Unit Working Title: Who Am I?

– Harnessing Identity Through Language

Unit “Big Idea” (Concept/Theme): Reclaiming Identity in Language Variations

Unit Primary Skill focus: Code-Switching

Week __2__ of 4; Plan #__4__ of 9; [90 mins.]

Plan type: Full-Detail

Content Requirement Satisfied:

(Note: Refer to the list in the document called “Concept Unit Lesson Plans”)

Unit Learning Objectives (numbered) [from my Backwards Design Unit Document],

followed by Specific lesson objectives (lettered) being taught in this lesson:

Cognitive (know/understand):

1. SW understand that their language is a part of their identity.

m. Students will understand the power that language (both written and oral) has in expressing

identity.

Performance (do):

5. n. Students will know how to give peer feedback on writing.

Affective (feel/value) and/or Non-Cognitive:

8. o. Students will demonstrate respect when giving peer feedback.

SOL’s:
7.7 The student will write in a variety of forms with an emphasis on exposition, narration, and
persuasion.
b) Use a variety of prewriting strategies including graphic organizers to generate and organize
ideas.
c) Organize writing structure to fit mode or topic.
g) Select vocabulary and information to enhance the central idea, tone, and voice.

CCS’s:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.4
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.)
Methods of Assessment:
[How will you know if the intended learning occurred?] List all methods of assessment used in
this lesson or which are related to this lesson and come in a future lesson. After each assessment,
indicate in brackets the number(s) and letter(s) of the unit objective and the related lesson
objectives that the assessment is evaluating.

Diagnostic Formative Summative

Title of assessment tool: Title of assessment tool: Title of assessment tool:

Writing Territories/Personal Exit Slip Mirror Poem
conferences
Students will show their Students will ultimately be
Students will demonstrate progress toward being able to assessed (today or in a future
what they already know use their brainstorming lesson) on their ability to write
about personal writing by strategies for poetry writing by a cohesive and well written
having created writing being able to express in what “Mirror Poem” by not only
territories in previous classes ways the writing territories, turning in a final draft of their
to get them thinking about and the free-write were useful poem, but also being able to
what they could write about to them in order to begin present their poems to the
in their “Mirror Poem”, and thinking of a topic to write class. They will also be turning
how to think deeper and in about for their poems. They in their previous draft, that I
more detail about specific will also be able to understand will have given them feedback
personal events. The students that brainstorming is a crucial on. They will equally have
will also have had personal part of the writing process, participated in a writing
conferences with the teacher and will acknowledge this in workshop, and I will have
where I will have gone over the exit slip. allowed plenty of time for peer
some of the writing territories editing and independent
they were comfortable Criteria: revisions.
sharing with me. Students will not be graded on
this, but I will be looking for Criteria:
Criteria: them to have answered the I will be expecting to see what
Students will not receive a prompt thoroughly, especially the students consider to be their
grade for this, but I will be being able to recognize the best, final work for a “Mirror
looking to see that they importance of brainstorming Poem”. I will be expecting to
completed their writing and revision for their writing. see them able to incorporate
territories with diligence and specific elements of the
took the exercise seriously. I How data will be used: I will original “Mirror Poem” by
will be looking for topics that use this as a way to see if the Lucille Clifton that we will
will allow them to write an students are understanding the have studied in class, as well as
effective poem. importance of brainstorming being coherent, grammatically
as a pre-writing strategy, as well writing and spelling-
How data will be used: well as revision as an ongoing proofed.
This will allow me to gauge process. It will help me gauge
how they feel about their whether or not I need to spend How data will be used:
own writing and if they were more time on reviewing the I will be using the students’
able to brainstorm some purpose of pre-writing poems as a way to assess
 initial ideas for a personal
poem
How students will receive
feedback:
Students will receive in-
person feedback during the
conferences where I discuss
with them some of their
previous writing and talk
about how they feel about
their writing in general. They
will also receive feedback on
their writing territories, and
whether or not they are
detailed or provide good
writing topics or not. In order
to determine this, I will be
looking to see if the topics
are conducive to writing a
“Mirror Poem” that follows
the structure of the original
the students will be reading. I
will also make sure the topics
are appropriate, and ask for
the students to elaborate on a
few of the writing territories
during the conference to
make sure they can write
about the topic.
brainstorming, as well as
revision.
How students will receive
feedback: Students will be
getting their exit slips back,
with feedback on their
answers, as well as tips on
how they can apply this kind
of exercise to the writing of
their own “Mirror Poem”.
whether or not they understand
the power language holds for
expressing identity. This will
help me gauge their progress
towards the ultimate
summative assessment, the Into
the World Project. This will
also allow me to see how their
writing is progressing
throughout the year, and allow
me to have a better idea of
what to work on with them as a
whole class, and individually in
the following lessons. It will
also allow me to personalize
the support students will get
from me in order to help them
reach the objectives they may
not have met.
How students will receive
feedback:
Students will be receiving
feedback in the form of a grade
and a completed rubric. They
will also each be meeting with
me when their final poems are
returned, and I will be holding
individual conferences to go
over their work, and set
specific goals on how to
improve their writing, and what
they should be focusing on
next.

