Close Reading: Jim Abbott | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G5:M3:U3:L1

Close Reading: Jim Abbott

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RI.5.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • RI.5.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
  • W.5.8: Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.
  • L.5.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can identify the factors that contributed to Jim Abbott's success as a leader of social change, using specific information in the text. (RI.5.1, W.5.8)
  • I can compare and contrast the factors that contributed to Jackie Robinson's success as a leader of social change and those that contributed to Jim Abbott's success. (RI.5.1, W.5.8)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Close Reading Note-catcher: "Jim Abbott" (RI.5.1, W.5.8)
  • Comparison to Jackie Robinson note-catcher (RI.5.1)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Close Reading: "Jim Abbott" (40 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Comparing and Contrasting Jim Abbott and Jackie Robinson (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:

  • The routines in this lesson provide students with an opportunity to practice the routines they will follow as they research in Lessons 2 and 3. In Work Time A, students are guided in a close read of the "Jim Abbott" text. Students read the text on devices online to prepare them to do this during their research in Lessons 2 and 3. During this close read, students will find the gist, determine the meaning of unfamiliar Vocabulary, and identify the factors that contributed to Jim Abbott's success as a leader of social change. They are guided through this process with the first paragraph, but after that they follow the same process to work independently in pairs (RI.5.1, RI.5.4, W.5.8, L.5.4).
  • Be aware that the topic of disabilities may be sensitive for students, and that some may have a personal connection to a disability. Before reading the text, consider discussing what it means to have a disability, and allow students time to reflect. Be aware that reflections may be personal, and students are not required to share them. Monitor students and determine if there are issues surfacing that need to be discussed in more detail as a whole group, in smaller groups, or independently.
  • In the Closing, students compare and contrast the factors they identified for Jim Abbott to those they identified for Jackie Robinson in Unit 1 (RI.5.1, W.5.8).
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to become effective learners and working to contribute to a better world, working collaboratively to closely read the text, and considering how the leaders of social change used their strengths to help others.
  • Recall that the research reading that students complete for homework helps build both their Vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to baseball and athletes, specifically how athletes have led change. This kind of reading continues over the course of the module.

How it builds on previous work:

  • In the previous units, students identified the factors that contributed to Jackie Robinson's success as a leader of social change.
  • Continue to use Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Some students may need additional support with rereading the text and recording on their note-catchers. Consider sitting those students in a group for teacher support when necessary.

Assessment guidance:

  • Review student note-catchers from this lesson to identify any common issues to use as teaching points before students research independently in the next lesson.
  • Collect the Athlete Leader of Social Change homework from Unit 2, Lesson 14. Note that only students who have a specific athlete they would like to research will have completed this homework.

Down the road:

  • In the next lesson, students will choose an athlete to research in expert groups. They will complete the same note-catchers for that athlete that they completed in this lesson for Jim Abbott.

In Advance

  • Strategically group students into pairs for the work in this lesson, with at least one strong reader in each pair.
  • Prepare internet-ready devices for students to access the "Jim Abbott" text (see Technology and Multimedia).
  • Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1-2 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.
  • Work Time A: Pairs will need a device with internet access to read the "Jim Abbott" text: Swaine, Rick. "Jim Abbott." Society for American Baseball Research. Web. Accessed on 23 Sept, 2016.

Supporting English Language Learners

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

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by reading aloud the text "Jim Abbott" before asking students to reread it on their own; pairing students and allowing time for discussion during each task; providing time to investigate Vocabulary; and continuing the same process for comparing and contrasting factors for success as in Unit 2.
  • ELLs may find the combination of the linguistic demands of the text "Jim Abbott" and the cognitive demand of determining factors and evidence for Jim Abbott's success overwhelming. Additionally, they may find it challenging to keep pace with the class during the Closing as they compare and contrast Jim Abbott and Jackie Robinson. Consider working with a small group of students at the beginning of each Work Time (see "Levels of support" and the Meeting Students' Needs column).

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Create a Linking Words and Phrases chart that mirrors the Linking Words and Phrases handout from Module 1 and referred to in Unit 2, Lesson 14 of this module. Students can refer to the chart and the handout to identify linking language that signals comparison and contrast during the Closing, and to add examples of linking language throughout the unit.

