Transcript Learning by Teaching

TEACHING THE HERO’S JOURNEY
(OR OTHER DIFFICULT CONTENT)
THROUGH KID LIT
Erin Wooten
Timberland High School, St. Stephen, SC
Courses Taught: English I, II, and IV CP; AP Literature and Composition;
Public Speaking; Creative Writing; Teacher Cadets
QUICK WRITE
• Choose one of these two topics to write about.
• What is your favorite memory of being read to as a child?
• What is your favorite children’s book? Why?
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
THESIS STATEMENT
• We can use children’s literature in a variety of ways to enhance the
secondary classroom experience
• Through read-alouds
• Through creative writing exercises
• Reading and writing children’s literature is a valuable way for high schoolers to
gain a number of complex skills.
ROLE OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
-Teaches new information
-Allows children to explore their world through the eyes of a
narrator/speaker who is a child, or has childlike qualities
-Provides moral guidance and the development of a sense of
self
-Inspires creativity, fun beyond what other kinds of projects
can offer
-Read-alouds reinforce Speaking/Listening, the early
childhood reading experience, and provide early close
reading opportunities
ROLE OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
• “Children’s literature, compared to adult
literature, has arguably simpler language,
fewer lengthy stories, fewer abstract ideas, less
complicated themes, and offers just as wide a
variety of stories. “ – Laina Ho
READING KID LIT-- TOVANI
EXAMPLE
• “To make my students aware of what it is like to infer, I read
a story by James Marshall (1976) from his children’s series
about two charming hippos named George and Martha.” –
Chris Tovani, p. 102
• Read a children’s book to discuss literary elements
• Move on to more complex texts
LEARNING BY TEACHING
• “Teaching begets learning for the teachers.” – Sarah D.
Sparks
• “The act of teaching spans the entire range of Bloom's
taxonomy, from the acquisition of foundational concepts
up through evaluation and synthesis. Students build
important skills as they plan how to approach a given
learning task, monitor comprehension, and evaluate
progress toward completing the task.” –Yvette Jackson, et
al.
WRITING KID LIT—A PROCESS
• Step 1: Review new concept or standard in detail. Review
plot diagram.
• Step 2: Ask students to create a storyboard outline for a
story, using the concept as a main idea throughout the
storyboard. Include a child-like protagonist.
• Step 3: Ask students to transfer the storyboard into a fulllength children’s book with illustrations (I use a ten-page
maximum).
WRITING KID LIT—A PROCESS
• Step 4: Have students present books to the class, read-aloud
style.
• Variation: If they have access to a local elementary
school or a Special Ed class, they can present their readaloud books to one of these classes.
• Variation: If your school hosts a carnival, science day, or
other event where feeder schools will be present, have
students present their books.
PROOF OF CONCEPT
• Creative Writing– The Hero’s Journey book projects
• Level: 10th-12th Grade College Prep
• No planned curriculum for this course; freedom to
choose meaningful assignments
• Objective: SWBAT write a short story for an
elementary-school-aged audience that follows
the patterns of the “Hero’s Journey” monomyth.
WRITING KID LIT—A PROCESS
• Step 1: Review the steps of the Hero’s Journey storytelling
archetypes. Review storytelling basics—plot structure,
characterization,dialogue, audience.
• Step 2: Have students recall an important milestone in their
early childhoods. Use possible examples: their first day of
kindergarten; their first time riding a bicycle; or their first time
confronting a bully.
• Step 3: Ask students to storyboard this experience, in 6 or so
frames, using a guide.
WRITING KID LIT—A PROCESS
• Step 4: Using their Hero’s Journey notes and their outlines, have
students label their storyboard with many of the hero’s journey
parts.
• Step 5: After scaffolding with the above steps, students will be able
to create their own, fully illustrated Hero’s Journey children’s books,
using their own life stories OR fictional/fantasy-based stories. They
will read their stories aloud.
---Examples--Follow-up: Apply to The Odyssey, King Arthur stories, Beowulf, or other
literature classics.
STANDARDS
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3: write narratives
•CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.C: use a variety of techniques to
sequence events
•CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.E: Write a conclusion that follows
from and reflects on what is experienced
•CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4: Produce clear, coherent writing
appropriate to the task, the purpose, and the audience
CONSIDERATIONS
• To what age group are you directing your story?
• Content
• Vocabulary
• Illustrations
• Prior knowledge and allusions to other texts
• Content mastery of the student -- Risk of including wrong information
• Honors/Advanced Level students --“Why are we doing this?”
• Supplies, resources
• Well-stocked art closet; binding and laminating materials;
computers?
ANOTHER EXAMPLE
• Teacher Cadets – Barriers to Learning book projects
• Level: 12th Grade Dual Credit
• Part of the TC Curriculum
• Objective: SWBAT present information about special
education or a barrier to an age-specific audience
Standards:
• Identify the special needs and exceptionalities of learners and
determine how these needs affect the learning process.
• Examine major physical, social, and personal challenges that can
impede successful learning.
• Examine and appreciate others’ diversity.
IN THE CONTENT AREAS
• Write and illustrate a children’s guidebook on the parts and functions of a
cell, simple machines, chemical properties, or lab safety.
• Use an Eric Carle-style artistic rendering and simple language to discuss
parts of a circle or the formula for area or volume.
• Retell a historical narrative or biography in a way that a __-year-old will
be able to understand the significance of the major themes and plot
points.
• Aim for a younger audience, and go for simplicity.
WHY CHILDREN’S LIT
• It’s simplified!
• It’s creative!
• It’s collaborative!
• It hits on many different standards!
• It integrates multiple intelligences and learning styles!
• It’s fun!
CURTAINS!
• Thanks! Any questions?
• Please see handout for extensive bibliographical
information.