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Session #2- Pre reading activity

Participant’s name: Michal Zacks

Name of Key Component: pre reading activity

Aim of activity: Exposure to setting and rhyme in the poem

Estimated time: up to 15 minutes

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (BY ROBERT FROST)Pre- Reading Activity

The teacher hangs on the board facedown cards with the following words. A student at a time, is called up to find a three card set of words which rhyme:(as in memory game)

Know Queer Shake Deep

Though Near Mistake Keep

Snow Year Flake Sleep

The teacher turns the cards over. Each set forms a picture: (student may need to rearrange them to form the picture)

Description of Activity:

(Paste any worksheets you plan to use, below this chart)

though, snow, know, near, year, shake, mistake, flake, deep, keep, sleep, queer

The teacher asks students questions based on the pictures : Can you tell me a story based on the pictures?What is the setting\ the mood of this story? When did it happen?

The teacher should write the rhymes on the board bellow each picture, and students should try to use the words in their answers.

Students may get a sheet of paper to write down the answers after discussing them in pairs. (social interaction)

Paste the poem you are working on, here.

Pre – Reading Activity (work sheet)

Look at the pictures and write down a story about the pictures, try to use as many words as you can from the words above

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Participant’s name: Michal ZackName of Key Component: Basic Understanding- LOTSAim of activity: teaching vocabulary and literal understanding of the poem

Estimated time: 15-20 min

Description of Activity:(Paste any worksheets you plan to use, below this chart)

session #3 Basic Understanding

Paste the poem you are working on, here.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy EveningBY ROBERT FROST

Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening/Robert Frost

A-Vocabulary-

(words that aren't taught that I just explained at the bottom *Queer-לא רגיל, מוזר *harness- (רתמות

*Try to figure out the meaning of the words in bold

*Write your own definition\ explanation, then find the dictionary's definition below and

copy it down.

Woods(n)- During World War II the Partisans hid in the woods.

My definition: ____________________________________________________________

The dictionary definition: ___________________________________________________

Downy (adj)- In the winter we sit and play together on the downy carpet.

My definition: ____________________________________________________________


Though (conj)- Our team lost. It was a good game though.

My definition: ____________________________________________________________


Easy(adj)- Devora has a very easy manner, we all like being around her.

My definition: ____________________________________________________________


Flake(n)- I sprinkled some dried garlic flakes on the rolls I had baked.

My definition: ____________________________________________________________


Lake (n)- The water in the lake was calm and peaceful. We enjoyed just sitting and enjoying

the view around.

My definition: ____________________________________________________________


Frozen(adj)- It was icy cold outside. The ground was frozen.

My definition: ____________________________________________________________


Promise(N.V)- I made a promise to my friend not to tell anyone about her secret.

My definition: ____________________________________________________________


Dictionary Definitions (oxford)

a) A large area of water which is surrounded by land. b) A saying that you will definitely do or not do something. c) Fine and soft (feathers, hair etc…) d) Only before a noun: pleasant (or friendly) e) A small, very thin layer of something.f) Ice cold or with a layer of ice on the surfaceg) An area of trees smaller than a forest. h) Used to add a fact. Makes the previous fact less strong.

B-Answer the questions:

1. What might you find on a trip to the woods? _______________________________________

2. Which downy items do you have at home?_______________________________________

3. Which lakes were you at?_______________________________________

4. Do you know any people who are easy going? _______________________________________

5. Name flakes you may find in a kitchen? _______________________________________

6. What would you promise your parents? _______________________________________

7. Where in the world are there frozen places?

_______________________________________

LOTS:1. Describe the surroundings written about in the poem? 2. What season is it?3. Which sounds are heard?4. Who else, in addition to the poet, is described in this poem? What is his reaction to the poet

stopping?

Answer Key:1. The surrounding is a place between woods and a lake on a dark snowy evening. 2. It’s the winter season; A snowy evening.3. Sounds of the harness bells of the horse ,and the sweep of easy wind and downy flakes.4. The horse. He thinks it is queer to stop without a near farmhouse on such a dark evening.

Session #4 –HOTS/ Literary terms

Participant’s name: Michal ZacksName of Key Component: Explicit HOTS Teaching

Aim of activity: Teaching a HOTS explicitly and teaching a literary term

Estimated time: 30-40 min


Teaching HOTS explicitly

The HOTS I chose to teach explicitly:

Problem Solving

1- The teacher puts on her desk a few items : A thermos *a pacifier *a fan *saran wrap *a disposable plate/ cup Question: Can you think of a connection between these items?

