I will have the opportunity to further develop this sequence of instruction next semester in Teaching Reading.
I think that this was a successful start to developing a unit plan. I included two pieces of work, reading and writing and bridged the two through the assigned paper. I believe that the three fully developed lesson plans successfully articulate the idea that I want students to have an active voice in their writing. I adapted the “They say. I say” technique from Gerald Graff, unfortunately I do not have his book in Colorado, so I cannot further expand on this at the moment, however I have full intensions to. Also having students work with something that they like and already have a bank of knowledge will invite students to demonstrate that knowledge in their writing. This will allow for students to explore their own interests in their writing, while also gaining more knowledge on a subject of interest. While working with a theory of biophilia, I want to show students the ways in which everything connects with the natural environment. I think that the writing assignment begins to demonstrate this understanding, which will allow for students to further explore this theory.
As I spent time drafting and revising this project several times to a total of more than twelve hours of writing, I believe that this deserves an A. I may not have perfectly targeted all of the pieces that I am being graded on, however I have demonstrated an understanding for the assignment, expanded my thinking to connect the assignment to other aspects of my life and demonstrate critical thinking. After completing the practicum, I recognized that the assignment wanted lessons with a stronger focus on writing instruction, and I have done so by separating the reading instruction and writing instruction with two projects in the unit. I believe that I have done substantial work, which demonstrates my understanding of writing instruction by breaking the writing process up into a series of instruction that scaffolds towards the final assignment of writing a research paper.