Answer

1. • Education Theories

     EDUCATION THEORIES

     PART 1: LESSON PLANS

     LESSON PLAN 1

     Strand: Language

     Lesson Objectives

     • To enhance effective communication and speaking skills in diverse situations, and enable students increase proficiency in articulate and properly-organized writing.
     • To increase comprehension of the spoken languages in different learning situations
     • To engage diverse students in learning processes and stay current on academic content
     • To enable students assess their individual learning skills, display adequate knowledge and skills, and develop their classroom life.
     • To increase classroom competence
     • To establish stringent reading skills
     • To boost students’ understanding of classroom coursework material

     Category	Strand Units	Teaching Approaches
     EAD/L students	Conversation analysis Language acquisition Language acquisition Linguistics	Enabling the culture of unity in classroom to allow students with difficulties approach teachers for easier identification of the unique needs Using visual materials to enhance brainstorming of relevant topic-specific vocabulary and abstract concepts Supporting the use of prior knowledge to support vocabulary understanding among students Providing home language versions of texts and videos to students Supporting students to research and gather reliable information presented in easier languages
     Indigenous students		Implementing a language program to boost the knowledge and proficiency of  local students Interactive learning to advance confidence and identity Supporting a shared language culture to embed the locals within the school community Understanding the cultural aspects and needs and relating examples to the unique environments and communities Introducing programs that relate classwork content to actual life and working around the limitations of their parents Using story telling with visuals in classroom context to allow students learn better Staying awareness of the greater sense of autonomy
     Disabled and Gifted Backgrounds		Enabling the culture of unity in classroom to allow students with difficulties approach teachers for easier identification of the unique needs Allowing students to read in portions Teaching students how to break complex texts into pieces for easier digestion Teaching using shorter segments to allow students to retain useful information from class materials Introducing consultation sessions to build confidence among disabled students Allowing students to guide their individual reading Implementing more reading activities into class coursework to enhance vocabulary, writing skills, problem solving, concentration, and overall cognitive development Introducing team work and discussions to help weak students establish a robust foundation for future learning

      

     LESSON PLAN 2

     Strand: Literacy

     Learning Objectives:

     • To sharpen a student’s comprehension
     • To elevate writing skills and overall proficiency in communication
     • To improve clear communication
     • To target key concepts of literacy learning
     • To maximize on the opportunities to develop content knowledge
     • To build phonemic awareness, fluency, and vocabulary articulation
     • To meet the diverse learning needs of students
     • To inform teaching and mastery of classroom content

     Category	Teaching Approaches
     EADL students	Enabling the culture of unity in classroom to allow students with difficulties approach teachers for easier identification of the unique needs Using ongoing assessment for the analysis and identification of student learning needs Annotating and highlight text Teaching students to underline valuable information while reading Introducing visualization to bridge academic concepts to actual life scenarios through visual and practical learning experiences Taking notes on student pages to enhance comprehension Helping students to write down critical questions to receive further explanation of new concepts or words
     Indigenous Students	Personalizing the classroom content to suit diverse student needs Connecting school learning materials with student lives Introducing group work to enhance text articulation and comprehension Practicing problem solving skills at classroom level Blending real-world problem solving skills into classroom curriculum Organizing students into group works to boost their level of understanding concepts
     Disabled and Gifted Backgrounds	Enabling the culture of unity in classroom to allow students with difficulties approach teachers for easier identification of the unique needs Incorporating more senses in reading Adding in activities to reinforce and improve learning and comprehension Constantly reminding students to read with a pencil and annotate important text Introducing projectors to guide sessions and writing down questions for the visual learners Setting reading goals for students to build their reading skills Staying mindful of how students are improving by day Helping students work on their weaknesses and focus on the difficult English tasks

      

     LESSON PLAN 3

     Strand: Literature

     Learning Objectives:

     • To allow students learn and understand new words
     • To allow students syntax and discourse functions
     • To build their capacity to learn accurate sentence patterns
     • To improve comprehension of standard story structures
     • To increase rich content for new vocabulary terms and language structures
     • To improve students’ writing skills
     • To allow students to form different sentences using diverse structures
     • Using diverse working strategies to connect ideas
     • To promote oral work and proficiency among students from diverse backgrounds with diverse needs.

