English Language Arts Instructional Units
Overview of ELA units:
In partnership with the Institute for Learning, the Tennessee Department of Education is offering ELA
units in grades 4-12 as an optional resource for districts as they implement the Common Core State
Standards. These units teach students to read complex informational or fictional texts critically and to
respond through writing. Each unit focuses on a specific set of reading comprehension skills—such as
determining theme or analyzing argument structure—and a writing mode, such as argumentative or
narrative. Units are composed of multiple texts. For each text, a sequence of scaffolded tasks (inquirybased discussion or writing activities centered on text-dependent questions) guides students, through
gradual release of responsibility, toward reading independently. Units are aligned to the Common Core
State Standards for English Language Arts and feature detailed guidance for teachers on facilitating all
tasks and activities.
These units build on summer training by showing how the instructional shifts can be put into action.
They will also support teachers and students in preparing for the TCAP Writing Assessment and the
transition to PARCC. The writing tasks the TDOE will release this year will assess the same skills
emphasized in the units: comprehending complex texts, synthesizing evidence from multiple texts, and
writing in response to text.
Copyright:
These units have been purchased and licensed indefinitely for the exclusive use of Tennessee educators.
The texts featured in these units for Tennessee educators have been purchased for two years. Within
this time, Tennessee teachers may access the texts through a password protected website. All unit texts
may be printed and distributed to students or, in the case of videos, accessed and shown to students.
Obtainment of copyright permissions for some texts is still ongoing and rights will be added to texts
following acquisition. Texts that have not obtained copyright permissions include a citation that
describes which texts teachers should use for the unit.
Bias and sensitivity:
These units are peer-reviewed and have been vetted for content by district-level experts. However, it is
the responsibility of local school districts to review these tasks for bias before use in local schools.
Unit resources:
Texts for each unit can be found in the separate text packet. Units are also accompanied by user’s
guides created by Tennessee educators which provide a brief introduction to the unit as well as
guidance on placement and timing.
english
language arts
7
Grade
Analysis of Theme:
Degrees of Happiness
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
3
Unit Licensing
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© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Table of Contents 5
Table of Contents
Introduction
Overview
What is this unit about?........................................................................................................................... 9
What content will students learn?......................................................................................................... 9
How will students develop their skills and habits of reading, writing, and speaking?................ 10
What is the unit outline?........................................................................................................................ 10
Unit Outline......................................................................................................................................... 11
Common Core State Standards (CCSS)................................................................................. 12
Instructional Supports in the Unit
How does the unit support planning and implementation?............................................................. 14
How is it best to read and use the task pages?................................................................................. 15
How is each task organized and sequenced?................................................................................... 16
Why these task questions?................................................................................................................... 16
How long will it take to fully implement the unit?.............................................................................. 16
How does the unit provide support for English learners?................................................................ 16
How is writing supported in the unit?.................................................................................................. 17
What is our approach to vocabulary instruction?............................................................................. 17
Materials by Task................................................................................................................................ 19
Overarching Questions...................................................................................................................... 25
Introduction: Access Prior Knowledge
TASK 0.1: Access Prior Knowledge About Happiness...................................................... 29
TASK 0.2: Access Prior Knowledge About Theme.............................................................. 31
TEXT 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto
TASK 1.1: Comprehension............................................................................................................. 35
TASK 1.2: Figurative Meaning..................................................................................................... 37
TASK 1.3: Interpretation................................................................................................................. 42
TASK 1.4: Author’s Methods–Point of View.......................................................................... 44
TASK 1.5: Analysis–Theme............................................................................................................ 50
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
6 Table of Contents
TEXT 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard
TASK 2.1: Comprehension............................................................................................................ 57
TASK 2.2: Vocabulary....................................................................................................................... 60
TASK 2.3: Significance.................................................................................................................... 62
TASK 2.4: Interpretation................................................................................................................. 64
TASK 2.5: Author’s Method–Point of View and Theme.................................................... 66
TASK 2.6: Analysis–Theme Across Texts................................................................................. 70
TEXT 3: “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa TASK 3.1: Comprehension............................................................................................................ 79
TASK 3.2: Figurative Meaning–Allusions and Figures of Speech.............................. 81
TASK 3.3: Assessment 1................................................................................................................. 84
TEXT 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan TASK 4.1: Comprehension............................................................................................................ 93
TASK 4.2: Vocabulary....................................................................................................................... 95
TASK 4.3: Significance.................................................................................................................... 98
TASK 4.4: Interpretation............................................................................................................... 100
TASK 4.5: Assessment 2............................................................................................................... 102
Culminating Assessment
Analysis of Theme Culminating Assessment................................................................................... 111
StepBack Questions............................................................................................................................. 112
Appendix
Texts
Unit Texts................................................................................................................................................ 117
Obtaining Copyright Permission......................................................................................................... 118
Instructional Glossary............................................................................................................... 119
Instructional Resources
Reader/Writer Notebook..................................................................................................................... 127
Teacher Resource: Reader/Writer Notebook Suggested Feedback System.............................. 128
Pedagogical Rituals and Routines..................................................................................................... 129
Accountable Talk® Moves and Functions in ELA............................................................................. 130
Inquiry-Based Discussion................................................................................................................... 131
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
english
language arts
7
Grade
Introduction
Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Introduction 9
Overview
What is this unit about?
As you might have guessed from the title, this unit is about analyzing theme. Through engaging in the unit,
students learn to analyze how themes develop over the course of a text, including how particular elements,
like plot and character, interact to develop the theme as well as how a text’s structure (poem or prose)
contributes to its meaning. Students also learn how to write essays about their analyses of themes.
This unit is also about analyzing literary characterizations. Through the course of this unit, students deepen
their understanding of the methods used by authors to develop different characters’ perspectives.
In this unit, students will read, write about, and discuss two narrative poems and two short stories to
deepen their understanding of the following big questions:
• How do the themes develop in these texts?
• How do particular elements interact to develop a theme?
• What methods does an author use to develop and contrast points of view of different characters?
For their final assessment, students will read another narrative poem and short story and be given an ondemand task to write an essay that compares and contrasts how a common theme is developed in each of
the texts.
What content will students learn?
Students will expand their knowledge base about:
•
•
•
•
•
how various authors develop themes over the course of texts.
how various elements of a narrative interact to help develop theme.
how a text’s structure contributes to its meaning.
how various authors develop and contrast the points of view of different characters.
features of essays that provide an analysis of how a common theme develops over the course of
two different texts. Features include a statement of a valid theme, an analysis of the development of
the theme (with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient evidence), appropriate and varied transitions,
introduction, conclusion, and a formal style and objective tone.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
10 Introduction
How will students develop their skills and habits of reading, writing,
and speaking?
The unit provides instructional resources and questions that guide an inquiry approach to teaching.
Students engage as problem solvers and sense makers as they read, write, talk, and think about the texts
they are reading.
Each task students are asked to engage in includes an inquiry for them to answer and/or pursue. Students
are supported to develop skills and habits such as how to:
• comprehend complex poems and short stories with assistance and independently.
• develop, support, and defend text-based interpretations and arguments.
• analyze narrative poems and short stories for how characters’ perspectives are developed
and distinguished.
• determine themes and analyze how themes develop over the course of a text, including how elements
of a narrative interact to help develop theme.
• read and take notes from texts.
• study and use models of genres and determine how a text’s structure contributes to its meaning.
• participate in routines such as maintaining a Reader/Writer Notebook, completing Quick Writes, pair/
trio sharing of textual evidence, and whole group discussions on a text’s ideas and interpretations
of texts.
• value effort as a way to get smarter about reading, writing, listening, speaking, and research.
What is the unit outline?
On the next page, you’ll find the unit outline. This unit outline provides a one-page snapshot of the major
work that students will engage in over the course of this unit. The outline shows what students will do,
while the pages that follow the unit outline show how students will engage in that work.
The unit outline lists the unit’s overarching questions, texts, tasks, and culminating assessment. The unit
outline is meant to be read horizontally and vertically. The horizontal work represents the work that students
do across texts. For example, the overarching questions reach across all the texts in the unit and students
are asked to engage with work that will deepen their understanding to these questions with all the texts in
the unit.
The vertical work shows the tasks or questions in which students will engage with a text. As you read,
notice how the tasks in the vertical rows are designed to build on each other and engage students in
evolving, challenging work. Notice too how the tasks are designed to give students multiple opportunities
with each text to engage in key tasks aligned to the CCSS.
At the bottom of the page, you’ll find the unit’s culminating assessment. Students are asked to read two
texts independently and use the knowledge, habits, and skills they gain over the course of the unit and apply
them to these texts. Notice how the tasks within and across texts are designed to prepare students for the
culminating assessment.
Each unit task on the unit outline is represented by a question or set of questions preceded by two numbers.
The first number references a unit text and the second number references the task number for that text. For
instance, Task 1.2 uses Text 1, “Oranges,” and is the second task for this text.
Unit
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Introduction 11
Unit Outline
Overarching Questions
• What do these texts reveal about the idea of happiness and the complexities of discovering it?
• How do writers of narrative poems and stories develop themes and characters’ perspectives?
INTRODUCTION
0.1 Access Prior
Knowledge About
Happiness
What is an idea? What
are different meanings
of happiness?
0.2 Access Prior
Knowledge About
Theme
What is a theme? How
are themes developed
in a literary text?
TEXT 1
“Oranges”
by Gary Soto
TEXT 2
“The Chase”
by Annie Dillard
TEXT 3
“Happiness”
by Yusef
Komunyakaa
TEXT 4
“Two Kinds”
by Amy Tan
1.1 Comprehension
What is happening?
Who is the narrator and
what do we know about
him? Who are the other
characters and what do
we know
about them?
1.2 Figurative Meaning
What are examples
of personification and
similes in the poem
“Oranges”? What do
the examples spark in
your imagination as a
reader?
1.3 Interpretation
Who is happy in the
poem “Oranges”
and why?
1.4 Author’s Methods Point of View
How does Soto
develop and contrast
the characters’
perspectives?
1.5 Analysis Theme Across Texts
What are other themes
in the poem “Oranges?”
How are those themes
developed? How do the
characters and the plot
of the poem interact
to help develop
the theme?
2.1 Comprehension
What is happening
in the order that it is
happening? Who are the
characters and what do
we know about them?
2.2 Vocabulary
Identify unknown
words. What do the
words mean? How do
you know? How do
these words function in
context of “The Chase”?
2.3 Significance
Select and explain three
moments that strike you
as significant to the plot
of “The Chase.”
2.4 Interpretation
Why does the man keep
chasing the kids?
2.5 Authors’
Methods - Point of
View & Theme
How does Dillard
develop and
contrast characters’
perspectives about
happiness? How do the
characters and plot of
“The Chase” interact to
help develop theme?
2.6 Analysis Theme Across Texts
What is another
common theme in
both “The Chase” and
“Oranges”? Compare
and contrast how that
theme is developed in
each text.
3.1 Comprehension
What is happening?
Who is the narrator and
what do we know about
him? Who are the other
characters and what do
we know about them?
3.2 Figurative Meaning
What are examples of
figures of speech and
allusions in the poem
“Happiness”? What do
the examples spark in
your imagination as
a reader?
3.3 Assessment 1
Identify one of the
themes in “Happiness”
and write a multiparagraph essay in
which you analyze in
detail how the theme is
developed in
the poem.
4.1 Comprehension
What is happening
in the order that it is
happening? Who are
the characters and
what do we know
about them?
4.2 Vocabulary
Identify unknown
words. What do the
words mean? How do
you know? How do
these words function in
the context of
“Two Kinds”?
4.3 Significance
Select and explain one
moment that strikes you
as significant to “Two
Kinds.”
4.4 Interpretation
Who is deaf in
the story?
4.5 Assessment 2
Identify a theme that
“Two Kinds” and
“Happiness” have in
common, and then
write an essay in which
you analyze in detail
how the theme is
developed in each text.
Preparing for Culminating Assessment
What is happening in each text? Who are the characters in each text and what do we know about them?
Culminating Assessment
Identify one of the themes that these two texts -“Snow” by Julia Alvarez and “The Bridge” by Maurice Kilwein Guevara, have in common.
Then write an essay in which you analyze in detail how the theme is developed in each of the texts. In your analysis, be sure to explain how
particular elements of the text interact to develop the theme. Be sure to support your analysis with clearly explained textual evidence from both
of the texts. Your essay should be written for an audience who is familiar with the texts and follow the conventions of standard English.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
12 Introduction
Common Core State Standards1 (CCSS)
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards For:
Reading (p. 35)
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite
specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key
supporting details and ideas.
3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative,
and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the
text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the
grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Writing (p. 41)
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and
accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience.
5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time
frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking and Listening (p. 48)
1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse
partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
1
Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) & National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center). (2012). Common core state standards for
English language arts & literacy in history/social studies, science and technical subjects. (pp. 35, 38, 41, 45-48, 50-51, 54-55).
Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Introduction 13
Language (p. 51)
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make
effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context
clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as
appropriate.
5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases
sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level;
demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase
important to comprehension or expression.
Notes
• The grade-level standards that are addressed are provided at the end of each task.
Standards that are aligned only to the differentiated options are indicated in the call-out
boxes for each option.
• For standards where there is partial alignment, the underlined words and phrases indicate
the part of the standard to which the task is aligned.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grades
AnalysisofofTheme:
Theme:Degrees
DegreesofofHappiness
Happiness
Grade 7:7:Analysis
14 Introduction
Instructional Supports in the Unit
How does the unit support planning and implementation?
The unit provides teacher-friendly features such as:
• a unit outline that provides a one-page snapshot of the major work in which the students will engage
during the course of the unit.
• texts that are fully identified in the Text section of the unit.
• tasks with identified learning targets and goals (overarching questions, open-ended questions, textbased questions, and College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards with matching
grade-level CCSS).
• different teaching approaches, each organized into pedagogical routines that describe what students
will be doing as learners. The options for teaching approaches allow the teacher to plan lessons to
meet the need of individual students and the whole class.
• specific means of support – for example, task questions, recommended pedagogical routines with
explanations – are provided with each lesson.
• chart titles, resources, and handouts that are listed in one table in the unit introduction to make it easy
to organize materials.
• a copy-ready culminating assessment.
• a teacher’s instructional glossary with explanations of terms that is provided in the “Instructional
Glossary” section of the unit.
• instructional tools relevant to this unit that are explained in the “Instructional Resources” section
of the unit.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Introduction 15
How is it best to read and use the task pages?
Each task on the unit outline has several pages dedicated to it in the pages of the unit that follows. Each
task has an overview page that’s similar to the first example or box below and a series of pages with
different teaching options that’s similar to the second example or box.
Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto 35
Comprehension
•
•
•
TASK
1.1
What is happening?
Who is the narrator and what do we know about him?
Who are the other characters and what do we know about them?
The task(s) or question(s)
corresponds to the task(s)
or question(s) as listed on
the unit outline.
Texts and Materials
•
•
•
The task number (e.g., 1.1)
and title (e.g., Comprehension)
correspond to the number and
title on the unit outline.
“Oranges” by Gary Soto8
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Whole Group—Shared Reading
Tell students that you will be reading the poem aloud to them as they follow along on their copy. Explain
that they are to actively follow along, using the following questions to guide their comprehension:
•
•
•
What is happening?
Who is the narrator and what do we know about him?
Who are the other characters and what do we know about them?
Individual Work
Ask students to compose a Quick Write in response to the comprehension questions. Remind students to
use textual evidence to support their responses.
Pair or Trio Work
The materials needed for
each task are clearly marked. The text and author
are clearly marked.
Students share their Quick Writes with a partner or in groups of three.
Whole group
Lead a discussion of the answers to the comprehension questions. When necessary, prompt students to use
textual evidence to support their responses.
8
Following the task overview
are several pages that
provide the teaching
approach for the task.
Soto, G. (1995). Gary Soto: New and selected poems (pp. 72-74). San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
36 Text
1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grades 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
1.1
Teaching Option – Small Group Tutorial: If students need additional support, use
the teaching approach above but do so with small groups of students or with a particular group
of students that you believe would benefit from a greater degree of attention and support. As
an alternative, you may also wish to revisit this text with specific small groups. It is important
for students to engage individually in the Quick Write and talk with students about whatever
they were able to write. You could determine after you read their writing what might be helpful
to model to expand their understanding and support their skills development.
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36, 44, 49)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Call-out boxes provide
teaching options for both
student interest and additional
scaffolded support.
The call-out box at the end
of each task provides the
CCSS grade-level standards
to which the teaching
approach is aligned.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
16 Introduction
How is each task organized and sequenced?
Each task is intended to scaffold student learning through the use of pedagogical routines such as teacher
modeling (as needed), individual Quick Writes with teacher support, partner/trio sharing, or whole group.
The routines assist learners toward fully independent engagement and completion of tasks. The pedagogical
routines, which signal the level of scaffolding for tasks, are highlighted through the use of bold print.
There are teaching options described within tasks. They provide teachers with several instructional
methods, so that the content and pedagogy can be differentiated between classes and within a class.
Why these task questions?
The questions have been carefully developed and reviewed to support students’ engagement with the text
or texts under study. Changing the language of a question can diminish or increase the thinking work that
students need to do with a question. The questions follow a sequenced pattern from initial comprehension
work with a text to more difficult analytical work. This sequence has also been developed and reviewed
carefully to support the lesson’s learning goal which links to the unit’s larger learning goals. Changing the
questions can change the unit’s intent and purposefulness. As part of fully supporting students to answer
the questions, provide them in writing as well as provide them orally. Students can then see and refer back
to a question at any time during completion of the task.
How long will it take to fully implement the unit?
It will take approximately five to six weeks to implement this set of lessons. These lessons are designed to
be implemented sequentially to support students to achieve the instructional goals. As such, the pacing of
the lessons should depend on the time students need to achieve these goals.
How does the unit provide support for English learners?
Support for English learners is provided within the lessons in a number of ways. Students learn new
information in manageable segments, which are sequenced to build on existing knowledge of language and
genre and explicitly relate to the overarching questions and core concepts of the unit. Students revisit new
learning a number of times. For example, students read texts multiple times, each time with a new purpose
and using a scaffold appropriate to the purpose and the text.
In this way of working, the first time students read a text it is for literal comprehension and to make overall
sense of the text. It is only after students have comprehended a text’s basic plot and information about
characters that they read the text again for a new purpose. Given their basic comprehension, students are
more ready to analyze the development of the characters and themes.
Talk is an essential part of this unit and students’ development of spoken academic language is fostered
through routines of discussion. Please see the “Accountable Talk®2 Moves and Functions in ELA” in the
“Instructional Resources” section of the unit. The tool offers practical guidelines and exemplars on how to
promote and deepen students’ talking to learn and to expand their thinking with powerful facilitation moves.
Students are given multiple opportunities to practice using the language in purposeful ways with effective
feedback. To help English learners, as well as other students, students are often asked to share in pairs or
trios before being invited to share with the large group. This allows students to practice and gain confidence
sharing their responses with one or two students before doing so with the whole group.
2
Accountable Talk® is a registered trademark of the University of Pittsburgh.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Introduction 17
How is writing supported in the unit?
Throughout the unit, students will practice writing to learn, using a Reader/Writer Notebook to complete
Quick Writes, take and make notes, and otherwise record their work. As they move through the sequence
of tasks, students will use their new understanding about what makes an effective analysis of theme
essay plus their writing in their Reader/Writer Notebooks to write analyses of themes. Please see the
“Instructional Resources” section of the unit for information about setting up Reader/Writer Notebooks with
students as a daily routine.
Students benefit from reading and deconstructing models of the genre in which they will be writing.
Models allow students to examine and talk about the language, subject, and organizational choices other
writers have made to construct their analyses of themes so that those choices become explicit. Teachers
use exemplar pieces with students so they can talk about the choices those writers made. Highlighting
or bringing students’ attention to how authors make meaning and use methods can help students see
examples that they can use in their own writing. Being explicit about the grammatical choices writers make
can aid student writers in recognizing and using the variety of choices available to them.
What is our approach to vocabulary instruction?
There are at least three different contexts to consider when thinking about vocabulary instruction: during
shared reading, during independent reading, and during other times in the ELA block/period/week.
During a First Reading When the Focus is Comprehension and the Context is
Shared Reading
At some point, in all of our units, you will be guided to lead students in a close reading of at least a portion
of text or in some cases a whole text, in a guided reading context. You are encouraged to identify those
words in the text that may be unfamiliar to your students and that are essential to comprehension of the
text and for each of these words to provide a short, student-friendly definition during the reading. (Collins
COBUILD English Learner’s Dictionary, 20123).
The idea here is to provide just enough information (when it is needed and not before) about the new words
so that students maintain the flow of ideas and can continue their focus on understanding the central ideas
in the text. You will need to analyze the text carefully in advance to identify such words. In some cases,
these words have been pointed out in the unit, but you may need to add to the words we have identified
and write or find your own student-friendly definition. Coxhead has identified a list of 570 academic word
families that consist of words that occur with frequency across a number of academic content areas in
academic texts. This list can be a resource in deciding which words are most worthy of attention
(Coxhead, 20004).
3
Collins Language (Ed.) (2012). Collins COBUILD English learner’s dictionary. Glasgow, UK: HarperCollins Publishers.
Coxhead, A. (2000). A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly, 34 (2): 213-238.
4
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
18 Introduction
During a First Reading When the Focus is Comprehension and the Context is
Independent Reading
When reading texts independently, students are likely to encounter a range of words with which they are
unfamiliar. They may or may not be able to discern which of these words are essential to understanding the
text and which are not. In this situation we recommend that students use one of three approaches to figure
out the meaning of the word:
1. Analyze the word to see if they are familiar with the meaning of any part of it or another form of it
(e.g., decide versus decision);
2. Look for context clues, such as definitions within the sentence/paragraph; or If these approaches fail,
continue reading to see if they can make sense of the passage without this particular word.
3. If these approaches fail, continue reading to see if they can make sense of the passage without this
particular word.
During Language Arts Instruction at Other Times during the
ELA Block/Period/Week
Vocabulary is a critically important part of supporting students to understand what they read. The vocabulary
work within these units is not meant to replace a district’s robust vocabulary instructional program, but rather
to be an important part of it. Typical vocabulary instruction that asks students to look up words in a dictionary
and use them in a sentence has been demonstrated to be ineffective and, at its worst, may turn students
off and diminish an interest in learning new words (Snow, Lawrence and White, 20095). More powerful
approaches include providing repeated exposure to a word in varied contexts; providing opportunities and
encouragement to use the word in speaking and writing; encountering the word in the context of motivating
texts (rather than in a word list); providing explicit instruction in the word’s meaning (such as through
student-friendly definitions); and through explicit instruction in using word-learning strategies such as
morphological analysis, cognate use and learning multiple meanings (Snow, Lawrence and White, 2009).
For examples of robust vocabulary instruction and programs, see “Word Generation” by the Strategic
Education Research Partnership (http://wg.serpmedia.org/) (for free materials, email them at wordgen@
serpinstitute.org); Rev it Up! (2007) by Steck Vaughn; and Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary
Instruction by Beck, McKeown & Kucan, 2002, 20136).
Additional Comments
You should decide if talking about a particular word or phrase before reading a text would better support
your students to establish essential prior knowledge. There are times when this is useful and necessary,
e.g., for English language learners and for students with special needs. However, as a rule, we encourage
you not to front load vocabulary and instead to give student-friendly definitions right within the text as it is
needed for comprehension. We also discourage asking students to provide definitions of unfamiliar words
encountered during shared reading. Guessing is likely to distract from comprehension rather than enhance it.
Research suggests that it takes many repetitions with a new word before it truly becomes part of a student’s
repertoire (Beck & McKeown, 2002). Students will have many and varied opportunities to incorporate these
new words into their spoken vocabulary and writing as a result of repeated use by you, the teacher, and by
fellow students throughout the sequence of lessons in these units. You may also want to utilize techniques
such as building a word wall on which you post new vocabulary words and to which your students
contribute as they discover new words during their reading. Finally, verbally marking when students use
any of the newly acquired words in their speaking or writing will encourage other students to show off their
newly acquired vocabulary.
Snow, C., Lawrence, J. F. & White, C. (2009). Generating knowledge of academic language among urban middle school students. Journal of Research on Educational
Materials
Effectiveness, 2: 325–344. by Task
5
6
Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G. & Kucan, L. (2002, 2013). Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Introduction 19
Materials by Task
Task
Materials
0.1
•
•
•
•
Chart: What Is an Idea?
Chart: Happiness
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper
0.2
• Chart: Theme
• Reader/Writer Notebook
• Chart paper
1.1
• “Oranges” by Gary Soto
• Reader/Writer Notebook
1.2
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Oranges” by Gary Soto
Chart: Figurative Language: Simile and Personification
Handout: Simile and Personification Graphic Organizer
Handout: Simile and Personification Graphic Organizer Model – Option 2
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper
1.3
•
•
•
•
“Oranges” by Gary Soto
Chart: Our Class Goals for Inquiry-Based Discussion
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper
1.4
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Oranges” by Gary Soto
Chart: Character’s Perspective
Handout: Character’s Perspective Graphic Organizer
Handout: Character’s Perspective Graphic Organizer Model for Option 2
Chart: Happiness
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper
1.5
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Oranges” by Gary Soto
Chart: Happiness
Chart: Theme
Chart: Character’s Perspectives
Chart: Analysis of Theme: Happiness
Chart: Identifying and Analyzing Themes
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper
2.1
•
•
•
•
“The Chase” by Annie Dillard
Chart: Sequence of Events
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart Paper
2.2
•
•
•
•
“The Chase” by Annie Dillard
Handout: Vocabulary Concept Map
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart Paper
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
20 Introduction
Task
Materials
2.3
•
•
•
•
“The Chase” by Annie Dillard
Chart: Significant Moments from ‘The Chase’
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper
2.4
•
•
•
•
“The Chase” by Annie Dillard
Chart: Our Class Goals for Inquiry-Based Discussion
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper
2.5
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“The Chase” by Annie Dillard
Handout: Character’s Perspective Graphic Organizer
Chart: Characters’ Perspectives
Chart: Analysis of Theme: Happiness
Chart: Happiness
Chart: Identifying and Analyzing Theme
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper
2.6
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“The Chase” by Annie Dillard
“Oranges” by Gary Soto
Chart: Theme
Chart: Characters’ Perspectives
Chart: Identifying and Analyzing Theme
Chart: Analysis of Theme: Happiness
Chart: Characteristics of Effective Expository Essay
Handout: Model Essay – Block Format – Option 1
Handout: Model Essay – Point-by-Point Format – Option 1
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper
3.1
• “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa
• Reader/Writer Notebook
• Chart paper
3.2
•
•
•
•
•
“Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa
Chart: Figurative Language: Allusion and Figures of Speech
Handout: Allusion and Figures of Speech Graphic Organizer Model
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Introduction 21
Task
Materials
3.3
• Sessions 1-3: Text 3: “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa
• Handout: Scoring Rubric (See PARCC or SMARTER Balanced for Rubrics
Session 1:
• Handout: Assessment 1
• Chart: Theme
• Chart: Identifying and Analyzing Themes
• Chart: Characteristics of an Effective Explanatory Essay
• Chart: Character’s Perspectives
• Chart: Happiness
Session 2:
• Handout: Copies of students’ papers from assessment
• Handout: Teacher-selected effective student papers
Session 3:
• Handout: Students’ papers with teacher feedback and students’ self
assessments
4.1
• “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
• Reader/Writer Notebook
• Chart paper
4.2
•
•
•
•
4.3
• “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
• Reader/Writer Notebook
• Chart paper
4.4
• “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
• Reader/Writer Notebook
• Chart paper
4.5
Sessions 1-3:
• Text 3: “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa
• Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
• Handout: Scoring Rubric (See PARCC or SMARTER Balanced for Rubrics)
Session 1:
• Handout: Assessment 2
• Chart: Theme
• Chart: Identifying and Analyzing Themes
• Chart: Characteristics of an Effective Explanatory Essay
• Chart: Character’s Perspectives
• Chart: Happiness
Session 2:
• Copies of students’ papers from assessment
• Teacher-selected effective student papers
Session 3:
• Students’ papers with teacher feedback and students’ self-assessments
Culminating Assessment
•
•
•
•
•
“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
Handout: Vocabulary Concept Map
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper
“Snow” by Julia Alvarez
“The Bridge” by Maurice Kilwein Guevara
Loose-leaf paper
Handout: Culminating Assessment
Handout: Scoring Rubric
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
22 Introduction
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
english
language arts
7
Grade
Overarching Questions
Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Overarching Questions 25
Overarching Questions
Grade 7
Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
• What do these texts reveal about the idea of happiness and the complexities
of discovering it?
• How do writers of narrative poems and stories develop themes and
characters’ perspectives?
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
26 Overarching Questions
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
english
language arts
7
Grade
Introduction:
Access Prior Knowledge
Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASKS, TEACHING APPROACHES, AND STANDARDS
Introduction: Access Prior Knowledge 29
Access Prior Knowledge
About Happiness
• What is an idea?
• What are different meanings of happiness?
Materials
•
•
•
•
Chart: What Is an Idea?
Chart: Happiness
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Whole group
Explain to students that throughout the unit they will be examining, discussing, and becoming smarter about
the idea of happiness, the degrees of happiness, and how happiness is revealed in poems and short stories.
They will begin by thinking about what ideas they already have about happiness.
Individual Work—Quick Write
Students do a Quick Write in response to the following question:
• What is an idea?
Teaching Option: If students struggle with explaining or defining an idea, ask them for
examples of ideas. If they are still struggling to voice a definition, provide an example of an
idea or ask them to consult a dictionary for examples and definitions.
Trio work
Explain that today they will be thinking about the idea of happiness. Ask students to get into groups of
three. Give each group a question about happiness from the list below. Ask students to discuss and take
notes in response to the question, using evidence from texts and their own lives and experiences to support
their responses (about 10 minutes):
•
•
•
•
•
•
What is happiness?
What are different meanings of happiness?
What are different degrees of happiness?
How do we discover happiness?
What is the opposite of happiness?
How do authors reveal characters’ perspectives about happiness? (Bridge to Texts)
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grades
Grade 7:7:Analysis
AnalysisofofTheme:
Theme:Degrees
DegreesofofHappiness
Happiness
TASK
0.1
30 Introduction: Access Prior Knowledge
TASK
0.1
Whole group
Since questions are closely related, engage students in a discussion on the questions generally, rather than
asking each group to share their answers. As discussion winds down, ask students:
• Based on our discussion, what can you say about the idea of happiness?”
Chart and display responses on chart entitled, “Happiness.” Explain that the charts will be displayed for the
duration of the unit. Explain that the class will add to them as they deepen their understanding of the idea of
happiness and how it is discovered.
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 44, 49)
Writing
W.7.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms
effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and
conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grades
Grade 7:7:Analysis
AnalysisofofTheme:
Theme:Degrees
DegreesofofHappiness
Happiness
Introduction: Access Prior Knowledge 31
Access Prior Knowledge
About Theme
• What is a theme?
• How are themes developed in a literary text?
Materials
• Chart: Theme
• Reader/Writer Notebook
• Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Whole Group
Access students’ prior knowledge about theme by asking the following questions. Chart and display
responses on chart entitled, “Theme.”
• What are we talking about when we refer to the themes in a text?
• What are some themes from other texts we have read?
• How are themes developed in a literary text?
Teaching Option – Pair Work to Create Responses: The whole group work above
may also be done as pairs to create responses to the three questions. Provide students with
time to work together to craft their responses and then lead a discussion of the questions with
the whole group. Chart and display responses on the chart titled “Theme.”
Whole Group
Based on what students are able to say in the previous discussion, provide a short mini-lesson on theme.
A mini-lesson might include providing a student-friendly definition of theme (e.g., central idea(s) the author
develops; what the author is saying about life, society, human nature); clarifying differences among theme,
topic, and moral; discussing themes in movies or books with which students are familiar; and talking about
the interpretive nature of theme (i.e., there is no one right theme; themes are readers’ interpretations that
are supported with evidence from the text; most complex literary narratives hold more than one theme that
can be supported with textual evidence from across the text).
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grades
AnalysisofofTheme:
Theme:Degrees
DegreesofofHappiness
Happiness
Grade 7:7:Analysis
TASK
0.2
32 Introduction: Access Prior Knowledge
TASK
0.2
Note to Teacher: A theme is best expressed as a full sentence, rather than as a single
word. Students are usually able to provide a single word topic for a text but will need
instruction and practice on developing theme statements.
• “Unhappiness” is a topic not a theme. A theme statement about unhappiness might be
something like: “Sometimes what a person fears in others is really what he/she fears
in him/herself.”
• “Perseverance” is a topic not a theme. A theme statement about perseverance might be
something like: “Giving 100% effort to what we do makes life worth living.” Becoming a good, critical reader involves more than close and careful reading. It also means
being able to think about and analyze what’s on the page to think beyond the topic or events
of the story toward the meanings and larger ideas the author is talking about. In this way,
thinking about a text’s possible themes helps us to answer the questions “what did I learn
from this?” or “what is the writer trying to say to me?”
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 49)
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing
their own clearly.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grades
AnalysisofofTheme:
Theme:Degrees
DegreesofofHappiness
Happiness
Grade 7:7:Analysis
english
language arts
7
Grade
Text 1: “Oranges”
by Gary Soto
Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASKS, TEACHING APPROACHES, AND STANDARDS
Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto 35
Comprehension
• What is happening?
• Who is the narrator and what do we know about him?
• Who are the other characters and what do we know about them?
Texts and Materials
• “Oranges” by Gary Soto7
• Reader/Writer Notebook
• Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Whole Group—Shared Reading
Tell students that you will be reading the poem aloud to them as they follow along on their copy. Explain
that they are to actively follow along, using the following questions to guide their comprehension:
• What is happening?
• Who is the narrator and what do we know about him?
• Who are the other characters and what do we know about them?
Individual Work
Ask students to compose a Quick Write in response to the comprehension questions. Remind students to
use textual evidence to support their responses.
Pair or Trio Work
Students share their Quick Writes with a partner or in groups of three.
Whole group
Lead a discussion of the answers to the comprehension questions. When necessary, prompt students to use
textual evidence to support their responses.
Soto, G. (1995). Gary Soto: New and selected poems (pp. 72-74). San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grades
AnalysisofofTheme:
Theme:Degrees
DegreesofofHappiness
Happiness
Grade 7:7:Analysis
TASK
1.1
36 Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto
TASK
1.1
Teaching Option – Small Group Tutorial: If students need additional support, use
the teaching approach above but do so with small groups of students or with a particular group
of students that you believe would benefit from a greater degree of attention and support. As
an alternative, you may also wish to revisit this text with specific small groups. It is important
for students to engage individually in the Quick Write and talk with students about whatever
they were able to write. You could determine after you read their writing what might be helpful
to model to expand their understanding and support their skills development.
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36, 44, 49)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grades
AnalysisofofTheme:
Theme:Degrees
DegreesofofHappiness
Happiness
Grade 7:7:Analysis
Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto 37
Figurative Meaning
• What are examples of personification and similes in the poem “Oranges”?
• What do the examples spark in your imagination as a reader?
Texts and Materials
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Oranges” by Gary Soto
Chart: Figurative Language: Simile and Personification
Handout: Simile and Personification Graphic Organizer
Handout: Simile and Personification Graphic Organizer Model – Option 2
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Whole group
Remind students that they have read this text once to get its gist. This time, they will be studying the text to
help them understand two kinds of figurative language that Soto uses to craft his poem: personification
and similes.
Whole Group
Access Prior Knowledge Charting
Ask students what they know about personification and similes and chart their responses. Students may or
may not be able to provide some definitions for the terms; provide brief definitions if they are not able to do
so. This is a quick check-in (three to five minutes only) to see what they know before moving into the model
and activity.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grades
AnalysisofofTheme:
Theme:Degrees
DegreesofofHappiness
Happiness
Grade 7:7:Analysis
TASK
1.2
38 Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto
TASK
1.2
Model Charting
Title a new chart, “Figurative Language: Simile & Personification.” Explain that you are going to model
the task that students will then be asked to do. The task will focus on identifying examples of simile and
personification in the poem and explain their meanings.
Create and display a three-column chart as shown below:
Figurative Language: Simile & Personification
Example of simile or personification
Explanation of what this example
sparks in your imagination as
you read
Explanation of what the example
means within the context of the poem
Model selecting an example of a simile or personification and adding it to the chart. Since there are a
limited number of examples in this text, you may want to complete the model with an example from another
text that is familiar to the class. Model thinking aloud through the process of explaining the last two
columns in the chart. Remind students to take notes on what you are saying and doing to complete the task.
Here is an example, using a simile from the poem “Oranges”:
Figurative Language: Simile & Personification
Example of simile or personification
“I turned to the candies/Tiered
like bleachers.”
(lines 25-26)
Explanation of what this example
sparks in your imagination as
you read
In my mind, I see rows of stadium
bleachers, rising like steps from
the floor to the top and spanning
the width of the space as well.
Explanation of what the example
means within the context of the poem
The many different candies for
sale are displayed on stepped
shelves so that the kids can see
all of the different choices as
well as marvel at the variety
and colors.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grades
AnalysisofofTheme:
Theme:Degrees
DegreesofofHappiness
Happiness
Grade 7:7:Analysis
Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto 39
Whole group
Ask students to share what they heard and saw you doing to select and explain a simile or example of
personification. Chart student responses and display for reference when they do this task individually.
Individual Work
Following the model, students use the graphic organizer to select and explain examples of similes and/or
personification from the poem.
Teaching Option—Charting as Trios: Students get together with two others and
create three-column charts on chart paper that will be posted for all to see. Then students
select and explain examples of similes and personification from the poem. Students post their
chart when they are finished.
Gallery Walk: Students review each trio’s chart, taking notes or recording questions about
what they notice on individual charts and/or across several charts. As students are doing their
gallery walk, review charts to see which ones you would like to look at more closely with
the group during the whole class discussion. These might be selected because they identify
examples that other groups did not, clearly explain their chosen examples, or represent a
misunderstanding that is shared by several groups.
Students return to the whole group and discuss the notes and questions they recorded as they
looked at the charts. Focus students on specific charts given the points you want to highlight.
Whole Group
Lead a discussion of Soto’s use of personification and simile by asking for one student to share and explain
one example. After the student shares, ask others who chose the same example if they have anything to
add to what the first student said. After students add relevant information or thinking, ask another student
to share and explain another example. The class goes through the same process until all the similes and
examples of personification in the poem have been shared and discussed.
Whole Group
Lead a discussion about the overall impact of these two types of figurative language that Soto uses. Then, ask
students to share what they learned about figurative language from engaging in this task.
Based on what the students have done during the activity and what they say during the final discussions,
determine if further instruction is needed and if necessary, provide the appropriate kind of mini-lesson to fill in
gaps in understanding or clarify any misunderstandings.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
1.2
40 Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto
TASK
1.2
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49, 53)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g.,
alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or a section of a story or drama.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences..
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
Language
L.7.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in
word meanings.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
1.2
Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto 41
TASK
1.2
Figurative Language
Graphic Organizer
TASK
1.2
Figurative Language: Simile & Personification
Example of simile or personification
Explanation of what this example
sparks in your imagination as
you read
Explanation of what the example
means within the context of the poem
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
42 Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto
TASK
1.3
Interpretation
• Who is happy in the poem “Oranges”? Why?
Texts and Materials
•
•
•
•
“Oranges” by Gary Soto
Chart: Our Class Goals for Inquiry-Based Discussion
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Individual Work
Ask students to reread the poem and compose a Quick Write in their Reader/Writer Notebooks in response to
the question:
• Who is happy in the poem “Oranges”? Why?
Explain that the question has multiple and varied valid responses so there is no one right answer. Remind
students to use textual evidence from across the text to support their responses.
Pair Share
Give students three to five minutes to share their Quick Writes with a partner, listening for textual evidence
and points of agreement and disagreement with their partner’s response.
Prepare for Whole Group Inquiry-Based Discussion
Explain to students that they will now engage in an inquiry-based discussion. Explain that an inquiry-based
discussion is an opportunity for them to engage with their peers in a discussion in which they are developing,
supporting, and defending their own text-based interpretations. Explain that students are to ground their
responses in textual evidence, be open to reshape their thinking about the text based on what others have
said, and speak to each other rather than to the teacher. No one response will be pronounced the winner at
the end of the discussion; instead, the focus of the discussion is on surfacing the varied text-based responses
to the question. Ask students to arrange their desks in a circle so that all can see each other.
Whole Group Inquiry-Based Discussion
As the facilitator of the inquiry-based discussion, encourage all students to participate in the discussion,
prompt students when necessary for clarification or textual evidence, and track students’ interpretations so
that you can share the interpretations that have been offered with students and assess the progress of the
discussion. Avoid being a direct participant, sharing your interpretation, repeating responses, or directing the
conversation unnecessarily. Begin the discussion with the assigned question. Remind students to talk directly
to each other; agree, disagree, or otherwise build on each other’s ideas; use textual evidence to support their
ideas; and request textual evidence from peers when they offer unsupported ideas.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
1.3
Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto 43
TASK
1.3
Individual Work
Following the discussion, ask students to compose a Quick Write in their Reader/Writer Notebooks in which
they explain an interpretation that they found particularly interesting and had not considered before today’s
discussion. In addition to explaining the interpretation, students explain why they found the
interpretation interesting.
Individual StepBack
Ask students to write responses to the following questions in their Reader/Writer Notebooks to reflect on
what they learned by engaging in discussion with their peers:
• How has your knowledge of the text changed as a result of the inquiry-based discussion?
• How did we do today as a class at meeting the goals of an inquiry-based discussion as they were
outlined at the start of the discussion?
• What do we need
Whole Group StepBack
Lead discussion and chart their responses to the reflection questions on chart entitled, “Our Class Goals for
Inquiry-Based Discussion.”
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
1.3
44 Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto
TASK
1.4
Author’s Methods - Point of View
• How does Soto develop and contrast the characters’ perspectives8?
Texts and Materials
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Oranges” by Gary Soto
Chart: Character’s Perspective
Handout: Character’s Perspective Graphic Organizer
Handout: Character’s Perspective Graphic Organizer Model for Option 2
Chart: Happiness
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Whole group
Explain to students that during this task, they will be studying the text to help them study the methods Soto
uses to develop and contrast the characters and their perspectives about happiness.
Whole Group - Access Prior Knowledge Charting
Ask students what they know about the idea of perspective and the methods authors use to develop
different perspectives for their characters. Students may or may not be able to provide some definitions
and information for the terms; provide brief definitions if they are not able to do so. This is a quick check-in
(three to five minutes only) to see what they know before moving into the model and activity.
8
Point of view and perspective are used interchangeably in the CCSS. This unit is concerned with the ways in which an author develops the perspectives of different
characters with regard to a common idea, rather than the use of first, second, or third person narrators.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
1.4
Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto 45
TASK
1.4
Model Charting
Title a new chart “Character Perspective.” Explain that you are going to model the task that students will
then be asked to do. The task will focus on analyzing and explaining one character’s perspective
about happiness.
Create and display a three-column chart as shown below:
Character Perspective
Character Name
Perspectives about Happiness
Evidence from Text
Author Methods
Model selecting a character and adding it to the chart. Since there are a limited number of characters in the
poem, you may want to complete the model with an example from another poem that is familiar to the class.
Model thinking aloud through the process of explaining the rest of chart. Remind students to take notes on
what you’re saying and doing to complete the task.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
1.4
46 Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto
TASK
Here is an example from the poem “Oranges”:
1.4
Character Perspective
Character Name
Woman who works at the candy store.
It seems that this woman believes that happiness comes from helping
others be happy, rather than from wealth or power. She lets the boy
Perspectives about Happiness pay her less than the chocolate’s price because she wants to help
the boy feel grown-up when he is with the girl and make this young
couple happy.
“…the chocolate
That cost a dime.” (lines 32-33)
“I took the nickel from
My pocket, then the orange,
And set them quietly on
The counter.” (lines 35-39)
Evidence from Text
“The lady’s eyes met mine.
And held them, knowing
Very well what it was all
About.” (lines 39-42)
“…to let
Her unwrap the chocolate”
(lines 49-50)
Author Methods
Soto develops this perspective through the actions of the characters,
the woman herself as well as the boy and girl. He also develops
it though the thoughts of the boy as he tells the story, and his
understanding of the woman’s actions.
Whole Group
Ask students to share what they heard and saw you doing to select and explain a character’s perspective.
Chart student responses and display for reference when they do this task individually on a chart entitled
“Character Perspective.”
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
1.4
Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto 47
TASK
1.4
Individual Work
Following the model, students use the graphic organizer to select a character and explain his/her
perspective about happiness from the poem.
Circulate around the room looking for individuals whose analysis would benefit the class to see. Ask those
students if they would be willing to share their work and thinking with the whole group. The work that is
shared does not need to be perfect. For example, a student might have identified a valid perspective about
happiness but lacks sufficient evidence from the text. Such examples can be used as teaching points for the
whole group. See bulleted list below.
Teaching Option—Pair Work on Chart Analysis and Gallery Walk:
Working in pairs, students should select one character from the poem “Oranges” to analyze
and complete the chart. Students review each pair’s charts, taking notes or recording questions
about what they notice in terms of similarities and differences across the charts for each
character. As students are doing their gallery walk, review the charts to see which ones
you would like to look at more closely with the group during the whole class discussion.
These might be selected because they include analysis that other groups did not. The work
that is shared does not need to be perfect. For example, a pair might have identified a valid
perspective about happiness for a character, but lacks sufficient evidence from the text. Such
examples can be used as teaching points for the whole group.
Whole Group
Lead a discussion about the character charts. Ask previously identified students to share charts with the
whole group. Students explain their work and share what they did and thought about to analyze characters’
perspectives about happiness and the methods used by Soto to develop and contrast them. After the
students share, ask the whole group:
• Is the explanation of the character’s perspective supported by evidence from the text? If not, what other
evidence might be included?
• Are the methods used by Soto to develop the character’s perspective clearly explained? If not, what
more can be said?
Ask the class to work together to revise the charts. Use this time to introduce other methods that students
might not have identified on their own and push students’ understanding and analysis of how methods work.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
1.4
48 Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto
TASK
1.4
Individual Work
Students review their own charts individually to revise as needed. Students should hand in their work.
Review the work to determine small and whole group follow-up mini-lessons related to identifying and
analyzing methods.
Whole Group
Lead a discussion using the following questions:
• What more did you learn about methods from engaging in this task?
• What more did we learn about the idea of happiness?
In what ways do we need to revise our “Happiness” chart?
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or
narrators in a text.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto 49
Author’s Methods:
Point of View Graphic Organizer
Character Perspective
Character Name
Perspectives about Happiness
Evidence from Text
Author Methods
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
1.4
50 Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto
TASK
1.5
Analysis—Theme
• What are other themes in the poem “Oranges”?
• How are those themes developed?
• How do the characters and the plot of the poem interact to help
develop theme?
Texts and Materials
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Oranges” by Gary Soto
Chart: Happiness
Chart: Theme
Chart: Character’s Perspectives
Chart: Analysis of Theme: Happiness
Chart: Identifying and Analyzing Themes
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Whole Group
Explain to students that in this lesson they are going to identify themes in “Oranges” and analyze how the
themes are conveyed through specific details in the text. Review charts about theme that were created in
Task 0.2.
Explain that they will begin with a topic they’ve already talked about, happiness, and remind them of their
previous work with happiness during Tasks 1.3 (interpretative discussion) and 1.4 (characters’ perspectives).
Model Charting
Pose the following question in writing: What do you think the author of “Oranges” is saying about
happiness? Explain that you are going to model determining a theme related to happiness. Ask students to
take notes on what you are saying, doing, and thinking about, as you are doing this.
Create and display a new chart, “Analysis of Theme: Happiness” as shown below:
Analysis of Theme: Happiness
Theme Statement:
Evidence from across the text
Explanation of how evidence conveys the
theme
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto 51
Model reviewing the charts from previous tasks and rereading the text to think aloud about what the author
is saying about happiness. Identify several moments from across the text that work together to develop a
theme related to happiness. Model looking across these moments to write a statement of a theme related to
happiness.
Below the theme statement, in the left column, identify several moments from across the text that work
together to convey the theme. Then, in the right column, write a short explanation of how each of these
moments conveys the theme.
Here is an example:
Analysis of Theme: Happiness
Theme Statement:
Happiness can be created and transferred by small, simple acts of kindness between people.
Evidence from across the text
“She came out pulling
At her gloves, face bright
With rouge. I smiled.”
(lines 13-15)
“…asked what she wanted Light in her eyes, a smile
Starting at the corners
Of her mouth…”
(lines 27-30)
“When I looked up
The lady’s eyes met mine,
And held them, knowing
Very well what it was all
About.”
(lines 38-42)
“I peeled my orange
That was so bright against
The gray of December”
(lines 51-53)
Explanation of how evidence conveys
the theme
This moment shows that just the appearance of
the girl out of her house causes the boy to smile,
to be happy.
This moment shows that the boy’s offer to buy her
some candy generates happiness in the girl, even
if it is only one piece of candy.
This moment shows understanding by the woman
of the importance of this moment for the boy and
for the girl, and that she is happy that she can
help them, even if it means accepting half the
cost of the chocolate along with an orange for
payment.
This moment shows that even though the boy
could not buy himself any candy, he is happy to
be walking with the girl, to have bought her some
candy, and to enjoy his other orange, because
they are together and enjoying the winter day.
Whole Group
Ask students to share what they heard and saw you doing to select and analyze a theme related to
happiness. Chart student responses and display for reference when they do this task individually on a chart
entitled “Identifying and Analyzing Themes.” This chart serves as support for students when they are asked
to identify and analyze other themes in this text and subsequent texts.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
1.5
52 Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto
TASK
1.5
Pair Work
Ask students to work in pairs to reread “Oranges” and their notes/writing on the text to identify and analyze
another theme. Students might be prompted to think about themes related to identity, love, kindness,
intergenerational relationships, and the impact of strangers. Students write a statement of the theme at the
top of their paper. Below, they create a T-chart. In the left column they list several moments from across the
text that work together to convey the theme. In the right column students explain how the moments convey
the theme.
Circulate around the room looking for pairs who have identified other valid themes that they support with
evidence from across the text. Ask the pairs if they would be willing to share their work and thinking
with the whole group. The work that is shared does not need to be perfect. For example, pairs might
have identified a valid theme but lack sufficient evidence to support the theme or their explanation of the
evidence may be lacking. Such examples can be used as teaching points for the whole group. See
bullets below.
Whole Group
Guide previously identified pairs to share their theme statements and T-charts with the whole group. Pairs
explain their work and share what they did and thought about to identify and analyze themes. After each
pair shares, ask the whole group:
• Does the textual evidence provided support the identified theme? (i.e., is the evidence relevant?) If not,
what other evidence might be used?
• Is there enough textual evidence from across the text to support the identified theme? (i.e., is the
evidence adequate?) If not, what additional evidence might be used?
• Is the evidence clearly explained? If not, what more can be said to explain how the moments convey
the theme?
The class works together to revise the theme statements and T-charts and name the author’s methods using
literary vocabulary.
Pair Work
After several pairs have presented, explain to students that they should review their theme statements and
T-charts to make sure the evidence they identified is relevant, adequate, and clearly explained. Pairs hand in
their work.
Review the work to determine small and whole group follow-up mini-lessons related to identifying and
analyzing theme.
Whole Group
Lead a discussion about the following question:
• How do the characters and the plot interact to develop theme in this poem?
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto 53
Individual StepBack
Ask students to write in response to the reflection questions below:
•
•
•
•
How did you go about identifying and analyzing a theme?
What more can we add to our chart, “Identifying and Analyzing Themes”?
What did you find easy or difficult about identifying the themes in this text?
What lingering questions do you have about theme?
Whole Group StepBack
Lead a discussion on the reflection questions.
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the
text; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the
characters or plot).
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
1.5
54 Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
english
language arts
7
Grade
Text 2: “The Chase”
by Annie Dillard
Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASKS, TEACHING APPROACHES, AND STANDARDS
Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard 57
TASK
2.1
Comprehension
• What is happening in the order that it is happening?
• Who are the characters and what do we know about them?
Texts and Materials
•
•
•
•
“The Chase” by Annie Dillard9
Chart: Sequence of Events
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Whole Group—Shared Reading
Tell students that you will be reading the story aloud to them in chunks as they follow along on their copy.
Explain that they are to actively follow along, using the following questions to guide their comprehension.
• What is happening here in the order in which it is happening?
• Who are the other characters and what do we know about them?
Begin reading the first two paragraphs (the moment of reflection), and then pause to ask students, “what
is happening in this section?” Engage students in a brief discussion of this section and then continue with
paragraphs 3 through 5. Stop periodically to check in with the students in regard to the
comprehension questions.
Continue to read the story in chunks, stopping to continue discussion of the comprehension questions, until
the end of the story.
Individual Work
After they finish reading, ask students to compose a Quick Write or take notes in their Reader/Writer
Notebooks in response to the following comprehension questions. Remind students to use textual evidence
to support their responses.
• What is happening in the order that it is happening?
• Who are the other characters and what do we know about them?
• How does Dillard’s word choice reveal information about the characters?
Trio Work
Students should share their Quick Writes or notes in groups of three. Then, ask them to work together to list
the sequence of events of the story.
9
Dillard, A. (1987). The chase. An American Childhood (pp. 45-49). New York, NY: Harper Perennial.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
2.1
58 Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard
TASK TASK
2.1 2.1
Whole Group
Lead a round-robin share of the sequence of events. Chart students’ responses in regard to the sequence of
events of the story. Encourage students to find specific evidence in the text to support their explanations of
events in the story. After the sequence of events has been discussed, ask students to say what they know
about each of the characters, supporting their responses with evidence from the text. Then discuss Dillard’s
word choice by asking them to come up with synonyms for some of Dillard’s key words/phrases and consider
how replacing those words/phrases with synonyms changes students’ understanding of the characters.
Individual Work
Assign each student a character from the story. Have each student write a retelling of the story from the
point of view of his or her character. Instruct the students to try and capture that character’s perspective
about the events of the story through his or her retelling.
Pair Work
After students have completed their retellings, ask them to share their work with a partner. Students should
read their work and then explain to their partner why they made the decisions they did in their text. Students
should give specific textual evidence, where necessary, to support their understanding of characters’
opinions and viewpoints about the events of the story.
Individual StepBack
Ask students to write in response to the reflection following:
• What more did you learn about the events and/or characters by retelling the events from one character’s
point of view?
• What was the same and different about answering the comprehension questions for “Oranges” and
“The Chase”?
• What did you learn about word choice by considering alternative words Dillard might have used to
develop the characters?
Whole Group StepBack
Lead a discussion in which they discuss responses to the reflection question.
Teaching Option—Small Group Tutorial:
As an alternative, you may also wish to revisit this text with specific small groups. It is
important for students to engage individually in the Quick Write, and talk with students about
whatever they were able to write. You could determine after you read their writing what might
be helpful to model to expand their understanding and support their skills development.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard 59
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the
text; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g.,
alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or a section of a story or drama.
RL.7.5 Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to
its meaning.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
2.1
60 Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard
TASK TASK
2.2 2.2
Vocabulary
• Identify unknown words. What do they mean? How do you know? How do
these words function in the context of “The Chase”?
Texts and Materials
•
•
•
•
“The Chase” by Annie Dillard
Handout: Vocabulary Concept Map
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Individual Work
Ask students to reread the text independently and mark words that they either do not know or about which
they feel unsure. Circulate around the room as students are working, looking at students’ highlighted words
for those that are identified by multiple students. Select several common words for the class to study. Select
words because they meet the characteristics of Tier 2 words (see glossary section or CCSS appendix for
definition of Tier 2 words), are identified by multiple students, and have a meaning that can be determined
from the context of the sentence or paragraph.
Whole Group
Explain that you are going to be modeling the process of exploring unknown vocabulary words through a
concept map. Identify the word you will be working with and create a large concept map like the one below
that all can see. Model completing the concept map for your chosen word.
Sentence with target word
Definition of target word as it’s used in
the sentence
Antonym or non-example of target word
Paraphrase the sentence with the target word
Identify a situation (other than the present one)
where the target word might apply
Explain how the target word applies to the
situation you identified
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard 61
Pair Work
Students receive blank concept maps and work with a partner to complete a concept map for several of the
other targeted words. Circulate around the room providing support and assistance as needed.
Pair-to-Pair Work
Pairs get together with another pair to share their completed concept maps and the thinking they engaged
in to complete them. Ask pairs to note the similarities and difference in their thinking about words and, if
necessary, consult a dictionary to resolve those differences.
Whole Group StepBack
Engage students in a whole group discussion to answer the following questions:
•
•
•
•
What part of the concept map was easiest to complete?
Which part was the most difficult? Why?
What did you do and think about to complete each part of the concept map?
What did you learn about effective methods for determining the meaning of unknown words?
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49, 53)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g.,
alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or a section of a story or drama.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
Language
L.7.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based
on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
2.2
62 Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard
TASK
2.3
Significance
• Select and explain three moments that strike you as significant to the plot of
“The Chase.”
Texts and Materials
•
•
•
•
“The Chase” by Annie Dillard
Chart: Significant Moments from “The Chase”
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Whole Group
Explain that students will reread the text to select several moments that seem significant to the plot of “The
Chase.” Teacher asks students to share reasons why a moment might seem significant.
Teacher Model
Create a two-column chart, like the one below, and explain to students you will model the process of
selecting and explaining significant moments in “The Chase.”
Significant Moments from “The Chase”
Significant Moment
Explanation about why that moment
is significant
Model rereading the beginning of the text to select a moment that seems significant to the plot of the story.
In the left column, record the moment. In the right column, explain the significance of the moment by writing
what the author seems to be saying with this moment and how it contributes to the development of the plot.
Explain that after identifying this first moment, you will continue rereading the story to locate another
moment that also appears to be significant to the plot.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard 63
Pair Work
Students reread the text to identify and explain three moments that strike them as significant to the plot.
Students create a two-column chart to record (left column) and explain (right column) the moments. Students
should identify three moments from across the text.
Small Group
Pairs get together with another pair to share their charts. The group discusses whether or not the moments
each pair identified are significant to the plot. Pairs revise their work as necessary by selecting additional or
different moments.
Whole Group
Lead a whole group discussion of the pairs’ charts. The group assesses whether or not the textual evidence
provided is relevant, adequate, and clearly explained. Teacher charts responses.
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
2.3
64 Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard
TASK
2.4
Interpretation
• Why does the man keep chasing the kids?
Texts and Materials
•
•
•
•
“The Chase” by Annie Dillard
Chart: Our Class Goals for Inquiry-Based Discussion
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Individual Work
Have students compose a Quick Write in their Reader/Writer Notebooks in response to the question:
• Why does the man keep chasing the kids?
Remind students that the question has multiple and varied valid responses, so there is no one right answer.
Remind students to use textual evidence from across the text to support their responses.
Pair Share
Students take three to five minutes to share their Quick Writes with a partner. Listeners focus on the use of
textual evidence and points of agreement and disagreement.
Prepare for Whole Group Inquiry-Based Discussion
If necessary, remind students of the goals of an inquiry-based discussion or ask students to share the
goals of an inquiry-based discussion. Then show students the chart “Our Class Goals for Inquiry-Based
Discussion” to remind them of the list they generated following their previous inquiry-based discussion
about what they need to work on as a class in subsequent discussions. These are the goals to strive to
meet in this discussion. Finally, ask students to arrange their desks in a circle so that all participants in the
discussion can see each other.
Whole Group Inquiry-Based Discussion
Teacher-facilitated discussion of the focus question. Remind students to talk directly to each other; agree,
disagree, or otherwise build on each other’s ideas; use textual evidence to support their ideas; and request
textual evidence from peers when they offer unsupported ideas.
Individual Work
Following the discussion, students revise their original Quick Write to incorporate new ideas or pieces of
textual evidence.
Pair Share
Have students share their revisions with a partner, reflecting on how their knowledge of the text changed as
a result of the inquiry-based discussion.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard 65
Whole Group StepBack
Lead students in a discussion reflecting on what they learned by engaging in discussion with their peers and
how they revised their Quick Writes following the discussion.
• How did your knowledge of the text change through the inquiry-based discussion?
• How did we do in following our guidelines for discussion and working on our goals?
• What did we accomplish in this discussion and what should remain on the list as something we need to
continue to work on as a group?
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
2.4
66 Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard
TASK
2.5
Author’s Method—Point of View
and Theme
• How does Dillard develop and contrast characters’ perspectives
about happiness?
• How do the characters and plot of “The Chase” interact to help
develop theme?
Texts and Materials
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“The Chase” by Annie Dillard
Handout: Character’s Perspective Graphic Organizer
Chart: Characters’ Perspectives
Chart: Analysis of Theme: Happiness
Chart: Happiness
Chart: Identifying and Analyzing Theme
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Whole Group
Explain to students that they will now study the methods Dillard uses to develop and contrast the characters
and their perspectives about happiness. Ask several students to refresh the class’ memory about methods by
explaining and providing examples of methods.
Trio Work
Assign each trio one character from the short story “The Chase” to analyze and complete the chart. Each trio
posts their two charts.
Character Perspectives
Character Name
Perspective
about Happiness
Evidence
from Text
Author
Methods
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard 67
Gallery Walk
Students review each trio’s chart, taking notes or recording questions about what they notice in terms of
similarities and differences across the charts for each character. As students are doing their gallery walk,
review charts to see which ones you would like to look at more closely with the group during the whole
class discussion. These might be selected because they include analysis that other groups did not. The work
that is shared does not need to be perfect. For example, a trio might have identified a valid perspective
about happiness for a character, but lack sufficient evidence from the text. Such examples can be used as
teaching points for the whole group.
Whole Group
Engage students in a discussion about the notes and questions they recorded. Then, ask students to
focus on specific charts given the points you want to highlight or extend. After the students share, ask the
whole group:
• Is the explanation of the character’s perspective supported by evidence from the text? If not, what other
evidence might be included?
• Are the methods used by Dillard to develop the character’s perspective clearly explained? If not, what
more can be said?
The class works together to revise the charts. Also use this time to introduce other methods that students
might not have identified on their own and push students’ understanding and analysis of how methods work.
Trio Work
Working in their trios, students review their own chart to revise as needed. Trios hand in their work. Review
the work to determine small and whole group follow-up mini-lessons related to identifying and
analyzing methods.
Whole Group
Lead a discussion on the following questions:
• What more did you learn about methods from engaging in this task?
• What more did we learn about the idea of happiness? In what ways do we need to revise our
“Happiness” chart?
Whole Group
Explain to students that they will now study other themes in “The Chase.” Ask students to review the chart
“Identifying and Analyzing Themes” and their theme charts from “Oranges.”
Pair Work
Ask students to work in pairs to reread “The Chase” and review their notes and writing on the text to
identify and analyze another theme. Students might be prompted to think about themes related to identity,
intergenerational relationships, and the impact of strangers. Ask students to write a statement of the theme
at the top of their paper. They then create a T-chart as shown below. In the left column, students identify
several moments from across the text that convey the theme. In the right column students explain how the
moments convey the theme.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
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68 Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard
TASK
2.5
Analysis of Theme: “The Chase”
Theme Statement:
Evidence from across the text
Explanation of how evidence conveys
the theme
Circulate around the room looking for pairs who have identified other valid themes that they support with
evidence from across the text. Ask the pairs if they would be willing to share their work and thinking
with the whole group. The work that is shared does not need to be perfect. For example, pairs might have
identified a valid theme, but lack sufficient evidence to support the theme or lack the literary vocabulary
to name the method used to convey the theme. Such examples can be used as teaching points for the
whole group.
Whole Group
Guide previously identified pairs to share their theme statements and T-charts with the whole group. Pairs
should explain their work and share what they did and thought about to identify and analyze themes. After
each pair shares, ask the whole group:
• Does the textual evidence provided support the identified theme? (i.e., is the evidence relevant?) If not,
what other evidence might be used?
• Is there enough textual evidence to support the identified theme? (i.e., is the evidence adequate?) If not,
what additional evidence might be used?
• Is the evidence clearly explained? If not, what more can be said to explain how the moments convey
the theme?
• The class works together to revise the theme statements and T-charts and name the methods the author
used with literary vocabulary.
Pair Work
After several pairs have presented, students should review their theme statements and T-charts to make
sure the evidence they identified is relevant, adequate, and clearly explained. Ask pairs to hand in their
work. Review the work to determine small and whole group follow-up mini-lessons related to identifying
and analyzing theme.
Whole Group
Engage students in a whole group discussion to answer the following questions:
• Which displays did the best job of supporting and explaining evidence on their identified theme? What
made those effective?
• How did you go about identifying and analyzing a theme? What more can we add to our chart,
“Identifying and Analyzing Themes”?
• How do the characters and the plot interact to develop theme in this story?
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard 69
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the
text; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the
characters or plot).
RL.7.5 Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to
its meaning.
RL.7.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or
narrators in a text.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
2.5
70 Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard
TASK
2.6
Analysis—Theme Across Texts
• What is another common theme in both “The Chase” and “Oranges”?
• Compare and contrast how that theme is developed in each text.
Texts and Materials
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“The Chase” by Annie Dillard
“Oranges” by Gary Soto
Chart: Theme
Chart: Characters’ Perspectives
Chart: Identifying and Analyzing Theme
Chart: Analysis of Theme: Happiness
Chart: Characteristics of Effective Expository Essay
Handout: Model Essay – Block Format
Handout: Model Essay – Point-by-Point Format
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Whole Group
Explain that this next task asks students to look across “The Chase” and “Oranges” to identify common
themes and analyze how these themes are similar and different in these two texts of different genres.
Pair Work
In pairs, ask students to think across the two texts to consider themes that the texts have in common.
Suggest that students begin by considering what big ideas the two texts have in common and then work
from there to gather evidence and generate theme statements as they have done in previous theme tasks.
Encourage students to work from notes on both texts in their Reader/Writer Notebooks. Once students have
generated at least two common themes, they select one and create a chart that they post that includes the
common theme and a list of the various ways that the author develops that theme in “Oranges,” a poem,
and a separate list for the way the author develops the theme in “The Chase,” a story.
Gallery Walk
Students review each other’s charts, looking for similarities and differences across the charts. Ask students
to consider which they find most significant and why.
Pair Presentations
Ask several pairs of students whose charts would be beneficial for the class to discuss in more detail about
their work and thinking (e.g., because they are particularly insightful, represent a common misconception,
include strong and thorough evidence across both texts).
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard 71
Model
Demonstrate through thinking aloud how you would go about writing an essay that compares and contrasts
the selected theme in those two texts. Consider how to organize the response, how to select the best
textual evidence, and how to develop a successful thesis statement. See model of block and point-by-point
organization patterns using two different texts.
Note to Teacher:
Block Organization: The writer organizes the content by first writing all his/her observations
about one of the texts and then switches to write about the other text.
Point-by-Point Organization: The writer organizes the content by points of comparison, and for
each one, discusses both texts, and then moves on to the next point of comparison.
A sample essay (using different texts) for each structure has been provided.
Whole Group
Ask students to share what they noticed you doing and thinking about to organize and begin to write your
response. Have them consider the actions and thought processes you undertook that they could duplicate
when writing their own comparison essays.
Individual Work
Ask students to draft an essay in which they compare and contrast the development of a common theme in
these two texts. Students should cite strong and thorough textual evidence across both texts.
Pair Share
Students share their draft with a partner and discuss each other’s essays. Partners should provide feedback
by stating one thing the writer did particularly well and one thing the writer could do to revise his/her essay.
Feedback should focus on the ideas, structure, and craft of the analysis.
Individual Work
Students revise and hand in their drafts for teacher feedback.
Whole Group StepBack
Engage students in a whole group discussion to answer the following questions:
• What more did you learn about theme from comparing themes across two texts?
• What was easy and difficult about comparing and writing about common themes across texts?
• What are the characteristics of an effective expository essay for this assignment? (Chart responses to
this question on chart entitled, “Characteristics of Effective Expository Essay.”)
• What questions do you have?
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
2.6
72 Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard
TASK
2.6
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the
text; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the
characters or plot).
RL.7.5 Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to
its meaning.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
Writing
W.7.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and
information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
W.7.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as
needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well
purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of
Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 7 on page 52.)
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
Language
L.7.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking.
L.7.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
L.7.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard 73
Analysis - Theme Across Texts
Model Essay - Block
The poem “Nikki-Rosa” and the short story “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” have several themes related
to love and happiness. Both the poem and the short story share the theme of every person has something
special to protect and share with the ones they love. Nikki Giovanni and Walter Dean Myers use evidence
throughout the text to support this theme.
Giovanni uses a discussion of her parents at the beginning of the text as an example of people with
something that they protect and want to pass down to their children. Giovanni’s parents protect and share
a sense of pride in their community. She writes, “it never gets across how much you/understood their
feelings/as the whole family attended meetings about Hollydale” (lines 13-15). Giovanni is suggesting that
she understood that her parents were proud of living in Hollydale and had passed that feeling on to her.
As the poem progresses, Giovanni uses her parents’ struggles to highlight how she sees the value of family
as a gift she received from them: “And though they fought a lot/it isn’t your father’s drinking that makes any
difference/but only that everybody is together and you/and your sister have happy birthdays and very good/
Christmases” (lines 22-26). It is clear that Giovanni was taught not to focus on the struggles that her family
faced; she has learned to reflect upon the happiness in her life.
Finally, Giovanni uses the ending of her poem to provide additional support for the theme. She does this
when she discusses how a biographer would never understand her family. She says, “I really hope no white
person ever has cause/to write about me/because they never understand/Black love is Black wealth” (lines
27-30). She is saying that a person outside of the family and the community may not see the lessons and
values parents have to pass on to their children because they are very personal.
The textual evidence that Myers uses to express the theme focuses on parents as well. He begins by
showing Greg’s father’s desire to pass on a feeling of pride in doing hard work; “His father had been a postal
worker for all Greg’s life, and was proud of it, often telling Greg how hard he had worked to pass the test”
(2). Greg had heard this message many times, but it took a meeting with Lemon Brown to understand what
his father was really telling him.
As the story progresses, Myers uses Lemon Brown to highlight the idea that parents have something
important to pass on to their children. This becomes clear when Lemon tells Greg about the objects that
Lemon’s son kept with him while he was in the Army: “I traveled around, and one time I come home, and
there was this letter saying Jesse got killed in the war…They sent back what he had with him over there,
and what it was is this old mouth fiddle and these clippings…That was my treasure, and when I give it to
him he treated it just like that, a treasure” (7). Lemon found these items valuable in teaching his son about
who he was and his son held on to that until his death. This begins to help Greg understand the stories that
his dad is always telling him about his past.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
2.6
74 Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard
TASK
2.6
Myers uses the ending of his story to provide additional support for the theme. He does this through Greg’s
realization that his father’s words hold value: “Greg pushed the button over the bell marked Ridley, thought
of the lecture he knew his father would give him, and smiled” (8). He knows that despite the fact that he is
in trouble, his father’s words will be valuable in understanding his father’s past and provide a lesson for
the future.
Through the use of examples in both the story and the poem, Nikki Giovanni and Walter Dean Myers support
the theme of every person has something special to protect and share with the ones they love. As the theme
develops in both pieces, the reader is able to see how it becomes important to the main characters and that
it has helped them to grow.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard 75
Analysis - Theme Across Texts
Model Essay - Point-by-Point
The poem “Nikki-Rosa” and the short story “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” have several themes related
to love and happiness. Both the poem and the short story share the theme of every person has something
special to protect and share with the ones they love. Nikki Giovanni and Walter Dean Myers use evidence
throughout the text to support this theme.
Both Giovanni and Myers use parents at the beginning of the texts as examples of people with something
that they protect and want to pass down to their children. Giovanni’s parents protect and share a sense of
pride in their community. She writes: “it never gets across how much you/understood their feelings/as the
whole family attended meetings about Hollydale” (lines 13-15). Giovanni is suggesting that she understood
that her parents were proud of living in Hollydale and had passed that feeling on to her. Similarly, Myers
uses Greg’s father to pass on a feeling of pride in doing hard work: “His father had been a postal worker for
all Greg’s life, and was proud of it, often telling Greg how hard he had worked to pass the test” (2). Greg had
heard this message many times, but it took a meeting with Lemon Brown to understand what his father was
really telling him.
As both the story and the poem progress, the authors use additional examples to highlight their points.
Myers uses Lemon Brown to highlight the idea that parents have something important to pass on to their
children. This becomes clear when Lemon tells Greg about the objects that Lemon’s son kept with him while
he was in the Army: “I traveled around, and one time I come home, and there was this letter saying Jesse
got killed in the war…They sent back what he had with him over there, and what it was is this old mouth
fiddle and these clippings…That was my treasure, and when I give it to him he treated it just like that, a
treasure” (7). Giovanni uses her parents’ struggles to highlight how she sees the value of family as a gift she
received: “And though they fought a lot/it isn’t your father’s drinking that makes any difference/but only that
everybody is together and you/and your sister have happy birthdays and very good/Christmases”
(lines 22-26).
Both authors use the ending of their pieces to provide additional support for the theme. Giovanni does this
when she discusses how a biographer would never understand her family. She says, “I really hope no white
person ever has cause/to write about me/because they never understand/Black love is Black wealth” (lines
27-30). She is saying that a person outside of the family and the community may not see the lessons and
values parents have to pass on to their children because they are very personal. Myers does this through
Greg’s realization that his father’s words hold value: “Greg pushed the button over the bell marked Ridley,
thought of the lecture he knew his father would give him, and smiled” (8).
Through the use of examples in both the poem and the story, Nikki Giovanni and Walter Dean Myers support
the theme of every person has something special to protect and share with the ones they love. As the theme
develops in both pieces, the reader is able to see how it becomes important to the main characters and that
it has helped them to grow.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
2.6
76 Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
english
language arts
7
Grade
Text 3: “Happiness”
by Yusef Komunyakaa
Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASKS, TEACHING APPROACHES, AND STANDARDS
Text 3: “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa 79
Comprehension
• What is happening?
• Who is the narrator and what do we know about him?
• Who are the other characters and what do we know about them?
Texts and Materials
• “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa10
• Reader/Writer Notebook
• Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Whole Group—Shared Reading
Tell students that you will be reading the poem aloud to them as they follow along on their copy. Explain
that they are to actively follow along, using the following questions to guide their comprehension:
• What is happening in this poem?
• Who is the narrator and what do we know about him?
• Who/what are the other characters and what do we know about them?
Individual Work
Students compose a Quick Write or take notes in response to the comprehension questions. They are
reminded to use textual evidence to support their responses.
Pair Work
Students share their Quick Writes or notes with a partner.
Whole Group
Lead a discussion of the answers to the comprehension questions. Prompt students to use textual evidence
to support their responses. When students offer inferences about the characters, ask students to identify
key words and phrases that led them to make those inferences. Guide students to consider Komunyakaa’s
word choice by asking them to come up with synonyms for some of Komunyakaa’s key words/phrases
and consider how replacing those words/phrases with synonyms changes students’ understanding of the
characters and poem.
Individual Work
Students compose a Quick Write in response to the following question:
• What did you learn about word choice by considering alternative words Komunyakaa might have used
to develop the characters and events in the poem?
Komunyakaa, Y. (2001). Happiness. Pleasure dome: New and collected poems (p. 266). Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press.
10
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASK
3.1
80 Text 3: “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa
TASK
3.1
Whole Group
Engage students in a discussion on the question listed above.
Teaching Option—Small Group Tutorial: Use the teaching approach above, but do
so with small groups of students or with a particular group of students that you believe would
benefit from a greater degree of attention and support. As an alternative, you may also wish
to revisit this text with specific small groups. It is important for students to engage individually
in the Quick Write and talk with students about whatever they were able to write. You
could determine after you read their writing what might be helpful to model to expand their
understanding and support their skills development.
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g.,
alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or a section of a story or drama.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of t
he range.
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 3: “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa 81
TASK
3.2
Figurative Meaning Allusions and Figures of Speech
• What are examples of figures of speech and allusions in the poem
“Happiness”?
• What do the examples spark in your imagination as a reader?
Texts and Materials
•
•
•
•
•
“Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa
Chart: Figurative Language: Allusion and Figures of Speech
Handout: Allusion and Figures of Speech Graphic Organizer Model
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Whole Group
Remind students that they have read this text once to get its gist. This time, they will be studying the text to
help them understand two kinds of figurative language that Komunyakaa uses to craft his poem: figures of
speech and allusion.
Whole Group - Access Prior Knowledge: Charting
Ask students what they know about figures of speech and allusion and chart their responses. Students may
or may not be able to provide some definitions for the terms; provide brief definitions if they are not able
to do so. This is a quick check-in (three to five minutes only) to see what they know before moving into the
model and activity.
Model Charting
Title a new chart, “Figurative Language: Figures of Speech and Allusion.” Explain that you are going to model
the task that students will then be asked to do. The task will focus on identifying examples of figures of
speech and allusion in the poem and explain their meanings.
Create and display a three-column chart as shown below:
Figurative Language: Figures of Speech and Allusion
Example of figure of speech
or allusion
Explanation of what this
example sparks in your
imagination as you read
Explanation of what the
example means within the
context of the poem
Model selecting an example of a figure of speech or allusion and adding it to the chart.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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82 Text 3: “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa
TASK
3.2
Teacher Model
Select one allusion or figure of speech and model gathering research about it. Suggest to students that
places of confusion for readers may be allusions or figures of speech. Model thinking through what the
allusion sparks in the reader’s imagination as well as the allusion’s role in Komunyakaa’s text.
Since there are a limited number of examples in this text, you may want to complete the model with an
example from another text that is familiar to the class, such as “The Chase.” Model thinking aloud through
the process of explaining the last two columns in the chart. Remind students to take notes on what you’re
saying and doing to complete the task.
Here is an example, using an allusion from the poem “Happiness”:
Figurative Language: Figures of Speech and Allusion
Example of figure of speech
or allusion
Explanation of what this
example sparks in your
imagination as you read
Explanation of what the
example means within the
context of the poem
“…& voices/
I know that in Christianity, the
word Hosanna is used in praise
or celebration, particularly in
reference to Jesus. As a result, I
imagine a loud and joyful sound.
In terms of how this allusion
works in the poem, I can see
the almost sacred experience
that those in the swimming
hole were experiencing, a
celebrating that could be heard
everywhere as the “Hosannas”
echoed off the quarry rocks.
Rushed up now like loud
Hosannas.”
Whole Group
Ask students to share what they heard and saw you doing to select and explain a figure of speech or
allusion. Chart student responses and display for reference when they do this task individually.
Whole Group
Lead students in call out of the allusions and figures of speech they can find in “Happiness.” Create a master
list that all students can see and fill in any missing ones.
Individual Work
Following the model, ask students to use the graphic organizer to select and explain examples of figure of
speech and allusion from the list the class generated.
Whole Group
Lead a discussion of Komunyakaa’s use of figure of speech or allusion by asking for one student to share
and explain one example. After the student shares, ask others who chose the same example if they have
anything to add to what the first student said. After students add relevant information or thinking, ask
another student to share and explain another example. The class goes through the same process until all the
figures of speech and allusions in the poem have been shared and discussed.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 3: “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa 83
Teaching Option—Pair Work: As an alternative to students working individually,
following the model, students work in pairs using the graphic organizer to select two examples
from the master list and research as needed, and explain what it sparks in the reader’s
imagination as well as the meaning within Komunyakaa’s text. Pairs create and post a chart to
share their research and explanations with the class. Students review the displays created by
each small group.
Whole Group
Lead a discussion about the following questions:
• What is the impact of the two types of figurative language that Komunyakaa uses?
• What have you learned about figurative language from engaging in this task?
Based on what the students have done during the activity and what they say during the final discussions,
determine if further instruction is needed and, if necessary, provide the appropriate kind of mini-lesson to fill
in gaps in understanding or clarify any misunderstandings.
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49, 53)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g.,
alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or a section of a story or drama.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
Language
L.7.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in
word meanings.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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TASK
3.3
Assessment 1
• Identify one of the themes in “Happiness” and write a multi-paragraph essay
in which you analyze in detail how the theme is developed in the poem.
Texts and Materials
Sessions 1-3
• Text 3: “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa
• Handout: Scoring Rubric (See PARCC11 or SMARTER Balanced12 for Rubrics)
Session 1
• Handout: Assessment 1
• Chart: Theme
• Chart: Identifying and Analyzing Themes
• Chart: Characteristics of an Effective Explanatory Essay
• Chart: Character’s Perspectives
• Chart: Happiness
Session 2
• Handout: Copies of students’ papers from assessment
• Handout: Teacher-selected effective student papers
Session 3
• Handout: Students’ papers with teacher feedback and students’ self-assessments
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. (2012) PARCC Assessment Rubric. Grades 6 -11: Expanded scoring rubric for analytic and narrative
11
12
writing. Retrieved from http://www.parcconline.org/sites/parcc/files/Grade%206-11%20ELA%20Expanded%20%20Rubric%20FOR%20ANALYTIC%20AND%20
NARRATIVE%20WRITING_0.pdf.
Measured Progress/ETS Collaborative. (2012).Smarter balanced assessment consortium: English language arts rubrics. Retrieved from http://www.smarterbalanced.
org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/TaskItemSpecifications/EnglishLanguageArtsLiteracy/ELARubrics.pdf
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 3: “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa 85
Assessment 1
Session 1: Take Assessment
Whole Group
Explain that today you will be asking students to write an essay in which they identify one of the themes in
“Happiness” and write a multi-paragraph essay in which you analyze in detail how the theme is developed
in the poem. They will be completing the work individually. They may, however, use the following resources:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Theme” Chart
“Identifying and Analyzing Themes” Chart
“Characteristics of an Effective Explanatory Essay” Chart
“Character’s Perspectives” Chart
“Happiness” Chart
Reader/Writer Notebook
Scoring Rubric
Distribute the handout, Assessment 1, and lined loose-leaf paper. Read the directions with students,
answering any questions they have about the assignment. Students should complete the task individually.
Post Assessment
Collect students’ essays and make copies (prior to assessing and giving feedback) to give back to them in
Session 2. Read and sort the essays, looking for effective essays. Effective essays can have minor errors of
form or content (i.e., they may still need revision). Before the next session, ask the authors of those essays
if they would be willing to share their work and thinking with the class. Be ready to display those essays
before the next session.
Assess and give feedback on students’ essays for Session 3. Look for patterns across responses and identify
what mini-lessons you will need to do to re-teach concepts.
Session 2: Study Effective Essays
Whole Group
Return copies of students’ essays from the previous class. Ask the students you identified as having
effective essays to share their work and thinking with the class. If the students sharing have difficulty
articulating their thinking, prompt them with questions that will enable them to be more explicit.
With the whole group, decide what the writer might do to make the essay even more effective.
Individual StepBack Quick Write
With about 10-15 minutes left in this session, ask students to self-assess their own essay based on the
essays they saw in this task. Collect students’ self-assessments. This will give you added information as you
plan for the mini-lessons you will teach in the next session.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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86 Text 3: “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa
TASK TASK
3.3 3.3
Session 3: Continued Feedback with Self-Assessment
Whole Group
Return students’ essays with teacher feedback and students’ self-assessments.
Individual StepBack Quick Write
Ask students to compare the two and to write on the following in their Reader/Writer Notebooks:
• How is the feedback you received from me, your teacher, similar to and/or different from how you
assessed your essay?
• What questions do you have?
• What did you learn from engaging in this activity?
Whole Group
Invite students to share their StepBack with the whole group.
Teacher Mini-Lessons
Provide whole or small group mini-lessons based on differentiated learning needs of your students.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 3: “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa 87
Assessment 1
Throughout this unit we have been working on identifying, analyzing, and writing about themes. We have
written theme statements and worked to support those theme statements with relevant, adequate, and
clearly explained evidence. We have begun to analyze a text in terms of how a theme is developed through
the interaction of particular elements and the structure of the text.
We have done this work with “Oranges” and “The Chase,” and now we’ll continue our study of “Happiness”
by identifying, analyzing, and writing about one of its themes.
Assignment:
You have read “Happiness” for what it’s about and its figurative language. Now you’ll identify one of the
themes in “Happiness” and write a multi-paragraph essay in which you analyze in detail how the theme is
developed in the poem. In your analysis, be sure to explain how particular elements (plot and characters) of
the text interact to develop the theme and how the structure of the text also contributes to the development
of the theme and the text’s meaning. Be sure to support your analysis with clearly explained textual
evidence from the text. Your essay should be written for an audience who is familiar with the text and
follow the conventions of standard English.
Some help to get started
To begin, the first thing you’ll want to do is to brainstorm possible themes in the text before choosing
one theme to analyze. Once you’ve decided on the theme, reread the texts to gather evidence about how
the theme is developed by the structure of the text and by the interaction of particular elements (e.g.,
characters, setting, plot) within the text. From there, write a theme statement and identify the reasons and
evidence you will use to support your theme statement. Then you’re ready to write a draft of your essay.
Although you will be writing this essay individually, you should feel free to use the following resources as
you take notes and write your essay.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Theme” Chart
“Identifying and Analyzing Themes” Chart
“Characteristics of an Effective Explanatory Essay” Chart
“Character’s Perspectives” Chart
“Happiness” Chart
Reader/Writer Notebook
Scoring Rubric
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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TASK TASK
3.3 3.3
StepBack Questions
Please answer the following questions in the space below. Your responses will be collected but not graded.
1. What did you find easy about completing the assessment?
2. What did you find difficult about it?
3. What questions do you still have?
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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Text 3: “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa 89
Grade Level Focus Standards
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the
text; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the
characters
or plot).
RL.7.5 Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its
meaning.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range.
Writing
W.7.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and
information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
W.7.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined
in standards 1–3 above.)
W.7.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as
needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well
purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of
Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 7 on page 52.)
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms
effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and
conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Language
L.7.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
L.7.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
L.7.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
english
language arts
7
Grade
Text 4: “Two Kinds”
by Amy Tan
Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASKS, TEACHING APPROACHES, AND STANDARDS
Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan 93
TASK
4.1
Comprehension
• What is happening in the order that it is happening?
• Who are the characters and what do we know about them?
Texts and Materials
• “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan13
• Reader/Writer Notebook
• Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Whole Group
Prepare students for the length of this narrative. Lead a discussion of the following questions:
• What do you think might be difficult about reading a long text?
• What can you do to help yourself read a long text?
Whole Group—Shared Reading
Begin reading the first two pages of “Two Kinds” aloud to the students. After this first section, stop and ask
students to answer verbally the comprehension questions and any other questions student have.
• What is happening in the order that it is happening in the story?
• Who are the characters and what do we know about them?
Individual Work
Ask students to finish the rest of the narrative individually, using the following questions to guide
their comprehension:
• What is happening in the order that it is happening in the story?
• Who are the characters and what do we know about them?
Individual Work
After they finish reading, students compose a Quick Write or take notes in their Reader/Writer Notebooks
in response to the comprehension questions. Remind students to use textual evidence to support
their responses.
Pair Work
Students share their Quick Writes with a partner and work together to create a timeline representing the
events of the story.
Whole Group
Lead a round-robin sharing to create a timeline that all students can see. Ask students to add any new
information or events to their own work.
13
Tan, A. (1989). The joy luck club. Two kinds (pp. 132-144). New York, NY: Penguin.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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94 Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
TASK
4.1
Whole Group
Lead a discussion about the characters and what we know about them. When necessary, prompt students to
use textual evidence to support their responses.
Individual Work
Ask students to compose a Quick Write in response to the questions below. Remind students to use
evidence from the text to support their responses.
• How does the author manipulate time in this story?
• What effect does this manipulation of time have on the story?
Whole Group
Engage students in a discussion on their responses to the questions above. Remind students to use evidence
from the text to support their responses.
Teaching Option—Small Group Tutorial: Use the teaching approach above, but do
so with small groups of students or with a particular group of students that you believe would
benefit from a greater degree of attention and support. As an alternative, you may also wish
to revisit this text with specific small groups. It is important for students to engage individually
in the Quick Write and talk with students about whatever they were able to write. You
could determine after you read their writing what might be helpful to model to expand their
understanding and support their skills development.
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49, 53)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g.,
alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or a section of a story or drama.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of t
he range.
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
Language
L.7.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based
on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan 95
Vocabulary
• Identify unknown words. What do the words mean? How do you know? How
do these words function in the context of “Two Kinds”?
Texts and Materials
•
•
•
•
“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan14
Handout: Vocabulary Concept Map
Reader/Writer Notebook
Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Individual Work
Ask students to reread the text independently and mark words that they either do not know or about which
they feel unsure. Circulate around the room as students are working, helping them identify key words. Select
words because they meet the characteristics of Tier 2 words, are identified by multiple students, and have a
meaning that can be determined from the context of the sentence or paragraph.
Pair Work
With a partner, ask students to select one word that they would like to start with. On a piece of chart paper,
students should copy, complete, and display the concept map (see next page).
Whole Group
Each pair presents their chart, explaining the information they wrote and the thinking they engaged in to
complete this task. Lead a discussion about techniques that students found effective for determining the
meaning of unknown words.
Individual Work
Ask students to complete blank concept maps for several of the other targeted words. Circulate around the
room providing support and assistance as needed.
Whole Group StepBack
Engage students in a whole group discussion to answer the following questions:
• What, if anything, was easier about completing the concept map this time around? What, if anything,
was more difficult?
• What did you do and think about to complete each part of the concept map?
• What techniques can you take from this when determining meanings of unknown words in
other readings?
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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96 Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
TASK
4.2
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49, 53)
Reading
RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g.,
alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or a section of a story or drama.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
Language
L.7.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based
on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan 97
Vocabulary Concept Map
Sentence with target word
Definition of target word as it’s used in
the sentence
Antonym or non-example of target word
Paraphrase the sentence with the target
word
Identify a situation (other than the present
one) where the target word might apply
Explain how the target word applies to the
situation you identified
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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98 Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
TASK
4.3
Significance
• Select and explain one moment that strikes you as significant to
“Two Kinds.”
Texts and Materials
• “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
• Reader/Writer Notebook
• Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Individual Work
Students reread “Two Kinds” to identify and explain one moment that strikes them as significant to the
story. This moment may be related to the characters, conflicts, lessons learned, key plot events, etc. Stress
that there is not a right or wrong answer.
Individual Work
Students create a two-column note chart (see below) in their Reader/Writer Notebooks. Students write the
moment from the story in the left side of the chart. In the right side, they write a short explanation of why
that moment is significant to the story. Students may want to first identify more than one significant moment
before choosing one that seems most significant.
Significant Moments in “Two Kinds”
Significant moment
Explanation of why this moment is significant
Pair or Trio Work
Working in pairs or trios, students share their charts. As they share, they should listen for similarities and
differences in the moments that were chosen as well as the explanation of why the moment is significant.
Once all partners have shared, students come to agreement about which moment of the two/three seems to
be the most significant.
Whole Group
Lead discussion of the significant moments and chart responses for whole group. When necessary, prompt
students to use textual evidence to support their responses.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan 99
Individual Work
Students write responses to StepBack questions in their Reader/Writer Notebooks:
•
What did you do to find a significant moment in the story?
•
How did our work with the text so far contribute to your understanding of the story?
Whole Group
Lead StepBack discussion of the comprehension and significance, work with the text.
Teaching Option - Small Group Tutorial: Use the approach described above, but do
so with small groups of students or with a particular group of students that you believe would
benefit from a greater degree of attention and support. As an alternative, you may also wish
to revisit this text with specific small groups. It is important for students to engage individually
in the Quick Write and talk with students about whatever they were able to write. You
could determine after you read their writing what might be helpful to model to expand their
understanding and support their skills development
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49)
Reading
RL.7.1. Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range.
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking & Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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100 Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
TASK
4.4
Interpretation
• Who is deaf in the story?
Texts and Materials
• “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
• Reader/Writer Notebook
• Chart paper and markers
Teaching Approach
Individual Work
Ask students to reread the text and compose a Quick Write in response to the question:
• Who is deaf in the story?
Remind students to use textual evidence to support their responses.
Note to Teacher—”Deaf”: Remind students that you have been working with figurative
language and that this is an interpretation question; as such, this question is requiring they
think beyond literal deafness to figurative deafness. The discussion will falter if conversation
remains only in the literal. You may need to remind them to push their thinking into the
figurative if they don’t immediately go there on their own.
Pair Share
Give students three to five minutes to share their Quick Writes in pairs. Partners should be listening for
textual evidence and points of agreement and disagreement.
Open Fishbowl Discussion
Five chairs are placed in the center of the room and serve as the fishbowl. The rest of the chairs are placed
in a circle around the fishbowl. Four students volunteer or are selected to sit in the fishbowl to begin the
discussion; one chair is left empty. Remind students to talk directly to each other; agree, disagree, or
otherwise build on each other’s ideas; use textual evidence to support their ideas; and request textual
evidence from peers when they offer unsupported ideas. Students outside the fishbowl should listen to the
discussion, keeping track of ideas and evidence that have been discussed. Several times over the course
of the discussion, select or ask for volunteers to join the discussion. When this happens, a member of the
fishbowl volunteers or is selected to leave the discussion.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan 101
Individual Work
Following the discussion, ask students to revise their Quick Writes to incorporate new ideas or pieces of
textual evidence. For this revision, students should concentrate on writing a coherent paragraph with a
clear claim (i.e., statement of their interpretation) and reasons and evidence to support their claim. Students
should hand in Quick Writes.
Whole Group
Lead students in a discussion to share what they learned by participating in or listening to the discussion
and how they revised their Quick Writes.
Note to Teacher: See the Inquiry-Based Discussion guide in the Instructional Resources
information on preparing students for an inquiry-based discussion. As the facilitator of the
inquiry-based discussion:
• encourage all students to participate in the discussion
• prompt students when necessary for clarification or textual evidence
• track students’ interpretations so that you can share the interpretations that have been
offered with students and assess the progress of the discussion
• avoid being a direct participant, sharing your interpretation, repeating responses, or
directing the conversation unnecessarily.
Teaching Option—Whole Group Inquiry-Based Discussion: As an alternative
to the Open Fishbowl Discussion, lead an inquiry-based discussion with the whole class. Ask
students to arrange their desks in a circle and remind them to talk directly to each other; agree,
disagree, or otherwise build on each other’s ideas; use textual evidence to support their ideas;
and request textual evidence from peers when they offer unsupported ideas.
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49)
Reading
RL.7.1. Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
Writing
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Speaking & Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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102 Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
TASK
4.5
Assessment 2
• Identify one of the themes that “Two Kinds” and “Happiness” have in
common and then write an essay in which you analyze in detail how the
theme is developed in each text.
Texts and Materials
Sessions 1-3
• Text 3: “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa • Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
• Handout: Scoring Rubric (See PARCC14 or SMARTER Balanced15 for Rubrics)
Session 1
• Handout: Assessment 2 • Chart: Theme
• Chart: Identifying and Analyzing Themes
• Chart: Characteristics of an Effective Explanatory Essay
• Chart: Character’s Perspectives
• Chart: Happiness
Session 2
• Copies of students’ papers from assessment • Teacher-selected effective student papers
Session 3
• Students’ papers with teacher feedback and students’ self-assessments
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. (2012) PARCC Assessment Rubric. Grades 6 -11: Expanded scoring rubric for analytic and narrative
14
15
writing. Retrieved from http://www.parcconline.org/sites/parcc/files/Grade%206-11%20ELA%20Expanded%20%20Rubric%20FOR%20ANALYTIC%20AND%20
NARRATIVE%20WRITING_0.pdf
Measured Progress/ETS Collaborative. (2012).Smarter balanced assessment consortium: English language arts rubrics. Retrieved from http://www.smarterbalanced.
org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/TaskItemSpecifications/EnglishLanguageArtsLiteracy/ELARubrics.pdf
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan 103
Grade Level Focus Standards
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of
the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the
characters or plot).
RL.7.5 Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its
meaning.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and
poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high
end of the range.
Writing
W.7.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and
information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
W.7.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined
in standards 1–3 above.)
W.7.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as
needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well
purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of
Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 7 on page 52.)
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Language
L.7.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking.
L.7.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
L.7.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
L.7.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words
and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to
comprehension or expression.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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104 Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
TASK
4.5
Assessment 2
Session 1: Take Assessment
Whole Group
Explain that today you will be asking students to write an essay in which they identify one of the themes
that “Two Kinds” and “Happiness” have in common, and then write an essay in which you analyze in detail
how the theme is developed in each text. They will be completing the work individually. They may, however,
use the following resources:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chart: Theme
Chart: Identifying and Analyzing Themes
Chart: Characteristics of an Effective Essay
Chart: Character’s Perspectives
Chart: Happiness
Reader/Writer Notebook
Scoring Rubric
Distribute the handout, Assessment 2, and lined loose-leaf paper. Read the directions with students,
answering any questions they have about the assignment. Students should complete the task individually.
Post Assessment
Collect students’ essays and make copies (prior to assessing and giving feedback) to give back to them in
Session 2. Read and sort the essays, looking for effective essays. Effective essays can have minor errors of
form or content (i.e., they may still need revision). Before the next session, ask the authors of those essays
if they would be willing to share their work and thinking with the class. Be ready to display those essays
before the next session.
Assess and give feedback on students’ essays for Session 3. Look for patterns across responses and identify
what mini-lessons you will need to do to re-teach concepts.
Session 2: Study Effective Essays
Whole Group
Return copies of students’ essays from the previous class. Ask the students you identified as having
effective essays to share their work and thinking with the class. If the students sharing have difficulty
articulating their thinking, prompt them with questions that will enable them to be more explicit.
With the whole group, decide what the writer might do to make the essay even more effective.
Individual StepBack Quick Write
With about 10-15 minutes left in this session, ask students to self-assess their own essay based on the
essays they saw in this task. Collect students’ self-assessments. This will give you added information as you
plan for the mini-lessons you will teach in the next session.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan 105
Session 3: Continued Feedback with Self-Assessment
Whole Group
Return students’ essays with teacher feedback and students’ self-assessments.
Individual StepBack Quick Write
Ask students to compare the two and to write on the following in their Reader/Writer Notebooks:
• How is the feedback you received from me, your teacher, similar to and/or different from how you
assessed your essay?
• What questions do you have?
• What did you learn from engaging in this activity?
Whole Group
Invite students to share their StepBack with the whole group.
Teacher Mini-Lessons
Provide whole or small group mini-lessons based on differentiated learning needs of your students.
If additional practice is needed before moving onto the culminating assessment, another round of guided
practice could be done with the poem “Nikki-Rosa” by Nikki Giovanni and the story “The Treasure of Lemon
Brown” by Walter Dean Myers. The model essay is provided and used in Task 2.6, which uses these
two texts.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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106 Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
TASK
4.5
Assessment 2
Throughout this unit we have been working on identifying, analyzing, and writing about themes. We have
written theme statements and worked to support those theme statements with relevant, adequate, and
clearly explained evidence. We have begun to compare two different genres of texts (poetry and short
fiction) in terms of how a common theme is developed through the interaction of particular elements and the
structure of the text. We have read, discussed, and written about a theme in “Happiness,” and we have also
read and discussed “Two Kinds.” Your task now is to work with both of those texts.
Assignment: Identify one of the themes that “Two Kinds” and “Happiness” have in common and then write
an essay in which you analyze in detail how the theme is developed in each the texts. In your analysis, be
sure to explain how particular elements of the texts interact to develop the theme and how the structures
of the texts also contribute to the development of the theme and the text’s meaning. Be sure to support your
analysis with clearly explained textual evidence from both of the texts. Your essay should be written for an
audience who is familiar with the texts and follow the conventions of standard English.
Some help to get started
To begin, the first thing you’ll want to do is to brainstorm common themes across the two texts before
choosing one theme to analyze. Once you’ve decided on the theme, reread each of the texts to gather
evidence about how the theme is developed by the structure of the text and by the interaction of particular
elements (e.g., characters, setting, plot) within the text. Then compare the evidence to look for similarities
and differences in terms of how the common theme is developed in each of the texts. Take notes on your
findings. From there, write a theme statement and identify the reasons and evidence you will use to support
your theme statement. Then you’re ready to write a draft of your essay. As you write, keep in mind the tools
and resources you have to support you. List the tools and resources you have in the following space:
Although you will be writing this essay individually, you should feel free to use the following resources as
you take notes and write your essay:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chart: Theme
Chart: Identifying and Analyzing Themes
Chart: Characteristics of an Effective Essay
Chart: Character’s Perspectives
Chart: Happiness
Reader/Writer Notebook
Scoring Rubric
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan 107
StepBack Questions
Please answer the following questions in the space below. Your responses will be collected but not graded.
1. What did you find easy about completing the assessment?
2. What did you find difficult about it?
3. What questions do you still have?
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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Grade
Culminating Assessment
Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
TASKS, TEACHING APPROACHES, AND STANDARDS
Culminating Assessment 111
Analysis of Theme
Culminating Assessment
Preparing for the Culminating Assessment
Whole Group
Please read “Snow” by Julia Alvarez and “The Bridge” by Maurice Kilwein Guevara. As you read, think about
the following comprehension questions:
• What is happening in each text?
• Who are the characters in each text and what do we know about them?
Participate in a whole group discussion about the comprehension questions with your teacher.
Completing the Culminating Assessment
Individual Work
Identify one of the themes that these two texts have in common, and then write an essay in which you
analyze in detail how the theme is developed in each of the texts. In your analysis, be sure to explain how
particular elements of the texts interact to develop the theme. Be sure to support your analysis with clearly
explained textual evidence from both of the texts. Your essay should be written for an audience who is
familiar with the texts and follow the conventions of standard English.
Use the blank space below to take notes. Your notes will be collected but not graded. After you’ve written
your essay, answer the StepBack questions. Like your notes, your responses to the StepBack questions will
be collected but not graded.
Notes:
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
112 Culminating Assessment
StepBack Questions
Please answer the following questions in the space below. Your responses will be collected but not graded.
1. What did you find easy about completing the assessment?
2. What did you find difficult about it?
3. What questions do you still have about identifying, analyzing, or writing about theme?
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Culminating Assessment 113
Focus Standards
(CCSS, 2012, p. 36-37, 44, 49)
Reading
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the
text; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the
characters or plot).
RL.7.5 Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to
its meaning.
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
Writing
W.7.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and
information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
W.7.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined
in standards 1–3 above.)
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Language
L.7.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking.
L.7.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
L.7.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
L.7.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words
and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to
comprehension or expression.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
114 Culminating Assessment
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
english
language arts
7
Grade
Appendix
Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Appendix 117
Texts
Unit Texts
Text 1: “Oranges” by Gary Soto
Soto, G. (1995). Oranges. Gary Soto: New and selected poems (pp. 72-74). San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
Text 2: “The Chase” by Annie Dillard
Dillard, A. (1987). The chase. An American childhood (pp. 45-49). New York, NY: Harper Perennial.
Text 3: “Happiness” by Yusef Komunyakaa
Komunyakaa, Y. (2001). Happiness. Pleasure dome: New and collected poems (p. 266).
Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press.
Text 4: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
Tan, A. (1989). Two kinds. The joy luck club (pp. 132-144). New York, NY: Penguin.
Text 5: “Snow” by Julia Alvarez
Alvarez, J. (2010). Snow. How the Garcia girls lost their accents (pp. 166-167). Chapel Hill, NC:
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
Text 6: “The Bridge” by Maurice Kilwein Guevara
Guevara, M.K. (1994). The bridge. Postmortem (p. 31). Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
118 Appendix
Obtaining Copyright Permission
A number of texts, such as journal and newspaper articles, book chapters, children’s books, and poems, may
be mentioned in this IFL Unit. Because of copyright considerations, these resources could not be included in
the unit. A comprehensive reference citation has been included in this section of the unit.
The resources referenced in this unit may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code). You are
responsible for obtaining permission from the rights holder(s) in order to reproduce and distribute
copyrighted material. The rights holder may require a fee for this permission, which will be based on the
number of copies made. Even if the rights holder does not require a fee, you are still obligated to make a
formal request before redistributing copyrighted material.
Notes
• The rights holder will need the following information to process your request—title of work, author,
place of publication, page numbers, and how and when the resource will be used.
• When text comes from an anthology or a textbook, the publisher of the book is most likely not the rights
holder. The publisher generally gets permission to include the text in their book. The rights holder will
need to be determined in order to get permission to use the text.
• Picture books generally have two rights holders, one for the text and another for the images. Both rights
holders must grant permission to make copies of the texts.
• Other resources, such as painting, photographs, graphics, cartoons, videos, songs, etc., also require
copyright permission.
Copyright laws may prohibit photocopying
this document without express permission.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Appendix 119
Instructional Glossary
ASSESSMENTS IN IFL ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS reflect what is known about the assessments under
development by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and the Partnership for Assessment of
Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). Both consortia closely align their assessments to the Common
Core State Standards.
ASSESSMENT TASKS:
• Allow for an assessment of how well students are learning the content and habits of thinking that they
are being taught through the designed curriculum.
• Build from the notion that we should assess what we actually teach. Therefore, the assessment and
unit content learning goals, skills, and habits of thinking are the same.
• Ask students to individually complete tasks that mirror tasks they have completed, often with others, as
part of the unit’s daily instruction. The specific content of the assessment is new to students, yet within
the scope of the content they have been studying as part of the unit of study.
• Use student work to assess what students know, what teachers need to re-teach, and what
modifications teachers must make as they continue the work of the unit.
CHARTING of the pair/trio sharing by or for members of the group represents the work of the group to
the entire class. Wall charts are dynamic displays that are frequently revisited and revised by the teacher
and learners as their understanding of the particular content is developing. In the process of creating
these charts, learners voice their own interpretations of content or ideas, providing teachers with key
opportunities to assess learners’ understanding. While the teacher is collecting the students’ ideas, often
s/he is also shaping and organizing their ideas given the content and standards that are the focus of the
lesson or unit. Wall charts also act as a way to provide support for students who may not have understood
the work individually (or in their pair/trio/group work). Additionally, wall charts provide learners with clear
expectations of what they are learning or expected to produce. Learners use these charts as references
when doing work independently or in small and large groups; this allows students to begin to self-manage
their learning. Therefore, these charts should be strategically placed in the classroom so that students can
use them as tools of instruction. Wall charts are part of the gradual release of the responsibility for learning
from teachers to students. They are intended to reflect and impact the learner’s work and achievement,
unlike posters, which are fixed products and are often used as decoration.
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS (CCSS) have been adopted by most states. Information about this
standards project and the English language arts/literacy standards are on the CCSS website:
http://www.corestandards.org.
COMPREHENSION/SORTING QUESTIONS promote close reading and allow students to get the gist of a
text while sorting out, for example, the characters and settings, central and supporting ideas, or claims
and counterclaims.
CULMINATING ASSESSMENT refers to the final unit assessment. Students complete this performance
assessment individually. It focuses on the big ideas and skills students have studied and used in the unit. It
takes into account the standards and sequence of lessons, and tests what has been taught, modeled, and
included on criteria charts and trackers.
CULMINATING ASSIGNMENT refers to the final unit assignment. The culminating assignment focuses
on the big ideas and skills students have studied and used in the unit. Unlike the culminating assessment,
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
120 Appendix
students receive support in its completion including opportunities for multiple drafts, peer review, and
revision. Almost always, students learn about the culminating assignment at the beginning of the unit,
which helps them to understand how the work that they do throughout the unit connects and supports their
completion of this individual but scaffolded assignment.
DISCIPLINARY LITERACY (DL) is an approach to teaching and learning that integrates academically
rigorous content with discipline-appropriate habits of thinking. In DL, students become literate in a specific
discipline by learning the big ideas and habits of thinking of that discipline simultaneously.
EMBEDDED ASSESSMENT TASKS describe assessments that are integral to a curriculum and are part
of a unit’s instructional sequence. They are literally embedded as on-demand “tests” in units of instruction
and require students to perform tasks that mirror work they have completed, often with others, as part
of the unit’s daily instruction. Embedding assessments throughout instruction allows teachers to find out
what students don’t know or aren’t able to do while there is still time to do something about it. These
assessments provide formative data that allow teachers to change or modify instruction to address better
the needs of individual learners.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT is assessment for learning. This type of assessment occurs throughout the
course of a unit and is used to measure students’ understanding of the unit’s key concepts, content, and
skills. The data from formative assessments are used to adjust instruction and learning to meet the needs of
students. This adjustment may include re-teaching certain concepts, either to the whole class or a specific
group of students, or incorporating alternative approaches to assessing the content.
GALLERY WALKS refer to walks students do around the classroom in order to read, take notes on, or
respond to various classroom artifacts such as individual or pair/trio charts, whole group charts, displays
constructed by the teacher or peers, etc. Gallery walks provide the opportunity for students to share their
work with others and/or display what they know or have learned. Additionally, gallery walks can provide
teachers with an active way to share information with students on various topics. Gallery walks are usually
followed by whole class discussions.
GENRE: “A genre of writing is a rough template for accomplishing a particular purpose with language. It
provides the writer and the reader with a common set of assumptions about what characterizes the text.”
(Hampton, S., Murphy, S., & Lowry, M. (2009) in Using Rubrics to Improve Writing, New Standards, IRA,
University of Pittsburgh & NCEE, p. 1.)
INFORMATIONAL TEXT: The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) explicate expectations for reading
and writing informational text. The CCSS section below elaborates on these expectations for writing
informational text:
“Informational/explanatory writing conveys information accurately. This kind of
writing serves one or more closely related purposes: to increase readers’ knowledge
of a subject, to help readers better understand a procedure or process, or to provide
readers with an enhanced comprehension of a concept. Informational/explanatory
writing addresses matters such as types (What are the different types of poetry?)
and components (What are the parts of a motor?); size, function, or behavior (How
big is the United States? What is an X-ray used for? How do penguins find food?);
how things work (How does the legislative branch of government function?); and why
things happen (Why do some authors blend genres?)” (Appendix A, p. 23)
Writers of informational/explanatory texts:
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Appendix 121
“use a variety of techniques to convey information, such as naming, defining,
describing, or differentiating different types or parts; comparing or contrasting ideas
or concepts; and citing an anecdote or a scenario to illustrate a point. Informational/
explanatory writing includes a wide array of genres, including academic genres such
as literary analyses, scientific and historical reports, summaries, and précis writing
as well as forms of workplace and functional writing such as instructions, manuals,
memos, reports, applications, and résumés” (ibid).
The National Assessment of Educational Progress addresses the reading of informational text in its reading
framework, “Informational texts include three broad categories: exposition; argumentation and persuasive
text; and procedural text and documents.” Informational texts include such reading materials as textbooks,
magazine and newspaper articles, documents, essays, and speeches.
The sidebar of the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading advocates that students
read “increasingly challenging literary and informational texts.” They provide examples of informational text
such as “texts in history/social studies, science and other disciplines” (2010, p. 10).
The following sections from the CCSS provide examples of informational texts which are meant to illustrate
the kinds of texts that can be selected, but not to be the only texts students would read:
Informational: Historical/Social Science Texts
Historical/Social Science texts are informational texts with historical or social
science content. Examples from Appendix B of the CCSS include: Preamble and First
Amendment to the United States Constitution, Freedom Walkers: The Story of the
Montgomery Bus Boycott by Freedman, The Great Fire by Murphy, and Vincent Van
Gogh: Portrait of an Artist by Greenberg.
Informational: Scientific and Technical Texts
Scientific and Technical texts are informational texts with scientific and technical
content. Examples from Appendix B of the CCSS include: The Building of Manhattan
by Mackay, Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet out of Idaho by Katz, “Space
Probe” from Astronomy & Space: From the Big Bang to the Big Crunch and “The
Evolution of the Grocery Bag” by Petroski.
Literary Nonfiction
Literary nonfiction “includes the subgenres of exposition, argument, and functional
text in the form of personal essays, speeches, opinion pieces, essays about art or
literature, biographies, memoirs, journalism, and historical, scientific, technical, or
economic accounts (including digital sources) written for a broad audience” (2010,
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, 2010, p. 57). These texts
can be informational, persuasion, and narrative. Examples from Appendix B of the
CCSS include: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave by
Douglass, “Letter to Thomas Jefferson” by Adams, Travels with Charley: In Search of
America by Steinbeck, and “Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: Address to Parliament on
May 13th, 1940” by Churchill.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
122 Appendix
INTERPRETIVE QUESTIONS are text-based, thought-provoking questions that stem from genuine inquiry.
These open-ended questions can sustain multiple, varied responses based on evidence from the text.
Interpretive questions are the focus of WriteAbouts and inquiry-based discussions.
INQUIRY-BASED DISCUSSIONS are whole group discussions in which readers discuss their responses
to interpretive questions (WriteAbouts). These student-centered discussions usually follow a second or third
reading of the text. Before students engage in inquiry-based discussions, they have had the opportunity to
write individually on the interpretive question and share their responses in pairs or trios. The purposes of an
inquiry-based discussion are to help readers:
•
•
•
•
•
“try out” their answers and explanations using specific moments and evidence from the text;
practice making interpretations supported with evidence from the text;
accept alternative views/interpretations of the same text;
rethink what they think about the text; and
understand that readers can have different valid interpretations of the same text.
METACOGNITION refers to thinking about one’s thinking and how one learns. Students are asked to think
metacognitively when they answer StepBack questions. During this part of the learning, students consider
WHAT they learned and HOW they learned it.
MODELS are examples of work, either oral or written, that support students producing similar work. A
model is of a total performance, which can be large or small, in order to help learners understand the
essence of an activity and develop a mental picture of what the real thing looks like. It may be an example
of one way to explain significant moments, answer a StepBack question, write the culminating assignment,
etc. Models include work completed by peers, the teacher, and/or professional writers. Before completing
the task/assignment themselves, learners are usually asked to deconstruct these models in order to analyze
what makes them effective. Models are not necessarily exemplars; therefore, they do not need to be
perfect.
OVERARCHING QUESTIONS present the big ideas of the unit as inquiry questions that reach across
and connect all of the texts under study including the students’ writing. These overarching questions are
informed by the standards and central ideas worth knowing about a particular topic within a given discipline.
PAIR/TRIO SHARING refers to students working in groups of two or three to share their responses to
individual quick writes or other tasks in order to establish academic conversations in a safe environment
with high accountability to the task and the group members.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Appendix 123
PATTERNED WAY OF READING, WRITING, AND TALKING refers to DL ELA pattern of reading, writing
about/like, and discussing texts multiple times for different purposes using scaffolded questions that lead
students from literal comprehension to higher-order thinking.
Read to get the gist
Write and talk to learn: know,
express, and track thinking
Reread to find significant
moments
Write and talk to learn: select
and explain ideas; reflect on
writing and thinking
Read again to interpret the
ideas in the text
Write and talk to develop
interpretation of ideas
Read again differently to
analyze the author’s methods
WriteLike—Write like the text
is imitation of an author’s syntax
and grammatical structures
Write and talk to demonstrate understanding of ideas and genre
QUICK WRITES are short pieces of writing composed by individual learners in response to questions and
tasks for any and all of the design features of lessons, tasks, and units. The term “Quick Write” is a synonym
for free writes, discovery writing, writing to learn, written reflections, etc. The following chart shows how
Quick Writes can vary:
Type of Quick Write:
Explanation of why this moment
is significant
Discovery Writing
Quick. Students are accessing prior knowledge or thinking on
paper.
Entry Slips
Usually quick. Students respond to a writing prompt from the
teacher on previous or
current learning.
Exit Slips
Usually quick. Exit Slips are similar to Entry Slips except
these are handed in at the end of the class rather than at the
beginning and most often require students to focus on an
aspect of the learning done that day.
Getting the Gist
Quick. Students are sharing events, characters, key ideas,
etc. Length of time depends on amount and difficulty of text.
Significant Moments
Longer. Students are sharing moments and evidence,
questioning each other, identifying similarities and
differences.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
124 Appendix
Type of Quick Write:
Explanation of why this moment
is significant
WriteAbout
Time for writing and sharing is longer since the task is more
difficult. During the pair/trio share, students are sharing ideas
and evidence, debating interpretations, questioning each
other’s ideas and evidence, etc.
WriteLike
Time allotted depends on students’ familiarity with the task.
Writing and sharing might look more like working together to
solve a problem, find examples of a literary device, analyze
aspects of an author’s style, etc.
READ ALOUD is a reading approach in which the text is not seen by the students, but is read aloud by the
teacher with intermittent questions designed to foster student discussion that builds meaning.
READ TO GET THE GIST is the first reading of a text in which readers read for literal comprehension.
Literal comprehension questions such as “What is happening?” in a narrative; “What are the arguments?”
in an argumentative text; or “What are the issues?” in an informational text guide this first reading. For
narrative writing, questions such as “Who are the characters? What do you know about them? How do you
know it?” help students sort the characters and develop literal comprehension.
READER/WRITER NOTEBOOK is a classroom tool students use to record their thinking and/or ideas,
generate writing ideas, and try out new voices. Students compose Quick Writes and WriteAbouts, take
notes, compose observations for writings, respond to questions and tasks, and track their learning in their
Reader/Writer Notebooks. The Reader/Writer Notebook is a place students can go back to when working on
larger pieces such as their culminating assignment. It also serves as a central notebook to store handouts,
papers, calendars, and other materials used in the class. It is helpful to use a loose-leaf notebook so that
pages from each student’s Reader/Writer Notebook can be collected, shared, returned, and re-arranged
easily.
REREAD FOR SIGNIFICANCE involves having students reread or skim through a text for the purpose
of identifying moments or specific kinds of moments (e.g., author’s arguments, character’s response to
challenge) that strike them as significant to that text. Students are then asked to explain the significance of
the chosen moments to the text.
RETROSPECTIVE tasks on each text or across texts invite students to rethink and revise writing on the
unit’s big ideas and overarching questions as they progress through the unit.
RUBRICS delineate the criteria of different levels of performance. In writing instruction, formative and
summative ones are used. Summative rubrics are primarily useful to the teacher to more quickly assign
a score to a piece of student writing. These are usually too complex or abstract to be helpful to students.
Formative rubrics, developed by students with their teacher as part of instruction on specific writing
assignments, can be helpful checklists/gauges for students of what they have included in their writing and
how well their writing represents each element. Students, with their teacher, update rubrics as their writing
improves through instruction, practice and feedback.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Appendix 125
The table below presents a brief overview of the main types of rubrics used to assess student work in ELA
and some of the differences among them.
Type of Rubric and
Description
Advantages
Disadvantages
Holistic assigns a single,
overall rating or score to a
product or performance based
on an overall impression.
• good for simple products
or performances (i.e., ones
characterized by a single
element or dimension)
• provides a quick “snapshot”
of ovterall quality or
achievement performance
• represents overall “impact”
of a product or performance
• does not provide detailed
analysis of strengths and
weaknesses, so not useful
for diagnostic purposes or
to inform instruction
• does not help students to
see what they need to do to
improve
Analytic assigns separate
ratings or scores to identified
elements or dimensions of a
product or performance so that
each category or dimension
can be judged separately on
a quality scale as the basis
of determining a total
score/judgment.
• captures complexity of
product or performance that
involves several elements
or dimensions
• identifies the essential
components of quality by
element or dimension
• provides specific feedback
to teachers, students, and
parents regarding individual
strengths and weaknesses
as well as a final score/
judgment
• time consuming, especially
at first, to learn and use
• raises issues of reliability
among different raters who
are dealing with several
elements or dimensions
• components of quality scale
may be more generic
• applied across writing tasks
which can result in generic
kinds of writing
Primary trait focuses attention
on rating of a single trait
considered to be the most
essential for demonstrating
success regarding a particular
product or performance; in
writing, isolates one component
of written discourse and
assesses the writer’s aptness
for that particular trait; in
reading and writing, isolates
the essential attribute of the
reading performance.
• gives a sharp view of
the complex aspects of
a particular skill, thus
allowing for more precisely
identifying particular
strengths and weaknesses
• the dimension or trait being
rated is clearly reflected in
the primary trait at each
score point
• task-specific
• time consuming, especially
at first, to learn and use
• tasks may require
secondary trait rubrics in
addition to a primary trait
one, adding additional
complexity to the scoring of
papers
References:
Arter, J. & McTighe, J. (2001). Scoring rubrics in the classroom. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.
Lloyd-Jones, R. (1977). Primary trait scoring. In C. Cooper & L. Odell (Eds.), Evaluating writing: Describing, measuring, judging (pp. 33-66). Urbana, IL: NCTE.
Shultz, L. & Laine, C. (1986). A primary trait-scoring grid with instructional uses. Journal of Teaching Writing, 5, 77-89.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
126 Appendix
SHARED READING involves the teacher displaying an enlarged copy of the text and showing only the
portions of the text to be read aloud and discussed as the text unfolds. It is important that students’ eyes
track the text as it is being read aloud by the teacher, especially during an initial reading. The power of the
shared reading component is that the teacher is taking on the decoding work, while the students are able to
see the words and hear how they sound, simultaneously.
SIGNIFICANCE tasks ask students to locate significant moments in a text and to explain why those
moments are significant to the text.
STEPBACK tasks ask students to reflect on what they are learning and how they are learning it. They
are deliberate efforts to help students accumulate their growing body of knowledge on the unit focus and
overarching questions and develop a metacognitive awareness that prompts transfer of learning to relevant
new situations.
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT is an assessment of the learning at a particular point in time. The evaluation,
usually in the form of a test or culminating assessment, measures what students have learned over the
course of a unit or other period of study. The assessment summarizes learning up to that point and is most
times marked and scored.
TASKS ask learners to use knowledge, skills, and habits to accomplish an activity, project, or to solve
a problem in reading, writing, and thinking. In completing tasks, learners “do” the subject of literature,
composition, and/or language study within the disciplines working in ways authentic to the discipline.
Typically, tasks are prompted by open-ended questions about a text(s) students are reading and/or writing.
THINK ALOUD is a form of modeling in which the teacher or a peer thinks aloud as s/he is performing
a task such as reading a text, gathering evidence to answer a question, writing a thesis statement, etc.
The person performing the think aloud usually chooses three or four strategies or techniques to explicitly
model and asks learners to focus on, listen for, or take notes on those things. The purpose of a think aloud
is to make the implicit explicit so that others may learn and apply these strategies when doing the task
themselves.
TRACKERS assist students to self-assess and monitor progress in relation to established criteria for
success on a culminating assignment/assessment.
UNIT FOCUS identifies the big ideas (e.g., “Miseducation” or “Writing and Identity” or “Child Labor”),
genre, or author to be studied, linked to the standards.
WIKI refers to a website with a collection of pages that are developed and edited collaboratively by a group
of people. Each page in a wiki allows readers to leave comments about the content, and many wikis allow
readers to edit the content within each page.
WRITEABOUTS are short pieces of writing students do in response to interpretive questions based on
their reading. WriteAbouts usually follow a second or third reading of the text and are written in students’
Reader/Writer Notebooks. They are usually in preparation for an inquiry-based discussion.
WRITELIKES ask students to write like the texts, either in the style of the selection or in imitation of an
author’s sentence and grammatical structure.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Appendix 127
Instructional Resources
Reader/Writer Notebook
What is the Reader/Writer Notebook?
It is a notebook with loose-leaf paper that can be added, rearranged, or temporarily removed. Loose-leaf
holed paper between pressboard covers, held together with rings would suffice.
Students will be asked to use a Reader/Writer Notebook this year.
What are two main purposes of the notebook?
It gives the writer a place for thinking and trying out different voices and techniques.
It also serves as a central notebook to store handouts, other papers, and calendars used in English
language arts.
What are other specific uses of the notebook?
It is our classroom tool for thinking, recording ideas, generating writing ideas, and trying out new voices.
We use it for Quick Writes, two-column notes, WriteAbouts, WriteLikes, criteria charts, class notes,
brainstorming, etc.
• It is a place for writers to work through writing problems and brainstorm.
• It is a place where we can go back to reread and/or select pieces for revision.
• It is a place where we can go back to reflect on how we have grown as readers and writers.
How may students set up their own Reader/Writer Notebooks?
Either on the cover or the first page of the notebook, ask students to write their name, class period, and
the date they began using their notebook. They might also personalize their notebooks with decorations,
pictures, nicknames, etc.
On the top of the second page of the notebook, ask students to write “Table of Contents.”
On the first line of the Table of Contents page, ask students to write: “date,” “topic,” and “page number.”
Beginning with the Table of Contents, ask students to number the first 30 pages; students may number the
rest of the pages when they get to page 30.
Students can now begin using the Reader/Writer Notebooks on page 6 (pages 2-5 will be set aside for the
table of contents).
Note: Because the Reader/Writer Notebook is a place for students to think and try out different writing
and reading ideas, encourage them to write and collect ideas in their notebooks as a habit of practice that
extends beyond the times related to specific assignments for class.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
128 Appendix
Teacher Resource: Reader/Writer Notebook
Suggested Feedback System
Since the writer’s notebook is expressive writing (writing for the writer), it is important to lower the
students’ level of anxiety relative to grammar and usage errors. Randy Bomer, author of Time for Meaning:
Crafting Literate Lives in Middle and High School (1995), suggests that teachers also use a Reader/Writer
Notebook. This helps to deepen the idea of a writers’ community in the classroom and allows teachers to
give students ideas for their notebooks by sharing from their notebooks from time to time. Bomer has also
devised a method of feedback based on the following criteria:
1. Volume
A. One entry from each class, including one long selection.
B. Five for homework, including two long selections.
2. Variety
3. Thoughtfulness
4. Habits of Thought—Intention for Writing
Specifically:
A.description
B. precise dialogue
C. movement between facts and ideas
5. Playful Experimentation with Language
He then uses a class rotation system, collecting every student’s notebook once every two weeks.
He writes brief comments and the score from the class rubric on sticky notes and places them in
each notebook.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Appendix 129
Pedagogical Rituals and Routines
When we ask students to engage in inquiry units and lessons, we ask them to use the following key
Pedagogical Rituals and Routines. These rituals and routines, derived from research on cognitive
apprenticeship, are designed to engage all students as learners in collaborative problem solving, writing
to learn, making thinking visible, using routines for note-taking/making and tracking learning, text-based
norms for interpretive discussions and writings, ongoing assessment and revision, and meta-cognitive
reflection and articulation as regular patterns in learning. These cyclical apprenticeship rituals and routines
build community when used with authentic tasks through collaboration, coaching, the sharing of solutions,
multiple occasions for practice, and the articulation of reflections (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989).
The key English language arts pedagogical routines that support students’ learning are:
• Quick Writes composed by individual learners in response to questions and tasks for any and all of the
design features of lessons and units;
• pair/trio sharing of individual Quick Writes to establish academic conversations in a safe environment
with high accountability to the task and the group members;
• charting of the pair/trio sharing by members of the group to represent the work of the group to the
entire class;
• gallery walks for members of the class to read and take notes on the pair/trio work in preparation for a
whole class discussion of the task;
• whole group discussions of the questions or tasks that prompted the scaffold of Quick Writes, pair/trio
share, charting, and gallery walks to deepen understandings and address lingering questions;
• model of a total performance in order to help learners understand the essence of an activity and
develop a mental picture of what the real thing looks like;
• Reader/Writer Notebooks in which learners compose Quick Writes, take notes, make notes, compose
observations for writings, respond to questions and tasks, and track their learning; and
• StepBacks in which learners metacognitively reflect through Quick Writes, pair/trio shares, charting,
gallery walks, discussions, and writing assignments on the content and pedagogy of their learning to
develop and track their understandings and habits of thinking.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
130 Appendix
Accountable Talk® Moves and Functions in ELA
TEACHER MOVE
FUNCTION
EXAMPLE
TO ENSURE PURPOSEFUL, COHERENT, AND PRODUCTIVE GROUP DISCUSSION
1. Marking
Direct attention to the value and
importance of a student’s contribution.
“I hear you saying _____. Let’s keep this
idea in mind.”
2. Challenging Students
Redirect a question back to the students
or use student’s contributions as a source
for a further challenge or inquiry.
“What do YOU think?”
“What
surprised you about what you just heard
about the text’s ______?”
3. Modeling
Make one’s thinking public and
demonstrate a total performance in order
to help learners understand the essence
of the activity and to develop a mental
picture of what the real thing looks like.
“Here’s what good readers do…”
TO SUPPORT ACCOUNTABILITY TO ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE
4. Pressing for
Accuracy
Hold students accountable for the
accuracy, credibility, and clarity of their
contributions.
“Where can we find that…?” “What is
your basis for that conclusion?” “Who said
that?”
5. Building on Prior
Knowledge
Tie a current contribution back to
knowledge accumulated by the class at a
previous time
“How does this connect…?” “How do we
define ______ in this context?” “What
else comes to mind given our discussion
about ____________?”
TO SUPPORT ACCOUNTABILITY TO RIGOROUS THINKING
6. Pressing for
Reasoning
Elicit evidence and establish what
contribution a student’s utterance is
intended to make within the group’s larger
enterprise.
“Why do you think that…?” “What
evidence from the text supports your
claim? How does this idea contrast with
_____?”
7. Expanding
Reasoning
Open up extra time and space in the
conversation for student reasoning.
“Take your time… say more.” “Given
what we just read and discussed, what
would you now say about ______?”
8. Recapping
Make public in a concise, coherent
way, the group’s developed, shared
understanding of the content or text under
discussion.
“What have we discovered?” “So far, we
have discussed the following …What else
do we need to address?”
TO SUPPORT ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE LEARNING COMMUNITY
9. Keeping the
Channels Open
Ensure that students can hear each other, “Please say back what _____ just said.”
and remind them that they must hear what
others have said.
10. Keeping Everyone Ensure that everyone not only heard, but
also understood, what a speaker said.
Together
“Do you agree or disagree with what
_______ just said? Explain your thinking.”
11. Linking
Contributions
Make explicit the relationship between
a new contribution and what has gone
before.
“Who wants to add on to …? “What do
you notice is missing?”
12. Verifying and
Clarifying
Revoice a student’s contribution, thereby
helping both speakers and listeners
to engage more profitably in the
conversation.
“So, are you saying…?”
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
Appendix 131
Inquiry-Based Discussion
In an inquiry-based discussion, readers discuss their responses to an interpretive question about a
text(s). An interpretive question stems from a genuine inquiry about a text, is thought-provoking, and can
sustain multiple and varied responses supported by textual evidence.
The purposes of the discussion are to help readers to:
• “try out” their answers and explanations anchored with specific moments from the text;
• accept alternative views/interpretations of the same text (not about reaching consensus or proclaiming
a winner);
• rethink what they think about the text; and
• understand that readers can have different, valid interpretations of the same text.
Preparing for the Discussion:
• The discussion lead, usually the teacher, explains inquiry to readers, models some responses, and
describes the teacher’s and the students’ roles during the discussion.
• Allow enough time for the discussion given the text complexity.
• The discussion usually follows the second or third reading of a text.
• Individually, students WriteAbout the interpretive question and mine the text for evidence supporting
their responses.
• Students are seated so they can see, talk to, and listen to each other.
Features of the Inquiry-Based Discussion:
• A central inquiry/question that can sustain multiple responses related to interpreting the ideas of one
text or across texts focuses the talk.
• The facilitator prompts students to “say more” and to anchor their talk in the text.
• Initial student talk is exploratory and can be halting as participants “try out” and modify their answers
and explanations.
• Participants return often to cite or re-read the text, texts, or their notes.
• There is usually genuine talk related to the question by over 60% of the group.
• Participants listen to each other using the ideas of others in their answers.
• At the end of the discussion, there is time for each participant to jot down what they are thinking about
the text given the discussion.
• The teacher takes the long view on students’ discussions, expecting the students to get better as they
have more experience.
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
132 Appendix
Facilitator’s Role:
• The teacher facilitator is not a direct teacher or a presenter. The facilitator does not talk too much, does
not repeat the talkers’ responses, and does not verbally compliment or negate responses.
• When teachers step out of their role as guides and into their role as participants or teachers, they limit
participation (Vygotsky 1986; Alvermann, et al., 1996).
• As teacher facilitator, you elicit what readers are thinking and validating with evidence, but you are not
telling them your interpretation.
• The teacher facilitator:
- Uses questions to get others talking;
- Encourages everyone – not just some – to participate;
- Presses for clarification and evidence from the text;
- Keeps the conversation on track during the time frame provided;
- Encourages readers to listen to and learn from each other by not repeating their responses;
- Reminds them, only if and when necessary, of the guiding question under discussion;
- Asks each discussant to validate answers with explanations anchored in evidence from the text; -
- Summarizes a flow of three or four responses or questions further to raise rigor of discussion—not to do the mental work for students;
- Asks participants to step back and reflect on what they learned from the discussion: Would they now change their first Quick Write response and, if so, what would they change and why?; and
- Asks the idea tracker to recap the intellectual work of the discussion.
• The facilitator asks readers to step back and reflect on the discussion: If they didn’t participate
successfully, what needs to improve and who has responsibility for the improvement?
© 2013 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 7: Analysis of Theme: Degrees of Happiness
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