Name: Ayse Oral

Lesson # ___3__

Student’s Name: P.T.

Grade: 7 Age: 12

Reading Level: Narrative - H.S. level 9th Grade/Expository - Level 5

Objective: Students will read nonfiction articles to build background knowledge prior to reading

a short story titled “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, and use a coding system to identify

concepts or facts that are familiar and unfamiliar.

Note: (QRI-5: Finishing up QRI-5 for student– narrative text on H.S. level.)

Rationale: The amount of background knowledge students have on a topic can create higher

levels of comfort for readers. Nonfiction articles that discuss the major issues in the fictional

short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, will build background knowledge on the history of

the lottery and the history of stoning. Students will read each article and use a coding system

while reading the nonfiction articles to identify concepts or facts that are familiar, those that are

confusing, and those that are new, unusual, or surprising. The coding system will help to clarify

misconceptions and misunderstandings about the short story. Finally, a discussion between the

students and I will be held to engage students in predicting what the fictional piece will be about

based on the two nonfiction articles they have read. In addition, I will be using a gift box that

resembles a house and call it the “House of Knowledge.” The students will write down two new

pieces of information they have learned on index cards, initial on the back of the card, and place

it in the box. This activity will help students recognize the rewards of continuously learning and

it will also help to motivate the students. Towards the end of the practicum, students will receive

a blank picture of a brain and write down the information they will most likely remember forever

from the index cards and explain their reasons. Students will also use highlighters to highlight

unfamiliar words in either blue or orange and write it in their notebooks to start a collection of

new words to add to their lexicon.

Materials:

Short story: “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson (Grade levels: 9-12)

2 Nonfiction Articles: “Death by Stoning” and “The History of the Lottery” (Grade levels: 9-12)

Four Highlighters: 1 Orange, 2 yellow, 1 blue

Notebooks: 2 Marble Notebooks (Students will use for all sessions)

Gift Box: This is a gift box that resembles a house and it will be used for all sessions. Students

will write two types of information they have learned on an index card and place it in the box.

Index Cards: 4 (2 per student)

Procedure:

1. Highlighters + Code Key: Give students highlighters and explain/model coding method.

Code Key: (√) = Concept or fact already known/(?) = Confusing/(!) = New, unusual,

or surprising that they understand/(*) = Replaces (?) after discussion

3. Nonfiction Articles: Students choose the first nonfiction article they want to read and begin

reading.

4. Coding Discussion: All (?) are addressed and if clarified all (?) are replaced with a (*) or star.

5. Group discussion: Predicting what the fictional short story will be about.

6. Index Cards: Write two new interesting facts they have learned and place in “House of

Knowledge”

7. If time allotted, begin reading “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson.

Reflection:

***This is a continuation of lesson 2—it was not completed during the last session****

Reviewed info. learned from article on the history of the lottery. Skipped some reading in article

- adjusted it b/c noticed student was becoming disinterested. Read stoning article - highlighted

words she does not know and recorded later in journal. Used prior knowledge - identify meaning

of some words. Article incited conversation w/student. Brought up a possible writing

assignment - persuasive essay - Topic: Death penalty better to receive in the U.S. or other

countries (rough wording of question).

Interesting: student asked for H.W.