Thrifting Twins Spare Expense Lesson Plan

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  CTE Standard(s) or benchmarks CTE-AATC.912.8209510.15.2 - Identify the skills required of a digital designer.

  Integrated benchmarks: ELA or Other:

  ELA.10.R.3.2 - Paraphrase content from grade-level texts.

  ELA.9.R.3.2 - Paraphrase content from grade-level texts.

  ELA.10.C.3.1 - Follow the rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling to appropriate grade level.

  ELA.9.C.3.1 - Follow the rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling to appropriate grade level.

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, “Thrifting Twins Spare Expense on Website.” See CPALMS resource ID#215742

• Career Connection

  
  

  In this lesson, students will be able learn skills about digital designer's writing (in the form of email correspondence), revise writing, collaborate with peers and allow for problem solving and perspective taking in this real-world scenario.

• Learning Objectives

  
  
  • Identify soft skills (interpersonal skills) to be employed by digital designers
  • Differentiate between various skills required in digital communication, focusing on appropriateness and standard English conventions
  • Paraphrase excerpts from a narrative
  • Engage in cooperative learning via face-to-face interaction with peers

• Prior Knowledge

  
  
  • Hard skills required by successful digital designers
  • Familiarity with the term “soft skills”
  • Understand how to paraphrase text.
  • Have a working knowledge of rules of standard English grammar, punctuation and capitalization, and spelling appropriate to grade level.
  • Identify in which circumstances email communication is appropriate (v. face-to-face, phone calls, texting, etc.).
  • Verbally participate in a group collaboration and idea exchange.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • How could Tu and Molly have been better prepared for Barry’s communication deficits?
  • Were Tu and Molly too hands-off with Barry? Did they give him too much freedom to communicate with their clients?
  • What could Tu and Molly have done differently in communicating with Barry about their clients?
  • What should Tu and Molly do to fix Barry’s mistakes, or should Barry fix them?
  • How can the three characters – Tu, Molly and Barry – communicate via email to help improve the situation and prevent future problems? Or, should they stop emailing and start talking?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. In a group discussion, ask students to consider the following questions and turn to their shoulder partner to share their thoughts:
     • In what situations in life are phone calls more appropriate than other communications methods?
     • When is email more appropriate for communication?
  2. Distribute the case study, "Thristing Twins Spare Expense on Website," see CPALMS ID 215742.
     • Direct students to pause after each paragraph and think about its central idea. Tell students that paraphrasing text excerpts (writing excerpts in their own words) will help them remember what’s occurring between the characters as they read through the story, which they will need to recall later as they role play with how the characters may interact later via email communication.
     • Discuss the guiding questions as a class during steps 3 and 4 as students paraphrase the central idea of each paragraph.
  3. Ask students to paraphrase (write in their own words) the central idea for each paragrpah on the attached Paraphrasing Soft Skills for Email Etiquette handout.
  4. In a whole class discussion format, ask students to volunteer to share their paraphrased main ideas of each paragraph. Check for agreement with the class by asking for “thumbs up” (agreement) or “thumbs down” (disagreement) or “sideways thumb” (unsure) after each summary is offered.
  5. Offer corrections to misunderstandings from step 3 (paraphrasing) before moving to the next paragraph. Review the main idea of each paragraph as a whole class discussion before moving on to the handout. Allow 15 minutes for this reading, paraphrasing and correcting (if necessary) activity.
  6. Next, move on to the next section of the paraphrasing / soft skills / email etiquette handout. Review with students the list of soft skills digital designers should have to be successful in the field of digital design. Ask the students to read the skills list and place a checkmark next to the ones with which they are familiar.
  7. Ask the whole class the questions below, and correct any misunderstandings as they arise. Check for understanding with the same “thumbs up” / “thumbs down” / “sideways thumb” as before.
     • Why are these particular skills on this list?
     • How can knowing these skills help a designer be more successful?
     • What skills do you think should be included on this list but aren’t?
     • Are there any skills on this list that you think are not important? Why?
  8. Complete sample 1 with students on the handout, explaining the thinking in how the answer was determined. Ask students what they notice about how the email was changed, and why they think those changes were made.
  9. Next, direct students to work in groups of 2 or 3 to complete the rest of the scenarios (numbers 3 -10). Advise the students that they can discuss the scenarios as a group, but each student should write their own responses on the handout. Allow 20 minutes for this activity.
  10. Ask students to designate 1 person in their small group to share the group’s strongest answers. Direct all students to make changes to their answers on the handout if they hear something they think is correct but that they didn’t include. Flow through each group until all activities on the handout are addressed.
  11. End the lesson by asking students to think about why it’s important that digital designers’ skills include how to communicate effectively and correctly. In a group discussion, ask students:
      • Why is communication an important skill for digital designers to have?
      • What are some of the possible consequences if digital designers do not communicate effectively?
      • How can digital designers improve their communication with people they work with? Where do they learn these skills?
  12. On an exit ticket, ask students to write one skill they will implement in their next email to a teacher and why that skill is important.

• Teacher Notes

  
  

  Due to the length of this lesson, teachers may wish to divide it into two sessions.