Discover Our Topic: Lessons from Japanese American Internment | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G8:M4:U1:L1

Discover Our Topic: Lessons from Japanese American Internment

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.8.1, L.8.4

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.

  • RL.8.10, RI.8.10, SL.8.1, L.8.5c
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can infer the topic of this module from text and visual resources. (RI.8.1)
  • I can select a research reading text that I want to read. (RL.8.10, RI.8.10)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 1 (RI.8.4, L.8.4)
  • Work Time A: Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher (RI.8.1)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - L.8.4 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Infer the Topic - RI.8.1 (20 minutes)

B. Introduce the Performance Task and Module Guiding Questions - L.8.4b (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Launch Independent Research Reading - RL.8.10, RI.8.10 (10 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Read and Reflect: Students read and reflect on the module guiding questions and discuss them with their families. They should consider how the guiding questions make them feel. They can sketch or write about their ideas.

B. 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

  • L.8.4 – Opening A: On an entrance ticket, students use a range of strategies to determine the meaning of an unknown word.
  • RI.8.1 – Work Time A: Students participate in the Infer the Topic protocol by engaging with texts and images related to the topic in this module. They cite evidence from the various resources posted around the room to support their ideas about the resources.
  • RL.8.10/RI.8.10 – Closing and Assessment A: Students choose independent research reading texts, which are texts on the topic. See Independent Reading Sample Plans (see the Tools page) for ideas on how to launch independent reading. If using already established routines for launching independent reading, in this lesson students will choose a research reading text. The research reading that students complete for homework helps build both their vocabulary and knowledge about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. By participating in this volume of reading over time, students will develop a wide base of knowledge about the world and the words that help describe and make sense of this topic.
  • Note that because Farewell to Manzanar is a literary nonfiction memoir, both informational (RI) and literary (RL) standards are applied to the analysis of the text.
  • This lesson adds a slight variation to the Infer the Topic protocol used in earlier modules. Instead of walking around the room to engage with resources posted on the wall, students work in pairs to examine one resource at a time. Resources are passed among pairs, giving each pair the opportunity to consider multiple resources in depth over the course of the protocol. The collaboration built into this variation of the protocol also allows students to deepen their thinking aloud before tracking their notices and wonderings on their note-catchers. This variation allows students to support one another in understanding the content of text resources, which may be especially valuable for ELLs. ▲
  • During Opening A, incorporate affix practice by inviting students to deconstruct the root and affix in the word internment. Students can locate the suffix -ment on their affix list. They may add the following to their affix list:
    • intern (root): to confine or impound, especially during a war
  • During Work Time B, incorporate additional affix practice by asking students to deconstruct the root and affix in the word activist. The following can be added to students’ affix lists:
    • activ (root): doing (e.g., active, activity, activate)
    • -ist (suffix): denotes a person who does or is related to some action (e.g., stylist, psychologist, scientist)
  • In this lesson, students work to become ethical people by collaborating with their classmates and demonstrating respect for their environment during the Infer the Topic protocol. They take turns sharing initial notices and wonderings with their partners, and they treat the Infer the Topic resources with care before passing them to other pairs, so that many students may have the opportunity to view them.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • After Work Time A, reinforce work with RI.8.7 by inviting students to respond to the following prompts in a QuickWrite or class discussion:
    • Were the text excerpts or images more helpful for you as you tried to infer the topic of the module?
    • What are the advantages and disadvantages of using text excerpts versus images to convey the topic of Japanese American internment?

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In Lesson 1 of earlier modules, students participated in the Infer the Topic protocol to explore resources and make inferences about the topics of those modules. In this lesson, students use a variation of the same protocol to discover a new topic. They also use familiar vocabulary strategies to interpret unknown words related to the new topic.

Support All Students

  • Integrated ELL supports are marked throughout lessons with a ▲. These teaching suggestions support student comprehension without disrupting lesson flow or requiring extensive class time or additional materials. Deeper, high-leverage supports, designed to accelerate ELLs’ language development, can be found in each individual lesson.
  • Note that there is a differentiated version of the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher used in Work Time A in the supporting materials. ▲
  • Note that the Infer the Topic resources depict sensitive content related to the internment of Japanese Americans. Some students and their families may find these topics to be upsetting. Encourage students to track initial questions or concerns on their note-catchers; these questions and concerns can be reviewed and addressed in a later lesson. If greater support is needed, allow time for students to process and respond to these topics during individual, small group, or full class discussions, and reach out to families as needed.
  • Consider strategic ways to pair students for the collaborative Infer the Topic protocol. Options include pairing stronger readers with stronger writers or pairing ELLs with partners who have more advanced or native language proficiency. Alternatively, it may be helpful for ELLs to work with partners who have the same home language; students can use their home language to clarify and confirm understanding when discussing and interpreting the Infer the Topic resources. ▲
  • Support visual learners or ELLs by developing symbols or images to accompany the posted learning targets. Check for understanding by giving students time to write, sketch, or orally paraphrase the learning targets. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Track students’ progress on their Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catchers, and monitor pairs’ comments to one another during the protocol to ensure that all students are on the right track for inferring the module topic.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will begin reading the anchor text, Farewell to Manzanar. They read the foreword, the epigraphs, and chapter 1. Then, they identify the methods used by the authors to create connections among individuals, ideas, and events in chapter 1. This work begins to prepare students for the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment.

In Advance

  • Prepare Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 1. Ensure there is a copy of the entrance ticket at each student's workspace.
  • Print and cut the Infer the Topic resources so that they are on separate pieces of paper, allowing each pair to examine one resource at a time.
  • Prepare:
    • Performance Task anchor chart (see Performance Task Overview and Supporting Materials)
    • Module Guiding Questions anchor chart (see Module Overview)
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: Students may complete their note-catchers using an online word-processing platform such as http://eled.org/0158.
  • Work Time A: Prepare a device for playing music during the Infer the Topic protocol.
  • Work Time A: Include in the Infer the Topic resources additional images of Japanese American internment from a site like http://eled.org/0263.
  • Work Time A: Consider making a short clip of the film Farewell to Manzanar available as a resource during the Infer the Topic protocol. Set up a viewing station at a computer or tablet, and make headphones available. Load the scene for viewing during the protocol, and add a page that says "Scene from Farewell to Manzanar video" to the Infer the Topic resource printouts. If a pair is past this page during the collaborative protocol, they can proceed to the viewing station.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 8.I.B.6 and 8.I.B.8.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson establishes an environment of respect for diverse perspectives through a new Infer the Topic format. Students work in pairs to explore resources and capture their observations on an I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher. This new version of the Infer the Topic format allows students to engage deeply with the topic of Japanese American internment through the use of images, videos, and maps that portray elements of the text they read throughout the module. This format also allows students to benefit from collaboration and the opportunity to discuss notices and wonderings aloud.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to navigate the text-based Infer the Topic resources because of the volume of potentially unfamiliar new language. Encourage students to focus on the gist of select resources and language that is familiar and to process orally with their partners. Before the lesson, add translations in students' home languages to the Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart to make these important principles accessible to all students and to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for those students whose home language is not English.

Vocabulary

  • assembly (A)
  • activist, internment (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, Opening A)
  • Domain-specific word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
  • Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 2, Lessons 4-5, Work Time D)
  • Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time D)
  • Independent Reading Sample Plans (for teacher reference) (see Tools page)
  • Vocabulary logs (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
  • Affix list (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 4, Opening B) (also see Tools page)
  • Independent reading journal (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 6, Work Time B)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 1 (example for teacher reference)
  • Infer the Topic resources (each printed on its own sheet of paper)
  • Device for playing music (see Technology and Multimedia)
  • Performance Task anchor chart (one for display; see Performance Task download)
  • Module Guiding Questions anchor chart (one for display)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 1 (one per student)
  • Directions for Infer the Topic (one per student)
  • Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher (one per student)
  • Infer the Topic I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher ▲
  • Online or paper English or translation dictionary (for ELLs in home language; one per student)
  • Homework Resources (for families) (one per student; see module or unit level downloads)

