SAMPLE LESSON ONE THE NOVEL OR SHORT STORY
Language arts lends itself to the format for multi-level instruction, as the following unit plan for teaching a novel or short story illustrates.
CONCEPTS TO BE TAUGHT:
character
plot
climax
setting
atmosphere
conflict
theme
METHOD OF PRESENTATION:
One suggestion for teaching these concepts was through the use of a movie (e.g., The Outsiders by S.S. Hinton). This would be effective for all students and particularly for two groups — visual learners, and children with low reading levels. The concepts would be presented by a variety of modes and then the novel could be the vehicle for project work based on understanding the concepts.
METHOD OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE:
A variety of assignments was developed to show an understanding of each concept as it was covered. They ranged from the concrete to the abstract in ideas and from the knowledge level to the evaluation level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.
METHOD OF EVALUATION:
Individual assignments were used as the major evaluation. Main concepts were tested in a written form where possible. Adaptations were made for students who had limited writing skills.
