Amanda Dickey, Deep Run High School
Summary
English 9 students are asked to choose a scenario from the novel Great Expectations that will be used to create a character “selfie” photograph. Through the use of pictures, usernames, comments, and hashtags, students show character traits and emotional responses to their chosen situation. Initially, they use a brainstorming planning sheet to consider how best to incorporate all of these elements. Then, they use three “copyright friendly” websites to secure images and citations; ActivInspire software to create the actual composite image; and the class blog to broadcast their work. Their posts on the blogs “unpack their thinking” as to choices made in creating their images. Students vote for the selfie they think is the most original and that winner gets her very own “#selfie” t-shirt.
TIPC Ratings
As students access information using provided resources, they construct questions to guide their research and assemble that information in novel ways to create real-world products. They then post their product on the class blog for their peers, teacher, and everyone else to view. As a result, this lesson is rated as developing.
Although at first glance, students are not working in formalized teams, they are collaborating within the class, supporting each other as their work through the processes and create their individualized products. By posting their “instagram selfies” on the class blog, they are sharing their ideas, reflectively commenting on other students work (as time allows), and communicating to a much larger audience than simply their teacher. In light of these behaviors, this lesson is rated as approaching.
Through the planning guide and in subsequent actions, students reflect on how to effectively communicate their visual interpretations of a self-selected scenario from Great Expectations. As editors of their blog posts, they explain their selections and decisions made in creating their composite images, character ‘hashtag’ responses and ‘likes.’ This lesson is rated as approaching.
This lesson is rated as approaching as students create original work by applying a “pop culture behavior” (posting images on oneself online) to demonstrate understandings of a timeless piece of literature. In their blog posts, students reflect on their thinking and choices made in creating their personal interpretations of scenarios depicted in the novel.
Student Artifact
The image is a hyperlink that leads to a view of many posts of Great Expectation ‘selfies.’
Download Files
- Lesson Plan and Student Guide
- Formal Rubric and Great Expectations Scenarios
