Analyze Text Structure: Patient Zero, Pages 21–31 | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G7:M2:U1:L4

Analyze Text Structure: Patient Zero, Pages 21–31

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.7.5, L.7.4a

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.

  • RI.7.1, RI.7.4, SL.7.1
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can determine the meanings of unfamiliar words and phrases. (L.7.4)
  • I can find the gist of pages 21–31 of Patient Zero.
  • I can identify the structures Peters uses to organize pages 21–31 of Patient Zero. (RI.7.5)
  • I can explain how sections of Patient Zero contribute to the whole chapter. (RI.7.5)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 4 (L.7.4a)
  • Work Time B: Patient Zero Lesson 4 note-catcher (RI.7.5)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner – L.7.4a (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Read Patient Zero, Pages 21–31 (15 minutes)

B. Analyze Structure: Patient Zero, Pages 21–31 – RI.7.5 (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Check for Understanding – RI.7.5 (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Determine Meaning of Unfamiliar Vocabulary: Students use context and, if necessary, a dictionary to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in pages 21–31 of Patient Zero. Then they record the words and their definitions in the correct section of their vocabulary log.

B. Preread Anchor Text: Students preread pages 32–38 (up to “Know Your Enemy”) of Patient Zero in preparation for studying an excerpt from the chapter in the next lesson.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • L.7.4a – Opening A: Students practice using strategies to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words.
  • RI.7.5 – Work Time B: Students identify structures in Patient Zero, pages 21–31, and analyze how sections contribute to the whole text and develop ideas.
  • RI.7.5 – Closing and Assessment A: Students answer selected and constructed response questions to check their understanding of how the author uses structure to develop ideas in Patient Zero.
  • Students focus on working to become ethical people by showing respect, compassion, and empathy as they listen to the ideas of their classmates.
  • The Think-Pair-Share and Jigsaw protocols are 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. 

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Release more responsibility more quickly to students as they comprehend the tasks or concepts. For example: 
    • Allow those students who are identifying the gist and other elements quickly the opportunity to develop their own text-dependent questions about the chapter, related to structure. Ask these students to share their questions with the group as a way of generating discussion. (RI.7.5)

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In the previous lesson, students refined their ability to analyze a text’s structure through a close read of the text. In this lesson, students expand on this skill by identifying how structures within a text are related and by discussing structure with partners in a Jigsaw activity.

Support All Students

  • Read aloud the first several excerpts of Patient Zero in these first lessons to ensure student comprehension, engagement, and enjoyment of the text. However, if all students are already engaged, determine how students will read pages 21–31 of Patient Zero to best support their comprehension, or give students choice to build empowerment and engagement in learning. Alternatives to read-alouds include: another fluent reader (including students or an audiobook) reads aloud to the whole class, small groups, triads, or pairs; individuals read silently; or a combination of any of these. Also, as necessary, consider pre-highlighting one or two key sentences in each subsection that articulate the gist.
  • The subject matter in this excerpt includes descriptions of death and disease. Continue to monitor students to determine if there are issues surfacing as a result of the content of this chapter that need to be discussed as a whole group, in smaller groups, or individually.
  • For Work Time B, consider forming strategic groups for the Jigsaw activity so that students who need more support are grouped with those who demonstrated proficiency with analyzing text structure. For students who need even more support, create a Jigsaw group with them, and guide them to complete the note-catcher. ▲
  • Note there is a differentiated version of the Patient Zero Lesson 4 note-catcher used in Work Time B in the supporting materials download. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Review students’ Patient Zero Lesson 4 note-catchers to ensure students understand how the author structures the text in order to develop ideas.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will continue to read Patient Zero and analyze the text in terms of structure, focusing on how the author structures different sections within the narrative in such a way as to develop the beginning of a mystery.

In Advance

  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 4 at each student's workspace.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout previous modules 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.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 7.I.A.1, 7.I.B.5, 7.I.B.6, 7.I.C.10, 7.I.C.12, and 7.II.A.1.

Important points in the lesson itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson uses partner work and a Jigsaw activity to further explore the abstract concept of text structure, which is made more accessible through the use of an anchor chart and the opportunity to develop language for discussing text structure collaboratively with others.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to identify the author's purpose in the Think-Pair-Share. Provide strategic partnerships, so that ELLs who need more support can learn from their classmates.

