Establishing Reading Routines: “The Red Wheelbarrow” | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G4:M1:U1:L3

Establishing Reading Routines: “The Red Wheelbarrow”

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RL.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • RL.4.2: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
  • RL.4.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).
  • RL.4.5: Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.
  • L.4.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can determine the theme of "The Red Wheelbarrow" from details in the text and summarize it. (RL.4.2, RL.4.5)
  • I can identify the characteristics of poetry in "The Red Wheelbarrow." (RL.4.1, RL.4.5)

Ongoing Assessment

  • I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "The Red Wheelbarrow" (RL.4.2, RL.4.5)
  • What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Launching Vocabulary Logs (15 minutes)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Engaging the Reader: Rereading Love That Dog, Pages 1-5 (5 minutes)

B. Analyzing Poetry: "The Red Wheelbarrow" (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Determining a Theme and Summarizing (10 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 Opening A, students are given vocabulary logs (RL.3.4, L.3.4). Students will use the logs to collect new academic and topical vocabulary words in lessons and during independent reading.
  • In this lesson, students read and analyze "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams, described by Jack on page 3 of Love That Dog. They identify characteristics of the poem to add to the What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart (RL.4.5). At the end of the lesson, students determine the theme using details from the text and orally summarize the poem (RL.4.2). They will begin to write summaries in later lessons.
  • Note that although people may see many different themes in poems, the theme that has been identified in these materials is one that most students of this age will understand. If students suggest other themes for the poem, listen to their ideas and consider whether these are viable themes based on the supporting details students choose.
  • Lessons 1 and 2 featured built-out instruction for Think-Pair-Share. Moving forward, this will no longer be built out within lessons. Continue to use Think-Pair-Share in this way to promote productive and equitable conversation. Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.
  • This lesson is the first in a series of three that include built-out instruction for the use of Goal 1 Conversation Cues. Conversation Cues are questions teachers can ask students to promote productive and equitable conversation (adapted from Michaels, Sarah and O'Connor, Cathy. Talk Science Primer. Cambridge, MA: TERC, 2012. Based on Chapin, S., O'Connor, C., and Anderson, N. [2009]. Classroom Discussions: Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn, Grades K-6. Second Edition. Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions Publications). Goal 1 Conversation Cues encourage all students to talk and be understood. As the modules progress, Goal 2, 3, and 4 Conversation Cues are gradually introduced. See the Tools page for the complete set of cues. Consider providing students with a thinking journal or scrap paper. Examples of the Goal 1 Conversation Cues you will see in the next two units are (with expected responses):
    • After any question that requires thoughtful consideration:

 "I'll give you time to think and write or sketch."

 "I'll give you time to discuss this with a partner."

    • To help students share, expand, and clarify thoughts:

 "Can you say more about that?"

 "Sure. I think that _____."

"Can you give an example?"

"OK. One example is _____."

"So, do you mean _____?"

"You've got it./No, sorry, that's not what I mean. I mean _____."

  • Note that Goal 1 Conversation Cues (and expected student responses) were built into the Discussion Norms anchor chart in Lesson 1. Conversation Cues and discussion norms are similar in that they seek to foster productive and collaborative conversation. Furthermore, Conversation Cues aim to ensure equitable conversation by gradually building student capacity to become productive, collaborative participants. Goal 1 Conversation Cues focus on the fundamentals of encouraging students to talk and be understood. Goals 2-4 take students to deeper levels of conversation, from listening to others to deepening their thinking to thinking with others.
  • As students may be accustomed to different communication norms at home, help them explicitly connect Think-Pair-Share, Conversation Cues, and the Discussion Norms anchor chart with the implicit value that many U.S. classrooms place on each student sharing thoughts and being given an equal share of talk time. Invite students to share and incorporate their home communication norms where possible.
  • Students practice their fluency in this lesson by following along and reading silently in their heads as the teacher reads pages 1-5 of Love That Dog aloud during Work Time A.
  • The research reading that students complete for homework will help build both their vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to poetry and creative writing. By participating in this volume of reading over a span of time, students will develop a wide base of knowledge about the world and the words that help describe and make sense of it.

