A. Engage the Learner – SL.8.1 (5 minutes)

• Direct students’ attention to the posted learning target, and select a volunteer to read it aloud. Then instruct the whole class to read the learning target aloud together.

“I can infer the topic of this module from the resources.”

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

When introducing the word infer, provide graphics and ask students to make inferences about them. For example, a broken window with a baseball next to it (someone threw a baseball and it shattered the glass), a dog that is covered in mud (the dog played in the mud and got dirty). This conveys the concept of infer to ELLs through accessible, nonlinguistic input.

• Guide students through an intentional Think-Pair-Share on the following questions:

1. Move students into pairs, and invite them to label themselves A and B.

2. Pose the question, and give students time to think independently and silently about their answer to the question.

3. Invite partner A to ask partner B the question.

4. Give partner B a specified time frame (e.g., 30 seconds, 1 minute) to share his or her response.

5. Have partners reverse roles and repeat steps 3–4.

6. Using a total participation technique (e.g., cold call, equity sticks), invite students to share their responses with the whole group.

7. Repeat this process with remaining questions.

“Why do we have learning targets? What is the purpose of learning targets?” (To give us a goal: the goal is to be able to say “I can . . . ,” which means that the target has been achieved.)

• Underline the word infer in the target.

• Ensure that students have access to an online or paper English or translation dictionary. Model how to look a word up in a print or online dictionary.

• Use a sentence frame to boost confidence and encourage participation. (Example: “Another word for infer is _____.”)

• Invite students to Turn and Talk with their partner:

1. When prompted, students turn to a shoulder buddy or neighbor.

2. In a set amount of time, students share their ideas about the question.

3. Students may be instructed to share some key ideas from their paired discussions with the whole class.

“What does infer mean? If you are going to infer the topic, what does that mean?” (When we make an inference, we make a good guess based on the evidence we have seen. Inferring the topic means making a good guess about the topic based on the content of the resources we will look at.)

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

To help students during their first Turn and Talk discussion, display sentence stems that they can refer to:

• We have learning targets so that we . . .

• The purpose of learning targets is to help us . . .

Alternatively, display a list of key vocabulary that students may use in their responses, including synonyms for the word target (i.e., goal, objective), and relevant verbs (i.e., reach, achieve).

• Cold-call students to share out their responses:

1. Name the question before identifying students to answer it.

2. Call on students regardless of whether they have their hands raised.

3. Scaffold questions from simple to increasingly complex, probing for deeper explanations.

4. Connect thinking threads by returning to previous comments and connecting them to current ones; model this for students, and teach them to do it, too.

• With student support, record the meaning of infer on the academic word wall, with translations in students’ home languages (make a good guess about the topic based on the content of the resources). Write synonyms or sketch a visual above infer to scaffold students’ understanding. Prompt students to use the word in a new sentence by either writing that sentence down or thinking of that sentence silently, then sharing with a partner.

• If productive, use a Goal 1 Conversation Cue to encourage students to expand their ideas about the word infer by giving examples.

“Can you say more about that?”

“Can you give an example?”

• For additional support, visually display the definitions of other key vocabulary in the learning target (topic, resources), and have students write these definitions in a notebook.

A. Infer the Topic – RL.8.1 (10 minutes)

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

“I can infer the topic of this module from the resources.”

• Post the Infer the Topic resources around the room, or print materials and provide multimedia access to each small group.

• Distribute the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catchers. Focus students on the question at the top, and read it aloud:

“What do you think you will be learning about in this module?”

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

During Work Time A, as an lighter-support alternative to the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher distribute the partially completed Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher ▲. This provides students with models for the kind of information they should enter and relieves the volume of writing required.

• Tell students that the purpose of the note-catcher is to take notes to help them remember their thinking. It isn't something they will hand in for assessment, and there are no wrong answers, so they can record in pictures or words. They do not need to write in full sentences. For ELLs and students who require additional support, the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher ▲ can be used to help guide students’ thinking by reducing linguistic barriers and to support vocabulary acquisition.

• Be transparent about why students are noticing and wondering (because it is a helpful way to understand and explore a new topic or text).

• Display and distribute and read aloud and ensure students understand the Directions for Infer the Topic. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)

• Model filling in one noticing or wondering on the note-catcher.

• Guide students through the protocol. Allow them to choose what resources to observe, so those who may not be able to read independently have the option to view an image. Mixed-proficiency pairs can choose the resources they want to observe and begin by discussing what the text means. Encourage students to agree or disagree with one another about what the text means using sentence frames (e.g., “I agree because _____,” “I disagree because_____”).

• Refocus the whole group. Think-Pair-Share:

“Now that you have looked at some resources, what do you think this module might be about?” (Responses will vary, but could include Mexico, butterflies, a monster.)

“What evidence supports your inference?” (Responses will vary.)

• Use Goal 1 Conversation Cues to encourage students to expand their ideas and to facilitate time for students to think and process language internally.

“Can you say more about that? I’ll give you some time to think and write or sketch.” (Responses will vary.)

• Display the Eagle Pass map. Explain to students that this is the border between the United States and Mexico where border patrol allows or forbids people to pass between the countries.

• Display the map of Coahuila, Mexico. Explain to students that the Rio Grande is a river that runs along the border, and that Coahuila, Mexico, lies on the other side of the border.

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

• Thumb-O-Meter:

1. Tell students they are going to use the Thumb-O-Meter strategy to reflect on their comfort level or readiness on the learning target.

2. When prompted to reflect on the learning target, students show their comfort level with it by holding their thumb up, down, or sideways. By holding their thumb sideways, they are indicating they will need some support. By holding their thumb down, they are indicating they feel uncomfortable with the learning target.

3. Use students’ self-assessment to adjust instruction, and check in with students showing a thumb-down or thumb-sideways.

• Scan student responses, and make a note of students who might need support. Check in with them moving forward.

B. Introduce the Performance Task and Module Guiding Questions (10 minutes)

• Tell students that they will now look at a few additional artifacts as they continue to hone their understanding of the module topic.

• Direct students' attention to the Performance Task anchor chart, and read the task aloud.

• As students may be overwhelmed by the Performance Task anchor chart, assure them that they will continue to explore the meaning of the chart in subsequent lessons and units.

• Turn and Talk:

“What do you notice?” (We will get to write our own version of a Latin American story about a monster; we will get to use images for our webpage.)

“What do you wonder?” (Responses will vary, but may include the following: What is relevant media? Why do Latin Americans honor a story about a monster?)

“Now that you have analyzed the performance task, has your inference of what this module might be about changed? How?” (Responses will vary.)

• Clarify anything pertinent to this specific performance task. Display a model performance task from a former student. Ask students to make connections between the model and the performance task.

• Direct students' attention to the Module Guiding Questions anchor chart, and read the questions aloud. Turn and Talk:

“Why do we have guiding questions for each module?” (Responses will vary, but may include the following: to help focus our learning, to help us think about the performance task.)

• Underline the word myth. Turn and Talk:

“What does this mean? What strategy can you use to find out?”

• Invite students to work in their pairs to determine the meaning of the word. Remind students to use their print or online dictionary. Use a total participation technique to select a student to share with the whole group (myth: a popular story from the past that uses supernatural beings and events to explain a practice, belief, or natural event).

• Repeat with traditional (passed down and unwritten; ritual), narrative (a story), modernize (to make or become new and different or suitable for the present time), and folklore (the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth).

• With student support, record the meanings of myth, traditional, narrative, modernize, and folklore on the domain-specific word wall, with translations in students’ home languages. Write synonyms or sketch a visual above each vocabulary word to scaffold students’ understanding. Prompt students to use each word in a new sentence by either writing that sentence down or thinking of that sentence silently, then sharing with a partner.

• Tell students that these are the questions that will guide their thinking and learning throughout the module. Turn and Talk:

“What do you notice?” (Responses will vary, but may include: I notice these stories are customs, I notice that the stories can change because they are oral traditions).

“What do you wonder?” (Responses will vary, but may include the following: Why is it that people do not write down their traditional stories? How do you decide which traditions to keep?)

“Now that you have analyzed the guiding questions and performance task, has your inference of what this module might be about changed?” (Responses will vary.)

• Clarify that this module will be about folklore of Latin America. Help students to identify Latin America on a world map, and explain that Latin America is usually defined as the areas of America whose official languages are Spanish and Portuguese, which are languages derived from Latin: South America, Central America, Mexico, and certain islands in the Caribbean.

• Turn and Talk:

“What does this topic mean to you at this point? Why might it be meaningful to study this topic?” (Responses will vary, but may include: “We rarely or never read books by Latin American authors, it is important to know about and celebrate all cultures, it can help people get rid of the stereotypes about Mexican people.”)

“From what you know so far, what are you looking forward to about this topic?” (Responses will vary, but may include “learning about Latin America, learning more about folklore from my Mexican culture.”)

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

In Work Time B, support ELLs while they work to determine the meaning of vocabulary in module guiding questions by providing definitions and having students match words with their meanings to guide students toward an accurate understanding of vocabulary and the questions as a whole.

• Acknowledge that some students may already know something about this topic. Explain that for homework, they will reflect on the guiding questions and how they feel about them based on their own experiences, and that this will be discussed more at the beginning of the next lesson. And note that some students may know nothing about the topic—it will be fun to dig in together!

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

C. Launch the Text: Summer of the Mariposas (10 minutes)

• Distribute the text Summer of the Mariposas.

• Tell students they will now spend 2 minutes looking through the book with their partner and discussing what they notice and wonder about the book, including the cover, synopsis, and chapter titles. Partner B will share a notice or a wonder first, then partner A, and then partner B again, and so on.

• Provide whiteboards and dry-erase markers or sticky notes as an option for students to record (in drawing or writing) their ideas. This helps scaffold active listening for key details.

• Use equity sticks to select students to share out what they notice and wonder about the book. As students share out, draw an I Notice/I Wonder T-chart on the board and complete as students share out. Alternatively, direct each student to write their response on the board, or their partner can write the response on the board. Listen for suggestions such as the following:

  • The titles of each chapter are in Spanish and English.

  • There are five silhouettes/shadows of girls on the cover.

  • There is a definition of the word mariposa before the table of contents.

  • There is a glossary of Spanish words with their English translations in the back of the book.

  • The story is about a dead body.

  • The story has some supernatural/ghostly elements.

• Having spent some time looking through the book, invite students to spend 3 minutes reflecting silently. Reflection can include thinking or writing/drawing on paper. Students must be silent when they do this, though. Ask the following question to guide reflection:

“What does what you read or saw in the book make you think about? Why?”

• After 3 minutes, refocus the whole group.

• Tell students that reflections can be very personal, based on an individual’s background and previous experiences. Guide students through an intentional Think-Pair-Share, ensuring that partner A and partner B both have think time, both get to say the question aloud to the other, and both have an allocated time to respond and then to discuss to build deeper understanding. Cold-call students to share their responses with the whole group:

“Knowing that reflections can be very personal, how do you think we should behave when people share their reflections?” (Responses will vary, but may include the following: listening without interrupting; not disagreeing with how someone feels, as that is personal to them; showing respect and empathy—thinking about how they feel; and treating them with care.)

D. Introduce the Work to Become Ethical People Anchor Chart – (5 minutes)

• Focus students on the Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart. Explain that, as it says at the top of the chart, ethical people are people who treat others well and stand up for what is right.

• Read aloud what it says about respect:

“I show respect. This means I appreciate the abilities, qualities, and achievements of others, and treat myself, others, and the environment with care.”

• Invite students to Turn and Talk to an elbow partner:

“Using the anchor chart as a guide, what does respect mean in your own words?” (Appreciating what I and others are good at, and treating everyone with care.)

• Tell students they will now use the Think-Pair-Share protocol to discuss their ideas with a partner.

“What does respect look like? What might you see when someone is showing respect to someone else?” See Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

“What does respect sound like? What might you hear when someone is showing respect to someone else?” See Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

• Invite students to share out and record ideas in the relevant column on the anchor chart. See Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

• Invite students to add translations in their home languages to the anchor chart. ▲

• Read aloud what it says about empathy:

“I show empathy. This means I understand and I share or take into account the feelings, situation, or attitude of others.”

• Invite students to Turn and Talk to an elbow partner:

“Using the anchor chart as a guide, what does empathy mean in your own words?” (Thinking about how others might feel.)

• Repeat the Think-Pair-Share protocol, and invite students to discuss their ideas with a partner:

“What does empathy look like? What might you see when someone is showing empathy to someone else?” See Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

“What does empathy sound like? What might you hear when someone is showing empathy to someone else?” See Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

• Invite students to share out and record ideas in the relevant column on the anchor chart. See Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

• Invite students to add translations in their home languages to the anchor chart.▲

• Now that students know what respect and empathy look and sound like, tell students they will now have the opportunity to share their reflections about Summer of the Mariposas, if they would like to, with the whole group. Remind students to respond with respect and empathy as necessary.

• Invite volunteers to share their reflections with the whole group. Be prepared to discuss any issues students feel they need to discuss further.

• Read aloud the prologue while students read along silently.

A. Reflect on Learning Targets (5 minutes)

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

• Incorporate reflection on and awareness of the following academic mindsets: “I can succeed at this” and “My ability and competence grow with my effort.”

• Turn and Talk:

“What helped you to be successful at that task? How much effort did you put in on this task? How did your effort affect your learning?” (Possible responses: I was successful at that task because I focused and worked hard. I also worked and talked with my peers, which grew my learning.)