A. Engage the Learner - W.7.2b (5 minutes)

• Repeated routine: students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 10. Students will review their responses to the entrance ticket in Work Time B.

• Repeated routine: follow the same routine as with the previous lessons to review the learning target and the purpose of the lesson, reminding students if the learning target is 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 term proof paragraph (section of an essay that explains and gives evidence for a main point that supports the focus of the piece) in the learning target. Record on the domain-specific word wall with translations in home languages, where appropriate, and invite students to record words in their vocabulary logs.

A. The Painted Essay®: Sort and Color-Code Proof Paragraphs 1 and 2 – W.7.2b (10 minutes)

• Move students into predetermined pairs from the previous lesson, or make changes to the pairs as necessary. ▲

• Distribute construction paper, Organize the Model: Proof Paragraphs 1 and 2 strips, and Organize the Model: Proof Paragraphs 1 and 2 strips ▲ as necessary for students who need extra support. The differentiated handout supports students’ analysis with color-coding on the first paragraph. ▲

• Invite students to refer to their Painted Essay® template to remember where Proof Paragraphs 1 and 2 fit in the structure of an informational piece. Remind students that the yellow paragraph is about similarities and the blue paragraph is about differences. Post and review the following directions:

1. 1. Read and organize the strips, putting the strips for Proof Paragraph 1 on the yellow construction paper, and the strips for Proof Paragraph 2 on the blue construction paper.

   2. Organize each set of strips in the correct order.

   3. Check your work against the displayed Compare and Contrast Model Essay.

• Answer clarifying questions about what students will be doing in this activity.

• Invite students to begin working, and circulate to support them in reading and sorting the strips.

• Refocus whole group.

• Have students chorally read Proof Paragraphs 1 and 2, and explain the function of the sentences in the paragraphs. ▲ Invite students to help record the criteria of Proof Paragraphs 1 and 2 on the Criteria of an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart. Refer to Criteria of an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart (example for teacher reference) as necessary. Point out that within each proof paragraph, the author has provided evidence from the text and elaborated by explaining how the evidence he or she has chosen supports the focus statement. If necessary, make a short statement and ask volunteers to help elaborate on it (e.g., “The children had to leave Sudan because of a war.” “The children had to flee Sudan on foot because of a war between the North and South.”) Ask volunteers to review the meaning of the word evidence. Record these words on the academic word wall, and ask students to put them in their vocabulary logs.

• If productive, cue students with a challenge.

“What if the writer had not included the information on the strips that begins with ‘In chapters 1–11 of A Long Walk to Water, . . .’ and ‘Both texts also discuss . . .’? I’ll give you time to think and discuss with a partner.” (These provide evidence from the text, and if we did not have them, we might not understand the writer’s ideas.)

B. Plan Proof Paragraphs 1 and 2 - W.7.2b (20 minutes)

• Review the learning target:

"I can plan the proof paragraphs of a compare and contrast essay."

• Tell students they are now ready to organize Proof Paragraphs 1 and 2 of their own compare and contrast essays. Explain that in this lesson, they are only planning the proof paragraphs in their graphic organizer and will draft the essay for Part I of their end of unit assessment.

• Remind students that as they organize their proof paragraphs, they should choose the evidence that best supports each point. They should also think about how the evidence supports their thinking. Ask students to refer to the entrance ticket activity they completed upon entering the class. Invite them to briefly discuss with a partner what the opposite of their focus statement would be and why they decided to choose the focus statement they did.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

During Work Time B, reduce the number of documents and steps reviewed for planning the proof paragraph, and then discuss in greater detail how to use the Compare and Contrast Writing Plan graphic organizer to help plan the proof paragraphs. In particular, show students how explaining their focus statement from the organizer and describing one or more of their main points from the organizer in depth can help them write strong proof paragraphs. Reducing the number of steps and documents and highlighting key steps and documents, makes complex directions more comprehensible to ELLs because it allows them to pay attention to the most essential language contained in intricate directions.

• Invite students to retrieve the following materials:

  • Similarities and Differences: A Long Walk to Water and "The 'Lost Girls' of Sudan" note-catcher

  • Texts: A Long Walk to Water and "The 'Lost Girls' of Sudan"

  • Informative Writing checklist

  • Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer

• Guide students through organizing their Proof Paragraph 1:

1. 1. Discuss the following characteristic on the Informative Writing checklist, adding to the "Characteristics of My Informative Essay" column as needed.
      
      W.7.2b: "I use evidence from both texts to develop the ideas in my proof paragraphs and to support my focus statement."
      

   2. Invite students to read their Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer and their introductory paragraphs planned in the previous lesson to remind them of their focus statement and their ideas.

   3. Invite students to refer to the criteria on the Criteria of an Informative Essay anchor chart or the Informative Writing checklist to organize Proof Paragraphs 1 and 2. As necessary, model completing the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer with information from the first proof paragraph of the model essay.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

During Work Time B, let students with no experience writing in English write their plans for their proof paragraphs in their home language, and then have them Pair Share their work in English as best they can, facilitating their capacity to begin translating concepts between languages. Alternatively, students with little or no experience writing in English may benefit from using speech-to-text software, through which they can dictate their proof paragraph plans in their home language or in English and then read the digital transcription from which they can draft their plan.

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

A. Pair Share – W.7.5 (10 minutes)

• Invite student pairs to pair up with another pair to share their plans for their Proof Paragraphs 1 and 2 and provide feedback against relevant criteria on the Informative Writing checklist. Ask for a volunteer pair to help model this exchange, using prompts such as the following:

“What evidence do you have to support your point?” ▲

• Focus students on the Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart, and remind them of the habit of character recorded—respect—as students are sharing out their planning work and developing their understanding of the task.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

Instead of having students discuss both questions listed, have them discuss just one, and model what a partner discussion about that one question would sound like with a student volunteer or by doing both "voices." Focusing and more intensely modelling this task makes it more accessible to ELLs.

Provide sentence frames for the partner discussion of proof paragraphs. As always when using sentence frames, model how to use them with specific examples before expecting students to use them themselves independently.

How did you support your point?

I supported my point by . . .

What evidence did you use to support your point?

This evidence about _____ supports the point about . . .

Sentence frames help ELLs better participate in conversations by providing them with the language they need to initiate a comment or respond to a question, freeing them up to focus their attention on generating the language they need for articulating the comment itself or answering the question in depth.

• Invite pairs to begin discussion with each other. Circle and monitor the discussions to ensure students each share their evidence.

• Incorporate reflection on and awareness of the following academic mindset: “I belong in this community.”

• Ask students to Think-Pair-Share:

“How does respect help you feel a sense of belonging in this classroom community?” (Responses will vary. Possible response: When my classmates listen to and support me, I feel like this classroom is a safe place for me.)