Markovich Lessons

Back to Learn More

Gary Markovich

Is this your unicorn? Markovich Home Learn More Standards Inspiration About the Author

Lesson Plan Links

This page provides descriptions and links to Web 2.0 resources appropriate for middle school classes. A brief description is included, as well as a listing of the Common Core Standards each lesson covers. Links to connect to web sites for downloading applications, as well as connecting to easily adapted lesson plans are embedded in the text, icons or images. Clicking on the "HOW-TOs" will provide tutorials for each of the lessons below.

Lesson Plan for Introduction to Grammarly
Grammary is a GREAT resource for students to check any of their writing assignments prior to submitting them. It can also run in the background, and catches spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation and usage errors. Grammarly is the Chrome extension I used as the focus of my research paper for the Touro Masters of Education Program.

It supports the following Common Core Literacy Standards: L7.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing; L7.2A, Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives; 7.2B, Spell correctly; 7.3, Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening; 7.3A. Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy. Here is a link to a lesson plan for using Grammarly

Lesson Plan for Using PowToons
PowToons is a wonderful animation program that can be used for presenting both expository and narrative texts. The site is student-friendly with a short learning curve and pre-produced templates to aid students presentation of information or to assist in their digital storytelling.
PowToons supports ELA-Literacy/CCSS.ELA-Literacy RI .7.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas., RI.7.6, Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others. SL.7.5, Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points. RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

HOW-TOs

REFERENCES

ASSESSMENT

Lessson Plan for Easel.ly
Creating displays to report information, processes, Venn diagrams etc. has long been a staple in student projects. The Web.2 version is infographics, which can include an interactive component, previously unavailable with the construction paper and paste versions of this assignment. The standard addressed by the use of infographics include CCSS.ELA-Literacy RI 7.7, Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium's portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).

Lesson plan for Digital Citizenship using Common Sense Media
This is a lesson specific to teaching figurative language with the novel Tuck Everlasting, but can be easily adapted for any text-based instruction for figurative language. It was developed to address an exploration of using figurative language to illustrate connections we have and relationships of which we are a part.
Common Core standards addressed include CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.5 Analyze how a drama's or poem's form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning

Lesson plan for taking a "flipped classroom" approach.
This began as an exploration of employing a "flipped classroom" pedagogical approach. The specific lesson is part of a unit on persuasive techniques in speeches and advertisments. Students apply previous learning to a new situation.
Common Core standards addressed include CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.C Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.