Things Are Tough All Over, Author(s):Margery D. Foreman, Grade Level: 8 , Subject Area:English, Listen to an article of a family's experiences during the Great Depression or listen to a speaker who experienced hardships during the time period. Next meet with a partner to discuss this time period and what changes in your life would occur if you were to live through such an experience and what changes the speaker experienced. Present these to the class.

Planning Guide

Creating Learner-Focused
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* Madison-Oneida BOCES- This document may not be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the District Superintendent or his designee.

LU Title:"Things Are Tough All Over"	Author(s):Margery D. Foreman
Grade Level: 8	School Address:Dolgeville Central
Subject Area:English	School Phone/Fax:315-429-3155

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Declarative	Procedural
Vocabulary	sequence facts
identify characters, plot, climax, theme, simile metaphor, personification, alliteration	classify information
graphic organizers for film, novel, research	analyze novel
KWL to record facts of the time period	research topic
collaborative pairs	create "Memory Book" oral presentation
discuss novels

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How did the main character's life change as a result of the Great Depression?
How did your idea of this time period (1929-1941) change as a result of your reading and research?
If you had to experience a depression, how would your life be different?

INITIATING ACTIVITY

Listen to an article of a family's experiences during the Great Depression or listen to a speaker who experienced hardships during the time period. Next meet with a partner to discuss this time period and what changes in your life would occur if you were to live through such an experience and what changes the speaker experienced. Present these to the class.

Connection to State Learning Standards

Content Area: English/Language Arts

Level: 8

Benchmarks: interpret & analyze information from literature & research, follow written and oral directions, organize information,produce written report, group discussions, process writing, understand main idea, understand literary techniques,vocabulary.

Benchmarks: read from a variety of literature, guest speaker, video "Journey of Natty Gann", understand historical fiction and non fiction, literary techniques (metaphor, simile, alliteration, personification, onomatopoeia), cause-effect, main idea & supporting details, predict outcomes, make connections, interpret literature, use English correctly, write letter.

Standard: 1 - read, write, listen and speak for information and understanding

Standard: 2 - read, write, listen and speak for literary response and expression

Unit Theme:"Things Are Tough All Over"

Standard: 3 - read, write, listen and speak for critical analysis and evaluation

Standard: 4 - read, write, listen and speak for social interaction

Benchmarks:analyze, interpret, evaluate information, understand author's point of view, present report of reading & research to class, appropriate language, analyze info & opinion of others (critique other's reports

Benchmarks:Listen to speaker & build on ideas of others, express ideas & knowledge in an effective & clear manner, know audience & communicate effectively

Learning Experiences

Declarative Knowledge

What declarative knowledge should students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand…

What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire & integrate this knowledge?

What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize and/or store the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Vocabulary:Great Depression, relief, public works program, bonus, dust bowl, migrant workers, drought, Stock Market Crash, fireside chats, sitdown strikes. Additional vocabulary can be generated from students' individual lists of unfamiliar words found in novel read. Additional credit will be given for any vocabulary words used correctly in written reports.

Identify literary techniques: character analysis, plot/conflict, climax, theme

Background information of the time period

Work in small groups to learn vocabulary

Class discussions and take notes to review literary techniques

Watch film "Journey of Natty Gann"

Use graphic organizers for novel and research

Students will use graphic organizer to record information to write a report, write a news article, write a letter, create photos, and memorabilia

Using the computer, research one aspect of the Great Depression mentioned in your novel and write a report.

Students will complete a KWL chart as their knowledge of the time period increases

Learning Experiences

Procedural Knowledge

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Sequence facts learned about the Great Depression.

Classify information from novel and report to use in written reports

Research a topic from novel using the computer

Review concepts

Review process of writing an essay

Direct instruction: Assignment, vocabulary, think the process aloud for doing project, guided practice, review process

Create a "Memory Book" to include:a photograph page created which is relevant to the story and write a caption for the picture, write and edit a letter which the main character will write to another character about a hardship they have endured as a result of the depression, write and edit a report on the book, write and edit a research report about one aspect of the time period which was mentioned in the novel, create and write a news article which is also relevant to the time period, create one item of memorabilia relevant to the time period and story and write a paragraph explaining why you have included this item in your "Memory Book".

Learning Experiences

Extending and Refining

What knowledge will students be extending and refining? Specifically, they will be extending and refining their understanding of…

What reasoning process will they be using?

Describe what will be done.

The time period of the Great Depression (1929-1941) and analyzing a novel

Comparing
Classifying
Inductive Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning
Error Analysis
Analyzing Perspectives
Constructing Support
Abstracting
Other:

Students will select one novel from this list: Borrowed Children, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, Queenie Peavy, Dust Bowl: Disaster on the Plains, No Promises in the Wind.

Students will research one aspect of the time period which relates to the novel they read.

Using information from the novel and research, students will create a 7 page "Memory Book" and give an oral presentation.

Planning Guide

Unit:

Step 1	Step 2	Step 3
	What reasoning process will they be using?	*What knowledge* will students be using meaningfully? Specifically, they will be demonstrating their understanding of and ability to..** Interpret information from historical fiction and research to make the time period (1929-1941) meaningful to the student.
Analyze and transfer information from historical fiction and research to create a "Memory Book". This project includes a variety of abstract situations where the student must transfer the information acquired.	[ X] Decision Making (selecting from seemingly equal alternatives or examining the decisions of others) [X ] Problem Solving (seeking to achieve a goal by overcoming constraints or limiting conditions) [ ] Invention (creating something to meet a need or improve on a situation) [ ] Experimental Inquiry (generating an explanation for a phenomenon and testing the explanation) [ X] Investigation (resolving confusions or contradictions related to a historical event, a hypothetical past or future event, or to the defining characteristics of something) [ ] Systems Analysis (analyzing the parts of a system and how they interact) [ ] Other:	Products/Performances
		Criteria for evaluation Students will create and present their "Memory Books" to classmates. Their report will emphasize changes in a person's life because of their experiences during the Great Depression. The "Memory Book" will be evaluated by the rubric and the oral presentations will be evaluated by the knowledge of the subject, the oral presentation, and their sense of audience.

