NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
10.1.2
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 2 • Lesson 4
Lesson 4
Introduction
In this lesson, students read and discuss pages 168–171 of “The Palace Thief” (from “I had come to this
job straight from my degree” to “my ‘Outline’ pressed against the inside of his garment”) in which the
narrator, Hundert, struggles to understand the events of the “Mr. Julius Caesar” competition and how
best to move forward in its aftermath. Students analyze the conflict the narrator experiences, and
explore how this conflict develops central ideas in the text. Student learning is assessed via a Quick
Write at the end of the lesson: How does the narrator’s description of the “Mr. Julius Caesar”
competition develop a central idea in the text?
For homework, students read pages 171–175 of “The Palace Thief” (from “‘Well, young man,’ I said,
knocking on the door frame” to “and trundled off to sit among his friends”). Students continue to use
the Central Ideas Tracking Tool to trace the development of central ideas in the text, box unfamiliar
words, and look up their definitions.
Standards
Assessed Standard(s)
RL.9-10.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over
the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific
details; provide an objective summary of the text.
Addressed Standard(s)
W.9-10.9.a
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.
a. Apply grades 9-10 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Analyze how an author
draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare
treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play
by Shakespeare]").
L.9-10.4.a
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases
based on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word's
position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
File: 10.1.2 Lesson 4, v2 Date: 5/26/15 Classroom Use: Starting 5/2015
© 2015 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
1
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 2 • Lesson 4
Assessment
Assessment(s)
Student learning is assessed via a Quick Write at the end of the lesson. Students respond to the
following prompt, citing textual evidence to support analysis and inferences drawn from the text.

How does the narrator’s description of the “Mr. Julius Caesar” competition develop a central idea
in the text?
High Performance Response(s)
A High Performance Response should:

Identify a central idea in the text (e.g., expectations).

Analyze how this central idea develops through the narrator’s description of the “Mr. Julius
Caesar” competition (e.g., The narrator’s description of the “Mr. Julius Caesar” competition
develops the central idea of expectations by demonstrating how competing expectations of self
and others shape events. Early in the passage, Hundert expresses his idealistic expectations for
himself stating that when he came to St. Benedict’s, he carried with him “the hope that I could give
to my boys the more important vision that my classical studies had given to me” (p. 168). However,
Hundert compromises these idealistic expectations when he follows his own ambition of “one day
becoming a headmaster” (p. 169) by choosing to follow Mr. Woodbridge’s orders to ignore
Sedgewick’s cheating. Hundert also feels “an inexplicable pity” for Sedgewick (p. 168) because of
the expectations Senator Bell has for his son. However, Hundert also realizes that Deepak’s
parents, too, have expectations for their son. In the end, Hundert finds himself torn by his
expectations for himself, Senator Bell’s expectations for his son, and Mrs. Mehta’s hopes for her
son.).
Vocabulary
Vocabulary to provide directly (will not include extended instruction)

myopia (n.) – condition of the eye that makes it difficult to see objects that are far away;
nearsightedness

begets (v.) – causes; produces as an effect
Vocabulary to teach (may include direct word work and/or questions)

coddled (v.) – treated tenderly; nursed or tended indulgently
File: 10.1.2 Lesson 4, v2 Date: 5/26/15 Classroom Use: Starting 5/2015
© 2015 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
2
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum

Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 2 • Lesson 4
deliberation (n.) – careful consideration before decision
Additional vocabulary to support English Language Learners (to provide directly)

din (n.) – loud, confusing mixture of noises that lasts for a long time
Lesson Agenda/Overview
Student-Facing Agenda
% of Lesson
Standards & Text:

Standards: RL.9-10.2, W.9-10.9.a, L.9-10.4.a

Text: “The Palace Thief” from The Palace Thief by Ethan Canin, pages 168–171
Learning Sequence:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Introduction of Lesson Agenda
Homework Accountability
Masterful Reading
Reading and Discussion
Quick Write
Closing
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
5%
10%
10%
55%
10%
10%
Materials

Student copies of the Central Ideas Tracking Tool (refer to 10.1.2 Lesson 2)—students may need
additional blank copies

Student copies of the Short Response Rubric and Checklist (refer to 10.1.1 Lesson 1)
Learning Sequence
How to Use the Learning Sequence
Symbol Type of Text & Interpretation of the Symbol
10%
no
symbol


