Voices of the Pacific Lesson Plan U.S. Department of the Interior World War II: Voices of the Pacific Created By: Leslie Reynolds Grade Level: Grade 10 Content Area: Language Arts Timeline/Length: Two weeks Key Concepts: Some of the key concepts in this lesson are: Understanding the features of autobiographical narratives; being able to desribe a sequence of events and communicate the significance of the events to the audience; being able to locate scenes and incidents in specific places; practice with literary techniques such as concrete, significant details and imagery to describe specific sights, sounds, and smells; using voice to create a sense of time and place. Vocabulary: autobiographical narrative; concrete, significant details; image; point of view; voice; diction GPSS Content Standards: This lesson plan is consistent with GPSS content standards for grade 10. The following are the content standards that this lesson addresses. Standard 3 R : Reading Comprehension and Analysis of Literary Texts 10.3.5 Explain how voice and the choice of a narrator affect characterization and the mood, tone, plot, meaning and credibility of a text. 10.3.7- Evaluate the significance of various literary devices Standard 4: Writing Purposes, Processes, and Strategies Students use a wide range of strategies and resources to gather and synthesize information and use a variety of writing processes to create and communicate knowledge with a variety of audiences for different purposes 10.4.2 Write autobiographical narratives that Describe a sequence of events and communicate the significance of the events to the audience Locate scenes and incidents in specific places. Describe the specific sights, sounds, and smells of a scene and the specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of characters. EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA
Lesson Overview: This lesson may be especially effective if students have already read an autobiographical narrative or a piece of historical fiction. In this lesson, students will select an individual from Guam s World War II era and write an autobiographical narrative from their point of view. For example, they could write from the perspective of George Tweed; the Chamorros who risked their lives to hide him; American soldiers; or Japanese soldiers. In order to be successful readers and writers students need to be able to put themselves in the shoes of the characters they read about. They need to be able to analyze writing by discussing how point of view; concrete, significant details and historic accuracy work to transport readers to a specific time and place. The details the student includes (e.g., diction; the thoughts, feelings, and biases of the character; what they see, hear, smell, touch, and taste) should reflect the context of the time and place in which they are situated. These details should be based on what they learn from the museum (although students may also use prior knowledge such as information from a history of Guam class or oral histories from family members). The exhibit is media rich and students can utilize historic photographs, audio excerpts, artifacts, touch bins, and films to gather their information. Therefore, students need to take careful notes during their visit. They should be able to justify why they chose to include or omit particular details. Lesson Objectives: After completing this lesson, students will be able to: Discuss literary techniqes such as significant, concrete details; image; voice; point of view Snythesize information gathered from photos, films, audio excerpts, displays, musuem literature Write an autobiographical narrative Engage in meaningful peer review and create multiple drafts Textbooks/Materials/Resources: Handouts provided For some activities you may have to provide historical photographs Procedures: 1 Attention grabber/warm up Activity Before students visit the exhibit they can do a focused freewriting activity. The teacher will need a historic photo taken on Guam during WW II. The photo can either be included on a handout for each student or it can be projected on a screen. Students should be reminded that in freewriting they do not need to worry about spelling, punctuation, grammar, or paragrpah breaks. Their pen should not leave the paper and they should write as much as possible for ten to fifteen minutes. This writing exercise is meant to get the creative juices flowing. If time allows, students can share what they have written with the class or students can exchange papers in small groups. Remind students that they are not proofreading their classmate s paper. The teacher can facilitate a class discussion exploring what students have written. What questions do they have about what they see in the photo? What do EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA
they already know about this photo or the time period from which it comes? Students should hang on to their free writing exercise. They may need to refer to it later. 2. The teacher s instructional actions Before students visit the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center in Sumay, Guam the teacher should discuss the focus of the exhibit. In this discussion students can share what they already know about the World War II era in Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands. The teacher can uncover what students have learned about this period from a history of Guam class or from the oral histories of family members. Students should be given the assignment guidelines handout well before their visit to the museum. It should be emphasized that students will need to gather their information for the assignment during their time at the exhibit. Thefore, students should be reminded that they will need to take careful notes and come away with the information they will use to create a convincing narrative. The handouts on image & significant, concrete detail and voice are meant as scaffolding activities. These handouts should help facilitate class discussion on how writers use these techniques. They also provide in-class practice with using these literary techniques in a low stakes environment. The amount of time covering these literary techniques will depend on how much experience students have with analyzing literature. These handouts should be utilized before visiting the museum. 3. Students prior knowledge The discussions and activities highlight students knowledge of the World War II era in the Pacific. It is important to acknowledge and validate students existing knowledge of the subject. This information may come classes such as history of Guam or from the oral histories of family members. The discussions and activities also activate their prior knowledge of characters and texts already covered in the class. 4. Accomodations for students various developmental levels (grouping, modeling, modifications for students in need, etc) The handouts build scaffolding for understanding literary techniques and involve small group discussion and activities to be done in class. These activities and discussions will lead up to the main writing assignment. 5. Independent practice Independent practice is highlighted in the rough draft and peer review assignments. 6. Checking for understanding A rough draft of the assignment will be turned in before the final draft. The teacher can read through the rough drafts to check their understanding of key concepts. EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA
Assessment/Evaluation Students will be evaluated on their ability to follow the assignment guidelines, their understanding of key concepts, the quality of their peer review, their ability to gather information from the museum, and their aderehence to writing standards such as grammar and mechanics. A rubric for the final assignment is attached. Wrap-Up/Closing Activity The teacher can provide one more historical photograph and students can engage in a final focused freewrite. Ask students to find their first focused freewrite. Students can compare their first freewriting assignment to this one. Has their writing changed? How so? References Burroway, J. (2011). Imaginative writing: The elements of craft (3 rd ed.). Boston: Longman. Elbow, P., & Belanoff, P. (2003). Being a writer: A community of writers revisted. New York: McGraw-Hill. EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA
Voices of the Pacific Rubric U.S. Department of the Interior Voices of the Pacific Narrative Rubric Content It is clear why the writer has chosen to depict the event(s) It is evident that the writer understands how to use concrete, significant detail It is evident that the writer understands how to use image The writer s use of concrete significant details and images are consistent with World War II in the Pacific It is evident that the writer understands how to use voice to portray a specific time/place The writer uses voice in a way that is consistent with the individual they have chosen It is evident that the writer has included information from the museum Follows Guidelines/Format The writer uses first person point of view The writer uses paragraph breaks appropriately The assignment meets the page requirement The assignment follows standards for font, spacing, and margins Grammar, Mechanics & Sentence structure The writer has proofread for errors in sentence structure The writer has proofread for errors in punctuation The writer has proofread for spelling errors The writer has proofread for typographical errors Drafting/Peer Review The writer has made significant revisions based on peer review feedback The writer has provided quality feedback on their partner s paper Total
Voices of the Pacific Narrative Guidelines U.S. Department of the Interior Rough Draft Due (Peer Review in class): Final Draft Due: World War II: Voices from the Pacific Description You will be responsible for writing a narrative from the point of view of an individual living in the World War II era in the Pacific. This means your writing should be in the first person. You can describe a significant event from their perspective (such as the arrival of American soldiers on Guam during the Japanese occupation) or you could describe a typical day for a person living in Guam, Saipan, or other islands in the Pacific during this time. You could choose to write from the point of view of a soldier, a child, or a well-known figure such as George Tweed. You will be expected to include concrete details and images that are consistent with this era. This means you will need to think about what this person might feel, see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. In order to do this we will visit the museum at the in Sumay. There, you will be exposed to historic photographs, audio excerpts, films, and artifacts related to the World War II era in the Pacific. You will need to take careful notes as you walk through the museum. You will use these notes to write your narrative. If you need more time at the museum, you may want to visit again on your own. It should be 2 3 pages double-spaced. This project will involve drafting. Be prepared to engage in peer review. This means classmates will read your work and offer constructive criticism. You will use their feedback to make changes and create your final draft. During the visit to the museum: Bring a notebook and pen and take detailed notes Walk through the museum and decide from whose point of view you will write Decide what events you will describe Think about what details you will include in order to create an authentic voice for this individual and ensure historic accuracy You should consider the following: What are her/his hopes or fears? What are her/his biases? Why? What type of clothing, shelter or food does she/he have? What would this person carry on them or in their pockets? Why? What language(s) does this person speak? How has war changed this person s life?
Voices of the Pacific Class Discussion Image & Concrete, significant details U.S. Department of the Interior *Image is a word or series of words that evokes one or more of the five senses. *Concrete, significant details Concrete means that there is an image, something that can be seen, heard, smelled, tasted, or touched. Detail means that there is a degree of focus and specificity. Significant means that the specific image also suggests an abstraction, generalization, or judgment. Discussion Questions In small groups discuss the following questions. Be prepared to share what you talked about with the rest of the class. 1. According to Janet Burroway (2011): The trick is that if you write in words that evoke the senses, if your language is full of things that can be seen, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched, you create a world your reader can enter. (p. 14) What do you think this means? Explain this in your own words. 2. How does this relate to literature we have read in this class or on your own? How did the author transport you to a particular time and place? How did the author create images in your mind? Can you give us an example of an image that has stuck with you? Why has this image stayed with you? Activity (You will need to provide a photograph) Describe this scene using each of the five senses at least once. Do your choices create a mood, judgment, or an emotion? (Burroway, 2011, p. 13) *Exchange papers in a small group or with a partner. Read your classmate s description. Discuss the questions below and be prepared to share with the class. How is it similar to yours? How is it different from yours? Which part of their description is especially effective? Why? How does their description create a mood, judgment, or an emotion? Burroway, J. (2011). Imaginative writing: The elements of craft (3 rd ed.). Boston: Longman.
Voices of the Pacific Class Discussion Voice U.S. Department of the Interior Voice The recognizable style of a particular writer or character, composed of syntax, vocabulary, attitude, and tone (Burroway, 2011, p. 382). Diction- A combination of vocabulary, the words chosen, and syntax, the order in which they are used. Diction will convey not only the facts but also the tone and attitude of the person whose voice speaks to us from the page (Burroway, 2011, p. 377). Discussion Questions In small groups discuss the following questions. Be prepared to share what you talked about with the rest of the class. 1. According to Burroway (2011): A character s voice comes out of, and can convey, a historical period, a class, a set of circumstances, emotions, and the myriad quirks of typicality and eccentricity. (p. 54) What do you think this means? 2. The following excerpt is from the novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. What does the voice of Holden Caulfield tell you about him and the world he lives in? If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap (The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger) 3. Can you think of examples from other novels where the author uses voice to effectively portray a particular time, place, or set of circumstances? Activity Write a short character sketch of someone in your family. Write a monologue in which that person tells you an anecdote from his or her childhood (Burroway, 2011, p. 54). Think about how you can use vocabulary and syntax to portray this person. *Exchange papers with a partner. Read their monologue. Think about the following: Can you guess who it is? (mother, father, aunt, sister, brother, cousin, grandparent) How do you know? How does diction reveal who this person is? Burroway, J. (2011). Imaginative writing: The elements of craft (3 rd ed.). Boston: Longman.