Mini-Lesson

Multi-Genre Mini-Lesson

Fall 2014 – LLED 7408

Teacher’s Name: Ms. Joanna Meyer

Level and # of Students: 25 12^th Grade Honors Students

Topic Addressed:

Word Choice: Changing Emotional Stories into factual accounts

Standard Addressed:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.4

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Lesson Objective(s):

Students will be able to choose specific diction and tone to convey an emotional situation in factual, detached ways.

Materials Needed:

Board, Example Story Excerpts, Class Copies of scanned of “World Book Encyclopedia” 2003, S-Sn Entry on Slavery in North America “Conditions of Slavery”

Teaching/Instructional Process:

Begin with Explanation on How sometimes it is necessary to write about horiffic topics in a detached, emotionless way

Pass out copies of Slavery entry and have class read the small excerpt to themselves, taking notes on how the author conveys the tragedy and brutality, without exposing his personal opinions or trying to persuade the audience.  He uses quotes. 

Work as class: Teacher will project a two sentence story about a sad event, class will suggest ways to make the story more factual.

“’And finally her father  fell to his knees,  gasping in horror at the prostrate form on the ground.  His Sasha, his only daughter,  had crumbled into a bloody, pitiful heap, after the tragic colission.’ It was the worst moment of my life.  I can’t imagine how it was for him.”

Example re-write:

The man expressed tremendour grief after seeing his daughter  critically injured in the car crash.

Point out—fewer emotional words, unnecessary detail excluded.

Students Try, in partners, to write this as a news account:

                 
 “Once, I organised a hike along the coast and he did everything possible to ruin it, and when I sat there crying and disappointed, he kept me awake for over 24 hours while he smashed up the house and shouted abuse. He never seemed to care that neighbours and people in the street could see and hear him. He bullied me into marriage and carried on trying to control me. Nothing I did was good enough, my pet suffered, all the nice things I had were smashed up, and I was alone with no-one to turn to.

After many years together and him squandering all our money and running up huge debts he started an affair. He denied it and very coldly told me he wanted to go out, but I couldn't as I worked with men so had no right. I left and then he stalked and stalked me. After one terrible night of his drunken physical violence, he was arrested and a panic button installed. I had dialled 999 and left the phone off the hook and the police had heard him saying if he couldn't have me no one else could. If this hadn't have happened I know he would have killed me.”

 –HiddenHurt.co