THE BROKEN COPIER

My "Mt. Rushmore" Lessons (Pt. 1)

Two of my four favorite lessons to teach—with resources included!

MARCUS LUTHER MAY 11, 2024

In the article "My 'Mt. Rushmore' Lessons (Pt. 1)," Marcus Luther shares two of his favorite lessons to teach, emphasizing their impact on student engagement and learning. These lessons are part of what he considers his "Mt. Rushmore" of teaching experiences, highlighting their significance and effectiveness in creating meaningful classroom interactions.

### Lesson #1: Our First Peer Feedback Workshop of the Year

**Context**: This workshop occurs after students have created their own short stories (200-300 words) based on skills and styles learned in a preceding short story unit. The aim is to facilitate peer feedback in a structured and supportive environment.

**Process**:
1. **Norming Activities**: The lesson begins with activities to establish classroom norms and emphasize the importance of providing and receiving feedback purposefully. This sets a positive tone and reduces anxiety about sharing personal work.
2. **Silent Feedback**: Students share their stories digitally with two peers. They read each other's work silently and complete a feedback template, ensuring thoughtful and thorough feedback.
3. **Feedback Protocol**: Each student receives feedback without responding initially, followed by a discussion to ask clarifying questions. This step is crucial for genuine reflection and improvement.
4. **Reflection and Debrief**: The workshop concludes with individual reflections and a whole-class discussion about the feedback experience.

**Why It Works**: This lesson transforms initial student anxiety into positive energy and enthusiasm. It fosters a genuine academic community, where students feel comfortable sharing and discussing their work. The structure of the workshop promotes critical thinking and peer support, setting the stage for future feedback sessions and deeper classroom engagement.

### Lesson #2: Introducing Graphic Novel Analysis

**Context**: This lesson is an early part of a 10th-grade graphic novel unit, specifically focusing on George Takei’s "They Called Us Enemy." It follows a review of basic terminology and historical context relevant to graphic novels.

**Process**:
1. **Structural Techniques**: Students are introduced to techniques such as juxtaposition and color archetypes through examples from the text. They discuss these techniques and practice structural analysis using sentence starters.
2. **Application**: After guided practice, students continue reading the graphic novel, identifying and evaluating their examples of structural techniques as an exit ticket. This ensures they understand and can apply the concepts independently.

**Why It Works**: Students often underestimate the complexity of graphic novels, initially viewing the unit as an easy break. This lesson quickly shifts their perspective by challenging them to analyze structural techniques deeply. It builds their confidence and appreciation for the medium, laying the groundwork for a more critical and analytical approach to reading graphic novels. This lesson is pivotal for their understanding and engagement in the subsequent end-of-unit project, where they create their graphic novel pages.

### Concluding Thoughts

Luther concludes by expressing his appreciation for the teaching community and the importance of sharing and engaging with fellow educators. He underscores the value of these lessons in building strong classroom communities and fostering student growth.

These "Mt. Rushmore" lessons are not just about the content but about creating an environment where students feel valued, challenged, and supported. By sharing these experiences and resources, Luther aims to inspire other educators to adopt similar approaches in their classrooms, enhancing the overall teaching and learning experience.

Original Article

**Source**: Luther, M. (2024, May 11). My "Mt. Rushmore" Lessons (Pt. 1). *The Broken Copier*. Retrieved from https://www.thebrokencopier.com/my-mt-rushmore-lessons-pt1

------------------------------

Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com