How it builds on previous work:

  • In the previous lesson, students read pages 1-5 of Love That Dog, in which the character Jack describes "The Red Wheelbarrow," the poem analyzed in this lesson.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Students may need additional support with summarizing the poem. Because this is the first time students do this, they will say it aloud orally. Provide a model if students need additional support.

Assessment guidance:

  • Listen to student book discussions to identify common issues that can be used as whole group teaching points against the criteria recorded on the Discussion Norms anchor chart.

Down the road:

  • In the next lesson, students will continue to read more of Love That Dog, repeating the cycle begun in Lesson 2.
  • The vocabulary logs and the Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart are introduced in this unit and referenced both throughout the module and the school year.

In Advance

In advance:

  • Strategically pair students for work during Opening B, with at least one strong reader per pair.
  • Prepare:
    • Domain-Specific Word Wall with blank word cards and markers located close by. This is an area of the classroom in which academic words will be added throughout the year.
    • Vocabulary logs and academic and domain-specific vocabulary forms. Vocabulary logs could be a notebook in which students glue forms in the front and back, or you could create vocabulary logs by two-sided copying vocabulary forms and putting them in a folder with academic vocabulary forms on the front and domain-specific vocabulary forms on the back. Students will continue to use these logs throughout the year and will need new ones only when they have run out of space; however, to distinguish between the topics they study in each module, they will need to flag where one module ends and a new one begins in the back of their log. If logs are prepared for students in advance, you may not need to use the first 15 minutes of the lesson for students to prepare them.
    • What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart (see supporting materials).
    • Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart (see supporting materials).
    • Copy of the independent reading pages of the 4M1 Unit 1 Homework Resources (for families) to display to students. The pages required are those that show the layout of an entry into the vocabulary log and the page of independent reading prompts.
  • Review the poem "The Red Wheelbarrow" and the example anchor charts and note-catchers to determine what students need to understand from reading the poem. To foster equity and increase motivation, consider sharing with students that William Carlos Williams was the bilingual child of immigrants and created a celebrated poetic style in English. Invite students to share their thoughts with the class.
  • Review the Red Light, Green Light protocol. See Classroom Protocols.
  • Post: Learning targets, Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart, and What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart.

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time B: Students listen to the recording of William Carlos Williams reading "The Red Wheelbarrow" aloud. Williams, W.C. "The Red Wheelbarrow." Web. Accessed 22 Mar, 2016. 
  • Work Time B: Students complete I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "The Red Wheelbarrow" using a word-processing tool--for example, a Google Doc.
  • Work Time B: Students complete their note-catchers in a word-processing document--for example, a Google Doc--using Speech to Text facilities activated on devices, or using an app or software such as Dictation.io.
  • Work Time B: Create What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart in an online format--for example, a Google Doc--to display.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Summarizing is a key skill in the basic structure of this lesson. Provide additional opportunities for students to practice their summarization skills in a low-risk atmosphere. During the Opening and/or Work Time, have students turn to their partners and summarize the first five pages of Love That Dog from the previous lesson. Have partners provide feedback specifically around summarizing.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Another way to support and build summarization skills is to provide appropriate scaffolds depending on students' level of support needs. Consider explaining and displaying a structure for summarizing any text that students can follow. For more intensive support, you can provide sentence starters and have students fill in the blanks. This way, students will have a visual reminder of what needs to be included in a complete summary. Further details are provided in the Meeting Students Needs column.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to be explicit about the purpose and nature of learning poetry in order to make the topic more relevant to students' lives. Engage them in the unit by reminding them that poetry is a chance to "break the rules" of traditional English and this can be exciting and free up space for even more creativity in our writing. 

Vocabulary

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

  • theme, summarize, characteristics, stanza, imagery, rhyme, meter, structure, imagery, free verse (L)
  • depends (T)

Materials

  • Vocabulary logs (one per student)
  • Glue sticks (one per student)
  • Academic vocabulary forms (three per student)
  • Domain-specific vocabulary forms (three per student)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2)
  • Domain-Specific Word Wall (new; teacher-created; see Teaching Notes)
  • Equity sticks (class set; one per student)
  • Love That Dog (from Lesson 2; one per student)
  • What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2)
  • "The Red Wheelbarrow" (audio recording; see Technology and Multimedia)
  • Paper (blank; one piece per student)
  • I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "The Red Wheelbarrow" (one per student)
  • I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "The Red Wheelbarrow" (example, for teacher reference)
  • What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart (new; co-created with students during Work Time B)
  • What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart (example, for teacher reference)
  • Red, yellow, and green objects (one of each per student)
  • Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart (new; co-created with students during Closing and Assessment)
  • Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart (example, for teacher reference)

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.

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Launching Vocabulary Logs (15 minutes)

  • Distribute vocabulary logs and glue sticks.
  • Explain that students will record academic vocabulary in the front of the vocabulary log and domain-specific vocabulary in the back.
  • Distribute academic vocabulary forms for students to glue in the front of their vocabulary logs.
  • Guide students through gluing academic vocabulary forms in the front of their vocabulary logs.
  • Distribute domain-specific vocabulary forms for students to glue in the back of their vocabulary logs.
  • Guide students through gluing domain-specific vocabulary forms in the back of their vocabulary logs.
  • Invite students to read the definitions of academic vocabulary and domain-specific vocabulary at the top of their vocabulary forms.
  • Remind students that as they read their independent reading books, they will encounter different kinds of words.
  • Point out that on the domain-specific vocabulary form, they will list words specific to a domain or topic. Some examples might include tadpole and life cycle.
  • Point out that on the academic vocabulary form, they will list words that aren't specific to a domain or topic, but that show up in texts about various topics and are still important to their learning. Some examples might include challenge and analyze.
  • Answer clarifying questions. Reassure students that you will work more with these forms and they will have plenty of time to practice using them.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: Encourage them to explain how academic and domain-specific vocabulary is different and to identify an example of each in their independent research book. Consider making an anchor chart with a Venn Diagram to capture student responses. (MMAE)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (10 minutes)

  • Move students into pairs and invite them to label themselves A and B.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and select a volunteer to read them aloud:

"I can determine the theme of 'The Red Wheelbarrow' from details in the text and summarize it."

"I can identify the characteristics of poetry in 'The Red Wheelbarrow.'"

  • Underline the word theme in the first target. Explain that underlining or circling the meaning of unfamiliar words can help you find them quickly when you are ready to try and work out what they mean. Point out this strategy on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart.
  • Invite students to turn and talk to their partner, and cold call students to share out:

"What strategies can you use to figure out the meaning of new words such as theme?" (context, affixes and roots, dictionary)

  • As students share out, connect their responses to the strategies on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart. Students may not realize without guidance that they can use affixes and roots to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, so you may have to tell them this.
  • Invite students to work with their partner to select a strategy to identify the meaning of the word theme and determine the meaning of the word. (dictionary--the message or main idea relevant to the real world that the author wants the reader to take away)
  • Invite students to turn and talk to their partner, and cold call students to share out:

"Is this an academic or domain-specific vocabulary word? How do you know?" (domain-specific because it is about literary works, such as poetry)

  • Display the domain-specific vocabulary form and model recording this word on it, and invite students to do the same on the form in the back of their vocabulary logs.
  • Underline the word summarize in the first learning target. Invite students to turn and talk to their partner, and cold call students to share out:

"I can hear the word summary in the word summarize. What is a summary?" (a brief statement outlining the main points)

"What is the purpose of a summary? Why do we need summaries?" (Summaries give us a brief idea of what a text is about so we can determine whether or not we want or need to read it.)

"So if you are going to summarize 'The Red Wheelbarrow,' what are you going to do?" (write/say briefly what the poem is about, outlining the main points)

"Is this an academic or domain-specific vocabulary word? How do you know?" (academic because it could be applied to any topic)

  • Underline the phrase characteristics of poetry in the second learning target.
  • Invite students to turn and talk to their partner, and cold call students to share out:

"What is a characteristic? What strategy can you use to determine the meaning of this word?" (dictionary-- a feature of quality)

"Is this an academic or domain-specific vocabulary word? How do you know?" (academic because it could be applied to any topic)

"So what do you think characteristics of poetry means?" (the features of poetry)

  • Record the words summarize and characteristic on the Academic Word Wall and invite students to add translations in home languages. Invite students to record the words in their vocabulary logs.
  • Record the word theme on the Domain-Specific Word Wall and invite students to add translations in home languages. Invite students to record the words in their vocabulary logs.
  • Guide students through an intentional Think-Pair-Share, leaving adequate time for each partner to think, ask the question, and share. Then use equity sticks to select students to share out:

"In your own words, what do you think you are going to be doing in this lesson? Why do you think that? Use evidence from the learning targets to support your answer." (reading "The Red Wheelbarrow" to determine the theme, to write a summary, and to identify the characteristics of poetry)

  • If productive, use a Goal 1 Conversation Cue to encourage students to clarify the conversation about what they think they will be doing in this lesson:

"So, do you mean _____?" (Responses will vary.)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: Ask them about the meaning of the learning targets. Write and display student responses next to the learning target. Examples:

"What's another way to say determine the theme?" (figure out the big idea)

"How will you determine the theme?" (I'll read the details in the text and put them all together to see if there's anything that's the same that creates a big idea.)

"What's the difference in meaning between determine and identify? What can you infer about the learning targets from the difference in meaning between determine and identify?" (They both mean to name, tell, or establish, but determine implies more research beforehand. Perhaps the first learning target will be more demanding and require deeper thought, discussion, and work.) (MMR)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Engaging the Reader: Rereading Love That Dog, Pages 1-5 (5 minutes)

  • Invite students to retrieve their copies of Love That Dog and to turn to page 1.
  • Remind students that in the previous lesson they read pages 1-5. Invite students to follow along, reading silently in their heads as you read aloud pages 1-5.
  • Focus students on page 3.
  • Direct students' attention to the What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart. Invite students to turn and talk to their partner, and cold call students to share out:

"What happens on page 3?" (Jack reads a poem about a red wheelbarrow and white chickens.)

  • Tell students that in this lesson they will read the poem that Jack described.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: Before reading, invite students to turn to an elbow partner and summarize the first five pages of Love That Dog in 1 minute or less. Activate prior knowledge by having students refer to What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart. Have them share out and give them feedback on their language use and summarizing skill. Then, after reading, invite them to turn to their partner and summarize once again, this time in 30 seconds or less. Repeat the feedback process. (MMR, MMAE)

B. Analyzing Poetry: "The Red Wheelbarrow" (20 minutes)

  • Direct students to turn to the back of their copy of Love That Dog to find "Some of the poems used by Miss Stretchberry." "The Red Wheelbarrow" is the first of these poems. Tell students that it is by a poet named William Carlos Williams, a famous poet from the United States who lived from 1883 to 1963.
  • Tell students you are now going to play a recording of William Carlos Williams reading his poem aloud and they should follow along in their text, reading silently in their heads. Play the "The Red Wheelbarrow."
  • Play the recording again.
  • Invite students to close their eyes and picture what is being described as they hear the recording for a third time.
  • Distribute paper and invite students to sketch what they heard.
  • After 2 minutes, invite students to turn and talk to their partner, and cold call students to share out:

"What is this poem about? How do you know? Use evidence from the text to support your answer." (It is about a red wheelbarrow. We know that from the title and also from the content of the poem, which describes the wheelbarrow.)

"What is a wheelbarrow? What is it used for?" (It is a small cart that you push along. It is used to move heavy things around without having to lift them.) Draw a picture for students as necessary.

  • Focus students on the phrase so much depends on the first line. Invite students to turn and talk to their partner, and cold call students to share out:

"What does depends upon mean? If you depend upon something, what do you do?" (You rely on it. You really need it. It is necessary.)

"Who might depend on a wheelbarrow? Why?" (A gardener might depend on the wheelbarrow to move heavy garden equipment, dirt, and trees around. A builder might also depend on a wheelbarrow to move heavy bags of sand.)

"What do the words so much mean? If it said not much, how would that change the meaning of the first line?" (So much means a lot. It means the wheelbarrow is very important because it is needed. If it said not much, it would mean that the wheelbarrow wasn't as important because it wasn't needed as much.)

"What does this tell you about the red wheelbarrow?" (The wheelbarrow is very important because it is depended upon.)

