Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Analyze Vocabulary, Connections, and Distinctions: Farewell to Manzanar, Chapter 5 | EL Education Curriculum

You are here

ELA 2019 G8:M4:U1:L6

Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Analyze Vocabulary, Connections, and Distinctions: Farewell to Manzanar, Chapter 5

You are here:

Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.8.1, RI.8.3, RI.8.4, L.8.4a, L.8.4b, L.8.5a, L.8.5c

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.8.10, W.8.10

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can analyze the figurative and connotative meanings of words as they are used in chapter 5 of Farewell to Manzanar. (RI.8.4)
  • I can analyze how the text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, events, and ideas in chapter 5 of Farewell to Manzanar. (RI.8.3)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 6
  • Work Time A: Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Analyze Vocabulary, Connections, and Distinctions: Farewell to Manzanar, Chapter 5 (RI.8.1, RI.8.3, RI.8.4, RI.8.10, W.8.10, L.8.4a, L.8.4b, L.8.5a, L.8.5c)
  • Closing and Assessment A: Track Progress (RI.8.1, RI.8.4, RI.8.10, L.8.4)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Analyze Vocabulary, Connections, and Distinctions: Farewell to Manzanar, Chapter 5 (35 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Track Progress (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. 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

  • Work Time A: Students complete the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment. Students read chapter 5 in Farewell to Manzanar, “Almost a Family” (pages 31–41), and answer selected response and short constructed response questions about vocabulary and how connections and distinctions are made among individuals, ideas, and events (RI.8.1, RI.8.3, RI.8.4, L.8.4a, L.8.4b, L.8.5a, L.8.5c).
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to become effective learners by reading and answering questions independently for the mid-unit assessment. Prompt students’ perseverance by reminding them that assessments are meant to inform instruction. Use assessment data to make choices about what should be retaught and how to adjust the pacing. Encourage students not to be afraid of making mistakes; an accurate assessment is crucial for tailoring lessons to students’ needs.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Some students may not need extensive review of the assessment directions. Release them to begin working on the assessment while clarification is provided to other students who need more support.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In the first half of this unit, students began reading the anchor text, Farewell to Manzanar, building their knowledge about the events prior to and during Jeanne’s family time at a Japanese American internment camp, and analyzing the authors’ use of connotative and figurative language as well as how connections among and distinctions between individuals, events, and ideas are made in the text. This lesson continues those routines in an assessment, asking students to apply their learning to a new chapter of the anchor text.

Support All Students

  • As with any assessment, students may feel nervous to read new passages independently and answer questions about them. Point out all the preparation they have had through activities, homework, and in-class reading time. Also, remind them there will be other opportunities throughout Module 4 to demonstrate what they have learned.
  • 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.
  • For some students, this assessment may require more than the 35 minutes allotted. Provide time over multiple days if necessary. ▲
  • An opportunity to track their progress after the assessment helps students reflect on and celebrate their growth.

Assessment Guidance

  • All assessment materials for Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Analyze Vocabulary, Connections, and Distinctions: Farewell to Manzanar, Chapter 5, are included in the Assessment Overview and Resources.
  • When assessing and providing feedback on this assessment, use the answer key and sample student responses (see Assessment Overview and Resources) to help complete students’ Track Progress recording form.
  • Using information from 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.4: By the end of Grade 12, I will be able to: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
    • R.10: By the end of Grade 12, I will be able to: Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students read a new supplemental text to better understand the kinds of experiences other people encountered while interned at the Japanese American camps. This text starts to introduce different perspectives about the topic and its causes and impacts.
  • Students’ Mid-Unit 1 Assessments will be returned in Lesson 12 with feedback.

