Determining Theme and Summarizing a Text: Chapter 11 of The Hope Chest | EL Education Curriculum

You are here

Home › Our Curriculum › ELA Grade 4 › ELA G4:M4 › ELA G4:M4:U2 ›

ELA G4:M4:U2:L4

Determining Theme and Summarizing a Text: Chapter 11 of The Hope Chest

In this Lesson

You are here:

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.
Download Materials

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can summarize Chapter 11 of The Hope Chest. (RL.4.1, RL.4.2)
  • I can explain the meaning of similes and metaphors in Chapter 11 of The Hope Chest. (L.4.5a)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 11 (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 11 (25 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Summarizing Chapter 11 of The Hope Chest (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment 

A. Similes and Metaphors in Chapter 11 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:

  • This lesson follows a similar structure to Lessons 1-3, with students reading Chapter 11 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).
  • Similar to Lessons 1-2, in the Closing, students analyze the meaning of similes and metaphors in Chapter 11 (L.4.5a).

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • Students use the same routines from Lesson 1-3 in this lesson to read and summarize Chapter 11 of The Hope Chest.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Students may continue to need support with reading, summarizing, or writing about the chapter. Continue to provide sentence frames and teacher-guided groups as necessary.  

Assessment guidance:

  • Continue to review student summaries to identify common teaching issues.

Down the road:

  • In the next lesson, students will follow a similar routine to read and summarize Chapter 12 of The Hope Chest. 

In Advance

  • 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 familiar routines for reading in triads; discussing idioms, adages, and proverbs; and identifying emerging themes in the text. Additionally, this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to practice writing a summary and unpack the meaning of similes and metaphors in context, all in preparation for the Mid-Unit 2 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 continue to work closely with students who need additional support. Continue to look for opportunities outside of this lesson to apply the meaning of idioms, adages, and proverbs 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:

  • The supports in this lesson and upcoming lessons leading up the mid-unit assessment are similar to the supports in Lessons 1-3 because the tasks mirror one another. Based on student performance in Lessons 1-3, consider releasing students from some of the supports applied in those lessons to foster independence and to assess student progress.
  • Challenge students to repeat and rephrase the lesson questions for students who need heavier support.

For heavier support:

  • Consider reading Chapter 11 aloud to students before the lesson, and inviting students 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 support active information processing skills as students integrate new information with prior knowledge. Provide options for comprehension by linking to and activating relevant prior knowledge.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Similar to Lessons 1-3, this lesson offers several opportunities for students to engage in discussion with partners. Continue to support those who may need it with expressive language by providing sentence frames to help them organize their thoughts.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to emphasize sustained effort and process by modeling how to sound out a word with tricky spelling and demonstrate how to use environmental print to support spelling accuracy.

Vocabulary

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

  • N/A

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 11 (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 11 (one per student and one to display)
  • Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 11 (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)
  • Similes and Metaphors in The Hope Chest (begun in Lesson 1; added to during the Closing; one per student and one to display)
  • Similes and Metaphors in The Hope Chest (begun in Lesson 1; 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 11 of The Hope Chest."

"I can explain the meaning of similes and metaphors in Chapter 11 of The Hope Chest."

  • Remind students they saw both of these learning targets in the previous lessons for Chapters 8-10 of The Hope Chest.
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension and engagement: Ask students to share one way that they worked toward these learning targets in previous lessons. (MMR, MME)
  • For ELLs: (Summarizing the Target) Ask students to summarize and then to personalize the learning targets. 

B. Reading in Triads: The Hope Chest, Chapter 11 (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 11 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 and follow 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 11 (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:
    • Page 142: from "This ax has been ..." to "... worry about it anymore."
    • Record on the anchor chart and invite students to read it chorally with you: "Hanging over my head."
    • Discuss what the proverb means. (It means something bad could happen to him at any time. In the case of Mr. Martin, it's an ax hanging over his head to show how bad the situation is because he could be arrested at any time.)
    • Provide a real-life example: "If you have an assessment coming up, you might say, 'The test is hanging over my head.'"
  • 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 sustained effort: Invite students to share the purpose for identifying the meanings of idioms during reading. Confirm understanding by restating the purpose: "Yes, identifying the meanings of idioms helps us better understand the text." (MME)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with activating prior knowledge: (Summarizing) Before reading, invite students to summarize Chapter 10 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: (Sticky Notes for Evidence) Invite students to use sticky notes to mark places in the text where they see evidence of a particular theme or themes, and to write the theme on the sticky notes for easy reference.
  • For ELLs: (Idioms, Adages, Proverbs: Sketching and Personalizing) Invite a student to sketch the meaning of the idiom "hanging over my head" in the margin on the chart. Challenge students to apply its meaning to an experience in their own lives, and clarify as needed. 

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Summarizing Chapter 11 of The Hope Chest (20 minutes)

  • Distribute and display Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 11.
  • 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 11 (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 first learning target. 
  • For students who may need additional support with working memory: Invite students to first verbally share their summary, then draw a line for each word they intend to write as they state their summary a second time. Remind students that this helps us organize our ideas for written expression. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: (Rereading) Before inviting triads to complete the Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 11 graphic organizer, consider rereading aloud the section(s) of the chapter that highlight the theme(s) students can choose to write about in their summaries.
  • For ELLs: (Fishbowl: Writing Summaries) Consider inviting one or two confident students to fishbowl writing their summaries as the rest of the class observes. Invite students to identify ways in which each summary meets criteria for an effective summary. 

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Similes and Metaphors in Chapter 11 of The Hope Chest (10 minutes)

  • Invite students to retrieve their Similes and Metaphors in The Hope Chest handout.
  • Invite students to turn to page 140 of The Hope Chest and read aloud the following phrase:
    • "...the big round electric headlamps, which Violet said looked like bug eyes"
  • Think-Triad-Share:

"What does this phrase tell you about the electric headlamps? How does it help you as a reader?" (They looked like big, round bug eyes.)

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

"Is this a simile or metaphor? How do you know?" (simile; it is comparing one thing to something very different)

  • 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.
  • 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 fine motor skills: Provide options for expression by offering a template that includes lines in each box or partial dictation. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: (Visualizing and Sketching) As the class discusses the meaning of the simile "looked like bug eyes" presented in Chapter 11 of The Hope Chest, invite students to close their eyes, visualize the sentence, and then sketch the meaning of the simile on their handout.

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)

Copyright © 2013-2025 by EL Education, New York, NY.

Get updates about our new K-5 curriculum as new materials and tools debut.

Sign Up

Help us improve our curriculum.

Tell us what’s going well, share your concerns and feedback.

Terms of use. To learn more about EL Education, visit eleducation.org

Leave feedback