Percentage indicates the percentage of lesson time each activity should take.
Plain text indicates teacher action.
Bold text indicates questions for the teacher to ask students.
Italicized text indicates a vocabulary word.
Indicates student action(s).
Indicates possible student response(s) to teacher questions.
File: 10.1.2 Lesson 4, v2 Date: 5/26/15 Classroom Use: Starting 5/2015
© 2015 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
3
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum

Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 2 • Lesson 4
Indicates instructional notes for the teacher.
Activity 1: Introduction of Lesson Agenda
5%
Begin by reviewing the agenda and the assessed standard for this lesson: RL.9-10.2. In this lesson,
students analyze an excerpt from “The Palace Thief,” focusing on how the narrator’s reflections on the
“Mr. Julius Caesar” competition develop central ideas in the text.
 Students look at the agenda.
Activity 2: Homework Accountability
10%
Instruct students to form pairs and share their additions to the Central Ideas Tracking Tool.
 See the Model Central Ideas Tracking Tool for possible student responses.
Lead a brief whole-class discussion of student responses.
Instruct student pairs to share and discuss the vocabulary words they identified in the previous lesson’s
homework.
 Students may identify the following words: myopia and begets.
 Differentiation Consideration: Students may also identify the following word: din.
 Definitions are provided in the Vocabulary box in this lesson.
Activity 3: Masterful Reading
10%
Have students listen to a masterful reading of pages 168–171 of “The Palace Thief” (from “I had come to
this job straight from my degree” to “my ‘Outline’ pressed against the inside of his garment”).
 Consider pausing several times during the masterful reading to allow students time to write down
initial reactions and questions.
 Students follow along, reading silently.
 Differentiation Consideration: Consider posting or projecting the following guiding question to
support students in their reading throughout this lesson:
File: 10.1.2 Lesson 4, v2 Date: 5/26/15 Classroom Use: Starting 5/2015
© 2015 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
4
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 2 • Lesson 4
To what extent does the narrator meet his own expectations?
Activity 4: Reading and Discussion
55%
Instruct students to form small groups. Post or project each set of questions below for students to
discuss. Instruct students to annotate for central ideas throughout the reading and discussion, using the
code CI.
 This focused annotation supports students’ engagement with W.9-10.9.a, which addresses the use
of textual evidence in writing.
Instruct student groups to read pages 168–170 (from “I had come to this job straight from my degree”
to “I could see the sheets of my ‘Outline’ pressed against the inside of his garment”) and answer the
following questions before sharing out with class.
How does the narrator’s description of his first days of teaching develop his expectations for himself
and his students (p. 168)?
 Student responses should include:
o
o
o
The narrator expresses the idealistic expectation that he will share with his students his own
love of learning. He says he carried with him “the hope that I could give to my boys the
more important vision that my classical studies had given to me” (p. 168).
The narrator expects himself to be a demanding teacher, noting, “I knew that [the boys]
responded best to challenge” (p. 168).
The narrator expects himself to share with his students the values he expressed to Senator
Bell when he talked about “the importance of character and high ideals” (p. 163).
 Differentiation Consideration: If students struggle, consider posing the following scaffolding
question:
Based on the narrator’s interview with Senator Bell described on page 163, what benefits does the
narrator see as the “important vision” (p. 168) that his classical studies gave him?
 The narrator believes that by studying the classical world, the boys will “understand the
importance of character and high ideals” (p. 163).
What does the narrator’s attitude towards coddling suggest about his teaching philosophy?
 The narrator’s belief that coddling makes boys “weak-minded” (p. 168) suggests that he believes
that the opposite of coddling should happen. The narrator believes in being strict with students,
even suggesting that the best teachers are “tyrants” (p. 168).
File: 10.1.2 Lesson 4, v2 Date: 5/26/15 Classroom Use: Starting 5/2015
© 2015 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
5
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 2 • Lesson 4
 Differentiation Consideration: If students struggle, consider asking the following scaffolding
question:
What words and phrases in this paragraph clarify the meaning of the word coddled?
