Reimagining A Lesson Plan ( Analyzing Grammar Pet Peeves) grades 9-12

1. Reimagining A Lesson Plan( Analyzing Grammar Pet Peeves) grades 9-12 Duaa Mureb 1/19/2014

2. The Original Lesson Plan • This lesson is designed to help students become “rhetorically savvy” through their analysis of their own and others’ grammar pet peeves. • Students begin by thinking about their own grammar pet peeves. • They then read a Dear Abby column, in which she lists several grammar pet peeves. • This is telling students that even "famous" people have grammar pet peeves. • Using a chart, students analyze each pet peeve and research it to determine its accuracy. • By analyzing Dear Abby’s “rant” about bad grammar usage, students become aware that attitudes about race, social class, moral and ethical character, and “proper” language use are intertwined and that the rant reveals those attitudes. • Finally, students discuss the pet peeves as a class, gaining an understanding that issues of race, class, and audience’s expectations help determine what is considered “proper” language usage.

3. Students Objectives • identify their own grammar pet peeves.  • identify grammar pet peeves in a "grammar rant."  • identify the ranter's reasoning for the pet peeve.  • identify the type of "error" of the pet peeve.  • reflect on issues surrounding race, social class, and what is considered "proper" language usage. 

4. Constructivism • I think that this lesson plan is good but I would recommend changing some of the presented ideas in order to make it a more constructive one. • Use the overhead or the projector technology to introduce Dear Abby’s column instead of passing out copies of that column and then have the teacher read it to them to assure the class’s engagement. • In order for the students to site any similar pet peeves between them and “Dear Abby’s column they can use the class’s discussion board that’s provided by the school’s website to allow a broad discussion of the topic. Where students can post any similar grammar pet peeves using computers instead of a loose leaf paper .Finally, have students break into groups based on the similar pet peeves they have with one another and allow the analysis of the grammar pet peeves to begin using only one computer to summarize their results in a summary. • The teacher can walk around and join the different groups’ discussions making sure that the students are on the right track and at the end have the groups share their analysis .

5. Using Technology • Internet Access to check the grammar pet peeves for accuracy. (instead of Dictionaries) • Provide students with a known grammar website that they can use to research the pet peeves • Ex .The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuationwhich provides common grammar "rules" for "correct" usage. • To end the discussion view a video of how the proper use of a language is related to the attitudes about race, social class, moral and ethical character. • Discussion board I believe that using technology can make this lesson plan much easier and faster. It can be really confusing and time consuming for students to figure out how to research a pet peeve if a known website wasn’t provided. I also think that the lesson plan can be more constructive if the students with similar pet peeves break into groups together, use the discussion board to post their analysis and then share it with the class so they can better understand each others’ pet peeves.

6. Resources • The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation • http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/analyzing-grammar-peeves-1091.html?tab=1#tabs