Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research Climate Change and Food Shortages | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G8:M2:U2:L6

Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research Climate Change and Food Shortages

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.8.1, RI.8.4, W.8.7, W.8.8

Supporting Standards

  • N/A
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can conduct research to answer a new question about food choices and sustainability. (W.8.7, W.8.8)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 6
  • Work Time A: Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research Climate Change and Food Shortages (RI.8.1, RI.8.4, W.8.7, W.8.8)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research Climate Change and Food Shortages (30 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Track Progress - W.8.7 (10 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Preread a Model Essay for Gist: Students complete Homework: Preread for Gist: "GMOs" to answer selected and constructed response questions about the structure and content of Model Essay: "GMOs."

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • W.8.7 – Work Time A: Students independently conduct research on a new research question, drawing on one provided resource and independently finding two additional resources to document new information on the topic.
  • W.8.8 – Work Time A: Students determine search terms for the research question posed in the assessment, and they work to gather and evaluate relevant and accurate information.
  • RI.8.1 – Work Time A: Students search for and record textual evidence that most strongly supports their research findings.
  • In this lesson, students are presented with a new research question; from this they determine appropriate search terms and capture research notes from three sources (two online sources they research and find, and a print source provided for students on the assessment).
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to become effective learners by showing perseverance as they read and answer questions independently for the mid-unit assessment. Students also focus on working to become ethical people by showing concern for people and the Earth as they read about and consider various implications associated with the complicated issue of climate change.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Add additional texts for students who finish early. Additionally, invite students to explore more information on the research topic in the assessment, learning and presenting ideas to the class if time permits.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In the first half of this unit, students practiced research methods. In this lesson, students apply the research skills they developed to research a new topic in a mid-unit assessment.

Support All Students

  • Some students may struggle to understand the assessment feedback. Additionally, students who performed below their expectations on the End of Unit 1 Assessment may struggle with confidence after seeing feedback.
  • 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.
  • Review the directions of the assessment carefully with students to ensure that they understand the tasks they are being asked to carry out. ▲
  • Some students may need the text read aloud before they work on the questions. Invite those who require this to sit in a group away from the rest of the students, so as not to be distracting. ▲
  • For some students, this assessment may require more than the 30 minutes allotted. Provide time over multiple days if necessary.

Assessment Guidance

  • All assessment materials (student prompt and teacher checklist) are included in the Assessment download on this page.
  • When assessing and providing feedback on this assessment, use the teacher answer key and sample student responses (see Assessment download) to help complete students’ Track Progress recording form.
  • In this assessment, students are tracking progress toward anchor standards:
    • R.1: By the end of Grade 12, I will be able to: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
    • R.10: By the end of Grade 12, I will be able to: Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
    • W.7: By the end of Grade 12, I will be able to conduct short, as well as more sustained, research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating an understanding of the subject under investigation.
    • W.8: By the end of Grade 12, I will be able to gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will analyze a model informative essay as they prepare to plan and write an informative essay in Lessons 7–11.
  • Students’ Mid-Unit 2 Assessments will be returned in Lesson 13 with feedback.

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 6
    • Module 2 End of Unit 1 Assessments with feedback
    • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research Climate Change and Food Shortages (see Assessment download)
    • Homework: Preread for Gist: "GMOs"
  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 6, along with students' Module 2 End of Unit 1 Assessments with feedback, at each student's workspace.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A and Closing and Assessment A: Prepare devices for students if they will be using digital versions of the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research Climate Change and Food Shortages and the Track Progress form.
  • 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 8.I.A.1, 8.I.A.3, 8.I.A.4, 8.I.B.5, 8.I.B.6, and 8.I.B.8.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • This lesson supports ELLs with assessment tasks on the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment that are similar to research tasks completed in Lessons 1–5. Students determine search terms and find online sources to answer a research question. They also read a text and fill in a graphic organizer to track evidence from sources. In Closing and Assessment A of the lesson, students reflect on their learning and progress.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to independently complete the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment without additional supports. Point out that the assessment tasks are similar to the activities that students have successfully completed in previous lessons. Encourage students to do their best, and assure them that they will continue learning together after the assessment.

