Analyze a Model Problem-Solution Essay | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G6:M2:U3:L1

Analyze a Model Problem-Solution Essay

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.6.2, W.6.2, W.6.4, W.6.5, W.6.9b

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.6.1, RI.6.7
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can find the gist of a model problem-solution essay. (RI.6.2)
  • I can determine the purpose of a model problem-solution essay. (W.6.4)
  • I can apply my knowledge of the Painted Essay® to analyze the structure of a model problem-solution essay. (W.6.2)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket (RI.6.2)
  • Work Time A: Annotated, color-coded Model Problem-Solution Essay (W.6.2, W.6.4, W.6.5, W.6.9b)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

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

2. Work Time

A. Analyze a Model - W.6.4 (25 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Debrief: Informative Writing Checklist - W.6.2 (15 minutes)

4. Homework

A. 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.6.2 — Opening A: Students complete an entrance ticket in which they select sentences that convey main idea(s) in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
  • W.6.2 — Work Time A: Students analyze the Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity” and use the Painted Essay® structure to explore how the informative essay examines its topic and conveys ideas through the organization of relevant content.
  • W.6.4 — Work Time A: Students analyze the Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity” as an example of clear and coherent writing with attention to task, purpose, and audience.
  • W.6.5 — Work Time A: With support, students develop and strengthen their writing by examining the structure of the Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity” and using it to generate criteria for their own writing.
  • W.6.9b — Work Time A: Students examine the Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity” and locate the points made in the proof paragraphs.
  • W.6.2 — Closing and Assessment A: Students participate in a debrief to compare elements of the Model Problem-Solution Essay against the Informative Writing checklist.
  • The Painted Essay® (Diana Leddy, Vermont Writing Collaborative) guides students to code each section of their essay a different color to understand each part, the content of each part, and how the different parts connect.
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to become ethical people, showing integrity as they discuss their independent reading. They also focus on working to become effective learners, persevering as they read and analyze a new text.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Standard W.6.2a asks students to organize information using formatting, graphics, and multimedia. Challenge students to consider how the model essay could be enhanced with additional sub-headings and relevant graphics. Make the learning relevant by discussing in what occupations these skills would be necessary (e.g., editing a newspaper, writing an instructional manual).

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • Students have worked with the Painted Essay® structure in the previous module. In this unit, they use the same structure but evaluate how it changes for organizing an essay using the problem-solution structure with an informational text.
  • The model essay students analyze is about an innovator who used design thinking to address a critical problem; students are familiar with the context of this essay from the modeling done during the research lessons in Unit 2.

Support All Students

  • Note that there is a differentiated version of the Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity” used in Work Time A in the supporting materials download. ▲
  • To support students’ understanding of the model problem-solution essay, consider playing the TED Talk: Avery Bang: “Building Bridges and Connecting Communities” in its entirety to provide more context.
  • For students who may be overwhelmed by too much print on a page, reduce anxiety and support sustained effort by offering a copy of the model essay with one paragraph per page.
  • Students may require additional support when reading for gist. Pair students heterogeneously for this activity, or group students who may need additional reading support while you read aloud for them. ▲
  • Some students may require additional support reading for gist in pairs. Group students who may need additional support in one group for additional guidance. ▲
  • Analyzing the model may be more challenging for students with limited language proficiency. Scaffold and support student learning through strategic grouping, ensuring that ELLs with lower language ability work with stronger readers and writers. To maintain equity in participation within groups, and to give students the opportunity to "specialize" with specific components of the task, use a jigsaw approach to adapt the model analysis exercise. In this adaptation, students are assigned specific roles (e.g., write the gist; determine the purpose and/or audience; show connections to prompt), given a chance to work first with other students who have the same role, and then placed in other groups to present their findings. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Throughout Work Time A, frequently review student work to ensure they are color-coding accurately. Use common issues as whole group teaching points.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will begin to collaboratively plan a problem-solution essay about William Kamkwamba, which they will write with instruction and support. This will prepare them for the mid-unit assessment, where they will apply what they have learned to independently write a problem solution essay using the research they did in Unit 2.

In Advance

  • Reread the Paint an Essay lesson plan to familiarize yourself with the color-coding and the purpose of each choice of color.
  • Gather colored pencils or markers in red, blue, yellow, and green.
  • 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 the entrance ticket (see Materials list).
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: Display and play the TED Talk: Avery Bang: "Building Bridges and Connecting Communities" in its entirety to provide more context for the model essay.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 6.I.B.6, 6.I.B.7, 6.I.C.10, 6.I.C.11, 6.I.C.12, 6.II.A.1, 6.II.A.2, 6.II.C.6, and 6.II.C.7.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson invites students to revisit the Painted Essay® structure, which they were first introduced to in Module 1. Paragraphs and/or sentences of Painted Essays® are color-coded according to the function they serve in an essay. Representing text structure visually is especially supportive for ELLs, as it allows them to more clearly identify relationships across an essay’s ideas without the pressure of interpreting detailed verbal descriptions. In this lesson, students use the familiar Painted Essay® structure to break down and orient themselves to a new essay type: the problem-solution essay.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to analyze the Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity” in the allotted time. Remind students that some of the content of this essay should be familiar to them, as they learned about the work of Bridges to Prosperity during the research mini lessons of Unit 2. Clarify that the goal of analyzing the model is not necessarily to understand every word (although a glossary in the ▲ version of the model is available to help close gaps in word understanding), but instead to recognize the purpose of sentences and paragraphs and how they relate to one another. Point out, too, that students will have opportunities throughout Unit 3 to revisit the model essay, piece by piece, for a closer look.

Vocabulary

  • N/A

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • Work to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 3, Lesson 8, Closing and Assessment A)
  • Paint an Essay lesson plan (for teacher reference) (from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 6, Work Time A)
  • Criteria for Effective Informative Writing anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 8, Work Time B)
  • The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (text; one per student; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • The Painted Essay® template (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 6, 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 3, Lesson 1 (answers for teacher reference)
  • Model Problem-Solution Essay: "Bridges to Prosperity" (example for teacher reference)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1 (one per student)
  • Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity” (one per student and one for display)
  • Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity” ▲
  • Colored pencils (red, yellow, blue, green; one of each per student)
  • Informative Writing Checklist (one per student and one for display)

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.6.2 (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as previous lessons to distribute and review Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1. Refer to the Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1 (answers for teacher reference) for possible responses. Students will also need their anchor text, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as with 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.
  • Focus students on the three Habits of Character anchor charts and invite them to read the chart to themselves. Direct students to choose a habit of character to focus on as they work today.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Analyze a Model – W.6.4 (25 minutes)

  • Distribute and display the Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity” or the Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity.” ▲
  • Invite students to follow along, reading silently in their heads as you read the model aloud.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

“What is this text about?” (It is about a company that builds bridges in remote areas to allow people to safely get to school, reach medical services, and sell their goods at market.)

  • Point out that the writer uses evidence to support her points, which helps the reader understand the problem being addressed and the solution that was employed. Emphasize that the essays they write, like the model, will be grounded in evidence from their research.
  • Refocus students on the Model Problem-Solution Essay. Invite them to follow along, reading silently in their heads as you reread aloud the first paragraph.
  • Turn and Talk:

“What is the gist of this paragraph?” (It provides brief background information on the problem that inspired innovators to get involved by designing a solution, then clearly states a focus for the rest of the essay.)

  • Cold-call students to share out. As students share, capture their response next to the first paragraph on the displayed model.
  • Invite students to work in pairs to do this for each of the remaining paragraphs.
  • After 7 minutes, refocus whole group and use total participation techniques to select students to share the gist of each paragraph with the whole group.
  • Distribute colored pencils and guide students through using these and their Painted Essay® template to color code their Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity.” Refer to the Paint an Essay lesson plan and the Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity” (example for teacher reference) as needed. As you read and discuss each part of the model, be sure to emphasize the following:
    • The introduction provides some background information about the innovators and what inspired them to try to solve the problem.
    • The first proof paragraph is focused solely on the problem being addressed.
    • The second proof paragraph is focused solely on the design solution.
    • The writer connects several of the steps in the design thinking process to what the innovators did to try to solve the problem.
    • The essay draws on evidence from multiple sources, one of which is the TED Talk.
    • The conclusion explains the impact this design had on creating a better world.
    • The conclusion illustrates how the innovators utilized habits of character.
  • As productive, cue students to deepen their own thinking:

“What, in the paragraph, makes you think so?”

  • When you finish guiding students through analyzing the model, invite them to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target, using a checking for understanding technique. Scan student responses and make a note of students who might need support. Check in with them moving forward.

For Lighter Support

  • For further practice with L.6.3a and to build upon students’ understanding of the structures and strategies practiced during the Language Dive of Unit 2, Lesson 2, develop an additional sentence-variety task for students who need lighter support. After students analyze the model essay in Work Time A, challenge students to practice combining sentences in the essay that have the same subject. Remind them that their grammar, punctuation, or orthography may require adjusting if the sentence structure is altered. Encourage them to reflect, aloud or in writing, on the ways in which the meaning, emphasis, style, and/or function of the sentences change as their structure changes or as they are combined. For an added challenge, invite students to locate sentences on their own that could be reasonably combined; otherwise, provide them with specific examples. An example of this exercise can be found below:
    • Ken Frantz, who owned a construction company, saw that photo. He decided he could fix that bridge. So, he founded Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) to do just that. [Ken Frantz, who owned a construction company, saw that photo and decided he could fix that bridge, so he founded Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) to do just that.]

For Heavier Support

  • For further practice with the skimming and scanning skills addressed during Unit 2, invite students who need heavier support to skim and scan the Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity” for specific purposes (e.g., to circle all mentions of the word “bridge” or the acronym “B2P”). Use a timer to prompt students to move quickly, rather than read every word. Remind students that practicing skimming and scanning is a great way to increase decoding speed, which is critical for overall reading fluency.
  • During Work Time A, invite students who need heavier support to use the Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity” ▲. This resource features a glossary of key words from the model essay to support student comprehension.
  • During Work Time A, if it is feasible to do so, pair students into homogeneous language groups. As needed, allow students to use their home languages as a resource to help them interpret the essay and paint it appropriately.
  • After students paint the Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity” in Work Time A, to make sure that students understand the purpose of each paragraph in the essay, develop an additional task for students who need heavier support. Transform the list of seven bullets from Work Time A (i.e., “As you read and discuss each part of the model, be sure to emphasize the following”) into a fill-in-the-blank exercise to assess student comprehension. For example:
    • The _____ provides some background information about the innovators and what inspired them to _____.
    • The first proof paragraph is focused solely on the problem being addressed.
    • The second proof paragraph is focused solely on the _____.
  • Develop an extension activity using the Model Problem-Solution Essay: “Bridges to Prosperity” that asks students who need heavier support to use their affix lists to deconstruct and interpret unfamiliar words in the model essay (e.g., connectivity; feasibility; standardized).

Closing & Assessments

Closing

A. Debrief: Informative Writing Checklist - W.6.2 (15 minutes)

  • Distribute and display the Informative Writing checklist. Invite students to read the checklist to themselves. Direct students' attention to the Criteria for an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart. Remind students that they used this same checklist and anchor chart when they wrote a compare and contrast essay of the novel and film version of The Lightning Thief in Module 1.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"How might the criteria for our Problem-Solution differ slightly from our Compare-Contrast essays?" (Answers will vary, but may include the following: instead of one paragraph for comparisons and one for contrasts, we will have one paragraph for the problem and one for the solution; the Compare-Contrast essay was based on the anchor text, but the Problem-Solution essay will be based on our research.)

  • Give students a few minutes to reread the Model Problem-Solution Essay: "Bridges to Prosperity." Then, use a total participation technique to invite responses from the group:

"What characteristics on this checklist do you see done well in the model? What evidence from the model supports your thinking?" (Responses will vary.)

  • If productive, cue students to listen carefully and seek to understand:

"Who can tell us what your classmate said in your own words?" (Responses will vary.)

  • As students share out the characteristics, jot down, say aloud, sketch, and display each characteristic to provide visual reinforcement. Reassure students that they might not understand everything on this checklist right now, but they will learn more about it as they plan and write their essays.
  • Invite students to reflect on the habits of character focus in this lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.

Homework

Homework

A. 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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