FIRST
The standard path is to select the ‘Literacy Concept’ first. This ‘Literacy Concept’ should be the primary learning objective. Here, a teacher or student user identifies and selects the learning objective, usually from the syllabus, to be the anchor of the lesson.
Action: Once your desired ‘Literary Concept’ is identified, click on the Concept to add it as the lesson anchor.
NOTE
You have the option of adding a ‘Theme’ to this lesson as well. Themes are the central, deeper meaning of a literary piece. Sometimes Unit Plans are Theme-based. You can customize for that here:
SECOND
You have the option of adding Vocabulary exercises to the lesson. These vocabulary words may or may not come from your selected literary text and songs.
Action: Simply click on the Vocabulary words to add them to the lesson
THIRD
With the selections from Step 1 (Literary Concept and Theme) and Step 2 (Vocabulary), The Opus App will auto-generate a list of classroom source texts and songs that match the learning objective.
Action: Select a matching text from the available list.
THE LAST STEP: THE MUSIC!
Simply add the songs that are populated and customized for your particular literary concept and/ or theme. The selected songs should be ones that your STUDENTS select. This process ensures that you’re listening and responding to your students.
With the texts and/or songs selected, it’s time to review your lesson plan components! The songs you’ve selected, via the focused excerpts, will center your reading and guide you through close-reading activities. At this point, there is no more input required from the user. The app proceeds to auto-generate a slide deck/ presentation, a Learning Objective, a catalogue of corresponding standards (eg Common Core State Standards), a series of Guiding Questions per each slide, and an assortment of Suggested Activities and Assessments.
See below for visual of the auto-generated output
The above illustrated process will be developed for each classroom text in the school’s approved curriculum. We emphasize here, EVERY SINGLE classroom reading title in the school’s Scope and Sequence or Unit Plan has the ability to be used in the exact same way as the above process describes!