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Who Am I in the World that Surrounds Me?

The Exploration of Competing Identities in the Quest to Achieve and Understand the Global
Identity

Kaitlyn Kennedy
Eastern Connecticut State University
Fall 2014

To teach is to encourage human beings to develop in one direction or another. In fostering

student development, every teacher chooses some subject matters, some ways of knowing, some
ways of speaking and relating, instead of others. These choices orient students to map the world
and their relation to it.- Ira Shor

Assignment I: Annotated Bibliography and Rationale

Overarching theme/concept for the semester plan:
Students will be challenged to think critically through analysis of current events/world conflicts
with the aim of becoming advocates for social change. Through this intellectual transformation
they will gain an understanding of what it means to be a global citizen. Prior to this however,
they will examine how having multiple identities can complicate our ability to achieve a global
community. In addition, they will critically think about the responsibility, we as Americans, have
in promoting peace, equality, and democracy on a global setting. The relationship between
education and power will be illuminated in the chosen contemporary literary works in
conversation with canonical classics and nonfiction connective texts over the course of the unit.
Theme (Essential Questions): What does it mean to mean to be a global citizen? How does
having multiple identities prohibit one from belonging to a global world (i.e. religious, ethnic,
sexual, etc)? How does our national identity (strong allegiance to American)
challenge/complicate our perceptions of global issues? How might our society and culture
portray world events with bias (i.e. media, government manipulation)? What are some
fundamental human rights citizens of the world are entitled to? How are global issues presented
to us in the stories we have read? More specifically, how do the events told in the voice of our
narrators conflict with the way the event is told through other modes of writing (newspaper
articles, speeches, creative writing, etc)? How are education and power linked to globalization?
Common Core Standards Met:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the
course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details;

provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.5

Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within
it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects

as mystery, tension, or surprise.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.6
Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature

from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6
Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses

rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.7
Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person's life story

in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.9
Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (e.g.,
Washington's Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt's Four Freedoms
speech, King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail"), including how they address related

themes and concepts.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using

valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and

analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

NCTE / IRA Standards for the English Language Arts Met:

Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts,
of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new
information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for
personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and
contemporary works.

Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an
understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human

experience.
Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and
appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers
and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification
strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence,

sentence structure, context, graphics).

Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a

variety of literacy communities.

Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a
variety of literacy communities.

Rationale for the Unit:

My decision to base a unit around the idea of global citizenship is personally motivated
and heavily influenced by my time spent overseas in Europe as well as my experience with my
Senior Seminar: Reading Culture Writing Poetry. While studying abroad in London I took part in
a course of study appropriately titled Global Citizenship that aimed to put classroom
discussions into practice through internships with non-profit organizations. I specifically worked
for a small non-profit that assisted immigrants, primarily refugees and asylum seekers, in
desperate need of our assistance to become acclimated in British society. This small organization
filled with beautifully different individuals led to a transformation in my world perspective- I
began seeing, speaking, and thinking with a broader mind and critical outlook of current events.
Fast forward six months, I channeled this intellectual enlightenment, this personal transformation
into a capstone project that examined my experiences as an expatriate. I harnessed the
complexity of my national identity, my critical perspective of my country, and my fascination of
the world into a series of poems and a memoir. The blend of critical and creative writing,
composed around a meaningful theme, provided the most rewarding academic experience I have
ever had. If I have the power to afford other students the opportunity to experience this, I would
be doing myself, my country, this world a disservice to not take full advantage of it.

It is important to reference Paulo Freires teachings as an influential factor as well. Freire

recognized the potential in children to change the world; he recognized our role, as teachers, in
fostering their growth as well. Darren Webb (2010) touches upon this in his essay Paulo Freire
and the Need for a Kind of Education in Hope. He acknowledges the relationship between
politics and education. Webb (2010) explains, Thus Freires reflections on the need for, and
nature of, education revolve around the key issue of how we as humans respond to the radical
unfinishedness of which we are conscious; how, in other words, towards what we hope (p. 330).
The most important piece of this passage is how we as humans respond to the radical
unfinishedness of which we are conscious because it acknowledges the shortcomings in the
world today, our awareness of those shortcomings, and most importantly our role in progressing
as a global community- all of which are motivated by hope. My hope as an educator is that I can
broaden my students understanding of the world. Even if they dont completely accept the idea
of a global community or being a global citizen, at the very least, they will be made aware of
conflicts that are occurring outside of our nations borders as well as be shown how those
conflicts detrimentally impact human beings that are not so different from themselves. As Webb
(2010) states, teachers must be, Driven by a restless passion and rage, the educator cannot
remain satisfied with patient dialogue but must seek instead to engage their students in an urgent,
critical confrontation with reality (p. 336). A reality, that may, at one time, have seemed very
foreign, must become very real and very important in how they contribute to our world.
But before any discussion takes place involving global citizenship, students must begin
training their minds to critically analyze situations and perspectives that pertain to their own
country. In the book, Globalizations and Education published by Carlos Alberto Torres (2009),
he discusses both the advantages and disadvantages that involve the possession of a strong
national identity. Although not written in the same passage, Id like to have two specific quotes
read in correspondence. Torres (2009) states, The proponents of liberal multiculturalism will
argue that it will increase fairness by representing the range and richness of Americas different
ethnicities and tolerance by exposing students to multiple perspectives on the meaning of
history (p. 99) and continues on page 100, further explaining, Historically, the concept of
national identity is better defined in opposition to others (i.e. another national identity or an
enemy of the nation) rather than in reference to a set of uncontested historical properties of
nation and the national experience of its people as a homogenous group (p. 100). What is

striking about these two quotes, read in conjunction, is the significance of a nations history.
More specifically, the first quote draws readers attentions to the need to be aware of multiple
perspectives and how these voices communicate in conversation; providing for a more accurate
depiction of historical events. The latter quote introduces the problematic tendency of defining
oneself in relation to the other. Even more problematic- what happens when the others voice
is silenced in this conversation? Before students can begin to look at the global issues and
conflicts that plague our world today, they need to reexamine how they perceive their own
country and its practices. I argue that we are all guilty of being influenced by our surroundings;
the portrayal of events as told by the media dictated by our governments agenda. We can no
longer live immersed in our own cultural bias; moreover we must seek out multiple perspectives.
That level of critical thinking needs guidance. Therefore, I plan to begin the Unit by pulling from
different modes of text that highlight the silencing of Native American cultural in our society: a
passage from a young adult novel, poetry, and news articles, historical readings etc. Some of
these perspectives are told from personal accounts while others are strictly factual. Together they
will speak to each other and demonstrate to students how different modes of writing often
reveal/hide different details/themes than others.
This introduction will invite students to think about the identities they associate with.
These might include their national identity, a religious identity, sexual identity, etc. The next
conversation that needs to take place before students progress into the selected novels is that of
identity. Torres (2009) asserts, Theories of multiculturalism relate to the main analytical purpose
of theories of citizenship. Both attempt to identify the sense and sources of identity and the
competing forms of national, regional, ethnic, or religious identity (p. 87). The most important
word in this quote is competing- can one identify with their religious identity while also
belonging to their ethnic community? It is important that students look at the relationship
between different levels of identity. Prior to reading, Fight for Your Right: Censorship, Selection,
and LGBTQ Literature (Curwood, Shliesman, & Horning, 2009) I hadnt thought to touch upon
sexual identity. I found this article to be both enlightening and powerful, even more so because I
happened to read it right after I read October Mourning by Leslie Newman (2012). After reading
both the article and series of poetry I realized the need to not only address cultural and ethnic
differences (which are almost always influenced by religion) but it would be interesting and
necessary to discuss sexuality as well. I don't want students to think global problems only

involve race and color; I want them to understand that identifying a certain way sexually also has
an impact on a person in a multitude of geographical settings. James Baldwin, the foundation of
my senior seminar project, fled from America because he was a gay, black man who felt he didn't
belong to his national identity because of his race, complicated even further by the fact that he
didn't belong to his race because of his sexual identity. I want students to think about this from a
moral perspective and I also want them to see how this experience is captured artistically in
literature. Another connection made through this article involves a documentary I saw called
Valentine Road (Cunningham 2013). This film tells the story of a transsexual American teen who
was killed by his classmate simply because he was different. What the documentary is quick to
point out is that if these two students had gotten to know each other they would have realized
that they had more in common than they thought. This read alongside Newman's poetry about
Matthew Shepard is extremely powerful and eye opening and could be done over the course of a
few days. This would also force students to get rid of a more traditional, limited way of thinking.
These films and texts combined, work to humanize people that students might not understand;
people who have been mistreated because they were their authentic selves. I want to ask
students, what if you were mistreated for being who you were?
To be a global citizen does not mean you stop identifying with other identities, but, at the
same time, one might experience conflicts identifying with a specific group. This is something
students need to think about first on a personal level, next from the perspective of someone from
a different area of the world. The first novel read and analyzed in this unit involves the Middle
East. To prepare for this, an example of broadening the conversation about identity could have
students think about how a Sunni Muslim living in a certain region might feel unsafe because his
religious affiliation is not accepted in the geographic location he or she resides. The purpose of
the conversation on identity is fueled and supported by the need to have critical literacy in the
classroom. As Cadiero- Kaplan (2002) asserts in her essay Literacy Ideologies, Teachers are no
longer dispensers of knowledge, promoting only one canon or belief, but agents of change,
assisting students in seeing themselves within the larger historical, political, cultural, and
economic structures where students voices exist (p. 379). Students need to begin to realize the
power they have in restructuring the framework of society. Torres (2009) points out to readers,
citizenship is an area that needs to be revamped. He explains, The dilemmas of citizenship in a
democratic diverse multicultural society can be outlined as follows: Theories of citizenship had

been advanced- in the tradition of Western political theory- by White, heterosexual males who
identify a homogenous citizenship through a process of systematic exclusion rather than
inclusion in the polity (p. 87). As the world is becoming more culturally diverse- where people
of different backgrounds with different identities are living together, as we continue to move
towards a globalized economy, we (citizens of the world) need to begin to re-write our definition
of citizenship. The power to determine what aspects constitute citizenship can no longer be in the
hands of powerful white males promoting their own agendas. We must take the time to grapple
with the complexity of our identities; identities that are no longer defined by one single word.
And we must ask how specific identities prevent us from belonging to others? More specificallycan one maintain a strong national identity while maintaining a global identity? How does a
religious identity conflict with a sexual identity or ethnic identity? Would the creation of a true
global society rid us of these conflicts and promote sensitivity and understanding? These
questions will be posed to students, guided in academic conversations, demonstrated in their
close reading of texts and produced in their analytical written work throughout the semester.
In the essay, Peace Education and Paulo Freires Method: Towards the Democratisation
of Teaching and Learning, Klein (2007) acknowledges that both peace and democracy have
become highly politicized terms. Because of this, he poses the question, How then might an
educator (especially in a public school system, but also in the culture of some private schools)
teach about principles of and participation in democracy and the goal and process of peace? (p.
188). Kleins question is something that plagued my thoughts when trying to create and construct
a unit that would talk about complex, arguably perplexing issues, in an obtainable way for a not
fully developed critical mind. I debated back and forth about my how to enter students into these
conversations and ultimately decided that contemporary memoirs were the best way to do so.
More specifically Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
highlight two areas of the world that are dealing with the violation of human rights. Interestingly,
both deal with the disadvantages children of war and conflict face- another way to get students to
relate to worlds and issues that might read foreign to their own everyday life. Freire himself
sought to spark revolutionary change through literacy in his own practices and teaching. I argue
if students dont know whats going on in the world, if they dont understand what is behind
these conflicts, if they cant begin to feel for the children of misfortune, than they cant be
expected to make change. One way to get them to develop an understanding on these events is

through literature, nonfiction connective texts, and short creative works that emphasize the
emotional helplessness experienced by those in these areas. It is not enough to read one text on
one conflict. If I expect students to become critical thinkers I must demonstrate that in the
construction of my units- I need to assist them in how they synthesize information from multiple
sources on a singular account to get a more accurate depiction of whats going on. This skill will
be developed using these two texts as staple, primary sources central to the theme of the unit.
The most important purpose of my unit design is to guide students to begin to understand
that writing, regardless of what mode it is written in is inherently biased. Authors bring their
opinions, perspectives, emotions, and outlooks to the pages they pen. Students need to
understand how to analyze the same event, conflict, etc. from different perspectives to gain a full
understanding and deeper insight towards the truth. This touches upon two Common Core State
Standards, more specifically: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6 -Determine an author's point of
view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view
or purpose, as well as, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.7-Analyze various accounts of a
subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person's life story in both print and multimedia),
determining which details are emphasized in each account. I found an excellent video published
by CBS news that calls to question the validity of Three Cups of Tea (Mortenson, 2007).
Investigators dissected the novel revealing false accounts in Mortensons recall of events. This
provocative news clip will show students the danger in blindly accepting what they read. As
emotionally moving as the novel is, as impactful as the overall message is- how do we know
what we are reading is true?
As students navigate through this memoir they will be making annotations citing
behavior that is representative of a global citizen that will contribute to an extended definition
essay they write at the end of the semester. This cumulative assignment fulfills common core
state standard expectations, more specifically it connects to, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of
content. In addition, they will also be creating a map filled with factual information on the
geography and cultures presented to them via the text. Documenting this information as they go
will be important for fact checking especially when they include information from articles and

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other sources we will be reading on the War on Terror. This novel will not be read solely for a
message that promotes global citizenship; it will be read to get them thinking about the
relationship between cultures and conflicts that arise because of their interaction, the validity of a
story in contrast to nonfiction accounts, and most importantly it will train them to do close
reading of a piece of writing- reiterating the importance of every detail the author chose to
include.
Oxfam Education provides an abundance of free, educational resources online that I plan
on using to assist me in presenting concepts to students. These concepts will build a foundation
of understanding to enhance the assigned readings and written work. A Long Way Gone by
Ishmael Beah (2007) is a simple text that tackles the complex issue of children war soldiers.
Initially I wanted to teach the whole novel, however after reading The Futility of Trying to Teach
Everything of Importance by Grant Wiggins (1989) I realized that assigning the entire text would
overwhelm them and take away from the skills I want them to develop. Through instruction, I
plan on showing students different ways survivors of genocide and former child soldiers capture
their experience in creative ways. The inclusion of this text also meets the common core state
standard, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.6 that asks students to, Analyze a particular point of
view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States,
drawing on a wide reading of world literature. The role of America and the American in this text
is very small, forcing students to rethink a conflict they might have previously overlooked. In
Oxfams Unit: Making Sense of World Conflicts, they have a lesson titled Corneille Music of
Life. This lesson looks at a Rwandan born singer that turned his experiences with Genocide into
music. This will be help students feel the emotional helplessness these children felt and continue
to feel in areas of war and crises. I want them to also view the short 17 minute award winning
film Asad. I found this short movie to be extremely powerful; the images Beah talks about in his
memoir are reiterated in this short fable. Students need to see the visual portrayal and recognize
the similarities. I expect students to read an assigned excerpt from A Long Way Gone after going
through the document: Conventions on the Right of the Child (United Nations 1989). Thus, their
annotations on the short passages will contain markings of specific incidences where Ishmaels
rights are being violated. This close reading corresponds to the common core standard,
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.9 that states, Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical
and literary significance (e.g., Washington's Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address,

11

Roosevelt's Four Freedoms speech, King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail"), including how they
address related themes and concepts. Although not a domestic document, the United Nations
(1989) published report will enhance students understand of Beahs memoir so that is not strictly
emotional but an artifact of our global communitys failure to assist those in need.
My decision to teach excerpts of A Long Way Gone rather than the whole text was so that
I could give enough time to teach Things Fall Apart (Achebe 1958). I argue that after
challenging students to think about their personal identities in relation to their national identity,
in addition to their national identity in conflict with the way they are perceived internationally,
they would be better equipped to understand a dense classic such as Things Fall Apart (Achebe
1958). They would have already worked on close reading- creating a map filled with culturally
significant passages (Three Cups of Tea) in addition to reading with a nonfiction document as a
framework (A Long Way Gone). Therefore, when approaching Things Fall Apart (Achebe 1958)
I would combine the instruction from the two contemporary texts studied and apply it to the
classic. The connection I would explicitly make for them is the connection between education
and power. More specifically, like Mortensons setting, Achebes characters join the missionaries
because education is seen as means for advancement. The madrassas of the Middle East are the
only access to education for many children, leading to religious radicalism, contributing to the
unfortunate narrow stereotypes and prejudices we inflict upon them. What if everybody had
access to unbiased, free education- an education that wasnt contingent upon giving up ones
beliefs or culture? I think these are powerful questions students need to think about; questions
that would only come to life through the comparison of the contemporary to the classic further
revealing how little progress we have made.
I am aware that there is a lot I want to do in a limited amount of time, however, this unit
can be further justified through its interdisciplinary connections. The process of making a map
and researching geographical locations introduced via the literature can be further supported in
their history classes. In addition, I expect students throughout the unit to be actively finding
relevant news articles from reputable sources that report on areas, issues, and cultures we are
talking about in class. The process of researching current events upholds the civic role this unit
has as well. I want to teach students what it means to be an active, involved citizen. As
mentioned previously, even if they dont agree with my teachings, or leave my classroom unable

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to fully grasp the idea of global citizenship, I want them, at the very least, to have developed
their ability to seek out as much information, from as many different sources, with multiple
perspectives on a single event or issue. They will work on synthesizing this information and
articulating it in a cohesive manner through our weekly reading workshop discussions. I argue, if
students can do this orally it will translate to better analytical, argumentative writing. Students
will leave my class more thoughtful, more articulate, and more aware of the world they live in.
Lastly, their final summative assessment will be a two part critical creative piece that will allow
them to choose artistically how they wish to interpret the analytical extended definition essay on
global citizenship. They could write lyrics to a song that captures the emotional experience of
global issue, they could draw a portrait of a global citizen whom they admire, or they could
create a short film similar to Asad that is their own interpretation of something they have learned
about over the course of the semester. Providing the students the opportunity to choose how to
artistically express themselves will be a refreshing change for them.
The most important thing I want students to gain from this unit is the ability to reflect
back and see how their perspectives transformed and their ways of thinking progressed. They
will begin the semester exploring their own identities with the help of minority poets, authors,
and activists. During that introductory week they will craft one creative piece, either through
poetry or a short story that captures the complexity of their own identities. This, like the other
assignments will be part of a portfolio they turn in at the end of the semester. A KWL chart
will also serve as a way to demonstrate growth; this graphic organizer will be handed to them
prior to beginning the lesson on global citizenship and also be included in their portfolio. As they
read Three Cups of Tea (Mortenson) they will be creating a visually appealing map, containing
important geographical and cultural passages that will further assists them in writing their final
analytical paper, an extended definition, on global citizenship. Throughout reading workshop for
both primary texts, students will each have the opportunity to be discussion director in which
they craft carefully constructed questions that trigger a debate or intellectual conversation
amongst their peers. The experience of leading a discussion will be assessed and documented
through a written reflection, also a requirement of their final portfolio. They will have weekly
word and article expectations. More specifically, each week once a week, students will identify
and look up two words they dont know (this will be added to a compiled list over the course of
the semester) in addition to researching and selecting one article that either a) is an example of a

13

global issue or b) supports information found in the assigned reading. Making this a part of the
weekly routine will support students expansion of vocabulary in addition to encouraging them to
research something they dont know about. These assignments will make them better readers,
writers, thinkers, and citizens.
List of learning goals:

