Autumn Zellars

http://classroomaz.weebly.com/
EDU-225
March 14, 2015

Raft Card 1:

Row 1

ROLE (student)
Star News Anchor

AUDIENCE
News studio

FORMAT
Fictional news

TOPIC
What occurred in

audience and

report

the motor accident

viewers

in The Great
Gatsby?

Objective: You will be able to explain how and why different characters feel and react to
events in a reading.
Student Role: Star news anchor
Audience: News studio audience and viewers (classroom peers)
Format: Fictional news report
Topic: What occurred in the motor accident in The Great Gatsby?

Directions:
1. Use http://www.publicbookshelf.com/fiction/great-gatsby/ to read and take notes on
the accident in the reading.
2. Create a group of 5 and grab a video recorder from the media center.
3. Choose a role for each group member and a script depicting what they saw and how
they feel about the incident.
4. Practice your scripts and get into character by dressing up and using costumes to
portray your character.
5. Record your newscast and edit it with windows movie maker.
6. Post the video to www.youtube.com to share with the class.

Resources:
How to create a newscast on movie maker:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0iia7yj5dU
List of characters and their actor portrayals:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343092/
Tips for writing a newscast script:
http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-genre/script-writing

Assessment:
Prepare a 3 minute video explaining how and why you believe these fictional characters feel
about the incident.
You will receive up to 35 pts. For each of the following, written scripts, video presentation,
and creativity.

Raft Card 2:

Row 2

ROLE (student)
Character from The

AUDIENCE
Diary (teacher)

FORMAT
Formal diary entry

Great Gatsby

TOPIC
What is going
through the
characters mind
in their biggest
scene?

Objective: Students will be able to express and evaluate how a character from a reading
feels and why they react as they do in a written format.
Student Role: Character from The Great Gatsby
Audience: Diary (teacher)
Format: Formal Diary Entry
Topic: What is going through the chosen characters mind in their biggest scene?

Directions:
1. Read The Great Gatsby and keep notes.
2. Choose a character you feel you best understand.
3. Find this characters main scene, and organize what they did that day and their
thoughts with the character organizer on,
http://www.educationoasis.com/curriculum/GO/character_story.htm
4. Create a diary entry from this characters point of view during their biggest scene.
(250-500 words)

Resources:
Tips for interpreting a character:
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/40012108?
sid=21105647903161&uid=2129&uid=3739792&uid=3739256&uid=4&uid=2&uid=70
Helpful ways to take effective notes while reading:
http://www.brazencareerist.com/blog/2010/04/28/11-ways-to-take-notes-while-reading/
Sample Diary entries:
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Diary

Assessment:
Prepare a diary entry of 250-500 words from a characters perspective from The Great
Gatsby.
You will receive up to 25 pts for each, notes, organization of character sheet, final draft of
diary entry, and creativity.

Raft Card 3:

Row 3

ROLE (student)
Author

AUDIENCE
Readers of the

FORMAT
Fictional story

book

TOPIC
What happens to
the remaining
characters of the
story?

Objective: Students will use critical thinking to continue and evolve another chapter of
The Great Gatsby.
Student Role: Author
Audience: Readers of the book
Format: Fictional book
Topic: What happens to the remaining characters of the story?

Directions:
1. Read The Great Gatsby.
2. Do some research about the time and area the story takes place in.
3. Use, http://www.educationoasis.com/curriculum/GO/sequence.htm to organize the
events of the story.
4. Create a rough draft of the next chapter of the book depicting what happens to the
remaining characters, be sure to keep in mind the time and place the story takes
place.

5. Have a peer review the work. Use this worksheet

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/printouts/editing-checklist-selfpeer-30232.html
6. Create you final draft.
Resources:
Tips for writing a chapter of a book:
http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/how-to-write-a-chapter-of-a-book-whatauthors-need-to-know/
Setting ideas:
http://www.shmoop.com/great-gatsby/setting.html
Tips for organizing your writing ideas:
http://www.wikihow.com/Organize-Your-Thoughts-on-Paper

Assessment:
Prepare a meaningful and conclusive final chapter to the reading, The Great Gatsby. (4-8
pages on Microsoft word)
You will receive up to 25 pts. For each, knowledge of the setting, events organization notes,
peer review, and final draft.

