Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA...

22
Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners 1 Grades 8-10 Threads of Change in 19 th Century America Literature

Transcript of Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA...

Page 1: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

1

Grades 8-10

Threads of

Change in

19th

Century

America

Literature

Page 2: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

2

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners Overview

The College of William and Mary's Center for Gifted Education is one of the nation's

foremost leaders in the development of curriculum materials and instructional and

assessment approaches for gifted learners. The lessons included in this packet are

condensed versions of those lessons. In these abridged lessons, teachers will find the

following components:

Lesson Title: Please note this is the lesson title exactly as it is referred to in the

accompanying teacher's edition.

Grade Level: The grade level has been assigned by the College of William and Mary.

Teacher's Edition Title and Lesson Number: Several teachers' editions were

referenced in creating the lessons. Use the title listed (i.e. Journeys and Destinations,

Patterns of Change, etc.) and lesson number, to locate the full lesson in the teacher's

edition.

Lesson Goals:

GOAL 1-to develop analytical and interpretive skills in literature

GOAL 2-to develop persuasive writing skills

GOAL 3-to develop linguistic competency

GOAL 4-to develop listening/oral communication skills

GOAL 5-to develop reasoning skills in the language arts

GOAL 6-to understand the concept of change in the language arts

Assignment Overview: The major activities of the lesson are summarized here so that

teachers may see at a glance what each lesson will entail.

Suggested Materials: This section includes the title of the text as well as the author.

When possible, a direct link to the text has been provided.

Discussion Questions: When necessary discussion questions are categorized by text

(if more than one text is used for the lesson), as well as by question type (literary

response/interpretation, reasoning, and questions pertaining to change).

Response Journal: Encourage the students to keep a Response Journal for

responding to the questions in each lesson.

Extensions/Homework: Here you will find a preview of all extension activities, which

are optional activities offered to provide further enrichment or to accommodate

expanded schedules. Cross curricular connections are also noted here.

Page 3: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

3

The texts for these lessons include high-quality poems, short stories, and essays. A

great deal of the language arts lessons focus on the concept of change. As students

progress through these units, they learn that change is everywhere, change is linked to

time, change may be positive or negative, change may be perceived as orderly or

random, change may happen naturally or change may be caused by people. As

students read they will identify examples of how change affects the story.

To enhance the learning experience of students, the concept of change and

accompanying generalizations should extend into the students' other curricula. The

more connections they are able to draw, the deeper they will be able to examine and

understand the concept of change. The following generalizations are introduced in

Lesson 2:

Change is linked to time. Change may be positive or negative.

Change may be perceived as orderly or random.

Change may happen naturally or may be caused by people.

Change is everywhere. Change does not affect everything.

Throughout each lesson, two models are frequently used to encourage close interaction

with the text: The Literature Web Model and Vocabulary Web Model.

The Literature Web Model encourages students to consider five aspects of the

selection they are reading: keywords, feelings, ideas, images or symbols, and the

structure. This web helps students organize their initial responses and provides them

with a platform for discussing the piece in small or large groups. Whenever possible,

students should be allowed to underline and make marginal notes as they read and

reread. After marking the text, students then organize their notes into the web.

Suggested Discussion Questions for Literature Web:

Key Words-What words or phrases from the story are important? Why do you

think the author chose these words? What are some words that the author

seems to emphasize?

Feelings-What feeling do you get when you read the story? Why do you think

you had those particular feelings? What feelings do you think the characters

have? What feelings do you think the author had or is trying to show?

Ideas-What idea is the story mostly about? What other ideas does the folk tale

show? What is the author saying about Change?

Images/Symbols-What are some pictures or images that came to mind when

you read the story? How does the author use description and imagery?

Structure-What are some characteristics of the way the story is written? How is

dialogue used? How does its structure contribute to the meaning of the story?

Page 4: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

4

After students have completed their webs individually, they should compare their webs

in small groups. This initial discussion will enable them to consider the ideas of others

and to understand that individuals interpret literature differently. These small groups

may compile a composite web that includes the ideas of all members. Following the

small group work, teachers have several options for using the webs. For instance, they

may ask each group to report to the class, they may ask groups to post their composite

web, or they may develop a new web with the class based on the small group work. The

discussion that is generated through the use of the Literature Web is one which the

teacher should facilitate through the use of open ended questions. Students should be

encouraged to provide evidence from the text to support any response. A black line

master of the Literature Web is found in Appendix E in the designated teacher's edition.

