Discover Our Topic: Summer of the Mariposas | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G8:M1:U1:L1

Discover Our Topic: Summer of the Mariposas

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RL.8.1, RI.8.1, SL.8.1

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.8.10, W.8.9, L.8.6
Download Materials

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can infer the topic of this module from the resources. (RL.8.1, RI.8.1)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Work Time A: Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher (RL.8.1, RI.8.1)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - SL.8.1 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Infer the Topic - RL.8.1 (10 minutes)

B. Introduce the Performance Task and Module Guiding Questions (10 minutes)

C. Launch the Text: Summer of the Mariposas (10 minutes)

D. Introduce the Work to Become Ethical People Anchor Chart (5 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflect on Learning Targets (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Read and Reflect: Students read and reflect on the guiding questions for the module and discuss them with their families. They should consider how the guiding questions make them feel. They can sketch or write about their ideas.

B. Preread Anchor Text: Students should preread chapter 1 of Summer of the Mariposas in preparation for studying an excerpt from the chapter in the next lesson.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • SL.8.1 – In Opening A of this lesson, students are introduced to the Think-Pair-Share protocol, which will aid in collaborative discussion with their classmates.
  • RL.8.1, RI.8.1 – In Work Time A of this lesson, students cite evidence from the various resources posted around the room that most strongly supports what they notice and wonder and what they infer about the topic.
  • In Work Time B, students are introduced to the performance task and the guiding questions for the module. 
  • In Work Time C, the anchor text for the module, Summer of the Mariposas, is introduced. Students will explore the text.
  • In this lesson, students do not collect new vocabulary independently. Instead, new vocabulary is collected as a class on the academic word wall. Students determine and clarify the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text as they are added to the word wall. Students are introduced to their vocabulary logs in Lesson 2, where they will collect vocabulary from the texts they read.
  • In this lesson, students engage in a protocol. A protocol consists of agreed-upon, detailed guidelines for reading, recording, discussing, or reporting that ensure equal participation and accountability in learning. 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. You can download the Classroom Protocols document on our Tools page, for the full versions of the protocols. Students engage in the following new protocols in this lesson (instructions for which appear at the first point of use in the lesson):
    • Think-Pair-Share promotes productive and equitable conversations, where all students are given the time and space to think, share, and consider the ideas of others. It ensures that all students simultaneously engage with the same text or topic, while promoting synthesis and the social construction of knowledge.
  • In this lesson, students will also engage in several total participation techniques. Total participation techniques are used to solicit answers to questions or prompts from a wide variety of students. Rather than just calling on those students who may have their hands raised, these total participation techniques challenge and hold all students accountable. In this lesson, students engage in the following new total participation techniques (instructions for which appear at the first point of use in the lesson):
    • Turn and Talk is one of the easiest, quickest, and most efficient means of creating collaboration among students. It can be used practically at any time, anywhere, in a lesson in any content area.
    • Cold Call serves as an engaging and challenging yet supportive way to hold students accountable for answering oral questions, regardless of whether a hand is raised. Cold Call requires students to think and interact with the question at hand, even if they’re not sure of the answer. Cold Call also promotes equity in the classroom; students who normally dominate the discourse step back and allow other students to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise.
    • Thumb-O-Meter helps visualize students’ comfort level or readiness in relation to a learning target or aspect of their work, using their thumb. Adjust the instruction accordingly.
    • Red Light, Green Light helps visualize students’ comfort level and readiness in relation to a learning target or aspect of their work, using objects, colors, locations, or shared metaphors. Adjust the instruction accordingly.
    • Equity Sticks ensure academic equity by physically tracking who has been called upon or interacted with during the course of the class. This is especially useful during whole-class discussions or while working with large groups of students.
  • This lesson is the first that includes built-out instruction for the use of Goal 1 Conversation Cues. Conversation Cues are questions that promote productive and equitable conversation (adapted from Michaels, Sarah and O’Connor, Cathy. Talk Science Primer. Cambridge, MA: TERC, 2012. http://inquiryproject.terc.edu/shared/pd/TalkScience_Primer.pdf. Based on Chapin, S., O’Connor, C., and Anderson, N. [2009]. Classroom Discussions: Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn, Grades K–6. Second Edition. Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions Publications). Goal 1 Conversation Cues encourage all students to talk and be understood. As the modules progress, Goals 2, 3, and 4 Conversation Cues are gradually introduced. To review the complete set of cues, refer to Overview–Conversation Cues on the Tools Page (http://eled.org/tools). Provide students with a thinking journal or scrap paper. Examples of the Goal 1 Conversation Cues used in the next two units are (with expected responses):
    • After any question that requires thoughtful consideration and allows time for students to think and process language internally:

“I’ll give you time to think and write or sketch.”

“I’ll give you time to discuss this with a partner.”

    • To help students share, expand, and clarify thoughts:

“Can you say more about that?” 

“Sure. I think that ___.” 

“Can you give an example?”

“OK. One example is ___.”

“So, do you mean ___?”

“You’ve got it./No, sorry, that’s not what I mean. I mean ___.”

  • Conversation Cues are similar to discussion norms, which are introduced in Lesson 13, in that they seek to foster productive and collaborative conversation. Furthermore, Conversation Cues aim to ensure equitable conversation by gradually building student capacity to become productive, collaborative participants. Goal 1 Conversation Cues focus on the fundamentals of encouraging students to talk and be understood. Goals 2–4 take students to deeper levels of conversation, from listening to others, to deepening their thinking, to thinking with others. ▲
  • In this lesson students are also introduced to academic mindsets in the Closing and Assessment of this lesson. Academic mindsets refer to the motivational components that influence a student's desire and will to engage in learning. Research shows that academic mindsets are a better predictor of student success than any other determining factor. Students will develop an understanding of all four as the module progresses. The academic mindsets are listed below:

1. I belong in this academic community.

2. I can succeed at this.

3. My ability and competence grow with my effort.

4. This work has value for me.

  • At the end of the lesson, distribute the homework resources, and review the format of the document and this lesson’s specific assignment with students.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • During the Turn and Talk discussion about the meaning of the word myth, students can discuss examples of myths and share them with the class. 
  • Students research one or more of the topics they analyzed during the lesson (e.g., Mexico-US border, mariposas, La Llorona, folklore) to further build their background knowledge before reading the novel. Students might share their findings in small groups or with the whole class.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • If students have worked on EL Education modules in Grades 6–7, this module will build on those foundations.

Support All Students 

  • Integrated ELL supports are marked throughout lessons with a ▲. These teaching suggestions support student comprehension without disrupting lesson flow or requiring extensive class time or additional materials. Deeper, high-leverage supports, designed to accelerate ELLs’ language development, can be found in the Levels of Support columns in each lesson.
  • Accompany the posted learning targets with symbols or images for visual learners. Check for understanding by giving students time to write, sketch, or orally paraphrase the learning target. ▲
  • Note there is a differentiated version of the Infer the Topic I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher used in Work Time A in the supporting materials download. Differentiated versions of some materials are available in many lessons as a way to provide additional support to ELLs. ▲
  • Group students heterogeneously. Students will be able to choose the documents they would like to examine in order to infer the topic. This encompasses diversity of learning styles, reading levels, and grasp of the English language. Students are not grouped based on ability. This provides students with multiple access points to meet the learning target. Invite students to help each other read the excerpts aloud to each other. Use the English subtitle function on the videos to support ELLs. ▲ Use the differentiated I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher with prompts to support their analysis. This will help students state the explicit and implicit information in their note-catcher. ▲
  • Pair ELLs with a partner who has more advanced or native language proficiency. The partner with greater language proficiency can serve as a model in the pair, initiating discussions and providing implicit sentence frames, for example. ▲
  • Some students may be upset to find out that a dead body plays such a strong role in the beginning and throughout the story. Some students may also be concerned about the supernatural and ghostly elements mentioned in the blurb of the book. Ensure students are given the time and space needed to discuss and/or share any concerns about these issues, and make a note of the issues raised and the students concerned.

Assessment Guidance

  • Monitor students’ I Notice/I Wonder note-catchers to ensure they are on the right track for inferring what the module is about at the end of the Infer the Topic protocol.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will discuss their reflections on the module guiding questions: “Why do we see evidence of myths and traditional stories in modern narratives?” “How and why can we modernize myths and traditional stories to be meaningful to today’s audiences?” Students will begin reading and discussing Summer of the Mariposas, introduced in this lesson. Students will also explore Latin American folklore and how it impacts the identity of the characters in the story. 

In Advance

  • During all interaction, be aware that partnering with, looking at, talking with, or touching a person of a different gender may be uncomfortable and inappropriate for some students. In addition, some students may believe it is inappropriate to speak with other students of another gender at all during class. In advance, speak with students to determine their needs, and if necessary, seek alternative arrangements for students according to their cultural traditions.
  • Prepare:
    • Academic and domain-specific word walls with blank word cards and markers located close by. These are areas of the classroom in which academic words and domain-specific words will be added throughout the year.
    • Infer the Topic text set of resources (download these and all other supporting materials by clicking Download Materials at the top of the lesson pages). Post the Infer the Topic resources around the room, or print materials and provide multimedia access to each small group.
    • Performance Task anchor chart (see Module Overview page for the Performance Task download) and the Guiding Questions anchor chart. To make the Guiding Questions anchor chart, locate the module guiding questions on the Module Overview page, and write them on chart paper.
    • World map--a large map to display for all students to see.
    • Equity sticks by writing each student's name on a wooden craft stick. Place them in a container for use during Closing and Assessment A.
    • Red, yellow, and green objects for the traffic lights check-for-understanding routine.
  • Become familiar with the countries in Latin America.
  • Review the Think-Pair-Share and Infer the Topic protocols. You can download the Classroom Protocols document from our Tools page for the full versions of all protocols, which you will use throughout the curriculum.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Opening A: Complete the modeling for the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher with the class in a word-processing document such as a Google Doc.
  • Work Time A: Create a multimedia station of video clips for the Infer the Topic protocol. Use video clips that contain information about topics such as the chupacabra, the Mexico-US border, and the history of Mexico. Examples:
  • Work Time A: Students complete their I Notice/I Wonder note-catchers in a word-processing document such as a Google Doc.
  • Work Time A: Students complete their note-catchers in a word-processing document using speech-to-text facilities activated on devices or using an app or software such as http://eled.org/0103.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 8.I.B.6 and 8.I.B.8.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson establishes an environment of respect for diverse perspectives, pairs students to support each other in carrying out the task, and allows time for discussion. Students engage with the topic through the use of images, videos, and maps that portray elements of the text they read throughout the module and the introduction of an academic word wall. 
  • ELLs may find it challenging to navigate the text-based Infer the Topic resources because of the volume of potentially unfamiliar new language. Encourage students to focus on the gist of select resources and language that is familiar. Encourage them to take pride in what they do understand. Before the lesson, add translations in students' home languages to the Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart to make these important principles accessible to all students and to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for those students whose home language is not English.

Vocabulary

  • infer (A)
  • folklore, modernize, myth, narrative, traditional (DS)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • A model performance task from a former student (teacher chooses from a previous year)
  • N/A

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Equity sticks (for teacher use; see Teaching Notes)
  • Academic word wall (one for display; see Teaching Notes)
  • Domain-specific word wall (one for display; see Teaching Notes)
  • Infer the Topic resources (one for display)
  • Performance Task anchor chart (one for display; (see Module Overview for Performance Task download)
  • Module Guiding Questions anchor chart (one for display; see Teaching Notes)
  • World map (one for display)
  • Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (one for display)
  • Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference) 
  • Online or paper English or translation dictionary (for ELLs in home language; one per student)
  • Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher (one per student)
  • Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher ▲ (optional; for English language learners; see supporting materials download)
  • Directions for Infer the Topic (one per student and one for display)
  • Red, yellow, and green objects (popsicle sticks, poker chips, cards, etc.; one per student)
  • Summer of the Mariposas (text; one per student)
  • Whiteboards and dry-erase markers, or sticky notes (optional)
  • Homework resources (one per student and one for display) (See the full module or unit download for all homework materials for this unit.)

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.

Download this Performance Task

Opening

OpeningLevels of Support

A. Engage the Learner – SL.8.1 (5 minutes)

  • Direct students’ attention to the posted learning target, and select a volunteer to read it aloud. Then instruct the whole class to read the learning target aloud together.

“I can infer the topic of this module from the resources.”

  • Guide students through an intentional Think-Pair-Share on the following questions:

1. Move students into pairs, and invite them to label themselves A and B.
2. Pose the question, and give students time to think independently and silently about their answer to the question.
3. Invite partner A to ask partner B the question.
4. Give partner B a specified time frame (e.g., 30 seconds, 1 minute) to share his or her response.
5. Have partners reverse roles and repeat steps 3–4.
6. Using a total participation technique (e.g., cold call, equity sticks), invite students to share their responses with the whole group.
7. Repeat this process with remaining questions.

“Why do we have learning targets? What is the purpose of learning targets?” (To give us a goal: the goal is to be able to say “I can . . . ,” which means that the target has been achieved.)

  • Underline the word infer in the target.
  • Ensure that students have access to an online or paper English or translation dictionary. Model how to look a word up in a print or online dictionary.
  • Use a sentence frame to boost confidence and encourage participation. (Example: “Another word for infer is _____.”)
  • Invite students to Turn and Talk with their partner:

1. When prompted, students turn to a shoulder buddy or neighbor.
2. In a set amount of time, students share their ideas about the question.
3. Students may be instructed to share some key ideas from their paired discussions with the whole class.

“What does infer mean? If you are going to infer the topic, what does that mean?” (When we make an inference, we make a good guess based on the evidence we have seen. Inferring the topic means making a good guess about the topic based on the content of the resources we will look at.)

  • Cold-call students to share out their responses:

1. Name the question before identifying students to answer it.
2. Call on students regardless of whether they have their hands raised.
3. Scaffold questions from simple to increasingly complex, probing for deeper explanations.
4. Connect thinking threads by returning to previous comments and connecting them to current ones; model this for students, and teach them to do it, too.

  • With student support, record the meaning of infer on the academic word wall, with translations in students’ home languages (make a good guess about the topic based on the content of the resources). Write synonyms or sketch a visual above infer to scaffold students’ understanding. Prompt students to use the word in a new sentence by either writing that sentence down or thinking of that sentence silently, then sharing with a partner.
  • If productive, use a Goal 1 Conversation Cue to encourage students to expand their ideas about the word infer by giving examples.

“Can you say more about that?”

“Can you give an example?”

  • For additional support, visually display the definitions of other key vocabulary in the learning target (topic, resources), and have students write these definitions in a notebook. 

For Lighter Support

  • When introducing the word infer, provide graphics and ask students to make inferences about them. For example, a broken window with a baseball next to it (someone threw a baseball and it shattered the glass), a dog that is covered in mud (the dog played in the mud and got dirty). This conveys the concept of infer to ELLs through accessible, nonlinguistic input.

For Heavier Support

  • To help students during their first Turn and Talk discussion, display sentence stems that they can refer to:
    • We have learning targets so that we . . .
    • The purpose of learning targets is to help us . . .
  • Alternatively, display a list of key vocabulary that students may use in their responses, including synonyms for the word target (i.e., goal, objective), and relevant verbs (i.e., reach, achieve).

