Determining Theme and Summarizing a Text: Chapter 8 of The Hope Chest | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G4:M4:U2:L1

Determining Theme and Summarizing a Text: Chapter 8 of The Hope Chest

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).
  • L.4.5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
  • L.4.5a: Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.
  • L.4.5b: Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can summarize Chapter 8 of The Hope Chest. (RL.4.1, RL.4.2)
  • I can explain the meaning of similes and metaphors in Chapter 8 of The Hope Chest. (L.4.5a)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 8 (RL.4.1, RL.4.2)
  • Similes and Metaphors in The Hope Chest (L.4.5a)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

B. Reading in Triads: The Hope Chest, Chapter 8 (25 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Summarizing Chapter 8 of The Hope Chest (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment 

A. Similes and Metaphors in Chapter 8 of The Hope Chest (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 B, students read Chapter 8 of The Hope Chest in reading triads. They then determine themes in preparation for summarizing the chapter in Work Time A (RL.4.1, RL.4.2, L.4.5b). Pay careful attention to the routines in Opening B and Work Time A, because they will be repeated throughout this unit.
  • In the Closing, students are introduced to similes and metaphors and analyze the meaning of similes in Chapter 8 (L.4.5a).
  • In this lesson and throughout every lesson in this unit when students read a chapter of The Hope Chest, they continue to focus on working to become ethical people by showing respect, empathy, and compassion if their peers are upset by events in the text.
  • Recall that the research reading that students complete for homework helps build both their vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to inequality and ratifying the 19th Amendment. This kind of reading continues over the course of the module.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lesson 6 of Unit 1, students identified themes in The Hope Chest and summarized a part of Chapter 5 in which one of the themes was evident. They use the foundations built in that lesson and follow a similar routine in this lesson to summarize a part of Chapter 8 in which one of the themes is evident.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Students may need additional support with reading the chapter and summarizing the text. Distribute the sentence frame for students who will need additional support in writing their summaries. Consider inviting students who need additional support to a group for focused teacher guidance.

Assessment guidance:

  • Review student summaries to identify common issues to use as whole group teaching points in the next lesson.

Down the road:

  • In the next lesson, students will follow a similar routine to read and summarize Chapter 9 of The Hope Chest.

In Advance

  • Provide feedback on the Exit Ticket: Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 5 completed in Unit 1, Lesson 6 in preparation for returning them in Work Time A.
  • Prepare a timer that uses minutes and seconds.
  • 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 4.I.B.6, 4.I.B.7, 4.I.B.8, 4.I.C.10, 4.I.C.11

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to return to routines from Unit 1 for reading The Hope Chest in triads; discussing idioms, adages, and proverbs; and identifying emerging themes in the text. It also supports ELLs with the opportunity to review a model summary and share their summaries orally before writing and unpack the meaning of similes and metaphors in context, increasing their comprehension of The Hope Chest.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to keep pace with the linguistic and cognitive demands of reading the text in triads, identifying themes and evidence, and writing summaries about themes. Students may also find it challenging to understand the meaning of metaphors and similes, as well as distinguish between them. Assure students that they will have many opportunities in this unit to practice these skills and deepen their understanding of the text and the concepts introduced (see Levels of support and Meeting Students' Needs).

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Before providing modeling, observe student interaction and allow students to grapple. Provide demonstrations only after students have grappled with the task. Observe the areas in which they struggle to target appropriate support.
  • Challenge students to create a summary paragraph frame as an alternative to the one provided in Unit 1, Lesson 6. Display both summary frames for students who need heavier support to choose from when writing their summaries during Work Time A and throughout the unit.

For heavier support:

  • Consider reading aloud Chapter 8 of The Hope Chest to students before the lesson to help them comprehend this complex text. Additionally, consider allowing students to practice reading a section of the chapter in advance that they can then be responsible for reading aloud when working in their triads during the lesson.
  • Consider enlarging the model summary (see Unit 1, Lesson 6) and displaying it for students to refer to during Work Time A.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): In this lesson, support comprehension by activating prior knowledge. Consider a brief review of Unit 1 to highlight relevance and scaffold connections for students. Additionally, provide questions visually as well as verbally. For example, display questions on a chart or the board during discussions.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Recall the importance of supporting self-monitoring and executive function skills. In this lesson, facilitate student management of information and resources by allowing students to identify unknown words and record them in their vocabulary log. Also, continue offering scaffolds as needed with the text.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Throughout this unit, sustained engagement and effort is essential for student achievement. Some students may need support to remember the goal for the work they are doing with domain-specific vocabulary. These students benefit from consistent reminders of learning goals and their value or relevance. 

Vocabulary

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

  • summarize, similes and metaphors (L)
  • livestock (T)

Materials

  • Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • The Hope Chest (from Unit 1, Lesson 1; one per student and one to display)
  • Vocabulary logs (from Module 1; one per student)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Theme anchor charts (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 6; added to during Opening B; see supporting materials)
  • Theme Anchor Charts: Chapter 8 (example, for teacher reference)
  • Chart paper (one piece; used by the teacher to create Theme Anchor Charts: Chapter 8)
  • Idioms, Adages, and Proverbs anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 6; added to during Opening B; see supporting materials)
  • Idioms, Adages, and Proverbs anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 6; example, for teacher reference)
  • Model summary (from Unit 1, Lesson 6; one to display)
  • Criteria of an Effective Summary anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 8 (one per student and one to display)
  • Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 8 (example, for teacher reference)
  • Exit Ticket: Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 5 (completed in Unit 1, Lesson 6; one per student)
  • Timer (one per class)
  • Summary sentence frame (from Unit 1, Lesson 6; new; optional; for students needing additional support)
  • Similes and Metaphors in The Hope Chest (one per student and one to display)
  • Similes and Metaphors in The Hope Chest (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. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and select a volunteer to read them aloud:

"I can summarize Chapter 8 of The Hope Chest."

"I can explain the meaning of similes and metaphors in Chapter 8 of The Hope Chest."

  • Remind students that they saw the first learning target in Unit 1 and review the meaning of summarize.
  • Focus students on the second learning target. Turn and Talk:

"What questions do you have about this learning target?" (Responses will vary, but may include: What are similes and metaphors?)

"What word does simile sound like? What do you think similes are?" (similar; comparing things that are similar)

  • Record student questions and suggestions on the board, and tell students you will revisit these at the end of the lesson.
  • For students who may need additional support with motivation: Invite students to recall and share one strategy they used when summarizing previous chapters of The Hope Chest in Unit 1. (MME)
  • For ELLs: (Making Connections: Figurative Language) Help students make connections between concepts by pointing out that, like idioms, similes and metaphors are types of figurative language. Review that figurative language is used by authors to help readers create a vivid mental image of what is being described, and it is not meant to be taken literally. Remind students of the Language Dive sentence in Unit 1, Lesson 3, and review the phrase "they were both caged in." Invite them to discuss with an elbow partner how this phrase helps readers imagine how Violet and Myrtle felt about their circumstances.

B. Reading in Triads: The Hope Chest, Chapter 8 (25 minutes)

  • Follow the same routine from Unit 1 to move students into their triads and have them read and discuss Chapter 8 of The Hope Chest:
    • Invite students to get into their reading triads.
    • Direct students' attention to the Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart, and review respect, compassion, and empathy as needed.
    • Invite students to retrieve their copies of The Hope Chest. Tell students that they are going to read Chapter 8 in their reading triads and review this process as needed.
    • Post and review the following directions:
    1. Read Chapter 8 aloud, taking turns with your triad.
    2. Discuss the gist.
    3. Spend the rest of the time reflecting silently in writing, drawing, or thinking, and recording unfamiliar vocabulary in your vocabulary logs.
    • Remind students to refer to the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart as they read.
    • Circulate to support students as they read aloud.
    • When triads have finished reading, invite students to share and discuss their reflections if they choose.
  • Direct students' attention to the Theme anchor charts and follow the same routine from Unit 1 to guide students through creating new anchor charts as necessary:
    • Think-Triad-Share:

"Are there any new themes you are noticing now?" (Responses will vary.)

Conversation Cue: "What, in the text, makes you think so?" (Responses will vary.)

    • Create new Theme anchor charts on chart paper for appropriate student suggestions, if any.
    • Think-Triad-Share:

"What evidence can you find for any of the themes we have identified so far?" (Responses will vary.)

