Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Analyzing the Author’s Point of View: Relief Camps | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2012 G6:M3A:U2:L6

Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Analyzing the Author’s Point of View: Relief Camps

In this Lesson

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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)
  • I can determine an author's point of view or purpose in an informational text. (RI.6.6)
  • I can explain how an author's point of view is conveyed in an informational text. (RI.6.6)

Supporting Targets

  • I can determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases in an excerpt of "Comprehending the Calamity."
  • I can explain how Emma Burke introduces, illustrates, and elaborates on the relief camps in "Comprehending the Calamity."
  • I can identify Emma Burke's point of view of the relief camps in "Comprehending the Calamity."
  • I can explain how Emma Burke conveys her point of view of the relief camps in "Comprehending the Calamity."

Ongoing Assessment

  • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part A: Determining Word Meaning and How Ideas Are Developed
  • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part B: Determining the Author's Point of View and How it Is Conveyed

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engaging the Reader: First Half of Chapter 10 of Dragonwings (8 minutes)

B. Unpacking Learning Targets (2 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part A: Determining Word Meaning and How Ideas Are Developed (15 minutes)

B. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part B: Determining the Author's Point of View and How it Is Conveyed (15 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Self-Assessment of Learning Targets: Vote with Your Feet (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Read Dragonwings, Chapter 10: "Aroused," pages 236-256, starting with, "Three days later, on a Saturday morning ..." There is no new focus question for this reading.

 
  • In this mid-unit assessment, students read a new excerpt from "Comprehending the Calamity" and analyze word/phrase meaning; the ways the author has conveyed her point of view of the relief camps; and how the author has introduced, illustrated, and elaborated on relief camps. The graphic organizers used for this assessment are the same organizers students have been using throughout the unit so far, so they should be familiar with how to fill them out.
  • Assess student responses on the mid-unit assessment using the Grade 6 Two-Point Rubric--Short Response.
  • In advance: Review Back-to-Back, Face-to-Face discussion protocol and Vote with Your Feet protocol (see Appendix). Make signs to post either on the floor or walls for this activity: "Not meeting the learning target," "Approaching the learning target," "Meeting the learning target," and "Exceeding the learning target."
  • Post: Learning targets and Introducing, Illustrating, and Elaborating anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2).

Materials

  • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part A: Determining Word Meaning and How Ideas Are Developed (one per student)
  • Introducing, Illustrating, and Elaborating anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2; one for display)
  • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part A: Determining Word Meaning and How Ideas Are Developed (answers, for teacher reference)
  • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part B: Determining Author's Point of View and How It Is Conveyed (one per student)
  • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part B: Determining the Author's Point of View and How It Is Conveyed (answers, for teacher reference)
  • Grade 6 Two-Point Rubric--Short Response (for teacher reference)

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Engaging the Reader: First Half of Chapter 10 of Dragonwings (8 minutes)

Remind students that for homework they read pages 223-236 of Chapter 10 of Dragonwings, stopping at, "All in all, it was a fine evening and we were sorry it had to come to an end." Ask students to Think-Pair-Share:

*   "What happens in the beginning of Chapter 10?"

  • Cold call students to share their responses with the whole group. Listen for students to explain that Moon Shadow and Windrider join the rest of the Company in convincing Uncle to leave the Company Building to find safety in Oakland. San Francisco was in ruins as fires raged and the Army demolished the remains of half-collapsed buildings. Once they arrived in the tent city full of earthquake refugees, Moon Shadow and the Company hosted Miss Whitlaw and Robin, and the members of the Company enjoyed meeting them and getting to know each other some.
  • Invite students to use their structured notes to participate in a Back-to-Back, Face-to-Face discussion.
  • Back-to-Back, Face-to-Face:
  1. Invite students to find a partner and stand back-to-back.
  2. Remind students of the homework point of view focus question, "How does Moon Shadow view the demons after the earthquake?"
  3. Allow 1 minute for students to refer to their structured notes to think about how they will answer the question.
  4. Ask students to turn face-to-face and share their answers.
  5. After students share, give the signal for them to find a new partner and repeat the process two or three more times.
  • Select volunteers to share something new they learned or a question they have.
  • 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 determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases in an excerpt of 'Comprehending the Calamity.'"

*   "I can explain how Emma Burke introduces, illustrates, and elaborates on the relief camps in 'Comprehending the Calamity.'"

*   "I can identify Emma Burke's point of view of the relief camps in 'Comprehending the Calamity.'"

*   "I can explain how Emma Burke conveys her point of view of the relief camps in 'Comprehending the Calamity.'"

  • Remind students that these are the same learning targets they have been working with across the previous five lessons, just with a new excerpt. Tell students that today they will show how well they can demonstrate these targets independently in an assessment.
  • 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. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part A: Determining Word Meaning and How Ideas Are Developed (15 minutes)

  • Distribute the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part A: Determining Word Meaning and How Ideas Are Developed to each student.
  • Invite students to read through the learning targets and the prompts with you. Remind them that the graphic organizer on the assessment handout is the same as the Introducing, Illustrating, and Elaborating anchor chart they have been adding to as a class since Lesson 2 of this unit, so they are to fill it out in the same way. Direct students' attention to the posted Introducing, Illustrating, and Elaborating anchor chart.
  • Remind the class that because this is an assessment, it is to be completed independently. However, if students need assistance, they should raise their hand to speak with a teacher. Explain that although Emma Burke doesn't say it directly, this excerpt is about the relief camps that were set up in parks in San Francisco for people to live in when their homes were destroyed or were unsafe for them to live in. Tell students that people lived in the parks, sometimes in tents and sometimes without tents.
  • Circulate and support students as they work. During an assessment, your prompting should be minimal.
  • Collect the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part A.
  • For some students, this assessment may require more than the 30 minutes allotted. Consider providing students time over multiple days if necessary.
  • If students receive accommodations for assessments, communicate with the cooperating service providers regarding the practices of instruction in use during this study as well as the goals of the assessment.

B. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part B: Determining the Author's Point of View and How It Is Conveyed (15 minutes)

  • Distribute the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part B: Determining the Author's Point of View and How It Is Conveyed to each student.
  • Invite students to read through the learning targets and the prompts with you. Remind them that the graphic organizer on the assessment handout is the same as the graphic organizer used throughout this unit to analyze point of view.
  • Remind the class that because this is an assessment, it is to be completed independently. However, if students need assistance, they should raise their hand to speak with a teacher.
  • Circulate and support students as they work. During an assessment, your prompting should be minimal.
  • Collect the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part B.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Self-Assessment of Learning Targets: Vote with Your Feet (5 minutes)

  • Remind students of the Vote with Your Feet discussion protocol where they move around the room depending on how closely they feel they have met the learning target on today's mid-unit assessment.
  • Invite students to read the learning targets with you:

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

*   "I can explain how Emma Burke introduces, illustrates, and elaborates on the relief camps in 'Comprehending the Calamity.'"

*   "I can identify Emma Burke's point of view of the relief camps in 'Comprehending the Calamity.'"

*   "I can explain how Emma Burke conveys her point of view of the relief camps in 'Comprehending the Calamity.'"

Vote with Your Feet:

  1.  Either post sheets of paper with "Not meeting the learning target," "Approaching the learning target," "Meeting the learning target," and "Exceeding the learning target" on the walls or lay them on the floor.
  2. Read the first learning target.
  3. Invite students to move around the room according to their perceived ability to meet the first learning target on today's mid-unit assessment.
  4. Ask students to turn and talk to a partner and explain why they are standing in that particular location. Listen for explanations such as: "I am standing near 'Meeting the learning target' because I was able to determine the meaning of difficult words by using relevant context clues."
  5. After both partners share, repeat the process until students have self-assessed and discussed all four learning targets.
  • The debrief after the assessment can help build a culture of achievement in your classroom.

Homework

Homework
  • Read Dragonwings, Chapter 10: "Aroused," pages 236-256, starting with, "Three days later, on a Saturday morning ..." There is no new focus question for this reading. Teaching Note: To assess students' performance on the mid-unit assessment, you will use the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part A: Determining Word Meaning and How Ideas Are Developed, the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment Part B: Determining the Author's Point of View and How It Is Conveyed, and the Grade 6 Two-Point Rubric--Short Response.

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

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