Sample Lesson Plan

Overview Today’s focus will cover Elizabeth A. Flynn’s article “Composing As a Woman,” specifically whether or not students accept Flynn’s claim of a difference between the way men and women write or communicate. What’s important here will be to stress that students can/should include explorations of gender differences in their ethnographic papers, and how these differences manifest in spoken or written interactions. It’s essential that students understand how to apply her ideas (even generally—how is gender operating in your discourse community?) to their projects. GOALS OF UNIT (on board): To understand how femininity and masculinity are expressed in language and writing; To understand, through Flynn’s argument, the implications of gender differences; To understand how to apply this article & its argument to Ethnographic paper Activities Video & Sharing Pairs– 10 -15m – “Boys Will be Boys”- Harvard Sailing Team http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gspaoaecNAg Jot down any stereotypes you recognize. Turn to partner to share & discuss. Lead into discussion: what is the video saying it’s like to be a woman, to be a man? How is this expressed through words, voices, body language, etc.? Group Activity – 30 – Divide class into 5 groups, determine thinker (s), writer, sharer. Each group gets a short excerpt from a previous class’s narratives. 1.) Decide whether the passage was written by a man or woman and 2.) Back up your claim with textual evidence 3.) Present your passage, argument, and support to class. (Project passage for class to see) Allow time for reaction/disagreement from other students. Whole Class Discussion – 10 - 15m – 1.) Based on our experiment, is it possible that there is “male” writing and “female” writing? Does our gender show up in the things we do? How so? 2.) The Stakes: Flynn believes we favor male perspective & women’s voices are silenced. Can you think of examples of women being silenced? (Hilary Clinton). Where have you ever seen favoring men’s perspective? 4.) How can you bring this article into Project 3? -How are the men behaving, how are the women, and how are they interacting? Who’s in charge? Who’s a follower? Is there a difference between the men and women? Outcome Sentences- Rest of Class – Think back over what we have done so far. Write 2-3 sentences of what you got from the lesson, how you could apply it to Project 3, etc. This is your exit ticket.

Student should have: ·       Read Flynn Announcements/Reminders Homework: Students should ·       Read Alexander (WAW) ·       Define Heteronormativity ·       Find examples of heteronormativity in popular culture On projector @ end of class: ·       Reminder: Homework ·       Reminders re: Office Hours if unsure of discourse community choice

Boxing: “My dad is the head coach of our local boxing gym, so I liked to spend a lot of my time at the gym to watch my brother. Here and there, my dad would throw out the idea of me actually practicing, but I had never really considered it…One day, fed up with the boys at my school, I got the brilliant idea of actually participating in a practice. At that moment, is where I should have inserted my foot in my mouth. All jokes aside, my dad was ecstatic when I had told him the news, so ecstatic that he wanted me to start the very next day.”

Guitar: “I began my path to guitar literacy at Empire Music in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania.  My guitar teacher was named Chuck.  He had a true talent for guitar, he could take any song I would give him and know all the notes to play just by ear.  I strived to be that literate in guitar to be able to do that.  He was the type of guy who was really into Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan, but was happy to teach me the songs I wanted to know, like John Mayer and Gavin Degraw.  He wasn’t just a good teacher; he really wanted me to learn how to play the guitar.  At first I had not the slightest idea about what playing the guitar was all about.  I really wanted to just start playing songs, but you have to learn the basics first.  Thinking back on some of my first lessons I wanted to quit just because I couldn’t get bar cords.  My teacher really pushed me to keep going past the boring stuff.  Once I was literate in all of the chords and how to read the tabs and music I finally was able to learn my first song.  The first song I learned was You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift.

Percussionist: “While I was a percussionist in high school, I met a lot of new people that I became very good friends with. At first I did not realize what I was getting myself into. Actually I did not know until I started to write this paper. But I was getting myself into a social capital. I noticed how everyone in the drum line was very hard working and we always strived to be the best. Not just the best we could be but the best of all the drum lines that we would compete against. We had five hour practices during the summer almost every day. During the school year we would have sectionals before or after a full band rehearsal. We were all so dedicated to our art and I can say I loved every single moment of it. Yet, with hard work comes lots of playing. We were notorious within our band for goofing off and pulling pranks on other sections of the band. We even had drum line sleep-overs which made us become that much closer to the person drumming next to us.”

Choir: “Ever since I can remember, I have been compelled to sing. My mom and Dad always played their favorite music while we were in the car and that’s where I believe my interest in singing began. My dad would play Gordon Lightfoot and Bruce Springsteen CD’s in his Suburban while my mom would listen to 70’s pop radio stations in her Pontiac. I loved all of the music and I adopted a habit of singing along or at the very least humming to any song I hear.

Since it was obvious I enjoyed music a lot, my parents were very adamant that I look into a flyer that I brought home from a long school day in second grade... I had no intention on complying and I definitely was not comfortable singing in front of people other than my parents.”

Athletic Trainer: “Freshman year of high school was one of the most difficult times of my life. Right as the year began my father informed my two siblings and me that we would be moving to a new city because he was to be remarried that next summer. He explained that he wanted the best for us and that it was his intentions to allow us to adapt to the new life before the actual ceremony happened. I was devastated. My entire life I had never lived anywhere but Mentor...My elder [sibling] and I helped out the football team as student athletic trainers and my father agreed to let us finish the football season before we transferred schools. The few months quickly passed. As a freshman I was told mostly to help fill water bottles and get band aids but knowing my time was quickly coming to an end I realized I took advantage of getting to be a trainer at the school I really loved. I engaged myself in every moment that I could as a trainer before having to leave my friends and the team behind.”