Determining Theme and Summarizing a Text: Chapter 13 of The Hope Chest | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G4:M4:U2:L6

Determining Theme and Summarizing a Text: Chapter 13 of The Hope Chest

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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.4.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • L.4.1a: Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).
  • 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.

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can use relative pronouns. (L.4.1a)
  • I can summarize Chapter 13 of The Hope Chest. (RL.4.1, RL.4.2)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Summarizing The Hope Chest: Chapter 13 (RL.4.1, RL.4.2)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

B. Reading in Triads: The Hope Chest, Chapter 13 (25 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Language Dive: Relative Pronouns (15 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment 

A. Summarizing Chapter 13 of The Hope Chest (15 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Complete the Language Dive II Practice: The Hope Chest: Relative Pronouns in your Unit 2 Homework.

B. 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 1-5, with students reading Chapter 13 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 this lesson, after reading Chapter 13, students focus on similes and metaphors in Chapter 13 (L.4.5a) rather than on idioms, adages, and proverbs, because none of the latter are clearly evident in this chapter.
  • In Work Time A, students participate in a Language Dive that guides them through the meaning of a sentence from The Hope Chest. The focus of this Language Dive is on using relative pronouns (L4.1a). Students then apply their understanding of the meaning and structure of this sentence when using relative pronouns in their summaries and during the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment in Lesson 8. Refer to the Tools page for additional information regarding a consistent Language Dive routine.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • Students use the same routines from Lesson 1-5 in this lesson to read and summarize Chapter 13 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 14 of The Hope Chest. They will also participate in a peer critique of their summary paragraphs in preparation for writing summaries for the mid-unit assessment.

In Advance

  • Review Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive anchor chart as needed (begun in Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 5).
  • Preview the Language Dive Guide and consider how to invite conversation among students to address the language goals suggested under each sentence strip chunk (see supporting materials). Select from the language goals provided to best meet your students' needs.
  • Add a row to the table on the Parts of Speech anchor chartfor relative pronouns (see supporting materials). This includes the definition of relative pronouns, as well as examples.
  • 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 by 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 similes and metaphors; identifying emerging themes in the text; and writing a summary. Students also have the opportunity to build on their understanding of parts of speech by participating in a whole-class Language Dive focused on using relative pronouns.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to keep pace with the linguistic and cognitive demands of the many tasks and concepts covered in this lesson (see Levels of support and Meeting Students' Needs).

Levels of support                                                                                                                                                                                         

For lighter support:

  • During Closing and Assessment, challenge students to identify any relative pronouns they used in their summaries and to articulate the noun that it refers to in the sentence. (Example: "I wrote, 'We see the theme of inequality is injustice in the actions of the boy in the restaurant who told Mr. Martin and Myrtle he would only serve them if they ate in the alley.' The relative pronoun who refers to the noun boy.")

For heavier support:

Consider reading aloud Chapter 13 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 students by offering options for perception. Pausing for clarification of new vocabulary will also support students who may need additional support with comprehension.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): 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 offer support in linking the lesson's activities back to the learning target. Invite students to make this connection by explicitly highlighting the utility and relevance of the activity to the learning target. 

Vocabulary

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

  • relative pronoun (L)
  • bold (T)

Materials

  • Parts of Speech anchor chart (begun in Module 1; added to in advance; see supporting materials)
  • Parts of Speech anchor chart (begun in Module 1; example, for teacher reference)
  • 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 13 (example, for teacher reference)
  • 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)
  • Language Dive Guide II: The Hope Chest: Relative Pronouns (for teacher reference)
    • Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive anchor chart (begun in Module 3)
    • Language Dive Chunk Chart II: The Hope Chest: Relative Pronouns (for teacher reference)
    • Language Dive Note-catcher II: The Hope Chest: Relative Pronouns (one per student and one to display)
    • Language Dive Sentence Strip Chunks II: The Hope Chest: Relative Pronouns (one to display)
  • Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 13 (one per student and one to display)
  • Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 13 (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)

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)

  • Invite students to get into their reading triads.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and select a volunteer to read them aloud:

"I can use relative pronouns."

"I can summarize Chapter 13 of The Hope Chest."

