{"id":1403,"date":"2019-04-16T17:36:43","date_gmt":"2019-04-16T17:36:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/?p=1403"},"modified":"2019-04-16T17:36:51","modified_gmt":"2019-04-16T17:36:51","slug":"caitlyn-with-a-cs-major-project-teaching-to-kill-a-mockingbird","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/uncategorized\/caitlyn-with-a-cs-major-project-teaching-to-kill-a-mockingbird\/","title":{"rendered":"Caitlyn with a C&#8217;s Major Project: Teaching &#8220;To Kill a Mockingbird&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For\nmy major project I created two different lesson plans for reading Harper Lee\u2019s <em>To Kill a Mockingbird<\/em> with an eighth\ngrade English class. The first lesson plan not focusing on disability but\ntheme, and the second discussing how perceived disability in the novel affects the\ncharacters. I also wrote a letter to the Fredericksburg City School Board\nmembers, encouraging them to consider including disability studies into the\ncommon curriculum of students. I chose this avenue as I am not an English major\nand the idea of writing a paper was daunting to me, and when I thought of what\nI could do instead, I knew this was the right choice. After reading <em>To Kill a Mockingbird <\/em>in eighth grade\nmyself I did not realize the importance of the novel, or its future impact on\nme as a student. Reading Harper Lee\u2019s novel this semester has truly opened my\neyes to how disability affects us every day, and how material relating to\ndisability studies can be fully accessible to all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My\ngoal in creating these two works was to fully consider how disability studies\ncould believably be integrated into mainstream schools and classrooms. While it\nwould be ideal to dedicate an entire unit to disability in literature for an\nEnglish class, it is improbable that a school district would approve, and even\nif they did it would take years to finalize and implement. Instead what I\nthought of was ways that disability could be taught within discussion of an\nalready approved book. <em>To Kill a\nMockingbird<\/em> is often included in Middle or High School English classes, but\nlessons revolve around reading the novel whilst examining the effects of race.\nWhile I have no intention of suggesting that these important discussions be\nhalted, I believe that disability also has a place here. Teaching students about\nthis topic pushes boundaries and preconceived notions about those with\ndisabilities. It fosters increased empathy and acceptance of differences. Disability\nstudies has the capability of inciting conversations that might not be had otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While\ncreating my lesson plans, I had a difficult time forming an outline that was\nprogressive, while still being something that could be taught in Fredericksburg\nCounty schools, which are considered somewhat conservative on what material is\ntaught. Therefore, I created two. The first does not actually revolve around disability,\nbut theme \u2013 one of which just happens to be disability. In middle school\nEnglish classes, the focus is still on building fundamental reading skills that\ncan later be used for detailed analysis. Teaching theme allows for a teacher to\nuse disability as an example, thus further normalizing discussions of\ndisability. While educators or school board members may not fully agree that\ndisability studies should be taught, what they can agree on is the importance\nof acceptance and compassion. The second lesson is more of what I would want to\nbe taught in schools, but may be a stretch. The procedure begins with discussing\nwhat views children already have on disability, and opening up conversation\nabout ways in which disability can also be thought about. The lesson also\nincludes topics such as race and gender, and whether or not those are disabling\nin the novel, which could spark further discussions. The lesson concludes with\na talk of empathy, as I believe that is most important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\nhad originally intended to utilize one of the theory pieces that our class read\naround the same time, but I found the writing to be a bit above the\ncomprehension level of the typical eighth grader, so I instead integrated my\nknowledge into sample questions to ask students, and my letter to the school\nboard. I have emailed that letter to the email listed on the website with my\nlesson plan attached, and hope to actually hear back from somebody. The real\nsignificance of this project is enacting real change for the future, something I\nthink this idea truly has the capability of doing.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Word Count: 657<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I hereby declare upon my word of honor that I have neither given nor received unauthorized help on this work. -Caitlyn Valenza<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Theme in Harper Lee\u2019s <em>To Kill a Mockingbird <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Objectives:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Students\nwill be able to explain the idea of theme and find examples in text.<\/li><li>Students\nwill understand that theme is more than just a topic or a moral, it is the main\nmessage that the author conveys.<\/li><li>8.5\nThe student will read and analyze a variety of fictional texts, narrative\nnonfiction, and poetry.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Purpose<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The purpose of this\nlesson is not only to allow for an understanding of the concept of themes in\nfictional text, but also exposes students to ideas such as prejudice and\ndisability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Materials\/Equipment\/Preparation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Physical\ncopies of Harper Lee\u2019s novel, <em>To Kill a\nMockingbird <\/em>for each student, poster paper, markers <\/li><li>Overhead\nprojector and screen to project video outlining theme. Set up computer\nbeforehand with video: https:\/\/youtu.be\/0heUJ5Q-skU<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Procedure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As\nthe teacher I will begin this lesson with the introduction to the idea of\ntheme. First, I will ask the class if anyone already knows the definition of theme\nor has any idea what it could mean, identifying students who may be more\nadvanced in the subject, and may need to be challenged more, also their writing\nmay be used as an example. Then, I will show a short video the concisely\nexplains theme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Model<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To\nshow how to both find and understand theme, I will model using the theme of\ndisability in <em>To Kill a Mockingbird.