For the last two weeks of school, the fifth grade teachers ask the parents to take over the instruction of our little darlings and "share our talents". Problem is, I don't have any. And where will the teachers be while the parents are teaching? Las Vegas? Couldn't we just do some nice math drills instead?
Sara bullied me into saying I would teach something. After all, I am a teacher, right? ADULTS! I teach adults! I am afraid of kids. After much dithering and fussing and almost chickening out ("Two sections? She's got me down for two sections? No one is going to sign up for even one section! And they'll hate it! I'm calling her on Monday. I'm gonna tell her... that I have to take a fresh-air tuberculosis cure in central Europe that week!"), here I am, writing a lesson plan, just like I do all the time at work (for adults!).
I need help. I am requesting input. Here's what I've got so far.
I'm going to call the class (which is 60 minutes) something like "One-Act Slam!"
Objective: Students will work in small collaborative groups to outline, read and act out a short skit.
I have a stealth objective. Alleged skills as a writer and a teacher aside, this is 60 minutes with a bunch of 11 year-olds. How much writing can I realistically teach? What they really need to learn are cooperative learning techniques, because I've noticed how kids this age struggle to do group projects. The most capable / bossiest one always leads, then ends up doing all the work. The more passive ones just give up and goof around. With that in mind...
Preview:
- Brainstorm what has to happen to write a play. (They'll say, an idea, a rough draft, making changes, rehearsing, etc. At least that what I am fantasizing they will say.)
- Group them in groups of...oh...four. Randomly? Let them group themselves? Don't fifth grade girls fall down dead on the spot if you force them out of their cliques? Am I insured for that?
- Use the feedback from the brainstorming session to assign roles within the group: scribe; casting agent; editor; director. Label them with adhesive labels. Ship them to Siberia. End of class.
No? Oh, all right.
Presentation:
- Remind them that this is a SLAM, so they need to be brief but brilliant.
- Provide each group with a lap-sized white board and fine point dry erase pens. This will make editing easier and will help them limit the length of the thing.
- Give each group two? Three? No, two random, evocative photos from our photo file at my job. We have loads of photos of all kinds of things: a kid being bandaged by a paramedic; a person being led into a courtroom in handcuffs; a dude rollerblading in a business suit; you name it. So they get these random photos and they need to somehow create a story that includes the situations pictured. I let them get to it.
- Groups have a limited period of time to come up with a plot outline. After ?? minutes, groups share their ideas. I'm hoping that making them report back after each part will keep them on task.
- Same thing with composing a first draft. No need to share with the class at this point, but they have to have a rough draft ready.
- Students read through and edit within their groups.
So, what do you think? My biggest fear is time. I'm not worried that we won't fill the hour. In fact, the opposite. How do I carve it down if I see the time is getting by? I'm good at adjusting a lesson when I teach in my subject area, but this is mysterious. And (this is the big thing) WILL IT BE FUN? Can it be made more fun? The othermothers are always so elaborate. Many othermothers would have a little stage with curtains, etc...etc... Bitches.
The cool parents are doing stuff like Cookie Decorating. I must be out of my mind. But I'm a shitty cookie decorator. OK, feedback?
2 comments:
Kate, since I am certain you don't hear this nearly as often as you certainly should, you are BRILLIANT! I predict you will be the most popular parent/teacher of the entire fifth-grade parent experiment.
Your fabulous lesson plan will likely be shortened to:
1. Tell them what happens to write a play.
2. Scream every other instruction to deaf ears as they take their roles, align themselves into groups and start inventing.
Are you trying to have them fit in practice and performance time in this same hour? How many kids are there in the class? Performances are going to take up the most time of all. Is this a two-part project, or do you have a second lesson plan in the works?
And screw those parents who would spend two weeks and $5000 building an elaborate theater for a 1-hour project. The kids don't care and all that stuff is a total waste because the only people who care to remember it are the other parents. And if it's not there for them to remember, the parents will just spend the next year hearing about how COOL Sara's mom is and how much fun they had doing the plays.
You rock. I want to go back to fifth grade now.
You have laid out your plans very well.I am sure you will be successful.Wish you all the best
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