( students generate ideas. The teacher direct s them towards the answer)

Answer: they are all convenient items that were invented to help in a certain uncomfortable situations/ to solve a problem (Being hot - a fan. A need of keeping water hot - a thermos. Calming down a crying baby -a pacifier. Keeping food fresh and preventing food from spilling - saran wrap. Saving time n busy modern life- disposable dishes.

The students are then asked to bring more examples on their own.

2- The teacher gives out cards with situations of different dilemmas, such as: You are about to go shopping with your two good friends. Your neighbor knocks on the

door and says she needs a babysitter urgently. What is your dilemma ? How would you solve it?

You are in the middle of reading an interesting book. Your mother calls out: Who can please wash the lunch dishes. What is your dilemma? How would you solve it?

You are in the middle of writing an exam in class. Your friend hints to you that she would like your help with one of the answersWhat is your dilemma? How would you solve it?

And so on.

Students in pairs/ groups can discuss the situations. If suitable for the class, they may act out the situation and the solvation.

Then students are asked to suggest another situation which involves a dilemma, and give a resolution.

The teacher explains to the students that what they did is called problem solving.

Problem solving means identifying a problem / dilemma and either discovering its solution in the text or suggesting a possible solution, taking into account the options presented in the text.

Questions about the poem which use the HOT of problem solving .

1- What is the dilemma of the narrator in the poem?Suggested answer: The narrator in the poem faces a dilemma whether to stay in the woods and enjoy its beauty, or to continue on his way to reach his destination.

2- Why does he have this dilemma? Suggested answer: It seems that the narrator loves nature. He describes the woods as lovely, dark and deep. He is fascinated by the beauty of the snowy woods. On the other hand he has to fulfill his duties, as he says, he still has miles to go before he sleeps.

A suitable literary term explicitly taught: Rhyme

1- The teacher hangs a placard with the following sentences on the board , " I once fell down, my brothers didn't know what to do. They called for help. Then it was all fine" Students are asked to look at it for a moment and try to remember it (the placard is taken off after a few seconds. The teacher then hangs the following, and students are again asked to memorize it after reading it once: My brothers tell That I once fell They rang a bell And all was well Question: Which was easier to memorize? Obviously the lyrics which rhyme.Teacher defines Rhyme- Rhyme is used in poetry most often at the end of lines when last syllables of the words at the end of the lines share the same sound, homophony.

The teacher then hands out sheets of the poem where the first rhyme in each stanza is written, but the rest are omitted (see bellow)The students try to fill in the rest of the rhymes from memory. They will be surprised to see how many of the words they actually remember. Then the teacher will call girls up to the board to fill in the words which rhyme:

Know queer Snake Deep

Though Near Mistake Keep

snow Year flake Sleep

The teacher will then ask students to add to each group another word which is spelled differently, but rhymes Know/ though/ toe

Queer/ hear/ hereShake/ breakDeep/ leapThis is a very good opportunity to discuss different English options for the same sound. (Talking about the rhyme in this poem, It is very interesting to see that the third line in each stanza, doesn't rhyme with its own stanza, but with the next stanza: Here- queerLake- shake Sweep- deep (taught for five points as part of rhyme scheme)

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy EveningBY ROBERT FROST

Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village_______; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with_______.

My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse ______ Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the ______.

He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some ______. The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy ______.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to ______, And miles to go before I ______, And miles to go before I _______.

Robert Frost, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” from The Poetry of Robert Frost, edited by Edward Connery Lathem. Copyright 1923, © 1969 by Henry Holt and Company, Inc., renewed 1951, by Robert Frost.

Session #5- Analysis and Interpretation

Last lesson we have taught explicitly the HOTS :Problem Solving.

The following questions refer to this HOTS on the poem and to the students' own lives:

1- What is the speaker's dilemma? Is it an internal conflict or an external conflict? Suggested answer: The speaker would love to stay at the woods, which he describes as lovely, dark and deep, instead of going on his way to fulfill his duties.This is indicated in the poem by the words: but I have promises to keep. The conflict is internal. The snowy weather is not stopping the speaker technically from continuing on his way, just the beauty is calling him to stop, stay and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

2- How do you think the speaker ended up resolving his dilemma? Prove your answer. Suggested answer: I think the speaker decided to continue going his way and not give in to his temptation of staying in the woods for pleasure. I learned this from the words: "And miles to go before I sleep" which are written twice. These words can also refer to death. He has many commitment and things to do before he dies. The fact that the line is repeated twice forces us to look at the poem in two ways- it could mean that he has many commitments before he can rest for the evening, or it could mean that the forest represents all of the choices that he has in life which distract him from his commitments. The obligations of life are stronger for him than his wish for comfort.