Similarly, the purpose of the Vocabulary Web Model is to enable students to gain an

in-depth understanding of interesting words. Rather than promoting superficial

vocabulary development, the web approach allows for deep processing of challenging

and interesting words. Vocabulary Web components include: word, origin, part of

speech, word families, synonyms, antonyms, sentence from the text using word,

student example using word, stems, and dictionary definition. A black line master of the

Literature Web is found in Appendix E in the designated teacher's edition.

Students may complete the Vocabulary Web individually or in small groups. Please

allow students to access a dictionary as needed. Once students become familiar with

this activity, they may use a streamlined version to accommodate new words they meet

in their independent reading.

A vocabulary section should be kept in a separate place in students' notebooks for this

purpose. They only need to list the word, definition, and sentence in which the word was

encountered, plus any additional information they find particularly interesting. They may

then develop webs for the few selected words.

We hope you are able to implement these lessons in your classroom to enrich and

differentiate your curriculum. The original, unabridged lessons can be found in the

designated teacher's editions published by the College of William and Mary. If you have

any questions regarding the content or procedures involved within this adapted

curriculum, please feel free to contact the Advanced Studies and Gifted Learners

Department.

Teacher's editions and student guides for each unit are available for check out

from the Advanced Studies and Gifted Learners Department. Contact Irene

Benfatti’s secretary, Kathleen Romano, for details (ext. 70102).

Page 5: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

5

Lesson Title: The Concept of Change (page 1 of 3)

Grades 8-10: Threads of Change in 19th Century America Literature-Lesson 2

GOAL 6-to understand the concept of change in the language arts

{The content of this lesson provides the framework for future lessons and activities.}

Assignment Overview:

Facilitate the brainstorming of multiple examples of change on chart paper.

Complete a change model chart including change linked to time, change is

everywhere, change may be positive or negative, change may be perceived as

orderly or random, change may happen naturally or may be caused by people,

and change does not affect everything. (see chart below).

Share group ideas with class adding new ideas to their original lists.

Encourage groups to categorize their examples of change using the following

criteria:

Change is linked to time. Change may be positive or negative.

Change may be perceived as orderly or random.

Change may happen naturally or may be caused by people.

Change is everywhere. Change does not affect everything.

Explore a timeline of events of the 19th century.

Write a Response Journal entry.

Suggested Materials:

Chart paper, markers

Discussion Questions for Change Model

Brainstorming ideas about change and recording all responses:

What do you think about when you hear the word change? What kinds of things

change? What is it about them that changes?

Categorizing ideas and titling each group:

How could you put your change ideas into groups? How are some of the

changes alike?

What could you call each group? Why?

Could some of your changes belong to more than one group? Why?

What are some different ways that you could categorize your changes?

Page 6: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

6

Lesson Title: The Concept of Change (page 2 of 3)

What do your ideas tell you about changes in general? What are some of the

characteristics of change?

Brainstorming a list of things that do not change:

What are some things that are always the same, or that always happen the same

way?

Look at the list of things that change. While those things are changing, can you

think of anything else that stays the same?

What can you say about the ideas of things that do not change? How could you

put them into groups?

What would you call each group? Why?

Think about these ideas and whether they show change: routines or habits, rules

and regulations, table manners, laws, customs of cultures. Explain your answers.

If they do show change, then where would they fit into your categories of

changes? If they do not, then where would they fit into your categories of things

that do not change?

Making generalizations about change:

A generalization is something that is always or almost always true. Can you say

something that is always or almost always true about change?

Look at the categories of changes that we found and see if they help you make

generalizations about change. How are your examples alike?

Discussion Questions:

Change is linked to time. How is change linked to time? Are all changes linked to time in the same way? How do some of your examples relate to time?

Change may be positive or negative. What is progress? Does change always represent progress? How could a change be both positive and negative?

Change may be perceived as orderly or random. Can we predict change? Select examples of change and describe which aspects of these changes can be predicted and which are unpredictable?

