Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

• SL.7.1 – Opening A: On an entrance ticket, students review collaborative discussion norms and set goals for their own participation in the collaborative discussion.
• RL.7.2 – Work Time A: Students engage in a collaborative conversation in which they discuss how the poems “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “I Shall Return Again” develop similar themes and analyze how  these themes relate to the artworks Ethiopia Awakening and African Phantasy: Awakening. 
• RL.7.4 – Work Time A: Students discuss how the language of the poems “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “I Shall Return Again” creates meaning. 
• RL.7.5 – Work Time A: Students discuss how the structure of the poems “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “I Shall Return Again” creates meaning.
• SL.7.1 – Work Time A: Students engage in a collaborative discussion, especially using their Level 4 Conversation Cues.
• RI.7.10 – Closing and Assessment A: Students share about their independent research reading texts to hold them accountable for their reading homework. Use Independent Reading Sample Plans (see the Tools page) if you do not have your own independent reading review routines.
• 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 the other 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. (Allot time for switching groups.) While in the outer circle, students must listen and take notes so they can use the information from both discussions to help them with their analysis in part 2 of the end of unit assessment in Lesson 14.
• Small Group Recorded Discussions: Create groups of about five students and provide each group with a video recording device (a tablet or phone). Help each group place the camera to capture all students in the discussion. (Allot time to set this up.) Give groups 7 minutes for their discussion. Circulate to help with technical issues and to prompt with the follow-up discussion questions. 
• In this lesson, the habits of character focus is on becoming effective learners and ethical people. The characteristics that students practice are respect, empathy, compassion, collaboration, and taking initiative as they participate in a collaborative discussion. They also practice integrity as they share about their independent research reading.
• In the poetry and artwork discussed during this lesson, the writers and artists demonstrated courage and perseverance in the face of injustice.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

• Release more responsibility more quickly to students as they comprehend the tasks or concepts. For example: 
• Ask students skilled in collaborative discussion to help lead the discussion, noticing when a quieter member of the group needs to be invited into the conversation and asking follow-up questions to move the dialogue along.
• If using the fishbowl format for discussion, allow these students to be in the inner discussion circle first so they can model discussion norms and analysis for other students.
• Video-record exemplary discussions so students may learn in future classes or future years how to achieve mastery with text-based discussions. 
• Ask students successful in independent research reading to share tips, strategies, texts, and resources with students who may struggle with it.

How It Builds on Previous Work

• In previous lessons, students have focused on analyzing the structure, language, and theme of poetry and artwork from the Harlem Renaissance on note-catchers, in selected response questions, and in constructed response questions. In this lesson, they analyze the structure, language, and theme of a poem from the Harlem Renaissance in a collaborative discussion.

Support All Students

• Some students may require more support in preparing for a discussion. During the Opening, 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, place 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. ▲
• The subject matter discussed in this lesson includes references to racism and injustice. Continue to monitor students to determine if issues surface from the content of this chapter that need to be discussed as a whole group, in smaller groups, or individually. To support students in processing this content, ask: “What habit of character did you use as you read and discussed these texts?” Students may need to draw on perseverance, empathy, and compassion as they read and discuss this content, being sensitive to their own and others’ reactions to the information.
• Students may need additional support sharing their independent research reading with the whole group or in the fishbowl format in front of the group. Allow their group to work in a quieter space with a recording device, as opposed to a fishbowl. Invite students to share their independent research reading with you independently. Alternatively, continue with the fishbowl and/or whole group share, but have students practice mindfulness, deep breathing, and relaxation before sharing.

Assessment Guidance

• Assessing the discussion is optional. As this is an informal assessment of discussion and analysis skills, have ready the Collaborative Discussion checklist (see materials below) to give targeted feedback to students during a fast-paced discussion. Also, use a clipboard to enable circulating during the discussions. Finally, video-record the discussions to enable multiple viewings and to use in providing targeted feedback. 

Down the Road

• In the next lesson, students will launch Unit 2 of the module with a Gallery Walk, learning about the historical context of the Harlem Renaissance through art, writing, and videos.