Differentiated Instruction to accommodate one or more of my profiled students:

(This is where you identify specific aspects of this lesson which have been differentiated in order
to address the needs of one or more of your profiled students—identify them by name).
What have you done (visible in the lesson plan procedures) that differentiates for the a)
readiness, b) interests, and/or c) learning environment for your profile students.

Student Name Readiness Interest Learning

Environment
Ilyas On grade level (7th Ilyas is always a very Flexible seating is
grade). dynamic student, that is available for him. I
interested in participating in also make sure to
 the class discussion, and
chatting with his fellow
students. This supports his
class participation and
group learning. It is also
challenging because at
times his enthusiasm turns
into him calling out in
class.
Today we will be working
in groups, and sharing our
work with peers, so by
separating out the activities,
and having things he
enjoys, this will help him
stay more on task.
provide visuals with
instructions about
what to do. I will first
do a read aloud, and
then the students will
be writing using
prompts I will put on
the board. This will
help Ilyas, because he
will be able to listen
to the poem, then use
the prompts as a
scaffold to write his
own poem.

Procedures/Instructional Strategies
Each step should have bolded heading that identifies the activity, and then is followed by the
teacher scripting, student and teacher actions, and a description of the activity.
[Note: Any words that represent what I would say directly to students appear in italics.]

Beginning Room Arrangement:

[Changes in this arrangement that become necessary later will be noted in the plan]
Students will be expected to come in and sit at their assigned seats, there will be no changes in
the seating today or throughout the lesson. The seats are arranged as base groups with the
students in six groups of four students. The classroom is arranged in this manner, so that the
students always have an elbow-partner to work with, and are easily be able to do group work,
without disrupting the class’ seating arrangement, or getting up. I will have hand-written the “Do
Now” on the board, before the students come into the classroom. That way I can focus on being
present and greeting them as they enter the room.

1. [_5_mins.] Welcome/ “Do Now”

Good morning y’all, it’s good to see everyone today. As you are coming in and get started, I
want y’all to take a look at the “Do Now” that I have written up on the board. Y’all should be
taking out your writing journals, and spending the next 5 minutes answering the prompt that is
up. This is independent work time, so I should hear no talking during this activity. (See
Appendix A)
(While the students work on the “Do Now”, I will be walking around the room, checking in with
students, and making sure that they are all getting settled and working on their “Do Now”.)

2. [_30_mins.] Bridge and/or Hook to lesson

Alright y’all, please put your pencils down. Would anyone like to share what they wrote in the
writing journal? (I will call on about 3 students to share what they wrote about, there are
typically quite a few volunteers, but I want to keep this part of the lesson short, to make sure we
have plenty of time for the rest.)

