Jac Dishman

Natalie Frederick
Olivia Moeller
Sharaya Angell

CTAR 300 Unit: Response and Creative Analysis in

Elementary Literature
1. Big Idea
The English standards that this unit concerns itself with are about forming opinions.
What this unit intends on teaching students is responding to mediums with distinct opinions.
Furthermore, it will explain how to justify ones opinion based on the characteristics of the
subject, such as word choice. Across three lessons, students will learn about the concept of
sharing opinions, means of justifying them, the value of referring to specific words and phrases,
and the ability to reiterate their opinions in conclusive ways. Engagement will be enforced
through multiple means of dramatic play. The first of these is charades, where students will have
to create and present scenes, and form responses to the scenes that others have presented. This
way the students have an active role in what is being responded to. Later on, students will be
asked to create physical actions to represent specific words within a passage. This allows
students to become more attuned to the word choice in a reading through having them create a
physical representation. A connection for the pivotal words within a selection will further
encourage focus on it in the future. Additionally students will engage in writing activities that
will stimulate their understanding of literary themes and vocabulary words. Students will also be
asked to develop an opinion toward different mediums of art, furthering their understanding on
the different forms that art can take, and providing additional practice sharing opinions in the
process. In short, students will be observing and participating in art in order to build a connection
to what they are observing, therefore growing more focused on how each detail impacts the

scene. With this connection to detail, they may better support their final opinion of the scene and
will be proficient at iterating their response to it.
2. Context: This unit is for the 4th-5th grade levels, as it covers some in-depth
paragraph structures and studies the use of language, writing and responses at a deeper
learning level than previously learned. The students should have prior knowledge of basic
paragraph structure, transitions and also be able to form clear ideas into sentences and
paragraphs.
3. Objectives/Goals: Our objectives are for students to demonstrate
understanding of words and themes from story through writing and creative play.
Students focus on passages and concepts in literature in order to analyze and synthesize
the material through arts integration in various forms.
4. Art Standards:
ART.T.III.5.1- Understand character's thought process from reading
ART.VA.I.5.1- Use materials, techniques, media, technology, and processes to
express understanding of ideas and experiences.
ART.VA.III.5.4- Analyze the characteristics of personal work.
ART.T.I.5.1- Create and demonstrate vocal expression to support the playing and
understanding of a character.

5. English Standards:
Common Core Standard 4.W.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a
point of view with reasons and information.
a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure
in which related ideas are grouped to support the writers purpose.

b. Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.

c. Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in
addition).
d. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

6. Materials:
-

Lesson 1:
-

Book, Holes by Louis Sachar

Paper and pencil
Any props the students feel they need to act out their particular

Copies of a passage from Bud, Not Buddy

Highlighters
Paper and writing utensils

Copy of James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Paper and pencil
Markers, construction paper, magazines, recycled material, colored

scene
Lesson 2:

Lesson 3:

pencil, watercolor paints, scissors, brushes, glue/adhesive.

7. Lesson Plans: Beginning next page.

Lesson Plan One: Story Charades!

In this lesson, students will play a game of charades by acting out (in small groups) a favorite
scene from the novel Holes by Louis Sachar (no dialogue in the scene). Students will perform
their scene in front of the class, and their classmates must try and identify the particular scene
and the chapter it comes from. At the end of the lesson, students will write a paragraph on which
scene was their favorite and why.
Focal Points of this Lesson:

Generating ideas about which passages from the book can be acted out; the most

significant occurrences in the story.

- Demonstrating the understanding of the selected literature (Holes) by using the
drama element of role playing and acting out a favorite scene.
- Using a range of emotions (without dialogue) while presenting the scene within a
group dynamic.
- Articulate opinion by stating which charade was their favorite and why.
1. Warm-up Activity (3 minutes)
Grouping: Small Group
Strategy: Discussion
Administration: None
Focus: Generating ideas about which passages from the book can be acted out; the most
significant occurrences in the story.
Students will be put into small groups of four and be instructed to brainstorm ideas about which
passage from the book would be suitable to act out as a group and then identified by the class.
Students should discuss why these scenes are meaningful to the story and how they contribute to
a better understanding of the book. The teacher will then explain to students that they will be
playing a game of charades, where as a small group they will select a scene to perform in front of
the class, and the other students not performing at that time will guess the particular scene they
are acting out. The teacher should emphasize that because this is charades, there is no talking in
the actual performances.
2. Group discussion and practice (7 minutes)
Groping: Small group
Strategy: Discussion
Administration: Copies of Holes
Focus: Demonstrating the understanding of the selected literature (Holes) by using the drama
element of role playing and acting out a favorite scene.
Students will be placed into different groups now, groups of four again, and must decide as a
group which scene they will perform for the game of charades. Because students are coming
from different groups from the warm up activity, each individual will be able to bring different
ideas to the table for their new group members. After deciding the scene, students will then
practice their performance together and their role playing abilities.
3. Charade Scene Act Out (15 minutes)
Groping: Small group and Whole Class

Strategy: Physical Activity

Administration: Any props the groups need to perform the selected scene
Focus: Using a range of emotions while presenting the scene within a group dynamic.
Groups of students will now take turns performing their selected scene. After each performance,
the teacher and classmates will try to identify what part of the story was being acted out (and
from which chapter) and provide feedback about the scene. Students will have about one to two
minute to perform their scenes and students will be graded on the accuracy in which they
depicted the components of the story and their commitment to the performance.
4. Wrap-Up (5 minutes)
Groping: Individual
Strategy: Individual Reflection
Administration: Lined Paper
Focus: Articulate opinion by stating which charade was their favorite and why.
Students will now receive a sheet of paper and will have to write one paragraph as to which
charade scene was their favorite and why. Students must provide specific details of the scene
they have chosen and what specifically their classmates did in their role playing that was
successful and memorable. Students should also discuss how not being able to use dialogue
affected each scene and made this more challenging to act out.

