Lesson Plan form for  Paul Rombough/
Chateauguay Valley High School     (Tower University Grade 8 Site)
Date:     March 30th 
Class:          English double periods 3 and 4
Objective:   To search for external conflicts in a short story, and to prepare an outline for an original s.s. with external conflicts.
Materials:   drawings for overhead, along with the vocabulary sheet
Opening Motivational Set:   *
Procedure:
Period 3

1.  Silent Reading for 15-20 minutes.
2.  Review of "conflict" using the story "Uneasy Homecoming" as a review of internal, external.

3.  *   Vocabulary Lesson using drawings to discuss orbits and the physics of falling.

4.  Oral Reading of the story Maelstrom II  , by Arthur C. Clark, in series "More Strawberries.

5.  Students answer questions, with partners, as prep for next period

Period 4

1.  Taking up questions on story Maelstrom II, focussing on internal and external conflicts (against nature, the unknown, and technology)

2.  In groups of 3-4, students brainstorm suggestions for plot elements required to extend each of the students' descriptive paragraphs (worked on in P.S.D.;  of a calm place)  into a story with an an external conflict against either nature, the unknown, or technology.  Discuss plot beginning and two or three events.  Discuss whether there are any internal conflicts.

3.  Silent writing of a 500 word plus story, until 5-10 minutes before end of class.  Orally recount some of the ideas going around
Followup/ Evaluation:  next class we edit stories, then choose which of our three we will stretch to 1000 words.


Conflict review asking questions of "uneasy homecoming"
 1.Individual against another individual?  (yes...against robber)

  2.Individual against society (many people),
        against accepted ways of thinking and behaving.  (?...she shouldn't be scared, she thought?

  3.Conflict with oneself  struggling to make a difficult choice or to experience change.  (yes...against her own fear)

  4.Conflict with nature (ex. storm)  (?...against night)

  5.Conflict with the unknown (ex: fate, magic, death, or God).  (?...darkness)

  6.Conflict with machines?  (not really against motorcycle)

Which conflict do you think is central to the real meaning of this story?
Which conflict helps build suspense the most?


Maelstrom II, by Arthur C. Clark

Vocabulary
(those words with a * should be copied into your vocabulary section for the next test)


Falling -  being pulled toward a source of gravity.
Orbit -    moving and falling such that you miss the source of gravity.
Apogee -   the height of your orbit when you start to fall back
Perigee -   the lowest part of your orbit when you pass closest to the source.
g - force -  the pull on your body of the gravity
maelstrom -   a whirlpool that pulls one toward the centre.

*reprieve -  a postpone of a punishment.  letting one off temporarily.
*appeal -     a request to change the judgement against you
catapult -    a machine used to throw another object
*inanimate -   a  thing that is not alive.
*incongruous -  out of place, absurd, not normal for that place
*irony -     when an event is unexpected or ill-timed.
*abyss -     a bottomless hole.  the chaos of a bottomless chasm.


Focus and Exploratory Questions on
Maelstrom II by Arthur C. Clark:
Please answer questions on a separate sheet of paper.
Note form is permitted, though explanations must be clear sentences.

1.  Explain the line:  "human judges can show mercy, but against the laws of nature there was no appeal."
2.  Explain what technological "problems" began the story's plot changes.  (p125)
3.  Explain the paragraph which starts, "There was a bitter irony..." (p 127)
4.  Is there an inner conflict of Leyland with himself in this story?
5.  Is there an external conflict between human and technology?  Explain.
6.  Is there an external conflict with nature? Explain.
7.  Is there an external conflict with the unknown?  Explain.
8.  Explain why Leyland finds his situation "familiar" on page 134.
9.  Find the simile on page 135 that describes the approaching moon.  Is it a good simile?  Explain.

10.  List the parts of the story which made you feel:

(Tower University Grade 8 Site)