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Instructional Plan Content: Life During the Great Depression South Carolina Language Arts Standards Addressed: E1-R1.1 Demonstrate the ability to read
independently for extended periods of time to gain information Goals: The Great Depression was a time of great difficulties and hardships, but it was a time when many were able to persevere and survive. The Great Depression as seen through primary sources as well as fiction provides a look at the human drive to hope and to overcome. Objectives: The student will analyze a character from a short story
set in the Depression era. Instructional Cycle: Introduction The teacher will present some articles from the Depression era such as a quilt, embroidery, dishes, bonnet, etc. to introduce the Depression years. Students will contribute any family history that they may know about. Instruction Students will begin with a BKWLQ chart before reading the short story "Marigolds" by Eugenia Collier. (The chart is a variation of KWL. B means background knowledge, and Q means what further questions you now have.) To provide the background the teacher will present The Great Depression: Difficult Times for America (ppt format) or (html format). Students will complete the background section and add details to the K and W sections (what do you know about the Depression already and what would you like to know) during a class discussion. Students will read the story and add information to the L (what did you learn about the Depression section) and the Q (what further questions do you have) and take a short quiz on the story to make connections between the theme of the story and the setting, a shanty town during the Depression. Small Group Practice Students will choose partners to make bubble maps of characters in the story to present their conclusions to the class. Presentations of the characters to the class will give opportunity to check for understanding. Independent Practice Students will complete a web quest called Back to the Future: The Saga Continues to continue a study of the Depression and people who were part of the Depression era. Students will research, review short story elements, identify elements from stories, plan a short story, and then write that short story. Stories will be judged based on a rubric and presented to the class. Further practice with analysis of character and making connections will be an interview with a senior citizen who lived during the Depression era and recalls some of the times or remembers stories from family members about the era. Students and teacher will brainstorm a list of questions for the interview. The student will complete a bio-poem about the person interviewed and present interview information and the bio-poem to the class. Checking for Understanding The lesson provides informal assessment of the character analysis during oral presentations of bubble maps. Short stories are judged by a rubric. Bio-poems will be assessed by a rubric. Notes, reading guides, and plan sheets will be checked by the teacher for classwork/homework scores and to check for understanding of short story elements, character analysis, and connections to the historical setting. Closure Students should be able to make a connection between Miss Lottie and her marigolds, the life histories, and the interviews to see the idea of "planting marigolds" is still important because people can survive many difficulties and hope is important for a person to cope and survive. Students will complete an
exit slip to analyze the unit. Before I studied the Depression, I
thought________________. We will introduce books about the Great Depression that are available in our library with books talks by the teacher or the media specialist. We will also provide time for students to research further the topics mentioned in the PowerPoint introduction to the unit. Assessment: The short story assessment will be done by the rubric in the webquest. The number of points made on the rubric will be multiplied by four to give a number grade for the state uniform grading scale. A grade of 70 will be a passing grade. The bio-poem will be graded as Exceptional (The person and his personality are clearly revealed in the poem. The form is followed, and there are no grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes. Grade = A); Good (The person and his personality are revealed. The form is followed, and there may be one or two mistakes in grammar, spelling or punctuation. Grade = B); Adequate (There is some attempt to reveal the person and his personality to the reader. The form is followed, and there are few grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes. Grade = C); Inadequate (The person and his personality are described. The form is not followed, and mistakes in grammar, spelling, or punctuation hinder the reader from understanding the information. Grade = D). Materials needed: Textbook with story "Marigolds" by Eugenia Collier. Reflection on Teaching: This unit will be used for the first time in the 2003-2004 school term. Reflections will be posted after the unit is completed by the students.
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