Lesson Title: Brilliant Back Covers

Lesson #: 18 Michelle Varem General Objective: Students will speak, write, and represent to respect and support others. (LA 5.5) Specific Objectives: Knowledge: recognize and demonstrate the elements need in a summary paragraph Skill: discuss personal understanding of the lives of people or characters in various communities, cultural traditions, places and times. (LA 5.5.1) Language: write a summary of a larger work. Introduction (i.e. Bridge): Yesterday we created the front cover. What was important to have on that? Today we are going to create the back! Pre-Assessment: Ask students how they decide to pick a new book from the library or book fair if they have never heard of it or the author before. (answer: back cover summary). Brainstorm what elements should go in the back cover summary, and the subject matter that will be on their specifically in this case. Participatory Learning: Time 10 min Participation (teacher) Participation (student) Pre-assessment discussion leading Students listen and take down notes of the into discussion on what needs to summary elements. be in a back cover summary (in this case, who, what, where, when, why, and a hint about a possible conflict in the narrative without revealing the ending). 40-45 min Help students edit as needed. Can Students will create rough copies of their give a break in the work period by own back cover summaries of the narrative reading the back of a book to give thread of their creative journals. They can students another example as they be written either in 1st or 3rd person POV work. When students finish, they (since the narratives will be in first person). should share with a partner, and can possibly begin peer editing as well Post-Assessment: Ask the students to double-check their work for the elements of a summary. They will put an asterisk next to each element in their rough copy written so far as the elements are brought up in a class discussion. Transition: Explain that the following day will be dedicated to editing their summaries and creating the good copies, as well as getting ready for their presentation. Get them to write a note in the agenda reminding parents of the presentation. Any unfinished rough copies need to go home for homework. Possible Modifications: Use of computers could be available for students who may need to write their rough copies on them. Students who are done quickly can begin peer editing early. Choice of 1st or 3rd person summary so students can write to their strengths. Research Connections: The summary will give the students a chance to reflect back on their personal understanding of the

history of their character which is based on a real person. By giving a chance to compare with another student, the students will not fall into the sequencing trap that von Heyking describes in the section of her paper on continuity and change. While writing the summary, the students will need to choose what moments in the narrative are significant, based upon their knowledge of the real life history, as well as the life of their character, which helps them continue on a train of thought related to historical significance, and in my opinion, despite the combination of history and fiction that von Heyking often warns against. (von Heyking)