    • Record student responses on the appropriate anchor chart. Refer to Theme Anchor Charts: Chapter 8 (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Display pages 91-92 and read aloud as students read along silently in their heads, from "The conductor followed Myrtle ..." to "... It was the only kind of magic she knew how to do."
  • Direct students' attention to the Idioms, Adages, and Proverbs anchor chart and remind them of what idioms, adages, and proverbs are.
  • Tell students there is an idiom about a situation like Myrtle's when a bad situation--such as her being told to move to a different car--is made worse by the way she is treated on her way there: "to add insult to injury."
  • Record this idiom on the Idioms, Adages, and Proverbs anchor chart. Refer to Idioms, Adages, and Proverbs anchor chart (example, for teacher reference). Invite students to read it chorally with you.
  • Give students an example of when you might use this idiom in real life. (Example: "When you ask your mom to buy you your favorite breakfast cereal and not only does she not buy it, but she also buys wheat instead of white bread, which you don't like.")
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with activating prior knowledge: (Summarizing) Before reading, invite students to summarize Chapter 7 of The Hope Chest in 1 minute or less (with feedback) and then again in 30 seconds or less with a partner. (MMR)
  • For ELLs: (Strategic Grouping) During this lesson and throughout the unit, check in with triads to gauge the reading comprehension of the group. As necessary, rearrange triads with varying levels of language proficiency to ensure the most supportive grouping. Continue to prioritize grouping students according to home language as well.
  • For ELLs: (Modeling and Thinking Aloud: Identifying Themes) Consider modeling and thinking aloud the process for identifying a theme and using sticky notes to mark proof of evidence in the chapter. (Example: "I notice several examples of inequality being described in this chapter. The first one is on pages 90-92, when Myrtle has to move to another car on the train. The conductor and some people are not kind to her as she walks through the cars to the 'colored car.' I am going to write the theme inequality is injustice on a sticky note and add it to these pages.")
  • For ELLs: (Idioms, Adages, Proverbs: Sketching and Personalizing) Consider reviewing the meaning of each idiom, adage, and proverb on the chart and then sketching the meaning of each example in the margin. Challenge students to personalize the meaning of the idiom "to add insult to injury"--or any other example on the chart--by thinking about how it might apply to an experience in their own lives. (Example: "Yesterday, I scraped my knee at school, and when I got home I tripped on the stairs and scraped my other knee.") Invite students to share examples with the class, and clarify the meaning of the idiom, adage, or proverb as needed. 

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Summarizing Chapter 8 of The Hope Chest (20 minutes)

  • Remind students that summaries give a brief idea of what a text is about and 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.
  • Tell students they are going to write a summary of the part of the chapter where they found evidence of one of the themes.
  • Display the model summary and invite students to read it chorally with you.
  • Focus students on the Criteria of an Effective Summary anchor chart and briefly review it.
  • Distribute and display Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 8. Remind students they saw this same organizer in Lesson 6 of Unit 1.
  • Return the Exit Ticket: Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 5 and give students 1 minute to read the feedback.
  • Review what students will record in each box on the Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 8 handout.
  • Invite students to work in their triads to complete the theme and supporting details chart at the top of the page. Tell students it will make it easier for them when writing a summary later in the lesson if both of the supporting details they choose to support their theme come from the same part of the chapter. Emphasize that this isn't always possible, though.
  • Remind students of the themes and evidence recorded during Opening A on the Theme anchor charts. Tell students that if multiple themes were identified, triads should choose one to focus on, preferably the one with the most evidence to support it, because this will make it easier to write the summary.
  • After 5 minutes, refocus whole group.
  • Give students a minute in silence to think about how they would summarize the part(s) of the chapter where they found evidence of the theme. Remind students that the summary needs to contain two supporting details to prove this theme really is evident, so if those supporting details come from two different parts of the chapter, they will need to briefly summarize what is happening in both parts of the chapter.
  • Invite students to label themselves A, B, and C in their triads.
  • Using a timer, give partner B 45 seconds to orally summarize the part(s) of the chapter where they found evidence of the theme to the triad. Then give partner C 30 seconds, and partner A 15 seconds.
  • Select volunteers to share out their summaries. Refer to Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 8 (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Invite students to write their summaries on their Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 8 handout. Distribute summary sentence frames as necessary.
  • Circulate to support students as they write and ask questions to guide their thinking:
    • "Where can you see evidence of this theme in Chapter 8?"
    • "How would you retell this part of the chapter for me?"
    • "How would you summarize it?"
  • When 2 minutes remain, refocus the whole group. Use a checking for understanding technique (e.g., Red Light, Green Light or Thumb-O-Meter) for students to self-assess against the first learning target.
  • For students who may need additional support with fine motor skills: Provide options for expression by offering a template that includes lines in each box. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: (Enlarged Model Summary: Displaying and Annotating) Display the enlarged model summary (see For heavier support) next to the Criteria for an Effective Summary anchor chart. Invite students to think about where they see each criterion present in the model summary. As they share their thinking, annotate the enlarged summary by writing each criterion in the margin next to where it appears. Display the summary and the anchor chart side by side for students to refer to throughout the unit.
  • For ELLs: (Modeling and Thinking Aloud: Completing the Graphic Organizer) Consider modeling and thinking aloud the process for completing the Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 8 graphic organizer. Explicitly refer to the Theme anchor chart for Chapter 8 as you model, showing how to use information from that chart to help you complete the graphic organizer.
  • For ELLs: (Modeling and Thinking Aloud: Writing a Summary) Consider modeling and thinking aloud the process for writing a summary using the information on the completed summarizing graphic organizer.
  • For ELLs: (Shared Writing) Consider working closely with a group of students to write their summaries as a shared or interactive writing experience. Display the shared writing for students to refer to when writing summaries independently in future lessons.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Similes and Metaphors in Chapter 8 of The Hope Chest (10 minutes)