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 the Performance Task

Opening

OpeningLevels of Support

A. Engage the Learner - L.8.4 (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 1.
  • Once students have completed their entrance tickets, invite them to Turn and Talk to share the dictionary meanings they located for the word internment (the act of imprisoning someone for political reasons or during a war). Refer to Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 1 (example for teacher reference). Then, add internment to the domain-specific word wall with translations in home languages where appropriate, and invite students to add the word to their vocabulary logs. Invite students to also add the root intern- and the suffix -ment to their affix lists.
  • Tell students that they will continue reading the foreword of Farewell to Manzanar in the following lesson.
  • 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. Direct students' attention to the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart and the Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart. Tell students that the habits of character to focus on in this lesson are respect and collaboration.

For Lighter Support

  • As time allows, after completing question 1 on Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 1, invite students to generate a list of nouns that end in -ment. To extend learning, have students think about other suffixes that indicate a word is a noun (-ion, -ence, -al) and to generate examples for each of these.

For Heavier Support

  • As time allows, after completing question 1 on Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 1, provide a list of nouns that end in -ment on a whiteboard or chart paper. Students can check their own list against this one, and add any new words to their vocabulary logs:
    • agreement
    • argument
    • payment
    • government

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Infer the Topic – RI.8.1 (20 minutes)

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

“I can infer the topic of this module from text and visual resources.”

  • Remind students that they have launched past modules using the Infer the Topic protocol. Explain that, in this lesson, they will use a slightly different version of the protocol, but with the same objective: to determine the topic of the module by making inferences that draw from a number of resources.
  • Distribute copies of the Directions for Infer the Topic and the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher or the optional Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher ▲ to each student. Focus students on the question at the top of the note-catcher, and read it aloud:

“What do you think you will be learning about in this module?”

  • Remind students that the purpose of the note-catcher is to record notes that help them remember their thinking. It isn’t something they will hand in for assessment, so they can record in pictures or words. They do not need to write in full sentences. For ELLs and students who require additional support, the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher ▲ can be used to help guide students’ thinking by reducing linguistic barriers and to support vocabulary acquisition.
  • Focus students on the Directions for Infer the Topic. Read the directions aloud, and field any clarifying questions about this variation of the protocol.
  • Strategically group students into predetermined pairs. Distribute a single resource from the Infer the Topic resources to each pair. Invite students to examine their resource and take notes on their notices and wonderings as they discuss. Remind students to demonstrate respect for their classmates and their environment by taking care of the resources they encounter (i.e., making sure not to crumple, tear, or write on them).
  • Give students 3 minutes to examine, take notes on, and discuss their first resource. Move around the classroom and monitor pairs’ discussions. As needed, cue students to listen carefully to one another and expand the conversation:

“Can you repeat what your partner said about this resource?” (Goal 2)

“Do you agree or disagree with what your partner said? Why?” (Goal 4)

“Can you say more about that?” (Goal 1)

  • After 3 minutes, play music to indicate that it is time for students to swap their resource with another pair. As the music plays, pairs should move around the room and continue swapping resources with other pairs. When the music stops, pairs should have one new resource in their hands. Direct partners to repeat the process, recording their notices and wonderings on their note-catchers.
  • After students have swapped four or five times, refocus whole group. Think-Pair-Share:

“Now that you have examined some of these resources, what do you think this module might be about?” (Responses will vary.)

  • Display the topic of the module: Lessons from Japanese American Internment.
  • Underline the word Internment. Think-Pair-Share:

“What do you already know about the topic of Japanese American internment? Have you heard of this before?” (Responses will vary.)

“How do the resources you viewed connect to the meaning of the word internment?” (Responses will vary, but may include: Some of the resources show or describe people being taken away against their will and sent to a camp. This relates to the idea of imprisonment in the definition of internment.)

  • Underline the word Lessons. Think-Pair-Share:

“What do you think the word lessons means in this context?” (Responses will vary, but may include: In this context, lessons probably means the big takeaways that we can learn from something that happens to us. It probably doesn’t mean the kind of lessons we might expect to be delivered in a classroom.)

