Close Reading Jigsaw: “Cronus” and “Medusa” | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G6:M1:U2:L3

Close Reading Jigsaw: “Cronus” and “Medusa”

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RL.6.1, RL.6.2

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.6.4, RL.6.10, W.6.5, W.6.10, SL.6.1a, SL.6.1b, L.6.4, L.6.6

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can write a summary of "Theseus and the Minotaur" without personal opinions or judgments. (RL.6.2)
  • I can determine themes in "Cronus" and "Medusa" and how they are conveyed through details. (RL.6.2)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket (RL.6.2)
  • Work Time A: Revision of Close Reading Culminating Task: "Theseus and the Minotaur" (RL.6.1, RL.6.2, W.6.5, W.6.10)
  • Work Time B: Close Reading Jigsaw: Greek Myths note-catcher (RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RL.6.4, W.6.10, SL.6.1, L.6.4)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - RL.6.2 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Review Summary Writing - RL.6.2 (10 minutes)

B. Jigsaw Close Read: "Cronus" and "Medusa" - RL.6.2 (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Jigsaw Share - RL.6.2 (10 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Compare and Contrast Themes: Students complete Homework: Compare and Contrast Themes: Greek Myths and The Lightning Thief.

B. Preread Anchor Text: Students should preread chapter 15 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

  • RL.6.2 – Work Time A: Students critique and revise the summaries they wrote during Closing and Assessment A in Lesson 2. Students offer a star (praise) and a step (critique) for their partners’ consideration. Providing peer feedback gives students ownership over their academic improvement and allows them the valuable practice of viewing student writing like a teacher.
  • RL.6.1 – Work Time B: Students participate in a close reading of “Cronus” and “Medusa” using the Jigsaw protocol. They use evidence from the myths to support their analysis of the myths’ themes and key details.
  • RL.6.2 – Work Time B: During the close read, students focus on theme, key details, and summary. By reporting back their learning to another small group, students gain background knowledge on a number of myths.
  • Students engage in the following new protocol in this lesson (instructions for which appear at the first point of use in the lesson):
    • Jigsaw: Allows small groups to engage in an effective, time-efficient comprehension of two different texts. Students become experts in one of the texts, hear oral summaries of the other, and still gain an understanding of the material.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • The Greek myths provided in this lesson have been rewritten to reflect an average Grade 6 reading level. Provide a more complex version of the story (available in the public domain) for students reading at a higher level.
  • Myths from different cultures often reflect similar values or explanations (e.g., how the earth was created). Challenge students to engage in a close read of strategically chosen myths from other cultures and identify their similar themes and other connections. ▲

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In the previous lesson, students participated in a close read of “Theseus and the Minotaur.” In this lesson, students apply those close reading skills to a new Greek story, this time working in small groups.
  • Rather than guiding students toward a particular theme as in previous lessons, students read closely to identify themes with only peer support.

Support All Students

  • Note there is a differentiated version of the Close Reading Jigsaw: Greek Myths note-catcher used in Work Time B in the supporting materials download. ▲
  • Students may notice that Perseus of traditional Greek mythology makes an appearance in the Medusa myth. Point out that this Perseus is different from Percy, the protagonist of The Lightning Thief.
  • Students may need additional support with recording their answers on their note-catchers. Work together with those students in a small group for more support when necessary.
  • Students may need extra support to make the Jigsaw Close Read successful. Think about modeling, strategic grouping, designated roles for members of each reading group, or active reading/note-taking strategies. ▲
  • Consider diversity and inclusion when reading Greek stories. Ask about, research, acknowledge, celebrate, and incorporate student knowledge, languages, beliefs, and skills; compare and contrast students' cultures and background to those introduced in Greek stories. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Circulate and monitor as students share their summaries and provide peer feedback. Ensure that feedback is kind, helpful, and accurate. Remind students that they do not have to make the corrections their peers suggest if they disagree, but ensure that they justify their reasoning for not accepting certain feedback.
  • Review the Close Reading Jigsaw: Greek Myths note-catcher to ensure students understand how to identify theme. It is vital that, at this point, students are understanding how to identify themes in texts, as they will begin to build on this skill in the next lesson by comparing themes across texts.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will return to the anchor text, reading from chapter 15 of The Lightning Thief. Using their new understanding of the Greek figures referenced in the text, students will compare themes across texts.

In Advance

  • Prepare for the Jigsaw protocol:
    • Review the questions and answers for both myths in the Jigsaw protocol.
    • Thoroughly review the Jigsaw protocol to ensure clear directions and smooth transitions.
    • Strategically group students into home groups of four, and then assign each student in the home group a letter - A, B, C, or D. The lettered groups will be the expert groups during the Jigsaw, with two expert groups reading each of two Greek myths.
  • Review the student tasks and example answers to get familiar with what students will be required to do in the lesson (see Materials list).
  • 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: Use a search engine to gather visuals to enhance the reading of the Cronus and Medusa myths. Many images of figures from Greek mythology are not school-appropriate; preview images first before displaying them to the class.
  • Work Time B: Use a video to model the Jigsaw protocol in action: http://eled.org/jigsaw.
  • Alternatively, display a visual representation of the movements in a jigsaw to ease the cognitive load for students as they take part in the protocol.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 6.I.A.1, 6.I.B.5, and 6.I.B.6.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson acquaints students with more Greek myths, increasing their content knowledge in preparation for the mid-unit assessment, and facilitates a Jigsaw Reading that supports language development and collaboration. Jigsaw Reading supports ELLs because it cultivates content knowledge while limiting the amount of text each student is required to independently read and process.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to complete a Jigsaw close read of a Greek myth and answer text-dependent questions in the allotted time. Be prepared to provide additional support to struggling groups or add extra time, if possible.

Vocabulary

  • banished, dethroned, envious, vowed (A)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Criteria for an Effective Summary anchor chart (one to display; from Unit 2, Lesson 1, Work Time C)
  • Close Reading Culminating Task: "Theseus and the Minotaur" (example for teacher reference) (from Unit 2, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (one to display; added to in Unit 1, Lesson 5, Work Time A)
  • Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (one to display; edited version from Unit 2, Lesson 2, Work Time B)
  • Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (example for teacher reference) (from Unit 2, Lesson 2, Work Time B)
  • Close Reading Culminating Task: "Theseus and the Minotaur" (one per student; from Unit 2, Lesson 2, Work Time A)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 (for teacher reference)
  • Close Reading Jigsaw: Greek Myths note-catcher (example for teacher reference)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 (one per student)
  • Text: “Cronus” (one per student and one for display)
  • Text: “Medusa” (one per student and one for display)
  • Close Reading Jigsaw: Greek Myths note-catcher (one per student and one to display)
  • Close Reading Jigsaw: Greek Myths note-catcher ▲
  • Homework: Compare and Contrast Themes: Greek Myths and The Lightning Thief (one per student; from Unit 2 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 - RL.6.2 (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as previous lessons to distribute and review Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3.
  • 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.
  • Turn and Talk:

"What do you think you will be doing in this lesson based on these learning targets?" (We'll be continuing to work on our summaries for "Theseus and the Minotaur" and reading other Greek myths.)

"Why are we doing this? How is it meaningful to you? How will it help you to be successful?" (Reading and understanding the Greek myths that are mentioned in The Lightning Thief will help us to better understand the novel and also think about the relevance of Greek mythology today.)

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Review Summary Writing - RL.6.2 (10 minutes)

  • Display the Criteria for an Effective Summary anchor chart. Ask a student to read one characteristic aloud, and allow for any questions. Repeat for all characteristics.
  • Have students retrieve their Close Reading Culminating Task: "Theseus and the Minotaur" handouts from Lesson 2. Ask them to get back into their summary writing pairs and then join another pair. Each pair reads their summary aloud, while the other pair listens for each of the characteristics. The listening pair then shares one star (something that was done well) and one step (something that could be improved). Repeat for the other pair. Students then make revisions to their summaries as necessary.
  • See Close Reading Culminating Task: "Theseus and the Minotaur" (example for teacher reference).
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

B. Jigsaw Close Read: “Cronus” and “Medusa” – RL.6.2 (20 minutes)

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

“I can determine themes in ‘Cronus’ and ‘Medusa’ and how they are conveyed through details.”

  • Focus students on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart, and remind them that digging into the text deeper can help them understand it better, so they are going to dig deeper into two Greek myths, “Cronus” and “Medusa.”
  • Direct students’ attention to the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart, and review what collaboration looks and sounds like.
  • Distribute and display Text: “Cronus,” Text: “Medusa,” and Close Reading Jigsaw: Greek Myths note-catcher or Close Reading Jigsaw: Greek Myths note-catcher ▲. Read directions aloud, and clarify any confusion.
  • Review the Jigsaw procedure: Students have home groups and expert groups. They will work with their expert groups on a text, and then they will share what they learned with their home groups and also learn about the other group’s text.
  • Display home group and expert groupings. Have students move into their expert (letter) groups and begin working: groups A and C will read “Cronus,” and groups B and D will read “Medusa.” As students work, circulate and provide support as needed. Allow more proficient groups to grapple, and join less proficient groups to provide additional reading support. ▲ Refer to Close Reading Jigsaw: Greek Myths note-catcher (example for teacher reference) as necessary.

For Lighter Support

  • N/A

For Heavier Support

  • Choose one of the Jigsaw Readings, and gloss it with brief definitions of key vocabulary. This will help ELLs read more efficiently and comprehend more of the text.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Jigsaw Share - RL.6.2 (10 minutes)

  • Have students move into their home groups. Students A and C share their summaries and themes about "Cronus." Next, students B and D share their summaries and themes about "Medusa." As students listen, they should add to and revise their note-catchers as needed.
  • Reconvene the whole group.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

For Lighter Support

  • Challenge ELLs who need lighter support to generate a list of sentence frames that ELLs who need heavier support can use when reporting on their assigned Jigsaw Reading.

For Heavier Support

  • Provide sentence frames students can use when reporting on their assigned Jigsaw Reading. Examples:
    • The myth I read was about _____.
    • The most important people in this myth are _____ and _____.
    • One important thing that happened in this myth was _____.
    • I think one theme of this myth is _____.
    • Some questions I still have about this myth are _____.

Homework

Homework

A. Compare and Contrast Themes

  • Students complete Homework: Compare and Contrast Themes: Greek Myths and The Lightning Thief.

B. Preread Anchor Text

  • Students should preread chapter 15 in The Lightning Thief in preparation for studying an excerpt from the chapter in the next lesson.

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