Determining Theme and Summarizing a Text: Chapter 10 of The Hope Chest | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G4:M4:U2:L3

Determining Theme and Summarizing a Text: Chapter 10 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).
  • RL.4.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
  • RI.4.10: By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
  • L.4.5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
  • 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 10 of The Hope Chest. (RL.4.1, RL.4.2)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 10 (RL.4.1, RL.4.2)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Reviewing Learning Target (5 minutes)

B. Reading in Triads: The Hope Chest, Chapter 10 (25 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Summarizing Chapter 10 of The Hope Chest (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment 

A. Research Reading Share (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:

  • This lesson follows a similar structure to Lessons 1 and 2, with students reading Chapter 10 of The Hope Chest in triads, determining themes that were evident in the chapter, and summarizing the chapter (RL.4.1, RL.4.2, L.4.5b).
  • In the Closing, students are guided through a research reading share to hold them accountable for their research reading homework. Consider using the Independent Reading: Sample Plan if you do not have your own independent reading review routines.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In this lesson, students follow the same routines that were used in Lessons 1 and 2 to read and summarize a new chapter of The Hope Chest.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Recall that students may need additional support with reading the chapter and summarizing. Continue to provide sentence frames for writing as necessary. Also consider inviting students who may need additional support with writing to work in a small group with teacher guidance.

Assessment guidance:

  • Consider using the Speaking and Listening Informal Assessment: Collaborative Discussion Checklist during the research reading share in the Closing (see the Tools page).
  • 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 11 of The Hope Chest.

In Advance

  • Prepare a research reading share using the Independent Reading: Sample Plan or your own independent reading routine (see the Tools page).
  • 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.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 familiar routines for reading in triads; discussing idioms, adages, and proverbs; and identifying emerging themes in the text. Additionally, this lesson supports ELLs with the opportunity to practice writing a summary in preparation for the mid-unit assessment.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to keep pace with the linguistic and cognitive demands of the many tasks and concepts covered in this lesson. Model and think aloud processes as needed, and work closely with students who need additional support. Because the language in idioms, adages, and proverbs can be difficult for ELLs to understand, look for opportunities to apply their meaning to real-life experiences or examples the students can relate to (see Levels of support and Meeting Students' Needs).

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • During the Mini Language Dive, challenge students to generate questions about the sentence before asking the prepared questions. (Example: "What questions can we ask about this sentence? Let's see if we can answer them together.")
  • Challenge students to use Conversation Cues with other students to promote productive and equitable conversation and enhance language development.

For heavier support:

Consider reading Chapter 10 aloud to students before the lesson, and inviting them to practice reading aloud a section of the chapter that they can then be responsible for reading in their triads in Opening B.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Continue to reduce barriers to metacognition in this lesson by providing a visual reminder of the focus for each activity. (Example: Display questions on chart paper or sentence strips, or offer an index card with the questions to individual students.)
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Continue to support students' ability to appropriately express knowledge about the content by varying the options for composition and communication. Match students' abilities and the demands of the writing task by offering alternatives for students to express their ideas, such as offering partial or full dictation during independent writing.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to provide additional support in linking the information presented back to the learning target. Invite students to make this connection by explicitly highlighting the utility and relevance of each activity to the learning target. Include opportunities to refocus students' attention on the learning target throughout the lesson, and invite students to respond to how the activities are supporting their instructional goal.

Vocabulary

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

  • unto (T)

Materials

  • The Hope Chest (from Unit 1, Lesson 1; one per student)
  • Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Vocabulary logs (from Module 1; one per student)
  • Theme anchor charts (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 6; added to during Opening B; see supporting materials)
  • Theme Anchor Charts: Chapter 10 (example, for teacher reference)
  • 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)
  • Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 10 (one per student and one to display)
  • Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 10 (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)
  • Timer (one per class)
  • Summary sentence frame (from Unit 1, Lesson 6; new; optional; for students needing additional support)
  • Independent Reading: Sample Plan (for teacher reference; see the Tools page)

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 Target (5 minutes)

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

"I can summarize Chapter 10 of The Hope Chest."

  • Remind students they saw this learning target in the previous lessons for Chapters 8 and 9 of The Hope Chest.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension and engagement: (Working on Same Learning Target) Ask students to share one way that they worked toward this learning target for Chapter 9 in the previous lesson. (MMR, MME)

B. Reading in Triads: The Hope Chest, Chapter 10 (25 minutes)

  • Invite students to get into their reading triads and use the same routine from Unit 1 (and the Opening B of Lesson 1) to guide them through reading Chapter 10 of The Hope Chest.
  • Review the Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart.
  • Remind students to use the following materials: Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart and vocabulary logs.
  • Direct students' attention to the Theme anchor charts andfollow the same routine from Unit 1 (and Opening B of Lesson 1) to guide them through the process of identifying any new themes and addingevidence of themes to the anchor charts. Refer to Theme Anchor Charts: Chapter 10 (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Use the same routine from Opening B of Lesson 1 to guide students through adding new information to the Idioms, Adages, and Proverbs anchor chart:
    • Pages 114-115: from "As she was crossing the tracks ..." to "... like there were folded clothes in it."
    • Record on the anchor chart and invite students to read it chorally with you: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
    • Underline unto and tell students that this is an old way of saying to and that because proverbs are often very old sayings, sometimes they contain old language. Cross out the un.
    • Discuss what the proverb means (treat other people as you would like to be treated).
    • Provide a real-life example: "When a friend tells you he is planning to do something mean or disrespectful to someone else, you might give the advice to treat others as you wish to be treated."
    • Record the meaning on the anchor chart. Refer to Idioms, Adages, and Proverbs anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Invite students to fill in the blanks of proverb sentences with prewritten index cards containing the missing words. Example: "The early ____ gets the ____." (bird, worm) (MMR)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with activating prior knowledge: (Summarizing) Before reading, invite students to summarize Chapter 9 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 (Reading Aloud Key Sections) Consider reading aloud key sections of the text that highlight the emerging themes in the chapter, and then asking students to identify a theme based on what they hear. Invite students to write the theme on sticky notes and place them where they see evidence of the theme in the text. Encourage students to defend their thinking by citing specific sentences that emphasize the theme they suggest.
  • For ELLs: (Idioms, Adages, Proverbs: Sketching and Personalizing) Invite one or two students to sketch the meaning of the proverb "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" in the margin on the chart. Challenge students to think about how this proverb--or any other example on the chart--might apply to an experience in their own lives. Invite students to share examples with the class, and clarify the meaning as needed.
  • For ELLs: (Mini Language Dive) "It was / so that women would never again have to sit by in silence / while men made decisions / they didn't like" (page 118 of The Hope Chest)
    • Deconstruct: Discuss the sentence and each chunk. Language goals for focus structure:
      • "What does this chunk tell us? How do you know?" This chunk tells us that women didn't want to be silenced anymore, and they were going to Nashville to fight for their right to have a voice and to speak their minds. I know that because the previous sentence refers to women riding the train to Nashville and the theme of injustice. (dependent clause)
      • so that: "Can you figure out why Karen Schwabach wrote so that at the beginning of the chunk?" so that connects the idea in the previous chunk to the idea in this chunk and introduces a reason. Note that the word that can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. (conjunction)
      • Students can cover their mouths with their hands, pretending to have their voices silenced. Then they can remove their hands in victory while reading the chunk chorally.
    • Practice: I _______ [verb/verb phrase] so that ___________________ [subject + reason verb/verb phrase].
    • Reconstruct:

"How can you say this sentence in your own words?" (Responses will vary.)

"How does your understanding of this sentence add to your understanding of the chapter theme of injustice is inequality?"  (Responses will vary.)

    • Practice: The suffragists _______ [verb/verb phrase] so that _____________ [subject + reason verb/verb phrase].

"How might you use this sentence structure to introduce the theme you will write about in your summary?" (Responses will vary.)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Summarizing Chapter 10 of The Hope Chest (20 minutes)

  • Distribute and display Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 10.
  • Use the same routine from Work Time A of Lesson 1 to guide students through completing the theme and supporting details graphic organizer in triads, and then writing a summary of the part of the chapter where they found evidence of one of the themes.
  • Distribute and remind students to refer to the following as necessary:
    • Model summary
    • Criteria of an Effective Summary anchor chart
    • Timer
    • Summary sentence frames
  • Circulate to support students. Refer to Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 10 (example, for teacher reference).
  • 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 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 or partial dictation. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: (Rereading) Before inviting triads to complete the Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 10 graphic organizer, consider rereading aloud the section(s) of the chapter that highlights each theme that students can choose to write about in their summaries.
  • 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. Research Reading Share (10 minutes)

  • Focus students on the Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart and remind them specifically of integrity. In the context of research reading homework, this means trying to do it each day, even when it is tough to do so, and if it isn't possible, being honest when recording the dates and pages read in their journals.
  • Refer to Independent Reading: Sample Plan to guide students through a research reading review.
  • For students who may need additional support with organizing their thinking for verbal expression: Consider meeting with them in advance to prep them for the research reading share and minimize the threat associated with sharing. (MMAE, MME)
  • For ELLs: (Checking Comprehension of Concepts) Check comprehension of integrity by inviting students to share ways they have showed integrity or have seen others do so. Provide sentence frames for support. (Examples: "I showed integrity when ____. I saw _____ showing integrity when _____.")

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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