Submitted by: Mindy Dobrinski
School: Holman MS
Summary
In conjunction with the play The Diary of Anne Frank, students in my eighth grade advanced English classes completed a novel study of John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Teaching both pieces of literature at the same time allowed for a natural comparison/ contrast between the points of view, settings, and characters. In the Broadway play The Diary of Anne Frank, based on Holocaust victim, Anne Frank’s, famous diary, the point of view is that of a Jewish girl in Nazi-controlled Europe during World War II. The main character in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, on the other hand, is the son of the commandant of Auschwitz, the concentration camp infamous for its mass murder of Jews during the same time period. After six weeks of literature circle meetings for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and whole-class readings and discussion of The Diary of Anne Frank, students were asked to recreate one scene from The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Students were required to work together to determine which member of each group would recreate which scene. In addition to using multiple mediums to create the pictorial representation, students were also required to compose descriptions of the scene, explanations of the mediums chosen, and the symbolism in their choices. (See attached Match Up Media Project description.)
TIPC Ratings
Approaching:
Teacher planned and implemented strategies to guide student investigation, instructed students on the acquisition, evaluation, and ethical use of information. Students developed questions to guide research, then located and acquired information using provided resources.
Developing:
Teacher created structure for student communication within the classroom and provided opportunities for students to work in groups throughout the literature circle unit. Students communicated with each other to determine which portion of the project would be their own. Then they worked independently to create original projects.
Approaching:
Teacher incorporated project-based learning into instruction, utilized open-ended question and emphasized higher-order thinking skills, guided and encouraged the use of appropriate resources throughout the literature circle unit and project completion. Students used technology and worked independently to solve problems, engaged in open-ended learning experiences that required higher-order thinking skills.
Approaching:
Teacher created a student-centered environment and provided an opportunity for students to demonstrate collaborating, communication and critical thinking skills, and established group norms to facilitate effective collaboration. Students made predictions and applied existing knowledge to generate ideas throughout the literature circle unit. Then they applied critical thinking and research methods to create an original work.
Student Artifact
Download Files
- H21 lesson plan
- Student assignment criteria
- Student rubric
- Small group meeting templates
- Narrative Hook Cards
