CATEGORY

Timothy Palumbo

Novel Unit

December 2008

 

Jim the Boy: Unit Plan

            As teachers promoting both our national and state standards into students, we are expected to use literature as our most prominent tool. It is a popular debate as to whether teachers should be able to bring new books into an established curriculum. Many teachers feel that students are isolated from the ‘old classics’. These teachers would tell us that these foundations of the Canon sometimes fail to connect with our students in order to help instill our educational standards. It is not for this unit to take up this debate. It can offer some help. I believe this lesson can help infuse those old stories with new life. No new teacher can avoid the classics of the Western Canon completely; they can prepare to have a contingency plan ready if given the opportunity to introduce a new text to the school.

            Jim the Boy is just such a work. This novel is effective due to its seemingly simple prose. While so many of the ‘classics’ are written in dated, long winded syntax. Jim the Boy instead is written about values that students can recognize in words they can understand. Set in the Great Depression, the novel lends itself to illustrating a period of time that students will have already studied. Tony Earley’s writing style will reemphasize the basic literary elements of simile, theme, context and mood while providing a forum for students to learn the art of storytelling. The coming of age theme is something that freshmen readers will be able to understand and be engaged in. Earley admits in the post-novel interview that everyone in his family knows how to tell a story (Earley 233). As English teachers it should be our objective that we can say the same for every student in our class.

            This unit is designed for an Honors class in 9^th grade. The unit’s goal is to encourage students to recreate Earley’s story with their voices, computers and sound effects. Since many 9^th grade English classes have read Of Mice and Men, we will be using that story as a comparative reference. Jim the Boy will already be read in the class when this unit is to begin. It focuses on the students working together to focus their creativity on producing a technological product. By letting the students interpret the story through close reading, it will engage their higher order thinking skills and truly show them how to tell a story by effective speech and through careful attention.

 

DAY 1

What’s On For Today and Why:

The class will be led by the teacher to answer a number of questions that help them understand what they pay attention to most in a story. They should think about stories they have listened to or conversations they have had as they try to understand what aspects of storytelling inspire their listening. This lesson will supply the criteria that students will be aiming to fulfill with their audio dramatizations, which can eventually be placed as either podcasts or burned as CDs.

 

 

 

What to Do:

1. Setting Criteria

Students should sit in a circle and be asked to discuss the following questions. They should take notes on their answers as well as those that they relate to.

· What makes a story entertaining?

· Which characters do you often find most memorable?

· What makes a scene exciting or fascinating to you?

· Do you notice a character’s dialogue? What do you usually notice about it?

· Why is a setting important?

· How does the history of an area impact the characters? Does it always impact them?

2. Review and Feedback

In order to summarize the discussion, review and record the students’ answers and create a master list of the criteria for an entertaining story. An overhead or Smart Board will work best to facilitate class wide feedback to create a working checklist of the criteria for a good story.

· Review the items to confirm the class’ consensus.

· Explain that they will be listening to an Audio Book from John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men

· Students should already be familiar with the story and the affect that the historical setting had on it. Ask them to share any information they know about the Steinbeck’s novel.

· For homework, ask students to research the time period that Of Mice and Men took place in.

· Type the master list for what makes an entertaining story and email it to students. They are to bring it in the following day.

How did it go?

Students should realize how setting affects the way that characters react, talk and think. The best classroom interactions will have students understanding that a characters motives and action are usually positioned by the context of what is around them. The questions posed to them in class are supposed to get them thinking about the characters and scenes from Jim the Boy. Earley does not overdo the dialect that his characters speak in, but their vernacular is definitely from a time and place that is very specific. Discussion of ‘coon hunting’ and ‘haints’ (189) are not common in northeast school districts. Teachers should emphasize the idea of genuine speech. When discussing the memorable things that students take from the dialogue be sure to be aware of this idea. Teachers should encourage them to recognize this relationship in the characters that students enjoy hearing about the most.

 

DAY 2

What’s On For Today and Why:

Students will have brushed on their Great Depression knowledge and have reviewed a little about Of Mice and Men. They will be mentally comparing the story of Jim to that of Lenny and George already. The point of this class is for them to realize that the setting and the conflict that the characters are enduring can be heard.

 

 

What To Do:

1. Have students take out their emailed master lists.
2. Ask students to share any immediate responses or questions they may have regarding the Great Depression or Of Mice and Men.
3. You should already have downloaded a bit torrent from http://www.bittorrent.am/. This website has fully accessible bit torrents for John Steinbeck (as well as other audio books). As they listen, students should have their master list and use it as a reference point for keeping in mind what they like about what they are hearing. They should take notes on what makes the recording most genuine.
4. For homework ask students to consider how the audio recording compares to the class checklist. Have them write down their findings. They are encouraged to use any copies of Of Mice and Men to compare how the prose was performed.

 

How Did It Go?

Students should start to be aware of things they may have taken for granted by listening to the story. Students should be giving careful thought to how the characters sounded, what music may have been playing during the reading, and what sound effects were used.  They should be using these discoveries as the foundations of how they will make their own audio scene for Jim the Boy.

 

 

DAY 3

What’s On For Today and Why:

A student’s primary concern is often what they are graded on. Students will now see how they have been preparing the rubric for how their audio stories will be graded.  Groups will be assigned rather than chosen by the students. This way they will be forced to work with students they may not always work with. 

What To Do:

· Ask students to share their homework. Encourage concrete connections to the class checklist for a good story. It is really helpful for the process moving forward if the students are comfortable discussing one another’s ideas. You may want to have students call on one another in order for this to happen. Try not to lead this discussion.

· Explain that students will complete audio dramatizations of a short passages of their choosing from Jim the Boy.

· Pass out a rubric for the Audio Story, and compare the students’ checklist with the requirements for the project.

· Explain to students that they must select a scene from the novel that has some sequence of dialogue. Tell them that is the only requirement, but the more action in a scene the more opportunities to be creative they will have. Overall they should be encouraged to have fun and be genuine.

· Answer any questions that students have about the project or the rubric.

· Students will be arranged into groups by the teacher and allowed the rest of the time in class to begin planning their dramatizations. Students should choose their scene by the end of the class, but certainly must have it selected by the day of the next class.

How Did It Go?

 Ask students to turn in a brief summary of the scene that wish to record. Have them explains what chapter or scene they have chosen and why they chose it. Review their choices, and provide feedback and support, pointing out any comparisons to the recording they heard of Of Mice and Men in order for them to see the how they could produce their own project. Also verify that students have chosen passages that are a practical length for the project. If necessary, help them expand or narrow their focus individually and ensure it has parts for everyone to play (the narrator can be a part). Some of the best scenes students can use are when Uncle Al and Jim go to Charlotte; when Uncle Zeno tells Jim about the day Alice came to town; or when Penn and Jim almost encounter Ty Cobb. In short, emotional dialogue with the potential for sound effects will allow the students to really develop their audio dramas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio Story Rubric

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Story Knowledge	Knows the story well and the storytelling is polished. Includes all major points and several details.	Knows the story fairly well and has practiced telling the story once or twice. Includes all major points but only 1 or 2 details.	Knows some of the story, but did not appear to have practiced. Includes all major points of the story.	Forgets major points of the story s/he is retelling.
Plot Line	Retells story in correct sequence leaving out no important parts of story.	Retells story in sequence with 2-3 omissions. Omissions are not due to creative license.	Retells story with several omissions, but maintains sequence of those told.	Retells story out of sequence.
Characters	Names and clearly describes the main characters (through words and/or actions). The audience knows and can describe what the characters look like.	Names and describes the main characters (through words and/or actions). The audience has a fairly good idea of what the characters look like.	Names the main characters. The audience knows very little about the main characters.	It is hard to tell who the main characters are.
Conflict	Establishes the conflict clearly with strong details. The audience easily understands the conflict the main character(s) face.	Establishes the conflict clearly with some details. The audience understands the conflict the main character(s) face.	Establishes the conflict. The audience knows the conflict the character(s) face and but does not understand why it is a problem.	It is not clear what conflict the main character(s) face.
Resolution	Presents an understandable, logical resolution to the conflict. Ties up the story neatly with loose ends.	Presents an understandable and somewhat logical resolution to the conflict.	Presents a resolution to the conflict which is a little hard to understand.	No resolution was attempted or it was impossible to understand.
Setting	Uses lots of vivid, imagery from the book to show the audience when and where the story takes place. Background noises are used.	Uses some vivid, descriptive words to show the audience when and where the story takes place.	Uses few details. The audience guesses when and where the story took place.	Uses no details. The audience has trouble telling when and where the story

 

 

 

DAY 4

What’s On For Today and Why:

Today we’ll go over the work needed to produce the story. Ask students how they think they will come about producing this project and offer them a sequence. You should use their ideas for the process to supply them with a productive sequence of action.

What to do:

1. Present an overview of the process that students will complete over the course of the audio dramatization project. This can be a handout if you think they will need to take notes.
• Outline the story
• Identify key scenes and characters
• Compose script
• Choose any sound effects
• Practice the script
• Set up equipment (including anything needed for sound effects)
• Record the segment in short segments
• If working online, save often!
• Edit the audio as necessary
• If working online, add any additional music or sound effects (use Audacity online)
• Review the completed recording
• Publish or share the final piece
2. To begin the process of outlining the story, ask students to identify the key points of the story structure for the scene they have chosen.
3. Working from the diagram of the plot, begin work on an outline of these significant events. There is no need to outline the entire story. Simply record enough detail for students understand how to gather information for the stories that they have chosen.
4. When they complete the diagrams and outlines, students should start the work of composing their scripts by identifying the events and actions that are important to their dramatization. Allow this work to move smoothly, based on students work, rather than waiting for everyone to finish each step.
5. If time remains, ask students to begin gathering notes from the original source, such as existing dialogue, that can be used in their dramatizations. If time is short, students can begin this process as a homework activity.

How did it go?

By now students should be getting excited about the possibilities that they can bring forward with their productions. By outlining the script they should see what their hardest obstacles will be and begin understanding how they will meet those challenges.

DAY 5

What’s On For Today and Why:

Students will focus on how the actors in a dramatization convey the words that a third-person narrative usually would.

What to do:

1. Review the effort students have made so far and the rubric for the project. Answer any questions. Allow students to share enthusiasm or challenges. Provide any problem-solving help as needed.
2. As a class, look closely at a short excerpt from Of Mice and Men that coincides with the dramatization they listened to.
3. Students must identify the kinds of details that appear in the text, using the following questions to guide the discussion:
• What details in the script communicate the settings for the story?
• How can you tell what emotions the characters feel?
• How do you know what is happening in the story?
4. As you discuss the students’ responses, stress that the only way to tell what is going on in a well-written play is by what is heard. Characters in the scenes do not explain what they are feeling; rather, they communicate with them through such features as tone of voice, word choice, and pace of conversation.
5. Have students identify a sample passage from the Of Mice and Men novel that demonstrates how emotions are communicated.
6. Ask students to identify how techniques other than words communicate information in the Of Mice and Men dramatization. Encourage them to choose precise features from the text to reveal such techniques as sound effects and background sounds.
• As students begin talking about adding background sounds and music, talk about the copyright restrictions on such files. This matter is vital regardless of how students will record and share their work, but it is especially important if students are sharing podcasts online.
7. Ask students to return to the process of composing their scripts. Remind them to keep in mind the discussion of how information is communicated to listeners in an audio broadcast.
8. As students work, circulate through the classroom, providing support and feedback. Encourage students to try out short excerpts from their script for you.
9. Allow as many additional sessions as necessary for students to complete their scripts and finalize their plans for their audio dramatization.
10. Ask students to come to the next session ready to begin production of their dramatizations.

