Collaborative Group Teach Materials and Course Packet Requirements

Along with ordering ONE novel to use in your unit, (this must be ordered from the WMU bookstore in advance) your group will be working to create a comprehensive course packet.

Your group’s course packet should be a compilation of materials that both stimulate and challenge your classmates’ thinking on the issues that you are teaching. Significant time and energy should be focused on preparing this teaching packet, as the packet will be the tool that guides the reading, activities, and thinking in this unit. Make sure the packet is neat, organized, and accessible to your classmates. The packet should be a resource that your classmates can take with them outside of this class to use in future teaching. A course packet that meets the “A” standard should include ALL of the following components:

  • The packet should have a title, or set of titles that refocuses your unit according to the materials you will be presenting. For example, instead of the broad title “Gender and Tolerance”, one of the days in your course packet might be renamed: “Annie on My Mind: How to Discuss Issues of Homosexuality in the Secondary Education Classroom”. The title should clearly indicate the direction and goals of your unit. This small attention to detail helps to unify and focus your curriculum.
    -
  • The packet should include a Table of Contents. You may additionally need to renumber each of your pages according to the order in which they are placed in the packet. This avoids confusion about where an article is located or what exactly was supposed to be read for homework, etc.

    • -
  • Goals and teaching objectives for your unit should be provided as well. These should be listed neatly on one page and show that you have carefully considered the desired outcomes of your teaching unit.

    • -
  • Your goals and objectives should be aligned with the Michigan Standards and Benchmarks for the English-Language Arts. Choose benchmarks that show you are meeting these standards and type them out in your packet.

    • -
  • A syllabus that outlines the class schedule and homework assignments should be included in your packet. Make sure the syllabus gives your classmates a clear sense of the expectations you have of them during your unit. Include dates, contact information, tasks, assignments, required books, etc. in your teaching syllabus. The syllabus should be handed out to classmates at least two class periods before your teaching unit. Include a copy in the packet as well.

    • -
  • Three essential questions, one for each day, and one unifying essential question that considers the issues you are presenting as a whole should be typed and presented neatly on one page in your course packet. You will be using these essential questions to focus your classmates’ critical thinking on the issues you are teaching in class. These questions could also be used as discussion starters, writing prompts, etc.

    • -
  • To show that you can incorporate texts from traditional literature textbooks, like the ones you will likely be expected to teach out of once you begin your first teaching assignment, your packet should include 3-5 excerpted poems, short stories, autobiographies, etc. that you feel support discussion and or critical thinking regarding your teaching topic. For example, a unit on Native Americans might include excerpts from Columbus’ journals, the writings of Black Elk, or creationist/mythological stories. The trick here, however, is to make sure that whatever you choose supports the theme of your unit, be creative with the texts that you choose, consider how you can make a traditional text work outside of its intended context. You may consider including an excerpt that serves as a starting point for a discussion on why we cannot simply rely on the textbook as English teachers. Keep in mind as well, that these texts are only a starting point. What you do with these texts will largely be enhanced by what you choose to teach (with supplementary texts) along with them. These excerpts must come from a standard literature textbook. MacDougal-Littel, Holt, Prentice-Hall, etc. are all commonly used texts. Many of these can be found in our own education library.

    • -
  • Supplementary texts , found outside of the literature textbook, should be included as well. 3-5 excerpts should be added into your packet to enhance your presentation of the issues you wish to address in class. You might, for example, use a few excerpts from House on Mango Street to discuss issues of gender or minority. You could use Slam poems, rap music, lyrics, YA novel excerpts, newspaper articles, selections from People’s History of the United States, Adbusters, etc. The possibilities are limitless!

    • -
  • 2-3 articles from professional teaching journals , such as the English Journal, Voices in the Middle, Teaching Tolerance, or Rethinking Schools, that raise and discuss issues related to your unit and challenge teachers to think critically about their teaching must be included in your packet and must be referred to in your lesson plans as well.

    • -
  • At least one critical pedagogy excerpt, chapter, or article must be included for discussion. Consider drawing from the works of Henry Giroux, Peter McLaren, bell hooks, Paulo Freire, IraShore, and Joel Spring. These books can be located in the Education library in Sangren. When choosing this excerpt consider how the theories discussed by the author relate to the essential questions guiding your teaching unit.

    • -
  • A well-developed lesson plan, one for each teaching day is required . This lesson plan should include your lesson goals and objectives as they relate to the Michigan ELA Standards and Benchmarks. Included in these plans as well should be a description of the activities prepared for the day, the materials necessary, the essential question guiding the activity, etc.

    • -
  • Engaging activities should be a part of each unit. Students should be asked to perform, move, speak, analyze, draw, observe, discuss, etc. For each unique activity that you ask your classmates to perform, type up a sheet that explains the activity. This includes hand-outs that you may give to your students as well. Teachers always love walking away with a great activity. Provide clean copies so that you and your classmates can copy these for your future students.

    • -
  • Clearly indicate in your packet, either on the syllabus or on the assignment sheets, the homework that your classmates are responsible for. It is expected that you assign your classmates work to complete outside of the class period. Make sure as well that these assignments work to enhance the lessons and activities you teach the next day.

    • -
  • A technology component is expected in your teaching unit. This can be accomplished in a number of ways: you might refer your classmates to teaching webquests, websites, professional reading on the web, etc. You might also assign your classmates to analyze websites, participate in confer questions your group writes, post assignments on-line, create a powerpoint presentation, etc. In your teaching packet, you should include the URL’s you wish your classmates to visit along with any prompts, activities, etc. related to the technology task.

    • -
  • Visual and Media (multi-media) texts that create interest and variety in your teaching are required. Though showing a 2 hour (or even 30 minute) movie is not an option, coming up with quick video clips as discussion starters, preparatory sets, or visual aids are appropriate. Consider using colorful overheads, recorded music, TV clips, DVD’s, advertisements, artwork, etc. in your teaching unit.

    • -
  • Clear, evaluative rubrics are necessary for any assignment you will be assessing. Include these rubrics in your course packet.

    • -
  • Finally, a Works Cited page, typed in clean, MLA format, and listing all of the resources used in the three day unit is required. Don’t forget to add websites and videos along with your books, articles, and other supplementary materials.

    • A note to the wary :

    In a 400+ level, senior English course, it is expected that a student can manage reading at the rate of at least one novel per week. Also, do not hesitate to require professional books or materials that will likely serve to be beneficial to a teacher in her practicing field. Try to keep the cost of your unit altogether, however, within the $20-$30 range. This cost should include both your novel (generally a novel runs anywhere from $5-10) and your course packet. Plan to budget ahead of time as the nature of the course requires that you make sporadic purchases, rather than purchasing all of your books in a lump sum.