Rationale:
“…in many ways, the Un-Dead are strong.” – Dr. Van Helsing
“If even a face meant death – if looks could kill – we saw
it at that moment.” – Dr. John Seward (Bram Stoker’s
Dracula)
“Twilight is not good for maidens;” Christina Rossetti’s
“Goblin Market”
Rationale for “History” vs. Hollywood 9th Grade Unit:
In this 9th grade unit, our class will focus on a
variety of Victorian Horror texts.
I feel it is important
for students to understand where/why many of the stories
left the villages they were told in, as well as how they’ve
evolved to survive in today’s society.
We will discuss Old
Country legends and myths – specifically vampires and
werewolves – in conjunction with how these creatures are
portrayed in current media.
We will also discuss how the
modern American “horror film”, while nothing like the
stories we will be reading, is successful when it is not
truly “horror”.
We shall start the unit off by reading Dracula (Bram
Stoker).
The novel is kicked off by a chart that compares
Hollywood vampire legends to Stoker’s version of the
legend; at the end of the novel, we shall compare both
versions to the Old Country legends.
Throughout this novel
specifically, students will be producing pieces short
creative writing that mimic Stoker’s style; we will
concentrate on “range of emotions”, personification,
details vs. word choice, and a few others still to be
determined.
We will also discuss how the appeal to vampire
lore has survived for centuries, as well as why students
think it has evolved.
We shall then move on to literature circles; I plan
for six groups of five students each.
Two of these groups
will read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, two
will read The Island of Dr. Moreau and the other two groups
will read a collection of Poe stories, to include “Mask of
the Red Death”, “The Raven” and “The Pit and the Pendulum”.
Students will be given some choice as to which group they
are in, although the teacher will have final say.
The
students will be given about a week to read their stories –
they will determine how many pages per night, etc.;
beginning the next week, the students will teach their book
to the groups that did not read it.
By doing this,
students will feel more in charge of their education and
will experience more to their story than they would if
these were full-class-texts.
At the end of this
experience, all students will be tested on basic elements
of all three stories (plot, setting, etc.) to ensure that
all the groups have done an adequate job.
Meeting back as a full class, we will read Mary
Shelley’s Frankenstein.
I plan to focus on the “horror
story” part of the novel, rather than forcing “deeper
meaning” on my students.
At the end of the novel, we will
go into detail concerning who was the real monster – with
any luck, we will have a debate concerning the subject.
(This portion of the unit is not included in these lesson
plans, but it would be covered in the classroom.)
Following these works, we will move on to Christina
Rossetti’s “Goblin Market”, where we will employ various
poetry comprehension strategies and discuss the odd rhyme
scheme Rossetti uses.
This will be followed by the short
story “The Vampyre” (John Polidori).
We will use this
story to examine sentence structure, word evolution/
vocabulary, and the importance of dialogue in stories (as
this story contains almost none).
Major assessments for this unit include (but are not
limited to) timelines, creative horror stories, literature
circle presentations, dialogue stories, and an end-of-unit
essay discussing common Victorian horror themes.
Educational Beliefs:
I believe students work best when:
• A safe, organized environment is provided.
• Student, teacher and text are all involved in
conversation.
• Students understand the purpose behind what they are
doing and learning.
• Classroom policies and procedures are consistent and
logical.
• Students are actively involved in problem solving and
decision making, not just memorizing facts.
• Directed discussion is used effectively, as is reading
aloud.
• Concepts are taught as a unit, rather than individual
skills.
• Students have many opportunities to succeed, rather
than just one test.
• Students are actively engaged in the activities and/or
assignments.
• Students have some say in the material they are
covering (ie: choosing from a selection of novels).
Unit Goals and Objectives:
Goals for 9th Grade “History” vs. Hollywood Unit:
I want my students to know:
• Old World myths and folktales are still prevalent in
today’s society. We will specifically discuss vampire
and werewolf tales in this unit.
•
•
•
•
In order for literary characters to survive through
the centuries, those characters must evolve; Dracula
and Frankenstein’s monster will be specifically
addressed in this unit.
How to compose a story/essay using specific
characters, quotes, themes, etc. as appropriate for
certain audiences.
The importance of the writing process, even though it
is different for all writers.
Group work is dependent on all the members of the
group doing their share (even though some students may
have to pick up slack for others).
Objectives for “History” vs. Hollywood Unit:
For 9th Grade English class in general:
Students will be able to:
• Identify themes that are expressed in various mediums
and explain their relationship to each other, both
verbally and in written form.
• Employ a variety of methods of reading comprehension
for prose and poetry.
At the end of the unit, students will be able to:
• Identify the differences between modern vampire lore,
Stoker’s version and the Old World tales of the
creatures.
• Explain how those same differences relate to recent
cinema and the effects such cinema has on viewer’s
impression of the legends.
• Relate different versions of Frankenstein’s monster to
each other and the original, comparing and contrasting
how the creature has evolved as well as why they think
he has.
Syllabus and Calendar
Major Texts:
Dracula (Bram Stoker)
Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde (Stevenson)
The Island of Dr. Moreau (H. G. Wells)
“The Vampyre” (John Polidori)
“Goblin Market” (C. Rossetti)
Edgar Allen Poe – short stories
Materials Needed:
reading log (students can continue in a notebook that has
already been started for such)
PowerPoint/Smart Board
computer/internet access
Policies, Rules and Procedures:
Work will be collected at the beginning of class by the
teacher during daily bell work.
Late Work Policy
•
If student is absent, work assigned during the absence
will be due within 3 days of the student’s return.
•
Alternative assignments will be given to make up
participation points (10 points per day, unless
otherwise specified) if the absence is excused.
•
Major assignments can be turned in up to 3 days late,
with 10% docked per day the assignment is late.
•
Daily homework (10 points) can be turned in 1 day late
for half credit.
General discussion courtesy procedures are expected to be
followed at all times.
