Lesson Plan: When Ends Change

One of the most wonderful experiences that I have gained during these precious weeks is to make use of these tools in our curriculum. It takes time to devise a lesson plan that adapts one or two ideas or tools. However, I feel so happy to achieve this aim. The current plan will adapt another lesson plan created by Haley Fishburn Moore. I liked its idea very much. How would the story have changed if Romeo had received the letter? It can develop my students' creativity, critical thinking skills and how to look at things from different perspectives. This treasure includes not just a great idea, but a variety of amazing tools that help students to analyze and understand novels and plays. Among these tools are Story Map, Drama Map, Timeline, Plot Diagram, Venn Diagram, Comic Creator, and Stapleless Book. In addition to the printout materials, e.g., Plot Tree Worksheet, Ideas for "Happily Ever After" Presentations, Group Assessment, and Grading Rubric.

I will use the same idea, but with the use of other tools that we used during Week 5, e.g., Bighugelabs, and epubbud. In English textbooks for Egyptian secondary schools, there are a lot of narratives included. I will choose one of them and try to adapt Haley's lesson plan.

Title

The Pearl - A Story of Greed

Materials Needed:

1. Computers 
2. Internet access
3. The Pearl: A Story of Greed  (Copied by Me using epubbud)
4. Plot Tree Worksheet  
5. Grading Rubric
6. Group Assessment
7. Blank sheets & pencils

Digital Tools:
 

1. Story Map
2. Bighugelabs 
3. epubbud

Class Level:

• 12th Grade (Between 18 - 19 years old) advanced students.

Time Frame:

• Two 50-minute classes

Lesson Objectives:

 

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• read a story to get the main idea and the moral lesson behind it.
• analyze a story ( ... characters, setting, conflict, and resolution) using Story Map Tool.
•  determine a turning point of a story.
•  write a new happy end.  
•  use Bighugelabs to create a cover to the new story.
•  use epubbud to create the story using the new end.
• share e-stories in their edmodo group. 

Steps:

1. Divide the class into groups of three.
2. Ask them to read the story (The Pearl: A Story of Greed) in their textbooks or read it online as I typed it using epubbud. The aim of the first reading is to get the main idea and the moral lesson behind it.
3. Tell the students that they are going to read the story again to analyze its elements, e.g, characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution using Story Map Tool.
4. Once they finish the analysis, ask them to print their products and share with their colleagues.
5.  Using Plot Tree Worksheet, ask the students to determine a turning point of a story (e.g., Kino agrees to throw the Pearl away ..... ) and think of another happy end.
6.  Ask them to work into groups and write their first draft using a blank sheet putting in mind the Grading Rubric criteria.
7. After finishing their first draft, tell them to use Bighugelabs to create a cover to the new story and save it on their computer.
8. Then, ask them to start creating their stories with the new ends using epubbud. 
9. Once they finish their stories, ask the groups to share their e-stories in their edmodo class and give feedback to each other.
10. Ask the students to complete the Group Assessment to check what they have done and how other group's members work and cooperate while working together.
11. Using edmodo, create a Poll so students can vote for the most wonderful e-story. Then, create badges for the Top 5 Winning groups.

I'm sure that my students will create amazing e-stories with different ends. Of course, there are other tools involved in the lesson plan created by Haley Fishburn Moore. However, I don't want to overwhelm my students with such variety. I think that two or three are enough in a lesson. This will help students focus more on the content not only the form. 

This is the last task of Digital Tools with Purpose in the Classroom e-course, but it is the first step towards my new journey. I feel that I have a big bag full of tools, experiences and more chances to innovate and create. I think that you will hear about another revolution in Egypt in the coming weeks .... but in Azhar's Classes. I will try to pick up what is suitable for my students' levels and learning styles. Last year, I amazed my students using wikis. This year will be more productive, interesting and excising. Really, I can't find words to thank all people responsible for such amazing chances to learn. You changed my life to a great extent. Now, I'm interested in everything new in the field of teaching English as a foreign language. I can't stop myself! All the time I search for a new beginning. 

If you are interested in this e-course, here are our session online spaces:

• Edmodo: main environment, message board for announcements and discussions.
  Group Code: 9m0oq6
• Our Wiki: syllabus, weekly tasks, weekly discussion threads and tutorials.
• Our Diigo Group: online social bookmarking space where we keep all the resources being shared by the group.
• scoop.it : visual content aggregation.
• Recording of EVO Wrap-Up.
  

Last, but not Least

BIG THANK YOU TO DIGITOOLS COMMUNITY

 

See you @ EVO 2013