Teaching Strategies
Scaffolding
At the surface level, the first strategy is reading carefully to understand both sources (text and letters). With this strategy, students will engage in Pre-Reading and During Reading activities that:
- Provide background information about the authors (Krakauer and McCandless's siblings and parents), purpose of each author, main character, setting, conflict, etc.
- Provide evidence that supports themes
Discussion Strategy: Think-Pair-Share, Small Group, and Whole Class
Students will engage in collaborative and explorative discussions about the traits and
actions of the main character and of the level of reliability of the author-narrator. Furthermore, these discussions will elicit student interpretations regarding the themes of the text: truth, materialism, and societal expectations. On some days, students will share with a partner and on other days, they will discuss in a group of three or four students. The small group discussions allow for every student in the class to voice their interpretation of the readings. This discussion gives every student an opportunity to speak and listen to someone else's views. The small group discussion always leads to a whole class discussion so that the entire class can hear how others' perceptions differed or compared with that of their own. The discussions benefit the students by allowing them to hear and realize the similarities and differences among their thoughts, especially when citing evidence to support their interpretations. The discussions bridge the text and students' understandings. Their ideas are compiled into their unit packets.
Student Packets
A 6 to 10-page packet will serve as a record of ideas and details and will be
the end product of this strategy. The packet will be filled with annotation exercises, T-charts for compare and contrast analysis, summaries that reflect their understanding, charts for textual evidence. Responses to critical thinking questions and the rough drafts of essays will also be maintained in the packet. Students will provide a date and title (in my classroom, I've come up with the term "datle") for each new section in their packets representing every new activity they are tasked with.
Annotation Exercises
Students will either be asked to hand-copy epigraphs into their packets or they may be given copies. Using different colored highlighters and a combination of annotation symbols, students will mark up portions of the epigraphs to demonstrate meaning. For example, the student will draw a circle around vocabulary words that are unfamiliar to them, or draw a box around words or phrases that might reflect symbolism. The students will all use a first colored highlighter to mark details that refer to tone, a second colored highlighter will be used to mark details that refer to figurative language devices, and a third color for sensory details found in the epigraph. In using the different colors, visual or tactile learners will be better able to engage with meaning from the text.
Once the students have color-coded and applied symbols, in the margins around their paper they will write their ideas, explanations, and the meanings behind their markings. In developing these explanations, students will compare their notes with the perceptions of the author-narrator. This discussion and annotation format fosters the process of finding deeper meanings within the text. This is then the point from which their interpretive conclusions can be made.
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