�Quiet as a Mouse�

by AnnaMarie Head

Purpose: The purpose of this mini-lesson is to allow students real experience as to the effects of a quiet room while reading as opposed to a noisy room while attempting to work.� Students should gain the understanding that they are to help keep the classroom relatively quiet during Reader�s Workshop so that every student can work well and effectively.

Materials: Students, Tweetsie whistle, kitchen timer (the school clock will work if you stick by it), overhead and markers or blackboard with chalk, and two interesting sections, one each, from the books: The Giver by Lowis Lowry and The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (to be chosen at the teacher�s discretion).

Total Time: �� ~ 35 minutes

�� Discussion and Teacher Instruction ~ 15 minutes

�� Instruction and Group Experience ~ 15 minutes

�� Journaling ~ 5 minutes

Objectives: �� NCSCOS: 6^th, 7^th, 8^th grade Competency Goal 2.02: �Explore informational materials that are read, heard, and/or viewed by monitoring comprehension.�

�� NCTE: Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

Responsiveness: As part of their developmental stages, young adolescents tend be egocentric and generally have a difficult time putting themselves in others� shoes.� This mini-lesson allows each student the chance to see what it is like to be in �the other person�s shoes.�� Instead of lecturing or insisting on a quiet room without any reason why, students will get to experience why a quiet room is important by experiencing both aspects themselves.

Yearly Fit: This mini-lesson is a wonderful lesson to do in the beginning of the year when you are establishing your rules and procedures in the classroom.

Script: Good afternoon!� As you know one of the rules in Reader�s Workshop is for every student to maintain and foster a quiet atmosphere in the classroom.� Why do you think this is one of my rules?� (Choose five students to call on individually to explain why this might be.� When necessary [e.g. student gives a one-word answer or expects a phrase to explain what he/she is thinking] ask students to go into more detail as to what they mean.� Shortened possible answers to this question might be: so the teacher and students can concentrate and because a quiet room makes it easier to teach.)� Those were all reasonable answers.� How well would some of you be able to read if everyone was talking in their normal voices?� (Ask five other students, acknowledge their answers and move on to the next student.)�

At this point in time we are going to split up into two groups.� (Teacher divides class in half.)� Speaking to Group A: You will be reading an excerpt from The Giver.� I want you to take notes and be familiar with what is taking place; you will have five minutes once I blow the whistle.� When I blow the whistle after five minutes, look up and wait for my directions.� Speaking to Group B: What is something that happened last night that y�all want to talk about?� (Subjects related to possible answers: the basketball game, TV show, etc.)� Once I blow the whistle, I want you to talk about it within this group for five minutes, however, as soon as I blow the whistle again, you are to get quiet immediately.� (Blow whistle, and then circle among groups keeping them on track.� Once five minutes is up, blow the whistle again.� The roles among the students will now be switched.)� Speaking to Group A: What is something that happened last night that y�all want to talk about?� (Subjects related to possible answers: the basketball game, TV show, etc.)� Once I blow the whistle, I want you to talk about it within this group for five minutes, however, as soon as I blow the whistle again, you are to get quiet immediately.� Speaking to Group B: You will be reading an excerpt from The Outsiders.� I want you to take notes and be familiar with what is taking place; you will have five minutes once I blow the whistle.� When I blow the whistle after five minutes, look up and wait for my directions. (Blow the whistle, circle for five minutes, and then blow the whistle again.)�

I want to hear from several people from both the A and the B group about how well you were able to concentrate and comprehend what you were reading.� (Call on students if needed.� Encourage students to discuss these in depth.� Write down student answers either on the board or on the overhead.� When the discussion has faded, reiterate what students have said.)� I know that some of you actually work better when you have noise in the background, however, for the purposes of Reader�s Workshop, you are responsible to maintain a quiet atmosphere in the room.�

There will be times when you conference with each other about books you have read.� When this is the case, there are conferencing areas I want you to stay in. �(Possible areas for conferencing: a corner of the classroom or in the hall close to the classroom.)� There will also be times when I conference with you on an individual basis.� When those times come, you will join me at the round table.� Whenever a conference is taking place, whether you are having a conference with me or another student, you are to use 12-inch voices.� (Lower voice to 12-inch voice) and then say: When you are working in groups there is no reason to get any louder than this because even now you can hear me well and my voice is not raised.

I realize that everyone did not get to share his/her opinion.� Please get out your journals; you will be writing in response to several questions: In what kind of atmosphere do you work best?� What do you think are the pros to maintaining a quiet room during Reader�s Workshop?� Cons?� Is there anything else you would like to say concerning maintaining a quiet atmosphere in Reader�s Workshop?� (Allow five minutes of journaling time.)� Y�all did a great job today.� Thank you for following my directions and please keep your responsibilities in mind when we begin Reader�s Workshop.