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ELA G4:M4:U3:L3

Sharing Our Research: How Kids Can Take Action

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • W.4.7: Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
  • W.4.8: Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.
  • SL.4.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
  • SL.4.3: Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can identify the reasons and evidence Braeden gives to support the point that kids can make a difference. (SL.4.3)
  • I can paraphrase and take notes on information shared with my peers about how kids can take action to make a difference in their community. (W.4.7, W.4.8, SL.4.1)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Listening Closely: "A Boy, a Brown Bag, and a Tidal Wave of Change" note-catcher (SL.4.3)
  • Taking Action Research note-catcher (W.4.7, W.4.8, SL.4.1)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Listening Closely: "A Boy, a Brown Bag, and a Tidal Wave of Change" (15 minutes)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Small Group Share: Researching How Kids Can Take Action (25 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment 

A. Research Reading Share (15 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 continues students' research of how kids can take action to make a difference. In Opening A, students watch a new video about Braeden, a boy who started his own foundation to collect and distribute food to the hungry in his community. As they watch the video, they practice taking notes, and then use their notes to discuss reasons and evidence Braeden gives to support the point that kids can make a difference (SL.4.3).
  • In Work Time A, students move into mixed research groups, with one representative from each expert group in each group of four. In groups, they share who took action, the problem he or she was trying to address, how he or she took action, and how the action made a difference from the articles they read in Lesson 2, while their partners listen, paraphrase, and take notes on their Taking Action Research note-catchers (SL.4.1, W.4.7, W.4.8).
  • 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.
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to contribute to a better world by discussing how the kids from their research texts contributed to a better world. They also focus on working to become ethical people, showing integrity during a research reading share.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lesson 1, students were introduced to and guided through the process of listening and taking notes, and determining reasons and evidence to support the points a speaker makes. Those routines are practiced in this lesson.
  • In Lesson 2, students began researching in expert groups how kids have taken action to make a difference. In this lesson, students share their research in mixed groups.
  • Continue to use Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Students may need additional support in determining the reasons and evidence Braeden gives to support his point. If necessary, replay the video so students can listen for these specific aspects of the video.

Assessment guidance:

  • Review students' Listening Closely: "A Boy, a Brown Bag, and a Tidal Wave of Change" note-catchers to ensure students understand how to identify reasons and evidence that support a point.
  • Review students' Taking Action Research note-catchers to ensure they understand how to take notes and categorize information.
  • Consider using the Speaking and Listening Informal Assessment: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas Checklist during students' share in Work Time A.

Down the road:

  • In the next lesson, students will watch a new video and read a new text for the mid-unit assessment, adding to their research about how kids can make a difference.
  • Provide feedback on students' End of Unit 2 Assessments in preparation for returning them in the next lesson.

In Advance

  • Prepare the technology necessary to play "A Boy, a Brown Bag, and a Tidal Wave of Change" for the whole group. If possible, provide students access to the video on devices (see Technology and Multimedia).
  • Pre-determine mixed research groups of four students, with at least one student from each expert group.
  • Prepare 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.
  • Opening A: Prepare technology to play "A Boy, a Brown Bag, and a Tidal Wave of Change":
    • "A Boy, a Brown Bag, and a Tidal Wave of Change | Braeden Mannering | TEDxWilmington". TEDxTalks. YouTube. Web. Accessed on 8 March, 2017. 
  • Consider that YouTube, social media video sites, and other website links may incorporate inappropriate content via comment banks and ads. Although some lessons include these links as the most efficient means to view content in preparation for the lesson, teachers should preview them and/or use a filter service to view the links in the classroom.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 4.I.A.1, 4.I.B.5, 4.I.B.6, 4.I.B.8, 4.I.C.10

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with the opportunity to add to their body of research by viewing and discussing as a class a video of another kid who is making a difference in the world. ELLs also have the opportunity to learn from others as students share their research on the topic. 
  • ELLs may find it challenging to process the language in the video and identify reasons and supporting evidence for why kids can make a difference. Students may also find it challenging to share their expert group research if they have any anxiety about speaking in front of a group (see Levels of support and Meeting Students' Needs).

Levels of support                                  

For lighter support:

  • Challenge students to create sentence frames for students who need heavier support to use when sharing their research in mixed expert groups during Work Time A. (Examples: "I read about a kid named ____. The problem that [he/she] focused on was _______." "One way [he/she] helped solve the problem was to ______________. This action made a difference because ___________.")

