Mgrp Unit Overview

Engel Unit Plan MGRP Unit TE 408-Spring 09 Multigenre Research Unit The Holocaust and it’s Affects 1. Unit Overview: The Holocaust and its affects. (Night & Maus I) a. Context: 10th grade, Carman-Ainsworth High School, Flint Michigan. 50% Caucasian, 39% African American, 2% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 7% American Indian/Alaskan native. 30% of students are economically disadvantaged. Majority of students are coming from a dual-parent home where both parents have their high-school diploma. Class size is relatively small, with at 21:1 student to teacher ratio. b. Unit: After first unit of school year, before unit on American lit. October. c. Themes/Concepts: i. Human Tragedies ii. Personal Narrative iii. Genocide iv. War and its consequences v. History vi. Life lessons and Changes vii. Surviving and Starting life again viii. Essential Questions(me) 1. What are important themes for the students to tackle 2. How deep can I get into the Holocaust without harming students 3. Is it my job to teach the history 4. How much history do they already know 5. Would connecting current genocides be beneficial 6. How do I know that students will be respectful to the issues presented in class discussion and in the texts ix. Essential Questions (students) 1. How does genocide affect me? 2. Has learning about the Holocaust made me think differently about…? a. Family b. Youth c. Life d. War e. Government 3. What are the changes in life due to war? Do these changes make us see life in a different way? What way? 4. Is genocide now different than genocide then? 5. Have we learned from the Holocaust, if not, why? 6. Is there anything we can do to make a difference and not allow this to ever happen again, or is there no way to stop these atrocities from happening? 7. What is multi-genre, how does it help opposed to a test or a paper? 8. How is being a survivor harder than being a victim? 9. How does genocide change a person? d. Rationale: • An old saying goes; “If we do not learn from the past, we are doomed to repeat it.” I believe that this is very true. The Holocaust was one of the most horrific

Engel Unit Plan MGRP Unit TE 408-Spring 09 events to take place in modern history. Not only did it take place within the largest war the world has ever see, but also claimed over 2 million lives all on the basis of race. Students should know what happened to this group of people over 60 years ago in Europe. There were so many things that went into the Holocaust. However, these things are still happening, in places such as in Darfur, and Iraq. Obviously people are not learning the lesson. By bringing these issues to the front burner, will not only challenge my students and their beliefs, but also increase what they may or may not have known about racism and the horrors that can come from it. Students will also be able to see how the war affected not only Europe but the home front as well. This will be an extension to the history lessons they have learned and will be learning in American History, giving a more holistic approach to the themes presented in class. It is also important to give students the chance to build off of what they have already done, writing papers such as literary analysis, personal narrative, and research, and moving onto multiple genres. This allows students to explore creative outlets, and new forms of technology. It also allows students who learn differently to be able to learn in the most beneficial way. For example, visual learners can harness that and use it to their advantage. e. Goals i. Gain a higher understanding of genocide, and the effects this had upon people during the war ii. Look into different genres to see through different lenses the war and holocaust iii. Make opinions and conclusions on genocide, especially those happening today iv. Create a MGRP on their website to show the understanding they have received from the texts and discussions within the unit v. Critically look at the texts to see the holocaust through different eyes and cultures, specifically American, European, and Japanese perspectives f. Standards: i. 1.1 Understand and practice writing as a recursive process ii. 1.2 Use writing, speaking, and visual expression for personal understanding and growth. iii. 1.3 Use multimedia appropriately for the form and audience iv. 1.4 Develop the tools for inquiry and research v. 1.5 Develop mulitgenre, written, spoken, and multi-media works vi. 2.3 Develop as a reader, listener, and viewer for social personal, and political purposes through independent and collaborative readings vii. 3.1 develop the skills of close and contextual literary reading viii. 3.2 Read/ Respond to classic and contemporary literature ix. 3.4 Examine mass media, film, series fiction, and other texts from pop culture x. 4.2 Understand how language variety reflects and shapes experiences g. Summative Assessment i. See handout for students. h. References i. Dr. Reade Dornan. Professor of English, Michigan State University ii. Simoneau, Yves. Nuremberg movie. Alliance Atlantis Communications. 2000. iii. Smagorinski, Peter. Teaching English by Design. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2008 iv. Spiegelman, Art. Maus 1. New York: Pantheon Books, 1986. v. “Why we Fight” Band of Brothers 2005 HBO studios. vi. Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York: MacGibbon & Kee, 1960. vii. www.freewebs.com or www.wetpaint.com

Engel Unit Plan MGRP Unit TE 408-Spring 09 viii. http://www.poetryparlor.net/holocaust.html ix. http://www.pbase.com/mikecaine/image/45936493 x. http://dying.about.com/od/funeralsandmemorials/ht/write_a_eulogy.htm xi. Flint Journal, October 7th obituaries xii. i. Calendar i. All instructional days sketched out- look at other document: Engel calendar 1. Week 1 (September 29-October 3) a. Monday- hand out project, introduce Maus b. Tuesday- Maus ch. 1, continue blogging c. Wednesday- ch 2, discuss family- model different forms of poetry d. Thursday- Ch 3, need one artifact for Friday posted to website, will have time in class to work on artifact e. Friday- ch 4- discuss propaganda, show examples, listen to speech from WW2, have artifact posted 2. Week 2 (October 6-10) a. Monday- Ch 5-concentration camps and ration cards- discussion on life during the war b. Tuesday- Ch 6- finish book, create comic showing importance of family and loyalty (can be used in portfolio) c. Wednesday, day to work on artifacts…need 2 more posted by Friday d. Thursday- viewing of Band of Brothers, “Why we Fight”- in-class reflection on American point of view e. Friday- have 3 total artifacts posted. Hand out Night, read through pg. 70 for the weekend…continue research 3. Week 3 (October 13-17) a. Monday- Discuss Night. How is the genocide different from a child’s point of view b. Tuesday- Go over more genres they can use, show examples, have students write on these photos, and letters I show them c. Wednesday- Night part 2, discuss the use of genocide, why people do it. Look at other genocides (Irag, Armenian, Darfur, Lynchings in America) d. Thursday-Work on more genres, show some examples using techonology, need 2 artifacts posted to website e. Friday- Finish Night, quiz on genocides and the text. Watch Nuremberg trials, one page write up- creative writing either article, journals, and conversations, maybe even a defense case. 4. Week 4 (October 20-24) a. Monday- In class time to work on the rest of genres. Time to test out technology. b. Tuesday- Conference time with each student (10 mins) to do last minute changes. c. Wednesday- first third of presentations- 5 to 8 minutes each d. Thursday- second third of presentations e. Friday- third third of presentations. End of Unit

Engel Unit Plan MGRP Unit TE 408-Spring 09 2. Daily Lesson Plans – Day 1:Genocide- assign project a. Goals i. For students to understand what genocide is and how it is still happening. ii. For students to create the groundwork for their final project iii. For students to brainstorm ideas and make conclusions about genocide b. Rationale i. Giving the students enough time to finish their project is important for a project as large as this. Also, students need to be able to start the groundwork so that as we read and discuss different topics they can work on the project where everything will end up. Creating a website is also a great place to have everything posted as a final product. That way I know the students can’t lose anything, there is no “the dog ate my homework.” The website allows for more creativity and more options in the realm of “multi-genre.” This mode appeals to many multies. It allows for different types of learners to be able to express themselves. Also it allows the use for multiple modes. Anything from a video or podcast to word documents can be displayed here as part of a final product. c. Assessments i. When they have created the base work on the webpage, they will send me the html to their site. Also, they will post this to the class website so they have a link, and they can see what other students are doing. ii. Post a blog for the night on what they are thinking about their topic and any ideas they may have, also an explanation on their choices for the website-colors, images, as an explanation of why they chose those, and what they do to the project 1. Don’t worry if this isn’t perfect, they will build on this as they go. d. Objectives : Students will be able to… i. Create the website that will serve as the final product. ii. Make assumptions and questions on the text they will be starting. iii. Start thinking about the theme of their projects and genres they will use as artifacts. e. Tasks i. Start class with journaling, this is the last day they will do so in their in-class notebooks. Topic: “What is mass-murder? Are there any instances that come to mind? What do you think are reasons why people do this?” ii. Hand out Maus to students and have them flip through, in notebooks write down initial thought, ideas, and anything that comes to mind 1. After a few minutes, start large group discussion on whatever comes up from their initial notes 2. Ask students what they think having the Holocaust in comic does to the reader. iii. Handout the assignment description, rubric, and list of links they can go to, to create the artifacts given in the assignment. iv. Answer any questions-Due Date is on the top of the sheet, along with how many artifacts they need 1. Remind students that they need 8 different artifacts. They cannot repeat an artifact until they have 8 original artifacts 2. Also, they need at least 6 created by themselves, after those six they can use artifacts created by others-videos, articles, photos, songs, poems, etc. 3. Define any genres they may not know. v. In computer lab have all students log-in and go to freewebs.com 1. When at the website, have them create an html including their last name in it.

