Jourdan's+LEDP

Class Identities

__Class Description:__
This lesson plan is for a high school language arts class.

__Goal:__
Have students create class detective or investigator “identities”. The goal is to get students thinking of themselves as investigators in their reading process and encourage them to make literary connections between individual texts and between texts and real life.

__Learning Principles:__
This activity makes use of the active, critical learning principle by keeping students actively engaged in the analytical and comprehension process. It also obviously makes use of the Identity principle and allows students to envision themselves as the kind of learners that are successful at reading comprehension and making literary connections. > >
 *  Active, Critical Learning Principle – All aspects of the learning environment (including the ways in which the semiotic domain is designed and presented) are set up to encourage active and critical, not passive, learning.
 *  Identity Principle – Learning involves taking on and playing with identities in such a way that the learner has real choices (in developing the virtual identity) and ample opportunity to meditate on the relationship between new identities and old ones. There is tripartite play of identities as learners relate, and reflect on, their multiple real-world identities, a virtual identity, and a projective identity.

__Content Objectives:__
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 *  Students should be able to make connections between texts.
 *  Students should be able to make connections between texts and real life.
 *  Students should be able to express comprehension in written and oral context.

__Materials:__
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 *  Character Development Worksheet
 *  Colored pencils/markers
 *  Plush or plastic character to represent their class character or identity (optional)

Preparation:
A worksheet, similar to the one below, should be prepared for the students. A section where they can draw or paste a picture of what their “identity” looks like should be provided. Make sure there are enough worksheets for all students. Colored pencils, markers, and any other art supplies can be provided for drawing the character.

Lesson Introduction/Set: (10 minutes)
Explain to students that they will be creating a personal class identity based off a detective or investigator. Explain that this is to help get them thinking of themselves as active learners in the reading process. Have a prepared example “character” to show them. Sherlock Holmes would be a good example character.

Activity: (45 minutes)
Students work independently to create their characters. Make sure they fill out each section listed and really think about their character as a “real” person. At this time they may draw their character or they may print a picture out at home to bring in the next class to paste into this section.

Closure: (10 minutes)
A few students may share their characters if they would like. Explain to students that they should bring their character sheets with them each day and that when they are working on classwork or homework they should think of what their characters would do to help them guide their actions. If desired, students may bring in a plush or plastic representation of their character to set on their desk in class. Plush or plastic representations may also be provided for students if desired.

