All resources in MSDE Inspired Designers 2018

Examining Human Compassion (Remix) Days 7-9: Character Analysis in "The Life you Save May Be Your Own"

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Students will read and analyze a short story from the Southern Gothic genre entitled "The Life you Save May be Your Own" by Flannery O'Conner.  They will continue to explore the ideas of human compassion and morality by examining the apparent  lack of compassion in the characters of Mr. Shiftlet and the old woman, Lucynell Crater.  Students will use close reading strategies to identify examples of indirect characterization that contribute to their analysis of these two central characters in the text. Image source: "Mockingbird" by skeeze on Pixabay.com.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: April Fleming, MSDE Admin, Kathleen Maher-Baker

Examining Human Compassion (Remix) Day 1: Defining Compassion and Morality

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FOCUS QUESTIONIs compassion the basis for morality?STUDENT OUTCOMESStudents will:examine and interpret the definitions of morality and compassion as presented in a variety of textsread, analyze, and discuss quotations and/or multimedia sourceswrite an original definition of a moral person (This definition will be used later in an argument paper which cites Atticus Finch's acts of compassion as evidence of his morality.) Image source: "Mockingbird" by skeeze on Pixabay.com.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: April Fleming, MSDE Admin, Kathleen Maher-Baker

Grade 11: Writers on Writing (Remix) Day 1

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Image source: "Writing" by Ramdlon at https://pixabay.com/en/writer-writing-paper-letter-author-605764/Unit Overview: The Writers on Writing Unit engages students in reading, analyzing, and creating literacy narratives, or stories about learning to read and write. The unit begins by asking students to view and read literacy narratives, and to analyze author’s literacy narratives through annotation, discussion, and writing a formal analysis essay. As students go through the narratives, they are asked to analyze author technique and purpose, paying close attention to style, syntax, and organization in preparation for writing their own authentic literacy narratives and ultimately creating digital storytelling projects about those narratives. By the end of this unit, students will have composed analysis writing, creative nonfiction, and multimedia stories. They will have had the ability to select certain reading assignments, to work in groups and with partners to brainstorm, edit, and revise, and they will have had guided writing lessons on composing strong sentences.  

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Audrey Ruoff, Kathleen Maher-Baker, MSDE Admin

Grade 11: Writers on Writing (MDK-12 Remix) Day 2

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Image source: "Writing" by Ramdlon at https://pixabay.com/en/writer-writing-paper-letter-author-605764/Unit Overview: The Writers on Writing Unit engages students in reading, analyzing, and creating literacy narratives, or stories about learning to read and write. The unit begins by asking students to view and read literacy narratives, and to analyze author’s literacy narratives through annotation, discussion, and writing a formal analysis essay. As students go through the narratives, they are asked to analyze author technique and purpose, paying close attention to style, syntax, and organization in preparation for writing their own authentic literacy narratives and ultimately creating digital storytelling projects about those narratives. By the end of this unit, students will have composed analysis writing, creative nonfiction, and multimedia stories. They will have had the ability to select certain reading assignments, to work in groups and with partners to brainstorm, edit, and revise, and they will have had guided writing lessons on composing strong sentences. Day 2 Overview:  These plans are for Day 2 of the Writers on Writing Unit. On Day 2, students focus on strong sentences and paragraphs, beginning with student rewriting of mentor sentences, and culminating in analysis of a basic vs. elaborate paragraph from a literacy narrative. Students discuss how description improves meaning in narratives, and look at successful authors to prepare for their own work.Source Citation:  Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Boston: Anti-Slavery Office, 1849.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Audrey Ruoff, Kathleen Maher-Baker, MSDE Admin

Grade 11: Writers on Writing (Remix) Days 3 to 5

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Unit Overview:  The Writers on Writing Unit engages students in reading, analyzing, and creating literacy narratives, or stories about learning to read and write. The unit begins by asking students to view and read literacy narratives, and to analyze author’s literacy narratives through annotation, discussion, and writing a formal analysis essay. As students go through the narratives, they are asked to analyze author technique and purpose, paying close attention to style, syntax, and organization in preparation for writing their own authentic literacy narratives and ultimately creating digital storytelling projects about those narratives. By the end of this unit, students will have composed analysis writing, creative nonfiction, and multimedia stories. They will have had the ability to select certain reading assignments, to work in groups and with partners to brainstorm, edit, and revise, and they will have had guided writing lessons on composing strong sentences.  Days 3 to 5 Overview:   These plans are for Days 3 to 5 of the Writers on Writing Unit. On day 3, students listen to podcasts about different perspectives on struggling to read. They then complete a pre-assessment, reading and analyzing a literacy narrative with guided style analysis notes. Students will then review the pre-assessment activity in preparation for reading their own selections of professional literacy narratives on day 2. The lesson will culminate with students writing an analysis of a professional literacy narrative. Image source: "Idea" from Pxhere.com

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Audrey Ruoff, Kathleen Maher-Baker, MSDE Admin

Grade 11: Writers on Writing (Remix) Days 11 to 15

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Unit Overview:  The Writers on Writing Unit engages students in reading, analyzing, and creating literacy narratives, or stories about learning to read and write. The unit begins by asking students to view and read literacy narratives, and to analyze author’s literacy narratives through annotation, discussion, and writing a formal analysis essay. As students go through the narratives, they are asked to analyze author technique and purpose, paying close attention to style, syntax, and organization in preparation for writing their own authentic literacy narratives and ultimately creating digital storytelling projects about those narratives. By the end of this unit, students will have composed analysis writing, creative nonfiction, and multimedia stories. They will have had the ability to select certain reading assignments, to work in groups and with partners to brainstorm, edit, and revise, and they will have had guided writing lessons on composing strong sentences.  Days 11 to 15 Overview:  These plans are for Days 11 to 15 of the Writers on Writing Unit. In this lesson, students expand their written literacy narratives into digital storytelling skills, drawing on all previous lessons and professional videos and narratives to compose their own multimedia videos for presentation. Image source:  "Be creative" by Ramdlon on Pixabay.com

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Audrey Ruoff, Jennifer Ralston, MSDE Admin

Grade 4: Unit 1- Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Lesson 1 REMIX

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This lesson opens the unit and prepares learners for the structure of the instructional routines. The anchor text for this lesson is, Words Set Me Free by Lesa Cline-Ransome. This literary nonfiction text chronicles the story of Frederick Douglass' early life and includes events that influenced both his life and those of others. The students should listen for examples of how actions speak louder than words. The initial read will allow students an opportunity to comprehend on a literal level. The subsequent readings provide opportunities for students to analyze and interpret figurative language throughout the book. Specifically, the students will identify how similes and metaphors enhance the reader's understanding of the life of Frederick Douglass. Students will routinely write in a response log to demonstrate understanding of the theme of this unit, Actions Speak Louder than Words. In addition, students will use their knowledge of figurative language in their writing.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Shannon Copeland, Lauren Byrd, MSDE Admin, Jennifer Ralston

Grade 6: Belonging, Lesson 1 (MDK12 Remix)

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This lesson guides students in an examination of a poet's use of figurative language and word choice to convey themes of belonging and identity.  Students will delve into the concept of the unit theme, “Belonging” and the essential question, "In what ways does our need to feel a sense of belonging conflict with our individuality?" Students will write a short essay analyzing the ways in which a poet uses figurative language and word choice to convey the speaker's sense of him/herself as an individual and as someone who feels he/she is not accepted. Image source:  "Attain" by Nick Youngson from TheBlueDiamondGallery.com at http://thebluediamondgallery.com/tablet-dictionary/a/attain.html  Creative Commons 3 - CC BY-SA 3.0

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Annmarie Steltzer, MSDE Admin, Kathleen Maher-Baker

