Message from mmoody

Samurai Warriors: A Historical and Cultural Evaluation

Target Students

This unit is designed to motivate below-grade-level ninth and tenth grade readers, who test below the 20th percentile on California state exams, to find excitement, pleasure, and value in reading, writing, forms of multimedia and cultural studies. This population of students are what are considered CAP students, meaning they were the overflow of numerous other, inner city, high schools in LA Unified. Because of this, they represent a relatively low socio-economic class, as documented by Title I reports, and one who primarily speaks a language other than English at home. Many of the parents of these children work two and three jobs to support a large family living in cramped spaces. Many do not have time to spend monitoring their child’s education, let alone bring them to bookstores, libraries or museums. Most have difficulty contacting teachers, and numbers are always low for parent-teacher conferences.

However, despite the hardships that these students face, many of whom travel more than an hour via bus to school, they manage to make an impressive commitment to learning how to read and write at grade level. Because of this, they are extremely motivated in class and participate widely in reading at home. Yet, so much of their prescripted curriculum is word study, fluency builders and bookwork that they have trouble sustaining this dedication. Therefore, there is great need for more interactive and technologically based lessons that incorporate all the strands of their Language! program, a phonics based reading curriculum.

Unit Overview

This unit is a research-based, multi-cultural project that uses multimedia to stimulate narrative, expository, creative and persuasive writing, while working to improve student proficiency in reading and use of technology. Targeting students who fall below basic on state assessments of reading and language arts, this project will work to stimulate student interest in reading and acknowledgement of the great necessity for literacy, by transforming technology commonly used for entertainment into a medium for reading, discussion, evaluation and writing. While based upon something students do not consider rigorous activity, the work surrounding this project will be. Students will face challenging text, and be asked to synthesize their knowledge and understanding of multiple sources into critical discussions and writings.

In this unit students will research the history of the samurai in Japan and use that background knowledge to critique the teen rated video game Samurai Warriors by KOEI Co., ltd. Using a web site that I’ve created, students will read historical text, primary source documents, and game related materials. They will first complete a research project on both the samurai and Japan. Presenting these projects to the class, students will work on public speaking skills and further develop their background knowledge. From this point, students will research the game, its creation and connection to historical figures, costumes and events. Having thus acquired this information, students will read about game play and experiment with characters, battles, and game levels. The real connections between history, culture and game begin when students create their own warrior and play through the trainings, trials, and then ultimate test in order to be accepted into a warrior clan.

Throughout this process students will use strategies of prediction, summarization, and evaluation. As well, students will develop their reading and vocabulary by identifying word meanings through focus on affixes, roots, syntax and context clues. They will compose their predictions through creative, narrative writing and then analyze their work using expository writing. Determining whether or not their predictions supercede the game screen text, students will work on persuasive paragraphs.

Throughout the unit, students will participate in a web-based discussion forum and follow the six traits of effective writing as well as the revision process to create material for uploading to a class web page.

This unit will culminate with a final assessment. Students will compose either an expository or persuasive essay to post to the class’s web page. These essays will focus on the game’s ability to teach its audience about samurai and Japan. Some may also focus on the game’s ability to serve as a reading tool, and the ways in which it could be.

The following multi-media skills will be taught and assessed: Internet navigation, keyboarding and word processing, and basic web page design.

State Standards Addressed (In Standard Order)

2.0 Reading Comprehension (Focus on Informational Materials)
2.3 Generate relevant questions about readings on issues that can be researched.
2.4 Synthesize the content from several sources dealing with a single issue; paraphrase the ideas and connect them to other sources and related topics to demonstrate comprehension.
2.5 Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original analysis, evaluation, and elaboration.
2.6 Demonstrate use of sophisticated learning tools by following technical directions (e.g., those found with graphic calculators and specialized software programs and in access guides to World Wide Web sites on the Internet).
2.7 Critique the logic of functional documents by examining the sequence of information and procedures in anticipation of possible reader misunderstandings.
3.2 Compare and contrast the presentation of a particular theme or topic across genres to explain how the selection of genre shapes the theme or topic.
3.12 Analyze the way in which a work of literature is related to the themes and issues of its historical time period. (Historical approach)

1.0 Writing Strategies
1.1 Establish a controlling impression or coherent thesis that conveys a clear and distinctive perspective on the subject and maintain a consistent tone and focus throughout the piece of writing.
1.2 Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, appropriate modifiers, and the active rather than passive voice.
1.3 Use clear research questions and suitable research methods.
1.4 Develop the main ideas within the body of the composition through supporting evidence.
1.5 Synthesize information from multiple sources and identify complexities and discrepancies in the information and the different perspectives found in each medium.
1.6 Integrate quotations and citations into a written text maintaining the flow of ideas.
1.7 Use appropriate conventions for documentation in the text, notes and bibliographies by adhering to those in style manuals.
1.8 Design and publish documents using advanced publishing software and graphic programs.
1.9 Revise writing to improve the logic and coherence of the organization and controlling perspective, the precision of word choice, and the tome by taking into consideration the audience, purpose, and formality of the context.

2.0 Writing Applications
2.2 b. Support important ideas and viewpoints through accurate and detailed references to the text or other works.
2.3 Write expository compositions, including analytical essays and research reports.
2.4 Write persuasive compositions.
2.5 Write business letters.
2.6 Write technical documents.

Written and Oral Language Conventions
1.2 Understand sentence construction.
1.3 Demonstrate an understanding of proper English usage and control of grammar, paragraph and sentence structure, diction, and syntax.
1.4 Produce legible work that shows accurate spelling and correct use of the conventions of punctuation and capitalization.
1.5 Reflect appropriate manuscript requirements, including title page presentation, pagination, spacing and margins, and integration of source and support material.

Listening and Speaking
1.1 Formulate judgments about the ideas under discussion and support those judgments with convincing evidence.
1.2 Compare and contrast the ways in which media genres cover the same event.
1.3 Choose logical patterns of organization to inform and to persuade, by soliciting agreement or action, or to unite audiences behind a common belief or cause.
1.4 Choose appropriate techniques for developing the introduction and conclusion.
1.5 Recognize and use elements of classical speech forms in formulating rational arguments and applying the art of persuasion and debate.
1.6 Present and advance a clear thesis statement and choose appropriate types of proof that meet standard tests for evidence, including credibility, validity, and relevance.
1.7 Use props, visual aids, graphs, and electronic media to enhance the appeal and accuracy of presentations.
1.8 Produce concise notes for extemporaneous delivery.
1.9 Analyze the occasion and interests of the audience and choose effective verbal and nonverbal techniques.

2.0 Speaking Applications and Their Genres
2.1 Deliver narrative presentations.
2.2 Deliver expository presentations.
2.3 Apply appropriate interviewing techniques.
2.5 Deliver persuasive arguments.
2.6 Deliver descriptive presentations.