A. Engage the Learner – W.6.2 (5 minutes)

• Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as previous lessons to distribute and review Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 2 or Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 2 ▲. Refer to the Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 2 (example for teacher reference) for possible responses. Students will need their Informative Writing checklist and their Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity.” Also ensure that the Criteria for Effective Informative Writing anchor chart is posted.

• Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as with the previous lessons to review learning targets and the purpose of the lesson, reminding students of any learning targets that are similar or the same as in previous lessons.

• Focus students on the three Habits of Character anchor charts and invite them to read them to themselves. Tell students to choose a habit of character to focus on as they work today.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS 

During Opening A, invite students who need heavier support to use the Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 2  ▲ . This resource offers a bank of possible sentences and criteria that students can select from to address the prompt. Providing options to choose from will help hone student attention and keep ELLs from feeling overwhelmed by the task.

A. Guided Practice: Analyze a Model - W.6.5 (15 minutes)

• Distribute and display the Model Design Solution: "Bridges to Prosperity" note-catcher. Distribute the Model Problem-Solution Writing Planner: "Bridges to Prosperity." Ask students to lay the two model handouts side-by-side.

• Tell students that the writer of the model used research to plan the essay. Ask students which of the documents they have in front of them was used to record the research the writer conducted (note-catcher) and which was used to plan the essay (writing planner).

• Explain that students will examine these two models to understand how the author moved from the note-catcher to the writing planner. The goal is to follow the same procedure as they work collaboratively to plan a problem-solution essay about William Kamkwamba, and, eventually, to independently plan a problem-solution essay about the innovator they researched in Unit 2.

• Direct students' attention to the writing planner. Invite one student to find the research question and read it aloud.

"How was design thinking used to solve a critical problem?"

• Ask students to put their finger on the My Focus section. Invite one student to read it aloud.

"How Avery Bang and Bridges to Prosperity used design thinking to solve a critical problem."

• Ask:

"What do these two lines have in common?" (They both have to do with using design thinking to solve a critical problem.)

"How do these two lines differ?" (One is the more general research question; the other shows how this particular essay will focus on a specific answer to that question.)

• Direct students to find the Introduction section on the writing planner, and invite one student to read the first question and answer aloud.

"How will I catch the reader's attention? Scenario about having to cross a dangerous river with no bridge to get to school, work, or the doctor."

• Invite students to turn their attention to the note-catcher.

• Ask:

"Where do you see the answer to this first question, the scenario about having to cross a dangerous river, described on the note-catcher?" (Part I, section A, under Critical Problem; Part II, section B, under Critical Problem)

• Invite students to mark these specific pieces of information with a large capital I for Introduction on the model note-catcher.

• Direct students back to the Introduction section of the model writing planner, and invite one student to read the second question and answer aloud.

"What context do I need to give my reader? Explain who Avery Bang and Bridges to Prosperity are, and how she became interested in the problem."

• Direct students back to the note-catcher.

• Ask:

"Where do you see the answer to this second question, the context, described on the note-catcher?" (Part I, section A. General Overview; Part I, section B. Design Process)

• Invite students to mark these specific pieces of information with a large capital I for Introduction.

• Direct students back to the Introduction section of the writing planner, and invite one student to read the third statement and answer aloud.

"My focus statement: B2P builds footbridges that connect people with the resources they need. Helping rural communities access resources and services is a complex problem. Using design thinking, B2P is able to solve it."

• Turn and Talk:

"Does this focus statement adequately answer the research question? Explain your thinking." (Yes, because the focus statement includes the information under My Focus. The focus statement also uses the key terms "problem," "solution," and "design thinking," which reflect the key terms in the research question.)

• Direct students back to the Introduction section of the Model Problem-Solution Writing Planner: "Bridges to Prosperity," and invite one student to read the fourth question and answer aloud.

"What are the main points I will be making to support this focus? Explain the problem: No way to cross rivers in rural communities to reach necessary services and resources. Explain the solution: Building bridges to connect people and give them access."

• Direct students to the Model Design Solution: "Bridges to Prosperity" note-catcher.

• Ask:

"Where do you see the main points described on the note-catcher?" (Part I, section A. General Overview; Part I, section B. Design Process)

• Invite students to mark these specific pieces of information with a large capital I for Introduction.

• Explain that students will follow this same process to annotate the Model Design Solution: "Bridges to Prosperity" note-catcher based on the information included in the Model Problem-Solution Writing Planner: "Bridges to Prosperity." Direct students to use the following annotations for the remaining three sections:

  • PR = Proof Paragraph for Point 1: PROBLEM

  • SO = Proof Paragraph for Point 2: SOLUTION

  • C = Conclusion

• Write or display these directions on the board to aid comprehension.

• Move students into predetermined writing partners--those who will be planning and drafting the entire collaborative essay together during Lessons 2-6.

• Circulate and monitor as writing partners make their annotations. Ensure that the connection between the two documents is clear and that students are annotating the correct information.

• Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target, using a checking for understanding technique. Scan student responses and make a note of students who might need support. Check in with them moving forward.

• If productive, cue students to think about their own thinking during this exercise:

"How does our discussion add to your understanding of this assignment?"

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS 

The Guided Practice: Analyze a Model exercise of Work Time A is largely discussion-based. Use this an opportunity to challenge ELLs who need lighter support to produce increasingly complex or precise language. Strategically use Goal 3 Conversation Cues to push students to provide evidence for their answers (e.g., "Why do you think that?"), challenge their own thinking (e.g., "Can you figure out the Writing Planner says it this way?"), and practice metacognition (e.g., "How does our discussion add to your understanding of the writing process?").

The Guided Practice: Analyze a Model exercise of Work Time A is largely discussion-based, which may be especially challenging for students who need heavier support and who may easily feel overwhelmed in a large class discussion. Strategically use Goal 1 Conversation Cues to allow students time think and process language internally (e.g., "I'll give you time to think and write or sketch") and clarify their statements (e.g., "So, do you mean _____?").

B. Group Practice: Plan a Problem-Solution Essay - W.6.2 (20 minutes)

• Distribute the Problem-Solution Writing Planner: William. Ask students to retrieve their Design Solution: William note-catcher, which they have been filling in throughout Unit 2. Explain that they will be using these documents to collaboratively plan and write a problem-solution essay about how William Kamkwamba used design thinking to solve a critical problem.

• For today, students will focus only on filling in the writing planner with their partner based on information from the Design Solution: William note-catcher.

• Ensure that students understand their task before releasing them to begin working.

• Circulate and monitor, using the Problem-Solution Writing Planner: William (example for teacher reference) as necessary.

• With one minute remaining, refocus students' attention. Explain that if they were unable to complete the Problem-Solution Writing Planner: William during this time, they will need to complete it for homework in preparation for drafting the introduction in the next lesson.

• Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target, using a checking for understanding. Scan student responses and make a note of students who might need support. Check in with them moving forward.

A. Debrief: Informative Writing Checklist - W.6.2 (5 minutes)

• Display and invite students to retrieve their Informative Writing checklist. Point out the following characteristics:

"W.6.9a, RL.6.1: My focus shows that I clearly understand the topic or text and is well supported with evidence from reliable sources."

"W.6.2a: I provide a clear focus and maintain the focus consistently throughout the piece."

• Focus students on the empty column of their checklist. Remind them that while every piece of informative writing should include the criteria listed, each piece will have specific criteria according to the content.

• Ask:

"Are there any specific criteria you should be aware of and list in that column on the checklist?" (Responses will vary, but may include the following: The essay shows that I understand my research and the task of explaining a critical problem and its design solution. The essay is focused on how an innovator used design thinking to solve a critical problem. It also recognizes the habits of character that were demonstrated in the process.)

• As students share out, capture their responses in the Characteristics of This Informative Essay column as needed. Refer to the Informative Writing checklist (example for teacher reference) as needed. Consider also adding these distinctions to the Criteria for an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart.