Teaching Packet

This is going to be one of the most challenging assignments of the semester. It's lengthy and has lots of parts to it, but theoretically, by the time you've finished it, you'll have most of the materials you will need to teach a particular text in your class. Some things you can do ahead of time (the work regarding the pre-, during-, and after-reading articles, for instance), and others, you can do as you have a clear understanding of them through your reading of Deeper Reading. Your theory of literacy learning (the first part listed below) will likely be the last thing you write. This packet should be contained in its own notebook and should be in the order established below.

You will also give a 15-20 minute presentation of your teaching packet. Provide a one-page handout (it can be both sides) that other students would find helpful if they were to teach this book. Include in that handout the title of your text, the author, a brief summary, and anything else you believe will be helpful for teaching.

For this assignment, you will need to identify a novel or play that you might use in your class. You should include the following:

• You'll probably write this assignment last, but it should be the first thing in your teaching packet. Read Lynn Langer Meeks's "Making English Classes Happier Places to Learn" (http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/slstewart/MakingEnglishClassroomsHappierPlaces.pdf). In that article, Meeks, drawing from Cambourne, explains that she has developed a "coherent theory of literacy learning" (79). It serves as a way of explaining to parents, colleagues, and administrators the "conditions in which literacy learning is more likely to occur" (79, emphasis in original). Drawing from that article and what you've learned this semester, and using the text you have chosen for your teaching packet write your "theory of literacy learning." This should be approximately 5 pages, not including the works cited page.
• Gallagher writes that he wants "students to think in bigger terms" when it comes to their reading (20). Identify some questions you would pose for students in order for them to think in bigger terms regarding the text you've chosen. Provide your rationale.
• Identify an activity that will help focus the reader (see pages 20-21 of Deeper Reading (DR)) regarding the text you've chosen. Provide a rationale.
• Gallagher uses metaphor to deepen comprehension. Identify a literary device that you can use to deepen comprehension regarding your text. Identify in essay form the use of that device. Be sure to include quotations from the text. This should be about 700 words.
• Develop an Anticipation Guide for your chosen text (see page 40 of DR). Provide a rationale.
• Develop a Theme Spotlight for your chosen text (see page 41). Provide a rationale.
• Pick one chapter from your chosen text and develop Daily Focus Questions (text-dependent, pg. 46, and text-independent questions, pg. 47).
• Pick 3 chapters from your chosen text and create a text frame with gaps (see pages 55+) for each chapter
• Create your own Time Line with Questions and Predictions (cite passages for evidence) for your chosen text (see page 95 of DR)
• Create your own Mystery Envelope, consisting of 20 questions for your chosen text (see page 118)
• Create your own Theme Triangle for your chosen text (see page 122)
• Create your own metaphorical graphic organizer for your chosen text (see pages 146-147)
• Create an issues graphic organizer for your text (see page 155-56)
• Conduct an internet search and find 3 articles that might be applicable to issues raised in your chosen text

Additionally:

You will need to find three scholarly articles published in 2001 or later. The articles themselves need to be at least 7 pages long. One article needs to address a pre-reading strategy, one needs to address a during-reading strategy, and one needs to address a after-reading strategy. For each article, provide the following:

• MLA style bibliographic citation
• A brief summary of the article in your own words (approximately 200 words)
• The GOAL of the strategy
• A write up (in complete sentences) of the sample activity you would use in teaching this strategy for your chosen text. Be specific.
• Include a copy of the article in your packet, complete with your annotations and marginal notes

Helpful journals for this assignment:

The Reading Teacher
English Journal
Language Arts
College English
Journal of Reading
Reading
Journal of Literacy Research
Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy
and many more

DO NOT USE ERIC

TIPS for Writing a Summary:

A summary is written for the purpose of describing, rather than evaluating or analyzing. The purpose is to provide a thumbnail sketch so that readers who have not read the original article (or for other assignments, the book)can decide whether or not the text is worth reading. Start your summary with the author's full name and title of the article.

Do NOT write your summary in the same organization structure as the essay is written: start your summary with the MOST IMPORTANT point the author makes, and then work down (skim the introductory and concluding sections to get a sense of the MAIN POINTS). The focus of the summaries is more on argument/main points/ideas rather than evidence (specific examples).

I expect you to write your own summaries (summarizing a longer piece is a useful writing skill) rather than copying any abstracts/summaries that may exist in the databases or in the publications. Make sure your summaries are written in complete, grammatically correct sentences and in a fairly standard/formal tone. Use of first person, personal commentary, or evaluations--saying whether the article is good or bad--is inappropriate for this assignment. I expect that you will review a number of sources and choose ones which you think are good/useful.