Watch and Analyze A Plastic Ocean: Size of the Problem | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G7:M4:U1:L2

Watch and Analyze A Plastic Ocean: Size of the Problem

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.7.7, SL.7.2

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.

  • SL.7.1
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can identify the main ideas in a clip of A Plastic Ocean and explain how they are conveyed. (SL.7.2)
  • I can compare the way a transcript of A Plastic Ocean portrays a subject to the way it is portrayed in the video. (RI.7.7)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 2 (RI.7.7)
  • Work Time B: Analyze A Plastic Ocean (14:20-16:07) note-catcher (RI.7.7)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - RI.7.7 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Watch and Analyze the Video - SL.7.2 (20 minutes)

B. Compare Transcript and Video - RI.7.7 (15 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Silent Discussion on Habits of Character (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Reflect on Film: Students write a brief paragraph to reflect on what they have seen of the documentary A Plastic Ocean so far, including questions they have, to complete Homework: Reflect on Film: Lesson 2.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • RI.7.7 – Opening A: On an entrance ticket, students brainstorm techniques they’ve seen used in movies and documentary videos, including in the clip of A Plastic Ocean that they watched in the previous lesson.
  • SL.7.2 – Work Time A: Students watch a clip of A Plastic Ocean and determine the main ideas as well as how they are developed in the clip.
  • RI.7.7 – Work Time B: Students rewatch the clip of A Plastic Ocean and compare a portion of the video to the transcript.
  • RI.7.7 – Closing and Assessment A: Students complete their note-catchers to finish their analysis of the clip of A Plastic Ocean.
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to become effective learners by collaborating as a class and in small groups to answer questions about the documentary video.
  • The Dance Card and Think-Pair-Share protocols are used in this lesson. Protocols are an important feature of the EL Education 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.
  • In the excerpt of A Plastic Ocean viewed in this lesson, Craig Leeson demonstrates contributing to make the world a better place by informing the public about the problem of plastic pollution and inspiring environmental action.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • If students complete their note-catchers and finish their questions early, consider allowing them to use a device to view other parts of the documentary not covered in the forthcoming lesson and analyzing them for how their portrayal of the subjects. Possible clips to analyze include: 14:35–15:57, 19:02–20:00, 37:10–40:32, 1:05:28–1:06:47, 1:09:42–1:11:40, 1:20:53–1:22:22, 1:23:53–1:25:21, 1:35:10–1:35:45.
  • Students who finish early may also want to further research ideas and claims made in the documentary. Consider allowing those students the opportunity to research and share what they find with their peers.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In previous lessons and modules, students have analyzed information and claims presented in fiction and nonfiction texts, plays, songs, videos, pieces of visual art, and podcasts. In this lesson and the ones that follow, students further develop their video analysis skills to analyze the ideas and claims presented in the documentary A Plastic Ocean.

Support All Students

  • The subject matter in this film includes descriptions of the environmental impact of plastic pollution, such as harm to animals and humans. Continue to monitor students to determine if there are issues surfacing as a result of 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 watched and discussed this film?” 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 presented.
  • Additionally, students are given multiple opportunities in each lesson (on entrance tickets and homework) to reflect on the information they are learning. Should students need further processing opportunities, they can make posters or slide presentations to convey their learning. The act of creating will give them time and space to process the information. The posters or presentations can be displayed around the classroom or the school. Also, students can research the activists and scientists mentioned in the film to learn about solutions to the issues being raised. They can add these solutions to their posters or slides. The class will explore solutions in depth throughout Units 2 and 3. However, some students may need the inspiration and hope in these solutions to process the sometimes overwhelming issues around plastic pollution.
  • The lesson suggests several opportunities for replaying the clip to allow for comprehension, but provide more opportunities for those students struggling with analysis of the video. Also, provide individual devices and headphones for students to watch and rewatch the clip at their own pace. ▲
  • Note there is a differentiated version of the Analyze A Plastic Ocean (14:20–16:07) note-catcher used in Work Time B in the separate Teacher’s Guide for English Language Learners. ▲
  • If students need additional support with the note-catcher, pull small groups or individual students to coach them as needed. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Review students’ Analyze A Plastic Ocean (14:20–16:07) note-catchers to ensure understanding of how the video conveys ideas and compares with the transcript.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will continue to develop their video analysis skills and build background knowledge by viewing and analyzing another clip in A Plastic Ocean.

