Encounters With Archetypes

Integrated ELA Lessons for Gifted and Advanced Learners in Grades 4-5

Tamra Stambaugh, Emily Mofield, Eric Fecht, Kim Knauss

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000492620
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Didattica
• Subtopic: Didattica generale

Encounters With Archetypes integrates the study of archetypes with the concept of encounters. This unit, developed by Vanderbilt University's Programs for Talented Youth, is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and features accelerated content, creative products, differentiated tasks, engaging activities, and the use of in-depth analysis models to develop sophisticated skills in the language arts.

Through the lens of encounter, students will examine the patterns, symbols, and motifs associated with common archetypes by analyzing fictional and informational texts, speeches, and visual media. Students will follow various archetype encounters with conflicts and challenges to explore questions such as "How do archetypes reflect the human experience?" and "How do archetypes reveal human strengths and weaknesses?"

Ideal for gifted classrooms or gifted pull-out groups, the unit features texts from Sandra Cisneros, Louis Untermeyer, Rudyard Kipling, Emily Dickinson, and Maya Angelou; biographies of Oprah Winfrey, Mother Teresa, Jackie Robinson, Sally Ride, and Lin-Manuel Miranda; a speech from President Ronald Reagan; a novel study featuring Wonder by R. J. Palacio and/or Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan; and art from Pieter Bruegel.

Grades 4-5

Lesson
1
Understanding Encounters: Concept Introduction

DOI: 10.4324/9781003234890-4

Key Question

How do encounters shape ourselves and our world?

Objectives

Content: To analyze and interpret fiction, nonfiction, and art, students will be able to:

• ■ compare and contrast the use of specific techniques various authors use to approach and develop similar ideas; and
• ■ analyze how multiple literary elements interact over the course of the text to develop the theme.

Process: To develop interpretation, analysis, and communication skills in the language arts, students will be able to:

• ■ justify inferences with evidence from the text;
• ■ elaborate in discussion or in writing on how authors use language and literary elements to create meaning;
• ■ apply evidence to support explanations and opinions relative to a question, text, or issue; and
• ■ respond to an analysis of literature, nonaction, media, or art by developing arguments and elaborating on explanations through writing a variety of texts (e.g., essays, paragraphs), including relevant and sufficient evidence to support claims.

Concept: To develop conceptual thinking about encounters in language arts and additional content areas, students will be able to:

• ■ explain with evidence how encounters may lead to positive or negative outcomes in literature, media, and real-world examples;
• ■ explain how encounters allow for reflection and change using literature, media, and real-world examples;
• ■ explain how encounters may allow for opportunities and threats using evidence from a variety of texts and real-world examples;
• ■ explain how encounters allow for prediction within literature and real-world examples;
• ■ relate encounter generalizations to real-life situations; and
• examine the relationship between encounters and other concepts in multiple contexts.

Accelerated CCSS for ELA

• ■ RL.6.6
• ■ RL.7.1
• ■ RL.7.3
• ■ RL.8.2
• ■ RL.8.3
• ■ W.7.10
• ■ SL.6.1
• ■ SL.7.2

Materials

• ■ Video: "Pay It Forward Video Clip" (available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxB43PxasGA)
• ■ Video: "The Paradox of Theseus's Ship (90 Second Philosophy)" (available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVAHXiKjgRo)
• ■ Student copies of "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros (or video of author read aloud available online)
• ■ Chart paper and markers (for small groups of students)
• ■ Handout 1.1: Blank Literary Analysis Wheel
• ■ Handout 1.2: Concept Organizer
• ■ Rubric 1: Product Rubric (Appendix C)

Introductory Activities

1. Introduce the term encounter. Ask: What is an encounter? Allow for discussion.
2. Explain the etymology behind the word encounter: En (in front of) contra (against). The English word encounter is derived from the Old French word encortre: a meeting, a fight, or an opportunity. The word encounter has come to be used in a more neutral way, without positive or negative connotations.
3. Guide students to understand that the word encounter in this unit refers to an unplanned experience or meeting—when a person or character meets another person, character, circumstance, emotion, or idea—that brings about a small or big change.
4. Tell students: Write down the names of 7-8 important people in your life that you "encounter". What kind of relationship do you have with these individuals? Label these relationships (friend, family, school, work relationship). Then, add a plus sign, your name, and an equals sign (teacher + Brittany =_____). Think about what happens when you encounter each person. How does he or she enhance your life? Students can share their responses within a small group and identify patterns. Ask: Are there types of people that were mentioned a lot? What roles do these individuals play (e.g., friends are supporters, parents are caregivers, teachers are guides in learning etc.)?
5. Then, tell students to think about the types of negative and positive experiences they encountered within the past week. Ask: How do these encounters affect you? How do they change you? What do these encounters help you realize about yourself? What do they help you realize about the world or others?
6. Share the clip from the film Pay It Forward (see Materials list). Tell students to look for different types of encounters that are mentioned or inferred in the video clip. Afterward, discuss the types of encounters students noticed. Ask: What effects might encounters have on the individual, others, or society?
7. Ask students to quickly debate or respond in agreement or disagreement to the following:
   • ■ Encounters and interactions are the same thing.
   • ■ Encounters involve risk.
   • ■ Encounters can be planned.
   • ■ Encounters require action or change.
   • ■ Encounters only involve people.
8. Afterward, ask students to create a generalization about encounters. A generalization is a statement that might be true of all encounters, whether personal, situational, or in stories. You may wish to provide sentence starters, such as:
   • ■ Encounters may lead to ...
   • ■ Encounters cause ...
   • ■ Encounters allow for ...
   • ■ Encounters can be ...
9. After students share their own ideas, share the following generalizations (that will be used throughout the unit) and ask how their responses relate to them:
   • ■ Encounters allow for reflection and change (internal and external).
   • ■ Encounters allow for prediction.
   • ■ Encounters can result in positive or negative outcomes.
   • ■ Encounters may lead to threats and opportunities.
10. Distribute chart paper to small groups of students. Assign each group a different generalization to write in the middle of its chart paper. Ask groups to create a mini concept map that shows at least five different examples that represent their generalization in another subject area or in their lives. Afterward, conduct a gallery walk for students to view and ask questions about each other's posters.
11. Explain that students will explore encounters throughout the unit as they look at stories, art, videos, and speeches, as well as applications in their own lives. {Note: Display the generalizations, as they will be referred to throughout the unit. Consider creating a concept map-working wall so students can add their connections between the content and the concepts they learn in each lesson. Note that some students may have a difficulty with the generalization "Encounters allow for prediction." Make sure they understand that although we cannot predict encounter outcomes, we can determine patterns based on what we know, which allows us to make decisions about encounters from past experiences and predict outcomes.)

