When lesson objectives are clear, and instruction and assessment are aligned to objectives, the greater the chances are that students will succeed –Harry K. Wong & Rosemary T. Wong
Lesson Plan for Socratic Seminar: Maya Angelo’s, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”
Click to access Caged-Bird-1.22.16.pdf
This sample lesson plan created and graciously shared by Kelly Foster is effective because it caters to student-centered learning techniques. It begins with a launch activity to mentally prepare students for the day’s objectives. In this lesson’s case, the objective is to be able to identify metaphors in poems that help illustrate the theme. The launch activity requires students to define “metaphor” in groups with prior knowledge from previous English Language Art classes they may have taken. I enjoyed this launch activity because it encourages collaboration amongst students as they work in small groups. To ensure ultimate understanding of the definition of metaphor and it functions in literature, the next move in the lesson plan is the instructor defining metaphor for the whole class and reviewing the examples assigned to the small groups to make sure every student is comfortable with the concept. This lesson plans ultimately exemplifies student-centered learning due to the highly interactive activities that help foster student communication and writing skills. I personally love Socratic seminars, which is why I chose this lesson plan because it incorporates a Socratic seminar as it’s closure activity. Socratic seminars are a great technique to help sharpen communication skills while encouraging active participation amongst students. It cultivates multiple perspectives and interpretations which are important in an English Language Arts classroom where a variety of authors and texts are being introduced to be analyzed.
References:
Foster, Kelly. (2015). Lesson Plan for Socratic Seminar: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Paideia Active Learning. https://www.paideia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Caged-Bird-1.22.16.pdf
Wong, H.K. and Wong, R.T. (2018). The First Days of School: How to be an Effective Teacher. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc.
Ms. Tapia's Classroom Management Plan 