Can I have three volunteers to share what they wrote, just briefly?
Mark: I wrote about seeing myself, and everything that I want for myself. Like, when I look in the
mirror, I always think about how I want the day to be or if I have a soccer game, that I want to
be the best player possible.
Rachel: I also talked about sports, I run track and cross-country. I wrote about looking in the
mirror and seeing what I am capable of accomplishing, but also being afraid of not being good
enough. I wrote words like pain, euphoria, pride, determination. I also talked about how it felt to
cross that finish line at the very end.
Caelainn: My entry was about seeing my past in the mirror. I sometimes look at myself and think
about how people say I look like my mom or my day, and that makes me think about how I am
connected to my family members. It’s almost like I am a small piece of a larger puzzle.

Thanks for sharing, those were some really insightful responses. Alright, so last time we talked a
little bit about the power that language has to express our individual identities. We looked at an
example by reading Lois-Ann Yamanaka’s short story “Obituary” in our last lesson. Remember
that what you wrote for today’s Do Now, can also serve as inspiration for your own poems you
will be working on today. Today, I want us to start thinking about different things we can start
writing about for our memoirs. First, we are going to do a little brainstorming exercise and then
we are going to move into reading two short examples of poems, that we are then going to use as
models to write our own. Everyone ready? Great.
I know that everyone here has practiced brainstorming in a lot of different classes, and we’ve
done it together as well, but I want to take a minute or so to just refresh our memories on what
brainstorming is, and how we use it when we write. Can anyone tell me what brainstorming is?
(Here I will be giving students a minute to think about a brief definition of brainstorming, some
answers I will be expecting are: a group discussion on a certain topic to produce ideas, thinking
about a certain topic to produce ideas, thinking about a topic or a problem… Students should
have no trouble giving an accurate definition or even description of what brainstorming is.)
Can anyone share what they came up with as a definition? Yes, Charlie.
Charlie: Brainstorming is, when we as a group or as individuals, think about a certain topic, and
come up with ideas or facts about it.

Yes, that’s a great way to define brainstorming, and can you maybe tell me when we typically
use brainstorming?

Charlie: Yeah, so, I think we usually use it at the beginning of a writing project, like before we
get started, we think of a bunch of ideas related to the topic we want to write about.

Yes, thanks Charlie. We use it especially when we are getting ready to write about a certain
topic and we want to come up with some ideas. What I also really want to emphasize, especially
for the purposes of our personal writing brainstorming, is that there is no wrong answer. For
this next part, we are going to use brainstorming as part of our writing process for our own
poems. It is so crucial to take the time to brainstorm, because it really gets you thinking not only
about a specific topic, but how that topic relates to you and your life, and how you can make it
personal and write about from your perspective.

Today I want us to brainstorm independently for five minutes, by doing a quick topic blast in our
writing journals. I want each of you, in the middle of your page to write the words “Who Am I”.
I am going to set the timer, and I want everyone to write as much as they can in 5 minutes on this
topic. This can be anything you want from a definition, or a word that you would describe
yourself with, an activity, anything you feel relates to this topic. Remember the point of a topic
blast, like we have done previously so many times in our journals, is to write as much as we can
think of about the specific topic of the topic blast. There are no wrong answers, and feel free to
be as personal as you wish with this. Does anyone have any questions? Alright, I’m setting the
timer, you may begin.

(While the students write in their journals, I will be walking around the classroom making sure
that the students are staying on task, and writing as much as they can during the allotted 5
minutes. I will equally be providing extra support to my ELL students, and those who need a
little extra help brainstorming ideas. For my ELL students, I will be stopping by their desks, and
checking in with them to make sure they understand what the topic blast is. They will have used
this brainstorming tool many time in the classroom before, but I still will be double checking to
make sure we are all on the same page about what to do. For the students who seem to just be
struggling with coming up with ideas about the topic, I will be prompting them to think about
personal stories, times when they felt they regretted something and why. By prompting them to
think about personal memories or feelings, it will not only help them get started on the topic, but
will also get them thinking about topics that can be used for their poems.)

