Lauren DaGrossa

Professor McKenzie
EDUC 204 Section 1 (TTh 1:40-2:55)
November 2023

UNIT MASTERY 5

Lesson Title: Class Novel Chapter Review

(for Middle School English/Language Arts students)

Objectives:

● Students will be able to implement educational technologies into their class routine by
defining vocabulary words from the novel.
● Students will be able to support their opinions on a subject matter with evidence from the
novel, as well as be able to critique others’ opinions.
● Students will be able to identify the most significant parts of the chapters assigned and
the overall novel, including characters, plot, setting, time, history, emotion, etc.

State Standards:

Inquiry-Based Literacy Standards

● 2.1 Formulate logical questions based on evidence, generate explanations, propose and
present original conclusions, and consider multiple perspectives.

Meaning and Context

● 8.1 Analyze how setting shapes the characters and/or plot and how particular elements of
a narrative or drama interact; determine the impact of contextual influences on setting,
plot, and characters.

Language, Craft, and Structure

● 8.1 Determine figurative, connotative, and technical meanings of words and phrases used
in a text; analyze the impact of specific words or phrases on meaning and tone.

Context
This lesson is great for middle school students who are reading a novel as a class. Sometimes
students have trouble understanding what is happening in a novel, and there may be some
vocabulary words that they don’t exactly know. Even though a large class discussion can be
helpful, it may be better for students to work alongside their peers in small groups, talk
one-on-one with their teacher, and even work, by themselves, in order to understand the contexts
of the novel. After students read the assigned chapters from the book, they will participate in this
three-station blended learning activity to catch up and review with their classmates. This activity
should help students understand the novel, the characters, plot, setting, etc., and be able to use
the knowledge learned and understood in order to continue the rest of the novel.

Data
Students in this lesson will be grouped in teams of three, rotating as a group to each blended
learning station. For each group, the groupings will not be randomized, but will be carefully
picked by the instructor. Each group should have kids at high, average, and low levels, so the
group members can support one another while also making sure they’re on track themselves. The
data will be collected on how the students do their vocabulary assignment, which is a part of the
Independent Digital Content station. When the assignment is turned in, the teacher can see how
they are handling the content and can place them in a certain group for a future lesson based on
the data.

Materials
Students must have their novel on them for this lesson. For the Teacher Directed Small Group,
students will use their Language Arts notebooks to write down information on the chapters. This
paper will count as the participation grade for the blended lesson. For the Collaborative Group,
the students only need their novels to back up their answers. For the Independent Digital Content
Group, students must need their devices (school tablet, school computer, etc.) to access the
Dictionary website. They will use the Google Docs app to write down the vocabulary and
example sentences. They will upload the assignment onto Google Classroom in the submission
box before the due date.

Link to Dictionary Website:

https://www.dictionary.com/

Link to Google Docs App:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-docs-sync-edit-share/id842842640

Link to Google Classroom App:

https://apps.apple.com/au/app/google-classroom/id924620788

Procedures (NOTE: Class period is 75 minutes long.)

Introduction (15 minutes)

Students will be notified in the previous class that the next class will be a station learning day to
catch up on the novel so they should be ready to participate. They will also be notified on what
chapters it will be on and to catch up on the readings if necessary. On the day of the lesson, the
teacher will separate their room into three different sections for each activity. Moving chairs and
desks could be helpful for this lesson. The teacher will also write the three assigned groups on
the board. When the students arrive, they will meet up with their group and the teacher will
quickly explain each station, what to do and what to turn in. Then the students will go to their
first station and the lesson starts.

Teacher Directed Small Group (15 minutes)

In the Teacher Directed Small Group, the teacher will work with a group to catch up on the main
summary and events in the chapters. The group will discuss the characters, setting, and the most
important events that occur in the chapters. They will also discuss where in the book the chapters
are (introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, or conclusion?) and how the events in the
chapters tie into the main story. Students should be able to ask questions to their teacher, as well
as be able to answer questions that the teacher gives them. Students will write all of this
information down in their English/Language Arts notebooks, as this group will count as their
participation grade for the day. This group helps teachers see what their students think of the
novel and see how well they are understanding the events in the chapters. It helps them catch up
with their instructor and ask questions when necessary.

Collaborative (15 minutes)

In the Collaborative group, each group of students will discuss with one another how they feel
about the assigned chapters. As a group, students will answer and discuss two questions:
1. What emotions did you feel while reading the assigned chapters? What events made you
feel that way?
2. After reading about the conflict in one of the chapters, which character do you think is
right? Go back to the chapters and find quotes to use as evidence for your claim.
The students should be able to talk to one another about how they feel about the assigned
chapters. They must also use their novels in order to back up their answers. This assignment is
great for students because it allows them to have healthy, fair discussions with their classmates
on the assigned material. They should be able to back up their claims with evidence from the
novel, as well as make rebuttals against disagreeing classmates. For example, if one student sides
with one character and another student sides with another, what arguments can they make? What
feedback can they give? What evidence can they use from the book that benefits their claim? The
activity starts healthy conversation while also teaching them about the importance of
evidence/references (using quotes from the novel to support their claims).

Independent Digital (15 minutes)

For the Independent Digital group, students will use the Dictionary website to look up a list of
vocabulary words that were a part of the assigned chapters. The teacher will provide a list of
8-10 vocabulary words (or more or less, depending on the amount of chapters) and the students
will define them. They will also provide an original example sentence with the definition of each
word, showing that they can apply that word to another scenario. To do this assignment, students
will use the Google Docs app and write down all of their answers there. When they finish the
assignment, they will turn in the document on the class Google Classroom page. This assignment
will count as a homework grade. This activity is beneficial to students because it lets them
recognize new terms and expand their vocabulary. It also helps them understand how easily
accessible a dictionary is on the internet, and that they can look up any words on the Dictionary
website when they’re reading.

Closure (15 minutes)

In the closing part of the lesson, the teacher will bring the class back together to discuss what the
students learned from the activity. The teacher will also ask the students what their favorite group
activity was and why, to see what their students enjoyed and to use their input for future
activities in class. For the rest of the time, students can finish up their vocabulary terms from the
Independent Digital activity, if they have not yet finished them, or can start reading the next
assigned chapters of the novel. If a student doesn’t finish their vocabulary terms by the time class
is over, they have until the assigned due date to submit their work into Google Classroom.

Rationale

Multimedia #1 : Dictionary Website

Link: https://www.dictionary.com/

The Dictionary website is one of the best online dictionaries when it comes to finding new
vocabulary words. It is easily accessible, high-quality, and can give users vocabulary information
at the push of a button. Students can use this website to look up new words in their novels, and
review old ones still in their memory. Though there are ads that show up, they don’t distract from
the overall usage of the website. This website should work with certain accommodations such as
text-to-speech/screen reader and keyboard shortcuts if they are accessible on the students’
devices.

Multimedia #2 : Google Docs

Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-docs-sync-edit-share/id842842640

Google Docs is one of the most popular, if not THE most popular application made under
Google. Made for those who are familiar with Google, or do not have access to Microsoft Word,
Google Docs is a high-quality app that easily helps users write papers, notes, stories, or whatever
is on the user’s mind. There are many different fonts, colors, and writing varieties available.
Photos, links, and charts are also on the app for those who may need it for their writing. It can
also tell the user how many words they’ve written, or grammar mistakes made. The best part
about Google Docs though, is that it automatically saves as soon as something new is written,
which means users don’t have to worry about saving their data or their device shutting down,
because Google Docs saves it for you. This is the best writing app for students to use because it
is easy to navigate, easy to write with, and easy to share documents with others.It can also be
easily accommodated for students with disabilities. There is a speech-to-text/screen reader,
keyboard shortcuts, and braille displays for those who need accommodations.

Multimedia #3 : Google Classroom

Link: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/google-classroom/id924620788

Google Classroom is one of the most popular Course Management Systems (CMS) in the
education world. This app helps students connect with their teachers and the class material
through a custom-made class page, where the teacher can make announcements, let students
submit homework, and upload tests and quizzes. Students can also communicate with their
teachers if they have any questions, comments, or requests. This app, just like its sibling app
Google Docs, is high-quality and very easy for users to navigate. It is organized, structured, and
carefully crafted to be accessible to all students and teachers. Like Google Docs, there are
accommodation options that can be set for students with disabilities, such as
text-to-speech/screen reader, high-contrast mode, and dynamic text sizes.