Change may happen naturally or may be caused by people. What causes change? What influence do people have over changes in nature? What influences does nature have over the changes people intend to make?

Change is everywhere. Does change apply to all areas of our world? What are some specific changes that are universal and some that apply only to a particular area at a given time?

Change does not affect everything. Consider the following: non-living things, traditions, religious rituals, and universal truths. How does not apply or not apply to these categories?

Page 7: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

7

Lesson Title: The Concept of Change (page 3 of 3)

Timeline of the 19th Century:

Review this list of major changes that occurred in the 19th century. Use the

additional changes column to add to the timeline from your own knowledge of the

period.

Year Major Changes Additional Changes

1801 Thomas Cole born

1802

1803 Ralph Waldo Emerson born Louisiana Purchase

1804 Nathaniel Hawthorne born

1805

1806 Noah Webster’s first dictionary published

1807

1808

1809 Edgar Allen Poe born Abraham Lincoln born

1810

1811

1812 War with England begins

1813

1814

1815 War with England ends

1816

Writing to Respond:

Have students respond to the following question in their Response Journal:

Of the changes that occurred during the 19th century, which one do you think is

most significant? Why?

Extensions/Homework:

Have students list at least 10 changes that occurred in the United States in the

19th century and that are not included in the timeline. Changes may include

events in politics and government, social shifts, developments in art, music, and

literature, and changes in other aspects of society.

Have students work with a partner to identify changes that occurred in your

community within a given span of time. Have them create a pictorial

representation of these changes.

Page 8: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

8

Lesson Title: Romantic Themes in the Poetry of Whitman (page 1 of 3)

Grades 8-10: Threads of Change in 19th Century America Literature-Lesson 5

GOAL 1-to develop analytical and interpretive skills in literature

GOAL 3-to develop linguistic competency

GOAL 5-to develop reasoning skills in the language arts

GOAL 6-to understand the concept of change in the language arts

Assignment Overview:

Read and discuss A Noiseless Patient Spider and When I Heard the Learn’d

Astronomer.

Complete the Literature Web for each poem including key words, feelings, ideas,

images/symbols, and structure.

Complete a Vocabulary Web to explore the meaning of new words in depth,

including word, origin, part of speech, word families, synonyms, antonyms,

sentence from the text using word, student example using word, stems, and

dictionary definition for teacher selected vocabulary (Suggested words to use:

promontory, filament, ductile, gossamer, unaccountable, mystical).

Write a Response Journal entry.

Suggested Materials:

A Noiseless Patient Spider by Walt Whitman

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174741

When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer by Walt Whitman

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174747

Discussion Questions for A Noiseless Patient Spider:

Literary Response/Interpretation:

What qualities of the spider does the speaker seem to admire? Why?

How are the spider and the soul similar? How are they different?

Compare the fourth line of the first stanza with the third line of the second stanza.

How does the structure of these lines imply parallels and contrasts between the

soul and the spider?

Compare the position of the spider on a promontory with the position of the soul.

How are they different and why is this difference significant in the poem?

Why does the poet use images of the ocean in the poem?

Why might Whitman have titled this poem A Noiseless Patient Spider? What

other title might you give the poem? Why?

Page 9: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

9

Lesson Title: Romantic Themes in the Poetry of Whitman (page 2 of 3)

Reasoning:

What was Whitman’s purpose in this poem? What evidence supports your idea?

What does the poem say about isolation and making connections?

What would be the consequences for the soul if its “gossamer thread” were to

catch somewhere?

Change:

How does this poem reflect the generalizations about change?

How does the change in this poem from a description of a spider to a direct

address of the soul affect its meaning?

Discussion Questions for When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer:

Literary Response/Interpretation:

What qualities of the astronomer or his work do you think the speaker finds

tiresome? Why?

How are the words “proofs” and “mystical” opposed in meaning? Why do you

think Whitman chose to use those two words?

The speaker describes his physical position in the poem, using words such as

“sitting,” “rising,” “gliding,” and “wandr’d.” How do these physical movements

parallel the speaker’s mental state?

Why does the speaker switch from passive to active voice midway through the

poem?

Reasoning:

What was Whitman’s purpose in writing this poem? What evidence supports your

idea?