Overview of Instructional Strategies:
•
small group discussion/activities
•
full-class guided discussion
•
literature circles
•
students as teachers
Major Assignments:
Dracula - Assignment
Value
Short Scene ______________________________ 25 points
Reading Quiz _____________________________ 20 points
Theoretical Writing ______________________ 25 points
Van Helsing short story __________________ 40 points
Vocabulary activities ____________________ 30 points
In class creative writing (20 points each) 100 points
Lit Circles – Assignment
Value
role packet ______________________________ 50 points
teaching your story ______________________ 50 points
end of week “exam” _______________________ 30 points
Frankenstein – Assignment
Value
in class creative writing (20 points each) 100 points
“Who is the monster?” essay ______________ 50 points
oral presentation ________________________ 20 points
Unit as a whole is worth a total of 750 points in major
assignments.
Lesson #1: Introduction to Vampires
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• Identify Hollywood vampire lore
• Determine whether they think these modern elements
were part of the original legend
• Demonstrate their understanding of the above by
filling out a graphic organizer in small groups
Standards:
• RS1, C6, PO1: predict text content using prior
knowledge and text features
• RS1, C6, PO3: use graphic organizers to clarify the
meaning of text
• RS2, C2, PO1: describe the historical/cultural aspects
found in cross-cultural works of literature
Materials:
Handouts - “Vampire Legends”
Copies of Dracula (Stoker) for students
Anticipatory Set:
(Written on board) Get into small groups (3-4) and discuss
the last vampire movie each of you saw. Try to focus on
things the vampires had to avoid or do in order to survive.
Activities:
1. While students are discussing recent cinema, pass out
today’s handouts.
2. As a class, model an example on the handout (typed in
in this case) over the overhead/on the board.
3. In the students’ small groups, have the students come
up with at least 5 of their own examples. Circle the
room to make sure students are on task and understand
the assignment; also make sure no one student has
taken over their group – this needs to be a
collaborative effort.
4. After 20 minutes (or when the students seem to be
genuinely winding down), have students go back to
their seats. As a class we will fill out the chart on
the overhead/board, having each student offer one
piece of the legend. All students need to write down
all of the pieces (during reading activity – needs to
be filled out and turned in at the end of the novel).
5. Time permitting, students will begin reading Dracula
aloud in small groups, switching off at paragraphs.
Closure:
In students’ reading thus far, have they found evidence to
support any of the Hollywood vampire myths? If not, what
evidence do they suspect they will discover in tonight’s
reading (chapters #1-2), in which personal details of the
Count are revealed.
Evaluation/Assessment:
Student participation both in small group and class
discussion will earn 10 points for the day.
Troubleshooting:
Reflection:
Hollywood
ie: Vampires
cannot see
themselves in
the mirror
Name:________________________
Class period:____
History vs. Hollywood:
Vampires:
t/f?
Dracula
Pg#
Old Legends
false
Lesson #2: Panic Writing
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• understand the importance of word choice and
organization by writing a short piece displaying a
range of emotion.
• demonstrate the ability to brainstorm and draft (as is
necessary on the AIMS test) by doing so effectively in
class today.
Standards:
• WS1, C1, PO1: Generate ideas through a variety of
activities (e.g., brainstorming, notes and logs,
graphic organizers, record of writing ideas and
discussion, printed material or other sources)
• WS2, C4: word choice
Materials:
reading logs/journals
Anticipatory Set:
(Written on board) Get with a different group than you were
with yesterday. Discuss the boxes you were able to fill in
last night and whether or not you guessed correctly if
there was evidence of the myth in Dracula. (5 minutes)
Activities:
1. Bring the small group discussions up to a class level.
Fill out the class copy on the overhead (fill in boxes
from yesterday’s activity), and discuss which students
guessed correctly and which movies these myths have
been used in.
2. Have the students get out their reading logs/journals
and open them to a blank page. Instruct them just to
listen to the passage and get a feel for the emotions
behind it. Read paragraph one of chapter #3 aloud to
the students and have them write down any words or
phrases that particularly stand out to them.
3. Discuss the words the students chose and the emotions
they carry. Write the words on the board, so students
have a better visual.
4. Have students take 3-5 minutes and brainstorm a few
ideas of intensely emotional situations they have been
in themselves. They should aim to have at least 4
written down in this time, along with a few details
concerning each.
5. Read the passage aloud again, slower and more intently
6.
7.
8.
9.
this time. Have students pay particular attention to
the range of emotions Harker goes through.
Mimicking the style of Stoker’s Harker, have students
attempt to write a concise range of emotions
concerning one of the events they selected (or another
that has come to mind). This can be any emotion of
their choice, but their word choice and organization
need to show the full range of emotions they
experienced. (10-15 minutes of silent writing)
After they have had some time for a rough draft, have
students get in pairs and share their rough drafts
with each other. Have them work together to
brainstorm a few choice words for each emotion they
picked. (5 minutes)
On a clean piece of lined paper, students should write
out a second draft of their paragraph. Make sure to
remind them to write neatly and double space their
work. Remind them the assignment is to show a range
of emotions during an event.
Students should work on their paragraph for the rest
of the class period, doing their best to work on word
choice and organization in their writing.
Closure:
Have a few students volunteer their paragraphs to be read
aloud at the end of class. Remind students to read their
homework tonight and fill in their charts!
Troubleshooting:
Reflection:
Lesson #5 (skipping day 3 and 4):
Personification and Foreshadowing
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• understand the concept of personification by pointing
out different cases of the element in Dracula and
comparing them to other cases in literature
• demonstrate an understanding of the concept of
foreshadowing by identifying cases of it and
predicting their future influence on the novel.
Standards:
• RS2, C1, PO2: . Explain different elements of
figurative language, including simile, metaphor,
personification, hyperbole, symbolism, allusion, and
imagery in a literary selection
Materials:
copies of the handout titled “Personification of Death”
Anticipatory Set:
(Written on board) In your reading log/journal, talk to me
about Renfield. Why do you think his character has been
included? What significance does he hold? (5 minutes)
Activities:
1. Bring the students’ writing into a full class
discussion. Discuss why they think Renfield is even
in the story. Do they think he might play a larger
part later and why? What makes them think that?
