Unit Overview:  Violence ASE1

Unit Description

                  Attempt to use the concept of "Violence" to build on previous explorations focused on Science and Health and to

                  provide a framework for developing organizational strategies for reading comprehension and writing.  Learners

                  originally chose the concepts of "hate crimes", "killing" "money", "marriage"  steered the content towards an

                  exploration of Creation Myths and started to "approach" issues of "origins" of human violence and "suicide".

Materials

                  Generally paper and pencil activities

                  News articles from newspapers, magazines and internet.

                  WWW searches on "Anne Frank" and "The Holocaust"

                  "Mythology: A Teaching Unit" by Aileen M. Carrol (J. Weston Walch Publisher 1984)

                  "Woman the Hunter" by Mary Zeiss Stange (Beacon Press, 1997)

                  "Just Once" by Mary Blount Christian (New Readers Press, 1990)

                  Movie: "The Diary of Anne Frank" (Twentieth Century Fox, 1959)

                  Movie: "Saving Private Ryan" (Paramount, 1998)

                  Passing the GED (Clencoe/McGraw-Hill, 1998)

                  Figurative Language Definitions (Billy Marshall Stoneking, 2001)

                  Audio: "Land" by Patti Smith (from "Horses", Arista 1975)

Curriculum Frameworks Standards

          Primary:     ELA: Acquire more organizational strategies (Writing)

          Secondary:  ELA: Development of comprehension strategies (Reading)

          Addiitonal:   Social Sciences: Connecting Social, Cultural, and Environmental Economic Factors to Health (Sorting out the

                            Facts)

Assessment Methods

                  TABE, Concept Web comparisons, Development of automatic documentation system (Access Database) to generate

                  monthly progress reports, Attendance letters, Unit reports (like this) and other student self reporting instruments as

                  attached: ("The Threes, "Class Evaluation", "English Language Arts Frameworks Skills, and "Progress Checker")

Comments and Reflections on the Curriculum Frameworks

                  The History/Social Sciences Framework standard "Where and Why there is Conflict"  provided an overarching focus

                  to this unit as it emerged from students' interests, concerns, and evaluations of ongoing lessons.  Students themselves

                  found the English Language Arts frameworks to be more useful as they perceived them to be more concretely related

                  to the goal of "Obtaining a GED".  The Instructor found the English Language Arts frameworks to be much more

                  useful as a potential guide to assessment and also found them very easy to integrate with the Social Sciences.  Though

                  there was an intention (and some planning) to integrate Math (especially Charts and Graphs) into this unit, that,

                  unfortunately,  has not happened yet.

                  The Health Frameworks were also always kept in mind and integrated very well with the Social Sciences and English

                  Language Arts strands and standards under the concept of "Violence".

                  The Science and Technology Frameworks appear to be under developed and almost irrelevant given that much of

                  their thrust has been preempted by the Health and ELA "Critical Thinking" standards.

                  The database that created this report was also developed during this unit as a means of exploring student assessment.

                  Building the Frameworks Strands and Standards into this database should prove helpful to further integrating them into

                   both classroom planning and practice.

Practitioner Professional Development Activities

                  SABES West Assessment Study Group (Feb. 23, Mar. 23, 2001 )

                  REINVENTING JUSTICE: "Courts and Community Counter-Parts" (March 21, 2001)

                  SABES West Workshop: Overview of Standardized Tests, John Strucker, Ed.D (April 20, 2001)

                  The Literacy Project Inservice "Violence and Trauma Workshop" with Denise Elliot, Survivor's Project  (May 11,

                  2001)

Follow-up Activities

                  Thematically, the most logical follow-up will probably be towards the concept of "Evolution" in Science and Health

                  which will allow some exploration into human psychology and culture. 

                  A definite "loose end" involves "maps" which was only loosely (if at all) integrated into this unit because of time and

                  circumstance. Still map knowledge is definitely an area of both interest and need for my students and is easily

                  integrated with "Violence" or History.

Class and Lesson Review

Thursday, March 08, 2001                   1 ASE Morning             6 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  -- Connecting Social, Cultural, and Environmental Economic Factors to Health (Sorting out the Facts)      

     Science (Using the GED Book)  Page on "Chromosomes and Heredity" and page on Natural "Selection and Evolution".   Test taking

      strategy (eliminating outrageous answers - reading questions before passage so you read the passage with a purpose).  Reference to

     Galapagos Islands and Charles Darwin.  Reading questions about the famous "Peppered Moths of Great Britain", "Fetal Alcohol

     Syndrome" and "Drinking During Pregnancy", "Adaptation by Resistance to Pesticides".  Longish Discussion about "Sex and Drugs":

      (Relationships, Personalities, "Personality Development" Addictions)  This fits into discussions in the ABE group about "Healthy

     Relationships" which relates inversely to "Violence"

Tuesday, March 13, 2001                    3 ASE Evening              5 Learners present.                                  2 hours

  --  Use figurative language (Writing) Recognize a variety of genres & styles (Reading)    

     Figurative Language: Sounds (alliteration, assonance) and Images (metaphor) - also irony, understatement, and allusions.  Read and

     Listened to "Land" etc by Patti Smith and did a 5 minute "free write".  Focus was more on the use of language and only a little on

     the violence and the suggestion of a rape in school.

Thursday, March 15, 2001                   1 ASE Morning             6 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  -- Connecting Social, Cultural, and Environmental Economic Factors to Health (Sorting out the Facts)      

     Science: Two Articles Relating to "Violence" ("Alcohol Plays a Complex Role in Marital Violence" "Brain Scans Show Patterns in

     Violent Behavior") Some discussion of Topic v Main Idea v Supporting Detail

Monday, March 19, 2001                    1 ASE Morning             5 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  --  Use figurative language (Writing) Recognize a variety of genres & styles (Reading)    

     Figurative Language: and Violence:  Definitions and examples: key words (simile, metaphor, analogy, attribute) and examples.   

     Listened to Patti Smith's "Horses" and read the lyrics with a lot of surreal figurative language with many references to violence -

     even school based violence.

Tuesday, March 20, 2001                    1 ASE Morning             4 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  --Where and why there is conflict (Conflict & Resolution)       

     Video: The Diary of Anne Frank: Follow-up to discussions and study in both classes.  Some preliminary discussion of Hitler, World

     War II and the Holocaust (and also Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima)  -- (VIOLENCE pre activity- but definitely an activity suggested by

      students)

Wednesday, March 21, 2001                1 ASE Morning             4 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  --How individuals and groups interact with and impact systems (Systems)       

     Courts and Community Counterparts Conference at GCC - focused on "Reinventing Justine" and "Restorative Justice" in Franklin

     County - making the courts more responsive to the needs of victims and the community by focusing on the harm done rather than

     simply punishing the offender.

Thursday, April 12, 2001                    1 ASE Morning             5 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  --Where and why there is conflict (Conflict & Resolution) Connecting Social, Cultural, and Environmental Economic Factors to Health (Sorting out the

 Facts) Respond in writing to written & oral questions (Writing)     

      Writing Samples: - Concept Web based on "April 12, 2001, The World Today":  "violence, police shootings, lack of housing, poor

     funding for libraries  and education)  Learners  took one topic, did  own  web and  wrote a paragraph. . . . Longish discussion on Gay

     rights to marry, marriage, gender roles and identity (Boy's Don't Cry) and also made a table of  "Social, Secondary Biological,

     Primary Biological, and Cellular/Genetic indicators of gender - focusing on "female characteristics). . . Vocabulary: "hermaphrodite",

      "morphodite", and "flamboyant"  Discussed physical, v social/emotional v. financial readiness for fatherhood/motherhood.

                  Finally, a student has requested that we bring in a speaker from the Police Department to address the topic of "Rape".

