LESSON PLAN

Teacher: Claryce Lum

Subject: Literature in English (Jean Tay's Boom) Class: 4R1 Date: 7
Dec. 2010
Unit: Setting and Atmosphere Time: 1030am, Duration: 70 minutes
Topic: Location Studies (Part 2) – 'Dream Homes'

Instructional Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify and discuss with
supporting evidence how themes in the play are developed through diction and
imagery in the portrayal of 'dream homes' and Mandai Columbarium.

Content: Key Concepts

The students will achieve the instructional objectives of the lesson through
guided practice in a study of diction – word choice, imagery, similes, metaphors
– in setting and atmosphere of 'Dream Homes' and Mandai Columbarium.

Student Profile
The targeted group is a Secondary 4 Express class in a government
neighbourhood school reading Jean Tay's Boom as an 'O' Level text. There are 10
boys and 15 girls in the class. The students are mid ability learners who have an
average ability in the English language. The students are lively and participate
readily in class discussions. A majority of the students are verbal, linguistic,
auditory and visual learners.

Previous Knowledge
• This lesson is the second lesson in a unit of four lessons focusing on
setting in Boom. In the previous lesson, students have completed a study
of setting and atmosphere of Mother's Home (Zion Mansion). The lessons
that follow in the unit on setting will guide students through a study of
atmosphere and staging in Boom.
• This lesson assumes that students have read the text in its entirety, and
have studied theme, context and characterisation in previous units. This
unit will be followed by two more units which focus on a study of language
and point of view. The six broad areas of study (Theme, Context,
Characterisation, Setting, Language, and Point of View) are progressively
revisited throughout each of the units in varying degrees of depth. At the
end of their study, students will achieve a better literary understanding
and appreciation of Boom.

Time Sequence of Lesson and Class Organisation Instructio Assessme

Rationale nal nt of
Materials Learning
(Re-cap) Introduction and Teacher ensures students Workshee Individual
5 min Motivation have their handouts and t, Notes on
A re-cap of the previous texts and are prepared for Projector Workshee
lesson activates the lesson. t (Setting)
students’ schema of the Teacher recaps points
analysis of setting and covered in the previous
makes learning lesson on Mother’s House,
meaningful by and explicitly outlines the
highlighting the relevance of new
relevance of new knowledge.

1
 knowledge.

(Film Development Teacher instructs students Workshee Individual

excerpts) This activity introduces to note the use of diction t, Notes on
15 mins media exposure to and imagery in setting as DVD Workshee
stimulate discussion of they watch excerpts from (Singapor t (Setting)
themes, to guide the film. e Shorts
schematic connections Teacher screens excerpts I),
between events of the from Tan Pin Pin’s Moving Projector
text and real-world House (The grave>00:00-
historical/cultural 02:17 [2min17sec],
contexts, to appeal to Singapore and land
multiple intelligences, space> 03:03-04:40
and to promote skill [1min48sec],
transfer in the analysis Exhumation> 09:28-10:40
of setting in the film. [1min22sec], “New
House”>18:12-21:39
[3min27sec]).
At the end of each excerpt,
the teacher pauses film
playback (checking for
student understanding and
replaying them if
necessary) to draw
contextual connections
between the text and the
events, and to model the
analysis of setting in the
film text. The modeling of
setting analysis is largely
teacher-led. Student
participation in
clarification and
collaborative discussion is
encouraged.
(Close Development Teacher refers students to Extracts Individual
reading) This activity structures the corresponding from the Notes on
15 mins student understanding excerpts on ‘dream Boom, Workshee
of the significance of homes’ in the text and the Workshee t (Setting)
setting in Boom. The worksheet, and explains t,
close-reading activity that students are to read Projector
provides practice in the the passage closely. In
analysis of setting. pairs, students will make
The focus of the activity notes on how setting is
is on a group of settings portrayed through diction
that contrast or (word choice, expressions,
complement the setting imagery, similes,
in the previous lesson.

2
 The contrast or
relationship between
settings is pertinent to
the discussion of
thematic concerns that
surface in the novel.
(Class Development
Sharing Class sharing and
and discussion will help
Discussio students make
n) connections between
20 mins their individual efforts to
form a complete
analysis of diction in the
setting of the excerpts.
(Summar Conclusion
y of Structuring
learning) consolidation and
15 mins closure allows time to
wrap up discussions,
make connections
between previous
lessons and new
learning points, and for
questions from students
to assess learning
outcomes.
metaphors...) in
‘description’ and
‘implication’ sections of
the worksheet.
Upon completion, stronger
learners are encouraged to
attempt the following two
columns which demand for
higher-order integration of
knowledge, evaluation and
analysis.
Teacher to facilitate class Extracts Individual
sharings as students piece from the Notes on
together what they have Boom, Workshee
done in order to form a Workshee t (Setting)
thorough close-reading of t,
selected excerpts. Projector
As a class, students
identify relevant character
motivations and thematic
concerns of the excerpts.
Teacher recaps what main Extracts Individual
learning points of class from the Notes on
discussion, and elicits Boom, Workshee
questions responses from Workshee t (Setting)
students to assess t,
learning outcomes. Projector Short
Teacher briefs students on Essay
the homework assignment Assignme
and reminds students of nt
the next lesson’s focus on
staging.

Follow-up Activities/Assignments

Students are to write a short essay (~300-400 words) on the following question:
1. How is setting used to forward important thematic concerns in Boom?
Support your answer with examples drawn from close analysis of the text.
The short essay assignment gives students an opportunity to practise continuous
writing and close reference to the text in a discussion of setting.