3- Have you ever faced a dilemma where you preferred comfort over duty, but promises you had influenced your decision? How did you resolve the dilemma? Suggested answers: I was in the middle of reading an extremely interesting book, but I had to stop to study for an exam. I promised myself to study for two hours and then allow myself a twenty minute break to read.Or: At a festive event I was tempted to eat cake and other deserts, but I promised myself to lose weight. I stood as far away as I could from the tempting bar.

Questions which involve other HOTS thinking skills: 1- What is the tone of the poem? Which line in the poem sums up the atmosphere?

Suggested answer: The speaker is thoughtful, grateful for the beauty of the nights and the woods. The mood is of beauty, peace, and pleasantness. There is also an element of reluctance, that the speaker has to leave and return to the bustle of life. The poem also has a mysterious note, summed up by "The woods are lovely, dark and deep"

2- What is the woods a symbol of? suggested answer: The woods symbolizes luxuries and comforts which life may suggest, and people don't have time or funds to enjoy.It may symbolize time to spend with family or friends.

3- What is the theme of the poem?

Suggested answers: we may stop for a while and immerse ourselves in the silent, dark beauty of Nature, but then we must move on to the responsibilities of life. In other words: Duty comes before comfort.

4- What kind of "promises" could the speaker have to keep?Suggested answer: The promises may be to family, to friends or a job obligation.

Robert Frost was born in the year 1874 and died in 1963.

Robert was a top student in his high school and was always interested in poetry. After he got married in 1895, Frost couldn't make a living by writing poetry. In order to support the family, he also worked as a teacher and a farmer. He tried to finish his university studies, but stopped after two years. He continued farming, raising poultry between 1900- 1909. Although he had been writing poetry since his high-school days, publishers showed little interest in his poetry.

At the age of 40, he decided to sell the farm and use the money to make a new start in London, where publishers were more interested in poetry.

From that moment his career rose and his poetry was appreciated all over the world.

Session #6- Bridging Text and Context

Participant’s name: Michal ZacksName of Key Component: Bridging Text and Context

Aim of activity: Exposure to new information which adds to understanding of the text.

Estimated time: 25 minutes


Bridging Text and Context

How does this new information connect to the poem?

Suggested answer:

It seems like Robert Frost faced throughout his life a conflict between his need to earn a living, his love of nature, and his wish to become a poet. It took him many years to make a final decision . This conflict of his is expressed in our poem: having to choose between personal preferences and life duties / promises.

There is even an indication as to the decision he made : The beauty of the woods was what he really wanted, i.e. to be a poet, but he left the woods and became a farmer in order to try to support his family. He took the responsibility since he understood that the duty comes before his own wishes.

Session # 7- Bridging text and context for the Bagrut exam

Participant’s name: Michal ZacksName of Key Component: Bridging text and context for the Bagrut examAim of activity: Bridging text and context for the Bagrut exam

Estimated time:15 min


Bridging text and context for the Bagrut exam :

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening / Robert Frost

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on"( Robert Frost). Make a connection between the above quote and the poem. Give information from the poem to support your answer.

Suggested answer:

Robert Frost brings in the quote his perspective towards life. He sums up his opinion towards it: it goes on. No matter if you like it or not, whether you do something for or against it, it is not up to you, it is just the nature of the world: it goes on. I find a strong connection between this idea and the poem he wrote. In the poem the narrator expresses a conflict he faces. He would like to stop and enjoy the beauty of nature, the lovely dark and deep woods, the easy wind and the downy flakes. But he doesn't allow himself to do so. He has promises to keep. Life does not stop, "it goes on" and he must keep his duties and go along with the demands of life, which as he says, goes on .This quote reflects how Robert Frost views life. These are the three words which convey the message most strongly and this is how he led his own life : keeping on going because that's the nature of life and of the world.

Session #8- Post Reading

Participant’s name: Michal ZacksName of Key Component: post reading activityAim of activity: Connecting the poem to students' life in a creative way

Estimated time:2 hours


Post Reading Activity-

1.Imagine yourself stopping by woods on a snowy evening. Describe this experience in a diary excerpt. Include a description of the background, your feeling, thoughts it arose in you etc.

2.Create a Power- Point presentation depicting your interpretation of the poem. Quote meaningful lines from the poem.

3. Record yourself reading the poem aloud. In the background, play different kinds of music to suit the tone of the poem. You may add a picture which suits the background as well.