                   We are discussing this with the Greenfield Police Department and may schedule it soon or in early fall.

                  "Interpret Charts and Graphs" is a standard found in the Reading and Math Frameworks that also integrates well with

                  the Social Sciences, and should be more fully integrated into this unit in the future.

Monday, April 16, 2001                      1 ASE Morning             5 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  --Where and why there is conflict (Conflict & Resolution)  Learn strategies for organization (Writing) Refinement of Comprehension Strategies

(Reading)    

      Current Events (China plane incident, Israel bombing Syrian targets, Joey Ramone death)

     WRITING (with Carl) --"Persuasive" Essay (rhetoric) compared to Narrative essay ( storytelling). Read article  reporters to

     publishing a book based on interviews with Timothy McVeigh  Used highlighters to mark the main ideas in different paragraphs.

     Focus on different types of paragraphs (introductory, background, "pro" argument, "con" argument, and concluding)  (Violence)

Tuesday, April 17, 2001                      1 ASE Morning             5 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  --Where and why there is conflict (Conflict & Resolution)  Acquire more organizational strategies (Writing) Refinement of Comprehension Strategies

(Reading)    

     Violence And Myth (a formal start to the Frameworks curriculum).  . . . . Current Events Review (  China background: " v Taiwan,

     US policy toward China (confrontation or isolate: the Korean War- as actual bloodshed between the US and China. . Review of

     Desert Storm)

     Concept Maps on "VIOLENCE"  Identified MAIN THEMES: "Killing" "Hate Crimes",  "Money" and "Marriage"  . . .  Poetry

     excerpts about hunters and hunting.  Pulled out key lines. Changed  and added lines to create a new poem.  Reordered Lines.

      Greek Mythology: Origins of the World and Humans - Chaos (no order) -> Eros (love and order) -> Union of Gaea (female) and

     Uranus (male) -> Uranus mutilated (castrated) by his son, Chronos. ->  Chronos violently overthrown by his son, Zeus . -> Humans

     created on Zeus' order -> Prometheus stealing GOD fire  to help humans survive in a world of bigger, stronger, faster animals ->

     Zeus's revenge (Human suffering and  Prometheus chained)

Tuesday, April 17, 2001                      3 ASE Evening              5 Learners present.                                  2 hours

  --Where and why there is conflict (Conflict & Resolution)  Express thoughts in complete sentences (Writing) Recognize a variety of genres & styles

(Reading)    

     Poetry: Violence (Life And Death and  Mythology: Class chose to read poems about hunting and killing.  Picked out important

     lines.  Changed lines.  Added lines.  Each student chose 5 to 12 lines to rewrite or reorder into a unique poem.  The poems came

     from a feminist essay on "hunting": "Woman the Hunter"

Thursday, April 19, 2001                    1 ASE Morning             3 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  --Where and why there is conflict (Conflict & Resolution)   Development of comprehension strategies (Reading)    

     Current Events: Big Y Moving into Food Mart space when Food Mart closes

     Reviewed Greek Creation Myth

     Read a review of a book claiming humans are inherently non violent ("On Killing" by Dave Grossman).

Monday, April 23, 2001                      1 ASE Morning             6 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  --Where and why there is conflict (Conflict & Resolution)  Learn strategies for organization (Writing) Development of comprehension strategies

(Reading)    

     Writing and Reading: The Structure of an Essay and the Structure of a Paragraph.  (Taught by Carl)

     Read an editorial from the New York Times "RAPE IN PRISON".  Picked out main ideas, supporting details and looked at how

     numbers were used. . . . Paragraphs consist of a Topic Sentence stating a  MAIN IDEA, sentences with supporting information, and

     a concluding (or transition) sentence.  Essays have a paragraph stating a Main Idea,  supporting paragraphs and a concluding

     paragraph.  You could  summarize an essay by rewriting  the main idea of each paragraph. You could also expand a paragraph into

     an essay by developing the idea of each sentence

Tuesday, April 24, 2001                      1 ASE Morning             5 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  --Where and why there is conflict (Conflict & Resolution)   Development of comprehension strategies (Reading)    

