Unit Assignment-Hills Like White Elephants

8/10/2019 Unit Assignment-Hills Like White Elephants

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Internship 1 Dr. Stuart Carroll

Unit AssignmentJuly 31, 2014

Samantha Hardin

Andrew Moulton

Title:Skills like White Elephants: Content and Context in the Short Story

Overview:This unit is focused on Ernest HemingwaysHills like White Elephants. As opposed to the

traditional study of a short story, involving the conventions and elements of fiction, this unit willinstead be organized through comprehension and production skills, namely, reading, writing

(creatively and analytically), listening, speaking, and thinking critically. Additionally, we will

have an opening lesson on context and a closing lesson on Information Technology skills as itrelates to the construction of a web-based portfolio, which will serve as the culminating activity.

Prior Knowledge:We designed this lesson to teach to a class of 15 students. We see these students five days a week

for 60 minute classes. The class is an IB English A standard-level eleventh grade. No distinct or

disabling learning disabilities. Many of the students do not have English as a first language, butthey are high functioning, most having been in an international school environment for many

years. Students have studied short stories prior to this class in ninth and tenth grade, but they

havent used thisparticular approach. An easy assumption to make might be that the studentsremember these skills well enough without a brief review.

Students do have easy and efficient access to the Internet. They are competent and skilledcomputer programmers. In fact, we are planning this unit for a school with a 1-1 program.

Essential Questions:How can a skills-based approach to studying a text deepen ones understanding of a subject area?

How do the themes expressed inHills like White Elephantsrelate to content, context, and

subtext?

How can technology be used to enhance the traditional study of short stories?

Preparing and Sustaining the Learning Environment:

The hook:We will cut out a tiny white paper elephant that we will hang or stick up somewhere in the room

a couple weeks before the Unit. It moves around each day before class. What is it? What does it

mean? Who notices it?


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We would love to take them to the Hemmingway bar, but on a practical level we thought that

constructing a Thinglink map of Hemmingways haunts would be a great way to involve students

in getting a feel for Hemmingways life, adventures, and travels. The Thinglink map activitywould be investigated the day prior to the Unit and would include Key Wests home, the bar on

Calle Fabrica on Mallorca, the African Savannah, Cuba, and the setting where our story takes

place: Barcelona.

Content and Lesson Outline

Day one: Context.The Project: Foreshadowing the culminating activity, we would show a few examples of

web-based portfolios, deconstructing the pages as a group to understand the key components:

image, content, audio, and video.

Collaborative Groups: There will be five groups of three students determined by us as

effective, well-balanced teams. These teams will encourage students to work with people theyhave not worked with previously.

The Lesson: Give students access to our predetermined resource library and have themresearch the topic of White Elephants. Where does the name come from?

What is a white elephant according to the different definitions you come up with? Collaborateand prepare as a group to 1. Present the information in a ten-minute presentation on Day two,

and 2. Individually, demonstrate your findings visually, incorporating at least three media into

the final work, considering that this image will most likely be the header picture of yourportfolio.

Homework: Work on presentation and set up portfolio.

Day two: Speaking.Presentations (Working on speaking skills through general presentation)Each group of three will present their ten-minute presentation. Groups will be required to stay

within the timeframe of ten minutes. Each member should have equal share in speaking in thepresentation.

Homework: Written reflection answering the questions, What did you notice about the

content of the other presentations? What was most interesting?

Day three: Reading. Read Ernest Hemingways short storyHills like White Elephantsin theircollaborative groups. Focus on identifying the elements of fiction (setting, character, plot,conflict, and theme) drawing on prior knowledge of tenth grade literature class. Also, answer the

question, What did you notice, what is going on? As a closing activity, students are assigned

an element of fiction and asked to write their observations on the board.

Before leaving class, each collaborative group member will be assigned one of the following

roles for a literature circle on Day four: Summarizer and Facilitator, Word Wizard (unfamiliarvocabulary), and Connector (find links between reading and real world).

Homework: Considering your role, come prepared for discussion on Day four.

Day four: Critical Thinking.With a critical eye, re-readHills like White Elephantsincollaborative groups enacting the roles of Summarizer and Facilitator, Word Wizard, andConnector. As a whole group, have collaborative groups present findings alongside one


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outstanding essential question. Discuss as a whole group. (Pay close attention to drawing

connections to how the themes expressed inHills like White Elephantsrelate to content, context,

and subtext.)

Day five: Listening.Listen to a Podcast about Hemingway and take notes. After listening to

the podcast, students will be required to make their own podcasts in groups about one element offiction in the short story. Each group will post their podcast on the digital portfolio.

