Compare and Contrast Essay: Plan Conclusion | EL Education Curriculum

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RL.6.1, RL.6.7, W.6.2a, W.6.2f, W.6.4, W.6.5, W.6.9a

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

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can compare and contrast what I see and hear when I read the text to what I perceive when I watch the same scene of the film. (RL.6.7)
  • I can plan the conclusion of a compare and contrast essay with a strong reflection. (W.6.2f)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Work Time A: Language Dive: Reflection (W.6.2f)
  • Work Time B: Conclusion: Informative/Explanatory Writing Plan graphic organizer (RL.6.1, RL.6.7, W.6.2f, W.6.4, W.6.5, W.6.9a)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - W.6.2a (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Language Dive: Reflection - W.6.2f (15 minutes)

B. Plan a Conclusion - W.6.2f (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Pair Share - RL.6.7 (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Plan Conclusion: Students review and revise the plan for their conclusion to ensure they are adequately wrapping up their essay. Remind students that, at this time, they are only planning and not drafting their conclusion.

B. Independent Research Reading: Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • W.6.2a – Opening A: Students refine the focus statements of their introductions in preparation to write their conclusions.
  • W.6.2f – Work Time A: Students engage in a Language Dive, which facilitates a closer look at a key sentence in the conclusion of the model essay. This Language Dive will give students the opportunity to practice a structure that may be useful as they write the conclusions of their own essays.
  • RL.6.1 – Work Time B: Students return to their compare and contrast essays to plan the conclusion, using evidence from The Lightning Thief to support their ideas. On the end of unit assessment, students apply what they have learned to provide a concluding section that follows from the comparison presented.
  • RL.6.7 – Work Time B: Students plan the concluding paragraphs of their essays, in which they compare and contrast the experience of reading a scene in a story with the experience of watching the same scene in a film.
  • W.6.2f – Work Time B: Students plan a conclusion that follows from the information presented in their proof paragraphs.
  • W.6.4 – Work Time B: Using the Compare and Contrast Model Essay as guidance, students plan a clear and coherent conclusion paragraph, with attention to task, purpose, and audience.
  • W.6.5 – Work Time B: Students receive some support as they strengthen their writing by thoughtfully planning the concluding paragraphs of their essays.
  • W.6.9a – Work Time B: Students apply Grade 6 Reading standards to literature by comparing and contrasting a video clip and its corresponding scene in the text.
  • RL.6.7 – Closing and Assessment A: Students share their plans with a partner and give and receive feedback on the connections drawn across the text and film.
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to become effective learners, showing perseverance as they write independently.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Gather a number of new texts with effective conclusions. Invite students to analyze these conclusions written by professionals to gather more criteria for an effective conclusion.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In the second half of this unit, students have been analyzing a model and using their analysis to plan a compare and contrast essay. This lesson continues those routines to finish planning the essay’s conclusion and reflective statement.

Support All Students

  • Some students may need additional support as they plan the conclusions of their essays. This lesson includes a Language Dive, which will focus students’ attention to the most important elements of an effective reflection sentence within a conclusion. Language Dives help create more confident readers and writers, and further accelerate language growth for ELLs. ▲
  • If an interactive whiteboard, like a Smartboard, is available, input the sentence chunks of the Language Dive as individual text boxes, and allow students to manipulate the chunks on the board.

Assessment Guidance

  • Monitor the timing of this lesson to ensure that all students are prepared with a comprehensive plan for the next lesson’s assessment before the end of class. Circulate and monitor to clarify any egregious misconceptions before the end of unit assessment.
  • Review students’ Language Dive: Compare and Contrast Model Essay, Conclusion and Reflection note-catcher from Work Time A to ensure students understand how to restate, reinforce, and reflect on the focus statement of the essay.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will use their plans to complete the End of Unit 2 Assessment, in which they plan an essay comparing and contrasting the film version of The Lightning Thief with the novel.
  • Students will review their Mid-Unit 2 Assessment at the start of the next lesson. Ensure that kind, helpful, and specific feedback is ready for their review at that time.

In Advance

  • Review the student tasks and example answers to get familiar with what students will be required to do in the lesson (see Materials list).
  • Preview the Language Dive Guide, and invite conversation among students to address the language goals suggested under each sentence chunk strip. Select from the questions and goals provided to best meet the students' needs.
  • Prepare the Language Dive sentence chunk strips for students to physically manipulate.
  • 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 B: Students use a digital online tool such as http://eled.org/0120 to record themselves reading their entire plan essay aloud, then listen back to it. Reflect on areas that need more support or smoother transitions.
  • Closing and Assessment A: Use a free online tool like http://eled.org/0127 to aid students in giving effective and efficient feedback.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 6.I.C.10, 6.I.C.11, 6.II.A.1, and 6.II.C.1.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson incorporates a Language Dive that deconstructs the reflection sentence from the conclusion of the Compare and Contrast Model Essay. After completing the Language Dive, students have the opportunity to immediately apply what they have learned to the planning of their own conclusions. This lesson, like the remaining lessons of Unit 2, also includes no reading of The Lightning Thief, giving students time to process and reflect on what they have already read and focus their attention on their writing.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to move quickly through the Language Dive, which features a long and complex sentence. Guide their attention to the focus structure and reiterate that this is the most important element of the sentence, so that students will not feel overwhelmed by the length of the sentence.

Vocabulary

  • fantastic, journey, perhaps (A)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Annotated Compare and Contrast Model Essay (for teacher reference) (Unit 2, Lesson 6, Work Time A)
  • Criteria for an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart (one to display; from Unit 2, Lesson 8, Work Time B)
  • Criteria for an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart (example for teacher reference) (from Unit 2, Lesson 8, Work Time B)
  • Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (one to display; from Unit 1, Lesson 5, Work Time A)
  • Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (example for teacher reference) (from Unit 1, Lesson 5, Work Time A)
  • Academic word wall (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 1, Opening A)
  • Informative/Explanatory Writing Plan graphic organizer (one per student; from Unit 2, Lesson 8, Work Time B)
  • Compare and Contrast Model Essay (one per student; from Unit 2, Lesson 6, Work Time A)
  • Painted Essay(r) template (one per student; from Unit 2, Lesson 6, Work Time C)
  • Informative Writing checklist (one per student; begun in Unit 2, Lesson 8, Work Time C)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Language Dive Guide: Compare and Contrast Model Essay Conclusion and Reflection (for teacher reference)
  • Language Dive: Compare and Contrast Model Essay Conclusion and Reflection note-catcher (example for teacher reference)
  • Language Dive: Compare and Contrast Model Essay Conclusion and Reflection sentence chunk strips (one to display)
  • Language Dive: Compare and Contrast Model Essay Conclusion and Reflection note-catcher (one per student)

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 - W.6.2a (5 minutes)

  • Record the following on the board for students to complete as they arrive:
    • Reread your Informative/Explanatory Writing Plan graphic organizer to review and further refine your focus statement and ideas to get you ready to plan your conclusion.
  • 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.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Language Dive: Reflection - W.6.2f (15 minutes)

  • Tell students they will now participate in another Language Dive to understand how modal phrases can be used to reflect about the choices of the director and author of The Lightning Thief.
  • Reread aloud from the paragraph of the Compare and Contrast Model Essay.
  • Focus students on the sentence:

"Perhaps the biggest similarity between the book and the movie is the feeling of strength and power both readers and viewers experience as they make this fantastic journey alongside Percy and his friends."

  • Use the Language Dive Guide: Compare and Contrast Model Essay, Conclusion and Reflection (for teacher reference) to guide students through a Language Dive conversation about the sentence. Distribute and display the Language Dive: Compare and Contrast Model Essay, Conclusion and Reflection note-catcher, and the Language Dive: Compare and Contrast Model Essay, Conclusion and Reflection sentence chunk strips. Refer to the Language Dive: Compare and Contrast Model Essay, Conclusion and Reflection note-catcher (example for teacher reference) for guidance.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

For Lighter Support

  • As an additional challenge during the Practice section of the Language Dive in Work Time A, encourage students to write two sentences: one that discusses a similarity between the book and the movie (as the frame asks), and one that discusses a difference.

For Heavier Support

  • During the Practice (Focus Structure) portion of the Language Dive, provide students with a list of possible gerunds that can complete the sentence frame "Books take readers on fantastic journeys by _____." These could include gerunds like teaching, inviting, or providing.
  • During the Practice section of the Language Dive, provide students with a short list of feelings that they can choose from to complete the sentence frame "Perhaps the biggest similarity between the book and the movie is the feeling of _____ both readers and viewers experience . . ." These could include words like nervousness, excitement, or anticipation.

B. Plan a Conclusion – W.6.2f (20 minutes)

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

“I can compare and contrast what I see and hear when I read the text to what I perceive when I watch the same scene of the movie.”

“I can plan the conclusion of a compare and contrast essay with a strong reflection.”

  • Invite students to refer to their Painted Essay® template to remember the parts of a conclusion paragraph:
    • Restated focus statement
    • Reflection
  • Direct students to the Compare and Contrast Model Essay. Point out that the first part of the conclusion is colored in green, yellow, and blue because it is a mix of the focus statement, point 1, and point 2.
  • Turn and Talk:

“Why might the shade of green in the conclusion be slightly different from the shade of green for the focus statement? Think back to your experience painting the essay in Lesson 6.” (When we mixed yellow and blue paints they made a new shade of green. This shows that when we run the ideas in the yellow paragraph and the ideas in the blue paragraph through our own minds, they come together to make something new—our own thinking on the topic, but still connected back to the focus statement.)

  • Invite students to help record the parts of a conclusion paragraph on the Criteria for an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart. Refer to the Criteria for an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart (example for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Remind students that as they plan the conclusion, they should restate the focus statement and provide a reflection.
  • Invite students to retrieve the following materials:
    • Informative Writing checklist
    • Informative/Explanatory Writing Plan graphic organizer
  • Draw students’ attention to the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart. Remind them of the habit of perseverance.
  • Circulate to support students as they work and to identify common issues to use as whole group teaching points.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Pair Share - RL.6.7 (5 minutes)

  • Invite students to join a new partner to form a pair.
  • Post the following directions, and read through them with students. Answer clarifying questions:
    1. First partner explains his/her ideas for the conclusion of the essay.
    2. Second partner offers one star (one piece of feedback for something your partner did well) and one step (one piece of feedback for something your partner could improve on).
    3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the other partner presenting his/her conclusion.
    4. Both pairs revise their work according to the stars and steps they received (if they agree).
  • Invite students to begin sharing.
  • After 5 minutes, invite students to return to their seats.

For Lighter Support

  • N/A

For Heavier Support

  • Provide students with a list of general proofreading tips (or, if possible, a checklist highlighting more student-specific language errors to notice and avoid). Encourage students to read and think about the items on this list before the end of unit assessment in the next lesson.

Homework

Homework

A. Plan Conclusion

  • Students review and revise their plan for their conclusion to ensure they are adequately wrapping up their essay. Remind students that, at this time, they are only planning and not drafting their conclusion.

B. Independent Research Reading

  • Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

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