2. Ask students what other details in the novel they’ve
noticed that might come into play later in the story.
What makes them think these details have any
significance?
3. Discuss the concept of foreshadowing with the class
and what it does for writing both in general and for
this novel so far.
4. Referencing Mina’s diary on 13 August, talk about the
different means of foreshadowing Stoker employs. Do
they seem effective so far?
5. Another technique Stoker employs is personification.
Refer to page 84 for the personification of Death as
an example. Does this seem to have an effect on the
writing? How so?
6. Pass out copies of the handout titled “Personification
of Death”. On the overhead display the story of “An
Appointment in Samara” and have a volunteer student
read it aloud.
7. Next display Emily Dickinson’s “Because I Could Not
Stop for Death” and have a volunteer read it.
8. Talk with the class about the different ways Death is
personified in these examples. What are some other
things that are easily personified in literature?
Have the students offer some examples.
Closure:
Have a few students define foreshadowing and
personification aloud for the class. Have a few others
offer examples of each that were not read in class today.
Troubleshooting:
Reflection:
Personification of Death
"The Appointment in Samarra"
(as retold by W. Somerset Maugham [1933])
There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in
a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was
in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death
that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture, now, lend me your horse, and
I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not
find me. The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its
flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the
marketplace and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, Why did you
make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning? That was not a
threatening gesture, I said, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad,
for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.
Because I Could Not Stop For Death by Emily Dickinson
Because I could not stop for Death –
He kindly stopped for me –
The Carriage held but just Ourselves –
And Immortality.
We slowly drove – He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility –
We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess – in the Ring –
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –
We passed the Setting Sun –
Or rather – He passed us –
The Dews drew quivering and chill –
For only Gossamer, my Gown –
My Tippet – only Tulle –
We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground –
The Roof was scarcely visible –
The Cornice – in the Ground –
Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity –
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #6: Supporting Evidence
Tara Thompson
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• demonstrate an understanding of the importance of the
use of supportive evidence by backing up their
opinions with quotes and references from the text
• make inferences about the characters through the diary
entries the character provides in the novel
Standards:
• RS2, C2, PO 4. Compare interactions among major
characters and minor characters in literary text with
emphasis upon how the plot is revealed through action
of the dialog.
Materials:
reading logs/journals
Anticipatory Set:
(written on board) In your reading logs/journals, copy down
a sentence from Mina’s letter to Lucy (24 August) that you
think foreshadows something to come in the remainder of the
novel. Be sure to cite your quote correctly! What do you
think will come of it and why do you think that? (5
minutes)
Activities:
1. Once students have had time to write, have them get
with a partner or two and discuss their various ideas.
Give a few minutes for that, then bring the discussion
to a full-class level.
2. Ask the students why they think Lucy’s condition
deteriorated so quickly after Mina left. Are there
any textual clues? Do you think Mina’s presence
helped Lucy? Why or why not? (discuss for about 10
minutes probably)
3. Let’s talk about Seward’s claim on page 123. “No man
knows, till he experiences it, what it is to feel his
own life-blood drawn away into the veins of the woman
he loves.” Discuss what it is exactly that Seward is
trying to say here so that students have a decent
understanding.
4. In their reading logs/journals, have students write a
response to Seward. (Jot down on the board) They
should include whether they feel his claim is legit,
if there is another event that would be a more
effective claim to someone you love (KEEP IT CLEAN
BECAUSE YOUR TEACHER WILL READ THIS!), and whether or
now they would have done the same thing for Lucy were
they in his position. Make sure to support your
positions clearly. (10-15 minutes)
5. If a few students would like to share, have them do
so; if not, that’s fine.
6. How about the other characters? How do you suppose
the other characters are feeling about what is
happening to Lucy? Have students go through their
books to find a good quote from each of the other main
characters that sums up how they feel about the
situation or describes something important about their
character (if the character knows nothing of the
situation at present). Quotes should be clearly
labeled and cited, as well as include a short (about 3
sentences) description of why the student chose the
quote they did for that character.
7. Further in your reading for today, Van Helsing starts
to do some strange things. What’s up with the garlic?
How much do you think he knows? Brainstorm in small
groups, then as a class for a few minutes.
Closure:
Tonight I want you to write me a one page long piece on how
much you think Van Helsing knows about what is happening to
Lucy. Be sure to back this up with textual support AND
your opinion of the situation. Use the information we
brainstormed to help you get started.
Troubleshooting:
Reflection:
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #7: Drafting Day 1
Tara Thompson
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• understand the effects of the author’s choice to write
in different characters’ voices by reading passages
aloud in class
• understand the writing process by brainstorming and
working on a draft with a small group
Standards:
• RS2, C1, PO 1. Describe the author’s use of literary
elements (characterization)
• WS2, C3: Voice
Materials:
Anticipatory Set:
For 5 extra credit points today, you may opt to read aloud
part of the zookeeper’s interview (pg #131-6), but you must
read it as close to his accent as possible. Take a few
minutes and select a portion you would like to read and
practice it aloud to a partner.
Activities:
1. Have all students who would like to read aloud do so.
2. Talk as a class about why they think Stoker recording
the zookeeper’s accent was effective or just annoying.
What do they suppose is the reason behind him doing
that? Does it help to read it out loud? Is this
newspaper clip perhaps some foreshadowing? Of what?
3. Using what we know of the characters we’ve met so far,
have the students create a collage of images (a
variety of methods for this would be acceptable) for
one of the characters. They should also include a
brief description of why they selected some of the
images they did. (This activity should take about 1015 minutes, plus writing time.)
4. Have students get out their homework from last night.
In pairs/small groups, have students share their
papers with each other. Make sure they discuss the
different points of evidence they came up with, as
well as the different arguments they used.