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Infer the Topic – RL.8.1 (10 minutes)

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

“I can infer the topic of this module from the resources.”

  • Post the Infer the Topic resources around the room, or print materials and provide multimedia access to each small group.
  • Distribute the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catchers. Focus students on the question at the top, and read it aloud:

“What do you think you will be learning about in this module?”

  • Tell students that the purpose of the note-catcher is to take notes to help them remember their thinking. It isn't something they will hand in for assessment, and there are no wrong answers, so they can record in pictures or words. They do not need to write in full sentences. For ELLs and students who require additional support, the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher ▲ can be used to help guide students’ thinking by reducing linguistic barriers and to support vocabulary acquisition.
  • Be transparent about why students are noticing and wondering (because it is a helpful way to understand and explore a new topic or text).
  • Display and distribute and read aloud and ensure students understand the Directions for Infer the Topic. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Model filling in one noticing or wondering on the note-catcher.
  • Guide students through the protocol. Allow them to choose what resources to observe, so those who may not be able to read independently have the option to view an image. Mixed-proficiency pairs can choose the resources they want to observe and begin by discussing what the text means. Encourage students to agree or disagree with one another about what the text means using sentence frames (e.g., “I agree because _____,” “I disagree because_____”).
  • Refocus the whole group. Think-Pair-Share:

“Now that you have looked at some resources, what do you think this module might be about?” (Responses will vary, but could include Mexico, butterflies, a monster.)
“What evidence supports your inference?” (Responses will vary.)

  • Use Goal 1 Conversation Cues to encourage students to expand their ideas and to facilitate time for students to think and process language internally.

“Can you say more about that? I’ll give you some time to think and write or sketch.” (Responses will vary.)

  • Display the Eagle Pass map. Explain to students that this is the border between the United States and Mexico where border patrol allows or forbids people to pass between the countries. 
  • Display the map of Coahuila, Mexico. Explain to students that the Rio Grande is a river that runs along the border, and that Coahuila, Mexico, lies on the other side of the border. 
  • Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target, using a checking for understanding technique such as Thumb-O-Meter. Scan student responses, and make a note of students who might need support. Check in with them moving forward.
  • Thumb-O-Meter:

1. Tell students they are going to use the Thumb-O-Meter strategy to reflect on their comfort level or readiness on the learning target.

2. When prompted to reflect on the learning target, students show their comfort level with it by holding their thumb up, down, or sideways. By holding their thumb sideways, they are indicating they will need some support. By holding their thumb down, they are indicating they feel uncomfortable with the learning target.

3. Use students’ self-assessment to adjust instruction, and check in with students showing a thumb-down or thumb-sideways.

  • Scan student responses, and make a note of students who might need support. Check in with them moving forward.

For Lighter Support

  • During Work Time A, as an lighter-support alternative to the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher distribute the partially completed Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher ▲. This provides students with models for the kind of information they should enter and relieves the volume of writing required.

B. Introduce the Performance Task and Module Guiding Questions (10 minutes) 

  • Tell students that they will now look at a few additional artifacts as they continue to hone their understanding of the module topic. 
  • Direct students' attention to the Performance Task anchor chart, and read the task aloud.
  • As students may be overwhelmed by the Performance Task anchor chart, assure them that they will continue to explore the meaning of the chart in subsequent lessons and units.
  • Turn and Talk:

“What do you notice?” (We will get to write our own version of a Latin American story about a monster; we will get to use images for our webpage.)

“What do you wonder?” (Responses will vary, but may include the following: What is relevant media? Why do Latin Americans honor a story about a monster?)

“Now that you have analyzed the performance task, has your inference of what this module might be about changed? How?” (Responses will vary.)

