ALEX Resources

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Lesson Plans (11)	Informational Materials (1)
Learning Activities (1)

ALEX Lesson Plans

Title: Collaborative Quilting with a Novel
Description: This lesson uses several strategies for scaffolding learning after reading a novel. The students work collaboratively to create Facebook profiles, Instagram profiles, plot diagrams and many other activities to evaluate their comprehension and analysis of a novel. This lesson gives students the opportunity to take charge of their learning by giving them choice. This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (7) 25:

25 ) Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources. [W.7.6]

Subject: English Language Arts (7)
Title: Collaborative Quilting with a Novel
Description: This lesson uses several strategies for scaffolding learning after reading a novel. The students work collaboratively to create Facebook profiles, Instagram profiles, plot diagrams and many other activities to evaluate their comprehension and analysis of a novel. This lesson gives students the opportunity to take charge of their learning by giving them choice. This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.

Title: Fakebook: Analyzing point-of-view in Duck Dynasty
Description: Students will analyze the varying points-of-view in a text by creating two Fakebook pages delineating separate points-of-view. Students will be able to represent two individual people from the text by using a format that they are familiar with and that they enjoy. Students will enjoy creating top friends, uploading photos, and creating posts about individuals in a text. This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (7) 34:

34 ) Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points. [SL.7.5]

Subject: English Language Arts (7)
Title: Fakebook: Analyzing point-of-view in Duck Dynasty
Description: Students will analyze the varying points-of-view in a text by creating two Fakebook pages delineating separate points-of-view. Students will be able to represent two individual people from the text by using a format that they are familiar with and that they enjoy. Students will enjoy creating top friends, uploading photos, and creating posts about individuals in a text. This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.

Title: Dance Moms Reality or Fatality
Description: Students will view a reality television episode and read a news article related to reality television. Then students will complete a graphic organizer to create an argument for or against children participating in reality television. Students will apply supportive details for writing a persuasive paragraph. This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (7) 34:

34 ) Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points. [SL.7.5]

Subject: English Language Arts (7)
Title: Dance Moms Reality or Fatality
Description: Students will view a reality television episode and read a news article related to reality television. Then students will complete a graphic organizer to create an argument for or against children participating in reality television. Students will apply supportive details for writing a persuasive paragraph. This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.

Title: Thinking Hobbit
Description: This is an introductory lesson designed to stimulate student interest in reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. The lesson familiarizes students with the physical traits and social codes used to guide hobbit behavior, and then looks at the Plus, Minus, and Interesting ideas (PMI), as well as the influencing factors, that might shape a hobbit's thoughts when faced with the prospect of going on an adventure.
Standard(s):

Subject: Character Education (K - 12), or English Language Arts (7)
Title: Thinking Hobbit
Description: This is an introductory lesson designed to stimulate student interest in reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. The lesson familiarizes students with the physical traits and social codes used to guide hobbit behavior, and then looks at the Plus, Minus, and Interesting ideas (PMI), as well as the influencing factors, that might shape a hobbit's thoughts when faced with the prospect of going on an adventure.

Thinkfinity Lesson Plans

Title: Press Conference for Bud, Not Buddy
Description: Students read Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, demonstrate comprehension of the story by involving themselves in discussions, and analyze the characters in preparation for a class '' press conference.''
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (8) 33:

33 ) Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. [SL.8.4]

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Press Conference for Bud, Not Buddy
Description: Students read Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, demonstrate comprehension of the story by involving themselves in discussions, and analyze the characters in preparation for a class '' press conference.''
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 6,7,8

Title: Edgar Allen Poe, Ambrose Bierce, and the Unreliable Narrator
Description: Students consider a variety of narrative stances in Edgar Allen Poe's short story, Tell Tale Heart, and Ambrose Bierce's An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. They examine how Ambrose Bierce and Edgar Allan Poe used narration to create their intended effect in the reader.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (8) 32:

32 ) Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced. [SL.8.3]

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Edgar Allen Poe, Ambrose Bierce, and the Unreliable Narrator
Description: Students consider a variety of narrative stances in Edgar Allen Poe's short story, Tell Tale Heart, and Ambrose Bierce's An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. They examine how Ambrose Bierce and Edgar Allan Poe used narration to create their intended effect in the reader.
Thinkfinity Partner: EDSITEment
Grade Span: 6,7,8

Title: Can It Be?
Description: In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students participate in activities in which they focus on connections between mathematics and children s literature. They listen to the story The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster, and then explore and interpret the concept of averages.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (8) 9:

9 ) By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of Grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. [RL.8.10]

Subject: Language Arts,Mathematics
Title: Can It Be?
Description: In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students participate in activities in which they focus on connections between mathematics and children s literature. They listen to the story The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster, and then explore and interpret the concept of averages.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 6,7,8

Title: Analyzing Advice as an Introduction to Shakespeare
Description: Popular culture provides an introduction to Shakespeare's poetic devices in this lesson, which asks students to explore an excerpt from Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (8) 9:

9 ) By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of Grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. [RL.8.10]

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Analyzing Advice as an Introduction to Shakespeare
Description: Popular culture provides an introduction to Shakespeare's poetic devices in this lesson, which asks students to explore an excerpt from Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 6,7,8

