Lord of the Flies: Unit Plan

Keyosha Green

10th Grade English Class

55 minute periods
Unit Summary
This unit will introduce readers to several things being brought about through the use of
one book. Through a focused reading of William Goldings Lord of the Flies, students will
complete tasks that appeal to their language and critical thinking skills. Their reading will be
enhanced through the class readings along with parts assigned as homework. As for listening,
students will have to focus and listen critically to their classmates in order to engage in dialogue
with one another. Writing will be exercised through various writing assignments like the compare
and contrast essay and the creative writing piece. For speaking, students will participate in
Socratic seminars, along with the technology lesson plan that would mimic role-play. Although
this unit plan is devoted to furthering every students knowledge and thinking skills, it will also
teach the students the importance of equality, teamwork, and allow them to relate literature in
class to situations in the real world. They will also have several opportunities to empathize with
characters of the novel through various activities.
Before this unit, the novel that we read and analyzed was The House on Mango Street by
Sandra Cisneros. Like The Lord of the Flies, it is a coming of age novel that exhibits themes of
society, maturity, and possesses a strong sense of characterization. The novel that will follow is
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. As well as being an adolescent novel, each of
these three novels employ the same themes; they also illustrate critical events and instances in
society like the Cold War, the Civil rights Movement, and Latino migration. I believe this content
is important for the students because they are able to see parts of the world through the eyes of
characters who think just like them. It is noted that students tend to learn from their peers, those
around their age range, so strategically using adolescent novels will bring interest to topics and
issues that may have otherwise been bland and boring.
Lord of the Flies will allow me to expound upon such topics like character analysis,
theme, and plot. While there are several assignments and activities planned for this unit, the
major projects are the Socratic seminars and the Create Your Own Curriculum project. The
seminars will be evidence of how well each student analyzed the novel and is able to articulate
their thoughts amongst their classmates. As stated in the capsule, I will give the students several
days to prepare for the seminars, they will have the questions ahead of time so that they may
study and map out their answers and evidence. This will also meet many of the Florida State
Standards, since Socratic seminars hit every language skill. The project will simply be a
combination of everything we have covered throughout the entire unit. Through teamwork,
students should be able to develop a functioning curriculum that will serve as their source of
knowledge while trapped on an island like the young boys in Lord of the Flies.
When students write their critique papers and creative pieces, they will be satisfying
Florida standards that state that students should be able to create clear and coherent writing and
be able to cite specific textual evidence. They will also be employing the five strands of writing.
The Socratic seminars and the Technology lesson plan will satisfy standards for speaking and
writing. For assessments, the students will be graded on their critique paper (traditional), the
Socratic seminars (alternative formal), and the Curriculum project, which is considered the final
informal assessment. Each of these assessments will be graded according to a rubric that each
student will have to look over while working on each assignment. Materials that will be needed
for this unit are a classroom set of the novel (is also available online in pdf form), notebooks,
trifold poster, camcorder/lab tops, and access to the Internet (provided during class time).
Theme and Thinking Skills
The specific themes that I will focus on throughout this unit are civilization and power.
Throughout the novel, we will see conflict amongst the boys, since their sense of civilization
deteriorated the moment their plane crashed onto the island. While the students may not have
been in this exact situation, there may have been a time when they were in a situation alone,
without the assistance of their parents or any other adults. The theme of power will also be
prevalent in this unit, being that this is the cause of conflict between the boys; the must choose
which group of boys will dominate. Power will sneak its way into some of the activities that will
be conducted during the unit and I will be sure to point it out as we conclude.
The thinking skills that will go along with these themes are critical and creative thinking
skills. Since the students will be expected to analyze or evaluate information given to them, it is
critical. They would need to think critically in order to successfully participate in the seminars
and creative thinking will be employed when it is time for them to work together and create their
very own curriculums.
Unit Objectives

Students will be able to comprehend the text within a specific piece of

literary work
Students will be able to show proficiency in all stages of the formal writing
process
Students will be able to show proficiency with the use of technology (i.e.
Edmodo, camcorders, cameras)
Students will be able to recall materials presented to them and materials
discussed in the past and discuss them in an informal manner.
Students will be able to support thoughts about a literary text with textual
evidence
Students will be able to articulate thoughts and answer questions effectively
in a formal manner
Students will be able to cooperate effectively
Students will be able to demonstrate the relationship between different texts
Students will be able to produce various forms of writing (papers, scripts,
prose)
Florida Sunshine State Standards

LAFS.910.RI.1.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
LAFS.910.RL.1.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting
motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the
plot or develop the theme.
LAFS.910.SL.1.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 910 topics, texts, and
issues, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
LAFS.910.SL.1.3: Evaluate a speakers point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and
rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.
LAFS.910.SL.2.4: 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.
LAFS.910.W.2.5: 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.
LAFS.910.W.2.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technologys capacity to link to other
information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
LAFS.910.RH.2.5: Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an
explanation or analysis.
LAFS.910.RH.4.10: By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in
the grades 910 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Lesson Plan Capsules

Week One:

Day 1: Meet the Author!

Students will have the chance to learn more about the author of The Lord of the Flies, William
Golding. Doing so will allow them to make connections between Goldings background and his
novel. Overall, students will have a better understanding of the work. I will print out a class set
of his biography and students will be able to use it as a reference as we get further into the unit
plan. Materials: Handouts, Projector/Smartboard
Day 2: Guess the Plot
In an effort to get the students excited and ready to read, we will look at a summary of the book
and pre-selected reviews of it. After doing so, students will write out the story as they believe it
will go. These short papers will be easily accessible in the classroom (maybe posted on a board)
and as we begin to read, students have the opportunity to browse each others work and
determine who guessed correctly. Materials: Paper, pencil, projector, computer/Internet
Day 3: Survival of the Fittest
Students will play a survival game; the purpose of this activity is to engage students critically in
analyzing human behavior/nature. It will simulate situations of survival, allowing them to
connect to the characters that they will be introduced to as they read the novel.
Day 4: Survival of the Fittest
Students will now reflect upon their actions while participating in the activity. Since this is a
group activity, person(s) from each group will be called on to answer reflective questions. Some
of those will include:
1. What challenges did your group encounter?
2. What methods did your group use to try and complete the task?
3. What was each person in the group responsible for? Did anyone emerge as a leader? If so, how
and why did they take on this position?
4. How did other groups treat your group? In your opinion, why did they treat you this way?
5. Based on your own life experiences, observations, and today's activity, do you think humans
are innately selfish or self-less? Please give specific examples that help you prove your position.

Day 5: Just tell them that its Human Nature

Students will enter the classroom and notice that there are several quotes hanging around. From
those, each students will select their favorite or the most interesting for them and discuss why
they chose it with their group. They will then construct a response to the quote, explaining what
it means to them. Each of the quotes will be from human nature philosophers and will be applied
to the book. Materials: Paper, pencil, handouts

Week Two:

Day 1-Day 5: Students will read Lord of the Flies in class and continue reading the novel as
homework for a few days out of the week. Following reading in class, we will have small
discussions to summarize and comprehend moments in the reading. When homework is
assigned, students will enter to a pop quiz and will continue the reading for the day. I will also
note that it is important for the students to be taking notes when possible, since we will be
viewing the movie in class as well. They should be able to pull certain themes from the book
along with details about all major and supporting characters. Materials: Classroom set of the
novel
Monday- Chapter 1 homework: chapters 2-3
Tuesday- Chapters 4-5 homework: chapter 6
Wednesday- Chapter 7 homework: chapter 8
Thursday- Chapters 9-10
Friday Chapters 11-12

Week Three:

Day 1: LOTF Movie (30 minutes)

Day 2: LOTF Movie (30 minutes)
Day 3: LOTF Movie (30 minutes)
Day 4 & 5: What did you think about LOTF?
These will be days of open discussion for the students to talk about anything pertaining to the
novel and/or movie.

Week Four: Everyones A Critic

Students will use this entire week to draft a critique essay on The Lord of the Flies. Each
day will focus on a specific part of the writing process.
Day 1: Modeling: I will present a sample critic essay to the class and we will break it down by
paragraph.
Day 2: Pre-Writing: Students will brainstorm and create an outline which will help their
writing process.
Day 3: Drafting: Students will create their first rough draft.
Day 4: Revising: Students will switch papers with members of their groups, peer review.
Day 5:Editing: Students will make any final changes and submit paper to Edmodo by the end
of class.