5. While still in these groups, have students brainstorm
a few ideas on how they think Van Helsing knows
everything he does. After the reading for today,
everyone is fairly certain that he knows a great deal
about vampires and the folklore about them. How did
he come about this knowledge? BE CREATIVE! (The
example of a course at the learning annex would be
read aloud at this point.)
6. Students should begin brainstorming/drafting their
stories today. They may work with their group to get
some ideas, but their story must be unique. Students
have the rest of the class period to work on this
project.
Closure:
Have each group volunteer a few suggestions for the
basis of the stories. Discuss the basic things students
should include in their draft for this project (due the
next school day).
Troubleshooting:
Reflection:
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #8: Drafting Day 2
Tara Thompson
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• demonstrate an understanding of the importance of the
creative writing process by drafting, editing,
proofreading, etc. their creative story of Van
Helsing’s background
Standards:
• WS2: writing components (elements from each concept)
• WS1, C2: drafting
Materials:
rubric titled “Background Story”
editing/proofreading guides
Anticipatory Set:
(Written on board) In your reading logs/journals, briefly
describe why you chose your version of Van Helsing’s
“background” to make into a story. Is it funny or serious?
What influenced your decision?
Activities:
1. Have students get with a partner and talk about what
they wrote in their journals.
2. As a full class, discuss some of the students’
reasoning behind their stories. From the students who
are making theirs humorous, see if they can explain
why they are doing so without giving away the story.
Is it something about Van Helsing’s character that
screams some sort of background hilarity? How about
students making theirs serious? What is driving them
to do so? Any students doing neither of those? If
so, what are they doing?
3. Have students get out their drafts. Pass out the
rubrics to the students. (I’m doing this after their
first draft on purpose: this way they have to revise
their stories, rather than starting with a “final”
draft and then changing it to be the rough draft.)
The students will have the rest of the class hour to
revise their stories and get AT LEAST one of their
classmates to read through and proofread the best they
can.
Closure:
(last 5 minutes)
Review some of the editing marks students found on
their papers and talk about the importance of using the
“correct” editing marks. Also talk about how SpellCheck
and GrammarCheck don’t catch everything and students need
to carefully go through their paper and make sure it is
ready to turn in first thing tomorrow.
Troubleshooting:
Today will be an easy day for students to get and stay
off task. Teacher needs to circulate the room and discuss
with students what step they are working on to avoid this
as much as possible.
Reflection:
BACKGROUND STORY RUBRIC
Bram Stoker doesn’t tell us a lot about Dr. Abraham
Van Helsing. Your mission is to fabricate how he came
about the knowledge he has of vampires. We will see later
in the story that he is one of very few experts on this
matter. How does he know everything he does? Your size-12
font, double-spaced 3-page (minimum) story must include the
following to receive full credit:
• A clear description of how Van Helsing came to know
about what he does, backed up with details reasonable
to your theory
• At least one case of dialogue written in someone’s
accent and three cases of dialogue total
• Excellent word choice and description appropriate to
the length of the story
• At least one reference to the expertise he has
displayed so far in the novel
• Rough Draft (from today), proof of revision and the
proofreading and signature of at least one classmate,
turned in along with your final draft of your story
Your essay will be graded on the following:
originality of ideas – 8 points
3 cases of dialogue – 8 points
format, proper grammar, sentence structure, etc. – 8 points
proof of drafts/brainstorming/etc. – 8 points
voice of the piece is fitting – 4 points
fluency and clarity – 4 points
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #10 (#9 is story read aloud):
“What are the characters thinking?” discussion
Tara Thompson
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• understand the importance of characterization and
dialogue by participating in the discussion about what
dialogue (which was necessary in the story they just
turned in) does for a story
• demonstrate a basic understanding of why Stoker wrote
the novel the way he did by participating in the
discussion about how characters’ comments show a lot
about their personality
Standards:
•
Materials:
“open mind” handouts
Anticipatory Set:
(written on the board) In your reading logs/journals, talk
to me about the signs we see with Lucy. “Every hour seemed
to be enhancing her loveliness.” (page 162) I’m sure we
all know what that means, but only one of the characters
alive in that scene is in on the secret with us. What do
you think is going through John Seward’s head at this
point? I have copies of the “Open Mind” that you could use
instead if you’re feeling artistic today – extra credit is
possible. (10 minutes)
Activities:
1. Have students get with a small group of about 4 and
discuss their reading log/journal responses. Instruct
them to focus on what the characters must be thinking
about these strange signs. Encourage students to
illustrate what they think Seward is thinking as
creatively as possible.
2. Bring the discussion up to the whole class. Read
aloud the scene from Mina’s diary on 22 September (in
which Jonathan recognizes the Count “grown young”).
What do you suppose Harker is thinking at this point?
How can someone “grow young”? What exactly does that
mean? On the back of the handout, students may repeat
the activity or chose to write out a description of
their thoughts on these questions.
3. Have a student volunteer to read aloud Seward’s
recounting of Van Helsing’s “King Laugh”. Why do you
think Seward goes into such detail about this
outburst? It is rather odd and goes against Van
Helsing’s character as we know him. So what’s going
on? (have students break down what is being discussed
in this passage) What might Seward be thinking now?
4. Have another student volunteer read aloud the
newspaper clipping (pages 170-1) about the “Bloofer
Lady”. What on earth is this foreshadowing?
5. Mina makes a very interesting remark about Van Helsing
(page 181), concerning his eyebrows of all things.
What does that have to do with anything? What other
facial characteristics could you argue would be more
telling than eyebrows? Why? Why do you suppose Mina
would trust someone for their eyebrows? Or is it just
an excuse?
Closure:
Have students get in a small group (3 or 4) different
from the group they worked with earlier. Each group should
discuss a quote from the novel – either one we’ve talked
about already and they wish to discuss more, or another one
altogether from the length of the novel we’ve already read.
They should definitely focus on what they think the
characters were thinking in the scene. Have each group
share with the class and see what the other groups think
about the interpretation offered. Do other students have
any other helpful insight?
