Example Lesson Plans
Lesson Plan: Reading Chapter 1 of Animal Farm
Overview: English 9-10
This lesson will be centered around reading chapter 1 of Animal Farm, dealing with authoritarianism. First, a brief review of the Orwell and the Soviet Union lesson will be conducted through entrance tickets. Second, the students will be given a number of questions to consider while reading. Third, the chapter will be read. Lastly, students will be given 10 minutes to free write about ways their lives are similar or different to the text, and then another 10 to develop questions about the story as pairs or small groups.
Goals
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Recall the history of Orwell and Soviet Union lesson
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Analyze how the story relates to our lives today: This will be done through free write and conferencing with students
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Draw on prior knowledge to develop questions: This will be done through student collaboration and group work.
Standards
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.
Materials
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Student journal for free write
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Animal Farm Paperback, audiobook, or online version
Activities
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Students will be given an entrance ticket focused on the previous day’s lesson asking recall questions such as: What is authoritarianism? How was the Soviet Union authoritarian? 5 minutes
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Teacher will go over 3 questions that students will be asked to consider throughout the reading. 5 minutes
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In what ways are our lives like Orwell’s Animal Farm in Chapter 1?
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Who is like Mr. Jones in our society today?
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Are the animals right to be angry in Chapter 1?
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The book will be read in whatever manner is appropriate to student readiness. 15-20 minutes
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Students will be asked to free write in their journals for 10 minutes on any of the questions given before the reading, or on something they found interesting in the text. 10 minutes
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Students will confer in groups to develop one question they have about the text that is related to their lives. They must use a direct quote from the text. Questions will be handed in for a formative assessment and credit. These questions can then be used by the teacher to structure the next days reading questions. 10 minutes
Accommodation
This lesson is designed to succeed with a variety of learner readiness, ability and styles do to its flexibility. Students who wish, may take the 20 minutes to read the chapter themselves, in audiobook, or in another format. If the class desires, the teacher can also read the book aloud. Student’s are also given the opportunity to free write at their own pace after the reading. Their thoughts will then be scaffolded by peer discussion before developing questions at the end of the period.
Extensions
Students will be given a list of “Further Reading” materials before the book begins. These will include digital, fiction, and nonfiction material that accommodate a wide array of readiness and ability that they can explore outside of class while remaining on the theme of authoritarianism.
Assessment
Conferring with students during their free write will be an impactful way to track both their learning, reading comprehension, and learner profile. This one on one attention will allow the teacher to make suggestions and then follow up with students the next day. Similarly, the questions that the student groups create will allow the teacher an opportunity to see where the class is as a whole concerning their levels of thinking. This will provide the necessary evidence for adjustments etc.
Lesson Plan: Reading Chapter 2 of Animal Farm
Overview: English 9-10
This lesson will be centered around reading chapter 2 of Animal Farm, dealing with authoritarianism. First, students will be handed back their questions from the previous period and asked to free write about them again. Second, the students will be given a number of questions to consider while reading. Third, the chapter will be read. Lastly, students will be given 10 minutes to free write about ways their lives are similar or different to the text, and then another 10 to develop questions about the story as pairs or small groups.
Goals
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Recall, consider, and develop the questions students created from the previous day
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Analyze how the story and authoritarianism relates to our lives today: This will be done through free write and conferencing with students
-
Draw on prior knowledge to develop questions: This will be done through student collaboration and group work.
Standards
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.
Materials
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Student journal for free write
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Animal Farm Paperback, audiobook, or online version
Activities
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Students will be given back their questions from the previous day and asked to free write about them for another ten minutes. Prompts could be: Have I developed these questions further? Did I change my mind about the reading? Do my questions relate to my daily experience?
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Teacher will go over 3 questions that students will be asked to consider throughout the reading. 5 minutes
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Why do Squealer, Snowball, and Napoleon get to control the animal’s movement?
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Why do Squealer, Snowball, and Napoleon ridicule the animals with other opinions?
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What do you think will happen in Chapter 3?
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The book will be read in whatever manner is appropriate to student readiness. 15-20 minutes
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Students will be asked to free write in their journals for 10 minutes on how the text is similar to their lives.
