Dottie Akers-Pecht

4 March 2015
Short Text Unit Reading Experience
Unit Working Title: Me, Myself, and I
Unit Big Idea (Concept/Theme): Identity crisis
Unit Primary Skill focus: Character development
Week

of 3; Plan #

of 9; [90 mins.]

Plan type: ____Full-Detail ____Summary

Content Requirement Satisfied: Reading Experience
(Note: Refer to the list in the document called Concept Unit Lesson Plans)
Unit Learning Objectives (numbered) [from my Backwards Design Unit Document],
followed by Specific lesson objectives (lettered) being taught in this lesson:
SWBAT:
Cognitive (know/understand):
1. Students will know that identity crisis stems from many different sources.
a. Students will know that authors use characters, conflicts or problems, settings,
and outcomes to show change in a character.
Affective (feel/value) and/or Non-Cognitive:
2. Students will feel that their own lives and experiences have relevancy to the topic
of identity crisis and to the texts at hand.
b. Students will feel that their own experiences give them insight and allow them
to relate to literature.
Performance (do):
3. Students will be able to locate and describe the sources of identity crisis for
themselves and for literary characters.
c. Students will be able to reflect on their own sources of identity crisis through
writing.
d. Students will be able to describe the sources of identity crisis for a literary
character.
SOLs: [List with numbers portrayed in the SOL document]
Reading 8.5h Identify the main idea.
CCSs: [List with numbers portrayed in the CCS document]

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its

development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters,
setting, and plot.
Procedures/Instructional Strategies
[Note: Any words that represent what I would say directly to students appear in italics.]
Beginning Room Arrangement:
Students will be seated in desks clustered in groups of three in preparation for the
probable passage prereading activity, where they will work in threes. This way, I will
have already grouped them without having students take the time to move desks.
Additionally, students will not need to worry about where to sit and I can differentiate
instruction based on groups. I will use name tags taped to the front of their desks so that
students can be quickly seated after finding their names.
[Changes in this arrangement that become necessary later will be noted in the plan]
1. [5 mins.] Bridge/Hook/Opening to lesson: Do Now Journal Entry
Okay students, you all know the drill from our discussions about class expectations and
from our previous classes. As you come into the classroom, grab your journals to
complete the do now activity today, its a journal entry. The entry is written up on the
board for you all. Take five more minutes after the late bell rings to write about this topic
quietly.
Students will write for about five minutes on the following topic displayed on the
overhead projector: Write about a time when you were ashamed of or embarrassed by
your family. What happened? How did you deal with this shame or embarrassment?
2. [5 mins.] Step 1: Sharing journal entries in a full class format
Okay, it looks like everybodys put their pencils down now. Could we have some
volunteers to share their ideas? I will call on a volunteer to share. To keep the
conversation going, I might next ask if anyone else has a similar story. For example,
Does anybody else have a younger sibling who embarrassed them? I will also likely
call on a student who does not have his or her hand raised. I will emphasize that they do
not have to share if they dont feel comfortable doing so, but that I would very much like
to hear what they have to say. We will share for about five minutes in a full class format.
3. [10 mins.] Step 2: First Prereading Activity Anticipation Guide
Yesterday, we talked some more about different sources of identity crisis, including
pressures from the society or culture we belong to. Today were going to examine these
even more closely in the context of a short story. In order to help us start thinking about

the questions that will arise while were reading, were going to complete a survey. I will
pass out the surveys as I finish giving instructions.
Now, the directions for these are that you must either disagree or agree with each
statement. Some of these are tricky in that you will want to respond with something along
the lines of, Well, it depends on so and so. Theyre meant to make you think that
way. However, you have to choose one or the other either agree or disagree. Write
either A or agree, or D or disagree next to each statement. Does anybody have any
questions? I will give some wait time for students to look over the handouts and see if
they have any questions about what to do. You all can keep these in your class folders
when youre done, as well need them again later. You can start now. The students should
take about five minutes filling out these surveys.
4. [20-25 mins.] Step 3: Second Prereading Activity Probable Passage
Now that you all are starting to develop an idea for what this story will be about, were
going to complete an activity called a probable passage. Are any of you all familiar with
this already? I will wait to see if students are familiar with the activity. This will be a
good time to address any misconceptions about how the prereading activity works before
students begin. Okay, well this is meant to get you all started making predictions about
what the passage will be about and how the theme of identity crisis, as well as our
journal entry this morning, might fit into the story. Right now, Im displaying a list of
words on the board. I will use the overhead projector to show students a series of words
from Amy Tans Fish Cheeks. These words come directly from the short story were
about to read. Using the graphic organizer I give you, youre going to group these words
into categories. Ill start passing out the probable passage graphic organizers. These
categories include characters, setting, problem or conflict, outcome or ending of the
story, and unknown words in case youre not sure of the meanings of these words already.
In the To Discover section, you might write down questions you have about how these
words relate to each other or what you specifically want to know about what will happen
in the story. Then once youre done, make a short gist statement just a sentence long
to describe what you think the story is about, or its major focus or main idea. Are there
any questions? I will provide some wait time for students to ask questions that they may
have.
Alright, if there are no more questions, you all are going to work in groups of three with
the people youre already seated with. Ill be circling around to help you all out in any
way I can. However, remember that there are no right answers here none of us could
possibly guess exactly whats going to happen in the story. The main objective of this
activity is to start making predictions about the theme of identity crisis and how the story
will relate to it based on these words. The students will work for no more than twenty
minutes on these graphic organizers. Once they are done, we will go around the room and
each group will share aloud their one sentence gist statement.