Grade 7: Consequences Lesson Plan #2

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Lesson Overview Each student will write a journal entry about how motivation and perspective influence a dream. In addition, students will focus on how these influences can lead to a flawed dream. Students will read, analyze, and discuss the poem, “Dreams” by Langston Hughes, Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, excerpts from Chasing Lincoln’s Killer—Introduction—From 1861 through 1865 and pages 138-139, and the article, “Booth’s Reason for Assassination” by Christopher Hamner. Students will write an  essay about John Wilkes Booth. In successive days, students will draft, revise, edit, and publish their essays. Image source:  "Dream" by EvelynGiggles on Flickr.com. Licensed with CC-BY-2.0

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Michael Griffith, MSDE Admin, Kathleen Maher-Baker

War of Words Lesson 1 (MDK12 Remix)

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Lesson OverviewThis is a close reading lesson of “Little Things Are Big” by Jesús Colón . This text was featured in a newspaper column written in the 1950s.  The essay is an introduction to the concepts of conflict in literature.Lesson FocusHow do the perceptions we have of ourselves and of others create conflicts?Student OutcomesStudents will be able to determine how the conflict in “Little Things Are Big” was influenced by outward (physical) identifiers as well as infer how the conflict may have been different if the main character would have made a different choice.  Image source: "Menschen, Offentliche..." by Tim Savage on Pexels.com.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Jessica Wlotzka, MSDE Admin, Kathleen Maher-Baker

Grade 8 Does Speech Matter Lesson #4 Argumentative Speech Remix

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This lesson is intended to be taught over multiple days, focusing on Chapter XIII: Two Thousand Miles for A Five-Minute Speech from Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington.  The students will also complete a close read of The Atlanta Exposition Address by Booker T. Washington.  Through the two texts, students will read about the events that led Booker T. Washington to deliver a speech at the Atlanta Exposition.  Students will write and deliver their own speech, supporting their arguments with claims and evidence. Image source: "Booker T. Washington" by skeeze on Pixabay.com

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Laura Knapp, MSDE Admin, Kathleen Maher-Baker

Grade 9 Author's Craft: Character, Diction, and Structure Lesson #1 (MDK12 Remix)

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In this lesson, students will read and analyze "The Interlopers" by Saki (H. H. Munro). Lesson 1 from the Author's Craft unit focuses primarily on character. Students will examine how the motivations of Georg and Ulrich drive the plot, develop the theme, and enhance the irony. The lesson requires student to collect evidence, discuss, and complete a writing assignment. It also offers additional stories to extend the lesson. Image source: "Forest" by flo222 on Pixabay.com.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Emily Scherer, MSDE Admin, Kathleen Maher-Baker

Grade 9 Author's Craft: Character, Diction, and Structure Lesson Plan #2 (MDK12 Remix)

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In this lesson students will read and analyze “The Flowers” by Alice Walker. Lesson 2 from the Author’s Craft unit focuses on diction.  Students will examine how Walker’s word choice creates tonal shifts in the story that support the theme. The lesson requires student to collect evidence, discuss, and complete a writing assignment in which they continue the story while using diction to maintain the tone. Image source:  "Rose" by Kapa65 on Pixabay.com.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Emily Scherer, MSDE Admin, Kathleen Maher-Baker

Kindergarten: A Sense of Wonder

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The purpose of the module, A Sense of Wonder, is to encourage students to use inquisitive and persistent behaviors as they wonder about their world. The module extends the strategies introduced in prekindergarten. These strategies include using questions to approach problems and identifying attributes to sort, classify, and make inferences. The attribute strategies serve as the foundation for subsequent Grade One and Grade Two Primary Talent Development (PTD) modules. This module is meant for all students. The classroom teacher should work with a specialist or special educator to find or develop alternate activities or resources for visually impaired students, where appropriate.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Amy Tubman, MSDE Admin, Kathleen Hogan, Melinda Wilson, Jessica J. Reinhard, Gwen Lewis, Marcella Brown, Bruce Riegel, Kathleen Gregory, Heidi Strite, Margaret Lee

Kindergarten: All About Attributes

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The purpose of the module, All About Attributes, is to encourage students to use communicative and perceptive behaviors to think like a scientist.  The module strengthens observation, description, and sorting skills.  The attribute strategies serve as the foundation for subsequent Grade One and Grade Two Primary Talent Development (PTD) modules. Throughout the lessons, students will manipulate materials, play thinking games, and create products. This module is meant for all students. The classroom teacher should work with a specialist or special educator to find or develop alternate activities or resources for visually impaired students, where appropriate.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Melinda Wilson, Kathleen Hogan, Jessica J. Reinhard, Gwen Lewis, Amy Tubman, Marcella Brown, Bruce Riegel, Kathleen Gregory, MSDE Admin, Heidi Strite, Margaret Lee

PreKindergarten: Making Sense of Our World

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The purpose of Making Sense of Our World is to encourage students to use communicative behaviors to relate their thinking like scientists. The module introduces strategies developed in Kindergarten. These strategies include identifying sensory attributes to sort, classify, and compare observational data about our world, and are for all students. The classroom teacher should work with a specialist or special educator to find or develop alternate activities or resources for visually impaired students, where appropriate.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Amy Tubman, MSDE Admin, Bruce Riegel, Kathleen Gregory, Jessica J. Reinhard, Kathleen Hogan, Melinda Wilson, Gwen Lewis, Marcella Brown, Heidi Strite, Margaret Lee

Second Grade: Tremendous Trees

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Tremendous Trees or Tree-mendous Trees encourages students to use inquisitive and creative behaviors, to think like a scientist. The module extends the Essential Strategies of Attributes and Questioning introduced in Kindergarten and First Grade. Students use questions to approach problems and identify attributes to sort, classify, and make inferences to create analogies on observational data about our world using this module for all students. The classroom teacher should work with a specialist or special educator to find or develop alternate activities or resources for visually impaired students, where appropriate.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Amy Tubman, MSDE Admin, Bruce Riegel, Melinda Wilson, Kathleen Hogan, Gwen Lewis, Marcella Brown, Jessica J. Reinhard, Kathleen Gregory, Heidi Strite, Margaret Lee

Substance Abuse and Making Healthy Choices

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The Maryland State Department of Education is working to prevent the misuse and abuse of opioids. This is a student-centered lesson for 3th grade students. This lesson, Substance Abuse and Making Healthy Choices, can be modified or remixed to meet the needs of the students you teach. The content of this lesson includes explaining by definition what is a drug. Students then learn drugs can come in many forms and can have different uses, and because of this students should not use drugs/medicine unless instructed to by a trusted adult. The content of this lesson is from Anne Arundel County Public Schools.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Brittany Echols, MSDE Admin, Lea Jaspers

Understanding How to Use Medicine Correctly

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The Maryland State Department of Education is working to prevent the misuse and abuse of opioids. This is a student-centered lesson for the 3-5 grade band. This lesson can be modified or remixed to meet the needs of the students you teach. The content of this lesson includes teaching students by definition what is prescription medicine and non-prescription medicine and emphasizing that medication, whether it is prescription or non-prescription, should be administered in the presence of a trusted adult. Students are also required to examine Drug Fact Labels and demonstrate understanding of the information found on the Drug Fact Labels.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Lauri Bell, Brittany Echols, MSDE Admin, Lea Jaspers

Analyzing Influences on Drug Usage

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The Maryland State Department of Education is working to prevent the misuse and abuse of opioids. This is a student-centered lesson for the 9-12 grade band. This lesson can be modified or remixed to meet the needs of the students you teach.  The content of this lesson includes students identifying and analyzing influences that could lead to drug use. Students are then tasked with forming strategies to overcome factors and influences that could lead to drug use.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Lauri Bell, Brittany Echols, MSDE Admin, Lea Jaspers