A. Engage the Learner - RL.7.4 (5 minutes)

• Repeated routine: Students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 2.

• 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.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS 

As necessary, encourage students to work with a partner to develop a word bank or web of vocabulary they can use in their responses. Generating vocabulary will enable them to better write about the quote and its meaning.

For the entrance ticket, encourage students to work in pairs to first paraphrase the quote and then discuss it. Have a share-out to ensure students fully comprehend the quote before writing about it. Also, encourage students to use the words in the questions to create sentence frames for their responses. As necessary, model doing so with the first question:

To me this quote means . . . because . . . 

A. Close Read: “His Motto” – RL.7.3 (35 minutes)

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

“I can explain how the setting shapes the characters and plot in ‘His Motto.’”

“I can identify the points of view of Durmond, Hilton, and the ‘youth’ in ‘His Motto.’”

“I can explain how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of Durmond, Hilton, and the ‘youth’ in ‘His Motto.’” 

• Focus students on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart and remind them that digging into the text deeper can help them understand it better, so they are going to dig deeper into an excerpt of the text through close reading.

• Move students into predetermined triads.

• Direct students’ attention to the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart and review what collaboration looks and sounds like.

• Use Close Reading Guide: “His Motto,” Part I to set the purpose of the close read and to guide students through a close read of this excerpt. Refer to the guide for how to integrate the following:

  • “His Motto” by Lottie Burrell Dixon

  • Story Elements: “His Motto,” Part I note-catcher

  • Story Elements: “His Motto,” Part I note-catcher ▲ as necessary. The differentiated note-catcher supports students’ writing and comprehension with sentence frames. ▲

• Refer to Story Elements: “His Motto,” Part I note-catcher (example for teacher reference) as necessary.

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

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS 

In Work Time A, if it wasn’t done in the previous lesson, review the information paragraph at the top of the students’ copies of the story “His Motto” and make sure students understand the setting and what a telegraph machine is. Students who understand the information in the paragraph can paraphrase it for their classmates. Rephrasing the information will ensure that students understand it and give them the opportunity to practice speaking about the setting.

Also in Work Time A, if time allows, encourage students to form groups of five to act out the dialogues between Durmont and his doctor and Durmont and the two telegraph boys. Students who need lighter support can take the roles of Durmont, the doctor, and the narrator—reading the lines around the dialogue. Acting out will engage students with the story and reinforce their comprehension of the characters, setting, and plot events.

In Work Time A, if it wasn’t done in the previous lesson, read the information paragraph at the top of the students’ copies of the story “His Motto” and make sure students understand the setting of the story. If possible sketch or display a picture of a telegraph machine and use pantomime to help students understand that it was used to send messages.

Also in Work Time A, if time allows, encourage students to form groups of five to act out the dialogues between Durmont and his doctor and Durmont and the two telegraph boys. Students who need heavier support can take the roles of the boys. Acting out will engage students with the story and increase their comprehension of the characters, setting, and plot events.

Finally in Work Time A, encourage students to use the Story Elements: “His Motto,” Part I note-catcher ▲. This resource includes sentence frames that support students in comprehension and writing about the interactions of story elements and how the author develops points of view.

A. Explore Themes: "His Motto" - RL.7.2 (5 minutes)

• Display and draw students' attention to the Harlem Renaissance Themes anchor chart. Ask students to Think-Pair-Share: 

"What possible themes do you see emerging in the text so far?" (Possible response: There is a theme that you should work hard no matter what others think of you, and a theme that prejudice keeps people from recognizing others' humanity and worth.)

"How is the author developing these themes?" (Possible response: The author is developing these themes by showing how Durmont doubts Hilton because of his race and age, but how Hilton remains confident in his own abilities to send a message over wireless.)

• Add the emerging themes that students identify to the Harlem Renaissance Themes anchor chart. Tell students that they will have an opportunity to return to these themes and confirm or revise them once they finish reading the story.

• Ask students to Think-Pair-Share about the following question:

"What habits of character did you see in this excerpt? Who demonstrated them? What did they look/sound like?" (Possible response: Hilton shows initiative in suggesting that he can help send Durmont's message. He also perseveres in the face of Durmont's prejudice and continues to believe in his own ability.)

• 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 

Allow students extra think time to identify a theme in the story. As necessary, prompt with questions such as:

What are the characters learning about prejudice or believing in yourself? What does the story tell us about prejudice or believing in yourself?

Provide students with a sentence frame to share their thoughts about theme, so that they have the language structures and aids for comprehension to participate fully in the discussion:

The author's message is that prejudice / believing in yourself is _____.