ELA Lesson: Evaluating Message and Messenger
Lesson Plan
1 hour 45 minutesGrades9, 10, 11, 12English Language Arts
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Written by Yen-Yen Chiu
About this lesson
In this lesson, students learn the impacts of climate change on birds, explore the effectiveness of public art on climate change awareness, and synthesize informational texts into a persuasive or argumentative essay.
Inquire: Students watch a video showing the effects of climate change on bird sizes and discuss their observations and questions.
Investigate: Students explore the art and artists of the Audubon Mural project, read an article, and discuss the effectiveness of art in climate change awareness.
Inspire: Students learn about the personal beliefs of John J. Audubon, reflect on the relevance of these beliefs to the work of the Audubon Society, and respond in a persuasive or argumentative essay.
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Suggestions
- The Inspire section can be completed in two class periods, with reading and note taking in one class and writing in another. Additionally, teachers can use this lesson for any writing workshop or process including drafting, peer review, and editing.
- This lesson can be used to teach students close reading or note-taking strategies or focus on elements of persuasive or argumentative writing techniques.
- This lesson can be easily adapted for writing workshops and the peer editing process in a multi-day or mini-unit.
- Teachers can use any established writing supports such as graphic organizers, brainstorming worksheets, or outlines.
- This lesson can be done in the Spring or Fall when students can also observe local birds outside or during state testing days as an independent or partner project.
- Social studies, civics, and economics classes can extend this topic to discuss social justice, socioeconomic status, and cultural impacts. Students can research and discuss how other activists’ “complicated” backgrounds have impacted their messaging.
- Music classes can listen to bird songs of birds from the Audubon website and compare the musicality and tonality of different bird songs in the same region.
- Students have two different options to create their own artistic response.
Prerequisites
- Teachers should be aware that the Audubon organization is named after John James Audubon and references his “complicated history” as an unrepentant slave owner and strong advocate for slavery. Students will explore this in the lesson, but teachers may want to preview the articles prior to the lesson.
- Students should have some basic understanding of citing sources and referencing multiple resources in writing.
- Students should have a basic understanding of the elements of persuasive or argumentative writing.
- Students should have access to devices with a strong Internet connection.
- Teachers should prepare various strategies for pre-writing that fit their class needs.
Differentiation
- Teachers can extend the research and writing portions of the lesson, using them to teach specific elements in persuasive or argumentative writing.
- Teachers can provide paragraph or essay structures, graphic organizers, brainstorming, or outline templates for students to use.
- Teachers can read one article in the Inspire section with the class as an anchor text or to model reading and note-taking strategies.
- English teachers can choose to make the artistic element a separate class period, an extension, or an extra credit activity.
- Students can identify and make a list of supporting evidence from resources prior to writing.
- Teachers can assign other articles from the Audubon website for extension activities.
- Following the example of the Audubon Mural Project, students can work with the local community or environmental club to create artistic expressions of local birds to display throughout the community.
From the scientist review
Bird species are suffering and facing extinction as a result of rising temperatures. Several species are slowly losing their range and changing shape and size. This lesson also establishes the possibility that a gradual rise in temperature could affect human survival, but it also gives students the opportunity to brainstorm and use their artistic talents to convey conservation strategies that would safeguard local wildlife and ecologically delicate species. This lesson is suggested for use in the classroom since the video, pictures, and materials are from reliable sources.
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About the teacher writer
Yen-Yen Chiu
Director of Education
Yen-Yen Chiu, Ed.D., is SubjectToClimate's Director of Education. She holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of San Diego, and taught public school for 22 years specializing in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Music for grades 6–12, including Advanced Placement. She is credentialed in English, Mathematics, and Introductory Music, with extensive experience designing interdisciplinary curricula that foster student choice, meaningful assessment, and authentic learning.