At the completion of this discussion, have students
discuss with their groups about what dialogue does for a
story. Why is it important?
Troubleshooting:
Reflection:
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #11: Vocabulary
Tara Thompson
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• demonstrate an understanding of the vocabulary
necessary for tonight’s reading by filling out a
worksheet with a group in class
Standards:
• WS2, C4, Po2: vocab
Materials:
vocabulary worksheets
Anticipatory Set:
(Written on the board) In your reading logs/journals,
discuss what you think is the difference between “the
Undead” and “Vampire”. The two terms are NOT
interchangeable, so what exactly distinguishes one from the
other?
Activities:
1. Have students get with a partner and discuss the ideas
they came up with.
2. Bring the discussion to the whole class. Make sure
students write down any ideas that seem to make a good
point about the discussion.
3. Explain the vocabulary activity for the day:
• Get in a group of 2 (no more, no less) and
acquire a dictionary to use
• Remember the number for your group (count off to
14 – if there are extras, there may be a few
groups of 3 at the teacher’s discretion). For
whatever number your group is, you need to do the
work for the corresponding vocabulary word. You
must come up with a SHORT definition in your own
words (do NOT just copy out of the dictionary)
and a short sentence that helps explain the
meaning of the word. (Pass out the handouts at
this point) You have 5 minutes – ready, set, go!
• After 5 minutes, get the students’ attention and
explain the rest of the game: now students must
leave their group and get the rest of the answers
from the other groups (this way they will fill in
all the answers for this exercise and get to move
around during a vocab activity, hopefully making
it a little more exciting).
4. Once students have had ample time to get the other 13
definitions and sentences, have them go back to their
seats. Have student volunteers offer answers aloud
that were not their original assigned word to help
ensure the definitions and sentences were accurate
and helpful.
Closure:
Discuss with students how they felt about this
activity. Would they enjoy doing it again? Why or why
not?
Is there anything they would rather do? Maybe a
suggestion to alter the assignment somehow? (5 mintues)
Troubleshooting:
Reflection:
SOME DRACULA VOCABULARY:
1. cicatrised:
sentence:
2. conjecture:
sentence:
3. prostration:
sentence:
4. prejudiced:
sentence:
5. contemplate:
sentence:
6. corporeal transference:
sentence:
7. fakir:
sentence:
8. eccentricities:
sentence:
9. tussock:
sentence:
10.
abhorred:
sentence:
11.
remonstrated:
sentence:
12.
chagrin:
sentence:
13.
unhallowed:
sentence:
14.
charcot:
sentence:
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #13 (skipping #12): Newspaper Articles
Tara Thompson
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• demonstrate a basic understanding of the reporting
process by completing an article with a small group
• form an opinion about the effect Stoker was attempting
at when he used newspaper articles to tell part of the
story of Dracula by participating in a teacher-lead
discussion
Standards:
• RS3, C1, PO2: Distinguish facts from opinions in
expository selections such as editorials, newspaper
articles, essays, reviews, and critiques, providing
supporting evidence from the text.
Materials:
newspapers from the past few weeks
Anticipatory Set:
(Written on board) Throughout Dracula many of the
characters include newspaper clippings in their version of
events. In your reading logs/journals, talk to me about
why you think this is. What importance do these articles
always seem to hold? Why do you think Stoker chose to
include some of these, rather than just having the
characters tell about what’s going on? (5 minutes)
Activities:
1. As a class, discuss students’ varying opinions and
ideas on the journal prompt. Try to have students
focus specifically on the questions asked. (We’re
trying to get at the answer along the lines of “The
articles reveal clues that none of the characters were
there to find”, so this may take a little bit.)
2. Have the students get into small groups (4 or 5) and
pass out newspapers to the groups. Give the groups a
few minutes to select an article in their paper that
they think looks interesting. Have one of the group
members read it aloud and then have the group discuss
it. (as a class) What did you notice was included in
your articles? What was missing? Do you think the
reporter left anything out on purpose? Could you tell
anything about the reporter’s opinion based on how
they reported the events?
3. Keeping the students in their groups, assign each of
the groups to look at one of the newspaper articles in
Dracula so far. Ask the same set of questions (#2)
and see if there are any similarities to modern
newspaper reporting.
4. Each group of students should create a newspaper
article about a fictitious event. It should include
all the proper W’s (who, what, when, where, why and
how) and students should strive to mimic the styles
they read today. Each student needs to contribute,
but only one written copy needs to be turned in.
5. Time permitting, have students share their articles
with the class and discuss the same questions as
before, as well as any questions the students have
come up with by doing the assignment themselves.
Closure:
Discuss with the class how they feel about today’s
assignment. Did it seem effective? Did they enjoy working
in a group or do they think it would be better to work
alone for this sort of assignment? What questions do they
still have on this subject after completing the assignment?
Troubleshooting:
Reflection:
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #14:
Tara Thompson
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• demonstrate an understanding of the importance of
inferences in text by producing a short piece based on
one of these inferences
Standards:
•
Materials:
Anticipatory Set:
(written on the board) In last night’s reading, we finally
learned about why Renfield’s story is included. In your
reading logs/journals, discuss with me why you think we had
to wait so long to know this. What a story it is! Also
describe to me what is going on with Renfield and his
“insanity” at this point in the story.
Activities:
1. Discuss as a class Renfield and his involvement in the
story. We learn a good piece of what is going on with
him right now. Why has his story been included? How
does it affect the other characters? Why do you think
Stoker kept us waiting this long to know what’s going
on with Renfield?
2. Go over the marked passages for today’s reading and
briefly discuss with the students the importance of
these passages. (10-15 minutes)
3. Students today have a choice of writing prompts (which
they will be working on for the rest of the class
period): they may theorize on why Renfield wants out
so badly right now, or they may attempt a guess on
what Mina wrote that Van Helsing told her she didn’t
have to include if she didn’t want to. Their writing
should be at least one page long and thoroughly answer
the prompt, using at least two textual citations.
