Finding the Gist of the Immediate Aftermath Excerpt of “Comprehending the Calamity” | EL Education Curriculum

You are here

Home › Our Curriculum › ELA 2012 Grade 6 › ELA 2012 G6:M3A › ELA 2012 G6:M3A:U2 ›

ELA 2012 G6:M3A:U2:L4

Finding the Gist of the Immediate Aftermath Excerpt of “Comprehending the Calamity”

In this Lesson

You are here:

Download Materials

Long Term Learning Targets

  • I can analyze how key individuals, events, or ideas are developed throughout a text. (RI.6.3)
  • I can use a variety of strategies to determine word meaning in informational texts. (RI.6.4)

Supporting Targets

  • I can find the gist of the immediate aftermath excerpt of "Comprehending the Calamity."
  • I can determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases in the immediate aftermath excerpt of "Comprehending the Calamity."
  • I can explain how Emma Burke introduces, illustrates, and elaborates on the immediate aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire in "Comprehending the Calamity."

Ongoing Assessment

  • Structured notes

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engaging the Reader: First Part of Chapter 9 of Dragonwings (7 minutes)

B. Unpacking Learning Targets (2 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Finding the Gist and Identifying Vocabulary: Immediate Aftermath Excerpt of "Comprehending the Calamity" (16 minutes)

B. Determining the Meaning of Unfamiliar Words and Phrases (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Analyzing How Emma Burke Introduces, Illustrates, and Elaborates on the Immediate Aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake (10 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Read the rest of Chapter 9 (pages 207-222). Use evidence flags to identify three text details from the rest of Chapter 9, then answer the focus question in your structured notes using text evidence.

 
  • This lesson is very similar in structure to Lesson 2 and is the first lesson in the next round of two-lesson cycles. In this lesson, students read and find the gist of a new excerpt of "Comprehending the Calamity." In the next lesson, they will analyze this excerpt to determine the author's point of view about the immediate aftermath of the earthquake.
  • Remind students at appropriate points throughout the lesson that the activities in Lessons 2-5 will support their success on the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment in Lesson 6.
  • This excerpt will be used in the end of unit assessment, so it is important that students have a good understanding of the content.
  • Post: Learning targets and Introducing, Illustrating, and Elaborating anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2).

Vocabulary

tortuous, domain-specific vocabulary, clasping, cherished, substantial, hastily, inebriated attitudes, obtain, elevated, timbering, unconscious, insurmountable

Materials

  • Document camera
  • Immediate aftermath excerpt of "Comprehending the Calamity" (one per student and one for display)
  • Equity sticks
  • Unit 2 word-catcher (from Lesson 1; may need additional copies)
  • Introducing, Illustrating, and Elaborating anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2; one for display)
  • Introducing, Illustrating, and Elaborating anchor chart for the immediate aftermath excerpt of "Comprehending the Calamity" (answers, for teacher reference)

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Engaging the Reader: First Part of Chapter 9 of Dragonwings (7 minutes)

  • Remind students that for homework they read the first part of Chapter 9, pages 189-206, ending with, "... while Father picked up his hats, dusted them off, and set them on his head one by one." Ask students to discuss in triads:

*   "What happens in this part of Chapter 9?"

  • Invite students to work in triads to select a key scene from their reading and form a "snapshot" of that scene by arranging themselves to mimic a still photograph of the scene. Triads should each choose one member to explain the scene aloud in a few sentences.
  • Ask students to share their "snapshots" with another group, first allowing the viewing group to guess which scene the performing group selected. Listen for students to portray and explain how San Franciscans, including the demons and the Tang people, reacted to the earthquake and fire. Then have the performing group become the viewers and repeat the process.
  • Remind students of the focus question that they flagged for homework.

*   "'The Dragon Wakes' is a metaphor for a big event in this chapter. What is the event? How do Moon Shadow's beliefs about dragons help him to understand what is happening?"

  • Invite students to share the evidence they recorded on their structured notes with their triad. Circulate and listen for students to describe the changing nature of dragons, and how they can be powerful in different ways.
  • Select volunteers to share their evidence with the whole group.
  • Opening the lesson by asking students to share their homework makes them accountable for completing it. It also gives you the opportunity to monitor which students are not doing their homework

B. Unpacking Learning Targets (2 minutes)

  • Invite students to read the learning targets with you:

*    "I can find the gist of the immediate aftermath excerpt of 'Comprehending the Calamity.'"

*   "I can determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases in the immediate aftermath excerpt of 'Comprehending the Calamity.'"

*    "I can explain how Emma Burke introduces, illustrates, and elaborates on the immediate aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire in 'Comprehending the Calamity.'"

  • Remind students that they saw similar learning targets in Lesson 2. Tell them they will be repeating the activities completed in Lesson 2, but with a new excerpt.
  • Learning targets are a research-based strategy that helps all students, especially challenged learners.
  • Posting learning targets allows students to reference them throughout the lesson to check their understanding. The learning targets also provide a reminder to students and teachers about the intended learning behind a given lesson or activity.

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Finding the Gist and Identifying Vocabulary: Immediate Aftermath Excerpt of "Comprehending the Calamity" (16 minutes)

  • Invite students to sit with their triads and direct their attention to the document camera. Display and distribute the immediate aftermath excerpt of "Comprehending the Calamity."
  • Invite students to follow along silently you as you read the excerpt aloud.
  • Invite students to silently reread Paragraph 1 for the gist. Ask them to discuss in triads:

*    "What is the gist of this paragraph?"

  • Select students to share their responses. Listen for them to explain that it is mostly about how she looked out onto her street and described what she saw.
  • Invite students to circle any unfamiliar words in the first paragraph. Select volunteers to share the unfamiliar words they circled and circle them on your displayed text. Ensure the following are circled: tortuous and clasping. Explain that you will come back to the unfamiliar words later.
  • Invite students to find the gist and then circle any unfamiliar vocabulary in the remaining paragraphs of the excerpt. Remind students to discuss the gist with their triads before recording it in the margin.
  • Circulate and support students as they read. For those who need more support, ask them to practice telling you the gist of a section before writing it in the margin.
  • Refocus whole group. Consider using equity sticks to select students to share the gist of the remaining paragraphs.
  • Asking students to identify challenging vocabulary helps them monitor their understanding of a complex text.
  • Hearing a complex text read slowly, fluently, and without interruption or explanation promotes fluency for students: They are hearing a strong reader read the text aloud with accuracy and expression, and are simultaneously looking at and thinking about the words on the printed page. Be sure to set clear expectations that students read along silently in their heads as you read the text aloud.
  • ELLs may be unfamiliar with more vocabulary words than are mentioned in this lesson. Check for comprehension of general words that most students would know.to ELL students.

B. Determining the Meaning of Unfamiliar Words and Phrases (10 minutes)

  • Focus students on the word tortuous in the first paragraph. Cover the "-ous" and ask:

*    "What other word has this root?"

  • Select volunteers to share their responses. Listen for students to explain that the word "torture" has the same root. Tell them "tort" is a Latin root that means to twist. Ask:

*    "So thinking about the meaning of the root and what an earthquake might do to stairs in a building, what do you think 'tortuous' means?"

  • Cold call students for their responses. Listen for them to explain that it means the stairs were twisted.
  • Invite students to record this word on their Unit 2 word-catcher.
  • Ask students:

*    "Is this a domain-specific vocabulary word? Is it specific to the topic of earthquakes?"

  • Cold call students to share their responses. Listen for: "Yes, it is a domain-specific vocabulary word." Tell students they should circle it on their Unit 2 word-catcher.
  • Invite students to focus on the word clasping. Ask:

*    "What does 'clasp' mean?"

  • Select volunteers to share their responses. Listen for: "to hold tightly." Students may also explain that a clasp is something that holds a purse or an item of clothing. Ask:

*    "So what do you think clasping means?"

  • Cold call students to share their responses. Listen for students to say it means holding tightly.
  • If there are any other words students circled as unfamiliar, depending on the time you have available either:

-   Invite other students to tell them the meaning.

-   Invite them to look the words up in the dictionary.

-   Tell them what the word means.

  • Words students may struggle with include: cherished, substantial, hastily, inebriated attitudes, obtain, elevated, timbering, unconscious, and insurmountable.
  • Remind students to record new words on their Unit 2 word-catchers and to circle domain-specific vocabulary.
  • Reviewing academic vocabulary words benefits all students by developing academic language. Consider allowing students to grapple with a complex text before explicit teaching of vocabulary. After students have read for the gist, they can identify challenging vocabulary for themselves. Teachers can address student-selected vocabulary as well as predetermined vocabulary upon subsequent encounters with the text. However, in some cases and with some students, pre-teaching selected vocabulary may be necessary.
  • Asking students to identify challenging vocabulary helps them to monitor their understanding of a complex text. When students annotate the text by circling these words it can also provide a formative assessment for the teacher.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Analyzing How Emma Burke Introduces, Illustrates, and Elaborates on the Immediate Aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake (10 minutes)

  • Reread the learning target:

*    "I can explain how Emma Burke introduces, illustrates, and elaborates on the 1906 San Francisco earthquake in 'Comprehending the Calamity.'"

  • Direct students' attention to the posted Introducing, Illustrating, and Elaborating anchor chart (from Lesson 2). Tell them that you will be adding their ideas to the anchor chart based on this new excerpt. Ask students to reread the first paragraph of the excerpt again and to discuss in triads:

*    "How does Emma Burke introduce the immediate aftermath of the earthquake?"

  • Consider using equity sticks to select students to share their responses. Record responses in the first column on the anchor chart. See the Introducing, Illustrating, and Elaborating anchor chart for the immediate aftermath excerpt of "Comprehending the Calamity" (answers, for teacher reference) to guide you in what the completed anchor chart should look like.
  • Ask students to reread the rest of the excerpt again and to discuss in triads:

*    "How does Emma Burke illustrate the earthquake? How does she explain the earthquake so that we have a clear idea of what happened?"

  • Select volunteers to share their responses. Record responses in the second column on the anchor chart.
  • Ask students to discuss in triads:

*    "How does Emma Burke elaborate on the earthquake? How does she add more detail to the step-by-step explanation of what happened from the beginning until the end of the earthquake?"

  • Cold call students to share their responses. Record responses in the third column on the anchor chart.
  • Anchor charts are a way to synthesize and capture valuable whole group thinking that can be built upon and referred to in later lessons.

Homework

Homework
  • Read the rest of Chapter 9 (pages 207-222). Use evidence flags to identify three text details from the rest of Chapter 9, then answer the focus question below in your structured notes, using text evidence:

*    How does Yep help you, the reader, experience what it was like to live through this big event?

Created by EL Education, on behalf of Public Consulting Group, Inc.
© Public Consulting Group, Inc., with a perpetual license granted to EL Education, Inc.

Get updates about our new K-5 curriculum as new materials and tools debut.

Sign Up

Help us improve our curriculum.

Tell us what's going well, share your concerns and feedback.

Leave feedback