Developing Plot: Establishing a Problem | EL Education Curriculum

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RI.4.9: Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
  • W.4.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
  • W.4.3a: Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
  • W.4.3d: Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
  • W.4.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
  • W.4.5: With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
  • L.4.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
  • L.4.3a: Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.
  • L.4.6: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to a particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation).

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can determine the characteristics of a narrative. (W.4.3a, W.4.3d, L.4.3a)
  • I can organize a plot for a narrative using events based on research of my animal and its defense mechanisms. (RI.4.9, W.4.3a, W.4.3d, W.4.4, W.4.5, L.4.3a, L.4.6)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Plot Structure note-catcher (W.4.3a, W.4.3d, L.4.3a)
  • Narrative Planning graphic organizer (RI.4.9, W.4.3a, W.4.3d, W.4.4, W.4.5, L.4.3a, L.4.6)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engaging the Writer: Sketching (5 minutes)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time 

A. Examining Organization of Narratives (20 minutes)

B. Guided Practice: Planning the Millipede Narrative (15 minutes)

C. Independent Practice: Reviewing Research and Planning the Expert Group Animal Narrative (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment 

A. Sharing (5 minutes)

4. Homework 

A. Read and annotate "How the Monkey Got Food When He Was Hungry" from your homework resources for this unit.

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

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In this lesson, students use "Powerful Polly," one of the mentor texts for this unit, as a model of a choose-your-own-adventure narrative as they write their own research-based narratives. Students study the organization of "Powerful Polly" (W.4.3a, W.4.3d, L.4.3a) and use their observations when planning the millipede narrative as a whole group and their expert group animal narratives independently (RI.4.9, W.4.3a, W.4.3d, W.4.4, W.4.5, L.4.3a, L.4.6).
  • Students focus only on planning the introductory and problem paragraphs of their narratives in this lesson. They will elaborate on their plans in Lesson 5, developing further plot points and the conclusions to their stories.
  • The research reading students complete for homework will help to build both their vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to animals and specifically animal defense mechanisms. 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 to describe and make sense of it.
  • Students will have the opportunity to practice their fluency in this lesson by following along and reading silently as the teacher reads "Powerful Polly" aloud in Work Time A.
  • Students who finish quickly can consider other literary and narrative techniques, such as foreshadowing or pacing, when planning the organization of their narratives.

How it builds on previous work:

  • Students start the lesson by revisiting their sketches of their expert group animal using one of its defense mechanisms, from Unit 2. In this unit, they create a new sketch highlighting a different defense mechanism of their expert group animal. Students include both sketches in the final performance task, so the defense mechanisms highlighted should be the ones written about for the informative page in Unit 2 and the two choices of the choose-your-own-adventure narrative in this unit.
  • The Narrative Planning graphic organizer is similar to the Informative Page Planning graphic organizer used in Unit 2 to write their informative pieces. Students will be familiar with the format of the graphic organizer, but it has been modified to support them in writing multiple paragraphs to form a narrative. This new use will be explicitly taught in this lesson.
  • Continue to use Goals 1-3 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

Areas where students may need additional support:

  • Students may have difficulty determining the most important and relevant research notes to use as they develop their plans. Consider flagging important pages of students' research notebooks or having students use sticky notes to mark key pages or notes.
  • Students may struggle with writing a fictional piece based on their research. Remind them that although the story and character are fictional, the details must still be scientifically accurate. 

Assessment Guidance:

  • Refer to the characteristics related to W.4.3a and d on the Narrative Writing Checklist when assessing students' work in this lesson. Other characteristics related to the organization and plot of their narratives will be discussed in-depth in Lessons 5, 6, and 7.
  • Consider using the Writing Informal Assessment: Writing and Language Skills Checklist (Grade 4) during students' planning in Work Time C. See the Tools page.
  • Collect in Finding and Analyzing Description note-catcher (Lesson 2) homework.

