Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

• RI.8.4 – Opening A: On an entrance ticket, students determine the meanings of words and analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RI.8.4 – Work Time A: As they read chapters 3–4 of Farewell to Manzanar, students determine the meanings of words as they are used in the text.
• RI.8.3 – Work Time B: Students independently analyze how the text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events in Farewell to Manzanar.
• RI.8.3 – Closing and Assessment A: Students complete an exit ticket to assess their ability to analyze how the text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events in Farewell to Manzanar.
• RI.8.4 – Closing and Assessment A: Students complete an exit ticket to assess their ability to determine the meanings of words as they are used in the text.
• In this lesson, students focus on working to become ethical people by showing respect and empathy as they reflect on the Wakatsuki family’s experiences and working to become effective learners by taking responsibility for their own learning as they work independently.
• In the chapter of Farewell to Manzanar read in this lesson, Woody demonstrates empathy and compassion for his family and perseverance as he works to improve their living conditions. Also, the old woman in the latrine shows compassion and empathy for Mama’s desire for privacy by loaning her the cardboard screen.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

• As students read and learn more about the events involved in Japanese American internment in Farewell to Manzanar, invite students to research particular aspects of this time period that are of interest to them, such as other Japanese American internment experiences. Consider providing questions like the following to guide this exploration:
• Who were the key individuals involved? How are they connected? What distinctions are there between these individuals?
• What are the key ideas or events? How are these ideas or events connected? What distinctions are there between these ideas or events?
• Release more responsibility more quickly to students as they comprehend the tasks or concepts:
• Students who finish the entrance ticket quickly can read more of the “Power of Words Handbook” and share the main ideas and key details with their classmates.
• Allow those students who are able to read and identify gist independently to do so.
• An optional Mini Language Dive, intended for use after work with RI.8.3 in Work Time B, is available in the Teacher’s Guide for English Language Learners. ▲

How It Builds on Previous Work

• In previous lessons, students have focused on working as a class to analyze how the text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events in Farewell to Manzanar. In this lesson, students continue practicing this analysis with independence in preparation for the assessment.

Support All Students

• Consider reading aloud the first several chapters of Farewell to Manzanar in these first lessons to ensure student comprehension, engagement, and enjoyment of the text. However, if all students are already engaged, determine how students will read chapters 3–4 of Farewell to Manzanar to best support their comprehension, or give students choice to build empowerment and engagement in learning. Alternatives to read-alouds include another fluent reader (including students or an audiobook) reads aloud to the whole class, small groups, triads, or pairs; individuals read silently; or a combination of any of these. Also as necessary, consider prehighlighting one or two key sentences in each subsection which articulate the gist.
• In chapters 3–4, there are descriptions of the poor conditions of the camp, including shack-like rooms, group dining, bathing, and bathroom facilities and the illnesses that result from these poor conditions. 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 read and discussed this excerpt?” Students may need to draw on perseverance, empathy, compassion as they read and discuss this content, being sensitive to their own and others’ reactions to the information presented.
• Also, in chapter 3, Jeanne’s brother uses the term Japs to describe the family. Explain to students that this is an offensive term that should not be used in class except when quoting the text.
• As in previous lessons, in Work Time A, present additional options for recording gist rather than just the sticky note, such as using a separate notebook, graphic organizer, using highlighters and annotating, or a voice recorder. Alternatively, give students options for expressing their understanding of gist (oral, written, or drawing). Also, build in different options for expressing comprehension of the text (written reflection, voice recording, or discussion with partners/groups). ▲
• When pairing students in Work Time B and in Closing and Assessment A, group ELLs with partners who have more advanced or home language proficiency. The partners with greater language proficiency can serve as a model, initiating discussions and providing implicit sentence frames, for example. ▲

Assessment Guidance

• Review students’ Connections and Distinctions note-catchers to ensure students understand how the text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events in Farewell to Manzanar.

Down the Road

• In the next lesson, students will continue to read and analyze Farewell to Manzanar in the mid-unit assessment, focusing on how the text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events.