Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research to Answer a Question (Lessons 5-6) | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G7:M1:U2:L5

Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research to Answer a Question (Lessons 5-6)

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.7.1, RI.7.2, W.7.7, W.7.8, SL.7.2

Supporting Standards: These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.

  • RL.7.10, RI.7.10, SL.7.1

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can analyze the main ideas and supporting details in a clip from God Grew Tired of Us. (RI.7.2, SL.7.2)
  • I can research to answer questions about the Lost Boys of Sudan. (W.7.7, W.7.8)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lessons 5-6
  • Work Time B: Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research to Answer a Question, Part I (RI.7.2, SL.7.2)
  • Work Time C: Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research to Answer a Question, Part II note-catcher (student generated) (RI.7.1, W.7.7, W.7.8)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Return End of Unit 1 Assessments with Feedback (5 minutes)

B. Engage the Learner (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Read A Long Walk to Water, Chapter 14 - SL.7.1 (15 minutes)

B. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research to Answer a Question, Part I (20 minutes)

C. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research to Answer a Question, Part II (30 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Track Progress: Research - W.7.7, W.7.8 (15 minutes)

4. Homework

A.  Research Reading: Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • Two lessons have been allocated for this assessment to ensure sufficient time for students to analyze God Grew Tired of Us and conduct research. If these are taught in two separate lessons rather than together as one block, revisit the learning targets and the task at the beginning of the second 45-minute lesson to remind students of the task and purpose.
  • Repeated routines occur in the following:
    • Opening A: The entrance ticket activity is to recall the video God Grew Tired of Us and the questions it answered.
    • Opening B: Students review learning targets.
    • SL.7.1 – Work Time A: Students engage in collaborative discussions as they use the Think-Pair-Share protocol to discuss the habits of character demonstrated in A Long Walk to Water.
    • Work Time A: Students read the next chapter of the text, finding the gist and adding to the Questions about A Long Walk to Water anchor chart.
    • W.7.7 – Closing and Assessment A: Students track progress on their abilities to research to answer a question, assessing their effectiveness at drawing on several sources to answer a question.
    • W.7.8 – Closing and Assessment A: Students track progress on their abilities to research to answer a question, assessing their effectiveness at quoting or paraphrasing information from sources.
  • New skills are introduced in the following:
    • Work Time B: The class adds persevere to the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart.
    • SL.7.2 – Work Time B: Students complete Part I of the mid-unit assessment as they watch a clip of God Grew Tired of Us and answer selected response questions related to the main ideas and supporting details in the video clip. 
    • Work Time C: Students complete Part II of their mid-unit assessment as they summarize and research a source to answer a question about A Long Walk to Water, using information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively, assessing the credibility and accuracy of each source, and quoting or paraphrasing the information appropriately. (RI.7.1, RI.7.2, W.7.7, W.7.8).
  • After students complete Part I of the assessment, they will pause to consider how Panther’s portrayal of the setting of Southern Sudan differs from Linda Sue Park’s portrayal of the setting. This inquiry allows students to see Sudan and its people as multidimensional with diverse experiences.
  • The Think-Pair-Share protocol is used in this lesson. Protocols are an important feature of our curriculum because they are one of the best ways we know to engage students in discussion, inquiry, critical thinking, and sophisticated communication. A protocol consists of agreed-upon, detailed guidelines for reading, recording, discussing, or reporting that ensure equal participation and accountability in learning.
  • In the chapter of A Long Walk to Water read in this lesson, Nya continues to walk all day to water, demonstrating her perseverance. Salva learns English despite the challenge of not having resources (books, time, or a consistent teacher), which demonstrates his perseverance through hardships and his taking responsibility for his own learning.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Allow those students who complete the mid-unit assessments early to research another question from the anchor chart with the purpose of sharing their knowledge with the class.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In the first half of this unit, students read informative texts and watched a clip of the documentary God Grew Tired of Us in order to increase their understanding of the context surrounding A Long Walk to Water. This lesson continues those routines in an assessment, wherein students conduct independent research and answer questions related to a different clip of the same video.

