Lesson Plan Catering to Diverse Learners
Topic:Activity center on symbols within the novel.
Grade Level: Grade 8 (all tracks will be studying the novel Fahrenheit 451) 
Instructional Objectives:
  • Students will gain a better grasp of the key elements within the story through manipulating pictures, items, and live creatures.
  • Students will experience the role and actions of selected characters and symbols through narrative, sensory, procedural, and situation writing.
  • Students will utilize their creativity to express a sensory view of the phoenix symbol.
  • Students will discuss the questions for each of the four activity stations while gaining information for personal use.
  • Students will utilize prior knowledge of imagery (similes and metaphors) to aid in their writing at the four activity stations.
Materials:
  • Fake bottle of pillsà actually containing M&M’s
  • Salamander pictures (2)
  • Two live salamanders
  • Picture of the Hound
  • Picture of the Phoenix
  • White paper to draw 
  • Video camera 
  • Questions for each activity station:
Concepts addressed: Narrative writing, procedural writing, creative writing, imagery (similes and metaphors), situation writing, and sensory writing.
Engagement/ Anticipatory set:
  • Students will get right to the task at hand; the activity centers
  • I will instruct the students that they will be working in groups and individually. They will be allowed to discuss the questions presented at each station, but must produce individual pieces. 
  • Students will also be told that they will be video taped for portions of the period. 
  • Students who did not fill out the permission slip will be asked to move to another location while the taping is taking place.
Procedure:
  • Four groups will be working at the activity stations while the other will be reading at their seats. 
  • Students will be divided into groups. Smaller sized classes will be divided into six groups. The largest class will be divided into groups of seven.
  • Groups not at an activity center will be reading the novel.
Key discussion questions:

§ The questions are provided to the students at the various activity stations.

§Other questions will be dealt with on an individual basis as students progress through the stations.
Closure:
  • Students will have the opportunity to ask questions about the material they had read last night for homework.
  • We will as a class review some of the points detailed in the activity stations.
Extension activity/ Homework:
    Work on write up for each activity station.Next week we will be working on the writing of these answers along with reading further in the novel.

 
Reflection:
Activity in this class encouraged learning.  Students were actively engaged in this lesson through use of four activity centers.  Manuipulatives and specific questions were used at each center focusing students attention.  The best aspect of his lesson was my ability to bring these four symbols to life.  Students gained much insight into the novel and truly understood what these symbols represented.  In retrospect, I would definitely use this project again.  Students aided one another and actively took charge of the work to be handed into me.

                Return to Additional Lesson Page