LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Defining literacy in a digital world

http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=915

A lesson plan for Grade 9 English I

Provider: IRA/NCTE

About this resource

Appropriate grades
9
Subjects
English language arts (self-selected reading), thinking skills (research skills), education technology (digital video and multimedia, integrating technology)
Provider
IRA/NCTE

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By creating an inventory of personal texts, students begin to consciously recognize the many literacy demands in contemporary society. After students brainstorm a list of items that combine different ways of expressing ideas, verbs for creating and interacting with these items, they share their ideas with the class. Then, the teacher explains that these are all different forms of texts and part of literacy in the modern world. As a homework assignment, students compile a list of significant texts in their lives and write about their own definitions of literacy. Once students share their ideas with classmates, they identify the most important elements necessary for a concise definition of literacy. Students reflect on the importance of being able to interact with different kinds of texts and provide specific examples of how they interact with text daily. After the class discusses their responses, students develop a comprehensive working definition of literacy, and the teacher demonstrates the interactive tutorial on digital literacy. Using web site analysis questions, students investigate Internet sites to determine the most important aspects from their lists and consider how the class’s working definition of literacy fits those aspects. Readwritethink provides a web site analysis worksheet, a link to an online tutorial, and links to websites to use in their exploration.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Computer Technology Skills (2005)

Grades 9–12

  • Goal 3EN — English: The learner will use a variety of technologies to access, analyze, interpret, synthesize, apply, and communicate information.

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 9 — English I

  • Goal 5: The learner will demonstrate understanding of various literary genres, concepts, elements, and terms.
    • Objective 5.01: Read and analyze various literary works by:
      • using effective reading strategies for preparation, engagement, reflection.
      • recognizing and analyzing the characteristics of literary genres, including fiction (e.g., myths, legends, short stories, novels), non-fiction (e.g., essays, biographies, autobiographies, historical documents), poetry (e.g., epics, sonnets, lyric poetry, ballads) and drama (e.g., tragedy, comedy).
      • interpreting literary devices such as allusion, symbolism, figurative language, flashback, dramatic irony, dialogue, diction, and imagery.
      • understanding the importance of tone, mood, diction, and style.
      • explaining and interpreting archetypal characters, themes, settings.
      • explaining how point of view is developed and its effect on literary texts.
      • determining a character's traits from his/her actions, speech, appearance, or what others say about him or her.
      • explaining how the writer creates character, setting, motif, theme, and other elements.
      • making thematic connections among literary texts and media and contemporary issues.
      • understanding the importance of cultural and historical impact on literary texts.
      • producing creative responses that follow the conventions of a specific genre and using appropriate literary devices for that genre.
    • Objective 5.02: Demonstrating increasing comprehension and ability to respond personally to texts by selecting and exploring a wide range of genres.
    • Objective 5.03: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print literacy texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
      • selecting, monitoring, and modifying as necessary reading strategies appropriate to readers' purpose.
      • identifying and analyzing text components (such as organizational structures, story elements, organizational features) and evaluating their impact on the text.
      • providing textual evidence to support understanding of and reader's response to text.
      • demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details.
      • summarizing key events and/or points from text.
      • making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on text.
      • identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical or cultural influences, contexts, or biases.
      • making connections between works, self and related topics.
      • analyzing and evaluating the effects of author's craft and style.
      • analyzing and evaluating the connections or relationships between and among ideas, concepts, characters and/or experiences.
      • identifying and analyzing elements of literary environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context.