SUBJECT: English
GRADE: High School
TECHNOLOGY: Spreadsheet
BY: Alicia Atsma

Target Grade/Subject:

Eleventh grade/American Literature. Class Description: 28 students-capability range approx. 4th grade to 11th grade. Lower income, African-American majority (very little computer experience). Diverse behavioral/social issues (ADHD, interpersonal conflict, etc.) Students are familiar with computers for writing-based assignments, but have generally very little experience/exposure to them otherwise. This lesson introduces the spreadsheet concept within a literature context, yet allows students to stretch beyond normal English classroom behavior when they manipulate student-generated data and create charts illustrating its meaning. This student group appreciates opportunities to express personal opinion about course-related material. Students chose to read this story in dramatic, rather than novel, form. Many enjoy the opportunity to perform before their peers. Peer reading deters individual students from going off-task. In general, this class does not like to read; many read at elementary level. Most will not complete reading assigned as homework. Many cannot interpret the text independently, though this particular work was chosen, in part because of its use of basic vernacular language.

Objectives:

Students will make opinion-based responses to the play Of Mice and Men.

Survey question objectives:

• After acting out the play in class, students will report that they understand the story more clearly than if they had read the novel.
• Students will agree that a Depression-era story can be interesting.
• Students will agree that George and Lennie are typical of the people who lived during the Depression.
• Students will find that, during the Depression, most people who relocated to California had no hope of becoming wealthy.
• Students will have varied opinions on the story's ending.

Using a spreadsheet program, students will tabulate and graphically display response

Student volunteers will begin reading Act I.

Materials:

• Single classroom computer and projector screen, spreadsheet software.
• Pre-read questionnaires.
• Play packets (one xeroxed copy of play per student).
• Copies of poll results (with charts, graphs) for each student (to be reproduced after class).

Lesson Description:

Class Discussion: Opinion and Judgment (10 minutes)

• Do we sometimes make snap judgments based on what we think we know?
• Why are we "supposed to" like this play?

Distribute questionnaires-read through with class to check for understanding.

Allow 5 minutes for students to complete questionnaires.

Collect questionnaires and tabulate results: (20 minutes)

Turn on computer, go to Excel spreadsheet program.

Divide class into five groups of 5-6 each.

Each group will be responsible for tabulating responses to one of the survey questions. Teacher or student volunteer will read responses aloud from each completed survey sheet. After completion of data input, teacher will demonstrate to students how they may then create various charts or graphs which illustrate the data manipulation breakdown.

Distribute play packets as discussion of poll continues.

Move desks into semi-circle.

Choose readers/role players-ask for volunteers first.

Evaluation:

In this is student-centered evaluative process, the main evaluation is the demonstrated change in pre-post survey data, illustrated in graphs and charts.

After post-read data is collated, class will evaluate, through discussion, how their initial responses relate to post-read responses.