Course Profile English in Daily Life, ESLBO, ESL Level 2, Open, Public

Unit 2: Survive and Thrive

Time: 20 hours

Activity 1 | Activity 2 | Activity 3 | Activity 4 | Activity 5

Unit Developers: Hazel Excell, Sandra Katz, Alison Kelsey, Barbara Landry, Barbara Leitch, Lesley Macdonald, Paula Markus, Betty Ann Taylor, Moira Wong

Development Date: February 2000

Unit Description

The backbone of this unit is the study of the short novel Mieko and the Fifth Treasure. Students explore and respond to the novel through literature circles, writing a first-person diary in the role of Mieko, as well as a variety of language development activities. Using the novel as a vehicle, students learn to recognize specific suffixes, parts of speech, and some vocabulary of emotions. In addition, students practise problem-solving techniques and the language for agreeing and disagreeing. As a culminating activity, students use decision-making models, expressive language, and the writing process to compose a survival story.

Strand(s) and Expectations

Strand(s): Oral and Visual Communication; Reading; Writing; Social and Cultural Competence

Overall Expectations: BORV.01, BORV.03, BORV.04; BREV.01, BREV.03, BREV.04, BWRV.01, BWRV.02, BWRV.03; BSCV.01, BSCV.04.

Specific Expectations: BOR1.01, BOR1.02, BOR1.03, BOR1.06, BOR1.07, BOR1.08, BOR2.04; BRE1.01, BRE2.01, BRE2.02, BRE3.02, BRE3.03, BRE3.05, BRE3.06; BWR1.01, BWR2.01, BWR2.02, BWR2.03, BWR3.01, BWR3.02, BWR3.03, BWR3.04, BWR3.05, BWR3.06; BSC1.03, BSC.1.04, BSC2.02.

Activity Titles (Time + Sequence)

Activity 1	My Strengths	120 minutes
Activity 2	Novel Study: Mieko and the Fifth Treasure	420 minutes
Activity 3	The Language of Emotions	180 minutes
Activity 4	Problems and Solutions	240 minutes
Activity 5	Stories of Survival	240 minutes

Prior Knowledge Required

· Adapts to some key teacher expectations and school routines

· Writes simple texts following some conventions of English

· Comprehends simple texts

· Participates in class discussions

· Works in pairs and small groups

· Understands the use of some graphic organizers

· Uses voice and intonation to express feelings and emotions

Unit Planning Notes

· This unit is designed as the second unit of ESLBO. It is a literature unit that revolves around the novel Mieko and the Fifth Treasure. Building on the storytelling, reading, writing, and vocabulary skills developed in Unit 1, this unit moves students into a longer text and, through the strategy of literature circles, encourages the students to examine and reflect on the text with somewhat more depth.

· A literature circle is a discussion group in which students meet regularly to talk about a book. The range of activities covered by a literature circle includes discussion of the plot, characters, theme, making connections from the book to their own lives, as well as co-operative language development activities such as vocabulary study and discussion of literary techniques. The teacher’s role is to facilitate and stimulate discussion in the circles, as well as to prepare in advance the language development activities for the groups. Literature circles promote positive attitudes towards reading by encouraging reflection and sharing. They are a catalyst for discussions that lead to critical thinking on the part of students and they model group co-operation and collaboration. It is strongly recommended that the teacher new to using the literature circles strategy consult some of the excellent and in-depth teacher resources suggested in the unit resources section below.

· Activity 2 (the novel study) must be completed before moving on to Activities 3, 4, and 5. They cannot be done concurrently with Activity 2 since the later activities assume the students are familiar with the entire plot and outcome of the novel.

· Obtain a class set of the novel Mieko and the Fifth Treasure. If possible, record this short book on tape to provide extra support for students. Obtain permission before recording the book on tape.

· It would be helpful to prepare some background information on WWII and the use of the atomic bomb. There may be gaps in some students’ knowledge of these events. You may want to check your Board media resources department for a video on the dropping of the atomic bombs over Japan. Be sensitive to the fact that some students may come from countries where they or their families have experienced war or losses as a result of war. Allow students to tell of their personal experiences if they choose or respect their need for privacy.

· Obtain a copy of the book, Voices of the Heart, which beautifully complements both the themes of emotions and calligraphy. This book may be used as a read-aloud and for sharing in the literature circles. Keep it accessible for individual students to peruse during the unit.

· Collect samples of calligraphy in various languages and scripts to display around the classroom. If possible invite a calligrapher into the classroom to work with the students. The students themselves may also be an excellent resource for calligraphy and writing scripts.

· Encourage the students to refer to the thesauri introduced in Unit 1 as an aid in vocabulary development and to build their Word Family Charts.

· To build vocabulary and an understanding of the various parts of speech, produce a large Word Family Chart and display it in the classroom. Continue to build word families on the chart with words encountered throughout the unit.

· In the culminating activity of the unit students create and write survival stories using the writing process. Collect samples of student work as exemplars for future classes.

· If the teacher chooses not to use the novel Mieko and the Fifth Treasure, this unit can be used as a model for the study of similar short novels with compelling themes of challenge. Some suggestions for other books are:

Cameron, Ann. The Most Beautiful Place in the World. New York: Knopf/Bullseye Paperbacks, 1993.

Coerr, Eleanor. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. New York: Dell Paperbacks, 1977.

Cohen, Barbara. Molly’s Pilgrim. New York: Dell Paperbacks, 1983.