  • Clarify anything pertinent to this specific performance task. Display a model performance task from a former student. Ask students to make connections between the model and the performance task.
  • Direct students' attention to the Module Guiding Questions anchor chart, and read the questions aloud. Turn and Talk:

“Why do we have guiding questions for each module?” (Responses will vary, but may include the following: to help focus our learning, to help us think about the performance task.)

  • Underline the word myth. Turn and Talk:

“What does this mean? What strategy can you use to find out?”

  • Invite students to work in their pairs to determine the meaning of the word. Remind students to use their print or online dictionary. Use a total participation technique to select a student to share with the whole group (myth: a popular story from the past that uses supernatural beings and events to explain a practice, belief, or natural event).
  • Repeat with traditional (passed down and unwritten; ritual), narrative (a story), modernize (to make or become new and different or suitable for the present time), and folklore (the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth).
  • With student support, record the meanings of myth, traditional, narrative, modernize, and folklore on the domain-specific word wall, with translations in students’ home languages. Write synonyms or sketch a visual above each vocabulary word to scaffold students’ understanding. Prompt students to use each word in a new sentence by either writing that sentence down or thinking of that sentence silently, then sharing with a partner.
  • Tell students that these are the questions that will guide their thinking and learning throughout the module. Turn and Talk:

“What do you notice?” (Responses will vary, but may include: I notice these stories are customs, I notice that the stories can change because they are oral traditions).

“What do you wonder?” (Responses will vary, but may include the following: Why is it that people do not write down their traditional stories? How do you decide which traditions to keep?)

“Now that you have analyzed the guiding questions and performance task, has your inference of what this module might be about changed?” (Responses will vary.)

  • Clarify that this module will be about folklore of Latin America. Help students to identify Latin America on a world map, and explain that Latin America is usually defined as the areas of America whose official languages are Spanish and Portuguese, which are languages derived from Latin: South America, Central America, Mexico, and certain islands in the Caribbean. 
  • Turn and Talk:

“What does this topic mean to you at this point? Why might it be meaningful to study this topic?” (Responses will vary, but may include: “We rarely or never read books by Latin American authors, it is important to know about and celebrate all cultures, it can help people get rid of the stereotypes about Mexican people.”)

“From what you know so far, what are you looking forward to about this topic?” (Responses will vary, but may include “learning about Latin America, learning more about folklore from my Mexican culture.”)

  • Acknowledge that some students may already know something about this topic. Explain that for homework, they will reflect on the guiding questions and how they feel about them based on their own experiences, and that this will be discussed more at the beginning of the next lesson. And note that some students may know nothing about the topic—it will be fun to dig in together!
  • Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target, using the checking for understanding technique—Thumb-O-Meter. Scan student responses, and make a note of students who might need support. Check in with them moving forward.

For Heavier Support

  • In Work Time B, support ELLs while they work to determine the meaning of vocabulary in module guiding questions by providing definitions and having students match words with their meanings to guide students toward an accurate understanding of vocabulary and the questions as a whole.

C. Launch the Text: Summer of the Mariposas (10 minutes)

  • Distribute the text Summer of the Mariposas.
  • Tell students they will now spend 2 minutes looking through the book with their partner and discussing what they notice and wonder about the book, including the cover, synopsis, and chapter titles. Partner B will share a notice or a wonder first, then partner A, and then partner B again, and so on.
  • Provide whiteboards and dry-erase markers or sticky notes as an option for students to record (in drawing or writing) their ideas. This helps scaffold active listening for key details.
  • Use equity sticks to select students to share out what they notice and wonder about the book. As students share out, draw an I Notice/I Wonder T-chart on the board and complete as students share out. Alternatively, direct each student to write their response on the board, or their partner can write the response on the board. Listen for suggestions such as the following:
    • The titles of each chapter are in Spanish and English.
    • There are five silhouettes/shadows of girls on the cover. 
    • There is a definition of the word mariposa before the table of contents. 
    • There is a glossary of Spanish words with their English translations in the back of the book. 
    • The story is about a dead body.
    • The story has some supernatural/ghostly elements.
  • Having spent some time looking through the book, invite students to spend 3 minutes reflecting silently. Reflection can include thinking or writing/drawing on paper. Students must be silent when they do this, though. Ask the following question to guide reflection:

“What does what you read or saw in the book make you think about? Why?” 

