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Pre-assessment: Reading Comprehension Check (Students who know less than…
Pre-assessment: Reading Comprehension Check
Students who know less than 60% of the questions and content.
I would work with these students in a small group, as they need more direct instruction.
Then, to prepare for a future lesson where we talk about how science fiction isn't really about space (it's often about human issues and social justice), I will have these students prepare the following sentence to share in the following class: "This isn't a story about virtual reality, it's a story about
__
."
Then, students would have to write a summary of the plot in a tweet (140 characters). This would help them get the essential out of a 10 page short story.
Then, we would read together as a group and go over the short story titled "The Veldt." As I read aloud, I would have students stop for unknown words. We would define them to build language skills. We would also clarify confusion about the plot together with the text in front of us.
First, we would sit as a group and come up with a definition of science fiction. We would then go into the dictionary and see how science fiction is defined. Then, we will brainstorm a list of all of the things that we think about when we think about science fiction.This list will help us in future lessons.
Students who know between 60% and 85% of the questions and content.
These students would work in a small group without my help. From the pre-assessment, it is clear that they understand the story. What they need more work with is the writing nuances of science fiction and the genre itself (not the plot).
As a group, students would chunk the short story into different scenes (as if it were a movie). They would then give adjectives to describe the tone of each of those themes (for example, ominous, chipper, etc.). The point of this is for students to think about how a text feels to them.
Then, students would compare and contrast "The Veldt" with another short story we covered earlier this year. They would make a Venn diagram to show what is similar and what is different about the two stories. The goal is for students to pick up on what makes a sci-fi short story different than a realistic fiction short story.
Finally, each student would write a short paragraph on whether or not they think the ending of "The Veldt" was ethical or not. The ending is the most difficult part to understand, so I would want them to ensure that they know what happens and how they feel about it. The next day, these students would divide into groups of who thought the ending was ethical or not. They would have to present their arguments to the class by picking a representative after discussing as a group.
Students who know over 85% of the questions and content.
These students would be independent, working on two tasks. These tasks are more complicated and require creation and higher-level thinking and analysis.
First, these students would take "The Veldt" and rewrite the ending, imitating Bradbury's writing style. They would have to write at least 2 book-pages, honoring the story and the genre. They would then write a few sentences justifying their choices (what sci-fi writing moves did they opt to incorporate and why).
Then, students would gather as a group and have a Harkness discussion about this sci-fi story as compared to the other short stories we've read. They would have to bring in evidence and come to a consensus as a group. One student would take notes on the Harkness (we do this often as a class). They would present their discussion and findings the next day in class.
Grade 8 English Science Fiction Unit