--Under the area of the front board labeled "Rainer Maria Rilke Background," write down one of the important facts that you found about Rilke as part of your homework. Read what others before you have written, and if you have nothing new to add, of course, don't be repetitive--simply return to your desk.
--Read the targets below (focal points of today's lesson) and consider and be ready to discuss the questions that follow:
- When reading nonfiction, I can...
- pick out the author's main point
- pick out the important details that the author uses that connect back to his/her main point
- explain how the author's details connect back to his/her main point
- contribute something (a question, an answer, an important detail, etc.) to a whole-group discussion that moves us forward in hitting the three targets listed above.
- When and how have we worked toward hitting these targets already this school year?
- On a scale of 1-5+, how would you rate your ability to hit these targets? BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF.
S. the C. (8-10 mins.)
--quick share-out as per the "Jump Off"
Literacy Activity--Oral Reading and Discussion -- “Letter One" of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet (40-45 mins.)
--An insightful excerpt from educational researcher Robert Marzano's book Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement:
--quick share-out as per the "Jump Off"
- Today's class, which marks the beginning of our first mini-unit, is driven by the targets above with an assessment related to the first three targets as closure.
- Today's class also presents an opportunity to hit the fourth target by aiming to participate effectively in a collaborative discussion--you will likely pose and respond to questions, incorporate each other into the discussion, and challenge/verify each other's ideas and conclusions
Literacy Activity--Oral Reading and Discussion -- “Letter One" of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet (40-45 mins.)
--An insightful excerpt from educational researcher Robert Marzano's book Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement:
- "Although it is true that the extent to which students will learn this new content is dependent on factors such as the skill of the teacher, the interest of the student, and the complexity of the content, the research literature supports one compelling fact: what students already know about the content is one of the strongest indicators of how well they will learn new information relative to the content. Commonly, researchers and theorists refer to what a person already knows about a topic as “background knowledge.” Numerous studies have confirmed the relationship between background knowledge and achievement (Nagy, Anderson, & Herman, 1987; Bloom, 1976; Dochy, Segers, & Buehl, 1999; Tobias, 1994; Alexander, Kulikowich, & Schulze, 1994; Schiefele & Krapp, 1996; Tamir, 1996; Boulanger, 1981). In these studies, the reported average correlation between a person's background knowledge of a given topic and the extent to which that person learns new information on that topic is .66 (see Technical Note 1 on p. 127 for a discussion of how the correlation was computed)."
--discuss the nature of a typical “first-draft” reading of a difficult text:
- A gist reading--“survival mode” in order to understand/comprehend the text on a literal level
- Ask the “curious questions”
- Basic comprehension is essential if any deeper understanding is to occur.
- Easier with some sort of defined purpose (therefore, often a purposeful reading)
- Most effective when it is still somewhat active reading (annotate: jot down curious questions, jot down notes related to your defined purpose, etc.)
--oral first-draft reading of "Letter One"
- Your purpose:
- Jot down curious questions on your personal copy of the text whenever such questions enter your mind (listen for them!)
- Underline key words/details and annotate with regard to these two questions:
- What does Rainer Maria Rilke, the author of this letter, say to "Sir" about what is important and meaningful to a person?
- What advice does Rilke give "Sir?"
--scan back through the first two paragraphs of your copy of "Letter One"
- What curious questions did you jot down?
- What did you underline/how did you annotate with regard to these two questions?:
- What does Rainer Maria Rilke, the author of this letter, say to "Sir" about what is important and meaningful to a person?
- What advice does Rilke give "Sir?"
--whole-class share-out as per gist reading/address my related questions, focusing more specifically on the first two paragraphs (cards drawn if necessary)--as I mark up the text on the SmartBoard, do the same on your personal copy of the text
Transition (2 mins.)
--Pick up the following document from the front table:
- "Target-Driven Ticket-Out-the-Door"
--After carefully reading the directions for the Ticket-Out-the-Door, complete the task at hand and submit your best work based on the time permitted prior to leaving class.
HW (Take-Home Assessment)
--Finish your work with Article of the Week #2, which is due at the beginning of NEXT class (Monday, 10/2 [ACE] or Tuesday, 10/3 [BDF]). This task will include purposefully reading the directions in the box at the top of the first page and completing your best work with regard to the directions. Good luck!
Miscellaneous
--Read your free reading book for at least 10 minutes between now and next class. ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS. You have up until early-December to finish your book.
--Read your free reading book for at least 10 minutes between now and next class. ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS. You have up until early-December to finish your book.
--Enjoy the weekend--you only get so many of 'em! :)