<\/em>\nI will explain how by giving an explanation such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>When we think of theme, sometimes our\ndefault is to just look for a topic that is repeated frequently in a novel, and\nwhile that is helpful in finding a place to start, a theme is more than that.\nTake the idea of disability. What does the author say about disability and how\nit is perceived? That is the key idea of theme, you should start with \u201cHarper\nLee believes disability *blank*\u201d and that blank is how you create the theme. In\nthis case, Harper Lee believes perceived disability affects how an individual\nis treated in society. And for it to be correct, there should be textual\nevidence. Like on page 13, <em>\u201cJem gave a\nreasonable description of Boo: Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging\nfrom his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that\u2019s\nwhy his hands were blood-stained\u2014if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash\nthe blood off. There was a long-jagged scar that ran across his face; what\nteeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of\nthe time.\u201d <\/em>This perception, which you know is untrue, causes Arthur to be\nfurther ostracized by society, and treated differently by people who have never\nmet him. Can you think of other characters who disability has also had an\naffect on their lives? (Look for answers such as Tom\u2019s arm, or Mrs. Dubose\u2019s\naddiction) <\/li><li><strong>Activities <\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I will further direct\nstudents through the idea of theme by asking students to work with their table\ngroups to come up with different themes of the novel to then share with the\nclass. From there I will write those ideas on the board and work with the children\nto create a class set of themes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each group of students\nwill then write one of the themes we have created together as a class on a\nlarge sheet of paper. Groups will then rotate around the room writing one quote\nfrom <em>TKAM<\/em> on each of the themed pages\nthat supports the idea. As a class we will go over each of the boards so the\nstudents can learn from each other, and see what ideas they might have missed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Assessment\/Closing <\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To end class, I will\nwrite 3 classic fairy tales on the board and ask students to write on a sheet\nof paper what the theme of that story is as an exit ticket. This will help to\ngauge comprehension of the lesson. But assessment also comes from class\nparticipation and what students wrote as evidence from the text to support\ntheir themes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Disability in Harper Lee\u2019s <em>To Kill a Mockingbird<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Objectives:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Students\nwill understand how disability can influence the ways an individual is treated\nand seen by society and be able to relate that to their life.<\/li><li>Students\nwill be able to describe how perceived disability affects individual characters\nin the novel.<\/li><li>Students\nwill know that the way disability is handled in this novel is not appropriate\ntoday, and that it is important to accept those in our community that are\ndifferent.<\/li><li>8.5\nThe student will read and analyze a variety of fictional texts, narrative\nnonfiction, and poetry.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Purpose<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The purpose of this\nlesson is to both build upon and alter student\u2019s view of disability,\nestablishing that disability is another characteristic of people, and it is\nsomething that should be accepted and embraced, not feared. This lesson also\nreiterates the importance of empathy and inclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Materials\/Equipment\/Preparation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Physical\ncopies of Harper Lee\u2019s novel <em>To Kill a\nMockingbird <\/em>for each student, <\/li><li>Overhead\nprojector and screen to project video on empathy: https:\/\/youtu.be\/icIlUdTEQnU<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Procedure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As\na continuation from the previous lessons on the concept of theme, this lesson\nfocuses on the theme of disability and society. First, I will reiterate my\npreviously used example of theme in <em>To\nKill a Mockingbird <\/em>, and then ask students to \u201cthink, pair, share\u201d (first\nbrainstorm for 5 minutes, then discuss with table group, and then share with\nthe class) about what they know about the term disability in general. If\nstudents are apprehensive about sharing, I will explain how I understand that\nthe topic can be a sensitive one, but enforce the idea of our classroom being a\ncommunity where we can freely share our ideas. I will prompt discussion with a question\nof whether or not race and gender are seen as a disability in <em>TKAM. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Model<\/strong><\/li><li>To continue with the topic of disability I\nwould question the class to think of ways that disability may affect them or\nsomeone they know in their own life. This real-world connection can include\nseeing ramps (or lack thereof), watching a TV show, or even connections to\nother novels. If children do not want to answer that question, broaden it to\nasking if anyone they know has been affected by how someone perceived them, not\nrelating to disability. (such as stereotypes or gossip)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To\ndemonstrate the lesson, I will begin with the character of Scout. While gender\nmay not always be considered a disability, I will ask students how being a\nfemale disables Scout in Maycomb. Using examples from the text, as modeled and\npracticed in the lesson previously I will read the examples, <em>\u201cI could not possibly hope to be a lady\nif I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I\nwasn\u2019t supposed to be doing things that required pants\u201d <\/em>\u00a0and <em>\u201cFor\none thing, Miss Maudie can\u2019t serve on a jury because she\u2019s a woman\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In\nthis plan there is considerable time built in for questions and discussions.