Storytelling: Fictional Narratives, Imaginary People, and the Reader's Real Life

Lesson Plans

The following are three key lesson plans that are spread throughout our unit; lesson one serves as an "introduction" into our curriculum unit, lesson two will come as a "through" activity as students are in the midst of the novel, and lesson three will be our "beyond" activity that will complete our unit as students create their final projects.

Lesson Plan One: Introduction Part I

While this lesson is detailed as one activity, it will take two days for students to complete their tasks. It is important to allow some time from the 18 ^th Century use of the Phrenological Chart and the modern day PowerPoint presentation so that students can catch themselves in making the same assumptions of appearance today, in 2012, as the scientists made in the 18 ^th Century.

Objectives:

Students will be able to...

• Identify Gall and Spurzheim's Phrenological Chart
• Analyze the theory of 18 ^th Century scientists that a person's physical appearance is a marker of morality
• Infer the reaction this theory might have had on individuals in the 18 ^th Century
• Apply the Phrenological Chart as they study their own skulls
• Predict how modern day individuals would react if this theory were still used today
• Discuss various issues of prejudice, nature vs. nurture, and human nature to transition into our unit of study.

Materials:

• Phrenological Chart handout
• Sabbatini's Phrenological online image (projected on the screen)
• Paper/pen

Set:

I will begin by having the students agree or disagree (in 2-3 complete sentences) with the following anticipation guide statements in preparation for today's lesson. I will remind students that while their responses will remain private, they will be expected to share one idea (even if vague) with their partner and with the class:

a) Human beings are born free of any malice, hatred, or anger.

b) Seeing is believing.

c) Individuals associate with those who are most like them in terms of physical appearance (race, age, etc).

d) Discrimination and prejudice are issues of the past that are no longer relevant in today's world.

Procedure:

1. Students will respond to the anticipation guide statements for 10-15 minutes.
2. Students will complete their responses, and spend a few minutes pair sharing their ideas with their partners. At this point, I will roam the class picking up bits and pieces of conversation, and getting a feel for where my students stand on these issues. I will also listen for insightful comments or questions that might spur on our class conversation.
3. Once students are done pair sharing, I will ask the class to come back to a whole group discussion and will review briefly what I had heard as I was roaming the class. I will point out the few comments that I find fitting, and I will ask for a few volunteers to share their ideas for each of the statements.
4. Once our whole group discussion is done, maybe after 10-15 minutes, I will hand out the Phrenological Chart and will have the students tell me what they think this head formation with various boxed titles is.
5. After varied responses, I will briefly inform my students that the discussion they just had is in direct contrast with Gall and Spurzheim's Phrenolgoical Chart. I will briefly explain the theory of skull formation and traits of morality (and immorality) as we begin to understand 18 ^th Century theories of man.
6. After my students have somewhat of a grasp on this theory, I will have them do their own skull examination to see where they fit in terms of morality. As students find different parts of their skull, I will use the online chart on the projector screen to specifically click on to the traits to show students the specifics of what that trait means. For example, I would click on the "destructiveness" segment above the earlobe, and students would see the specific behaviors that someone with this measured fragment would have.
7. After students have had some fun with this chart, and after hearing their jokes and laughter on such a ridiculous chart, I will have them answer the following question on their anticipation guide paper:

"In 5-6 sentences, describe this "skull experiment". What did you find out about yourself based on this Phrenological Chart? How would you feel if this chart were still in use today? How would your family and friends feel if this chart was used to determine whether they were good or bad people?"

Evaluation:

After students are done writing their reaction to the day's experiment, I will have students pair share and then group share, in addition to tying in their original responses to the anticipation guide questions of prejudice and appearance.

Lesson Plan Two: Introduction Part II

Objective:

Students will be able to...

- Use only their sense of vision to make assumptions about individuals

- Relate to being judged by superficial markers (such as appearance)

- Connect the absurdity of their own modern day prejudices with the theories of the 18 ^th Century which they had deemed as ridiculous the day before

- Identity the dangers in supporting stereotypes and making quick assumptions versus taking the time to get to know an individual

- Discuss the impact of these stereotypes on an individual and the ostracism that follows

Materials Needed:

- "Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover" PowerPoint

- pen/paper

Set:

I will begin by having students make a t-chart on their paper and labeling it as follows:

I will instruct students that for each image I show them, they will write 4-5 bullet points/notes on the left hand side. I will let students know that I want their honest responses to the pictures I am about to show them. If it helps certain students, I will have them think about how society would view these individuals. Again, I don't want my students to write what they think I want to see, but rather their honest reactions and predictions about these individuals. This is a completely silent activity so students are not influenced by other students' reactions. As with the previous day's activity, I will let students know that their responses are private, but they should be prepared to share at least one idea or insight into the activity.

For each picture, I will give students 2-3 minutes to write.

The pictures will be:

a) Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking

b) Rapper/businessman David Banner

c) Olympian Weightlifter Tommy Kono

1. Once students are done with each picture, I will remind them that as we look at each picture one at a time, I would like honest responses from the class in terms of the specific questions posed on the T-chart. I will try to put the students at ease by stating that these responses might not be their true beliefs but rather what they know society as a whole might believe when taking a look at these pictures.

