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Mrs. Butler and Ms. Casaccio's Best Stargirl Lessons



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Conformity

Clueless Video Clip

Goals/Standards: 

            1.  Standard 1

                 Students will:

                        a.  relate new information to prior knowledge and experience

                        b.  interpret and analyze information from…audio and media presentations…

                        c.  use a wide variety of strategies for selecting, organizing, and categorizing

                             information

            2.  Standard 4

                 Students will:

a.  listen attentively to others and build on others’ ideas in conversations with 

     peers and adults

Materials:                 

1.      Video - “Clueless” (cue to scene where Ty arrives at Bronson-Alcott High School)

2.   “Clueless” Discussion Questions – See link below

3.   Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Understandings:        

1.      All people are individuals who contribute to the world in their own way.

2.      Conformity can be detrimental to a society.

3.      Each student possesses his/her own unique qualities that make him/her special.

4.      The issue of conformity is one of much concern and discussion.

Essential Questions:

1.      What would the world be like if everyone looked and acted the same?

2.      What characteristics make me different from my friends and family members?

3.      Is it good or bad to different?

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

1.  Draw predictions about the text based upon its title.

2.  Evaluate what qualities make them unique.

3.  Discern the implications of a movie such as “Clueless.”

4.  Reflect on whether they are individualists or conformists.

Instructional Plan:

Learning Activities:

1.      Do Now Activity: Write about a time when you were faced with the decision of     

      whether to follow what others were doing or go against them.  What did you do?    

      Why?  How did you feel about your decision? (4 minutes)

2.      Students will be encouraged to share their responses with their classmates. (4 minutes)

3.      Introduce the term conformity by writing the sentence on the board, “Though Mary tried

      to convince Jamie to dye her hair red like the rest of their friends, Jamie refused to conform,

      stating she liked her own blonde hair color better.”  What does it mean to conform?

4.      Show clip from “Clueless” that shows Ty conforming.

5.      See “Clueless” handout for discussion questions. 

6.      Cher explains the “cliques” at Bronson Alcott High to Ty.  What groups do we have at Arlington

      Middle School?  What “groups” do you belong to.  Students will share whether or not these groups

      require them to dress, act, or think a certain way.

7.      Introduce Stargirl by having students predict what they think the novel will be about.

8.      Read pages 1-2 aloud as a class.

Student Assessment/Reflection  

1.  Through class discussions, the teacher can evaluate the students’ understanding of   

     conformity and how it applies to their own lives.

 Clueless Discussion Questions are located on Download and Print page also if this link is blocked.


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Last Modified: Monday March 06 2006

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