Conclusion

Conclusion

This process has been very enlightening on the aspect of teaching literature to adolescent. As a student I remembered a strategy used by my teacher was having students to read the text in class. While one student was reading the other students were day dreaming or charting with their friends. I never question this approach because I did not know better; I only thought that it did not maintain my interest in the class. I understand now why the teacher used this strategy. She probably wanted everyone to read the text because she realized that students were not reading at home. However, the teacher could have used other strategies such as anticipation guide to arouse students’ interest in reading the text. I first came across these many teaching strategies for teaching literature in this course. The few strategies my teachers used were basically discussion and role play. Reflecting on all what I have learnt it could not be clearer that teaching literature should be a great experience. There are many strategies that can be implemented in the classroom that will motivate students to be active participants in the learning process. Knowing the few ideas that must be taken into consideration in teaching literature to adolescents such as the selection of text, students’ ability and interest makes my task seem a bit easier. 

Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan

Subject: English

Age: 13 - 15 years

Form: 3

                       

Subject Focus: Characterization (The Village Washer) Short Story

Language Arts Area: Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing

Time: 80 minutes

Objectives: Students should be able to:

1. Read to identify the main characters in the story.

2. Discuss the characteristics of the main characters.

3. Create an outline of the main characters.

4. Create a journal entry to reflect on the actions of the main characters.

Rationale: Knowledge of characterization is important for students for two main purposes. Firstly students understand the motives behind the actions of characters and the reasons why they do certain things. Also, it gives students the opportunity to connect the various elements of the short story such as setting, themes and plot to characters. They will be able to understand that it is the actions of characters that enable the story to move.

Strategies: DRTA: Direct Reading Thinking Activity, Discussion and Journals

Materials: Textbook, Journals and Chalkboard

Introduction: Teacher will ask students to what comes to mind when they read the title of the short story ‘The Village Washer’. Student responses will be documented on the chalkboard. Students will be told that the focus of the lesson will be on characterization.

Development:

The class will begin reading keeping in mind their ideas that they got from the title of the story.

The class will begin reading the first two chapters of the story and the teacher will ask them a few questions such as:

Ø What is the name of the character you have been introduced to?

Ø What does she do?

Ø   How many washers are in the village?

Ø What word in the paragraph says that?

Ø   Is she is the only one doing something how will you treat your customers?

Ø   How does the writer describe the way Ma Lambee does her job now compared to the past?

Ø   Why do you think that Ma Lambee has grown so careless?

2. Students will read another two paragraphs and will be asked more questions about Ma Lambee

Ø What did the rest of the villagers started doing?

Ø Did she listen to the complaints of the people?

Ø What does that tell you about the type of character that she is?

Ø  Do you think that this attitude will affect her job in the future? Why?

3. Students will continue to read the next two pages until they are introduce to another character. They will be asked questions such as:

Ø  What reasons did Ma Lambee give for raising the price of the washing?

Ø  Do you think that Ma Lambee was just in raising the price of the washing? Why?

Ø What do you think would happen if another washer came to the village to compete with Ma Lambee?

Ø Does the writer indicates in any way that another washer will come to the village?

Ø  What word of phrase supports your answer?

4. Students will go over on the chalkboard all what they have gathered about Ma Lambee’s character and her reasons for her actions.

5. Students will continue to read the next three chapters to gather information about the other main character. They will be asked questions such as:

Ø What is the name of the character that we have been introduced to?

Ø What are we told about her?

Ø How do you think that Ma Lambee would feel when she finds out that the village now has a new washer?

6. Students will continue to read to gather more information about the characters. They will be asked these questions:

Ø What was Ma Lambee’s reaction to Ma Po Procop?

Ø Why did Ma Lambee start spreading lies about Ma Procop?

Ø  Do you think that was the best thing to do? Why?

Ø How did Ma Crop try to overcome what Ma Lambee was saying about her?

Ø  Do you think that Ma Procop genuinely like the people especially the children? Why?

7. Students will continue reading the story and will answer the following questions:

Ø What comes to your mind when you hear the word Obeah?

Ø Do you think that Ma Procop is an obeah woman?

Ø  Is Ma Lambee evil or trying to protect her only form of employment? Why?

Ø What do you think that Ma Procop is going to do when she says ‘… to can play the game?

8. Students will continue to read until they get to the end of the story. They will answer the following questions:

What image is Ma Lambee portraying when she spreads rumors about Ma Procop and even breaks and enters her house?

Do you have any idea as to what may be in the parcel that Ma Procop collected?

Do think that the mirror had an impact on Ma Procop?

Was it right to chase Ma Lambee from her home and village?

Who do you think was the real Obeah woman was?

9. Students will create an outline on the two main characters in the form of a Venn diagram on their note books. They will outline their similarities and differences. A sample of a venn diagram will be on the chalk board.

Conclusion: Teacher will go over the different characteristics of the main characters outlining their actions and reasons for their actions.

Evaluation: Students will create a journal entry to reflect on the actions of the main characters. They will say from their point of view which was good bad and provide their reasons.

Usefulness of Anticipation Guide

Usefulness of Anticipation Guide

Anticipation guide prepares students for what they are going to read. This strategy is an interesting and motivating way of getting students to read, by increasing their curiosity about what the text is about. Teachers are constantly faced with the problem of getting their students to read. As Michael M Hell (2004) states this strategy is important in activating students’ prior knowledge and stimulating students’ interest just before an assignment is given. Through this process students are making predictions on what they will read. Students are therefore motivated to read in an attempt to find evidence to support the predictions that they have made. Students are also motivated to read to identify whether their statement is true compared to their classmates’ response. Furthermore, students are actively involved in the learning process. They are using their own background knowledge and experiences to consider their opinion about statements on the text. Students explore new ideas by critically analysising the text in relation to what they know.

It provides an assessment tool so that teachers can identify concepts on which the class may need additional work. The students’ responses after reading give the teacher an indication of students’ strength and weakness. It also gives the teacher and indication on whether they have understood the text being studied. Furthermore, it uncovers misconceptions or strongly held beliefs that may need to be examined before, during, or after reading. The teacher gets to understand her students better, she may learn about their beliefs and culture and how they think and feel about certain issues.

 Children generally make personal connections to text. In order to know what is important, we need to guide children into deeper levels of comprehension. This guidance must take place before they read. Anticipation guides are also used during reading to help children monitor their comprehension. Anticipation guides facilitate deeper comprehension of text and help students develop metacognition (Polette, 2005). Through the use of anticipation guides, children know what to look for as they read. As they use the guides, they discover that they have an increased interest in wanting to read so that they can verify their predictions. The guides build in children a strong need to know. 

Polette uses this diagram to support his claim.

Anticipation guide can also be used to prepare for discussion of ideas to introduce text. Also, it can be used to develop writing prompts such as essay, journals and persuasive piece.

Teaching a concept using anticipation guide

The teacher realized that though students were asked to read the text Harriet’ Daughter some students have not, especially those students who do not like to read. Also, in discussing other concepts in the novel it seemed difficult to get students to respond to the text. Thus, in teaching the theme family relationship in the novel Harriet’s Daughter to a form two class the teacher decides to use the anticipation guide. The students were given questions on different issue of family relationship which they had to agree or disagree with. The teacher however, took a different approach since some students had read the text. For students who have read, the teacher will instruct them to answer their question in relation to the text. An example of the anticipation guide would be:

QUESTIONS(AFTER READING)	AGREE	DISAGREE
Adolescents normally do not understand their parent Parents are not always right A woman’s place is in the home Adolescent should decide what they wear Parents should allow their children to give their views on situation which may occur in the family Adolescents are able to speak to their parents comfortably

Students who have not read the text too would participate in the activity but they would answer these same questions based on previous knowledge or their experiences. This would help develop some form of curiosity to read the text. The teacher would then divide the class in two groups, students who answered based on prior knowledge and students who answered based on the text. Students would have a sort of debate in which the two groups present their claims. Before these activity students will be notify that there are no wrong or right answers. In the following class after everyone is done reading the text, in groups students’ will discuss their understanding of the theme family relationship in the text. They will then have a whole class discussion where they discuss whether their position on certain statements has changed or whether it remained the same and why. This time they will use evidence from the text to support their responses.

