Exploring Character Dreams Through Setting Influence
Created byBecky Kreger
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Exploring Character Dreams Through Setting Influence

Grade 7English5 days
★★★★★
5.0 (1 rating)
In this 7th grade English project, students explore how the setting of a story impacts the main character's dreams, ambitions, and challenges. Through various activities, including analyzing stories, keeping reflection journals, and participating in discussions, students will learn to cite textual evidence and draw connections between literary analysis and personal experience. This project emphasizes comprehension, use of evidence, personal reflection, and communication skills, culminating in a formal essay. Students will also reflect on how understanding narrative settings can apply to real-life aspirations.
Character DevelopmentSetting InfluenceLiterary AnalysisTextual EvidencePersonal ReflectionDreams and AmbitionsCommunication Skills
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How does the story’s setting influence the main character's dreams, ambitions, and challenges, and how can we apply these insights to our own lives and aspirations?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • How does the setting influence the main character's dreams in the story?
  • In what ways can the setting of a story impact a character's ambitions and challenges?
  • How can understanding the influence of setting on a character's dreams enhance our interpretation of the text?
  • How can we relate the influence of setting on a character's dreams to our own lives and aspirations?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Students will analyze how the setting influences the main character's dreams, ambitions, and challenges in a chosen story.
  • Students will be able to cite evidence from the text to support their analysis of the setting's impact on the character.
  • Students will relate their understanding of the influence of setting on a character to their own lives and aspirations.
  • Students will participate in discussions to share insights and support their ideas with textual evidence.
  • Students will develop written responses that explain their analysis and personal reflections.

Common Core Standards

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3
Primary
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).Reason: The project focuses on analyzing how the setting influences the main character’s dreams, directly requiring students to examine how the setting, an essential element of a story, shapes the character and potentially the plot.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1
Primary
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.Reason: Students will need to cite evidence from the text to support their analysis of how the setting influences the main character's dreams and ambitions.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2
Secondary
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.Reason: Students might present their analysis and personal reflections in a written format, explaining how the setting impacts the main character and relating it to their own lives.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1
Supporting
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.Reason: The project may involve discussion as students engage with the text and express their understanding of setting influence, promoting collaborative learning experiences.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

Dream Map Journey

Invite students to a virtual map tour where they explore different settings from popular stories and analyze how these environments influence main characters' dreams. As they journey through each setting, they'll be asked to envision how these places might impact their dreams, establishing an authentic connection with the project goal.

Escape Room: Dreamscape

Create an escape room experience where students solve puzzles themed around different literary settings and their effects on characters' dreams. This hands-on activity encourages students to think critically about setting and character development.

Interactive Dream Diary

Initiate the project with a dream diary activity where students record their dreams over a week and reflect on how their daily environments might be influencing them. Tying personal experiences with literary examples encourages authentic connection to the project's objectives.

Dream Connection Podcast

Host a podcast episode with a psychologist discussing the impact of environment on dreams. Follow this with an interactive session where students share personal experiences about how their dreams have been influenced by their own settings, sparking curiosity and inquiry into the project goals.

Dreamscape Art Gallery Walk

Transform the classroom into an art gallery where each piece represents a different literary setting and its influence on the character's dreams. Students can move through the gallery, discussing and reflecting on how similar settings might shape their own dreams, thus linking directly to their personal experiences.
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Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

Setting Influences Analyzer

In this activity, students will begin by exploring how the setting in a chosen story shapes the main character's dreams. They'll focus on identifying the link between the setting and the character's development using various story elements. This lays the foundation for understanding story interactions.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Select a story and read it closely, focusing on descriptions of the setting and the main character's dreams.
2. Identify key passages that describe the setting and brainstorm how this setting might influence the main character's aspirations and challenges.
3. Use a graphic organizer to analyze the interaction between the setting and the character's dreams, noting specific examples.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA completed graphic organizer showing how the setting influences the character's dreams in the story.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3 by focusing on how story elements interact.
Activity 2

Textual Evidence Detective

Students will practice supporting their analyses with textual evidence by gathering examples that show how the setting influences the main character's dreams. This helps them to develop an argument-based approach to literary analysis.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Reread the identified key passages from the story.
2. Extract and annotate quotes that highlight the setting’s role in shaping the character’s dreams.
3. Organize the quotes in a chart, linking each piece of evidence to the character’s dreams and the setting itself.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA chart containing annotated quotes supporting the analysis of setting influence.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1 by requiring students to cite textual evidence.
Activity 3

Dream Reflection Journal

Students will reflect on their own lives by keeping a journal about how their environment influences their dreams and aspirations. This personal reflection connects to the literary analysis previously developed.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Reflect on personal dreams and aspirations, considering the impact of the immediate environment (home, school, community).
2. Write daily entries that connect personal experiences with the concepts from the chosen story.
3. Use insights from the journal to draw parallels between the student’s personal setting and that of the character in the story.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA personal journal connecting personal aspirations with one's environment and the literary setting studied.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsSupports CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2 through explanatory writing linking text analysis to personal experience.
Activity 4

Collaborative Discussion Circle

In this activity, students will engage in structured discussions about their findings on the character's dreams and their connection to the setting. Through peer interaction, students solidify their understanding and learn to appreciate diverse perspectives.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Partner with classmates to form small discussion circles.
2. Each student presents their analysis and personal reflections, using evidence from their chart and journal.
3. Engage in a collaborative discussion, asking questions and providing feedback to peers.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA peer review sheet with feedback and new insights gathered during the discussion.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1 by promoting collaborative discussion and effective communication.
Activity 5

Dream Analysis Essay

This culminating writing task requires students to synthesize their analysis and personal reflections into a cohesive essay. They will articulate how the setting influenced the character's dreams and draw comparisons to their own experiences.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Outline the essay by organizing insights from the graphic organizer, chart, and journal.
2. Draft the essay, integrating textual evidence to support claims about the influence of the setting on the character.
3. Write a conclusion connecting the literary analysis to personal reflections on how their own setting influences their dreams.
4. Edit and revise the essay for clarity, coherence, and grammatical accuracy.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA polished essay analyzing literary setting influence on dreams and connecting it to personal insights.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsSupports CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2 by writing an informative text and connects to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3 and RL.7.1 through analysis and evidence use.
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Setting Influence and Personal Reflection Rubric

Category 1

Comprehension and Analysis

Evaluates understanding of how the setting influences the character's dreams and how this is articulated in analysis.
Criterion 1

Insight of Analysis

Measures the depth of understanding shown in analyzing the connection between setting and character's dreams.

Exemplary
4 Points

Provides detailed and nuanced analysis of how the setting intricately shapes the character's dreams, demonstrating sophisticated understanding.

Proficient
3 Points

Delivers clear and well-reasoned analysis on the impact of the setting on the character's dreams, showing thorough understanding.

Developing
2 Points

Presents basic analysis of the setting's influence on character's dreams, indicating partial understanding.

Beginning
1 Points

Attempts analysis but lacks clarity or depth about the effect of the setting on the character's dreams, showing initial understanding.

Criterion 2

Use of Textual Evidence

Assesses the ability to integrate and cite evidence from the story to support analysis.

Exemplary
4 Points

Incorporates diverse and pertinent pieces of textual evidence seamlessly to bolster the analysis.

Proficient
3 Points

Uses relevant textual evidence effectively to support the analysis, with clear citations.

Developing
2 Points

Includes some textual evidence, though not all is relevant or well-integrated.

Beginning
1 Points

Provides minimal or inappropriate textual evidence with weak connection to analysis.

Criterion 3

Personal Reflection and Connection

Examines how students draw parallels between literary analysis and their personal contexts.

Exemplary
4 Points

Insightfully connects personal experiences with literature analysis, demonstrating profound reflection.

Proficient
3 Points

Clearly relates personal experiences to literary analysis, showing meaningful reflection.

Developing
2 Points

Attempts to link personal experiences to literary analysis, with limited reflection.

Beginning
1 Points

Shows minimal effort to connect personal experiences with literary analysis.

Category 2

Collaboration and Communication

Assesses students' ability to engage effectively in discussion and communication with peers.
Criterion 1

Participation in Discussion

Evaluates involvement and contribution in collaborative discussions.

Exemplary
4 Points

Leads discussions with insightful contributions, posing questions and addressing ideas constructively.

Proficient
3 Points

Participates actively by contributing relevant ideas and responding to peers’ comments.

Developing
2 Points

Participates occasionally in discussion, sharing some relevant ideas but passive at times.

Beginning
1 Points

Rarely engages in discussion with limited contributions or interaction.

Criterion 2

Clarity of Communication

Assesses the clarity and coherence of spoken and written communication.

Exemplary
4 Points

Communicates with exceptional clarity and coherence, both verbally and in written form, enhancing understanding.

Proficient
3 Points

Conveys ideas clearly and coherently, with minimal errors, in both spoken and written forms.

Developing
2 Points

Communicates ideas with some clarity, occasionally encountering coherence issues.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to communicate clearly, often showing lack of coherence in ideas or delivery.

Category 3

Writing and Composition

Evaluates quality and coherence in written analysis and reflections.
Criterion 1

Structure and Organization

Assesses logical flow and coherence in writing, including the structuring of ideas.

Exemplary
4 Points

Features logical, coherent structure throughout the writing, with seamless flow and organization of ideas.

Proficient
3 Points

Demonstrates clear structure and logical organization of ideas, with few errors.

Developing
2 Points

Exhibits some structure and organization but with noticeable lapses that affect clarity.

Beginning
1 Points

Lacks clear structure and organization, making communication difficult to follow.

Criterion 2

Language Use and Conventions

Analyzes use of language including grammar, punctuation, and style in writing.

Exemplary
4 Points

Uses advanced language with precision and variety, showing mastery of conventions with no errors.

Proficient
3 Points

Employs clear, precise language with few errors, demonstrating control of conventions.

Developing
2 Points

Demonstrates basic language skills with some errors affecting clarity.

Beginning
1 Points

Shows limited language skills, with frequent errors that obscure meaning.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

Reflect on the chosen story and describe how the setting influenced the main character's dreams. What specific aspects of the setting played a crucial role?

Text
Required
Question 2

On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel about your ability to analyze the influence of a story's setting on a character's development and dreams? Please explain your choice.

Scale
Required
Question 3

What challenges did you face when trying to connect the literary analysis of the story to your personal experiences and environment?

Text
Optional
Question 4

How has your understanding of the impact of setting on dreams and aspirations changed through this project?

Text
Required
Question 5

Choose one of the following statements that best reflects your experience with the entry events:

Multiple choice
Optional
Options
The entry events helped me better understand the project's goals and made the topic more engaging.
The entry events were interesting but didn't significantly influence my understanding of the project's goals.
I found the entry events confusing and not very helpful in understanding the project's objectives.