Down the road:

  • In this lesson, students begin planning a narrative about the millipede by using a Narrative Planning graphic organizer and then begin planning their own narratives. In Lesson 5, they continue to practice the same process for both the millipede and their expert group animal narratives by developing further areas of the plot, such as the resolution and conclusion. In Lesson 6, they receive peer critique on their plans, and in Lesson 7 they practice expanding the millipede introduction and participate in a shared writing to draft the millipede narrative. These lessons provide guided practice to prepare students to write a narrative about their expert group animal for the mid-unit assessment.

In Advance

  • Display the Performance Task anchor chart.
  • Prepare chart paper for the Narrative Texts and Steps for Planning and Drafting My Narrative anchor charts (see supporting materials).
  • Organize Unit 1 and Unit 2 research materials and modeled notes for use in modeling with the Millipede Character Profile graphic organizer.
  • Post: Learning targets.

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time C: Allow students to use an online graphic organizer such as Creately or ReadWriteThink's Webbing Tool to brainstorm, record, or share initial ideas about the organization of their narratives. 
  • Work Time C: Students complete their graphic organizer in a word processing document, for example a Google Doc using Speech to Text facilities activated on devices, or using an app or software like Dictation.io.
  • Closing and Assessment A: digital anchor chart: Instead of using chart paper, record students' thinking on a class Google Doc for them to refer to when working on their writing outside of class.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 4.I.A.1, 4.I.A.2, 4.I.A.3, 4.I.B.5, 4.I.B.6, 4.I.C.10, 4.I.C.11, 4.I.C.12, 4.II.A.1, 4.II.B.5

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by making the organization and language of the choose-your-own-adventure narrative explicit through models, analysis, and group writing.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to (1) transition from group writing to formulating ideas and taking notes for their own introduction and problem paragraph about their expert group animal. This places a substantial demand on language production. (2) Read "How the Monkey Got Food When He Was Hungry" because of the volume of unfamiliar, outdated language. Students will revisit this reading in future homework assignments. See the lesson for specific suggestions for support.
  • If students jigsaw-read "Powerful Polly," give them time to share their portion of the reading with other groups.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Have students explain to you how to use the Narrative Planning graphic organizer and what to put into each box. This will help you check their comprehension as they use this organizer repeatedly during this module.

For heavier support:

  • Support students by preparing pictures, a recording of you reading aloud, and highlighting critical portions of "How the Monkey Got Food When He Was Hungry," the homework text.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): In this lesson, support learners with auditory processing needs by writing keywords that students use during class discussions on the board as visual cues. 
  • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): Some students will need significant support organizing their materials for work time. It may benefit these students to have assistance in setting up their workspace. Also, consider preparing students' research notes and character profiles in advance by highlighting key words and phrases that will draw their attention to what they may write about on their Narrative Planning graphic organizer. This will support students who need help organizing and writing their ideas.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): In this lesson, students have opportunities to share ideas and thinking with classmates. Some students may need support for engagement during these activities, so encourage self-regulatory skills by helping them anticipate and manage frustration by modeling what to do if they need help from their partners.  For example, "I can remember when I'm sharing that if I forget my idea or need help, I can ask my partner to help me. My partner could help me by giving me prompts that will help me share my thinking." Consider offering sentence frames to strategically selected peer models. Offering these supports for engagement promotes a safe learning space for all students.

Vocabulary

Key: (L): Lesson-Specific Vocabulary; (T): Text-Specific Vocabulary; (W): Vocabulary used in writing

  • organize, characters, setting, description, dialogue, plot (L)

Materials

  • Expert Group Animal research notebooks (from Unit 2, Lesson 2; one per student and one to display)
    • Sketch page (page 20)
    • Organizing Research note-catcher (pages 12-16)
    • Close Read Questions: "Fight to Survive!" (pages 2-9)
    • Web Page research guide (pages 14-18)
  • New sketch page (one per student and one to display; see supporting materials)
  • Plot Structure note-catcher (one per student and one to display)
  • "Powerful Polly" pufferfish narrative (from Lesson 3; one per student and one to display)
  • Equity sticks
  • Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Narrative anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1; added to during Work Time A)
  • Performance Task anchor chart (from Unit 1, Lesson 1)
  • Narrative Planning graphic organizer (two per student and one to display)
  • Millipede Character Profile graphic organizer (from Lesson 3)
  • Millipede Organizing Research note-catcher (from Unit 2, Lesson 5)
  • Millipede: Vocabulary Log (from Unit 2, Lesson 3)
  • Millipede Narrative Planning graphic organizer (completed, for teacher reference)
  • Vocabulary log (begun in Module 1; one per student)
  • Steps for Planning and Drafting My Narrative anchor chart (new; co-created during Closing)

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.

