Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 48608
Exactly What are You Alluding to?
Allusions can be difficult for students and hard to teach because not all students have identical or equally extensive exposure to literature, history,
and/or popular culture. To overcome this barrier, this lesson builds a "collective consciousness" in each classroom. Students research an allusion and
prepare a visual and oral presentation to each explain their allusions. Students are then assessed on their understanding of the allusions taught in one
another's presentations.
Subject(s): English Language Arts
Grade Level(s): 8
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter,
Computers for Students, Internet Connection, LCD
Projector, Microsoft Office, Computer Media Player
Instructional Time: 2 Hour(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: allusion, allude, literary device, presentation, speaking, listening
Instructional Design Framework(s): Direct Instruction, Structured Inquiry (Level 2), Writing to Learn
Resource Collection: CPALMS Lesson Plan Development Initiative
ATTACHMENTS
Cornell Notes Poetic Devices Allusion 1314.doc
Allusions Teachers Signup Sheet and List of Pervasive Allusions for Storytelling Project 1314.doc
Allusions Project Assignment Sheet 1314.doc
Allusion Project Presentation STUDENT EXEMPLAR Eskimo Pies.pptx
Allusion Project Presentation Rubric.docx
Allusion Exit Slip.docx
Allusion Exit Slip Key.docx
Allusions Test.docx
Allusion Project Presentation 1314 STUDENT EXEMPLARDavid and Goliath.pptx
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Students will be able to:
Define allusion.
Understand the power of the usage of allusions.
Distinguish between an allusion versus a mere reference (or other things potentially confused with an allusion).
Recognize when an allusion has been used.
Be able to say how the allusion bolsters the speaker's point... specifically the theme it supports and/or the tone it conveys.
Use an allusion in his/her own writing and explain how it functions and informs that writing.
Given an allusion, students will be able to:
page 1 of 4 Research the reference.
Write a concise recap of the backstory.
Create a Powerpoint slide with a visual image which clarifies and reinforces the allusion.
Present the slide and the narrative.
Convey knowledge and understanding of the allusion.
Deliver and field questions about the allusion and its backstory accurately.
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
Students should have familiarity with some literary, rhetorical, and poetic devices and their general purposes.
Students should know definitions of popular culture and literature.
Students should be able to differentiate imply from infer.
Students should be able to differentiate allusion from the misheard word illusion.
Students should be able to define and comprehend collective consciousness.
Students should be able to differentiate consciousness from conscience.
Students should understand theme and tone in literature.
Students should know how to use technology to research.
Students should know how to create a multi-media presentation.
Students should know how to give an oral presentation using eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
1. What is the definition of an allusion?
2. Is this an allusion, or something else instead?
3. How could an allusion be used in speech or writing to better convey your point or theme?
4. What is the theme to be derived from the use of the allusion?
5. What details of the allusion provide an indication to the theme?
6. How does the allusion connect the ideas being joined?
7. What point is being made by the allusion?
8. What tone is being created by the use of the particular allusion?
9. When presenting, how can I use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation to better convey my information?
10. When presenting, how can I utilize the technology to make the presentation seamlessly, in a way that helps me convey information to the students in my audience
and allow them to retain the information?
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
Before the lesson: Teacher will project on the overhead/board the words and ask for a show of hands to see if students KNOW, KIND OF KNOW, or DON'T KNOW the
vocabulary relevant to this lesson (allusion, illusion, popular culture, literature, imply, infer, collective consciousness, consciousness, conscience). Teacher will ask
students to share their understanding of the words and will clarify misconceptions before starting the lesson.
Hook:
1. Teacher will introduce allusions by choosing one pair (or more) of songs below as samples of how musicians allude to other songs in their works. *Note: be sure to
access songs in advance of lesson.
EXAMPLE: "Someone to Call" by Janet Jackson - TO - "Ventura Highway" by America
EXAMPLE: "Just the Two of Us" by Will Smith - TO - "Just the Two of Us" by Grover Washington
EXAMPLE: "Cupid's Chokehold" by Gym Class Heroes - TO - "Breakfast in America" by Supertramp
2. Explain the allusion and how the allusion to the previous song functions and informs the song making the allusion. Question to ask: How does the allusion impact the
meaning and message of the song using the allusion?
3. Then explain that all kinds of texts allude to other texts in the same way as the songs--such as novels, plays, poems, nonfiction texts, and even movies, political
cartoons, TV shows, etc. Explain that allusions function as a kind of "shorthand" by focusing the audience/reader of one text on a whole set of ideas that accompany
that alluded-to text. Feel free to be creative and use your own examples to illustrate common texts used as allusions. Additional samples are provided at the top of
the Allusions - Storytelling Project - Teacher Signup Sheet and list of Allusions.
Skill:
1. Teacher will introduce Cornell notes steps using the Cornell site by projecting site on overhead projector connected to computer.
2. Teacher will then have students set up their notebooks accordingly. Have students list key points listed down the left column on the Cornell Notes document,
skipping 3-4 lines between each key point.
3. Teacher will then lecture/discuss necessary background information provided on the Cornell Notes document about allusions while students take Cornell notes.
4. Afterward, teacher will then project his/her copy of the Cornell Notes document on the overhead projector and direct students to "review and clarify" (amend) notes
per Cornell site directions.
5. Teacher will finally model the procedure for "summarizing" in the bottom section of the page per the Cornell site directions while students do the same along with
him/her.
6. Be sure to emphasize in your discussion of allusions and the notes that not all people have had the same experiences, so an allusion works for an author only to the
extent that his/her audience is familiar with the allusion--it will fall short if the audience has no knowledge of the text or song being alluded to. Hence, exposure to
common stories and characters of a culture aids in communication among members of that society. Also point out that the relevance of an allusion is related to time
and place and is crucial to the successful use allusions.
Model & Explain Activity:
1. Teacher will hand out Allusion Storytelling Project - Student Assignment Sheet and Allusion - Project Presentation Rubric.
2. Teacher will explain what students will be expected to do according to the sample PowerPoint frame at the bottom of the Student Assignment Sheet and the two
student samples provided: David and Goliath and/or Eskimo Pies.
3. Teacher will also show how the samples correspond to the rubric. Teacher will clarify that students will be presenting their PowerPoint to the class and will be
responsible for the listening and speaking standards during this lesson (according to the Cornell notes skill activity above).
4. Teacher will discuss how allusion impacts character development, story plots, and tone in literature. Students will be assigned or will choose - teacher's option their allusion from the list provided, and it will be recorded on both the Student Assignment Sheet and the Allusions - Storytelling Project - Teacher's Signup Sheet
and List of Allusions.
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
page 2 of 4 Students will use computers in classroom or in the media center/lab that provide access to PowerPoint (or a comparable presentation format) and Internet access
to research and develop their projects.
Although students are presenting their own allusion independently, they will be permitted to sit with a partner for collaborative support while researching and
creating their PowerPoint presentation slides.
Teacher will circulate and provide feedback on-the-spot while students work, directing them to reference both the Allusion Storytelling Project - Student
Assignment Sheet and the Allusion - Project Presentation Rubric per the feedback explained in the Formative Assessment box.
*A possible variation on this part of the lesson is that students may create their PowerPoint presentation at home and meet with teacher before or after school for a
one-on-one conference and feedback as explained in the Formative Assessment box.
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
Teacher will (quickly) review how to take Cornell Notes by accessing the Cornell site using overhead projector connected to computer. Have students set up their
notebooks to take notes on their peers' presentations in the same way they did for the allusions notes. Have them focus their notetaking on: the allusion itself,
critical aspects of the backstory, and the theme of each story. Tell students they will take a summative assessment on the allusions being presented, so taking good
notes and studying them are crucial to their success.
Students will independently present their PowerPoint projects--teacher flexibility with time is a must. Generally, each presentation should take approximately five
minutes. *A computer connected to overhead projector is required for presentations.
After the first presentation only, pause for a few minutes and ask one or two students to share their notes aloud while teacher "reviews, clarifies, and summarizes"
to model and ensure that students know how to take correct and sufficient notes from the ensuing presentations to study for the summative assessment.
After all presentations are complete, give students the Allusion Exit Slip. Follow directions per the Formative Assessment and Student Feedback boxes to assess
students and provide feedback.
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
Students will take the summative assessment.
Afterword (or the beginning of the next period), students will use a colored pencil or pen to peer or self-score using the rubric at the bottom of the test.
Teacher will collect, teacher-score, and return to student.
Students will share out their best example to close the lesson.
Teacher will return to the vocabulary from the beginning of the lesson and take a final show of hands using the same questions and scale provided in the beginning
(Teaching Phase).
Summative Assessment
Students will take Allusions Test which provides options for students to use four allusions (2 from those listed on the test and 2 from peer presentations).
A grading rubric is provided at the bottom of the test. Please review it with students before giving the summative assessment.
*Tell students up front that taking Cornell notes and reviewing them before the test will help them be successful on the summative assessment. Students may not use
notes for summative test.
Formative Assessment
Project Presentation Rubric explained and discussed before presentations and after presentations.
Exit slip after notetaking and after presentations are completed. Find Exit slip KEY attached here.
Feedback to Students
Presentations Feedback
While students work on presentations, teacher will circulate and provide feedback to ensure that the information students are using in their presentations is
accurate, the PowerPoint is properly formatted, the backstory is concise yet effective, and that the student comprehends the allusion and is able to clearly articulate
the essence of the allusion to his/her peers.
Students receive immediate feedback from classmates through their questions and their peers' ability to answer the presenter's questions after (s)he presents.
Exit Slip Feedback
After teacher scoring of the exit slips (but not providing correct answers), students will be permitted to correct answers marked wrong and may collaborate with
others during class if necessary.
Teacher will review the answers and entertain any questions to be sure students understand them before the summative assessment.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations:
Teachers can provide students with printouts of the presentations to study.
Students could be assigned allusions that are more/less familiar or more/less complicated based on ability.
Extended time may be given to requirements allowed such accommodation, in the form of placing them as a final presenter to provide exposure to other
presentations.
Students with high-anxiety regarding presenting may have preference in presentation order to allow for a sense of control and security.
ESOL students may be permitted to present to you individually rather than to the whole class.
Extensions:
Provide a slip for each allusion and related theme from the presentations in a box. Have students choose one and create an original narrative depicting the theme
and using the allusion as the story's title.
Students keep a record of allusions found independently on TV, readings, movies and have them share out as a bell-ringer activity to periodically review common
and current allusions.
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter, Computers for Students, Internet Connection, LCD Projector, Microsoft Office, Computer Media Player
Special Materials Needed:
For the Teacher:
page 3 of 4 Updated list of allusions in Allusions-Teacher Sign Up Sheet and List
Cornell Notes - Allusions
Link to Cornell Notes explanation (teacher must review in advance of teaching this lesson)
Student exemplars - David and Goliath and Eskimo Pies
Allusions Exit Slip KEY
For the Students:
Internet to research the allusion and obtain images for presentation
Powerpoint to create visual for that class presentation
LCD projector to project the Powerpoint presentation
Copy of Allusion Project - Student Assignment Sheet
Copy of Allusion Presentation Project - Rubric
Copy of Allusions Exit Slip
Copy of Allusions Test
Further Recommendations:
Remind students when they present that they are CONVEYING KNOWLEDGE, not simply uttering words and sounds.
Remind them to TEACH their peers and that they will be held accountable for the degree to which the students understand and can apply that knowledge.
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
Teachers should modify the allusion list to their own familiarity and preference. It should also be updated periodically since topics of popular culture shift making some allusions
out-of-date, unless of course the intent is to teach allusions as they connect to a specific historical period.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Lee Gaul
Name of Author/Source: Lee Gaul
District/Organization of Contributor(s): St. Johns
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
LAFS.8.RL.2.4:
LAFS.8.SL.2.4:
LAFS.8.SL.2.5:
LAFS.8.W.3.9:
Description
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other
texts.
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound
valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and
add interest.
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes,
patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including
describing how the material is rendered new”).
b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific
claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize
when irrelevant evidence is introduced”).
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