2. I will begin with having a few volunteers for each picture. Once students have given me their reactions, I will reveal the truth about these individuals, thus revealing my students' "ridiculous" assumptions based on the superficiality of physical appearance, and will remind them of the previous day's lessons and their view of the "ridiculous" phrenology skull experiment.

The Truth for each picture:

a) Some responses to this awkward looking man in a wheelchair, half slumped, head lopsided, may include: he's disabled, his mentally retarded, he is a vegetable, I'd feel uncomfortable around him because I wouldn't know what to do, he's probably in a nursing home with around the clock care for feeding and bathing and the basic functions for a handicapped person.

The Truth: Stephen Hawking contracted a motor neuron disease as a young child, he is completely paralyzed and communicates through a speech generating device, yet these limitations are only physical; he is a world renowned theoretical physicist, he's a published author, his work on black holes emitting radiation earned the theory to be named after him ("Hawking Radiation"), he was awarded the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom—the highest civilian award in the U.S., he has been married twice, and has three children, and he was a Math professor at the University of Cambridge from 1979-2009.

b)Some responses to this African American male staring up with an angry look on his face, in a black skull cap, with a gold chain around his neck, may include: he's

a rapper, he is threatening, he looks like he's in a ghetto part of town, and he might be dealing drugs, he's probably looking for trouble, he's a dropout, he's violent, he's uneducated.

The Truth: David Banner is a rapper, record producer, and actor, he graduated

from Southern University in Louisiana, he served as the President of the Student

Government Association and received a degree in business, he pursued a masters

degree in education at the University of Maryland, he was awarded a Visionary

Award by the National Black Caucus of the State Legislature for his work after

Hurricane Katrina, and in 2007 he testified before Congress about racism and

misogyny in hip-hop music.

c)Some responses to this young Asian American male in a suit and tie may include:

he's a smart Asian guy, he works in an office, he's cute, he's the president of

some company, he seems like a pushover, his grin gives away his weakness, he

doesn't seem like he has a backbone, he's too "nice", he's had an easy life.

The Truth: Tommy Kono was an Olympic weightlifter in the 1950's and 60's,

he's the only Olympic weightlifter to have set world records in four different

weight classes, he is a Japanese-American from Sacramento California who had

to relocate to an internment camp with his family during WWII, he began as a

sickly child, but endured challenges and gained the Mr. Iron Man World title in

1954, inspiring Arnold Schwarzenegger's own career in the sport.

Evaluation:

After reviewing these pictures, and discussing the assumptions vs. the realities, I will have the students add one more response on their t-chart, answering the following question:

"In 4-5 sentences, describe a time when you or someone you know was misjudged based on your appearance. What were the circumstances? How old were you? How did you feel? What was your reaction at the time?"

Since this question has much more personal content, I will tell the students that this paper will be handed to me on their way out of class as an "exit" slip. I will read them privately, comment on their responses, and hand them back the next day.

Lesson Plan Three: Getting "Through" the Text

As students are immersed in the reading of Shelley's Frankenstein, I will use the Jigsaw Cooperative Learning groups to allow students an insight into what and how the Creature is learning.

Objective:

Students will be able to...

- Read summaries of the major works of literature the Creature finds

- Collaborate as a team to present their expert knowledge on their assigned reading

- Identify the main ideas and concepts in their assigned reading, as well as create questions regarding the reading

Materials Needed:

- Pen/paper

- Summary handouts of Paradise Lost, Sorrows of Werther, Plutarch's Lives

Set:

I will begin class by telling the students they will have a break from their reading of the novel as we stop at the point when the Creature discovers the bag of books as he hides in the hovel behind the DeLacey's cottage. Instead, they will step into the shoes of the Creature and will be reading the same three works that the Creature was exposed to.

At this time, I will divide the class into three sections: 1-Paradise Lost. 2-Sorrows of Werther. 3-Plutarch's Lives.

Procedure:

1. Since these three groups will be very large, about 10-11 students per group, I will remind students that within their teams they will be divided into subgroups.

2. While all the students will read their assigned section, students will be subdivided into the following: Summarizers (3 students will take notes on the main ideas of the reading, and will present these ideas to the class), Questioners (3 students will create under-the-surface questions (why how could should would...answers are inferences rather than textual) to be used in a brief discussion during the presentation), Illustrators (3 students will represent their section visually on a poster board, including an original title, 3 significant quotations from the reading, and a brief explanation as to why these are significant).

3. I will pass out the summaries and will remind them that since these works are very dense and time consuming, they will read these summaries to get the gist of the literature the Creature was introduced to.

4. Once students are done with their tasks, each group presents their section to the class. Students will take notes on each presentation (other then their own, of course).

Evaluation:

Once students have completed their presentations, we will have a brief discussion about these three books that Mary Shelley chose to have the Creature discover. I will ask my class what books they would substitute? Which books would they give the Creature especially since he is at this point alone, rejected, scared, and confused.