This page was developed as a supplemental, multidisciplinary unit for the novel The Light In The Forest, by Conrad Richter.
Objectives
Students will research online resources, participate in a group activities, make presentations, explore figurative language, transfer and apply new information, write an analytical essay, and address the impact of cultural similarities and differences in modern times.
Language Arts Benchmarks Addressed
LA.A.1.3.2
The student uses a variety of strategies to analyze words and texts, draw conclusions, use context and word structure clues, and recognize organizational patterns.
LA.A.2.2.7
The student recognizes the use of comparison and contrast in text.
LA.A.2.3.1
The student determines the main idea or essential message in a text and identifies relevant details, facts and patterns of organization.
LA.A.2.3.2
The student identifies the author’s purpose and point of view in a variety of texts and uses the information to construct meaning.
LA.A.2.3.5
The student locates, organizes, and interprets written information for a variety of purposes, including classroom research, collaborative decision making, and performing a school or real-world task.
LA.A.2.3.6
The student uses a variety of reference materials, including indexes, magazines, newspapers, and journals, and tools, including card catalogs and computer catalogs, to gather information for research topics.
LA.A.2.3.7
The student synthesizes and separates collected information into useful components using a variety of techniques, such as source cards, note cards, spreadsheets, and outlines.
LA.A.2.3.8
The student checks the validity and accuracy of information obtained from research, in such ways as differentiating fact and opinion, identifying strong vs. weak arguments, and recognizing that personal values influence the conclusions an author draws.
LA.B.1.3.2
The student drafts writing that is focused, organized, supportive, and uses conventions properly.
LA.B.2.3.3
The student selects and uses appropriate formats for writing, including narrative, persuasive, and expository formats, according to the intended audience, purpose, and occasion.
LA.E.1.3.2
The student recognizes complex elements of plot, including setting, character development, conflicts, and resolutions.
LA.E.2.2.1
The student recognizes cause-and-effect relationships in text.
LA.E.2.3.1
The student understands how character and plot development, point of view, and tone are used in various selections to support a central conflict or story line.
Implementation/Classroom Management
The project is designed around the idea that it could be completed cooperatively in both a Language Arts and Social Studies class simultainiously. Some parts of the unit are extensive and may require up to a week to complete, others can be completed in one or two class sessions. To save time and cover more material some tasks could be divided among group members rather than having each student complete every part of the project. Hard copies of certain activities should be made available for when technological problems inevitably occur.
Materials
a class set of The Light In The Forest and access to computers with internet capabilities
Activities
web quest, double entry journal
research, Venn Diagram persuasive letter, analytical essay
Evaluation - see project links
