Grade 9: Unit 1 Draft Scaffolds for ELLs
Developed by American Institute for Research (AIR)
Description of the First Unit
The review focuses on Unit 1, which is titled “Everything Was New, Exciting, and Interesting.” The 17-lesson
unit is intended to introduce students to the skills, practices, and routines they will use in the ELA classroom
throughout the academic year.
Additional Scaffolds for ELLs
With the appropriate scaffolds, the tasks developed in Unit 1 have the potential to develop grade-level skills and
knowledge in ELLs. Our suggestions for scaffolds apply to lessons 1, 5, 13, and 14.

Schema Development: As Shanahan (2013, p. 7)1 points out, “close reading of a text for which one lacks
the necessary background information required to understand it may not be a very productive process for
some learners because readers use their existing knowledge to determine importance, to draw inferences, to
elaborate text, and to monitor comprehension”. While providing schema and activating students’ prior
knowledge ahead of time can be helpful, Shanahan also cautions that pre-reading preparation be done
judiciously-the schema materials should not give away the meaning of the text and should be relevant to the
comprehension challenges the text poses. Moreover, text preparation should be as concise as possible
because the text itself should play the central role in reading.
Since ELLs will are unlikely to possess a level of background knowledge on par with fluent English
speakers, they will need additional support to comprehend the text used in Unit 1. At the beginning of lesson
1 for example, we provide a very short passage to acquaint ELLs with the concept of culture shock, which
would also teach ELLs the meaning of the word “stage” as it is used in context throughout the unit. In
addition, we suggest providing ELLs with a definition of epigraph and background information about the
behavior of wolves.

Close reading and academic language: While the curriculum does provide opportunities for close reading,
many ELLs will need a lot more support to help the understand text written in their home language. We
suggest providing more direct instruction and supports to assist ELLs in accessing the complex text used for
this unit.
Prior to the first reading of the first section of the text, we suggest that teachers pre-teach the meanings of
the words period, environment and culture. These words were chosen using the academic word list analyzer
indicating they appear frequently in secondary school texts. They are also crucial to understanding the text
and abstract which makes them candidates for direct instruction. We provide a glossary for other words that
are important to understanding the text but less abstract. We suggest that ELLs rewrite words that are
glossed in their journal. For homework they would be asked to complete a graphic organizer in which they
find an example from the text, provide a brief definition, write their own phrase using the word, and if
applicable indicate if the word is a cognate in the students’ home language.
1
Shanahan, T. (Fall, 2013). Letting the text take center stage. American Educator. Washington, DC: American Federation for
Teachers
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
Grade 9 Module 1, Unit 1 – 1
Using context to acquire word meanings is an important strategy (and is suggested in Unit 1) and we
recommend it. We suggest modeling how to use context to figure out word meanings through a series of
scaffolded steps that guide ELLs in this strategy. It important to keep in mind it might be less helpful for
ELLs than English proficient students because ELLs generally don’t have sufficient vocabulary to use
context clues to infer the meanings of unknown words. Teaching students to use digital dictionaries might
be a much more effective strategy.
In the first close reading in Lesson 1, we suggest focusing on the first three reading standards and using a
guiding question(s), supplementary questions, and partner talk. As an example, in Lesson 1 students would
read the guiding question (“Stage 1 is new, interesting, and exciting. What details in the text illustrate or
show this?”); work with a more proficient partner to answer seven supplementary questions that help them
answer the guiding question; and engage in discussion with their classmates and teacher to complete their
response to the guiding question. Additional scaffolding is provided to ELLs with lower levels of
proficiency through word banks and sentence frames.
Guiding questions for other lessons in the unit might be the following:
In what ways do the girls raised by wolves need to change their behavior in order to be accepted into the
culture at St. Lucy’s? (lesson 5);
How would you describe the characters at the beginning of the story? How do they change throughout the
story? What causes these changes?" (lessons 13 and 14).
We also recommend including an essential question at the unit level. A unit-level essential question could
be, "What are the consequences of adapting to a new culture?
We suggest that ELLs be given opportunities to review vocabulary they have learned. For example,
students could review vocabulary with partners using flash cards. They could review vocabulary by lesson
or in other ways such as by grammatical form or topic (see table below). The cards could have the
vocabulary word and picture on the front and on the back contain a definition, a first language translation,
an exemplary sentence, and questions that would engage the students in discussion about the words.