5. [5 mins.] Step 4: Read the Short Story Fish Cheeks

Now were going to see how your gist statements match up to the actual story. I will start
to pass out the copies of the short story. This is Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan. Now youll
notice that there are footnotes within the story. Make sure to read these as we come
across them; they are linked to definitions of these words. Based on the words you
marked as unknown within your probable passage sheets, you may want to pay special
attention to the ones you already know youre unfamiliar with. Now Ill read aloud. I will
read the story aloud as students listen.
6. [25 mins.] Step 5: Return to Probable Passages
Now that weve read Fish Cheeks for the first time, lets return to our probable
passages. Discuss with your peers in your groups of three ways that the story surprised
you maybe you anticipated that the setting was different, or maybe you guessed that
one of the words that signified a problem actually became a solution or answer to a
problem. Once youre done discussing, try to come up with a new gist statement based on
what you think the real main idea of the story is. Ill let you know when you have about
five minutes left in discussion so that you can make sure youll have time to come up with
a gist statement. Then well go around the room and share once more. I will circulate the
room and monitor students discussions as they talk in their groups of three. Once there
are ten minutes left to this step (so after students discuss for 15 minutes), I will let them
know that they will have five minutes left before we share our new gist statements as a
class.
7. [15 mins.] Closure: Reflection on Anticipation Guides
So based on your revised gist statements, its clear that your reading of Fish Cheeks
has changed your initial ideas of what the story would be about. Additionally, reading the
story might have changed your own personal opinions about the storys themes as well.
Now, I want you all to get your anticipation guides back out of your folders. I will wait
for students to retrieve their anticipation guides. I want you to answer these again. At the
bottom of your guides, answer the questions I have posted there. Ill read these questions
aloud to the class now to ensure that everyone understands them: Did your responses to
any of the questions change? What about Fish Cheeks made you change your mind? If
your responses stayed the same, what in Fish Cheeks convinces you that your first
opinions were right? I will allow students to respond to these questions. This closing
activity will last until the end of the bell.
Dont forget to turn your papers into my yellow tray on my front desk the one labeled
exit slips before you go. Well return to Fish Cheeks tomorrow and try to look at
the story from a new perspective and read it with a different purpose than before. Enjoy
the rest of your day!

Methods of Assessment:
[How will you know if the intended learning occurred?] List all methods of assessment
used in this lesson or which are related to this lesson and come in a future lesson. After
each assessment, indicate in brackets the number(s) and letter(s) of the unit objective and
the related lesson objectives that the assessment is evaluating.
Diagnostic
Students will exhibit their prior knowledge on identity crisis by completing:
o
A personal journal entry [objectives 2b, 3c]
o
An anticipation guide [objective 2b]
Students will exhibit their prior knowledge of story elements such as characters,
conflicts, settings, outcomes, and unknown words by completing:
o
A probable passage activity [objective 1a]
Formative
Students will reveal their understanding of story elements, including main idea,
by completing:
o
A reflective group discussion of the probable passage activity [objectives
1a and 3d, SOL Reading 8.5h, and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.2]
Students will reveal their understanding of literary text by completing:
o
An exit slip returning to and reflecting on their anticipation guides
[objective 2b and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.2]
Summative
In a future lesson, students will show their understanding of the concept of
identity crisis by completing:
o
A personal narrative about their own experience with identity crisis
[objectives 2b and 3c]
Differentiated Instruction to accommodate one or more of my profiled students:
(This is where you identify specific aspects of this lesson which have been differentiated
in order to address the needs of one or more of your profiled studentsidentify them by
name)
I grouped students in threes for the probable passage activity so that I could easily
differentiate instruction based on readiness levels. If I anticipate that a couple of students
may have difficulty filling out their graphic organizers, I am able to place them with
students of higher readiness levels who can assist them. For example, Ral, my English
language learner student, may not be familiar with several of the words on the list for the
probable passage. This way, he can work with a student who can explain these terms to
him, as well as things like conflict, outcome, etc. Additionally, I will get a good sense of
what words students like Ral and Chris, who reads two grades below the 8th grade level,
are unfamiliar with and will need scaffolding with when we get to the text itself. Ral and

