Banned Books Week
by Tonya C. McKinnie
Lesson Plan Overview
This lesson is designed to present a component of Intellectual Freedom to middle school students at Morgan Road Middle School. The lesson will incorporate Georgia Performance Standards as as well as American Association for School Librarians Standards for the 21st Century Learners.
Learner Outcome
At the end of this lesson, students will know:
- the definition of Intellectual Freedom
- the definition of Censorship
- the importance of reading for informative decision-making
Essential Questions
- How does Intellectual Freedom shape your desire to read or read more?
- In what way can middle school students express their Intellectual Freedom?
Georgia Performance Standards
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
AASL Standards
- Research and Information Fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks d. Process data and report results
- Digital Citizenship: Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
- Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions d. Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.
Procedure
Opening-complete the first part of chart stating what they already know about intellectual freedom, what they would like to know and how do I found out. Afterward, students will watch the video Intellectual Freedom and You!
Intellectual Freedom & YOU!
Work Session-After the video, students will work in small groups to plan a public service announcement (psa) on Banned Books Week or Intellectual Freedom. Each group will present their campaign. Students will use the resources to assist with their presentation.
Closing-complete the last part of the chart- what have I learned, what action will I take and what questions do I have as their ticket out the door.
Resources
Click the link in this section to get a visual presentation of the lesson on Banned Books Week. The visual was created using the Web 2.0 tool Pinterest. The presention is a compilation of articles, videos and advertisements.