Engel Unit Plan MGRP Unit TE 408-Spring 09

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2. Have students play around with the website and start a blog page. 3. Email me the html to their website vi. Assign blog for the night—see assessments. Also assign chapter 1 of Maus to be read for tomorrow Materials i. Books for class ii. Computers iii. Handouts for the project iv. In class journals. To-Do List (Task Analysis for self!) i. Make sure all students are on task, not surfing the web. ii. Facilitate discussion- let the students talk and maybe answer their peers’ questions. Only speak up when the discussion drags or to gear up the discussion, ask a challenging question. iii. Answer any questions for the project 1. Make sure the students understand the guidelines 2. If I notice things are still confusing I will model an example the next week 3. If some students are working faster-have them choose a theme and do some research while in the computer lab. References i. Samgorinski, Peter. Teaching English by Design. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2008. ii. Spiegelman, Art. Maus 1. New York: Pantheon Books, 1986. iii. www.freewebs.com or www.wetpaint.com Standards i. 1.1.2: prewriting stratgies ii. 1.1.4 iii. 1.2.2: journal writing iv. 1.3.5: audience v. 1.3.9:mulitimedia vi. 2.1.1 vii. 2.2.2 Handouts i. See the final assessment handouts- those are the ones they will be given when I assign the project.

Engel Unit Plan MGRP Unit TE 408-Spring 09 3. Daily Lesson Plans – Importance of Family- October 7th a. Goals i. To critically look at the holocaust’s effects on family ii. Work on new forms of genres iii. Look at the use of family in Maus b. Rationale i. Modeling some of the genre options allows the students to see examples and experiment with genres unknown to them. Family is one of the most important themes in Maus, it is important for students to jump into this theme and make conclusions, especially when they are seeing two different family situations within the same text and same character. This allows the students to make inferences and be able to support what they have to say with information from the text. c. Assessments i. By their discussion I will be able to tell the knowledge they have from the texts, and what they have inferred. ii. The eulogy or poetry they will begin to draft lets me know where they are at within the understanding of new genres. d. Objectives (use SWBATS) i. Interpret Maus to see if family plays a role and the role which it plays within the text ii. See other examples of genres such as poetry, eulogies, missing posters. iii. Discuss the relationships they see within the text. e. Tasks i. In the form of a large group we will have discussion on the chapter. Topic to focus on: family and its roles. –have students point to certain frames to support their ideas. ii. Look at frames from the text that shows the importance or lack thereof of family. 1. Look at the changes from one generation to the next and the changes within the family. What could have made these changes? iii. Show examples of eulogies 1. How does family play into this…what does this have to say about family? iv. Show poem “Broken Glass” 1. Ask the same question as with the eulogy. v. Show missing posters left in New York City from 9-11. 1. Ask the same question again 2. Inform them that missing posters were not used during the Holocaust, yet they did use an equivalent of missing boards after the camps were liberated. a. Using one in your project is a form of creativity, however if you use a real person, make sure that as much information is correct as possible. vi. With the question I have been giving them, just have them jot down notes, nothing to indepth, but ideas of what they think the genre is saying about family, and what eles it can say, specifically to their project. vii. Students will pick one of the three genres presented to them. viii. They will then create one of the three, this can be used as an artifact within the project 1. The piece they create needs to express either the theme of family, or the theme they have chosen for their project. 2. It does not have to be completed, yet they need to work on it until the end of the hour. 3. They can use the computers in the Library and the one’s I have in my classroom

Engel Unit Plan MGRP Unit TE 408-Spring 09

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ix. Before they leave, they need to turn into me a draft of what they have been working on, it can be a mind-map, webbing, a draft of a poem, drawing for a missing poster. They need to show me they have been using their time wisely within class. Materials i. Maus ii. “A Survivor’s Poem” < http://www.poetryparlor.net/holocaust.html> iii. Handout of how to write a eulogy iv. Obituaries from the daily newspaper v. Missing posters from 9-11< http://www.pbase.com/mikecaine/image/45936493> To-Do List (Task Analysis for self!) i. Facilitate discussion, keep students on track, and respectful of one another’s ideas ii. Encourage students to express ideas, remind them there are no right or wrong answers, keep the environment comfortable iii. Conference with students as they are working. 1. Make sure everyone is understanding the genres and how they connect to the text and lesson iv. Reiterate that students need their artifact posted to their website on Friday References i. Spiegelman, Art. Maus 1. New York: Pantheon Books, 1986. ii. http://www.poetryparlor.net/holocaust.html iii. http://www.pbase.com/mikecaine/image/45936493 iv. http://dying.about.com/od/funeralsandmemorials/ht/write_a_eulogy.htm v. Flint Journal, October 7th obituaries Standards i. 2.2.2 vii. 3.1.10 ii. 2.3.1 viii. 3.2.1 iii. 2.3.6 ix. 3.2.4 iv. 3.1.2 x. 3.3.3 v. 3.1.6 xi. 4.1.2 vi. 3.1.8 xii. 4.2.2. Handouts i. See the end of the document- they will be labeled

Engel Unit Plan MGRP Unit TE 408-Spring 09 4. Daily Lesson Plans – October 17th: Multiple Perspectives a. Goals i. Understand multiple perspectives ii. complete a loop-writing exercise iii. make opinions on Night and the events that took place there and afterwards during the Nuremberg trials. b. Rationale i. We read texts written by survivors of the Holocaust. Yet, there were so many other people involved and affected. By looking at other point of views students can receive a 360 degree view of the holocaust. Even by playing devil’s advocate the students may be able to see the reasoning some people may have had during the holocaust. The loop writing exercise allows for students to be able to narrow their focus and write on a subject better. It also allows for a more descriptive writing where students will show not tell the reader what they want them to know. It also allows for them to show their own opinions and make conclusions on the social issues of the era they are dealing with. c. Assessments i. From the loop-writing that they give me, I will be able to see some conclusions on what they have found out or have been thinking about during the unit, novel, graphic novel, movies, or other media they may have seen. ii. From the notes they take on the Nuremberg trials I am able to see if they are looking at the holocaust through multiple lenses, seeing how different people experienced the atrocities that took place at this time iii. From the debate they create with a partner I can tell they have taken a different perspective and developed it. d. Objectives Students will be able to… i. Look at the multiple perspectives within the holocaust ii. Objectively take a perspective and develop it iii. Understand loop writing and be able to use it for future writing assignments e. Tasks i. Start class with in-class journal(to be posted as a blog on their website) 1. Topic: Who other than the Jews were affected by the holocaust? How were they affected? Are they still affected? Write a half page on this and post to the blog due by Monday. ii. Watch excerpts from Nuremberg. While watching the clips have the students jot down notes on what people are saying is their perspective on the events that took place during the Holocaust iii. Between the clips have the students express what they found to be interesting. This can be anything that a character may say or a comment on something they may have learned earlier. iv. After the clips lead students in a loop writing exercise. 1. Have students pick a character they have met over the unit 2. Free write for five minutes on an event that takes place in their lives a. This may be an experience in the camps, in hiding, seeing someone die, being an officer in the Nazi army, a Pole hiding a Jewish family. 3. Go through your writing and find a sentence within it that is the main idea or has meaning to you a. Write on that sentence again for another 5 minutes. This time get more

Engel Unit Plan MGRP Unit TE 408-Spring 09

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and more descriptive 4. Repeat this step again on more time 5. Have some students share what they have written. Have them first say where they started, then where they ended up with their final product v. Explain how they can use this to create what is call a “one-moment” for their project as a type of creative writing. vi. As a last activity have the students pair up. If there is an odd number, have a few groups of three. 1. Each student will choose a perspective we have discussed before. They will either write a short debate or conversation with their partner 2. This can be using the event they may have used in the loop writing. 3. It only has to be a page, it will be turned in at the end of class. 4. This can also be used in the project…so make sure both have a copy, so as they can use it in the project vii. Remind students that the blog needs to be posted by Monday. Also that Monday and Tuesday are days to finish the project, I will have a lot of time to help answer questions and test out technology. The project must be finished on Wednesday as we will start presentations that day. Materials i. Nuremberg movie- 2000 by Yves Simoneau ii. Night Elie Wiesel iii. Notebooks iv. TV with either DVD or VCR To-Do List (Task Analysis for self!) i. Facilitate discussion; make sure students are being respectful to one another. ii. Model the loop writing, share my writing as well as a guide to help them iii. Travel around and listen in on what students are doing while working with their partner 1. This also means make sure they are not working on other things or just socializing References i. Nuremberg movie- 2000 by Yves Simoneau ii. Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York: MacGibbon & Kee, 1960. iii. Dr. Reade Dornan- loop writing and “one-moment” Standards i. 2.3.1 ix. 3.2.1 ii. 2.3.4 x. 3.2.4 iii. 2.3.6 xi. 3.3.3 iv. 2.3.7 xii. 3.4.1 v. 2.3.8 xiii. 3.4.2 vi. 3.1.6 xiv. 4.1.2 vii. 3.1.8 xv. 4.2.2 viii. 3.1.10 Handouts i. There are no handouts for this lesson; everything will be done in their class notebooks.