Lesson Plan Two: Find and Enforce!

Focal Points of this Lesson:
- Articulation of opinions
- Identifying specific words and/or phrases to enforce opinions
- Taking specific words and highlighting them through performance
- To understand the value of word choice
1. Warm-up Activity (7.5 minutes)
Grouping: Group
Strategy: Discussion
Administration: None
Focus: To make students put consideration on word choice
Students will be put into groups, and will be told to talk to one another. The
challenge is, however, that they are not allowed to use a certain word, such as the or
and. After 90 seconds, a new challenge will be given, where each group will be given a
set of very specific words that they have to use in their conversation. After another 90
seconds the teacher will bring the focus to the front of the classroom. After talking about
how some words are common while other words stand out, and that its important to think
about word choice when reading or writing, the lesson will move on.

2. Passage Read-out (7.5 minutes)

Grouping: Whole Group
Strategy: Interactive read-out
Administration: Printouts
Focus: To begin searching for valuable components in writing
A passage from James and the Giant Peach, along with highlighters are passed
out to all students. The teacher encourages the students to briefly look over the passage,
encouraging them to look for specific words that they think are interesting. The teacher
then explains that they are about to read the passage. What the students are to do is
highlight words or phrases that they like or think are important as the teacher is reading
them. The teacher will read the passage at a slow rate to make sure students have time to
highlight as they are reading.
3. Passage Act-out (15 minutes)
Grouping: Individual, whole group
Strategy: Physical Activity
Administration: Print-out
Focus: To enforce the childs focus on specific words and phrases
The teacher will explain that they are going to read the passage a second time.
This time, however, the students are to act out anything that they highlighted. WHen a
word, phrase, event, etc. that a student highlighted during the first reading is said, they
are to stand up out of their seat and act it out. If they cannot think of a way to act out
what they have written, they must simply stand up and sit down to monitor who has
highlighted certain words.After giving the students a short time to think of what they are
going to do to act out their highlighted section, the teacher will read the passage a second
time, this time pausing whenever a student stands.
4. Wrap-up (5 minutes)
Grouping: Individual, whole group
Strategy: Discussion
Administration: None
Focus: To apply contents of lesson to the students own writing
The teacher will ask the class what their favorite word or phrase was, and whose act-out was
their favorite. The teacher will also ask the class what words they thi1nk are the most important
for understanding the passage. The class will then discuss why some words are extra important to
focus on specific words or phrases. Students will be asked to share their opinion on the passage,
saying what they did and didnt like about it. They will be required to use specific words from
the passage to justify their opinion. The remainder of the class time can be used for the sake of
starting their writing. The rest will be taken home as homework.

Lesson Plan Three: Synthesis and Integration of Content and Art

Using the story James and the Giant Peach that has a film adaptation (which can be viewed in
class) students choose either an impactful scene from the film or a corresponding aspect of the
storyline from the original text.
Focal Points of this lesson are:

Personal preference supported opinion: Story or Film?

Which passage or scene did they like and why?

Specific words or themes that students identify from the story.

Main ideas including plot analysis and conflict resolution in literature.

Literary Short Response activity (5 minutes)

Grouping: Whole group
Strategy: Individual written exercise and brief in-class discussion
Administration: Print-out/Ruled notebook paper
Focus: Identify preference of media, main ideas in story, opinion/thoughts
Given as a brief five minute warm-up writing activity, students answer one question based on the
concepts below:
1. Choose whether they prefer the movie or text passages and
elaborate as to why they chose the film or book.
2. Identify a main challenge or crises of the story and how James
solved it.(Angry Cloud Men, Attack Sharks, character disputes)
3. How did this story make you feel? How does this story/film affect
you?
Bulletin Board Peaches Words and Ideas that Soar (10 minutes)
Grouping: Whole group
Strategy: Individual written exercise with group collaboration
Administration: Construction paper on classroom bulletin board
Focus: Vocabulary building and theme analysis
Using pre-cut and peach shaped construction paper (varied sizes) students decide on either three
specific words or one theme from the story that impacts or interests the student to share with the
class. The paper peaches are then collectively placed on the bulletin board by the students.
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Fantasy Sculptures (15 minutes)
Grouping: Whole group
Strategy: Interactive individual art project

Administration: Mixed media and art supplies

Focus: Creative expression of main characters inspired by the story.
Using mixed media, including recycled/repurposed materials, students select their choice of
objects to design and construct their unique sculpture of the characters inspired by the story. (Ms.
Spider, Green-Grasshopper, Centipede, Earthworm, etc.)
Take Home Reflection (choose one question to write a three-paragraph reflective essay)
Students choose one question to answer and write a three paragraph reflective essay based on
story elements and their own analysis of the characters. This essay incorporates their chosen
vocabulary words or theme from the bulletin board activity and can mention the character they
selected from their Fantasy Sculpture. This component is homework to be completed and turned
in with follow-up discussion during the next class period.
a. Think about James and the insects. What were his fears and how
did he overcome them and why?
b. If you received a box of magic crystals, what would they do with
them, places you would visit, including any problems you would solve?

LESSON PLAN ASSESSMENT

Lesson 1-

Lesson 2-

Lesson 3-