In-Class Activities to Deepen Learning

1. Ask students to discuss in small groups: How do encounters help you learn more about you?
2. Have students read the short story "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros, or show a video of the story being read aloud. Ask students to look for encounters— both internal and external.
3. Afterward, select from the following text-dependent questions for discussion:
   • ■ What were the encounters that took place within the story? (Sample response: Examples include Rachel's encounters with Mrs. Price's remarks, the sweater, Rachel's humiliation, her ruined birthday, her intense disappointment, her thoughts about her birthday as a day of small change, etc.)
   • ■ Compare the two settings (home vs. school). How are they described differently? What might these two settings represent? (Sample response: Home represents safety and security with family, while school represents growing up in the real world, away from the safety and security of family.)
   • ■ Was Mrs. Price making an honest mistake, or was she treating Rachel unfairly? (Answers will vary; ensure students defend their responses with evidence.)
   • ■ What does the sweater symbolize? (Sample response: The sweater may symbolize encountering a problem one faces while growing up and not really knowing how to handle it.)
   • ■ How does the encounter with Mrs. Price lead to positive and negative outcomes? (Sample response: The encounter leads to negative feelings, shame.)
   • ■ What does Rachel learn about herself based on her encounter with Mrs. Price? (Sample response: Rachel realizes she is still very much like a child because she does not know how to respond in the embarrassing situation, but this realization is a step toward maturing.)
   • ■ Throughout the story, Rachel thinks of her family. How does her encounter with these thoughts affect her? (Sample response: It presents a sense of relief compared to the present uncomfortable situation.)
   • Rachel says that 11 is like an onion or rings in a tree trunk. What does she mean by this? (Sample response: She means that 11 is just a layer away from the previous year, and it includes the emotions and experiences of all the other years. It is an addition to your identity, not a separate, new, "older" identity.)
   • ■ What is the author's message about growing up? (Sample response: Growing up is hard and requires being able to advocate for yourself; there is responsibility with growing up.)
   • ■ How does this story make you feel? How have you changed after encountering the story? (Students may explain that they have a new perspective on the difficulties that come with growing up. Growing up happens incrementally, not overnight, and through these difficult experiences, a person takes small steps toward maturity.)
   • ■ In what ways do external encounters often lead to internal encounters, or vice versa? How is this evident in the story? (Sample response: Rachel's external encounter with Mrs. Price not really seeing, understanding, or valuing her led Rachel to the internal encounter of intense embarrassment and realizing that the real world is hard.)

Literary Analysis

Distribute Handout 1.1: Blank Literary Analysis Wheel for groups to complete. Explain that students will examine different ways in which various story elements interact (arrows on the wheel indicate interactions), including how encounters within a story can shape the message. Guide students through the following questions using the wheel. If this is the first time using the wheel, you may need to explain some of the categories to students. Begin with individual portions of the wheel (e.g., setting, characters, mood), and then add complexity by combining different elements on the wheel to help students see how elements interact to create a message. Additional information and examples can be found in Appendix A.

1. Setting + Characters: How does the setting influence Rachel? (Sample response: The classroom sets the stage for Mrs. Price to "ruin" Rachel's birthday with the red sweater; Rachel is not at home with those who love and understand her the most.)
2. Symbols + Plot/Conflict: How does the introduction of the red sweater propel the plot? (Sample response: The red sweater represents a problem with an authority figure and the struggles of growing up that Rachel does not know how to handle. The sweater incites internal emotional turmoil in Rachel; it spurs the conflict that she has with Mrs. Price.)
3. Language/Structure/Style + Point of View: How does the author reveal a reliable 11-year-old narrator through the use language and style? (Sample response: The stream of consciousness style [e.g., "Not mine, not mine, not mine, but...