Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

• W.6.2a – Opening A: Students complete an entrance ticket in which they trade their essays’ focus statements with a partner and give and receive kind and helpful feedback.
• RL.6.1 – Work Time A: Students read the next chapter of the text and find the gist. Students also unpack unfamiliar vocabulary and answer comprehension questions using inferences and evidence from text.
• RL.6.1 – Work Time B: Students plan Proof Paragraph 1 of their essays, using evidence from The Lightning Thief to support their ideas. Students will apply their learning from the Painted Essay® structure to describe the similarities between the novel and the film. Students will practice organizing the facts, concrete details, and examples into a coherent structure.
• RL.6.7 – Work Time B: Students plan Proof Paragraph 1 of an essay in which they contrast the experience of reading a scene in a story with the experience of watching the same scene in a film.
• W.6.2b – Work Time B: Students develop the topic of their essays in their first Proof Paragraphs using relevant facts, concrete details, quotations, and examples.
• W.6.4 – Work Time B: Using the Compare and Contrast Model Essay as guidance, students organize a clear and coherent Proof Paragraph with attention to task, purpose, and audience.
• W.6.5 – Work Time B: Students receive some support as they strengthen their writing by thoughtfully planning Proof Paragraph 1 of their essays.
• W.6.9a – Work Time B: Students apply Grade 6 Reading standards to literature by comparing and contrasting a video clip and its corresponding scene in the text.
• RL.6.7 – Closing and Assessment A: Students share their plans with a partner and give and receive feedback on the connections drawn across the text and film.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

• Use “brag tags” to identify students who are particularly good at different aspects of writing a Proof Paragraph, and allow them to conference with their classmates to give advice on their area of expertise.

How It Builds on Previous Work

• In the previous lessons, students analyzed the structure of the model essay using the Painted Essay® template and planned their introductory paragraph. They build on those foundations in this lesson.

Support All Students

• Students may be confused or upset by the characterization of some characters in the novel as “gangbangers,” “bums,” and “street hawkers.” Time for debriefing and reflection might help get these concerns out into the open so they can be addressed and tracked throughout the text.
• In chapter 17, one line of The Lightning Thief (“‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch.’ That’s an ancient Greek saying that translated pretty well into American”) appears to conflate the English language with an American identity. Be aware of ways in which this embedded attitude could feel alienating to ELLs. Welcome any critical questions posed by students. ▲
• Students may need additional support while planning their Proof Paragraphs. Group those students for a guided discussion to find evidence to support their points. ▲
• Provide opportunities for students to interact and discuss what they want to include in their Proof Paragraphs before they begin planning independently.

Assessment Guidance

• Use the Informative Writing checklist to assess students’ writing abilities in Work Time B.

Down the Road

• In the next lesson, students will continue planning their compare and contrast essay, focusing on their second Proof Paragraph. They will also read from chapter 18 of The Lightning Thief.