Vocabulary

  • proclamation, speculating (DS)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Domain-specific word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • Text Guide: Patient Zero (for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • Gists: Patient Zero (example for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (one for display) (from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening B)
  • Questions about Epidemics anchor chart (one for display; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • Text Structure anchor chart (one for display) (from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time B)
  • Vocabulary log (from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
  • Patient Zero by Marilee Peters (text; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time C)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 4 (answers for teacher reference)
  • Patient Zero Lesson 4 note-catcher (answers for teacher reference)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 4 (one per student)
  • Synopsis: Patient Zero, Pages 21–31 (one per student)
  • Sticky note (one per student)
  • Patient Zero Patient Zero Lesson 4 note-catcher (one per student)
  • Patient Zero Patient Zero Lesson 4 note-catcher ▲

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

Opening

A. Engage the Learner - L.7.4a (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 4.
  • Once students have completed their entrance tickets, use a total participation technique to review their responses. Then add proclamation and speculating to the domain-specific word wall with translations in home languages where appropriate, and invite students to add the word to their vocabulary logs.
  • 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.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Read Patient Zero, Pages 21–31 (15 minutes)

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

“I can find the gist of pages 21–31 of Patient Zero.”

  • Invite students to retrieve their Patient Zero text and to turn to page 21. Read aloud pages 21–31 of chapter 1 as students read along silently. Use the Text Guide: Patient Zero (for teacher reference) for comprehension and vocabulary questions as needed. Note that while students may read in small groups or individually in future lessons, they will benefit from this reading of the text as a whole class. ▲
  • Think-Pair-Share:

“What happened?” (The chapter describes how people did not understand what caused the plague or how to cure it, so they used many strange things and ideas to try to help, but these didn’t work. It was many years later that someone discovered the bacteria that caused the plague and people were able to begin developing cures that actually worked.)

“What is the gist? What is this excerpt mostly about?” (People tried all sorts of things to battle the plague; only later did people discover what caused and cured the plague.)

  • Invite a student to paraphrase the key points in more comprehensible language for those who need more support. ▲
  • Model recording the gist of the excerpt (keywords, not full sentences) on a sticky note, and invite students to do the same, sticking them at the front of the chapter for quick reference. Students will also benefit from adding the page numbers and their initials on the sticky note for easier materials management. As needed, refer to Gists: Patient Zero (example for teacher reference).
  • Remind students that their goal is to understand what the story is mostly about, and it is okay if there are parts they don’t quite understand yet. ▲
  • Use the Synopsis: Patient Zero, Pages 21–31 to review and note key details for the entire excerpt. This will help to complete students’ understanding of the events of this chapter excerpt, especially if they are not able to complete the reading of the full excerpt. ▲
  • Give students 3 minutes to silently reflect on the text. Encourage them to consider how the excerpt made them feel. They can write or sketch, or just sit and think.
  • Direct students’ attention to the Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart, and review respect, compassion, and empathy as needed before inviting students to share their reflections if they choose.
  • As students share out, capture any questions on the Questions about Epidemics anchor chart. If a student has raised a more research-aligned question, note it and explain why it lends itself better to research (it is more open-ended and has more than one possible answer). Also, note that students should continue to raise specific questions about the text as well, because doing so helps with engagement and comprehension. Once students have generated new questions, ask them to reread the questions from previous excerpts to see if their reading in the text has answered any previous questions. Record student responses on the anchor chart.
  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.
  • N/A

B. Analyze Structure: Patient Zero, Pages 21–31 – RI.7.5 (20 minutes) 

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

“I can identify the structures Peters uses to organize pages 21–31 of Patient Zero.”

“I can explain how sections of Patient Zero contribute to the whole chapter.”

  • Draw students’ attention to the Text Structure anchor chart, and remind them that they will use this as a reference when analyzing the structure of the text. Remind students that authors often use different text structures to organize the sections of an informational text. Then ask students to flip through their copy of Patient Zero and Think-Pair-Share to grapple with the following questions:

“What are some text structures you have seen in Patient Zero thus far?” (narration, descriptive, explanatory, etc.)

“Why does Peters use so many different text structures?” (She has lots of different kinds of information to give about epidemics.)

“Why does the author interrupt the narration with new sections?” (She wants to explain certain ideas or events from the narrative.)

“How do the additional sections relate to the narration?” (They provide definitions or explanations of ideas or events from the narration.)

“How does using these different structures further the author’s purpose in the text?” (The author’s purpose is to help the reader deeply understand epidemics, so using these different structures helps her give many kinds of information about epidemics and also show the experiences of the people living through them.)

