Lesson Plan

Teacher/s: Carolyn Dunn and Amanda Meier

Level: Advanced Studies
Date/Time: Wednesday, Oct 1 7:00 PM 9:00PM
Goal: To practice reading, listening and speaking while learning about New York Neighborhoods
featured in A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Objectives (SWBAT):
Students Will Be Able To
1. Warm up and practice conversation by writing and answering personal questions
2. Crystallize understanding of Goon Squad Chapter 1 language and content by answering peer questions
in pairs
3. Practice skimming and scanning by writing and answering questions about a short historical text about
the Lower East Side tenements
4. Listen attentively and identify major concepts and ideas through an active listening activity.
5. Analyze authentic vocabulary and grammar through an active listening activity & discussion.
6. Write and perform their own version of a news narrative in pairs, using a NYT video as a model.
Theme: NYC Past, Present & Future: Neighborhoods
Extensions: Additional materials on website; clip from Hester St. on website; suggested trip to the
Tenement Museum
Aim/Skill/Microskill

Activity/Procedure/Stage

Interaction

Time

Review or Preview (if

applicable)

Announcements/Attendance/Admin

T-Ss

5 min maximum

T presents Goals and Agendas from website

Activity 1: Warm-Up

Transition to #2: Ok, so

now that weve warmed
up, lets go back to our
Goon Squad Chapter 1
story maps from
yesterday.

Start: 7:00
End: 7:05

1.1 Pre-Stage
T elicits some getting to know you questions from
Ss; writes on doc cam. T passes out 2 index cards
per student, and students write questions on the
cards. T collects and places in Question Box

T-Ss
S

3 min

1.2 During Stage

Ss select questions and discuss in pairs as speaking
warmer. Ss may take notes on cards if they wish.

S-S

6 min

1.3 Post Stage

Brief class share

S-Ss

1 min

Tangible Outcome & Teacher / Peer Feedback

Questions and notes on cards; T monitors and assists;
S-S interaction provides informal peer feedback

Start: 7:05
End: 7:15

Activity 2: Goon Squad

Story Mapping:
Answering the Open
Questions

Transition to #3: Now

that weve refreshed our
memories about
Chapter 1, does anyone
remember what Alex
thought was interesting
about Sashas
apartment?

Activity 3: New York

Tenements

2.1 Pre-Stage
T directs Ss attention to Story Map posters on
website; Ss review briefly to refresh memories

T-Ss

3 min

2.2 During Stage

S-S
T passes out index cards with open questions from
the posters. Ss work in teams to answer the questions
on the back of the index cards

10 min

2.3 Post Stage

T collects cards. If time permits, brief class share. If T-S
time is short, T lets students know the questions and
answers will be posted on the website for them to
review later

2-3 min
Start: 7:15
End: 7:30

Tangible Outcome & Teacher / Peer Feedback

Questions with answers posted on website; T
monitors and assists during discussion and provides
feedback as needed on website after reviewing
answers; pair work provides peer feedback
3.1 Pre-Stage - Activate Schema
S-S
T directs Ss attention to the bathtub in the kitchen
photo on class website; Ss pair discuss the questions:

5 min
Start: 7:30
End: 7:35

In Chapter One of the Goon Squad, there is a

bathtub in Sasha's kitchen. Does that seem strange
to you? The picture below is a famous photo
showing a "bathtub kitchen" in New York. Why do
you think some New York apartments have these?
What type of people might have lived there in the
past? Now?
3.2 During Stage
1. T pairs up students. Each pair has one half of a
reading about NY Tenements.
2. T elicits what skimming is and refers back to
AM NY practice. Ss have 3 minutes to skim for
main ideas

S
S-S

3 min
Start: 7:35
End: 7:38

3. Each pair discusses the main ideas of the article,

based on the 5 minute skimming

S-S

5 min
Start: 7:38
End: 7:43

4. Pairs swap sections and skim again

3 min
Start: 7:43
End: 7:46

5. Pairs work together to write 2 questions about the

article (to which they know the answers) on paper
that T distributes

S-S

5 min
Start: 7:46
End: 7:51

6. Pairs leave their questions at their station; rotate S-S

5 min

to next station and work together to answer the

questions

Transition to #4: Now

that weve learned
about NYC immigrants
and housing issues in
the past, lets look at a
more recent issue

Activity 4: Active
Listening
One Residence, Two
Different Worlds

3.3 Post Stage

One partner stays and one goes back home to
correct the answers; T will post questions/answers
and entire article on website

Start: 7:51
End: 7:56
S-S

4 min
Start: 7:56
End: 8:00

T-Ss
Ss-Ss

5 min

Tangible Outcome & Teacher / Peer Feedback

Papers with questions; T monitors and assists; peers
work together to understand article and peer correct
questions
4.1 Pre-Stage - Activate Schema
On the board, write low-income housing and
mixed-income housing. Ask students to discuss
what they might think these phrases mean. Ask pairs
share with the class and word web on board.

