Shane+Hill's+AAVE+Lesson+Plan

LESSON PLAN PLANNING Date: March 3, 2011 Class and Grade Level: English 10 Title/Subject of Lesson: Noticing Dialects and appreciating the grammatical construction of dialects

Objective(s): · Students will be able to differentiate between African American Verncular English and what is called “standard English.” · Students will be able to understand that African American English, like all dialects, is rule-governed and systematic. · Students will be able to recognize that African American English has been shaped by historical and social factors, as are all dialects. · Students will be able to comprehend the importance of code switching and circumstances when code switching is expected. · Students will be able to defend their chosen code and explain its origin as well as when and how to use it.

State (or District) Core Curriculum Standard(s): · 1. 1. (Word Analysis, Vocabulary Development): Determine word meaning through word parts, definitions, and context clues. · 1.1.a. Analyze the meaning of words using knowledge of roots. · 1.1.c. Determine word meaning through analogy and contrast/antonym context clues. · 1.2.b. Analyze the function of multiple internal text structures in a single text. · 1.3. Comprehend literature by recognizing the use of literary elements across genres and cultures. · 1.3.c. Analyze themes in literature and their connection to politics, history, culture, and economics

Concept(s) to Be Taught: · Code switching · Vocabulary: “socially acceptable,” “dialect,” “code,” “code switching,” and “African American Vernacular English”

Materials Needed: · Copies of Old English and Modern English greetings · Overhead markers · Copies of __Monster__ · Copies of phrases worksheet · Internet access to watch the video at (http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4816) · Access to Mindmeister

Strategies to Be Used: · Class discussion, questioning · Individual work · Collaboration · Code switching · Mind Mapping (Mindmeister)


 * PERFORMING**

Continuation from Previous Lesson: Beginning a new unit with the central part being Walter Dean Myer’s novel Monster. Lesson Presentation: Students will need to be prepared for dialects that they may not be used to while reading the novel. In order for the students to become familiar with dialects and dialectical evolution, students will be spending the next 2 weeks collaborating in groups of 5 and creating a Mindmap using MindMeister. Their Mindmap will explore a specific dialect (ie. Chicano American, "Valley-girl," Proper Business Lingo, etc.). Each group will pick which dialect they will study and produce one MindMap. The Mindmap will need to have the following components:

Define: Dialect Code Code Switching Your groups dialect (African American Vernacular English, Chicano-Americano, etc.) MindMap must also include: An exploration of when certain dialects may be appropriate and when they may be inappropriate and why Links to other media (videos, music, other websites, etc.) Link to another mind map Images that help the argument

IN CLOSING: Introduce the text that we will begin reading as a class: Monster by Walter Dean Myers. Tell the students about the general storyline and tell them that the majority of the novel is written in dialects, primarily AAVE. As we read we will look at the uses of AAVE and other dialects including “Standard English” and examine the construction of these dialects and the reasons why certain speech is used at certain points throughout the novel. These nuances will help the students to complete their MindMaps.

(on the actual mindmaps, the behavior map has a link that links it to the AAVE map)