For heavier support:                

  • Consider showing "A Boy, a Brown Bag, and a Tidal Wave of Change" to students before Opening A. Giving them an opportunity to process the language in the video before watching it as a whole class will increase their comprehension, lower their anxiety level, and likely increase their participation during Work Time A.
  • Consider preparing students for the sharing they will do in mixed expert groups by giving them the opportunity to refer to their Taking Action Research note-catcher and orally share what they learned with you or a partner before the lesson. Allowing them to review what they learned and practice the language they will use will increase their confidence about speaking to a group.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Throughout this lesson, embed support for unfamiliar vocabulary by providing explanations and visual examples. Recall that this helps students make connections and supports construction of meaning. For example, support comprehension by inviting students to provide synonyms for keywords or phrases.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Some students may need help setting appropriate goals for their effort and the level of difficulty expected during this lesson. Recall that appropriate goal-setting supports development of executive skills and strategies. Continue to offer scaffolds for students learning to set appropriate personal goals.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Recall that some students may need additional support in linking new information presented back to the learning target. Continue to scaffold this connection by explicitly highlighting the utility and relevance of each activity to the learning target, and invite students to respond to how each activity is supporting their instructional goal.

Vocabulary

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

  • paraphrase, community (L)

Materials

  • "A Boy, a Brown Bag, and a Tidal Wave of Change" (video; play in entirety; see Technology and Multimedia)
  • Listening Closely: "A Boy, a Brown Bag, and a Tidal Wave of Change" note-catcher (one per student and one to display)
  • Listening Closely: "A Boy, a Brown Bag, and a Tidal Wave of Change" note-catcher (example, for teacher reference)
  • Researchers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Module 2)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Academic Word Wall (begun in Module 1)
  • Vocabulary logs (begun in Module 1; one per student)
  • Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Taking Action Research note-catcher (begun in Lesson 2; added to during Work Time A; one per student)
  • Taking Action Research note-catcher (from Lesson 2; example, for teacher reference)
  • Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart (begun in Module 1; added to during Work Time A)
  • Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Independent Reading: Sample Plan (for teacher reference; see the Tools page)

Materials from Previous Lessons

New Materials

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. Listening Closely: "A Boy, a Brown Bag, and a Tidal Wave of Change" (15 minutes)

  • Tell students that they are going to watch a video featuring a boy named Braeden to learn more about how kids can make a difference.
  • Follow the same routine from Work Time A of Lesson 1 to guide students through viewing the video and taking notes:
    • Play "A Boy, a Brown Bag, and a Tidal Wave of Change" and discuss the gist. (Braeden describes what he does to help people in his community.)
    • Review how to take notes while listening to or watching a video.
    • Distribute the Listening Closely: "A Boy, a Brown Bag, and a Tidal Wave of Change" note-catcher, reviewing the headings and modeling how to use it as needed.
    • Play the video again, inviting students to take notes as they watch.
    • Invite students to discuss with a partner the reasons and evidence Braeden gives to support the point that kids can make a difference.
    • Invite students to record the reasons and evidence in the appropriate spot on their note-catchers. Refer to Listening Closely: "A Boy, a Brown Bag, and a Tidal Wave of Change" note-catcher (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
    • Select volunteers to share a reason and evidence they recorded with the class.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with organizing ideas for written expression: (Stopping to Take Notes) During the second viewing, consider stopping the video several times to give students time to take notes about the section they just watched. This allows students to focus on one task at a time and listen carefully to each section. Remind students that it is not necessary to write in complete sentences when taking notes. (MMAE, MME)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional help with strategy development: (Modeling and Thinking Aloud: Identifying a Reason) Consider first modeling and thinking aloud the process of identifying one reason Braeden gives for why he thinks kids can make a difference, then inviting students to cite evidence from the video that supports that reason. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with organizing ideas for verbal expression: (Sentence Starters) Consider displaying sentence starters for students to use when discussing the reasons and evidence that Braeden gives for why he thinks kids can make a difference. (Examples: "Braeden thinks kids can make a difference because ___________. Some evidence he gives to support this reason is _____________.") (MMAE)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

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

"I can identify the reasons and evidence Braeden gives to support the point that kids can make a difference."

"I can paraphrase and take notes on information shared with my peers about how kids can take action to make a difference in their community."

