A graphic organizer is used in this American literature lesson to compare and contrast freedom themed texts

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Subject(s): Language Arts, Social Studies Grades(s): Junior High/High School

Title – Comparing and Contrasting American Literature

By – Kristine Matthews

Primary Subject – Language Arts

Secondary Subjects – Social Studies

Grade Level – 8


Compare
and Contrast Lesson Plan


Standards
Addressed:

  8-R1.1, 8-R1.7, 8-R1.14, 8-R2.2, 8-R2.4, 8-R2.10,
8-W3.3,  8-C1.3

Performance
Objectives:

 (Learning and behavior)  The student will first be able use a graphic
organizer as a means of organizing information and events logically.  Second, the student will demonstrate the
ability to read a variety of texts fluently,  compare and contrast his or her findings on a particular topic, and
identify main points.  Third, the student
will be able to compare and contrast conflict and theme, identify the author’s
purpose, and use texts to support their own ideas.  And finally, the student will be able to participate
in class discussions.


Lesson Plan
Overview:

 According to the Eighth Grade SC Standards, compare
and contrast theme and conflict in a variety of texts.  The students have been studying the following
literary works: “Paul Revere’s Ride,” “Harriet Tubman,” “Go Down Moses,” and
“The People Could Fly.”  The students
will compare and contrast all of each of the four pieces. The students will be
assigned a comparison point and will work in small groups comparing and
contrasting that point.   The students
will teach the other members of the class about their assigned comparison point.  They will also participate in class
discussion about.


ACTIVITY


DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY & SETTING


MATERIALS & TIME


I.  Focus and Review

(Establish prior knowledge)

Word of the Day Review

Finish class discussion questions on “The People Could Fly”

Materials: Overhead projector, overhead transparencies

Time:  15 min.


II.  Statement of Objectives

(inform)

The teacher will explain to the students that they will be comparing and contrasting the four pieces of literature that have been covered in the America unit.  They will work in small groups on an assigned comparison point.  The students will teach the rest of the class about their findings.

Materials: None

Time: 5 min.


III.  Teacher Input

(Present: task, information, guidance)

The teacher will define the literary elements “comparison” and “contrast” and discuss the uses of each when analyzing literature. The teacher will guide a class discussion after the group work has been completed.

Materials:  Overhead projector & overhead transparency

Time:  15 min.


IV.  Guided Practice

(elicit performance)

The teacher will circulate the room to assess the students as they work in pairs to complete a graphic organizer comparing and contrasting “Paul Revere’s Ride”, “Harriet Tubman”, “Go Down Moses”, and “The People Could Fly.” Each group will be assigned one of the following comparison points: character, theme, conflict, style, cultural connections, purpose, and genre. 

Materials:  C/C Worksheet

Time:  10 min.


V.  Independent Practice, Seatwork/Homework

(retain and transfer)

Each group will be assigned one of the following comparison points: character, theme, conflict, style, cultural connections, purpose, and genre.  They will then individually teach the other students about the specific point that they compared and contrasted.  Students will complete a review sheet for their exam on Thursday.

Materials:  C/C Worksheet and Review Sheet for the Test

Time:  13 min.


VI.  Closure

(plan for maintenance)

Remind the students that they are to finish their review sheets for homework and that their exam is tomorrow.   

Materials:  None

Time:  2 min.

 

Compare and Contrast Worksheet


HOW ARE THEY ALIKE?


NAME:

Comparison Points

Paul Revere’s Ride

Harriet Tubman

Go Down Moses

The People Could Fly

Characters
       


Theme

       

Conflict
       

Style
       

Cultural Connection
       

Purpose
       

Genre
       

 

Compare and Contrast Worksheet


HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT?


NAME:

Comparison Points

Paul Revere’s Ride

Harriet Tubman

Go Down Moses

The People Could Fly

Characters
       


Theme

       

Conflict
       

Style
       

Cultural Connection
       

Purpose
       

Genre
       

 

Compare and Contrast Worksheet (KEY)


HOW ARE THEY ALIKE?


Comparison Points

Paul Revere’s Ride

Harriet Tubman

Go Down Moses

The People Could Fly

Characters

Hero/ Warned Colonists of British troops/ defiant, stands up to the  British/ actual person though embellished

Brave/Determined/

Courageous/ Faced difficult journeys

Hero/Leads slaves to Canada to escape slavery/defiant/ actual person

 

Brave/Determined/

Courageous/Faced difficult journeys

Hero/Leads people of Israel out of slavery/defiant/ actual person

 

Brave/Determined/

Courageous/Faced difficult journeys

Hero/leads people out of slavery/defiant/ mythical person

 

Brave/Determined/

Courageous/ Faced difficult journeys


Theme

Heroism

Fought for beliefs

Selfless

It is not easy to achieve freedom/takes courage, etc.

Heroism

Heroism

Fought for beliefs

Selfless

It is not easy to achieve freedom/takes courage, etc.

Harriet leads the slaves to freedom in Canada

Heroism

Fought for beliefs

Selfless

It is not easy to achieve freedom/takes courage, etc.


Moses saves his people by taking them to freedom out of Egypt

Heroism

Fought for beliefs

Selfless

It is not easy to achieve freedom/takes courage, etc.

Toby leads the people to Freedom by whispering the magic words to make them fly


Conflict
Person vs. Society Person vs. Society Person vs. Society Person vs. Society

Style

All contain figurative language

“Kindled the land into flame”

All contain figurative language

The new land had become a reality. It was Thomas Sims, a boy picked up

All contain figurative language

Whole piece a metaphor

All contain figurative language

They flew like Blackbirds – simile

The master was a lump of clay – metaphor


Cultural Connection
Birth of a new nation Use of Spirituals to signal her arrival and an escape Mixture of white hymns and African performance traditions References to life in Africa/ African words to activate magic/raise up like “ring sing” – usually a harvest ritual

Purpose
To inform / create a sense of unity and inspiration/ To inform/ create a sense of unity and inspiration To inform/ create a sense of unity and inspiration/ To inform/ create a sense of unity and inspiration/

Genre

Provide similar atmosphere

Provide similar atmosphere Provide similar atmosphere Provide similar atmosphere

 

Compare and Contrast Worksheet (KEY)


HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT?


Comparison Points

Paul Revere’s Ride

Harriet Tubman

Go Down Moses

The People Could Fly

Characters
Based loosely on his historical figure/ acted alone during the ride/ never actually completed his journey Actual Person Biblical figure Mythical person that embodies our fantasies and dreams/ superhuman powers


Theme

Leave Out Leave Out Leave Out Leave Out

Conflict
Concerns colonists’ desire for independence Concerns slavery Concerns slavery Concerns slavery

Style
Poetic Style More formal language, sentence structures more sophisticated Musical/repetition Informal, conversational, like someone was story telling

Cultural Connection
American/European Connections African connections African connections African connections

Purpose
Inspire the Union during the Civil War to take up arms as the colonists did To tell the horrors of slavery and its effect on people and to provide a factual account from the life of a heroic individual Eludes to slavery without directly saying it To tell the horrors of slavery and its effect on people in an entertaining way

Genre
Poem

Biography

Spiritual Folktale

E-Mail

Kristine Matthews

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