Closure:
At the end of the class period, have a few students
volunteer to read their stories. Discuss quickly what sort
of insights we might get from this sort of an assignment.
Troubleshooting:
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #15: How to become a Vampire
Tara Thompson
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• demonstrate an understanding of text-specific terms by
participating in an activity that discusses the
difference in the terms
• demonstrate critical thinking and drawing inferences
from the text by creating a numbered list of steps
critical to the process referred to in the story
Standards:
• WS2, C4: word choice
Materials:
Anticipatory Set:
(Written on board) A few days ago, we talked about the
difference between the “Undead” and “Vampire”. Now we have
another term, courtesy of Renfield – “zoophagus”. How is
that different and similar from the other terms? Talk to
me about this in your reading logs/journals.
Activities:
1. Have students get with a partner and talk about the
differences/similarities of these three terms. Once
students seem to be getting off task, have the whole
class discuss this matter, writing all three words and
class definitions on the board.
2. Using the students’ during-reading worksheets, discuss
what they have found so far. Up to this point, is
current Hollywood pretty close to the original novel?
3. We know that Mina has been bitten by the same thing
Lucy was bitten by. Why do you suppose her condition
isn’t deteriorating like Lucy’s did?
4. If Lucy became the “Undead” and Renfield would
classify as a “zoophagus”, what exactly must happen in
order for someone to become a vampire? Give students
3-5 minutes to brainstorm a few ideas in their
journals.
5. As a class, create a numbered list of steps (on the
board) on how one becomes the “Undead”.
6. In small groups, have students theorize about the
necessary steps to become a vampire. Give them 5-10
minutes to come up with a numbered list of steps that
the group has agreed on.
7. On the board, write down the process via student
input. IF groups disagree on the steps, have the
students talk it out and determine what the proper
order would be.
Closure:
From what we’ve determined as the necessary steps for
becoming a vampire, what do you suppose we are
foreshadowing? Mina has already been bitten, but she
doesn’t seem to be going the way of the “Undead”. What
could we conclude from this evidence is going to happen to
her in the remainder of the novel?
Troubleshooting:
Reflection:
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #22 (skipping the rest of Dracula):
Intro to Lit Circles
Tara Thompson
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• demonstrate an understanding of the process of working
in a small group setting by constructively working
with their lit circle groups to divvy up duties
Standards:
•
Materials:
literature circle roles packets
Anticipatory Set:
(Written on board) Having finished Dracula, talk to me in
your reading logs/journals about what you enjoyed with the
story. Was it what you expected? Why or why not? (5
minutes) TURN IN YOUR READING LOGS/JOURNALS TO THE
APPROPRIATE BASKET TODAY.
Activities:
1. Once students have finished writing, read off the lit
circle groups. (The teacher will have already put
students into their separate groups according to
reading abilities and the likelihood of them working
together AND getting work done. If left to this
themselves, chaos may ensue.)
2. Pass out the packets of roles and novels to the
students. (Students will have participated in lit
circles earlier in the semester, so limited
instruction will be necessary.)
3. Have a student volunteer read aloud the first page of
instructions for this exercise. Discuss any questions
students have concerning the instructions or the
roles. Groups who are doing the Poe stories will
complete one of the element pages per story; groups
doing one novel will need to complete them all for the
story thus far as they have read.
4. Students have the rest of the hour to complete today’s
activities and turn in a copy to the teacher. Groups
who finish early need to start reading their
novel/story. They can opt to do this alone or aloud
as a group – those reading aloud may go into the hall
so they can better hear the reader.
Closure:
In your lit circles, quickly go over who is doing what
for tomorrow. Remember you ALL must fill out the character
sheet tomorrow, along with your role responsibilities.
Troubleshooting:
Students will easily get off task today. The teacher
should make sure to circulate to each group a few times to
make sure they’ve at least accomplished what they needed to
for the day.
Reflection:
LITERATURE CIRCLE INSTRUCTIONS
In your literature circles, you will be reading one of the following texts:
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Stevenson), The Island of Dr.
Moreau (Wells) or 5 Edgar Allen Poe short stories.
Your group’s task is to teach your text to the rest of the class. Each of
you will be in charge of teaching one element of the story: characters, plot,
setting, theme and vocabulary/figurative language. (If your group only has 4
members, you will need to decide how to cover all 5 of these.) You may do this
however you chose, but your group must use visual aids of some sort and
everyone must participate.
You also must complete your usual lit circle roles, which are included in
this packet. By the end of the class period, your group must have decided the
following (and turned it in!):
• who is doing which role on what day – everyone must complete each
role at least once!
• what pages (or story) your group will have read for each day
• which element each group member is focusing on for the presentation
(even though you ALL must complete the worksheets for each element)
• whether or not you are planning to use technology (and what
technology) for your presentation
You will be graded according to the following:
• completion of literature circle roles – 25 points (5 points each)
• completion of literary elements worksheets – 25 points (5 points each)
• participation in planning and presenting your story(s) – 25 points
• response to other groups’ presentations/quiz on the story(s) your group
didn’t present – 25 points
This unit is for a grand total of 100 points possible and 10 points of possible
extra credit (will be discussed later).
