MiriamRock

TheHandmaidsTaleWeeklyLessonPlan

Week:1

OVERVIEW/RATIONALE
ThisisthefirstweekoflessonsonTheHandmaidsTale
Forthisunit,studentswillfocusonformingtextbasedarguments
ENDURINGUNDERSTANDINGS
Studentswillunderstandhowtobuildargumentsbasedonthetextand
howtoanticipatetheflipsideofthatargument.
GOALS/OBJECTIVES
SWBATunderstandhowanauthorcreatesaworldascommentaryon
herculture
SWBATcreatethreepartthesisstatementsIOTbuildtextbased
argumentationskills
COMMONCORESTANDARDSFORENGLISHLANGUAGEARTS
1.1FoundationalSkillsStudentsgainaworkingknowledgeofconceptsof
print,alphabeticprinciples,andotherbasicconventions
1.2ReadingInformationalTextsStudentsread,understandandrespondto
informationaltextwithemphasisoncomprehension,makingconnections
amongideasandbetweentextswithfocusontextualevidence.
1.3ReadingLiteratureStudentsreadandrespondtoworksofliterature
withemphasisoncomprehension,makingconnectionsamongideasand
betweentextswithfocusontextualevidence.
1.4WritingStudentswritefordifferentpurposesandaudiences.Students
writeclearandfocusedtexttoconveyawell-definedperspectiveandappropriate
content
1.5SpeakingandListeningStudentspresentappropriatelyinformalspeaking
situations,listencritically,andrespondintelligentlyasindividualsoringroup
discussions.
MATERIALS
ClasscopiesofTheHandmaidsTalebyMargaretAtwood,classsetof
whiteboardsandmarkers,Prometheanboard,classsetofchromebooks,classset
ofarticle,How'CarryThatWeight'IsChangingtheConversationonCampus
SexualAssault:ColumbiastudentEmmaSulkowicz'sprotestinspiresnationwide
actionsbyRebeccaNathanson

MONDAY(GuidedInstruction)
Thisclasswillbeconductedinthegym,sittinginacircleonunfolded
maps
TeacherwillreadfirstchapterofTheHandmaidsTaletostudents(pg.
1-2)twice
Teacherwillaskthefollowingquestions:
HowisthegymuseddifferentlyinTheHandmaidsTalethanit
isinGAMP?
Howdoesitseemtoberelatedtoourworld?
Whatseemstobegoingonwithgenderinthisnovel?
TeacherwilldistributearticleonCarryThatWeight
Studentswilltaketurnsreadingonesentenceeach.
Teacherwillaskthefollowingquestions
Whatreactionsdoyouhavetothisarticle?
WhyisSulkowitzperformingCarryThatWeight?
Teacherwilldirectstudentstoreflectonarticleforhomework.Students
willthinkaboutthefollowingquestions:
WhatchangescouldbemadetoaddressSulkowitzsconcerns?
Whataboutthiscouldbeproblematic?
Homework:Reflectonarticle

TUESDAY(GuidedInstruction)
Classwillbeginwithreflectiononarticlefrompreviousday
Whatshouldbetheconsequencesformenwhoareaccusedof
sexuallyassaultingwomen?
Whathappensiftheydidntdoit?
Setupblogs
ClasswillbeguidedthroughcreatingblogsusingBlogger.com
Studentswillcreatetheirownblogsandsubmitlinkstotheir
blogsviaGoogleClassroom
Homework:Submitlinktoblog

WEDNESDAY(GuidedInstruction,smallgroupwork)
Classwillbeginwithamini-lessononcreatingthesisstatements
Teacherwilldistributeandprojecthandoutwhichlaysoutthethree
partsofasuccessfulthesissentence
SpecificDetailsthatyoureusingtoproveyourargument
(ExamplesfromText)
Argument-whatyouthinkthedetailsaredoinginthetext
(YourOpinion)
SoWhat-whatmessageauthorwantedtosendby
constructingtextinthisway(AuthorialIntent)


WEDNESDAYCont.
Teacherwillthenguidestudentsthroughthesisstatementshe
constructedonhandoutabouttheopeningpagesofTheHandmaids
Tale
InTheHandmaidsTale,Offredsrefusaltorevealherown
name,herrepetitionofthephraseNolitetebastardes
carborundorum,andtheopeningscenewherethewomenall
whispertheirrealnamestoeachotherallcombineto
underscoretherestrictivenessoflanguageinGilead.By
dwellingonthemediationoflanguageinGilead,Atwood
reflectsonthecontrollingpoliticsoflanguageinAmerica.
StudentsbreakintogroupsandcreatethesisstatementsaboutEmma
Sulkowitzsseniorproject
Studentsrespondtotheprompt:
HowdoesSulkowitzsseniorprojectextendthepre-existing
conversationoncampussexualassault?Whydoesshechooseto
protestthewayshedoes?
Studentswillsharethesisstatements,workshoppingthemasaclass

THURSDAYFRIDAY(Inclassreading)
Studentswillbegiventheoptionofreadingsilentlyorreadingaloud
StudentswhoreadsilentlywillbeginreadingTheHandmaidsTalein
class
Studentswhoreadaloudwillsitinhallwaywithteacherandwilltake
turnsreadingparagraphsandstoppingwhenusefultodiscuss

Homework:Readpg.3-75forMonday