Teacher: Kelsey Collins

Date: May 11, 2016

Rationale
In this lesson, I want to use the poem On Turning Ten by Billy Collins to
help students analyze Holden and find him more relatable since he can be
somewhat difficult to understand. I want to use On Turning Ten as a parallel text
early on in the reading of Catcher in the Rye. I envision that students will be
reading this poem after reading the first five chapters of the novel for homework.
At the end of chapter 5, Holden discusses Allies mitt and how he reacted to his
death. I want to use the poem to show students how much Holden misses his
childhood and his younger brother; if students understand that and relate to that, I
think that they would be able to understand Holden better as a character.
This formative writing assessment will be meaningful for the unit as a whole
because it lends itself to the three guiding questions for the unit. We will be
analyzing the importance of childhood from Holdens perspective, from societys
perspective, and the students will be thinking about their own childhoods through
this writing activity. Additionally, I would tell students that they had the option to
re-write the entire poem from their perspective for the memoir assignment for the
writing portfolio. Since a poem is listed as an additional option for that part of the
portfolio, I think that this poem lends itself to the memoir genre.
Additionally, I will model for students my own version of a stanza from On
Turning Ten before asking them to do so themselves. I want my students to see me

Teacher: Kelsey Collins

Date: May 11, 2016

writing about myself so that they can feel comfortable doing it as well and so that
they can see that writing is a process. After students write their own stanza of On
Turning Ten I will have them turn and talk with a neighbor to discuss the effect
that Allies death must have had on Holden and then we will discuss as a class. This
is so that they can get the opinions of their peers and understand the importance of
this scene. I think that discussing this scene with a peer is a good during reading
strategy because Holden mentions his brothers death and breaking the windows
almost casually; students should play close attention to this scene since most of
Holdens problems stem from being unable to cope with this tragedy. The exit slip
will be to make a prediction of how Allies death might affect Holden later on in the
novel so that they can think critically and become more invested in the novel. I also
think that this will help them to start thinking from Holdens perspective.

TCNJ Lesson Plan

Teacher: Kelsey Collins

Title: Nostalgia for Childhood

Unit: A Loss of Innocence

Date: May 11, 2016

Lesson #4
Day #4

Aim/Focus Question
Aim/Focus Question: Write out the Big Content Objective from the Unit Plan
What are the most memorable parts of our childhood?

Learning Objectives (SWBAT) with Standards Codes Assessment(s)

How will you assess the students understanding of the learning objectives? Include on-going formative assessments and any
summative assessment.
Daily Content Objectives:
RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text,
including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly
and persuasively.

By discussing how The Catcher in the Rye is similar to On Turning Ten students will analyze the themes of loss of
innocence and the nostalgia of childhood.

By doing Turn and Talk and discussing if Allies death marked the end of Holdens childhood or if he is unable to move
past childhood because of it, students will be able to articulate their own opinions as well as building off each others own
opinions and ideas.
Big Skill Objectives:
1.
2.
3.

Improve writing skills

Speaking skills
Close Reading Skills

1.

By mimicking Billy Collinss writing style, students will be improving their writing skills by adopting a certain
voice and following genre characteristics
By participating in Turn and Talk and class discussion, students will improve their articulation.
By closely examining the scene where Holden discusses his brothers death, students will be practicing close reading
and analysis.

2.
3.

Student Understandings/Misunderstandings/Misconceptions
What do you anticipate your students already know going into this lesson, misunderstanding, and having misconceptions of?
I think that students may come into the lesson not fully understanding Holdens voice or his behavior. Particularly in the
beginning of the novel, Holden is difficult to understand and his attitude and colloquialisms can be off putting. My hope is
that students will find him more relatable when they think about what they miss from their own childhoods.

Beginning (Do Now/Opening/Hook)

Teacher: Kelsey Collins

Date: May 11, 2016

Your beginning should engage students in the material for the day and be related to the objectives above. It is good to make
your beginning relevant to the students lives and to make an overt connection between the beginning and the objectives for
the day.
Opening:
The teacher will greet students at the door and hand them a copy of the poem as they walk in. Students will be instructed to
start reading the poem when they sit down. When the bell rings the teacher will come into the classroom and give students
five more minutes to read through the poem. Teacher will have a Do Now question projected on the board: Do you find this
poem relatable? Why or why not? Would Holden find this poem relatable? Why or why not? Write in 2-3 sentences (5
minutes). The expectation will be that students will be able to have read the poem and answered the Do Now in about 10
minutes. The teacher will do a time check at five minutes and then eight minutes and see if students need more time.
The teacher will then ask students to share their responses as a class.
Transition: Explicitly connect the discussion of the Opening to the days Aim and then to the first Activity.
Transition:

Personally, I find the poem relatable, and I would write it like this
Middle Context/Application (Mini Lesson, Activity, Guided Practice)
Be sure that your middle section includes a balance of instructional time and time for application.
Include transitions (in italics) when moving to another topic/activity.
Make sure that all activities have clear instructions for the students (written down and delivered) and that you model
activities for the students, when needed. It is useful to list/outline the instructions.
Instructions:

Teacher will put the poem on the document camera and write alongside it. Teacher will tell students that she is rewriting the second stanza. She will write as follows:

You tell me that I am too young to miss the past,

but that is because you dont remember
the perfect simplicity of being one
and the beautiful and fun complexity introduced by two.
But I can lie on my bed, close my eyes, and remember every digit.
At four I was an ice princess.
I could rule a kingdom
with the wave of a magic wand.
At seven I was a ballerina, at nine I was a magical witch.
The teacher will explain her decision for each change that she makes or what she decides to keep the same (10 minutes).

Students will then be given about 12 minutes to write their own version of this stanza in their Writers Notebook.
The teacher will walk around as the students write to see if anyone is stuck and to gauge whether or not students
need more or less time to write.
Once everyone is finished after about 12 minutes, the teacher will ask students if anyone would like to share their
stanza before they move on. The teacher will then tell them they could rewrite the whole poem for the memoir
writing assignment for their portfolio if they would like.

Transition: Now that we have all reminisced about our childhoods, lets discuss the way that Holden views his childhood

Teacher will ask students if they have noticed any instances where Holden seems to miss his childhood or if he
seems to hate being an adolescent. After taking some student responses, teacher will tell students to turn to page 38
and briefly re-read up until the top of page 39.

Teacher: Kelsey Collins

Date: May 11, 2016

Teacher will project the question on the board: Does Holdens childhood end when his brother Allie dies? Or do you
think that Holden still acts childish because he could not cope with Allies death? Turn and Talk with a partner (3
minutes)
After Turn and Talk, the class will discuss as a whole. After taking a few student responses, the teacher will tell
students that this is something to consider as they continue to read the novel. Teacher will say that she will pose this
question again after they finish the novel to see if their answers change.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS

What questions will I ask during the activity/ lesson?

Include anticipated student answers in parentheses.
Above, write where in the instructions the question will go, using parentheses (ex. Q1).
Knowledge Questions: What is Holdens reaction when his brother Allie dies?

Application Questions: What is the most memorable part of your own childhood?

Critical Thinking Questions: Does Holdens childhood end when his brother Allie dies? Or do you think that Holden still
acts childish because he could not cope with Allies death?

Differentiation
Struggling
For students who are struggling, hopefully the modeling will help them to understand how to re-write the stanza from their
own perspective. However, if students are still struggling, the teacher will walk around while students are writing to see if
any students are unsure what to write. Students will be expected to pay attention to discussion.

Baseline
Students at the baseline should be able to stay on task and expected to participate in discussion.
Accelerated
Students who finish writing their stanza before other students will be encouraged to re-write other lines or another stanza
even of the poem while waiting for other students to finish writing. Accelerated students will be expected to lead discussion.

Transition: Connect the Application with the

Conclusion.

Transition:

So now that we have more insight on Holden, lets

make a prediction

End /Conclusion of the Lesson

End each lesson together as a class to sum up the material for the day and bring the class back to the Learning Objectives
and Aim for the day.
Exit Slip: How do you think Allies death might affect Holden later on in the novel? Or do you think that it wont affect him
at all?
In the last ten minutes of class, Students will each be given a sticky note to and instructed to use it to write their response.
They will be given three minutes to write a response and then the teacher will ask students to share their responses. On their

Teacher: Kelsey Collins

Date: May 11, 2016

way out, students will be asked to put their sticky notes on a portion of the board and that the responses will be revisited later
on when the novel ends.

Homework
What is the students homework to help them apply the knowledge they have learned from the days lesson?
Students will be instructed that they should have read up to Chapter 9 for the first week of reading.

Materials
List any materials you need for the lesson.
On Turning Ten handout for each student
Google Docs slide of the questions
Copies of The Catcher in the Rye
Document Camera