Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

• RI.6.7 – Opening A: Students examine the illustrations in narrative nonfiction picture books. They integrate information presented in the illustrations and in the text to develop a more coherent understanding of the narrative nonfiction genre overall.
• RI.6.1 – Work Time A: Students participate in a Language Dive using a sentence from the Hidden Figures picture book (Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race). They use textual evidence to support their analysis of the sentence and the text.
• RI.6.3 – Work Time A: During the Language Dive, students analyze the way in which Katherine Johnson’s character is illustrated in the picture book.
• W.6.3 – Work Time A: During the Language Dive, students examine the features of narrative nonfiction writing that are present in the sentence.
• W.6.3 – Work Time B: Students work with their crewmates to draft their narrative nonfiction picture book pages, using effective narrative techniques.
• W.6.4 – Work Time B: Students work with their crewmates to develop clear and coherent writing with attention to task, purpose, and audience.
• W.6.5 – Work Time B: With support from their crewmates, students develop and strengthen writing through the process of planning and drafting their narrative nonfiction picture book pages.
• SL.6.5 – Work Time B: Students develop illustrations to clarify information in their picture book pages.
• RI.6.7 – Closing and Assessment A: Students analyze the illustrations of model performance tasks, integrating the visual information provided by the illustrations with the information provided in the text.
• In this lesson, students focus on working to become effective learners, collaborating with their crewmates, taking initiative, and showing responsibility as they continue drafting the text and illustrations for their performance task.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

• Among the characteristics of narrative nonfiction students may notice in the model texts is the use of text features, such as a foreword, timeline, glossary, author’s note, and primary source photographs of the historical events and people depicted in the story. Challenge students to go beyond writing and illustrating their own section of the class story by enhancing the class book with these additional text features.
• If possible, collaborate with the art teacher to provide some basic lessons on illustrating picture books or manipulating computer-generated images, as students begin adding visuals to their picture books.

How It Builds on Previous Work

• In the previous lesson, students launched the performance task by examining the characteristics of narrative nonfiction. They examined several models of children’s picture books in the narrative nonfiction genre, including the picture book version of Hidden Figures, and compiled an anchor chart of common characteristics. Crews began planning and drafting the text of their own children’s picture book about another hidden figure in space science. This lesson extends that learning by examining, specifically, the illustrations in narrative nonfiction picture books and how they add meaning to the story. Students continue drafting their story with their crews and begin creating the illustrations (either hand-drawn or computer-generated).

Support All Students

• Support students as they incorporate illustrations into their picture books. This also provides a more manageable workload for some ELLs, for whom writing is especially challenging. ▲ Point students toward free resources that provide high-quality images, such as http://eled.org/0181 or http://eled.org/0147, for students who are not inclined toward original illustrations. Remind students that it is the thinking and presentation skills that are being practiced; students are not being assessed on their artistic talents.
• It may be challenging for some students to stay on task for an extended period of time. Help students break up the time by encouraging them to set a series of small goals to track their progress and maintain their pace. Group those who will find this challenging to work with support.
• ELLs may be especially concerned that the language of their performance task materials is used correctly. Help students locate and remedy language errors that affect overall clarity of ideas, while also reminding students that language errors are okay and that they will not be formally assessed on this assignment. ▲

Assessment Guidance

• The performance tasks at the end of every module are neither formative nor summative assessments. For these reasons, it is recommended that performance tasks be evaluated only through the lens of the attributes of high-quality student work (authenticity, complexity, and craftsmanship). View the Performance Task Overview for specific criteria related to each attribute.
• Remind students that they are not being assessed on the quality or content of their contribution to the class anthology of focus figures. Rather the End of Unit 3 Assessment requires students to trace and evaluate the arguments being made through the narrative nonfiction stories. Students practice these skills in Lessons 5 and 10, using the same note-catchers they will use during the assessment in Lessons 15–16.

Down the Road

• In the next lesson, students will continue drafting and illustrating their narrative nonfiction contribution to the class picture book about other hidden figures in space science. Models and structured work time ensure students have the materials and time necessary to produce high-quality work. Students will also begin thinking about how they will present the argument in their narrative nonfiction text, as their presentation of this argument is how they will be assessed for the End of Unit 3 Assessment.