- I can plan and draft the middle of a narrative that develops a sequence of events that unfolds naturally and shows the response of the narrator and the response of other characters to the situation. (W.5.3, W.5.4, W.5.5)
- I can explain the function of conjunctions in general and in particular sentences from "Bite at Night." (L.5.1a)
These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:
- W.5.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
- W.5.3a: Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
- W.5.3b: Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
- W.5.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
- W.5.5: With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
- L.5.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
- L.5.1a: Explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in general and their function in particular sentences.
Daily Learning Targets
Ongoing Assessment
- Middle boxes of Narrative Planning Graphic Organizer: Partner Narrative (W.5.3, W.5.4, W.5.5)
- Middle paragraphs of partner narrative draft (W.5.3, W.5.4, W.5.5)
- Exit Ticket: Narrator's Response (W.5.3a, W.5.3b)
Agenda
Agenda | Teaching Notes |
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1. Opening A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes) 2. Work Time A. Analyzing a Model (10 minutes) B. Guided Practice: Planning the Middle of a Narrative (10 minutes) C. Mini Lesson: Conjunctions (10 minutes) D. Partner Practice: Drafting the Middle of a Narrative (20 minutes) 3. Closing and Assessment A. Exit Ticket (5 minutes) 4. Homework A. Complete at least one of the Conjunctions Practices (Conjunctions Practice I) in your Unit 3 homework. B. For ELLs: Complete Language Dive Practice II: Even though in your Unit 3 homework. C. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt to respond to in the front of your independent reading journal. |
Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:
How it builds on previous work:
Areas in which students may need additional support:
Assessment guidance:
Down the road:
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In Advance
- Prepare the Narrative Texts and Parts of Speech anchor charts (see supporting materials).
- Post: Learning targets, Narrative Texts anchor chart, Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart, and Parts of Speech anchor chart.
Tech and Multimedia
Work Time B: Digital narrative plan: Students complete the Narrative Planning graphic organizer using Google Docs or other word-processing software to refer to when working on their writing outside of class.
Work Time D: Students write their first drafts using Google Docs or other word-processing software.
Work Time D: Students use speech-to-text facilities activated on devices or use an app or software like Dictation.io.
Closing and Assessment A: Students complete exit tickets online, on a Google Form, for example.
Supporting English Language Learners
Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 5.I.A.1, 5.I.A.2, 5.I.A.3, 5.I.C.10a, 5.I.C.11a, 5.I.C.12a, 5.II.A.1, 5.II.C.6
Important points in the lesson itself
The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to explicitly examine both narrative structure and the function, meaning, and use of conjunctions. Whereas native speakers may come by this knowledge innately, explicit instruction can help ELLs acquire the knowledge they need to unlock the code of a new language.
ELLs may find the Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions handout challenging because many of the words may be unfamiliar. Follow the Language Dive to invite deeper conversation about the function, meaning, and use of even though and conjunctions in general. This conversation about even though can help students develop the habit of mind to explore and use other conjunctions they come across.
In Work Time C, ELLs are invited to participate in the second of a series of three connected Language Dive conversations. This conversation guides them through the meaning, function, and use of the subordinating conjunction in the complex sentence from "Bite at Night" from Lesson 1. Students then apply their understanding of the structure of this sentence when writing the ending of their narratives in Lesson 4. Preview the Language Dive Guide and consider how to invite conversation among students to address the questions and goals suggested under each sentence strip chunk (see supporting materials). Select from the questions and goals provided to best meet your students' needs. Use the sentence strip chunks from Lesson 1 during this Language Dive.
Levels of support
For lighter support:
Suggest that students compile a conjunctions glossary. They can include a simple definition and explanation of the function of each conjunction. Example:
FOR: "because"--Use for to connect a fact with a reason. For as a conjunction is literary and seldom used in other contexts.
AND: Use and to connect two similar ideas, or to connect the first thing that happens with what happens next (sequence or result).
Group students by home language and encourage them to explain to students who need heavier support how the even though conjunction in the Language Dive sentence joins and contrasts one subject-predicate set (clause) with another related subject-predicate set (clause). Have them point out that this is a common function of conjunctions in English.
For heavier support:
Give students time to look up translations and definitions of the conjunctions on the Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions handout. Write the translations in a different color next to the English version on the handout.
Invite students to tell a new partner or family member the beginning and middle of their narrative. Encourage them to seek feedback from the new partner or family member and discuss what might happen at the end of the story.
Ask students to highlight instances of even though, although, and though in The Most Beautiful Roof in the World. Suggest that they look on the first pages of the "Out of the Shadow and into the Light" section, for example. Ask:
"Are the conjunctions in the first or second clause of the sentence?"
For Work Time A: Prepare sentence strips of excerpts from "Bite at Night" for students. Invite them, in pairs or with a more proficient partner, to group the strips that best help describe the problem and group other strips that best help describe how the narrator and other characters respond to the problem.
Universal Design for Learning
Multiple Means of Representation: Students will need to draw on a variety of resources to plan and write the middle of their narrative text. Be sure to present these resources in multiple formats to facilitate comprehension. For example, when you introduce the third learning target, verbally model examples from a familiar text to exemplify the skills that the students will need to demonstrate. Similarly, as students complete the Narrative Planning graphic organizer, you may offer non-examples of events that are not clearly connected to emphasize the fact that the beginning, middle, and end of their narratives should be presented in a logical order that makes sense.
Multiple Means of Action and Expression: This lesson has students synthesizing various pieces of information and using written expression to convey their ideas both on the Narrative Planning graphic organizer and in drafting the middle of their narrative. For students who may need extra support with writing, consider providing multiple formats for them to convey their ideas before writing. For instance, on the Narrative Planning graphic organizers, students can jot pictures of their ideas and then write them down later. Also, before drafting the middle of their narrative, students could tell a partner what they plan to write.
Multiples Means of Engagement: To facilitate understanding of the learning targets in this lesson, students may need to engage with the learning materials in flexible ways. This may include additional opportunities for practice with a peer model. For instance, when the class is analyzing the model text, "Bite at Night," prepare sentence strips from the text ahead of time so that students can use them as a tool to discuss the model with a partner. Additionally, consider providing highlighters as students read the text looking for conjunctions so that they can visually and physically identify specific words. To support memory, have students create a list of the conjunctions that they find so that they can reference them when they draft their narrative.
Vocabulary
Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)
unfolds naturally, response, central problem, conjunction, part of speech, phrase, clause (L)
penetrating, dense, immediately, flicking, concerned (T)
rainforest, scientist, canopy, explore, creatures (W)
Materials
- "Bite at Night" (from Lesson 1; one per student and one to display)
- Narrative Texts anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2; added to in advance; see supporting materials)
- Narrative Planning Graphic Organizer: "Bite at Night" (from Lesson 2; one to display)
- Narrative Planning Graphic Organizer: "Bite at Night" (example, for teacher reference)
- The Most Beautiful Roof in the World (one per student)
- Narrative Planning Graphic Organizer: Partner Narrative (from Lesson 2; one per student)
- Partner narrative drafts (begun in Lesson 2; added to in Work Time D; one per student)
- Narrative Writing Checklist (from Lesson 2; one to display)
- Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
- Parts of Speech anchor chart (begun in Module 1; added to in advance; see supporting materials)
- Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions handout (one per student and one to display)
- Language Dive Guide II: "Bite at Night" (for ELLs; for teacher reference; see supporting materials)
- Language Dive note-catcher II (for ELLs; one per student and one to display)
- Language Dive note-catcher I (for ELLs; from Lesson 1; one per student and one to display)
- Sentence strip chunks I (for ELLs; from Lesson 1; one to display)
- Blue and red markers (one of each per student)
- Lined paper (several pieces per student)
- Exit Ticket: Narrator's Response (one per student)
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
Opening | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)
"Are you unfamiliar with any of the words or phrases in the learning targets?" (Responses will vary, but may include: unfold naturally, response.)
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I can plan and write the middle of a narrative that
"Does this make sense? How do you know?" "How is the narrator responding to the situation? How do you know?" (MMR, MME) |
Work Time
Work Time | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Analyzing a Model (10 minutes)
"What is the gist of this text? What is it mostly about?" (It's about when army ants in the rainforest attacked Meg Lowman.)
"What is the problem in this story?" (Meg has no flashlight and steps in a nest of army ants.) "What did the narrator think, feel, or do when the problem occurred? What did she say?" (She screamed and jumped up and down. She shouted, "Owww ... owww ... owww!") "What did the other characters think, feel, or do? What did they say?" (Everyone woke up and came running because they thought Meg was bitten by a Gabon viper; they felt worried and said they thought she'd been bitten by a snake and it could be really bad!)
"Which parts of the text did you annotate with the cloud to show they described the problem? What details in the text make you think so?" (Responses will vary, but may include: Paragraph 5: "Suddenly, I felt a sharp, searing, bite-like pain on my right ankle.") "Which parts of the text did you annotate with the arrow to show how the narrator and characters responded to the problem? What details in the text make you think so?" (Responses will vary, but may include: Paragraph 5: "I started to jump up and down, hopping from one foot to the other." "Oh my goodness, owwww!" I screamed. "Owwwww, owwww, owwww!" Paragraph 6: "I began to regain my senses and became aware of the noise of people in the camp waking up and calling out to one another." "I heard the footsteps of people running toward me." "I caught glimpses of concerned faces in the flashlight beams.")
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B. Guided Practice: Planning the Middle of a Narrative (10 minutes)
"Are there any specific criteria about the middle in these narratives that you should be aware of and list in that column on the checklist?" (Responses will vary, but may include ideas like: There is a main problem in my narrative, and it is inspired by what happened to Meg and her sons.)
"What is the problem in the story?" "Who is the narrator? What does the narrator think, feel, do, or say when the problem occurs?" "Who are the other characters? What do they think, feel, do, or say?" "What elements of your research can you use to make your story more realistic?" |
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C. Mini Lesson: Conjunctions (10 minutes)
"What word is the conjunction in the first sentence?" (when) "What kind of conjunction is it? Coordinating or subordinating? (subordinating)
"Why do you think that?" (because it joins the two clauses together and makes the second clause dependent on the first)
"What is its function in this sentence?" (It joins together two clauses.) "What phrases or clauses does it join together?" (It joins together "I was just reaching for another leaf" and "suddenly there was a loud bang.")
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D. Partner Practice: Drafting the Middle of a Narrative (20 minutes)
"Who is the narrator of your story?" (Meg or one of her sons) "What point of view is your story written in?" (first person) "What words are you using to let your reader know the point of view of your story?" (I or my to show what the narrator is doing, thinking, or saying.) "What research can you use from Unit 1 to make your narrative more realistic?" (Responses will vary.)
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Closing & Assessments
Closing | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Exit Ticket (5 minutes)
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Homework
Homework | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Complete at least one of the Conjunctions Practices (Conjunctions Practice I) in your Unit 3 homework. B. For ELLs: Complete Language Dive Practice II: Even though in your Unit 3 homework. C. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt to respond to in the front of your independent reading journal. |
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