Kidd, Diana. Onion Tears. New York: Beech Tree Paperbacks, 1993.

Teaching/Learning Strategies

Literature circles, process writing, diary writing, co-operative learning groups, interviewing, teacher read-alouds, silent reading, vocabulary charts, word family charts, affixes, word lists, student-created stories and skits, cloze exercises, pair, group, and class interaction, flow charts, decision-making strategies, directed reading, role play, script writing, graphic organizers, self reflection, self- and peer-assessment, problem-solving discussions.

Assessment and Evaluation

Activity	Type	Tool	Categories
Activity 1	Formative Diagnostic/ Formative	Interview Grid Paragraph	Communication Communication/Application
Activity 2	Diagnostic Summative Summative	Diary (writing skills) Diary (comprehension checklist) Activities Folder	Know/Comm Think/Comm/Application Know/Think/Comm/Application
Activity 3	Formative Summative	High/Low Chart Cloze Test	Know/Think/Application Knowledge/Communication
Activity 4	Formative Formative Summative	Self-Assessment Form Role-Play Scripts Problem-Solving Role Play Rubric	Thinking/Comm Communication Know/Think/Comm/Appl
Activity 5	Summative	Rubric to Assess Story	Know/Think/Comm/Appl

Resources

Booth, David, ed. Literacy Techniques for Building Successful Readers and Writers. Markham, Ontario: Pembroke Publishers, 1996.
Contains tips for setting up literature circles, as well as many other literacy activities to complement novel study.

Brownlee, Faye and Catherine Feniak. Student Diversity: Addressing the Needs of All Learners in Inclusive Classroom Communities. Markham, Ontario: Pembroke Publishers, 1998.
Includes several chapters on the use of literature circles with an easy step-by-step plan for setting them up in the classroom.

Coerr, Eleanor. Mieko and the Fifth Treasure. New York: Dell Yearling Paperbacks, 1994.
After sustaining a serious injury to her hand in the bombing of Nagasaki, Mieko, a budding calligraphy artist, has to deal with returning to school, overcoming her injury, and regaining her artistic inspiration.

Daniels, Harvey. Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Student-Centered Classroom. Markham, Ontario: Pembroke Publishers, 1994.
Everything a teacher needs to know about running literature circles in classroom from elementary through college level. Includes a number of reproducible materials sheets for various activities in literature circles.

Hill, Bonnie, N. Johnson, and K. Noe. Literature Circles and Response. Norwood, Massachusetts: Christopher Gordon Publishers, 1995.
An in-depth resource examining literature circles including many suggestions for novel extensions as well as assessment techniques.

Samway, Katherine and G. Whang. Literature Study Circles in a Multicultural Classroom. York, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers, 1996.
Includes bibliographies of literature for classroom study, documents for use in literature circles and examples of students’ written responses to literature.

Short, Deborah J., ed. New Ways in Teaching English at the Secondary Level. Alexandria, Virginia: TESOL Publications, 1999.
This books offers a collection of best practices that address the particular interests and demands of working in the secondary school ESL classroom. Includes many suggestions for icebreakers, vocabulary development, and integrating language study with content areas. Available by telephone order through TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) at their toll free number 1-888-891-0041.

Young, Ed. Voices of the Heart. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997.
A beautifully illustrated picture book which explores 26 Chinese characters, each describing a feeling or emotion such as respect, sorrow, shame, and joy. Each character highlighted in the book contains within its structure a symbol for the heart.

Activity 1: My Strengths

Time: 120 minutes

Description

Through class discussion, pair interaction and use of graphic organizers, students will explore, identify, and build vocabulary about personal strengths and areas for improvement. Students will organize and develop their ideas through a paragraph plan and then use this plan as the basis for composing and editing a short paragraph.

Strand(s) and Expectations

Strand(s): Oral and Visual Communication; Reading; Writing; Social and Cultural Competence

Overall Expectations

BORV.01 - participate in conversations on familiar topics in some social situations;

vBWRV.01 - write in a variety of forms;

BWRV.02 - use some elements of the writing process, with teacher guidance, with an emphasis on prewriting activities.

Specific Expectations

BOR1.01 - maintain face-to-face conversations on familiar topics;

BOR1.03 - listen to others and stay on topic in group discussion;

BOR2.04 - use common tenses, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, common; idioms, some two-word verbs, and some interrogative and negative constructions appropriately and with some consistency;

BWR1.01 - write short journal entries, notes, dialogues, narratives, autobiographies, reports, personal responses, and letters with teacher guidance;

BWR2.01 - generate and organize ideas for writing, using graphic organizers provided by the teacher;

vBWR2.02 - compose a first draft of a simple composition;

vBWR3.01 - compose a short paragraph containing simple and compound sentences;

vBWR3.02 - use common tenses and verb phrases, adjectives, adverbs and some conjunctions in their writing;

vBWR3.06 - use capitals for proper nouns, commas to separate items in lists, and quotation marks for direct speech, with some consistency.

Planning Notes

· Make copies of Appendix H – My Strengths and Appendix I – Interview Grid.

· Use students’ Appendix H – My Strengths to create a classroom display. Be aware that some students may be sensitive to having their work displayed.

· If, after modelling a paragraph plan, students require additional direction in paragraph writing, create a model paragraph to assist them.

· Prepare an editing checklist, e.g., all points in the overall paragraph plan are covered, complete sentences, subject-verb agreement, use of compound sentences, use of conventions such as capital letters, periods, correct spelling. This checklist, or a modified version of it, could also be used by the teacher in the formative evaluation of the students’ paragraphs, or another paragraph evaluation form could be developed for the teacher’s assessment of the paragraphs.

Materials Needed

· copies of Appendix H – My Strengths and Appendix I – Interview Grid

· markers

· materials for creating a display

Prior Knowledge Required

· asks simple questions

· writes simple sentences

· familiarity with the writing and editing process

· familiarity with pair work

Teaching Learning Strategies

1. In a class discussion, brainstorm areas of personal strength which could be given in answer to the question, How am I special? To initiate discussion teacher refers to one or two personal strengths, e.g., funny, friendly, artistic, athletic, multilingual. Alternatively, use characters from Unit 1, to discuss areas of strength, e.g., The tortoise is determined. The sun is confident. Record student responses on board or chart paper.

2. Have students get into pairs and discuss the following three questions, How am I special? What am I good at? What can I improve? After students have had sufficient time for discussion, hand out copies of Appendix H – My Strengths for completion. Encourage students to complete the graphic clearly and colourfully. Collect student products and use them to create a bulletin board display.

3. Distribute Appendix I – Interview Grid to the class. Have students circulate and interview five other students to complete their graphic organizer with point form notes. Students submit Appendix I – Interview Grid for formative evaluation.

4. Students will write a paragraph based on their personal information. In preparation, teacher models a paragraph plan. Also model for the students the combination of some pieces of information into compound sentences. Stress the development of the three areas of information through the use of details, as in the following sample paragraph plan:

How am I special? sense of humour

· people laugh at my jokes

· see the funny side of life

What am I good at? play piano

· in the school band

· play at friends’ parties

· entertain family

What can I improve? need to be more organized

· keep a tidy desk

· use an agenda

· keep room clean

5. Following the above structure, students develop their own paragraph plan and write the first draft of their paragraph.

6. With a writing partner students edit paragraphs using an editing checklist, then revise their paragraphs and make a final copy for teacher assessment.

Assessment/ Evaluation Techniques

· Completion of Appendix I – Interview Grid – assesses students’ ability to question others to obtain and to record key information (formative).

· Using the checklist described in the planning notes, assess the paragraph on personal strengths (diagnostic/formative).

Accommodations

· Act as a writing partner to support students with paragraph writing.

· Scribe for students where appropriate or necessary.

· Allow students to use first language to produce the paragraph plan.

· Have students compile a collage of pictures on their strengths and write captions for these.

Activity 2: Novel Study: Mieko and the Fifth Treasure

Time: 420 minutes

Description

Students will form literature circles and will be guided through a range of teacher-supported strategies for reading and responding to the short novel Mieko and the Fifth Treasure. This book tells the story of Mieko, a young Japanese girl and budding calligraphy artist whose hand is injured in the bombing of Nagasaki. Mieko struggles with the emotional desolation caused by the loss of her ability to express herself artistically. Her efforts to rebuild her self-confidence and continue with her art comprise the message of the story. Language development activities drawn from the context of the novel include the study of adjectives, word families, and some prefixes and suffixes. Students will write first-person diary entries in the role of Mieko to demonstrate their understanding of the text and their responses to it.

Strand(s) and Expectations

Strand(s): Oral and Visual Communication; Reading; Writing; Social and Cultural Competence

Overall Expectations

BORV.01 - participate in conversations on familiar topics in some social situations;

vBREV.01 - respond to a range of short fiction and non-fiction texts, using a variety of strategies;

BREV.03 - demonstrate knowledge of English vocabulary related to classroom studies;

BREV.04 - read texts with familiar content or vocabulary, using a variety of reading strategies;

vBWRV.01 - write in a variety of forms;

BSCV.04 - demonstrate adaptations to school norms, key teacher expectations, and classroom routines.

Specific Expectations

BOR1.01 - maintain face-to-face conversations on familiar topics;

BRE2.01 - use context and familiar vocabulary in texts to infer the meaning of new words;

BRE2.02 - use vocabulary acquisition strategies;

BRE3.02 - demonstrate comprehension of teacher-prepared texts and summaries;

vBRE3.03 - state the main idea of individual passages that contain familiar vocabulary;

BRE3.06 - demonstrate comprehension of syntactic cues with teacher guidance;

vBWR1.01 - write short journal entries, notes, dialogues, narratives, autobiographies, reports, personal responses and letters, with teacher guidance;

BWR3.02 - use common tenses and verb phrases, adjectives, adverbs, and some conjunctions in their writing;

vBWR3.03 - use a variety of simple sentence patterns in their writing;

BSC2.02 - ask questions of teachers and peers for clarification and to obtain information.

Planning Notes

· Obtain a class set of the novel Mieko and the Fifth Treasure. This inexpensive paperback is easily located through bookstores and wholesale book distributors.

· This activity focusses on the study of the novel through a literature circle, a discussion group in which students meet regularly to talk about a book. The range of activities covered by a literature circle include discussion of the plot, characters, theme, making connections from the book to their own lives, as well as co-operative language development activities such as vocabulary study and discussion of literary techniques. The teacher’s role is to facilitate and stimulate discussion in the circles, as well as to prepare in advance the language development activities for these groups. Literature circles promote positive attitudes towards reading by encouraging reflection and sharing. They are a catalyst for discussions that lead to critical thinking on the part of students and they model group co-operation and collaboration. For more information and suggestions on conducting literature circles, refer to the list of teacher resources at the end of this activity.

