Analyze Figurative Language: The Lightning Thief, Chapters 4 and 5 | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G6:M1:U1:L7

Analyze Figurative Language: The Lightning Thief, Chapters 4 and 5

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RL.6.1, RL.6.4, L.6.4, L.6.5a

Supporting Standards: These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.

  • RL.6.10, W.6.10, SL.6.1, L.6.6
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can demonstrate understanding of the excerpt of chapter 5 of The Lightning Thief. (RL.6.1)
  • I can interpret figurative language in The Lightning Thief. (L.6.5a)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket (RL.6.4, W.6.10, L.6.5a)
  • Work Time A: Gist on sticky notes
  • Work Time B: Analyze Figurative Language note-catcher (RL.6.1, RL.6.4, L.6.4, L.6.5a)
  • Closing and Assessment A: Exit Ticket (L.6.5a, W.6.10)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - L.6.5a (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Read The Lightning Thief, Chapter 5 Excerpt - RL.6.1 (20 minutes)

B. Figurative Language: The Lightning Thief, Chapter 5 - L.6.5a (15 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Exit Ticket: Personification - L.6.5a (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Identify Figurative Language: Students complete Homework: Unfamiliar Vocabulary and Figurative Language: The Lightning Thief, Chapter 5.

B. Preread Anchor Text: Students should finish reading chapter 5 (pages 71-74) and preread chapter 6 in The Lightning Thief in preparation for studying an excerpt from the chapter in the next lesson.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • L.6.5a – Opening A: Students describe the image evoked in their minds by a passage from The Lightning Thief that uses figurative language.
  • RL.6.1 – Work Time A: Students read the next chapter of the text and find the gist. Students also unpack unfamiliar vocabulary and answer comprehension questions using inferences and evidence from text.
  • RL.6.4 – Work Time B: Students determine the meanings of words and phrases as they are used in The Lightning Thief.
  • L.6.4 – Work Time B: Students clarify the meanings of multiple-meaning words, which are used figuratively in the text.
  • L.6.5a – Work Time B: Students practice analyzing and interpreting figurative language, using examples from The Lightning Thief.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • A number of figures from Greek myths are introduced in this chapter; encourage students to read the original versions of stories in which these figures are introduced to build background on the topic.
  • Introduce the archetype of the Hero’s Journey. Provide several examples of the hero’s journey as a pattern in popular stories (The Lion King, Star Wars, Harry Potter). At this point in the novel, students should begin to see many of the same patterns emerging (i.e., Call to Adventure, Refusal of the Call, Meeting the Mentor, Supernatural Aids).
  • Invite students to identify other examples of figurative language in The Lightning Thief and to interpret the meaning.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In the previous lessons, students read chapters 1–4 of The Lightning Thief, pausing to record gist, and to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary. In this lesson, students repeat this routine with chapter 5 of The Lightning Thief.
  • The Independent Research Reading assignment was also launched and the importance of reading extensively to understand a topic was explained. Students continue to complete research reading each night for homework.

Support All Students

  • Note there is a differentiated version of the Analyze Figurative Language note-catcher used in Work Time B in the supporting materials download. ▲
  • The chapter under study in this lesson refers extensively to the might of Western civilization. Encourage students to challenge this position; use probing questions to prompt students’ critical assessment of the way Western civilization and its power are depicted in this chapter.
  • Students may be shocked or offended by several other character developments in this chapter. Be alert and sensitive to the ways in which these scenarios may elicit student emotion:
    • Chiron is able to stand up and be free of his wheelchair. Students in wheelchairs may be sensitive to this representation of the physically impaired.
    • Mr. D, the camp director, is overtly rude to Percy and the other youth at camp; an adult showing outright disdain toward kids may make some students uncomfortable. It may help to remind students that in Greek culture gods were not considered faultless by humans as they are in other cultures.
    • On page 67, Chiron discusses God (in a religious sense) in relation to the Greek gods; this could be uncomfortable for some students. If so, this may need some further discussion.
  • Chapter 5 includes extensive description of Camp Half-Blood. Prepare several images to accompany the reading, and illuminate the meanings of unfamiliar terms like centaur and amphitheater. ▲
  • Tell reluctant readers that, at the completion of chapter 5, they are a quarter of the way through the novel. Praise their persistence as they tackle a task that does not come easily for them.
  • When grouping students in triads to analyze figurative language in Work Time B, group ELLs with partners who have more advanced or native language proficiency. The partner with greater language proficiency can serve as a model, initiating discussions and providing implicit sentence frames, for example. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Review students’ figurative language note-catchers to determine any common issues to use as teaching points.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students continue in their anchor text, reading from chapter 6 of The Lightning Thief. They continue to analyze figurative language and point of view as it is used in the novel.

In Advance

  • Predetermine triads for the figurative language analysis activity in Work Time B.
  • Preread chapter 5 in The Lightning Thief to identify words or plot points that may challenge students.
  • Prepare copies of handouts for students, including entrance ticket (see Materials list).
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: Utilize an audiobook version of the novel as a number of new names and terms are introduced in this chapter (amphitheater, Chiron, Dionysus, Aphrodite). Students benefit from hearing a fluent reader use proper pronunciation of these unfamiliar vocabulary words.
  • Work Time B: Students complete their note-catchers in a word-processing document such as a Google Doc.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 6.I.B.6a, 6.I.B.6b, 6.I.B.7, and 6.I.B.8.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson introduces students to the idea of figurative language, preparing them for the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment. Students have the opportunity to practice interpreting figurative language both through an entrance ticket and through a more challenging activity that requires students to make inferences about meaning based on selections from the text and capture these inferences on a note-catcher. Encourage struggling students to use the differentiated note-catcher, which features a glossary, visual images, and sentence frames to support student understanding.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to differentiate among figurative and literal meanings of words as they develop their academic English vocabulary. Be sensitive to the fact that students may be learning multiple meanings at the same time, which would increase the cognitive load considerably. Create opportunities for students to describe the role of figurative language in their home languages.

Vocabulary

  • figurative language (DS)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (one to display; from Unit 1, Lesson 4, Opening A)
  • Domain-specific word wall (from Unit 1, Lesson 1, Opening A)
  • Text Guide: The Lightning Thief (for teacher reference) (from Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • Gist Record: The Lightning Thief anchor chart (example for teacher reference) (one to display; from Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (one to display; from Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time C)
  • Vocabulary logs (one per student; from Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time B)
  • Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (one per student; text; from Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work TIme C)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 7 (for teacher reference)
  • Analyze Figurative Language note-catcher (example for teacher reference)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 7 (one per student)
  • Sticky notes (two per student)
  • Synopsis: The Lightning Thief, Chapter 5 (one per student; one for display)
  • Analyze Figurative Language note-catcher (one per student; one for display)
  • Analyze Figurative Language note-catcher ▲
  • Homework: Unfamiliar Vocabulary: The Lightning Thief, Chapter 5 (one per student; from Unit 1 homework)

Assessment

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

Opening

A. Engage the Learner – L.6.5a (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as previous lessons to distribute and review Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 7.
  • See Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 7 (for teacher reference).
  • Explain that students will use this resource later in the lesson.
  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as 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 previous lessons.
  • With students, use the vocabulary strategies on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart to deconstruct the phrase figurative language (not meant to be interpreted in a literal way; represented by means of a symbol, figure, or image). Record on the domain-specific word wall with translations in home languages, where appropriate ▲, and invite students to record words in their vocabulary logs.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Read The Lightning Thief, Chapter 5 Excerpt - RL.6.1 (20 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Read aloud the selected excerpt, using Text Guide: The Lightning Thief (for teacher reference) for comprehension and vocabulary questions as needed. Students continue to record the gist on sticky notes, unpack and record unfamiliar vocabulary, and reflect on their reading as they choose. Refer to the following resources as appropriate to support this section of the lesson: Gist Record: The Lightning Thief anchor chart (example for teacher reference), vocabulary logs, chapter synopsis, and Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart.
  • Excerpt: Chapter 5 starting at page 62 "Down at the end of the porch, two men sat across from each other at a card table . . ." and ending at page 71 ". . . Mr. D turned to me. 'Cabin eleven, Percy Jackson. And mind your manners.'"
  • Gist: Percy wakes up at Camp Half-Blood and learns he is a demigod.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

B. Figurative Language: The Lightning Thief, Chapter 5 – L.6.5a (15 minutes)

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

“I can interpret figurative language in The Lightning Thief.”

  • Remind students of the question from Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 6. Direct students to this sentence at the bottom of page 61. Invite students to share their sketches with a partner.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

“What is a valley?” (land between mountains or hills)

“The text describes the valley as ‘marching.’ What does marching mean?” (walking steadily in step with others)

“So what does it mean when it says the valley is marching? Is the valley actually walking? Can land walk?” (The valley isn’t actually walking because land can’t walk. It means that as Percy looks down the valley, he can see the valley ends in water.)

“What kind of language is this? Why did the author choose to use it?” (figurative, because it helps paint a picture of what Percy can see)

  • Revisit the definition of figurative language from the Engage the Learner portion of this lesson.
  • Group students into predetermined triads. Display and distribute the Analyze Figurative Language note-catcher or Analyze Figurative Language note-catcher ▲. Read through the types of figurative language in the first column. Remind students that many of these types of figurative language are familiar to them from work in previous grades.
  • Invite students to help complete the empty column on the chart for “Personification” as a model. Refer to the Analyze Figurative Language note-catcher (example for teacher reference).
  • Invite triads to work together to infer the meaning of the figurative language example.
  • Circulate to identify any misconceptions referring to the Analyze Figurative Language note-catcher (example for teacher reference).
  • After 10 minutes, refocus the group. Invite students to share their responses, and clarify any misconceptions. Refer to Analyze Figurative Language note-catcher (example for teacher reference).
  • If productive, use Goal 1 Conversation Cues to encourage students to expand their ideas.

“Can you say more about that?”

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

For Lighter Support

  • Visuals are likely to amplify understanding of figurative meanings. Encourage students to draw pictures that represent figurative meanings of familiar words that represent connections across figurative and literal meanings. For example, the word reflection has a literal meaning (e.g., an image that we can see in a mirror, in water, or on a shiny surface) that may be connected to its figurative one (through written reflection, we "see" ourselves and our ideas). Encourage students to consider and explore these links. This will support vocabulary knowledge as students establish connections across denotations.

For Heavier Support

  • Provide students with pre-drawn sketches that represent figurative meanings of familiar words. 
  • Ensure that ELLs have access to examples and definitions of techniques used to create figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor, personification, and idiom) that they can refer to later. Display a chart with examples.

Closing & Assessments

Closing

A. Exit Ticket: Personification - L.6.5a (5 minutes)

  • Provide each student with a sticky note.
  • Ask students to write an example of personification on the sticky note. Remind students that the personification example cannot be one already discussed during class.
  • Cold call students to share, and collect the sticky notes to check for understanding.

Homework

Homework

A. Identify Figurative Language

  • Students complete Homework: Unfamiliar Vocabulary and Figurative Language: The Lightning Thief, Chapter 5.

B. Preread Anchor Text

  • Students should finish reading chapter 5 (pages 71-74) and preread chapter 6 in The Lightning Thief in preparation for studying an excerpt from the chapter in the next lesson.

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