Unit Working Title: Who Am I?

– Harnessing Identity Through Language

Unit “Big Idea” (Concept/Theme): Reclaiming Identity in Language Variations

Unit Primary Skill focus: Code-Switching

Week __2__ of 4; Plan #__5__ of 9; [90 mins.]

Plan type: Summary

Content Requirement Satisfied:

(Note: Refer to the list in the document called “Concept Unit Lesson Plans”)

Unit Learning Objectives (numbered) [from my Backwards Design Unit Document],

followed by Specific lesson objectives (lettered) being taught in this lesson:

Cognitive (know/understand):

3. p. Students will understand that language variations result from different cultures or
geographic locations.

Performance (do):

5. i. Students will be able to select vocabulary, tone and style, with audience and purpose in
mind.

Affective (feel/value) and/or Non-Cognitive:

7. Students will be able to demonstrate respect for language variations.

q. Students will be able to maintain respect when discussing stereotypes.

SOL’s:
7.7 The student will write in a variety of forms with an emphasis on exposition, narration, and
persuasion.
a) Identify intended audience.
c) Organize writing structure to fit mode or topic.
d) Establish a central idea and organization.
e) Compose a topic sentence or thesis statement.
f) Write multiparagraph compositions with unity elaborating the central idea.
g) Select vocabulary and information to enhance the central idea, tone, and voice.
j) Revise sentences for clarity of content including specific vocabulary and information.
k) Use computer technology to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writing.

CCS’s:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.5
With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing
as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on
how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should
demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grade 7 here.)

Methods of Assessment:
[How will you know if the intended learning occurred?]
o “Do Now” [SOL 7.7; 7.q]
o Pair-Share [SOL 7.7; CCSS.ELA.W.7.5; 3.p; 5.i; 7.q]

Procedures/Instructional Strategies
Each step should have bolded heading that identifies the activity, and then is followed by the
teacher scripting, student and teacher actions, and a description of the activity.
[Note: Any words that represent what I would say directly to students appear in italics.]

Beginning Room Arrangement:

[Changes in this arrangement that become necessary later will be noted in the plan]
Students will be expected to come in and sit at their assigned seats, there will be no changes in
the seating today or throughout the lesson. The seats are arranged as base groups with the
students in six groups of four students. The classroom is arranged in this manner, so that the
students always have an elbow-partner to work with, and are easily be able to do group work,
without disrupting the class’ seating arrangement, or getting up. I will have hand-written the “Do
Now” on the board, before the students come into the classroom. That way I can focus on being
present and greeting them as they enter the room.

1. [_10_mins.] Welcome/ “Do Now”

Here I will be greeting each of the students by name as they walk into the classroom. As the
students come into the classroom, they will begin working on the “Do Now” that will be posted
on the board.
The question for the “Do Now” will be: “What do you think of when you think of a Southern
Accent? What do you associate with “Southern” accents?
The point of this journal prompt is to get the students thinking about the Southern language
variation they will be learning about in more detail today. One thing to note, is that they will
have read an article about Southern Dialects for homework.

2. [_15_mins] Discussion of “Do Now” & HW Reading

One the students are done with their “Do Now”, I will be giving them some time to discuss their
journal prompt answers, and to discuss why it is that they feel the way they do. I am really
hoping that they will bring up Southern accent stereotypes on their own, but if they do not, I will
be prompting them to reflect on such issues as well.
Next, we will also be spending about 5 minutes discussing the short blog post the students had to
read for HW. I just want to get their reactions and feedback on what they have read, give them a
chance to agree, or disagree, and explain why.

3. [_15_mins] YouTube Video

The next part of the class will consist of watching a 5 minute YouTube video about the different
Southern accents, the history of the different variation, and how Southern Dialect came about. I
will also be passing out handout that will have questions regarding the video, that the students
will need to fill out so that I know that they have picked up on the information I needed them to
get out of the video.
The students will be watching the video a first time, and simply close attention to what is being
said, and trying to remember as much as they can by just watching the video.
Then, I will be giving them about 3 minutes to fill out as much as they can of the handout, and
answer the questions.
Next, I will replay the video, and the students will be able to take notes during this viewing, and
fill out anything that they have missed, or anything else that was interesting to them, and that
they want to elaborate on.

4. [_20_mins] Pair-Share
Once the students have answered all of the questions on the handout, we will then transition into
a pair-share activity. The students will spend the first 10 minutes discussing what they wrote on
their handout, comparing the answers, and completing anything that may not have been
completed. Then for the second 10 minutes of this activity, the students will share what they
have discussed in their partner groups with the whole class.
I am really looking for students to demonstrate that they understand the historical background of
Southern dialect, the fact that it is not simply and accent, but an actual language variation with its
own grammatical patterns.

5. [_20_mins] Southern Dialect Code-Switching

For this next part of class, we will be working on practicing some code-switching. I will have
drawn a T-Chart on the board, and I will first be asking the students if they can think of, or look
up any common Southern language variation phrases, or says that they may know. They can also
volunteer phrases they do not understand in Southern dialect. I expect after having seen the
video, and read the article, that the students will not have trouble coming up with a few. I will
then add some of my own phrases on the board.
Next, the students will spend 5 minutes independently translating the phrases into “formal” or
“standardized” English. This portion of the activity is individual work, so I want them to work
independently.
Then, for the next 10 minutes, students will be able to share each of the answers they have found,
the class will discuss if they agree or disagree on the translation, and then the student who gets
the translation right, will come to the board and write the translation into the T-chart. We will do
this until the T-Chart is completed.
Once that is done, the students will be given their homework for the next class, and then we will
move on to the closing announcements.

5. [_10_mins] Project Discussion/Closure

As the class comes to an end, I will spend the last 5 minutes of the class introducing the first part
of “Into the World” project to students in more detail. They will have already been introduced to
the project as a whole, but here I will spend some time breaking down the first component of the
project for the students. I will be taking the time to answer any questions, and give examples of
other “Into the World” projects that I have seen done in other classrooms. I will also be letting
them know that not for next class, but the following, students will have to have decided if they
want to work in groups, if so with whom, or if they prefer to work individually. Then we will
wrap up for the day.

Materials Needed (list):

o Do Now
o Computer & Speakers
o YouTube Video
o White Board

Materials Appendix: (e.g., supplementary texts, Ppts, overheads, graphic organizers,

handouts, etc.)
o Do Now
o YouTube Video