ARTIFACT #1-EXAMPLE OF NOTE TAKING TEMPLATE
This artifact is an instructional strategy I used frequently with my Middle School students: note-taking. When I began working with Middle School students, I realized that 8th graders need a clear structure in order to take effective notes. It's not helpful to tell students to take notes at this age without showing them what to expect. Below is an example of a notes template I used in tandem with the class readings about Elie Wiesel. The students watched powerful videos of Holocaust survivors and answered the questions in the left-hand column. In the right-hand column they took general notes about what they noticed from the interview. If I were teaching this lesson at the High School level, I would change this template to have less close-ended questions and more opportunity to take open-ended notes.
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ARTIFACT #2-STRATEGY OF USING IMAGES ALONGSIDE READING
Below is a walk-through of instruction I gave about the topic of courtroom illustrations at New Brighton. The instructional strategy for this lesson was having students visualize the meaning of a reading through the use of a specific image.
1. The students read a three-page article called "Courtroom sketch artist brings trial to life when cameras cannot" by Stephen Ceasar for the Los Angeles Times. This reading was completed in the whole class setting. I read aloud sections to the class and the students took turns reading some too.
Common Core Standard this demonstrates: CC.1.2.8.B Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly, as well as inferences, conclusions, and/or generalizations drawn from the text.
2. The students completed an external text activity that helped them understand the article we read in class. The students created a crime scenario based on elements of a story they drew from a bucket. They wrote a paragraph in groups about the scenario. This paragraph was passed to a different group that depicted the scenario in an illustration. The groups had a short amount of time to create the illustration. An example of this activity is below.
Common Core standard this demonstrates: CC.1.4.8.K Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition. • Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. • Use sentences of varying lengths and complexities. • Create tone and voice through precise language. • Establish and maintain a formal style.
The purpose of this activity was to evaluate the student's understanding of a written paragraph and practice the demonstration of this understanding.
1. The students read a three-page article called "Courtroom sketch artist brings trial to life when cameras cannot" by Stephen Ceasar for the Los Angeles Times. This reading was completed in the whole class setting. I read aloud sections to the class and the students took turns reading some too.
Common Core Standard this demonstrates: CC.1.2.8.B Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly, as well as inferences, conclusions, and/or generalizations drawn from the text.
2. The students completed an external text activity that helped them understand the article we read in class. The students created a crime scenario based on elements of a story they drew from a bucket. They wrote a paragraph in groups about the scenario. This paragraph was passed to a different group that depicted the scenario in an illustration. The groups had a short amount of time to create the illustration. An example of this activity is below.
Common Core standard this demonstrates: CC.1.4.8.K Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition. • Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. • Use sentences of varying lengths and complexities. • Create tone and voice through precise language. • Establish and maintain a formal style.
The purpose of this activity was to evaluate the student's understanding of a written paragraph and practice the demonstration of this understanding.