In Advance

  • Prepare Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Analyze Vocabulary, Connections, and Distinctions: Farewell to Manzanar, Chapter 5 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • Ensure feedback from the Module 3 End of Unit 3 Assessment is ready for Opening A.
  • Review the student tasks and example answers to get familiar with what students will be required to do in the lesson (see Materials list).
  • Prepare copies of handouts for students, including the entrance ticket (see Materials list).
  • 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 8.I.B.6 and 8.II.A.1.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson includes tasks on the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment that are similar to the classroom tasks completed in Lessons 1-5. Students spend time reading and analyzing the section of the text that is used for the assessment and then work to answer relevant selected and constructed response questions. In the Closing and Assessment of the lesson, students will reflect on their learning and progress.
  • ELLs may find it intimidating to complete the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment. The assessment places new demands on ELLs as they independently apply cognitive skills developed in Lessons 1-5 and new linguistic knowledge introduced in these lessons. Remind students of the strategies they have developed, encourage them to do their best to apply what they have learned, and assure them that the class will continue learning together after the assessment.

Vocabulary

  • N/A

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Authors' Methods anchor chart (one for display; from Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time B)
  • Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 2, Lessons 4-5, Work Time D)
  • Module 3 End of Unit 3 Assessment with feedback (one per student; from Module 3, Unit 3, Lesson 11, Work Time A)
  • Affix list (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 4, Work Time B)
  • Track Progress folders (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 15, Closing and Assessment A)
  • Independent reading journal (one per student; begun in Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 6, Work Time B)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Analyze Vocabulary, Connections, and Distinctions: Farewell to Manzanar, Chapter 5 (answers for teacher reference) (see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 6 (one per student)
  • Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Analyze Vocabulary, Connections, and Distinctions: Farewell to Manzanar, Chapter 5 (one per student; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Track Progress: Read, Understand, and Explain New Text (one per student)
  • Sticky notes (three 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

Opening

A. Engage the Learner (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as with previous lessons to distribute and review Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 6. Students will also need their Module 3 End of Unit 3 Assessment with feedback.
  • Once all students are ready, invite them to share their "stars" and "steps" with a partner. Remind students that everyone is working toward individual goals and that learning is about continued growth and development.
  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as with 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.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Analyze Vocabulary, Connections, and Distinctions: Farewell to Manzanar, Chapter 5 (35 minutes)

  • Distribute Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Analyze Vocabulary, Connections, and Distinctions: Farewell to Manzanar,  Chapter 5.
  • Tell students that for this assessment, they will read a new chapter in the anchor text. Then they will analyze vocabulary as well as how connections among and distinctions between individuals, events, and ideas are made in the text and how they help readers understand the text.
  • Read the directions for the assessment aloud as students follow along, reading silently. Ensure students understand the directions; paraphrase some instructions, if needed. ▲ Answer students’ questions, but refrain from supplying answers to the assessment questions themselves.
  • Remind students that because this is an assessment, they should complete it independently in silence. Instruct them to use the affix list and the Authors’ Methods anchor chart as needed while completing the assessment.
  • 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. Circulate to monitor and document students’ test-taking skills.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • Before the assessment, 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 (connection, distinction, method) 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 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. An example is given below:
    • Read the sentence. Then answer the questions about vocabulary and figurative language.
    • Read the paragraph on page 37. Then answer questions about distinctions in the text.
    • Answer questions about relationships between individuals in the text.
    • Answer questions about connections in the text.
    • Read the sentence. Then answer questions about connotation and distinctions in the text. 
    • Read the sentence. Then answer questions about word parts and the meaning of words in the text.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Track Progress (5 minutes)

  • Give students specific, positive feedback on their completion of the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment.
  • Distribute Track Progress folders, Track Progress: Read, Understand, and Explain New Text, and sticky notes.
  • Tell students the sticky notes are for them to find evidence of the following criteria:
    • RI.8.1
    • RI.8.4/L.8.4
  • Guide students through completing the form. Encourage students to orally paraphrase the meaning of the Track Progress criteria, self-assess, and discuss the evidence with a partner before they begin writing.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their habit of character focus for this lesson.

For Lighter Support

  • As with assessments in earlier modules, 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: Read, Understand, and Explain New Text handout to help students create clear self-reflection and concrete, attainable personal targets such as the following:
    • "I have improved at choosing the strongest evidence in a text." 
    • "In the future, I will improve at using a range of strategies to determine the meanings of words and phrases as they are used in the text."

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.

Homework

Homework

A. 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.

Get updates about our new K-5 curriculum as new materials and tools debut.

Sign Up