The Things They Carried Intro” Monday, March 28th ...missdaviss.weebly.com/uploads/6/7/2/4/6724129/lesson_1.pdf · LESSON 1 This lesson is meant ... novel and various future lesson

LESSON 1

This lesson is meant to act as an introduction to the novel The Things They Carried by

Tim O‟Brien. It is intended to help students orient themselves with the Vietnam War and the

atmosphere of the United States during this time. Since this is a topic in US History that is

generally glossed over students will need some sort of background in order to understand some

of the ideas, concepts, and sentiments that surrounding this war.

11th

grade

86 minutes

Goals:

This lesson will address the following NYS Educational Standards:

NYS English Language Arts Standards

Students will read, write, listen and speak for information and understanding.

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response.

NYS Social Studies Standards

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of

major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United

States.

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the

geography of the interdependent world in which we live—local, national, and global—

including the distribution of people, places, and environments.

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the

necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the US and other

nations; the US Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional

democracy, and the roles, rights and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of

participation.

Prior Learning Necessary

Students will have come from their 7th

and 8th

grade social studies classes that focused on

United States history. Due to this, they are at least mildly knowledgeable of the Vietnam

War, American democracy and the structure of the US military and the Cold War.

Currently, they are all enrolled in US History at the 11th

grade level, so some of these

concepts will be discussed as we read—even if they have not gotten to the Vietnam War

yet.

Rationale:

“The Things They Carried Intro”

Monday, March 28th

& Tuesday, March 29th

LESSON PLAN

I felt it was important to give students background information with which to process the

novel and various future lesson plans. I also want students to begin to think about themselves in

relation to The Things They Carried. To do this, I will need to get them thinking about how they

would react in particular situations. The last part of this lesson plan will help them begin to do

just that. In addition, by reading the first few pages of the novel out loud I can help set the tone

for the novel. By emphasizing particular passages and changing the tone of my voice I can help

them analyze the way in which to read O‟Brien‟s sometimes difficult prose.

Additional Information

This is a lesson that all students can easily participate in. As there is much classroom

discussion, and minimal amounts of writing or reading on their own, students who struggle in

these areas can benefit greatly. In addition, the final exercise asks them to think about

themselves. This is a topic that each student is more than capable of analyzing and as such, they

should have no problems generating ideas.

Objectives:

1. After viewing the The Things They Carried PowerPoint, students will restate at least

three facts they have learned about the Vietnam War.

2. Students will relate the text to their own lives by analyzing which items they would bring

with them to war.

3. Students will assess their motivations behind bringing these items and identify what they

will symbolize about themselves.

Materials and Resources

PowerPoint & Overhead projector

Paper

Markers

Paper

3x5 Note cards

TTTC texts

BODY OF THE LESSON:

Time for

Instruction

Teacher Actions Actions of the “Typical

Student”

Actions of a Student

with Special Needs

5 minutes

30 minutes

25 minutes

INITIAL

The teacher will hand each student a

3x5 index card. She will also

introduce the novel they are about to

begin reading; The Things They

Carried by Tim O‟Brien. She will

introduce the day‟s lesson by

informing the students they will be

going through a PowerPoint on the

Vietnam War. She will emphasize that

in order to understand many of the key

concepts and ideas that O‟Brien

presents, they must first have an

understanding of the conflict he writes

about.

POWERPOINT

The teacher will go through the

PowerPoint presentation; a brief

introduction to the Vietnam War.

Before playing the movie clip on the

second slide, she will inform students

that they are about to watch a clip

from a famous movie (Forrest Gump)

that many of them may have seen. She

will ask them to pay attention to the

landscape, the battles, and the soldiers

presented in the film. After it is

finished she will ask students to talk

about what they saw, offering up

comments about the general

atmosphere of this war.

She will continue to go through the

presentation, stopping to emphasize

main points (i.e. Tim O‟Brien‟s being

drafted into the war right after he

graduated college). Allow students to

share information they already know

(Cold War)—use prompts to question

them about various ideas.

Student will listen as the

teacher explains the

agenda for the day. They

will utilize the “Agenda”

written on the board if

they have any questions

regarding the assigned

work/schedule. They will

ask for clarification when

needed.

The student will listen as

the PowerPoint

presentation is being

given. If they have

questions regarding the

information listed, they

will ask it of the teacher.

In addition, they will offer

up answers to any

questions presented to

them (i.e. Can anyone tell

me what the Cold War

was?). They will write

down 3 pieces of

information they learned

from the PowerPoint

while it is being

presented.