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Students will confer in groups to develop one question they have about the text that is related to their lives. They must use a direct quote from the text. Questions will be handed in for a formative assessment and credit. These questions can then be used by the teacher to structure the next days reading questions. 10 minutes
Accommodation
This lesson is designed to succeed with a variety of learner readiness, ability and styles do to its flexibility. Students who wish, may take the 20 minutes to read the chapter themselves, in audiobook, or in another format. If the class desires, the teacher can also read the book aloud. Student’s are also given the opportunity to free write at their own pace after the reading. Their thoughts will then be scaffolded by peer discussion before developing questions at the end of the period.
Extensions
Students will be given a list of “Further Reading” materials before the book begins. These will include digital, fiction, and nonfiction material that accommodate a wide array of readiness and ability that they can explore outside of class while remaining on the theme of authoritarianism.
Assessment
Conferring with students during their free write will be an impactful way to track both their learning, reading comprehension, and learner profile. Sharing ways in which the text is relevant to the teacher’s life may be a good way to help students who are “stuck.” This one on one attention will provide the teacher with ways to track students progress towards thinking about authoritarianism. Similarly, the questions that the student groups create will allow the teacher an opportunity to see where the class is as a whole concerning their levels of thinking. This will provide the necessary evidence for adjustments etc.
Lesson Plan: Reading Chapter 9 of Animal Farm
Overview: English 9-10
This lesson will be centered around reading chapter 9 of Animal Farm, dealing with authoritarianism. First, students will watch a short video on the gulag system in the USSR. Second, the students will be given a number of questions to consider while reading. Third, the chapter will be read. Lastly, students will be given 10 minutes to free write about ways they may be similar to Boxer, and then another 10 to develop questions about the story as pairs or small groups.
Goals
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See the ways in which Orwell related the working class in the gulags to Boxer
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Analyze how the story and authoritarianism relates to our lives today: This will be done through free write and conferencing with students
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Draw on prior knowledge to develop questions about the working class in society today: This will be done through student collaboration and group work.
Standards
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.
Materials
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Student journal for free write
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Animal Farm Paperback, audiobook, or online version
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Gulag clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9P3MxkKU_g
Activities
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Students will be shown the gulag clip listed above.
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Teacher will go over 3 questions that students will be asked to consider throughout the reading. 5 minutes
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How is Boxer related to the video clip we watched?
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How is Boxer like society today?
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Am I or my family like Boxer in any way?
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The book will be read in whatever manner is appropriate to student readiness. 15-20 minutes
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Students will be asked to free write in their journals for 10 minutes on the reading questions, focusing on Boxer’s character.
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Students will confer in groups to develop one question they have about the text that is related to their lives. They must use a direct quote from the text. Questions will be handed in for a formative assessment and credit. These questions can then be used by the teacher to structure the next days reading questions. 10 minutes
Accommodation
This lesson is designed to succeed with a variety of learner readiness, ability and styles do to its flexibility. Students who wish, may take the 20 minutes to read the chapter themselves, in audiobook, or in another format. If the class desires, the teacher can also read the book aloud. Student’s are also given the opportunity to free write at their own pace after the reading. Their thoughts will then be scaffolded by peer discussion before developing questions at the end of the period.
Extensions
Students will be given a list of “Further Reading” materials before the book begins. These will include digital, fiction, and nonfiction material that accommodate a wide array of readiness and ability that they can explore outside of class while remaining on the theme of authoritarianism.
Assessment
Conferring with students during their free write will be an impactful way to track both their learning, reading comprehension, and learner profile. Sharing ways in which the text is relevant to the teacher’s life may be a good way to help students who are “stuck.” This one on one attention will provide the teacher with ways to track students progress towards thinking about authoritarianism. Similarly, the questions that the student groups create will allow the teacher an opportunity to see where the class is as a whole concerning their levels of thinking. This will provide the necessary evidence for adjustments etc. The teacher will also be able to use these questions to begin guiding students towards a research topic they may be interested in.
Overview of Purpose
From the lesson plans above, one can see the progression of thought that is intended in the students. By the end of the text, they should be beginning to develop their research topic with help from the teacher. This should be increasingly be done during free write times. By focusing in more on specific events and characters, students will be able to develop more meaningful questions in their free writes and group discussions concerning issues in their own lives.