  • Confirm that Peters uses different text structures to convey different kinds of information: narration tells the story of the epidemic. Descriptive passages, explanatory or informational passages, and arguments in other sections add to our understanding of science and history related to the epidemics. The sections deepen our understanding of the narrative by providing definitions and explanations about certain aspects in the narrative.
  • Distribute the Patient Zero Lesson 4 note-catcher and the Patient Zero Lesson 4 note-catcher ▲ (as necessary). The differentiated note-catcher supports students in analyzing structures with a descriptive list of the different organizational structures and sentence starters. ▲ Reference the Patient Zero Lesson 4 note-catcher (answers for teacher reference) as needed.
  • Inform students that they will be participating in a Jigsaw activity to analyze the structure of this chapter, during which they will first discuss two sections of the text with a home partner and then switch partners to explain their learning and learn from each other.
  • Guide students through the Jigsaw protocol:
    1. Invite students to choose a partner.
    2. Assign each partner group one of two pairings of sections: 

      a) Option 1:  “New Knowledge, but No Cure” and “Unequal Treatment”

      b) Option 2: “A Perfect Pair: Cities and Disease” and “Finding Answers in Hong Kong”
    3. Inform students that they will fill in the relevant boxes for their two sections and then answer the question on the note-catcher.
    4. Allow time for students to reread their two sections of text, discuss them, and fill in the chart on the note-catcher.
    5. Circulate among students to offer extra support as necessary. Consider asking questions such as: “What kind of information is being given in this section? How is it organized?”
    6. Instruct students to move away from their home partnerships and work with another student who looked at the other set of sections.
    7. Instruct students to take turns explaining to their new partners which text structures they identified as well as how they filled in the chart.
    8. Students should take notes on their new partner’s sections in the chart and on the lines below the questions.
  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

For Lighter Support

  • In Work Time B, scaffold the Think-Pair-Share by recording the sentences on the board and encouraging students to reframe the questions to create sentence starters to support their peers who need heavier support, which clarifies students' own use of language and analysis of the text. If necessary, model doing so with the first question:

"Some text structures I've seen are . . . For example, on page . . ."

For Heavier Support

  • In Work Time B, scaffold the Think-Pair-Share by providing the sentence frames from student peers who need lighter support. Or, for even more support, provide selected responses in a sheet or on the board, allowing students to focus their cognition on text structure rather than language. For example, for the second and third questions:
    • She wants to tell lots of different information about epidemics.
    • She wants to make the reader feel as overwhelmed as the patients felt.
    • She wants to explain some of the important events or ideas in the story.
    • She wants the reader to understand how to become an epidemiologist.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Check for Understanding - RI.7.5 (5 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the practice selected and constructed response questions on their Patient Zero Lesson 4 note-catchers. Instruct students to work with their home partners from the Jigsaw activity to answer the selected response question regarding the pairing of sections they focused on for their original discussion, and if they feel they have sufficient understanding, for the other question as well. After partners have finished, ask for student volunteers to share the answers they chose and explain why they chose them.
  • Invite students to reflect on the habits of character focus in this lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.

For Lighter Support

  • In their constructed responses for Closing and Assessment A, students will likely use the language chunks “. . . showed (or other verb) . . . when/because he/she . . .” To deepen students’ understanding of language structures and their achievement on the unit assessments, record these frames on the board and invite volunteers to give examples that they might use to answer the constructed response question (e.g., Yersin showed perseverance when he kept investigating even though no one helped him. He also used his skills to help others because he wanted to solve the mystery.) Challenge students to work independently or in pairs to use these language chunks in their constructed responses.

For Heavier Support

  • During Work Time B and Closing and Assessment A, invite students to use the Patient Zero Lesson 4 note-catcher ▲. This resource supports students in analyzing structures with a descriptive list of the different organizational structures and sentence starters.

Homework

HomeworkLevels of Support

A. Determine Meaning of Unfamiliar Vocabulary 

  • Students use context and, if necessary, a dictionary to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in pages 21–31 of Patient Zero. Students then record the words and their definitions in the correct section of their vocabulary log.

B. Preread Anchor Text

  • Students preread pages 32–38 (up to “Know Your Enemy”) of Patient Zero in preparation for studying an excerpt from the chapter in the next lesson.

For Lighter Support

  • As in Lessons 2–3, provide students with the Synopsis: Patient Zero, Pages 32–38, and ask them to highlight and illustrate the synopsis after they have completed their prereading.

For Heavier Support

  • As in Lessons 2–3, provide students with the highlighted Synopsis: Patient Zero, Pages 32–38, and ask them to illustrate the synopsis before they complete their prereading.

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