English historical newsletter project

This is the major research activity for my senior English students enrolled in MHS average English. It is a term-long project that coincides with their ongoing thematic portfolios in British literature. These portfolios with other class ingredients (including this research activity) culminate in a final showcase portfolio which is their final exam. Students pick (first come, first served) from a list of decades (i.e. 1790-99, 1800-1809, etc.) and become an English subject of that decade. In this role, they are to publish a documented newsletter reflecting a week (covering 10 areas) of their life in the decade. They must also generate an annotated bibliography to document their multiple types of sources (20). Students must report on 3 required items (popular writer's latest effort, a new invention from the decade and a new clothing fashion). The remaining 7 areas come from a supplied list: a concert they attended, a new medical discovery, etc.

A lesson plan for grade 12 English Language Arts

By Joe Huddleston

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Related topics

• Learn more about British literature and language arts.

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Learning outcomes

The learner will be able to

• read and recognize selected works from the British tradition.
• identify the literary, historical and thematic characteristics of different literary periods.
• locate, organize and synthesize information from a variety of source materials.
• complete a research activity that:
  1. poses a limited topic
  2. synthesizes research form multiple source
  3. demonstrates appropriate note-taking skills
  4. paraphrases original sources
  5. balances sources within text of composition
  6. documents sources within text of composition
  7. includes an annotated bibliography of 20 different sources
  8. produces a computer-generated newsletter of 4 to 6 pages, reflecting the learner’s research

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

9 Weeks

Materials/resources

Adventures in English Literature, Warriner’s Complete Composition and Grammar Course and writing supplies.

Technology resources

• Classroom computers with Internet access plus Microsoft Works, Word, Publisher.
• Computer lab with 25+ computers with media/lab personnel.
• Digital cameras, scanners, and copiers.
• Laptops for media center checkout for home use when mechanical failures happen.
• Networked printers adjacent to classroom.
• Research CD-ROMS.

Pre-activities

• Students should have been taught how to write news articles and reviews before beginning the independent project.
• Students receive on the first day of 2nd term a handout which specifies activity expectations and deadlines.
• The students are already experienced in providing mini-research opportunities as components of their on-going thematic portfolios.
• Tutorials on the various computers programs as well as CD-ROMs on British Literature are made available.

Preparation for Research Project: Before assigning projects, have students in small groups analyze examples of news articles and reviews from British writers.

Activities

Introduction

The major research activity for the Portfolio is the English Historical Newsletter Project. The following information should help you in planning and executing this assignment.

1. You are an English subject in the year_______. Choose from the following listed years; only one person per year!!

2. As if you were publishing a newspaper, (your own or that of someone you choose to “play”) record your activities for a week or longer.
3. After each specific activity entered, write in parentheses the title of the reference source(s) used. You are responsible for writing an annotated bibliography that will include the various sources used for creating the newsletter. This annotated bibliography with its standard form has a 5 to 7 sentence synopsis of the information found in the cited reference. Plan on acquiring a 20 entry bibliography for your research. At least 10 of these sources must be from references other than your basic World Book Encyclopedia--think electronically.
4. Everyone will have the following 3 entries. These entries may occur in any order, but you are expected to generate 7 more from the provided options for a total of 10. You are encouraged to invent some of your own entries in addition to the expected 10; check with me first!

Required Entries

1. You have read or seen a popular writer’s latest effort ; what is the title of the book, essay, play, or poem? What will future critics say about this piece of writing ? Copy in your entry a quotable phrase or sentence from at least one critic’s evaluation of the piece of writing.
2. You have heard about, seen, or even used a new invention; what was it? Do you think it will have much influence on the future?
3. A member of your family is involved in the clothing business. Which of the latest styles do you prefer? How widespread is the style?

Optional Entry Choices

• A new play
• A popular dance
• A concert
• The current architectural style
• Home furnishing
• The current popular music
• A new scientific discovery
• A new medical discovery
• Discovery of a new land or route
• A popular painter, the rage of the day
• A popular sculptor, the rage of the day
• A new philosophy
• Influence/importance of religion, doctrine
• A special food or menu
• A trip abroad
• A trip within the British Isles
• College offerings or training
• Craft or technical skill development
• Industrial development
• Individual rights under the law
• Increased business activity
• Improved weaponry
• The hero/heroine of the day
• A popular sport
• An athletic contest
• A spectacular event
• Political activity

Prepare the letter that follows a format responsive to the instructions. Creativity is not necessary, but it is helpful. The project is to be done electronically; that is, all the resources from the world of technology are at your disposal. Art is a bonus--it’s electronic also!!

Although this foray is nothing close to your standard research paper, the example of the bibliography in your RED BOOK can serve as a model. The bibliography (entitled “Works Cited”) will be submitted with the completed newsletter.

Assessment

Teacher Observation

The student’s work

• meets the requirements of the assigned task
• demonstrates creativity and originality
• demonstrates a clear purpose and focus
• illustrates complex ideas in graphic form
• includes key issues of the graphic form
• integrates figures, shapes and words effectively
• is appropriate and appealing to the intended audience
• uses correct spelling, grammar, usage and mechanics
• uses correct bibliographical form

Holistic Rubric used
1= Embryo
2= Novice
3= Apprentice
4= Journeyman
5= Craftsman
6= Artist

This is a format the students are comfortable with and they know that an appeals conference and re-evaluation is always possible.

Supplemental information

This idea is a spin-off form an NCTE “something(?) PLUS” another teacher gave me in the mid-90’s, and the publication was from the mid-80’s.