     Category	Teaching Approaches
     EAL/D Students	Enabling the culture of unity in classroom to allow students with difficulties approach teachers for easier identification of the unique needs Employing diverse strategies to enable each student access learning material Focusing on vocabulary building, where the teacher ass students for complex words then go over them interactively Introducing writer’s workshops several times in a month to allow student participation Workshops allow students to participate in and learn more about diverse writing processes: drafting, revision, editing, and publications Introducing a combination of modern and classic media by leveraging one form against another. Using music, videos, video games, podcasts, essays, posters, video streams, and novels to inform complex literature vocabulary Helping students to analyze different forms of literature to understand their weaknesses and strengths Helping students to turn their essays into videos and podcasts
     Indigenous students	Introducing cooperative learning where students collectively discuss a piece of literature amongst each other in small groups Allowing students to engage in meaningful discussions and learn how to analyze literature and take part in academic educational procedures Using the RAFT approach- Role, Audience, Format, and Topic/Tone/Theme Introducing peer response approaches and editing Using thematic focus for designing units, assessments, and project-based learning. Introducing peer discussions to allow students to think critically about diverse literature subjects and compare responses with each other Observing how diverse students learn and best strategic measures of working better in future
     Disabled and Gifted Backgrounds	Enabling the culture of unity in classroom to allow students with difficulties approach teachers for easier identification of the unique needs Introducing the idea of student-chosen texts or reading materials  to turn them into lifelong readers Breaking students into groups to strike a balance through discussing what each one has read or learnt, followed by journaling Allowing students to dive deeper into the articulate meaning of literature, cultivate better critiquing skills, and enabling valuable discussions with classmates to boost overall mastery and understanding of the text.

      

     PART 2: Reflective Analysis and Justification

     The planning approaches used in the lesson plans are aligned to diverse theoretical justifications that help to inform why educators should embrace specific approaches to enable effective learning among students with diverse needs (Fellows & Oakley, 2014). The Australian Brian Cambourne (1988) suggested that diverse conditions can trigger or disable successful learning or oral and spoken languages among students with diverse backgrounds. Thus, the theoretical underpinning informs lesson planning such that to learn and understand written literature adequately, then students and developing kids should be immersed deeply in written language (Cohrssen, Niklas, & Tayler, 2016). Also, students with difficulties and other learning challenges should be introduced to demonstrations and diverse environments where several other critical conditions are adequately met. Therefore, the lesson plans focus on meeting the individual learning needs of students by customizing the interventions to enhance efficiency in both teaching and knowledge acquisition (Fellows & Oakley, 2014).

     Additionally, theorists suggest that socio-cultural underpinnings and perspectives of literacy learning were introduced in the 1990s. The theoretical perspective on matters of student learning further suggests that cultural practices in the home and other social groupings influence the behavioral patterns of children/student in diverse ways, which in turn affect their capability to blend in learning institutions (Fellows & Oakley, 2014). Therefore, teachers should be keen on such issues to ensure that they create a learning space that accommodates the diverse learning demands of students with unique backgrounds. According to this perspective, individual children attend school with attitudes and experiences that closely aligns to what is precisely required in school literacy contexts (Fellows & Oakley, 2014). Such kids are at a more significant advantage of effortlessly blending in and getting accommodated in the school environments and the literacies aligned to such contexts (Cohrssen, Niklas, & Tayler, 2016). Nonetheless, some children may not have access to such cultural capital to enable them easily grip the literacy practices that are highly valued and practised informal educational contexts. The lesson plans in this exercise factored in all these considerations to ensure they suit and meet the complex needs of students with different gaps.

     Therefore, while introducing any lesson plan, it is vital to appreciate the growing significance of finding out about, appreciating, valuing, assessing, and building upon diverse literacy practices at the time unique to each student (Harrison & Greenfield, 2011). Educators need to implement strategic measures of building bridges between school-based and home literacies (Fellows & Oakley, 2014). Additionally, educators should value the aspect of diversity at all costs and the underlying contextual factors in literacy learning. Basing on the scholarly work established by Vygotsky (1978), social interaction remains paramount in literacy learning. The lesson plans also adhered to the understanding that student’s learning about the nature of literacy and the development of literacy sprouts from their participation in diverse literacy activities. It can either be in school, at home, and in the surrounding community (Cohrssen, Niklas, & Tayler, 2016) Further, it is essential to blend inter-cultural aspects in learning because all these factors and practices enhance the students’ sense of identity and understanding. It helps students understand and appreciate the idea of literacy and how social factors affect their existence and level of knowledge acquisition.

     Different literacy practices exist to serve different literacy purposes, and students are bound to learn and comprehend literacy in diverse forms as they all have unique patterns of learning. Therefore, lesson plans should be customized in a way that meets the growing diversities an individual literacy learning needs of children (Fellows & Oakley, 2014). Thus, such learning practices are valued varyingly, based on the educational as well as social context. Another relatable perspective is the cognitive development theory established on the projects of psychologist Thorndike and others (Harrison & Greenfield, 2011). It holds that although developing children have attained the phase of ‘readiness’ before learning how to read and write, different classroom-based encounters and environmental activities speed up their rates of maturation (Cohrssen, Niklas, & Tayler, 2016). Thus, children from gifted backgrounds should be handled differently from the rest because they have unique educational demands and perspectives. Thus, underlying development conditions have a lot to play in the ability of children to embrace authentic reading and writing activities.

     The emergent perspective was introduced in the 1970s and suggests that early exposure to literacy experiences at home, such as singing, lap reading, talking, scribbling, singing, and drawing remain central to an ongoing process of academic learning (Milburn, Hipfner-Boucher, Weitzman, Greenberg, Pelletier, & Girolametto, 2017). Such experiences are perceived as active and highly constructive, and not a character that unfolds. From this perspective, literacy learning is no longer the acquisition of different discrete skills, but a continuous procedure that initiates from birth. The perspective remains at the heart of the whole language movement that allows educators to focus on teaching reading and writing in the context of actual texts and authentic purposes (Konza, 2016). For instance, skills such as learning and comprehending letter-sound associations were mastered within the context of whole texts and not on an individualized basis (Cohrssen, Niklas, & Tayler, 2016). Children with stable upbringing are more likely to master these skills in good time as compared to children with unstable and indigenous upbringing who could not master the differences in good time.

     Thus, while planning the lessons, educators should factor I such disparities and introduce best strategies of striking a balance to ensure learning cohesion and overall uniformity. Children who master their literacy skills faster are more likely to succeed as they can readily provide the necessary levels of texts and support to propel their academic thrive. Similarly, in writing, children require adequate experience to succeed through practical grounding in how sounds and letter are aligned and function. If possible, children should be guaranteed the flexibility to choose the letters that are easy for them to read and remember. Therefore, the perspective emphasizes deeply on the influence of environmental surrounding on mastery skills of children and their capability to understand diverse concepts. Lesson plans should be designed purposely to meet the diverse needs and demands of challenged students to ensure they access equal exposure to learning opportunities and the space to thrive and become better.

Answer

Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” Movie Analysis

            While delivering a speech, persuasion is essential in convincing the audience to listen to their ideas in their address. In An Inconvenient Truth, former US Vice President Al – Gore speaks on global warming as an encroaching crisis affecting its atmosphere and the environment as his central message. Al- Gore effectively persuades the audience into joining his cause against global warming by using persuasive communication strategies, a solid introduction, rhetoric strategies, oral citations, proper speech delivery, and presentation aids to evoke the audience in supporting his cause.

            Al- Gore’s successfully incorporates a solid speech introduction to attract the audience’s attention. He begins the introduction with a joke alluding to him being the “former future president of the United States.” The use of such a satirical comment evokes the audience wondering who would be bold enough to stand on stage after losing a race, such as the presidential election. This captures the audience to be more involving in his speech and sit for a better listening into the matters at hand. Later on, he introduces his speech topic by focusing on his central message, outlining his whole address’s main points. Finally, it eases the audience by showing a mangrove parchment indicated to involve the audience in relating to a preserved environment before expounding on his speech. The audience is engaged after this as he gets into his central message and further engaging in his speech.

Al-Gore’s excellently persuades the audience by using ethos as a rhetorical strategy throughout the speech.  Ethos employs a sense of trustworthiness and competence that enables the audience to believe in the speaker’s credibility. He shows ethos by acknowledging his commitment to the earth as an environmental activist. Al- Gore’s speech is based on expansive research that helps the audience trust his competence in speaking on the issue. Al- Gore’s possesses charisma and positive energy that attracts the audience to remain rooted in listening to his appeal towards addressing global warming. As characteristics of applying ethos in a speech, the combination of dynamism and competence draws the crowd to become trustworthy with his presentation and remains attentive throughout the address.