Students will produce an analytical paper, an extended definition of global citizenship

(defining what it means to be a global citizen) incorporating ideas and people we have

both critiqued and celebrated throughout the unit

Students will examine, compare, and contrast different modes of writing that touch upon
the same conflicts and issues to develop an understanding of how factual information can

be manipulated depending upon who is writing and who is the intended audience
Students will learn to appreciate both contemporary and classic literature after seeing
how they speak to each other; they will begin to understand that the world of literature is

a constant conversation in which their voice and opinions matter

Students will have a better understanding of conflicts that are affecting global

communities, recognizing that global issues impact them as well

Students will explore their personal identities in relation to their national identities,

critically thinking about how belonging to one might exclude them from another
Students will be able to define and expand upon the ideas of globalization, humanization,
cosmopolitanism, nationalism, and discrimination

Works Cited

14

Cadiero-Kaplan, K., (2002). Literacy Ideologies: Critically Engaging the Language Arts
Curriculum. Language Arts. 79 (5), pp.372-381
Cochran-Smith, M., Shakman, K., Jong C., Terrell D., Barnatt J., Mcquiillan P., (2009). Good
and Just Teaching: The Case for Social Justice in Teacher Education . American Journal
of Education. 115 (e.g. 2), pp.347-377
Cullingford, C., Gunn S. , (2005). Globalisation, Education and Culture Shock . 1st ed.
Burlington, Vermont: Ashgate Publishing Company.
Curwood, J., Shliesman, M., & Horning, K, (2009). Fight for Your Right: Censorship, Selection,
and LGBTQ Literature. English Journal. 98 (4), pp.37-43
Freire, P., Bergman M., (1972). Pedagogy of the Oppressed . 1st ed. London, England: Penguin.
Freire, P., (2005). Teachers as Cultural Workers: Letters to Those Who Dare to Teach. 1st ed.
Boulder, Colorado: Westview.
Klein, M., (2007). Peace Education and Paulo Freire's Method: Towards the Democratisation of
Teaching and Learning. Convergence. 1 (2), pp.187-202
Shafer, G., (2003). Reflections on a Democratically Constructed Canon. Teaching English in the
Two Year College. 31 (2), pp.144-153
Shafer, G., (2013). Political Language, Democracy, and the Language Arts Class. English
Journal. 103 (2), pp.30-37
Shor, I. (1999). What is Critical Literacy. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.lesley.edu/journalpedagogy-pluralism-practice/ira-shor/critical-literacy/. [Last Accessed 29 October 2014].
Torres, C.A., (2009). Globalizations and Education: Collected, Essays on Class, Race, Gender,
and the State. 1st ed. New York : Teachers College.
Webb, D. , (2010). Paulo Freire and the Need for a Kind of Education in Hope. Cambridge
Journal of Education. 40 (4), pp.327-339

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Wiggins, G. , (1989). The Futility of Trying to Teach Everything of Importance. Educational

Leadership. pp.44-59

Annotated Bibliography
Achebe, C. (1958). Things Fall Apart. London: William Heinemann Ltd. (Writer of Color,
Fiction)

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Achebes Things Fall Apart is a literary experience that I argue every student needs to have. This
novel conveys the contrast of cultures in a rural African tribal setting after Christian missionaries
occupy the land. Readers are made aware of the forced assimilation many African tribes
experienced in the 19th century. There are several things I wish to do with this novel for my unit.
After challenging students to think about how their national identity influences the way they are
perceived internationally, I argue they would be better equipped to understand a dense classic
such as Things Fall Apart. They would have already worked on close reading- creating a map
filled with culturally significant passages (Three Cups of Tea) in addition to reading with a
nonfiction document as a framework (A Long Way Gone). Therefore, when approaching Things
Fall Apart I would combine the instruction from the two contemporary texts studied and apply it
to the classic. The connection I would explicitly make for them is the connection between
education and power. More specifically, like Mortensons setting, Achebes characters join the
missionaries because education is seen as means for advancement, a way to leave tribal life that
seemed primitive compared to that of their Christian contemporaries. Similarly, the madrassas of
the Middle East are the only access to education for many children, leading to religious
radicalism, contributing to the unfortunate narrow stereotypes and prejudices we inflict upon
them. What if everybody had access to unbiased, free education- an education that wasnt
contingent upon giving up ones beliefs or culture? I think these are powerful questions students
need to think about; questions that would only come to life through the comparison of the
contemporary to the classic further revealing how little progress we have made.
Alexie, S., & Forney, E. (2007). The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. New York:
Little, Brown. (Writer of Color, Fiction)
Alexies award winning novel The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is an
autobiographical tale of what life was like growing up on a reservation and transferring to an allwhite school. Junior, the main character and narrator, describes what it is like to be torn between
these two worlds and identities. After making the decision to leave the reservation, motivated by
his desire to receive a better education, he distances himself from his culture. The illustrations in
this text highlight the feelings of isolation he experiences as he attempts to navigate through his
identity crisis. Although I would love to teach the novel in its entirety, for the purposes of this
unit I will be looking at specific passages where Junior explicitly talks about his competing

17

identities, his national identity vs his ethnic identity. Students will also compare the illustrations,
looking at the detailed pencil sketches of his white friends versus the cartoonish depictions of
people on the reservation. What is he saying by choosing these different modes of illustration?
Students will be forced to critically think about what it means to be a Native American in this
country, taking in to account the narrow minded stereotypes presented in this text. They will also
look at the relationship between education, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. The financial
poverty synonymous with reservation life prevents future generations from prospering and
advancing because of inadequate access to an appropriate education. In order to have a better life
Junior had to leave the reservation, his culture, to get an education that would allow him to
advance in American society. Students will think critically about this statement, looking at Diazs
poetry to enhance their understanding and shape their perspective.
Alicia Keys. We Are Here. We Are Here. Raichel, 2014. MP3. (Music)
This song does an excellent job capturing the complexity of what it means to be both a citizen of
your nation and a citizen of the world. The lyrics references current conflicts happening abroad
and on American soil as well. Keys specifically references gun violence in both Chicago and
Harlem while also referencing conflicts occurring in Bagdad and Gaza. In addition there is also a
call to action in regards to education, Keys sings, How we gonna save the nation, with no
support for education. This corresponds to the relationship I want students to make about
education and ones ability to advance oneself. The phrase that is repeated throughout the song
is, we are all here for us reminding students that they have an obligation to the citizens of their
nation and to the citizens of other nations to contribute as best they can to this world. I would
like to play this song to students at some point throughout the unit as a model for the creative
piece of their final assessment. Keys does a great job discussing serious issues in a critical
manner in a creative form. This is the kind of transformative work I want students to do with
their writing. After writing their extended definition I want them to take that knowledge and
information and rediscover it creatively to have an even deeper understanding and greater
appreciation for the material.
Beah, I. (2007). A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. New York: Farrar, Straus and
Giroux. (Writer of Color, Nonfiction)

18

A Long Way Gone is Ishmael Beahs memoir written about his traumatic experience as child
soldier. It begins when Beah is only twelve years old, forced to flee his village after the rebels
attacked and took over. The book follows the journeys of Beah and his friends as they navigate
through the woods of Sierra Leones trying to escape the rebels that by that time had increased
their control of the country. At the young age of thirteen Beah becomes a soldier for the
Governments army; a regime that is no less gruesome or violent than the rebels he was
previously fleeing. His time fighting for his government was filled with unimaginable pain
involving violence, brainwashing, and drugs. Readers are relieved when UNICEF intervenes
when he is 16, nursing him back to normalcy, helping him transition back into civilized life
where he would eventually become an outspoken advocate for his nation and for the crimes
committed on its soil. I want students to understand the fundamental human rights every citizen
of the world is entitled to have. I also want to make this accessible and more applicable for them.
I thought that highlighting armed conflicts from the perspective of a child soldier would allow
them to learn about human rights (child human rights specifically) in a way that is more
impactful because they are learning about people around the same age as them. My plan is to
provide small groups different excerpts of the novel to be read with annotations made based on
the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child document. I want them to read and
identify instances where Beahs rights are being violated. I want them to understand that while
agencies like the United Nations exist, we still have instances of cruelty and inhumane acts
occurring throughout the world. I think this will also open their eyes to the fact that there are
conflicts going on in the world outside of the Middle East. Many of them have grown up
influenced by the propaganda surrounding the War on Terror- they may not be aware of other
global issues that are just as perplexing and troubling that need to be solved.
Black Eyed Peas. Where Is the Love? Elephunk. Fair, 2003. CD. (Music)
I like the idea of playing this song prior to introducing students formally to the idea of Global
Citizenship. I envision them listening to this as they enter the class, receiving directions to listen
to the message of the lyrics, leading into the KWL chart distributed. I argue that students are
aware of the concept moreover they just dont know that there is a formal term associated with it.
The lyrics in this song touch upon the thematic issues we will explore over the course of the unit.
More specifically the lyrics of the first verse read, Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism But

19

we still got terrorists here livin' In the USA, the big CIA The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race Then you only leave space to discriminate And to
discriminate only generates hate And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah. This
excerpt also examines ones national identity as well, providing for a perfect transition into the
idea of global understanding and acceptance. Lastly this song models the kind of hard
questioning, personal reflecting that I expect students to do to themselves, So I could ask myself
really what is goin' wrong In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin' in Makin' wrong
decisions, only visions of them dividends. The artist is acknowledging something is wrong in
addition to critically thinking about what specifically is contributing to the problem. This is
modeling the exact kind of thinking I want students to do.
Boo, K. (2012). Behind the Beautiful Forevers. New York: Random House. (Women Writer,
Fiction)
Boo wrote this novel after living in Mumbai for three years, witnessing the extreme poverty,
hunger, and violence that plagued the city. She creates characters that convey the desperate
situations many of the people she encountered were in. Sunil, and Abdul are both garbage
pickers that rummage through the trash to resell items to try make ends meet. She demonstrates
the struggle to rise socioeconomically via different means. Manju has aspirations for higher
education whereas her mother, Asha, has aspirations to become a slumlord for financial
advancement at the expense of succumbing to the corruption around her. Although this novel will
not be used in my unit, it could be added for several notable reasons. First, it highlights an area
of the world that students know little about. In addition this geographical location is one of
extreme poverty and destruction overtaken by a corrupt government. Residents of Mumbai are
helpless against the powerful figures that dictate their lives. Lastly, it reiterates the connection
between education and power and socioeconomic status. It again forces students to question,
what if everyone had access to free, un-biased education? If the residents of Mumbai had the
opportunity to go to school and advanced themselves would the city still be in ruins as it is?
Students could also research more into what is going on in Mumbai for their final project. I
would lead them to exploring this novel as a foundation for their creative piece.
Buckley, B. (Director). Asad [Motion picture]. (2012). Hungry Man Productions. (Movie)

20

Asad is a critically acclaimed, award winning short film produced by Bryan Buckley that tells
the story of a young Somalian boy. It is also important to note that the entire cast is comprised of
Somalian refugees that escaped the violent conflict of their nation. The story is a fable that
documents the life of the fisher boy over the course of a day. After Erasto, the local fisherman is
injured Asad goes out to sea on his own where he witnesses the horrific violence of Somalian
rebels. Although he does not catch a fish, he brings back a Persian cat left behind on the boat that
was hijacked by the rebels. No one in his village knows what a cat is, but Erasto reminds Asad
that his name means lion leading to Asads decision to name the cat Lionfish. Although
simple, this film captures the intimidating tendency of rebels in small tribal communities.
Students will be able to visually see the fear Beah talks about in their passages from A Long Way
Gone. The encounter between Asad and the rebels over the fish specifically is a powerful scene
that demonstrates the amount of power, control, and intimidation the rebels have over the local
community. This film will provide students an intimate glimpse at a part of the world they most
likely do not understand, making the concepts and discussions around armed conflicts come to
life. This will also give them an example of how to creatively capture a global conflict that is
expected to connect to their final written assignment that asks them to write an extended
definition of global citizenship.
Colbert Report- Ishmael Beah. (2014, January 8). Retrieved November 7, 2014, from
http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/i292oo/ishmael-beah (Internet Source, Video
Clip)
This seven minute clip contains an interview between Stephen Colbert and Ishmael Beah. When
I first stumbled upon this clip I was horrified and ecstatic at the same time. Horrified by the
crassness of Stephen Colbert and ecstatic by its use of satire to convey the clash in cultures I
want students to understand. The questions Colbert asks attempts to make light of the traumatic
experience endured by Beah. This interview demonstrates how other areas of the world perceive
Americans to be- ignorant. Students will also be able to see how this is effectively demonstrated
through the use of satire. I want them to think about how satire prevents this from being
offensive. Lastly, I know as a student I also wanted to know as much about the author as I couldthis video will allow them to connect further with Beah as not just an author and activist but as a
human being as well.

21

Conrad, J. (1899). Heart of Darkness. United Kingdom.: Blackwood Magazine. (Fiction)

Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness has been a part of the literary canon for decades. Like,
Things Fall Apart it captures the ugliness of colonialism and the racism and mistreatment the
inhabitants of the Congo experienced. The short story seeks to contrast the primitive tribal
communities against the perceived civilized societies of European imperialists. Readers follow
Marlow, the narrator of the story, as he journeys into the Congo in search of the mystified figure
known as Mr. Kurtz. As Marlow navigates deeper into the Congo he witnesses the deceased
natives that were executed by Kurtz, a figure whom is celebrated and adored by Marlows
contemporaries. The internal moral struggle endured by Marlow would serve as the foundation
for an excellent student debate. If I had more time, I would have students read this novel and
argue for why or why not they think Marlow demonstrated a moral understanding of the
principles of global citizenship. Leading them to question, if he was in our classroom or grew up
in the world we live in today, if he would intervene and stop what was going on in the Congo?
Students would use the knowledge they acquired from the contemporary readings distributed
throughout the semester and apply it to canonical figure. I think this classic would seem less
dense and complex if it was instructed through the critical cultural lens that students have been
viewing literature through throughout the unit.
Convention on the Rights of the Child. (1989, November 20). Retrieved November 6, 2014.
(Nonfiction)
This document was created by the United Nations to address violations on the human rights of
children. The treaty was adopted on November 20, 1989 to protect the civil, political, economic,
social, health and cultural rights of children. The UN Committee of Human Rights is responsible
for making sure these international laws are being complied with. Several of the articles of this
treaty are violated in the text and articles we read throughout the semester. It is important to
inform students that Somalia and Southern Sudan fought to be exempt from this treaty; these two
locations will be discussed and analyzed through literature, film, etc. in the Unit. Students will be
expected to read this prior to receiving excerpts from Beahs A Long Way Gone. Working in
small groups they will work with the texts to identify areas where Beahs rights are being
violated, citing specific passages and articles. After working in small groups on different
passages, each group will present to the whole class on their findings, which I will use to

22

compile a cumulative list so students can see all of the different occasions where this treaty was
being violated. Students need to be made aware that although powerful, international laws
created by international bodies of government are often violated. It takes more than just the
creation of laws to really make change.
Cunningham, M. (Director) .Valentine Road [Motion picture]. (2013). Shapeshifter. (Film)
This documentary tells the story of the 2008 tragedy that occurred at a junior high school in
Oxnard, California. Lawerence King, a fourteen year old eighth grader known for his exploration
of his sexual identity was shot by his classmate, Brandon McInerney in the computer lab of his
school during class. The documentary does a good job in presenting information in an unbiased
manner through the inclusion of interviews done with teachers of both students, staff members
from the home King was living, as well as family members of McInerney. I want students to
view the beginning of the documentary, where students of the school reflect back on what they
have learned and also so that they can learn intimate details about both students. I want them to
see that both boys had similar backgrounds, reiterating the statement made in the documentary
that if they had taken the time to get past their differences they would have realized that they had
more in common than not. I want them to watch this film in conversation with Newmans series
of poetry about Matthew Shepard. After reading about the Shepard tragedy via media reports and
poetic adaptations, they will this documentary. They will then be asked to think about and
discuss in small groups how someones sexual identity conflicts with their national identity.
These two examples are just instances where someone was punished by their fellow citizens for
their sexual identity. For homework I will ask them to create a timeline of current events that
involve issues surrounding sexual identity, i.e. other tragedies, passing of laws, notable figures
who publically came out. I want them to see how present and current these conversations are. I
want them to see that we, as a nation, have not yet been able to except those who are sexually
different, different, as deemed by our society.
Diaz, J. (2007). The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. New York: Riverhead Books. (Writer of
Color, Fiction)
The Brief Wondorous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz tells the story of Oscar, a Dominican
American teenager awkwardly navigating through his teenage years. In addition to Oscars

23

narrative, readers also gain the perspective of Lola, Oscars sister, as well as the history of their
family via the history of Beli his mother. The interwoven plots give readers insight on
Dominican culture, specifically the masculinity struggles of men, the corrupt government, in
addition to their superstitious nature and tendencies. The historic flashbacks combined with the
contemporary narratives demonstrate the struggle immigrants of different ethnicities and cultures
face when coming to America. Oscar doesnt feel Dominican the way Beli feels Dominican, and
yet he doesnt feel as if he belongs to America because of the Dominican influences that
impacted his upbringing. Like the Native American works read and American Born Chinese this
novel demonstrates how immigrants and/or Americans with strong ethnic ties struggle to identify
with their nationality. Although American citizens, these people struggle to own their national
identities because their culture and ethnic identities are viewed as different from mainstream
American culture. This forces readers and students to re-conceptualize their understanding of
what it truly means to be an American.
Diaz, N. , (2012). When My Brother Was an Aztec. Port Townsend, Washington: Cooper Canyon.
(Writer of color, Womens writers, Poems)
Natalie Diazs collection of poems entitled When My Brother Was an Aztec are all concerned
with questions of identity. Diaz, a Native American, explores her ethnicity and cultural
upbringing on the Indian Reservations through the characters and images of her poetry. Native
American cultures mythological beliefs are combined with her own personal and familial
struggles. This combination is transfixed upon her struggle to embrace the Native American part
of her; a conflict that speaks beautifully to The Absolute True Diary of a Part Time Indian. I
would like to have poems from this collection read in concert with selected passages from the
novel mentioned to engage students in a conversation about the conflict between ethnic/culture
identity and national identity. From a very young age we have been taught that America is the
melting pot, we have blindly accepted this term without ever questioning it. I want students to
begin rethinking what it means to be an American after analyzing minority populations
specifically concerned with their feelings of isolation. This same critical work will also be done
with sexual identity once they have demonstrated mastery with the cultural/national identity
conflict. Before they can begin to think about what it means to be a global citizen, they must
develop a critical outlook on their personal identities as well as their national identities.

24

Five Broken Cameras [Motion picture]. (2011). Kino Lorber. (Movie)

This documentary follows four Palestinian families living in Dheisheh Refugee Camp near
Bethlehem during the current Infintada. The conflict between the Israeli and Palestinian people is
one that has not been portrayed accurately by the media, especially in the United States of
America. Burnat and Davidi, Palestinian and Israeli respectively, do an excellent job telling the
Palestinian side of the story. This documentary spoke to me personally having had a similar
transformative change of heart on this issue through a different artistic mode when I went on an
assignment to a Palestinian Art gallery while in Europe. Prior to this personal experience I never
realized how misinformed I was about this conflict. Because Israeli is an American ally, our
citizens often received a one sided depiction of the crises. This documentary will transform its
audiences misguided perception just as the Palestinian art I viewed impacted me. Showing this
to students will demonstrate to them how we can be misinformed or persuaded to support a side
of a conflict that we actually know little about. I think it is also important to note that an Israeli
citizen and a Palestinian worked together to create this. Putting aside the conflicts between their
two national identities led to the creation of something that could have a positive impact on the
world. This documentary has the power to open peoples minds on a heated issue that continues
to wreak havoc and destruction on the lives of those living on the West Bank. If there was time, I
would have them watch this film and make comparisons to news articles published by different
media organizations from around the world. I want students to be able to identify bias as well as
learn how to pull information from multiple sources to get a more accurate picture of an event.
Friedman, T. (2009, July 18). Teacher Can We Leave Now? No. The New York Times.
(Nonfiction)
This article was written in the opinion section by an op-ed columnist, who, as a result of
watching a video on Mortenson, found himself questioning the war in Afghanistan. In it he
discusses Mortensons efforts and the message behind his humanitarian work. I want students to
view how Friedman states an opinion but uses factual information to support and justify why he
feels that way. Because they will have already read from Three Cups of Tea they will be able to
follow the statistical information being presented to them with ease; they will already have an
understanding of the situation. I also think this will make the video questioning Mortenson more
impactful. Students will recognize how Mortensons story and portrayal of events impacted

25

peoples opinions on the war, and yet, the validity of his story has been called to question on
several occasions by reputable, respectable people. Students will learn that it is important to learn
about an event or issue through several different mediums from people with different
perspectives.
Gruwell, E. (1999). The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to
Change Themselves and the World Around Them. New York: Doubleday. (Writing by
Teens, Short Stories)
This text is the basis of the celebrated 2007 movie Freedom Writers. It is written by Erin
Gruwell, an English teacher in an inner city that encouraged her students to express themselves
and address their perplexing personal issues via their classroom writing. Through instruction she
sought to have students make connections between their own personal struggles to other
persecuted and discriminated groups in history via literature. She was able improve the moral
and increase academic efforts of her low-risk students, enabling them to continue with their
education despite having several odds and statistics against them. This book not only tells the
tale of Gruwells classroom, but, it also contains powerful entries from her students. Although I
dont plan on teaching this in my unit I find the text extremely applicable. Gruwells educational
philosophies and my own are one in the same. I think it would also be impactful for my students
to read her students writing. I think it might free them to express themselves creatively in our
own creative work throughout the unit. It would serve to remind them that they have a voice and
that voice is powerful and worth sharing. Just as Gruwell encouraged her students to tell their
story I want my students to do the same. I want to help them find a voice and critical perspective
they didnt know that they had.
How Global Citizens Affected Global Education: A Visual Story. (2014, September 24).
Retrieved November 06, 2014, from http://www.globalcitizen.org/Content/Content.aspx?
id=567bdcb7-50c6-4029-ad2a-3e36d6419304 (Internet Source)
This visual story was published by the Global Citizen organization this past September and upon
viewing it I immediately knew it needed to be incorporated. It contains twenty images of
classrooms and students from around the world, each with a caption that further emphasizes the
need to assist educational funding in impoverished areas. For example one pictures caption

26

reads, But, we have a problem: In the year 2014, 58 million children still dont have access to
education. This statement is powerful standing alone, even more powerful underneath a picture
of a child reading because his geographical location received international assistance to afford
him that opportunity. American children dont realize the role they have in helping others in
need. I think they also take their right and access to education for granted. The thought of not
being able to go to school because their town didnt have enough money to do so is a thought so
foreign to their world. Another statistic I found alarming that I was unaware of prior to viewing
this was that 1 out of 10 African girls drop out of school around the time of their period because
of the lack of clean water and toilets at their existing schools. If I learned something and was
impacted by this, as informed as I consider myself to be, I most definitely think that students will
get something of value from this.
Hwang, D. (1989). M. Butterfly. New York, N.Y.: New American Library. (Drama)
Hwangs play is the fictional interpretation of French Diplomat Bernard Boursicots relationship
with Shi Pei Pu, a Chinese male opera singer. Fictionalized these two characters are Rene
Gallimard, a civil servant attached to the French embassy in China and Song Liling, a stunning
Chinese opera singer. After being in a relationship for 20 years Gallimard finally learns the true
identity of his lover; she is in fact a he. After Gallimard is convicted of treason, he is
imprisoned where he is forced to deal with the realization that the woman he has loved for
twenty years is actually a man. These flashbacks are the basis of the play. These flashbacks
address and discuss gender conflicts, racial stereotypes, and cultural conflicts between Eastern
and Western societies. This play would give students the opportunity to explore the difference
between the East and the West that has long mystified many. They will specifically think about
the alluring depiction of the Oriental woman and her relationship to the Western male, taking in
to account issues involving imperialism. It would also provide a platform for discussing gender
identity through the realization that Song Lilling is a male. Do students consider Song Liling a
male or female? What determines what someones gender is? What is the difference between
gender and sex? These are all powerful questions that involve the exploration of identity that also
create a foundation for powerful, enlightening classroom conversations.
Komunyakaa, Y. (1947). Cape Coast Castle. Retrieved November 1, 2014, from
http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/cape-coast-castle (Writer of Color, Poem)

27

I was introduced to Komunyakaa through researching global poetry. Prior to selecting one of his
specific poems I looked into his profile on Poets.org and I came across a significant quote. Of
Komunyakaa, poet Toi Derricotte states, He takes on the most complex moral issues, the most
harrowing ugly subjects of our American life. His voice, whether it embodies the specific
experiences of a black man, a soldier in Vietnam, or a child in Bogalusa, Louisiana, is universal.
It shows us in ever deeper ways what it is to be human. Being a global citizen means embracing
a human identity, an identity that is explored by many of the notable authors included on this list.
Komunyakaa was a black man fighting for his country in Vietnam. That fact alone touches upon
the conflict between ethnic identity and national identity in addition to the moral global issues
that surrounded the Vietnam War. There is insufficient space in this brief annotation to break
down this specific poem but it is loaded with references and allusions that would speak to several
of the questions and themes we are exploring in this unit. It would be interesting to do a case
study of Komunyakaa, looking at his personal background as well as his creative works to see
how he captures his identity crises in his writing, however, there is simply just not enough time.
Lahiri, J. (1999). Interpreter of Maladies. Mariner Books. (Writer of Color, Short Stories)
Lahiri, the daughter of Bengali parents was born in London and raised in Rhode Island. Her
exposure to different cultures and different ways of living are present on the pages she pens.
Interpreter of Maladies is her first published book, comprising of nine short stories addressing
the conflict between her ethnic identity and American culture. She is outspokenly critical of both
identities and her explicitness and honesty is interwoven into her short stories making it an
excellent addition for the purposes of this unit. She was once quoted as saying she feels neither
Indian nor American, a sentiment also expressed in the Native American, Asian American, and
African American literature we will read over the course of the six weeks. I am not only
motivated to make my students more aware of the world around them; I am also determined to
help them find a voice they didnt know they had. Lahiri herself struggled to get accepted into
creative writing graduate programs but she was persistent, believed in her voice, and believed in
what she had to say. I want to introduce students to this tireless dedication to a craft. I want them
to believe in what they have to say using Lahiri as an example of someone who fought for her
words knowing the impact they would have on the reader. It is not enough to simply learn new

28

ideas and become more aware; I expect my students to take the classroom content and transform
it into passionate, powerful written works.
Making Sense of World Conflicts. (2014). Retrieved November 7, 2014, from
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/making-sense-of-world-conflicts (Internet
Source)
Oxfam explicitly states the key issues addressed in this unit as, conflicts currently taking place,
the connections between conflict and poverty, how the arms trade works, and exploring when
conflict is a war. This unit contains eight different lessons all centered on different areas of the
world that are all affected by conflicts involving extreme violence. Lesson four helps distinguish
war from conflict, triggering me to think about the academic article we read on political
language. For the purposes of this unit however I will only be using Lesson 8- Corneille: The
Music of Life. This lesson introduces students to a Rwandan refugee and musician, Corneille,
who creates music impacted by his traumatic experiences with genocide. The objective of this
lesson is, To consider how the causes and effects of conflict can affect individuals, and to look
at one individuals response. To show how the use of language can convey powerful messages. I
want the students to see how someone who came from an unfortunate situation used their voice
and creativity to impact ignorant people in the world. This will help them for their final project
as well. This lesson will provide them with an example of how someone transforms factual
information into powerful images through the use of creative language. I think this will also
develop their empathy and sensitivity for the people of this region which is necessary to read
Things Fall Apart. Lastly, it would be even more impactful if there was time to read Heart of
Darkness because of the physical proximity of Rwanda and the Congo; students would see how
little improvement this area of the world has made in ending the violence that has been present
on their soil for decades.
Mortenson, G., & Relin, D. (2007). Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace.
New York: Penguin Books. (Nonfiction)
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson documents the trials and tribulations of Mortenson in his
humanitarian efforts to bring free education to the mountains of Pakistan after a failed climbing
attempt. Touched by the hospitality of the indigenous people of the Pakistani mountains, he

29

promised to return to build schools to help improve the quality of life of the people. This mission
soon spread across multiple villages in Pakistan over the border to Afghanistan during a
tumultuous time in our countrys foreign relations with the Middle East. Through the creation of
the nonprofit Central Asia Institute (CAI), a non-it is estimated that over 170 schools have been
built. This text will serve as the primary source for the unit. It will be read by students after being
formally introduced to the idea of global citizenship. They will read this text looking for ways
Mortenson is able to connect with the indigenous people despite the hostility surrounding the
relationship between the two countries. How do these individuals overcome ethnic, religious, and
national tensions to come together to positively impact the world? Because the text is filled with
geographical information and cultural references students will fill in a map of Pakistan and
Afghanistan as they read to document all of the information. This will act as a tool to help them
write their extended definition of global citizenship at the end of the semester. I will also create a
map alongside them in addition to a timeline so that we can keep all of the information
organized. This will further help them find news articles and information about this region from
other sources. The overall goal is for students to recognize the limited access many children have
to free unbiased education, and how, being denied this opportunity, leads to impoverishment and
the empowerment of corrupt governments.
Newman, L. (2012). October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard. Somerville, Mass.:
Candlewick. (Women Writer, Poems)
On October 12, 1998 Leslea Newman flew to the University of Wyoming to give a speech as the
keynote speaker in honor of National Coming Out Day. This was the same day as the death of
Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student who was brutally murdered by two
straight men simply because he was gay. Newman created this series of poetry to capture all of
the emotions this event evoked not only in her personally but in our nation as well. This creative
series of poems retells the event through the perspective of the fence Matthew was tied to, the
moon that watched over him as he lay helpless, the tree who bore witness to the horrific crime,
etc. In an interview she explains, It is my wish that October Mourning will carry that message
of hope, born from a horrific act of violence, to our youth. This book is another example of how
someone used the power in their voice to promote positivity and change to rid our world of
ignorance and hate. Students will read selected poems from this series in contrast to media

30

reports on the crime. The purpose of this is again for students to see how someone uses language
and image to capture an experience. This will also challenge students to think about how a sexual
identity can conflict with a national and religious identity. The book contains a passage written
by Newman that talks about the hate filled backlash Shepards supports received from religious
organizations. Because the nature of this crime was so senseless, these words of hate are even
uglier. Students need to feel what ignorance feels like; this poetry will give them that
opportunity.
Questions over Greg Mortenson's Stories. (2011, April 19). Retrieved November 16, 2014, from
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/questions-over-greg-mortensons-stories-19-04-2011/2/
(Internet Source, Video Clip)
The success of Mortensons published story is unfounded. Since its publication he has sold over
four million copies, received hundreds of thousands of dollars of support from the government,
as well as donations from notable donors. After hearing of complaints made by Mortensons
donors, CBS news investigated the intimate accounts recollected in Three Cups of Tea. What
they found was shocking. After investigating key figures of the text, members of the Korphe
community, they found Mortensons portrayal of what happened was in fact false. I stumbled
upon this clip after I had been extremely moved and impacted by the book. I was completely
dumbfounded by CBSs presentation of their argument. I realized my naivety as a reader. I was
too trusting that what I was being told was the truth. It had never occurred to me that this story, a
story that claimed to be factual, could in fact be false. I want my students to have this same
experience. Even though this novel is powerful in its ability to challenge their perspectives,
forcing them to think critically from a different perspective about a world event, I want them to
learn that they cant neglect the responsibility they have in seeking the whole truth on a situation.
This video clip demonstrates what you can find if you are looking for more. I want them to
critically think about how this video impacts their perception of Mortenson, of the information
they learned, as well as how they will approach other nonfiction texts in the future.
Regis, M. (2011). Haiti After the Shock. West Hartford, CT: DownHome Publishing. (Writer of
Color, Writing by Teens, Poems)

31

Marc Yves Regis is both an author and humanitarian and demonstrates both roles in his most
recent collection of poems titled Haiti After the Shock. With the help of the children of Haiti,
Yves successfully captures the devastating effects this natural disaster had on its people. A
review on Amazon written by educator Patricia Hardison eloquently captures the essence of this
text, explaining, his collection is more than a quick read or reflection; it is a call to action; a
challenge to individuals from every walk of life to acknowledge the pain and suffering that has
come to define this island nation and to commit to real and lasting change. If not now when? If
not by you then by whom? Although the brevity of this unit will prevent me from touching on
the 2010 Haitian earthquake, this is another global event that requires action from global citizens.
After providing students with factual information about the event, (i.e. statistical information on
financial impact, death tolls, etc.) I would have them read this collection to demonstrate, like
they have done with other events, how authors take experiences and create them into impactful
pieces of art. How does the author use language and imagery to get his audience to feel the
experience he felt? If students can see this in other writers works I argue they will be better able
to translate that into their own writing. This could also assist them in their final assessment as
well. They might research Regis more in depth to include him in their extended definition. In
addition, his poetry might inspire them to choose poetry as the medium for the creative
component.
Sardar, Z., & Loon, B. (2004). Introducing Cultural Studies a Graphic Guide. London: Icon
Books. (Graphic Novel)
Introducing Cultural Studies a Graphic Guide is a great text to have as a resource for
understanding the ins and outs of cultural studies. It covers everything from postmodernism to
Marxism, queer theory to minority movements. Abstract, dense concepts are broken down and
reinforced in the illustrations. Another great aspect of the text is the inclusion of notable
contributors for each era, movement, or publication. Students will be able to refer to this text
throughout the unit to reinforce main ideas, themes, and concepts. If they are having trouble
understanding what is going on in the text they could search though this book to get a better
understanding of the cultural and political movements during a specific time in a specific place
to gain a better understanding of why things are the way they are in the literature. I was first
introduced to this text in my Senior Seminar, after my experiences abroad. I wish I had had this

32

for my global citizenship course in London because not only does it talk about movements but it
does so in chronological order which helps put things in perspective. For the purposes of this unit
I would make this text readily available to students who want or need a better understanding. I
would also make copies of certain pages (i.e. Edward Said Orientalism is referenced) to highlight
ideas in lessons. Lastly, because it is written in the graphic novel format I argue it is less
intimidating and more user friendly for high school students.
Shakespeare, W. (1992). Macbeth (Rev. ed.) (R. Gill, Ed.). Oxford , England: Oxford University
Press. (Drama)
Considered to be Shakespeares most powerful tragedy, Macbeth, explores what happens when
ones greed is the main motivator in ones quest for power. It is the story of Macbeth, a general
consumed with thoughts of being in power, led to commit murder upon hearing a prophecy from
a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Readers watch his demise as his
psychological state deteriorates from the overwhelming guilt he feels. His tyrannical tendencies
lead to civil war and unrest amongst his people forcing Shakespeares readers to question if the
desire to have power is worth the expense it might cost. I think it is important to have students
read Shakespeare in a structured setting so they can overcome feeling intimated by his language.
If they were to read this text alone, it is most likely they would miss powerful passages and
themes that illuminate the drama and make it timeless. For the purposes of this unit I want them
to read this in contrast to studying powerful dictators in our world today. For example I would
draw comparisons to what is going on in Macbeth to leaders and regimes like that of North
Korea and Kim Jong-un. Through the comparison of this play and information on these regimes
and people students might see what contributed to their rise in power. I believe the distaste many
students have for Shakespeare is the result of their failure to see his relevance. I argue, however,
this play could provide my students the opportunity to hear yet another voice in the global
conversation. Macbeth will give them the perspective of the powerful leaders that are motivated
by their selfish desires in our world today.
Storr, W. (2014, February 12). Kony's Child Soldiers: 'When You Kill For the First Time You
Change' The Telegraph. Retrieved November 07, 2014, from
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/uganda/10621792/Ko

33

nys-child-soldiers-When-you-kill-for-the-first-time-you-change.html (Nonfiction,
Internet Source)
Although set in a different country, featuring a different but equally brutal regime, Norman
Okellos story is strikingly similar to Ishmael Beahs A Long Way Gone. Okello, like Beah, was
forced into the armed forces at the young age of 12. This article will inform students about
Joseph Kony and the Lords Resistance Army, another rebel group that has massacred thousands
of innocent people. The article is also accompanied by a brief seven minute video. During the
week dedicated to the rights of children, students will watch this video, read this article, and read
a passage of Beahs memoir looking for violations of his rights using the Conventions document
as a framework. They will do all of this before viewing Asad which will hopefully lead them to
have a greater appreciation for the creativity of the film. Because the amount of reading and
thinking of this week is so rigorous, there will be no formal assessment; rather students will be
evaluated based upon small group and large group discussions. I want to hear their reactions and
opinions on the collection of texts including this article and video.
Why Promote Global Citizenship? (2014). Retrieved October 21, 2014, from
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/global-citizenship (Internet Source)
This webpage is the basis of my rationale. It includes a statement that supports the study of
global citizenship as a whole school approach rather than individual lessons interwoven into
units. This unit is the first step towards a whole school approach. I have chosen to provide it to
students because it breaks down the unit in plain language. I especially liked the statement made,
Education for global citizenship helps enable young people to develop the core competencies
which allow them to actively engage with the world, and help to make it a more just and
sustainable place. I plan on converting this webpage into a handout for students with this quote
on the top. It breaks down what it means to be a global citizen into three different actions, learn,
think, act which reiterates my desire to have them use this thinking to change their world. It also
poses the question, Why promote global citizenship? with reasons why subsequently bulleted
underneath. Students often want to know why they are being forced to learn what the teacher is
teaching. Providing them with this information as a handout will help put things into perspective
for them. In addition all of the bulleted reasons provided on this webpage mirror the learning
goals I have created. One example includes, Challenges misinformation and stereotyped views

34

about Majority World countries, and allows children to counter ignorance and intolerance.
Should they ever forget what they are being asked to do or why they are being asked to do it, this
webpage, turned hand-out, will remind them of the unit expectations and significance.
Yang, G., & Pien, L. (2006). American Born Chinese. New York: First Second. (Writer of
Color, Graphic Novel)
Like the Colbert Report video, this text introduces students to satire. Satire can be an effective
means to reveal truth to the audience. This specific text is done in a unique and appealing way as
well. Yang intertwines three plots that examine the experience of a Chinese- American. He gives
readers a better understanding of Chinese culture and practices through the inclusion of religious
references while making it more relevant to non-Asian readers by revealing how Chinese culture
impacts ones upbringing in a foreign country. Yang captures the identity crises, feelings of
isolation, and discomfort with ones ethnicity in an American setting. What is most important
about this text is the heighted Asian American stereotypes, specifically how Americans view the
Chinese immigrants. Chin-Kee, Dannys cousin is the epitome of every Asian American
stereotype that exists. This novel asks readers to think about how identifying with ones ethnicity
might prevent one from feeling like they belong to their nation. Like the Native American
population in this country, Asian Americans have also struggled to maintain their cultural and
ethnic identities at the expense of having a strong national identity. This text could be used to
assist students who might need a lower level text to grasp the concept of national identity vs.
ethnic identity.
Yousafzai, M. (2013). I Am Malala: The Schoolgirl Who Stood Up to the Taliban. London, UK:
Orion Publishing Group. (Writer of Color, Women Writer, Writing by Teens,
Nonfiction)
This book is the memoir of the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Malala Yousafzai. It
tells the story of the girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban on Tuesday, October 9, 2012, at
the young age of fifteen. Malala Yousafzai stood up to the Taliban after they took control of her
home, Swat Valle, Pakistan. Unafraid she fought for her right to have access to education. This
activism inevitably led to an attempted assignation, but also gave way to her penning this
remarkable book and her acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize this past year. This isnt just the

35

story of Malala, however, it is the story of her parents, her community, and a country desperately
trying to fight the terror cells that wreak havoc on their soil. At first I wanted to dedicate most of
my unit instruction to Three Cups of Tea but when I realized this book existed I reconsidered this
decision. I thought about how beautifully the two texts would speak to each other. In
Mortensons memoir we learn about the girls he is building the school for but we dont hear
enough from them or about them. Rather than teaching both of these books in their entirety I
have thought about pulling poignant passages from the two that explore the same themes and
issues involving global terrorism. I am considering doing two case studies on Mortenson and
Yousafzai respectively. Students will have access to two voices in the conversation; they will
look at one issue through the eyes of two different people with two different ethnic and national
identities. Lastly, this will also provide them additional information for their extended definition.

Unit Plan Final Analysis

Upon being assigned the Unit Plan Portfolio project I immediately reflected back to the
academic work I did in the last year of my undergraduate studies. As mentioned in my rationale,
my decision to base my unit around the idea of global citizenship was heavily influenced by my
Senior Seminar: Reading Culture, Writing Poetry. My culminating project for this course was a

36

blend of both creative and critical writing that examined the conflict between my national
identity and my newly acquired global identity; an identity that emerged through an internship at
non-profit organization set in the heart of London. The program I was attending was
appropriately titled, Global Citizenship geared towards challenging American students to view
their role as not just citizens of their country but citizens of the world. When I began the journey
of composing this project three months ago I had no clue how to begin to recreate that type of
experience for the secondary setting; I simply knew no matter how trying it might be that it had
to be done. This reflective thinking demonstrates the NCTE/NCATE Standard 7.2 that expects
candidates to, engage in and reflect on a variety of experiences related to ELA that demonstrate
understanding of and readiness for leadership, collaboration, ongoing professional development,
and community engagement. I quickly recognized that global cultural literacy was notably
absent from ELA instruction in the high school setting. I read academic literature on critical
literacy as well as the incorporation of multicultural texts in the curriculum however the kind of
conversations I wanted to have happen in the classroom were nowhere to be found in the
readings. To better understand what I mean I feel compelled to interweave background
information on my own personal intellectual growth that led to the creation of my own
culminating project. I aspire to provide my students the opportunity to explore the same kind of
cultural criticism through my instruction.
Prior to being formally educated on the ideology of Global Citizenship, I prided myself
on being well informed about global current events. However, after spending time in Europe I
began changing the context of my awareness; I quickly realized my limited understanding of
global issues was caused by national bias. I began to realize that the future of our country
depended upon the shift in perspective I was experiencing. It became overtly clear that American

37

citizens, myself included, needed to start recognizing that we are no better than citizens from
other countries. It wasnt until I interacted with Europeans that I realized this shortcoming. In
addition, I began to realize that there is plenty to learn from both the triumphs and tribulations of
other nations. It is not Americas world, and until we as a country begin to look at ourselves
through a critical lens, a lens that other nations already view us through, we will continue to find
ourselves stagnant in our attempts to build relationships with other nations of the world. I have
modeled this national criticism in the first week of the unit through the exploration of silenced
minorities. I specifically choose two adolescent literature texts, The Absolutely True Diary of a
Part Time Indian and October Mourning. The later text will be read in conversation with the film
Valentine Road. The decision to use adolescent literature and film to spark this conversation is
supported by Standard 1.2 that demands candidates to consider the reading practices of
adolescents and how that experience can be enhanced through the integration of multimedia.
These critical national sentiments continued to linger in the back of my mind as I
continued to study in Europe. Simultaneously, through my involvement with my assigned NGO,
the Migrant Resource Centre, I became increasingly aware of the issues surrounding immigration
in the United Kingdom. I can remember my first time sitting in a Parliamentary meeting, feeling
ignited by the conversation and the direction it was going. There were political leaders urging for
stricter immigration policies, arguing that resources were stretched thin enough and the influx of
immigrants were taking jobs away from qualified British citizens. But, as opposed to back home
where I knew little about immigration laws, I was more knowledgeable about the United
Kingdoms regulations that were currently in place. I knew about application fees for sponsored
citizenship as well as the corresponding rejection statistics. When both of these are taken into
account, there was a significant amount of money that was being unaccounted for and left out of

38

this conversation. The only way I was able to understand this discrepancy was because I was
well informed. I had to be well read on the topic because I was expected to publish on it. I knew
that as a writer, for my audience to take me seriously I needed to be accurate. I fact checked
articles with statistical data and government documents. In my unit I have created assignments
that mirror this kind of critical work.
The assignment that asks students to read the document Conventions on the Rights of the
Child in correspondence to Ishmael Beahs A Long Way Gone is my attempt to emulate my
experience while also touching upon Standards 3.3 and 3.5. The Common Core State Standards
have refocused our attention to informational texts and I knew the importance of teaching
students the ability to sift through the dense language to understand meaning. This intellectual
work is challenging and I knew that in order for them to fully grasp the significance of such an
important document, it needed to be applicable. By having students identify instances where
Beahs rights were violated in his memoir they would not only be working intimately with an
informational text but they would also be enlightened on the seriousness of armed conflicts and
how they impact their fellow global citizens. Students will be expected to demonstrate
understanding by working in small groups to create an article that exposes the injustice they read
about. Doing such meets the requirement of Standard 3.2 that asks, Candidates design a range
of authentic assessments (e.g., formal and informal, formative and summative) of reading and
literature that demonstrate an understanding of how learners develop and that address
interpretive, critical, and evaluative abilities in reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and
presenting. Students will interpret their factual findings, transform it to a nonfiction article that
seeks to both shock and perform, and lastly, present it to their classmates in both a visually and
orally appealing way. This assignment also meets Standard 4.1 which demands that assignments

39

utilize individual and collaborative approaches and contemporary technologies and reflect an
understanding of writing processes and strategies in different genres for a variety of purposes and
audiences. Because the purpose of this assignment is to shock their reader and expose the
injustice, students must work collaboratively to determine how to best portray their factual
evidence in such a way. Their understanding of audience awareness and the importance of appeal
should be further enhanced by the support of an enticing title, visually appealing graphics, in
addition to a captivating presentation.
Students will continue to explore armed conflicts throughout the week after this
assignment. As Standard 3.5 expects candidates to, plan instruction that incorporates
knowledge of languagestructure, history, and conventionsto facilitate students
comprehension and interpretation of print and non-print texts I purposefully had students view
the critically acclaimed film Asad after the article assignment so that they would also be
provided a visual interpretation of these violations. Prior to viewing Asad, however, they will
view a short clip published by CNN on Somalian pirates to better their understanding while also
continuing to expose them to the media and its portrayal of events. With the presentation of this
material across different mediums, students are expected to articulate, in writing, how the
information is presented to the audience in different ways. This kind of informal assessment, as
supported by Standard 5.3 will provide me the opportunity to determine if they are able to see
the discrepancies between mediums. In order to determine their preparedness for Things Fall
Apart, the formal and informal assessments (specifically in regards to their understanding of
perspective) compiled in the Armed Conflict week of the Unit will allow me to see any potential
problems they might have in understanding the dense novel.

40

To emphasize the significance of my textual decisions for this unit I want to continue to
include personal background because it mirrors the kind of critical thinking I want my students
to do in the classroom as well as the kind of relationship to literature I want them to establish.
My feelings of isolation and tense relationship with my homeland coincided with a research
assignment involving James Baldwin. My critical analysis was centered on his multiple
identities; more specifically how his affiliation with his national, racial, and sexual identities,
respectively, excluded him from belonging to all three. His compilation of essays found in,
Nobody Knows My Name specifically spoke to the emotions and opinions I had been plagued
with for months. I could relate to his frustrations with America. But, it was his devotion to our
country that inspired me to open up my perspective. Baldwin reinforced for me personally that
although I was critical of America it did not make me any less of a dutiful citizen. If anything,
my desire to see my nation progress, my ability to see our faults and shortcomings makes me
both a zealous patriot and a global citizen.
Through this unit, I am attempting to recreate the tension I personally experienced
between these competing identities through the literature I have selected. While creating the
tentative calendar I stumbled across a quote by Chinua Achebe that eloquently articulates my
main aim in constructing this type of unit. He explains,
Once you allow yourself to identify with the people in a story, then you might begin to
see yourself in that story even if on the surface it's far removed from your situation. This
is what I try to tell my students: this is one great thing that literature can do -- it can make
us identify with situations and people far away. If it does that, it's a miracle. I tell my
students, it's not difficult to identify with somebody like yourself, somebody next door
who looks like you. What's more difficult is to identify with someone you don't see,

41

who's very far away, who's a different color, who eats a different kind of food. When you
begin to do that then literature is really performing its wonders.
James Baldwins upbringing was entirely different from mine, and yet, his writing offered me
solace when I was experiencing the same kind of critical questioning that plagued him in his own
life. This demonstrates that literature has the power to break down barriers between people with
different identities. While I support the idea that students should read what they want, I also
argue that doing so prevents them from straying from what is comfortable. I want students to get
outside of their comfort zones. I want students to get outside of themselves, outside of their
worlds, and personal experiences to learn about important matters that impact not just their
fellow citizens in this country but citizens of the world. This notion is supported by
NCTE/NCATE Standard 1.1 which states, Candidates are knowledgeable about textsprint
and non-print texts, media texts, classic texts and contemporary texts, including young adult
that represent a range of world literatures, historical traditions, genres, and the experiences of
different genders, ethnicities, and social classes; they are able to use literary theories to interpret
and critique a range of texts. I have specifically chosen texts that will expose students to issues
they may have been previously unaware of while also challenging them to take a stance and
strengthen their voice on the issues.
These voices will be assessed in a manner that aligns to Standard 4.2 which states,
Candidates design a range of assessments for students that promote their development as
writers, are appropriate to the writing task, and are consistent with current research and theory.
Candidates are able to respond to student writing in process and to finished texts in ways that
engage students ideas and encourage their growth as writers over time. Over the course of the
unit, students will compose both informal and formal writing assignments. The formal

42

assignments include a poem, an expository essay, an article, reading response to a passage, in

addition to the final summative assessment, an extended definition essay on global citizenship.
These assignments also correspond to Standard 2.1 that asks candidates to create assignments
that, take into consideration the interrelationships among form, audience, context, and purpose;
candidates understand that writing is a recursive process. Students are expected to include all
stages of drafts in their portfolio at the end of the semester. Informal free writing assignments are
also included to support the belief that writing is a recursive process. In addition, students will
gain a better understanding of the importance of context, purpose, and audience awareness
through the different types of texts they are expected to create (i.e. audience of their creative
piece will be different than that of Malala writing assignment, and A Long Way Gone article).
Also, because classroom activities are centered on critiquing different mediums of text that
explore the same themes, they will be better equipped to adjust their writing depending upon
these aspects.
The entire basis of this unit is centered on the ideology of Standards 6.1 and 6.2.
Standard 6.2 explains, Candidates use knowledge of theories and research to plan instruction
responsive to students local, national and international histories, individual identities (e.g., race,
ethnicity, gender expression, age, appearance, ability, spiritual belief, sexual orientation,
socioeconomic status, and community environment), and languages/dialects as they affect
students opportunities to learn in ELA. The first week of the unit is geared towards having
students challenge their national identity as mentioned previousl. I argue that before any
discussion can take place involving global citizenship, students must train their minds to
critically analyze situations and perspectives that pertain to their own country. Through poetry,
adolescent literature, nonfiction articles, and film we will critically think about two marginalized

43

populations: Native Americans and homosexuals. Hearing the stories of the silenced others
through different mediums will demonstrate to students how different modes of writing often
reveal/hide different details/themes than others. Students will question if it is possible to live
harmoniously while also embracing two competing identities. They will do this through reading
the works of authors of color and women authors and demonstrate their understanding via
informal free write reflections.
The following two weeks of the unit are dedicated to global education problems
happening in the Middle East. It is at this point in the unit that students should begin to gain
confidence in voicing their opinions on social injustice (Standard 6.1). After examining injustice
and discrimination in their own country, they will be better equipped to critically engage with
global matters. The last minute decision to exclude excerpts from both Three Cups of Tea and I
Am Malala was motivated by my desire to have them view the same exact global conflict from
two distinctly different perspectives. Both books talk about the same events happening in the
same region forcing students to look at how the presentation of the facts is impacted by the
identity of the person telling the story. Malalas opinions towards Americans arent that different
from Mortenson, an American himself. Why- because Mortenson refuses to let his American
identity supersede his global identity. This delicate balance of the two is important for students,
especially American students to see. This also reiterates the experiences I shared previouslybeing American does not mean you have to love everything about America, rather, being critical
of your nation demonstrates your allegiance to bettering your nation which would in turn better
the world. This logic is the foundation of what I am looking for in their final summative
assessment. As Standard 5.2 expects candidates to display, I want students to be actively
participating in their learning. I want them to define their own personal definition of global

44

citizenship as it pertains to them. For myself and the purposes of the unit, my idea of the term
was centered on the relationship between the global community and education. This project
allows them to explore the theme in various avenues (i.e. global health issues like Ebola, natural
disasters, armed conflicts, etc.) I dont want students to solely demonstrate progressive thinking
and intellectual growth- I want to see enthusiasm flourish as well.
To ensure this enthusiasm is present in the classroom I have included a wide array of
instructional strategies in my unit design that will allow students of all academic levels and
cultural backgrounds the opportunity to succeed. Standard 5.1 demands, Candidates plan and
implement instruction based on ELA curricular requirements and standards, school and
community contexts, and knowledge about students linguistic and cultural backgrounds and is
achieved via the selected content and overarching theme of the unit. Because we are exploring
cultural differences, critiquing cultural biased, and challenging our previous misconceptions all
students will be able to take something away from the material being presented. The essential
questions are thought provoking and powerful and are supported by a variety of different
instructional strategies that have students engage and interact with their peers to arrive at a better
understanding of the material. Standard 5.4 asks that, Candidates select, create, and use a
variety of instructional strategies and teaching resources, including contemporary technologies
and digital media, consistent with what is currently known about student learning in English
Language Arts. Students will not be limited to traditional instructional practices (i.e. read
novels, written responses, etc.). Moreover, lessons will incorporate current nonfiction articles as
well as video clips, film, and other media sources to make the content come to life. I argue,
providing students the opportunity to visually see what they are reading on the page will help
them arrive at a deeper understanding of the global issues we are discussing. I specifically

45

included a video on global citizenship prior to any class discussion because I believe viewing the
short clip will help them put the topic into perspective and will also make it more tangible and
real to them.
I expect students to demonstrate understanding of the material by having them create two
final summative assessments. The first, a portfolio will include both formal and informal writing
assignments in addition to graphic organizers and annotated handouts that will demonstrate
progressive thinking and intellectual growth. Through this compilation I will be to evaluate the
students ability to write for different audiences and purposes in different modes (as expected of
Standard 4.3). On the major writing assignments (Creative piece, Malala expository, A Long
Way Gone article) students will have the opportunity to workshop and revise with the help of
their peers. This interaction will be guided by the provided rubrics that are not only concerned
with the overall theme of the piece, but with grammatical correctness as well. Through the
inclusion of graphic organizers and annotations, in addition to pieces of composition, I am
specifically looking to see how their interaction with non-print media enhanced/influenced their
thinking (Standard 2.3). This will be assessed in the second final summative assessment, the
extended definition essay, where they are expected to draw from all of the text, multimedia
sources, and discussions we have had in class in addition to the outside research they complete
on a global topic of their choice. The performance task in week 5 is being used as a way for me
to assess their preparedness in drawing connections between multiple sources that all touch upon
the overarching theme. This process mirrors the expectations for their final paper and will allow
me to gear writing instruction (hypothetical week 7) towards best assisting them. In conclusion,
the portfolio provides students who arent as strong in writing an opportunity to demonstrate how
their thinking has transformed. But, I do believe, having the extended definition essay take on a

46

global theme of their choice will provided an exciting and stimulating experience for them as the
unit comes to a close.
Although this final analysis could go on for an additional twenty pages, it is my hope that
I have demonstrated connections to not just the NCTE/NCATE standards but to my personal
experiences as well. Interwoven in this unit I tried to create mini units that mirrored the same
personal intellectual journey that occurred throughout my time abroad. In a perfect world, each
week of this unit would be flushed out over a longer period of time. More specifically if the
demand wouldnt be so rigorous, I believe it would be ideal to have students create poetry
throughout each lesson. The reasoning- so much of what we are discussing, reading, and viewing
is emotional. I argue, having students create more creative pieces throughout their interaction
with this material would enable them to find a voice that they might not have known they have.
Overall, I believe the conversations and type of assignments included in this unit design will
have an influential and impactful impact on students of all academic levels and cultural
backgrounds and it is my hope they will take their new knowledge and spread it to their peers,
families, and other members of the global community.

Calendar Unit Plan

WEEK ONE- Introduction to Identities
** Begin by explaining to students that their grade is heavily dependent upon their
demonstration of progressive thinking. The final summative assessment will be a graded
critical essay, specifically in the form of an extended definition. Students will be expected to
demonstrate their understanding of what it means to be a global citizen or the idea of
global citizenship as a theory. In addition, students should be informed that everything they

47

create will be part of a final portfolio. All drafts, revisions, stages of writing are encouraged
to be included because again, the grade contingent upon the grade of their final project,
rather it is about having evidence of their intellectual growth.**
(Monday) Day 1- Intro to Identity: Brainstorm ideas about different kind of personal identities,
make explicit national, cultural, sexual, religious
5 minutes: Free Write Activity #1

Write about a personal experience where you felt excluded from a group. Be sure to
explain: the way it made you feel and possible reasons that may have prevented you
from belonging to the group. If there is time, attempt to answer the following
questions, Do you have to change who you are in any way to belong to a group?
Why do people seek to belong to groups? Can you belong to multiple groups at the
same time?

