English Lesson Plan

Name Ms. Green

Lesson #, Lesson Title Lesson 1
Date (including day of week) Dec. 3rd Monday
Grade Level & Class Title 9th grade English
Period or Block (# of minutes) 55 minutes

Central Focus
What is the central focus for this learning segment?
Students will read film for rhetoric strategies that frame an important issue. Students will
examine these strategies for their impact on readers and eventually create their own type
of announcement using one of the rhetorical strategies.
Standards
List Common Core standards addressed in the lesson.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2
Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the
text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide
an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6
Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author
uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and
disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and
understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning
presented.
Learning Objectives and Assessments
List the specific learning objectives for the lesson. (What do you want students to know,
to understand, and to do? Frame these as “Students will be able to….”)
Then, list how you will assess each learning objective. (Include both formal and
informal assessments of student learning.)
Learning Objectives Assessments
SWBAT demonstrate mutual respect for Activity, Discussion
their peers.

SWBAT read background texts to gain Article

insight on an important issue

SWBAT read the first 18 minutes of the Viewing of film, TOD

film ‘13th’ for impact and powerful
moments.

Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks

Launch/Hook: How will you start the lesson to engage and motivate students in learning?
Time Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks/Questions to Ask

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3 mins Slide 1: Students will come in and begin writing down the aim. One student
will read the aim aloud.

Aim: Students will be able to use background reading in order to recognize

powerful moments in the film that frame an important issue.
2 mins Slide 2: “Let’s recap on what we’ve been doing up to now, then I’ll provide
you all with a brief overview of where we are headed. So far we have looked
at nonfiction texts to practice the strategies used when reading them. We used
some of those texts to create annotated bibliographies where you practices
citations and annotations. Other texts were used alongside the film How to Die
in Oregon. The film and reading helped us look at ways to construct claims
and counterclaims to produce strong arguments. Using all these skills, you all
had an argumentative essay due that focused on DWD. We are moving on to
another topic that requires nonfiction sources. When analyzing these sources,
we are going to focus on how arguments are constructed and benefits of these
chosen strategies.”
6 mins Slide 3: Activity
This activity requires maturity and respect.

Each side of the room has a sheet of paper labeled either “true” or “false”

I will read out a statement. After I read, you will walk to the side of the room
with the labeled sheet you agree with most. (true or false)

This will be a quiet activity, so we can all take in the impact of this sensitive
topic.
4 mins Slide 4: What did you notice during the activity.
“We are not calling anyone out. If you want to speak frame your response
using “I noticed”.
Middle of the lesson: What will you do to engage students in developing understanding
of the lesson objectives?
Time Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks/Questions to Ask
10 mins Slide 5: Read the article
3 mins Slide 6: Class Share - What are we going to be discussing?
How does the article highlight the impact of this film on the world?
5 mins Slide 7 -8: Unit Introduction & Background
3 mins Slide 9: As you watch, consider what strikes you as important and what is
powerful to you. Structure your notes anyway you want, but you should have
notes.
20 mins Watch 1st 18 mins of movie – Stop at powerful moments if time.
Closing the lesson: How will you end the lesson?
Time Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks/Questions to Ask
3 mins TOD: One a post- it - What did you notice? Or what was really powerful?
Collect post-its and save them for next class where students will match these
moments with rhetoric strategies.

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During this unit, students are learning the different ways authors and directors

frame their arguments in non-fiction texts. Prior to “reading” the documentary ‘13th’ by

Ava DuVernay, they “read” the film ‘How to Die in Oregon’ directed by Peter

Richardson. They focused on how Richardson presents his claims through anecdotes and

the specific ways we chooses to present counterclaims. While reading DeVernay’s film,

we examined the different rhetorical appeals she uses to frame her claims. These

rhetorical appeals are ethos, pathos, and logos. The purpose of this lesson, is to expose

students to rhetorical strategies that they can use in their writing. Towards the end of the

learning segment it will be there chance to practice using these strategies to frame an

argument of their own.

Before diving into the film, I wanted to have a pre-assessment that revealed to me

student’s knowledge and personal beliefs around the topic of racism and mass

incarceration. The pre-assessment was an anticipation guide that I created into an activity

that involved students to interreact with the material in a different way than they have in

the past. Previous anticipation guides were surveys that they filled out on paper. This

assessment allowed movement and discussion that allowed students to hear their peers

ideas. This activity also gave me insight on what students know. For example, students

were confused about what discrimination was. I was able to address this confusion while

providing students with background on the topic and the documentary.

I scaffolded the lesson so students reflect on what they know and feel; then they

receive background from an article and mini-lesson; lastly they are exposed to the content

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through the film. As we move on, students will have a chance to work on refining their

ideas based off what they’ve learned and what new ideas their peers present.