Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

• L.6.4b – Opening A: Students are introduced to affixes through an entrance ticket. They use an affix list to help them deconstruct words from The Lightning Thief into smaller pieces (i.e., their prefixes, roots, and suffixes).
• RI.6.1 – Work Time B: Students build knowledge of Greek mythology and its relevance today by closely reading an informational text, “Why Ancient Greek Mythology Is Still Relevant Today,” and using textual evidence to support their analysis of the text. The Close Reading Guide lists the text excerpts, key questions to ask students, and instructional moves required. Continue to use discussion protocols (e.g., Think-Pair-Share, Conversation Cues, and total participation techniques) to engage all students in a collaborative discussion about the text. These close, attentive reading activities help students gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the specific text, build word knowledge, build analytical reading skills, and foster perseverance and passion for deep reading of worthy texts.
• RI.6.2 – Work Time B: During the close read, students determine the central idea of the text and locate details that support the main idea(s) of each section of the text.
• RI.6.4 – Work Time B: During the close read, students determine the meanings of words and phrases as they are used in the informational text.
• L.6.4 – Work Time C: Students dig into a sentence from “Why Ancient Greek Mythology Is Still Relevant Today” through a Language Dive to determine the meanings of unknown words. They practice using a variety of strategies, including deriving meaning from context, breaking down a word into its root and affixes, and making preliminary determinations about a word’s meaning and then using a dictionary to verify their understanding of the word. A Language Dive empowers students to analyze, understand, and use the language of academic sentences, which often seems opaque to students. During a Language Dive, slow down for 10 minutes to have a conversation about the meaning, purpose, and structure of a compelling sentence from a complex text, or from a learning target, checklist, or rubric included in the curriculum. Following the engaging deconstruct-reconstruct-practice routine of the Language Dive, students play with the smallest “chunks” of the sentence, interpreting them, rearranging them, or using them to talk about their own lives. In this lesson, students focus on working to become effective learners by collaborating as they work in triads throughout the lesson.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

• Provide additional practice with the affix list, giving other words with common affixes for students to “translate.”
• The article used in the close read offers a strong and simple vehicle for introducing counter arguments, a technique used extensively throughout the piece to develop the central idea. Invite students to discuss the following questions with a partner or respond briefly in writing: What is the author’s point of view about Greek myths? Support your response with a quote from the text. What does the author assume the reader’s point of view will be? What makes you think so? Support your response with quotes from the text. How does the author use the concerns a reader may have about reading Greek myths to develop the central idea of this article? Invite students to find more specific examples of the influence of Greek mythology on North American culture than are referenced in the informational text or the novel.

How It Builds on Previous Work

• In the previous lessons, students read from the first few chapters of the anchor text, The Lightning Thief. By engaging in a close read and a Language Dive of an informational text, students strengthen their critical thinking skills and better understand the purpose for reading The Lightning Thief and its relevance today.

Support All Students

• Note there is a differentiated version of the Close Read note-catcher used in Work Time B in the supporting materials download. ▲
• During practice with affixes, put common base words and affixes on index cards; allow students to “build” words by manipulating the different word parts. ▲
• Students may find it challenging to complete the complex close read in the amount of time allotted. Focus on fewer sections. ▲
• Gather students who might need additional support during the close read in one place in the room to support them quickly and quietly as they closely read the text. ▲
• Students may need additional support with recording their answers on their note-catchers. Sit those students in a group together to support when necessary. ▲
• Display a world map and point out the location of Greece, the origin of Greek myths.

Assessment Guidance

• Review students’ Close Reading note-catchers to ensure students understand how to determine a central idea.
• Review students’ Language Dive note-catcher to ensure students understand the strategies introduced in the Language Dive for interpreting unknown vocabulary. Also, make sure that students are effectively and correctly using the new vocabulary introduced in the Language Dive (e.g., follies, hubris) to complete the sentence frame of the Practice section and reflect on the guiding question, What makes a myth?

Down the Road

• In the next lesson, students continue in their anchor text, reading from chapter 4 of The Lightning Thief, and continue to practice naming gist, identifying unfamiliar words, and examining point of view. Students also launch their independent research reading, so prepare these materials in advance.