Anticipation Guide, Interactive Notebook and Transactional Reading Journals

Learning Strategies

Learning Strategies are activities that help people use their own learning style to best approach new learning.  The anticipation guide, interactive notebook and the transactional reading journals are all strategies which can be used before, during and after reading the text. The anticipation guide however, is normally used before and after reading. These strategies are student centered and cater to their learning needs.

What we already know determines to a great extent what we will pay attention to, perceive, learn, remember and forget (Woolfolk, 1998).Thus, a significant strategy that can be used is the anticipation guide. Often before even beginning to read a text we examine such things as the cover of pages, number of pages, print size and reviews. By doing these simple things our minds go into “anticipation mode”.  An anticipation guide can be describe as an activity to help students predict the ideas that will be disclose in the text, it provides support to help them start engaging with the text. It can take the form of a series of statement where the students choose to agree or disagree.

 http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:c_dC1gStljsJ:www.jessamine.k12.ky.us/wjhs/curriculum/content%2520literacy%2520masters/Anticipation%2520Guide.doc+anticipation+

Another strategy which can be used is the interactive notebook aimed at helping students summarize ideas, distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information and compare or contrast information by making the various connection among various text. As the name suggest each student has a spiral notebook which will be used to record information, each side of the note is used for different purposes. The right side is used to record notes on the lessons. The left side of the notebook is used for the individual interaction with information on the opposite page. These interactions can be used as a closing activity. This strategy can be a useful tool which helps students reflect on their metacognitive skill in processing information. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bdm8C9zqYc&feature=related

Lastly, transactional reading journal as Louise Rosenblatt (1978) explains it, is reading as a transactional process that occurs between the text and the reader. Students may be given a list of possibilities for their journal entries in other to allow them to interact with the text on a regular basis. She argues that meaning is not fixed but is rather the transaction that occurs between the reader and the text. In writing journals students get the opportunity to examine and engage in the writers craft. Also, they are given opportunities to write reflection based on their understanding of the text and connect their experiences with that of the characters.

These three strategies all help enhance students reading and writing skills. It allows them to construct their own meaning of the text, enjoy the reading experience and maintains their interest in the process.

Link on the stages of literary appreciation

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:2NhkHchWaFYJ:www.unc.edu/~hansonda/Sandra/NEW%2520POSTS/Stages%2520of%2520Literary%2520Appreciation%2520-%2520Literature%2520for%2520Today's%2520Young%2520Adults.pdf+understanding+the+stages+of+literary+appreciation&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&source=www.google.com

Stages of Literary Appreciation

Did my teacher really understand the stages of literary appreciation?

Literary appreciation is the process by which the reader enters the world of the writer with the intention of examining its beauty. The stages of literary appreciation entails the different levels at which individuals develop attitudes, writing, listening skills that is necessary for individual to develop specific skills. Each stage is characterized by age, literary materials and activities. There are five stages of literary appreciation.

In studying a novel “  A Separate Peace” I remember the teacher had to force not only me but my classmates as well to read the text. What made it even more difficult for us is that the teacher was enthusiastic about teaching the text. The students just could not understand why and the teacher was confused that we did not like the text. She was furious when we said that the novel did not interest us at all.

Although students were not motivated to read the text the teacher did not attempt to use any other strategy to cater to the interest of students. In an attempt to get students to understand the text the teacher read some of the chapters in class and try to get them to discuss, but no one had much to say. The teacher did not seem to take into consideration that in order for students to enjoy the text they must respect the story. The fact that students did not value the text made it difficult for them to engage and construct their own meaning. The teacher did not understand that student uses literature to make sense of their experiences. This affected her whole approach to teaching the novel because she had the mindset that students would enjoy reading this text because she enjoyed it herself.

Furthermore, the teacher selected a text which she liked and just could not understand why students had such negative feeling toward the text. She did not seem to have the knowledge that at stage four of the literary appreciation students are more discriminating. They will question the characters motives and may reject the text based on their own objectives. The teacher therefore, should have helped students develop an appreciation to text which they perceive to be boring in order to get them to enjoy the writer’s craft.

An understanding of the stages of literary appreciation help teachers recognize the importance of selecting text that is authentic and that students can relate their experience to. Experiencing pleasure is crucial in appreciating literature. The teacher must therefore, take into consideration these factors when teaching literature.