  • Distribute the I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "The Red Wheelbarrow" and invite students to spend 5 minutes working with their partner to discuss what they notice and what they wonder about the poem.
  • Direct students' attention to the What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart.
  • Cold call students to share with the whole group what they noticed about "The Red Wheelbarrow." As students share out, capture their responses in the second column ("Notices") of the What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart.As you record, categorize student notices into three groups--structure, imagery, and rhyme and meter--but without telling students how you are grouping the ideas. Refer to What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
    • Note: If students don't notice anything for rhyme and meter, it doesn't matter, as this will be addressed in later poems.
  • Point out the third column of the anchor chart, titled "Characteristics of Poetry."
  • Tell students that you have grouped their ideas on the anchor chart. Focus students on the "Structure" group. Invite students to turn and talk to their partner, and cold call students to share with the whole group:

"What do you notice about the first group? How are these ideas connected?" (how the poem is organized--the structure)

  • Record structure and the definition in the third column. Refer to What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Before moving on, ensure students understand, and record on the anchor chart:
    • "The chunks of a poem are called stanzas."
    • "Stanzas contain lines."
  • Point out the "Imagery" ideas in the second column. Invite students to turn and talk to their partner, and cold call students to share out:

"What do you notice about this group? How are these ideas connected?" (word and phrase choice)

  • Tell students that in poetry, word and phrase choice is called imagery, which means words and phrases that help the reader imagine with the senses. Help students understand that although the whole poem may be appealing to the senses, there are certain words and phrases that use precise or figurative language to help us imagine through our senses what the poet is describing. Record imagery and a definition in the third column. See What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart (example, for teacher reference).
  • Point out the "Meter and Rhyme" ideas in the second column. Invite students to turn and talk to their partner, and cold call students to share out:

"What do you notice about this group? How are these ideas connected?" (rhyming, and the beat or rhythm of the poem)

  • If productive, use a Goal 1 Conversation Cue to encourage students to expand the conversation about structure and imagery:

"Can you say more about that?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Tell students that in poetry, word and phrase choice is called rhyme and meter, which means whether the words rhyme and the beat or rhythm of the poem. Invite students to share some rhyming words with the whole group, both in English and in their home language.
  • Record rhyme and meter and a definition in the "Characteristics of Poetry" column. Refer to What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Before moving on, ensure students understand, and record on the anchor chart:

"Poems that don't rhyme or have a rhythm (beat) are called free verse."

  • Record the words stanza, imagery, rhyme, meter, and free verse on the Domain-Specific Word Wall and invite students to record them in the back of their vocabulary logs.
  • Invite students to share their wonderings about the poem and record them on the board. If questions arise about word or phrase meaning, help students identify the meaning before moving on. If questions cannot be answered from the content, explain that sometimes poems and stories leave us with questions intentionally because the authors want us to keep thinking about their work.
  • Distribute red, yellow, and green objects. Tell students they are now going to use the Red Light, Green Light protocol to reflect on their progress toward the second learning target.
  • Explain what each color represents (red = stuck or not ready; yellow = needs support soon; green = ready to start).
  • Direct students' attention to the second learning target and read it aloud:

"I can identify the characteristics of poetry in 'The Red Wheelbarrow."

  • Invite students to place the color on their desks that best describes their comfort level or readiness with the target.
  • Scan student responses and make a note of students who may need more support with this moving forward.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with writing: Remind students that poetry is often different from other writing, and that they should be careful of depending upon poetry characteristics in their other writing. Tell them they will investigate the differences in detail later in the unit. Explain that this can be exciting because poets get to "break the rules" of traditional English. (MME)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: To provide heavier support, turn the What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart into a kinesthetic activity. Copy descriptions of the characteristics and lines from "The Red Wheelbarrow" onto separate strips. Students can paste the descriptions and lines into the correct category: Structure, Imagery, or Rhyme and Meter. (MMR, MMAE)
  • For students who may feel uncomfortable sharing their progress on meeting the learning targets publicly: Minimize risk by providing students with a sheet of paper where they can select a color for each learning target in private. This provides useful data for future instruction and helps students monitor their own learning. (MME)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Determining a Theme and Summarizing (10 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group. Focus students on the "Theme" and "Supporting Details" boxes at the bottom of the I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "The Red Wheelbarrow" and invite students to fold them under so that they can't seem them for now.
  • Remind students that a theme is the overarching message or the main idea relevant to the real world that the author wants the reader to take away. Ensure students understand that a poem can have many different themes, and people can interpret poetry in many different ways. Emphasize that the key to suggesting a theme is being able to support it with details from the text.
  • Emphasize the difference between a theme and a subject. Example: The subject that the poet has written about is a red wheelbarrow, but the theme is what the author wants us to understand by reading about the red wheelbarrow, like the main idea when we read an informational text.
  • Post the following question:

"What is a theme in this poem?"