LITERATURE CIRCLE ROLES PACKET – DAY 1:
Discussion Leader: ______________________________________
Illustrator: ______________________________________________
Connector: _______________________________________________
Summarizer: ______________________________________________
Vocab/Figurative Language Finder: ___________________
Notes for my role today:
Something interesting from everyone else’s roles:
1)
2)
3)
4)
LITERATURE CIRCLE ROLES PACKET – DAY 2:
Discussion Leader: ______________________________________
Illustrator: ______________________________________________
Connector: _______________________________________________
Summarizer: ______________________________________________
Vocab/Figurative Language Finder: ___________________
Notes for my role today:
Something interesting from everyone else’s roles:
1)
2)
3)
4)
LITERATURE CIRCLE ROLES PACKET – DAY 3:
Discussion Leader: ______________________________________
Illustrator: ______________________________________________
Connector: _______________________________________________
Summarizer: ______________________________________________
Vocab/Figurative Language Finder: ___________________
Notes for my role today:
Something interesting from everyone else’s roles:
1)
2)
3)
4)
LITERATURE CIRCLE ROLES PACKET – DAY 4:
Discussion Leader: ______________________________________
Illustrator: ______________________________________________
Connector: _______________________________________________
Summarizer: ______________________________________________
Vocab/Figurative Language Finder: ___________________
Notes for my role today:
Something interesting from everyone else’s roles:
1)
2)
3)
4)
LITERATURE CIRCLE ROLES PACKET – DAY 5:
Discussion Leader: ______________________________________
Illustrator: ______________________________________________
Connector: _______________________________________________
Summarizer: ______________________________________________
Vocab/Figurative Language Finder: ___________________
Notes for my role today:
Something interesting from everyone else’s roles:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Characters:
pages ____________________________________________________
Who are the main characters so far in the novel and
What roles do they play?
•
•
•
•
•
Pick a quote from each of these characters that you
think says something about them. Remember to cite it
correctly!
•
•
•
•
•
List a defining feature of each of these characters
as revealed/inferred by the text you have read so
far.
•
•
•
•
•
Setting:
pages ______________________________________________
Describe the setting of your novel/story so far:
How does the setting/environment of the story
change or enhance the story?
Draw a picture of what you think it looks like:
Vocabulary and Figurative Language:
pages _____________________________________________________
Thus far in your novel/story, list five vocabulary
words you have encountered, the sentence they were
used in the novel and a brief definition of the word.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
List at least 3 examples of figurative language you
have encountered so far in the novel/story, along
with the page they appear on and what sort of
figurative language they are.
6.
7.
8.
Themes:
pages ______________________________________________________
List a few themes from the novel/story so far and
briefly describe how they are reflected throughout
the story.
•
•
•
•
•
How about a few recurring symbols and what you
think they stand for?
•
•
•
•
•
And now a few motifs you’ve recognized so far.
•
•
•
•
•
Plot:
pages _____________________________________________________
(note: if your group is doing a full novel, this should
cover the entire novel!)
Ten main events that take place throughout your
novel or five main events that take place throughout
your short story:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #23: Characters mini-lesson
Tara Thompson
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• demonstrate an understanding of the elements of
characterization by completing the character worksheet
for the day
• understand and define the following terms in regards
to describing characters: flat, round, protagonist,
antagonist, narrator, point of view and character
traits
Standards:
• WS2, C1: Elements of literature
Materials:
half-sheets of character terminology
Mini-lesson:
1. Ask students what they think is important to
understanding a character. Make a list on the board,
trying to stray away from character appearance.
2. Pass out the character terminology charts.
3. Talk with students and fill out the definitions on the
board.
4. Add terms to the list students suggest and define
those as well.
5. Explain to students that these are the terms they need
to use when filling out today’s worksheet for
characters.
6. The students have the rest of the class hour to
complete their character worksheet and their lit
circle roles and discussion. All students must have
today’s worksheet stamped/checked off by the end of
the day to verify they have completed the work on
time.
Terms to Describe Characters:
•
flat:
•
round:
•
protagonist:
•
antagonist:
•
narrator:
•
point of view
•
character traits to use:
Terms to Describe Characters:
•
flat:
•
round:
•
protagonist:
•
antagonist:
•
narrator:
•
point of view
•
character traits to use:
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #24: Setting mini-lesson
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• demonstrate an understanding of the elements of
setting and how to describe what it does for the story
by filling out today’s worksheet
Standards:
• RS2, C1: elements of literature
Materials:
Mini-lesson:
7. Ask students what they think is important to with
describing a setting. What sort of information is
completely vital? What sort of information can be
left to the imagination? What does a setting do for
the story?
8. On a blank piece of paper, I want you to rewrite a
scene from your reading last night, putting it in a
radically different setting. Just take about 10
minutes and jot down some ideas down. Make sure to
mention a few things that would radically change the
outcome of the story. (For example, put Dr. Jekyll in
a hot air balloon right before taking the potion and
describe what might happen.)
9. After 10 minutes, have students put their pens down
and discuss what they learned through this exercise.
(Stories are dependent on their settings and do not
carry the same meaning if you change the setting.)
Have students get in their lit circle groups and complete
their worksheets and roles for the day. Teacher should
stamp/check off students’ work before the class period is
over. At the same time, the teacher will collect the short
creative writing samples (worth 10 points)
Tara Thompson
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #25: Vocabulary and figurative language mini-lesson
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• demonstrate an understanding of various types of
figurative language by completing a worksheet defining
the various sorts of figurative language authors may
employ
Standards:
• RS2, C1, PO2: Explain different elements of figurative
language, including simile, metaphor, personification,
hyperbole, symbolism, allusion, and imagery in a
literary selection.
Materials:
(half-sheets) figurative language handouts
Mini-lesson:
1. Talk with students about figurative language and what
it does for writing. Keep it simple and discuss the
different types of figurative language the students
have identified so far.
2. Pass out the handout for the day and fill out the
definitions as a class. Be sure to talk about the
differences between each of the styles and how to
identify them correctly.
3. Students will have the rest of the class period to
fill out their worksheets for the day as well discuss
the reading for today’s lit circle. Teacher will
stamp the work as per usual before the end of the
hour.
Figurative Language:
simile:
metaphor:
personification:
alliteration/assonance:
cliché:
hyperbole:
oxymoron:
Irony:
Figurative Language:
simile:
metaphor:
personification:
alliteration/assonance:
cliché:
hyperbole:
oxymoron:
Irony:
Tara Thompson
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #26: Themes, symbols and motifs mini-lesson
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• demonstrates an understanding of the terms “theme”,
“symbol” and “motif”, as well as how the terms differ
from each other
Standards:
• RS2, C1, PO 3. Compare (and contrast) works within a
literary genre that deal with similar themes (e.g.,
compare short stories, novels, short stories, poems).
