Voice of Witness

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TEACHERS

We are currently developing this page into a resource for teachers interested in using the Voice of Witness series in the classroom. Please check back often as we are continually developing lesson plans and other companion materials.

NEW LESSON PLANS

Lisa Morehouse has created two new sets of lesson plans. One for Surviving Justice and one for Voices from the Storm.

The Voices from the Storm lesson plan was tested in Cheryl Nelson's 10th grade English classes at Balboa High School in San Francisco. Please feel free to download the entire lesson plan here, or browse it below.

DAY ONE

Note to Teachers

A. Day 1 Lesson
B. Talk to the Text
C. Metacognitive Reflections Worksheet
D. Warm-up Day 1
E. 4 Corners Signs
F. Expert Group Worksheet
G. Model for Presentation Chart Paper

DAY TWO

A. Day 2 Lesson
B. Warm-up Day 2
C. Presentation Note Taker
D. Homework Day 2

DAY THREE

A. Day 3 Lesson
B. Warm-up Day 3
C. Jigsaw Group Worksheet
D. Homework Day 3

DAY FOUR

A. Day 4 Lesson
B. Persuasive Letter Assignment
C. Persuasive Writing Rubric
D. Business Letter Format (pdf)
E. Persuasive Letter Outline

DAY FIVE

A. Note to Teachers
B. Reader Response Sheet

Also developed by Lisa Morehouse, the following Surviving Justice-based plan is available for download here, or for browsing below.

DAY ONE

Note to Teachers

A. Day 1 Lesson
B. Scenario Worksheet Warm-Up
C. Questionnaire Day 1
D. Centers Worksheet
E. Talk to the Text
F. Metacognitive Reflections Worksheet

DAY TWO

A. Day 2 (Day 3 of week-long course) Plans
B. Peer Problem Solving Worksheet
C. SJ Exoneree Worksheet
D. Model Exoneree Chart
E. Talk to the Text
F. Day 2/Day 3 Homework

DAY THREE

A. Day 3 (Day 4 of week-long course) Plans
B. Presentation Notetaker
C. Fishbowl Questions
D. Fishbowl Scorekeeping Rules
E. Day 3 Homework

DAY FOUR

A. Day 4 (Day 5 of week-long course) Plans
B. Stand Up Sit Down Statements
C. Know Your Rights Card (pdf)

Oral history lesson plan

Our first lesson plan was developed by Lisa Morehouse, an amazing teacher with a great deal of experience in teaching oral history techniques to high school students. This lesson plan provides the framework for teachers interested in conducting an oral history project with their students.

Here is the lesson plan, in its entirety [zip file]. It includes the following sections:

1. Note to Teachers
2. Teaching Questions for Interviews
3. Oral History Unit Assignment
4. Oral History Check List
5. Planning Sheet
6. Preparing Transcript
7. Reading for Follow-Up Questions
8. Editing Your Transcript
9. Creating an Oral History
10. Final Stages
11. Reflection

Lisa will be polishing this lesson plan in the coming weeks. If you have any questions or would like help in implementing this plan, please feel free to contact us.

News Updates:

6/6/2007: New lesson plans for Surviving Justice and Voices from the Storm are online now .

1/11/2007: All donations made to VoW are now tax-deductible. To support our organization, please click here.

1/10/2007: Voice of Witness is now a member of the Intersection Incubator. Click here for more information.

12/20/06: The New Orleans Times-Picayune calls Voices From the Storm "a powerful book with a clear agenda that draws its strengths from the real voices of real New Orleanians." Read the whole review here.

12/15/2006: VoW Series Editor Dave Eggers was interviewed by Rachel Maddow for her show on Air America.

12/05/06: VoW Editor Chris Ying has posted an article about Voices From The Storm for The Huffington Post.

11/6/06: The second book in the Voice of Witness series, Voices from the Storm: The People of New Orleans on Hurricane Katrina and Its Aftermath, is now available.

11/6/06: A new paperback edition of Surviving Justice is now available.