Session #9- Summative Assessment

Participant’s name: Michal ZacksName of Key Component: summative assessmentAim of activity : summative assessment questions Estimated time:60 minutesDescription of Activity:(Paste any worksheets you plan to use, below this chart)

Summative Assessment –Module F

Part I- LOTS questions (4*5=20 points)

1- Where does this poem take place? 2- Who else, in addition to the poet , is described in the poem? What is his reaction to the poet

stopping? 3- Why can't the poet stay at the woods? 4 - Which sounds does the poet mention?

Part II- HOTS questions (4*15=60)

5- Which words does the poet repeat in the poem? Why does he do so? 6- Give an example of symbolism in the poem. Explain what it refers to.7- What is the theme of the poem?

Extended HOTS question-

8-The poet introduces a conflict : a- Explain the conflict b-was the conflict resolved? Prove your answer.

9- "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on"( Robert Frost). Make a connection between the above quote and the poem. Give information from the poem to support your answer. (20 points)

Answer Key:LOTS (4*5 points)1. The poem takes place between woods and a lake on a dark snowy evening. 2. The horse. He thinks it is queer to stop without a near farmhouse on such a dark evening. 3. He has promises to keep and miles to go before he sleeps.4. Sounds of the harness bells, of the horse ,and the sweep of easy wind and downy flakes.

HOTS (4*15 points)

5. The poet repeats the words "And miles to go before I sleep" twice at the end of the poem. The repetition forces us to view the poem in two ways .In one way it means that he has many commitments to fulfill before he can rest for the evening, but "sleep" also refers to death. The poet has many commitments to do before he dies. 6. The "woods" are an example of symbolism in the poem. The woods symbol all the choices that the poet has in life which distract him from his commitments. 7. We may stop for a while and immerse ourselves in the silent, dark beauty of nature, but then we must move on to the responsibilities of life. In other words: Duty comes before comfort. 8. The HOTS I've chosen to answer the question: Problem Solving. The speaker is facing an internal conflict. He has a difficulty to decide whether to stay at the lovely, dark, deep woods he loves, or to continue on his way to fulfill his duties. I think he did resolve his problem by deciding to continue going his way and not give in to his temptation of staying in the woods for pleasure. I learned this from the words: "And miles to go before I sleep" which are written twice. The obligations of life are stronger for him than his wish for comfort.

Bridging text and context (20 points)

9. Robert Frost brings in the quote his perspective towards life. He sums up his opinion towards it: it goes on. No matter if you like it or not, whether you do something for or against it, it is not up to you, it is just the nature of the world: it goes on. I find a strong connection between this idea and the poem he wrote. In the poem the narrator expresses a conflict he faces. He would like to stop and enjoy the beauty of nature, the lovely dark and deep woods, the easy wind and the downy flakes. But he doesn't allow himself to do so. He has promises to keep. Life does not stop, "it goes on" and he must keep his duties and go along with the demands of life, which as he says, goes on .This quote reflects how Robert Frost views life. These are the three words which convey the message most strongly and this is how he led his own life : keeping on going because that's the nature of life and of the world.

Unit Graphic Organizer (UGO)

Analysis and Interpretation:

Literary terms

Rhyme

Know/though/snow/queer/ near/ year/ shake/ mistake/ flake/deep/keep/


HOTS

Taught explicity: Problem Solving

Dilemma: whether to stay at woods or continue on way.

Pre-Reading Activity

Inventing stories bassed on pictures of snowy woods,while using given words which rhyme from the poem

(setting, mood,happening)

Characters: The narrator

The horse

Setting (time and place):

Woods on a snowy evening. By a lake

Post-Reading Activity

*writing a diary excerpt describing the experience in the poem

* power point presntation depicting de picting interpretaion

*Recording oneself reading the poem with background music.

Summary of Events

The narator stops on a snowy evening on his way, at a lovely spot between a lake and woods.

He debates within himself whether to stay and enjoy the lovely scenary around or to continue on to his destination so he can arrive before sleep time.

Vocabulary

Words to know and use:

Woods

Downy /though easy

Flake

Lake

Title: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Author:Robert Frost

Student's name:Zacks Michal Date:________

Bridging Text and Context

Brief history of Robert Frost which illustrates the conflict that accompanied

R.F throughout his life:

The conflict between his love to nature, his wish to become a poet and his need to earn a living.


HOTS

*mood and atmosphere (peace,pleasantness reluctance)

*theme (duty before comfort)

A poem pouch for the poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.

The following pictures which illustrate the poem:

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

A horse harness

"promises to keep"

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