Loyalty Discussion Using Question Formulation Technique
Objective: SWBAT identify inquiry questions about Loyalty (a key theme in Julius Caesar) by engaging in a Question Formulation Technique (QFT) discussion.
Big Idea: We are beginning the cycle of inquiry in this unit by talking about the central theme of loyalty -- it is bound to have some personal hooks for the students.
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Start with a Statement
To begin this unit, I chose to open by providing students with a philosophical statement with a lot of hooks, that is, diverse points of entry that appeal to adolescent learners.
PEOPLE ARE ESSENTIALLY LOYAL/DISLOYAL
The goal of presenting this statement is to generate student questions, so I deliberately picked a statement with some grey area in it, debatable hooks and applications, as well a generative thematic relevance to Julius Caesar, although students do not realize that yet (RL.9-10.2). What is interesting is that although our focus in the unit will center on the use of rhetorical choices on persuasion (RI.9-10.6) to advance a point, it's important to understand the emotional and interpersonal relationships (RL.9-10.3) that give purpose to a range of oratories.
Grammar Check
Usage and mechanics. During the second semester, I run a grammar curriculum in Grade 9 that prepares them for the kind of sentence analysis and punctuation that will help them for the ACT and for writing well-punctuated, error-free prose--ideally (L.9-10.2). While we have been examining usage and mechanics all year on a range of writing assignments during writer's workshops and discussions, we will focus more deliberately on key sentence workshops during our study of rhetoric.
My curriculum during second semester:
Commas: independent clauses, dependent clauses, complex sentences, compound sentences, semi-colons, colons.
Today, I will ask the students to do a quick exit slip in which they will demonstrate these skills. We've been reviewing them over the past quarter, off and on, and now I want to make sure that they are remembering and applying what they have learned.
I provide the following four questions orally and students write them on an exit slip which they turn in as they walk out of the room.
1) Please select the correct verb: Each of my friends is/are crazy.
2) Begin a complex sentence with "because."
3) Use a semi-colon correctly in a compound sentence.
4) Use a comma/conjunction in a compound sentence.