Rubric:

Key Questions:

What are the key elements, traits, or dimensions that will be evaluated?

Are the identified elements of equal importance or will they be weighed differently?equal importance

	Element #1	Element #2	Element #3	Element #4
Elements Scale	Memory Book Format and Organization	Book Report	Research Report	Memory Book
	Equal importance for each element
4	Cover creatively illustrated, relevant to story, has all component parts, neat, organized, no errors	Includes all required information, consistently uses complete and complex sentences in a variety of ways, vivid vocabulary, seldom makes errors	Includes all required information, consistently uses complete and complex sentences in a variety of ways, vivid vocabulary, seldom makes errors	Has photo, letter, news article, and memorabilia page with appropriate paragraphs, vivid vocabulary, sentence variety and seldom makes errors
3	Cover illustration is relative to story and time period, but not creative, missing one required piece of information	Missing one required piece of information, consistently uses complete & complex sentences in a variety of ways, vivid vocabulary, seldom makes errors	Missing one required piece of information, consistently uses complete & complex sentences in a variety of ways, vivid vocabulary, seldom makes errors	Has all component parts, occasional errors, specific language, some sentence variety
2	Cover contains no illustration, missing 2 required pieces of information and has some errors	Missing 2 required parts, limited language and sentence variety, has some errors	Missing 2 required parts, limited language and sentence variety, has some errors	Missing one component part, limited language, some errors, little sentence variety
1	No illustration, missing 3 or more component parts, sloppy	Missing 3 or more parts, incorrect language, no sentence variety, errors sometimes interfered with understanding	Missing 3 or more parts, incorrect language, no sentence variety, errors sometimes interfered with understanding	Missing 2 or more component parts, errors interfered with understanding

NOTE: Rubric or other performance assessment instruments may be used.

Constructing a Holistic
Scoring Tool
(Rubric or Activity Specific Key)

Key Questions:

* How many score points are needed to discriminate among the full range of different degrees of understanding, proficiency, or quality?

This response, product, or performance provides evidence of understanding of concept/principle/generalization or proficiency in skill/process/strategy.Oral presentation

Score Point 4	Score Point 3
[ ]Oral report includes how the main character's life in the novel read changed as a result of the Great Depression. You included several examples.	[ ] Oral presentation includes 2 examples of how the character's life changed.
[ ]Report includes information about the time period from the novel, your research, the stock market simulation, and other classes	[ ] Report includes information from 3 0f the 4 sources listed in the "score point 4".
[ ] Included how your life would be different if you had to experience a similar depression.	[ ] Touched upon own personal life differences.
[ ] Make eye contact with audience and speaks clearly only referring to note cards on occasion	[ ] Some eye contact with audience and relies on note cards

Score Point 2	Score Point 1
[ ]Refers to one example of how the main character's life changed	[ ] Has no clear example of how the main character's life changed
[ ] Includes 2 of the 4 items listed in the "Score Point 4"	[ ] Includes 1 of the 4 items listed in the "Score Point 4"
[ ] Little reference to personal life	[ ] No reference to personal life
[ ] Little eye contact with audience and relied heavily on notes	[ ] No eye contact and read from notes

Have You Considered These Yet?

Learn to Learn Skills:

Assessment Modifications:

Any items in the "Memory Book" can be modified by the "push-in" teacher who works closely with students in the class and in the resource room. She usually recommends the book for them to select and has the suggested book on tape for them to use.

Unit Schedule/Time Plan:

This project usually takes 3 - 4 weeks to complete with occasional class periods to read, review concepts, research on the computer, and do word processing.

Suggested websites for research are:

www.bestschools.org/8thsocial/depression.html

www.snowcrest.net/jmike/20sdep.html

www.ecsu.ctstateu.edu/depts/edu/textbooks/dustbowl.html

www.missd.wednet.edu/~Wendy Sauer/Resources.html

http://net.unl.edu/~swi//cc/rfgMigMoth.html

Written Overview:

Students will create a "Memory Book" and give an oral presentation.

The "Memory Book" will consist of:

Cover page to be creative; illustration relevant to story; and to include your name, date, class period, and "Memory Book'.
The novel report to include: title, author, characters and character traits, setting, specific events/conflicts, and theme. It will be written in an essay format using complete, varied, complex sentences, as well as vivid vocabulary, and correct grammar.
Research page will answer the questions Who? What? When? Where? and Why? In a well written essay.
Photograph page will include pictures from magazines, computer generated pictures, or student illustrated. You will also include a paragraph for each photo explaining the meaning of the pictures.
Letter page will consist of a friendly or business letter written by the main character discussing some problem which you learned about in the novel.
Write a news article about some aspect of the time period from your novel or research.
Memorabilia page will include an item which would have been important to the main character in your novel and a paragraph to explain the significance of the item.

Oral Presentation:

At the end of the unit, you will give an oral presentation of what you have learned. Your oral report is to include:

How did the main character's life in the novel you read change as a result of the Great Depression?
Discuss what you learned about this time period from the novel, your research, the stock marker simulation, and other classes.
How might your life be different if you had to experience a similar depression?
When giving your oral presentation be sure to: a) Make eye contact with the audience, b) Speak clearly - only refer to note cards when absolutely necessary. You should know and understand the material you are presenting. c) Include all aspects mentioned above in your report.