ELA G3:M4:U2:L4

Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Examining Point of View

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

RI.3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
RI.3.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
RI.3.6: Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text.
L.3.5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L.3.5a: Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps)

Daily Learning Targets

I can explain the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in "Dry Days in Australia." (RI.3.4, L.3.5a)
I can compare the author's point of view to my own point of view. (RI.3.1, RI.3.6)

Ongoing Assessment

Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Examining Point of View (RI.3.1, RI.3.4, RI.3.6, L.3.5a)

Agenda

Agenda	Teaching Notes
1. Opening A. Returning End of Unit 1 Assessments (5 minutes) B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes) 2. Work Time A. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Examining Point of View (35 minutes) 3. Closing and Assessment A. Tracking Progress (15 minutes) 4. Homework A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.	Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards: In this lesson, students read and analyze the point of view of the author of "Dry Days in Australia" for the mid-unit assessment (RI.3.1, RI.3.4, RI.3.6, L.3.5a). This is the final reading assessment in third grade. Because of that, in the Closing, students reflect on their progress toward reading, understanding, and explaining new texts over the course of the entire school year. In this lesson, students focus on working to become effective learners by reading and answering questions independently for the mid-unit assessment. They focus on working to contribute to a better world by discussing how people in Australia take care of the environment by conserving water. How this lesson builds on previous work: In the first half of this unit, students have been reading texts about others' experiences with water and comparing the authors' point of view to their own. This lesson continues those routines in an assessment. Areas in which students may need additional support: 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. Some students may need the text read aloud before they work on the questions. Consider inviting students 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 35 minutes allotted. Consider providing time over multiple days if necessary. Assessment guidance: All assessment materials (student prompt and teacher checklist) are included in the Assessment Overview and Resources. When assessing and providing feedback on this assessment, use the teacher answer key and sample student responses (see Assessment Overview and Resources) to help complete the student Tracking 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.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. L.4: By the end of Grade 12 I will be able to: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate. Down the road: In the second half of this unit, students will write an opinion essay about why it is important to protect our water supply, drawing on the texts read throughout Unit 1 and the first half of this unit to support their opinion. Provide feedback on students' Mid-Unit 2 Assessments in preparation for returning them in Lesson 14.

Teaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Returning End of Unit 1 Assessments (5 minutes)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Examining Point of View (35 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Tracking Progress (15 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

In this lesson, students read and analyze the point of view of the author of "Dry Days in Australia" for the mid-unit assessment (RI.3.1, RI.3.4, RI.3.6, L.3.5a).
This is the final reading assessment in third grade. Because of that, in the Closing, students reflect on their progress toward reading, understanding, and explaining new texts over the course of the entire school year.
In this lesson, students focus on working to become effective learners by reading and answering questions independently for the mid-unit assessment. They focus on working to contribute to a better world by discussing how people in Australia take care of the environment by conserving water.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

In the first half of this unit, students have been reading texts about others' experiences with water and comparing the authors' point of view to their own. This lesson continues those routines in an assessment.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

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.
Some students may need the text read aloud before they work on the questions. Consider inviting students 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 35 minutes allotted. Consider providing time over multiple days if necessary.

Assessment guidance:

All assessment materials (student prompt and teacher checklist) are included in the Assessment Overview and Resources.
When assessing and providing feedback on this assessment, use the teacher answer key and sample student responses (see Assessment Overview and Resources) to help complete the student Tracking 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.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.
L.4: By the end of Grade 12 I will be able to: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.

Down the road:

In the second half of this unit, students will write an opinion essay about why it is important to protect our water supply, drawing on the texts read throughout Unit 1 and the first half of this unit to support their opinion.
Provide feedback on students' Mid-Unit 2 Assessments in preparation for returning them in Lesson 14.

In Advance

Prepare:

Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Examining Point of View (see Assessment Overview andResources).
A small label with the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment text title and author to attach to a pin and place on the world map. This needs to be large enough to see, but not so large as to cover up too much of the map.

Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1-3 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 3.I.B.6, 3.I.B.7, 3.I.C.11, 3.I.C.11, 3.II.A.2

Important points in the lesson itself

ELLs may find the assessment challenging. Encourage students to consult classroom resources and give them specific, positive feedback on the progress they've made learning English.
Allow students to review note-catchers, Academic and Domain-Specific Word Walls, and their vocabulary log.
Ensure that ELLs understand the assessment directions. Answer their questions, refraining from supplying answers to the assessment questions themselves (see additional support in the lesson).
After the assessment, ask students to discuss which assessment task was easiest and which was most difficult, and why. In future lessons and for homework, focus on the language skills that will help students address these assessment challenges

Universal Design for Learning

Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): To set themselves up for success for the mid-unit assessment, students need to generalize the skills that they learned from previous lessons in this unit. Similar to Modules 1-3, before administering the assessment, activate their prior knowledge by recalling the learning targets from the previous lessons. Also, present the directions for the assessment both visually and verbally and display a map of the assessment parts.
Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Continue to support students in setting appropriate goals for their effort and the level of difficulty expected during the mid-unit assessment.
Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to support students in limiting distractions during the mid-unit assessment. Also, continue to provide variation in time for completing the assessment as appropriate. Consider breaking the assessment into parts and offering breaks at certain times.

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

Do not preview vocabulary for this assessment lesson

Materials

End of Unit 1 Assessment:Comparing and Contrasting Informational Texts (from Unit 1, Lesson 12; one per student; returned with feedback during Opening A)
Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Examining Point of View (one per student; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart (begun in Module 1; added to during Work Time A)
Compass points (from Module 1; one to display)
Labeled pin (one to display)
World map (from Module 1; one to display)
Tracking Progress folders (from Module 1; one per student)
Tracking Progress: Reading, Understanding, and Explaining New Text: Module 4 (one per student)
Sticky notes (four per student)

Materials from Previous Lessons

New Materials

Assessment

Each unit in the 3-5 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 their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Download the Assessment

Opening

Opening	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Returning End of Unit 1 Assessments (5 minutes) Return students'End of Unit 1 Assessment with feedback and follow the same routine established in Modules 1-3 for students to review feedback and write their names on the board if they require teacher support.
Opening B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes) Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read them aloud: "I can explain the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in 'Dry Days in Australia.'" "I can compare the author's point of view to my own point of view." Remind students that they have seen these learning targets in previous lessons and review vocabulary as needed: literal (exact; the usual meaning of a word) nonliteral (not literal; not using words in their most basic way) compare (to say how something is similar to or different from something else) point of view (what the author thinks about the topic or issue	For students who may need additional support with comprehension and engagement: Invite students to share one way that they worked toward similar learning targets in previous lessons. (MMR, MME) For ELLs: (Working on Same Learning Target) Invite students to discuss how they previously worked toward each learning target.

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Returning End of Unit 1 Assessments (5 minutes)

Return students'End of Unit 1 Assessment with feedback and follow the same routine established in Modules 1-3 for students to review feedback and write their names on the board if they require teacher support.

Opening B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read them aloud:

"I can explain the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in 'Dry Days in Australia.'"

"I can compare the author's point of view to my own point of view."

Remind students that they have seen these learning targets in previous lessons and review vocabulary as needed:

literal (exact; the usual meaning of a word)
nonliteral (not literal; not using words in their most basic way)
compare (to say how something is similar to or different from something else)
point of view (what the author thinks about the topic or issue

For students who may need additional support with comprehension and engagement: Invite students to share one way that they worked toward similar learning targets in previous lessons. (MMR, MME)
For ELLs: (Working on Same Learning Target) Invite students to discuss how they previously worked toward each learning target.

Work Time

Work Time	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Examining Point of View (35 minutes) Distribute the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Examining Point of View. Tell students that for this assessment, they will read a new text about a challenge someone has faced with water, thinking about the author's point of view and comparing it to their own. Invite students to follow along, reading silently in their heads, while you read the directions for each part of the assessment aloud. Answer clarifying questions. Direct students' attention to the following anchor charts: Close Readers 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 since this is an assessment, they should complete it independently in silence. Focus students on the Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart and review what perseverance looks and sounds like. Remind students that since 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 working, circulate to monitor and document their test-taking skills. Use a checking for understanding technique (e.g., Red Light, Green Light or Thumb-O-Meter) for students to self-assess against the learning targets. Repeat, inviting students to self-assess against how well they persevered. Focus students on the Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart and remind them of what it means to take care of and improve our shared spaces and the environment. Think-Pair-Share: "How do some people in Australia take care of the environment?" (They try not to waste water.) "What does it look like when some people in Australia take care of the environment?"(Responses will vary, but may include: They don't use sprinklers to water their lawns as a way to save water. Some have timers in their bathrooms to remind each other to take shorter showers.) Add students' ideas to the "What does it look like?" column on the Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart. Follow the same routine from Work Time A of Lesson 2 to guide students through using the compass points to add the labeled pin with Australia to the world map.	For ELLs: (Reading Aloud and Monitoring Assessment) Read aloud the entire assessment. Rephrase directions. Monitor to see that students correctly complete the assessment. For ELLs and students who may need additional support with planning and strategy development: (Assessment Map) While explaining, display a "map" of the assessment. (MMR, MMAE) For ELLs: (Rephrasing Selected Response) Invite students to rephrase selected response questions--and answer them--before they read each answer choice.

