Title of Activity - They think we're small

Description of educational activity

Description of activities:

Duration: two school hours (90 min.) + Afterwards: lecture by a medical school doctor (45 minutes)

Pupil's age: 1st class high school (15-year-olds)

Class organization: classroom and division of students into groups and debate groups. work in groups, debate.

Objective: to motivate students to read the contemporary text about growing up where they will think about their own realities and their critical thinking about the issues that the text opens. The aim is to develop students' verbal and written expressive skills, ability to argue and debate.

Educational activities

A. Before reading

At the beginning of the school year students should choose one book by their choice found in the school library. The book is not in the list of lectures. Meanwhile, Croatian language teacher agrees with the librarian to offer them along with other books Juliana Matanovic's book as well, They think we're small. The pupils inform the teacher which books they have chosen to read. Everyone has the same task - to present the book to other students in the form of ppt or posters in 3 minutes.

The teacher also arranges with the Medical Service and Physician of the School Medicine the 1st workshop of the ZOO on sexually transmitted diseases and the protection where the part of the workshop relates to vaccination against HPV.

B. Reading activity

First Hour: Motivation begins by introducing a book They think we’re small (students who read the book in full).

The teacher shares a fragment from the novel when Matija, the main heroine, learns that mother Vjera is ill and has to go to a cervical surgery because she has CIN 3 and the teacher shares the fact that the 15-year-olds (neither Jurica nor Matija) know nothing about it and search the data on the Internet .

Pupils are divided into groups (6 groups per 4 or 5 pupils). Their job is to read the fragment and write down what they know about HPV and cervical cancer. Data can also be searched on the Internet.

The second part of the task is to exchange data in a group and write down on a piece of paper that they will later stick to the message board or writing board.

Second Hour: the preparation for the debate is next. Students stay in groups. The task is: Young people should be vaccinated against HPV.

First everyone writes for themselves an argument for and an argument against it. After that, they present their arguments in the group and select a hot pencil as one student represents their group argument.

The last part of the debate is: students take a sheet from the teacher’s desk (eg. one is red and the other is blue). Red represents an affirmative group, and blue is a negative one.

The students make their arguments and start the debate. The first argues the argument negative (60 seconds) - the opposite of his group replicates (an affirmative argument of arguing negative arguments, asking questions that are trying to contradict him and weaken or break his arguments, time for questions and answers 90 seconds), followed by the first debatant of the other group, and its first group repeats itself in a row. This is how all three debates are made.

Then comes the final word. In the end, there is an evaluation sheet in which the questions about hourly activity and the issue of vaccination are being followed.

C. After reading

The teacher and students who read the entire book remind other students to take the book in the library and find the medical-scientific part of Dr. Anka Dorić about HPV.

If it is possible to arrange a lecture with a school doctor, students will receive additional information on STDs and HPV.

Workspaces: worksheets with the novel excerpt, note papers, evaluation sheets, Internet (student cell phones), color paper

A fragment from the novel One thinks we are small (pp. 100-106)

Evaluation and Assessment Methods: Students at the end of the semester meet the evaluation list, independently present their arguments and attitudes.

The Impact of Reading Activity on RSP: The idea to independently elect, discuss and express their opinion that the theme related to their upbringing leads to trust in reading and motivation to read the whole work.  

 

Connection to curriculum

Connection to curriculum of Health education (1st class high school) (http://www.azoo.hr/images/razno/Kurikulum-1-4-razred-SS-FINAL-s-ispravkom.pdf)

Developing skills neccessary for responsible sexual behavior, I. and III.

Aims: Making students aware of responsible sexual behavior and making them realize, face, and think about advantages and disadvantages of every possibility in sexual behavior.

Connection to literature in 1st class (literary-theoretical terms):

Aim: applying the acquired knowledge in literature (a text which is a  novel – a romance story in which the main character is a 15-year-old girl who with the standard language uses a jargon as well – a novel  of growing up, and a medical-scientifical document)

 

Knowledge:

• Independently approach the text from different points of view
• Learn how to start a discussion and ask questions
• Develop an easy reading
• Improve the reading with comprehension skill
• Organize and systemize different types of information

 

Skills:

• Notice, oppose, extract and comment differences and similarities in the text
• Develop the skill of predicting and imagining different outcomes
• Develop and increase communicational skills
• Systemize, conclude and evaluate
• Learn to efficiently, independently and equally work in a group

 

Competences:

• Make connections between the situations in the book and real life or personal experience
• Be possible to imagine, combine and intervene in the text
• Follow the instructions and tasks, be able to evaluate
• Assess evidence and arguments, argue the choice

 

 

Bibliographic reference to be used during the activity

• Publisher: Mozaik knjiga
• Year of release: 2014 (first edition: 2010)
• ISBN: 9789531408318
• Binding: Soft
• Width: 128
• Height: 190
• Pages: 208
• Roman/Novel: fiction
• Literature for children and young people

 

 

Short description of digital sources 

https://issuu.com/gorances/docs/one_misle_da_smo_male

http://www.vasezdravlje.com/obavijesti/opsirnije/530/

https://bib.irb.hr/prikazi-rad?rad=645620

 

Results/ What we learned – Outcomes

Students will discuss and debate about socially relevant issues. They will develop collaborative skills, listening and speaking skills, they will learn to argue and critically consider the issue.

 

Reccomendations

Choosing a method of teaching and a suitable text affects the increase of the student's interest in reading and studying the interpretation. Independence in work, effective co-operation, involvement in discussion and appraisal encourage interests and develop analytical and synthetic skills. The text can be adapted to the possibilities and interests of the group according to the profile of the RSP reader group. The more active approach and the smaller text fragments offer a more interesting, dynamic way of reading and studying a literary work.

Book title

They think we're small

 

Author

Julijana Matanović i Anka Dorić

 

Bibliographic information

• Publisher: Mozaik knjiga

• Year of release: 2014 (first edition: 2010)

• ISBN: 9789531408318

• Binding: Soft

• Width: 128

• Height: 190

• Pages: 208

Roman/Novel: fiction

Literature for children and young people

 

Links (adaptations, reviews, full texts etc.)

https://issuu.com/gorances/docs/one_misle_da_smo_male

http://www.vasezdravlje.com/obavijesti/opsirnije/530/

https://bib.irb.hr/prikazi-rad?rad=645620

 

Theme

A literary-scientific tale of  a mother and daughter and their struggle with cervical cancer.

 

Short summary

Fifteen-year-old Matija, the main character and narrator, lives with her grandmother Dorotea and mother Vjera in the urban center of Zagreb at the beginning of the 21st century and is on vital turning points such as the completion of elementary school, meeting her father, photographer Kristijan Tomic, and mother's illness. This is a story about the growing up of a girl in the company of two close women who raise her with care and each from her own point of view. The romance urban story is told in jargon and the addition to this novel are documented medical facts about human papillomavirus infections and cervical cancer.

Why is the story appropriate for the targeted groups of RSP readers (in accordance to Content development criteria)?

This literary-scientific story has a public health value because it is the first of its kind in contemporary domestic literature for young people. The authors of the book want to contribute to spreading true information and professional knowledge about the possibilities of preventing and treating HPV infection.

Target groups are primarily young populations and their parents and teachers. The aim is to alert the need to stop taboo-silence and stigmatize sexually transmitted diseases in general and to make true and valid information about this disease easily accessible to young people in a pedagogical, psychological and scientific-medical manner.

 

How are the distinguished readers' interests reflected in this book/story?

Although this literary-scientific story deals with HPV issues, readers' interest is also being gained in the issue of growing a new online generation that can be recognized in similar situations and prejudice of the society not only to sexually transmitted diseases but also to the way of educating a female population.

  

Why is this story motivational for the pupils?

A very unusual approach  to the literary text complemented by an educational medical booklet opens up the question of critical thinking and close reality.

 

Is there a historical, political, multi/inter cultural, migrant or similar context recognised in this book/story? If yes, indicate it briefly.

A contemporary context of a new generation of 15-year-olds in the 21st century, who are faced with serious life issues: the disease of parents and how aware and responsible they can deal with it is recognized in the story.

 

Is there a principle of inclusion reflected in this book/story and does it promote understanding of cultural diversities and heritage? Briefly indicate.

The very fact that the text deals with issues of sexually transmitted diseases, the protection and vaccinations opens up the principle of inclusion by which this stigmatized subject approaches pupils, parents and fellow workers who, with medical help, present medical and statistical data, thereby enabling the right to knowledge, protection and open mutual dialogue.

Title of Activity
The Fault in Our Stars

 

Description of educational activity
Duration: 45 minutes

Pupils' age: 15-18

Classroom organization: group work (6 x 4 students)

Objective: to improve the student's reading literacy and ability to understand text, ability to reflect, critical thinking and empathy. It also aims at developing key competencies and transversal skills (critical thinking, taking initiatives, solving problems, participating in collective work ...) that enable students to critically observe and decode the cultural, social use of languages; cultivating reading culture by creating a readily motivating environment that improves personal reading quality. Enhancement of communication skills, interpretation, analysis and evaluation skills.