· Develop activities for the literature circles focussing on theme, plot, connections to their world, vocabulary expansion, etc. Provide folders for each student to store all of their activity sheets and work based on the novel.

· Obtain a copy of Voices of the Heart. The teacher may choose to share several pictographs from this book with students at various times throughout the novel study to enhance their appreciation of calligraphy while at the same time building vocabulary related to feelings and emotions.

· The teacher may also wish to obtain copies of Lee’s At the Beach, In the Snow, or In the Park, all of which are lovely pictorial enrichments to the theme of Chinese calligraphy.

· If you plan to invite a calligrapher to class, arrange for the visit.

· Develop a checklist or rubric for the summative assessment of the diary assignment, concentrating on evaluating students’ comprehension of the events of the novel. The diary will also be used as a diagnostic assessment of the students’ writing skills.

Prior Knowledge Required

· reads and responds to short passages with teacher guidance

· uses some reading strategies with teacher guidance

· writes simple sentences in English

· works co-operatively in groups

· familiarity with using teacher-provided graphic organizers

· familiarity with some aspects of non-verbal communication, such as tone of voice and gestures

Teaching/Learning Strategies

1. Introduce the novel study by telling students that throughout this activity they will be reading and responding to Mieko and the Fifth Treasure. This novel highlights the theme of overcoming difficulties by building on one's own strengths. Guide students through a session to build background knowledge about World War II, Japan, and the atomic bomb. Delve also into their background knowledge of calligraphy. Encourage predictions on what the story may be about through using clues on the book’s cover and title, illustrations, and back cover “blurb”. Have students formulate questions concerning their predictions about the book.

2. In order to provide support for the students’ developing English reading skills, read each chapter aloud while students follow in their books before they read independently. Stop during the oral reading to clarify and confirm understanding, to discuss particular vocabulary items, to ask general comprehension questions, and to have students offer predictions about what will happen next. At the conclusion of the oral reading, assign the chapter again for home reading.

Re-read pages 9 - 11 aloud to students. Ask students to listen for information about what makes Mieko special, what she is good at, and what students think she would want to improve on. You may wish to use Activity 1, Appendix H – My Strengths to create a graphic for Mieko.

Model the writing of a diary entry in the role of Mieko. Explain that students will continue to write Mieko’s diary entries for each of the chapters as they progress through the novel and that the students will be submitting their diaries to you for assessment at the conclusion of the activity.

3. During this ongoing novel study, introduce and model a number of strategies for reading comprehension and vocabulary development for the students to practise during their independent re-reading of the assigned chapter. Some suggestions are:

· Use sticky notes to mark places in the text where there are questions about plot development or vocabulary.

· Use a “vocabulary bookmark” which has a place to jot new words, page numbers, and definitions.

· Record new words in a vocabulary journal.

· Record guesses about unfamiliar vocabulary and supporting reasons for these guesses for later class discussion. Verify meanings in learner dictionaries.

· Complete a plot summary organizer for each chapter to answer questions : Who…? Where…? When…? Where...? How...? Why…? The organizer from Unit 1 could be used for this purpose (see Appendix D – Story Log).

4. Provide the literature circles with a variety of activities for responding to literature as well as for reading strategy development. Have each student maintain a folder to store all completed activities, which will be assessed at the end of the unit. Some suggested activities are:

· Literature circle members can co-operatively write a point form summary of incidents in the chapter.

· Have groups discuss their understanding of the story and compose questions comprehension to be answered by another group.

· Build a word wall based on the novel and have groups add to it, perhaps including visuals as a further aid to learning vocabulary. (A word wall is a class wall display of words organized either alphabetically or thematically, such as emotions and feelings; these words may be accompanied by visuals, definitions, and/or first language equivalents. Use the word wall for examples to draw on for spelling development as well.)

· Build a jigsaw vocabulary crossword puzzle which compels students to work together to determine the words. Consult the article by Coelho in the activity resource list for directions in preparing a jigsaw crossword activity.

· Compose cloze passages with key vocabulary from the chapter which the groups can complete.

· Have students complete a jigsaw cloze passage on a section of the book. In this type of task the teacher prepares a passage, makes enough copies of this passage for the members of the literature circle, and blanks out different words on each of the copies. Group members work together to rebuild the entire passage, without showing each other their own papers.

· Have students explore connections between the novel, their own lives and experiences, and the external world.

5. Introduce the concept of a literature circle to the class. Divide the class into groups of four to six participants for each literature circle. Students will interact in these groups for the length of the novel study while the teacher circulates amongst groups to facilitate comprehension and completion of tasks.

Accommodations

· Tape the whole novel, with permission, and have a number of tapes available for students to borrow for home reading.

· Within the literature circle grouping, students can choose to read with a “buddy”. See Resources for an excellent book on reading buddies.

· Literature circle members can decide to vary the length of text for which they are responsible over a given period of time.

· Students can dictate or tape record their diary entries.

· Have students retell events in the novel through sketching illustrations.

· Have students do some research on calligraphy and various writing scripts in the library or over the Internet.

· Students could do research on Japan/Asia during WWII for enrichment.

Assessment/Evaluation Techniques

· Use the checklist developed to assess comprehension, Diary of Mieko’s Feelings and Experiences (summative).

· Use the diary also as a diagnostic assessment of students’ writing skills (diagnostic).

· Monitor and assess a folder of activities that students complete during the novel study (summative).

Resources

Booth, David, ed. Literacy Techniques for Building Successful Readers and Writers. Markham, Ontario: Pembroke Publishers, 1996.