What does the poem say about the concepts of science and progress? With what

concept are they contrasted?

Change:

How does this poem reflect the generalizations about change?

What is the speaker’s apparent attitude about change?

Page 10: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

10

Lesson Title: Romantic Themes in the Poetry of Whitman (page 3 of 3)

Literature Web Questions for Both Poems:

Key Words-What words or phrases do you especially notice? Why are they

significant to you? Why do you think the author chose these words?

Feelings-What feelings did you get when you read the poem? What words

contribute to those feelings? What feeling do you think the poet was trying to

express?

Ideas-What is the main idea or theme of this poem? What other ideas was the

poet trying to share? What was the poet saying about change? What is the

author saying about isolations and connections?

Images/Symbols-What are the central images in the poem? What deeper

meanings do they have? What is the relevance of the spider?

Structure-What type of writing is this piece? What poetic structures and devices

are used? Find words and phrases that are repeated. How does the repetition

contribute to the meaning of the poem?

Writing to Respond:

Have students respond to the following questions in their Response Journal:

Describe a time in your life when you felt “surrounded, detached, in measureless

oceans of space.” How did you resolve the situation? How did you create bridges

for yourself?

Describe a time in your life when your own or other people’s advancement or

change led you to feel “tired and sick.” How did you respond to that feeling?

Extensions/Homework:

Have students read other poems from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. Tell

students to select one or more of the poems and write an essay writing how

these poems reflect the characteristics of Romanticism.

Page 11: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

11

Lesson Title: Symbolism and Allegory in “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”

(page 1 of 3)

Grades 8-10: Threads of Change in 19th Century America Literature-Lesson 12

GOAL 1-to develop analytical and interpretive skills in literature

GOAL 2-to develop persuasive writing skills

GOAL 3-to develop linguistic competency

GOAL 5-to develop reasoning skills in the language arts

GOAL 6-to understand the concept of change in the language arts

Assignment Overview:

Read and discuss Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment.

Complete the Literature Web including key words, feelings, ideas,

images/symbols, and structure.

Complete a Vocabulary Web to explore the meaning of new words in depth,

including word, origin, part of speech, word families, synonyms, antonyms,

sentence from the text using word, student example using word, stems, and

dictionary definition for teacher selected vocabulary (Suggested words to use:

venerable, portentous, delirium, festoons, damask, effervescence).

Complete a Symbolism Chart.

Write a Response Journal entry.

Suggested Materials:

Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment by Nathaniel Hawthorne

http://www.eldritchpress.org/nh/dhe.html

Discussion Questions:

Literary Response/Interpretation:

What is the experiment and why is it important?

How is the character of each of Dr. Heidegger’s guests revealed in the story?

What qualities do the guests have in common? How do the actions of the

characters reflect the descriptions of them given at the beginning of the story?

What seems to be Dr. Heidegger’s motive for staging the experiment? How does

the experiment affect the lives of his guests?

Discuss the symbolism of the rose.

What does the mirror represent in the story? How do you know?

What techniques does Hawthorne use to hold the reader’s interest in the story?

In what ways is the story humorous? In what ways is it a darker story with a

message?

Page 12: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

12

Lesson Title: Symbolism and Allegory in “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”

(page 2 of 3)

Reasoning:

What was Hawthorne’s purpose in writing this poem? What evidence supports

your idea?

What roles do perception and point of view play in the story?

What does the story show about the concept of wisdom? Vanity?

Why does Dr. Heidegger choose not to join his guests in drinking the water at the

beginning of the story? Why does he reject the water at the end of the story?

Change:

How are the generalizations about change reflected in the story? What other

generalizations about change might you make based on the story? What does

the story say about how people do or do not change?

How is the changing time of day significant in the story?

Do you believe that most people view and react to change as Dr. Heidegger

does, or as the other characters in the story do?

Discussion of Symbolism and Allegory:

Define symbolism and allegory. Create a chart identifying symbols from the poem

and their intended symbolic meanings.

Discuss the following questions:

What abstract qualities does each character represent?

What symbols play an important part in the allegory?

What allegorical meaning or meanings does the story have?

Writing to Respond:

Have students respond to the following question in their Response Journal:

Do you think that the characters in the story will be happier because they have

felt some of their youthfulness again, or would they have been happier if they had

never thought of the possibility of being young again? Why?

