A. Engage the Learner (5 minutes)

• Repeated routine: students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 15. Once students have completed their entrance tickets, use a total participation technique to review their responses.

• 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.

• With students, use the vocabulary strategies on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart to deconstruct the words quote (to repeat a passage or information from a source), support (to provide evidence or proof for), norms (a model or standard that is generally followed), and effective (successful, useful). Record on the academic word wall with translations in home languages, where appropriate, and invite students to record words in their vocabulary logs.

A. Read A Long Walk to Water, Chapter 12 – SL.7.1 (15 minutes)

• Repeated routine: follow the same process as previous lessons for students to read chapter 12 of A Long Walk to Water, using the Text Guide: A Long Walk to Water as necessary. If students do not finish reading the chapter within the allotted time, use the Synopsis: A Long Walk to Water, Chapter 12 ▲ as needed to ensure these students are able to practice paragraph writing later in the lesson. ▲ Then have students identify the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary, reflect on their reading as they choose, and record the gist on sticky notes using the following resources as appropriate: vocabulary logs, Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart, and Questions about A Long Walk to Water anchor chart.

• Gists:

  • Nya: crane comes; villagers making gravel; Nya still walks to pond

  • Salva: family dead; at camp for 6 years; soldiers chase to river with crocodiles

• Once students have finished reading and reflecting on the chapter, ask them to Think-Pair-Share:

“Which habits of character did you see in this chapter? Who demonstrated them? What did they look or sound like?” (Possible response: Nya’s fellow villagers continue to collaborate to make gravel for the well. Also, Salva perseveres to study, find work, and braves the Gilo River.)

• Invite students to update their Prepare for a Text-Based Discussion: Themes: A Long Walk to Water note-catcher with additional evidence from chapter 12 as appropriate.

B. End of Unit 1 Assessment, Part II: Text-Based Discussion: Themes: A Long Walk to Water (55 minutes)

• Review the appropriate learning targets relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can quote accurately from the text to support my ideas during a text-based discussion."

"I can follow discussion norms to have an effective text-based discussion."

• Distribute End of Unit 1 Assessment, Part II: Text-Based Discussion: Themes: A Long Walk to Water.

• Read aloud the directions for each part of the assessment as students silently follow along. Read, reread, and rephrase. Answer clarifying questions.

• Tell students that while they are waiting to participate in the discussion, they are to assess their peers' (as a group) use of discussion norms and cues as well as the strength of their claims and evidence on the Peer Critique note-catcher. Distribute the note-catcher and read it aloud, asking students to follow along and annotate for new and important ideas. If necessary, model completing the note-catcher by asking volunteers to simulate a discussion, using a Think Aloud and filling in the applicable columns. Ensure students understand that rather than focusing on one individual student, students on the outside of the fishbowl should be looking across the whole group for evidence of norms to provide feedback.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

During Work Time B, when students fill out the Peer Critique note-catcher, give them the option of focusing on a few students or all the students participating in the conversation. Focusing on just a few students will make the task more manageable for ELLs, who may have trouble simultaneously following a fast-paced discussion and recording notes on all the participants.

• Focus students on all of the characteristics on the Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (respect, compassion, and empathy) in preparation for the discussion. Review what each characteristic looks and sounds like.

• Focus students on the Discussion Norms anchor chart, specifically on the cues and responses. Remind them that a discussion is not just about saying what they want to say and then they are done. Effective participation is about listening to others and asking and answering questions to be completely clear about what others are saying and to clarify their own points.

• Also, direct students' attention to the Quote Accurately from the Text handout. As necessary, review different examples of quoting accurately from the novel during a discussion.

• Ensure all students understand the assessment directions. Answer their questions, refraining from supplying answers to the assessment questions themselves.

• Begin the fishbowl conversation. Invite the first group of students (roughly half the class) to sit in the center circle with their novels and note-catchers, and begin the discussion. Allocate each group 25 minutes for discussion.

• Invite the remaining students to sit in the outer circle with the Peer Critique note-catcher, and observe and assess the discussion.

• Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

During Work Time B, instead of using the Peer Critique note-catcher, provide students with a short list of things they should be able to observe their peers doing during conversation, and have them check off the behaviors when they notice them. The list might include using examples from the text to support ideas, following discussion norms, adding more about their ideas or others' ideas, etc. Using the list instead of the Peer Critique note-catcher allows ELLs to focus their attention on understanding the conversation, since they will not need to listen and write simultaneously.

A. Track Progress (15 minutes)

• Give students specific positive feedback on their completion of the end of unit assessment. (Example: "I heard a lot of you asking clarifying questions or questions to find out more.")

• Focus students on the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart, especially on responsibility.

• Read aloud the habit of character recorded:

"I take responsibility. This means I take ownership of my ideas, my work, my goals, and my actions."

• Invite students to Turn and Talk to their partner. Then cold call students to share:

"Using the anchor chart as a guide, what does responsibility mean?" (taking charge of myself)

"What does responsibility look like? What might you see when a person is taking responsibility?" See Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

"What does responsibility sound like? What might you hear when a person is taking responsibility?" See Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

• Record students' responses in the appropriate column on the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart.

• Tell students that they will take responsibility for their own learning as they track their progress.

• Give students specific positive feedback on their completion of the end of unit assessment. (Example: "I was pleased to see a lot of you referring back to your texts to find details.")

• Distribute Track Progress: Collaborative Discussion, Track Progress folders, and sticky notes. Tell students that successful learners keep track of and reflect on their own learning and that they will be completing a form like this after most of their assessments. Tell students that this helps to build responsibility for their work and learning. Select volunteers to read aloud each criterion for the whole group. After hearing each one read aloud, invite students to Turn and Talk with an elbow partner:

"What does that criterion mean in your own words?" (Responses will vary.)

• Read the directions aloud for students, and answer clarifying questions. Explain the scale and what each number represents. They should give themselves a 3 if they think they have achieved that criterion in their reading of new texts, a 4 if they think they have done even more than the criterion asks, a 2 if they think they are nearly there but not quite, and a 1 if they think they still have a lot of work to do.

• Distribute sticky notes. Tell students the sticky notes are for them to find evidence in their assessment work of the following criteria:

  • SL.7.1a: I came to the discussion prepared with ideas and evidence to the prompt.

  • SL.7.1a: I referred to my evidence in the discussion and reflected on ideas in the discussion.

• Guide students through completing question 1 of the Track Progress form. If this is the first time students have completed this form, they may not be able to answer this question. In this situation, tell students to leave it blank and explain that the next time they fill out the same form, they should be able to answer this question. If students completed these forms in Grade 6, they will be able to look back to their Grade 6 forms.

• Point out the Teacher Response part under question 2, and tell students that after class, each student's reflection will be reviewed and feedback about their progress toward the skill will be added.

• Direct students' attention to question 3 on the form, and select a volunteer to read it aloud for the group:

"How can I improve next time?"

• Invite students to reflect on their own or with a partner on how they can improve on this skill in the future. Select volunteers to share with the group. Invite students to record their thinking in the appropriate spot on the Track Progress form. Invite students to place the form in their Track Progress folder, and collect students' folders.

• Invite students to reflect on the habits of character focus in this lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.