Related websites

Bookmarks for Student
http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~crossby/ECW/index.htm
http://www.literature.org/Works/Lewis-Carroll/alice-in-wonderland/index.html
http://members.tripod.com/~igerne/index.htm
http://www.legends.dm.net/fairy/index.html
http://www.shared-visions.com/explore/literature/oxford.htm
http://www.cagle.com/teacher/
http://www.inform.umd.edu/ENGL/englfac/WPeterson/ELR/elr.htm
http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/
http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/ascham.htm
http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/
http://www.earth-moon.org/index2.html
http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/milton/
http://www.andover.edu/english/hardymisc/
http://www.lone-star.net/literature/beowulf/index.html
http://dept.english.upenn.edu/~traister/hbp.html
http://www.cohums.ohio-state.edu/english/organizations/ijjf/jrc/
http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/irvinem/english016/franken/franken.htm
http://www.ccc.nottingham.ac.uk/~aczkdc/asd/database.html
http://lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/Victorian.html
http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/gawain.htm
http://www.rc.umd.edu/reference/ksjbib/
http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/medieval/oes.html
http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/exhibits/treasures/english/engl.html
http://www.jaffebros.com/lee/18th/index.html
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/
http://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/EngLit.html
http://www.u.arizona.edu/~ctb/saxon.html
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL/Anglo/
http://www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/library/oe/exeter.html
http://www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/subjects/british_isles/england/england.html
http://labyrinth.georgetown.edu/

http://www.MysteryNet.com/history/
http://www.punpunpun.com/
http://daphne.palomar.edu/shakespeare/
http://www.mla.org/
http://iupjournals.org/victorian/
http://www.evergreenreview.com/archive/beckett.html
http://www.westindiesbooks.com/
http://prometheus.cc.emory.edu/library.html
http://www.angelfire.com/ak/auden/arthur.html
http://www.english.cam.ac.uk/spenser/main.htm
http://www.georgetown.edu/cball/oe/oe-texts.html
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~hanly/chaucer/chaucer.html
http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/janeinfo.html
http://www.bulfinch.org/
http://www.luminarium.org/mythology/ireland/
http://www.music.princeton.edu/chant_html/bibles.html
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Lit/
http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/

http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/works.html
http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/
http://www.biography.com/
http://www.bartleby.com/100/
http://www.bartleby.com/strunk/index.html
http://www.cyberartsweb.org/victorian/
http://libnt1.lib.uoguelph.ca/SFBib/index.htm
http://members.aol.com/ericblomqu/sonnet.htm
http://www.plumbdesign.com/thesaurus/

http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/britpo.html

http://www.lit.kobe-u.ac.jp:80/~hishika/20c_poet.htm
http://www.ucc.ie/cgi-bin/acronym
http://www.bibliomania.com/Reference/PhraseAndFable/index.html
http://www.oed.com/
http://www.iTools.com/research-it/research-it.html
http://humanities.uchicago.edu/forms_unrest/ROGET.html
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mmbt/www/women/writers.html
http://www.creativedrama.com/
http://www.arribavista.com/
http://www.inform.umd.edu/ENGL/englfac/WPeterson/ELR/elr.htm
http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/
http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/
http://www.hti.umich.edu/english/mideng/
http://www.albion.edu/english/calendar/index.htm
http://www.wwp.brown.edu/
http://dept.english.upenn.edu/~mgamer/Romantic/index.html
http://www.lib.uconn.edu/online/research/bysubject/engweb.html#C
http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/reninfo.htm
http://www.ulen.com/shakespeare/.
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/
http://www.georgetown.edu/cball/hwaet/hwaet06.html
http://vincent.bl.uk/cgi-bin/htm_hl?DB=website&STEMMER=en&WORDS=beowulf+&COLOUR=Olive&STYLE=s&URL=http://www.bl.uk/collections/treasures/beowulf.html#muscat_highlighter_first_match
http://www.glencoe.com/
http://www.phschool.com/atschool/literature/Student_Area/LIT12_S_BK_index.html
http://www.georgetown.edu/irvinemj/english016/beowulf/beowulf.html
http://www.bedesworld.co.uk/
http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/gawain.htm
http://www.britishexplorers.com/
http://www.netc.com/~gok/bible20.html
http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/tmore.htm
http://incompetech.com/authors/
http://www.panix.com/~wlinden/mediaeval.html
http://www.litgothic.com/index_fl.html
http://www.levity.com/corduroy/joyce.htm
http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/guides/novel/reference.htm
http://www.jaffebros.com/lee/gulliver/
http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~sconstan/index.html
http://www.lichfield.gov.uk/sjmuseum/
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Johnson/
http://www.accd.edu/sac/english/bailey/engroman.htm
http://www.albion.com/blake/
http://www.wordsworth.org.uk/
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/home/idris/Poetry/Coleridge.htm
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/18th/lit.html
http://engphil.astate.edu/gallery/byron.html
http://www.luc.edu/publications/keats-shelley/ksjweb.htm
http://www.resort.com/~prime8/Orwell/
http://www.educeth.ch/english/readinglist/silli/index.html
http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa/heaney/
http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/96feb/joyce.html
http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95aug/scott.html
http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95aug/lawrence.html
http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95sep/eliot.html
http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/96mar/browning.html
http://www.nobel.se/literature/laureates/1992/
http://www.victorianweb.org/
http://www.luc.edu/publications/keats-shelley/ksaa.htm
http://www.creighton.edu/~dcallon/Hopkins/
http://www.bartleby.com/
http://www.promo.net/pg/
http://www.ebbs.english.vt.edu/medieval/medieval.ebbs.html#libraries

Comments

I use a similar project called The English Biography Project (a brochure instead of newsletter) for the alternate semester seniors. See supplemental information.