Analyze Structure: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapters 5 and 6 | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G6:M2:U1:L11

Analyze Structure: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapters 5 and 6

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.5

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.

  • RI.6.10, W.6.10
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can analyze how chapters fit into the overall structure and contribute to the development of the central idea. (RI.6.5)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket (RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.5, W.6.10)
  • Work Time B: Text-Dependent Questions: Analyze Structure (RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.5)
  • Closing and Assessment A: Analyze Structure: "William Kamkwamba's Electric Wind" (RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.5, W.6.10)
  • Homework A: Write Summary and Analyze Structure: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapter 6 (RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.5)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - RI.6.5 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Share Independent Research Reading - RI.6.10 (10 minutes)

B. Analyze Structure: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapters 5 and 6 - RI.6.5 (25 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Analyze Structure: "William Kamkwamba's Electric Wind" - RI.6.5 (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Write Summary and Analyze Structure: Students complete Homework: Write Summary and Analyze Structure: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapters 2 and 6 to analyze structure in chapter 2 and to write a summary of chapter 6.

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

  • RI.6.5 – Opening A: Students complete an entrance ticket in which they revisit their past ideas about text structure in chapter 5 of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind and adjust these ideas as needed, using new information about the text.
  • RI.6.1 – Work Time B: Students use evidence from the text to answer text-dependent questions about the central idea(s) and structure of chapters 5–6 of the text.
  • RI.6.2 – Work Time B: Students answer text-dependent questions about the central idea(s) of chapters 5–6 of the text.
  • RI.6.5 – Work Time B: Students answer text-dependent questions about the text structure of chapters 5–6, noting words that signal text structure and identifying ways that specific sentences contribute to the structure of the text.
  • RI.6.5 – Closing and Assessment A: Students revisit the informational text “William Kamkwamba’s Electric Wind” and analyze its structure.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Connect work with text structure in an informational text to text structure in literary texts, looking at the way a particular stanza of a poem or verse of a song or section of a text fits into the overall structure and contributes to the development of the text’s plot or theme.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In the previous lesson, students read chapter 6 of the anchor text and continued to analyze ways in which the authors illustrate and elaborate on the key individual, William. Students also reviewed figurative language from the chapter using an interactive protocol. They practiced summary writing by writing an effective summary of chapter 6.
  • In this lesson, students continue to work with chapters 5 and 6 of the text with a focus on analyzing structure.

Support All Students

  • Students may better understand the goals and expectations of the Analyze Structure exercise of Work Time B, as they completed a similar exercise in Lesson 8. Help students seek to understand the contributions of their classmates by using Conversation Cues throughout the series of questioning and inviting students to paraphrase what others have said. ▲
  • Students may feel nervous about completing another reading assessment (in Lesson 12), especially if they struggled on the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment. Remind them that the upcoming End of Unit 1 Assessment uses a chapter from The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, whose “characters,” story, and style are all familiar to students. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • This is the last lesson before the End of Unit 1 Assessment. Ensure that any major misconceptions about how authors develop individuals and ideas and how a text’s structure helps develop the central idea of a text are cleared up before the assessment.
  • Independent research reading was launched relatively recently. Encourage students to share their initial impressions of their texts and predictions about how the text may or may not contribute to their understanding of this module’s topic.
  • Note that the questions on Homework: Write Summary and Analyze Structure: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapters 2 and 6 reference two different chapters in the anchor text (chapters 6 and 2). Draw students’ attention to this detail in advance to avoid confusion.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will take the End of Unit 1 Assessment, for which they will read chapter 8 in the anchor text. Students demonstrate their ability to determine a central idea, analyze the structure of a text, and write an effective summary.

In Advance

  • Review the Independent Reading: Sample Plans located on the Tools Page at http://eled.org/tools to determine the option that best fits student needs and interests.
  • Strategically group students into triads for work with analyzing text structure in Work Time B.
  • Review the sample student responses to the handouts in Work Time B and Closing and Assessment A to guide students toward the correct responses.
  • Prepare copies of handouts for students, including the entrance ticket (see Materials list).
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: Students could share their Independent research reading by creating a brief video or book trailer using a digital tool, such as http://eled.org/0172.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 6.I.A.1, 6.I.A.2, 6.I.B.6, 6.II.A.1, 6.II.B.4, and 6.II.C.6.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson guides students through a detailed analysis of text structure, using chapters 5 and 6 as examples. Students identify the text structures of these chapters and explain how they help to develop central idea(s) of the text as a whole. Throughout this exercise, discussion protocols are used to promote equitable conversation and students are invited to sketch drawings of text structures for added visual support. Also in this lesson, students share their independent research reading, giving them a space to celebrate their own learning and share content knowledge with their classmates.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to adequately answer questions about the ways in which the structures of chapters 5 and 6 help to convey central ideas in the text. If productive, swap out the Turn and Talk protocols for a Chalk Talk, which allows for longer processing time.

Vocabulary

  • N/A

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Structure anchor chart (for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 8, Work Time B)
  • Structure anchor chart (one to display; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 8, Work Time B)
  • Homework: Analyze Author Methods and Central Idea: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapter 5 (answers for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 10, Homework A)
  • Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (one to display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • Independent Reading Sample Plans (See Teaching Notes) (from the Tools Page at http://eled.org/tools)
  • Homework: Analyze Author Methods and Central Idea: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapter 5 (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 10, Homework A)
  • The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (text; one per student) (from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • Vocabulary logs (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time B)
  • Independent reading journal (one per student; begun in Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 6, Work Time B)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 11 (example for teacher reference)
  • Analyze Structure: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapters 5 and 6 (answers for teacher reference)
  • Analyze Structure: "William Kamkwamba's Electric Wind" (for teacher reference)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 11 (one per student)
  • Analyze Structure: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapters 5 and 6 (one per student)
  • Analyze Structure: "William Kamkwamba's Electric Wind" (one per student)
  • Homework: Write Summary and Analyze Structure: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapters 2 and 6 (one per student; see Homework Resources)

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 - RI.6.5 (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as previous lessons to distribute and review Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 11. Refer to the Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 11 (example for teacher reference) for possible responses. Display the Structure anchor chart started in Lesson 8.
  • Using a preferred classroom routine, collect or review the answers to Homework: Analyze Author Methods and Central Idea: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapter 5. Refer to Homework: Analyze Author Methods and Central Idea: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapter 5 (answers for teacher reference).
  • 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 in previous lessons.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Share Independent Research Reading - RI.6.10 (10 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as the previous module to guide students to share their independent research reading, reminding students that the purpose of research reading is to build their content knowledge and domain-specific vocabulary on the topic. As necessary, use the Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart to review integrity.
  • Refer to the Independent Reading Sample Plans located on the Tools Page at http://eled.org/tools to guide students through a research reading share or use another established routine.

For Lighter Support

  • After Work Time A, allocate time for a debrief of the Independent Research Reading share. Invite students to reflect on the value of independent research reading and set goals for the future.

For Heavier Support

  • N/A

    B. Analyze Structure: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapters 5 and 6 - RI.6.5 (25 minutes)

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

    "I can analyze how chapters fit into the overall structure and contribute to the development of the central idea."

    • Direct students' attention to the Structure anchor chart. Ask students to indicate which structure they wrote about in their entrance tickets, by showing one finger for cause and effect, two fingers for chronological, three fingers for comparison, and four fingers for problem and solution. Record the results on the board. Explain that today they'll explore the structure of chapters 5 and 6 in more detail.
    • Distribute and display the Analyze Structure: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapters 5 and 6 handout. Review the directions and field questions as necessary. Remind students to refer to the gist statements, chapter synopsis handouts, and their summary of chapter 6 to help them as they complete the activity.
    • Working in triads or with dance card partners, students take about 15 minutes to complete the Analyze Structure: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapters 5 and 6 activity. Circulate to provide support as needed. Refer to Analyze Structure: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapters 5 and 6 (for teacher reference) as necessary.
    • Reconvene the whole group. Invite students to share their responses and to ask each other for their reasoning or for clarification. Add to the Structure anchor chart as appropriate. Refer to the Structure anchor chart (example for teacher reference) as necessary.
    • Turn and Talk:

    "How does the structure of chapter 5 help to convey the central idea?" (The cause-and-effect structure in chapter 5 emphasizes that what William and his community are experiencing are the direct effects of the drought and famine.)

    "How does the structure of chapter 6 help to convey the central idea?" (The chronological structure in chapter 6 helps the reader experience William's excitement as he anticipated going to school and then his disappointment and struggle as he encountered unexpected obstacles. We are able to experience these things as William did writing about them in the order they happened.)

    • Direct students' attention back to the Structure anchor chart.
    • Turn and Talk:

    "We've been talking about the structure of individual chapters in the text. Based on your reading so far, what seems to be the larger structure of the whole text? How do you know?" (The whole text seems to use a chronological structure. Even though the prologue starts after William has built the windmill, chapter 1 takes us back in time and we move forward in time with each new chapter, following William through his life in Wimbe.)

    "How do chapters 5 and 6 help to develop a central idea of the whole text?" (Answers will vary: One central idea is that William shows resilience and persistence and remains optimistic even when the situation he and his family and community are facing seem the hardest. This is conveyed in chapter 5 when he is able to retain his sense of humor and gratitude even though he is really struggling. This is conveyed in chapter 6 when he continues to hope and work toward his education even when the situation seems impossible.)

    • Sketch-Pair-Share:

    "Take a minute to sketch your understanding of the cause-and-effect structure as it is used in this chapter 5 and the chronological-sequential structure used in chapter 6 and explain it to your partner." (Answers will vary. Students might draw a circle, representing the cause, and an arrow, representing the effects, for chapter 5. Students might draw a series of labeled squares in a vertical row, each square representing an event in the series.)

    "We have analyzed compare and contrast, cause and effect, and chronological, and have problem and solution remaining. Given what you know about this structure, what do you imagine about the big sections of a text using this structure?" (I think there will be discussion of a problem and then discussion of a solution to that problem.)

    "How might this structure be applicable to this text as a whole? Can you create a sample central idea statement that would also suggest a problem-and-solution structure?" (Answers may vary. William was able to solve the problems experienced by his family during the drought by building a windmill.)

    • As needed, cue students to seek to understand one another:

    "Who can repeat what your classmate said?"

    "Who can tell us what your classmate said in your own words?"

    • Explain that they will apply their understanding of overall structure in the closing QuickWrite, using the "William Kamkwamba's Electric Wind" article they read in Lesson 7.

    For Lighter Support

    • N/A

    For Heavier Support

    • During Work Time B, split the class into two groups and assigning groups either chapter 5 or chapter 6 to analyze. This will reduce the cognitive load for students as they tackle text structures. 

    Closing & Assessments

    Closing

    A. Analyze Structure: "William Kamkwamba's Electric Wind" - RI.6.5 (5 minutes)

    • Distribute Analyze Structure: "William Kamkwamba's Electric Wind," and direct students to begin. Refocus whole group after 4 minutes. Refer to Analyze Structure: "William Kamkwamba's Electric Wind" (for teacher reference) as necessary.
    • Collect and review student responses, making note of students who might need support.
    • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.
    • Explain that students will continue to study structure in more detail in Unit 2, even though it is also included on the End of Unit 1 Assessment.

    Homework

    HomeworkLevels of Support

    A. Write Summary and Analyze Structure

    • Students complete Homework: Write Summary and Analyze Structure: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapters 2 and 6 to analyze structure in chapter 2 and to write a summary of chapter 6 of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

    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.

    For Lighter Support

    • As additional preparation for the end of unit assessment of the following lesson, challenge some students to revisit summaries they have already written and generate "paragraph frames" that can be used to produce summaries. These frames might include sentence starters like,
      • "This text is about _____";
      • "The two most important details in this text are _____ and _____";
      • "One quote that shows _____ is _____ because _____."
    • Invite students to also add a phrase bank for additional support. These frames and sentence starters can be shared with students who need heavier support.

    For Heavier Support

    • N/A

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