Beth Berry, Deep Run High School
Summary
In this lesson, each student creates a question about a book or series of books that he/she has read. The teacher encourages the students to create questions regarding lingering problems, unanswered ideas, or hunches that they were left with after reading the book or books of their choice. The students use various textual analysis and data visualization tools (Voyant, Textalyzer, ManyEyes, etc.) to explore their questions and ultimately use the information and data that they uncover in order to prove or disprove a hunch or answer their own question.
Each student writes a blog post that details his/her investigation, the data he/she discovers, and his/her ultimate conclusion(s). In the blog posts, each student also describes how the author’s style (diction, syntax, language, word-choice, and overall tone within the novel) influences his/her understanding of the book(s). The students view each other’s blog posts and comment on each other’s work, providing feedback on the initial question or problem, the investigation process, and/or the conclusion. Finally, the students complete a written reflection of their own work, in which they think critically about their initial questions, their investigations, their conclusions, and how they would approach the task differently if given the opportunity.
Lesson Reflection
Teacher:
“This lesson idea originated when I overheard some of my study hall students discussing who they thought Katniss should be with the in new Hunger Games movie, Catching Fire. As a Hunger Games fan myself, I reflected on the fact that Suzanne Collins does leave Katniss’ “lover” choice up in the air—probably to help generate the fan clubs of Team Peeta and Team Gale J. However, could closer textual analysis of the novel point my students (and me) in the right direction? With this question in mind, the ITRT and I formed this lesson.
My students loved researching a novel of their choosing and using online programs to discover an unanswered question from their selected novel. They did not realize it, but the lesson is basically a 21st century version of typical literary analysis an AP Literature student or English major would conduct with pen in hand before composing an essay. Students examined diction, syntax, connotation, symbolism, and many other literary devices in a creative, fun way that was of their choosing. I hope my students continue to use these tools and the skills they developed in this lesson in their future English classes!”
ITRT:
“I think this is probably now in my top three most fun lessons that I have ever helped to teach/create. Ultimately, this lesson was fun for a variety of reasons, but here are two in particular that stand out in my mind.
- Relevance to Students – Ultimately this lesson occurred because the teacher and I were discussing how her students were arguing about who was the hottest boy in Hunger Games. I found the Onion movie review in my personal reading, connected it to the textual analysis article, and talked with the teacher about how it provided a perfect connection between content material and a topic her students found interesting.
- Choice – This was an incredibly open ended assignment. Personally, I spent a ton of time digging around with these tools and writing the sample blog post because it was interesting to me. I know a ton of students did the same, because they could choose something that intrigued them personally.
I wish I had known about these tools when I was in college. I’m really glad we did this lesson, as I think the introduction of these tools to the students will help with any future literary analysis that they write. These textual analysis tools make it much more efficient (or even possible in a way that’s not otherwise) to test a theory or to find specific examples find quotes/passages of relevance to a topic.”
TIPC Ratings
Ideal – 7
This is not a typical research lesson, in the sense that the students analyze, organize, and synthesize the opinions of other individuals that have come before them. Instead, this assignment provides students to opportunity to conduct their own research – the students develop hypotheses, locate information relevant to that hypothesis, and generate conclusions based on the interpretations of the information and data that they uncover. At the beginning of the lesson, the students construct their own questions on a novel or series of their choice. Students receive feedback on these questions in order to ensure that they create relevant and specific questions that can be answered through research and problem solving.
The students select the most appropriate methods of conducting and displaying their research in order to answer their questions. Some students may choose to use Voyant tools, while others may use Many Eyes or Textalyzer due to the differences in what the tools can find and display. Some students may even utilize other online data analysis tools they find on their own because their research questions are best answered through different research techniques. Students modify and adjust their research steps based on the data generated by the various tools; some tools may not aid in answering their research questions, and other tools may help shape their next research step. The students’ blog posts are a culmination of their research, in which they assemble, organize, and synthesize in order to come to a conclusion about their initial question. The students use the class blog to powerfully display various data visualizations that model their thought process and support their ultimate conclusions.
Developing – 2
This particular assignment is an individual assignment; however, the students use digital tools to communicate with each other during the final stage of the assignment. The blog post format allows the students to increase the audience of their work and provide and receive relevant, constructive feedback from their peers.
Ideal – 7
Critical thinking and problem solving are another major focus of this particular lesson. In their final blog posts, students discuss their process and procedure for solving their own problem. The students explain and justify which tools and data visualization processes that they select and apply in order to investigate their problem. Just as important, the students explain and justify which tools and procedures they ignore and/or reconsider while completing their investigation. After viewing each other’s work, students reflect on their roles as critical thinkers. The students use the comments from their classmates as well as their classmates’ posts to refine their research questions, discuss their problem solving processes, and set goals for future growth. Ultimately, this task is authentic because it is open-ended and relevant for the students. Each student chooses a book and research question of his/her choice to which they have a personal connection. Additionally, this task introduces the students to data visualization tools (Voyant, Many Eyes, Textalyzer) that will help them in future literary analysis assignments in higher levels of English, and in college.
Ideal – 7
Although the students do not “create” more than a blog post in this lesson, innovation is a focus of the lesson. Students create their questions based not on what was specifically stated in the book, but instead a question or problem that was left unanswered or lingering to the reader. Students use the textual analysis tools to explore the answers to their questions, which leads to a new perspective on the book and additional insight into the author’s intentions and writing style. Throughout this process, the students must choose strategic risks to increase their understanding of the text. The students practice trial and error by “playing around” with the various textual analysis tools. In their blog posts, students document which strategies do not work, and how they adjust their research based on these setbacks. Often times, these risks lead to new ideas that help the students figure out what step to take or tool to use next. In the reflection section of their work, students discuss their process for innovation and problem solving and reflect on what they learn from the process.
Student Reflection
Inside the Author’s Mind – Student Reflection from HCPS Instructional Technology on Vimeo.
Download Files
Inside the Author’s Mind – H21 Lesson Resources
Contents:
- H21 Lesson Plan
- Assignment Sheet and Rubric
- Sample Student Work
- Student Reflection Video (Vimeo)
