ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RESOURCES

MULTIPLE CHOICE DEBATES IN SMALL GROUPS

Planning Points

Approximate Time Needed: 25 minutes
Correlation to English I SCS: 2.01, 3.02, 3.03, 4.02, 5.01, 6.01
Correlation to NC High School Exit Exam Competencies: C2, C3, C4, C5, C7

Lesson Objectives:

• The students will read, interpret, and analyze literature.
• The students will justify their interpretations and analysis in a small group format.

Description:

Before the activity

• Students read the piece of literature, either independently or as a class. For homework (or independently in class), they complete ten multiple-choice questions; you can use textbook "Selection Tests" for this. They are an excellent source of practice for students for the EOC, but they also encourage critical thinking skills and careful analysis of the text. As you may know, often two answers out of the four choices often seem equally probable Ð at first. Here is how I promote test-taking strategies that assist students in finding the BEST answer:
• Students use a colored pencil to highlight key words in each of the ten questions.
• Next, students use the colored pencil to cross out three incorrect answer choices. In order to do this successfully, I tell them to go back into the text to find support that will show their answer to be the BEST one. I suggest they use a Post-It note labeled with the question number to mark any place in the text that supports their answer choice.
• They use a pen to circle the BEST answer, according to their analysis of the text.

In Class

• Place the students in groups of four. Each student brings to the group the completed Selection Test, the text, and a different-colored writing utensil. (This will be the third color students use on the sheet.)
• In the group students carefully debate/defend their answers. They must prove to the group which choice is best. This inevitably requires them to cite proof from the text, making it the third study of the literature Ð once when reading, once independently to search for answers, and once again to justify to the group which answer is BEST.
• After EVERY member agrees, the students use that third color to write in the margin the group's final answer.

Assessment:

• Tell them to number themselves off one through four within their groups. As you monitor the groups, stop and ask who is number ____. Then pose a question to that person regarding the group's progress, frustrations, etc.
• Then, when the students have finished the Selection Test debate, randomly ask for the paper of group member number ____. Take that paper for a grade. ALL MEMBERS OF THE GROUP RECEIVE THAT GRADE, since they were equally responsible for debating and selecting the answers. You can see how this keeps individual accountability in a small group setting. Additionally, no student feels intentionally singled out by me.

Additional Notes:

• This strategy has been successful from standard to college prep to honors. The students enjoy this activity because they feel less threatened by the analytical study of literature when they know they will discuss their answers as a group.
• When a Selection Test is particularly difficult, you can check the papers twice. The first time the group says they are ready, mark wrong answers but do not give them the correct ones. They can receive half credit if they reconvene to decide the right answer.
• Some suggested works: "The Scarlet Ibis"; "The Necklace"; "The Cask of Amontillado"; "The Most Dangerous Game"; sections of The Odyssey; sections of Romeo and Juliet

Teacher's Notes:

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