End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part I: Write an Informative Essay: Social and Medical Epidemics (Lessons 13–14) | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G7:M2:U2:L13

End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part I: Write an Informative Essay: Social and Medical Epidemics (Lessons 13–14)

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.7.1, RI.7.2, W.7.2, W.7.4, W.7.5, W.7.6, L.7.1, L.7.2, L.7.6

Supporting Standards: These are 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.7.10, W.7.10
Download Materials

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can plan an informative essay. (W.7.5)
  • I can write an informative essay about how social scientists use epidemics to explain human behavior. (W.7.2)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket, Unit 2, Lessons 13-14
  • Work Time B: End of Unit 2 Assessment: Write an Informative Essay (RI.7.1, RI.7.2, W.7.2, W.7.4, W.7.5, W.7.6, W.7.10, L.7.1, L.7.2, L.7.6)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A Engage the Learner (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Plan Essay - W.7.5 (15 minutes)

B. End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part I: Write an Informative Essay: Social and Medical Epidemics (45 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Track Progress - W.7.2 (10 minutes)

B. Independent Research Reading Share - RI.7.10 (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

  • W.7.5 – Work Time A: Students independently review their note-catchers, articles, and notes from Lessons 1–7 to plan their informative essay.
  • W.7.2 – Closing and Assessment A: Students track their progress.
  • In Work Time B, students independently write an informative essay for Part I of their End of Unit 2 Assessment, being sure to examine the topic of social scientists and epidemics and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. (RI.7.1, RI.7.2, W.7.2, W.7.4, W.7.5, W.7.6, W.7.10, L.7.1, L.7.2, L.7.6)
  • Two lessons have been allocated for this assessment to ensure sufficient time for students to write an informative essay. If these are taught in two separate lessons rather than together as one block, revisit the learning targets and the task at the beginning of the second 45-minute lesson to remind students of the task and purpose.
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to become effective learners and ethical people by practicing integrity and perseverance as they independently write an essay for the end of unit assessment. They also practice taking responsibility as they track their progress on writing skills.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Encourage those students who finish the assessment early to begin tracking their progress and revising or adding to their essays to meet their informative writing goals.
  • Invite students to trade assessments with a peer who is also done early, and assess their peer’s essay using the checklist, providing stars and stairs.
  • Invite students to read their essays aloud, noticing places where further editing and revisions are needed.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In Unit 2, students have been closely examining informational texts and gathering information on social epidemics. Over the past several lessons, students worked in pairs to refine the skills related to writing an informative essay, so they are prepared to independently write the essay in this lesson.

Support All Students

  • Note there is a differentiated version of the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer used in Work Time A in the supporting materials download. ▲
  • If students receive accommodations for assessments, communicate with the cooperating service providers regarding the practices of instruction in use during this study as well as the goals of the assessment. ▲
  • Some students may require more than the time allotted to complete the assessment. ▲
  • Continue to monitor students to determine if there are issues surfacing as a result of the content of this lesson that need to be discussed as a whole group, in smaller groups, or individually.

Assessment Guidance

  • Assessment materials (student copy, annotated student exemplar) are included in the Assessment download.
  • When assessing and providing feedback on this assessment, use the Informative/Explanatory Writing rubric (see Tools Page) and the annotated sample essay (see Assessment download) to help complete students’ Track Progress recording forms. Consider making notes in the appropriate column for each criterion in a different color from student responses. Space is provided to respond to student comments.
  • In this assessment, students are tracking progress toward the following anchor standard:
    • W.2: By the end of Grade 12 I will be able to: write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will engage in peer critique of each other’s essays, focusing on choosing the best evidence to support their points and elaborating on or explaining that evidence. Students will then have an opportunity to incorporate their peers’ feedback.

In Advance

  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 13 at each student's workspace.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout previous modules to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supporting English Language Learners

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

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, the assessment in this lesson consists of writing an essay, using the same graphic organizer and process as students used throughout the unit. This gradual release supports students in independently completing the task successfully.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to plan and write an essay independently. In addition to the supports below, consider whether some students might benefit from a shorter assignment, writing a paragraph or a shorter essay. Beginning ELLs can apply the same introduction, proof, and conclusion structure to a paragraph response. Doing so will allow them to demonstrate their writing and analysis skills while making the task achievable.

Vocabulary

  • N/A

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Criteria of an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Work Time A)
  • Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 5, Work Time A)
  • Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening B)
  • Independent Reading Sample Plans (for teacher reference) (see the Tools page)
  • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Analyze Argument: "Are Social Epidemics Real?" with feedback (one per student; from Lessons 6-7)
  • Informative Writing checklist (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 8, Closing and Assessment A)
  • "Kindness Contagion" (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • "Conflicting Ideas" (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 4, Work Time A)
  • "Are Social Epidemics Real?" article (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Mid-Unit Assessment, Lessons 6-7, Work Time A)
  • Track Progress folders (one per student; from Module 1)
  • Independent reading journal (one per student; begun in Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 6, Work Time B)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer (for teacher reference)
  • End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part I: Write an Informative Essay: Social and Medical Epidemics (for teacher reference) (see Assessment download)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 13 (one per student)
  • Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer (one per student and one for display)
  • Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer ▲
  • End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part I: Write an Informative Essay: Social and Medical Epidemics (one per student) (see Assessment download)
  • Track Progress: Informative Writing (one per student)
  • Sticky notes (three 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.

Download this Lesson’s Assessment

Opening

Opening

A. Engage the Learner (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Return students' Mid-Unit 2 Assessments with feedback, and have students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 13. Students may or may not want to share their goals for this assessment with a partner.
  • 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.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Plan Essay – W.7.5 (15 minutes)

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

“I can plan an informative essay.”

  • Distribute a new blank copy of the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer and the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer ▲ to each student as necessary. The differentiated organizer supports students’ writing with sentence frames and simplified questions. ▲
  • Invite students to retrieve the following materials:
    • Informative Writing checklist
    • Close Read and Argument note-catchers from Module 2, Unit 2, Lessons 1–7
    • The three articles they read: “Kindness Contagion,” “Conflicting Ideas,” and “Are Social Epidemics Real?”
  • Remind students that in this lesson they will complete their end of unit assessment by independently writing a complete informative essay to a new prompt about social epidemics, and they will revise the essay further in Lesson 15.
  • Distribute the End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part I: Write an Informative Essay: Social and Medical Epidemics.
  • Read the prompt aloud as students follow along, reading silently. Answer clarifying questions.
  • Instruct students to spend a few minutes reviewing their note-catchers and articles from Unit 2 Lessons 1–7 and their notes from the previous lesson’s homework. Then they can use these resources to plan their essay on the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer.
  • Because this is preparation for their assessment, students should work independently and in silence. Circulate to ensure students are on task and using the correct resources.
  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • During Work Time A, encourage students to join with a classmate who needs heavier support to review their new note-catchers from the previous lesson’s homework. Doing so will ensure that they and their classmates have a firm grasp of the content for their essay.

For Heavier Support

  • During Work Time A, encourage students to join with a classmate who needs lighter support to review their new note-catchers from the previous lesson’s homework. Doing so will ensure that they have a firm grasp of the content for their essay.
  • During Work Time A, invite students to use the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer  ▲. The sentence starters and rephrased questions in this resource support students in planning their essay.

B. End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part I: Write an Informative Essay: Social and Medical Epidemics (45 minutes)

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

"I can write an informative essay about how social scientists use epidemics to explain human behavior."

  • Remind students that because this is an assessment, they should complete it independently in silence. Focus students on the Work to Become Effective Learners and Work to Become Ethical People anchor charts, and review perseverance and integrity as necessary. Remind students that, as they will be writing independently for the assessment, they will practice perseverance and integrity.
  • Remind students that they worked in pairs to practice writing an informative essay in previous lessons.
  • Invite students to begin the assessment.
  • While students are taking the assessment, circulate to monitor and document their test-taking skills.
  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target and how well they practiced perseverance and integrity in this assessment.

For Lighter Support

  • Before the end of unit assessment in Work Time B, challenge students to underline key vocabulary in the assessment directions and prompt as you read them aloud together as a class. Also, invite students to restate or clarify information for their classmates who need heavier support. These supports ensure that students understand each task included in the assessment.

For Heavier Support

  • In Work Time B, read the directions for the assessment aloud slowly, twice, and also post them. This ensures that ELLs who may not be able to easily follow the language of the directions have multiple opportunities to access them.
  • Display a "map" of the assessment to reference while explaining directions to the end of unit assessment. This will reduce ambiguity and give students a clearer picture of what they can expect so that they can better allocate their time and attentional resources. Provide students with colored pencils or highlighters so that they can mark up the "map" as needed. Example:
    • Part I: 

1. Write an essay in response to the prompt with 

a. an introduction paragraph (with a focus statement);

b. two Proof Paragraphs (with evidence); and

c. a conclusion paragraph (with a restatement of the focus and a reflection).

2. Use your Informative Writing checklist to reread your essay to check that it says what you want it to say and there aren't any errors in punctuation, spelling, or grammar. 

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Track Progress - W.7.2 (10 minutes)

  • Give students specific, positive feedback on their completion of Part I of the End of Unit 2 Assessment, for example: "I saw you persevering to find the best evidence in order to complete the whole essay. I saw you using integrity as you did your own work and focused on doing the best that you could do."
  • Distribute Track Progress folders, Track Progress: Informative Writing, and sticky notes.
  • Tell students the sticky notes are for them to find evidence of the following criteria:
    • W.7.2b
    • W.7.2f
  • Guide students through completing the recording form.
  • N/A

B. Independent Research Reading Share - RI.7.10 (15 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as with the previous lessons to guide students to share their independent research reading, reminding them that the purpose of research reading is to build their content knowledge, domain-specific vocabulary, and achievement on reading complex texts.
  • Refer to the Independent Reading Sample Plans (see the Tools page) to guide students through a research reading share, or use another routine.
  • Invite students to reflect on the habits of character focus in this lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.

For Lighter Support

  • During Closing and Assessment B, students share with a partner the independent research reading book they have been reading. Sharing about their book will ensure students are engaged with the book and give them an opportunity to find a different one if they are no longer interested in their choice. As necessary, review the purpose of independent research reading. Emphasize the benefits of reading multiple texts on the same topic (e.g., repeated exposure to relevant vocabulary).

For Heavier Support

  • During Closing and Assessment B, students share with a partner the independent research reading book they have been reading. Sharing about their book will ensure students are engaged with the book and give them an opportunity to find a different one if they are no longer interested in their choice. As necessary, review the purpose of independent research reading. Emphasize the benefits of reading multiple texts on the same topic (e.g., repeated exposure to relevant vocabulary). 

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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