Brownlee, Faye and Catherine Feniak. Student Diversity: Addressing the Needs of All Learners in Inclusive Classroom Communities. Markham, Ontario: Pembroke Publishers, 1998.

Coelho, Elizabeth. “Jigsaw: Integrating Language and Content”. In Carolyn Kessler, ed. Cooperative Language Learning: A Teacher’s Resource Book. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1992.

Coerr, Eleanor. Mieko and the Fifth Treasure. New York: Dell Yearling Paperbacks, 1994.
After sustaining a serious injury to her hand in the bombing of Nagasaki, Mieko, a budding calligraphy artist, has to deal with returning to school, overcoming her injury, and regaining her artistic inspiration.

Daniels, Harvey. Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Student-Centered Classroom. Markham, Ontario: Pembroke Publishers, 1994.

Hill, Bonnie, N. Johnson, and K. Noe. Literature Circles and Response. Norwood, Ontario: Christopher Gordon Publishers, 1995.

Lee, Huy Voun. At the Beach. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1994.
A picture book in which a mother and son practise writing Chinese characters in the sand. Ten Chinese pictographs are introduced to the reader.

Lee, Huy Voun. In the Snow. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1995.
A picture book in which a mother and son practise writing Chinese characters in the snow. The characters for ten simple words relating to winter and nature are introduced.

Lee, Huy Voun. In the Park. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1998.
A mother and son practise writing Chinese characters during a walk in the park. Chinese pictographs relating to nature are introduced.

Samway, Katherine and G. Whang. Literature Study Circles in a Multicultural Classroom. York, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers, 1996.

Samway, Katherine, G. Whang, and M. Pippitt. Buddy Reading: Cross-Age Tutoring in a Multicultural School. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann, 1995.

Young, Ed. Voices of the Heart. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997.

Activity 3: The Language of Emotions

Time: 180 minutes

Description

In this activity students recognize how language conveys emotions and feelings, and develop their ability to express some emotions through English vocabulary. Through the use of a graphic organizer, students chart the emotions and feelings of the main character in the novel, Mieko and the Fifth Treasure. Students also explore word families and learn some common affixes for the purpose of vocabulary expansion.

Strand(s) and Expectations

Strand(s): Oral and Visual Communication; Reading; Writing

Overall Expectations

BORV.01 - participate in conversations on familiar topics in some social situations;

BORV.03 - understand and use some key subject-specific vocabulary in classroom discussions when visual aids are used;

BREV.01 - respond to a range of short fiction and non-fiction texts using a variety of strategies;

vBREV.03 - demonstrate knowledge of English vocabulary related to classroom studies;

BWRV.01 - write in a variety of forms.

Specific Expectations

BOR1.01 - maintain face-to-face conversations on familiar topics;

BOR1.02 - determine meaning by requesting clarification and restating information when necessary;

BOR2.04 - use common tenses, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, common idioms, some two-word verbs and some interrogative and negative constructions appropriately and with some consistency;

BRE1.01 - demonstrate understanding of fiction and non-fiction texts designed or adapted for second-language learners;

vBRE2.02 - use vocabulary acquisition strategies (e.g., check learner dictionaries; recognize common prefixes, suffixes, and word families; use knowledge of common sound-symbol relationships and dictionary pronunciation guides to aid in pronouncing new words);

BRE3.05 - scan text with familiar vocabulary or content for specific information;

BRE3.06 - demonstrate comprehension of syntactic cues (e.g., possessives, verb phrases, comparatives, progressive tenses and conjunctions), with teacher guidance;

BWR3.02 - use common tenses and verb phrases, adjectives, adverbs, and some conjunctions in their writing;

BWR3.04 - use vocabulary acquisition strategies to spell words correctly (e.g., knowledge of prefixes, suffixes and word families).

Planning Notes

· Prepare sufficient copies of Appendix J – Vocabulary List, Appendix K – Word Families and Appendix L – High/Low Emotions Chart

· For Teaching/Learning Strategy 2 select several appropriate passages from the novel which clearly illustrate Mieko’s emotions. Some examples are: page 18, “Once Mieko dropped a whole dish of chopped fish onto the floor. She stood there looking down at the mess, biting her lip.” Page 48: “Mieko felt the bitterness inside of her beginning to disappear like the early morning mist.”

· Select several pictographs from Voices of the Heart that illustrate some of the emotions under study in this activity such as shame, worry, joy, sorrow and share these with the class.

· Prepare a cloze test to assess students’ acquisition of vocabulary relating feelings and emotions. The test should assess students’ learning of both noun and adjective forms.

· A classroom display of words of emotions and feelings in different languages prepared by the students would be an excellent visual complement to this activity.

Prior Knowledge Required

· some knowledge of parts of speech, particularly nouns and adjectives

· writes simple sentences in English

Teaching/Learning Strategies

1. Provide the students with the list of words drawn from the novel, Mieko and the Fifth Treasure, relating to feelings and emotions. (See Appendix J – Vocabulary List.)

2. With a partner, students find these words or expressions in the book. Have students copy the sentence in which they find each item and underline the word(s). Read selected passages from the book out loud to the class. Students listen to the passages and as a class suggest words from Appendix J – Vocabulary List that describe how Mieko felt in each passage.

3. Review/teach adjectives and nouns. Give students the Appendix K – Word Families. With a partner, students put the words from the bottom of Appendix K – Word Families (all appeared previously in Appendix J – Vocabulary List) into the appropriate column on the chart. Work with the class to verify the placement of the words and then to fill in the empty spaces with adjectives that relate to corresponding nouns or nouns that relate to corresponding adjectives. As a class, identify suffixes that indicate adjectives or nouns. Underline these on the chart. As the unit progresses students may add additional adjectives and nouns. Take advantage of opportunities as they occur during your teaching to call attention to these parts of speech and their identifying suffixes. Use a cloze test of words from the chart to assess the students’ acquisition of the vocabulary and parts of speech at the end of the activity.

4. Provide the students with the following sentence pattern,

Mieko felt __________ when_________

I feel______ when_______

Have the students choose five words from the Word Families chart and use the pattern above to write sentences about Mieko and themselves.

5. Give students copies of Appendix L (High/Low Emotions Chart). Explain to the class that in pairs they will be charting Mieko’s emotional state throughout the novel and using adjectives to record her feelings on the High/Low Emotions Chart. Explain to the students that the X axis shows the chronological progression of events in the novel and that they will use the Y axis to record Mieko’s emotions. The “0” point of the (Y) axis indicates “Low”; the highest point of this axis indicates “High.” For each point along the emotions (Y) axis students determine how Mieko felt, choose two adjectives to describe her feelings, and put these on the graph at the spot along the time axis that they believe is most appropriate. Advise students to work in pencil since they may want to reconsider their choice of words or placement of emotions as they proceed through the events. When the students have completed the task and are content with their choices, have them redo the chart in marker or coloured pencil. Collect and display the charts. Have students walk about the classroom to see other students’ charts.

Assessment/Evaluation Techniques

· Assess High/Low Emotions Chart over time to determine if students comprehend the events of the novel and can apply appropriate vocabulary to Mieko’s feelings (formative).

· Using the cloze test, evaluate the acquisition of feelings and emotions vocabulary in noun and adjective forms (summative).

Accommodations

· Have students use the taped version of the book to search for the feelings/emotions vocabulary and to review events for the High/Low Chart.

· Form a small group and assist students in completing the High/Low Emotions Chart.

· Provide additional language exercises on adjectives and nouns.

· Use visuals to highlight meanings of emotion words, e.g., faces depicting various emotions, and have students compile a collage illustrating feelings.

· Use a picture or photo dictionary spread which depicts a range of emotions.

· Use sounds to emphasize the meanings of words denoting emotions such as joy, fear, surprise.

Activity 4: Problems and Solutions

Time: 240 minutes

Description

This activity focusses on problem-solving and decision-making strategies. Using an example from Mieko and the Fifth Treasure, students will learn to graphically represent problems, possible decisions, and consequences in a flow chart. Students practise patterns for expressing agreement and disagreement, using these in group interaction to arrive at a group consensus about a problem. Groups will script and perform a skit based on a given problem about adjustment to school life.

Strand(s) and Expectations

Strand(s): Oral and Visual Communication; Writing

Overall Expectations

BORV.01 - participate in conversations on familiar topics in some social situations;

vBORV.02 - recognize and respond appropriately to body language, pauses, and common stress and intonation patterns in English speech;

vBORV.04 - communicate orally, using accepted word order, common tenses, and other features of English grammar with some accuracy and consistency;

BWRV.01 - write in a variety of forms;

BWRV.03 - use a variety of simple sentence patterns and basic conventions of standard Canadian English with some accuracy in written work.

Specific Expectations

BOR1.03 - listen to others and stay on topic in group discussions;

vBOR1.06 - use short sentences and phrases to tell stories, recount events, provide directions or instructions, and give opinions;

vBOR1.07 - use tone of voice, gestures, and other non verbal cues to help clarify meaning when describing events, telling stories, and stating opinions;

vBOR1.08 - use the customary stress and intonation patterns of English speech to emphasize meaning or to express feelings (e.g., add emphasis to certain words; use intonation to express surprise);

BWR1.01 - write short journal entries, notes, dialogues, narratives, autobiographies, reports, personal responses and letters with teacher guidance;

BWR2.01 - generate and organize ideas for writing, using graphic organizers provided by the teacher;

BWR3.02 - use common tenses and verb phrases, adjectives, adverbs, and some conjunctions in their writing;

BWR3.03 - use a variety of simple sentence patterns in their writing.

Planning Notes

· Prepare sufficient copies of Appendix M – Problem Scenarios and Appendix N – Self-Assessment of Participation in Groups

· Have sufficient slips of paper and a box available for Teaching/Learning Strategy 4.

Prior Knowledge Required

· ability to work in co-operative groups

· uses tone of voice and gestures to help clarify meaning in classroom presentations

· writes a variety of simple English sentence patterns

Teaching/Learning Strategies

1. Identify a part of the book where Mieko has to make a decision, e.g., Mieko has to decide whether or not to enter the calligraphy contest (Chapter 7). On the board create a flow chart that illustrates Mieko’s problem, her options, and the consequences of each option. (See example below.) Model a number of agree/disagree statements of opinion for the class, for example, … In my opinion … I agree with Mieko’s decision because … I disagree with Mieko’s decision … I think Mieko … I don’t think … I feel … I believe ... Lead the class in a discussion of Mieko’s choices and her eventual decision.

PROBLEM
Should Mieko enter the calligraphy contest?
¯	¯
MIEKO’S CHOICES
YES	NO
· Mieko could try her best. · She did a lot of painting before her injury. · Yoshi thinks Mieko should enter.	· Mieko thinks her hand is not better. · She is afraid she can’t paint well anymore. · Mieko is afraid she won’t do a good painting.
¯	¯
CONSEQUENCES
Maybe Mieko will win. Maybe Mieko won’t win. Mieko will feel good about trying. Mieko may feel embarrassed by her picture. Mieko may be afraid that people would tease her.	Mieko can’t win. Mieko can’t lose. She doesn’t have to feel embarrassed. Maybe she won’t feel brave or good about herself.

2. Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a decision-making problem (Appendix M – Problem Scenarios). Have each group:

· read the problem;

· discuss possible solutions to the problem;

· create a flow chart which illustrates the potential solutions; and consequences of these solutions

· come to a consensus as to a resolution for their problem.

3. Once students have completed the steps above, have each group create and script a skit about the problem they discussed, the solution they chose, and the consequences of the decision. Give time for the students to revise their script and practise a dramatization of it. Review the tone of voice and other non-verbal communication techniques that the students practised in the Unit 1 storytelling presentation. Have the students submit their scripts for formative evaluation of writing skills.

4. Review agree/disagree patterns from Teaching/Learning Strategy 1. Have each group present its skit. After each skit have each member of the audience use the agree/disagree structure to indicate on a slip of paper whether they agree or disagree with the protagonist’s solution and why. Students put these slips of paper into a box. Members of the performing group draw slips from the box and read them to the class. Allow time for the class discussion that these responses will generate.

Assessment/Evaluation Techniques

· Use Appendix G – Self-Assessment Form for Participation in Groups to have students assess their participation in the group skit activity (formative).

· Assess the role-play scripts for writing skills (formative).

· Adapt Appendix F – Rubric for Assessing Storytelling to assess students’ oral delivery (summative).

Accommodations

· Match students with same first-language partners within a group.

· Encourage students to be coaches or prompters for each other.

· Permit students to read from their scripts.

Activity 5: Stories of Survival

Time: 240 minutes

Description

This culminating activity consists of a student composition which weaves together in a student composition the language skills and thinking strategies presented in the unit. Using the flow chart graphic to represent the stages of problem solving, students will develop ideas for a narrative dealing with a character who must solve a problem and that character’s feelings in dealing with the issue. Through the process-writing approach, students will use a simple story plan to compose a first draft. After conferencing with the teacher, the students will produce a final version of their story.

Strand(s) and Expectations

Strand(s): Oral and Visual Communication; Writing

Overall Expectations

BORV.01 - participate in conversations on familiar topics in some social situations;

vBWRV.01 - write in a variety of forms;

vBWRV.02 - use some elements of the writing process, with teacher guidance, with an emphasis on prewriting activities;

vBWRV.03 - use a variety of simple sentence patterns and basic conventions of standard Canadian English with some accuracy in written work.

Specific Expectations

BOR1.03 - listen to others and stay on topic in group discussion;

BWR1.01 - write short journal entries, notes, dialogues, narratives, autobiographies, reports, personal responses, and letters, with teacher guidance;

vBWR2.01 - generate and organize ideas for writing, using graphic organizers provided by the teacher;

vBWR2.02 - compose a first draft of a simple composition;

vBWR2.03 - use simple word-processing software to compose and edit pieces of writing;

vBWR3.01 - compose a short paragraph containing simple and compound sentences;

vBWR3.02 - use common tenses and verb phrases, adjectives, adverbs, and some conjunctions in their writing;

vBWR3.03 - use a variety of simple sentence patterns in their writing;

BWR3.05 - check spelling, using a variety of resources (e.g., learner dictionaries, word lists, spell checkers).

Planning Notes

· Prepare sufficient copies of rubric (Appendix O – Rubric for a Survival Story)

· Arrange access to computers for students’ use if possible.

· Consider strategies for classroom management during student/teacher conferencing.

· Collect samples of student work in this story-writing assignment for future use as samples of achievement.

Prior Knowledge Required

· familiarity with the writing process, particularly with pre-writing, writing a first draft and editing with a peer

· writes short structured compositions in simple English sentences

· familiarity with the decision-making flow-chart and strategies from Activity 4

Teaching/ Learning Strategies

1. With the class, brainstorm a list of problems that students or new immigrants might have. Tell the students to copy the list and give opportunity for students to add any additional problems to the list.

2. Have students individually choose a problem from the above list, from their own personal experience, from the experience of someone they know, invent a fictional incident, or use one of the problem scenarios from Activity 4. Tell students that they will be using the process-writing approach to write a story based on the problem they choose.

3. Have students generate the ideas for their story in a flow chart format similar to that used in Activity 4. Once students have organized their ideas for writing, give them the following story plan.

Paragraph One Introduction to main character and problem

Paragraph Two Possible solutions to the problem

Paragraph Three The character’s decision and result

4. Share the assessment rubric (Appendix O – Rubric for a Survival Story) with the class in order to clarify expectations for the assignment.

5. Using a process-writing approach, students compose a first draft of their story. Students conference with the teacher to revise and edit their writing.

6. Students rewrite the final draft of their composition. If accessible, students can use simple word-processing software to write and edit their stories into a final copy. Students should hand in their flow chart, first draft, and final draft to the teacher for assessment.

Assessment/Evaluation Techniques

· Evaluate the student compositions using Appendix O – Rubric for a Survival Story (summative).

Accommodations

· Students may do prewriting activities in their first language.

· In addition to conferencing with the teacher, students may conference with peers, possibly in their first language.

· Students may write a one-paragraph composition.

