Analyze Author’s Purpose: Trash Vortex, Chapter 1 | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G7:M4:U1:L8

Analyze Author’s Purpose: Trash Vortex, Chapter 1

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.7.2, RI.7.6

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.7.4, L.7.4
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can determine two or more central ideas and analyze their development over the course of Trash Vortex. (RI.7.2)
  • I can determine an author's purpose in Trash Vortex. (RI.7.6)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 8 (RI.7.6)
  • Work Time B: Author's Purpose: Trash Vortex, Chapter 1 note-catcher (RI.7.6)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - RI.7.6 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Launch Anchor Text: Trash Vortex - RI.7.2 (20 minutes)

B. Analyze Author's Purpose - RI.7.6 (15 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Compare Purpose in Film and Text - RI.7.6 (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Preread Anchor Text: Students finish reading chapter 1 and preread chapter 2 of Trash Vortex in preparation for studying an excerpt from the chapter in the next lesson. Students choose one of the photos or graphics in chapter 2 and explain in a brief paragraph the author's purpose for including it. Students also use context and, if necessary, a dictionary to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in chapter 2 of Trash Vortex. Then they record the words and their definitions in the correct section of their vocabulary log.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • RI.7.6 – Opening A: On an entrance ticket, students grapple with terms related to author’s purpose, recalling previous work and co-constructing an anchor chart as a class.
  • RI.7.2 – Work Time A: Students are introduced to the anchor text Trash Vortex, familiarizing themselves with the book and discussing its features, then reading the first half of chapter 1 and beginning to identify central ideas.
  • RI.7.6 – Work Time B: Student analyze the first half of Trash Vortex, chapter 1, focusing on identifying the author’s purpose and how it affects the text.
  • RI.7.6 – Closing and Assessment A: Students briefly discuss the similarities and differences in content between Trash Vortex and the documentary A Plastic Ocean, including how the author and filmmakers convey information and ideas.
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to become effective learners by reading and answering questions together as a class and in small groups.
  • The Think-Pair-Share protocol is 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 Trash Vortex read in this lesson, Charles Moore demonstrates initiative and perseverance as he learns about the plastic problem in the ocean and works to do something about it. He also contributes to a better world by working to improve his surroundings.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Release more responsibility more quickly to students as they comprehend tasks or concepts. For example: 
    • Allow those students who are identifying the gist and other elements more quickly the opportunity to develop their own text-dependent questions about the chapter related to the purpose and central ideas. Ask these students to share their questions with the group as a way of generating discussion.
    • Encourage those students reading and comprehending the text more quickly to read ahead in the chapter and make discussion notes to share with peers in the next lesson, including examples of the author’s purpose at different points in the text. 
  • Also, encourage those students who show enthusiasm about the text to become experts on the photo and caption insert on page 9, and explain its contents to the class in greater detail. Students could create a skit reenactment or even an animated film if they are so inclined.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In previous lessons, students have focused on building background knowledge and developing multimedia analysis skills by viewing and analyzing the documentary A Plastic Ocean. In this lesson, students continue exploring the module topic of plastic pollution with their second anchor text, Trash Vortex.

Support All Students

  • The subject matter in the chapter includes descriptions of plastic pollution and its negative effect on the ocean. Monitor students to determine if there are issues surfacing as a result of the content of this work 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 this chapter?” 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.
  • Students may need additional support understanding scientific terms or concepts introduced in the text. Ensure that students are aware of the glossary of terms at the back of the book to support them in their learning, and consider using an interactive word wall to build background knowledge. ▲
  • Encourage students to recall their experience with A Plastic Ocean to help them understand the context for the subjects discussed in the text. If time allows, have students to rewatch clips from the documentary to help illuminate related concepts. ▲
  • Point out how the pictures in the book can help them understand some of the subjects being discussed. Create reading groups for students to discuss the text. ▲
  • Provide access to devices to help explain difficult or unfamiliar concepts in the text. If possible, provide an audio version of the book. ▲
  • As the excerpt is read aloud, use the Text Guide: Trash Vortex for sample vocabulary and comprehension questions. Remind students that as they respond to the comprehension questions, they must use evidence from the text to support their ideas. Also, if students need additional support, distribute copies of the Synopsis: Trash Vortex, Chapter 1 and ask them to review the main points of the excerpt with a partner. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Review students’ Author’s Purpose: Trash Vortex, Chapter 1 note-catchers to ensure students understand how the author develops central ideas as well as the purpose of different sections of the text.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will read and analyze chapter 2 of Trash Vortex, continuing their focus on central ideas and the author’s point of view and purpose.

