High School Lesson Plan:
Erica’s List — Lesson Plan

Lesson Overview

This is a snapshot of a young person whose personality and reactions change due to an unnamed trauma. A teacher attempts to get the young person to see that other responses are available and probably desirable. This can be used to reinforce Ohio Language Arts Academic Content Standards, to inspire creative or narrative writing and to introduce examination of patterns of response to help students grow emotionally.

Standards

Reading Process: Concepts of Print, Comprehension Strategies and Self-Monitoring Strategies
2. Answer literal, inferential, evaluative and synthesizing questions to demonstrate comprehension of grade-appropriate print texts and electronic and visual media.

Reading Applications: Literary Text
4. Compare and contrast different points of view (e.g., first person and third person limited, omniscient, objective and subjective), and explain how voice affects literary text.

Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text
7. Analyze an author’s argument, perspective or viewpoint and explain the development of key points.

Reading Applications: Literary Text
1. Identify and explain various types of characters and how their interactions and conflicts affect the plot.

Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text
7. Analyze an author’s argument, perspective or viewpoint and explain the development of key points.

Writing Process and Conventions — All Indicators

Acquisition of Vocabulary — All Indicators

Materials

• A copy of Erica’s List
  (You can access a Web-streamed version of the story at www.WesternReservePublicMedia.org/trauma/video.htm. Or download the printable PDF version.)

• Writing material — computer or paper and pen

• Dictionary

• Thesaurus

Procedure

1. If your students know what an idiom is, introduce the idiom “Pavlovian response” and help them understand its meaning. Perhaps examining a few of their own will help. Do they want to eat the moment they walk through the front door after school, hungry or not? Do they react to the ice cream bells the trucks ring through the neighborhood in the summer? Do they get fearful when a parent uses all three of their names? Do their pets react to the sound of a can opener?

2. It might also be helpful to have students understand the “fight, flight or freeze” response to danger in most animals, including humans.

3. Read the story to the students or watch the story on the video.

4. Present the following discussion questions to the students:
   • What did Erika do to get called to the office?
   • Was her teacher angry with her?
   • What was her eventual punishment?
   • Were there differences between the text and the video?
   • We have discussed types of narrators. What type of narrator is this and why is it or isn’t it appropriate for this story? Is it important that the narrator can give us an idea of Erica’s thinking?
   • Do you think Mr. Vitroski is correct in his belief that human responses to traumatic experiences can “get stuck” and become patterns of behavior that aren’t appropriate later? Can you give examples to support your answer?
   • What type of person is Mr. Vitroski? What specifically in the text tells you this?
   • Why does Mr. Vitroski ask Erica to write a list rather than serve the detentions? Was that the correct thing to do? Why or why not?

5. Have the students complete the Writing Assignment worksheet either in groups or individually.

6. Have the students use the print copy of the story and reference material as needed to complete the Erica’s List — Vocabulary worksheet.

7. An enrichment activity would include comparing the screen version and the text version of the story.

Evaluation

Writing Rubric

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Focus	Maintains focus on topic/subject throughout response.	May exhibit minor lapses in focus on topic/subject.	May lose or may exhibit major lapses in focus on topic/subject.	May fail to establish focus on topic/subject.
Organization	Organization is a logical progression of ideas/events and is unified and complete.	There is a logical progression of ideas/events and organization is reasonably complete, although minor lapses may be present.	One or more major lapses in the logical progression of ideas/events is evident.	Ideas/events are presented in a random fashion.
Vocabulary	Exhibits skillful use of vocabulary that is precise and purposeful.	Exhibits reasonable use of vocabulary that is precise and purposeful.	Exhibits minimal use of vocabulary that is precise and purposeful.	Lacks use of vocabulary that is precise and purposeful.
Support	Support information is related to and supportive of the topic/subject.	Support information has minor weaknesses in relatedness to and/or support of the topic/subject.	Support information has major weaknesses in relatedness to and/or support of the topic/subject.	An attempt has been made to add support information, but it was unrelated or confusing.
Sentence Fluency	Demonstrates skillful sentence fluency (varies length, good flow rhythm, and varied structure).	Demonstrates reasonable sentence fluency.	Demonstrates minimal sentence fluency.	Sentence fluency is lacking.
Mechanics and Grammar	Paragraph has no errors in punctuation, capitalization or spelling.	Paragraph has one or two errors in capitalization, punctuation or spelling.	Paragraph has three to five errors in punctuation, capitalization or spelling.	Paragraph has six or more errors in punctuation, capitalization or spelling.

 

 

Vocabulary

A percentage grade can be used on this activity by dividing the number correct by the total (12).

Answer Sheet: Erica’s List — Vocabulary

1. “Flourish” comes from a Latin word meaning to bloom. Why does this make sense?
   Answer: Flowers bloom when they open up and stretch wide. That’s what the teacher in the story did with his arms — he stretched them open and spread them wide — so the word is appropriate in that sense. A flourish is a gesture of openness that suggests that something is completed successfully. Also, when something grows into its prime, like a flower in blossom, it is said to flourish. The experiment in the story had just reached its full measure and the point was proven, so the word flourish was appropriate again.

2. “Unum” means one. “Animus” means mind. Which word in the story comes from these word parts?
   Answer: Unanimous means of one mind.

3. The original literal meaning of the word “profane” is outside the temple. What are profanities and why does this make sense?
   Answer: Profanities are words that are spoken against things that are holy. We think of them as obscene words that mock things that are supposed to be viewed as holy. These types of words would never be said inside a place of worship; therefore, they are collectively named as things that would only be said “outside the temple.”

4. Are “amending soil” and “amending an opinion” anything alike? Why or why not?
   Answer: Yes, they are alike. They both mean to add onto or change. In one case, the soil is being made stronger by changing its nutrients and makeup. Nitrogen or acid might be added to make plants grow better. In the other, the opinion is being made stronger or more clear — new facts might be taken into account that cause it to change.

5. In Middle English, “usher” means door. Why is this appropriate? Make sure your explanation takes into account how the word “ushered” was used in the story.
   Answer: “Ushered” in the story refers to a guiding motion: “The teacher guided the student into the office.” The role of an usher is to wait at the door and guide people to their seats, so it has an appropriate meaning.

6. Can “acting defiantly” be a good thing? How?
   Answer: To be defiant is to be against something. Acting defiantly is acting against something. Yes, that can be a good thing. Bad laws can be defied. Bad actions by a group of people who are pressuring those around them to follow their lead can be defied.

7. Does “glorifies” have a positive or negative connotation? Explain your answer.
   Answer: Positive. “Glorifies” contains the base word glory and makes one think of biblical or heroic stories.

8. Belligerent and bellicose are similar words. What is the base of both of them and what does it mean?
   Answer: Belli means war. Someone who is bellicose is warlike. Someone who is belligerent is angry and contrary.

9. What is the plural form of stimulus?
   Answer: Stimuli.

10. The word “tack” probably made you think of a short pin with a wide head. It doesn’t mean that in the story. What is the appropriate definition in this case? From what sport does it come?
    Answer: Tack means the act of changing direction quickly to take advantage of the changing winds. It is a nautical term and comes from sailing. (Tack can also come from horse racing since it is a type of equipment in that sport, but it doesn’t apply here.) The teacher was changing his direction in the explanation in order to make progress.

11. What is a synonym for salivating?
    Answer: Dribbling, slavering, slobbering, dripping, drooling, leaking and oozing are all synonyms of salivating.

12. While you have the thesaurus out, what are seven synonyms for trauma?
    Answer: Agony, anguish, collapse, confusion, damage, derangement, disturbance, hurt, injury, jolt, ordeal, outburst, shock, strain, stress, suffering, torture, upheaval, upset and wound are all accepted synonyms.

13. Break the word “insubordination” into syllables and try to define the parts so that together they make sense of the word.
    Answer: “In” means “not.” “Sub” means below or under. “Ordinate” means to put in proper order. The ending “tion” makes the word a noun. So the word insubordination means the act of not accepting one’s proper place in order below whomever is the authority.