In Advance

  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 2 at each student's workspace.
  • Before the lesson, preview and then cue the clip from A Plastic Ocean, 14:20-16:07.
  • Designate three sets of strategic partnerships for the Dance Card protocol.
  • Review the Dance Card protocol.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: A projector to watch the clip from A Plastic Ocean (14:20-16:07). Devices and headphones for students to provide additional support, as needed.
  • Work Time B: A projector to watch the clip from A Plastic Ocean (14:20-16:07). Devices and headphones for students to provide additional support, as needed.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 7.I.A.1, 7.I.B.5, 7.I.B.6, and 7.I.C.10.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson supports students with modeling as they participate in whole-class analysis of a film clip for its techniques and how it compares to the transcript.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to understand the content of the film as it moves quickly, is orally processed, and includes domain-specific vocabulary about plastic pollution. In addition to the suggestions below and the whole-class support throughout the lesson, play the film with subtitles. Encourage students to read the transcript on their note-catcher before playing the film. Finally, play the film clip multiple times or allow students to view the clip as many times as necessary before participating in analysis.

Vocabulary

  • durable, portrayal (A)
  • transcript (DS)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • 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)
  • A Plastic Ocean documentary video (from Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time B)
  • Techniques anchor chart (one for display; from Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time B)

  • Vocabulary log (from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 2 (example for teacher reference)
  • Device for showing the documentary video
  • Analyze A Plastic Ocean (14:20-16:07) note-catcher (example for teacher reference)
  • Techniques anchor chart (example for teacher reference)
  • Homework: Reflect on Film: Lesson 2 (example for teacher reference) (see Homework Resources)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 2 (one per student)
  • Analyze A Plastic Ocean (14:20–16:07) note-catcher (one per student)
  • Analyze A Plastic Ocean (14:20–16:07) note-catcher ▲
  • Piece of lined paper (one per student)
  • Homework: Reflect on Film: Lesson 2 (one per student; see Homework Resources)

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

OpeningLevels of Support

A. Engage the Learner - RI.7.7 (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 2.
  • Once students have completed their entrance tickets, use the Dance Card protocol to have students share their responses with a strategic partner.
    1. Move students into pairs, and invite them to label themselves A and B.
    2. Pose the first question, and give students time to think independently and silently about their answer to the question.
    3. Invite partner A to ask partner B the question.
    4. Give partner B a specified time frame (e.g., 30 seconds, 1 minute) to share his or her response.
    5. Have partners reverse roles and repeat steps 3-4.
    6. Using a total participation technique (e.g., cold call, equity sticks), invite students to share their responses with the whole group.
    7. Repeat this process with different partnerships for items 2 and 3.
  • 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 words transcript (a written version of spoken words, as in a movie) and portrayal (portrait, or description of a subject). Record the words on the academic word wall and domain-specific word wall with translations in home languages, where appropriate, and invite students to record words in their vocabulary logs.

For Lighter Support

  • For the entrance ticket in Opening A, encourage students to work independently at first to highlight key words and phrases in the transcript and grapple to answer the questions. Then they can share their highlights and responses with a partner to check and expand their work. Grappling first and then working with a partner will increase student engagement, independence, and speaking and listening skills.

For Heavier Support

  • For the entrance ticket in Opening A, encourage students to work in pairs to highlight key words and phrases in the transcript and to answer the questions. Pair students by either content or language proficiency. Strategic grouping affords students the opportunity of supporting and being challenged by others.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Watch and Analyze the Video – SL.7.2 (20 minutes)

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

“I can identify the main ideas in a clip of A Plastic Ocean and explain how they are conveyed.”

