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ELA G4:M4:U2:L9

Writing a Literary Essay: Analyzing a Model

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.
  • W.4.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
  • W.4.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
  • W.4.5: With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can use the Painted Essay(r) structure to analyze a model. (W.4.2, W.4.5)
  • I can write a focus statement for my literary essay. (RL.4.1, RL.4.2, W.4.2)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Painted Essay(r) template (W.4.2)
  • Exit Ticket: Focus Statement (RL.4.1, RL.4.2, W.4.2, W.4.5)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Reading in Triads: The Hope Chest, Chapter 16 (20 minutes)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Analyzing a Model: "Do Something Meaningful" (25 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Independent Writing: Writing a Focus Statement (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 Work Time A, students analyze a model literary essay using the Painted Essay(r) structure to generate criteria for their own essays (W.4.1, W.4.5). They then draft their own focus statements for their essay in the Closing (W.4.2, W.4.5).
  • Recall that the Painted Essay(r) (Diana Leddy, Vermont Writing Collaborative) guides students to code each section of their essay a different color to understand each part, the content of each part, and how the different parts connect.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • Throughout Unit 1 and the first half of this unit, students have been reading The Hope Chest and noting evidence of themes in the text. In this lesson, students read and analyze a model essay that summarizes one of those themes in preparation for writing their own essays.
  • Students worked with the Informative Writing Checklist in previous modules. In this lesson, students review the checklist and begin to think about how it applies to this new writing piece (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Students may need additional support to read the chapter. Consider inviting students who will need additional support to a group for focused teacher guidance.

Assessment guidance:

  • Throughout Work Time A, frequently review students' work to ensure they are color-coding accurately. Use common issues as whole group teaching points.
  • Collect exit tickets and review students' focus statements. Use common issues as whole group teaching points in the next lesson.

Down the road:

  • Note that the model essay is focused on theme of "do something meaningful." Over the next several lessons, students will plan and draft an essay focused on the theme of "inequality is injustice." Students will write an on-demand literary essay focused on the theme of "stand up for what is right" for the end of unit assessment.

In Advance

  • Review:
    • Painting an Essay Plan from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 9 to familiarize yourself with the color-coding and the purpose of each choice of color.
    • Informative Writing Checklist and Model Literary Essay: "Do Something Meaningful" (for teacher reference) to familiarize yourself with what will be required of students for the rest of the unit (see supporting materials).
  • 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, 4.1.C.10, 4.1.C.11, 4.1.C.12, 4.II.A.1, 4.II.A.2

Important points in the lesson itself                              

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by following a similar routine of reading a chapter of The Hope Chest in triads and identifying new themes as in Lessons 1-7; providing opportunities to unpack an example of the work they complete during the remainder of the unit; and returning to the familiarity of the Painted Essay(r) structure and the color-coding system used in Modules 1-3.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to keep pace with the class as they read a chapter of The Hope Chest, analyze a model literary essay, and choose a theme to focus their own literary essays on all in one lesson. Additionally, they may find it challenging to follow the layout of the introduction paragraph, because it deviates from the layout of the model broadside introduction, which did not include points 1 and 2. Remind students that the goal of analyzing the model literary essay is to determine the gist of each paragraph, assuring them that they will focus on each paragraph in greater depth in future lessons.

Levels of Support

For lighter support:

  • During Closing and Assessment, challenge students to use varying linking words and phrases to provide examples and evidence of the theme they are choosing to write their essays on. (Example: "I am choosing the theme _______ because ______. For instance, ________. Additionally, ______.")

For heavier support:

  • Consider reading aloud Chapter 16 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 A.
  • Consider enlarging Model Literary Essay: "Do Something Meaningful" and color-coding each part, corresponding with the colors that students will later use to paint each component of the essay: red, yellow, blue, and green. As students share the gist of each paragraph during Work Time, record it in the margins of the enlarged model literary essay. Display the enlarged model literary essay throughout the unit, providing students with a concrete example of a literary essay for reference.
  • Prepare the Painted Essay(r) template from Module 1 to display during Opening B, and the model broadside from Module 3 to display during Work Time A.

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): This lesson offers several opportunities for students to engage in a discussion with partners. Continue to facilitate communication by providing sentence frames to help them organize their thoughts.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to encourage self-regulatory skills by helping students anticipate and manage frustration by modeling what to do if they need help from their partners. (Example: "I can remember when I'm sharing that if I forget my idea or need help, I can ask my partner to help me. My partner could help me by giving me prompts that will help me share my thinking.") Consider offering sentence frames to strategically selected peer models. Recall that offering these supports for engagement promotes a safe learning space for all students.

Vocabulary

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

  • structure, analyze, focus statement (L)

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 A; see supporting materials)
  • Theme Anchor Charts: Chapter 16 (example, for teacher reference)
  • Model Literary Essay: "Do Something Meaningful" (one per student and one to display)
  • Model Literary Essay: "Do Something Meaningful" (example, for teacher reference)
  • Colored pencils (red, yellow, blue, green; one of each per student)
  • Painted Essay(r) template (from Module 1; one per student)
  • Painting an Essay lesson plan (from Module 1; for teacher reference)
  • Informative Writing Checklist (one per student and one to display; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Exit Ticket: Focus Statement (one per student)

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. Reading in Triads: The Hope Chest, Chapter 16 (20 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 16 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 16 (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with activating prior knowledge: (Summarizing) Before reading, invite students to summarize Chapter 15 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. Remind students that they did this at the beginning of the unit, and that they will continue to use sticky notes to mark evidence of themes in future lessons.

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

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

"I can use the Painted Essay(r) structure to analyze a model."

"I can write a focus statement for my literary essay."

  • Remind students that they used the Painted Essay(r) to structure, or organize, their writing in Modules 1-3. Review vocabulary:
    • structure (how something is organized, arranged, or put together)
    • analyze (examine in detail)
  • Focus students on the second learning target and underline the words focus statement. Think-Triad-Share:

"What is a focus statement?" (The focus statement provides the main idea that you want the reader to take away.)

Conversation Cue: "Can you give an example?" (Responses will vary.)
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Ask students to summarize and then personalize the learning target. Ask them to paraphrase it and then to say how they feel about it. Examples:
    • "Can you put the learning target in your own words?"
    • "How do you feel about that target?" (MMR, MMAE, MME)
  • For ELLs: (Displaying a Model) Display the Painted Essay(r) template introduced in Module 1 (see For heavier support), connecting the meaning of the word structure to a structure that students are familiar with and will be using as the basis of their writing. Invite students to share one way in which they analyzed the Painted Essay(r) structure in the previous modules, using their vocabulary words in context. (Example: "I analyzed the Painted Essay(r) structure by ____ [looking closely at each paragraph to determine its purpose].")
  • For ELLs: (Activating Prior Knowledge: Focus Statement) Activate prior knowledge of focus statement by inviting students to recall the focus statements of their broadsides from Module 3. Consider reminding students of the model broadside focus statement to jog their memories, as needed. ("However, taking a side, either side, goes against our beliefs as Quakers. It is important to stay uninvolved.")

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Analyzing a Model: "Do Something Meaningful" (25 minutes)

  • Post the prompt and tell students they will be writing an essay to respond to this prompt throughout the rest of this unit:
    • "The Hope Chest explores several themes. Write an essay that explains one of the major themes of the book. Use evidence and examples from the text to support your interpretation."
  • Remind students that using a model can be helpful in writing. Distribute and display Model Literary Essay: "Do Something Meaningful."
  • Invite students to follow along, reading silently in their heads as you read the model aloud.
  • Think-Triad-Share:

"What is this essay about?" (that the theme "do something meaningful" is communicated in The Hope Chest)

Conversation Cue: "Who can add on to what your classmate said?" (Responses will vary.)

"What is the purpose of this essay? What is the author trying to answer, explain, or describe? How do you know?" (The author is trying to explain that "do something meaningful" is a theme and why the author thinks so using evidence from the text; the prompt is recorded at the top of the essay.)

