LEARN NC

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

N.C.- The Rip Van Winkle State

This lesson introduces students to Washington Irving's short story "Rip Van Winkle" and correlates it with the history of North Carolina. In the 1800s North Carolina was nicknamed "The Rip Van Winkle State."

A lesson plan for grade 8 English Language Arts and Social Studies

By Kay D. Lopossay

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • understand and analyze the elements of a legend.
  • increase vocabulary.
  • understand the relationship between the legend and the perception of North Carolina as “The Rip Van Winkle State” in the early 1800s.
  • engage in various writing activities.
  • review similes and metaphors.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

3 Hours

Materials/resources

  • copy of “Rip Van Winkle”
  • copy of North Carolina history text
  • dictionaries

Technology resources

No computers are needed for the basic activities of this lesson; however, students can use the word processor to compose the writing activities.

Pre-activities

The teacher should be familiar with “Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving, North Carolina’s nickname of “The Rip Van Winkle State”, and the reasons this nickname was given.

Activities

  1. Provide background information about the author, the Catskill Mountains, and the time period.
  2. Define vocabulary
  3. Vocabulary activities:
    • Illustrate vocabulary words on small index cards. (Illustration is drawn on one side; vocabulary word is written on the other. Students may also divide a larger card into sections and do several illustrations).
    • Work in cooperative groups and create a pantomime that illustrates the meaning of selected vocabulary.
  4. Read “Rip Van Winkle” and engage students in discussion and interpretation of legend.
  5. Develop a graphic organizer to display six major plot events or other literary elements (i.e. setting, characters, theme, conflict, point of view).
  6. Summarize the changes that occurred while Rip slept.
  7. Locate Catskill Mountains on a major land feature map of the U.S.
  8. Use Venn Diagrams to compare/contrast the local geographic area and/or time period with the setting of the legend.
  9. Have students read chapters 11 & 12 in North Carolina: The History of an American State (Clairmont Press, 1992) and write a summary which explains the relationship/connection between the legend and the history of North Carolina in the 1800s.

Assessment

  • Vocabulary test
  • Teacher evaluation of student work
  • Teacher-made comprehension tests

Supplemental information

Books:

  • Literature and Language (McDougal, Littell & Co., 1994)
  • Adventures for Readers, Bk. One (Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich)
  • Chapters 11 & 12 North Carolina: The History of an American State (Clairmont Press, 1992)

Comments

The time frame of this lesson will be determined by the number of activities selected.

This lesson is best done with cooperation of the language arts and social studies teachers.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 8

  • Goal 1: The learner will use language to express individual perspectives through analysis of personal, social, cultural, and historical issues.
    • Objective 1.03: Interact in group activities and/or seminars in which the student:
      • shares personal reactions to questions raised.
      • gives reasons and cites examples from text in support of expressed opinions.
      • clarifies, illustrates, or expands on a response when asked to do so, and asks classmates for similar expansion.
  • Goal 2: The learner will use and evaluate information from a variety of sources.
    • Objective 2.01: Analyze and evaluate informational materials that are read, heard, and/or viewed by:
      • monitoring comprehension for understanding of what is read, heard and/or viewed.
      • recognizing the characteristics of informational materials.
      • summarizing information.
      • determining the importance of information.
      • making connections to related topics/information.
      • drawing inferences.
      • generating questions.
      • extending ideas.
  • Goal 5: The learner will respond to various literary genres using interpretive and evaluative processes.
    • Objective 5.01: Increase fluency, comprehension, and insight through a meaningful and comprehensive literacy program by:
      • using effective reading strategies to match type of text.
      • reading self-selected literature and other materials of interest to the individual.
      • reading literature and other materials selected by the teacher.
      • assuming a leadership role in student-teacher reading conferences.
      • leading small group discussions.
      • taking an active role in whole class seminars.
      • analyzing the effects of elements such as plot, theme, charaterization, style, mood, and tone.
      • discussing the effects of such literary devices as figurative language, dialogue, flashback, allusion, irony, and symbolism.
      • analyzing and evaluating themes and central ideas in literature and other texts in relation to personal and societal issues.
      • extending understanding by creating products for different purposes, different audiences, and within various contexts.
      • analyzing and evaluating the relationships between and among characters, ideas, concepts, and/or experiences.

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 8

  • Goal 3: The learner will identify key events and evaluate the impact of reform and expansion in North Carolina during the first half of the 19th century.
    • Objective 3.02: Investigate the conditions that led to North Carolina's economic, political, and social decline during this period and assess the implications for the future development of the state.