Expressions that Describe Animal
Behavior
pumping, frottage, howl, whimper, jaws
gaping open, lick your wounds, tongue lolling
out of the left side of my mouth, spraying
Expressions that Describe Human
Behavior
on two feet, shoes on feet, apologize, feed the
ducks, smile

Writing to sources: Students have opportunities to write during the lessons through the Quick Write.
However, the Quick Write prompts need to contain more scaffolding so that ELLs will be able to respond to
the prompts. For example, in Unit 1, Lesson 1, the Quick Write is: “What specific phrases or words reveal
the connections between the first paragraph of the story and the Stage 1 epigraph? Cite evidence from the
text in your response.” We suggest using graphic organizers and sentence frames for ELLs.

Structured opportunities to speak with a partner or smaller group: Many of the tasks in this unit
encourage students to work with a partner. We recommend that ELLs be paired with more proficient
English speakers. Additionally, there should be some initial training to assist pairs in working together.
There are several excellent resources that provide guidance related to academic conversations and activities
to help students acquire the skills they need to engage in these conversations (Zwiers & Crawford, 2011;
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
Grade 9 Module 1, Unit 1 – 2
Zwiers, 2008). Examples of skills include: elaborate and justify, support ideas with examples, build on
and/or challenge a partner’s ideas, paraphrase, and synthesize conversation points.
To assist ELLs, we recommend providing students with frames for prompting the skill. For example, for the
skill ‘elaborate and clarify’ frames for prompting the skill might be:
I am a little confused about the part ……; Can you tell me more about …? What do you mean by
…? Can you give me an example? Frames for responding might be: In other words …; It’s
similar to when ….; Could you try to explain it again?

Teacher modeling and explanation: Teacher explanation and modeling of thought processes, of the
manner in which lesson activities should be carried out, and of high quality responses will be particularly
beneficial for ELLs because explanation and examples enhance comprehension. We suggest explanation
and modeling be used to support students before they are struggling, with teachers clearly explaining each
task and modeling an expected student response. For example, in Lesson 5, students will be annotating text,
and the curriculum suggests that teachers model using the exclamation point to mark a part of the text that
was surprising. We suggest modeling all annotations that students will be using in their own texts. In Lesson
13, students are asked to analyze stages and write a summary of the stage. We suggest selecting one stage
for the class to analyze together before having the students divide into groups to complete the activity on
their own.

Graphic organizers: Graphic organizers are visual and graphic displays that present relationships between
facts, terms, and or ideas within a learning task. Types of graphic organizers include knowledge maps,
concept maps, story maps, cognitive organizers, advance organizers, and concept diagrams. Graphic
organizers support ELLs because they provide a means of displaying complex text succinctly and
graphically. We found four graphic organizers used in the unit, with two of them occurring in Lesson 13.
We suggest graphic organizers be used more frequently throughout the unit.

Additional support with homework: Students in Grade 9 (as well as all students in all grades) are
expected to engage in Accountable Independent Reading (AIR), “an expectation that all students find, read,
and respond to reading material written at their independent reading level.” In the case of ELLs, teachers
will need to assess students’ independent reading levels, make this information known to students, and show
students methods to find books of interest at their independent reading levels. We suggest collaboration
between ELA teachers, ESL or bilingual teachers, and school librarians so that ELLs have access to
appropriate texts for AIR. ELLs literate in their home language should be given opportunities to read in this
language, especially is the texts are the same as those used in the classroom or themed to those used in the
classroom.
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
Grade 9 Module 1, Unit 1 – 3
APPENDIX: Examples of Suggested Scaffolds
Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1
Grade 9
Text
“St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves”
by Karen Russell
Stage 1: the initial period is one in which everything is new, exciting, and interesting for your students. It is fun for your
students to explore their new environment. From the Jesuit handbook on Lycanthropic culture shock.
At first, our back was all hair and snarl and floor-thumping joy. We forgot the barked cautions of our mothers and fathers,
all the promises we’d made to be civilized and lady-like, couth and kempt. We tore through the austere rooms,
overturning dresser drawers, pawing through the neat piles of the stage 3 girls’ starched underwear, smashing lightbulbs
with our bare fists. Things felt less foreign in the dark. The dim bedroom was windowless and odorless. We remedied this
by spraying exuberant yellow streams all over the bunks. We jumped from bunk to bunk spraying. We nosed each other
midair, our bodies buckling in kinetic laughter. The nuns watched us from the corner of the bedroom, their tiny faces
pinched with displeasure.
2. Introduction to Close Reading
PCG Actions: Distribute copies of the text; ensure students note the author, title, and type of text; and lead a discusion
about close reading.
Additional Scaffolds for ELLs: In this section, the teacher introduces the book, author, and genre and helps students
understand what the title means by clarifying unfamiliar vocabulary through questions about particular words. The teacher
has students learn about the standards in the Introduction of Unit and Lesson Agenda section above.
Teacher Instructions for Students
The title of this piece is “Saint Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves.”
The author is Karen Russell. This is a short story, and it is fiction. [Explain fiction, short story.]
What is a home for girls?[Use student responses to guide them to the right definition.]
Look at the title carefully. What does it tell us about the girls? [They were raised by wolves.]
What does the word raised mean?
Think about girls raised by wolves? How do you think they might behave or act? [Accept all reasonable responses.]
Today we will read the first page of this story to find out.
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
Grade 9 Module 1, Unit 1 – 4
3. Initial Read Aloud
PCG Actions: Students listen and read along as the first section of the text is read aloud; students share thoughts with a
partner; and pairs report out to the class what they have understood from the text.
Additional Scaffolds for ELLs: Prior to reading, a guiding question should be posed to students. Following the reading,
the teacher should have students answer several questions in writing about the text to assess comprehension. For ELLs
with lower levels of proficiency, sentence frames and word banks can be provided. In the following recommended
guiding questions, important words are definted in context.
Teacher Instructions for Students
Guiding Question: The initial, or first, stage of acculturation is new, exciting, and interesting. What details in the text
illustrate, or show, this?
Pre-reading Assessment:
1. What word describes the pack’s initial, or first, feeling?
The pack felt full of _______________.
2. How did the pack’s parents tell them to behave?
They were told to be _______ and ___________, _________, and _____________.
3. Name two actions that showed they were excited.
They __________ through the rooms. They overturned ___________. They ________ through neat piles of underwear.
Guiding Question: The initial, or first, stage of acculturation is new, exciting, and interesting. What details in the text
illustrate, or show, this?
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
Grade 9 Module 1, Unit 1 – 5
4. Enhancing Schema Development
PCG Actions: None.
Additional Scaffolds for ELLs: This activity is additional for ELLs to provide them with the schema they need to
comprehend the text. It may be historical information presented through text or multimedia, graphics that help display
context related to a reading (e.g., map of the home of Anne Frank; diagram of the Washington Mall), or concept words
needed to make sense of the text. Below is a model of a schema development mini-lesson for culture shock. In this
passage, a brief activity is provided to familiarize students with the phrase culture shock. In doing this, it is also
recommended to teach the meaning of the word stage as it is used in this context. Students also would learn about wolves
(they live as packs) and the actions they might engage in (i.e., snarl, bark, paw, spray, and nose). The teacher also should
explain the meaning of epigraph. In literature, an epigraph is a phrase, quotation, or poem that comes at the beginning of
a document or part of a document. Some uses of epigraphs are as introductions or prefaces or as summaries. (In this
passage, what text is the epigraph?)
Schema Development
What is the passage about? [Anticipated response: The passage is about a home for girls
raised by
wolves.] In the story, we will be reading about the different stages of culture shock. Read the
passage
below with a partner and answer the questions to learn more about this topic.
WORD BANK
confusion, immigrates, excitement, mastery
GUIDING QUESTION(S): Usually, guiding questions are important, but they are not necessary for this text.
SCHEMA INFORMATION TEXT:
Culture shock is the disorientation or confusion a person may feel when
experiencing an unfamiliar way of life. Culture shock can occur, or happen,
when a person immigrates, or moves to a new country. Culture shock can
consist of four distinct, or different, stages: excitement, confusion, adjustment,
and mastery, or success at getting used to a new country.
(word – definition)
stages – steps in a process
excitement – strong feelings
confusion – poor understanding
adjustment – getting used to
something
QUESTIONS:
1. What is culture shock?
Culture shock is ______ when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life.