  • Focus students on the first learning target. Underline the word pronouns.
  • Focus students on the Parts of Speech anchor chart and ask:

"What is a pronoun?" (a word used to replace a noun)

"What are some examples of pronouns?" (Responses will vary, but may include: I, you, he, she)

  • Underline the word relative and tell students that a relative pronoun is a specific type of pronoun, which they will learn more about through a Language Dive later in the lesson. Refer to Parts of Speech anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Remind students they saw the second learning target in the previous lessons for Chapters 8-12 of The Hope Chest.
  • 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. (MME)
  • For ELLs: (Activating Prior Knowledge) When reviewing the first learning target, remind students of the root word of relative (relate). Turn and Talk:

"What did you learn in the previous lesson about relative adverbs? What do you think you will learn in this lesson about relative pronouns?" (Responses will vary, but may include: Relative adverbs link together two phrases or clauses that are related. I think relative pronouns will also link together related ideas.)

B. Reading in Triads: The Hope Chest, Chapter 13 (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 13 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 13 (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Invite students to retrieve their Similes and Metaphors in The Hope Chest handout.
  • Invite students to turn to page 156 of The Hope Chest and focus them on the phrase: "... a grease-stained sofa that looked like it fought in the Civil War and lost."
  • Read aloud the phrase, and then invite students to read it chorally with you.
  • Think-Triad-Share:

"What does this phrase tell you about the sofa? How does it help you as a reader?" (It makes it sound like the sofa was a mess and looked dirty and not well looked after.)

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

"What does this phrase tell you about the hotel it was in? How does it help you as a reader?" (It tells us that the hotel was probably dirty and not a very nice place.)

"Is this a simile or metaphor? How do you know?" (It is a simile. It is comparing one thing to something very different and uses the words looked like; it compares a sofa to a war.)

  • 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 page 161 and the following sentence from Myrtle: "I can turn invisible."
  • Think-Triad-Share:

"What does this mean? Can Myrtle turn invisible?" (No, she can't. It means that she can act in a way to make it easy for people not to see her.)

Conversation Cue: "Do you agree or disagree with what your classmate said? Why?" (Responses will vary.)

"Is this a simile or metaphor? How do you know?" (It is a metaphor. It is describing something with words that it isn't directly connected to--a human being described as invisible, which isn't possible.)

  • Invite students to add this example and what it means to the "Metaphors" column.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with activating prior knowledge: (Summarizing) Before reading, invite students to summarize Chapter 12 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: (Visualizing and Sketching) As the class discusses the meaning of the simile and metaphor presented in Chapter 13 of The Hope Chest, invite students to close their eyes, visualize each sentence, and then sketch the meaning. 

Work Time

Work Time

A. Language Dive: Relative Pronouns (15 minutes)

  • Before the Language Dive, review the "Relative Pronouns" row on the Parts of Speech anchor chart. Invite students to chorally read the definition of relative pronouns, and to review the examples of relative pronouns on the chart.
  • Tell students they will now participate in a Language Dive using the same format from Module 3.
  • Focus students' attention on the Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive anchor chart and remind them that they thought of their own questions to ask during a Language Dive.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What is one question you can ask during a Language Dive?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Reread the first paragraph on page 154 of The Hope Chest.
  • Focus on the sentence:
    • "Mr. Martin was wrong--there was not one hotel in Nashville that would take in a white man and a colored child."
  • Use the Language Dive Guide II: The Hope Chest: Relative Pronouns and Language Dive Chunk Chart II: The Hope Chest: Relative Pronouns to guide students through a Language Dive of the sentence. Distribute and display the Language Dive Note-catcher II: The Hope Chest: Relative Pronouns and Language Dive Sentence Strip Chunks II: The Hope Chest:Relative Pronouns.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Summarizing Chapter 13 of The Hope Chest (15 minutes)

  • Distribute and display Summarizing The Hope Chest, Chapter 13.
  • Use the same routine from Work Time A of Lesson 1 to guide students through summarizing the part of the chapter where they found evidence of one of the themes. Note: Similar to Lesson 5, space has been provided for students to create their own graphic organizer on the handout, if they desire. Also consider referring them to their previous summarizing handouts for support.
  • 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 13 (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 second 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 write their summaries, 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: (Sharing Summaries) Consider inviting any confident students to share their summaries from a previous lesson with a class, and invite the class to identify ways in which each summary meets criteria for an effective summary. 

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Complete the Language Dive II Practice: The Hope Chest: Relative Pronouns in your Unit 2 Homework.

B. 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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