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Engaging the Writer: Sketching (5 minutes)

  • Ask students to turn to the sketch page from Unit 2 on page 12 of their Expert Group Animal research notebooks. Remind them that this sketch shows their expert group animal using one of its defense mechanisms. Tell students they will include this sketch in their final performance task.
  • Explain that during this unit, students will work on a new sketch showing their expert group animal using a different defense mechanism. Tell them that these two defense mechanisms will be the choices presented to their readers in their choose-your-own-adventure narrative.
  • Distribute a new sketch page. Tell students to create a new sketch in the First Draft box of their animal using another one of its defense mechanisms. 
  • Circulate and support as needed. If necessary, prompt students by asking: "What defense mechanism are you highlighting in this sketch?" or "How can you show a defense mechanism of your animal in a sketch?"
  • Remind students that they will be sketching, revising their sketches, and adding labels and captions throughout the unit.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with strategy development: To clarify critical information for students, rephrase and show your directions. Example: "You have one sketch of a defense mechanism. Today, you will draw another sketch. Then, you will write about (mime writing) the first sketch and the second sketch in the choose-your-own-adventure narrative. Here is Vishal's first sketch of a springbok running. Nice! He will write about springboks running in his choose-your-own-adventure narrative (mime writing). What will you sketch today, Vishal? (Point to pictures of springbok defense mechanisms.) Springboks jumping? Great! Vishal will draw springboks jumping today. And he will write about springboks running and springboks jumping in his choose-your-own-adventure narrative. Very exciting, Vishal! Which two defenses will you write about in your choose-your-own-adventure narrative, Tran?" (MMR, MMAE)
  • For ELLs: Mini Language Dive. Highlight and discuss language structures that are critical to understanding the sketch page directions. Examples: has realistic coloring; has a descriptive and accurate caption. Work on comprehension of these structures by eliciting paraphrases of them.

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

  • Read the learning targets: 
    • "I can determine the characteristics of a narrative."
    • "I can organize a plot for a narrative using events based on research of my animal and its defense mechanisms."
  • Have students turn to a partner and explain in their own words what the phrase based on research means. Have pairs share and clarify as necessary.
  • Explain that they will hear the phrase based on research a lot over the next few days. In the previous lesson, they learned about creating characters based on their research. For the next few lessons, they will focus on the following learning targets: "I can organize a plot for a narrative using events based on research of my animal and its defense mechanisms" and "I can create a narrative based on facts and details from my research."
  • Discuss the meaning of the word organize and explain that today students will learn to plan events that will help them create plots and descriptions for their stories based on their research of their expert group animal.
  • For students who may need additional support with vocabulary: Discuss and clarify the language of learning targets to help build academic vocabulary. Give visual learners and students who need support attending to a discussion the opportunity to draw or sketch definitions, act out, or list synonyms for key terms in learning targets, such as determine, characteristics, narrative, organize, plot, events, and based on research. (MMR)
  • For ELLs: Allow students time to add organize, plot, and other new terms to their vocabulary logs.
  • For ELLs: After discussing the word organize, discuss the meaning of the phrase can organize a plot for a narrative. Give examples of a plot: In Finding Nemo, Nemo wants to show his father he is a good swimmer (problem). He swims to the top of the ocean (plot event), where he is caught by a diver (plot event). Then, Dory and Marlin set out to rescue him (plot event), etc.

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Examining Organization of Narratives (20 minutes)

  • Display and distribute the Plot Structure notecatcher. Tell students that you are going to read a text aloud to them and that you would like them to analyze the narrative using this note-catcher. Remind them that a narrative is another word for a story.
  • Explain that this narrative is an example of a story told in the choose-your-own-adventure format, but students will focus on reading just the first choice so they can determine the structure of plot in narratives in general. Go on to explain that to do this, they will listen and take notes on their note-catchers, noting what they notice and wonder about the structure of plot in a narrative.
  • Tell students that they will listen as you read aloud the narrative "Powerful Polly" the first time. Remind them that they heard it read aloud in Lesson 3 and reread it for homework, so they should be familiar with it. Explain that using this model will help them to determine what to include in their own narratives and how to organize them. 
  • Display and read the text aloud using Choice #1, inviting students to follow along as you read. This will help them focus on the general component parts of a narrative and not be confused by the unique structure of the choose-your-own-adventure format.
  • Next, invite students to take notes on what they notice and wonder about this narrative in their note-catchers. Remind them that listening and taking notes is something they have done before when learning about animal defense mechanisms in Units 1 and 2. 
  • At this point, accept all student suggestions that are logical as either "notices" or "wonders." They will get more precise later.
  • Display and read the text aloud a second time, inviting students to take notes as you read. Pause briefly after reading the first paragraph to model how students might take notes: 

1. "I notice that we meet the character, Polly the pufferfish, in the first part of the story. I wonder if this is where narratives typically introduce a main character?"

  • Next, ask students whether they notice anything else about the beginning as you reread the first paragraph aloud. Ask for a few volunteers to share their notes. Listen for students to notice that the reader also learns where the story is happening and what the character is doing.
  • Continue reading, pausing at the end of each paragraph so students can take notes. 
  • Have students share with a partner the notes they captured for each section. Use equity sticks to call on students to share.
  • Focus students on the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Narrative anchor chart and remind them that they began discussing the characteristics of a choose-your-own-adventure narrative in Lesson 1. Underneath the list from Lesson 1, write, "A narrative usually has..." Ask:

"What did you notice about narratives after listening to the example?"

  • Give students a moment to think and review their notes. Then use equity sticks to select students to share their thinking.
  • Help students to generalize what they noticed and took notes about by giving them the vocabulary associated with narrative components listed below. Invite them to underline and label "Powerful Polly" as they discuss the different narrative components.
  • Students may notice the main features of narratives. Record each of these on the chart and define as you go:
    • Characters: the individuals in a story
    • Setting: the place and time of a story
    • Plot: the events in the story, what happens to the characters 
  • Note: Do NOT elaborate on the parts of the plot, as that is discussed in-depth in the next lesson. DO leave space under this term and its definition so the class can add more information about plot in the next portion of the lesson (see the anchor chart example in the supporting materials).
  • Add additional features students may not have noticed, defining these as well:
    • Dialogue: the speech and conversation of characters in a story
    • Descriptions: carefully chosen words authors use to show what characters are doing, thinking, and feeling
    • Sensory details: words authors use to create mental images in their readers' minds
    • Transitional words: words authors use to show the order of events and passage of time
  • If productive, cue students to think about their thinking:

"How does our discussion of 'Powerful Polly' add to your understanding of how a narrative is organized? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner." (Responses will vary.)

  • For students who may need additional support with auditory processing needs or those who need help organizing their ideas in writing: Give them their own copy of "Powerful Polly" with extra space for notes either in the margins or after each paragraph. Include sentence frames such as, "Here I notice ..." or "This makes me wonder...." Give these students the chance to discuss their notices and wonders before writing as well. (MMR, MMAE)
  • To support students' specificity in their note-taking, consider including boxes for their notices and wonders that say, "Who (character)," "Where (setting)," and "What (events)." (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: To further support students in this lesson, consider having them take out a copy of this text from their writing folders and read along. Another support could be to have them discuss their thinking with a partner after listening to the text, then record their notes. 
  • For ELLs: Mini Language Dive: Ask students about the meaning of chunks from key sentences in the text. Write and display student responses next to the chunks. Examples:
    • "Place your finger on the sentences: Thinking quickly, Polly swallowed the ocean water into her stomach until it was completely full. Her stretchy skin and stomach inflated until she was huge, as big as a beach ball, nearly three times her normal size!"
    • "What did Polly do first?" (thought quickly)
    • "What did she swallow?" (water)
    • "Where did the water go?" (her stomach)
    • "When did she stop swallowing water?" (when her stomach was full)
    • "Why did Polly swallow water?" (To make herself bigger.)
    • "Can Polly make her skin and stomach bigger?" (Yes. They're stretchy.)
    • "What's another way to say inflated?" (grew bigger, blew up)
    • "How big can Polly get?" (three times her size)
    • "With your hands, show me how big Polly normally is." (about one-third of a beach ball)
    • Show pictures of a pufferfish inflating. 
    • "What do prepositions like into and until do?" (These preposition words tell us where and when.)
  • For ELLs: Allow students to add any new terms to their vocabulary logs. Play with forms of important words, too. For example, introduce will be important throughout the module and the assessments: introduce, introduction, introductory, introducing, introduced.

B. Guided Practice: Planning the Millipede Narrative (15 minutes)

  • Tell students that now that they have a clearer picture of how a narrative is organized, they will practice planning how to organize a narrative using the millipede. Explain that they will first focus on planning the introductory and problem paragraphs as a class, and then they will practice planning these same paragraphs for their own narratives independently. Tell students that in the next lesson, they will focus on developing other elements of the plot.
  • Display the Performance Task anchor chart. Display and distribute a copy of the Narrative Planning graphic organizer to each student. Remind students that they worked with a similar graphic organizer during Module 1 and in Unit 2 when they wrote their informative pages. Reassure them that today they will be able to practice using this graphic organizer to write multiple paragraphs by first helping to plan a narrative about the millipede.
  • Tell students that the first step is to collect information for each part of the graphic organizer. Explain that they will draw information from four different places: the prompt, their research notes, their character profiles, and their imaginations.
  • Model reading the prompt and the Millipede Character Profile graphic organizer (from Lesson 3) and completing the first box of the Millipede Narrative Planning graphic organizer (the Introductory Paragraphs box). Explain that these paragraphs introduce the character and establish the situation in the story. Remind students to use precise words and phrases when recording notes on their plans. Model using your Millipede: Organizing Research note-catcher, Millipede: Vocabulary Log, and the Domain-Specific Word Wall to find precise words and phrases.
  • Show students where to list their sources and model this as well. Be sure to model using at least two sources from your research. See the Millipede Narrative Planning graphic organizer(completed, for teacher reference). Ask students to record notes along with you.
  • Tell students that they will need to think about the problem in the story.
  • Ask:

"What type of problem will our animals have in this narrative?" (The animal will encounter a predator or be in a dangerous situation that requires the use of its defense mechanisms.)

  • Remind students that they can use their imaginations but that the problem must also be based on their research.
  • Give students several minutes to think of a problem they could use for the millipede. Use equity sticks to call on students to share out. Choose an idea to record in the Problem Paragraph(s) box for each choice, after the question "What problem arises?" and "Details" bullet points. Invite students to record their ideas in the Problem Paragraph(s) box on their copy of the Millipede Narrative Planning graphic organizer.
  • Encourage students to be creative but to keep their plans based on facts and details from their research.
  • For ELLs and students who need additional writing support: Highlight and discuss language structures that are critical to understanding the Narrative Planning graphic organizer. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: Allow students to expand and refine their language ability by discussing their ideas about the millipede problem before recording in the graphic organizer.

