This activity is intended to be incorporated after students have completed their reading of "Jekyll & Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson.  Excluding the prerequisites, this lesson can usually be completed in one 90-minute class period or two 45-minute class periods. 

Prerequisites: 

1) Before beginning this lesson, provide students with background information on the Victorian Era so they have a clear understanding of the setting in which Stevenson was writing. Be sure to highlight the importance of reputation and scientific advancements

2) This lesson will work best if students have received prior instruction on the following two types of argumentative frameworks: compare/contrast and cause-and-effect.  I usually spend several days in advance on each of these frameworks, providing students with guidance on how to organize both types of essays (for example, compare/contrast works best when organized in one of the following three ways: similarities-to-differences, point-by-point, or block). I also provide students with mentor texts that utilize these structures and have them complete an analysis activity that explores what each of these frameworks look like in real-world samples.

The Lesson Plan: 

Step 1:  Using the PowerPoint provided, introduce students to the activity: leader, skeptic, scribe.

* Leaders: Leaders speak first and are in charge of developing the first assertion connected to the prompt. 

* Skeptics: (if you have groups comprised of four students, have two students take on this role) Skeptics challenge the leader's conclusions. They continue to ask questions of the leader that are designed to either refute the leader's initial claim, complicate that claim, or force the leader to deepen the analysis by becoming increasingly more specific in their argument.

* Scribes: Scribes are the only people in the group who can write. They should take accurate notes of the conversation including all assertions, challenges, and textual evidence BUT they must write the claims and/or counter-claims in clear, specific sentences. If the leader and/or skeptics have not delivered their information in a writing-friendly manner, the scribe must challenge those groups members to clarify their position so that anyone who sees the notes can clearly follow the argument(s).

Step 2: Post the four different prompts that have been provided around the room. Because my classes are large, I usually make two copies of each prompt so that there are two stations/prompt for students to visit, ensuring everyone has something to work with each round. Provide each group with one large sheet of craft paper and a thick marker for capturing their findings. Remind them that they will be responding to three prompts, so they should ensure they leave space on their page for subsequent responses.

Step 3: Ask students to visit the first prompt station and spend 15-20 minutes at that station developing, supporting, and refining their argument. The scribe should take notes with a thick marker on a large sheet of craft paper. They should use their notes and their text in order to support their findings.

Step 4: After 15-20 minutes, ask students to rotate to a different station. They should change focus areas at this time as well so that if they began at a station that focused on "compare/contrast," they should move to a "cause-and-effect" station for round two, and vice versa. Repeat the process outlined in Step 3 above. 

Step 5: After 15-20 minutes at station two, have students rotate to a third and final station, repeating the process outlined in Step 3 above.

Step 6: Once students have rotated through three different stations, they should post their notes sheet to a visible location around the room. All students should then conduct a gallery walk around the room, reflecting on the findings of each group.

Step 7: In the final moments of class (or at the beginning of the following class if needed), have students write a 1-2 paragraph reflection considering how this process helped their understanding of both the narrative and the analytical process.

Lesson Materials