Extensions/Homework:

Tell students to read The Minister’s Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne

(http://www.eldritchpress.org/nh/mbv.html). Tell students to decide whether Dr.

Heidegger’s Experiment or The Minister’s Black Veil would be the better example

to illustrate symbolism and allegory. Have them draft a persuasive essay

recommending their choice to another student.

Page 13: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

13

Lesson Title: Symbolism and Allegory in “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”

(page 3 of 3)

Have students write their own allegory. Encourage them to find models in other

stories by Hawthorne or in fables by Aesop. Invite them to share their allegories

with the class and discuss the literal and symbolic meanings of the stories.

Page 14: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

14

Lesson Title: Symbolism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” (page 1 of 2)

Grades 8-10: Threads of Change in 19th Century America Literature-Lesson 13

GOAL 1-to develop analytical and interpretive skills in literature

GOAL 2-to develop persuasive writing skills

GOAL 3-to develop linguistic competency

GOAL 5-to develop reasoning skills in the language arts

GOAL 6-to understand the concept of change in the language arts

Assignment Overview:

Read and discuss The Minister’s Black Veil.

Complete the Literature Web including key words, feelings, ideas,

images/symbols, and structure.

Complete a Vocabulary Web to explore the meaning of new words in depth,

including word, origin, part of speech, word families, synonyms, antonyms,

sentence from the text using word, student example using word, stems, and

dictionary definition for teacher selected vocabulary (Suggested words to use:

sagacious, ostentatious, tremulous, synod, visage, solicitude).

Write a Response Journal entry.

Suggested Materials:

The Minister’s Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne

http://www.eldritchpress.org/nh/mbv.html

Discussion Questions:

Literary Response/Interpretation:

What is a parable? Why might this story be subtitled “A Parable”?

Why is Mr. Hooper’s black veil so disturbing to the people of Milford?

What possible explanation might you give for the events at the young lady’s

funeral? What evidence supports each explanation?

Explain the significance of Mr. Hooper’s conversation with his fiancée, Elizabeth.

What is one interpretation of Mr. Hooper’s deathbed exclamation that “lo! on

every visage a black veil!”? Explain.

Reasoning:

What seems to be Mr. Hooper’s purpose in wearing the veil? What evidence

supports your point of view?

How does the story relate to the concepts of guilt and sorrow?

Page 15: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

15

Lesson Title: Symbolism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” (page 2 of 2)

Why does Mr. Hooper choose not to remove his veil, even when he realizes that

his decision means he will lose his fiancée?

What consequences would there be for him if he were to remove the veil?

Change:

How are the generalizations about change reflected in the story? What other

generalizations about change might you make based on the story? What does

the story say about how people do or do not change?

How does the veil change people’s perceptions of Mr. Hooper? In what ways are

these changes positive? Negative?

In what ways does Mr. Hooper himself change? What changes are most

significant-the changes in himself or the changes in how people see him? Why?

In what ways does The Minister’s Black Veil support or contradict points of view

about change express in some of the other readings in this unit?

Writing to Respond:

Have students respond to the following question in their Response Journal:

Do you think that a specific event inspired Mr. Hooper to wear a black veil, or do

you think that his decision to wear the veil reflected a more general perspective

on issues of guilt or sin? Support your answers with details from the story.

Extensions/Homework:

Have students read a longer work by Nathaniel Hawthorne, such as The Scarlet

Letter or The House of the Seven Gables. Tell the students to use a T-Chart to

list (in the left column) and interpret (in the right column) Hawthorne’s use of

symbolism and allegory and the elements of Romanticism in the works they read.

Page 16: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

16

Lesson Title: The Power of Words (page 1 of 3)

Grades 8-10: Threads of Change in 19th Century America Literature-Lesson 15

GOAL 1-to develop analytical and interpretive skills in literature

GOAL 3-to develop linguistic competency

GOAL 4-to develop listening/oral communication skills

GOAL 5-to develop reasoning skills in the language arts

GOAL 6-to understand the concept of change in the language arts

Assignment Overview:

Read and discuss A word, Primer Lesson, and The Gettysburg Address.

