ELA G4:M3:U3:L4

Mid-Unit 3 Assessment: Reading and Answering Questions about an Opinion Text

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

RI.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RI.4.2: Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

RI.4.8: Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

Daily Learning Targets

I can explain how an author supports an opinion with reasons and evidence. (RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.8)

Ongoing Assessment

Mid-Unit 3 Assessment: Reading and Answering Questions about an Opinion Text (RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.8)

Agenda

Agenda	Teaching Notes
1. Opening A. Returning End of Unit 2 Assessments (5 minutes) B. Reviewing Learning Target (5 minutes) 2. Work Time A. Practice Using Opinion Words and Discussing Guiding Questions (10 minutes) B. Mid-Unit 3 Assessment: Reading and Answering Questions about an Opinion Text (30 minutes) 3. Closing and Assessment A. Tracking Progress (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' End of Unit 2 Assessments are returned with feedback. The purpose of this is for students to have the opportunity to see how they performed in order to improve in their next assessment and to ask questions if they don't understand the feedback. In this lesson, students read a new opinion text and answer selected response questions for the mid-unit assessment (RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.8). Students focus on working to become effective learners by persevering through the mid-unit assessment. How it builds on previous work: The content of the broadsides used in this lesson build on what students have already learned about the American Revolution in Units 1-2. In the first half of this unit, students have been analyzing opinion texts to determine the author's opinion and identify reasons and evidence that support this opinion. 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 them 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 30 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 to students on this assessment, use the teacher answer key and sample student responses (see the 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: 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: 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: Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently. L.4: 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 apply what they have learned about opinion texts as they plan and write their own opinion pieces. Provide feedback on students' Mid-Unit 3 Assessment in preparation for returning them in Lesson 12.

Teaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Returning End of Unit 2 Assessments (5 minutes)

B. Reviewing Learning Target (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Practice Using Opinion Words and Discussing Guiding Questions (10 minutes)

B. Mid-Unit 3 Assessment: Reading and Answering Questions about an Opinion Text (30 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Tracking Progress (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' End of Unit 2 Assessments are returned with feedback. The purpose of this is for students to have the opportunity to see how they performed in order to improve in their next assessment and to ask questions if they don't understand the feedback.
In this lesson, students read a new opinion text and answer selected response questions for the mid-unit assessment (RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.8).
Students focus on working to become effective learners by persevering through the mid-unit assessment.

How it builds on previous work:

The content of the broadsides used in this lesson build on what students have already learned about the American Revolution in Units 1-2.
In the first half of this unit, students have been analyzing opinion texts to determine the author's opinion and identify reasons and evidence that support this opinion. 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 them 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 30 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 to students on this assessment, use the teacher answer key and sample student responses (see the 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: 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: 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: Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
L.4: 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 apply what they have learned about opinion texts as they plan and write their own opinion pieces.
Provide feedback on students' Mid-Unit 3 Assessment in preparation for returning them in Lesson 12.

In Advance

Prepare the Mid-Unit 3 Assessment (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
Provide feedback on students' End of Unit 2 Assessments in preparation for returning them in the Opening.
Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1-2 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 4.I.B.6 and 4.I.B.7

Important points in the lesson itself

The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by inviting them to complete assessment tasks similar to the classroom tasks completed in Lessons 1-2.
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, the Word Wall, their Vocabulary log, and other classroom resources.
Make sure 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.

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 in previous lessons. Similar to Modules 1-2, before administering the assessment, activate their prior knowledge by recalling learning targets from previous lessons. 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): In this lesson, students read a new opinion text and answer selected response questions during the mid-unit assessment. Continue to support students in setting appropriate goals for their effort and the level of difficulty expected.
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 dividing 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)

opinion, reasons, evidence (L)

Materials

End of Unit 2 Assessment: Divided Loyalties First Person Narrative (from Unit 2, Lesson 12; one per student; returned with feedback during Opening A)
Mid-Unit 3 Assessment: Reading and Answering Questions about an Opinion Text (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)
Tracking Progress folders (from Module 1; one per student)
Tracking Progress: Reading, Understanding, and Explaining New Text (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.

Download this Lesson's Assessment

Opening

Opening	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Returning End of Unit 2 Assessments (5 minutes) Return students' End of Unit 2 Assessments with feedback and follow the same routine established in Modules 1-2 for students to review feedback and write their names on the board if they require teacher support.	To build an accepting and supportive classroom environment, remind students that everyone is working toward individual goals and that learning is about continued growth and development. (MME)
B. Reviewing Learning Target (5 minutes) Direct students' attention to the learning target and read it aloud: "I can explain how an author supports an opinion with reasons and evidence." Remind students that they have seen this learning target in previous lessons and review Vocabulary as needed: opinion, reasons, and evidence.	For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension and engagement: (Working toward Same Learning Target) Invite students to discuss how they previously worked toward the learning target. (MMR, MME)

Work Time

Work Time	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Practice Using Opinion Words and Discussing Guiding Questions (10 minutes) Tell students they are going to discuss one of the module guiding questions using the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol. Remind them that they used this protocol in Lesson 3 and review as necessary. Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol. Guide students through the protocol using the following prompts. After the first question, invite students to find a new partner for the remaining three: "What does William Barton think about the American Revolution?" "What does Robert Barton think about the American Revolution?" "What does Mary Barton think about the American Revolution?" "How does a person's perspective influence his or her opinion?" Ask students to return to their seats. Remind students that the last question is one of the guiding questions for this module. Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group: "How does a person's perspective influence his or her opinion?" (Responses will vary.)	For ELLs and students who may need additional support with auditory and verbal processing: (Displaying Questions) Consider displaying the guiding question students will be discussing, as well as the questions used to guide their thinking during the protocol. Alternatively, consider giving these questions to students before the protocol. (MMR, MME)
B. Mid-Unit 3 Assessment: Reading and Answering Questions about an Opinion Text (30 minutes) Distribute the Mid-Unit 3 Assessment: Reading and Answering Questions about an Opinion Text. Tell students that for this assessment, they will read a new opinion text and answer selected response questions. 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 and review as needed: 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, specifically on perseverance and what this looks and sounds like. Remind students that because they will read and answer questions independently for the assessment, they may need to practice perseverance. Invite students to begin the assessment. While they are taking the assessment, 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 target. As time permits, focus students on the Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart and invite them to self-assess how well they persevered in this lesson.	For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: (Reading Aloud and Monitoring Assessment) Read aloud the entire assessment, including the answer options. Rephrase directions. Monitor to see that students correctly complete the assessment. (MMR) For ELLs: (Assessment Map) While explaining, display a "map" of the assessment. 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. Practice Using Opinion Words and Discussing Guiding Questions (10 minutes)

Tell students they are going to discuss one of the module guiding questions using the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol. Remind them that they used this protocol in Lesson 3 and review as necessary. Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.
Guide students through the protocol using the following prompts. After the first question, invite students to find a new partner for the remaining three:

"What does William Barton think about the American Revolution?"
"What does Robert Barton think about the American Revolution?"
"What does Mary Barton think about the American Revolution?"
"How does a person's perspective influence his or her opinion?"

Ask students to return to their seats.
Remind students that the last question is one of the guiding questions for this module.
Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"How does a person's perspective influence his or her opinion?" (Responses will vary.)

For ELLs and students who may need additional support with auditory and verbal processing: (Displaying Questions) Consider displaying the guiding question students will be discussing, as well as the questions used to guide their thinking during the protocol. Alternatively, consider giving these questions to students before the protocol. (MMR, MME)

B. Mid-Unit 3 Assessment: Reading and Answering Questions about an Opinion Text (30 minutes)

Distribute the Mid-Unit 3 Assessment: Reading and Answering Questions about an Opinion Text.
Tell students that for this assessment, they will read a new opinion text and answer selected response questions.
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 and review as needed:

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, specifically on perseverance and what this looks and sounds like. Remind students that because they will read and answer questions independently for the assessment, they may need to practice perseverance.
Invite students to begin the assessment.
While they are taking the assessment, 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 target.
As time permits, focus students on the Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart and invite them to self-assess how well they persevered in this lesson.

For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: (Reading Aloud and Monitoring Assessment) Read aloud the entire assessment, including the answer options. Rephrase directions. Monitor to see that students correctly complete the assessment. (MMR)
For ELLs: (Assessment Map) While explaining, display a "map" of the assessment.
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 (10 minutes) Give students specific, positive feedback on their completion of the Mid-Unit 3 Assessment. (Example: "I noticed a lot of you were referring back to the text to answer the questions.") Distribute Tracking Progress folders, Tracking Progress: Reading, Understanding, and Explaining New Text, and sticky notes. Guide students through completing the recording form.	For ELLs: (Self-assessment) Self-assessment may be an unfamiliar concept for some students. Tell them that thinking about how well they did will help them do even better next time.

Closing