For heavier support:

  • Before Work Time A, consider displaying pictures or sharing a video of Jim Abbott before reading the text, and inviting students to act out certain portions of the text as it is read aloud. (Example: Consider sharing a picture of Jim Abbott on the pitching mound, and then inviting students to act out his pitching as they read the third paragraph.)
  • During Work Time A, distribute a partially filled-in copy of Close Reading Note-catcher: "Jim Abbott," filled in with examples of evidence for Jim Abbott's success. This provides students with support for determining new factors for success, as well as models for the kind of information they should enter, while relieving the volume of writing required.
  • Prepare sticky notes with pre-written words or drawings based on the gist of different sections of the text. As students listen to the text in Work Time A, they can match the gist represented on the sticky notes with each section of the read-aloud.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): In this lesson, students interact with the text "Jim Abbott." Students listen to a read-aloud of this text, then focus on determining the gist and identifying key details. For students who may need additional support with determining the gist, consider offering a hard copy of the text on which the key phrases have been highlighted or underlined.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Continue to support students in setting appropriate goals for their effort and the level of difficulty expected.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): In this lesson, students are introduced to the text "Jim Abbott." Throughout this unit, sustained engagement and effort is essential for student achievement. Some students may need support to remember the goal for the work they are doing with this text. Recall that these students benefit from consistent reminders of learning goals and their value or relevance.

Vocabulary

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

  • social change, compare and contrast (L)
  • national, professional, nation, established (T)

Materials

  • Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • "Jim Abbott" (one per pair and one to display; see Technology and Multimedia)
  • Device (at least one per pair)
  • Close Reading Note-catcher: "Jim Abbott" (one per student and one to display)
  • Close Reading Note-catcher: "Jim Abbott" (example, for teacher reference)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Vocabulary logs (from Module 1; one per student)
  • Academic Word Wall (begun in Module 1)
  • Domain-Specific Word Wall (begun in Unit 1)
  • Factor for Success anchor charts (begun in Unit 1):
    • Factor for Success: Historical Context anchor chart
    • Factor for Success: Personal Qualities anchor chart
    • Factor for Success: Support from Decision Makers anchor chart
    • Factor for Success: Support from Family, Friends, and Fans anchor chart
    • Factor for Success: A Way to Communicate the Vision anchor chart
  • Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Comparison to Jackie Robinson note-catcher (one per student and one to display)
  • Comparison to Jackie Robinson note-catcher (example, for teacher reference)
  • Athlete Leader of Social Change form (from Unit 2, Lesson 14 homework; students' own)

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)

  • Move students into pairs and invite them to label themselves A and B.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and select a volunteer to read them aloud:

"I can identify the factors that contributed to Jim Abbott's success as a leader of social change, using specific information in the text."

"I can compare and contrast the factors that contributed to Jackie Robinson's success as a leader of social change and those that contributed to Jim Abbott's success."

  • Focus students on the first learning target. Remind them that in Units 1-2 they considered the factors that contributed to Jackie Robinson's success as a leader of social change, and tell them that today they will learn about another professional athlete, Jim Abbott, who was also a leader of social change. Review what social change means.
  • Remind students of the Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart and that people like Jackie Robinson who were leaders of social change were working to contribute to a better world, particularly using their strengths to help others.
  • Focus students on the second target and underline the phrase compare and contrast.
  • Turn and Talk:

"When you compare and contrast, what do you do?" (look at the similarities and differences)

  • Tell students that throughout this unit they will read about other professional athletes who were/are leaders of social change to compare the factors that led to the success of those athletes with those of Jackie Robinson. Emphasize that in doing so, they can start to look for common factors to know what is necessary to be a leader of social change.
  • 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)
  • For ELLs: (Checking Comprehension of Concepts) Check comprehension of the concept of social change by inviting students to turn to an elbow partner and explain why Jackie Robinson was a leader of social change. (Example: Jackie Robinson was a leader of social change because _____ [he broke the color barrier in baseball].)
  • For ELLs: (Practicing with Something Familiar) Invite students to practice comparing and contrasting something familiar with a partner, providing sentence frames for support. (Example: We are similar because we both _______ [are fortunate to be bilingual/multilingual]. We are different because ________ [I speak Spanish and English], while ______ [you speak Mandarin and English].)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Close Reading: "Jim Abbott" (40 minutes)

  • Display the "Jim Abbott" text and ensure students have a device so they can access the text themselves.
  • Read it aloud for students without stopping up to "... and he naturally became an inspirational role model for kids with all kinds of disabilities," as students read along silently in their heads.
  • Ask students to Turn and Talk and use total participation techniques to invite students to share their responses with the whole group:

"What is the text about?" (Responses may vary, but could include: It's about a one-handed baseball player named Jim Abbott who became a Major League Baseball player.)