  • Read aloud the model literary essay.
  • Turn and Talk:

"What is the gist of this paragraph?" (This is a brief overview of The Hope Chest, explaining that the essay will be about a theme in the book, and highlighting two characters whose actions show evidence of that theme.)

  • Cold call students to share out and capture their responses next to the first paragraph on the displayed model. Refer to Model Literary Essay: "Do Something Meaningful" (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Invite students to work in pairs to determine the gist of each remaining paragraph.
  • After 10 minutes, refocus whole group and use total participation techniques to select students to share out.
  • Guide students through using the colored pencils and their Painted Essay(r) template to color-code their model essay. Refer to Painting an Essay lesson plan for further detail.
  • Think-Triad-Share:

"What do you notice about how the second and third paragraphs are connected to the work we have been doing in previous lessons of this unit?" (In previous lessons, we have been determining the theme evident in chapters and summarizing it, similar to the author in paragraphs 2 and 3 in the model literary essay.)

  • Distribute and display the Informative Writing Checklist. Think-Triad-Share:

"Where can you see evidence of this criteria in the model essay?" (Responses will vary, but may include: an introduction that states the focus.)

  • 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 fluency: Pair these students with a highly fluent reader and have them choral read the model essay together. (MMR, MMAE)
  • For students who may be overwhelmed by too much print on a page. Offer a copy of the model essay with smaller sections on a page. Additionally, consider offering enlarged font on the copy for students who may benefit from this option for perception. (MMR)
  • For ELLs: (Enlarged Model Literary Essay: Annotating) As students share the gist of each paragraph, record it in the margins of the enlarged model literary essay (see For heavier support), using the respective color corresponding to each part.
  • For ELLs: (Displaying Essays Side by Side) Consider displaying the model broadside from Module 3 next to the model literary essay to help jog students' memories of how they used this structure in previous modules. Invite students to compare and contrast the two models. Provide sentence frames for support. (Example: "They are similar because they both ________ [include four paragraphs: an introductory paragraph, two proof paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph]. They are different because ___________ [the model broadside does not include points 1 and 2 in the introduction paragraph] while ________ [the model literary essay does].")

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Independent Writing: Writing a Focus Statement (10 minutes)                                            

  • Distribute the Exit Ticket: Focus Statement.
  • Invite students to reread the prompt, recorded at the top, chorally with you.
  • Remind students that the theme of the model essay is "do something meaningful." Tell them that working with their triad, they are going to choose a different theme from The Hope Chest to write their own essay about.
  • Focus students on the criteria on their Informative Writing Checklist:
    • "I state my topic clearly, and my writing stays focused throughout the piece."
  • Remind students that the focus statement helps them to state the topic clearly.
  • Focus students back on the model essay and invite them to chorally read that focus statement with you:
    • "One of the themes of this book is that it is important to 'do something meaningful.'"
  • Remind students of the Theme anchor charts.
  • Invite students to work in their triads to choose a theme to write their essay about and to use the model essay focus statement as a model for writing a focus statement. Each student is to write a focus statement on his or her exit ticket.
  • Circulate to support students as they work.
  • 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 ELLs and students who may need additional support with reading: (Orally Review Themes) Consider reviewing the checklist orally with these students as an alternative to visual-only representation of information. (MMR)
  • For ELLs: (Modeling and Thinking Aloud: Choosing a Theme) After reminding students that the theme of the model essay is "do something meaningful," think aloud why this was a good theme for the model literary essay to focus on. Additionally, consider thinking aloud the process for choosing another theme. (Example: "'Do something meaningful' was a good theme for the model literary essay to focus on because there are a lot of examples of characters in The Hope Chest doing meaningful things. I am going to review the Theme anchor charts to choose another theme I can find evidence for in The Hope Chest. Does anyone see a theme I might choose? Why would that be a good theme to focus on?") 

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.
  • For ELLs: (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.

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