That’s the time. Please finish off that thought and then let’s all come back together and share
what we came up with. I am going to erase the Do Now that was written on the board and write
our topic blast topic “Who Am I” in its place. Now let’s go ahead and make this a class
brainstorm. I want everyone to take turns raising their hands, and sharing something they came
up with during the 5 minutes, as you share, I will write everything on the board. If, as you are all
sharing, you think of something new to add, please feel free to raise your hand and share.
(During this part of our exercise I will be at the board writing everything the students came up
with during their brainstorm.)
Can anyone get us started with something they came up with? (Here I will call on different
students to share.
Anna: I wrote that I am a student, a sister, and a friend. I also wrote German-American.
Joe: A football player, a brother, and a fatherless child.
Lydia: Brave, but not brave enough.
Ella: Smart, funny and sometimes tough to be around.
Max: Along those same lines, I wrote that I am African American, proud, strong, a musician, and
a swimmer.

Those are all such great thoughts y’all, and I’m hearing a lot about the relationships we have
that help shape who we are, like our family and friends. I also loved the fact that y’all included
nationalities, ethnicities, and even sports as ways of defining who you are. Thinking about this,
how could we define identity?
Jayden: I think the best way to describe identity is to say it’s who and what we are, but it’s also
everything that we are made up of.
Lydia: Yeah, I’d say it’s also feeling of belonging. Our identity is wrapped up in what or where
we feel we belong to.

Great job, y’all. There are some many good ideas related to the topic of identity. I really want
y’all to really think about those big and even little things that make up our individual identities,
think deeper than just a nationality or sport. What makes you truly you?
Thank you to everyone who shared. We are now going to move into the next part of our lesson,
so I want everyone to clear their desks of everything except for a pencil.

3. [_15_mins.] Read-Aloud & Discussion

For this next part, I will be reading two poems aloud to y’all. I am passing out a copy of the both
poems for y’all to follow along with. I don’t want to see anything on your desks except for a
pencil right now, because I want y’all to focus on listening to the poems I am going to read to
you. Does everyone have a copy of the poems? Great, now listen closely and pay attention to
how the poets talks about their identities, and the ways in which they express who they are. The
first one I will be reading is called “What the Mirror Said” by Lucille Clifton. Think about how
she describes herself, the words she uses. The purpose of this reading is for y’all to become
familiar with what the different types of ways language can express who we are as individuals,
and the some of the different ways identity can be expressed in writing. (See Appendix B)

(I will read the poems, and go over any vocabulary words the students don’t understand, and
explain the poems. I will start by reading the first poem, and then pause for any questions or
vocabulary issues. I don’t foresee any vocabulary issues. We will then, as a whole class, go over
what the poem as whole means and what the poet is trying to express. Then I will read the
second poem. I will be asking for students to define any words I feel may be challenging to some
of the ELL students, or students who don’t have a very good knowledge of the Indian culture.
We will then also be going over the second poem as a whole class.)

What did everyone think of these poems? I thought it was really interesting and I had to think for
a while about what I would’ve done in the same situation. First, I’d like to hear some
impressions y’all got from this passage. What did you think about it, what did you learn? As y’all
raise your hands to answer the questions I will be writing down everything we come up with on
the board.

(Here I will be anticipating responses such as comments about how the use certain words to
describe themselves, or what they see in their surroundings. I am expecting the students to point
out the different metaphors used by Lucille Clifton in her poem to describe her physical self, but
also her strength as a woman. I am hoping for them to talk about the particularly Indian words
Patel uses in his poem to really emphasize his connection to his cultural identity. I am also
anticipating responses regarding Patel’s description of setting, and folklore, and perhaps a
comment about how the presence of food in his poem really brings out this connection with his
culture. Finally, I am anticipating responses about the difference in voice in both of the poems,
and the type of language used.)
Those are some great insights on the passage. Now, I would like y’all to look at the poems and
tell me how you think both authors express identity.
(Here I will let the students take 5 minutes to go over both of the poems and look at all the
details relating to each of the poets’ identities. I will be writing all of the student responses on the
board, for them to be able to keep track of what is being said.)
Great, now if we look at Chetan Patel’s poem, we can see that he uses a very effective repetition.
Jaylen, you mentioned just a minute ago, so great job. Patel throughout the poem repeats “I
see”. This is really powerful because like y’all said there is that emphasis on not only what the
poet sees, but what he sees as specifically making up his own identity. As readers, we are able to
see through his eyes what is important to him, and what makes him unique.
That’s what a “Mirror Poem” is all about. Now, we are going to move into the last part of our
lesson, which is brainstorming for your own poems. Y’all will be doing some writing, so I want
everyone to take out their laptops out and their writing-territories from last lesson, and get ready
to write.