  • After eliciting students’ responses, confirm that the “lessons” focused on in this module can be thought of as enduring understandings: important ideas that can be taken away from the experiences of Japanese American internment survivors.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

“Why might it be meaningful to study this topic?” (Responses will vary, but may include: This seems like an important time in history; the topic of Japanese American internment has lessons that we can learn from; it is always meaningful to study the stories and experiences of other people in history.)

  • Invite students to reflect on the habits of character focus in this lesson, respect and collaboration, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.

For Lighter Support

  • During Work Time A, as a lighter-support alternative to the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher ▲ distribute a partially completed copy of the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher. This provides students with models for the kind of information they should enter and relieves the volume of writing required.
  • Preselect texts for independent research reading that are appropriate for the students’ current levels of reading proficiency. 

For Heavier Support

  • During Work Time A, invite students who need heavier support to use the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher ▲. This resource includes sentence frames and guiding questions to help students organize and record their thinking.
  • To support ELLs’ independent notices and wonderings when launching the text, provide students with scaffolded instructions for locating important information within the text. These instructions could include the following: 
    • “Scan the text for proper nouns that you see repeated many times. Remember that proper nouns always begin with a capital letter. Who do you think are important individuals in this book? What are some important events?”
    • “Read the chapter titles. Do they seem serious? Sad? Happy? Informative?”
  • Provide an audiobook, if available, for students to follow along with as they read their independent research reading texts to help facilitate comprehension.

B. Introduce the Performance Task and Module Guiding Questions - L.8.4b (10 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the Performance Task anchor chart, and read the task aloud.
  • Students may feel overwhelmed initially to see the demands of the Performance Task anchor chart. Remind them that, as in previous modules, they will work toward the performance task incrementally across the module. By the time they begin the performance task in Unit 3, they will be adequately prepared to successfully and meaningfully complete it.
  • Underline the word Activist. Turn and Talk:

"What does this mean? If you've heard of this word or know what it means, share with a partner." (Responses will vary.)

  • Invite students to work with partners to verify their definitions of this word using a dictionary or search engine. Use a total participation technique to select a student to share the meaning of word activist (a person who uses or supports strong actions to bring about change in society) with the whole class. Ask students to discuss with their partners the connotation of the word activist:

"Does the word activist have a positive or negative connotation? What makes you think so?" (Responses will vary, but may include: it's positive; activists try to change the world for the better.)

  • Invite students to work with partners to verify their definitions of the word assembly using a dictionary or search engine. Ensure that students have selected the most appropriate definition of the multiple-meaning word assembly (a group of people who have gathered together).
  • Turn and Talk:

"What do you notice about the task?" (Responses will vary, but may include: the task has a few different parts; each step leads into the next step; our goal is to share our learning with the community.)

"What do you wonder about the task?" (Responses will vary, but may include: What kind of organizations will we interview? What questions will we ask? What leads the focus group discussions during the Activist Assembly?)

"Now that you have analyzed the performance task, has your understanding of this module topic changed? How?" (Responses will vary, but may include: The module topic is about lessons that can be learned from a dark time in history. For the performance task, we will look at how these lessons have been applied to our communities.)

  • Direct students' attention to the Module Guiding Questions anchor chart, and read the questions aloud. Remind students that these are the questions that will guide their thinking and learning throughout the module.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"How do these module guiding questions relate to your understanding of the performance task?" (Responses will vary, but may include: the third module guiding question asks something that our performance task can help answer.)

  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.
  • N/A

Closing & Assessments

Closing

A. Launch Independent Research Reading - RL.8.10, RI.8.10 (10 minutes)

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

"I can select a research reading text that I want to read."

  • Launch independent reading for this module. There is a suggested independent reading launch in the Independent Reading Sample Plans (for teacher reference). Urge students to choose a text before the end of the lesson.
  • With a few minutes left, invite students to retrieve their independent reading journals. Remind students that they will use these journals to log their independent reading and answer reading prompts. Remind students to respond to a prompt for homework in the front of their journals.

Homework

Homework

A. Read and Reflect

  • Students read and reflect on the module guiding questions and discuss them with their families. They should consider how the guiding questions make them feel. They can sketch or write about their ideas.

B. 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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