  • After 3 minutes, refocus the whole group.
  • Tell students that reflections can be very personal, based on an individual’s background and previous experiences. Guide students through an intentional Think-Pair-Share, ensuring that partner A and partner B both have think time, both get to say the question aloud to the other, and both have an allocated time to respond and then to discuss to build deeper understanding. Cold-call students to share their responses with the whole group:

“Knowing that reflections can be very personal, how do you think we should behave when people share their reflections?” (Responses will vary, but may include the following: listening without interrupting; not disagreeing with how someone feels, as that is personal to them; showing respect and empathy—thinking about how they feel; and treating them with care.)
  • N/A

D. Introduce the Work to Become Ethical People Anchor Chart – (5 minutes)

  • Focus students on the Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart. Explain that, as it says at the top of the chart, ethical people are people who treat others well and stand up for what is right.
  • Read aloud what it says about respect:

“I show respect. This means I appreciate the abilities, qualities, and achievements of others, and treat myself, others, and the environment with care.”

  • Invite students to Turn and Talk to an elbow partner:

“Using the anchor chart as a guide, what does respect mean in your own words?” (Appreciating what I and others are good at, and treating everyone with care.)

  • Tell students they will now use the Think-Pair-Share protocol to discuss their ideas with a partner. 

“What does respect look like? What might you see when someone is showing respect to someone else?” See Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

“What does respect sound like? What might you hear when someone is showing respect to someone else?” See Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

  • Invite students to share out and record ideas in the relevant column on the anchor chart. See Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference).
  • Invite students to add translations in their home languages to the anchor chart. ▲
  • Read aloud what it says about empathy:

“I show empathy. This means I understand and I share or take into account the feelings, situation, or attitude of others.”

  • Invite students to Turn and Talk to an elbow partner:

“Using the anchor chart as a guide, what does empathy mean in your own words?” (Thinking about how others might feel.)

  • Repeat the Think-Pair-Share protocol, and invite students to discuss their ideas with a partner:

“What does empathy look like? What might you see when someone is showing empathy to someone else?” See Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

“What does empathy sound like? What might you hear when someone is showing empathy to someone else?” See Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

  • Invite students to share out and record ideas in the relevant column on the anchor chart. See Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference).
  • Invite students to add translations in their home languages to the anchor chart.▲
  • Now that students know what respect and empathy look and sound like, tell students they will now have the opportunity to share their reflections about Summer of the Mariposas, if they would like to, with the whole group. Remind students to respond with respect and empathy as necessary.
  • Invite volunteers to share their reflections with the whole group. Be prepared to discuss any issues students feel they need to discuss further.
  • Read aloud the prologue while students read along silently.
  • N/A

Closing & Assessments

Closing

A. Reflect on Learning Targets (5 minutes)

  • Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the learning target, using a checking for understanding technique—Thumb-O-Meter. Scan student responses, and make a note of students who might need support. Check in with them moving forward.
  • Incorporate reflection on and awareness of the following academic mindsets: “I can succeed at this” and “My ability and competence grow with my effort.”
  • Turn and Talk: 

“What helped you to be successful at that task? How much effort did you put in on this task? How did your effort affect your learning?” (Possible responses: I was successful at that task because I focused and worked hard. I also worked and talked with my peers, which grew my learning.)

Homework

Homework

A. Read and Reflect 

  • Students read and reflect on the guiding questions for the module and discuss them with their families. They should consider how the guiding questions make them feel. They can sketch or write about their ideas.

B. Preread Anchor Text

  • Students should preread chapter 1 of Summer of the Mariposas in preparation for studying an excerpt from the chapter in the next lesson.

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