2. When can culture shock occur?
Culture shock can occur when a person ________ to a new country.
3. What is the first stage of culture shock?
The first stage of culture shock is ___________.
4. What is the last stage of culture shock?
The last stage of culture shock is ________________.
Partner Talk: If you have immigrated to the United States or have parents who immigrated to the United States, discuss
what it was like to experience an unfamiliar way of life. Do you think the experiences might be classified as ‘culture
shock’? If so, at what stages might you classify them?
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
Grade 9 Module 1, Unit 1 – 6
5. Acquiring and Using Vocabulary
PCG Actions: None.
AIR Comments: This activity is additional for ELLs. Students are pretaught words that are important for understanding
the text, frequent across content areas, and abstract. The words that will be pretaught in this lesson are based on text
analysis using the academic word list analyzer: period, environment, and culture. Extended instructional techniques are
used to teach these words. Other words are identified for instruction because they are frequent in the text and important
for understanding the text but tend to be less abstract. A glossary for these words is provided to students (see below). As
students encounter the words during close reading, they rewrite them in their journal. For homework, they are asked to
find examples from the text, draw pictures or provide brief definitions, and indicate if the words are cognates (for students
whose first language shares cognates with English). Prior to the close read, teachers also can read the text aloud (or have
students read the text with a partner) and give students opportunities to apply word-learning strategies they have learned
to figure out word meanings they may not know. It is important that students have versions of the text with glossed words
underlined.
Vocabulary Development: Your teacher will preteach several key words. As you read closely in the next section, you
will notice that there are some words that are underlined. You will find these words in your glossary. When you come to a
glossed word in the text, find it in your glossary, review the definition, and rewrite the word. When you have time after
this lesson, complete your glossary. Enter the phrase in the text that includes the target word. Draw a picture or write a
word or phrase to help you remember the new word. If you are a Spanish speaker, indicate whether the word is a cognate.
Word/Translation
Rewrite
English Definition
Example From Text
Picture or Is It a
the Word
Phrase
Cognate?
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
Grade 9 Module 1, Unit 1 – 7
6. Close Reading of the Text
PCG Actions: Students are instructed to reread the text and epigraph and draw boxes around unfamiliar
words; students are asked to find clues to the meanings of the words they have identified; students share
out words, and classmates provide definitions; students write words on sticky notes or their text; students
are asked to define lycanthropic culture shock based on the clues in the title and epigraph; students
answer scaffolding questions to help them figure out its meaning and share their responses with the class;
students are asked to define initial; students are asked to work in pairs to answer text-dependent
questions; they report out their answers; to summarize the close reading, students are asked to report on
something that was unclear during the first read but is clearer now.
Additional Scaffolds for ELLs: In working with ELLs, more direct instruction and support is provided
to enable students to make sense of text. A reading response chart that lists questions and provides spaces
for answers also is provided. During the close read, ELLs should be paired with more proficient partners.
For ELLs with emergent levels of proficiency, it would be beneficial to pair them with a bilingual partner
who is English proficient. First, the teacher poses a guiding question(s) about the text that aligns with
reading standards 1–3. Students work together to answer supplementary questions that will lead them to a
fuller comprehension of the text and to the answer to the guiding question(s). In partner work, students
each read the question to themselves and then work together to answer the question. Teachers discuss
student responses to the supplementary questions, and students correct their answers. Prior to answering
the guiding question in writing, the class discusses their answers as a group. After the discussion, students
enter their responses. Word banks and sentence frames are provided for ELLs with lower levels of
proficiency.
First Close Read: Key Ideas and Details
In this first close reading, you will be answering questions about the key ideas and details in the text.
Your teacher will read the guiding question. Read the guiding question to yourself and then work with a
partner to answer the supplementary questions. [For ELLs with lower levels of proficiency: Use the word
bank and sentence frames to complete your answers to the questions.] Your teacher will review the
answers with the class. Then, you will discuss the guiding question(s) with your teacher and the class.
Finally, you will complete the response to the guiding question(s).
WORD BANK Words to be inserted are those that complete the blanks below.
GUIDING QUESTION: Stage 1 is new, interesting, and exciting. What details in the text illustrate, or
show, this?