Appendix H

My Strengths

Appendix I

Interview Grid

Name

What makes you special?

What are you good at?

How/what would you like to improve?

Appendix J

Vocabulary List

Feelings and Emotions in Mieko and the Fifth Treasure

Chapter 1	Chapter 7
· sorry for herself	· pleased
· happy	· proud
· bitter
· frightened	Chapter 8
· homesickness	· excited
· sad	· glad
· exhausted
· alone	Chapter 9
	· delighted
Chapter 2
· satisfied
· worried	Chapter 10
· paralyzed with fear	· unsure
Chapter 3	Chapter 11
· loneliness	· jealousy
· nervous	· stunned
· silly	· ashamed
Chapter 4	· love
· overexcited
· concerned
· serious
· upset
· We miss you.
Chapter 5
· Mieko’s spirits sank.
· ashamed
· a lump came into her throat
· anxious
· long face
Chapter 6
· stunned
· scared to death
· surprised

Appendix K

Word Families

Adjectives

Nouns

Below is a list of words from Mieko and the Fifth Treasure.

Look at each word and decide if it is a noun or an adjective, then put it into the correct column on the chart.

happy bitter frightened homesickness

sad exhausted satisfied worried

nervous silly serious ashamed

surprised proud excited jealousy

Appendix L

High/Low Emotions Chart

HIGH __ __ __ __ __ LOW
|	|	|	|	|	|	|	|	|	|	|
Mieko arrived at her grand-parents’ farm.	Mieko went to the new school for the first time.	Mieko stayed home from school.	Mieko climbed up the mountain.	Yoshi visited Mieko’s grand-parents’ house.	Mieko returned to school.	Miss Suzuki announced the calligraphy contest.	Mieko visited Yoshi and aunt Hisako.	Mieko and Yoshi practised their calligraphy.	Grandpa said Mieko’s word-pictures lack the spark of life.	Yoshi gave Mieko the hand-made rice paper.

Appendix M

Problem Scenarios

Problem One

Mohammad has to look after his two-year-old brother as soon as he gets home from school because his parents go to work at night. He tries to do his homework when his brother is awake, but the little brother likes to write on Mohammad’s papers. The little boy goes to bed late so by the time his brother is asleep, Mohammad is too tired to do his homework.

Problem Two

Ying started her science course two weeks late so she missed a lot of work. Also, her seat is at the back. She can’t see the board well most of the time. As a result, she doesn’t understand what is happening in class much of the time. She feels uncomfortable about talking to the teacher.

Problem Three

Steve loves to play soccer. He plays all the time and he wants to be on the school team. His marks this year are not very good. His parents won’t let him play soccer because of his bad marks.

Problem Four

Rina’s teacher talks too fast. He doesn’t write homework on the board. Rina usually doesn’t understand what she has to do. She has two friends in the class who have the same problem. What can she do?

Problem Five

Tolga’s friend Sivan never does homework. Sivan plays computer games instead. She always borrows Tolga’s homework. Sivan gets angry if Tolga doesn’t give her the homework. Sometimes the teacher thinks that Tolga didn’t do the homework because Sivan has Tolga’s papers.

Problem Six

Tran goes to a school where no one speaks his language. At lunchtime Tran feels too shy to sit with other students from his classes so he is always alone. Tran wants to make friends to practise his English.

Problem Seven

Daljit attends a school where many of the students speak her first language. They always eat lunch together and walk to school together. Daljit feels that she is not learning English fast enough and she would like to meet students from other cultures. When Daljit tries to mix with other students, her friends say she is showing off.

Appendix N

Self-Assessment Form for Participation in Groups

Behaviour		Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never	Comments
1.	I listened to others in my group.
2.	I didn’t interrupt when someone else was speaking.
3.	I asked for information.
4.	I gave information.
5.	I gave an opinion.
6.	I agreed or disagreed.
7.	I asked for clarification.

8. What am I good at?

9. How can I improve?

Appendix O

Rubric for a Survival Story

	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Knowledge/ Understanding · accurate use of verb tenses	- limited accuracy in verb tenses	- some accuracy in verb tenses	- considerable accuracy in verb tenses	- thorough accuracy in verb tenses
· accurate use of adjectives	- limited accuracy in use of adjectives	- some accuracy in use of adjectives	- considerable accuracy in use of adjectives	- thorough accuracy in use of adjectives
Thinking/Inquiry · development of main idea and details through story plan	- limited clarity in main ideas	- some clarity in main ideas	- considerable clarity in main ideas	- thorough clarity in main ideas
	- limited use of supporting details	- some use of supporting details	- considerable use of supporting details	- thorough use of supporting details
Communication · uses vocabulary to express feelings and emotions	- limited use of vocabulary to express feelings	- some use of vocabulary to express feelings	- considerable use of vocabulary to express feelings	- extensive use of vocabulary to express feelings
· uses writing conventions and spelling accurately	- limited accuracy in writing conventions and spelling	- some accuracy in writing conventions and spelling	- considerable accuracy in writing conventions and spelling	- thorough accuracy in writing conventions and spelling
Application · applies the writing process	- limited use of the flow chart to generate ideas	- some use of the flow chart to generate ideas	- considerable use of the flow chart to generate ideas	- thorough use of the flow chart to generate ideas
	- limited editing for final draft	- some editing for final draft	- considerable editing for final draft	- thorough editing for final draft

Note: A student whose achievement is below level 1 (50%) has not met the expectations for this assignment or activity.

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