Title: Childhood Through the Looking-Glass
Description: This lesson from EDSITEment explores the vision of childhood created by Lewis Carroll in Alice in Wonderland. Students begin by looking at Carroll's photographs of the real Alice for whom Carroll imagined his story and compare the image of childhood that he captured on film with images of children in our culture. Then students read Alice in Wonderland with special attention to the illustrations that Carroll made for his book, and explore the relationship between words and pictures by creating an Alice illustration of their own. Next, for contrast, students compare Carroll's vision of childhood with that presented by the Romantic poet William Blake in his illuminated Songs of Innocence and Experience. Finally, students consider the interplay of image and text in their own favorite children's literature and how the vision of childhood presented there compares to their experiences as children. Several pieces of literature appropriate for use with this lesson are suggested.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (8) 30:

30 ) Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on Grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. [SL.8.1]

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion. [SL.8.1a]

b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed. [SL.8.1b]

c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas. [SL.8.1c]

d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented. [SL.8.1d]

Subject: Arts,Language Arts
Title: Childhood Through the Looking-Glass
Description: This lesson from EDSITEment explores the vision of childhood created by Lewis Carroll in Alice in Wonderland. Students begin by looking at Carroll's photographs of the real Alice for whom Carroll imagined his story and compare the image of childhood that he captured on film with images of children in our culture. Then students read Alice in Wonderland with special attention to the illustrations that Carroll made for his book, and explore the relationship between words and pictures by creating an Alice illustration of their own. Next, for contrast, students compare Carroll's vision of childhood with that presented by the Romantic poet William Blake in his illuminated Songs of Innocence and Experience. Finally, students consider the interplay of image and text in their own favorite children's literature and how the vision of childhood presented there compares to their experiences as children. Several pieces of literature appropriate for use with this lesson are suggested.
Thinkfinity Partner: EDSITEment
Grade Span: 6,7,8

Title: Promoting Diversity in the Classroom and School Library through Social Action
Description: Students explore the effects of stereotypes by analyzing children's books. Then they create bookmarks that encourage readers to question the assumptions of stereotyped books and to seek out matching, balanced texts.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (8) 41:

41 ) Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. [L.8.6]

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Promoting Diversity in the Classroom and School Library through Social Action
Description: Students explore the effects of stereotypes by analyzing children's books. Then they create bookmarks that encourage readers to question the assumptions of stereotyped books and to seek out matching, balanced texts.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 6,7,8

Title: The Big Bad Wolf: Analyzing Point of View in Texts
Description: Was the Big Bad Wolf really all that bad? This lesson encourages students to analyze multiple viewpoints, view texts from different angles, and recognize gaps in narrative.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (8) 23:

23 ) Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 20-22 above.) [W.8.4]

Subject: Language Arts
Title: The Big Bad Wolf: Analyzing Point of View in Texts
Description: Was the Big Bad Wolf really all that bad? This lesson encourages students to analyze multiple viewpoints, view texts from different angles, and recognize gaps in narrative.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 6,7,8

ALEX Learning Activities

Title: The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes
Digital Tool: The Highwayman video
Web Address URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCtJDbQwsZ4
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (7) 16:

16 ) Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium's portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words). [RI.7.7]

Digital Tool Description: This video is an excellent companion to the poem for visual and auditory learners.

Title: The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes
Digital Tool: The Highwayman video
Digital Tool Description: This video is an excellent companion to the poem for visual and auditory learners.

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Thinkfinity Informational Materials

Title: Mark Twain in His Times
Description: This resource, an EDSITEment-reviewed Blue Ribbon resource presented by the University of Virginia, contains a broad range of materials on Mark Twain and the times in which he lived. Drawn largely from the resources of the Barrett Collection, this interpretive archive focuses on how Mark Twain and his works were created, defined, marketed, performed, reviewed, and appreciated. Contained here are dozens of texts and manuscripts, scores of contemporary reviews and articles, hundreds of images, and many different kinds of interactive exhibits.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (8) 30:

30 ) Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on Grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. [SL.8.1]

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion. [SL.8.1a]

b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed. [SL.8.1b]

c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas. [SL.8.1c]

d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented. [SL.8.1d]

Subject: Language Arts,Social Studies,Arts
Title: Mark Twain in His Times
Description: This resource, an EDSITEment-reviewed Blue Ribbon resource presented by the University of Virginia, contains a broad range of materials on Mark Twain and the times in which he lived. Drawn largely from the resources of the Barrett Collection, this interpretive archive focuses on how Mark Twain and his works were created, defined, marketed, performed, reviewed, and appreciated. Contained here are dozens of texts and manuscripts, scores of contemporary reviews and articles, hundreds of images, and many different kinds of interactive exhibits.
Thinkfinity Partner: EDSITEment
Grade Span: 7,8,9,10,11,12

Thinkfinity Learning Activities

Title: The Pied Piper led the children out of Hamelin in 1376.
Description: After listening to The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents , students compare Pratchett's version with Browning's version and discuss how perspective changes the story.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (12) 7:

7 ) Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare.) [RL.11-12.7] (Alabama)

Subject: Language Arts
Title: The Pied Piper led the children out of Hamelin in 1376.
Description: After listening to The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents , students compare Pratchett's version with Browning's version and discuss how perspective changes the story.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 7,8,9,10,11,12

Title: April is National Poetry Month!
Description: Students are assigned to be '' poets of the day'' and are provided several models to create, illustrate, and present their different poems to the class.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (8) 29:

29 ) Write routinely over extended time frames, including time for research, reflection, and revision, and shorter time frames such as a single sitting or a day or two for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. [W.8.10]

Subject: Language Arts
Title: April is National Poetry Month!
Description: Students are assigned to be '' poets of the day'' and are provided several models to create, illustrate, and present their different poems to the class.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: K,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12