Lesson 16: Drama and Reactions

What’s on for today and why?

            The teacher will dramatically read all of Chapter 27 to the class.  The students were instructed to not read on so this should be the first time they are exposed to the section.  They will learn what happens to Sunday for the first time, so their reaction may be strong.  After they read they will immediately respond to it in their journals in any form they wish, beginning with a sketch and then expressing themselves through words.

            This sketch will give students to reinterpret the scene, perhaps through their drawing they can express something that they were not thinking about orally and then through seeing what they came up with it might trigger them to write something different.  The dramatic reading is situated in class because if the students have freshly read the section they will then have all those initial emotions.  That is preserved through their journaling, which may not have happened if they read at home.  The listening also helps with their listening skills.

What to do?

1.      Dramatic Reading!!!

Dramatically read all of Chapter 27 to the class, reading it with emotion, but not over-doing it.  The students are suppose to remain attentive, follow along in their books if they want, but mainly just listen, like they have a day off from reading.

2.      REACT!

Upon finishing the chapter, students are instructed to respond to the chapter, first in a sketched response, and then expressing themselves in words in their journals.  Ask them what just happened, and then tell them to react, and let them go.

3.      Sharing:

Depending on how much they write, give them as much time necessary.  If the students finish up they can share their drawing with each other and explain why the chose to draw what they did. 

4.      Homework:

Read Chapter 28

How’d it go?

            If the students were quiet and attentive, and did not ask what happened during their journals, they are up to par on their listening skills.  If the students wrote aggressively for the time allotted they had true reactions to the chapter and truly responded to them, so they know how to respond to a piece of writing. If their pictures were abstract or not just explicit, they are interpreting the text through a different medium, so they are crossing lines and becoming even more developed thinkers.  Pictures are graded and returned to be put in their portfolios, graded based on portfolio checklist.  The journal response will be assessed with the rest of the journal.