 Student responses may include:
o Hundert explains that being coddled “holds [the students] back” (p. 168) so coddled must
mean something negative.
o
Hundert equates being coddled with being kept “in the bosoms of their mothers” (p. 168),
which indicates that coddled might mean being treated as a child.
 Consider drawing students’ attention to the application of L.9-10.4.a through the process of using
context to make meaning of unknown words.
What does the narrator’s “period of internal deliberation” (p. 168) suggest about his expectations for
himself?
 The narrator’s internal deliberation suggests that he expects himself to behave ethically, but he
also wants to act compassionately. The narrator expects himself to challenge the boys and does
not want to coddle them, but at the same time he feels an “inexplicable pity for the boy,” who,
like the narrator himself, “had suffered at the hands of his father” (p. 168).
 Differentiation Consideration: If students struggle, consider posing the following scaffolding
question:
What details in the text clarify the meaning of deliberation (p. 168) in this context?
 The phrase “internal deliberation” (p. 168) appears after the narrator realizes that Sedgewick
has been cheating but before the narrator acts. The narrator says, “I don’t know how long I
stood there” before deciding what to do (p. 168). Therefore, deliberation means “careful
consideration before decision.”
 Consider drawing students’ attention to the application of L.9-10.4.a through the process of using
context to make meaning of unknown words.
To what extent does Hundert meet his expectations of himself in his response to Mr. Woodbridge’s
order to ignore Sedgewick’s cheating?
 This is the first time the text uses the narrator’s name. From this point on, lessons will refer to the
narrator as “Hundert.”
 Student responses may include:
File: 10.1.2 Lesson 4, v2 Date: 5/26/15 Classroom Use: Starting 5/2015
© 2015 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
6
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
o
o
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 2 • Lesson 4
Hundert fails to meet his expectations for himself when he decides to obey Mr.
Woodbridge’s orders. Although he explains that he designed his room as “a tribute to the
lofty ideals of man” (p. 156) and says that he wants to teach his students to “temper their
ambition with humility” (p. 157), Hundert allows his own ambition to one day become
headmaster to influence his decision. Rather than risking his professional career, Hundert
agrees to stay silent and justifies Mr. Woodbridge’s order by saying that he understood “the
necessities of a boys’ school” (p. 169).
Hundert partially meets his expectations for himself; while he does not stand up for his
principles against Mr. Woodbridge, he does find a way to ensure that Sedgewick, who is
cheating, cannot win the competition by asking a question he knows only the best prepared
boy, Deepak Mehta, can answer.
How do parental expectations influence Hundert’s decisions during the “Mr. Julius Caesar”
competition?
 Student responses should include:
o
o
Knowing that Sedgewick’s parents are in the audience, Hundert says his “eye went instantly
to them” and when the crowd claps as the senator calls out, “That’s my boy!” (p. 169),
Hundert felt “the sudden, indefensible urge to steer the contest in young Sedgewick Bell’s
direction” (p. 170). Hundert’s awareness of the senator’s expectation that his son will win
the competition adds to Hundert’s desire to help Sedgewick win.
Hundert reports, “[T]he presence of [Deepak’s] mother … finally brought me to my senses”
(p. 170). It causes Hundert to ask a question that he knows only Deepak can answer so that
Deepak will win the competition. Hundert’s awareness of Deepak’s mother’s expectations
for her son, along with his knowledge that Deepak is the most deserving of the competitors,
overcomes his impulses to steer the contest in Sedgewick’s favor because of the senator’s
expectations and causes him to favor Deepak instead.
What are the “mighty forces” (p. 170) that Hundert believes influence Sedgewick?
 Student responses should include:
o
o
Hundert believes that Senator Bell, Sedgewick’s father, is one of the mighty forces that
influence Sedgewick. Hundert’s speculation follows Senator Bell’s departure from the
auditorium after Sedgewick loses the competition. Hundert’s earlier descriptions of Senator
Bell as “a tyrant” and Sedgewick as a boy “struggling gamely from beneath the formidable
umbra of his father” (p. 164) suggest that Hundert believes Senator Bell has caused
Sedgewick to cheat.
Hundert suggests that Sedgewick’s childhood experience of cheating during the “Mr. Julius
Caesar” competition is a force that influences his later adult decisions. While Hundert says it
File: 10.1.2 Lesson 4, v2 Date: 5/26/15 Classroom Use: Starting 5/2015
© 2015 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