  • Distribute the Close Reading Note-catcher: "Jim Abbott."
  • Invite students to write the name of the athlete in the first box. Refer to Close Reading Note-catcher: "Jim Abbott" (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What social change did Jim Abbott represent?" (acceptance of people with disabilities in professional sports)

  • Invite students to record this in the "What change did he/she represent?" box. Continue to refer to Close Reading Note-catcher: "Jim Abbott" (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Focus students on the first paragraph and invite students to chorally read it with you.
  • Turn and Talk:

"What is the gist of this paragraph? What is it mostly about?" (Jim Abbott is a successful baseball player with a disability who has achieved many awards.)

  • Focus students on the vocabulary strategies listed on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart, and invite students to identify the most effective strategy to determine the meaning of each of the words they have circled. Remind students to record new vocabulary in their Vocabulary logs.
  • After 3 minutes, refocus the group and invite students to share the unfamiliar words and their definitions. Ensure the following words are discussed, because they are important to understanding the rest of the text: national (common to a whole country or nation), professional (paid to do a particular activity), nation (a large group of people living on a piece of land--for example, a country), and established (put in a secure position).
  • Add new words to the Academic Word Wall and the Domain-Specific Word Wall.
  • Turn and Talk:

"According to this paragraph, what are some of Jim Abbott's achievements?" (named the best amateur athlete and the top amateur baseball player in the nation; became the first U.S. pitcher to beat the Cuban national team in Cuba in 25 years; gold medal as a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic baseball team; in first season in professional baseball, he won a spot on the Angels)

  • Invite students to record these achievements in the "Achievements" box of their note-catcher.
  • Focus students on the factors that contributed to the success of Jackie Robinson as a leader of social change, using their factor for success charts from Unit 1:
    • Factor for Success: Historical Context anchor chart
    • Factor for Success: Personal Qualities anchor chart
    • Factor for Success: Support from Decision Makers anchor chart
    • Factor for Success: Support from Family, Friends, and Fans anchor chart
    • Factor for Success: A Way to Communicate the Vision anchor chart
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"Are any of these same factors described in this paragraph? Or are there any new factors that Jackie Robinson didn't have?" (Special skills: amazing baseball player)

  • Invite students to record the factors and evidence in the appropriate columns of their Close Reading Note-catcher: "Jim Abbott."
  • Focus students on the Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart and ask them to reread it silently. Tell students to choose one habit to focus on as they work with their partner today.
  • Record the process on the board and invite students to repeat the steps for each paragraph of the text up to "... and he naturally became an inspirational role model for kids with all kinds of disabilities":
  1. Read for the gist and say it aloud to your partner.
  2. Circle and determine the meaning of unfamiliar Vocabulary.
  3. List achievements in the "Achievements" box on the Close Reading Note-catcher: "Jim Abbott."
  4. Record factors that contributed to Jim Abbott's success as a leader of change and evidence from the text on the Close Reading Note-catcher: "Jim Abbott."
  • Circulate to support students as they work in pairs and prompt students by asking:

"Where did you see that in the text?"

  • When 5 minutes remain, invite students to find a new partner and share their note-catchers, adding anything new or revising their work based on what they learn from their new partner.
  • For students who may need additional support with fine motor skills: Provide options for expression by offering a note-catcher that includes lines. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: (Stopping to Check for Comprehension) Throughout the read-aloud, stop often to check for comprehension. Ask students to summarize the events and ideas in the text. When necessary, invite a more proficient student to paraphrase the events in more comprehensible language.
  • For ELLs: (Jigsaw Reading) Consider grouping students with more than one partner as they reread "Jim Abbott" and fill in their note-catchers. Allow students to be responsible for different, smaller portions of the text and then report back to the larger group about factors for success they identified, as well as evidence to support those factors.
  • For ELLs: Mini Language Dive. "His maturity and cooperation with the press and the public / won him a legion of loyal supporters / and he naturally became an inspirational role model / for kids with all kinds of disabilities."
    • Deconstruct: Discuss the sentence and each chunk. Language goals for focus structure:
      • and he: "Who?" / Meaning: he refers to Jim Abbott. We know this because the preceding sentence is about Jim. and connects the subsequent idea with the preceding idea in the sentence. (coordinating conjunction; pronoun)
      • naturally became: "What?" / Meaning: Became is the simple past tense of become. naturally describes how Jim Abbott became something; in a way that was natural and expected. (verb phrase)
      • an inspirational role model: "Became what?" / Meaning: A role model is a person who is looked to by others, an example to be imitated. Inspirational emphasizes that Jim Abbott was a role model who gave others hope and ideas because of what he did and who he was. Jim Abbott was an inspirational role model for kids with disabilities, who saw that Jim Abbott's disability did not hold him back. (noun phrase)
    • Practice: _______ naturally became an inspirational role model for _____ because _______.
    • Reconstruct:

"What is another way to say this sentence?"

"How does your understanding of this sentence add to your understanding of the big idea that individuals are shaped by and can shape society?"

    • Practice: Jackie Robinson's _______ won him a legion of loyal supporters, and he naturally became an inspirational role model for ____.

"How can we use this sentence structure in our speaking and writing?"

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Comparing and Contrasting Jim Abbott and Jackie Robinson (15 minutes)

  • Invite students to revisit the factors that contributed to Jackie Robinson's success as a leader of social change on the factor for success charts.
  • Distribute and display the Comparison to Jackie Robinson note-catcher.
  • Invite students to look over the note-catcher they completed for Jim Abbott in this lesson.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What similarities do you notice between factors that contributed to Jackie Robinson's success as a leader of social change and Jim Abbott's success as a leader of social change? (Responses will vary, but may include: Both had support from their families.)

  • If productive, cue students to expand the conversation by giving an example and to explain why a classmate came up with a particular response:

"Can you give an example?" (Responses will vary.)

"Who can explain why your classmate came up with that response? I'll give you time to think." (Responses will vary.)

  • Record in note form in the "Similarities" column of the displayed Comparison to Jackie Robinson note-catcher. Invite students to record on their note-catchers, too. Refer to Comparison to Jackie Robinson note-catcher (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Tell students they are going to work in pairs to complete the note-catcher for the similarities and differences they notice between factors that contributed to Jackie Robinson's success as a leader of social change and Jim Abbott's success as a leader of social change.
  • Circulate to support students as they work.
  • Refocus whole group and select students to share out.
  • Collect students' Athlete Leader of Social Change forms from Unit 2, Lesson 14 homework. Tell students that if they selected a particular athlete on this homework slip and they have information at home--for example, books--they could bring in about this athlete, they should do so for the next lesson. Emphasize these are only suggestions, and that you will only choose athletes for students to research that: 1) were definitely leaders of social change and 2) you can find a lot of information about on the internet.
  • Use a checking for understanding technique (e.g., Red Light, Green Light or Thumb-O-Meter) for students to self-assess against the learning targets and how well they worked to become an effective learner today.
  • For students who may need additional support with organizing information for written expression: As students work in pairs, offer sentence frames or stems to support students' planning for completing the note-catcher. (MMAE, MME)
  • For ELLs: (Transparency: Parallel Note-catchers) Consider displaying the Describing Point of View anchor chart from Unit 2, Lesson 5, and point out that the Comparison to Jackie Robinson note-catcher parallels the note-catcher on the bottom of this anchor chart. Explain that students will follow the same process for comparing and contrasting Jackie Robinson and Jim Abbott as they did for comparing and contrasting points of view for the factors most important to Jackie Robinson's success.
  • For ELLs: (Linking Words and Phrases Chart: Highlighting Examples) Direct students' attention to the Linking Words and Phrases chart (see For lighter support). Consider highlighting words and phrases that signal comparison in yellow (Also, Another, And), and words and phrases that signal contrast in blue (But, In contrast). Invite students to do the same on their Linking Words and Phrases handout. Model using the highlighted words and phrases when writing similarities and differences on the note-catcher, providing students with a model for how they can use these words as they write.

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs
  • 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 writing: (Oral Response) Read aloud, discuss, and respond to your prompt orally, either with a partner, a family member, or a student from Grades 4 or 6, or record an audio response. (MMAE)
  • For students who may need additional support with reading: Support students in selecting a prompt to respond to, rephrasing the prompt, and thinking aloud possible responses. (MMR)

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