Homework: Work on the podcast and digital portfolio.

Day six: Analytical Writing. Choose one of the discussion questions that emerged from thecritical thinking exercise on day four and write the introduction to an analytical essay answering

that question.

Homework: Students will continue the analytical writing activity and write the outline forthe entire essay. They should have at least 3 body paragraphs.

Day seven: Creative Writing and Information Technology.Students will complete a

creative writing exercise emulating Hemingways style. First, students will choose a topic. Next,students will plan out their stories. They need to include all the elements of fiction, some element

of subtext, and use the narrative arc to structure their story. (Our rubric corresponds to thisassignment)

Troubleshoot technical issues with portfolio design.

Homework: Finish short story and digital portfolio.

Day eight: Presentations of the digital portfolios. Invite our students families and year two IBEnglish students to hear the presentations. See Culminating Activities for finer details of dayeight.


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Assessment: The grading rubric will be as follows:

Grading Rubric for Creative Writing Assignment

Criteria 1 2 3 4 5

Elements offiction and

Subtext

Missing manyof the

elements of

fiction and no

reference to

subtext.

At least threeelements of

fiction and/or

subtext are

represented.

The fiveelements of

fiction are

clearly

represented in

the story.

Subtext is

attempted.

The fiveelements of

fiction are

represented in

the story.

Subtext is

present.

The fiveelements of

fiction are

effectively

presented in

the story. The

subtext is both

subtle and

powerful.Organization

and Story

Structure

There is little

focus and

development

and not much

evidence ofstory

structure.

There is some

focus and

development.

The writer has

attempted toinclude a story

structure.

There is

adequate

focus and

development.

The story hasa clear

beginning,

middle and

ending.

There is good

focus,

structure and

development.

The storyfollows the

narrative arc.

There is very

good focus and

development.

The story

effectivelyfollows the

narrative arc

with transitions

and flow.

Style

(Refers

specificallyto the style of

Ernest

Hemingway)

Little sense of

register and

style.

The register

and style are to

some extent

appropriate to

the task.

Register and

style are

mostly

appropriate to

the task.

Register and

style are

appropriate to

the task.

Register and

style are

effective and

consistently

appropriate to

the task.

Language Language is

rarely clearand

appropriate;

there are

many errors

in grammar,

vocabulary

and sentence

construction.

Language is

sometimesclear and

carefully

chosen;

grammar,

vocabulary and

sentence

construction are

fairly accurate,

although errors

and

inconsistencies

are apparent.

Language is

clear andcarefully

chosen with

an adequate

degree of

accuracy in

grammar,

vocabulary

and sentence

construction

despite some

lapses.

Language is

clear andcarefully

chosen, with a

good degree

of accuracy in

grammar,

Language is

very clear,

effective,

carefully

chosen and

precise, with

a high degree

of accuracy in

grammar,

vocabulary

and sentence

construction.

Language is

very clear,effective,

carefully

chosen and

precise, with a

high degree of

accuracy in

grammar,

vocabulary and

sentence

construction.

*Much of the language for this rubric has been adapted from the IB Language A assessment criteria. As this lesson isdesigned for an IB course, we wanted to keep the assessment criteria relatively consistent with the IB standards. Wehave personalized some of the criteria to fit this assignment.


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Family and Community Engagement:The classroom can be insular in Secondaryschool, we would like to encourage students to branch out into their communities to inform theirresearch. For example, students could ask their neighbors what they thought of Hemingway as

they, most likely, grew up alongside his popularity (include this as part of their podcast).

We will invite parents and second-year IB students to the final presentations.

Culminating Activity:Presentations in their collaborative groups of their Web-basedportfolios.

Students will be responsible for creating the environment: is there coffee house feel or a library

feel? Is it a celebration, or a CELEBRATION?!! What are the components involved, who cantake care of them? Who will have the overall picture and attend to details? How will the

classroom be set up? How many chairs do we need? Where can we get them? Is there cake,

coffee, music?

Portfolios will be presented as a team, addressing the intention for the overarching feel of the

portfolio. They need to talk about the key components of image, written content, and audio and

the reasons why they settled upon each considering the overall cohesion of the portfolio.

Portfolio Requirements:

Web-page Content:

Writing Content: The three creative short stories emulating Hemingways writing style(peer edited using the rubric) as well as the analytical essays (peer edited) should be

embedded on the page.

Image: The portfolio should be image heavy, at least three images, one of which should

be a student original rather than a downloaded image. Downloaded images should beopen source.

Audio: the podcast should be embedded on the digital portfolio.

Documents

Unit Assignment-Hills Like White Elephants