7
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 2 • Lesson 4
is “historically inopportune to blame a life gone afoul on a single incident in childhood” (p.
169), he casts doubt on that statement and seems to regret not having followed his
principles by making Sedgewick’s cheating known publicly.
In the sentence, “However, I myself would have stood up for our principles,” how does Hundert’s use
of the word “However” change the meaning of his previous statement: “[I]t is historically inopportune
to blame a life gone afoul on a single incident in childhood” (p. 169)?
 The word “however” suggests that although Hundert did not act on his principles and did not
expose Sedgewick’s cheating, he regrets that decision and feels it contributed to Sedgewick’s
difficulties as an adult. He says he “would have stood up for our principles” if Mr. Woodbridge
had not threatened to fire him (p. 169), suggesting that if he had acted according to his
principles at the time, Sedgewick’s life might have been different.
Lead a brief whole-class discussion of student responses.
Activity 5: Quick Write
10%
Instruct students to respond briefly in writing to the following prompt:
How does the narrator’s description of the “Mr. Julius Caesar” competition develop a central idea in
the text?
Ask students to use this lesson’s vocabulary wherever possible in their written responses. Remind
students to use the Short Response Rubric and Checklist to guide their written responses.
 Students listen and read the Quick Write prompt.
 Display the prompt for students to see, or provide the prompt in hard copy.
Transition to the independent Quick Write.
 Students independently answer the prompt using evidence from the text.
 See the High Performance Response at the beginning of this lesson.
Activity 6: Closing
10%
Display and distribute homework assignment. For homework, instruct students to read pages 171–175
of “The Palace Thief” (from “‘Well, young man,’ I said, knocking on the door frame” to “and trundled off
to sit among his friends”) and continue to use the Central Ideas Tracking Tool to trace the development
of central ideas. Direct students to box any unfamiliar words and look up their definitions. Instruct them
File: 10.1.2 Lesson 4, v2 Date: 5/26/15 Classroom Use: Starting 5/2015
© 2015 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
8
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 2 • Lesson 4
to choose the definition that makes the most sense in context, and write a brief definition above or near
the word in the text.
 Students follow along.
Homework
Read pages 171–175 of “The Palace Thief” (from “‘Well, young man,’ I said, knocking on the door frame”
to “and trundled off to sit among his friends”) and continue to use the Central Ideas Tracking Tool to
trace the development of central ideas. Also, box any unfamiliar words and look up their definitions.
Choose the definition that makes the most sense in context, and write a brief definition above or near
the word in the text.
File: 10.1.2 Lesson 4, v2 Date: 5/26/15 Classroom Use: Starting 5/2015
© 2015 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
9
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 2 • Lesson 4
Model Central Ideas Tracking Tool
Name:
Class:
Date:
Directions: Identify the central ideas that you encounter throughout the text. Trace the development of
those ideas by noting how the author introduces, develops, or refines these ideas in the texts. Cite
textual evidence to support your work.
Text:
“The Palace Thief” by Ethan Canin
Page #
Central Ideas
Notes and Connections
Page 164
Expectations (the narrator’s
expectations of self)
The narrator’s decision to continue to cheat on
Sedgewick’s behalf by asking him easier questions in
the “Mr. Julius Caesar” competition might be
motivated by the ways in which Sedgewick’s success in
the competition contributes to his own success.
Sedgewick’s achievements help the narrator to fulfill
his own expectations of himself as a teacher who
inspires struggling students improve, or move “from
darkness into the light” (p. 164).
Pages 164–
165
Expectations (the narrator’s
expectations of self)
The narrator’s decision to change Sedgewick’s quiz
grade so that he is eligible to participate in the “Mr.
Julius Caesar” competition might be motivated by the
narrator’s desire to fulfill his own expectations of
himself as a teacher. The narrator’s description of
“those students who come, under one’s own direction,
from darkness into the light” as “the honeyed morsels
of a teacher’s existence” (p. 164) suggests that
Sedgewick’s rise from “poor student” (p. 159) to a
contestant in the prestigious “Mr. Julius Caesar”
competition reinforces the narrator’s belief that he is
achieving great things as a teacher.
Page 166
Expectations (the narrator’s
expectations of self)
The narrator reacts to Sedgewick’s hesitation at