Al- Gore’s effectively employs persuasive communication strategies that include positive motivation, negative motivation, cognitive dissonance, non-verbal communication, and appeals to self-esteem in his speech. Positive and negative motivations are essential in persuading the audience to venture into addressing global warming to achieve positive outcomes in the environment. Consequently, Al-Gore uses negative motivation to convince the audience that failure to look into measures of curbing global warming and climate change, the earth might end up like the few places he depicts in his comparison photographs and videos. Cognitive dissonance helps change one’s perspective to something by discomforting norms and beliefs to persuade an audience towards change. At the start of the documentary, Al-Gore introduces a short video of a beautiful mangrove parchment that would stay in the back of the audience’s mind on what should be safeguarded.  To destabilize the audience, he shows pictorials of areas devastated by global warming, evoking fear and panic for the world that has become dormant in addressing this issue. Intertwined, with his central idea, Al- Gore persuades the audience in a bleak and disheartened tone to fight for preserving the environment.

            In addition, Al-Gore’s effectually uses non-verbal communication in his body language is established through a dejected worrying tone for identifying with the audience on the prevailing situation. Al- Gore’s body movement showed confidence in his walk and constant interactiveness with the audience. Al – Gore also has a confiden, genuine smile appearing as a well- groomed and dressed man in delivering his speech. In the documentary, Al-Gore’s clear expression of displeasure with people who negated around global warming instead of addressing is clear.  Al-Gore aimed to show concern for the issue. Al –Gore’s self-esteem pushes his central message across the audience by focusing on positivity and the audience’s contributions to curb global warming. His articulation of each point across helps in building confidence with the audience. His confidence in his speech persuades the audience to be on board the matter.

            Oral citations are well used in An Inconvenient Truth to capture the audience’s attention. Al- Gore uses oral citations effectively to show reliability, credibility, and validity of information conveyed in his speech address. Denoting empirical evidence from videos, charts, and maps allude the audience into believing that Al- Gore critically researched the issue and came up with a profound speech to convince the audience to join his cause to remove fallacies on wrong information presented in his speech. Virtually, his research pays off as he captures the audience in his factual interactions on the matter.

Al – Gore excellently uses presentation aids like projected images, comparison photographs, short videos, satirical cartoons, and info graphs like maps and charts to help persuade his audience to come to his plea in preserving the environment by combating global warming. Projected images show areas adversely affected by global warming, including flooded areas. The short videos as well show people injured due to flooding. The graphs and maps show empirical evidence of the effects of global warming in areas. A comparison of videos and pictures shows how some places were before global warming and its impact after years. All these visual aids serve as areas involving the audience’s concern and worry over the deteriorating ecosystem around us. Al-Gore was not shy off, including videos of politicians passing over the global warming issue through satirical cartoons while also poking at renowned scientists worldwide who showed the existence of climate change. As much as Al-Gore is a politician, he intended for the audience to understand that his concern was for the environment and endeavors towards combating global warming rather than politically-driven shows with aspirations of a political seat.

Lastly, Al- Gore successfully uses ethos, pathos, and logos strategies to capture the audience’s attention in his speech. Ethos employs a sense of trustworthiness and competence that enables the audience to believe in the speaker’s credibility. He shows ethos by acknowledging his commitment to the earth as an environmental activist. The documentary shows the incorporation of logos through his presentation of scientific facts that support his claims to global warming as an issue of concern. Lastly, his attributes to incorporate his son’s demise into comparing it to his commitment to the environment show pathos as a rhetoric strategy.  Successful integration of photographs and videos of areas affected by global warming helped provoke the audience to support his cause towards alleviating global warming.

In conclusion, Al – Gore effectively incorporates persuasive communication strategies, a solid introduction, rhetoric strategies, oral citations, proper speech delivery, and presentation aids to evoke the audience in supporting his fight against global warming.  Using all these techniques successfully convinces the audience to have a concern about the deteriorating ecosystem. Having watched the documentary, I am persuaded to carry on the legacy of conserving our environment as an environmental ambassador.         

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