In Advance

  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 8 at each student's workspace.
  • Preread Trash Vortex, Chapter 1.
  • 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.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 the anchor text Trash Vortex for its central ideas and author's purpose.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to read the anchor text and identify the central ideas and author's purpose. In addition to the suggestions below, provide students with the anchor text Trash Vortex ahead of time, so that they can read the excerpt as many times as is necessary and use strategies to determine unfamiliar vocabulary and comprehend the content. With this comprehension, students will be able to focus on analysis during the lesson.

Vocabulary

  • brittle, jostle (A)
  • author's purpose, buoyant, cargo, gyre (DS)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Academic word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time A) 
  • Domain-specific word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time B)
  • Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening B)

  • Vocabulary log (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 8 (example for teacher reference)
  • Author's Purpose anchor chart (example for teacher reference) 
  • Author's Purpose anchor chart (one for display; co-created in Opening A)
  • Text Guide: Trash Vortex (for teacher reference)
  • Gists: Trash Vortex (example for teacher reference)
  • Author's Purpose: Trash Vortex, Chapter 1 note-catcher (example for teacher reference)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 8 (one per student)
  • Trash Vortex by Danielle Smith-Llera (text; one per student)
  • Synopsis: Trash Vortex, Chapter 1 (one per student)
  • Sticky notes (one per student)
  • Author's Purpose: Trash Vortex, Chapter 1 note-catcher (one 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.

Opening

OpeningLevels of Support

A. Engage the Learner - RI.7.6 (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 8.
  • Once students have completed their entrance tickets, inform them that throughout this unit they will focus on author's purpose, and they will begin today by talking about what this term means in an informational text. Ask for volunteers to share their definition of author's purpose and some of the possible purposes they identified for informational texts on their entrance tickets. (Responses may include: informational texts can be written to inform, to persuade, to entertain, or to give instructions.)
  • Write these responses on the Author's Purpose anchor chart. Explain to students that they should keep these general categories in mind as they read and analyze Trash Vortex, but that as they analyze, they will also be looking more specifically at the purposes of different sections of the book. Also, record author's purpose (the reason an author writes a text or a section of text) on the domain-specific word wall with translations in home languages, where appropriate, and invite students to record it in their vocabulary logs.
  • 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.

For Lighter Support

  • For the entrance ticket in Opening A, encourage students to work independently at first to grapple to answer the questions. Then they can share their 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 use words from the prompts to create sentence frames for responding to the questions. Consider pairing 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. Launch Anchor Text: Trash Vortex – RI.7.2 (20 minutes)

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

“I can determine two or more central ideas and trace their development over the course of Trash Vortex.

