"Civil Disobedience" excerpt seminar

This lesson plan is to be used for a seminar on an excerpt of Henry David Thoreau's work, "Civil Disobedience." The plan will follow the Paideia concept to discuss the great ideas of the text. The plan will provide a pre-guide activity, coaching activity, inner circle seminar questions, outer circle questions and a post writing assignment.

A lesson plan for grades 11–12 English Language Arts and Social Studies

By Francis Bryant

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Related topics

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• discuss the ideas included in the document, “Civil Disobedience.”
• defend their ideas using textual support.
• write a multiple paragraph essay responding to the ideas included in the text.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

3 Hours

Materials/resources

• Reading/writing pre-activity
• Copy of the document “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau
• Inner circle questions
• Outer circle assignment
• Post-activity writing assignment

Pre-activities

Students will complete a Reading/writing pre-activity that will take them through the main points of the text. This can be an assignment the students work on independently outside of class.

Activities

Day 1: Coaching

1. The teacher will divide the text into sections and divide the class so that each section of the text is represented.
2. The students will read the selection, discuss the selection, and summarize the selection in one or two sentences.
3. Students will present their sentences in class. For presentations, students can write the sentences on the chalk board in order, on white butcher paper, or through other methods. As students present their interpretations, have the class copy the sentences. Teacher should monitor the sentences and the class’s content understanding of the passage.
4. Students should leave the class with a list of sentences summarizing or restating the content of the text.

Day 2: Seminar

1. Arrange your desks in a large square or circle so every student can make eye contact with one another. If using the Paideia block schedule, divide the students into an inner circle and outer circle.
2. Distribute the Outer Circle Activity and explain the directions and expectations. Review with the inner circle the rules for seminar behavior.
3. Present the opening seminar question.
4. After students have completed the discussion of the opening question, move to the core question section of the seminar. Choose one question and allow students to discuss their answers and develop the ideas of the text. Move from question to question as you deem necessary. Do not feel tied to the list of questions. Let the discussion flow as long as students use the text and examples to support their ideas.
5. The last part of the seminar is the closing question. Choose one question and pose it to the class. Give the class a few minutes to discuss the answer.
6. Review the major points of the seminar as your closure of the class period.

Day 3: Post-activity writing

1. Hand out the Post-activity Writing Assignment and explain the directions
2. Give the students at least three nights to reflect and complete their writing assignment.

Assessment

Students can be assessed in four ways:

1. the completed pre-guide
2. the coaching group activity
3. the inner circle and outer circle responses
4. the post-activity writing