\nLet students question the world as they know it and come to new conclusions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Activities<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As time allows have\nstudents take out their writing journal. I will start a list on the board of\ncharacters in <em>TKAM <\/em>that I believe are\nrelated to disability, but will ask the students if they can think of any\nother. Students will take time to write as much as they can in the time allowed\nabout how their character is affected by disability, reminding them to use\nquotes from the text inside their sentences, an important skill to master. This\nis done individually to allow students time to reflect privately, and I will\nremind them to ask me questions at my desk if they were not comfortable asking\nin front of the class. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Closing\/Assessment <\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If time allows, I will project a video on empathy, prefacing it by telling students that I am proud that they could have such a mature discussion about a topic adults may have a hard time talking about. Even if the video cannot be played, I will remind the class that what they should take away from this lesson is just because we may perceive somebody a certain way, it is usually not true. I will leave them with a quote from Atticus, \u201c<em>You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view [\u2026] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dear Fredericksburg City\nSchool Board Members,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 My name is Caitlyn Valenza and I am a student at the\nUniversity of Mary Washington. Currently I am simultaneously working towards obtaining\nmy bachelor\u2019s degree in psychology as well as my master\u2019s degree in education. Amidst\nstudent teaching hours and working full time, this semester I am currently\nenrolled in a class on Disability in Literature that has broadened my\nunderstanding of disability not only as a student and a future educator, but as\na global citizen. Disability studies centralizes on the idea that just as race,\nand gender are studied as aspects of society, disability can be theorized the\nsame way in order to help better understand those who are unlike us. I urge the\nschool board to consider integrating aspects of disability studies into the curriculum\nof middle school aged children and above as I believe that this addition will\nlead to further acceptance and empathy in students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In\neducation disabilities are often though of as an obstacle to overcome, that\nwith enough support and accommodations students with registered IEPs can become\nbe mainstreamed and more \u2018normal\u2019. But the truth is that any idea of normal is social\nconstructed, in fact according to Tobin Siebers in the introduction to \u201cDisability\nin Theory \u201c\u2026all bodies are socially constructed.\u201d This idea is important for\nboth teachers and students to understand. We as a society have placed artificial\nboundaries on what is expected, and the more that these boundaries are pushed\nfor our youth the more inclusive our future society can become. Similar to how\nteachings of past racism or prejudice can work as a springboard for conversation\nand change, disability studies will do the same. In our current climate teaching\nacceptance is more important than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Below I have attached a sample lesson plan for teaching\nthe novel, <em>To Kill a Mockingbird<\/em>. Lee\u2019s\nwriting is essential to creating a knowledgeable youth who are exposed to the\nhistory of this country, and is often already taught through a lens of race. I\npropose that alongside this discussion of racism educators can include a lesson\nabout how perceived disability affects character\u2019s acceptance and behavior in\nsociety. From the first outline it is clear to see that while disability may not\nbe the central idea of every lesson, it is possible to discuss the idea informally,\nallowing students to become more accustomed to disability studies as a common\nplace idea. Social idea of disability states that disability only exists as\nsociety sees it, and Learning through a lens of disability and race allows for\nstudents<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0Disability is often thought as something to\nshield students from, but this lack of intentional confrontation does little to\nshield children from real world exposure. What we must do as educators is\nprepare our students for real world experiences and not further stigmatize those\nwho may look, act, or think differently than us. I ask that the school board\nconsider my proposal, and would be glad to answer further questions or discuss the\nimportance of this decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sincerely,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Caitlyn Valenza<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For my major project I created two different lesson plans for reading Harper Lee\u2019s To Kill a Mockingbird with an eighth grade English class. The first lesson plan not focusing on disability but theme, and the second discussing how perceived disability in the novel affects the characters. I also wrote a letter to the Fredericksburg &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/uncategorized\/caitlyn-with-a-cs-major-project-teaching-to-kill-a-mockingbird\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Caitlyn with a C&#8217;s Major Project: Teaching &#8220;To Kill a Mockingbird&#8221;&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[82,81,63,60,42],"class_list":["post-1403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-harper-lee","tag-lesson-plan","tag-major-paper-project","tag-major-project","tag-to-kill-a-mockingbird"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/papJgd-mD","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1403"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1404,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1403\/revisions\/1404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}