Complete the Literature Web for each text including key words, feelings, ideas,

images/symbols, and structure.

Complete a Vocabulary Web for The Gettysburg Address.to explore the meaning

of new words in depth, including word, origin, part of speech, word families,

synonyms, antonyms, sentence from the text using word, student example using

word, stems, and dictionary definition for teacher selected vocabulary

(Suggested words to use: dedicate, consecrate, hallow).

Write a Response Journal entry.

Suggested Materials:

A word by Emily Dickinson

http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/emilydickinson/11164

Primer Lesson by Carl Sandburg

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/primer-lesson/

The Gettysburg Address

http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/gettysburg.htm

Discussion Questions for A word and Primer Lesson:

Literary Response/Interpretation:

What does the speaker in the poem by Emily Dickinson mean when she talks

about a word as something that may live or die?

What does the speaker in the poem by Carl Sandburg mean when he says that

proud words “wear long boots, hard boots”?

In what ways are the ideas expressed about words similar in the two poems? In

what ways are they different?

What do the structures of the two poems tell you about their meanings? Why do

you think the poems are so brief?

Why do you think these poems were paired for study?

Page 17: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

17

Lesson Title: The Power of Words (page 2 of 3)

Reasoning:

What do you think was each poet’s purpose for writing this or her poem? Who is

the intended audience for each?

What does Carl Sandburg suggest are the consequences of using proud words?

Change:

How do words change after they are spoken?

How do words cause change?

Discussion Questions for The Gettysburg Address:

Literary Response/Interpretation:

Why did Lincoln begin his speech with the words “four score and seven years

ago” instead of “eighty-seven years ago”? What is the effect of the different

phrases?

What is the climactic point of the speech?

Examine the structure of the speech carefully. Find examples of series or sets of

three words or phrases. What are the effects of these sets of three?

What words does Lincoln repeat, even within the same sentence? Why does he

repeat these words?

What symbols are used in the speech? Look for words that refer to the stages of

life and death. How do these references move the speech along and hold it

together?

Explain the irony of the statement, “The world will little note, nor long remember

what we say here…” Do you think Lincoln ever realized the lasting memory that

Americans would hold of his speech?

Reasoning:

This speech was written for a ceremony dedicating a military cemetery. What

other purposes did Lincoln have for his address? How do you know?

What concepts are central to the speech?

Change:

How does the speech reflect the five generalizations about change?

Based on The Gettysburg Address, does Lincoln appear to agree or disagree

with the points of view on change demonstrated by the other two poets?

Page 18: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

18

Lesson Title: The Power of Words (page 3 of 3)

Writing to Respond:

Have students respond to the following questions in their Response Journal:

Describe a situation in which you felt that your words reflected the qualities

described in either the poem by Emily Dickinson or the poem by Carl Sandburg.

In what ways has your understanding and appreciation of The Gettysburg

Address changed as a result of examining its structure?

Extensions/Homework:

Have students read additional poems by Dickinson or Sandburg. Tell them to

select a favorite to read aloud to the class.

Together as a class, read O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman and discuss

the imagery Whitman uses in lamenting the death of President Lincoln.

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/o-captain-my-captain/

Page 19: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

19

Lesson Title: Industrialism and “Life in the Iron Mills” (page 1 of 2)

Grades 8-10: Threads of Change in 19th Century America Literature-Lesson 16

GOAL 1-to develop analytical and interpretive skills in literature

GOAL 2-to develop persuasive writing skills

GOAL 3-to develop linguistic competency

GOAL 5-to develop reasoning skills in the language arts

GOAL 6-to understand the concept of change in the language arts

Assignment Overview:

Read and discuss Life in the Iron Mills.

Complete the Literature Web including key words, feelings, ideas,

images/symbols, and structure.

Complete a Vocabulary Web.to explore the meaning of new words in depth,

including word, origin, part of speech, word families, synonyms, antonyms,

sentence from the text using word, student example using word, stems, and

dictionary definition for teacher selected vocabulary (Suggested words to use:

idiosyncrasy, sobriquet, proximity, magnanimity).

Write a Response Journal entry.

Suggested Materials:

Life in the Iron Mills by Rebecca Harding Davis

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/876/876-h/876-h.htm

Discussion Questions:

Literary Response/Interpretation:

In what ways does Davis create a negative impression of industrialism?