5 minutes: Encourage students to share their experiences with the class, as students share
have students listen for similarities in their own experiences.
35 minutes: Hand out Identity Opinionnaire, explain the purpose of the assignment:
This week we will be exploring and discussing different personal identities. More
specifically we will be critically thinking about our personal identities in relation to our
national identity. We will posing questions that examine if it is possible to belong to both. We
will be reading from a variety of sources, more specifically we will watch video clips, read
poetry and excerpt of novels from the perspectives of people with personal identities that
conflict with their American identity. But before we can have these conversations, we will
use the opinionnaire in front of you to begin thinking about issues that we will come across
as we read. The procedures are as follows:
1. You will read each of the five statements and rate the statements on a scale from 1
(strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).
2. In groups of 3-4 people discuss your responses providing an explanation for why you feel
the way you feel
3. After each small group has made a contribution, as a class we will create a list of ways
people can identify who they are. In addition, the definition of national identity will be

48

written on the board. Students should look at this definition next to the generated list, and
discuss their reactions to the questions and topic.
HOMEWORK

Assign excerpt of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Creative Writing poem due Friday:
o write a poem that captures the experience of their free-write
o write a persona poem from the perspective of someone whos personal
identity is in conflict with their national identity

(Tuesday) Day 2- Ethnic Identity v. National Identity, Case Study: Native Americans
5 Minutes- Free Write Activity #2- Write about your personal reaction to Juniors
experiences. More specifically do you agree with how he is treating by the kids at
Reardin High School? Why do you think they treat him that way? What connections can
you make to current events (things you hear on the news)?
5 Minutes- Think-Pair- Share
10 Minutes- Hand out packet of Diazs poems. Students are expected to choose two of the
five to read silently. They are expected to write annotations that critically think about the
ethnic/national conflict. More specifically I am looking for them to be drawing
connections to Alexies text. While they are allowed to keep the poems and annotations
throughout the semester to reference, they are a portfolio requirement. Remind them of
the importance to keep it.
25 minutes- Create a visual chart on the board comparing and contrasting the two texts.
Students will raise their hand and share specific instances where the novel and poem are
in conversation. They are required to provide page numbers in addition to explaining
their contribution.
5 minutes- Hand out packet of October Mourning poems, check-in with them about
creative writing project. This is the time to ask questions/suggestions from peers.
Encourage them to use the packets of poems they are receiving as inspiration
Homework

Read two of five poems included in packet

Continue to work on creative writing assignment

49

(Wednesday) Day 3- Sexual Identity v. National Identity, Case Study: Valentine Road & October
Mourning
2 minute- Share reactions to poems read for homework
5 minutes- Hand out non-fiction article on Matthew Shepard, read silently
13 minutes- Academic Conversation
What are your thoughts about this event, initial reactions- how were they affected
after reading both the article and poetry? (3 minutes)
How is the event told differently in the article than the poems? (5 minutes)
What is the poem able to do with the event that the article cannot? (5 minutes)
25 minutes- Show Excerpt of Valentine Road
5 minutes- Work on Exit Slip- Answer question: Do you think our society, media, culture,
etc. had an impact on Brandons decision to shoot Larry, explain.
Homework

Bring in rough draft of poem to workshop in class tomorrow

Extra credit if they take exit slip home and write one page reflection

(Thursday) Day 4- Writers Workshop

15 Minutes- Academic Conversation
As a large class we are going to discuss our answers from the Exit Slip
30 Minutes- Workshop Activity
Students will work in groups of four. Each student will be responsible for looking
for ways to improve a specific area of each poem:
One: Structure
Two: Diction
Three: Imagery
Four: Style and mechanics
Students will identify one thing the writer did well and one thing they can
improve on with their initials next to it. Students will be looking at how each
specific category contributed to the authors ability to affectively capture the
emotional complexity of an impactful experience. Each student will write two or

50

three sentences guessing what they think the poem is about to show the writer that
different readers have different responses to text.
Homework- Make changes to poems as suggested by peers, final draft due Friday at the
beginning of class.
(Friday) Day 5- Intro to Global Citizenship (UNICEF LESSON 1)
5 Minutes- Introduce:
Enduring Understanding
All people have basic human rights that are universal and that transcend
the rights granted by the nations in which they reside. As global citizens,
we have a collective responsibility to better understand the world outside
our own borders, protect and preserve the human rights of people
everywhere, and challenge injustice wherever it occurs.
Essential Questions
1. What does it mean to be a global citizen, and how is this similar to
national citizenship? How is it different from national citizenship?
2. What rights do I have as a global citizen? Where do those rights come
from and how are they protected?
3. What responsibilities do I have as a global citizen to people within and
outside the borders of my own country, and to the planet?
4. How can I fulfill the responsibilities of global citizenship? What can I
do as an individual in my day-to-day life to make a difference?
5 Minutes: Generate Interest:
Tell students that they are now beginning a unit that involves thinking about what
unites everyone, everywhere, globally. Ask students to list their most common
daily activities (e.g., get dressed, drive to school, buy/eat food, go online). Have
them search for degrees of connectivity for each activity to people in other parts
of the world. For example, a student may say that his shirt was made in China, or
that her friend has a Facebook friend in Brazil. Arrive at an understanding that in
the 21st century, people are more interconnected than ever before. Indicate that

51

citizenship creates a bond connecting the people of a country who already have
certain commonalities. Add that, in this unit, they will be exploring global
citizenship, which creates an important bond between residents of the planet who
are already connected in so many ways.
10 Minutes: Explore Prior Understanding
Prompt students for their prior knowledge and experience on the topic of
citizenship. Then read the following quote from the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services website: Citizenship is the common thread that connects
all Americans. We are a nation bound not by race or religion, but by the shared
values of freedom, liberty, and equality. Ask if there are values that bind us as
global citizens. Write the responses on the board, and emphasize those that refer
to global rights, responsibilities, and participation.
20 minutes- Have students set up a modified RAN (Reading and Analyzing Nonfiction)
strategy chart as follows:
Prior

Topic: Global Citizenship

Confirmed:
Misconceptions Wonderings:

Knowledge

What I could

: What I couldnt What I still

and Feeling:

prove

prove

Source

want to know

What I think I
know and
what I feel
Have them work on the first column. Though you might have done this already, now
intentionally probe how students feel about the topic. Depending on their previous
experience with related issues in and out of school, there could be a whole range of
feelings on global citizenship, including discomfort. Give students space to express their
feelings in a way that makes the most sense for your situation. Close the lesson by
validating all feelings expressed and previewing the novel they will be reading, Three
Cups of Tea
5 Minutes: Show the Video on global citizenship from the Global Poverty Project at

52

http://teachunicef.org/explore/media/watch/global-citizenship
Homework-

Three Cups of Tea: pages 17-47, update maps

Read Unicef Handout titled- Be a Global Citizen!

WEEK TWO- Three Cups of Tea

(Monday) Day 6- Intro to Three Cups of Tea
5 minutes- Hand out maps of region being discussed in text
15 minutes- As a class, using information from the assigned reading for homework,
model how to add detail to the map. Students are expected to label geographical locations
and landmarks, include cultural references, tribal locations, as well as page numbers
indicating where in the text they found the information. Also, as they get comfortable
with the maps, explain that they should indicate where an important experience occurred
that impacted/changed the main character. Information from non-fiction texts provided
via literature circles is also expected to be added to their maps.
25 minutes- Go over Literature Circle Roles, provide students handouts detailing the
expectations of each role, answer any questions they might have.
(http://www.greececsd.org/files/filesystem/litcirclepacket.pdf)
Discussion Director- gets discussion started, makes sure that everyone
contributes, and is responsible for posing questions
Expected to create fully developed questions that will guide discussion,
students must create at least two of each of the following types of
questions:
o Types of questions
Inferences about characters or events within text
Generalizations from text to society at large
The effect of literary form or technique
The purpose of including a particular event in terms of the

texts meaning
Emotions that students have in response to the story

Literary Luminator/passage master- draws group members attention to

memorable or important sections of text and reads them aloud

53

Responsible for looking up at least five historical names, places, events

included in the text
Provide the group a deeper understand of the significance of including these
specific details
Connector- makes associations between the world of the text and the world
Responsible for finding three nonfiction articles that connect to the passage
Pick the one that is most interesting, provide one paragraph of summary of
the article and one paragraph connecting it to what is going on in the text
Illustrator- draws picture that depict scene from the novel
If the student does not want to draw a picture they can also create a collage,
pulling from multiple sources to capture the events and emotions of the
text
In addition to the visual depiction they must write one paragraph explaining
why they have chosen to draw or create what they have and how it relates
back to the text
5 minutes- Give students their literature circle assignments; allow them to sign up for
roles, assign homework
Homework- Three Cups of Tea: pages 48-78, update maps
(Tuesday) Day 7- Literature Circles
5 minutes- Do Now! SAT Question of the Day
45 minutes- Literature circles
Homework- Three Cups of Tea: pages 79-109, update maps
(Wednesday) Day 8- Literature Circles
5 minutes- Do Now! SAT Question of the Day
45 minutes- Literature Circles
Homework- Three Cups of Tea: pages 110-140, update maps
(Thursday) Day 9- Literature Circles
5 minutes- Do Now! SAT Question of the Day
45 minutes- Literature Circles

54

Homework- Three Cups of Tea: 141-173, update maps

(Friday) Day 10- Literature Circles
30 minutes- Literature Circle
18 minutes- Free Write reflection about experience in literature circles (This is part of the
Literature Circle portfolio requirement)
2 minutes- Briefly introduce I Am Malala, explain they should continue to add to their
maps and look for connections between the text
Homework- Pages 1-26, Prologue & Chapter 1, add to their maps
WEEK THREE- I Am Malala
(Monday) Day 11- Introduce Writing Assignment & Literature Circles
10 minutes- Handout I Am Malala Writing Assignment, rubric, and explain to class. A
rough draft must be submitted to the teacher by Friday, comments will be returned to
student on Monday (Day 16). Their final draft is not expected until the last day of the
unit. They must include all drafts and revisions in addition to the final written assignment
in their portfolio.
My favorite programa was Shaka Laka Boom Boom, an indian childrens series
about a boy called Sanju who had a magical pencil. Everything he drew became
real. If he drew a vegetable or a policeman, the vegetable or policeman would
magically appear.He used his pencil to help people- he even saved his parents
from gangsters- and I wanted that magic pencil more than anything else in the
world (80). If you had Sanjus magical pencil, what would you create to make
the world a better place? You can create a place, an object, or a person. You must
indicate your reasoning behind your creation and how that creation could be used
to positively impact the world.
38 minutes- Literature Circles
2 minutes- Assign homework
Homework- Chapters 2 & 3 (pages 27- 57), update maps
(Tuesday) Day 12- I Am Malala

55

2 minutes- Check in with students on progress

45 minutes- Literature Circles
3 minutes- Assign homework
Homework- Chapter 4 & 5 (pages 58-79), update maps
(Wednesday) Day 13- I Am Malala
2 minutes- Check in with students on progress
45 minutes- Literature Circles
3 minutes- Assign homework
Homework- Chapter 6 & 7 (pages 80-101), update maps
(Thursday) Day 14- I Am Malala
2 minute- Check in with students on progress
45 minutes- Literature Circles
3 minutes- Assign homework
Homework- Chapter 8 & 9 (102-122), update maps
(Friday) Day 15- I Am Malala
20 minutes- Literature Circles
30 minutes- Workshop I Am Malala Writing Assignment
Students will work in pairs using the graphic organizer to evaluate each others written
work: http://www.greececsd.org/files/filesystem/model%20revision%20organizer.pdf
Homework- A Long Way Gone passage, they have until Tuesday to read but remind them they
will be assigned reading Monday night so it is best to get it done over the weekend
WEEK FOUR- Childrens Rights/Armed Conflicts
(Monday) Day 16- Intro to Childs Rights, music lesson
5 Minutes- Armed Conflict Survey, take it go over answers, reaction to answers
http://teachunicef.org/sites/default/files/sites/default/files/units/Martha_Grades_9_to_12_
Final.pdf0 (page 11-12)

56

3 minutes- Provide Background info

Give students the following background information: Corneille is a

Rwandan-born singer, now based in Montreal, who has created his own
RnB, celebrating his new life after the tragic genocide in his homeland.
This activity uses the positive moves that Corneille has made to overcome
his incredibly difficult childhood experiences to show how people move

on after horrific experiences of conflict.

Locate Rwanda on a map.
Distribute copies of the Rwanda country profile (worksheet) to further
their understanding.

12 minutes- In pairs, give students copies of the translation of one of his songs and an
article about Corneilles life, Corneilles French R n B (below), and ask them to read it.
Translated song: http://lyricstranslate.com/en/parce-qu039on-vient-de-loin-because-wecome-far-away.html
Article: (http://www.rfimusique.com/musiqueen/articles/091/article_7928.asp).
They should discuss what they think the message of the song is and how having
background of Corneilles life impacted their ability to make meaning of it
25 minutes- Ask students to do further online research into Corneille, his music and his
life. Provide them with information and images printed from various sites such as
Corneilles own website (http://www.corneilleonline.com/) and Amazon
(www.amazon.com) for details of his albums. Encourage the students to access the
Oxfam website for more information on Rwanda today and its history.
5 minutes- Closing discussion
Discuss the ways in which Corneille has made something positive out of the
terrible events of his youth. Is music a good medium for expressing difficult things
and deep feelings? Do you consider Corneille to be a global citizen? Why or why
not?
Homework- Convention on the Rights of the Child document
(Tuesday) Day 17- Long Way Gone with Convention document, small groups
2 minutes- Break students in small groups based on their assigned reading passage

57

10 minutes- Handout instructions and go over expectations with students (portfolio

requirement)
At this point in time you have read a passage from A Long Way Gone as well as
the document titled: Conventions on the Rights of the Child. Working together you
must identify instances in the text where Ishmaels rights (as stated in the
document) are being violated.
Now, imagine you are a reporter for the New York Times- you must work together
as a group to write an article exposing the injustice. Your article can be no longer
than 500 words, must have an intriguing title that grabs the readers attention, as
well as a visual image that enhances the text.
You will be expected to present your article to the class as if it was on the national
evening news (i.e. NBC Nightly News, 60 Minutes, etc). Be sure to have one copy
to read from as well as one copy to project on the overhead for the class to see
during your news story.
10 minutes-. As a class, brainstorm what makes an article a good article. Be sure to
specifically address the impact of word choice, emotional appeal, audience awareness,
etc. Encourage them to use their Chrome Books to look up other nonfiction articles,
watch film clips, etc.
28 minutes- Allow students to work in their small groups
(Wednesday) Day 18- A Long Way Gone
2 minutes- Check in with students, address any issues, answer any questions, etc
48 minutes- Allow students to work in their small groups
(Thursday) Day 19- A Long Way Gone
15 minutes- Allow students to wrap up their articles and prepare for presentations
30 minutes- Group presentations
5 minutes- Free write- Reflect on what you have learned from these documents and this
experience (Portfolio requirement)
(Friday) Day 20- Armed Conflicts in Media

58

2 minutes- Introduce topic to class- looking at the theme of armed conflict in the media
(recall two other regions discussed: Sudan and Rwanda)
5 minutes- To better students understanding prior to viewing ASAD, pull up map of
Somalia on overhead, show video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0pEoNWWK9Y

Hand out graphic organizer (#5), students are expected to use this resource to take
notes on throughout the class
http://www.greececsd.org/files/filesystem/comparecontrast.pdf

18 minutes- Students view Asad (take notes)

8 minutes- Students view Ishmael Beah interview from Colbert Report (take notes)
12 minutes-Free Write Reflection on the Film and two video clips you viewed today, be
sure to answer the essential questions on the board (Portfolio Requirement)
3 minutes: Invite one or two students to share reflection
Homework

Read and annotate the following article, start the reading at, In 1958:
http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbound/interviews/ba2000-08-02.htm

WEEK FIVE- THINGS FALL APART

(Monday) Day 21- Things Fall Apart- Introduce novel to students
3 minutes- Ask students to take out the article they read for homework, introduce novel
the novel Things Fall Apart and explain Achebe wrote the book. Break students up into
small groups (3 or 4)
20 minutes- Activity: Telling One's Own Story: Differing Perspectives
Small group discussion based on assigned homework reading using this framework:
One theme that appears over and over in Achebe's writing is that our perceptions
and the stories we tell are shaped by our social and cultural context, and he
emphasizes that, "those that have been written about should also participate in
the making of these stories" ("An African Voice"). Achebe writes his own history
of colonization in order to present a perspective different from those taught in the
Western literary and historical traditions. However, the text of Things Fall
Apart provides a range of perspectives through its narrator and many characters.
To create a framework for interpreting the conflict within and between values and

59

cultures that Achebe addresses, engage students in a discussion of

perspective/standpoint.
20 minutes- The title of the novel comes from a line in The Second Coming by William
Butler Yeats, distribute the poem, and analyze as a whole class
2 minutes- Wrap up, assign homework
Homework

pages 1-20, use graphic organizer as you read

http://novelinks.org/uploads/Novels/ThingsFallApart/Graphic%20Organizer.pdf
Students should bring Three Cups of Tea and I Am Malala to class as well as any
annotations or notes they took on the novel

(Tuesday) Day 22- Things Fall Apart

15 Minutes- Review the assigned reading for homework, go over passages that students
didnt understand, encourage questions for understanding, look up geographical
locations, etc.
30 Minutes- Performance Task- Using their annotations from Three Cups of Tea and I Am
Malala, students will read and respond to the following excerpt of an interview with
Achebe:
BSI: What is your sense of hope for the continent? And does this hope largely
come from Africas women?
CA: Well, I think the women are extremely important in that in our culture,
whenever things really got out of control, when things were damaged beyond
repair, the culture seemed to call on the women to move in and repair the
damage. Historically, this has happened a number of times in our history. When
the British came to Ibo land, for instance, at the beginning of the 20th century,
and defeated the men in pitched battles in different places, and set up their
administrations, the men surrendered. And it was the women who led the first
revolt. They said it was a revolt against taxation. It was actually a revolt against
imposition of foreign rule. And it happened in such a spectacular way the
British could not understand it what was going on. Here were these peasant
women scattered over hundreds of square miles, and they were able to get into

60

action in a very coordinated way. The British pulled back, and went to study the
Ibo people again.
That is the kind of thing I have in mind when I talk about women coming in when
things seem to be completely hopeless. Somehow in our idea of creation, women
are very, very close to the creator. It is very important to them that our world
continues. And so they have this last resort responsibility. Now, that was all right
in the past. It is something we can look at and learn something from. But it may
well be that today, we dont want the women to be in the background until things
get out of control. It may well be that they should be in the action all the time so
that things dont get out of control.
Students will have the remainder of the class period to connect the three texts as best as
they can.
5 minutes- Wrap up and hand in performance task, assign homework
Homework- pages 21-41
(Wednesday) Day 23- Things Fall Apart
15 minutes- Review the assigned reading for homework, go over passages that students
didnt understand, encourage questions for understanding, look up geographical
locations, etc.
35 minutes- Silent reading day- students can use this class period to catch up on previous
reading assignments or get ahead. In addition, if any students need extra help with the
material they can ask for one-on-one assistance with the text.
Homework- pages 42-62, three text dependent questions on the reading thus far
(Thursday) Day 24- Things Fall Apart
Because this is a pivotal part of the text, we will spend the class period doing a read
aloud. Students will have to read the remainder of the assignment for homework. The
pace should be very slow, stopping frequently for understanding. Students will hand in
their three text-dependent questions at the beginning of class. I will use these questions to

61

determine their level of understanding and which specific areas of instruction I need to
draw more attention to.
Homework- pages 63-83
(Friday) Day 25- Things Fall Apart
15 minutes: I will dedicate the first portion of the class period addressing areas of the text
that they struggled to understand. Because the previous assigned reading assignment was
partially done in class, I dont plan on spending a lot of instruction time on the reading.
30 minutes: Using another excerpt from an interview with Achebe I want students to do a
think-pair-share analyzing the following passage. Students will be asked if they agree or
disagree with Achebe and explain why:
Do you see this balance of stories as likely to emerge in this era of globalization
and the exporting of American culture?
That's a real problem. The mindless absorption of American ideas, culture, and
behavior around the world is not going to help this balance of stories, and it's not
going to help the world, either. People are limiting themselves to one view of the
world that comes from somewhere else. That's something that we have to battle
with as we go along, both as writers and as citizens, because it's not just in the
literary or artistic arena that this is going to show itself. I think one can say this
limiting isn't going to be very healthy for the societies that abandon themselves.
5 minutes: Hand in Think-Pair-Share work sheet, discuss question as a large class
Homework- pages 84-104
WEEK SIX- THINGS FALL APART
(Monday) Day 26- Things Fall Apart
8 minutes- Inform students that the following three days will be devoted to preparing for
and conducting a debate.
The questions up for debate are as follows: In the novel, Things Fall Apart a character
remarks that the white man "has put a knife on the things that held us together, and we
have fallen apart. 1. Do you think the white man maliciously intended to divide the
African tribal community or do you think they were misunderstood by the indigenous

62

population? 2. Do you think it would have been possible for these two cultures to live
harmoniously? 3. Do you think these historical events impact race relations in our global
community today?
20 minutes- Students pick a side on Question 1, work together to compile evidence
20 minutes- Students pick a side on Question 2, work together to compile evidence
2 minutes- Wrap up, assign homework
Homework- pages105-125, enhance debate arguments with material from text
(Tuesday) Day 27- Things Fall Apart
2 minutes: Go over schedule for class, which is as follows:
10 minutes: Review, revise, strengthen argument for Question 1 with team
10 minutes: Review, revise, strengthen argument for Question 2 with team
25 minutes: Students pick a side on Question 3, work together to compile evidence
**outside research is permitted; students will have access to technology
Homework- Pages 126-146, enhance debate arguments with material from text
(Wednesday)Day 28- Things Fall Apart
2 minutes: Arrange classroom desks to be clearly divided on two sides
15 minutes: Debate Question 1
15 minutes: Debate Question 2
15 minutes: Debate Question 3
3 minutes: Rearrange classroom, students hand in all notes and documents that
contributed to their argument
Homework- pages 147- 163
(Thursday) Day 29- Socratic Seminar Preparation
2 minutes- Do Now! Question: What do you know about Socratic seminars?
2 minutes- Invite students to share what they know
1 minute- Read purpose: The purpose of a Socratic Seminar is to achieve a deeper
understanding about the ideas and values in a text. In the Seminar, participants
systematically

63

question and examine issues and principles related to a particular content, and articulate
different points-of-view.
15 minutes- Go over three main elements (dedicate 5 minutes to each):
1. Text- Students should be prepared to speak by having all of the materials we
have read throughout the unit: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time
Indian, October Mourning, Three Cups of Tea, I Am Malala, A Long Way
Gone, Things Fall Apart. It is not enough to have these texts, they must also
have their annotations, notes, and any written assignments that were created in
response to the assigned readings. In addition, non-print texts: Asad, Valentine
Road, and any video clips viewed should be referenced as well.
2. Classroom Environment- Arrange students the way they will be positioned
during the socratic seminar. They should move their chairs in a large circle so
that everyone can be seen and heard.
3. Questions- Explain, Questions should lead participants into the core ideas
and values and to the use of the text in their answers. Questions must be openended, reflect genuine curiosity, and have no one right answer! Choose one
question as the key interpretive question of the seminar to focus on and begin
discussion. During the seminar, use particular questions to move the
discussion along.
25 minutes: As a large class, generate a list of questions that explore the theme of global
citizenship in addition to other conflicts, topics addressed throughout the semester
(Friday) Day 30- Socratic Seminar
5 minutes: Arrange desks, distribute rubric
40 minutes: Socratic Seminar
5 minutes: Free Write- Reflect on experience in the socractic seminar, ask students to
assess whether or not the experience will help them begin composing their extended
definition essay
**notes from Socratic Seminar will provide them everything they need to write the final
extended definition essay

64

Note: This document is a template in MSWord. As

you type into the form, it will expand to
To be completed by the Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor
prior to lesson implementation.

Eastern Connecticut State University Lesson Plan Format

Adopted from the Connecticut State Department of Education

Student Teacher Kaitlyn Kennedy Grade Level 10th Grade Honors

Institution

Manchester High School

Date of lesson Friday, Day 15

Length of lesson 50 minutes

Content Standards: Identify one or two primary local, state or national curricular standards this lesson is designed to
help students attain. How will the learning tasks lead students to attain the identified standards?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and
accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.5
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing
on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should
demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grades 9-10 here.)

Prior Knowledge/Connections: Describe the students prior knowledge or skill related to the learning objective(s)
and the content of this lesson, using data from pre-assessment as appropriate. How did the students previous performance in this
content area or skill impact your planning for this lesson?

65

Students will have partaken in literature circles over the course of ten days and have an understanding of the
appropriate time allotted and assignment expectations for each role (this will be the final day)
Students will have previously participated in a revision workshop on their creative piece, working collaboratively with
peers to review, revise, and assess writing as guided by the provided rubric
o In both instances, students demonstrated mastery of tasks via formal and informal assessments

Student Learning Objective(s): Identify specific and measurable learning objectives for this lesson.

Literature Circles
o Students will maintain conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion
to broader themes or larger ideas, actively incorporate others into the discussion, and clarify, verify, challenge
ideas and conclusions
o Students will respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives by qualifying or justifying views and
understanding and make new connections in light of evidence and reasoning presented
Writing Workshop
o Students will develop and strengthen writing through their engagement with global and surface revisions.
More specifically they will look for:

Clear, accurate language

Effectiveness of style, voice, and structure for intended audience

Fluent transitions between sentences, ideas, and paragraphs

Appropriate organization and inclusion of details and support to enhance argument

o Students will be able to evaluate writing according to criteria and rubrics

Vocabulary: Identify essential terminology to be used during instruction.

Global revisions
Surface revisions
Audience awareness
Purpose

Assessment-Essential Key Question: State essential key question(s) and identify Informal,
Formal Formative and Summative Assessment that will be used during the lesson.
How will you ask students to demonstrate mastery of the student learning objective(s)? Attach a copy of any assessment materials
you will use, along with assessment criteria.

Literature Circles
o How is the perspective in I Am Malala different than that of Three Cups of Tea? (portrayal of Americans)
o What is the relationship between education and power and how is this relationship complicated by the culture
of the region (gender inequality, religious extremism)?
o How are global issues presented to us in the stories we have read and how do they differ from media
portrayal?

Students have been and will continue to be both informally (through observations) and formally
assessed via the documents they produce for the various roles. Conducting literature circles over
the course of two weeks with two novels provides them the opportunity to participate at least once
in each role, deepening their understanding of the essential questions. These lively discussions
demand that they conduct critical thinking to generate questions, use technology and research skills
to look up geographical locations, events, and words they dont know, as well as to find nonfiction
articles that relate to the material. It also enables them to work creatively to create their own visual
interpretation of what is going on in the text.
Writing Workshop
o How do good writers express themselves?
o How does the revision process shape the writers product?

Students will think about these questions in correspondence to the learning objectives and
demonstrate understanding via their completion of the graphic organizer. Working in pairs, this
graphic organizer assists them in evaluating their partners work as according to the provided

66
rubric. The provided rubric takes into account the different aspects that constitute good writing as
listed in the objectives portion of this lesson.

Materials/Resources: List the materials you will use in each learning activity.

The writing workshop will require the use of the graphic organizer, writing assignment rubric and prompt

Technological resources: List the technology resources that you will use in this lesson.

n/a

Learning Activities:
Identify the instructional and strategies and instructional grouping (whole class, small groups, pairs, individuals) you will use in
each lesson segment and approximate time frames for each.

Instructional Strategies:
o Literature circles (20 min)
o Peer revision (30 min)
Grouping Strategies:
o Literature circles- heterogeneous grouping (mixed ability level)
o Writing Workshop- students will be purposely paired by me based on
demonstrated writing capabilities assessed via previous free write assignments

Initiation: Briefly describe how you will initiate the lesson. (Set expectations for learning; articulate to learners what they
will be doing and learning in this lesson, how they will demonstrate learning, and why this is important)

Students will have been briefed on the previous day that this class period is a busy Readers/Writers workshop,
therefore no initiation is needed. Upon entering the classroom they should immediately get into their literature circles
(as they have done all week) and wrap up their final discussion on I Am Malala
At the start of the Writers Workshop portion, distribute the graphic organizer to students, explaining they should record
all comments, suggestions on this handout for their partner. This will be graded and collected. No additional initiation
should be necessary as they have already conducted a writers workshop previously.

Lesson Procedures: Describe how you will develop the lesson, what you will do to model or guide practice, and the
learning activities students will be engaged in order to gain the key knowledge and skills identified in the student learning
objective(s).

Students should be self-guided during this lesson. They will be experienced with literature circles which requires no
formal instruction on my end, moreover it is all student driven. During this time however I spend five minutes with
each literature circle, observing and contributing to the discussion to evaluate and check understanding of students. It is
not just enough for them to demonstrate mastery in the documents they submit, I want to be engaged in their
discussions to determine if they can also verbally articulate their thinking
During the Writers Workshop I make myself available to any person struggling to assess their peers writing. If
students have questions on the rubric or filling out the graphic organizer, I answer the question, and address the class as
a whole to ensure that no one else is having the same confusion

Closure: Briefly describe how you will close the lesson and help students understand the purpose of the lesson. (Interact with
learners to elicit evidence of student understanding of purpose(s) for learning and mastery of objectives). To be completed by the
Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor prior to lesson
implementation.

67

Prior to exchanging graphic organizers, I go around and check that every student has completed the assignment. I dont
collect the graphic organizer because that resource will be utilized by each student to assist them in making the
appropriate revisions to their writing. Because this is the last day of I Am Malala, I would invite one or two students to
share their experience in the literature circles over the course of the two weeks.

Intervention: Describe intervention strategies used for students who require accommodations to their instruction.

Modifications will be made to the literature circle role expectations based upon the students capabilities
Because students are purposely paired, I will primarily assist low level students with their revisions, providing them
with more individualized instruction and assistance

Enrichment: Describe strategies used for students who benefit from unique challenges in the classroom curriculum.

An exceptionally bright student could act as a mini teacher during the writing workshop and make themselves
available to any pairing of students that need extra assistance
For every literature circle conducted, these students will be asked to write a summary reflection, highlighting the most
important analytical work that was done in the group that day

Note: This document is a template in MSWord. As

you type into the form, it will expand to
To be completed by the Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor
prior to lesson implementation.

Eastern Connecticut State University Lesson Plan Format

Adopted from the Connecticut State Department of Education

Student Teacher Kaitlyn Kennedy Grade Level 10th Grade Honors

Institution

Manchester High School

Date of lesson Monday, Day 16

Length of lesson 50 minutes

Content Standards: Identify one or two primary local, state or national curricular standards this lesson is designed to
help students attain. How will the learning tasks lead students to attain the identified standards?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.3
Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for
meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

68

Prior Knowledge/Connections: Describe the students prior knowledge or skill related to the learning objective(s)
and the content of this lesson, using data from pre-assessment as appropriate. How did the students previous performance in this
content area or skill impact your planning for this lesson?

Students will have already explored social and moral issues through contemporary texts including poetry and nonfiction texts; they will have examined how people make sense and articulate their difficult personal experiences through
the employment of language and image.
o They demonstrated mastery of this topic via informal writing assignments (free write reflections) and the
construction of their own creative piece in the first week of the unit

Student Learning Objective(s): Identify specific and measurable learning objectives for this lesson

Students will consider how the causes and effects of conflict can affect individuals, and to look at one individuals
response.
Students will understand how the use of language can convey powerful messages.
o Students will analyze the cumulative effect of word choice on meaning and tone
Students will use computers and all available technology to enhance their understanding

Vocabulary: Identify essential terminology to be used during instruction.

armed conflict
genocide
poetic devices

Assessment-Essential Key Question: State essential key question(s) and identify Informal,
Formal Formative and Summative Assessment that will be used during the lesson.
How will you ask students to demonstrate mastery of the student learning objective(s)? Attach a copy of any assessment materials
you will use, along with assessment criteria.

How has Corneille made something positive out of the terrible events of his youth? Is his music impactful?
Is music (lyrics as poetry) a good medium for expressing difficult things and deep feelings? What poetic devices does
he use to capture emotion?
Do you consider Corneille to be a global citizen? Why or why not?
o Students will be informally assessed in their pairs and the closing discussion based on their ability to answer
these questions. Because I want to get them excited about research without rigidity or structure I wanted to
the give them the freedom to explore on their own. This assignment will also help me understand materials or
instruction I need to provide them to guide them in the upcoming Asad assignment where they will also be
using technology to enhance their work and understanding.

Materials/Resources: List the materials you will use in each learning activity.

Armed conflict survey

Translated song
Corneille article

Technological resources: List the technology resources that you will use in this lesson.

Students will use their chrome books to do additional research

Learning Activities:
Identify the instructional and strategies and instructional grouping (whole class, small groups, pairs, individuals) you will use in
each lesson segment and approximate time frames for each.

69

Instructional Strategies:
o
o
o

Initiation (8 min)

Armed conflict survey & brief background

Pairs (12 min)

Discuss translated song after reading article together

Pairs/whole class (25 minutes)

Although students will still be seated in pairs while researching I will encourage the entire class to share
interesting information with their peers on Corneille, Rwanda, etc.
Closure (5 minutes)

Grouping Strategies:
o

Heterogeneous pairing (mixed ability level)

Initiation: Briefly describe how you will initiate the lesson. (Set expectations for learning; articulate to learners what they
will be doing and learning in this lesson, how they will demonstrate learning, and why this is important)

Armed conflict survey- students will take this brief but powerful survey as a way to assess how much they know about
the topic (they will most likely be uninformed about the alarming statistics)
Remind them of the critical work they did with poetry in the first week of the unit (conflicting identities), specifically
reminding them how they looked at how the authors used the pain of their personal experiences to create powerful
poetry, specifically through word choice, imagery, figurative language, tone, theme, message, etc.
Explain today we will be doing the same thing- Corneille is a Rwandan-born singer, now based in Montreal, who has
created his own RnB, celebrating his new life after the tragic genocide in his homeland

Lesson Procedures: Describe how you will develop the lesson, what you will do to model or guide practice, and the
learning activities students will be engaged in order to gain the key knowledge and skills identified in the student learning
objective(s).

Armed conflict survey will introduce topic to students and give them perspective on the seriousness of these conflicts

Locate Rwanda on map and distribute country profile worksheet (this contains factual information, at this point in the
semester they are comfortable working with maps and talking about geographical locations)

Divide students into pairs, distribute copies of the translation of one of his songs and an article about Corneilles life,
Corneilles French R n B and ask them to read it.
o Translated song: http://lyricstranslate.com/en/parce-qu039on-vient-de-loin-because-we-come-far-away.html
o Article: (http://www.rfimusique.com/musiqueen/articles/091/article_7928.asp).

They should discuss what they think the message of the song is and how having background of
Corneilles life impacted their ability to make meaning of it

Instruct pairs to take out their chrome books, ask students to do further online research into Corneille, his music and his
life. Provide them with information and images printed from various sites such as Corneilles own website
(http://www.corneilleonline.com/) and Amazon (www.amazon.com) for details of his albums. Communicate to the
students that they are also expected to access and explore the Oxfam website for more information on Rwanda today
and its history.

Closure: Briefly describe how you will close the lesson and help students understand the purpose of the lesson. (Interact with
learners to elicit evidence of student understanding of purpose(s) for learning and mastery of objectives). To be completed by the
Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor prior to lesson
implementation.

Students will reconvene as whole class share their answers to the follow questions
o Discuss the ways in which Corneille has made something positive out of the terrible events of his youth.
o Is music a good medium for expressing difficult things and deep feelings?
o Do you consider Corneille to be a global citizen? Why or why not?

Intervention: Describe intervention strategies used for students who require accommodations to their instruction.

70

For students who struggle with organization, I will provide additional graphic organizers to assist them in research (i.e.
a handout that step by step tells them what to do, where to go)
Heterogeneous grouping will allow struggling students to stay on task, focused, and engaged during lesson
Individualized, repeated directions

Enrichment: Describe strategies used for students who benefit from unique challenges in the classroom curriculum.

If this student is fluent in French I would give them the untranslated version of the song and see if they could translate
it
Challenge them to create their own poem or song that captures the emotional complexity of a genocide refugee based
upon the research, they would have to include information specific to Rwanda to demonstrate this
Explore other areas of the world affected by genocide and/or other notable figures who survived genocide and created
art to share their experience with the world

Note: This document is a template in MSWord. As

you type into the form, it will expand to
To be completed by the Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor
prior to lesson implementation.

Eastern Connecticut State University Lesson Plan Format

Adopted from the Connecticut State Department of Education

Student Teacher Kaitlyn Kennedy Grade Level 10th Grade Honors

Institution

Manchester High School

Date of lesson Tuesday, Day 17

Length of lesson 50 minutes

Content Standards: Identify one or two primary local, state or national curricular standards this lesson is designed to
help students attain. How will the learning tasks lead students to attain the identified standards?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.9

71

Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washington's Farewell Address, the
Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt's Four Freedoms speech, King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail"), including how they
address related themes and concepts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text.

Prior Knowledge/Connections: Describe the students prior knowledge or skill related to the learning objective(s)
and the content of this lesson, using data from pre-assessment as appropriate. How did the students previous performance in this
content area or skill impact your planning for this lesson?

Students will have read A Long Way Gone and the Conventions on the Rights of the Child document
Students will have already had one formal lesson on armed conflicts, which was aimed to have them develop a
sensitivity and understanding of the topic while also providing an opportunity for them to use their chrome books to
assist their understanding
Students have demonstrated proficient writing abilities in their first two assignments (creative piece, Malala
assignment), specifically demonstrating that they can write for different audiences and in different modes

Student Learning Objective(s): Identify specific and measurable learning objectives for this lesson.

Students will synthesize information from multiple sources

Students will cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support their analysis
Students will analyze different accounts of the subject told in different mediums

Vocabulary: Identify essential terminology to be used during instruction.

Universal human rights

Rhetorical strategies- audience awareness, purpose, tone, diction, syntax, etc.

Assessment-Essential Key Question: State essential key question(s) and identify Informal,
Formal Formative and Summative Assessment that will be used during the lesson.
How will you ask students to demonstrate mastery of the student learning objective(s)? Attach a copy of any assessment materials
you will use, along with assessment criteria.

How are global conflicts presented in different mediums (literary nonfiction,

informational text, media, etc)?
How are rhetorical appeals used to influence an audience?
o Students will demonstrate their understanding of these essential questions through
the analysis and synthesis of the information in the two topics and the
transformation of that information into a written article. Through their exploration
of the memoir, the informational text, and outside research on the media they will
come to an understanding that the presentation of a theme or topic changes
depending upon the mode, purpose, and audience. The small groups are expected
to present their articles to the class in an informative and persuasive news report
that mimics actual news reports we see on our television today. This will allow me
to see if they understand that rhetorical appeals are not solely limited to printed
material, rather this type of bias and persuasion occurs in different mediums.

Materials/Resources: List the materials you will use in each learning activity.

72

White board- visually display brainstorming

Things Fall Apart excerpt
Conventions on the Rights of the Child
Assignment handout and corresponding rubric

Technological resources: List the technology resources that you will use in this lesson.

Students will use their chrome books for research

Learning Activities:
Identify the instructional and strategies and instructional grouping (whole class, small groups, pairs, individuals) you will use in
each lesson segment and approximate time frames for each.

Instructional Strategies:
o
o
o

Initiation (12 minutes)

Whole-class discussion (10 minutes)
Small group- reading, writing, researching (28 minutes)

Grouping Strategies:
o

Heterogeneous grouping (mixed ability level); four students per group

Initiation: Briefly describe how you will initiate the lesson. (Set expectations for learning; articulate to learners what they
will be doing and learning in this lesson, how they will demonstrate learning, and why this is important)

I will break students into their assigned small groups

Handout prompt and corresponding rubric, go over expectations and any questions with students (portfolio
requirement)
At this point in time you have read a passage from A Long Way Gone as well as the document titled:
Conventions on the Rights of the Child. Working together you must identify instances in the text where
Ishmaels rights (as stated in the document) are being violated.
Now, imagine you are a reporter for the New York Times- you must work together as a group to write an
article exposing the injustice. Your article can be no longer than 500 words, must have an intriguing title that
grabs the readers attention, as well as a visual image that enhances the text.
You will be expected to present your article to the class as if it was on the national evening news (i.e. NBC
Nightly News, 60 Minutes, etc). Be sure to have one copy to read from as well as one copy to project on the
overhead for the class to see during your news story.

Lesson Procedures: Describe how you will develop the lesson, what you will do to model or guide practice, and the
learning activities students will be engaged in order to gain the key knowledge and skills identified in the student learning
objective(s).

As a class, brainstorm for understanding specifically examining:

o What makes an article a good article? (Be sure to specifically address the impact of word choice, emotional
appeal, audience awareness, etc.)
o What are similar rhetorical strategies used in non-print media?
o Encourage them to use their Chrome Books to look up other nonfiction articles, watch news clips, etc.

** this list will remain on the board until Thursday to assist students as they work in their groups
Allow students to use the remainder of the class period to work in their small groups, explain that this day should be
used primarily to identify the instances where rights are being violated. Explain that they will have the entire class
period the following day to begin writing their article and discussing/constructing their news report presentation. They

73
can assign homework if they need to based upon their productivity- if they are productive in class they should have no
homework for the next two days.

Closure: Briefly describe how you will close the lesson and help students understand the purpose of the lesson. (Interact with
learners to elicit evidence of student understanding of purpose(s) for learning and mastery of objectives). To be completed by the
Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor prior to lesson
implementation.

Remind students they have one whole class period (Wednesday) and a portion of Thursdays class period to finish this
assignment.

Intervention: Describe intervention strategies used for students who require accommodations to their instruction.

Heterogeneous grouping, reiteration of directions, and individualized explanations by the teacher

Enrichment: Describe strategies used for students who benefit from unique challenges in the classroom curriculum.

Student will write a reflective essay explicitly describing specific rhetorical strategies used and why they selected to
present the material (in both print and non-print) in the manner they did. If the gifted student is artistic encourage the
group to have him or her draw the corresponding graphic image rather than using a photograph.

Note: This document is a template in MSWord. As

you type into the form, it will expand to
To be completed by the Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor
prior to lesson implementation.

Eastern Connecticut State University Lesson Plan Format

Adopted from the Connecticut State Department of Education

Student Teacher Kaitlyn Kennedy Grade Level 10th Grade Honors

Institution

Manchester High School

Date of lesson Wednesday, Day 18

Length of lesson 50 minutes

Content Standards: Identify one or two primary local, state or national curricular standards this lesson is designed to
help students attain. How will the learning tasks lead students to attain the identified standards?

74

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and
accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.E
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline
in which they are writing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)

Prior Knowledge/Connections: Describe the students prior knowledge or skill related to the learning objective(s)
and the content of this lesson, using data from pre-assessment as appropriate. How did the students previous performance in this
content area or skill impact your planning for this lesson?

Students will have worked with their small groups in the previous class period, seeking to identify instances where
Beahs rights were violated using A Long Way Gone and the document Conventions on the Rights of the Child.
Students will have reflected on rhetorical strategies that impact the effectiveness of an authors ability to inform and
persuade their intended audience.
Students have demonstrated proficient writing abilities in their first two assignments (creative piece, Malala
assignment), specifically demonstrating that they can write for different audiences and in different modes
o Students are expected to use all of the skills developed in these experiences to assist them in composing their
article and creating the corresponding presentation. They must not only be able to demonstrate their ability to
close read and dissect the two texts but they are also expected to neatly present that information in a creative,
persuasive way. Their true understanding of rhetorical strategies will be further illuminated in their
presentations which should be enhanced and created through research of actual media portrayal of global
issues.

Student Learning Objective(s): Identify specific and measurable learning objectives for this lesson.

Students will establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of
the discipline in which they are writing.
Students will use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.
Students will synthesize information from different texts and transform it into an informative/persuasive text.

Vocabulary: Identify essential terminology to be used during instruction.

Universal human rights

Rhetorical strategies- audience awareness, purpose, tone, diction, syntax, etc.

Assessment-Essential Key Question: State essential key question(s) and identify Informal,
Formal Formative and Summative Assessment that will be used during the lesson.
How will you ask students to demonstrate mastery of the student learning objective(s)? Attach a copy of any assessment materials
you will use, along with assessment criteria.

How are global conflicts presented in different mediums (literary nonfiction, informational text, media, etc)?
How are rhetorical appeals used to influence an audience?

Materials/Resources: List the materials you will use in each learning activity.

White board- visually display brainstorming

Things Fall Apart excerpt
Conventions on the Rights of the Child
Assignment handout and corresponding rubric
Chrome books

75

Technological resources: List the technology resources that you will use in this lesson.

Students will use their chrome books for research

Learning Activities:
Identify the instructional and strategies and instructional grouping (whole class, small groups, pairs, individuals) you will use in
each lesson segment and approximate time frames for each.

Instructional Strategies:
o
o
o

Initiation (2 min)
Small groups- writing researching (46)
Closure (2 min)

Grouping Strategies:
o

Heterogeneous grouping (mixed ability level); four students per group

Initiation: Briefly describe how you will initiate the lesson. (Set expectations for learning; articulate to learners what they
will be doing and learning in this lesson, how they will demonstrate learning, and why this is important)

The first two minutes will be used to check progress amongst the small groups. During this time any concerns will be
brought up and discussed as a large class. Students are encouraged to share their progress in addition to their struggles.

Lesson Procedures: Describe how you will develop the lesson, what you will do to model or guide practice, and the
learning activities students will be engaged in order to gain the key knowledge and skills identified in the student learning
objective(s).

This class period will be entirely for the students. I will make myself available for assistance throughout the class
period but I want them to primarily work through issues with each other before coming to me. I will stay on top of the
pacing of groups- at the start of this class period it was highly suggested that they had the specific instances of rights
violation completed. Students should be working on writing the article and figuring out how they can present the
material to their audience (the class). Although I have not formally assigned roles I expect students to naturally identify
with them. More specifically some students could focus on research, writing, analyzing, presenting, etc. I will also offer
suggestions/guidance to assist them specifically with regards to where to look for research.

Closure: Briefly describe how you will close the lesson and help students understand the purpose of the lesson. (Interact with
learners to elicit evidence of student understanding of purpose(s) for learning and mastery of objectives). To be completed by the
Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor prior to lesson
implementation.

Remind students they only have a portion of Thursdays class period (20 minutes) to finish this assignment. If they are
concerned about finishing assignment in that short period they must collaboratively work on Google Drive that night.

Intervention: Describe intervention strategies used for students who require accommodations to their instruction.

Heterogeneous grouping, reiteration of directions, and individualized explanations by the teacher

76

Enrichment: Describe strategies used for students who benefit from unique challenges in the classroom curriculum.

Student will write a reflective essay explicitly describing specific rhetorical strategies used and why they selected to
present the material (in both print and non-print) in the manner they did. If the gifted student is artistic encourage the
group to have him or her draw the corresponding graphic image rather than using a photograph.

Note: This document is a template in MSWord. As

you type into the form, it will expand to
To be completed by the Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor
prior to lesson implementation.

Eastern Connecticut State University Lesson Plan Format

Adopted from the Connecticut State Department of Education

Student Teacher Kaitlyn Kennedy Grade Level 10th Grade Honors

Institution

Manchester High School

Date of lesson Thursday, Day 19

Length of lesson 50 minutes

77

Content Standards: Identify one or two primary local, state or national curricular standards this lesson is designed to
help students attain. How will the learning tasks lead students to attain the identified standards?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow
the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and
task.

Prior Knowledge/Connections: Describe the students prior knowledge or skill related to the learning objective(s)
and the content of this lesson, using data from pre-assessment as appropriate. How did the students previous performance in this
content area or skill impact your planning for this lesson?

Student Learning Objective(s): Identify specific and measurable learning objectives for this lesson.

Students will be able to deliver a clear, coherent oral presentation using information and diction suitable for subject,
purpose, and audience.
Students will be able to analyze media stereotypes in different mediums (i.e. nonfiction articles and tv news reports,
print and non-print)

Vocabulary: Identify essential terminology to be used during instruction.

Assessment-Essential Key Question: State essential key question(s) and identify Informal,
Formal Formative and Summative Assessment that will be used during the lesson.
How will you ask students to demonstrate mastery of the student learning objective(s)? Attach a copy of any assessment materials
you will use, along with assessment criteria.

What are the essential elements of an effective informative and persuasive oral
presentation?

Materials/Resources: List the materials you will use in each learning activity.
Technological resources: List the technology resources that you will use in this lesson.

Learning Activities:
Identify the instructional and strategies and instructional grouping (whole class, small groups, pairs, individuals) you will use in
each lesson segment and approximate time frames for each.

Instructional Strategies:
Grouping Strategies:

Initiation: Briefly describe how you will initiate the lesson. (Set expectations for learning; articulate to learners what they
will be doing and learning in this lesson, how they will demonstrate learning, and why this is important)

78

Lesson Procedures: Describe how you will develop the lesson, what you will do to model or guide practice, and the
learning activities students will be engaged in order to gain the key knowledge and skills identified in the student learning
objective(s).

Closure: Briefly describe how you will close the lesson and help students understand the purpose of the lesson. (Interact with
learners to elicit evidence of student understanding of purpose(s) for learning and mastery of objectives). To be completed by the
Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor prior to lesson
implementation.

Intervention: Describe intervention strategies used for students who require accommodations to their instruction.
Enrichment: Describe strategies used for students who benefit from unique challenges in the classroom curriculum.

Note: This document is a template in MSWord. As

you type into the form, it will expand to
To be completed by the Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor
prior to lesson implementation.

Eastern Connecticut State University Lesson Plan Format

Adopted from the Connecticut State Department of Education

79
Student Teacher Kaitlyn Kennedy Grade Level 10th Grade Honors

Institution

Manchester High School

Date of lesson Friday, Day 20

Length of lesson 50 minutes

Content Standards: Identify one or two primary local, state or national curricular standards this lesson is designed to
help students attain. How will the learning tasks lead students to attain the identified standards?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.7
Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person's life story in both print and
multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.3
Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or
exaggerated or distorted evidence.

Prior Knowledge/Connections: Describe the students prior knowledge or skill related to the learning objective(s)
and the content of this lesson, using data from pre-assessment as appropriate. How did the students previous performance in this
content area or skill impact your planning for this lesson?

Students researched the violation of human rights in armed conflict situations

Students created a nonfiction article to demonstrate their understanding of global injustices
Students viewed song lyrics written by a survivor of armed conflict, specifically analyzing how language was used to
capture emotions and convey meaning, impacting the overall tone of a piece

Student Learning Objective(s): Identify specific and measurable learning objectives for this lesson.

Students will be able to engage in informal writing assignments (i.e. reader response, freewriting, focused freewriting,
prediction, response journals, dialectical notebook entries, and other pieces of writing that they do not take through the
entire writing process).
Students will be able to respond in writing to a news report in the media.
Students will be able to analyze media stereotypes in written response.
Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of a conflict or theme in film through a written response.

Vocabulary: Identify essential terminology to be used during instruction.

Armed conflict
Cultural bias
Stereotypes

Assessment-Essential Key Question: State essential key question(s) and identify Informal,
Formal Formative and Summative Assessment that will be used during the lesson.
How will you ask students to demonstrate mastery of the student learning objective(s)? Attach a copy of any assessment materials
you will use, along with assessment criteria.

How is the portrayal of the Somalian conflict different/similar in Asad versus the CNN clip?
What stereotypes are present in the Ishmael Beah interview? Is there any truth in the offensive exchange between
Colbert (American) and Beah (Sudanese)?

Materials/Resources: List the materials you will use in each learning activity.

Graphic organizer

Technological resources: List the technology resources that you will use in this lesson.

80

Computer, internet to show the various videos

Learning Activities:
Identify the instructional and strategies and instructional grouping (whole class, small groups, pairs, individuals) you will use in
each lesson segment and approximate time frames for each.

Instructional Strategies:
o Initiation (7 min.)
o Whole- class views videos (26 minutes)
o Individual written response (15 minutes)
o Whole-class discussion/closure (2 minutes)
Grouping Strategies:
o n/a

Initiation: Briefly describe how you will initiate the lesson. (Set expectations for learning; articulate to learners what they
will be doing and learning in this lesson, how they will demonstrate learning, and why this is important)

Introduce topic to class- looking at the theme of armed conflict in the media (recall two other regions discussed: Sudan
and Rwanda, show on overhead)
5 minutes- To better students understanding prior to viewing ASAD, point out Somalia on map on overhead, show
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0pEoNWWK9Y
Hand out graphic organizer (#5), students are expected to use this resource to take notes on throughout the class
http://www.greececsd.org/files/filesystem/comparecontrast.pdf

Lesson Procedures: Describe how you will develop the lesson, what you will do to model or guide practice, and the
learning activities students will be engaged in order to gain the key knowledge and skills identified in the student learning
objective(s).

18 minutes- Students view Asad (take notes)

8 minutes- Students view Ishmael Beah interview from Colbert Report (take notes)
12 minutes-Free Write Reflection on the Film and two video clips you viewed today, be sure to answer the essential
questions on the board (Portfolio Requirement)
o How is the portrayal of the Somalian conflict different/similar in Asad versus the CNN clip?
o What stereotypes are present in the Ishmael Beah interview? Is there any truth in the offensive exchange
between Colbert (American) and Beah (Sudanese)?
3 minutes: Invite one or two students to share reflection

Closure: Briefly describe how you will close the lesson and help students understand the purpose of the lesson. (Interact with
learners to elicit evidence of student understanding of purpose(s) for learning and mastery of objectives). To be completed by the
Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor prior to lesson
implementation.

Comment on shared reflections from students; share your own reactions to the film.
Explain the humorous exchange between Colbert and Beah is satire (extra credit to any student who researches satire for homework)

Intervention: Describe intervention strategies used for students who require accommodations to their instruction.

Reiteration of directions, individualized explanations by teacher, additional handouts (i.e. personal map of region, offer
them more options for graphic organizer)

81

Allow technology (word processor) for free write response

Enrichment: Describe strategies used for students who benefit from unique challenges in the classroom curriculum.

The extra credit assignment (look up satire) would be an additional homework assignment for this student
Challenge the student to find nonfiction articles on the Somalian conflict and/or mini research project, give them the
opportunity to teach mini lesson at the end of the unit

Note: This document is a template in MSWord. As

you type into the form, it will expand to
To be completed by the Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor
prior to lesson implementation.

82
Eastern Connecticut State University Lesson Plan Format
Adopted from the Connecticut State Department of Education

Student Teacher Kaitlyn Kennedy Grade Level 10th Grade Honors

Institution

Manchester High School

Date of lesson Monday, Day 21

Length of lesson 50 minutes

Content Standards: Identify one or two primary local, state or national curricular standards this lesson is designed to
help students attain. How will the learning tasks lead students to attain the identified standards?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including
how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.A
Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by
referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned
exchange of ideas.

Prior Knowledge/Connections: Describe the students prior knowledge or skill related to the learning objective(s)
and the content of this lesson, using data from pre-assessment as appropriate. How did the students previous performance in this
content area or skill impact your planning for this lesson?

Students will have read an interview with the author, Chinua Achebe. Their annotations and questions on this resource
will determine the pace of the large group discussion.
Students will have had previous experience with analyzing and dissecting poetry, demonstrating understanding through
informal writing assignments, discussions, and the creation of their own poem

Student Learning Objective(s): Identify specific and measurable learning objectives for this lesson.

Students will examine the relationships of the point of view or cultural experience with those of other cultures as read
in texts from outside the U.S.
Students will analyze the rhetorical techniques the author uses to express his/her point of view or purpose
Students will be able to read and explore for enrichment works from various genres (poem & interview)

Vocabulary: Identify essential terminology to be used during instruction.

Assessment-Essential Key Question: State essential key question(s) and identify Informal,
Formal Formative and Summative Assessment that will be used during the lesson.
How will you ask students to demonstrate mastery of the student learning objective(s)? Attach a copy of any assessment materials
you will use, along with assessment criteria.

Materials/Resources: List the materials you will use in each learning activity.
Technological resources: List the technology resources that you will use in this lesson.

Learning Activities:

83
Identify the instructional and strategies and instructional grouping (whole class, small groups, pairs, individuals) you will use in
each lesson segment and approximate time frames for each.

Instructional Strategies:
Grouping Strategies:

Initiation: Briefly describe how you will initiate the lesson. (Set expectations for learning; articulate to learners what they
will be doing and learning in this lesson, how they will demonstrate learning, and why this is important)

Lesson Procedures: Describe how you will develop the lesson, what you will do to model or guide practice, and the
learning activities students will be engaged in order to gain the key knowledge and skills identified in the student learning
objective(s).

Closure: Briefly describe how you will close the lesson and help students understand the purpose of the lesson. (Interact with
learners to elicit evidence of student understanding of purpose(s) for learning and mastery of objectives). To be completed by the
Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor prior to lesson
implementation.

Intervention: Describe intervention strategies used for students who require accommodations to their instruction.
Enrichment: Describe strategies used for students who benefit from unique challenges in the classroom curriculum.

Note: This document is a template in MSWord. As

you type into the form, it will expand to

84

To be completed by the Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor
prior to lesson implementation.

Eastern Connecticut State University Lesson Plan Format

Adopted from the Connecticut State Department of Education

Student Teacher Kaitlyn Kennedy Grade Level 10th Grade Honors

Institution

Manchester High School

Date of lesson Tuesday, Day 22

Length of lesson 50 minutes

Content Standards: Identify one or two primary local, state or national curricular standards this lesson is designed to
help students attain. How will the learning tasks lead students to attain the identified standards?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient
evidence.

Prior Knowledge/Connections: Describe the students prior knowledge or skill related to the learning objective(s)
and the content of this lesson, using data from pre-assessment as appropriate. How did the students previous performance in this
content area or skill impact your planning for this lesson?

