Jen+B.+Stage+2

=Stage 2 Determine Acceptable Evidence.=


 * Performance Task (Summary in G.R.A.S.P.S. form): **(T)** ||
 * **Goal:** The goal is to inspire others to make a significant change in their lives or the world through the use of a short piece of fiction -- one that's good enough to be published and to reach the literate masses!


 * Role:** Your job (as a socially motivated author of fiction) is to write an entertaining short story that utilizes the concepts of symbolism and theme to express the need for a real change in the world -- something that really matters to you and is good enough to make others care, too!


 * Audience:** Your target audience is readers of __Mobius,__ an online literary magazine that publishes short fiction and poetry as part of their "journal for social change." The other students in the class will act as online readers and attempt to identify your message through a) your symbolism and b) your autobiographical information and world context. If they can understand your message using these literary tools (and with the help of your hypertext explanations), your story is a success and could be published in //our// version of __Mobius__-- the Mt. Abram School Newspaper!


 * Situation:** The challenge involves dealing with making your story entertaining while at the same time meaningful -- __Mobius__ only publishes "deep" fiction. The symbols should be clear and consistent enough to allow readers to grasp the full intention/theme of your story, particularly if they have some background information about yourself and your world (historical lens).


 * Product/Presentation:** //Wiki posting of a hyperlinked fictional story:// You will write a short (2-5 double-spaced pages) fictional story with all of the literary elements of plot, setting, character, and theme. Within the story, you will incorporate several symbols that, when read by your audience, should help them understand your theme or message. The message is up to you – however, it should involve some form of change that you see as necessary in the world and that your greater audience will connect with, as well.

Because the internet is an increasingly convenient and popular way to express ourselves and to convince others, you will write your story to be posted online on our class Wiki – complete with hypertext for your symbols (revealing the true meaning of each for curious online readers and/or linking to news articles on your thematic topic), a brief autobiography and explanation of external situations that may have influenced your writing (just like those already posted on __Mobius__), and finally a link to an explanation of your theme and how you intended to create it through symbolism. The goal is for readers to enjoy your story, while at the same time allowing them the tools to decipher your fiction and get at the underlying message through your (the author’s) background and symbolism.

Product: relevant choice of theme (for author and audience), effective symbols (match real-life inspiration and fit traditional symbology), engaging story (in terms of plot and characterization), autobiographical information (is relevant to theme), hypertext links (are plentiful and make sense), final explanation (exhibits understanding of symbol and theme), and submits thoughtful postings (to others' stories that exhibit knowledge of theme and symbolism)
 * Standards (criteria from both rubrics):**

Presentation: preparedness, familiarity with content, delivery, audience skills, enthusiasm, and peer evaluation || (use Inspiration document and online symbols dictionary to link symbols of a short story, such as "The Lottery," with possible meanings, and then connect to biographical or historical bits of information; this will also help them plan for the symbolism component of the GRASPS Assignment and address English EQ 2 and 4) (have students work together to research the possible historical inspirations for symbols and events in a fictional story, such as __The Sneetches__, then post links to articles, images, and information through the use of a Wiki and hypertext; this will prepare them for the presentation portion of the final GRASPS assessment and address English EQ 4) (use the web to search for pictures and key words that capture significant issues of today; look on news sites, personal websites, blogs, etc. and take snapshots to create a collaborative collage online using Glogster; will prepare them for the final GRASPS assessment and address Social Studies EQ 2 and 3) || (post initial understandings of a selected short story, such as "The Lottery," on Blog as basic preparation for discussion; then, after looking at symbols and historical context in class, such as through Hypertext activity and Graphic Organizer, students will be required to review their and others' posts and agree/disagree while providing evidence to support their viewpoint; this will address English EQ 1 and 2) (use interactive diagram at http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/venn/ to compare themes between two given texts; share with other students to clarify understanding; this will address English EQ 3 and Social Studies EQ 2 and 3) (record their first impressions on freedom of speech OR the value of fiction on GarageBand; save as audio files and post to a class Wiki; when all done, can listen to each others'. At the end of the unit, listen to their own voices and reflect on how their ideas may have changed; this will address English EQ 1-4 and Social Studies EQ 1-3) || =Assessment Task Blue Print=
 * Other Evidence (quizzes, test, prompts, observations, dialogues, work sample, etc.):**
 * Other Evidence **(OE)** ||
 * **•Graphic Organizer**
 * **•Graphic Organizer**
 * •Hypertext**
 * •Collage**
 * Student Self-Assessment and Reflection**
 * Self-Assessment **(SA)** ||
 * •**Blog Entry**
 * •Venn Diagram**
 * •Before and After**

//**What understandings/goals will be assessed through this task?**// **(G)**
 * Understanding || Goal (MLR) ||
 * • Students will understand that language can be used as a tool to effect change in society. || English A2, Social Studies B2 ||

What criteria are implied in the standard(s) understanding(s) regardless of the task specifics? What qualities must student work demonstrate to signify that standards were met?
 * Big Idea || Big Idea ||
 * • Theme || • Symbolism ||

//**Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate understandings?**//
 * //**Task Description:**// **(T)** ||
 * Alter your audience! As a social activist and an author of fiction, you desperately want to get out your message of a change that is needed in this world, and you know that one way to do that is by following the footsteps of Dr. Seuss and Shirley Jackson: publishing a short story! To that end, your task is to write a 2-5 page tale for the online literary magazine __Mobius__ (the self-procliamed "Journal of Social Change") that uses the concepts of symbolism and theme to entertain and inspire your readers. In addition, you will include an autobiographical sketch to help us understand your message and where you were coming from at the time of your writing, just as exists in the "Contributors" section of the online journal. Finally, however, you will make the task of understanding the true meaning of your work just a bit easier for those of us on the receiving end: you will include hypertext that links your symbols and metaphors to real life concepts that inspired them or clarify them (either online articles, definitions, related audio files, or your own explanations) and you will include an author's commentary clarifying the process you went through in choosing a topic, creating your symbols, and weaving them into an effective piece of fiction. Using feedback from your audience, you will hone your technique, ultimately preparing your story for a final submission to the "editors of __Mobius__." ||

//**What student products/performances will provide evidence of desired understandings?**//
 * Type II Product || Type of Presentation ||
 * • Hyperlinked fictional short story || • Capturing the audience by reading a selection of the story aloud ||

//**By what criteria will student products/performances be evaluated?**// • effective symbols (match real inspiration) • engaging (plot and characterization) • autobiographical information (is relevant to theme) • hypertext links (are plentiful and make sense) • final explanation (exhibits understanding of symbol and theme) • thoughtful postings (to others' stories that exhibit knowledge of theme and symbolism) || • preparedness • familiarity with content • delivery • audience skills • enthusiasm • peer evaluation ||
 * Product Criteria || Presentation Criteria ||
 * • relevant choice of theme (for author and audience)
 * 2004 ASCD and Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe**