Unit Overview: This two-week unit is designed to explore the themes of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre and the process of character development throughout the course of a novel (Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury). The topics that students will explore include: the conflict between good and evil, the “suspension of disbelief” as used in literature, film/text comparisons, literary imagery, summarizing plot, and character development, all with the final aim of producing an essay response to the novel. As such, students will maintain both a Double Entry Journal (between themselves, the text and the teacher) and a Character Development Log. By the end of the two weeks, students will have developed their own essay topics to address themes/character development, produced a viable thesis statement and begun work on an essay rough draft.
On Theory: The theoretical framework for developing this unit is cognitive/social constructivism built upon a foundation of direct instruction. Traditional methods of direct instruction are used during moments of pure input and teacher modeling. However, direct instruction is periodically reigned-in in favor of allowing students to discover their own methods for creating knowledge. Bloom’s taxonomy for higher-level thinking is used as a guide for designing authentic activities and kept posted in the room as a constant reminder for the teacher and students to stay on task.