  • Focus students on the first learning target and point out that they just did this. Use a checking for understanding technique (e.g., Red Light, Green Light or Thumb-O-Meter) for students to self-assess against this target.
  • Focus students on the second learning target and on the Researchers Do These Things anchor chart. Tell students that today they will meet in mixed groups to share their research about how kids can take action.
  • Underline and use the vocabulary strategies on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart to review and/or determine the meaning of the following words. Add any new words to the Academic Word Wall and invite students to add them to their vocabulary logs.
    • paraphrase (to explain something in your own words)
    • community (a particular area where a group of people live)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with motivation: (Transparency) To ensure that the purpose of sharing information with peers and taking notes is transparent, cue students to problem-solve:
    • "Can you figure out why you are sharing information with peers and taking notes on that information?" (Responses will vary, but may include: to gather more research about how kids take action; to reinforce what we learned from our expert group texts; to learn from one another.) (MME)
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Invite students to rephrase or restate the learning targets using more familiar language or synonyms. (MMR) 

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Small Group Share: Researching How Kids Can Take Action (25 minutes)

  • Share that students will now move into mixed research groups, with one person from each expert group. Tell them they will share the research they gathered from the article they read in the previous lesson: who took action, the problem he or she was trying to address, how he or she took action, and how the action made a difference.
  • Direct students' attention to the Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart, specifically initiative. Remind students that because they will be working with one another as they read, they will need to take initiative and stay on track as they work.
  • Post and review the following directions.
    1. Group 1 representative starts. Group 2, 3, and 4 representatives listen.
    2. Group 1 representative tells partners who took action and the problem from his or her article. Group 2, 3, and 4 representatives paraphrase the information.
    3. Group 2, 3, and 4 representatives write who took action and the problem in the appropriate spots on their Taking Action Research note-catchers.
    4. Group 1 representative shares how he or she took action and how the action made a difference. Group 2, 3, and 4 representatives paraphrase the information orally.
    5. Group 2, 3, and 4 representatives write how he or she took action and how the action made a difference in the appropriate spot on their note-catchers.
    6. Repeat steps 2-5 with Group 2, 3, and 4 representatives.
  • Answer clarifying questions.
  • Invite students to begin working. Circulate and support as needed, referring to Taking Action Research note-catcher (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Refocus whole group.
  • Direct students' attention to the Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart and review each habit of character on the chart.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"How did Yash Gupta contribute to a better world?" (He started an organization to provide children in need with corrective eyewear.)

  • As students share out, capture their responses in the appropriate columns on the Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart.
  • Repeat with the other kids students have researched: Shanniel Turner, Jessica Farrar, and Jen Rubino. Discuss which habit each person demonstrated in contributing to a better world and what it looked like, adding students' ideas to the Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart.

Conversation Cue: "How does our discussion add to your understanding of how kids can take action? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner." (Responses will vary.)

  • Point out that, like Violet in The Hope Chest, many of the kids they researched showed that kids can take action against inequality to make a difference.
  • 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 planning: (Fishbowl: Sharing Research) To minimize confusion about the activity, invite four confident students to model the posted steps for sharing research while the rest of the class observes. Invite students to ask questions, and clarify any confusion as needed before inviting the rest of the class to begin. (MMR, MMAE)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with verbal expression: (Sentence Frames: Heavier Support) Invite students who need heavier support to use the sentence frames created by more proficient students (see For lighter support) when sharing their research in mixed expert groups. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: (Home Language Groups) Consider allowing students to share their research in home language groups.
  • For students who may need additional support with fine motor skills: Provide partial dictation as students record their notes. (MMAE) 

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Research Reading Share (15 minutes)

  • Focus students on the Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart and remind them specifically of integrity. In the context of research reading home, this means trying to do it each day, even when it is hard to do so, and if it isn't possible, being honest when recording the dates and pages read in your journal.
  • Refer to Independent Reading: Sample Plan to guide students through a research reading share or use your own routine.
  • Use a checking for understanding technique (e.g., Red Light, Green Light or Thumb-O-Meter) for students to self-assess how well they worked to become effective learners and ethical people in this lesson.
  • 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 and students who may need additional support with planning: (Sentence Frames) Consider displaying sentence frames that correspond with the varying research reading shares, and inviting students to use the frames particular to this lesson's share. (MMR, MMAE)

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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