  • Invite students to turn to page 93 of The Hope Chest and focus them on the sentence:
    • "She looked more like a very ancient tree that Myrtle knew of that grew in Anacostia, Washington."
  • Read aloud the sentence, and then invite students to read it chorally with you.
  • Think-Triad-Share:

"What does this mean?" (She looked very old. Her skin looked old.)

"How does this description help you as a reader?" (It emphasizes how old she looks, which helps you imagine what she looks like.)

Conversation Cue: "Who can explain why your classmate came up with that response?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Tell students that this is a simile, which is when one thing is compared to something quite different to make a description more vivid to help a reader imagine it. Myrtle is comparing how the old woman looks to an old tree.
  • Distribute and display Similes and Metaphors in The Hope Chest and select volunteers to read aloud the definitions and examples of each.
  • Think-Triad-Share:

"What clues are there in the sentence that this is a simile--that she is comparing the woman to something completely different?" (the word like)

  • Invite students to add this example and what it means to the "Similes" column. Refer to Similes and Metaphors in The Hope Chest (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Repeat this process with the following phrase on page 96 of The Hope Chest: "I've just been telling you how I was sold and willed and bartered about like so much livestock...."
    • Read aloud the sentence, and then invite students to read it chorally with you.
    • Think-Triad-Share:

"What is livestock?" (farm animals)

"What does she mean by this?" (She was treated badly--sold like a farm animal rather than a human.)

Conversation Cue: "Who can tell us what your classmate said in your own words?" (Responses will vary.)

"What clues can you see in this sentence that there's a simile?" (the use of the word like)

  • Invite students to add this example and what it means to the "Similes" column. Continue to refer to Similes and Metaphors in The Hope Chest (example, for teacher reference).
  • Invite students to answer the questions recorded on the board at the beginning of the lesson and to help you determine which of the suggestions were accurate.
  • When 2 minutes remain, refocus the whole group. Use a checking for understanding technique (e.g., Red Light, Green Light or Thumb-O-Meter) for students to self-assess against the second learning target.
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Invite students to fill in the blanks of simile sentences with prewritten index cards containing the missing words. (=Example: "She ran ___ like a ___!" (fast, cheetah) (MMR)
  • For ELLs: (Visualizing and Sketching) Remind students that similes and metaphors are examples of figurative language used by authors to create a vivid image for the reader. As the class discusses the meaning of the similes presented in Chapter 8 of The Hope Chest, invite students to close their eyes, visualize each sentence, and then sketch the meaning of each on their handout.
  • For ELLs: (Using Language Structures to Generate Similes) Invite students to generate their own similes by using the language structure "as _______ as." Provide the following sentence frame: "I am as _________ as ___________." ("I am as wet as a fish; I am as strong as a giant.") Encourage students to then transform the same simile using the word like. Provide the following sentence frame: "I am ________ like ___________." ("I am wet like a fish; I am strong like a giant.") Consider adding student examples to the chart.

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with written expression: (Oral Response) Read aloud, discuss, and respond to your prompt orally with a partner, a family member, or a student from Grades 3 or 5, or record an audio response. (MMAE)

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