Engel Unit Plan MGRP Unit TE 408-Spring 09

Writing a Eulogy or Obituary (handout for Oct. 7

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A Eulogy or Obituary is a speech or written commemoration of a loved one who has died. Pieces: • A short life history about the loved one • Details of their life (family, occupation, achievements, hobbies) • Memories of the deceased • Poems, songs, or something that had meaning to the deceased. These come from the heart, and are read while at a memorial service. If you choose to write one, try using a podcasting, digital storytelling piece, or voice thread link I gave you. Try to find out as much information about the deceased as possible; do not make up information unless truly needed. Look at the examples I brought in to show you as a model for a eulogy and obituary (information found at http://dying.about.com/od/funeralsandmemorials/ht/write_a_eulogy.htm)

Summative Assessment :

Multi-Genre Research Project- 10th or 11th grade Due: October 22, 2009 For the end of the unit on WWII, each student will individually create their own Multi-Genre

Engel Unit Plan MGRP Unit TE 408-Spring 09

Research Project (MGRP). They will follow the themes we have discussed and worked on earlier in the unit. The final product will be on the website you created in class and have been working with. Be creative, use genres we have worked on in class, as well as ones from the list below. There must be at least eight artifacts all of different genres, meaning you cannot repeat a genre until you have all eight required. Also six of these need to be of your own work. You cannot use a song or poem that someone else has written unless you have your six original pieces. If you do use someone else’s work remember to give them credit (MLA). This will be a 5-8 minute presentation where you will show what you have found and conclusions to what you have found. You need to show how these connect to what we have read, this may be a theme, a character we meet, an event that occurs in a movie or text, or even a place you wanted to develop more. This is a text to text connection. You also need to connect this to the world. How does this affect the world, not just the Jewish population? One way to help develop this is to answer the question: So what? Have fun with this, use any resource you come across. Make sure you come to me if you have any questions. Also if you don’t know if something can be used, check with me. Good Luck and have fun!!! 

Engel Unit Plan MGRP Unit TE 408-Spring 09

Required Pieces- Check List (all of these are needed to get a 4.0) •

8 artifacts from different genres

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At least 6 of those are original works

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Form of presentation(website html)

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Oral presentation (at least 5 mins)

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Resources (MLA)

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Text to text connections

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Text to world connections

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Text to self connections

****Remember, you can use the pieces you already have completed from class work we did with the texts. –this way you have some work done****** Do not be afraid to come to me with any questions that’s what I’m here for.

Engel Unit Plan MGRP Unit TE 408-Spring 09

Genre Ideas: you are not limited to this list; if you have any ideas just check with me first. iMovie Cartoon podcast Map ration cards Wanted poster journals plays letters epitaphs recipes news reels articles poems videos songs One moment face book profiles Digital Stories photos Advertisements speeches Propaganda flier bulletins Links to check out: These are links that can be helpful, again check with me if you have any other ideas www.toondoo.com www.blooger.com www.podcast.com www.history.com www.gcast.com www.splashcast.com www.blogspot.com www.voicethread.com This is not limited…see what else you can find online. We will be practicing some genres in class and you will have some time to check out the websites…remember be creative…experiment with the genres….and HAVE FUN!!!