Materials:
Mini-lesson:
1. Draw 3 columns on the board. Label them “symbols”,
“themes” and “motifs” respectively. Have the students
do the same on the back of their worksheet (lit circle
packet) for the day so they have their own copy.
2. Have students brainstorm as a class components of each
of these tersm and list the ideas on the board in the
appropriate column.
3. After having completed the chart, have the class
define each of these terms in their own words and
write the definition at the bottom of each of the
columns.
4. Have the students complete the worksheet for today.
The teacher will stamp/check the work as per usual
before the end of the class period.
5. Students have the rest of the hour to work in their
lit circles.
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #27: Plot mini-lesson
Objectives: The
• demonstrate
(concerning
each other,
their text
Tara Thompson
students will be able to…
an understanding of the terms discussed
plot), as well as how the terms relate to
by completing today’s worksheet concerning
Standards:
• RS2, C1, PO1: elements of literature
Materials:
Mini-lesson:
1. Draw a bell curve/simple plot diagram on the board.
Since students probably have most of this knowledge
already (and this is acting as a review), have
volunteers describe where to put what element of plot
where on the diagram (introduction should be first,
climax at the top of the slope, etc.).
2. Discuss with students the meanings of the terms
briefly and write them in next to the labels (ie:
climax: the height of excitement in the story).
3. Do another plot diagram using a text the class has
already read and discussed this semester, filling in
the blanks on the diagram with the actual events.
4. Students have the option of extra credit if they
create a plot diagram for their text on the back of
today’s worksheet, but they must complete the original
task first!
5. Students have the rest of the hour to work on their
worksheet and lit circle.
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #30: Goblin Market storyboards
Tara Thompson
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• demonstrate an understanding of the poem through a
series of illustrations captioned by using lines from
the poem
• prove their level of understanding by presenting their
illustrations to a small group and explaining them
thoroughly
Standards:
• RS1, C6, PO3: Use graphic organizers in order to
clarify the meaning of the text
• RS1, C6, PO5: PO 5. Apply knowledge of organizational
structures (e.g., chronological order, sequence-time
order, cause and effect relationships, logical order,
by classification, problem-solution) of text to aid
comprehension.
Materials:
blank unlined paper
Anticipatory Set:
(written on the board) In the reading for last night, you
were instructed to colour-mark the poem for common themes.
What themes did you decide on? Why did you pick these?
Was there anything in the poem you didn’t understand (words
you had to look up, etc.)? Write me a bit about each of
these things, as well as anything else you have to say
about the poem.
Activities:
1. Have the students get with a small group and discuss
their reading log entries. As a class, discuss the
themes students seemed to all pick up on. Were there
any that only one student came up with, or did they
all seem to be pretty common?
2. Discuss with students the things they didn’t quite
understand about the poem. It is fairly lengthy, and
there are a lot of odd(ly used) words. Have students
offer a brief “What happened next?” outline of the
poem, just to be sure the class has a basic
understanding.
3. On sheets of blank unlined paper, have students create
a storyboard for the poem. They will need a total of
at least 12 frames (6 per page maximum) –
illustrations quoted by lines from the poem – that
will give the reader the basic idea of the story.
4. Students will have the rest of the hour to work on
this assignment. If additional information or
supplies are needed, the teacher will be able to
provide these. Students are more than welcome to sit
with a group and share ideas and supplies, but every
student must turn in their own storyboard.
Closure:
While students are finishing up, talk to them about the
effectiveness of today’s activity. Did it help them to
understand the storyline? Why or why not? Do they see it
as something they would like to do again? Do they need
more time? (Taking this project home to finish it and turn
it in the next day would be perfectly acceptable.)
Troubleshooting:
Reflection:
9th Grade Unit: “History” vs. Hollywood
Lesson #32: “The Vampyre” dialogue
Tara Thompson
Objectives: The students will be able to…
• demonstrate an understanding of the text by creating a
dialogue between the three major characters
Standards:
• RS2, C1, PO 4. Compare interactions among major
characters and minor characters in literary text with
emphasis upon how the plot is revealed through action
of the dialog.
• WS1, C5, PO3: write legibly
Materials:
Anticipatory Set:
(written on the board) Yesterday we briefly went over the
effectiveness of the storyboarding activity. Talk to me
about whether you’d like to do it again or if there is
something else you would like to try the next time we read
a lengthy poem.
Also, reflect on the short story you read last night.
What are your initial impressions of the piece?
Activities:
5. Discuss with students their reading logs. What did
they think of the story? It is old and somewhat
difficult to read, but were they able to make their
way through it? If not (or even if they did), what
was their biggest hindrance? Was it the old-fashioned
language (very similar to Dracula)? Have students
give an informal “What happened next?” summary of the
story, so all students are on the same page at this
point.
6. Even as a teacher, my biggest difficulty in reading
this piece was the lack of dialogue. There is only
one written out conversation in the entire 13 pages;
Dracula is written through people’s journals, and it
has considerably more dialogue than that. So why did
Polidori decide to leave our the conversations?
Brainstorm with the students for a few minutes what
possible reasons for this would be.
7. Have students get in small groups (3 students each
group – one voice per character). Their task for the
rest of the hour is to create a dialogue between Lord
Ruthven, Aubrey and Ianthe (not all characters must be
in every scene!) – please pretend these characters all
speak very good English. With this dialogue, we need
to know more about each of the characters and how they
feel about what is happening in the story. The
majority of this assignment should be written in
dialogue, but there will need to be some exposition
about the location and time of the scenes.
Closure:
Have groups read their dialogues out loud having each group
member take a characters’ lines. When all groups have
shared (at least to the point they got completed in class),
discuss with students if today’s assignment or yesterday’s
seemed more helpful in understanding what happened in the
text. Any particular reasons why? Any ideas of something
we could do to that we haven’t tried yet?
Troubleshooting:
Reflection: