A. Engage the Learner (5 minutes)

• Repeated routine: Return students' Mid-Unit 2 Assessments with feedback, and have students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 13. Students may or may not want to share their goals for this assessment with a partner.

• 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.

A. Plan Essay – W.7.5 (15 minutes)

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

“I can plan an informative essay.”

• Distribute a new blank copy of the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer and the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer ▲ to each student as necessary. The differentiated organizer supports students’ writing with sentence frames and simplified questions. ▲

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

During Work Time A, encourage students to join with a classmate who needs heavier support to review their new note-catchers from the previous lesson’s homework. Doing so will ensure that they and their classmates have a firm grasp of the content for their essay.

• Invite students to retrieve the following materials:

  • Informative Writing checklist

  • Close Read and Argument note-catchers from Module 2, Unit 2, Lessons 1–7

  • The three articles they read: “Kindness Contagion,” “Conflicting Ideas,” and “Are Social Epidemics Real?”

• Remind students that in this lesson they will complete their end of unit assessment by independently writing a complete informative essay to a new prompt about social epidemics, and they will revise the essay further in Lesson 15.

• Distribute the End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part I: Write an Informative Essay: Social and Medical Epidemics.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

During Work Time A, encourage students to join with a classmate who needs lighter support to review their new note-catchers from the previous lesson’s homework. Doing so will ensure that they have a firm grasp of the content for their essay.

During Work Time A, invite students to use the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer ▲. The sentence starters and rephrased questions in this resource support students in planning their essay.

• Read the prompt aloud as students follow along, reading silently. Answer clarifying questions.

• Instruct students to spend a few minutes reviewing their note-catchers and articles from Unit 2 Lessons 1–7 and their notes from the previous lesson’s homework. Then they can use these resources to plan their essay on the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer.

• Because this is preparation for their assessment, students should work independently and in silence. Circulate to ensure students are on task and using the correct resources.

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

B. End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part I: Write an Informative Essay: Social and Medical Epidemics (45 minutes)

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

"I can write an informative essay about how social scientists use epidemics to explain human behavior."

• Remind students that because this is an assessment, they should complete it independently in silence. Focus students on the Work to Become Effective Learners and Work to Become Ethical People anchor charts, and review perseverance and integrity as necessary. Remind students that, as they will be writing independently for the assessment, they will practice perseverance and integrity.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

Before the end of unit assessment in Work Time B, challenge students to underline key vocabulary in the assessment directions and prompt as you read them aloud together as a class. Also, invite students to restate or clarify information for their classmates who need heavier support. These supports ensure that students understand each task included in the assessment.

• Remind students that they worked in pairs to practice writing an informative essay in previous lessons.

• Invite students to begin the assessment.

• While students are taking the assessment, circulate to monitor and document their test-taking skills.

• Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target and how well they practiced perseverance and integrity in this assessment.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

In Work Time B, read the directions for the assessment aloud slowly, twice, and also post them. This ensures that ELLs who may not be able to easily follow the language of the directions have multiple opportunities to access them.

Display a "map" of the assessment to reference while explaining directions to the end of unit assessment. This will reduce ambiguity and give students a clearer picture of what they can expect so that they can better allocate their time and attentional resources. Provide students with colored pencils or highlighters so that they can mark up the "map" as needed. Example:

Part I:

1. Write an essay in response to the prompt with

a. an introduction paragraph (with a focus statement);

b. two proof paragraphs (with evidence); and

c. a conclusion paragraph (with a restatement of the focus and a reflection).

2. Use your Informative Writing checklist to reread your essay to check that it says what you want it to say and there aren't any errors in punctuation, spelling, or grammar.

A. Track Progress - W.7.2 (10 minutes)

• Give students specific, positive feedback on their completion of Part I of the End of Unit 2 Assessment, for example: "I saw you persevering to find the best evidence in order to complete the whole essay. I saw you using integrity as you did your own work and focused on doing the best that you could do."

• Distribute Track Progress folders, Track Progress: Informative Writing, and sticky notes.

• Tell students the sticky notes are for them to find evidence of the following criteria:

  • W.7.2b

  • W.7.2f

• Guide students through completing the recording form.

B. Independent Research Reading Share - RI.7.10 (15 minutes)

• Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as with the previous lessons to guide students to share their independent research reading, reminding them that the purpose of research reading is to build their content knowledge, domain-specific vocabulary, and achievement on reading complex texts.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

During Closing and Assessment B, students share with a partner the independent research reading book they have been reading. Sharing about their book will ensure students are engaged with the book and give them an opportunity to find a different one if they are no longer interested in their choice. As necessary, review the purpose of independent research reading. Emphasize the benefits of reading multiple texts on the same topic (e.g., repeated exposure to relevant vocabulary).

• Refer to the Independent Reading Sample Plans (see the Tools page) to guide students through a research reading share, or use another routine.

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

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

During Closing and Assessment B, students share with a partner the independent research reading book they have been reading. Sharing about their book will ensure students are engaged with the book and give them an opportunity to find a different one if they are no longer interested in their choice. As necessary, review the purpose of independent research reading. Emphasize the benefits of reading multiple texts on the same topic (e.g., repeated exposure to relevant vocabulary).