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| Overview |
Writing conventions, like styles in fashion, seem to change with the times. While serialized writers such as Mark Twain and Charles Dickens typically named each of the chapters in their writings, modern writers typically do not give titles to individual chapters. Consider J. D. Salinger, John Steinbeck, and Harper Lee, for example, who merely number the chapters in their works.
In this lesson, students name chapters in novels that they are reading, creating a cumulative list for the novel as they proceed. Sample titles are discussed and debated before the class settles on a choice. In the process, students actively explore reading comprehension, summary, paraphrase, accuracy, and connotation.
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| From Theory to Practice |
Current research in reading emphasizes the interactive process. By naming chapters in this lesson, students take the responsibility for their own learning. They must reflect on their reading, make decisions, choose words carefully and exactly, and be prepared to justify their responses. Chapter titles create immediate discussion and debate. Finally, the cumulative list makes it possible for the entire class or the individual student to review an entire novel, whether using the author's titles, as in the case of a novel like A Tale of Two Cities, or newly created titles, as in the cases of Catcher in the Rye or To Kill a Mockingbird.
This lesson plan was adapted from Edith Broida's "Name That Chapter!" in Teaching Literature in High School: The Novel, pp. 41–42 (NCTE 1995).
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| Student Objectives |
Students will
- explore the significance and purpose of chapter titles in a variety of novels.
- create relevant chapter titles for a novel they are reading.
- examine titles for relevant word choice and phrasing as well as accuracy.
- work toward a balance between accurate summary and the promise of intrigue and mystery as they explore and choose titles.
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| Instructional Plan |
Resources
- Chapter novel with untitled chapters (e.g., To Kill a Mockingbird,
Catcher in the Rye, or Beloved). Chapters may be numbered or
simply indicated by page breaks and white space.
- Chart paper and markers, or chalkboard and chalk
- For comparison, have sample chapter books that have chapter titles available
(e.g., The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, A Tale of Two Cities, or books from the Harry Potter series).
- (optional) Copies of the Name That Chapter Handout
- Copies of the Name That Chapter Rubric
Preparation
- Students read one or more chapters of the novel independently, in shared readings, or in class before completing this activity.
- (Optional)Make copies of the Name That Chapter handout.
Instruction and Activities
Activity Introduction
- Divide students into small groups and give each group a sample novel or
two that include chapter titles rather than numbered chapters. Ideally,
choose books that students will have read or listened to so that the connections
between chapter titles and chapter events will be clear.
- Have students explore the novels, gathering chapter titles and noting their
characteristics. You can provide these questions to guide their exploration:
- How does the chapter title relate to the chapter content?
- Is there anything special or significant about the chapter title?
- What is the grammatical structure of the chapter title?
- What stands out about the word choice in the chapter title?
- After groups have had sufficient time to explore their novels, assemble
them as a whole class again. Based on the information that they've gathered,
ask students to brainstorm the characteristics that make a strong chapter
title. Write the ideas on the board or on an overhead.
- With students, revise the brainstormed list into a series of guidelines
that students will use as they create their own chapter titles for the novel
that they are reading.
- For homework, have students create titles for the chapters they are reading.
Name That Chapter Activity
- At the beginning of class, ask students to share titles for the chapters
that they have read. You can either share ideas as a full class or in small
groups. If you have read more than one chapter for the class meeting, each
group can consider a different chapter.
- Once possible titles are listed on the board or overhead projector, discuss
the accuracy, word choice, and connotation of the titles. Ask students to
consider whether the title offers summary, identifies a key term, "baits"
the reader, or offers a bit of intrigue.
- After discussion and debate, the class can choose a title for each chapter
and include the title on a cumulative list for the novel.
- Alternately, students can fill out the Name That Chapter Handout, outlining
the relationship between the title and the chapter itself. The sheets can
provide a chapter-by-chapter summary of the novel that students can use to
review their reading.
- As part of the chapter naming process, you can provide a mini-lesson on
capitalization and punctuation of titles using information from your grammar
handbook or the Purdue OWL.
- Web Resources
Purdue
OWL: Capitalization
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_caps.html
- The Purdue OWL's page on capitalization outlines the rules
and conventions for using capital letters in titles and other situations.
- Purdue OWL: Quotation, Paraphrase and Summary
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_quotprsum.html
- The Purdue OWL's page on Quotation, Paraphrase, and Summary can be used
as a supplement to help students writing chapter summaries to accompany their
chapter titles.
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| Student Assessment/Reflections |
Class discussion and debate of the possible chapter titles will provide students with feedback on the relationship to the chapter content, the title's phrasing, and its word choice.
If students complete the Name That Chapter Handout individually, use the Name That Chapter Rubric to evaluate their finished drafts. |
3 - Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
6 - Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
11 - Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
12 - Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
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