Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

• SL.7.1 – Opening A: Students review collaborative discussion norms and set goals for their own participation in the collaborative discussion.
• RI.7.10 – Closing and Assessment A: Students share about their independent research reading texts to hold them accountable for their reading homework. Consider using Independent Reading Sample Plans (see the Tools page) if not using other independent reading review routines.
• RI.7.3 – Work Time A: Students prepare for their collaborative discussion by reviewing their note-catchers about the interactions among the individuals, events, and ideas in chapter 4 of Patient Zero.
• RI.7.3 – Work Time B: Students analyze how the individuals, events, and ideas influence one another in chapter 4 of Patient Zero.
• SL.7.1d – Work Time B: Students engage in a collaborative discussion, especially acknowledging new information expressed by others and, when warranted, changing their own views.
• RI.7.10 – Closing and Assessment A: In a sharing activity, students demonstrate their ability to proficiently read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the Grades 6–8 text-complexity band over the course of the year.
• To hear all students discuss, choose one of the following two options:
• Fishbowl Discussion: Divide the class in half, and arrange one group in an outer circle and one group in an inner circle. The group in the inner circle discusses the prompt for 7 minutes, then the outer group moves to the middle to discuss the prompt for 7 minutes. (Allow time for switching groups.) While in the outer circle, students must listen and take notes, so that they can use the information from both discussions to help them with their analysis in Part II of the end of unit assessment in this lesson.
• Small Group Recorded Discussions: Create groups of about five students, and provide each group with a video recording device (a tablet or phone is sufficient). Students should know how to record using the device, and help each group place the camera in such a way so as to capture all students in the discussion. (Allow time for this setup.) Provide groups with 7 minutes for their discussion. Circulate to help with technical issues and to prompt with the follow-up discussion questions.
• In this lesson, the habit of character focus is on working to become effective learners and ethical people. The characteristics that students practice are respect, empathy, compassion, and taking initiative as they participate in a text-based discussion. They also practice integrity as they share about their independent research reading.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

• Release more responsibility more quickly to students as they comprehend the tasks or concepts. For example:
• Encourage students to develop their own follow-up discussion questions during Work Time A to use during their discussions.
• If using the fishbowl format for discussion, consider allowing these students to be in the inner discussion circle first, so that they can model discussion norms and analysis for other students.
• Consider video-recording exemplary discussions so that students may learn in future classes or future years how to achieve mastery with text-based discussions.

How It Builds on Previous Work

• In the previous lesson, students prepared for this discussion by reading pages 83–88 of Patient Zero and by completing the Solve Patient Zero, Chapter 4 note-catcher with evidence of how individuals, events, and ideas interact and influence one another.

Support All Students

• Note there is a differentiated version of the Discussion Prompts: Patient Zero, Pages 83–88 used in Work Time B in the supporting materials download. ▲
• Some students may require more support in preparing for a discussion. During Work Time A, encourage these students to use the Conversation Cues on the Discussion Norms anchor chart to draft questions and responses on their note-catchers. They can then read these as they participate in the discussion. ▲
• Also, if using the fishbowl format for discussion, consider placing students who need more support in the outer circle for the first round of discussion, so they can observe their peers and have more time to gather their thoughts. ▲
• In Closing and Assessment A, students share their independent research reading texts. Although they have only had a few homework assignments to read the text, some students may have read their texts when not assigned. Also, sharing this early in the reading emphasizes accountability of the reading and allows those students struggling to read or engage with their text to find a new text (perhaps one recommended by a classmate). Students will have more independent reading research opportunities in Units 2 and 3. ▲

Assessment Guidance

• Although this is an informal assessment of discussion and analysis skills, consider using the Collaborative Discussion checklist (see Materials list) to give targeted feedback to improve future formal discussion assessments. Since it can be challenging to assess all students’ conversation and analysis skills during a fast-paced discussion, have the checklist prepared. Also, consider using a clipboard to enable circulating during the discussions. Finally, consider video-recording the discussions (even if using the whole-class fishbowl format) to enable multiple viewings and providing targeted feedback.

Down the Road

• In the next lesson, students will begin to read articles about social epidemics and consider how they relate to medical epidemics.