How does the author’s use of dialect and dialogue contribute to the realism and

credibility of her writing?

What does the figure of the woman represent at the end of the story? How is the

figure a symbol for the entire story?

What role does Deborah play in the story?

Find examples of visual imagery in the story. What effects do the images of light

and shadow have on the story?

Explain the last sentence of the story. What does the narrator suggest about the

future?

Page 20: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

20

Lesson Title: Industrialism and “Life in the Iron Mills” (page 2 of 2)

Reasoning:

Why does Wolfe take his own life? Give evidence from the story to support your

response.

What point of view does the narrator express about the effects of industrialism in

America? What might be other points of view on the issue?

What message might a reader have taken away from this story when it was

published in 1861? What message might a reader take away today?

Change:

How does this story reflect the generalizations about change?

In what ways does Life in the Iron Mills support or contradict points of view on

change expressed in other works of literature in this unit?

Writing to Respond:

Have students respond to the following question in their Response Journal:

What does the story reveal about the ways in which people’s perceptions of

themselves affect their relationships with others? Give an example from your own

life of how a person’s perception of him or herself has affected relationships.

Extensions/Homework:

Have students work with a small group to find information about the technological

developments that made the production of steel and growth of iron mills possible

in the 19th century. Have students share their findings with the class.

Discuss how different people during the period would have thought about these

technological changes.

Page 21: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

21

Lesson Title: The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe (page 1 of 2)

Grades 8-10: Threads of Change in 19th Century America Literature-Lesson 17

GOAL 1-to develop analytical and interpretive skills in literature

GOAL 3-to develop linguistic competency

GOAL 4-to develop listening/oral communication skills

GOAL 5-to develop reasoning skills in the language arts

GOAL 6-to understand the concept of change in the language arts

Assignment Overview:

Read, discuss and compare The Masque of the Red Death, and Ligeia.

Complete the Literature Web for each text including key words, feelings, ideas,

images/symbols, and structure.

Complete a Vocabulary Web.to explore the meaning of new words in depth,

including word, origin, part of speech, word families, synonyms, antonyms,

sentence from the text using word, student example using word, stems, and

dictionary definition for teacher selected vocabulary.

Suggested Materials:

The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/POE/masque.html

Ligeia by Edgar Allen Poe

http://poestories.com/read/ligeia

Discussion Questions:

Literary Response/Interpretation:

How does Poe attempt to evoke feelings of horror in his readers in these two

stories?

Give examples of imagery in the two stories. How does Poe use poetic devices

and descriptive language to create vivid pictures in the minds of his readers?

Why do you think the narrator never describes any individuals attending the

masquerade in The Masque of the Red Death in detail? What does this lapse

suggest about the party or its attendees?

What is significant about the setting of The Masque of the Red Death?

What explanations might you give for the behavior of the narrator of Ligeia?

What is significant about the narrator’s description of “the learning of Ligeia” as

“immense”?

Page 22: Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced …old.collierschools.com/gifted/docs/teachers/ELA Grades 8...Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

Language Arts Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Learners

22

Lesson Title: The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe (page 2 of 2)

Reasoning:

How does the concept of revenge relate to both stories? How does the concept

of fate relate to these stories?

What assumptions does Prince Prospero make about his ghoulish visitor? In

what ways do Prospero’s assumptions influence the reader’s perception of both

Prospero and the visitor?

Why does Poe tithe the story Ligeia, rather than Rowena or something more

descriptive? What inferences can be made based on the title?

Who is the central character of The Masque of the Red Death: Prince Prospero,

the Red Death, the ghoulish visitor, Time itself, or someone or something else

entirely?

Change:

How do these stories demonstrate both the power and inability of people to

create change?

In what ways does the tone of Ligeia change as the story proceeds? What does

this change of attitude demonstrate about changes occurring within or to the

narrator of the story?

How would The Masque of the Red Death change if it were told from the point of

view of a character in the story, rather than a disinterested narrator?

Extensions/Homework:

Invite students to read other works of literature by Edgar Allen Poe.

Have students investigate the life of Poe and write an essay explaining how his

work might reflect the tragedies that occurred in his life.