Vocabulary

  • N/A

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Researchers Do These Things anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Work Time A)
  • Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 3, Opening B)
  • Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 2, Lessons 4-5, Work Time D)
  • End of Unit 1 Assessment with feedback (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 15, Work Time A)
  • Track Progress folder (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 15, Closing and Assessment A)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Device with projector (see Technology and Multimedia)
  • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research Climate Change and Food Shortages (answers for teacher reference) (see Assessment download)
  • Homework: Preread for Gist: "GMOs" (answers for teacher reference) (see Homework Resources)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 6
  • Devices (optional; one per student; see Technology and Multimedia)
  • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research Climate Change and Food Shortages (one per student and one for display; see Assessment download)
  • Track Progress: Research (one per student)
  • Sticky notes (three per student)
  • Homework: Preread for Gist: "GMOs" (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.

Download this Lesson’s Assessment

Opening

Opening

A. Engage the Learner – (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: As students arrive, invite them to complete Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 6. This entrance ticket prompts students to review their feedback from Module 2 End of Unit 1 Assessment.
  • Invite students to spend a few minutes reading the feedback and then filling out the reflection questions on the entrance ticket. If they require support to understand the feedback, encourage them to write their names on the board for a one-on-one review. Remind students that everyone is working toward individual goals and that learning is about continued growth and development. ▲

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research Climate Change and Food Shortages (30 minutes)

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

"I can conduct research to answer a new question about food choices and sustainability."

  • Distribute and display Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research Climate Change and Food Shortages.
  • Tell students that for this assessment, they will use the research skills they practiced in class during the previous lessons.
  • Read the directions for each part of the assessment aloud as students read along silently. Answer clarifying questions.
  • Direct students' attention to the following anchor charts:
    • Researchers Do These Things anchor chart
    • Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart
  • Remind students to refer to these anchor charts as they read the assessment text and answer the assessment questions.
  • Remind students that because this is an assessment, they should complete it independently in silence. Focus students on the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart, and review what perseverance looks and sounds like. Remind students that because they will be reading and answering questions independently for the assessment, they may need to practice perseverance.
  • Invite students to begin the assessment.
  • While they are taking the assessment, circulate to monitor and document their test-taking skills.
  • Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target, using a checking for understanding technique--for example, showing thumbs-up or traffic light signal cards. Scan student responses, and make a note of students who might need support. Check in with them moving forward.

For Lighter Support

  • Before the assessment of Work Time A, underline key vocabulary in the assessment directions and prompt, and read aloud together as a class to ensure that students understand each task included in the assessment. Invite students who need lighter support to restate or clarify information for students who need heavier support. Review key terms (source, search engine, credible) aloud, and provide a glossary of terms that students can refer back to as needed to help them stay grounded while answering the questions on the assessment.

For Heavier Support

  • Display a "map" of the assessment to reference while explaining the directions to the mid-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:
    • Read the research question. Then answer the questions.
    • Part A: Identify search terms you can use to research the topic.
    • Part B: Determine questions that can help you answer the research question.
    • Part C: Find two internet sources that can be used to research this topic.
    • Part D: Use the two internet sources and the article provided on the assessment to fill in the note-catcher.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Track Progress - W.8.7 (10 minutes)

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

"I can conduct research to answer a new question about food choices and sustainability."

  • Give students specific, positive feedback on their completion of the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment.
  • Distribute Track Progress folders, Track Progress: Research, and sticky notes.
  • Guide students through completing the recording form.
  • 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

  • As with assessments in earlier units, if students seem unsure of how to respond to the open-ended questions, provide examples of statements that answer the questions about previous improvements and goals for future improvement that are directly connected to the criteria within the Track Progress: Research handout, to help students create clear self-reflection and concrete, attainable personal targets (e.g., "I have improved at quoting information and ideas from research without plagiarizing."; "In the future, I will work on citing sources using a standard format.")

For Heavier Support

  • Provide students with a sheet of paper on which they can use a selected color, number, or symbol to self-assess against each learning target in private. This provides useful data for future instruction and helps students monitor their own learning. If time allows, pair students with trusted, supportive peers to share how they have self-assessed. 

Homework

Homework

A. Preread a Model Essay for Gist

  • Students complete Homework: Preread for Gist: "GMOs" to answer selected and constructed response questions about the structure and content of Model Essay: "GMOs."

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