Analyze Figurative Language: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapter 11 | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G6:M2:U2:L1

Analyze Figurative Language: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapter 11

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.6.1, RI.6.4, RI.6.7, W.6.8, 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.

  • RI.6.3, W.6.10
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can integrate information from the text and the graphic to understand design thinking. (RI.6.7)
  • I can interpret figurative language to determine meaning in the text. (L.6.5a)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket (RI.6.4, L.6.5a)
  • Work Time A: Gist on sticky notes
  • Work Time A: Design Solution: William note-catcher (RI.6.1, RI.6.7, W.6.8, SL.6.2)
  • Closing and Assessment A: Quick Write: Use Figurative Language (W.6.10, L.6.5a)
  • Homework A: Design Solution: William note-catcher (RI.6.1, RI.6.7, W.6.8, SL.6.2)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

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

2. Work Time

A. Read The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapter 11 Excerpt - RI.6.7 (15 minutes)

B. Analyze Figurative Language: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapter 11 Excerpt - L.6.5a (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. QuickWrite: Use Figurative Language - L.6.5a (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Apply Design Thinking: Students continue working on Part I, sections A, B, and C of the Design Solution: William note-catcher.

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.6.4 — Opening A: Students complete an entrance ticket in which they determine the figurative meaning of words as they are used in chapter 11 of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
  • L.6.5a — Opening A: Students complete an entrance ticket in which they interpret figures of speech from chapter 11 of the text.
  • RI.6.1 — Work Time A: After students read an excerpt from chapter 11 of the text, they add to their Design Solution: William note-catchers, using textual evidence to support their analysis of the chapter’s ideas.
  • RI.6.7 — Work Time A: Students continue to add to their Design Solution: William note-catchers, integrating information about William from multiple sources, applying the information from a graphic to the anchor text to develop a more coherent understanding of the topic of design thinking.
  • RI.6.4 — Work Time B: Students participate in a collaborative activity that requires that they determine the figurative meanings of words as they are used in chapter 11 of the text.
  • L.6.5a — Work Time B: Students work together to interpret figures of speech used in chapter 11 of the text and discuss the ways in which the authors use these figures of speech to develop key ideas in the text.
  • L.6.5a — Closing and Assessment A: Students complete a QuickWrite in which they use figurative language to simplify a description of something they are an expert in.
  • Directions for routines that are repeated from previous lessons have been pared down and noted with “Repeated routine.” For the detailed outline of how to facilitate this part of the lesson, please refer back to previous lessons.
  • This lesson is the first that includes built-out instruction for the use of Goal 3 Conversation Cues. Goal 3 Conversation Cues help students deepen their thinking. Refer to the Online Resources for the complete set of cues. Examples of the Goal 3 Conversation Cues used in the next two units include the following:
    • To prompt students to provide reasoning or evidence:

“Why do you think that?”

“What, in the (sentence/text), makes you think so?”

    • To challenge students’ thinking:

“What if ____ (that word were removed/the main character had done something different/we didn’t write an introduction)? I’ll give you time to think and discuss with a partner.”

“Can you figure out why ____ (the author used this phrase/we used that strategy/there’s an -ly added to that word)? I’ll give you time to think and discuss with a partner.”

    • To support metacognition and help students think about their own thinking:

“What strategies/habits helped you succeed? I’ll give you time to think and discuss with a partner.”

“How does our discussion add to your understanding of ____ (previously discussed topic/text/language)? I’ll give you time to think and discuss with a partner.”

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Chapters 11 and 12 of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind feature dense descriptions of scientific principles. If time and resources are available, facilitate opportunities for students to practice some of these scientific principles in an interactive way (e.g., through building circuits). Alternatively, consider bringing in a simple circuit kit to demonstrate basic concepts related to voltage and electricity. These hands-on and visual supports will increase engagement and help students build a deeper understanding of the text.
  • Not all students will share William’s fascination with electricity and physics. Relate William’s study of a subject he finds exciting to a passion of students who have different interests. Allow space for students to share stories of the topics that captivate them and how they pursued these passions.
  • In this lesson students identify and interpret figurative language, specifically similes. To extend learning, invite students to identify examples of hyperbole, personification, and metaphor on the same pages.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In this lesson, students continue to develop their abilities to interpret figurative language, building on skills introduced in Module 1 and practiced in Module 2, Unit 1.

Support All Students

  • Note that there is a differentiated version of the QuickWrite used in Closing and Assessment A in the supporting materials download. ▲
  • ELLs with limited vocabularies may find it challenging to understand science-driven passages of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Videos or other visuals about electricity, voltage, and windmills will be critical in helping students visualize the scientific processes and objects described in this and subsequent chapters (e.g., washers, blades, tractor fan, boring holes, wingspan, cotter pin, crankset, sprockets, transformer). ▲
  • It may be more challenging for ELLs to interpret the meaning of figurative language in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. To enhance students’ comprehension and increase their confidence, invite ELLs to share examples of figurative language and meaning in their home languages. If students are not familiar with any, encourage them to ask their families. List examples and meanings on chart paper and invite students to add to the list throughout the unit. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Students draw visual representations of figurative language several times in this lesson. Students may find themselves tempted to make silly drawings. Allow room for humor, but also steer them towards drawing literal interpretations of the similes to drive home the point that authors use figurative language to clarify complicated concepts and help develop key ideas in the chapter. The images they draw should replicate the images that the author wants to appear in a reader’s mind to make a concept clear.
  • Students are expected to incorporate figurative language in their QuickWrite during Closing and Assessment A. Push students not just to use figurative language but to identify what type of figurative language they applied and why they chose that technique.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students continue reading chapter 11 through a close read of five pages from a later part of the chapter. Then, they participate in a Language Dive, analyzing words and phrases that signal text structure and interpreting words with slight differences in meaning.

In Advance

  • Preread the chapter 11 excerpt in the anchor text to identify words or plot points that may challenge students.
  • Prepare copies of handouts for students, including the entrance ticket (see Materials list).
  • Write a sample response to the QuickWrite: Use Figurative Language to use as a model and to share with students a topic about which you feel passionate.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: Clarify the technical aspects of William's work in chapter 11 by providing visuals, such as the diagrams and videos found on http://eled.org/0176.
  • Work Time B: Find simple clip art or other images online to clearly demonstrate the literal and figurative meaning of the similes highlighted in this chapter.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 6.I.A.3, 6.I.B.6, 6.I.B.7, and 6.I.B.8.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson builds upon students' abilities to interpret figurative language in a text and challenges them to determine the role of figurative language in developing key ideas in the text. Instruction surrounding figurative language is especially critical for ELLs, as correct interpretation of figures of speech can require a large vocabulary, cultural awareness, and an understanding of linguistic nuance. A QuickWrite in Closing and Assessment A gives students the opportunity to practice using figurative language to describe elements of their own lives, illustrating the applicability of these skills beyond the classroom. Also in this lesson, Goal 3 Conversation Cues are introduced, promoting equitable and productive conversation in the classroom and challenging students to deepen their thinking.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to make the leap from identifying types of figurative language to recognizing the ways in which authors use figurative language to help develop key ideas a text. This lesson uses teacher modeling and discussion protocols (Turn and Talk and Think-Pair-Share) to guide students through the mental process of connecting figurative language to key ideas in the text. Continue modeling this process as needed, gradually releasing scaffolds across lessons.

Vocabulary

  • figurative language, simile (DS)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Text Guide: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • Gist anchor chart: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (example for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time C)
  • Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • Design Solution: William note-catcher (example for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 13, Work Time A)
  • Equity sticks (optional; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time C)
  • Domain-specific word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Opening 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)
  • Design Solution: William note-catcher (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 13, Work Time A)
  • Independent reading journal (one per student; begun in Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 6, Work Time B)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 1 (example for teacher reference)
  • QuickWrite: Use Figurative Language (example for teacher reference)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 1 (one per student)
  • Sticky notes (one per student)
  • Synopsis: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapter 11 (one per student and one for display)
  • QuickWrite: Use Figurative Language (one per student)
  • QuickWrite: Use Figurative Language ▲  

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 2, Lesson 1. Refer to the Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 1 (example for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • 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. Read The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapter 11 Excerpt - RI.6.7 (15 minutes)

  • Explain to students that chapter 11 is an especially critical chapter. Today students will read only from the beginning of the chapter on page 187 to the end of page 195 ("'Tomorrow we raise the machine'"). They will continue chapter 11 during a close read in the next lesson.
  • Repeated routine: Read the excerpt of chapter 11 of the text, using Text Guide: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (for teacher reference) for comprehension and vocabulary questions as needed. Students who are ready to read independently or in small groups should be released to this independence. 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 anchor chart: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (example for teacher reference), Synopsis: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapter 11, vocabulary logs, and Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart.
  • Gist: William works hard to construct his windmill. There are many steps to the process. He needs to repeat some steps more than once as he learns new information about how all the pieces of the windmill work.
  • Repeated routine: Using strategic groupings, invite students to work with their peers to continue updating the relevant sections of their Design Solution: William note-catcher. Refer to the Design Solution: William note-catcher (example for teacher reference) as necessary. Use a total participation technique, for example, equity sticks, to review and correct any misunderstandings before moving on.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

For Lighter Support

  • N/A

For Heavier Support

  • Chapter 11 (read across Lessons 1 and 2) and chapter 12 (read in Lesson 3) of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind contain detailed scientific descriptions surrounding the construction of William's windmill. After Work Time A, if students struggle to synthesize the chapter's information in their Design Solution: William note-catchers, provide models or sentence frames that show a range of specificity (e.g., "William collected materials to build a windmill" and "William used ____ and ____ to build ____.") Allow students to produce notes in line with their language abilities and developing understanding of the text.

B. Analyze Figurative Language: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapter 11 Excerpt – L.6.5a (20 minutes)

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

“I can interpret figurative language to determine meaning in the text.”

  • Invite students to name aloud different types of figurative language that they remember studying in past lessons (e.g., hyperbole, personification, simile, metaphor) and provide brief definitions from memory. Make sure that students are especially comfortable with the definition of simile.
  • Guide students back to the chapter 11 excerpt of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind on pages 187–195. Give students up to 5 minutes to scan these pages and use sticky notes to mark examples of similes used by the authors.
  • In pairs or triads, students compare the similes they identified and work together to verify that they are indeed similes.
  • As students collaborate, display four sentences from the excerpt on the board or projector, with similes underlined:
    1. “So I wired three-foot bamboo reinforcements to each [blade], where they acted like bones” (188).
    2. “I started by steadying the blades atop four tall bricks—like how a mechanic puts a car on blocks—so I would have some room to work underneath” (189).
    3. “Voltage, as I’d learned in my books, is how you measure electric pressure. Think of it like the water pressure coming out of a hose” (193).
    4. “However, from just a short distance away, its long and spindly legs gave it the appearance of a wobbly giraffe” (195).
  • Direct students’ attention to the projected similes. If needed, give students a minute to locate and highlight these examples in their texts.
  • Invite four student volunteers to draw illustrations on the board that reflect the figurative meanings of these sentences. Alternatively, have all students sketch small drawings next to these sentences in the books or on a piece of scrap paper. Point out that this is similar to the task required by the entrance ticket earlier in the lesson.
  • Invite students to Turn and Talk to a partner, using a Goal 3 Conversation Cue to challenge students’ thinking about figurative language:

“Can you figure out why the author used so many similes in this excerpt?”

  • After students discuss their ideas with a partner, cold-call students to share their thinking with the class.
  • Consolidate students’ answers and distill into a clear takeaway for students: authors may use figurative language to clarify complicated concepts and help develop key ideas in the chapter.
  • Direct students’ attention back to the gists they recorded on sticky notes during Work Time A.
  • Ask:

“What were some of the key ideas of this excerpt?” (William builds a windmill. He works hard to build it, and not everything works right away. He has to teach himself as he goes, and he makes multiple attempts to solve problems. Eventually, he is ready to raise the windmill into the air).

  • Isolate a single key idea: William is teaching himself how to build a windmill as he builds it.
  • Ask:

“How do we know that William is learning as he goes?” (He is referring to diagrams in the Explaining Physics book; he is making adjustments when things don’t work the first time.)

“Why might comparisons to familiar things—like bones, hoses, or giraffes—help William learn?” (Familiar things provide natural models that William can base his work on).

  • Think-Pair-Share:

“How, then, does the authors’ use of similes help to develop the key idea that William is teaching himself how to build a windmill as he builds it?”

  • After a few minutes, invite students to share out their thinking with the class. Guide students to understand that the authors’ use of similes not only makes the images clearer for the reader, but also suggests the idea that William is drawing from familiar images in the world around him to build his windmill.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

For Lighter Support

  • During Work Time B, challenge students to rewrite the four sentences (A–D) from the text using different similes that they generate from their imaginations. Invite students to discuss the ways in which even small adjustments in figurative imagery can affect the meaning of a sentence.

For Heavier Support

  • N/A

    Closing & Assessments

    ClosingLevels of Support

    A. QuickWrite: Use Figurative Language – L.6.5a (5 minutes)

    • Distribute QuickWrite: Use Figurative Language or the optional QuickWrite: Use Figurative Language ▲. Remind students that the goal of a QuickWrite is to get their ideas on the page without pausing to edit for conventions. Encourage students to write continuously for the allotted time. Refer to QuickWrite: Use Figurative Language (example for teacher reference) as necessary.
    • Refocus whole group after 4 minutes.
    • Invite students to reflect on the habits of character focus in this lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.
    • Collect the handout. Scan student responses and make a note of students who might need support. Check in with them moving forward.

    For Lighter Support

    • In the following lesson, students will participate in a Language Dive using a sentence from chapter 11 of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Provide ELLs with the Language Dive sentence ahead of time. Challenge students who need lighter support to generate questions about the sentence or create sentence frames that replicate important structural components of the sentence. Select one or two of these questions and incorporating them in the Language Dive of the next lesson. This exercise will strengthen students’ metacognition and increase their investment in Language Dives.

    For Heavier Support

    • During Closing and Assessment A, invite students who need heavier support to use the QuickWrite: Unit 2, Lesson 1 ▲. This resource features a bank of possible expertise (e.g., playing video games, cooking, playing basketball) that students can select from to complete their responses, as well as partially completed sentence frames to support students’ writing.
    • In the following lesson, students will participate in a Language Dive using a sentence from chapter 11 of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Provide ELLs with the Language Dive sentence ahead of time. Invite ELLs who need heavier support to use a translation dictionary or learners’ dictionary to look up the meanings of any unfamiliar words in the sentence. During the Language Dive of the next lesson, call on these “vocabulary experts” to clarify definitions of keywords for the whole class.

    Homework

    Homework

    A. Apply Design Thinking

    • Students continue working on Part I, sections A, B, and C of the Design Solution: William note-catcher.

    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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