C. Independent Practice: Reviewing Research and Planning the Expert Group Animal Narrative (10 minutes)

  • Tell students that now they will have a chance to begin planning the organization of their expert group animal narrative. Remind them that the conflict in their plot is the predator approaching the animal and that the conflict will keep the reader interested and wondering what will happen next. Tell students that the conflict will be resolved when they plan and write the conclusion to their narratives later in this unit.
  • Help students organize their materials. Ask them to get out the following:
    • Expert Group Animal research notebooks
    • Organizing Research note-catcher (from Unit 2, Lesson 5; pages 17-18 of the Expert Group Animal research notebook)
    • Close Read Questions: "Fight to Survive!" (from Unit 2, Lesson 2; pages 2-9 of the Expert Group Animal research notebook)
    • Web Page research guides (from Unit 2, Lesson 4; pages 12-16 of the Expert Group Animal research notebook)
  • Tell students that they may use any research in their notebooks but that you would like them to place these documents on top of their desks now. Give them a few minutes to organize their materials.
  • Distribute a new blank copy of the Narrative Planning graphic organizer to each student. Tell them that for today, they should just focus on planning the introductory and problem paragraphs. They should leave the Choice #1, Choice #2, and Vocabulary boxes empty for now.
  • Next, ask students to review the graphic organizer and think about what information they may need to review from their notes to help them plan a narrative that is based on their research. Have them turn to a partner and share their next steps. You may consider giving them a sentence frame such as: "I need to write about __________, so I will look in my research for ___________." You could also provide students with a model: "I need to write about how my character uses one of its defense mechanisms, so I will look in my research for information about how it rolls into a ball to protect itself." Circulate and listen for students who might need additional support when planning their narratives and remind students to use their research notes, vocabulary log, and Word Wall to find precise words and phrases to introduce their character and problem to the reader.
  • Once students have shared their next step with a partner, tell them that they will have the next 7 minutes to begin planning their narratives by completing the Introductory Paragraphs and Problem Paragraph(s) boxes on their Narrative Planning graphic organizer. Tell them that you will be available to confer with them and support their planning and that they will have time to finish planning their narratives in the next lesson.
  • Remind students to be creative but to remember that their narratives should be based on research about their animal and its defense mechanisms. If necessary, prompt by asking questions such as: 

"Who is your character? Where is the story set?"

"What details and descriptions can you use to introduce the reader to the narrator, setting, and situation?"

"What precise words or phrases can you use to describe what is happening?"

  • For students who need support in the planning process: Consider one-on-one conferencing, pulling a small group, or having them work with a partner of a different expert group. (MMAE, MME)
  • For ELLs: Using their vocabulary log and word maps and clusters, students can explore the term conflict. Example:
    • conflict, conflicted, conflicting, conflictive: word and forms
    • the problem a character faces: definition or teacher's explanation
    • bird eats millipede problem: my explanation
    • hindi pagkakasundo: translation and cognate
    • CON-flikt: pronunciation
    • problem, fight, disagreement: synonym or antonym
    • sketch or icon
    • resolve conflict; escalate conflict; serious conflict; conflict arises: collocations
    • Conflict in a narrative arises when the main character wants something: showing sentences
  • ELLs and students who need additional writing support can sketch their ideas into the graphic organizer before writing.

Closing & Assessments

Closing

A. Sharing (5 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group. Focus students on the learning targets. Read each one aloud, pausing after each to use a checking for understanding protocol for students to reflect on their comfort level with or show how close they are to meeting each target. Make note of students who may need additional support with each of the learning targets moving forward.
  • Post the Steps for Planning and Drafting My Narrative anchor chart. Ask students to help you recall the steps they took when planning the narrative about the millipede. Record these steps for students to reference when they plan their own narratives. Leave space at the bottom to add more steps in the next lesson. Steps for planning should include some version of the following:
    • Gather resources: Performance Task prompt, research notebooks, and Character Profile graphic organizer.
    • Plan: Use above resources and your imagination to write notes for each component of the Narrative Planning graphic organizer.
  • Collect students' Millipede Narrative Planning graphic organizers and Narrative Planning graphic organizers.

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Read and annotate "How the Monkey Got Food When He Was Hungry" from your homework resources for this unit.

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

  • For ELLs and students needing reading support: Use jigsaw reading. Allow students to be responsible for different, small portions of "How the Monkey Got Food When He Was Hungry" and then report back to the larger group about what they learned.  (MMR)
  • For ELLs and students who need additional reading support: Highlight critical portions of "How the Monkey Got Food When He Was Hungry." (MMR)
  • For ELLs and students needing reading support: Record "How the Monkey Got Food When He Was Hungry" so that they can listen as they read. (MMR)
  • For ELLs: Provide students who need heavier support with pictures and a very structured graphic organizer for the "How the Monkey Got Food When He Was Hungry" story to aid in comprehension and annotation.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with reading and writing: Refer to the suggested homework support in Lesson 1. (MMR, MMAE)

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