Engel Unit Plan MGRP Unit TE 408-Spring 09 5. Discussion – This is a section for your reflection purposes. Help me to see what you are seeing/learning! a. Describe and explain your online genre and how it works. What makes the form you’ve chosen logical given your audience and purpose for the MG Research Unit? Be explicit and give examples. i. I’ve decided to post this to my Teaching Notebook (www.freewebs.com/englishbycathy). It is logical for me to place it here because the site is a place for me to have a collection of work that I have completed, including unit and lesson plans. It is also a place other teachers can go to get ideas for teaching English. My audience is other teachers, having it on the website ensures that they will be able to see the work I have done, and use it, without making changes to it (pdfcoke). Also, you do not need to be a member like with a wiki. If you know the html anyone can visit the site. I do not want to restrict anyone from the site. To find the Unit, go to the html (above) and there is a page dedicated to the unit (MGRP Unit) on the page is a pdfcoke copy of the unit and the calendar. These can be open as any type of file, yet cannot be changed on the website. You can comment on Scribd.com where the docs are stored, or in the guestbook of the website. The way I have it organized leaves little room for confusion, making it even easier to find. b. How does this unit ask students to engage in multiliteracies? What are the strengths and challenges of planning with multiliteracy objectives? Be explicit and give examples. i. This unit asks students to engage in multilitericies from the get-go. From day one they are reading a graphic novel, opposed to a traditional novel. They are also experiencing different genres right off the bat. I will model different genres throughout the unit. In the lesson plans above, I model poetry, one-moment, eulogy, missing posters, movies, speeches, debates, etc. Those are only three days of a four week lesson plan. It also appeals to different students by allowing those who are visual learners to have a chance to use the visual. Students who like to talk may write a speech; this project leaves the door open to all the students, not restricting them to one genre. The strengths to planning this unit has been knowing that I will not be doing the same thing day to day. There are so many options for me to use. Also, the chance to teach with other genres allows me to also model the genres for the students. There are challenges as well. I do not know if they will understand the genres I am teaching them. Also, I want to make sure they take something away from this lesson, yet I don’t know if they have. I also feel like I may be spending too much time on the project in class, not the texts. I do want to teach the book through the project and genres I am modeling for them. c. Reflect recursively on what it means to plan inquiry-based experiences for students. Be explicit and give examples. i. I wanted the students to get a personal understanding of the events that took place during the Holocaust. For me, that was to make them look into what happened beyond from one person’s point of view. Giving them this project allows the students to make their own opinions and connect it to the texts we have either read, viewed, or discussed. Allowing the students to go out on their own and find information makes the experience more authentic. If I wanted to spoon feed them what I thought was important, the students would not be as into it. Planning inquiry-based experiences means giving students the opportunity to answer their questions, make new questions, and discover things for the first time. They are able to look beyond what I am teaching them. I give them the tools such as websites, or the forms of genres, and they can take that and build upon it. This makes the experience more meaningful to the students.

Engel Unit Plan MGRP Unit TE 408-Spring 09 d. How does what you planned account for the development of procedural knowledge in your students? How does what you planned on a daily basis connect to the overall plans for the unit and vice versa? Be explicit and give examples. i. The background to all the planning I have done allows to me to know that students are getting examples of genres so they can go out on their own and create the genre using the theme they are focusing on. Majority of the time I teach by showing an example, then they get time in class to work on that genre, with the option of using it in the project. The daily plans connect to the overall unit by introducing how the unit will be assessed from the very beginning. Also, the plans keep an ongoing discussion of the texts. The plans make the students look into what they are reading, question it, and make conclusions. This unit is to discover the Holocaust and what happened during it, yet having them read a novel does not teach this. I bring in multiple texts and forms of media allowing the students to see multiple perspectives, and learn about the Holocaust. e. What makes what you’ve planned dialogic? What are you learning about the challenges of dialogic teaching? How specifically could you improve these plans in this regard? Be explicit and give examples. i. This is dialogic because the students are required to keep an ongoing question in their minds for this project. They need to keep questioning what it happening. I hold discussion often, giving students the opportunity to express their ideas. They are also developing the ideas as they go by doing the project given to them the first day of the unit. It is hard to keep things dialogic when you want the students to gain so much info and read as well. You have to decide what can stay and what can go in the lessons. I did not know if I should have them read in class or at home. To keep it dialogic, I knew the reading needed to be done at home so the students could use the time they had in class to carry out discussion, ask questions and be asked questions. I could improve these by onlt focusing on one text, or shorten the project. Also, I could try less. I feel that I push discussion or push the students to ask questions. If I could just relax and let the students do more of the work, the unit would work better as dialogic.