     Violence, Mythology, and Poetry  . . .Reviewed student poems from last week, the original poems on hunting and killing, and the

     Greek Creation narrative.  Read  Hebrew Creation Narrative (Genesis). Discussed origin of "EVIL".   . . . Saw how the text would not

      support certain  interpretations (Eve knew the fruit was forbidden so Adam or God can't be blamed for not telling her) but  other

     interpretations have  basis in the text (blame the serpent, blame God for putting the tree in reach, blame God for creating humans

     who by nature want to test limits, blame women) Discussed how orthodox religion may enforce ONE  interpretation (Evil is the

     result of disobedience to God) but didn't connect that  to "Violence" - Saw some parallels in the two creation stories.

Thursday, April 26, 2001                    1 ASE Morning             6 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  --Where and why there is conflict (Conflict & Resolution)   Development of comprehension strategies (Reading)    

     Independent Math Review. 

     Read article on China US Relationship towards Taiwan and the heretofore "ambiguous" nature of the US commitment to defend

     Taiwan or help it defend itself.  Extensive review of World War II

Monday, April 30, 2001                      1 ASE Morning             5 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  --Where and why there is conflict (Conflict & Resolution) Connecting Social, Cultural, and Environmental Economic Factors to Health (Sorting out the

 Facts) Acquire more organizational strategies (Writing)     

     Writing with Carl: Summarizing an Essay.  Read an article on "Youthful romance and it's association with dangerous depression"

     from Time Magazine.  Wrote down the main ideas of each paragraph and came up with a summary paragraph.

Thursday, May 03, 2001                     1 ASE Morning             4 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  --   Development of comprehension strategies (Reading)    Explore scientific or technology content areas using methods of inquiry and information

technology ()

     Math Review the first hour - almost all long division!

     Science - Photosynthesis - related to the Violence curriculum through the questions "Does life live off life (death)?   .  .  . Must one

     thing die for another to live?"    Read the article in the GED book on Photosynthesis and did the GED items as a group.  Key words:

      "carbon dioxide", "oxygen", "food", "sugars", "synthesis", "chlorophyll", "chemical energy", "stoma", "stomata", "green plants",

     "sunlight", "water"  . . . Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants use chlorophyll to produce their own food and oxygen.

      Plants do this without killing anything, but they are the bottom of the food chain.

Monday, May 07, 2001                       1 ASE Morning             2 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  --Where and why there is conflict (Conflict & Resolution)  Acquire more organizational strategies (Writing)     

     GED Writing: Summarized a short essay by taking the main idea of each paragraph and writing it as a sentence.  One paragraph

     ended up needing more than one sentence to summarize.  The Article was based on a "scientific" study linking watching TV

     wrestling with deviant behavior among high school students.

Tuesday, May 08, 2001                       1 ASE Morning             4 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  --Where and why there is conflict (Conflict & Resolution) Connecting Social, Cultural, and Environmental Economic Factors to Health (Sorting out the

 Facts) Learn strategies for organization (Writing)     

     Violence Unit:

     Reviewed and expanded concepts:  Added "Suicide" and did  "Concept webs" on suicide.  Also looked over materials on Healthy

     Relationships.

Monday, May 14, 2001                       1 ASE Morning             4 Learners present.                                  3 hours

  --Where and why there is conflict (Conflict & Resolution)  Learn strategies for organization (Writing) Development of comprehension strategies

(Reading)    

     Writing with Carl:  Violence Unit:  Read an article on the Vietnam War and Bob Kerry's role in committing atrocities along with an

     "outline" of the same article..   Looked at Main Ideas and supporting details

Tuesday, May 15, 2001                       1 ASE Morning             3 Learners present.                                  3 hours