  • Invite students to unfold their note-catcher and work with their partner to:
    • Cross out any answers they know are incorrect.
    • Underline one of the remaining themes as the theme of the poem.
  • Focus students on the "Supporting Details" box. Remind them that a supporting detail is a detail that supports the theme. Tell students that as well as lines in the actual poetry, often the characteristics of poetry the author has used can be a clue to the theme.
  • Read aloud the suggested supporting details and invite students to work with their partner to underline the ones that support the theme they have underlined. Cold call students to share with the whole group:
    • "What is a theme of this poem? What is a message or the main idea that William Carlos Williams wants you to understand?" (that an everyday object, such as a wheelbarrow, can be important)
    • "What details support this?" (He wrote, "Beside the white chickens." The color of the red wheelbarrow against the white chickens makes it seem important. He also wrote, "So much depends upon the red wheelbarrow," and the word depends tells us that someone or something relies on it.)
  • If productive, use a Goal 1 Conversation Cue to encourage students to expand the conversation about the theme and supporting details:
    • "Can you say more about that?" (Responses will vary.)
  • Select volunteers to share strategies they used to answer the selected response questions. As students share out, capture their responses on the Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart. Refer to Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Remind students that summaries give a brief idea of what a text is about so we can determine whether or not we want or need to read it. Explain that when we summarize a text (give a brief statement of the main points), we provide the title and author and briefly describe what it was about, including the theme and the supporting details.
  • Give partner B 30 seconds to orally summarize the poem to partner A. Then repeat for partner A.
  • Select volunteers to share their summaries with the whole group. Listen for students to say something like: "A theme of "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams is that an everyday object, such as a wheelbarrow, can be very important. We know this because he writes, "So much depends upon the red wheelbarrow," which suggests the wheelbarrow is important somehow. Also, the contrasting colors--the red of the wheelbarrow against the white of the chickens--makes the wheelbarrow sound eye-catching and more important." Refer to I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "The Red Wheelbarrow" (example, for teacher reference) as necessary. Model this if student summaries did not include the correct information.
  • Invite students to turn and talk to their partner, and then use equity sticks to select students to share out:

"How did the strategies on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart help you to better understand the text?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Tell students they are now going to use the Red Light, Green Light protocol to reflect on their progress toward the first learning target. Remind them that they used this protocol earlier in the lesson and review what each color represents (red = stuck or not ready; yellow = needs support soon; green = ready to start).
  • Guide students through the protocol using the first learning target.
  • Scan student responses and make a note of students who may need more support with this moving forward.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with expressive language skills: Write and display the elements of a summary when explaining them:
    • introduction to the text with title, pages, and author
    • what the text is about (brief)
    • theme
    • details from the text to support theme
    • explanation of how poet uses a characteristic of poetry (structure, imagery, rhyme/rhythm, repetition) to help the reader better understand the theme (MMR, MMAE)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with expressive language or writing: To provide lighter support, invite students to create a summarizing paragraph frame as a way of supporting other students. Consider inviting them to add a word bank for other students to select from as they complete the frame. Invite those who need heavier support to use the frame and word bank. To provide heavier support, allow students to complete just the beginning part of the frame, adding elements as the unit progresses. (MMR, MMAE) Example:
    • The poem "_____" by _____ is about _____. The theme of the poem is that _____. We know this because the poet writes " _____."
    • Word Bank: everyday things are important, "The Red Wheelbarrow," William Carlos Williams, a red wheelbarrow ...

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.
  • For ELLs: For all homework assignments in this unit, read the prompts aloud. Students can discuss and respond to prompts orally, either with you, a partner, family member, or student from Grades 1 or 2, or record an audio response. If students have trouble writing sentences, they can begin by writing words. Consider providing a sentence starter or inviting students who need lighter support to provide sentence starters.

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