Entry 2: Differentiating Instruction through Technology

Introduction
As Technology advances so does the way in which schools integrate it into classroom
instruction. Finding tools that allow students to become active learners is an important aspect
when evolving teaching strategies. Technological tools have created superior and simpler ways
that students learn core standards. Implementing new technological tools such as, Story Patch,
Grammar Up, and Youtube creates an interactive and effective teaching plan for differentiated
instruction.
Technology to Differentiate Instruction
Story Patch: Story Patch is an interactive app for the Ipad that allows students to create an
illustrated story. Story Patch asks questions in order to aid the student in organizing thoughts and
presenting them. Engaging the student by asking questions and letting them make the story their
own makes students feel in control and encourages them to think creatively (Richardson, 2013).
In my classroom students would use Story Patch in order to bring their creative writings to life.
Each week the students will be required to write a short story in order to work on their creativity
and expressionism in groups. This project covers the ISTE standard of creativity and innovation
for students,
Grammar Up App: Grammar Up is a visual study tool that students download onto their
handheld devices. How information is taught and shared with students is critical in how they

retain the information. Because this tool integrates instant feedback and results, it is an optimal
tool for students to organize and remember the information presented (Anantatmula, 2009). As
an instructor I would use this tool to assess students and prepare them for tests. At the end of
each lesson I would find and prepare a study page on Grammar Up for the students. Grammar Up
will allow me to quickly see which student is prepared and which students need an intervention.
This tool connects to the ISTE standard of research and information fluency.
Youtube: Youtube is a website that allows users to view and upload videos and presentations. In
my classroom students would use Youtube in many ways. When students become confused with
how to complete or proceed with an assignment they will use Youtube in order to watch tutorials
and videos to gather ideas. In some instances I may have my students work in groups with a
video camera in order to create a group video that demonstrates an idea connected to a reading in
our class. This tool enhances student achievement because it presents information with audio and
graphics for digital learners to retain more knowledge. Increased experience with tools that
implement videos and audio effectively, creates an enhanced understanding and use of digital
literacy (Brumberger, 2011). This lesson plan connects to the ISTE standards of collaboration
and problem solving.
Pros and Cons
Each student has a different way of learning and retaining information. Technology has
allowed for instructors to differentiate instruction for all types of learners. Differentiated
instruction has many positive aspects such as, creating motivated and active learners. Active and
creative students are created by allowing them choices in how and what they learn (Richardson,
2013). Differentiated instruction also allows students to learn at their own pace because the
lesson plan and resources are student centered. Differentiated instruction enhances the traditional

classroom of lectures. Although differentiated learning has many pros there are a few cons. Some
classrooms lack the proper support or training of how to integrate technology and many learning
styles into the classroom (Watts-Taffe, Laster, Broach, Marinak, McDonald Connor, &Walker
Dalhouse, 2012). Differentiated instruction can become overwhelming for an instructor to aid
each student as they progress at different rates and complete varying projects. Students also come
from different levels of experience and backgrounds which means there is much preparation to
be done before using this style of instruction.
Concluding Paragraph
Technology in the classroom, such as Story Patch, Grammar UP, and Youtube apply many
advantages to differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction allows for each student to
develop at optimal paces and programs. In classrooms today, instructors must be aware of the
differences among their students and how they learn. As technology is integrated into the
classroom, it has been very helpful in the progress of developing student friendly lesson plans for
every type of learner.

References:
Anantatmula, V. S. (2009). Designing Meaningful KM Processes to Improve Organizational
Learning. Trends In Information Management, 5(2), 219-245.
Brumberger, E. (2011). Visual Literacy and the Digital Native: An Examination of the Millennial
Learner. Journal Of Visual Literacy, 30(1), 19-47.
Richardson, W. (2013). Students First, Not Stuff. Educational Leadership, 70(6), 10-14.
Watts-Taffe, S. s., Laster, B. b., Broach, L. l., Marinak, B. b., McDonald Connor, C. C., &
Walker-Dalhouse, D. d. (2012). Differentiated Instruction: Making Informed Teacher
Decisions. Reading Teacher, 66(4), 303-314