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LESSON PLAN (Grades 11-12) – ANTICIPATION GUIDE

This is a good introductory activity to prepare students for the student reading taken from the book No Greater Love: How My Family Survived the Genocide in Rwanda.

OBJECTIVES

By completing this activity, students will be able to:

  • Articulate their view on an important social issue.

  • Support their view with evidence.

  • Compare their pre- and post- unit thoughts related to an important social issue.

RATIONALE

The purpose of this activity is to get students started thinking about some of the issues they will read about, research, discuss, and grapple with during the unit.

TIME EXPECTATIONS

This lesson will take most of a single one-hour class period. After it has been completed, students like to share what they have written and discuss it either in small groups or as a whole class.

LESSON

Hand out the "Pre" version of the Anticipation Guide Worksheet. The Worksheet has a list of ten very broad statements. Students should mark where they see themselves on the Likert-scale for each statement.  After rating the statements, students will spend 30 minutes writing about a single statement from the Worksheet that they have marked either “strongly agree” or “strongly disagree.” They will explain what they think and why. It may be a good idea to collect these forms and writings to hand them out again at the end of the unit.

At the end of this unit, it is a good idea to repeat this activity. Hand out the "Post" version of the Anticipation Guide Worksheet. After filling out the "Post" version return the "Pre" version so that students can review their previous answers and compare them.

Where did their view change, even a little? This time, have them write about this. What changed and why? If nothing changed, which is rarely the case, ask them, “What view was most reinforced and why?” Have them write about that.

For this activity, participation points are best. Since students will be free writing, tell them not to edit too carefully, just get their ideas on the paper. The point of this activity is to express their thoughts without having to overly concern themselves with conventions and formats.  

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

English Language Arts Standards » Writing » Grade 11-12

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.