  • Explain to students that today they will analyze a clip from the documentary A Plastic Ocean, focusing on identifying the main ideas in the video and the techniques the filmmakers use to convey their ideas.
  • Distribute the Analyze A Plastic Ocean (14:20–16:07) note-catcher and the Analyze A Plastic Ocean (14:20–16:07) note-catcher ▲ as necessary. The differentiated note-catcher supports students’ comprehension and writing with sentence starters. ▲ Explain the design of the note-catcher: in the top box, “Common techniques in a video,” students will brainstorm ideas about what techniques the filmmakers use to convey their ideas as a class, after they watch the clip. Students will add the main ideas and the techniques in this specific clip in the appropriate boxes on the note-catcher. Point out the “Zoom-in on excerpt” box and explain to students that they will focus on a portion of the transcript, or the written version of the movie, and compare it to the video in the following activity. Reference the Analyze A Plastic Ocean (14:20–16:07) note-catcher (example for teacher reference) as needed.
  • Play the clip (14:20–16:07) of A Plastic Ocean, and invite students to take notes in their note-catchers about the gist of the clip and the main ideas they hear and see.
  • Use a whole-class participation technique to ask students what the gist of this clip is. (People use a lot of plastic, and it stays in the environment.)
  • Invite students to form partnerships with either a Dance Card partner or another classmate. Then ask them to Think-Pair-Share about the main ideas they identified in the clip. (Two main ideas are that people use a lot of water bottles and single-use plastic and that plastic is wonderful and terrible because it is durable.)

“What does durable mean as it is used in this clip? What in the video helps you understand the meaning of the word?” (Durable means that something lasts a long time. This meaning is clear from the clip because the narrator is talking about how plastic stays around for a long time.)

  • Record the word durable on the academic word wall with translations in home languages, where appropriate, and invite students to record words in their vocabulary logs.
  • Use a whole-participation technique to ask students what techniques they noted on their entrance tickets as well as from watching the clip the first time. (Some of the techniques filmmakers use include specific images, video, maps, graphics, narration, interviews, and music.)
  • Play the clip a second time, and tell students to pay attention to what techniques they see and hear in the clip.
  • Display the Techniques anchor chart from Module 3 and ask students to recall their work identifying the common techniques in literature, art, dance, and music and the effects these techniques had. Reference the Techniques anchor chart (example for teacher reference) as needed. Tell students that documentary filmmakers are also using their medium to tell a story, even though it is based on facts and about the real world. Throughout the unit, they will be thinking about how the common techniques in video add to the story and information conveyed in A Plastic Ocean.
  • To guide discussion about the common techniques used in video, use a total participation technique to ask the following questions:

“What do you see and hear as you watch the video? How does this affect the ideas that are being discussed or the information that is given?” (We see images of the huge amount of plastic and text explaining how much plastic is used. This gives us an idea of what the plastic looks like and how much of it there is. We hear the voice of the narrator explaining how much plastic is used. We also hear music in the background, which makes the film more interesting.)

  • Record the ideas students generate on the Techniques anchor chart.
  • Redirect students’ attention to their note-catchers, and ask them to complete the section titled “Techniques used to support ideas in the clips.” Inform students that they should use the techniques they brainstormed as a class to fill this section out, while being more specific about how each technique is used in the clip. Display and model filling out the note-catcher with the class.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • Some students may have familiarity with either documentary film techniques or plastic pollution content. If so, before Work Time A, ask them to share their experiences with their classmates. As necessary, prompt these students with questions such as the following: 
    • What techniques do directors use when making a documentary? How do they create mood or emotions in the viewers? What do they do with lighting and camera angles? Why? What is plastic pollution? Where does plastic pollute? Why is it bad? What can be done about it?
  • Asset-based instruction increases students’ confidence and engagement with the topics of film techniques and plastic pollution.

For Heavier Support

  • Some students may have familiarity with either documentary film techniques or plastic pollution content. If so, before Work Time A, ask them to share their experiences with their classmates. If students don’t feel comfortable sharing their experiences with their classmates, they can draw or write about them. They can also share with a partner or with the teacher who can share with the class. Asset-based instruction increases students’ confidence and engagement with the topics of film techniques and plastic pollution.
  • During Work Time A and B, invite students to use the Analyze A Plastic Ocean (14:20–16:07) note-catcher ▲. This resource features sentence starters that support students with comprehension and writing.

B. Compare Transcript and Video - RI.7.7 (15 minutes)

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

"I can compare the way a transcript of A Plastic Ocean portrays a subject to the way it is portrayed in the video."

  • Explain to students that now that they have watched the clip and thought about the main ideas and techniques used, they are going to focus on an excerpt of the transcript from the clip in order to see how the techniques filmmakers use add to the ideas and information found in a transcript of the video. Remind students of the definition they found of transcript in the opening activity, of the written words said in a video or speech.
  • Direct students' attention to the section on their note-catchers titled "Zoom in on an excerpt." Ask students to read this excerpt of the transcript, and then replay the video clip.
  • Invite students to Turn and Talk: 

"What techniques do the filmmakers use in this section of the video? How do the techniques that the filmmakers use in this section add to the words and develop the ideas in them?" (The video starts off by showing a lot of plastic to develop the ideas of how much plastic is being made and used. Next, the video shows the speaker sitting on a large mound of plastic. This makes the statistic in the transcript about the large amount of plastic even clearer, as the camera zooms out and we see how large the pile of plastic is. Then, at the end of the video a graphic and text appear to tell how much plastic has been produced since we started watching this video. The graphic and text make the point from the transcript about the amount of plastic even clearer.)

  • Play the clip again and use a whole-class participation technique to ask students what else they noticed about the clip and how the video adds to the ideas and information in the transcript. Allow time for students to record their responses in the last box of the note-catcher. For possible responses, see Analyze A Plastic Ocean (14:20-16:07) note-catcher (example for teacher reference).
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • Asset-based instruction increases students’ confidence and engagement with the topics of film techniques and plastic pollution.

For Heavier Support

  • During Work Time A and B, invite students to use the Analyze A Plastic Ocean (14:20–16:07) note-catcher ▲. This resource features sentence starters that support students with comprehension and writing.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Silent Discussion on Habits of Character (5 minutes)

  • Distribute a piece of lined paper to each student, and ask them to write their name at the top. Explain that they will use this paper to conduct a silent discussion. Explain that in a silent discussion, students write a sentence or two in response to a prompt and then pass their paper to a partner who writes a sentence or two to add to their ideas. The silent discussion continues as papers continue to get passed from student to student. Post and read aloud the following prompt:
    • "What habits of character did you see in this film clip? Who demonstrated them? What did they look/sound like?" (Possible response: Craig Leeson demonstrates contributing to make the world a better place by informing the public about the problem of plastic pollution and inspiring environmental action.)
  • Instruct students to respond to the prompt by writing one or two sentences. Then ask all students to pass their papers to a classmate who will add to their ideas. Instruct students to pass their papers several more times. Then have students return the papers to their original writer, and allow a minute for students to read their discussions.
  • 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

  • In Closing and Assessment A, allow students to respond to the discussion prompts in the modality that best suits them. They may want to record their responses in writing or practice their oral responses with a partner before sharing them out. Allowing students to respond in multiple ways increases their confidence and success in analyzing habits of character.

For Heavier Support

  • In Closing and Assessment A, allow students to respond to the discussion prompts in the modality that best suits them. They may want to record their responses in writing or practice their oral responses with a partner before sharing them out. They may want to share their responses in their home language. Allowing students to respond in multiple ways increases their confidence and success in analyzing habits of character.

Homework

HomeworkLevels of Support

A. Reflect on Film

  • Students write a brief paragraph to reflect on what they have seen of the documentary A Plastic Ocean so far, including questions they have, to complete Homework: Reflect on Film: Lesson 2.

For Lighter Support

  • Before students leave class, ask them to read the homework assignment and discuss it with a partner. Ensure students understand the purpose of the QuickWrite is to reflect on or think about the documentary. They should focus on expressing their ideas more than on spelling, grammar, or punctuation. Encourage students to spend time discussing their responses to the film in order to prepare them to write for homework. 

For Heavier Support

  • Before students leave class, ask them to read the homework assignment and discuss it with a partner. Ensure students understand the purpose of the QuickWrite is to reflect on or think about the documentary. They should focus on expressing their ideas more than on spelling, grammar, or punctuation. If students are literate in their home language, they can respond in it. Encourage students to spend time discussing their responses to the film in either English or their home language in order to prepare them to write for homework.

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