Write an Informative Essay: Analyze a Model | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G7:M2:U2:L8

Write an Informative Essay: Analyze a Model

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • W.7.2, W.7.4, W.7.5

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.7.1, RI.7.2
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can explore a model and determine criteria of an informative essay. (W.7.2)
  • I can use the Painted Essay® structure to analyze a model. (W.7.2, W.7.4)
  • I can plan an informative essay, focusing on task, purpose, and audience. (W.7.4, W.7.5)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket, Unit 2, Lesson 8 (W.7.2)
  • Work Time A: Annotated, color-coded model informative essay (W.7.2, W.7.4)
  • Closing and Assessment A: Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer (W.7.2, W.7.4, W.7.5)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - W.7.2 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Analyze a Model - W.7.2 (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Pair Practice: Plan an Informative Essay - W.7.5 (20 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.7.2 – Opening A: On an entrance ticket, students grapple to recall the criteria of an effective informative essay.
  • W.7.2 – Work Time A: Students use the Painted Essay® structure to analyze a model informative essay and add to their understanding of the criteria of an effective informative essay.
  • W.7.5 – Closing and Assessment A: Students work in pairs to guide each other through the process of using the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer to plan an informative essay.
  • In this lesson, students analyze a model essay using the Painted Essay® structure to generate criteria for their own essays. (W.7.2, W.7.4)
  • 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 effective learners, persevering and collaborating as they plan their practice essay.
  • The Think-Pair-Share protocol is used in this lesson. Protocols are an important feature of our curriculum because they are one of the best ways we know to engage students in discussion, inquiry, critical thinking, and sophisticated communication. A protocol consists of agreed-upon, detailed guidelines for reading, recording, discussing, or reporting that ensure equal participation and accountability in learning.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Release those students who are ready to read and analyze the model independently and then move on to planning their practice essay with a partner rather than with teacher modeling.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • Students have worked with the Painted Essay® structure in previous modules. In this unit, they use the same structure, but focus on different aspects of each paragraph as they plan and write.
  • The model essay that students analyze is about how researchers use computer models to analyze animal movements. Although this topic differs from the topic of social and medical epidemics, the model is very similar in structure and language to the piece students will write themselves. Both the model and the student writing task examine how people apply the concepts from one domain to another, as when researchers use epidemiology tools and models to analyze human behavior. In this set of lessons, students will analyze language and techniques in the model that can be used to express similar ideas in their own writing pieces.

Support All Students

  • 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. Consider pairing students heterogeneously for this activity, or consider reading aloud to a group of students who may need additional reading support. ▲
  • In Lessons 8–12, students work with the same partner on a pair-written informative essay. Provide differentiated mentors by purposefully preselecting student partnerships. Consider meeting with the mentors in advance to encourage them to share their thought process with their partner. ▲
  • Note there is a differentiated version of the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer used in Closing and Assessment A in the supporting materials download. ▲

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 their practice essays. They will use the criteria and plans they develop in this lesson to draft their practice essays in Lessons 9–12 with instruction and support. This will prepare them to independently plan and draft a new informative essay in the end of unit assessment.

In Advance

  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 8 at each student's workspace.
  • Read the Paint an Essay lesson plan to become familiar with the color-coding and the purpose of each choice of color.
  • 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, and 7.II.C.6.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson includes a whole-class, teacher-led review of a model essay as well as collaboration and color-coding to paint and plan an essay. 
  • ELLs may find it challenging to generate language for planning their essay. Encourage students to use their home language and sketches to assist them in planning their essay. Also use strategic pairings for the peer essay either by home language, level, or heterogeneous for support. 

Vocabulary

  • analyze, context, criteria, informative, structure (A)
  • Painted Essay® (DS)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

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 B)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 4, Opening A)
  • Academic word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Opening A)
  • Domain-specific word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time B)
  • Paint an Essay lesson plan (for teacher reference) (from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Closing and Assessment A)
  • Homework: Read “Crime-Solving Strategies” (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lessons 6–7, Homework B)
  • Vocabulary log (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
  • Painted Essay® template (one per student and one for display; from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Closing and Assessment A)
  • Patient Zero by Marilee Peters (text; one per student; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time C)
  • Independent reading journal (one per student; begun in Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 6, Work Time B)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 8 (answers for teacher reference)
  • Model Informative Essay: "Computer Programs and Animal Behavior" (for teacher reference)
  • Model Pair Informative Essay (example for teacher reference)
  • Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer (for teacher reference)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 8 (one per student)
  • Model Informative Essay: “Computer Programs and Animal Behavior” (one per student and one for display)
  • Colored pencils (red, yellow, blue, light green, dark green; one of each per student)
  • Directions for Pair Informative Essay (one per student and one for display)
  • Online or print dictionaries (including ELL and home language dictionaries)
  • Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer (one per student and one for display)
  • Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer ▲

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 – W.7.2 (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 8. For students who may need more support in completing the entrance ticket, display the Criteria of an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart. ▲
  • Once students have completed their entrance tickets, use a total participation technique to review their responses. Display the Criteria of an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart, and confirm student responses to entrance ticket items 1–3, adding any new criteria students have generated. Then use a total participation technique to review responses to item 4. As necessary, read aloud the paragraph to help students identify the central idea and supporting details.
  • 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.
  • With students, use the vocabulary strategies on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart to deconstruct the following words as necessary. These are all words students learned in Module 1: Painted Essay® (a structure that uses color to help us understand the different parts of an essay, how they relate to one another, and how they combine to express ideas), structure (something made up of a number of parts), analyze (separate into parts for close study; examine and explain), criteria (standards or tests by which to decide quality), and informative (providing information or adding to knowledge). Record on the domain-specific word wall and the academic word wall, with translations in home languages where appropriate, and invite students to record these words in their vocabulary logs.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Analyze a Model – W.7.2 (20 minutes)

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

“I can explore a model and determine criteria of an informative essay.”

“I can use the Painted Essay® structure to analyze a model.”

  • Distribute and display the Model Informative Essay: “Computer Programs and Animal Behavior.” Read the model aloud as students follow along, reading silently.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

“What is this essay about?” (how researchers use computer models to understand how animals move in groups)

“What sentence in the piece best expresses this main idea? (It’s fair to say that the study of animal behavior has been informed by ideas from computer programming.)

  • Point out that the writer uses details and examples to explain the points, which helps the reader understand how computers have helped us understand how animals move when they are in a group. Emphasize that the essays they write, like the model, will be grounded in evidence from the text. Refocus students on the Model Informative Essay.
  • Reread aloud the first paragraph as students follow along, reading silently.
  • Turn and Talk:

“What is the gist of this paragraph?” (It provides brief background information on how animals move in groups and clearly states a focus for the rest of the essay, that scientists have used computers to help us better understand how they move.)

  • Cold-call on students to share out. As students share, capture their response next to the first paragraph on the displayed model. Refer to Model Informative Essay: “Computer Programs and Animal Behavior” (for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Invite students to work in pairs to determine the gist for each of the remaining paragraphs, supporting and clarifying as needed.
  • 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 Informative Essay. Refer to the Paint an Essay lesson plan (for teacher reference) for further detail. Read and discuss each part of the model, emphasizing the following:
    • The essay begins with an introduction that gives context about how animals move in groups and includes a focus statement that provides the main idea of the piece: “It’s fair to say that the study of animal behavior has been informed by ideas from computer programming.”
    • The Proof Paragraphs first explain an idea used by computer programmers and then explain how that idea helped scientists understand animal behavior. These paragraphs include quotes from experts, examples, and explanations of the computer models and animal movements.
    • The conclusion includes a restatement of the focus about what computer models have taught us about animal movement and adds some reflection on what they might be able to show us in the future.
  • On the Criteria of an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart, note any new criteria generated during the above exploration of the model.
  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

For Lighter Support

  • During Work Time A, students may note the author’s use of the word that to join clauses throughout the model essay. For further practice with that from the Language Dive in Lessons 6–7, ask students to work with their classmates who need heavier support. Their classmates can reread each sentence, and students who need lighter support can determine whether the word that is joining clauses or serving another purpose. Reviewing the language structure from the Language Dive helps ensure student acquisition of it.

For Heavier Support

  • During Work Time A, students may note the author’s use of the word that to join clauses throughout the model essay. For further practice with that from the Language Dive in Lessons 6–7, ask students to work with their classmates who need lighter support. Students who need heavier support can reread each sentence, and their classmates can determine whether the word that is joining clauses or serving another purpose. Reviewing the language structure from the Language Dive helps ensure student acquisition of it.
  • If possible, provide students with a partially Painted Essay® in which the topic sentence of each paragraph is painted, so students may follow the model. Also if possible, 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.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Pair Practice: Plan an Informative Essay – W.7.5 (20 minutes) 

  • Explain that students will now prepare to write their own essays about how the ideas from one discipline help us to understand another. They will be writing about how epidemiologists use tools and techniques much like those used by crime detectives. Display and distribute Directions for Pair Informative Essay. Read the directions aloud, and ask students to follow along.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

“What is the topic of your essay?” (how epidemiologists use similar ideas to crime detectives)

  • Tell students that as they plan, they should support their ideas with information from the texts they read throughout Units 1 and 2. Allow time for students to retrieve their copies of Patient Zero.
  • Display and distribute the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer and the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer ▲ as necessary. The differentiated organizer supports students’ writing with sentence frames and simplified questions. ▲ Remind students that they used this same graphic organizer to plan their informative essays in Module 1. As necessary, review each section, asking volunteers to explain what kinds of information they will write in each section.
  • Explain that they will use this graphic organizer to work together to plan their pair-written informative essay. In this lesson, they will roughly sketch out what will go into each paragraph. In the following lessons, they will have more time to add details to this graphic organizer as they plan and write the essay together.
  • If pairs are ready to begin planning their essay independently, release them to do so. Use the following scaffolding for students who need more support planning an informative essay. ▲
  • Focus students on the focus question section at the top of the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer. Ask students to copy the focus question from the Directions for Pair Informative Essay in this space. (Refer to Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer [for teacher reference] for sample responses.)
  • Turn and Talk, allowing time for students to fill in the appropriate sections of their graphic organizers:

“What is the main idea of your essay?” (Refer to Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer [example for teacher reference] for sample responses.)

“What context or background information will you need to give readers so they can understand this main idea? Consider terms your readers might need defined.” (Refer to Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer [example for teacher reference] for sample responses.)

  • Have students work in pairs to write a focus statement in the focus statement section of their graphic organizers. Remind students that focus statements are usually a restatement of the focus question and that they must provide the two main points students will discuss in their essay. Provide sentence starters as necessary: ▲

“Epidemiologists use similar ideas as crime detectives, such as _____ and _____.”

  • Offer students options for writing implements. Also, consider offering partial dictation of student responses.
  • Release students to complete the rest of their graphic organizers in pairs. Remind students that they should consider the texts Patient Zero and the Homework: Read “Crime-Solving Strategies” paragraph for examples to explain their points. Also, explain that students don’t need to write complete sentences in their graphic organizer. They can just take notes. Circulate to support students as they plan. Refer to Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer (example for teacher reference) and the Model Pair Informative Essay (example for teacher reference) as needed. If necessary, prompt by asking questions such as:

“What methods do crime detectives use? Which of these reminds you of methods you read about epidemiologists using in Patient Zero?”

  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target and the habits of character focus in this lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.

For Lighter Support

  • Challenge students to model orally rehearsing their plans for classmates who need heavier support. Doing so will also strengthen their own plans for their essays.
  • In the next lesson, students will participate in a Language Dive using a sentence from the Model Informative Essay. Provide ELLs with the Language Dive sentence ahead of time. Invite students to predict some of the questions that the Language Dive may ask. This will improve students’ metacognition and challenge their awareness of the most interesting or meaningful elements of the sentence.

For Heavier Support

  • 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.
  • In the next lesson, students will participate in a Language Dive using a sentence from the Model Informative Essay. Provide ELLs with the Language Dive sentence ahead of time. Encourage students to independently reflect on this sentence and its meaning before the next lesson. Students may also wish to use dictionaries to add any unknown vocabulary and meanings to their vocabulary logs.

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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