answering a question by worrying about his own role in
Sedgewick’s failure, he “felt that it was I who had put
him in this untenable position, I who had brought a
tender bud too soon into the heat” (p. 166). The
narrator’s overwhelming feeling of responsibility for
Sedgewick’s apparent failure suggests that his own
expectations of himself as a teacher who helps boys
File: 10.1.2 Lesson 4, v2 Date: 5/26/15 Classroom Use: Starting 5/2015
© 2015 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
10
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 2 • Lesson 4
develop into better versions of themselves play a
crucial role in his response to Sedgewick’s struggle.
Pages 164,
167
Expectations (the narrator’s
expectations of Sedgewick)
The narrator’s decision to skew the “Mr. Julius Caesar”
competition in Sedgewick’s favor by asking him easier
questions, or giving him “an easier examination” (p.
167) results from his expectation that Sedgewick is not
as smart or capable as the other boys in the
competition because of the disadvantage of growing up
under the “formidable umbra of his father” (p. 164).
The narrator’s low expectation for Sedgewick convinces
him that he needs to cheat on Sedgewick’s behalf so
that Sedgewick can succeed.
Page 167
Expectations (the narrator’s
expectations of Sedgewick)
The narrator reacts to Sedgewick’s success with the
“sudden, heartening premonition” (p. 167) that
Sedgewick might win the competition. Hundert’s
surprise at Sedgewick’s success suggests that he
originally had low expectations of Sedgewick’s ability to
compete at the same level as the other students. It also
suggests that the narrator is beginning to expect more
of Sedgewick, because he starts to believe that
Sedgewick can win the competition.
Page 167
Expectations (the narrator’s
expectation of self)
The narrator reacts with “delight[]” (p. 167) at
Sedgewick’s success in the competition, and explains
“not only was he proving my gamble worthwhile, but
he was showing the twittering boys in the audience
that, under fire, discipline produces accurate thought”
(p. 167). The narrator’s focus on how Sedgewick’s
success validates his own questionable decision to
cheat on Sedgewick’s behalf, as well as proves to the
other students the effectiveness of the narrator’s
emphasis on discipline in his classroom, suggests that
his attitude towards Sedgewick’s success is shaped by
his own desire to be recognized as a successful teacher
who, as he explained to the senator earlier, can impart
“the importance of character and high ideals” (p. 163)
on his students.
Page 168
Expectations (the narrator’s
expectations of Sedgewick;
Sedgewick’s expectations of
self)
The narrator’s realization that Sedgewick is cheating
develops the idea of how the narrator’s expectations
influence Sedgewick’s actions. The narrator’s decision
to cheat on Sedgewick’s behalf is motivated both by his
low expectations of Sedgewick’s academic abilities and
File: 10.1.2 Lesson 4, v2 Date: 5/26/15 Classroom Use: Starting 5/2015
© 2015 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
11
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 2 • Lesson 4
his desire to fulfill his high expectations for himself as a
teacher who imparts upon his students “the
importance of character and high ideals” (p. 163).
Sedgewick’s decision to cheat suggests his need to
maintain his status as a leader among his classmates
and to escape “the formidable umbra of his father” (p.
164).
Page 169
Expectations
While Hundert wants to meet his own idealistic
expectations, he also wants to meet his professional
expectations and knows that disobeying Mr.
Woodbridge will destroy his chance of “one day
becoming a headmaster” himself.
Page 169
Expectations (parents’
expectations of children)
While wondering, “What kind of desperation would
lead a boy to cheat on a public stage?” Hundert’s eyes
go “instantly” to Sedgewick’s parents, establishing the
idea that the parents’ expectations may have caused
Sedgewick to cheat and that his parents have formed
Sedgewick’s character.
Page 170
Expectations (parents’
expectations of children)
Hundert, watching Senator Bell and his wife leave the
auditorium after Deepak Mehta wins the title of “Mr.
Julius Caesar,” says, “I had my first inkling then of the
mighty forces that would twist the life of that boy.”
Hundert’s observation suggests that Sedgewick’s
identity is shaped more by the “mighty forces” of his
powerful father’s expectations than anything else.
Page 171
Expectations (parents’
expectations of children)
Hundert says that losing the “Mr. Julius Caesar”
competition was the beginning of Sedgewick Bell’s
“lifelong pursuit of missed glory,” indicating his belief
that this single event was key to Sedgewick’s efforts
throughout his life to meet his father’s expectations.
File: 10.1.2 Lesson 4, v2 Date: 5/26/15 Classroom Use: Starting 5/2015
© 2015 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
12