Support All Students

  • If students receive accommodations for assessments, communicate with the cooperating service providers regarding the practices of instruction in use during this study as well as the goals of the assessment.
  • In Work Time A, students should be reading the text independently. However, if some or all students need more support, read several pages aloud and then release students to read independently, in pairs, or in small groups. ▲
  • In Work Time B, some students may need to watch the clip an extra time before completing the assessment. Provide options for subtitled versions of the video and transcripts, if available. ▲
  • For some students, this assessment may require more than the time allotted. Provide time over multiple days if necessary. ▲
  • The subject matter in this video and article includes war, death, and water and food insecurity. Continue to monitor students to determine if there are issues surfacing as a result of the content of this lesson that need to be discussed as a whole group, in smaller groups, or individually.

Assessment Guidance

  • All assessment materials (student prompt and teacher checklist) are included in the Assessment download on this page.
  • When assessing and providing feedback on this assessment, use the answer key and sample student responses to help complete students’ Track Progress recording form.
  • In this assessment, students are tracking progress toward the following anchor standards:
    • W.7: By the end of Grade 12, I will be able to: conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
    • W.8: By the end of Grade 12, I will be able to: gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will be introduced to the prompt for the end of unit assessment and begin analyzing a model essay in order to prepare for the planning and writing of their own essays.
  • Students’ Mid-Unit 2 Assessments will be returned in a future lesson with feedback.

In Advance

  • Prepare online resources for the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research to Answer a Question (see Assessment download  on this page for details).

  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lessons 5-6 at each student's workspace.
  • Cue the link to the video God Grew Tired of Us to the correct time frame (2:30-4:20).
  • Gather devices on which students can conduct research (computers or tablets). Make sure they work, are charged, and can access the internet.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time B: A computer or tablet with projector to show video clip of God Grew Tired of Us

  • Work Time C: Computers or tablets for each student to research to answer a question

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 7.I.A.2, 7.I.B.6, 7.I.B.7, 7.I.B.8, 7.II.B.3-5, and 7.II.C.6-7.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, these lessons intentionally use the same documentary video used in Lesson 2 for the mid-unit assessment on researching to answer a question. Using a video from a previous lesson supports ELLs by ensuring that they have the necessary background knowledge and familiarity with the language of the video to comprehend the assessment task.
  • ELLs may find understanding the abstract terms main idea and supporting details challenging because those terms are academic language, which students would not necessarily have become familiar with through everyday speech. Therefore, additional supports such as the ones listed below may be useful.

Vocabulary

  • main ideas, research, supporting details (A)

    Key

    (A): Academic Vocabulary

    (DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • End of Unit 1 Assessments with feedback (one per student; from Unit 1, Lessons 15-16, Work Time C)

  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (one for display; from Unit 1, Lesson 4, Opening A)
  • Academic word wall (one for display; from Unit 1, Lesson 1, Opening A)
  • Text Guide: A Long Walk to Water (for teacher reference) (from Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (one for display; from Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening B)
  • Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference) (from Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening B)
  • Questions about A Long Walk to Water anchor chart (one for display; from Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • Questions about A Long Walk to Water anchor chart (example for teacher reference) (from Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart (one for display; from Unit 1, Lesson 3, Opening B)
  • Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (one for display; from Unit 1, Lesson 5, Work Time A)
  • Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (example for teacher reference) (from Unit 1, Lesson 5, Work Time A)
  • God Grew Tired of Us documentary (2:30-4:20; to show the class; from Unit 2, Lesson 2, Work Time B)
  • Researchers Do These Things anchor chart (one for display; from Unit 2, Lesson 3, Work Time A)
  • Vocabulary log (one per student; from Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)

  • A Long Walk to Water (text; one per student; from Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time C)
  • Choose and Use Credible Internet Sources (one per student; from Unit 2, Lesson 3, Work Time A) 
  • Track Progress folders (one per student; from Unit 1, Lessons 15-16, Closing and Assessment A)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lessons 5-6 (answers for teacher reference)

  • Device to play the God Grew Tired of Us clip
  • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research to Answer a Question (answers for teacher reference) (see Assessment download)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lessons 5-6 (one per student)
  • Online or print dictionaries (including ELL and home language dictionaries; one per small group of students)
  • Synopsis: A Long Walk to Water, Chapter 14 (one per student)
  • Sticky notes (one of each gist color per student; additional ones for tracking progress)
  • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research to Answer a Question (one per student; see Assessment download)
  • Device for internet research (one per student)
  • Track Progress: Research (one per student and one for display)

Assessment

Each unit in the 6-8 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 students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningLevels of Support

A. Return End of Unit 1 Assessments with Feedback (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lessons 5-6.
  • Return students' End of Unit 1 Assessments with feedback, and allow students time to review feedback and write their name on the board if they require support.