4. [_35_mins] Writing/Question Flood

Alright, now that y’all are ready, I am going to briefly explain what y’all are going to be doing
and then we will get started with writing. I would like y’all to take a look at the writing
territories you worked on last lesson. Now while you are looking at your writing territories, I am
going to write three poem prompts on the board. These are some openings that I want y’all to
use for your poems. (See Appendix C) As you reflect, just think about what you’ve already
written in your writing territories, and consider if any of these elements you’ve used to describe
who you are, would be something you’d like to use to write about. I am going to set the timer for
10 minutes, and for those 10 minutes I would like y’all to just write, silently, as much as you can,
using one or two of your writing territories, and the poem prompts. If you find it difficult to
combine the two, that’s okay. Just do your best in trying to write as much as you can during
these 10 minutes. Does anyone have any questions?

(Here I will give the students the opportunity to ask questions, it is very straightforward and I’m
not anticipating this being a difficult task for them to do. They have also had practice all year
with independent writing using different prompts and working independently.)

I’m setting the time for 10 minutes, please get started.

(As the students write, I will be walking around the room, checking in with the students that need
more support, especially my ELLs. I know that my ELL students sometimes struggle with
writing, especially when there is a time constraint. I will be spending some time with each
student, asking them to show me what they plan on writing about and to explain it to me briefly.
I will make sure they have available vocabulary to write about their chosen topic, by asking them
if they can describe what they are planning to write to me. They also all have translators and
dictionaries available on their laptops, and are allowed to use them for vocabulary purposes. I
will also be making sure that my student that has some behavioral issues is focused and on task,
by monitory his behavior and allowing him to do his writing at the standing desk that is at the
back of the class. I will check in with him periodically throughout the 10 minutes, but typically if
the student starts a task, he is able to stay focused on it. I will equally be walking around to
answer questions and provide support to any student if needed, including vocabulary or helping
prompt the student’s thinking by asking them general questions about what they are writing.)

How is the writing going Jayden, I see that you haven’t written a lot, are you feeling stuck?
Jayden: I don’t have anything to write. I don’t know what to do.
Alright, well let’s think. Can I see which writing territory you wanted to write about?
Jayden: I wanted to write about being a soccer player, and that defining who I am.
That’s a great start. Why don’t you begin by writing a little bit about why you believe playing
soccer is what makes you who you are today? Tell me how you felt as you were preparing to
shoot. Use the sentence prompts up on the board and try to complete one of those sentences,
that’ll get you started.
Jayden: What if I don’t have any ideas after that?
Well, start by completing the sentence stem, then think about the Patel poem, how he describes
what he sees, what do you see when you play soccer? What makes it so special and personal to
you?
Jayden: Oh, I get it now. Ok, I can write that then!
Yes, great. I can’t wait to read it.

(I will continue to circulate the room, and have interactions such as this one to provide support
and guidance to the students, until the ten minutes are up.)

Finish up that thought and please look up at me. Now for this next part we are going to do a
question flood. We’ve already done this a few times before for other writing assignments, but I’m
going to remind y’all of what it entails. You are going to switch laptops with a partner, and then
for 10 minutes, you are going to read their work and add questions everywhere you think they
could or should elaborate. You should be writing as many questions as possible in the next 10
minutes. There will be no talking to your partner to ask questions, if there is anything you want
to know, write it as a question or comment on their writing. Is everyone ready? Alright, I’m
setting the timer for 10 minutes, please get started.
(Again, as the students are writing I will be walking around the room, keeping the students on
task and providing help whenever needed.)