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Examining Point of View (35 minutes)

Distribute the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Examining Point of View.
Tell students that for this assessment, they will read a new text about a challenge someone has faced with water, thinking about the author's point of view and comparing it to their own.
Invite students to follow along, reading silently in their heads, while you read the directions for each part of the assessment aloud. Answer clarifying questions.
Direct students' attention to the following anchor charts:

Close Readers 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 since this is an assessment, they should complete it independently in silence. Focus students on the Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart and review what perseverance looks and sounds like. Remind students that since 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 working, circulate to monitor and document their test-taking skills.
Use a checking for understanding technique (e.g., Red Light, Green Light or Thumb-O-Meter) for students to self-assess against the learning targets. Repeat, inviting students to self-assess against how well they persevered.
Focus students on the Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart and remind them of what it means to take care of and improve our shared spaces and the environment.
Think-Pair-Share:

"How do some people in Australia take care of the environment?" (They try not to waste water.)

"What does it look like when some people in Australia take care of the environment?"(Responses will vary, but may include: They don't use sprinklers to water their lawns as a way to save water. Some have timers in their bathrooms to remind each other to take shorter showers.)

Add students' ideas to the "What does it look like?" column on the Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart.
Follow the same routine from Work Time A of Lesson 2 to guide students through using the compass points to add the labeled pin with Australia to the world map.

For ELLs: (Reading Aloud and Monitoring Assessment) Read aloud the entire assessment. Rephrase directions. Monitor to see that students correctly complete the assessment.
For ELLs and students who may need additional support with planning and strategy development: (Assessment Map) While explaining, display a "map" of the assessment. (MMR, MMAE)
For ELLs: (Rephrasing Selected Response) Invite students to rephrase selected response questions--and answer them--before they read each answer choice.

Closing & Assessments

Closing	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Tracking Progress (15 minutes) Give students specific, positive feedback on their completion of the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment. Distribute Tracking Progress Folders, Tracking Progress: Reading, Understanding, and Explaining New Text: Module 4 and sticky notes. Point out that this tracking progress form is different from the other Reading, Understanding, and Explaining New Text forms they have completed throughout the year. Tell students that for this form, they are reflecting on fewer criteria and are considering their progress over the entire school year, not just this particular unit or module. Guide students through completing the recording form. Remind them to use evidence from their work over Modules 1, 2, 3, and 4 as they reflect	Build an accepting and supportive environment by reminding students that everyone is working toward individual goals and that learning is about continued growth and development. (MME) For ELLs: (Orally Paraphrase): Invite students to orally paraphrase the meaning of the Tracking Progress criteria, self-assess, and discuss the evidence with a partner before they begin writing.

Closing

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Tracking Progress (15 minutes)

Give students specific, positive feedback on their completion of the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment.
Distribute Tracking Progress Folders, Tracking Progress: Reading, Understanding, and Explaining New Text: Module 4 and sticky notes.
Point out that this tracking progress form is different from the other Reading, Understanding, and Explaining New Text forms they have completed throughout the year. Tell students that for this form, they are reflecting on fewer criteria and are considering their progress over the entire school year, not just this particular unit or module.
Guide students through completing the recording form. Remind them to use evidence from their work over Modules 1, 2, 3, and 4 as they reflect

Build an accepting and supportive environment by reminding students that everyone is working toward individual goals and that learning is about continued growth and development. (MME)
For ELLs: (Orally Paraphrase): Invite students to orally paraphrase the meaning of the Tracking Progress criteria, self-assess, and discuss the evidence with a partner before they begin writing.

Homework

Homework	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.	For ELLs: (Oral Response) Read aloud, discuss, and respond to your prompt orally, either with a partner, family member, or student from grades 2 or 4, or record an audio response.

EL Education Curriculum

ELA G3:M4:U2:L4

Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Examining Point of View

In this Lesson

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Daily Learning Targets

Ongoing Assessment

Agenda

In Advance

Tech and Multimedia

Supporting English Language Learners

Universal Design for Learning

Vocabulary

Materials

Materials from Previous Lessons

New Materials

Assessment

Opening

Work Time

Closing & Assessments

Homework

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