For Lighter Support

  • To support students' understanding of the terms main idea and supporting details, try one of the following strategies.
    • Have students use the two terms to talk about something ordinary from their daily life (e.g., ask a student to describe why he or she likes a favorite food or a particular sports team, and then challenge the rest of the class to come up with the main idea and supporting details embodied in their classmate's description).
    • Draw a simple picture to clearly illustrate the relationship between the main idea and the supporting details (e.g., a house with main idea for the roof, and supporting details for the walls; a hand with main idea in the middle of the palm, and supporting details as the fingers; or the hub of a wheel with spokes). Challenge students to come up with their own comparable pictures as well.
  • Both of these strategies provide ELLs with more than one way to understand two related but conceptually tricky terms that are essential to their work and which may be difficult to understand without access to multiple representations.

For Heavier Support

  • Draw or use clip art to make simple images or icons that stand for the three terms: main idea, supporting details, and research. Follow the oral discussion of these three terms with a hands-on activity where partners work together to match each of the three terms to the correct image. Have partners report out to the whole group on the reasons for their matches. This activity offers the opportunity for ELLs to use a more visual and hands-on activity to deepen their understanding of key vocabulary.

B. Engage the Learner (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: follow the same routine as with the previous lessons to review learning targets and the purpose of the lesson, reminding students of any learning targets that are similar or the same as in previous lessons.
  • At this time, students can Turn and Talk to share their responses on the entrance ticket. With students, use the vocabulary strategies on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart to deconstruct the words main ideas (the main points the author wants you to understand and take away from reading), supporting details (evidence that supports the main ideas), and research (to look into carefully and closely so as to learn the facts). Record on the academic word wall with translations in home languages, where appropriate, and invite students to record words in their vocabulary logs.
  • N/A

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Read A Long Walk to Water, Chapter 14 - SL.7.1 (15 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: follow the same process as with previous lessons for students to read chapter 14 of A Long Walk to Water, using the Text Guide: A Long Walk to Water as necessary. If students do not finish reading the chapter within the allotted time, use the Synopsis: A Long Walk to Water, Chapter 14 document to review the key details from chapter 14. Then have students identify the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary, reflect on their reading as they choose, and record the gist on sticky notes using the following resources as appropriate: vocabulary logs, Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart, and Questions about A Long Walk to Water anchor chart.
  • Gists:
    • Nya: water sprays out of hole but is dirty
    • Salva: new camp terrible; learns to read English and play volleyball; going to NY
  • Once students have finished reading and reflecting on the chapter, ask them to Think-Pair-Share:

"Which habits of character did you see in this chapter? Who demonstrated them? What did they look or sound like?" (Possible response: Nya demonstrates perseverance as she continues to walk all day to water. Salva demonstrates perseverance and taking responsibility for his own learning as he learns English despite the challenge of not having resources [books, time, and a consistent teacher].)

  • N/A

B. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research to Answer a Question, Part I (20 minutes)

  • Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can analyze the main ideas and supporting details in a clip from God Grew Tired of Us."

  • Inform students that over the course of two lessons, they will complete a mid-unit assessment. In this lesson, they will complete the first part.
  • Distribute Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research to Answer a Question.
  • Read aloud the directions for Part I of the assessment while students follow along. Answer clarifying questions.
  • Tell students that for this part of the assessment, they will view a new clip from God Grew Tired of Us, identifying the main ideas and how they are supported by key details. Remind students of their work identifying main ideas and key details in a clip of the same documentary in a previous lesson. Ask student volunteers to refer to their notes from the activity when they entered class and share key strategies for identifying the main ideas and supporting details in a video. Also, focus students on the Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart to guide them in answering the assessment questions.
  • Inform students that they will now watch the clip they will be assessed on, and give them a chance to take preliminary notes after viewing. Then they will watch the clip again so that students can complete this portion of their mid-unit assessment.
  • Remind students that because this is an assessment, they should complete it independently in silence.
  • Focus students on the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart, especially on persevere.
  • Read aloud the habit of character recorded:

"I persevere. This means I challenge myself. When something is difficult or demanding, I keep trying and ask for help if I need it."