How Did It Go?

Students should be excited about tomorrow’s activities. Its important that they learn some of the legal matters present. With an increasingly public forum for learning they will encounter situations that are new to them. Teenagers are probably most prone to wanting to place copyrighted music on their dramatizations. They may believe that their favorite bands music is exactly what their dramatization needs. That is why we they should be educated on the legalities and encouraged to go to free sites like Garageband.

DAY 6 – DAY 8

What’s On For Today and Why:

These class sessions will be giving the students time to work on their projects. While students are allowed to work in groups at home, this is a new process for many of them and may be best performed with a teacher’s supervision. The technology itself may provide basic IT issues that would be best handled as a group.

What to do:

1. Explain that students will record their dramatizations during the next three sessions.
2. Encourage students to record in small segments and, if working online, save often. It's easier to rerecord a short segment if something goes wrong than it is to have to rerecord the entire production. Working in small pieces allows students to save their work often (so that they avoid losing any data is there is a technical problem).
3. Discuss any options for editing the recorded audio files (e.g., how to splice smaller segments together, how to add background music if working online).
4. Answer any questions and allow students to work freely on their dramatizations during these periods.
5. Make support available and offer feedback as you see the students’ work taking shape. If students run into any challenges that cannot be easily determined, explain that they can adjust the script as necessary.
6. At the end of the last session, students should have a broadcast that is ready to share with the rest of the class. If students have created online files, ask that all are published on your network or given to you on a CD or floppy disk before the next session.

How did it go?

Ask yourself how autonomous were the student groups? Did they rely on you for all their work or did they only come to you with snags in production or techonology? While teachers should not grade on enthusiasm, be aware of the students’ intentions. Perhaps they have great ideas and are a little confused by the technology. Be patient and try to continue to motivate that energy.

 

DAY 9

What’s On For Today and Why:

What’s a production without a performance? Students will play their audio dramatizations for the class. Students will introduce their presentations. They should say what part they believed was most challenging and what they chose to do to meet that challenge.

What to do:

1. Set up the technical equipment necessary for students to share their productions (e.g., computers, iPod and speakers, computers).
2. Give groups a few minutes to make any last minute preparations.
3. Ask individuals or groups to describe their production briefly as an introduction.
4. Play the related recording.
5. Rotate through the class until all broadcasts have been played.
6. Ask students to return to the class checklist and assess the work of other groups. Which stories were most vivid and compelling? Why were they vivid and memorable?
7. As a final activity, ask student to post a reflection on a class wiki. Focus on the following questions:
• How did the process of creating an audio dramatization of a printed text influence your understanding of the original?
• What was the most interesting thing about your dramatization of the text, and why?
• Choose the dramatization of another group or student, and reflect on what made that story particularly vivid.
• If you were to dramatize another passage, what would you do differently and why? Imagine that you have whatever technical equipment you need to complete your task.

How did it go?

You will know the assignment went well if students came to a understanding of what it takes to create a performance project using only auditory tools. You will probably see students care a great deal more about one another’s projects due to the time and creativity they have invested in their own projects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited and Relevant Resources

 

Texts:

Earley, Tony. Jim the Boy (Backbay Books, 2000)

 

OBrien, Peggy. Shakespeare Set Free. (Washington Square Press, 1993)

 

Shamburg, Christopher. English Language Arts, Units for Grades 9-12 (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008)

           

Internet Resources:

 

GarageBand Support: Recording Your Podcast (Mac)
http://www.apple.com/support/garageband/podcasts/

Create Podcasts Using Your PC, from O’Reilly Windows DevCenter (includes some ads)
http://www.windowsdevcenter.com/pub/a/windows
/2005/04/05/create_podcasts_with_pc.html

 

National Council of Teachers of English

http://www.ncte.org/