Chris will also become somewhat familiar with some aspects of the story before we start
to read it, and thus they may feel more comfortable participating in class with later
discussions if they already have some ideas of what the story is about. Additionally, I
added footnotes to the story itself so that students can quickly reference them to figure
out what some of the trickier words in the passage mean.
For students like Karen who need directions explained more thoroughly, I have provided
a lot of wait time after explaining instructions for students to voice their concerns or
confusions. Additionally, if Karen does not feel comfortable speaking up at these points, I
can quickly consult with her group first as I circulate the room. This way, I can make sure
that she is on track as to what she should be doing. Since Ill be talking with her whole
group, I wont be singling her out in front of her peers.
For gifted students like Jessica, probable passage has proved to be effective as well.
There are no right or wrong answers necessarily, and there is a lot of room for creativity
in predicting a gist statement. Additionally, there are ample opportunities for Jessica to
reflect upon her thinking, both with the probable passage and the anticipation guide. The
anticipation guide will also likely be challenging for her as it is challenging with most
students, both on an academic level and on a moral, ethical, and more personal level as
well.
Materials Needed:
Overhead projector and computer
Copies of the anticipation guide
Copies of the probable passage
List of words for probable passage
Copies of Amy Tans Fish Cheeks with footnotes for vocabulary words
Materials Appendix: (e.g., supplementary texts, Ppts, overheads, graphic organizers,
handouts, etc.)

Anticipation Guide
Name _______________________
Date ________________________
Block _______________________
Write A or agree if you agree with the statement. Write D or disagree if you
disagree with the statement.
Before Reading

After Reading

1. I could never be ashamed of my heritage.

2. Family is the most important thing in life.
3. It is better to change and to fit in than to
be yourself and stand out.

After Reading: Reflection

Respond to the following questions.
Did your responses to any of the questions change? What about Fish Cheeks made you
change your mind?

If your responses stayed the same, what in Fish Cheeks convinces you that your first
opinions were right?

Probable Passage
Title of Selection _______________________
Author _______________________________
Characters
Problem

Setting

Gist Statement Before Reading

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Gist Statement After Reading
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Outcomes

Unknown Words

To Discover
1.

2.

Probable Passage List of Words (to be displayed on the overhead projector):

1. Love
2. Minister
3. Chinese
4. Christmas
5. Robert
6. Prawns
7. Tofu
8. Squid
9. Relatives
10. American
11. Miniskirt
12. Shame
13. Dinner

Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan

I fell in love with the ministers son the winter I turned fourteen. He was not
Chinese, but as white as Mary in the manger. For Christmas I prayed for this blond-haired
boy, Robert, and a slim new American nose.
When I found out that my parents had invited the ministers family over for
Christmas Eve dinner, I cried. What would Robert think of our shabby1 Chinese
Christmas? What would he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked proper
American manners? What terrible disappointment would he feel upon seeing not a
roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but Chinese food?
On Christmas Eve I saw that my mother had outdone herself in creating a strange menu.
She was pulling black veins out of the backs of fleshy prawns.2 The kitchen was littered
with appalling3 mounds of raw food: A slimy rock cod4 with bulging eyes that pleaded not
to be thrown into a pan of oil. Tofu,5 which looked like stacked wedges of rubbery white
sponges. A bowl soaking dried fungus back to life. A plate of squid, their backs
crisscrossed with knife markings so that they resembled6 bicycle tires.
And then they arrived the ministers family and all my relatives in a clamor7 of
doorbells and rumpled Christmas packages. Robert grunted hello, and I pretended he was
not worthy of existence.

1 Shabby: run-down, inferior or less than, cheap

2 Prawns: shrimp or other seafood covered with a hard shell
3 Appalling: causing dismay, horror, or shock
4 Cod: a type of fish from the North Atlantic Ocean
5 Tofu: a soft, bland, white cheeselike food made from soybean milk: used originally in
Oriental cookery.
6 Resemble: to be like or similar to
7 Clamor: a loud uproar, as from a crowd of people

Dinner threw me deeper into despair.8 My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and
reached across the table, dipping them into the dozen or so plates of food. Robert and his
family waited patiently for platters to be passed to them. My relatives murmured9 with
pleasure when my mother brought out the whole steamed fish. Robert grimaced.10 Then
my father poked his chopsticks just below the fish eye and plucked11 out the soft meat.
Amy, your favorite, he said, offering me the tender fish cheek. I wanted to disappear.
At the end of the meal my father leaned back and belched loudly, thanking my mother for
her fine cooking. Its a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied, explained my
father to our astonished12 guests. Robert was looking down at his plate with a reddened
face. The minister managed to muster13 up a quiet burp. I was stunned14 into silence for
the rest of the night.
After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, You want to be the same as American
girls on the outside. She handed me an early gift. It was a miniskirt in beige tweed.15
But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud you are different. Your only
shame is to have shame.
And even though I didnt agree with her then, I knew that she understood how much I
had suffered during the evenings dinner. It wasnt until many years later long after I
had gotten over my crush on Robert that I was able to fully appreciate her lesson and

8 Despair: loss of hope

9 Murmured: mumbled or said quietly, under their breaths
10 Grimace: to make a facial expression, often ugly or contorted, to show disapproval or
disgust
11 Pluck: to pull at our grasp
12 Astonished: to be filled with surprise or shock
13 Muster: to gather or summon
14 Stunned: to be shocked or overwhelmed
15 Tweed: a coarse wool cloth

the true purpose behind our particular menu. For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen
all my favorite foods.