Wangari/Finkbeiner Compare & Contrast

Wangari Muta Maathai was a Kenyan environmental and political activist. She was educated in the United States at Mount St. Scholastica and the University of Pittsburgh, as well as the University of Nairobi in Kenya. Wikipedia

Germany 2007, a nine year old boy called Felix Finkbeiner prepares a school assignment about the issue of climate change. While conducting his research he came across the story of Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate from Kenya who had worked to plant over 30 million trees across Africa as part of her 'Green Belt Movement'. At the end of Felix's presentation he shared the idea that the children of the world could plant 1 million trees in every country on Earth.

Ellen McCarthy - Media Literacy

ELA Grade 6 ICT

Compare & Contrast Lesson Plan

Mrs. Ellen McCarthy

Duration: 4 x 40 min periods: 1) intro topic and media 2.) students organize information 3.) development and drafting of written response 4.) completion of written response

Learning Objective:   

Students will enhance their multimedia literacy and expand their understanding of non-fiction text. Students will view and study video media and their transcripts to explore the differences between written and spoken text. As they think critically about the videos, students will discover how text and images can work together to convey information. Students will be asked to compare and contrast individuals from the media and text by organizing information.

NYCCSS:

RI.6.1  Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RI.6.2  Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

RI.6.7  Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.

Materials required:

Students: RNB, teacher distributed handouts, pen/pencil, chart paper

Teacher:  Texts: Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True story from Africa by Jeanette Winter; Handouts: transcripts from Democracy Now media; Graphic organizer: pre-made web graphic organizers on chart paper for group activity, markers, computer with internet access, Smartboard, flash drive with video back up, organizer examples and lesson objective.

            DemocracyNow.org media:

http://www.democracynow.org/2007/1/24/the_view_from_nairobi_nobel_peace#transcript

(31:55 - 33:33)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BQU7JOxkGvo#!

http://www.plant-for-the-planet.org/en/about-us/history

  http://www.democracynow.org/2010/12/13/young_environmentalists_challenge_un_climate_delegates

            (55:00 – 57:55)
   
            Handouts/Transcripts

GOAL:

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to utilize details from a non-fiction story, video interview and accompanying transcript as supportive evidence in writing activities. They will be able to compare and contrast two individuals and their accomplishments using supporting evidence from the non-fiction text of the transcript and notes they have written while viewing video media.

DO NOW:

            In RNB draft a written response to the following:

            Explain what you know about dangers in the environment.

(students copy the following in RNB)

           

            Compare and contrast: ways of looking at two things and evaluating how they are the same and how they are different.

            Key Terms in writing:

            Compare: alike, same, similar

            Contrast: different, differ, unlike

            However, although most, as well as, both similarly, in contrast, too, on the other hand

           

LESSON:

One teacher will mention the topic of concerns in global environments, based upon answers shared from the do now activity. She will then introduce the purpose of the lesson: to compare and contrast two different activists who have created movements to improve the earth’s environment: Wangari Maathai and Felix Finkbeiner.

Read Aloud: One teacher will read aloud the children’s book Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True story from Africa by Jeanette Winter.

Students create a T chart in RNB. As information on each person is learned, they will fill in their personal notes.

Compare and Contrast
Wangari Maathai	Same	Felix Finkbeiner

            Students are asked to fill in what they learned about Wangari from the read aloud and fill in the chart.

           

As media is viewed, students are asked to take notes and fill in the graphic organizer. Turn and talk opportunities should be available after each media viewing.

Media: show YouTube video “Wangari Maathai & The Green Belt Movement”

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BQU7JOxkGvo#!

Media: show Democracy Now video

http://www.democracynow.org/2007/1/24/the_view_from_nairobi_nobel_peace#transcript

(31:55 - 33:33)

Hand out transcripts and watch again.

Media: show the Plant for the Planet

http://www.plant-for-the-planet.org/en/about-us/history

Transcript: Have students act out the Democracy Now interview with Felix Finbeiner.

Media: show Democracy Now video

     http://www.democracynow.org/2010/12/13/young_environmentalists_challenge_un_climate_delegates

            (55:00 – 57:55)

Group activities: After all text and media are read and viewed, students will work in cooperative groups to chart their findings and information. Chart paper will be supplied in order for each of the groups to create either a Venn Diagram or a t chart comparing and contrasting Wangari and Finkbeiner, unless there is another type they find appropriate for their group.. They are then asked to collaborate with their groups to fill in a graphic organizer on chart paper. The graphic organizers will be filled in by all group members. They will use evidence from the text in order to explain.

Share out:

Volunteers from the groups will be asked to verbally share one similarity and one difference and provide a direct example from the text or media as evidence.

Homework:

RNB: Write a prediction expressing what will happen to the global environment because of activists like Wangari and Finkbeiner. Use details to explain your reasoning.

Assessment:

An exit slip given to the students at the end of the share out will provide evidence of understanding of the lesson goal. In 2-3 sentences, reveal how you would explain the similarities and differences of the two people discussed in today’s lesson to a friend.

Writing Assignments & Assessment:

Drafting: Have students answer the following questions in order to draft and organize written essay.

1. How are _________ and __________ALIKE?

2. How is ___________ DIFFERENT from _____________?

3. How is ______________ both SIMILAR and DIFFERENT from ______________?

4. What is the DIFFERENCE between _____________ and ________________?

5. How is ____________ SIMILAR/DISSIMILAR to __________________?

Students will organize all information and evidence into a well constructed essay following the standards of written English.

Differentiation:

            Leveled reading passages, use of graphic organizers, students performing transcript and implementation of a read aloud all provide differentiation for special needs and gifted learners.

            Students will be seated in leveled collaborative groups.