  • Invite students to Turn and Talk to their partner. Then cold call students to share out:

"Using the anchor chart as a guide, what does persevere mean?" (to keep trying and not give up)

"What does perseverance look like? What might you see when a person is persevering?" (See Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart [example for teacher reference].)

"What does perseverance sound like? What might you hear when a person is persevering?" (See Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart [example for teacher reference].)

  • As students share out, record their responses in the appropriate column on the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart.
  • Remind students that because they will be reading and answering questions independently for the assessment, they may need to practice perseverance.
  • Invite students to begin the assessment.
  • While they are taking the assessment, circulate to monitor and document their test-taking skills.
  • Once students have completed the first part of the assessment, ask them to Think-Pair-Share:

"How does Panther describe Southern Sudan before the war? How does this description differ from the descriptions Linda Sue Park gives in A Long Walk to Water? What do these two different descriptions of Southern Sudan tell us about the country?" (Panther describes Southern Sudan as "beautiful," having a "good climate" with "a lot of food throughout the year." Linda Sue Park describes the setting as dry, violent, and without a lot of food. These two descriptions show how the war changed Southern Sudan. They also show how not everyone's experience in Southern Sudan is the same. Salva's life is different from Nya's and different from Panther's.)

  • If students do not note that Panther's perspective shows us that the country, people, and experiences of Southern Sudan are diverse just like all countries in the world, explain this to students.
  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • Instead of reminding students of their work identifying the main ideas and key details in a clip of the same documentary in Lesson 2, play the clip itself and point out how and why it contains a main idea and details. This provides ELLs with a concrete, analogous model for the work they will do in the upcoming assessment.

For Heavier Support

  • In Work Time B, remind students of how they defined main idea and supporting details in the Opening before reading aloud the assessment directions, which include the terms main idea and supporting details. Recalling the concrete examples of "main idea" and "supporting details" elicited in the Opening helps ensure that ELLs have a better grasp of what these terms mean as they use them in the context of the assessment to analyze the video.

C. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research to Answer a Question, Part II (30 minutes)

  • Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can research to answer questions about the Lost Boys of Sudan."

  • Before students begin the second part of this assessment, ask them to Think-Pair-Share:

"What value does the task of researching have for you beyond this class? Why?" (Responses will vary. Possible response: This task has a lot of value for me because I will have to research in most of my high school and college classes and in most careers.)

 "What will help you succeed on this assessment?" (Responses will vary. Possible response: using the research skills I learned in class and trying hard will help me succeed on this task.)

  • Transition students to Part II of the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research to Answer a Question. Read the directions for this part of the assessment aloud as students follow along, reading silently. Answer clarifying questions. Also, focus students on the Researchers Do These Things anchor chart and Choose and Use Credible Internet Sources to guide them when researching.
  • Remind students that because this is an assessment, they should complete it independently in silence.
  • Invite students to begin the assessment.
  • While they are taking the assessment, circulate to monitor and document their test-taking skills.
  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.
  • N/A

Closing & Assessments

Closing

A. Track Progress: Research - W.7.7, W.7.8 (15 minutes)

  • Give students specific positive feedback on their completion of the mid-unit assessment (e.g., "I noticed a lot of you were quoting the web pages and citing your sources").
  • Focus students on the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart. Remind students that they will take responsibility for their own learning as they track their progress.
  • Distribute Track Progress: Research. Remind students that successful learners keep track of and reflect on their own learning. Remind them that they have done this after every assessment.
  • Distribute sticky notes so students can mark up their work with evidence. Tell students the sticky notes are for them to find evidence in their assessment work of the following criteria:
    • W.7.7: I can conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.
    • W.7.8: I can quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
  • Guide students through completing the form.
  • Before students begin the second part of this assessment, incorporate reflection on and awareness of the following academic mindsets: "I can succeed at this" and "My ability and competence grow with my effort."
  • Ask students to Think-Pair-Share:

"What helped you to be successful at that assessment task? How much effort did you put in on the task? How did your effort affect your learning?" (Responses will vary. Possible response: Using the research skills I learned in class and trying hard helped me succeed on this task. I worked very hard on this task, so I was able to complete it and confirm my understanding of how to research to answer a question.)

Homework

Homework

A. Independent Research Reading 

  • Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

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