Three+Angry+Women+and+a+Man

=Pairing Project, Part Two= Lauren Howell, Erin Kuhn, Alison Taylor, Dakota Jarvis

=//Monster// by Walter Dean Myers=



Myers, Walter D. //Monster//. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1999. Print.

Preview of //Monster // available from Amazon.com:

Kindle Preview

Connections to the Classic: //12 Angry Men//
There are many connections that can be made between //Monster// by Walter Dean Myers and //12 Angry Men// by Reginald Rose. First, Rose’s piece is from the perspective of the jury and Myers’ is from the eyes of a sixteen year old African American boy on trial for murder. Through these two pieces we can see both sides of our judicial system. In Rose’s writing we see the inner workings behind the closed doors of the jury room and the power the jurors possess. Myers’ writing helps us imagine the helplessness felt by Steven Harmon as his life is in the hands of his white lawyer and a jury of his peers. A second connection that can be made is the evidence of racial content in both pieces. Through the language in //12 Angry Men// it is suggested that the person on trial is also a young man of color just like Steven Harmon. A third connection is also the obscurity of each text, perhaps more so in Myers’. We cannot pin point for sure in either of the texts if the person on trial is guilty or not. What we do know is people’s presumptions based on race and surroundings. There is a lot that could be analyzed by the final verdict of both cases as well. Both defendants were given a verdict of not guilty which seems to show an overcoming of racial bias by both sets of jury members. This all leads to wonderful classroom discussions about the nature of prejudice and justice. Is Justice blind? Do either of the texts imply an answer one way or the other? How would different would Monster be if Steve Harmon were on trial in the 1950's? These are just a few leading questions for students.

There are also similar themes in these two pieces such as justice, peer pressure and race. Both the main characters face evident peer pressure. Juror 8 in //12 Angry Men// is pressured to simply give a guilty verdict and end the whole case hastily. All the other jurors gave a verdict of guilty and thought it would be a simple decision. However, the 8th juror overcomes peer pressure and works his way through the evidence and facts regardless of the evident guilt of the boy on trial perceived by the other jurors. On the other hand, Steven Harmon is pressured by the characters in the outside world around him to participate in criminal activities. He is involved in two worlds, one at home with his family, young brother and film educator, and the world of gangsters and crime. The theme of justice is evident throughout the texts in the very setting and the idea of “innocent until proven guilty.” In //Monster,// Steven’s lawyer Kathy O’Brien, plays a particularly interesting role that can be compared and contrasted to Juror 8 in //12 Angry Men//. Both face the responsibility of not presuming guilt based on appearance. An obvious connection that can be made between the two pieces, is the format of the writings, both are drama texts. The classic //12 Angry Men// and young adult novel //Monster// have a lot of promise to provide many beneficial activities fit for a secondary classroom.

One such activity which would prove particularly compelling would be directly linking the books with a parallel reading of them. The class could use Steve's foray into script writing as a way to move into a reading of //12 Angry Men//, implying a natural link between the texts. Acting out the courtroom scenes in //Monster// and following them up with //12 Angry Men// makes the themes of both works more explicit to the reader. What this juxtaposition of the texts also allows is a more clear understanding of different dramatic elements in the scripted section of //Monster// and the entirety of //12 Angry Men.// Keep in mind, this is just one classroom activity that could be used for one specific scene in each work or used each day for the entirety of the unit.

**Research**

 * Rillero, Peter, and Helen Padgett. "Supporting Deep Conceptual Learning With Technology." //T.H.E Journal//. 15 Jan. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
 * In this article, the ability of students to demonstrate their understanding/knowledge of a particular topic by applying their understanding to new situations as well as writing and speaking about it is labeled “deep conceptual understanding.” It’s not actually a term invented by the author of this article but a term “introduced” by the administration and is a new addition to the Common Core State Standards for math and science. The article discusses different methods using technology teachers can use in order to promote this acquisition of deep conceptual understanding. One method is Discovery Learning. It focuses on virtual discover learning where students actively participate in things that they could not in a particular classroom setting. For example, ”video games” that immerse students in a simulated “real life” experience. (//This would require some sort of game or software in order for the students to participate. I would be cool if we could find some type of interactive game on the judicial system for our pairing project so that the students could “participate” in a “real” court case//.) Other methods are Deep Analogies (i.e. the human eye is like a camera), Multiple Representations, and Challenged-Based. Although the examples of activities are geared more toward math and science, we could also apply them to reading and writing.


 * Fortson, Kim. "Hacking the Classroom to Encourage Student Independence." //T.H.E Journal//. 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.
 * This article discusses the use of technology in a Shannon Putman’s classroom. She is a teacher who has found creative ways to incorporate technology into her teaching and the students are benefiting from it (this particular classroom is a special education classroom). She labels homework with QR codes. (This is a really great idea because if there is extra material she wants the students to take a look at, she can program the QR code to direct them to a website that provides directions or extra information.) She has a class website where she includes daily videos, homework assignments, and other important as well as fun class information/activities. (//This is something that could be very beneficial for students because it provides yet another source of materials for them to explore. Teachers can provide a lot of different exercises and activities that students can do while in school or at home. Also it is a great tool for review. We could cite information about the American Judicial System and provide activities. We could also cite the 12 Angry Men movie on the website. If we had students act out parts of the books, we could upload those videos on the class website. We could also have a class blog where students discuss their feelings about the cases.//) One of Putman’s main goals is preparing her students for the real world. She wants them to develop independent minds. She believes that by incorporating technology, students will learn independent problem solving skills and how to survive on their own (this is especially important in her case due to the fact that her students are special ed.)


 * Swenson, Janet, Carl A. Young, Ewa McGrail, Robert Rozema, and Phyllis Whitin. “Extending the Conversation: New Technologies, New Literacies, and English Education.” //English Education// 38.4. JSTOR. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.
 * A comprehensive look at new technologies and their possible effects on English education is the primary focus of this article. Moving from the current state of evolution in regards to education, texts, reading, and writers/writing the article discusses the various impacts of this multitude of evolutions. Seemingly innocuous facets of technology like audience diversity and document design are brought up. The best application of this article for our classrooms would be in understanding the use of technology from a more critical, theoretical focus. The article offers a comprehensive look at the development of our current understanding and from this we are able to jump to more practical concepts and prep them for a trial run in the classroom.


 * Maddix, Mark A. "Generating And Facilitating Effective Online Learning Through Discussion." Christian Education Journal 9.2 (2012): 372-385. Education Research Complete. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 90%;">This article focuses on using online discussion forums to encourage active participation online. The article includes a list of practices in generating and facilitating online discussion. The list includes: developing clear guidelines, managing online interaction on a daily basis, encouraging students to be committed to the online discussion, asking good questions that will elicit strong responses, and it even includes creating a forum for informal interactions. It notes the importance of fostering close relationships with students so they'll be motivated to learn outside of the classroom. The list also includes developing assignments that encourage collaborative learning, and creating a balance between student and faculty interaction. All these practices are important and should be kept in mind when maintaining online discussion forums.

=Process= <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">//Goal:// Complete Pairing Project Part 3 by 4/8

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">During Spring Break, start new Pairing Project 3 page. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">3/11 Right before class meet and discuss the template and the division of work. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Between 3/13~4/1 Meet together to put together mini-unit (Perhaps we can meet during cancelled class time on 4/3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">4/1-4/7 communicate through email to polish of part three. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">4/8 Pairing Project part 3 due