Students have read the first 20 pages of Things Fall Apart in addition to an interview with the author, Chinua Achebe
In the previous class, and throughout the unit with other works, students discussed how the perception of a told story is influenced by
the context of the social and cultural world of the author
Students looked at the relationship between education and power and the limited access women continue to have to both

Student Learning Objective(s): Identify specific and measurable learning objectives for this lesson.

Students will be able to participate in discussions and draft writing which demonstrates an understanding of diverse cultural
perspectives.
Students will be able to compare and contrast, in writing and through discussion, the literary elements and essential concepts of the
works they are presently reading with those they have previously read or viewed.
Students will compare and contrast the points of view or cultural experiences of two or more cultures in texts from outside the U.S.
Students will compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes or topics from two or more texts

Vocabulary: Identify essential terminology to be used during instruction.

gender equality
perspective
colonization
culture climate

Assessment-Essential Key Question: State essential key question(s) and identify Informal,
Formal Formative and Summative Assessment that will be used during the lesson.
How will you ask students to demonstrate mastery of the student learning objective(s)? Attach a copy of any assessment materials
you will use, along with assessment criteria.

How are education and power linked to globalization?

What are some fundamental human rights citizens of the world are entitled to?

85

Are there gender injustices in our world today despite these fundamental human rights?
Students will answer these questions via a performance task. They are given 30 minutes to connect the excerpts from Three Cups of Tea and I Am
Malala to the passage from the Achebe interview. This will be a formal formative assessment. I am looking to see their ability to connect different
texts from different perspectives on one theme without any formal preparation. They are expected to come to class prepared with any previous
notes from discussion and annotations from previous assigned readings to assist them in connecting the texts.

Materials/Resources: List the materials you will use in each learning activity.

Students should use previous notes/annotations

Novels: Three Cups of Tea, I Am Malala, and Things Fall Apart
Performance task handout and rubric

Technological resources: List the technology resources that you will use in this lesson.
If students have questions that require outside research in the first 15 minutes of class, computers will be made available for internet searches
pertaining to the content. No technology will be used for the performance task unless it is a specified accommodation for a student.

Learning Activities:
Identify the instructional and strategies and instructional grouping (whole class, small groups, pairs, individuals) you will use in
each lesson segment and approximate time frames for each.

Instructional Strategies:
Whole class-discussion (15 minutes)
Individual response (30 minutes)
Closure (5 min)
Grouping Strategies:
N/A- Students will be working independently

Initiation: Briefly describe how you will initiate the lesson. (Set expectations for learning; articulate to learners what they
will be doing and learning in this lesson, how they will demonstrate learning, and why this is important)

Students should come in with questions, concerns from the reading. The first 15 minutes of class is reserved to review the
assigned reading for homework, go over passages that students didnt understand, encourage questions for understanding, look
up geographical locations, etc. Recall the previous class discussion about perspective as it pertains to this novel
Towards the end of the 15 minutes, introduce performance task- ask students to get out materials from previous texts (part of
their homework assignment)
Purpose of performance task- Looking to see them demonstrating their understanding of how all of these passages connect,
specifically drawing attention to global education issues and gender inequality

Lesson Procedures: Describe how you will develop the lesson, what you will do to model or guide practice, and the
learning activities students will be engaged in order to gain the key knowledge and skills identified in the student learning
objective(s).

Distribute performance task handout (rubric attached):

Re-read the essential questions on the board to students to remind and guide them

Using your annotations from Three Cups of Tea and I Am Malala, students will read and respond to the following
excerpt of an interview with Achebe:
BSI: What is your sense of hope for the continent? And does this hope largely come from Africas women?
CA: Well, I think the women are extremely important in that in our culture, whenever things really got out of
control, when things were damaged beyond repair, the culture seemed to call on the women to move in and repair

86
the damage. Historically, this has happened a number of times in our history. When the British came to Ibo land,
for instance, at the beginning of the 20th century, and defeated the men in pitched battles in different places, and
set up their administrations, the men surrendered. And it was the women who led the first revolt. They said it was
a revolt against taxation. It was actually a revolt against imposition of foreign rule. And it happened in such a
spectacular way the British could not understand it what was going on. Here were these peasant women
scattered over hundreds of square miles, and they were able to get into action in a very coordinated way. The
British pulled back, and went to study the Ibo people again.

That is the kind of thing I have in mind when I talk about women coming in when things seem to be completely
hopeless. Somehow in our idea of creation, women are very, very close to the creator. It is very important to them
that our world continues. And so they have this last resort responsibility. Now, that was all right in the past. It is
something we can look at and learn something from. But it may well be that today, we dont want the women to be
in the background until things get out of control. It may well be that they should be in the action all the time so
that things dont get out of control.
This will be a timed formal, formative assessment task (30 minutes to complete as best they can)

Closure: Briefly describe how you will close the lesson and help students understand the purpose of the lesson. (Interact with
learners to elicit evidence of student understanding of purpose(s) for learning and mastery of objectives). To be completed by the
Student Teacher; a copy of the plan should be provided to Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor prior to lesson
implementation.

Reiterate to students the purpose of the performance task was to determine their ability to connect the various pieces of
literature we have read over the course of the unit
In their responses I am specifically looking to see how they address the essential questions on the board:
o How are education and power linked to globalization?
o What are some fundamental human rights citizens of the world are entitled to?
o Are there gender injustices in our world today despite these fundamental human rights?
Because it is timed writing task, I will take into consideration grammatical errors- I am more focused on how they
demonstrate understanding of the material

Intervention: Describe intervention strategies used for students who require accommodations to their instruction.

Allow the use of technology i.e. word processors

Provide graphic organizers to assist in organizing ideas
Individualized explanations
If appropriate, allow them to take the performance task in a smaller room with paraprofessional

Enrichment: Describe strategies used for students who benefit from unique challenges in the classroom curriculum.

Challenge students to recall information from nonfiction articles we have read in addition to the novels mentioned to
contribute to their argument
Provide them the opportunity to expand on the writing assignment for homework, pulling in additional outside sources

87

Final Summative Assessment

The final summative assessment for this unit contains two parts. The first is a portfolio
comprised of various written assignments they have created over the course of the six weeks.
Rather than explaining each submission in paragraph form, I have provided the following list
that numerically presents each assignment in addition to the question(s) that are being asked:
Portfolio requirements:
1. Free Write Activity #1 (Intro to Identity)
a. Write about a personal experience where you felt excluded from a group. Be sure
to explain: the way it made you feel and possible reasons that may have prevented
you from belonging to the group. If there is time, attempt to answer the following
questions: Do you have to change who you are in any way to belong to a group?
Why do people seek to belong to groups? Can you belong to multiple groups at
the same time?
2. Free Write Activity #2 (Ethnic/Culture Identity v. National Identity)
a. Write about your personal reaction to Juniors experiences. More specifically do
you agree with how he is treating by the kids at Reardin High School? Why do
you think they treat him that way? What connections can you make to current
events (things you hear on the news)?
3. Annotated Diaz poems
a. Students will be assessed based on the Annotation rubric (see attached)
4. Annotated Newman poems
a. Students will be assessed based on the Annotation rubric (see attached)
5. Valentine Road exit slip
a. Do you think our society, media, culture, etc. had an impact on Brandons
decision to shoot Larry? Explain.
6. Identity Creative Writing Assignment-all stages of revision and final copy
a. Poem of any form that explores identity conflicts in their own lives
7. Three Cups of Tea & I Am Malala
a. Detailed map
b. Literature circle documents- all students are expected to hand in written copies
demonstrating they fulfilled the requirements of each role throughout the course
of two weeks (see handouts)
8. I Am Malala Writing Assignment- all stages of revision and final copy
a. My favorite programa was Shaka Laka Boom Boom, an indian childrens series
about a boy called Sanju who had a magical pencil. Everything he drew became

88

real. If he drew a vegetable or a policeman, the vegetable or policeman would

magically appear.He used his pencil to help people- he even saved his parents
from gangsters- and I wanted that magic pencil more than anything else in the
world (80). If you had Sanjus magical pencil, what would you create to make
the world a better place? You can create a place, an object, or a person. You must
indicate your reasoning behind your creation and how that creation could be used
to positively impact the world. (Students will be provided with and assessed by
attached rubric)
9. A Long Way Gone Writing Assignment- both the article and presentation will receive a
grade based upon rubric
a. At this point in time you have read a passage from A Long Way Gone as well as
the document titled: Conventions on the Rights of the Child. Working together you
must identify instances in the text where Ishmaels rights (as stated in the
document) are being violated.
Now, imagine you are a reporter for the New York Times- you must work together
as a group to write an article exposing the injustice. Your article can be no longer
than 500 words, must have an intriguing title that grabs the readers attention, as
well as a visual image that enhances the text.
You will be expected to present your article to the class. Be sure to have one copy
to read from as well as one copy to project on the overhead for the class to see.
10. Armed Conflicts in the Media reflection
a. Write a reflection after viewing the film: Asad and the Ishmael Beah interview.
Not only do I want your personal reactions to the media but I am also looking to
be able to identify explicit connections to the A Long Way Gone writing
assignment. You will be assessed on your ability to critically analyze culture
conflicts across different mediums. (Think about previous poetry read, compared,
and contrasted to nonfiction texts) as well as integration of the essential questions
11. Things Fall Apart
a. Performance Task
i. Students will have the class period to write a critical analysis. More
specifically they will use their annotations from Three Cups of Tea and I
Am Malala, in addition to the following excerpt of an interview with
Achebe:

89

ii. BSI: What is your sense of hope for the continent? And does this hope
largely come from Africas women?
CA: Well, I think the women are extremely important in that in our
culture, whenever things really got out of control, when things were
damaged beyond repair, the culture seemed to call on the women to move
in and repair the damage. Historically, this has happened a number of
times in our history. When the British came to Ibo land, for instance, at
the beginning of the 20th century, and defeated the men in pitched battles
in different places, and set up their administrations, the men surrendered.
And it was the women who led the first revolt. They said it was a revolt
against taxation. It was actually a revolt against imposition of foreign
rule. And it happened in such a spectacular way the British could not
understand it what was going on. Here were these peasant women
scattered over hundreds of square miles, and they were able to get into
action in a very coordinated way. The British pulled back, and went to
study the Ibo people again.
That is the kind of thing I have in mind when I talk about women coming
in when things seem to be completely hopeless. Somehow in our idea of
creation, women are very, very close to the creator. It is very important to
them that our world continues. And so they have this last resort
responsibility. Now, that was all right in the past. It is something we can
look at and learn something from. But it may well be that today, we dont
want the women to be in the background until things get out of control. It
may well be that they should be in the action all the time so that things
dont get out of control.
b. Debate preparation, all students should provide all relevant documents and
materials that contributed to their argument
c. Socratic Seminar
i. students will receive a grade for preparation and participation

90

Students will receive individual grades on each of these assignments. Their portfolio grade is
comprised of two parts- all of the assignments must be present and completed in the portfolio
(so, if students didnt complete it previously they have the opportunity to make it up for a
reduced grade). Using every document in this portfolio they must reflect upon their experiences
in the classroom throughout the unit. It is encouraged for them to read their free write activities
from the first week in comparison to the debate and seminar preparation in the last week. The
hope is doing such will demonstrate to them how much they have grown in broadening their
perspectives and understandings of the world. They are required to complete a 1000 word
reflective essay articulating this experiencing that will be graded using the following rubric:

Criteria

Level 5:

Level 4:

Level 3:

Level 2:

Level 1:

Excellent

Proficient

Acceptable

Needs

Unacceptable

Reflections

Reflections

Reflections

Improvement

(9-11)

(18-20)

(16-17)

(14-15)

(12-13)

91

I felt that the compilation of a portfolio was necessary because it supports students
metacognitive awareness. Moreover, the most important thing I want students to gain from this
unit is the ability to reflect back and see how their perspectives transformed and their ways of
thinking progressed. I thought it was also important to have them include different modes of
writing at different stages. This reiterates the idea that writing is a recursive process. Both
polished and unfinished pieces are included for a reason. I want to take the pressure off of

92

students that is often accompanied with the expectation of creating a final draft. I expect the Free
Write Activities to be rough in structure and format and I will share this with the students from
day one. But what I do expect to see is a strong voice; a strong voice articulating a strong
argument supported by strong analysis will be the basis of their grade on the informal writing
assignments. All formal writing assignments will be assigned with a detailed handout explaining
expectations as well as a rubric that indicates how they will be assessed. The final product
however will not be solely assessed by this rubric. Rather, I am looking to see revisions made in
between drafts; specifically global revisions the students made to strengthen their piece.

In a perfect world there would be a week seven for this unit that would allow students the
opportunity to research and create the second final summative assessment, an extended definition
essay on what it means to be a global citizen. The prompt that would be provided to students
reads:
Throughout the unit we have observed individuals fulfilling the role of a global citizen.
We have read two Native American authors, Sherman Alexie and Natalie Diaz, who use
their craft to expose cultural injustice in the United States. We have read Leslea
Newman, a lesbian author actively fighting against ignorance and hate targeted towards
the GLBT community. This topic was further supported by Cunninghams film Valentine
Road, a film that reiterated that we are all human regardless of our sexual identities. We
gained insight on the education problems of the Middle East from both an American and
Pakistani prospective in Three Cups of Tea and I Am Malala respectively. Both of these
memoirs revealed the complex and problematic relationship between the Eastern and
Western world. We learned that there is not only violence in the Middle East, but
throughout Africa as well. We learned that the people of Africa have experienced violent
turmoil at the hands of terrorists as well. Ishmael Beah provided us an intimate glimpse
into life as a child soldier. His situation became even more infuriating after we read it in
correspondence with the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child. We
concluded the six weeks with Achebes Things Fall Apart, a classic novel celebrated for
telling the other side of a story. Penned by an African written for Africans, this novel

93

retrieves the power from the hands of European imperialists and returns it to the hands of
the Natives whose story has been repressed and silenced for far too long.
Needless to say we have learned a lot. We have progressed in our thinking and altered
our perspectives on what it means to be an American and what it means to be a member
of the global community. Prior to composing this essay, I encourage you to spend some
time going through your portfolio to reflect on how you have personally grown over the
course of the unit.
For your final assignment, you must create your own personal definition of what it means
to be a global citizen. This definition should be expanded upon using outside research in
correspondence to topics and themes discussed in class throughout the unit. You must
include the following:
o an introduction providing an overview of your definition
o a set of criteria/attributes that a global citizen must follow/possess (must have at
least three)
o for each criteria/attribute an example from literature, current events, or a personal
experience that illustrates how this is an example of global citizenship
o for your whole argument, a counterargument expressing the viewpoint from someone
who might disagree with you
o for the counterargument, a rebuttal in which you defend your position
o conventional grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage throughout your essay

Rubric:
Extended Definition Essay
CRITERIA
Completion/Meaning

Advanced (19-20):
thorough, effective
The definition has distinct
depth and is personal and
complicated.

Organization

The essay follows the point-bypoint or block format and uses

proper transitions. The ideas
are clearly discussed and

Use of Sources

Quote/sources are well-

Proficient (16-18)
Sufficient, Satisfactory
The definition is personal
and has multiple elements
but could be discussed or
elaborated on further
The essay mostly follows
point-by-point or block
format and uses transitions.
May have some repetition/
bland but reader can follow
ideas.
Most sources are well-

Acceptable (13-15)
Adequate, Passable
The definition is personal but
lacks thorough explanation
or exploration.
The reader struggles to
connect some ideas.
Paragraphs are not welldeveloped or connected
Most sources are integrated;

Not Accep
Incomple
There are mor
definitions (un
definition is to
understand
The paper rea
write than a pi
writing

Sources are irr

94

Style/Voice/word choice

Documentation

Grammar, Punctuation etc

Extended Definition Essay

CRITERIA
Completion/Meaning

integrated and flow naturally

with the authors individual
style/voice

integrated and do not

disrupt the flow of the essay.

A consistent voice that is

appropriate for the papers
meaning and engages the
reader. The essay has
personality.
All sources are included in the
Works Cited page and have
correct in-text citations.

Paper reads will with

developing style and voice.

Advanced traditional grammar

and mechanics, except when
irregularities (like fragments)
are used for special effects.

Surface errors are minimal

and do not detract from
meaning and readability

Advanced:
thorough, effective
The definition has distinct
depth and is personal and
complicated.

Proficient
Sufficient, Satisfactory
The definition is personal
and has multiple elements
but could be discussed or
elaborated on further
The essay mostly follows
point-by-point or block
format and uses transitions.
May have some repetition/
bland but reader can follow
ideas.
Most sources are wellintegrated and do not
disrupt the flow of the essay.

Evident effort in Works Cited

and in-text citation; few
errors

Organization

The essay follows the point-bypoint or block format and uses

proper transitions. The ideas
are clearly discussed and

Use of Sources

Quote/sources are wellintegrated and flow naturally

with the authors individual
style/voice

Style/Voice/word choice

A consistent voice that is

appropriate for the papers
meaning and engages the
reader. The essay has
personality.
All sources are included in the
Works Cited page and have
correct in-text citations.

Paper reads will with

developing style and voice.

Advanced traditional grammar

and mechanics, except when
irregularities (like fragments)
are used for special effects.

Surface errors are minimal

and do not detract from
meaning and readability

Documentation

Grammar, Punctuation etc

Evident effort in Works Cited

and in-text citation; few
errors

some seem out of place or

are not completely relevant
or may disrupt the flow of
the essay.
Wordiness, clichs, and/or
vagueness sometimes muffle
the voice. Tone is
inconsistent

detract from th

Includes a Works Cited page

but lacks correct format. Intext citation may be missing
or inadequate
Frequent grammar, spelling
and/or punctuation errors
clutter papers surface.
Some sentences may be
awkward.

Does not inclu

page. In-text
sloppy or lacki

Acceptable
Adequate, Passable
The definition is personal but
lacks thorough explanation
or exploration.

Not A
Incomple
There are mor
definitions (un
definition is to
understand
The paper rea
write than a pi
writing

The reader struggles to

connect some ideas.
Paragraphs are not welldeveloped or connected

No distinguish
forced/unnatu

Surface proble
frequent they
Many sentence
structured.

Most sources are integrated;

some seem out of place or
are not completely relevant
or may disrupt the flow of
the essay.
Wordiness, clichs, and/or
vagueness sometimes muffle
the voice. Tone is
inconsistent

Sources are irr

detract from th

Includes a Works Cited page

but lacks correct format. Intext citation may be missing
or inadequate
Frequent grammar, spelling
and/or punctuation errors
clutter papers surface.
Some sentences may be
awkward.

Does not inclu

page. In-text
sloppy or lacki

Some would argue that the term global citizen is a concrete term. If you were to Google it, you
could easily generate a definition; however, I argue it is an abstract concept as well. In a world
that is continually evolving and changing, so is the idea of global citizenship. In the prompt
provided to students it reads, you must create your own personal definition of what it means to
be a global citizen. The purpose of restating this is to draw specific attention to the notion that it
is their personal definition. I expect each student to take something different away from this unit.
I expect each student to think of global citizenship in their own unique way that is relevant to
their lives and experiences. Rather than trying to pigeon hole this term I want them to explore it,
research it, and figure out what it means to them. Through this process I argue they will gain not

No distinguish
forced/unnatu

Surface proble
frequent they
Many sentence
structured.

95

only a better insight on the topic, but an understanding of how in their own lives they can act in a
manner that is sensitive to global issues.