Determine Central Idea: “Moon Dust and Black Disgust" | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G6:M4:U2:L3

Determine Central Idea: “Moon Dust and Black Disgust"

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.8

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.6.4, RI.6.10, W.6.10
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can determine the central idea of "Moon Dust and Black Disgust." (RI.6.2)
  • I can analyze and evaluate the author's argument in "Moon Dust and Black Disgust." (RI.6.8)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 (RI.6.1, RI.6.8)
  • Work Time A: Gist on sticky notes
  • Work Time B: Annotations: "Moon Dust and Black Disgust" (RI.6.2)
  • Closing and Assessment A: Exit Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 (RI.6.1, RI.6.8)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - RI.6.8 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Read Hidden Figures, Chapters 4-5 (15 minutes)

B. Determine Central Idea: "Moon Dust and Black Disgust" - RI.6.2 (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Exit Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 - RI.6.8 (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Preread Anchor Text: Students preread chapter 6 in Hidden Figures in preparation for studying this chapter in the next lesson.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • RI.6.8 – Opening A: Students complete an entrance ticket in which they reread a short excerpt from Hidden Figures and select a claim that could be supported by the excerpt. They also identify two pieces of evidence that support that claim.
  • RI.6.1 – Work Time B: Students read “Moon Dust and Black Disgust.” They use textual evidence to annotate and answer questions about the text.
  • RI.6.2 – Work Time B: Students determine the central idea of “Moon Dust and Black Disgust.”
  • RI.6.1 – Closing and Assessment A: Students complete an exit ticket in which they use textual evidence from “Moon Dust and Black Disgust” to support their analysis of the text’s main claim.
  • RI.6.8 – Closing and Assessment A: As part of the exit ticket, students identify the main claim of “Moon Dust and Black Disgust.” They also select the reasons that the author uses to support his claim and locate the evidence that supports his reasons.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • An optional Mini Language Dive, intended for use after students read chapter 4 and an excerpt of chapter 5 during Work Time A, is available in the Teacher’s Guide for English Language Learners. ▲
  • The text introduced in this lesson, “Moon Dust and Black Disgust,” examines a point of view about the moon landing that differs from the traditional narratives of this event. Students who are college and career ready must appreciate that people from often widely divergent cultures and who represent diverse experiences and perspectives must learn and work together. Pause to facilitate a discussion around this idea, using personal anecdotes about the challenge and importance of seeing different perspectives. Find age-appropriate articles about current events that represent different presentations of the same event to extend this practice.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In the previous lesson, students read chapter 2 and an excerpt of chapter 3 in Hidden Figures. They also participated in a language activity in which they tracked the meanings of multiple-meaning words as they are used in chapters 2 and 3. In this lesson, students read the next two chapters in their anchor text. They read a new article, “Moon Dust and Black Disgust,” using annotations to determine the central idea and to trace the author’s argument.

Support All Students

  • Note that there is a differentiated version of the entrance ticket used in Opening A in the separate Teacher’s Guide for English Language Learners.
  • Chapter 5 offers some historical context surrounding racially discriminatory laws passed between World War I and World War II. The book presents this information simply and clearly; however, the content may still be challenging for some students to understand. Encourage students to consider the author’s purpose for writing this chapter: to provide background information that makes it easier to understand the events of the text. Naming the purpose of this chapter may help students make sense of its challenging content (while also providing additional opportunities to practice determining author’s purpose in preparation for the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment).
  • The article “Moon Dust and Black Disgust” is qualitatively complex. An analysis of the text in this lesson guides students through the complex language employed by the author in this op-ed and helps to clarify the author’s point of view.

Assessment Guidance

  • Carefully guide students through the initial read of “Moon Dust and Black Disgust” to ensure basic comprehension. Remind students that they do not need to know every word in the article in order to understand the author’s message. Encourage them to look for the main ideas. Use visuals to help students understand the author’s references, and encourage them to share the images that come to their minds as they read. This text is used to provide diverse perspectives on the Apollo missions while also practicing the evaluation skills required of standard RI.6.8.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students participate in a Language Dive to analyze a sentence from chapter 6 of Hidden Figures. Students will build on pronoun work from Module 3, analyze the author’s point of view toward the hidden figures, and consider how Shetterly conveys her point of view.

In Advance

  • Read chapters 4 and 5 of Hidden Figures in advance to identify plot points and vocabulary that may require clarification or sensitivity.
  • Read Text: "Moon Dust and Black Disgust" in advance to identify references or vocabulary that may require clarification or sensitivity.
  • Review the Retell or Reread strategy utilized in Work Time B.
  • Determine strategic groupings for partner work in Work Time B.
  • Prepare copies of handouts for students (see Materials list).
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time B: Display primary source images of Ralph Abernathy and the Poor People's Campaign to help students visualize the point of view represented in the text "Moon Dust and Black Disgust."

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 6.I.A.1, 6.I.A.3, 6.I.B.6, 6.I.B.7, 6.I.B.8, 6.II.A.1, 6.II.A.2, 6.II.B.5, and 6.II.C.6.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson uses scaffolds to guide students through a challenging supplemental text, "Moon Dust and Black Disgust." The thoughtful questioning of Work Time B supports students as they deconstruct and make sense of the text's complex language. Also, this lesson features an optional Mini Language Dive using a sentence from chapter 4 of Hidden Figures. This Mini Language Dive builds on past connotation work, including the work of the previous lesson, in which students worked in pairs to interpret the intended meanings of familiar multiple-meaning words. This Mini Language Dive centers on the author's intended connotation of the familiar word gentle. Revisiting and building upon past work is useful for all students, but especially ELLs, for whom robust vocabulary strategies are critical for interpreting new texts.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to interpret the new text "Moon Dust and Black Disgust," as this text features some complex vocabulary and sentence structures. If productive, point out ahead of time that the main claim presented in the text is similar to the claim presented in the End of Unit 1 Assessment text. Consider inviting students to revisit the End of Unit 1 Assessment text to remind themselves of the argument that spending money on space exploration is inhumane if people on Earth are suffering.

Vocabulary

  • elated (A)
  • op-ed (DS)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Text Guide: Hidden Figures (for teacher reference) (from Module 4, Unit 2, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • Gists: Hidden Figures anchor chart (example for teacher reference) (from Module 4, Unit 2, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • Gists: Hidden Figures anchor chart (one for display; from Module 4, Unit 2, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • Hidden Figures (Young Readers' Edition) (text; one per student; from Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Opening A)
  • Vocabulary logs (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time B)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 (answers for teacher reference)
  • Exit Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 (answers for teacher reference)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 (one per student)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 ▲
  • Sticky notes (one per student)
  • Synopsis: Hidden Figures, Chapters 4–5 (one per student)
  • Text: “Moon Dust and Black Disgust” (one per student)
  • Exit Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 (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

OpeningLevels of Support

A. Engage the Learner – RI.6.8 (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as in previous lessons to distribute and review the Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 or the Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 ▲. Refer to the Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 (answers for teacher reference) for possible responses.
  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as in 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. Invite students to choose a habit of character focus for themselves for this lesson.

For Lighter Support

  • N/A

For Heavier Support

  • During Opening A, invite students who need heavier support to use the Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 ▲. This resource features a bank of evidence from which students can select their answers to Part B.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Read Hidden Figures, Chapters 4-5 (15 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Read chapter 4 (pages 26-29) and an excerpt of chapter 5 (starting at the heading "Welcome" on page 31 and continuing to the end of the chapter). Use Text Guide: Hidden Figures for comprehension and vocabulary questions as needed. Students who are ready to read independently or in small groups should be released to do so. Students continue to record the gist on sticky notes, unpack and record unfamiliar vocabulary, update the Gists: Hidden Figures anchor chart, and reflect on their reading as they choose. Students continue to identify how key individuals in the text demonstrate habits of character. Refer to the Gists: Hidden Figures anchor chart (example for teacher reference) and chapter synopsis as needed, as well as any other appropriate resources.
  • Gist of chapter 4: Dorothy Vaughan accepted the position as a mathematician, left her children in Farmville with family, and moved four hours away to Newport News.
  • Gist of chapter 5 excerpt:
    • In 1941, President Roosevelt proclaimed that the United States would help deal with dictators in other countries who denied other people of the freedoms of speech, worship, want, and fear.
    • African Americans spoke out in newspapers questioning how they could fight for freedom in other countries but not experience those freedoms at home in the United States.
  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • In Work Time A, after students read chapter 4 and an excerpt of chapter 5 from Hidden Figures, invite students to participate in a Mini Language Dive in small groups to determine the connotative meaning of a familiar word (gentle) as it is used in the sentence (RI.6.4). This Mini Language Dive also helps students address RI.6.3 by elaborating on the nature of Dorothy's character.

For Heavier Support

  • N/A

B. Determine Central Idea: "Moon Dust and Black Disgust" - RI.6.2 (20 minutes)

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

"I can determine the central idea of 'Moon Dust and Black Disgust.'"

  • Distribute and display Text: "Moon Dust and Black Disgust." Invite students to follow along as the op-ed is read aloud. Explain that an op-ed is an opinion article written by a reader and submitted and published in a newspaper.
  • Explain that this is an especially complex text with long sentences; students may find that by the time they get to the end of the sentence, they have forgotten what they read at the beginning of the sentence. Remind students to use the Retell or Reread strategy to work through a challenging text. Explain that after each sentence, students should pause and ask themselves, "Did I understand the sentence well enough that I could retell what I learned to someone else in my own words?" If the answer is yes, they should move on to the next sentence. If the answer is no, they should reread the sentence.
  • Model using the Retell or Reread strategy in a think-aloud as you read the first three paragraphs of Text: "Moon Dust and Black Disgust." Pause and reference the glossary for bolded words.
  • Annotate the gist of this first section in the margin: The moon landing was an incredible accomplishment, yet Griffin is not happy about it.
  • Move students into pairs. Focus pairs on the first subheading: "Not Elated." Explain that elated means happy.
  • Turn and Talk:

"What do you expect this section of the article to be about?" (explaining why Griffin is not happy about the moon landing)

  • Explain that the author's language in this section is quite complex; however, it is not always necessary to be able to define every word to get the gist of the author's message.
  • Focus students on paragraphs 4 and 5. Pause to allow students to reread these two paragraphs with their partner, using the Retell or Reread strategy and consulting the glossary as needed.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What is the gist of these paragraphs?" (The money being spent on the Apollo missions should be going toward improving the lives of people on Earth.)

  • Cold-call a pair to share their response. Invite students to annotate the gist in the margin.
  • Focus students on paragraphs 6 and 7. Pause to allow students to reread these two paragraphs with their partner, using the Retell or Reread strategy and consulting the glossary as needed.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What is the gist of these paragraphs?" (Humans do not get to decide if they want to be born, but once they are, they, naturally, want to continue living and live a satisfying life.)

  • Cold-call a pair to share their response. Invite students to annotate the gist in the margin.
  • Focus students on the second subheading: "Responsibility Place."
  • Turn and Talk:

"What do you expect this section of the article to be about?" (Taking responsibility for the American citizens who need help.)

  • Focus students on paragraphs 8, 9, and 10. Pause to allow students to reread these three paragraphs with their partner, using the Retell or Reread strategy and consulting the glossary as needed.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What is the gist of these paragraphs?" (America cares more about advancing the space program than for its black citizens.)

  • Cold-call a pair to share their response. Invite students to annotate the gist in the margin.
  • Focus students on the third subheading: "Thing of Value?"
  • Turn and Talk:

"What do you expect this section of the article to be about?" (Questioning what America truly values.)

  • Focus students on paragraphs 11, 12, and 13. Pause to allow students to reread these three paragraphs with their partner, using the Retell or Reread strategy and consulting the glossary as needed.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What is the gist of these paragraphs?" (America should not be spending funds on space exploration when funds are still owed to black Americans for years of slavery.)

  • Cold-call a pair to share their response. Invite students to annotate the gist in the margin.
  • Focus students on paragraphs 14 and 15. Pause to allow students to reread these two paragraphs with their partner, using the Retell or Reread strategy and consulting the glossary as needed.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What is the gist of these paragraphs?" (Moving forward with space exploration proves that black Americans are still not valued by the American government.)

  • Cold-call a pair to share their response. Invite students to annotate the gist in the margin.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"Looking back at all of your annotations, what is the central idea of this article?" (America has a responsibility to use its funds to take care of its citizens first before pursuing space exploration.)

  • Allow students time to pause and reflect on Griffin's message in this text. If students are comfortable doing so, allow them to discuss how they feel about his message. Explain that students will return to this text in future lessons as they connect the ideas in Griffin's article to ideas in the anchor text.
  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.
  • N/A

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Exit Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 - RI.6.8 (5 minutes)

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

"I can analyze and evaluate the author's argument in 'Moon Dust and Black Disgust.'"

  • Distribute Exit Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3, and read the directions aloud. Direct students to complete the Exit Ticket. Monitor student work, and refer to Exit Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 3 (answers for teacher reference) as needed.
  • After 4 minutes, collect the exit ticket. Review independently for understanding of the author's argument.
  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their habit of character focus for this lesson.

For Lighter Support

  • In the following lesson, students will participate in a Language Dive using a sentence from chapter 6 of Hidden Figures. Consider providing ELLs with the Language Dive sentence ahead of time. Invite students who need lighter support to use the sentence and the text to identify the antecedents for each pronoun in the sentence. L.6.1d (recognize and correct vague pronouns) is a focus of the Language Dive; beginning this work ahead of time will help prepare ELLs for success.

For Heavier Support

  • In the following lesson, students will participate in a Language Dive using a sentence from chapter 6 of Hidden Figures. Consider providing ELLs with the Language Dive sentence ahead of time. Invite students who need heavier support to translate the sentence into their home languages. Students can volunteer to share their translations with the class before the Language Dive. They can also plan to teach their classmates one or two words from their home languages that are present in the translation!

Homework

Homework

A. Preread Anchor Text

  • Students preread chapter 6 in Hidden Figures in preparation for studying this chapter in the next lesson.

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