SCET Journal 2020

Broadening Diverse Perspectives

culture using their inquiry skills. I chose to use this in- structional strategy to allow students to practice their critical thinking skills and take control of their own learning. The content of the inquiry-based learning lesson relates to my overall goal for this unit in that students will generate their own research questions, conduct research about an aspect of Hispanic culture, and present information to their classmates. Students will develop a culturally accurate view of Hispanic culture, and Hispanic students will be encouraged to share how their own culture relates to the class’ research. The lesson goal will be mastered after every student generates their own question in order to broaden their inquiry on Hispanic culture. In order to implement this activity, students will need to have access to comput- ers or a class set of laptops. Technology will play an important role in inquiry and allow students to suc- cessfully answer their questions about Hispanic cul- ture. Technology will be monitored, and students will be required to cite the sources they use to find their information. Each group will be considered an expert on their topic and will be responsible for relaying their knowledge to the class. In the second lesson plan, students will analyze chapters from the class novel and use their knowl- edge to determine the characteristics of vignettes. Each chapter is written in the form of a vignette, and students will be introduced to the style and char- acteristics of a vignette. In a later lesson, students will apply what they have learned about vignettes to create their own about their family or home. In regards to my instructional goal, students will be shown a demonstration of how to structurally analyze a text for characteristics of a vignette and will also receive guided practice that will prepare them for writing a personal vignette. The third lesson in the unit plan for the class novel will ask students to identify themes and symbols of vignettes we read. First, we will learn about and analyze themes. Having a theme is a characteristic of a vignette, but for this lesson we will focus on the importance of each individual theme and discuss it in relation to our personal lives. Students will use graphic organizers to help them determine the theme of each vignette and explain their reasoning. This lesson will also be taught using direct instruction with majority of the focus on guided practice and whole class discus-

sion. These discussions will encourage students to think about their own culture in regards to the specific theme mentioned in each vignette. The strategy and content will help students accom- plish the instructional goal primarily through the use of graphic organizers. Adolescent students sometimes have difficulty organizing information and understand- ing abstract concepts; using graphic organizers will help me teach students in a way that helps everyone succeed. In order to assess student learning during the les- son, I will facilitate a class discussion about each vi- gnette we read. Students will experience student-cen- tered learning, but I will also provide questions that encourage deeper thinking if needed. After the lesson, I will ask students to turn in their graphic organizer from their independent practice. I want to be able to see student progress and also assess if students have mastered this objective. Theme will be a reoccurring element in literary texts. Next, we will discuss the importance of symbolism, and I will ask students to analyze a vignette’s symbol- ism and explain it in their own words. This lesson will be taught using direct instruction and will also in- clude an exit slip that will be used to wrap up the unit lessons. Understanding symbolism will help students understand the main character, Esperanza’s, Hispanic culture and personal life. I also will ask students to think about something that symbolizes or reflects their own culture. This will help students later when they create their own vignette. The instructional strategy will help students bet- ter understand how and why symbols are used with repetitive practice. We will spend a great deal of time discussing the vignette used for guided practice. Fully explaining and allowing students to explore the depth of the particular symbol in this vignette will help them think critically. Once students understand the purpose of symbolism, they will be better able to identify and explain a symbol of their own culture. I will encourage them to converse with their family members about this symbol. I will assess student learning during the lesson through class discussion. We will spend a lot of time making sure all students understand symbolism and the symbol being used in the vignette. The content of the first three lessons relates to my overall goal of students producing a vignette about

2018/2019

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