Week Five: "Background Knowledge: the Cold War"

The novel was published in the first years of the Cold War along with the boys being stranded on
the island directly because of it. This historical event is to be the highlight of this week. Students
will be able to learn more about history all the while incorporating its relevancy to the novel.
This will also be a sneaky way to add in preparation for natural disasters and/or national
emergencies.
Day 1 & 2: We will watch a 1951 film called Duck and Cover which explains the Cold War.
Day 3: We will go over the schools emergency plan. I will explain to the students the relevancy
and importance of wars like the Cold War and their effects on us today as a society.
Day 4 & 5: Students will work in groups and create Family Emergency Plans.
Week Six: The Power of Prose
Day 1: Introduction to Prose- We will go over the meaning, purposes, and benefits of prose.
Day 2: We will look at a few examples to make sure everyone understands the concept.
Day 3-5: Creative Writing Lesson Plan

Week Seven: Socratic Seminars

Day 1-3: Socratic Prep

Students will learn the logistics of a Socratic seminar. They are a great way to involve students in
active learning while taking advantage of all four learning skills: reading, writing, listening, and
of course, speaking. I will assume that this is every students first time partaking in a Socratic
seminar and we will break down the aspects of it (purpose, set-up, and questioning) into three
days before actually doing one.
Day 4: Socratic Seminar: Part 1
Day 5: Socratic Seminar: Part 2

Week Eight: "Technology Lesson Plan"

Day 1: We will go over the technology policy and everyone will learn to use the camcorders and

laptops.

Day 2-4: Students will create videos and upload them to Edmodo

Day 5: Character Confessionals will be presented.

Week nine: "Design a curriculum"

Day 1-4: Ask your students to imagine that they and their fellow students may one day have to

face a challenge like that confronted by the boys in Lord of the Flies . Ask, "Would you be

prepared to find yourself on a deserted tropical island with no adult supervision?" Then ask

students to design a curriculum for a school semester that would teach the knowledge, values,

and skills they would need to surmount all the challenges they would face. What content would

the course include? What skills would be emphasized? What texts would be assigned to be read?

How would the students be graded?

Day 5: Each group will have an opportunity to present their curriculums, presentation will count

as an assessment grade. (Rubric attached)

Assessments

1. Critique Paper: will be graded using a rubric

2. Socratic seminars (sample questions and answers)

Q: What is the significance of the title Lord of the Flies?
A: Lord of the Flies refers to Beelzebub, another name for the devil. He is also
called the Lord of Filth and Dung. As their savagery and evil increases, they seek
a symbol, a god to worship. When Jack and his hunters kill a boar, they have
their opportunity; they leave the pig's head impaled on a stake as an offering to
the beast. The head is soon rotting and covered with flies. The head, referred to
as the "Lord of the Flies" then serves as a symbol of evil and savagery.
Q: Describe what is happening to the boys appearance as the novel progresses
and how is that symbolic.
 A: Throughout the novel, the children grow dirtier and dirtier, an outward
reflection of their inner state. This is symbolic because it reflects upon the
passage of time and also the boys increasing descent into savagery and the
darkness of a mans heart as the novel progresses.

3. Final Project: Students will be graded as a group using a checklist:

___Prepared for presentation
___Properly dressed
___Content organized logically
___Interaction with students
___Articulate and well spoken
___Visual Aids
 ___Use of technology
___Cooperative
___Knowledgeable of content
___Able to answer critical questions

Informal Assessments:

1. What did you think?

After reading the novel and watching the movie, students have the opportunity to partake
in open discussion amongst one another. I will be assessing them informally checking for
accuracy, questioning, and how they back up statements. Unbeknownst to them, this
week would be considered a warm up for the Socratic seminars that will take place later
in the unit.
2. Survival Game
During this game, students must use their wits and communicate with each other in order
to survive/win. I will be walking around the room observing each group, checking to see
if they are participating and more importantly, communicating effectively.

Sources/Materials:
Lord of the Flies Novel
Paper
Notebooks
Pen/Pencil
Computer/Internet connection
Projector/Smartboard
Camcorder/Camera
Poster boards
The Lord of the Flies Movie
Television
Assessments
Markers/Crayons
Glue
Scissors
Construction Paper
Handouts
You tube

Accommodations:
For students with special needs such as ESOL and ELLs, I would arrange for them to be
able to have an audio recording of the novel to read along to. Also, for those who are not
comfortable presenting in front of the class or performing in front of a camera, there is
always the option of submitting the written aspect of the assignment. I will also pull
students aside for one on one discussions pertaining to the novel rather than grading them
poorly for non-participation in classroom discussions. For ESL/LEP students, I will allow
more time for certain assignments such as the critique paper and the various others.