Student will listen as the

teacher explains the

agenda for the day. They

will utilize the “Agenda”

written on the board if

they have any questions

regarding the assigned

work/schedule. They will

ask the general teacher or

the special educator in

the room for clarification

when needed.

The student will listen as

the PowerPoint

presentation is being

given. If they have

questions regarding the

information listed, they

will ask it of the teacher.

In addition, they will

offer up answers to any

questions presented to

them (i.e. Can anyone

tell me what the Cold

War was?). They will

write down 3 pieces of

information they learned

from the PowerPoint

while it is being

presented. Though all

students are capable of

this activity (i.e. none

require a scribe, etc.) it

can be easily adapted to

work for students who

need more guidance. For

example, they can simply

tell the general/special

educator 3 pieces of

information they learned.

25 minutes

READ

The teacher will read aloud the first 17

pages of TTTC. She will use different

tones and inflection in her voice to

emphasize key points (already

highlighted in her text). She will also

read in a flow that emphasizes to the

students they are hearing a list of

things.

THE THINGS WE CARRY

Using the overhead projector the

teacher will give students prompts for

the next activity. They will be

choosing three (3) items they would

bring with them to war if they found

out they were deployed to Vietnam.

They must keep in mind some

basic guidelines:

-There„s nowhere to charge cell

phones, iPods, laptops, or other

electronic devices on the battlefields.

-Whatever you bring, YOU MUST

CARRY.

-It must fit into your rucksack.

-Whatever you choose, has to LAST.

For each item they choose, they will

answer the following questions:

1. What will it symbolize for you?

2. How will it help you endure?

3. What will it represent about you?*

They may also draw what they are

bringing with them.

*If someone found this item in 20

years what would it tell them about

the kind of person you are?

The student will follow

along in the text as the

teacher reads the first 16

pages of the novel. If she

asks for volunteers to

read, they will volunteer

if comfortable.

The student will listen as

directions are given.

When they are told to do

so, they will begin to

work independently to

come up with 3 things

they would “carry”

themselves over to

Vietnam. They will

answer the 3 questions for

each item. If they prefer,

they may draw a picture

of that item. Each student

will be issued a piece of

colored paper to work

with and a marker.

The student will follow

along in the text as the

teacher reads the first 16

pages of the novel. If she

asks for volunteers to

read, they will volunteer

if comfortable.

The student will listen as

directions are given.

When they are told to do

so, they will begin to

work independently to

come up with 3 things

they would “carry”

themselves over to

Vietnam. They will

answer the 3 questions

for each item. If they

prefer, they may draw a

picture of that item. Each

student will be issued a

piece of colored paper to

work with and a marker.

Though all students in

these classes are capable

of this activity (as per

their IEPs) it can be

adapted for students with

more specific needs. For

example, the student can

work to draw pictures for

their items instead of

writing the names. Then,

a special educator (or

even another student

when appropriate) can

help them write down

answers to the three

questions given.

Evaluation and Assessment

This lesson works nicely as an introduction to the Vietnam War. I am undoubtedly

saturating the students with immense amounts of information. However, I believe that by

requiring them to only identify three facts they learned, it allows them to choose three pieces that

stuck out to them the most. As the unit goes on, their facts will come back into play and help

them further. For this part of the assignment, students will receive a “check-plus” if they have 3

substantial (and accurate facts), a “check” if they have only 2, and a “check-minus” if they have

listed only 1 fact.

I am most concerned with what the students produce for their “Things We Carry” mini-

project. Not only is it important because they will be seeing a grade, but it will also serve as an

indicator to me where the students are in their thinking of the larger global world. I will be able

to assess how much they really know about what life is like in the military, and feed off of this

for the rest of the unit.

For their mini projects they will be receiving grades out of 50 points. To receive full

points they must answer in depth each of the three questions, and show substantial effort. Finally,

students must also show that they followed the guidelines laid out for them (i.e. no cell-phones).

Each item is worth 15 points (5 points for each question), a remaining 5 points is assigned for

creativity and effort.

*

*Movie clip inserted here: Forrest Gump Vietnam scene.

Assignment Directions

Imagine you are going off to fight in the Vietnam War. As you are packing your bag you realize:

whatever you choose will be the only “comforts” of home you have with you for the next few

years.

What do you bring?

Remember:

There‟s nowhere to charge cell phones, iPods, laptops, or other electronic devices on the

battlefields.

Whatever you bring, You Must Carry.

It must fit into your rucksack.

Whatever you choose, has to last.

Directions:

Pick three items that you would want to have with you.

On your paper: draw, write, or create a symbol for each item.

Explain why you chose it.

1. What will it symbolize for you?

2. How will it help you endure?

3. What will it represent about you?