 

Working materials: summary  handouts

Activiites:

1. Ss are divided in 6  groups.
2. They are given handouts with 6 jumbled paragraphs of the summary to put  them in chronological order.
3. In the last two paragraphs the names of the main characters, Hazel and Augustus, have been deleted so the Ss will have to finish the story as they see it, filling the gapfills with the names.
4. Once when they have the paragraphs ordered and the plot with their ending  ready, they will have to imagine the dialogue between the characters for each of the paragraphs.

They are given the quotes reffering to different characters.

5. The Ss will present the novel with their ending in the way that one S takes part of the narrator  and other Ss  act out the dialogues

 

Handouts:

5. Hazel Grace Lancaster is trying to live the normal life of a 16-year-old girl, but she is also struggling with what it will be like for her parents after she dies. While Hazel attends a church support group for cancer survivors, she meets a boy that is one year older than her, Augustus Waters. While Augustus had a type of cancer that causes him to lose his leg and wear a prosthetic, it also has a survival rate that is much higher than Hazel's death sentence.

 

 

5. From the first day that Hazel meets Augustus, the two are practically inseparable. Augustus has been in remission after losing his leg some years ago, so Hazel hesitates in starting a relationship with him, not wanting to hurt him if her illness takes another turn for the worse The basis of their relationship ends up being Hazel's favorite book, „ An Imperial Affliction". She requires Augustus to read it and in turn, he requires her to read the book that is the basis of his favorite video game.

 

5. Hazel relates to the character in her favorite book, Anna, because Anna has a rare blood cancer. Augustus and Hazel bond over the book because both of them of a burning desire to find out how the story ends because the author stops the book before providing conclusion on what happens to each of the characters.

 

5. Augustus joins Hazel's pursuit of the book's author, Peter Van Houten, to provide the answers that they need. Augustus even uses a wish foundation to fly him and Hazel to Amsterdam, where the author lives, to talk with him in person. They are able to take this trip, but when they arrive to meet the author he is drunk and surly.

 

5. While ___________ is the one that is doomed to die, __________ ends up telling ____________ that at the recent scan, the doctors discovered that ______ (her/his) entire body is filled with cancer. _______ spends the last months of  ________'s life caring for ______(her/him) and loving _____(him/her).

 

5. The author attends  _________'s funeral and tries to apologize to ___________;  he reveals that his book, which is about a young girl with cancer, was based on his daughter who died of leukemia . ___________copes with ____________'s death, comforting ________ (himself/herself) with the strength of  ______ (her/his)  family and a letter about ______  (him/her) that  _________ sent to the author before _______(her/his) death.

 

Evaluation and assessment method:

Students independently demonstrate and fully substantiate their attitudes and results in the course of their work.

The impact of RSP reading activities:

Practices that support and encourage students’ choice, opinion and attitude. The idea and the choice are personal and there is no mistake, and the positive understanding of thinking and thinking affects the students' confidence and lose previous reading resistance and gradually gain readership competence.

 

 

Connection to curriculum

Stage: 3rd grade of high school

General grammar school programme: The aim of the curriculum for the study of literature and the areas of civic education is related to the reading and understanding of more literary texts on interpersonal relationships and differences between healthy and severely ill people.

Pupils should independently discern, isolate, explain, demonstrate the features of the text offered and argue their outlook on the influence of culture, family and society on the development of the personality of a young man suffering from terminal illness and his rights to daily life of a young person regardless of illness.

 

 

Knowledge:

• Autonomously access text from different perspectives.
• Learn to initiate a discussion and ask questions.
• Develop ease and readiness of reading.
• Enhance the understanding of reading comprehension.
• Organize and suspend different types of information.

 

Skills:

• Observe, counteract, distinguish, and comment on the similarities and differences in appearance in the text.
• Develop the prediction skills and ability to imagine possible situational solutions.
• Develop and enrich Communication Skills.
• Construct, conclude and evaluate.
• Learn to work effectively, independently and equally in the group.

 

Competence:

• Establish links between the world in text and real life or personal experiences.
• Be able to visualize, combine, intervene in material.
• Follow the instructions and tasks to be able to evaluate the results.
• Evaluate evidence and arguments, support and justify choices.

