What I Have Learned, What I Have Taught: A Reflection
Young Adult Literature and the History of Slavery Unit
By Rick Vanderwall

Overview

Following the completion of the collaboration activities, the older students are asked to reflect on what they have learned about the history of slavery in an essay. Additionally, they are asked to consider what effect the teaching of the history of slavery affected what they have learned and what the younger students learned.

Student Objectives

Students will write a reflective paper that answers the following:

1. What have I learned about the history of slavery?
2. How has teaching affected what I learned?
3. What have I taught younger students?

Skills Attained

Students will be able to:

• Summarize a classroom experience.
• Qualitatively analyze a learning/teaching experience.

Materials Needed

• Assignment Instruction Sheet
• Peer Response Activity Sheet
• Draft Conference Checklist

The Lesson

Anticipatory Set

• Open a discussion by asking students what they knew about slavery before the unit began. Follow up by asking, "What have you learned?"

Procedures

1. Pass out the Assignment Sheet (below).
2. Go over assignment with students and set a due date for a draft.
3. On the due date of the draft, do the Peer Response Activity (below) and Draft Conference Checklist (below) with teacher.
4. Collect and assess papers on the given due date.

Assessment

To grade students’ work, use the rubric below:

Grading Element		Points (out of 100 total)
Rough draft completion		25
Peer Response Activity		10
Draft Conference Checklist		5
Activity	Grading Element
Final Draft	Ideas	10
	Sentence Fluency	10
	Word Choice	10
	Organization	10
	Presentation	10
	Mechanics	10

Rick Vanderwall teaches Sixth Grade Language Arts and Social Studies at Price Laboratory School at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Return to the main unit page.

Write an essay that covers in as much detail as possible the following:

• What have I learned about the history of slavery?
• How has teaching affected what I learned?
• What have I taught younger students?

This process will begin with a rough draft that will be due on ________________. On that date, we will do a peer response exercise followed by a draft conference with your teacher. At the conclusion of those activities, a due date for the final paper will be set.

Step One: Attach a piece of blank paper to your draft and place it in the pile with all of the other drafts. Wait for the teacher to start the activity.

Step Two: Select a draft, other than your own, from the pile. Read the paper, noting types of mechanical errors and possible suggestions for improving the content. List the types of mechanical errors you noted and write a brief paragraph detailing your suggestions for improving the essay. Close with a comment of what you felt was positive about the essay. Be sure to sign your name to your comments.

Step Three: Repeat Step Two at least three times.

Step Four: Following the completion of the process, pick up your draft and read the comments. Make a list of the suggestions you feel are helpful. Search for the listed mechanical errors.

Name of Student_________________________________________________________

Date ____________________________________________

Period____________

Average of points_______

Instructions: Discuss the following grading elements and rate on the five-point scale, with one being the lowest and five being the highest.

1. Completion of draft on time:  1    2    3    4    5
   
   Comments:



2. Peer Response:
   
   
   1. Response to others:  1    2    3    4    5
   
   
   
   2. List of helpful suggestions:  1    2    3    4    5
   
   
   
   3. Identified mechanical errors:  1    2    3    4    5
   
   
   Comments:
   
   
3. Teacher response:
   
   
   1. Ideas:   1    2    3    4    5
      
      Comments:
      
      
   2. Sentence Fluency:   1    2    3    4    5
      
      Comments:
      
      
   3. Voice:   1    2    3    4    5
      
      Comments:
      
      
   4. Word Choice:   1    2    3    4    5
      
      Comments:
      
      
   5. Organization:   1    2    3    4    5
      
      Comments:
      
      
   6. Presentation:   1    2    3    4    5
      
      Comments:
      
      
   7. Mechanics:   1    2    3    4    5
      
      Comments: