Education Standards
OER Journal Entry Rubric
Mini Lesson: Photographs - Building Classroom Culture
Overview
This is a two part mini lesson. It uses individual and group photographs to help students develop a sense of individuality and community within the classroom. This lesson provides a physical and visual representation of students within their class community. Students will see themselves as individuals who are part of a whole. For students who do not feel as though their individuality is valued, they have a tactile representation of their inclusion as individuals who are part of the group.
For another mini lesson like this, go to Mini Lesson: Snack Mix - Building Classroom Culture in ELD and/or Mixed Classrooms
LESSON DESCRIPTION
Mini Lesson: Photographs - Building Classroom Culture in ELD and/or Mixed Classrooms
Author of the Lesson: Jane Aleksey
Lesson Summary/Overview:
This is a two part mini lesson. It uses individual and group photographs to help students develop a sense of individuality and community within the classroom. This lesson provides a physical and visual representation of students within their class community. Students will see themselves as individuals who are part of a whole. For students who do not feel as though their individuality is valued, they have a tactile representation of their inclusion as individuals who are part of the group.
LESSON GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Alignment and Objectives
ELP Standards: Standard 2
- An ELL can participate in grade appropriate oral & written exchanges of information, ideas, & analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments & questions.
ELP Standards: Standard 4
- An ELL can construct grade appropriate oral & written claims & support them with reasoning & evidence.
ELP Standards: Standard 7
- An ELL can adapt language choices to purpose, task, & audience when speaking & writing.
Language (ELP) Objectives:
Students will discuss and make a written reflection analyzing themselves as an individual and part of a whole.
Supporting Academic Language
Language Functions: summarizing information, informal
Language Modalities: productive speaking and writing
Vocabulary: portrait, group photo, shot, take a picture, individual, whole
Syntax or Sentence Structure(s):
Past and present tense, productive language around feelings and importance
- When I had my individual picture taken, I felt _______.
- When I had my picture taken as a group, I felt _______.
- I feel ___ seeing myself in a group shot.
- It is important we have both because …
- We need both because …
Discourse: Personal Reflection
LESSON PREPARATION
Considerations
Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills: This lesson is accessible to all students who permit their picture to be taken.
Instructional Materials
Resources, Materials, and Technology required or recommended for the lesson:
- A cell phone or camera
- Student Journals
- Printed pictures of individual students and one of the whole class. Many big box stores such as Target and Walmart allow for rapid photo development. Color pictures could also be printed at your school. Make sure the big group photo is big enough for the individual photos to fit around.
Learning Supports
Socio-emotional supports: Providing all students with pictures allows for all students to participate. One of the benefits of this lesson is the physical picture. Some students have rarely seen a printed picture of themselves. Developing everyone’s picture creates inclusion. For a cheaper option, pictures can be printed on a color printer.
Cultural & Linguistic Responsiveness: There are some cases when students do not want their picture. In these cases, make sure students know the images are for classroom use only.
Instructional Supports
Differentiation: This lesson includes sentence starters and an option to make a pictorial representation of their thoughts and opinions. Emerging English speakers can use more supports. More advanced students should try not to rely on supports. The journal entries are assessed using a rubric to assist learners in knowing what is expected.
L1 Supports: Photographs Word Wall with images of each key vocabulary words and writing in Spanish and English. Other languages could be added.
L2 Development: Photographs Word Wall and Sentence Starters help students develop their skills in English. Images show a learner the meaning. Sentence starters help a student get started correctly in their target language.
LESSON PROCEDURES
Anticipatory Set/Motivation/Hook
Time: Two 15 minute lessons
Teacher Does/Students Do:
Day 1
- Teacher introduces the topic: Today we will be taking pictures. We all need to take one picture as an individual (portrait) and another one as a whole (group photo).
- Take individual photos of students. Different options include:
- A classroom photo booth
- Utilize the photography, yearbook, or newspaper students at your school
- Go in pairs or small groups and let students have their picture taken in front their favorite part of school
- Take a group photo as a whole. Use a camera timer or ask a colleague.
- Journal Questions Day 1: Questions and Sentence Starters. Write or make a picture. Assess using a Journal Entry Rubric:
How did you feel having your portrait taken as an individual?
When I had my individual picture taken, I felt _______ because...
How did you feel having a group photo taken?
When I had my picture taken as a group, I felt _______because...
- Share out: Share your answers with an elbow partner in your L1 or L2. If there is time, select example answers and share as a class.
- Before the next class, develop the pictures or print them with a color printer. The group picture should be big enough for all the smaller pictures to fit around. Post the group picture in the middle and the portraits around the group photo.
Day 2
- Bring the students attention to the new photo collage wall art in the classroom.
- Journal Question Day 2: Questions and Sentence Starters. Write or make a picture. Assess using a Journal Entry Rubric:
How does it feel to see yourself in the group photo?
I feel ___ seeing myself in a group shot because…
How does it feel to see yourself in the group photo?
It is important we have both because …
- Discussion: Share what you wrote about. If you drew your answer, show your response.
- Answers should include ideas around the fact that we are all individuals and we will bring our individuality to the group.
- Discussion Question: What other ways can teachers show they care about you as students?
ASSESSMENTS
Formative Assessment
Content: Check for understanding of students understanding the idea of part and whole.
Language: Check for use of individual, whole, and feelings around photos.
Plans for Summative Assessments
- Exit Ticket: Sentence Starters
Why do we need both a portrait and group photo for our classroom?
We need both because …
- Consider synthesizing the responses and adding the written words on stickies to the photo collage wall art.
- The journals can be assessed using a rubric. Rubrics allow students to understand what is expected and how to improve. They also assist in assessing in a more objective manner.
EXTENSIONS
Ideas for Key Assignments, Extensions, and Adaptations for Online Learning Environments:
- Journal or Discussion Questions:
- What other whole or group are you part of? What does it mean? (ie. family, soccer team, club, worker, etc.)
- What other examples from the world can you think of where individuals are part of a whole (ie. a bee in a hive, tomato in a salad, etc).