Lesson Plan 1

Rachel Lorenzo

10/27/11
LAE 4530.001
Tara Payor & Nina Graham

“Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket” by Jack Finney

Sunshine State Standards:

LA.910.1.6.2

LA.910.1.7.1  

LA.910.1.7.3

Objectives:

Students will be able to make text to self connections

Students will be able to make predictions about the text

Students will be able to identify suspense within the text

Students will be able to explain what makes the text is suspenseful

Directions:

*Bellwork: (Projected) Have students predict what the story will be about based on the following quotes:

            “Above the muffled sound of the street traffic far below, he could hear the dry scrape of its movement, like a leaf on the pavement.”

            “They were the way to change from a name on the payroll to a name in the minds of the company officials.”

(5-10 min.)

*Introduce the concept of suspense. Ask students what suspense is and what makes them feel suspenseful in a movie. Ask how they think a story can be suspenseful through writing (e.g. long descriptions right after introducing an action that has not been finished or item that has not been explained).

(2-3 min.)

*Introduce the story “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket.”

“We’re going to read a suspenseful story about a man with a secret and how far he’ll go to get it back once it’s lost. The story is set in the 1950’s and back then there were no computers to save everything you wrote. Things were either written by hand or on a typewriter - and those don’t save what you write, they’re basically just printers. Imagine working really hard on an essay that you think is amazing, losing it, and having no backup.

(1-2 min.)

*Read the first paragraph, STOP and tell them to pay close attention to how long descriptions follow short clues to plot, the yellow paper, how Tom is behaving, etc.

*Have a student read, stopping them at intervals you annotated in the text.

(rest of class period)

Assessment:

            Assessment will be based on participation including the bellwork and the yellow sheet they turn.

ESOL/ESE Modifications:

            While the rest of the class is working on bellwork, quietly direct students to write down at least one answer for at least one question for the yellow paper. Provide them with the text ahead of time. Provide them with images of what is happening in major points of the text.

HT Evaluation - Click to Enlarge