  • Distribute Danielle Smith-Llera’s book, Trash Vortex, and ask students to form pairs and explore the book together by flipping through and noting the sections, the images, and other text features. Ask students, as they explore, to identify one image that connects with something they learned from watching A Plastic Ocean and one image they would like to learn more about.
  • After several minutes, ask students to Turn and Talk to share their images and noticings. Ensure that students notice that the book is an informational text about plastic in the ocean.
  • Explain to students that they will preread chapters of the text for homework and focus on excerpts to analyze in class. Today, students will analyze part of chapter 1 and finish reading it for homework.
  • Tell students they will now read the first part of chapter 1 of Trash Vortex together as a class. Ask for a volunteer or read aloud pages 4–10 (from the beginning of the text to “every square mile of the world’s beaches”) of Trash Vortex, using the Text Guide: Trash Vortex (for teacher reference) and the Synopsis: Trash Vortex, Chapter 1 to support students' comprehension. Direct students to work with a partner to identify the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary and reflect on their reading as they choose, using the following resources as appropriate: vocabulary logs, sticky notes, and Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart.
  • Once students have finished reading and reflecting on the excerpt, ask students to Think-Pair-Share:

“What habits of character did you see in this excerpt? Who demonstrated them? What did they look/sound like?” (Possible response: Charles Moore demonstrates initiative and perseverance as he learns about the plastic problem in the ocean and decides that he must do something about it. He also contributes to a better world by working to improve his surroundings.)

  • Distribute Author’s Purpose: Trash Vortex, Chapter 1 note-catcher, and explain to students its design. In the top box, students will write the gist of the excerpt. In the boxes below it they will list the central ideas as well as how they are developed, including quotes and examples. In the box below that, students will examine the excerpt overall as well as specific parts of the text to analyze the author’s purpose.
  • Lead students in a discussion of the following questions to assist them in filling out the note-catcher:

“What is the gist of this excerpt?” (Charles Moore sees lots of plastic in ocean, learns where it comes from.) As necessary, consult the Gists: Trash Vortex (example for teacher reference) document to check students’ responses.

“What are the central ideas in this excerpt?” (There is a large amount of plastic floating in the ocean. Ocean gyres transport plastic and also form the plastic vortexes.) If students have trouble identifying the central ideas, ask: “What big ideas does the author want us to know about plastic in the ocean?” ▲

“What are some of the details the author uses to develop the central ideas in this excerpt?” (The author uses the story of Charles Moore discovering the plastic in the ocean to help describe how much of it there is. Then, the author describes in detail how the gyres form the plastic vortexes.) If students have trouble identifying the details, ask: “What important details, facts, or examples does the author use to tell us that there are large amounts of plastic in the ocean? How does she tell us about the gyres and plastic vortexes?” ▲

  • Invite students to fill in the appropriate boxes on their note-catchers, including quotations and examples from the text. For more sample responses, see the Author’s Purpose: Trash Vortex, Chapter 1 note-catcher (example for teacher reference).

For Lighter Support

  • For Work Time A and B, students may need more support in addition to the whole-class analysis of the central ideas and author's purpose. Provide additional wait time for students to read, process the questions, and formulate their responses. Students may also need time to orally process their responses with a partner before sharing out.
  • During Work Time A as time allows, students can continue their work from the Language Dive in Lesson 7 by spending some time identifying different types of sentences in the excerpt from Trash Vortex. They can share these examples with each other and with classmates who need heavier support, identifying the type of sentence and function in the excerpt.

For Heavier Support

  • For Work Time A and B, students may need more support in addition to the whole-class analysis of the central ideas and author's purpose. Provide additional wait time for students to read, process the questions, and formulate their responses. Also, record student responses on the board or a displayed version of the note-catcher to support students visually. Before sharing out, students may also need time to orally process their responses with a partner in English or their home language.

B. Analyze Author’s Purpose – RI.7.6 (15 minutes)

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

“I can determine an author's purpose in Trash Vortex.”

  • Inform students that they will focus on specific sections in this excerpt of Trash Vortex to determine the author’s purpose and how that impacts the text. Invite students to reread the first paragraph on page 4 independently or in small groups. Ask students to Think-Pair-Share about the following questions:

“What is happening in this paragraph? What words and phrases show what is happening? (Charles Moore’s journey is being described. The author uses phrases like “Moore felt the wind . . . die to a whisper” [4] to show what is happening.)

“What purpose does this paragraph serve in the excerpt? How does it add to the text?” (The purpose of this section is to engage the reader and describe the scene when Charles Moore discovers plastic. It adds to the text by creating interest in the story and describing what the ocean looked like, and it introduces Charles Moore.) If students need support determining the purpose, remind them of the four general purposes (to inform, engage, persuade, or entertain) and ask them to consider which of these purposes this section shows. ▲

  • Invite students to add these answers to their note-catchers. Then direct students’ attention to the second paragraph on page 8, which finishes on page 10, (skipping the text box on page 9).

“What purpose does this paragraph serve in the excerpt?” (The purpose of this section is to explain how a plastic gyre breaks up plastic. The author describes how the gyre pulls the plastic into the center, where it “remains trapped for years” [8]. The author describes how the gyres “slowly shred plastic into bits called microplastics” [8].)

  • Invite students to add these answers to their note-catchers.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

For Lighter Support

  • For Work Time A and B, students may need more support in addition to the whole-class analysis of the central ideas and author's purpose. Provide additional wait time for students to read, process the questions, and formulate their responses. Students may also need time to orally process their responses with a partner before sharing out.

For Heavier Support

  • For Work Time A and B, students may need more support in addition to the whole-class analysis of the central ideas and author's purpose. Provide additional wait time for students to read, process the questions, and formulate their responses. Also, record student responses on the board or a displayed version of the note-catcher to support students visually. Before sharing out, students may also need time to orally process their responses with a partner in English or their home language.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Compare Purpose in Film and Text - RI.7.6 (5 minutes)

  • Ask students to form new small groups and turn to the discussion questions on the board:

"How does the information in this text compare to the documentary A Plastic Ocean? How do the two anchor texts work together to inform each other?" (We learned about the plastic vortexes in A Plastic Ocean, including how a gyre worked. In the video, the filmmakers used graphics to explain gyres. In the text, the author describes how the vortexes were first discovered. Both the text and the video explain how the ocean and vortexes create tiny pieces of plastic and bring them together in the center.)

"What were some of the purposes of the film? How do those purposes compare to the purposes in text Trash Vortex?" (The film's purposes were to inform about plastic pollution statistics and issues, persuade people to act to stop plastic pollution, and to inspire and engage with beautiful images of nature and stories of people helping improve the environment. The text seems to have similar purposes so far, informing about the problem, entertaining/engaging with stories, and possibly persuading to act in other chapters.)

  • 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 comparing the film and text.

For Heavier Support

  • As in the lighter support, in Closing and Assessment A, allow students to respond to the discussion prompts in the modality that best suits them. In addition to the lighter supports, students who need heavier support may want to share their responses in their home language. Allowing students to respond in multiple ways increases their confidence and success in comparing the film and text.

Homework

HomeworkLevels of Support

A. Preread Anchor Text

  • Students finish reading chapter 1 and preread chapter 2 of Trash Vortex in preparation for studying an excerpt from the chapter in the next lesson. Students choose one of the photos or graphics in chapter 2 and explain in a brief paragraph the author's purpose for including it. Students also use context and, if necessary, a dictionary to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in chapter 2 of Trash Vortex. Then they record the words and their definitions in the correct section of their vocabulary log.

For Lighter Support

  • Provide students with the Synopsis: Trash Vortex, Chapter 1 and Synopsis: Trash Vortex, Chapter 2, and ask them to highlight the key individuals and ideas in the text once they have completed their prereading. Then they can take notes and make sketches in the margins of the synopses to convey the gist of each section. Doing so after reading will confirm their comprehension of the complex text.

For Heavier Support

  • Provide students with the Synopsis: Trash Vortex, Chapter 1 and Synopsis: Trash Vortex, Chapter 2, with key individuals and ideas highlighted. Encourage students to read the synopses before they complete their prereading. Then they can take notes and make sketches in the margins of the synopses to convey the gist of each section. Doing so before reading will increase their comprehension of the complex text.

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