Language Arts Strand Project

Eighth Grade Fiction Student Name School of Education, Liberty University Contact details: Email: Abstract This Language Arts Strand Project is intended for K-8 classrooms majorly where Fictional stories and tales are the focus. The project aims to enhance students' skills across all six language arts areas, including listening, talking, reading, writing, viewing, and visually representing. Through reading and critically analyzing a wide range of fictional works, students will acquire a profound knowledge of the instruments of narrative, character development, and thematic examination, which will survive them the all-life affection and admiration for literature. Text Set Grade Level K8 State Standards Reading:VA English SOL K.9 (Beginning level): Students will make connections between illustrations and the text in which they appear to tell the parts of a story.VA English SOL 4.5 (Middle level): Students will explain the author's purpose and describe how the choice of language, setting, characters, and information contributes to the author's viewpoint.VA English SOL 8.6 (Advanced level): Students will analyze the use of imagery and sensory details in a text.Writing:VA English SOL K.12: Students will draw pictures or use letters and phonetically spelled words to write about experiences.VA English SOL 4.7: Students will write for a variety of purposes: to describe, to inform, to entertain, to explain, and to persuade.VA English SOL 8.7: Students will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphing.Listening and Speaking:VA English SOL K.2: Students will listen and demonstrate understanding by identifying important details and asking questions about the topics.VA English SOL 4.2: Students will make and confirm predictions based on the content of a spoken message.VA English SOL 8.1: Students will actively listen and respond to the ideas of others in group discussions. Objectives This project aims for the students to be able to identify and describe all parts of narrative structure which are setting, character, plot, conflict, and theme with 80% accuracy after they work with different fictional textbooks.Through discussions and creative activities, this project aims for the students to prove their ability to synopsize concepts and their understanding of plot development as well as character development in different texts, using proper texts to support their statements.By the end of the unit, this project aims for the students to be able to synthesize short stories that reflect the lessons by incorporating narrative elements, fostering creativity, and demonstrating understanding of the genre. Children’s Literature/ Reading Materials Each title was chosen with the aim of giving the reader a deeper understanding of any literary component or theme suitable for a K-8 student. These texts will allow students to explore a variety of fictional contexts and artistic styles, encouraging deeper engagement with the language arts. These texts will allow students to explore a variety of fictional contexts and artistic styles, encouraging deeper engagement with the language arts."Charlotte's Web" by E.B. WhiteWhite (2015) elicits the poignant themes of friendship and sacrifice from the students; these emotions are stirred by the way Charlotte and Wilbur, set against a humorous and light tone, develop an unlikely connection. Moreover, this tale gives a close look into the character traits and offers the profound insights into the cyclical nature of life, hence making it the perfect material for the discussions on character development and themes."Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. RowlingRowling (2001) gets readers acquainted with the amazing world of Hogwarts where the three powerful themes, namely, courage, belonging, and sacrifice, are the major central themes which are timeless. The enchanted voyage of Harry from the ordinary and mundane world to the magical realm is not just the spellbinding escapades but also the lesson of plot construction and characterization, which offer a new meaning of storytelling."Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak"Sendak (1988) plunges students into the infinite expanse of imagination through a gripping journey. The two characters, Max and his adventures with one of them are the Wild Things, foster the children’s imagination while, at the same time, addressing the topics of conflict and resolution. Notwithstanding, this beloved piece of literature provides wonderful material for discussion among others as it envisages the magic of imagination and the necessity of finding serenity with oneself."The Tale of Despereaux" by Kate DiCamilloThrough the journey of a timid mouse with big prowess of bravery, DiCamillo (2003) helped students start to learn themes of bravery and the eternal clash between dark and light. DiCamillo's plot not only portrays the bravery of a protagonist but also touches into a story about fighting against the darkest hours with finding light. Talks can be held on the various feats of bravery shown by Despereaux and other characters, and the symbolism of light and darkness used throughout the story."Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick RiordanRiordan's (2011) contemporary characterization of Greek mythology is at the same time considered the environment in which students will experience and enjoy looking back into the past and, at the same time, witnessing the development of the central character, Percy Jackson. By following Percy through the obstacles of knowing his identity as a demigod, the students can reflect on the mythical manifestations of the plot and create a dialogue about how the myth allows the depiction of Percy's character. Identity, destiny, friendship, and their growth in independent thinking are also the other major themes. Questions can be built on the moral choices of characters."Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine PatersonPaterson's (2005) edifying and heartfelt narrative of friendship between Jess and Leslie is a meticulous exploration of camaraderie, playfulness, and emotionally draining effects of loss. While the students accompany Jesse and Leslie on their fairytale adventures in the Terabithia kingdom, they get to understand how powerful their friendship is and the unmeasurable consequences of Leslie's fatal death. Topics of conversation can include the concepts friendship, grief, and realizing the value in the living moments with those we treasure. Students will learn a lot of valuable lessons on resiliency and the endurance of friendship from Jesse's journey of healing. Lesson Plan Lesson Plan Template Preliminary Information Candidate Name: Your Name Grade Level: K-8 Candidate’s Endorsement: Elementary Education Central Focus: Understanding Narrative Elements Subject: Language Arts Learning Segment Theme: Elements of Fiction Where in the learning segment does this lesson occur? ☒Beginning ☒Middle ☒End Lesson Structure or Grouping: ☐Whole Class ☒Small Group ☐1:1 Other (specify): Click or tap here to enter text. Student Assets (Knowledge of Students) Complete this section if you are in a practicum setting. If you are not in a practicum setting, please list N/A. Personal (Interests, family backgrounds, experiences, etc.) Students come from a variety of family backgrounds, where some have more experience in reading and storytelling at home than the others. Cultural (Traditions, dialects, worldview, literature, arts, etc.) Classroom brings together young people of diverse cultural backgrounds, which undoubtedly enhance literacy perception and story interpretation. Most of the students have English as their primary language and a few have English as their second language. There are also multilingual students (i.e., speaking more than two languages). Community (Landmarks, community events, etc.) In many cases, learners go to bookstores and local libraries. Others also join reading clubs, helping them build the communal environment for literacy. Developmental (Cognitive, physical, social, and emotional) More than half of the class have excellent English proficiency while the rest have moderate to low proficiencies. The intelligence quotient of most students is also between average to above average. There are two to five students who are having problems with communicating with peers. Content Standards State Standards Reading: VA English SOL 3.5 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts by identifying elements such as setting, character, plot, and theme.Writing: VA English SOL 3.9 Students will demonstrate the ability to write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events.Listening and Speaking: VA English SOL 3.1 Students will engage in collaborative discussions (teacher and student-led) with diverse partners about grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. National Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3 - Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3 - Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. InTASC Standards Standard #2: Learning Differences - The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards. Learning Objective(s) These must be behavioral and measurable. Statements of what students will know, understand, and be able to do at the end of the lesson (consider all three domains). Include condition, performance, and criterion. Students will be able to recognize the main elements of the fiction after reading and analyzing the six fictional stories with at least 80% accuracy. They will discuss the setting, plot, characters, and climax of each fictional story. (Condition: After reading all the six fictional stories, students will have at least 80% accuracy in identifying narrative elements)Students will be asked to write an original short story as a homework in which they will demonstrate their ability to use descriptive details and clear sequence of events by writing down a story that is cohesive and coherent. (Condition: This can be done through a writing a fictional story as a homework; Parameter: This can be achieved by way of a one-page short story; Feature: Structure of the story, including generalization and specific detailing. Beginning: Launch/Hook/Anticipatory Set How will you get the lesson started? What questions, texts, inquiry, modeling, and/or other techniques will you use to engage students? Begin the lesson with the guided read-aloud of the book "Where the Wild Things Are." From there, have students respond with predictive questions about the plot and the characters and illustrate the story on the story map as you move along discussing the story elements. Middle: Instructional Strategies to Facilitate Student Learning For example: How will you engage students with ideas/texts to develop understanding? What questions will you ask? How will you promote question generation/discussion? What activities will you use to engage students in learning—for individuals, small groups, or the whole class? How will you incorporate technology? How will you address the academic language demands? Detail your plan. Note: For math lesson plans, please write or attach every task/problem students will solve during the lesson—with the correct answers. Instruction/Modeling To get a student start on character development, setting and plot, I will use SMART Board to project the texts that will emphasize the given elements. To show the development of characters, I'll exhibit passages featuring different stages of Wilbur, Charlotte, and the other main characters throughout the novel. In addition to setting, I will be showing up a description of Zuckerman's farm, the barn, and other key locations in order to make it more visual. The students will be able to see the place where the story happens. Finally, for the plot, I will demonstrate to the audience the crucial parts by telling about Wilbur’s escape from the farm, about Charlotte’s making the web, and the emotional end of the story. When these items are presented visually, students will have a more enhanced perception and knowing of the elements that contribute to the story. Guided Practice Guided practice allows students to work in pairs in completing segments of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" using guided notes. The pairs will analyze the separate parts of the novel in detail concentrating on character development, setting, and the main actions. Worksheet questions will put forward the guided questions such as character traits, setting, and the sequence of events to facilitate the brainstorming process. Students will be able to build on each other’s knowledge and engage with the guided worksheets thus leading the students to hold a firm grasp of narrative elements in their respective part of the novel. Independent Practice Students will take an independent practice period where they will engage in a creative writing session which will reflect the storytelling skill taught. Using the story openers and mind mapping strategies as a reference from previous lessons, students will have to write their own tales These students will be free to choose their own genres and themes, however narrative elements can be added as well as including character development, setting descriptions or plot progressions. When they take their acquired skills and use them in a practice, students will reinforce their narrative skills and release their creative side thus crafting a personal composition. End: Closure How will you end the lesson in a way that promotes student learning and retention? The final step of the lesson is to let the students share their story outlines for the peers to be able to state their comments as a form of feedback. The teacher shall summarize the literary devices and plots of each fictional story and how these elements were integrated into their narratives by the authors. The teacher shall strengthen the notion of story structure in storytelling using variety of examples. Evidence and Assessment of Student Learning How will you know whether your students are meeting your learning objective? What tools will you use to measure their progress? How will you provide feedback to promote student learning? Diagnostic/Pre-assessment(s) (could be prior to the lesson) Start the class by giving students a multiple-choice quiz on narrative components to assess their knowledge. Formative Assessments/ Feedback to Learners (part of the activities in the lesson) Complement the groups conversations with verbal feedback and give the written feedback on their story outlines. Summative Assessment (matches the objective) Students will narrate their final stories in front of class and these will be appraised in terms of the story’s narrative features and the degree of originality. Academic Language Demands Language Demand(s) Students will be asked to create descriptive language and show command of narrative structure terms. Language Support(s) Make vocabulary lists and sample descriptive sentence that the reader can use in the storytelling. Essential Vocabulary Exposition, narration, character, setting, plot, conflict resolution, conflict. LU SOE-Specific Lesson Requirements Character Education Use the examples of characters` moral choices in stories and relate them to values a person has personally. Materials Hard and soft copies of the 6 fictional stories, including Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordans, and Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, story maps, handouts for skills development, and writing materials for story composition. Technology Connection An example of how SMART Board could present text and interactive story mapping as well. Consider the Following Question for the next section of this Form: How will you support students to meet your goals? EXPLICITLY describe what you will do! List planned supports (instructional strategies, learning tasks and materials, and other resources deliberately designed to facilitate student learning of the central focus). Planned Supports Differentiated instruction includes differentiation as reasonable as reading fluency by offering differin...