INTRODUCTION TO READING
LESSON OBJECTIVES
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to...
- identify characteristics of these genres: fantasy, science fiction, mystery, realistic fiction, and historical fiction
- begin to develop a personal rationale for reading fiction
PREPARATION AND BACKGROUND
- Go over the “Genre Characteristics Handout" to familiarize yourself with these genres.
- Reflect on the benefits of reading fiction. You may want to consult Why Reading Literature in School Still Matters by Dennis J. Sumara.
- Read Teaching Readers of English by Hedgecock and Ferris for research on the benefits of reading for second language acquisition.
- Make all materials (see below) available for students through the course website or on printed paper.
- Be prepared to share to share (e.g, by emailing the pdf, by emailing a link to the pdf, by giving a print-out) excerpts of the fantasy novels that students sign up for.
MATERIALS
- copies of the “Paragraph on Reading Handout” (for each student)
- Google Presentation file “Lesson 1.1”
- copies of the “Reading Sign-up Sheet” (1 copy per 4 students) NOTE: You can make a copy of the Google Doc and change the titles of the excerpts.
- copies of the "Homework: Reading Questions" (for homework for each student)
- OPTIONAL: copies of the “Genre Characteristics Handout" (for each student)
LESSON PLAN
A. Teacher greeting and introduction (whole class) (3 min)
B. Warm-up: Discussion (small groups of 3-4 students) (10 min)
Put students into small groups of 3-4 students preferably in a circle. Tell them to discuss the questions below. (Use slide 2.)
- Why are you taking this class?
- What do you enjoy about fictional stories?
- What do you enjoy about reading fictional stories versus watching movies?
- What do you think is the point of reading fiction?
- How often do you read fiction in your first language?
If there is time, ask a couple students or a couple of groups to share their thoughts.
C.1. Intensive Reading (individual) (5 min)
Pass out the “Paragraph on Reading Handout” from Why Reading Literature in School Still Matters by Dennis J. Sumara. Instruct the students to read the paragraph and try to understand the main point. Tell them to underline any words they don’t know, and look them up.
C.2. Discussion (pair) (5 min)
Put students into pairs. Use slide 4, and tell them to discuss the following questions:
- What is the author’s main point?
- Do you agree or disagree with him and why?
As students are discussing, listen to their discussions and take brief notes to use in Part C.3.
C.3. Mini-lecture (teacher-fronted) (10 min)
Summarize pair discussions that you overheard. Reiterate the author’s main point and add information about the benefits of reading fiction for language proficiency. Also, make sure to point out how popular literature is an important part of American culture and allows you to gain cultural insight.
Make sure to explain that students should be reading extensively (e.g., reading for meaning, without stopping frequently to look up words, reading for speed). You can contrast this type of reading with the intensive reading (e.g., looking up words, reading slower) that the students did in Part C.1.
Show this clip on slide 6 with subtitles of Lupita Nyong'o referencing "The Color Purple" (at the 32-45 second mark): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPCkfARH2eE
Explain that “The Color Purple” is a famous novel about African American women in the southern United States in the 1930s and their struggles with racism and sexism. It still resonates with people in the U.S. today, as seen in Lupita’s speech.
D.1 Discussion on Genres (small groups of 3-4) (5 min)
Put students into groups of 3-4. Use slide 8, and tell them to describe the characteristics of each genre.
- Fantasy
- Science Fiction
- Mystery
- Realistic Fiction
- Historical Fiction
D.2 Class Discussion on Genres (whole class) (7 min)
Elicit characteristics for each genre from the class. Use slides 8-12 for visual aids. Add any details as necessary. (NOTE: Students will probably have questions about “historical fiction” vs. “realistic fiction”.
E. Assigning Reading (MUST BE groups of 4) (5 min)
Explain that students will be reading short parts of popular American novels from each of the five genres. Students should do the readings before the class in which the genre is covered. They should also be prepared to discuss the readings.
Make sure to go over the unit schedule with your students. Encourage your students to read often and to start reading early because the later readings are longer.
- Unit 1.2 Fantasy
- Unit 1.3 Science Fiction
- Unit 1.4 Mystery
- Unit 1.5 Realistic Fiction
- Unit 1.6 Historical Fiction
Pass out one copy of the “Reading Sign-up Sheet” to each group of 4 students. Tell the students to sign up for one title for each genre. Each student in the group should pick a different reading.
Tell students that you will email them the excerpts or links to the excerpts for the books they have signed up for OR pass out hard copies of the excerpts.
Homework: Tell students to read the fantasy excerpt and be prepared to discuss the questions on the "Homework: Reading Questions" in class.
