Multiple Intelligence Lesson Plan for High School English

Lesson: Understanding Literary Devices: Tone

Anticipatory Set: As the students sit down, two different pieces of music will be playing. Teacher will ask students to write down how each piece makes them feel. (Musical) Teacher will then discuss with students what in the music made them feel that way. (Existential)

Objective: Students will understand the literary device tone and will be able to apply their knowledge to their independent reading. Students will have two choices of how to demonstrate their knowledge: 1) by writing a 5-paragraph essay on a short story, examining the tone and offering support from the text to support their analysis (Linguistic, Intrapersonal) or 2) Drawing/Painting/Creating a piece of artwork that demonstrates the tone of the short story they choose also a 1-2 page paper explaining how the artwork examines the tone and listing support from the text to justify their position. (Spatial, Intrapersonal)

Input/Procedure: Teacher will have an overhead with notes about tone including definition and how tone is used to produce an outcome in literature. Also listed will be examples from poetry, short stories, fiction and non-fiction (Linguistic).

Tone: The attitude the author takes towards the audience, the subject, or a character.
How it's Used: Tone is used to create an overall feeling or to express emotion. Tone is displayed by word choice, dialogue, description and rhythm.
Examples: Any passage that displays sadness, humor, sarcasm can be used. Point out word choices and other ways the tone is conveyed. Explain how it helps fortify the overall meaning of the passage.

Modeling: Teacher and students will read a short passage from Terry Tempest Williams' creative nonfiction novel Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert. (Naturalist). Teacher will describe the tone of the passage.

Check For Understanding: Teacher will ask students for examples from the text that support the proposed tone. Teacher will make sure to get four or five supports from different students as well as take any questions.

Guided Practice: Students will be divided into groups of 3 or 4. Groups will each be given a different poem to analyze in regards to tone (Interpersonal). Groups will have the choice to either create a chart or graph explaining their analysis of tone and support (Logical) or to act out the tone of the poem in a role-play for their classmates to guess (Bodily). Teacher will go from group to group to find out which way they are going to present the information, as well as answer any questions and make sure that students are on track.

Independent Practice: Groups will present their information to the class in the form they chose. For role-playing groups the rest of the class will have to guess what tone they are acting out. For all groups, the rest of the class may ask questions at the end to clarify.

Closure: Teacher will explain homework and the two different choices. Teacher will pass out typed guidelines for each. Teacher will ask class to go over guidelines and bring any questions the following day. Project will be due in a week's time.

Choices:

1. A traditional 5 paragraph essay analyzing the tone on any short story they choose. Should include intro, 3 body paragraphs and a conclusion. Must contain a thesis and concrete examples from the text.

2. Students may create a piece of artwork that conveys the tone from their chosen short story. Students need to write a 1-2 page paper exaplaining how their artwork and the short story convey the same tone. Must include text from the story to defend their argument.