 

 

Bibliographic reference to be used during the activity

John Green

The Fault in Our Stars

 

 

Digital sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fault_in_Our_Stars
• http://www.johngreenbooks.com/the-fault-in-our-stars
• http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-the-fault-in-our-stars/themes.html#gsc.tab=0
• https://www.readingsanctuary.com/the-fault-in-our-stars-download-pdf/
• https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/nov/17/review-fault-in-our-stars-john-green
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSuhXAuhb3Q
• http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/the-fault-in-our-stars/themes.html

 

Results

Expected Outcomes:

• Students acquire the lifelong ability of reading, interpreting and evaluating a literary text with the theme of life's disadvantages of severely ill people;
• the ability to develop an understanding of literal and implicit meaning, irony and sarcasm, relevant contexts, and deeper issues and attitudes expressed in literary works;
• a competent personal response to the subject of the literary work they have studied;
• solving different tasks from different perspectives; the research of broader and universal questions suggested through the literary work;
• a conscious grasp of life's realities and everyday faces with hard-sick young people, developed empathy and a better understanding of themselves and the world around them.

 

Recommendations

Choosing a method of teaching and a suitable text affect the increase of the student's interest in reading, studying the interpretation.

Independence in work, effective co-operation, involvement in discussion and appraisal encourage interests and develop analytical and synthetic skills.

The volume of texts can be tailored to the opportunities and interests of the group as needed, according to the RSP readership profile.

The more active approach and the smaller text fragments offer a more interesting, dynamic way of reading and studying a literary work.

Title of Activity
INDIAN CAMP, Ernest Hemingway

 

Description of educational activity
Duration: 1 X 45 minutes

Pupils’ age: 15-19

Organization of the class of pupils: group work

The aim of the lesson: The aim of the lesson is to motivate the students to read in the way that reading comprehension enables them to understand the relations between the characters – white doctor and an Indian woman suffering, the issue of struggling and enduring pain.....

Another goal is to enable Ss develop their miming skill to present a story according the given guidelines without having read it.

Ss will gain knowledge and understanding of a famous 20 century writer and his opus of short stories.

Support materials:

Handouts :

• a short summary
• characters description
• guidelines for pantomime

 

Activities:

1. The Ss are divided in two groups – The “mime” and the “readers”
2. The  mime group is given the handouts – they are going to mime the story
3. The “readers” group is going to “read” the interpretation
4. The  mime group Ss read the guidelines and pick a role
5. The mime group gets 3- 5’ to read the guidelines
6. The mime Ss present the story
7. The readers “read” what the actors are presenting
8. All Ss are given the story to read and check whether they have understood the plot.

 

Evaluation and assessment method:

Throughout the lesson, the Ss will be very active to present  VS understand the mime.

Teacher’s role - monitoring Ss’ work, their interaction,  reading for details,  making notes, and participation in group activities.

In order to evaluate and assess the effective impact of the previous activities upon the students, they are asked to elaborate a short paper in no more than 5 minutes where they make an In-depth analysis of the main characters and their relationships

 

Effect of the activity on RSP reading: Practices that support students´ choice, collaboration, and shared control of learning outcomes can be linked to self-expressed interest in reading and engaged reading behaviours.

Teachers can organize reading instruction to develop self-efficiency, competence, and engagement in teenage students.

 

 

Connection to curriculum

Grade: 3^rd grade

Curriculum:

Civic education – responsible behaviour, developing empathy, understanding the position of deprived minority women, (in)ability to endure someone’s suffering, fear, growing up,

World Literature -  classics works of art - reading and valuing

History – Indian culture , related to reality,

 

Knowledge:

• Understand the relationships in  different culture
• Develop reading fluency
• Improve reading comprehension
• Organise information in a specific way

 

Skills:

• Use handouts incentive
• Make predictions
• Compare and contrast
• Summarize
• Work effectively in groups, cooperation

 

 

 

Competences:

• Make connections between unknown culture and your own
• Be able to visualise material read
• Follow  instructions and present them visually
• Evaluate evidence
• Support and justify an opinion

 

Bibliographic reference to be used during the activity

Ernest Hemingway

Indian Camp

Publisher: 

ISBN:

Page count:

Year of issue:

 

Digital sources

-

 

Results

The expected outcomes of the lesson are:

The students will be able:

• to understand the task by reading the guidelines.
• to connect ideas.
• to present different characters, 
• to make connections and make a story,
• to evaluate the relationship between the characters,
• to justify their reactions
• to speculate,
• to interpret.
•  

 

Recommendations

Both the teaching method and the text can help in increasing Ss’ interest in reading. This text promotes the consciousness of  treating a minority group members.

The teacher monitors the students so as to make sure they cooperate effectively.

The short story  can be adapted to the language level of a group – it can be shorter - by cutting less important sentences regarding descriptions, or be expanded to additional fragments of the same short story. Students can be offered a glossary of difficult vocabulary.