LESSON TEXT EXCERPT (see above)
Glossed Vocabulary (Suggestions)
epigraph, joy, cautions, couth, kempt,
overturn, smash, foreign, remedy,
bunks, displeasure
SUPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS:
1. What words describe the initial, or first, stage of culture shock?
The words that describe the initial phase of culture shock are _________, _________, and ____________.
2. During the initial stage, what is fun for students?
It is fun for them to _________their new ______________.
3. What word describes the pack’s initial feeling?
The pack felt full of _______________.
4. How did the pack’s parents tell them to behave?
They were told to be _______ and ___________, _________, and _____________.
Did they behave this way? ______
5. Name five actions that showed that they behaved differently.
They __________ through the rooms. They overturned ___________. They ________ through neat piles
of underwear.
6. Who was watching them?
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
Grade 9 Module 1, Unit 1 – 8
The ______ were watching them.
7. What word describes how they felt?
The word is ________________.
GUIDING QUESTION(S):
Stage 1 is new, exciting, and interesting. What details in the text illustrate, or show, this?
___________________________________________________________
Additional Scaffolds for ELLs: Following this close reading, students should be asked to read the
portion of the text on their own, locate any other words they would like to understand, and create any
additional questions they might have about the text. The teacher debriefs with the class and has students
help one another to define words and clarify passages. The teacher supports students as necessary.
Second Close Read: Self-Assessment
Close Reading 2
Now reread the passage once more. Star up to five words you still do not understand and write them in the
spaces below. Underline sections of the text that still confuse you and prepare questions about these
sections.
1. Write up to five words or phrases you still do not know:





2. Write questions for the sections of the text you still do not understand.
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
Grade 9 Module 1, Unit 1 – 9
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
Grade 9 Module 1, Unit 1 – 10
7. Quick Write: Preparing to Write
PCG Actions: None.
Additional Scaffolds for ELLs: An opportunity for students to complete a graphic organizer with a
partner should be included to help them write independently. To complete the graphic organizer, students
will have to find evidence from the text. For students with lower levels of proficiency, sentence frames
such as those below might be used. For students with more advanced levels of language development,
graphic organizers such as double webs or T-charts that target connections between the epigraph and the
first paragraph might be used.
Work with a partner to fill in the graphic organizer below. It will help you prepare for the
quick write. Refer to the text you have read to find the answers. Then, review your organizer
with your teacher.
Writing Prompt: What specific phrases and words reveal the connection between the epigraph and first
paragraph of the story?
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Reread the epigraph.
1. What words does the author use in the epigraph to describe the initial period? The author uses
the words ________, ____________, and __________.
Reread the first paragraph.
2. One phrase that describes the initial period is ________ _________ __________.
3. The students do things that indicate excitement. Name some of them.
They ________ through the rooms. They __________ the dressers. They ________from bunk to
bunk.
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
Grade 9 Module 1, Unit 1 – 11
8. Quick Write: Independent Writing
PCG Actions: The teacher introduces the quick write, shares the quick write question, and considers
sharing a model response that indicates how to cite evidence from text; students work together to
complete the quick write.
Additional Scaffolds for ELLs: Provide a graphic organizer and sentence frames for ELLs with lower
levels of proficiency. For ELLs with higher levels of proficiency, there may be sentence starters for each
section (introduction, evidence, and conclusion). ELLs proficient in a home language might be given an
opportunity to elaborate ideas in their home language and then work with a partner to translate them into
English.
Independent Writing
Work independently to write a response to the essay prompt in the space below. Be sure to use
evidence from the text to support your thoughts. Use your graphic organizer to help you fill in
the spaces.
Writing Prompt: What specific phrases and words reveal the connection between the epigraph and first
paragraph of the story?
[Introduction – Create a sentence starter for the introductory sentence.]
There are words and phrases in the _____________ that connect it to the ____________
_________________.
[Evidence – Provide a sentence frame that enables students to cite evidence from the text to support their
thoughts.]
In the epigraph, the author uses the following words to describe the first stage:
____________________________________________.
[Evidence – Provide a sentence frame that enables students to cite evidence from the text to support their
thoughts.]
In the first paragraph, the author uses the following words and phrases to show excitement:
___________________________________________________________________.
[Conclusion – Create a sentence starter for the conclusion.]
There is a connection between these sets of words because they both show ____________________.
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
Grade 9 Module 1, Unit 1 – 12