4.2 During Stage

VOCABULARY
T-Ss
Pass out listening worksheets. Pre teach new vocab:
-beat out to come out better in a
competition/race/conflict Ex: the Yankees beat
(out) the Mets in the championship.
-set-asides something, such as land/profits
that is set aside (saved) for specific purpose
-lucrative profitable
-thumping (to thump) to beat/throb audibly
-tension a situation of hostility, suspense,
mental or emotional stress / strained relationship
-shore up to support, to strengthen, to ensure
Ex: The new law was designed to shore up the
economy. His great resume shored up his
chances at getting the job.
T-Ss
FIRST LISTENING
Ss-Ss
On board, write listen & watch for gist. Tell
students to just watch the video and pay attention to
the images, body language, and other non verbal
clues. After the first listening, ask: Is the video easy
to understand? Why/why not?
SECOND LISTENING
During the second listening, stop the tape after each
instance below. Ask questions such as: Who did
Deese beat out? Or, what was lucrative?
1. 0:19 Brandon Deese beat out
thousands
2. 0:00 have set-asides for low income
3. 0:46 lucrative tax breaks
4. 0:52 1:00 constantly thumping...
5. 1:27 Despite some tension
6. 1:30 helped shore up his financial future.

10 min

5 min

T-Ss

3 min

T-Ss

5 min

Ss-Ss
THIRD LISTENING
Ask students to listen to pauses, stress, emphasis,
&tone. After 3rd listening, What did they notice?
Transition to #5: Now
that youve had some
practice listening about
this topic, youll now
get a chance to practice
speaking about this
topic too!

T-Ss

3 min

T-Ss
Ss-Ss

5 min

T-Ss

2 min

T-Ss

2 min

S-S

15 min

FOURTH LISTENING (if necessary)

Tell them to relax and understand it all!
4.3 Post Stage
Have students discuss the discussion questions in
pairs and write down each others answers. Then, ask
students to report what their partners said.
Tangible Outcome & Teacher / Peer Feedback
Listening worksheet; Peer sharing of answers.

Activity #5: Narrative

Journalism

4.1 Pre-Stage
So, we just listened to that piece from NYT. That
kind of reporting is often called narrative
journalism. Ask students why it might be called
narrative journalism. Write related terms on the
board (i.e. tells a story, personal, maybe biased)
Wikipedia says:
It contains accurate, well-researched
information, and is also interesting to read.
It looks at intriguing people, human emotions,
and real situations. It provides the private story
behind the public story.
It reaches past the ordinary by blending the
reportage of facts with the writing style of fiction.
Explain that students are going to get a chance to
practice this kind of storytelling today. Why? Its a
way to practice the vocabulary and speaking,
especially the pacing of a story. We talked on
Monday about well-timed speeches, right?
4.2 During Stage
Explain that in pairs, students are going to rewrite a
script for this video. They can try to recreate the
original, or write a totally new one. They should try
and use the vocabulary from the video as well as the
main ideas and themes. Each partner must have a
speaking role in the script. After, we will record and
play their scripts over the video!
Give students at least 15 minutes to prepare. Then,
hand out recording devices (iPhones) and ask them
to record their script. Should be roughly 2:50 long.

4.3 Post Stage

Bring class back together and collect recorders. Give T-Ss
students peer feedback listening forms. Explain
Ss-Ss
that we will listen to each groups story and then
write 2 things we liked and 1 thing they could do

10 min

Transition to Wrap-Up:
Great job everyone!
Lets publish these
recordings on our class
website!

better next time. (Ts will also do feedback for

groups).
Ss-Ss

5 min

T-Ss

5 min

After listening, Have groups exchange peer feedback

forms and review their feedback. Ask students to
share about this experience. What was difficult?
What would they change for next time?
Tangible Outcome & Teacher / Peer Feedback
Narrative Journalism scripts, student recordings
posted to class website, teacher and peer feedback
forms for each group.

Wrap-up

Lesson Evaluation Procedures

Exit tickets (2 things you learned, 1 thing still
confused by). Teachers can also listen more intently
at home to narrative recordings for pronunciation &
grammar issues.

Materials:
-Index cards and question box
-Tenement article and blank paper for Tenement Article Questions
-Class website with videos: www.cepasfall2014.weebly.com
-Link to NYT video One Residence, Two Different Worlds
http://www.nytimes.com/video/realestate/100000003081287/unlikely-neighbors.html?
playlistId=1194811622347
-Listening worksheet
-iPhones (2) or tape recorders
-Peer & teacher feedback sheets
-Exit Tickets
Anticipated Problems and Suggested Solutions:
First half of lesson is very tightly packed and just starting to get to know the students; not completely
certain how long it will take them to complete activities; will monitor closely and adjust timing of the
lesson as necessary. If running out of time:
-Peer feedback/share in Activity #2 could be omitted.
-Listening to each groups narrative and peer feedback can be pushed to Thursday, if needed.
-Exit tickets could be completed on Weebly survey.
Contingency Plans (what you will do if you finish early, etc.):
Students could re-record their narratives incorporating peer feedback.