Alright y’all, finish up what you are writing, wherever you are. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t get
through everything, that’s totally fine. Now, I want y’all to give the computer back to your
partner. We are going to write one last time for 10 more minutes. For this final time, I want y’all
to revise what you have already written using the questions your partner posed. We have already
done a lot of revision work on our writing in this class, but can someone please remind the class
what revising means? Yes, Ella.

Ella: Revision is when the writing makes alterations to the content of the writing, like changing
certain words, adding detail, or changing the tone.

Great, thank you, Ella. Can anyone tell me how that is different from editing? Joe?
Joe: Editing is at the sentence level, its more specific and relates more to fixing grammar,
spelling or sentence structure.
Great, thank you, Joe. That’s right, revision is bigger picture, content related changes, which is
why you will be doing some revising of your writing with your partner’s question flood. You
don’t have to answer all of them, some of them might be answered later in your work, and maybe
some answers you don’t want to provide right now.

(Again, as the students are writing I will be walking around the room, keeping the students on
task and providing help whenever needed.)

That’s time y’all. How did everyone feel about this exercise? I know for myself that it’s really
helpful when someone gives me feedback, both positive and negative. Let’s take the next couple
minutes to debrief, and talk about what y’all liked and what y’all didn’t like about this exercise.
Anyone want to start us off?

Kayla: I really loved how we got feedback on what we wrote, and then immediately were able to
make the revisions while it was all fresh in our minds.

Joe: I agree. I liked having our writing time divided up into two parts, it gave us a little break. I
feel like 10 minutes is a little short though, I felt as though as soon as I got started, I had to stop.

I hear you, Joe. It’s really hard sometimes to feel like you just got started writing and getting in
the grove of things and having to stop. Any last comments?

Jayden: I really liked getting feedback, but the question flood was a little overwhelming for me,
and I felt like there were to many possible things I could change. I wish there were less
questions.

That’s a great point Jayden. We did this for y’all to experience all the different types of revision
and later on editing exercises y’all can do when writing. Great job y’all!

5. [_5_mins] Exit Slip/Closure

Great work everyone! It looks like we have just enough time to do one last closing activity. I am
going to pass out an exit slip to each of you with a prompt at the top of the page (See Appendix
C). Please put your names on it so that I can collect it when y’all are done. Does anyone have
any questions about the prompt?
(Here I will take any questions students might have about the prompt.)
Alright, please answer the question as thoroughly as you can in the remaining time. I will be
walking around the class if you have any questions.

Materials Needed (list):

o Do Now
o “What the Mirror Said” by Lucille Clifton
o Exit Slip

Materials Appendix: (e.g., supplementary texts, Ppts, overheads, graphic organizers,

handouts, etc.
Appendix A: Do Now

“What do you see when you look in the mirror?”

(For this I encourage you to think deeper than just physically. Think about your strengths,
weaknesses, and even personal goals.)
Appendix B:

“What the Mirror Said” by Lucille Clifton

listen,
you a wonder.
you a city
of a woman.
you got a geography
of your own.
listen,
somebody need a map
to understand you.
somebody need directions
to move around you.
listen,
woman,
you not a noplace
anonymous
girl;
mister with his hands on you
he got his hands on
some
damn
body!

“Tiger Eyes” by Chetan Patel

I look into a mirror I see the river flooding

And watch the history inside of me in the monsoons,
Flood out. The locusts lying
I see the Kshatriya warrior, in the fields of Jammu.
Sword in hand, I see the tiger eyes
The Sudra laborer, waiting in the high grass
Working hard at his feet. For me to come back
I see the stories passed and relive the past.
Under the Banyan tree
And the cleansing Ganges,
Slicing down the Himalayas.
I see the village Panchayat,
The Lok Sabha,
The House of People.
I see the deep-fried Samosas,
Full of carrots and peas,
Wrapped in flour,
Ready to eat.
Appendix C: Poem Prompts (they will be written on the board)

“Listen, You/Your’re a _____”

“The mirror told me…”

“I look into the mirror

And watch the history inside me…”
Appendix C: Exit Slip

Name: Date:

“How was the brainstorming exercise before reading useful to you? How will you use this
for your own writing?”

“How can you incorporate more revisions into your personal writing? Did you find it
useful?”