ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RESOURCES
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RESOURCESCONFLICT - RESOLUTION UNIT
Description
The concept of teaching thematically lends itself to making a connection with the students, and a conflict-resolution unit molds a perfect connection between students' personal experiences and what they read in class. This unit involves real-life articles to correlate with the text as well as more student-lead discussions about conflicts, society, and problem-solving strategies. My personal goal is to have the students identify so closely with certain characters that they will analyze and apply resolution strategies in their own lives. Therefore, this unit tends to significantly focus on character development (character traits, goals, actions, etc.),internal and external conflicts, as well as evaluating outcomes of problem situations.
I cover this unit at the end of the semester because I feel the focus and objectives are more personal to the students, and the concepts about self-image and decision-making are what I want the students to remember about the class. As far as pacing and modifications, I like to work in groups a lot during this thematic unit so that students learn socially how to work together. If the groups are strategically prepared, discussions as well as group assignments need little modification.
Tonya Aiken, Davidson County Schools
| Activity Description | Approx. Time | Strands | Exp | Info | Arg |
Crit | Lit | G/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introductory | ||||||||
| Students identify top ten conflicts facing teenagers today. This will establish connection with teenagers in the novel. | 20 min. | O | 3.02 | |||||
| Scenario Questions | 30 min | W | 1.02 | 3.02 | ||||
| Ask students scenario questions to help them clarify their values. For example, "If a tree had two apples, one apple with a worm in it and the apple was within reach or a second apple that was shiny, juicy, and worm-free at the top of the tree, which apple would you choose?" Come up with questions involving values of helping others, integrity, honesty, and motivation. | 3.03 | |||||||
| During | ||||||||
Listen to Maya Angelou read chapters 1-3 of I Know Why
the Caged Bird Sings as they follow along in the textbook. During reading/listening,
students should:
|
1 day | O W M/T |
3.02 3.03 |
4.02 | 5.01 | |||
| Watch I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings film while completing character chart on assigned characters (Annie Henderson, Maya, Bailey, Uncle Willie, Mrs. Flowers) | 1 day | O M/T |
4.02 | 5.01 | ||||
| Discuss predictions about Angelou's answers to scenario questions. Students meet in groups and provide support from text about their responses. | 20 min. | O | 1.02 | 3.01 3.02 3.03 |
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| Students share notes with other students who had the same character for the movie. Each group then teaches the class about the character. | 45 min. | O | 2.04 | 3.01 3.02 3.03 |
5.01 | |||
| Make cause and effect chart on board of conflicts and how each one is resolved. | O | 4.02 | 5.01 | |||||
| Give journal topic, "What is the worst thing you ever did to seek revenge on someone? Did your plan work? Did the plan resolve the conflict?" | 25 min. | W | 1.01 | |||||
| Read "The Cask of Amantillado" and discuss conflict of revenge and pride and how the character chooses to resolve the conflict. | 1 day | O W |
5.01 | |||||
| Highlight for Irony Students take their text (each has a copy) and highlight literary applications for each type of irony in a different color. Share and discuss examples. |
20 min. | W | 4.02 | 5.01 | ||||
| New Resolution Solution Story Put five or six different plot setups (comical, tragic, fairy tale, science fiction, etc.) in a basket. Students groups pick setup from basket and then rewrite the ending of Cask… using the new plot setup. Select a couple of paragraphs from each story to read aloud to show how a conflict, taken in a different situation through a different perspective, can be resolved in many different ways. |
1 1/2 days |
W | 5.01 5.02 |
6.01 6 .02 |
||||
| Stereotypes and gangs Have students sketch a gang member. Then have them turn papers face down and ask volunteer to share with class. Discuss what picture reveals, with student artist explaining what he included. Share additional pictures until stereotype is "fleshed out." Have students read articles about gangs. Then complete Venn diagrams comparing and contrasting stereotypes to reality of gangs. |
60 min | O W M/T |
2.01 2.02 2.04 |
3.02 3.03 |
||||
| Literature Circles for The Outsiders Following Harvey Daniels' model from Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Student-Centered Classroom, assign each student in the group a specific job that s/he will focus on during the reading and report information to group members. Jobs include word wizard, literary luminary, artful artist, discussion director, and connector. |
45 min. | O W |
1.02 | 3.01 3.02 3.03 |
4.02 | 5.01 5.02 |
||
| Analyze "Nothing Gold Can Stay" poem and discuss theme as it relates to the characters in The Outsiders | 30 min. | 4.02 | 5.01 | |||||
| Chapter Guide Questions (usually assigned for homework) | 15 min. (daily homework) | 5.01 | ||||||
| The Outsiders Court Case After reading about church fire, have trial to resolve such issues who should have custody of Ponyboy, charging Johnny, Dally, or Ponyboy with murder, and/or charging the Socs for the conduct on the night of Bob's death. Assign students roles for court case (judge, attorneys, witnesses, jurors, etc.). While legal system "characters" research court proceedings, attorneys and clients discuss and develop argument. Students conduct trial and jurors make decision. Students finish reading the novel and compare their resolutions with the real ending. |
4 days | 1.01 | 2.04 | 3.01 |
6.01 | |||
| Culminating | ||||||||
| Styles of Writing Analysis | 2 days | 3.01 | 4.01 | 5.01 | 6.01 | |||
| Compare simple/heightened writing styles of Angelou, Poe, and Hinton, with groups finding and analyzing examples from each author. | 3.02 3.03 |
4.02 | ||||||
| Character Poetry Activity Review types of poetry (ode, narrative, ballad, dramatic, etc.). Have students select a character from unit readings and write poem demonstrating understanding of character and story. Students should include at least 2 examples of figurative language in their poems. |
2 days | 4.01 | 5.01 | 6.01 6.02 |
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