Promoting Reading Literacy Activity Using Spreadsheet Software Date: February 13, 2007

Activity Description: This activity will enable you to identify certain elements within the story that you have chosen to read. Elements such as scene changes, personifications, and resolutions within the story will be identified and by doing this exercise, you will be able to see the dynamics of the story as it is written. This activity allows you to reflect on the overview of how the story unfolds based on the analysis of the various elements. After meticilously gathering the various elements data, the student will access a spreadsheet software in a microcomputer. With a spreadsheet, the student will organized, label, record, and calculate the totals of each story element. In addition, the student will chart their data into a graphic display of bar graphs, column graphs or line graphs (which ever type they choose) and use them for their in-class presentation to the class. Students will have the opportunity to present their findings and discuss with the class their analysis of their data collected. A question and answer session will follow accordingly.

Content Standards: IRA 1.3, 1.5, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 2.13, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.7

Tesol: 1.a, 3.a, 3.b, 3.c, 4.c

Learning Objectives: The student will be able to learn how to

identify the number of scene changes, the number of personification, and the number of resolutions, the number of conflicts in the story
insert your data collected into an excel software spreadsheet
label and organize columns; obtain the totals for each column; calculate mean, median and mode
evaluate the results of your data
create a chart that will be used to support your findings
present your findings to the class
discussion with the class as closure

Sources: You will pick a story of your choice to read. Be resourceful. You can visit the library, pick up a good story from the bookstore, search the internet for other reliable stories.

Procedures:

First Week

1. The student will pick a story of their choice to read.

2. Read the story.

(Write down the following information from the story)

Second Week

3. The student will identify the number of scene changes in the story. (Mon.)

4. The student will identify the number of personification in the story. (Mon.)

5. The student will identify the number of resolutions in the story. (Mon.)

5. The student will identify the number of conflicts in the story. (Mon.)

6. The student will chart their data collected from 3,4, 5 & 6 in an excel worksheet or

spreadsheet. (Student will be working with a computer, using the excel program). (Tues.)

7. In addition, the student will prepare a graph of the data collected from 3, 4, 5, and 6. (Weds.)

8. The student will present their findings to the class. (See presentation) (Thurs & Fri.)

9. As closure, the class will discuss what they have learned from each story…etc…

(Open for discussion – relevant to this activity) (Rest of Friday’s class time)

Presentation: Your group will narrate to the class a short summary of the story that your group had read. Your group will present your excel data chart of information from the story as well as explain your graph to the class. Explain what conclusions have you found as a group based on the dynamic elements of how the story was written. Discuss any other findings that your group feels is/are interesting based on the stories development. Presentations should be kept to ten (10) minutes or less.

Feel free to consult me for any questions.

Instructional Materials:

1. Access to a computer excel program

2. 81/2 x 11 papers (to print excel worksheet)

(to print graph)

3. Your group may be creative at this point. Your group can use any material necessary to accomplish your presentation to the class. Consult with me if needed.

Evaluation:

Group Discussion/Participation 15 pts.

Excel Worksheet Data 10 pts.

Excel Graph of Data 10 pts.

Presentation 15 pts.

_______

50 pts. Total possible points for this activity

Story Element Descriptions

1. What is personification? It means to make something that isn't a person take on the qualities or personality of a person. It makes for fun stories. (You didn't think that the three little pigs really talked and built their own houses did you?)

Personification is also used sometimes to graphically describe something.
For example:

The wind howled.
The volcano belched smoke and ash.

A CONFLICT-- A Conflict is essential to plot. Without conflict there is no plot. It is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move. Conflict is not merely limited to open arguments, rather it is any form of opposition that faces the main character. Within a short story there may be only one central struggle, or there may be one dominant struggle with many minor ones.

There are two types of conflict:
1) External - A struggle with a force outside one's self.

2) Internal - A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.

There are four kinds of conflict:
1) Man vs. Man (physical) - The leading character struggles with his physical strength against other men, forces of nature, or animals.

2) Man vs. Circumstances (classical) - The leading character struggles against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/her.

3) Man vs. Society (social) - The leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people.

4) Man vs. Himself/Herself (psychological) - The leading character struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc.