WW_L7_M1_TE_23A_887793_Updated 11.22

Grade 7 Module 1

Identity in the Middle Ages

Teacher Edition

Great Minds® is the creator of Eureka Math® , Wit & Wisdom® , Alexandria Plan™, and PhD Science®

Published by Great Minds PBC greatminds.org

© 2023 Great Minds PBC. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying or information storage and retrieval systems—without written permission from the copyright holder. Where expressly indicated, teachers may copy pages solely for use by students in their classrooms. Printed in the USA A-Print

Table of Contents

MODULE OVERVIEW

Module Summary 2

Essential Question 3

Suggested Student Understandings 3 Texts 3

Module Learning Goals 4 Module in Context ............................................................................................................................... ...................... 6 Standards ............................................................................................................................... ..................................... 6 Major Assessments 8 Module Map 10

INSTRUCTIONAL LESSONS

Focusing Question: Lessons 1–7 How does society influence identity and experience?

Lesson 1 ............................................................................................................................... ...................................... 23

n TEXT: “Identity”

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Figurative Language Lesson 2 35

n TEXTS: “The Middle Ages—The Medieval Years” • “Nobles” • “Knights” • “Clergy” • “Tradesmen” • “Peasants”

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Academic Vocabulary

Lesson 3 49

n TEXT: Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Concise Writing

Lesson 4 61

n TEXT: Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Concise Writing

Lesson 5 71

n TEXT: Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Word Relationships

Lesson 6 81

n TEXT: Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary

Lesson 7 93

n TEXT: Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess

Focusing Question: Lessons 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

Lesson 8 ............................................................................................................................... ..................................... 99

n TEXT: The Canterbury Tales

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Lesson 9 111

n TEXTS: The Canterbury Tales • Pilgrims Leaving Canterbury • Audio: Prologue to The Canterbury Tales • “Lamento di Tristano” Musical Recording (optional)

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Concise Writing

Lesson 10 125

n TEXTS: “Knights” • The Canterbury Tales, “The Knight’s Tale”

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Lesson 11 139

n TEXT: The Canterbury Tales, “The Miller’s Tale: A Barrel of Laughs”

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive Lesson 12 151

n TEXT: The Canterbury Tales, “The Miller’s Tale: A Barrel of Laughs”

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Figures of Speech: Lesson 13 163

n TEXT: Joachim among the Shepherds

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary Lesson 14 175

n TEXTS: The Three Living and the Three Dead • The Canterbury Tales, “The Pardoner’s Tale: Death’s Murderers”

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Figures of Speech

Lesson 15 187

n TEXT: The Canterbury Tales, “The Pardoner’s Tale: Death’s Murderers”

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Excel with Concise Writing

Lesson 16 ............................................................................................................................... .................................. 199

n TEXT: The Canterbury Tales, “The Wife of Bath’s Tale: What Women Most Desire”

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary

Lesson 17 211

n TEXT: The Canterbury Tales

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Vocabulary Assessment

Lesson 18 221

n TEXT: The Canterbury Tales

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Simple and Compound Sentences

Lesson 19 233

n TEXT: The Canterbury Tales

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Complex and Compound-Complex Sentences

Focusing Question: Lessons 20–30

In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

Lesson 20 ............................................................................................................................... ................................. 245

n TEXTS: “What Is a Midwife?” • The Midwife’s Apprentice • Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary

Lesson 21 257

n TEXT: The Midwife’s Apprentice

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Figurative Language

Lesson 22 267

n TEXT: The Midwife’s Apprentice

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Sentence Structures

Lesson 23 277

n TEXT: The Midwife’s Apprentice

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Coordinate Adjectives

Lesson 24 ............................................................................................................................... .................................. 289

n TEXTS: The Midwife’s Apprentice

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary

Lesson 25 301

n TEXT: The Midwife’s Apprentice

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Phrases and Clauses

Lesson 26 317

n TEXT: The Midwife’s Apprentice

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Coordinate Adjective Sentences

Lesson 27 325

n TEXT: The Midwife’s Apprentice

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary

Lesson 28 337

n TEXT: The Midwife’s Apprentice

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Execute with Coordinate Adjectives

Lesson 29 ............................................................................................................................... .................................. 347

n TEXT: The Midwife’s Apprentice

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Morphology

Lesson 30 359

n TEXT: The Midwife’s Apprentice

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Excel with Sentence Structures

Focusing Question: Lessons 31–35

What elements make for an engaging historical narrative?

Lesson 31 ............................................................................................................................... ................................. 369

n TEXT: End-of-Module Task Models

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Vocabulary Assessment

Lesson 32 377

n TEXT: The Midwife’s Apprentice

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Excel with Phrases and Clauses

Lesson 33 385

n TEXT: All Module Texts

Lesson 34 391

n TEXT: All Module Texts

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Excel with Language Skills

Lesson 35 401

n TEXT: All Module Texts

Appendices

Appendix A: Text Complexity ............................................................................................................................. 407

Appendix B: Vocabulary 411

Appendix C: Answer Keys, Rubrics, and Sample Responses 419

Appendix D: Volume of Reading 431

Appendix E: Works Cited 433

GRADE 7 MODULE 1

Identity in the Middle Ages

Module Summary

What did she want? No one had ever asked her that and she took it most seriously. What do I, Alyce the inn girl, want?... She thought all that wet afternoon and finally, as she served Magister Reese his cold-beef-and-bread supper, she cleared her throat a time or two and answered: “I know what I want. A full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world.”

—Karen Cushman, The Midwife’s Apprentice

For an adolescent, perhaps no inquiry is more pressing than the question of the self. As we strive to figure out how we fit in and what our place might be, society’s impact is palpable, calling us to ask: How does society influence identity? Can a social hierarchy limit opportunity? To what extent are we free to shape the course of our lives?

Module 1 explores these questions of identity in society by taking students on a literary expedition across a famously inflexible social setting: Medieval Europe. Though it may seem distant, this medieval exploration illustrates the influence of societal forces on identity formation—an influence that remains undeniable in seventh graders’ modern setting.

Our students begin their literary journey with a stay in a lord’s castle, brought to life through Richard Platt’s historical fiction narrative, Castle Diary. Through the eyes of a curious young page, students observe the medieval social hierarchy’s power in action, meeting nobles, servants, knights, and poachers whose fates are tied to the rigid societal structure in which they live. Next, Chaucer whisks students away on a rollicking pilgrimage through his captivating classic anthology, The Canterbury Tales, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean. On the road to Canterbury, characters from disparate social classes swap stories and bond, revealing the power of narrative to transcend both social divisions and time. Karen Cushman’s novel, The Midwife’s Apprentice, then brings students to the foot of a dung heap, from which an orphaned girl emerges to make her way in the world. Her inspiring fight to carve a place for herself within medieval society illuminates the complexity and rewards of any quest to transform one’s life despite injustice, deepening students’ thinking about the relationship between society and the self.

For their End-of-Module (EOM) Task, students write their own narratives set in the Middle Ages. They apply historical fiction elements learned throughout their study—historical details supplied by Castle Diary, narrative techniques modeled by The Canterbury Tales, and writing experimentation supported by The Midwife’s Apprentice—to demonstrate how society can support and limit the development of identity.

Essential Question

Suggested Student Understandings

The daily lives of medieval Europeans were shaped by a rigid social order, in which one’s birth determined much about one’s life. ƒ Daily opportunities are influenced by social class, but it is possible to challenge the social order and construct personal identity. ƒ Historical fiction explores how individuals may have experienced challenges created by society, offering a vivid sense of life in other times and places. ƒ Authors purposefully use narrative elements and techniques to create strong characters, striking settings, and compelling stories.

ƒ

Texts

CORE TEXTS

Story (Literary)

SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS

Audiobook

Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, various readers (http://witeng.link/0710)

Historical Accounts

“What Is a Midwife?,” Karen Carr (http://witeng.link/0741) ƒ

Selections from The Middle Ages Teacher’s Guide, Western Reserve Public Media (http://witeng.link/PBS_Middle-Ages-Teacher-Guide) p “Introduction to the Middle Ages Era” (9-10) p “Clergy” (43) p “Knights” (42) p “Nobles” (40-41) p “Peasants” (45-46) p “Tradesmen” (44)

Music

“Lamento de Tristano,” Anonymous (http://witeng.link/0711)

Paintings

Joachim among the Shepherds, Giotto di Bondone (http://witeng.link/0712) ƒ

Pilgrims Leaving Canterbury, From Lydgate’s Siege of Thebes (http://witeng.link/0709) ƒ

The Three Living and The Three Dead, Master of the Dresden Prayer Book (http://witeng.link/0716)

Poetry

“Identity,” Julio Noboa Polanco (http://witeng.link/0740)

Module Learning Goals

KNOWLEDGE GOALS

Identify factors that influence identity (what makes us who we are?). ƒ

Describe the varied groups that formed the medieval period’s social hierarchy, and explain how one’s social class influenced daily life.

ƒ

Identify characteristics that make The Canterbury Tales an enduring classic.

Understand narrative elements and techniques, analyzing their function in works of fiction and exploring them in the students’ own narrative writing.

READING GOALS

ƒ

Determine a theme and analyze its development over the course of the text (RL.7.2). ƒ

Provide an objective summary of the text (RL.7.2). ƒ

Analyze how particular elements of a story interact, especially in regard to how the medieval setting shapes characters’ identities (RL.7.3). ƒ

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings (RL.7.4).

WRITING GOALS

ƒ

Write a medieval historical fiction narrative using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and a well-structured event sequence with a conclusion (W.7.3, W.7.3.e).

ƒ Engage and orient the reader by establishing a medieval context and point of view and introducing a character from the Middle Ages (W.7.3.a).

ƒ

Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and descriptive detail, and sensory language to develop experiences, events, and characters (W.7.3.b, W.7.3.d).

SPEAKING AND LISTENING GOALS

ƒ

ƒ

Notice mood and tone in speaking and listening.

In Socratic Seminars, collaborate by building on and responding to the thinking of others, and track goals toward progress in speaking and listening (SL.7.1, SL.7.6).

LANGUAGE GOALS

ƒ

Purposefully use simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas and help pace writing (L.7.1.b).

ƒ

Choose language carefully, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy, in order to express ideas precisely and concisely (L.7.3.a).

Use context and common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots to help determine or clarify the meaning of target words and phrases (L.7.4). ƒ Interpret figures of speech such as similes, metaphors, imagery, personification, and allusion; and apply these elements in writing to create depth and interest (L.7.5.a).

ƒ

Module in Context

ƒ

Knowledge: In Grade 7, students investigate identity in society. Module 1 develops key foundational knowledge by immersing students in the Middle Ages—a period characterized by a rigid social order. Texts from and about the Middle Ages introduce students to the concepts of identity, social order, social class, and hierarchy. Then, The Midwife’s Apprentice prompts students to consider the tension between societal forces and individuals who challenge them. This exploration lays the groundwork for a year of exploring the relationship between identity and complex concepts such as race, crisis, and power.

ƒ

Reading: Students build a foundation that will support their work throughout the year, developing habits of mind as readers and skills in annotating, identifying textual evidence, summarizing, and determining theme. Beginning most intensively with The Canterbury Tales, students learn to analyze narrative elements and techniques, inferring how the narrator’s point of view shapes the telling of the stories and how the medieval setting impacts character development. These reading skills form a basis for monitoring comprehension and analyzing complex texts.

ƒ

Writing: This first module activates interest in writing with a focus on one of the most engaging writing forms: the narrative. Students write creatively, examining and experimenting with craft techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, sensory language, and description. Through their experimentation with narrative techniques, students not only prepare to effectively blend content and craft when they complete their historical fiction EOM Tasks for Module 1—they also develop skills they can use to enliven their informational and argument writing in upcoming modules.

ƒ

Speaking and Listening: Students have ample opportunity to develop their speaking and listening skills in this module’s four Socratic Seminars. To begin, students learn how to set speaking and listening goals, and they track their progress throughout each Seminar. This understanding of discussion goal-setting will serve students as they work to improve their speaking and listening skills throughout the year.

Standards

FOCUS STANDARDS

Reading

Literature

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.7.4 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 section of a story or drama.

Writing

W.7.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

W.7.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Language

L.7.1.b Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas.

L.7.3.a Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.

Speaking and Listening

SL.7.1.b Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

CONTINUING STANDARDS

Reading Literature

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.

Reading Informational Text

RI.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text-complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Language

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.

Major Assessments

Focusing Question Task Elements That Support Success on the EOM Task Standards

1. Write a diary entry from the poacher’s point of view. In it, the poacher should reflect on 1) his place in the social hierarchy and 2) how his society has shaped his identity.

2. List four narrative elements or techniques that exemplify what The Canterbury Tales can teach readers about storytelling. Provide textual evidence that illustrates how The Canterbury Tales models each element or technique.

3. Use descriptive details to slow the pacing and “explode” a moment in the life of Alyce, The Midwife’s Apprentice’s protagonist.

Demonstrate an understanding of how the medieval social hierarchy shapes identity. ƒ Use sensory language to convey experiences. ƒ Establish character and point of view.

ƒ

ƒ

Demonstrate an understanding of how narrative elements and techniques develop strong storytelling.

RL.7.3, W.7.3, W.7.4

RL.7.1

1. Read pages 63–68 of Castle Diary. Respond to multiplechoice questions to demonstrate comprehension, determine word meaning, and analyze Platt’s use of historical detail.

2. Read chapter 10 of The Midwife’s Apprentice. Respond to multiplechoice questions, and write a paragraph to demonstrate understanding of word meaning, characterization, and theme.

ƒ

Establish a medieval setting. ƒ Use narrative techniques to capture action and convey experiences. ƒ

Write an engaging beginning and an ending that provides resolution.

W.7.3, W.7.4

New-Read Assessment Elements That Support Success on the EOM Task Standards

ƒ

Demonstrate understanding of how historical fiction writers use historical details.

RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4, RL.7.9

ƒ

Demonstrate an understanding of characters from the medieval historical fiction.

RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4

Socratic Seminars Elements That Support Success on the EOM Task Standards

1. Explain how the medieval social order influences identity, experience, and opportunity.

ƒ

Demonstrate an understanding of how the medieval social hierarchy influenced identity. ƒ

Pose opinions about identity in the medieval social order. ƒ

Respond to others’ perspectives about identity in the Middle Ages.

RL.7.3, SL.7.1, SL.7.6

2. Explain what The Canterbury Tales’ varied stories of medieval characters and society teach modern readers about strong storytelling and vivid characterization.

3. Analyze which big ideas are most important to chapter 7 of The Midwife’s Apprentice: sin, justice, good and evil, judgment, and punishment.

4. Explain how medieval society supports and limits Alyce’s identity in The Midwife’s Apprentice

ƒ

Demonstrate understanding of how writers use storytelling elements and techniques to engage an audience.

ƒ Offer relevant critical comments about narrative elements and techniques.

ƒ Respond to others’ perspective about narrative elements and techniques.

ƒ

Demonstrate understanding of themes relevant to medieval customs and beliefs.

ƒ Offer opinions about themes relevant to medieval customs and beliefs.

ƒ

ƒ

Respond to others’ perspectives about themes.

Demonstrate understanding of how medieval society can support and limit a character’s identity.

ƒ Offer opinions about identity development in medieval society.

ƒ

Respond to others’ perspective about identity development in medieval society.

RL.7.3, SL.7.1, SL.7.6

RL.7.2, SL.7.1, SL.7.6

RL.7.3, SL.7.1, SL.7.6

End-of-Module Task Criteria for Success Standards

Write an Exploded Moment narrative that demonstrates how medieval society supports or limits the protagonist’s identity.

ƒ Demonstrate how medieval society supports or limits your protagonist’s identity.

ƒ

Use dialogue, descriptive details, and sensory language to develop your setting, events, and characters.

W.7.3, W.7.4

Vocabulary Assessments*

Demonstrate understanding of academic, text-critical, and domainspecific words, phrases, and/or word parts.

Use details that clearly set your story in the Middle Ages. ƒ Use a variety of sentence structures effectively.

ƒ

ƒ

Write a beginning that establishes character, point of view, and setting.

ƒ

Write an ending that provides resolution.

ƒ Organize your plot sequence clearly so your reader can follow what is happening.

ƒ

ƒ

Write consisely, using precise language.

Use at least three words from your Vocabulary Journal.

Elements That Support Success on the EOM Task Standards

Acquire and use grade-appropriate academic terms. ƒ Acquire and use domain-specific or text-critical words essential for communication about the module’s topic.

ƒ

L.7.6

* While not considered Major Assessments in Wit & Wisdom, Vocabulary Assessments are listed here for your convenience. Please find details on Checks for Understanding (CFUs) within each lesson.

Module Map

Focusing Question 1: How does society influence identity and experience?

CENTRAL TEXT(S) CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION CRAFT QUESTION(S) LEARNING GOALS

1 “Identity” Wonder

What do I notice and wonder about “Identity”?

Experiment

How does figurative language work?

ƒ Build knowledge about the concept of identity.

ƒ Experiment with figurative language (L.7.5).

ƒ Interpret similes, metaphors, and imagery in context, and apply them to a poem (L.7.5.a).

2 “Clergy”

“Knights”

“The Middle Ages—The Medieval Years”

“Nobles”

“Peasants”

“Tradesmen”

3 Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, pages 7–29

Know

How do these texts build my knowledge of the medieval social order structure?

Wonder

What do I notice and wonder about Tobias Burgess?

Experiment

How does figurative language work?

ƒ Summarize the structure of medieval society’s hierarchy (RI.7.2).

ƒ Use a Frayer Model to analyze new academic vocabulary and clarify its meaning using Greek affixes (L.7.4, L.7.4.b).

ƒ

Formulate questions and initial impressions of Tobias’s identity based on Castle Diary’s first entries (RL.7.1).

ƒ Use figurative language to express personal identity in a poem (L.7.5).

ƒ Recognize and explain the difference between precise, concise prose and wordy writing (L.7.3.a).

CENTRAL TEXT(S) CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION CRAFT QUESTION(S) LEARNING GOALS

4 Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, pages 30–42

Organize

What is happening in Castle Diary?

Experiment

How does figurative language work? Examine

Why are speaking goals important?

ƒ Summarize understanding of Castle Diary’s plot, setting, and characters (RL.7.2).

ƒ Use figurative language to express key aspects of Tobias’s life and identity (L.7.5).

ƒ Identify wordiness and apply strategies to communicate ideas concisely and precisely (L.7.3.a).

5 NR Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, pages 42–68

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of historical details reveal in Castle Diary?

Experiment

How do speaking goals work?

ƒ Analyze details about daily life in the middle ages (RL.7.9).

ƒ Experiment with speaking goals (SL.7.1).

ƒ Distinguish among the connotations of target vocabulary synonyms and rank them to better understand the words and their context (L.7.5.b, L.7.5.c).

6 Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, pages 69–90

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of point of view reveal in Castle Diary?

Examine

Why is sensory language important? Experiment

How does sensory language work?

ƒ Analyze the poacher’s perspective to determine the medieval social hierarchy’s influence on daily life (RL.7.6).

ƒ Build skills in establishing character and point of view in writing (W.7.3).

ƒ

Clarify the meaning of new content vocabulary using context clues, Greek or Latin affixes and roots, and lexical resources (L.7.4).

Focusing Question 1: How does society influence identity and experience?

Focusing Question 1: How does society influence identity and experience?

CENTRAL TEXT(S) CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION CRAFT QUESTION(S) LEARNING GOALS

7 SS FQT

Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess Know

How does Castle Diary build my knowledge of identity, experience, and opportunity in the Middle Ages?

ƒ Engage in a collaborative conversation, drawing on evidence, posing questions, responding to others, using formal English, and tracking progress toward goals (SL.7.1, SL.7.6).

ƒ Express understanding of how Castle Diary’s medieval setting shapes characters’ identities (RL.7.3).

ƒ

Create diary entry using first person point of view and sensory language to express insight into medieval identity (W.7.3).

Focusing Question 2: What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CENTRAL TEXT(S) CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION CRAFT QUESTION(S) LEARNING GOALS

8 The Canterbury Tales, Prologue Wonder

What do I notice and wonder about The Canterbury Tales?

ƒ Formulate observations and questions about the prologue to The Canterbury Tales (RL.7.1).

ƒ

Verify the predicted meaning of target words based on the suffix –age, class discussion, and lexical resources (L.7.4.b, L.7.4.d).

9 The Canterbury Tales, Prologue

The Canterbury Tales, audiobook

Pilgrims Leaving Canterbury “Lamento di Tristano”

Organize

What is happening in The Canterbury Tales?

10 The Canterbury Tales, “The Knight’s Tale”

“Knights,” Western Reserve Public Media

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of characterization reveal in “The Knight’s Tale”?

Examine

What are the elements of fluency? Execute

How can I use the elements of an effective summary to write my own?

ƒ Analyze how the author’s use of descriptive details supports characterization (RL.7.1, RL.7.3).

ƒ Summarize the setting, plot, conflict, and characters of The Canterbury Tales (RL.7.2).

ƒ Identify and eliminate redundancy in writing (L.7.3.a).

ƒ Summarize the sequence of events in “The Knight’s Tale” (RL.7.2).

ƒ Analyze how the “The Knight’s Tale” reflects his character (RL.7.3).

ƒ Define chivalrous using context clues and the Latin affix –ous, and apply it appropriately in a sentence (L.7.4.a, L.7.4.b).

11 The Canterbury Tales, “The Miller’s Tale” Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of characterization reveal in “The Miller’s Tale”?

Examine

How do details help narratives come to life for readers? Experiment

How can I incorporate the elements of fluency into my own fluent reading?

ƒ Identify specific textual details that help the narrative come to life for the reader (RL.7.1).

ƒ Analyze how the author’s choices about plot, description, and narrative structure develop the character of the Miller (RL.7.3, W.7.2).

ƒ Identify phrases and clauses and explain their function in specific sentences (L.7.1.a).

Focusing Question 2: What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CENTRAL TEXT(S) CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION CRAFT QUESTION(S) LEARNING GOALS

12 The Canterbury Tales, “The Miller’s Tale” Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of language and tone reveal in “The Miller’s Tale”?

Experiment

What are figures of speech, and how do they work to show character and convey tone?

Execute

How can I demonstrate fluency?

ƒ

Practice writing figures of speech (similes and metaphors) to describe characters and convey tone (W.7.3.b).

ƒ Analyze how the author’s choices about language and tone reveal the character of the Miller (RL.7.3).

ƒ Identify and interpret figures of speech and sensory language in the context of “The Miller’s Tale” (L.7.5).

13 Joachim among the Shepherds Organize

How does Giotto use composition and space to tell a story?

14

The Three Living and the Three Dead

The Canterbury Tales, “The Pardoner’s Tale”

Wonder

What do I notice and wonder about “The Pardoner’s Tale?”

ƒ Closely observe and analyze a work by Giotto and cite specific visual evidence to support analyses (RL.7.1, SL.7.2).

ƒ Clarify the meaning of target vocabulary using context clues, Greek or Latin affixes and roots, and lexical resources, and apply the target word appropriately (L.7.4).

ƒ Formulate observations and questions about “The Pardoner’s Tale” (RL.7.1).

ƒ Identify and interpret instances of personification and allusion in the context of “The Pardoner’s Tale” (L.7.5.a).

Focusing Question 2: What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CENTRAL TEXT(S) CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION CRAFT QUESTION(S) LEARNING GOALS

15 The Canterbury Tales, “The Pardoner’s Tale” Distill

What is the central idea of “The Pardoner’s Tale,” and how is this idea developed over the course of the story?

Examine

How and why do storytellers pace their stories?

ƒ Analyze how the author develops and reveals a central idea in “The Pardoner’s Tale” (RL.7.2, RL.7.3).

ƒ Apply various strategies to communicate ideas concisely and precisely in writing (L.7.3.a).

16 The Canterbury Tales, “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” Organize

What is happening in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale?”

Examine

How do storytellers engage and orient their readers?

ƒ Analyze the interaction between character and plot in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” (RL.7.3).

ƒ

Clarify the meaning of new content vocabulary using context clues, Greek or Latin affixes and roots, and lexical resources (L.7.4).

17 VOC

The Canterbury Tales Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of narrative techniques reveal about effective storytelling?

Examine

How and why do storytellers explode specific moments in their stories? Experiment

How can adding description help me show an important moment in a story?

ƒ Explore how word choices, details, and other narrative techniques “explode” a moment of a narrative (RL.7.3).

ƒ Demonstrate understanding of grade-level vocabulary (L.7.6).

Focusing Question 2: What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CENTRAL TEXT(S) CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION CRAFT QUESTION(S) LEARNING GOALS

18 SS The Canterbury Tales Know

How does The Canterbury Tales build my knowledge of strong storytelling?

Examine

Why is noticing another speaker’s mood, tone, or intent important in collaborative discussions?

Experiment

How does noticing mood, tone, and intent work?

ƒ Engage in a collaborative conversation, drawing on evidence, posing questions, responding to others, acknowledging new information, and using formal English as appropriate (SL.7.1, SL.7.6).

ƒ Track progress toward specific goals for participating more effectively in group discussion (SL.7.1.b).

ƒ Identify and explore how simple and compound sentences signal differing relationships among ideas (L.7.1.b).

19 FQT The Canterbury Tales, Epilogue Know

How does The Canterbury Tales build my knowledge of strong storytelling?

ƒ Demonstrate knowledge of what The Canterbury Tales exemplifies about strong storytelling (RL.7.1).

ƒ Identify and explore how complex and compound-complex sentences signal differing relationships among ideas (L.7.1.b).

Focusing Question 2: What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CENTRAL TEXT(S) CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION CRAFT QUESTION(S) LEARNING GOALS

20 The Midwife’s Apprentice, Chapter 1

Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess

“What Is a Midwife?”

Wonder

What do I notice and wonder about The Midwife’s Apprentice?

21 The Midwife’s Apprentice, Chapters 2–3 Organize

What is happening in The Midwife’s Apprentice?

Examine

What narrative techniques do writers use to create an Exploded Moment?

ƒ Build content knowledge about the role of midwives in medieval society.

ƒ Formulate observations and questions about The Midwife’s Apprentice (RL.7.1).

ƒ Use a Frayer Model to study the word relationship between and clarify the meanings of protagonist and antagonist (L.7.4, L.7.5.b).

ƒ Identify narrative elements in chapters 1, 2, and 3 of The Midwife’s Apprentice (RL.7.3).

ƒ Describe the narrative techniques authors use to develop vivid writing (W.7.3).

ƒ

22

The Midwife’s Apprentice, Chapters 4–5 Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of characterization reveal in chapters 4 and 5 of The Midwife’s Apprentice?

Identify and interpret idioms in context (L.7.5.a).

ƒ Describe Alyce’s development between chapters 4 and 5 of The Midwife’s Apprentice (RL.7.2, RL.7.3).

ƒ Experiment with different sentence structures to better understand how to signal differing relationships among ideas (L.7.1.b).

Focusing Question 3: In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

CENTRAL TEXT(S) CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION CRAFT QUESTION(S) LEARNING GOALS

23 The Midwife’s Apprentice, Chapter 6 Distill

What is a theme of The Midwife’s Apprentice?

24 SS The Midwife’s Apprentice, Chapter 7 Distill

What is a theme of The Midwife’s Apprentice?

Execute

How can I incorporate the elements of fluency into my reading of The Midwife’s Apprentice?

ƒ Analyze how the events in chapter 6 support the book’s theme of identity development (RL.7.2, RL.7.3).

ƒ Identify and correctly punctuate coordinate adjectives (L.7.2.a).

Improve

How can I track my progress toward speaking goals?

ƒ Analyze how Alyce’s conflict with the villagers develops themes in chapter 7 (RL.7.2, RL.7.3).

ƒ Engage in a collaborative conversation, drawing on evidence, posing questions, responding to others, acknowledging new information, and using formal English as appropriate (SL.7.1, SL.7.6).

ƒ Study the word relationship between target content words to help clarify their meaning (L.7.4.d, L.7.5.b).

25 The Midwife’s Apprentice, Chapters 8–9 Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of descriptive details reveal in chapters 8 and 9?

Experiment

How do snapshots and thoughtshots work?

ƒ

Analyze how Cushman uses descriptive details to develop Alyce’s story (RL.7.3).

ƒ Experiment with descriptive details (W.7.3.d).

ƒ Explain how phrases and clauses affect writing (L.7.1.a).

Focusing Question 3: In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

CENTRAL TEXT(S) CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION CRAFT QUESTION(S) LEARNING GOALS

26 NR The Midwife’s Apprentice, Chapters 10–11

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of conflict reveal in chapters 10 and 11?

27 The Midwife’s Apprentice, Chapters 12–13

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of point of view reveal in chapters 12 and 13?

Experiment

How can snapshots and thoughtshots convey character information?

ƒ Independently determine word meaning, theme, and characterization in chapter 10 (RL.7.2, RL.7.4).

ƒ Identify and describe Alyce’s conflicts in chapter 11.

ƒ

Complete sentence frames using sets of appropriately punctuated modifiers (L.7.2.a).

ƒ

Analyze how Cushman develops the contrast between how Alyce views herself and how others view her (RL.7.6).

ƒ Use descriptive details to convey information about characters (W.7.3.d).

ƒ Distinguish among the connotations of synonyms of the target vocabulary and rank them to better understand the word and its context (L.7.5.b, L.7.5.c).

28

The Midwife’s Apprentice, Chapters 14–15

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of character development reveal in chapters 14 and 15?

Experiment

How do baby steps work?

ƒ

Analyze how Alyce’s interactions with other characters reveal her growth.

ƒ

Use descriptive details to adjust narrative pacing (W.7.3.d).

ƒ

Appropriately use coordinate adjectives to add description in writing (L.7.2.a).

Focusing Question 3: In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

CENTRAL TEXT(S) CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION CRAFT QUESTION(S) LEARNING GOALS

29 The Midwife’s Apprentice, Chapters 16–17 Distill

What is the essential meaning of The Midwife’s Apprentice?

Experiment

How do narrative beginnings and endings work?

ƒ Analyze how Cushman uses descriptive details, historical details, and theme in the resolution (W.7.3.a, W.7.3.e).

ƒ Experiment with effective introductions and conclusions in narrative writing (W.7.3.a, W.7.3.e).

ƒ Use context and apply common, gradeappropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to determine the meaning of a word (L.7.4.a, L.7.4.b).

30 FQT SS

The Midwife’s Apprentice Know

How does The Midwife’s Apprentice build my understanding of the connection between individual identity and society?

Excel

How can I improve my speaking and listening skills?

Execute

How can I use narrative techniques in Focusing Question Task 3?

ƒ Engage in a collaborative conversation, drawing on evidence, posing questions, responding to others, acknowledging new information, and using formal English as appropriate (SL.7.1, SL.7.6).

ƒ Explain how Alyce’s identity is supported and limited by her society (RL.7.3).

ƒ Create a scene that uses narrative techniques to express understanding of Alyce’s identity (W.7.3).

ƒ Apply different sentence structures to signal differing relationships in writing (L.7.1.b).

Focusing Question 3: In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

CENTRAL TEXT(S) CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION CRAFT QUESTION(S) LEARNING GOALS

31 VOC EOM

All Module Texts Know

How do End-of-Module Task models build my knowledge of historical fiction elements?

Examine

What are the elements of a successful historical fiction narrative?

ƒ Identify building blocks of effective narratives (W.7.3).

ƒ

Analyze sample EOM task narratives (W.7.3).

ƒ Demonstrate understanding of grade-level vocabulary (L.7.6).

32 The Midwife’s Apprentice, pages 30–32 Know

EOM

How does Cushman’s writing build my knowledge of what an effective historical fiction narrative is?

Execute

How can I use elements of historical fiction to create my own historical fiction narrative?

ƒ Analyze narrative elements and techniques in an excerpt from The Midwife’s Apprentice (W.7.3).

ƒ

Formulate ideas for a short narrative featuring a character from the Middle Ages (W.7.3).

ƒ Employ phrases and clauses appropriately to enhance writing (L.7.1.a).

33 EOM All Module Texts Know

How has the study of medieval stories in this module built my knowledge of stories, identity, and the Middle Ages?

Execute

How can I use elements of historical fiction to create my own historical fiction narrative?

ƒ Write a short narrative, set in the Middle Ages and featuring a clearly described character, conflict, and resolution (W.7.3).

ƒ

Provide thoughtful and informed peer review (W.7.5).

Focusing Question 4: What elements make for an engaging historical narrative?

CENTRAL TEXT(S) CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION CRAFT QUESTION(S) LEARNING GOALS

34 All Module Texts Know

How do effective peer feedback and selfreflection build my knowledge of how to tell a story?

Excel

How do I improve my historical fiction narrative?

Experiment

How can I read my narrative fluently?

ƒ Review and revise draft of narrative assignment (W.7.3, W.7.5).

ƒ Edit and revise writing to demonstrate command of English conventions and understanding of grade-appropriate words and phrases (L.7.1, L.7.5, L.7.6).

35

All Module Texts Know

How do our historical fiction narratives offer insights into identity and medieval life?

Excel

How do I use my best fluency skills to present my story?

ƒ Present writing clearly, fluently, and with expression to engage and entertain listeners (SL.7.6).

Focusing Question 4: What elements make for an engaging historical narrative?

CENTRAL TEXT(S) CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION CRAFT QUESTION(S) LEARNING GOALS

Lesson 1: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Notice and Wonder (20 min.)

Explore Personal Identity (15 min.)

Examine Figurative Language (10 min.)

Experiment with Figurative Language (10 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Share Writing

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Figurative Language: Imagery (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.2, SL.7.6

Language ƒ

L.7.5, L.7.5.a

MATERIALS

ƒ

None

Learning Goals

Build knowledge about the concept of identity.

Create identity webs listing components of identity.

Experiment with figurative language (L.7.5).

Write phrases that use figurative language to convey personal identity.

Interpret similes, metaphors, and imagery in context and apply them to a poem (L.7.5.a).

Incorporate additional imagery into identity webs.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–7

How does society influence identity and experience?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 1

Wonder: What do I notice and wonder about “Identity”?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 1

Experiment: How does figurative language work?

Students begin their study with an introduction to the concept of identity. Throughout the module, they will develop their understanding of this concept in relation to the specific context of the Middle Ages, exploring questions such as: What shapes the identities of characters from this time period? How do authors create these characters’ identities? How do stories tell us who a person is, why they are that way, and what makes them unique?

Welcome5 MIN.

Display the following quotations:

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

—Oscar Wilde

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”

—E. E. Cummings

“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.”

—E. E. Cummings

Ask students to respond to the following in their Response Journal: “Choose one quotation, think about what it means, decide whether you agree with it, and explain why or why not.”

Have pairs share their Welcome responses, and then briefly discuss each quotation as a class.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Content Framing Question, the Focusing Question, and the Essential Question. Explain that because the concept of identity is so important to these questions, this lesson will focus on that word and what it means.

Learn

55 MIN.

NOTICE AND WONDER 20 MIN.

Whole Group

Tell students that you will read a poem called “Identity.” Explain that whenever they read a new text, it is helpful to think about what they notice about it and what questions they have so they can begin to understand it.

Display a T-chart with one column labeled Notice and the other labeled Wonder, and have students create the same chart in their Response Journal. Explain that as you read the poem, students should record what they notice and wonder on the Notice and Wonder T-Chart.

Display the poem, and read the first two stanzas aloud. Model the task by thinking aloud about what you noticed and wondered as you read, adding your ideas to the Notice and Wonder T-Chart. Then ask students to add their ideas.

Notice Wonder

The poem is written in stanzas.

The speaker wants to be a weed.

n It doesn’t rhyme.

n The speaker says he wants to be a tall, ugly weed.

n He wants to be free, not tied down to a pot of dirt.

n He thinks he is different from others.

I wonder who “them” is in the first line.

What does she mean she wants to be a weed?

n What does “harnessed” to a pot of dirt mean?

n Why is this poem called “Identity”?

Read the rest of the poem aloud, as students add to their Notice and Wonder T-Charts.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What did you notice?”

Then, ask what students wondered about, and address some of their questions. For example, you might define words or invite the group to discuss ideas about who the poet is referring to as “them” in the first stanza.

Provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

identity (n.) The qualities and traits that make one person or group different from any other and recognized as such. individuality, personhood

Tell students that you will read the poem again and that this time they should record what they notice and wonder about the speaker’s identity.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What did you notice about what the speaker has to say about his identity?”

n The speaker is proud of who he is. He’s not admired like a flower. However, he’d rather be like a weed even if weeds are considered unattractive.

n He thinks being free and unique is more important than being accepted.

n He conveys another aspect of identity: his personality. He may not be pleasant like a flower, but he is determined, adventurous, and strong.

“What do you wonder about the speaker’s identity?”

n I wonder what has happened in his life that he is so worried about being free and doesn’t mind being ugly or not being seen by people.

n I still wonder who these other people are that he is talking about and why he thinks the way they are is so bad.

n I think he doesn’t like popular people, and I wonder why.

As students answer, prompt them to refer to the text by asking questions such as “What line are you basing that idea on?” “What part of the text makes you ask that question?”

EXPLORE PERSONAL IDENTITY 15 MIN.

Individuals

Explain that you now want students to think about their own identities.

Have students create identity webs in which they write their name in the center of their sheet of paper. Explain that students should list words and phrases, extending outward from the center, that describe aspects of their identity.

To clarify expectations and build rapport, display your identity web before students begin. For example, your web might feature words such as “book lover,” “compassionate,” “Greek American,” “shy,” “mother,” etc.

Have students share their completed webs, first in small groups and then with the whole group.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What influenced or led to the words you listed?”

Use your own web to model. For example, you might say that you became a book lover because you had family and teachers that shared their own love of books with you, or you might say that you are Greek American because your ancestors were born in Greece but at some point moved to America.

n I am a big sister because my parents decided to have my brother. I didn’t have much choice about that.

n I play soccer because my parents had me start when I was little, but now I love it and I play because of me.

n I put “brave” on my web. I think I am brave because I’ve had to change schools a lot, and to make it at each school, I had to learn to be tough and brave.

Ask students to categorize some of the reasons they discussed. For example, you might say that you heard many students discuss their families as having influence, so that could be one category. Chart responses.

n Family.

n Personality traits you were born with.

n Beliefs and values you got from your family.

n Your race.

n Your goals and interests.

n Your gender.

EXAMINE FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE 10 MIN.

Individuals

Display the Craft Question: How does figurative language work?

Tell students that you are going to read “Identity” again and that this time you want them to notice and wonder about the kind of language the author uses.

Read the rest of the poem aloud, as students add to their T-charts.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What did you notice?”

Then ask: “What did you wonder about?”

Incorporating what students noticed, explain that the technical term for much of the language the poet used is figurative language.

TEACHER NOTE

This lesson’s Deep Dive explores figurative language. You may wish to complete it at this time.

EXPERIMENT WITH FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE 10 MIN.

Individuals

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: 1) If you were like a nonhuman thing such as an object, plant, or animal, what would you be? Why? 2) What nonhuman things are you most unlike? Why?

Choose one of your ideas or use a student’s idea, and explain why it is figurative language.

If I say, “I am like an arctic fox,” I am using figurative language to express my identity. It’s figurative language because I’m not literally like a fox. I don’t eat rabbits or have a bushy tail. However, I love the idea of running wild in the snow. I am quiet and tough and clever. This is who I am. I wouldn’t be a tame golden retriever. I’m too independent.

TEACHER NOTE Rather than using the example above, consider sharing insight into your identity with a personal response.

Have students add their figurative language examples to their webs.

Land5 MIN.

SHARE WRITING

Remind students that they began the lesson by noticing and wondering about the new text, “Identity.”

Whip Around: One by one, each student shares one of the figurative language phrases they added to their web and why.

LOOK AHEAD

Explain that in the next lesson, students will begin studying identity within the context of the Middle Ages.

Analyze Context and Alignment

By creating identity webs, students develop a solid understanding of identity before exploring the concept within a medieval context. The other Checks for Understanding (CFU) assesses students understanding of how to use figurative language to express abstract concepts (L.7.5). Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ

Identifies and justifies one nonhuman thing that represents the student’s identity.

ƒ Identifies and justifies one nonhuman thing that does not represent the student’s identity.

Next Steps

These figurative language examples represent the first writing technique among many that students execute throughout the module. Students will build on their figurative language examples to create identity poems in Lesson 3. Provide criteria for measuring CFUs, a brief analysis of the lesson’s learning, common student misunderstandings, and/or a brief summary of the next lesson. These poems should be two or three sentences long.

Lesson 1 Deep Dive: Vocabulary

Figurative Language: Imagery

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

ƒ

Text: “Identity,” Julio Noboa Polanco (http://witeng.link/0740)

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Interpret similes, metaphors, and imagery in context and apply them to a poem (L.7.5.a).

TEACHER NOTE

In Vocabulary, the Module 1 Student Edition and Deep Dives 17 and 31, you will find a direct vocabulary assessment tool and corresponding directions. To best meet students’ language needs, consider using this tool to preassess students at the start of this module. Do not share results with students, but use the data to inform and differentiate your vocabulary instruction. At the close of the module, reassess students using the same tool to determine their growth against the baseline data.

You may also consider distributing the list of words to be directly assessed so students will know what words they will be held accountable for and can begin studying. Directly assessed words are noted in Appendix B.

Launch

Display the question: “Which words in Polanco’s poem paint a picture in the reader’s mind?”

Scaffold:

Ask students to recall their past studies on sensory details and how a writer can reference the senses in order to create an image in the reader’s mind. If they have difficulty remembering, conduct a Think Aloud wherein you read a detailed description and explain the picture that you “see” as you read the words.

Also consider explaining concepts such as line and stanza so students have a vocabulary with which to communicate their thoughts.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share about the imagery in Polanco’s poem. Ask students to annotate the poem as they look for language that paints a picture. Answers will vary.

n The author uses the simile “Let them be as flowers” in the first stanza so we can understand how he feels about people who want to be attractive and safe.

n The author uses the simile “like an eagle” in the second stanza to describe what it might be like to be a weed growing wild and free on a cliff.

n He uses a lot of details throughout the poem like “watered,” “fed,” “ugly,” “wind-wavering,” “pleasant-smelling,” and “musty, green stench” that appeal to our senses.

n He is using a flower as a metaphor—comparing it with people to help us understand how he feels about two different kinds of lifestyles or ways of being.

Explain that similes, metaphors, and sensory language are just a few tools writers use to construct a good poem.

Display a large poster titled Figurative Language that includes the following information on a 3x5 sticky note:

imagery—(n.) visually descriptive language, especially in a literary work

Briefly explain imagery:

Imagery is another tool that writers use to help the reader understand concepts they are trying to express. Imagery is like a complex metaphor and is not literal. It’s the use of words in a way that only makes sense in context.

To review an example of imagery, ask students to read the first sentence of Polanco’s poem with you. Explain that, although Polanco is using a metaphor and comparing people to flowers, there is a word in that line we don’t normally associate with flowers. The phrase “harnessed to a pot” stands out because we normally use the word “harness” when discussing horses or livestock. The use of an unusual word or phrase as description that helps paint a picture in the reader’s mind is imagery.

Ask: “Why do you think Polanco chose to use the word harness when referencing a flower in a pot?”

n We put harnesses on horses or things that we don’t want to escape, so he’s describing a flower—or person—that is confined.

n He might want to give the image of the flower being tied down and not free to grow where it wants.

n He is trying to describe how he feels about certain people who live a certain way; he is saying “let them live that way,” like a horse that’s controlled and not free to roam.

Continue the discussion using the following three examples of imagery from Polanco’s poem. For each example, ask students to explain why they think Polanco chose those particular words and what image they bring to mind. Guide student responses, and redirect inaccurate thinking when necessary.

Stanza 3: “exposed to the madness”

n He wants the reader to imagine how “crazy” big the sky is; and he wants to feel free like the weeds growing under it.

n He is trying to remind the reader how small we are compared to the “vast” universe and how crazy but also comforting that idea is.

Stanza 3: “beyond the mountains of time or into the abyss of the bizarre”

n Mountains are supposed to be forever; they are always there and immovable. He is trying to say that time is also forever. So, he wants his spirit to live beyond that.

n Polanco is presenting choices; he will either live somehow beyond time or go into some other existence.

n “The abyss of the bizarre” would mean something different for every reader because we can only imagine what that would look like. And people’s imaginations can think up very different things.

n “The abyss of the bizarre” could mean he could go on to another place beyond anything we know, like falling through a deep dark hole where weird creatures and landscapes occasionally float by.

Stanza 5: “smell of musty, green stench”

n He uses the word “green” to describe a smell because he wants the reader to imagine the smell of nature or plants growing; it’s like saying something smells purple—like grape.

n The word “musty” goes with “green stench” well when describing a weed; weeds don’t smell nice the way roses do, but they don’t have to be “harnessed” to a pot.

Land

Students work in pairs.

After completing their identity webs, students focus on the imagery they have already written, and then on opportunities to incorporate additional imagery.

If students have difficulty finding imagery or images that make sense, have them discuss with a partner how they could use effective imagery to describe themselves.

These readings (in PDF) are currently available in the PBS Western Reserve The Middle Ages Teacher Guide (http://witeng.link/PBS_Middle-Ages-Teacher-Guide) ƒ

“The Middle Ages—The Medieval Years” pages 9–10

“Nobles” pages 40-41

“Knights” page 42

“Clergy” page 43

“Tradesmen” page 44

pages 45-46

Lesson 2: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Summarize Text (25 min.)

Independently Summarize Text (30 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Academic Vocabulary: Hierarchy (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

RI.7.1, RI.7.2

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.2, SL.7.6

Language ƒ

L.7.4, L.7.4.b

MATERIALS

Entrance Task Visual (for display) ƒ

Handout 2A: Frayer Model Hierarchy ƒ

Handout 2B: Boxes and Bullets: “The Middle Ages—The Medieval Years” ƒ

Handout 2C: Boxes and Bullets: Medieval Groups ƒ

Volume of Reading Reflection Questions

Learning Goals

Summarize the structure of medieval society’s hierarchy (RI.7.2).

Create summary of central and supporting ideas about medieval social order.

Use a Frayer Model to analyze new academic vocabulary and clarify its meaning using Greek affixes (L.7.4, L.7.4.b).

Share and analyze nonexamples, definitions, and roots/prefixes.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–7

How does society influence identity and experience?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 2

Know: How do these texts build my knowledge of the medieval social order structure?

This lesson marks students’ entry into the historical period of the Middle Ages. In it, students begin building an essential understanding that will be developed throughout the module: the concept of social hierarchy. Students summarize knowledge-building passages using a graphic organizer, Boxes and Bullets, to record the central and supporting ideas in informational texts.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Display the following before students enter the classroom:

Those who fight

Those who pray

Those who work

Meant to pique students’ curiosity, the statements will be discussed later in the lesson and throughout the module, but students should not have their attention directed to them yet.

Provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning hierarchy (n.) A system for organizing groups, such as people, ideas, or objects, based on levels of their importance, power, or social standing.

Display this visual:

(Source: Microsoft Word, Smart Art, Hierarchy)

In their Response Journal, students explain how these images relate to the word hierarchy.

TEACHER NOTE To promote deeper understanding of the work hierarchy, you may wish to complete the Deep Dive at this time.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Tell students that in this module they will explore identity through books set in the Middle Ages. Remind students of their exploration of the concept of “identity” in the last lesson. Explain that in this lesson, they will build knowledge of the Middle Ages to provide a context for the books they will read.

Students share their Welcome responses about the term hierarchy.

Learn55 MIN.

SUMMARIZE TEXT 25 MIN.

Whole Group

Ask and briefly discuss: “What do you think you know about the Middle Ages?”

Explain that the social order of the Middle Ages was a hierarchy.

Read aloud the first sentence of the first text: the excerpt of the seven paragraphs in the section titled: “The Middle Ages—The Medieval Years” (http://witeng.link/0700)

Ask students to try to determine the meaning of the word medieval using context clues. Then, provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaing

medieval (adj.) Related to the Middle Ages.

As you read the rest of the text, model questioning by periodically stopping to ask questions such as: “The beginning was called the Dark Ages? What would it be like to live in an age that’s considered dark?”

Instruct students to note in their Response Journal any questions that they have during the Read Aloud. After you finish reading, briefly discuss students’ questions.

Display Handout 2B.

Tell students they will reflect on what they just learned about the Middle Ages by identifying the central idea and supporting details during a second read.

Read until the end of the first paragraph, and conduct a Think Aloud to model how to identify the central idea.

To identify the central idea, I need to figure out what is being said about the topic, which is the Middle Ages. What point is being made about the Middle Ages? All the details here support information about when the Middle Ages took place. So, the central idea is: “The Middle Ages is the period from 476 to 1450.” That also makes sense because I know that the central idea is usually the paragraph’s topic sentence.

Read the second paragraph aloud, and ask students to identify the sentence that best captures its central idea.

n Life was very hard in the Middle Ages.

Now ask: “How does the author support this central idea?” Think Aloud to model how to identify supporting details.

What details support the idea that life was very hard? This says, “Very few people could read or write.” Life is more difficult when you are illiterate. It’s hard to communicate, and you have fewer opportunities. This supports the idea that life was very hard, so I’m adding that as a supporting detail.

Ask for other supporting details, and continue reading and collaborating to complete Handout 2B.

Central idea:

Life was very hard in the Middle Ages.

n The beginning was called the Dark Ages.

n “Very few people could read or write.”

n People did not believe they could improve their lives.

n People didn’t have laws to protect them.

n Many peasants were not free.

n “The Crusades were launched”; Christians and Muslims were fighting.

n Other groups were invading.

n “Almost half the people in Western Europe died from the bubonic plague.”

n “Medical care and cleanliness were lacking.”

Next, model how you might summarize the text.

The Middle Ages lasted about 1,000 years, from 476 to 1450. During this time in Europe, life was very difficult. People had little knowledge, freedom, or rights. They were in danger from war and disease. They had very little hope that their lives would change.

Highlight the important features of your summary and explain that effective summaries should: ƒ

Capture the central ideas. ƒ

List only the most important details. ƒ

Restate the text briefly. ƒ

Be written in the student’s own words.

Students write these features in their Response Journal.

INDEPENDENTLY SUMMARIZE TEXT 30 MIN.

Small Groups

Assign each small group a segment of the medieval social order—nobles, knights, clergy, tradesmen, or peasants—to study.

Provide each group with a copy of their respective text, or if students have online access, provide links to each text. ƒ

“

Nobles” (http://witeng.link/0701) ƒ

“Knights” (http://witeng.link/0702) ƒ

“Clergy (http://witeng.link/0703) ƒ

“Tradesmen” (http://witeng.link/0704) ƒ

“Peasants” (http://witeng.link/0705)

Have students read the text individually.

Differentiation:

If some students need support with this text, you may wish to group students reading below grade level, read aloud to them, and then support them as they complete the following activity.

Distribute Handout 2C.

Tell students that they will work in small groups to reflect on what they learned about their assigned social class by identifying the central idea about the identity of their assigned group and then recording supporting ideas and details.

Remind groups of their Discussion Rules, and provide the following sentence stems to facilitate conversations:

ƒ

ƒ

The “big idea” that I would box for this passage is …

I agree with that “big idea,” and I would add …

ƒ I disagree with that “big idea,” and, instead, I would box …

ƒ

One supporting detail I would bullet is … ƒ

Another supporting detail I would bullet is …

Select a Discussion Rule that will be particularly helpful for small groups to follow, such as disagreeing respectfully. Ask: “What will you need to do in your small groups to follow this Discussion Rule?”

n To disagree respectfully, we need to use a kind tone of voice and not be rude about what we think.

n We should give a reason and not just say, “That’s wrong.”

n We should listen to what the other person says in case that person is right.

Small groups complete Handout 2C, identifying the central idea and supporting ideas.

Groups create a brief summary of their passage based on graphic organizers. (Provide length guidelines based on time.) Remind students to refer to the elements of an effective summary in their Response Journal.

Once groups have completed their summaries, revisit the Discussion Rule you identified previously. For example, ask: “How did you do with disagreeing respectfully? What could you do better next time?”

Then have students line up in front of the classroom by rank from the highest group to the lowest.

Have groups share their summaries, beginning with the highest group and continuing in order to the lowest ranking group. After each group shares, invite other students to ask questions to clarify their understanding of the central ideas about each medieval class.

Tell students that some thinkers described the hierarchy in the Middle Ages as being made up of three orders:

Those who fight

Those who pray

Those who work

Challenge each group to identify the group to which their class would belong, and display the results:

Those who fight Nobles Knights

Those who pray Clergy

Those who work Tradesmen Peasants

Pose the question: “Who would you be? Think back to the identity webs you created last lesson.”

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Students complete the following 3–2–1–+ activity in their Knowledge Journal. ƒ

Write the three most interesting facts you learned about the Middle Ages today. ƒ

List two new vocabulary words you learned, and write their definitions. ƒ

Write one idea that is important about the Middle Ages. ƒ

Answer this question: “What was the structure of medieval society?”

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read their remaining unread passages about nobles, knights, clergy, tradesmen, and peasants. Students write a one-sentence central idea for each passage.

Distribute and review the Volume of Reading Reflection Questions (see the final page in the Student Edition). Explain that students should consider these questions as they read independently and respond to them when they finish a text.

TEACHER NOTE

Students may complete the reflections in their Knowledge Journal or submit them directly. The questions can also be used as discussion questions for a book club or other small-group activity. See the Implementation Guide for a further explanation of Volume of Reading, as well as various ways of using the reflection.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

The CFU assesses students’ ability to identify and summarize the central idea (RI.7.2). This is a key foundational skill that students build on throughout the year.

Next Steps

Consider collaborating with students working below grade level in a small group, asking questions such as, “What is this text mostly about? What idea do all these details lead us to believe? What is the author’s point here? What is the topic sentence?”

Lesson 2 Deep Dive: Vocabulary

Academic Vocabulary: Hierarchy

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: Online texts from Western Reserve Public Media: “The Middle Ages—The Medieval Years,” “Nobles,” “Knights,” “Clergy,” “Tradesmen,” and “Peasants”

ƒ

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Use a Frayer Model to analyze new academic vocabulary and clarify its meaning using Greek affixes (L.7.4, L.7.4.b).

Launch

Display the following graphics:

Tell students to study the two triangles and then try to explain what they have in common. Direct them to jot their ideas in their Vocabulary Journal and then share them with a partner. Afterward, invite a few volunteers to share their ideas with the class.

n The picture on the left shows the importance of people according to their rank in life. The person at the top rules the people on the bottom.

n The upside down triangle shows the order of animals all the way down to cats.

n So both triangles represent the order of something.

n Both graphics show how groups are categorized or organized, except one deals with power and the other with physical traits.

Learn

Distribute Handout 2A: Frayer Model Hierarchy

Display a blank 4-Square graphic organizer with the word hierarchy in the middle. Explain to students that they will take notes and fill in their graphic organizers during the class discussion.

Hierarchy Frayer Model Key (Possible Student Answers)

Definition:

(n.) 1. a system for organizing groups, such as people, ideas, or objects, based on levels of their importance, power, or social standing

Characteristics/Explanation:

Like a pyramid, the most powerful person is at the top. While the least powerful person/people are at the bottom; the people at the bottom follow rules from those at the top

With things, items are grouped together by a common characteristic and then further broken down and categorized by other, less common characteristics.

Hierarchy

Examples:

Animal Kingdom: kingdom > phylum > class > order > family >genus> species [vertebrates > reptiles > snakes > cobra]

- US Army: president > secretary of the army > general > colonel > captain > lieutenant > etc.

- medieval social order: church/king > nobles/ clergy > knights/vassals > merchants/farmers/ craftsmen > peasants/serfs

Nonexamples:

monarchy (n.) a nation or government ruled by a king or queen. Mon–/mono– Greek affix meaning “one” or “alone.”

oligarchy (n.) a government or state in which a few people or a family rule. Olig–/oligo– Greek affix meaning “government by the few.”

patriarchy (n.) a social system in which a father rules, and descent and succession are traced through the father. Patri– Greek affix meaning “father.”

TEACHER NOTE

Many students may struggle with note-taking because they have difficulty gauging what information is important. Guide them through the process by posting essential points from class discussion. Explain that whatever is written on the board is important and should be noted on their graphic organizer or Vocabulary Journal.

A Frayer model for hierarchy has been completed for you in this lesson to help you determine what to use for your displayed notes and class discussion.

Remind students that, when learning a new word, it helps to review its affixes and roots. Display the Latin affix, hier–, and Greek root, archy, for hierarchy. Then explain that the word hierarchy is made up of two morphemes. The affix hier– is a Latin prefix meaning “leader of sacred rights,” and archy is a Greek root meaning “first in rank or time.” Have students copy the information on their graphic organizer in the Definition square.

Extension:

After the morphology review, invite students to brainstorm other words with the morphemes of the word hierarchy Explain that their prior knowledge of morphemes can help them determine a word’s meaning and learning a new morpheme can help them learn new words.

http://witeng.link/dictionary and http://witeng.link/wordsmyth are two good resources for finding morphology information.

Ask: “How do these morphemes connect to the meaning of the word hierarchy?”

Allow students ample time to think or discuss the possiblilities.

n A hierarch is a leader of sacred rights that’s first in rank.

n Hierarchy means a group ruled by a holy person that’s the high-ranking leader.

n It refers to a sacred order ruled by a high priest.

n It could mean an organization ruled by a leader of sacred rights.

Display the dictionary definition of hierarchy for students to copy in the Definition section of their 4-Square organizer.

Explain that the word hierarchy has multiple meanings. In reference to the medieval era, it is a system of people or things ranked one above another. Today, hierarchy could refer to any system of people or things that are ranked or categorized one above another, as in the animal kingdom models above.

Tell students to prepare to take notes in the Characteristics section of their 4-Square organizer. Display the underlined information below as you discuss.

Say: “If you were to map out the medieval hierarchy, it would look like a pyramid. The most powerful person or people are at the smaller top of the pyramid. Can anyone tell me why this is so?”

n Because there are only a few important people at the top.

n Because there’s usually only one ruler or a handful of people making the rules compared to the number of people that follow.

n The peasants and serfs make up the majority of the people, so they are at the bottom—the larger part of the pyramid.

n Most of the people, who are at the bottom of the pyramid, follow the rules made by the ones at the top.

Guide students as needed to understand that the least powerful people are at the bottom, and they follow rules appointed by those at the top.

Students pair up and complete the remainder of the graphic organizer. They should include the following:

1. Under Characteristics: ƒ

Additional characteristics reflecting the first definition of hierarchy discussed in class.

2. Under Examples: ƒ

At least two examples that represent the two meanings of hierarchy discussed in class.

3. Under Nonexamples: ƒ

At least two other types of governments whose labels end in the suffix –archy ƒ Brief definitions for the two examples. ƒ The meaning of their prefixes.

Circulate to assess understanding and offer guidance as needed.

Land

When finished, volunteers offer their nonexamples, definitions, and roots/prefixes. Address misinformation as necessary.

If time allows, discuss whether we live in a hierarchy today, and ask students to explain why or why not.

Lesson

Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Richard Platt, pages 7-29

Lesson 3: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (45 min.)

Notice and Wonder (25 min.)

Experiment with Figurative Language (20 min)

Land (10 min.)

Express Tobias’s Identity

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Concise Writing: Recognize Precise, Concise Writing (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

RL.7.1

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ

L.7.5 ƒ L.7.3.a

MATERIALS

ƒ

Handout 3A: Recognize Precise, Concise Writing

Learning Goals

Formulate questions and initial impressions of Tobias’s identity based on Castle Diary’s first entries (RL.7.1).

Create Tobias’s identity web based on textual evidence.

Use figurative language to express personal identity in a poem (L.7.5).

Write a poem modeled after “Identity” by Julio Noboa Polanco.

Recognize and explain the difference between precise, concise prose and wordy writing (L.7.3.a).

Compare paragraphs for precision and conciseness.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–7

How does society influence identity and experience?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 3

Wonder: What do I notice and wonder about Tobias Burgess?

CRAFT QUEST ION: Lesson 3

Experiment: How does figurative language work?

Students begin reading Castle Diary, annotating and discussing what they notice and wonder. Students also continue to work on figurative language by taking the identity webs from Lesson 1 and writing a poem with figurative language based on “Identity.”

Welcome

5 MIN.

Have pairs share their Knowledge Journal entries about what they learned about the Middle Ages in the last lesson. Invite them to add information based on what they discuss with partners.

Launch

10 MIN.

Post the Essential Question, Focusing Question, and Content Framing Question.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share to restate the Essential Question in their own words.

Explain that this module’s texts all center on identity during the Middle Ages. The first text, Castle Diary, is centered on Tobias Burgess, a young man growing up during that time period. Explain that this is a work of historical fiction, written recently, yet set in the Middle Ages.

Invite a few students to share what they learned about the medieval social hierarchy in the last lesson.

NOTICE AND WONDER 25 MIN.

Whole Group

Remind students about the Notice and Wonder T-Chart they used to analyze the poem “Identity” in the first lesson. Reiterate that when beginning a new book, it is important to pay attention to all its details to help determine what the book is about. Explain that the information on the front and back cover gives readers a preview.

Distribute Castle Diary. Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask what they notice and wonder based on their examination of the front and back cover details.

Display the following T-chart, and add student responses. Have students create the same chart in their Response Journal.

Notice Wonder

Characters

n There’s a boy on the front trying to walk on stilts.

n On the back, it says he keeps a detailed journal of what happens to him at his uncle’s castle.

Setting n On the back, it says it’s the year 1285.

n The back also says he’s going to be a page in his uncle’s castle. We read about pages in our “Knights” group last time.

n I wonder what he’s wearing. His clothes look weird.

n I wonder what country it is.

Explain that as you read the first journal entry, students will track what they notice and wonder in order to give their reading a purpose, to acquire information, and to determine answers to their questions.

Read aloud the first diary entry as students record what they notice and wonder in their T-charts. Then, have students share, and add responses to the displayed chart.

Characters n Tobias lives with his father, mother, and two younger sisters (7).

n The back cover was right—he is leaving to be a page in his uncle’s castle (7).

n He is eleven years old (7).

n His mother doesn’t want him to leave (7).

Setting n It’s the year 1285 (7).

n He lives in the “parish of Saltington” but is moving to his uncle’s castle (7).

Wonder

n He says he will learn to be a knight “if his father can afford it.” I wonder if that means his father has to pay for him to become a knight. We didn’t learn about that when we learned about knights.

n Why does he call it “the Year of Our Lord”?

TEACHER NOTE

Students should base their contributions on the text. If they make suggestions that may not be text-based, ask, “What in the text makes you say that?” or “What part of the text gave you that idea?”

Discuss students’ questions as needed, either providing the answers or encouraging students to use the text to do so.

Have students read to page 20 independently (stopping right before the January 23rd entry), adding observations and questions about setting and character to their T-charts as they read.

Then ask: “What did you notice or wonder about Tobias?”

n He’s excited to become a page (7–8).

n He’s like a servant but not exactly because he’s a noble. His first job is to wait on his aunt (12–13).

n He will learn archery and sword fighting. He must also learn the rules of chivalry, which we learned about last time (18–19).

n I wonder if he knows what any of the rules of chivalry are.

n He knows how to read and write in English and is ahead of most other students. But, he doesn’t know Latin and finds it boring (19–20).

Ask: “What did you notice or wonder about the setting?”

n His aunt and uncle live in a castle that is much bigger than his parents’ house. It has a tower house called a “keep” and a “Great Hall” (9).

n There are people who live on the manor who have to pay rents and taxes to Tobias’s uncle (18).

n The picture on page 11 makes it look like the castle is huge with a high ceiling.

Ask: “What other characters did you notice?”

n There are Tobias’s aunt and uncle and his cousins Simon, Abigail, and Beth.

n There are three other pages—Mark, Oliver, and Humphrey.

n The chaplain leads daily worship and teaches the pages. He punishes them harshly.

Ask: “What else did you notice and wonder about?”

n They keep talking about “breaking fast.” I wonder what that means.

n They start their studies after “Mass.” I wonder what that means.

n I wonder if he misses his family.

Discuss questions as needed.

Read pages 20–29 aloud, having students again record what they notice and wonder about character and setting on their T-charts.

Ask: “What did you notice or wonder about Tobias in this section?”

n He gets whipped by the chaplain (20).

n He gets to ride a horse for the hunt, but the other pages do not. They seem to be jealous (21–24).

n He is disappointed because he rode too slowly and missed the killing of the boar (28–29).

Ask: “What did you notice or wonder about the setting?”

n The stables are very grand, and some of the horses are cleaner and less hungry-looking than the people who work on the manor. It makes me think some of the people on the manor are really poor (21).

n There are a lot of wild animals for them to hunt on his uncle’s property (25).

As time permits, invite students to discuss questions.

EXPERIMENT WITH FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE 20 MIN.

Individuals

Display the Craft Question: How does figurative language work?

Remind students of their discussion of figurative language in Lesson 1. Have pairs take out their identity webs and share some of their figurative language.

Explain that today they will use some of their ideas to write a figurative poem expressing key aspects of their identity, using Julio Noboa Polanco’s “Identity” as a model. Explain that:

ƒ

The first stanza should describe the characteristics of something nonhuman that does not represent their identity.

ƒ The next stanza should describe something nonhuman that accurately represents their identity.

Provide the following template as an option:

Others are like (thing that does not represent your identity)

(adjectives that don’t describe you)

(details that relate to the stanza’s subject, but not you)

I’m proud to be a (something nonhuman that represents your identity) (relatable details describing the stanza’s subject) (more details describing the subject)

Invite pairs to discuss ideas before writing.

Individuals write poems.

Have small groups share. If time permits, invite a few poets to read for the whole group.

Alternate Activity:

If students struggle, consider collaboratively writing a poem with the whole group, describing the class identity. In addition to providing support to students working below grade level, a group poem can help foster community.

If students are working confidently, encourage them to develop their poems using additional stanzas and descriptive details.

10 MIN.

EXPRESS TOBIAS’S IDENTITY

Instruct students to revisit what they noticed and wondered about Tobias and create an identity web for him. The web should include only the most significant details based on the text. Then, have pairs compare and contrast their webs.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read pages 30–42 of Castle Diary, using a Notice and Wonder T-Chart to record their observations about character and setting.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

The poem assesses students’ ability to implement their first writing technique: using figurative language (L.7.5). Check for the following success criteria: ƒ

The first stanza uses figurative language to express an aspect of the students’ identity. ƒ

The second stanza uses figurative language to express their identity’s antithesis.

Next Steps

Students will have more opportunities to experiment with figurative language and other narrative techniques throughout the module. If students struggle, consider beginning the next lesson by creating a collaborative identity poem.

Examine Concise Writing: Recognize Precise, Concise Writing

mall to buy myself ice cream on a cone and a cupcake made of chocolate. Even though it was a really busy, crowded day, I enjoyed it because I found the shoes I wanted and got to eat my favorite snack.

I went to the mall last Saturday, the weekend before school started. First, went to Sports R Us to buy hiking boots. The store was crowded, naturally, and several parents were with their kids, trying to find new shoes and clothes. Kids were screaming, and fathers wandered around looking aggravated. Afterward, escaped the mall to buy myself a vanilla ice cream cone and chocolate cupcake. Although it was a busy day, enjoyed it because bought hiking boots and ate my favorite snack.

TEACHER NOTE

Note that students do not have paragraphs with underlining on their handouts. The underlining and highlighting in the example below are for note-taking guidance and to emphasize points of discussion.

1 I went to the mall last weekend, the weekend before school started. 2 First, I went to a sporting goods store to buy some boots for hiking 3 The store was very crowded because it was the beginning of the school year and lots of parents were out with their kids, trying to find new shoes and clothes. 4 There were kids yelling loudly, and fathers were looking aggravated and wandering around. 5 After that, I escaped the mall to buy myself ice cream on a cone and a cupcake made of chocolate 6 Even though it was a really busy, crowded day, I enjoyed it because I found the shoes I wanted and got to eat my favorite snack.

1 I went to the mall last Saturday, the weekend before school started. 2 First, I went to Sports R Us to buy hiking boots. 3 The store was crowded, naturally, and several parents were with their kids, trying to find new shoes and clothes. 4 Kids were screaming, and fathers wandered around looking aggravated. 5 Afterward, I escaped the mall to buy myself a vanilla ice cream cone and chocolate cupcake. 6 Although it was a busy day, I enjoyed it because I bought hiking boots and ate my favorite snack.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share about the differences between the two paragraphs.

Ask: “What did the writer do to make the second paragraph more precise and concise than the first?”

n The first paragraph is a little longer than the second one; the writer made the second paragraph shorter.

n The first paragraph used phrases like “cupcake made of chocolate,” while the second paragraph used “chocolate cupcake” instead. “Chocolate cupcake” cuts out unnecessary words.

n The second paragraph uses more specific descriptions like changing “sporting goods store” to “Sports R Us.” It helps the reader imagine a real store.

n The second paragraph changes phrases like “yelling loudly” to “screaming.” The word screaming seems more precise and less redundant.

n The second paragraph changed repeated information, like “busy, crowded” to just “busy.”

Learn

Encourage students to take notes on their handout as you discuss the problems with the first paragraph and solutions in the second.

Explain that the first paragraph, as they may have observed, is a little wordy. Try to coax reasons for this wordiness from students based on what they said in the previous discussion. Guide their responses when necessary, clarifying that the first paragraph uses multiword, needless, or excessive phrases, ineffectual repetition, vague descriptions, and weak modifiers.

The second paragraph eliminates some of the wordiness by attempting the following:

1. Replacing multiword phrases (“lots of”) with single words.

2. Rephrasing to eliminate “there were”.

3. Removing ineffectual repetition.

4. Using more specific nouns and active verbs.

5. Eliminating excessive use of prepositional phrases and replacing them with adjectives.

6. Avoiding weak modifiers such as very and really.

Land

Display and read the following paragraph. Explain that this paragraph is not on students’ handouts, so they should take notes to include these revisions to the second paragraph of their handout.

1 I went to the mall last Saturday, the weekend before school started. 2 First, I went to Sports R Us to buy hiking boots. 3 The store was crowded, naturally, and several parents were trying to find the latest styles for their kids. 4 Babies were screaming, and fathers wandered around like sad zombies. 5 Afterward, I escaped the mall to enjoy vanilla ice cream and a chocolate cupcake. 6 Although it was a hectic day, I enjoyed it because I bought hiking boots and devoured my favorite snack.

Ask students to pair up and compare this third paragraph to the second paragraph they just reviewed.

On their handouts, students should note the changes the writer made to the second paragraph as well as how those changes help create this improved third paragraph. Guide students as needed to note that most of the changes deal with using more precise, descriptive language that helps create distinct mental images for the reader

ƒ

ƒ

Sentence 3—new shoes and clothes = the latest styles; the new phrase is more descriptive.

Sentence 4—aggravated fathers = like sad zombies; the metaphor paints a precise picture in the reader’s mind.

ƒ

Sentence 5—a vanilla ice cream cone = vanilla ice cream; the new wording tightens up the sentence (do we really need to know that it was a cone?).

ƒ

Sentence 6—busy = hectic; ate = devoured; the new wording is more precise and descriptive

Lesson 4: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Organize Character, Plot, and Setting (15 min.)

Experiment with Figurative Language (30 min.)

Examine Speaking Goals (10 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Concise Writing: Identifying and Correcting Wordiness (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.2

Speaking and

ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ

L.7.5 ƒ L.7.3.a

Listening

Learning Goals

Summarize understanding of Castle Diary’s plot, setting, and characters (RL.7.2).

Complete an Exit Ticket that summarizes plot, setting, and characters.

Use figurative language to express key aspects of Tobias’s life and identity (L.7.5).

MATERIALS

Formulate sentences about Tobias using figurative language.

ƒ

Handout 4A: Speaking and Listening Goal-Setting and SelfAssessment. ƒ

Handout 4B: Identifying Wordiness in Writing

Identify wordiness and apply strategies to communicate ideas concisely and precisely (L.7.3.a).

Revise a paragraph so the language is more precise and concise.

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–7

How does society influence identity and experience?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 4

Organize: What is happening in Castle Diary?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 4

Experiment: How does figurative language work?

Examine: Why are speaking goals important?

In this lesson, students continue to organize and make sense of the characters, setting, and plot of Castle Diary. They also examine speaking goals that will serve them throughout the year.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Pairs share what they noticed and wondered about their homework reading (pages 30–42).

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How are the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question connected?”

n We have to understand what the story is about before we can start figuring out how society and his experiences shaped Tobias’s identity.

n We just started the book, so we’re still figuring that out. Then, we can start thinking more about Tobias and what is going on with him.

ORGANIZE CHARACTER, PLOT, AND SETTING 15 MIN.

Whole Group

Have students work with a partner to see if they can answer any of the Wonder questions they have recorded so far. Encourage students to use the text to find or support their answers.

Invite students to share questions that they answered on their own or with the help of a partner. Ask students to share any unanswered questions.

Ask: “What else did you learn about the setting from pages 30–42?”

n On page 32, we learned that the castle is very cold. That surprised me because I thought they were rich.

n The kitchen is a big, busy place. There are many workers there, and from the picture on page 33, it looks like they have to work hard.

Ask: “What new things did you learn about Tobias in last night’s reading?”

n According to page 32, the castle is very cold, so he hangs out in the kitchen to warm up.

n Tobias got upset because the Cook played a trick on him and had him eat bread that only dogs and horses eat. He was embarrassed and mad and will not go back to the kitchen.

n He really wants to get better with a bow and arrow, and he keeps trying even though he was bad at first.

n He doesn’t like his new fancy clothes because they’re itchy.

Ask: “What other characters did you meet, and what did you learn about them?”

n The Cook was in this section. He doesn’t like people just to hang out in his kitchen, so he made Tobias work.

n He also played a joke on Tobias. I wonder if he does that to lots of people or just doesn’t like Tobias.

n We met the Constable. He trains the guards so they will be ready if the castle is attacked. I wonder who would attack it.

n The Constable does not want to teach Tobias archery but has to because the uncle ordered him to.

Point out that unlike many books, this book is written not as a narrative but as a series of Tobias’s journal entries. Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Based on what you’ve read so far, what story is Platt trying to tell readers through these entries?”

n He is trying to show what Tobias’s daily life was like at the castle.

n He wants us to know what someone close to our age would have gone through.

n He is trying to show what Tobias learns about himself as he learns how to be a page.

Have students take out the identity webs they created for Tobias at the end of the last lesson, and instruct them to add more information based on the reading.

Have pairs share.

EXPERIMENT WITH FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE 30 MIN.

Small Groups

Display the Craft Question: How does figurative language work?

Remind students of the poems with figurative language they wrote in the last lesson. Explain that figurative language is not just for poems—any writer can use it to convey ideas in an engaging manner. Tell students that they will come up with figurative language examples that describe key aspects of Tobias’s life and identity.

Model the task.

I’m examining Tobias’s identity web, and it seems the castle plays a significant role because he learns new things there. To him, it’s huge and amazing. So, I’ll use a figurative language sentence to express this. What’s something else that’s huge and amazing? Well, the sky is vast, and it’s amazing when filled with stars. So, I’ll write, “To Tobias, the castle is huge and amazing like a star-covered sky.” Another aspect of Tobias is his curious personality. Let’s express that using figurative language. What’s something else that’s curious?

Collaborate with the whole group to create a figurative language sentence, and then instruct small groups to examine their Tobias identity webs and create as many sentences about Tobias’s life and identity as possible.

Differentiation:

Consider providing students writing below grade level with sentence frames such as “Tobias is as _____ as a _____” and “Tobias is _____ like_____.”

Challenge confident writers to make their sentences more vivid and original, avoiding clichés. They might also write a poem modeled on “Identity” from Tobias’s perspective.

n When practicing archery, Tobias is as excited as a puppy with a pile of bones.

n Tobias is privileged because his uncle is powerful like a tidal wave.

n Tobias’s noble family supports him the way a sturdy oak might support a bird’s nest.

Invite a representative from each group to come up and write their strongest example of figurative language on the board.

EXAMINE SPEAKING GOALS

Whole Group

Display the Craft Question: Why are speaking goals important?

Explain that academic speakers use specific strategies in structured conversations to help the group achieve the deepest understanding of a topic. Recall the discussion goal small groups worked on when they worked to find the central idea and supporting details for their assigned medieval groups.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share to explain how that goal helped them to collaborate. For example, ask: “How did the goal to disagree respectfully help you work with your group?”

n Setting the goal to disagree respectfully helped us because when we disagreed, we were each taking a minute to make sure we did it the right way.

n We didn’t get mad at each other—we just focused on discussing the task.

n We helped each other remember to provide reasons for ideas, so we got better at disagreeing.

Tell students that in the next lesson, they will have a student-led discussion about Castle Diary in which they will practice their speaking and listening skills.

Distribute Handout 4A, and ask students to read the speaking and listening criteria.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Which one of these criteria would be best for our class to use as a goal during tomorrow’s discussion? Why?”

n We should focus on bringing the discussion back on topic. Sometimes we wander off and start talking about other stuff.

n We might need to work on making relevant observations. Sometimes what people say is too random.

n We should build on others’ ideas. Sometimes one person talks, and then another person talks, but their ideas aren’t connected.

Help guide the class to a consensus on an appropriate class speaking goal.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Have students submit an Exit Ticket in response to the following: “Write 1) a sentence that summarizes Castle Diary’s plot so far, 2) a sentence that summarizes your understanding of the setting, 3) a sentence that summarizes your understanding of Tobias, and 4) a prediction.”

Wrap

5 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read pages 42–62 of Castle Diary and summarize key events in their Response Journal.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

The Exit Ticket assesses how well students understand the basic aspects of Castle Diary and their ability to summarize the text (RL.7.2). Make sure students base responses on the text.

Next Steps

If responses are not text-based, redirect students by asking, “Where in the text did you learn that?” It is important that all students have an accurate understanding of plot, setting, and characters before they move on to analysis in upcoming lessons.

Lesson 4 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Experiment with Concise Writing: Identifying and Correcting Wordiness

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Richard Platt

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Identify wordiness and apply strategies to communicate ideas concisely and precisely (L.7.3.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 4 Experiment: How does concise and precise writing work?

Launch

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share about what it means to be wordy in writing. As a refresher, they can review their notes from Style and Conventions Deep Dive 3: Examine Concise Writing.

n When the writer uses a lot of unnecessary words to say something, which can make it boring or confusing.

n A writer who likes to use several phrases to say something short is wordy.

n Wordiness refers to using words or phrases that don’t add new meaning to the text. Learn

Distribute Handout 4B: Identifying Wordiness in Writing.

Display the sample paragraph from the student handout (not the teacher samples below), explaining that the paragraph is a modified version of an excerpt from page 17 of Castle Diary:

1 I (4) joined up with my aunt today in the Great Chamber. 2 (2) This is where my aunt and uncle sleep at night, but by day my aunt receives (1) lots of visitors there and instructs the servants (5) in the running of the castle 3 At home we call this (3) room the Solar chamber, though ours is smaller by far. 4 My aunt is always (6) really busy because she (3) is the one who directs the Steward in the management (5) of the castle household 5 She jokes that when my uncle is away she must do all her own work (3) and also everything he does (3) as well—except for shaving! 6 I think that is (4/6) very humorous.

Modified Paragraph from Castle Diary (page 17)

Sample Revised Paragraph

1 I (4) met my aunt today in the Great Chamber. 2 My aunt and uncle sleep (2) there, but by day my aunt receives (1) many visitors (2) in the chamber and instructs the servants (5) in how to run the castle. 3 At home we call this (3) room the Solar, though ours is smaller by far. 4 My aunt is always (6) busy because she (3) directs the Steward in (5) castle household management 5 She jokes that when my uncle is away she must do all her own work, (3) including everything he does—except for shaving! 6 I think that is (4/6) hilarious

TEACHER NOTE

The superscript numbers in parentheses above correspond to the numbers in the “How to Avoid and Eliminate Wordiness” tips below. These paragraphs are annotated to help guide instruction. Students have only the modified paragraph on their handouts and do not have the additional superscript numbers other than sentence numbers. However, as you discuss revision, consider encouraging them to annotate their handouts so they know which tip has been applied to paragraph edits.

Tell students that this lesson will help them continue to develop their ability to eliminate wordiness from their writing. Explain that eliminating wordiness makes the writer’s message clearer for the reader because it decreases the amount of text needed to express an idea and eliminates unnecessary and redundant words. They should actively practice this skill in their journal entries in order to apply the strategy well to their EOM narrative and in their writing in general.

Whole Group

Read through the modified paragraph with students. Then briefly read through each of the strategies from the handout for avoiding and eliminating wordiness, asking for student suggestions about how they could use each strategy to make the modified paragraph more concise. Use the superscripts in parentheses in the modified paragraph above to help guide discussion.

How to Avoid and Eliminate Wordiness

1. Replace multiword phrases with single words:

a. Lots of = Many.

b. After that = Later.

c. Even though = Although.

2. Verify whether “There were” (there/this/these … is/are/were) is needed:

a. There were many people upset.—OK

b. Many people were upset.—better

3. Double check whether you’ve repeated any ideas within your sentences:

a. There were many orphans left without parents. = There were many orphans.

b. Dead corpses were lying in the streets. = Corpses lay in the streets.

4. Select a noun or verb that is specific enough to capture weak phrasing.

a. Cried softly = Whimpered.

b. Very sad = Miserable.

5. Eliminate excessive use of prepositional phrases by using adjectives when possible.

a. A science teacher from the high school = A high school science teacher.

b. That tale about luck in The Red Fairy Book = The Red Fairy Book tale about luck.

6. Avoid use of weak modifiers like very and really, which are often overused.

Land

Students work in pairs to rewrite the modified paragraph based on the Learn section discussion so that the language is more precise and concise. Student rewrites may vary; however, a sample revised paragraph has been provided for you (above) to help guide students.

If time allows, have students share their revised paragraphs.

Lesson

Lesson 5: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (10 min.)

Identify Historical Details

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (50 min.)

Experiment with Speaking Goals (20 min.)

Complete the New-Read Assessment (30 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Word Relationships: Genteel (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4, RL.7.9

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ

L.7.5.b, L.7.5.c

Learning Goals

Analyze details about daily life in the Middle Ages (RL.7.9).

Complete New-Read Assessment 1.

Experiment with speaking goals (SL.7.1).

Participate in fishbowl discussions.

MATERIALS

ƒ

Assessment 5A: New-Read Assessment: Castle Diary ƒ

Seven index cards for each small group

Distinguish among the connotations of target vocabulary synonyms, and rank them to better understand the words and their context (L.7.5.b, L.7.5.c).

Rank synonyms according to connotations, and compare rankings to those of other students.

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–7

How does society influence identity and experience?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 5

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of historical details reveal in Castle Diary?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 5

Experiment: How do speaking goals work?

Though Castle Diary is fictional, it communicates historical facts and insights into life in the Middle Ages. Students explore the reading through a Fishbowl discussion that simultaneously allows them to experiment with the speaking goal they examined last lesson. Finally, students complete a New-Read Assessment to demonstrate their independent critical reading skills.

IDENTIFY HISTORICAL DETAILS

Pairs share their summaries of what happened on pages 42–62. Then pairs fill in the following chart, indicating where in the social hierarchy different characters from Castle Diary fall.

Tobias’s aunt

Tobias’s uncle

Tobias’s cousins

The Earl

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Have a few students share their homework summaries and how they classified the characters during the Welcome task. Clarify any misconceptions.

Explain that in this lesson, students will explore the role of historical details as they experiment with speaking goals, and then they will complete a New-Read Assessment.

TEACHER NOTE Students may benefit from completing the Deep Dive, focused on the word genteel, before the Learn activities.

Learn

50 MIN.

EXPERIMENT WITH SPEAKING GOALS

Whole Group

20 MIN.

Display the Craft Question: How do speaking goals work?

Remind students of the goal they set for themselves as a class yesterday.

Explain that a small circle of several students will discuss Text-Dependent Questions (TDQs) about historical details in Castle Diary, while the rest of the class encircles them in a Fishbowl and observes the small group’s progress toward the speaking goal.

Display the following four steps.

1. Students in the Fishbowl respond to a TDQ about the Middle Ages.

2. As the Fishbowl students discuss the TDQ, they aim to achieve the class goal.

3. Students in the outer circle note evidence of how those in the Fishbowl are meeting the class goal, and they also pay attention to the Castle Diary discussion.

4. New groups rotate to the inner circle for the second and third TDQs, completing steps 1–3 for each.

Give students a minute to gather thoughts and evidence in response to each TDQ.

1. What does Mark’s reaction to the death of Gilbert, Earl of Hertford on page 50, show about life and death in the Middle Ages?

n Mark says “’Well, ‘tis common’” (Platt 50).

n It seems death was a common part of people’s everyday lives in the Middle Ages.

n Medicine was not advanced in the Middle Ages. As we learned earlier, life was very difficult.

2. On pages 53 and 54, Tobias writes about the garderobes and the gong-farmer. What do these words and these entries show about life in the Middle Ages?

n A garderobe is a medieval toilet. Tobias says that they stink; he lets his hose fall; he goes for relief; and a fly comes out, like it would from a porta-potty.

n A gong-farmer is a person who has to clean out the toilets. Tobias writes that the gong-farmer comes to clear the chutes where the garderobes are supposed to empty.

n These entries show how dirty life would have been in the Middle Ages. People lived in unhealthy conditions because they did not have running water or toilets.

3. What does the great banquet reveal about the Middle Ages?

n The household held the banquet “in honor of our most noble guest, the Earl of Branstone” (Platt 58).

n All the grand meals and entertainment were to impress the Earl: “It seems that this great Earl has the ear of the King, and my uncle hopes to gain favor by welcoming him. Though my uncle’s castle is grand, this Earl has an estate many times larger” (Platt 56).

n This shows that people knew where they stood in the social order. One way nobles could increase their power or wealth was to form relationships with nobles who were powerful or wealthy.

Ask: “What evidence did you see that those in the Fishbowl were following our class goal?”

n Our goal was to build on others’ ideas. I saw that when Andre said that a garderobe is a toilet, Rachel added that they stink, and then, Carlos said, “He went for relief.”

n People used the sentence stem, “I agree, and I would add ... .” That showed that they were making sure their ideas were connected.

Ask: “When you were in the Fishbowl, how did practicing our Speaking Goal help you learn?”

n It made me listen better to what people were saying because I knew I had to connect my idea to theirs.

n Knowing people were watching to make sure I met the goal helped me to do that.

n The conversation was richer because we had people who tried to build on each other’s ideas.

Explain that students will use what they learned in this experiment in the next Socratic Seminar.

COMPLETE THE NEW-READ ASSESSMENT 30 MIN.

Individuals

Distribute Assessment 5A.

Tell students they will work independently on an assessment in which they will read Castle Diary, and then they will respond to questions that are similar to what they might see on a statewide assessment.

Students read pages 63–68 and complete Assessment 5A.

G7

he could study my water” (65). c. “Simon need not rush to return” (65). d. “[I]nto a glass flask” (65).

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Ask: “What has this lesson’s Castle Diary reading revealed about medieval society?”

n Death was ever-present. Mark said it was common to for people to die.

n Conditions were unsanitary. People lived close to their own waste.

n Society was very structured. Nobles and servants lived completely different lives.

n Identity was based heavily on one’s place in the social hierarchy.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read to the end of Castle Diary, pages 69–90, and summarize key events in their Response Journal.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

In addition to serving as practice for standardized testing, the multiple-choice questions on the New-Read Assessment provide a quick, objective measure of the precision of students’ reading comprehension. Here, significant focus is on analyzing historical detail (RL.7.9) and determining word meaning (RL.7.4).

Next Steps

Refer to the Answer Key in Appendix C to assess responses. Note questions that many students struggled with, and review them with the whole group, thinking aloud as needed and calling on students to provide rationales for correct answers.

Word Relationships: Genteel

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts: These readings (in PDF) are currently available in the PBS Western Reserve The Middle Ages Teacher Guide (http://witeng.link/PBS_Middle-Ages-Teacher-Guide): “The Middle Ages—The Medieval Years” pages 9–10; “Nobles” pages 40–41; “Knights” page 42; “Clergy” page 43; “Tradesmen” page 44; “Peasants” pages 45–46, Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Richard Platt

ƒ Vocabulary Learning Goal: Distinguish among the connotations of target vocabulary synonyms, and rank them to better understand the words and their context (L.7.5.b, L.7.5.c).

Launch

Display these words: funny hilarious ridiculous Ask: “How are these three words related or connected?”

Students should say that they are synonyms describing something humorous.

Explain that, although the three words are connected by similar meanings, the meaning of each word is nuanced or has a slightly different shade of meaning. Provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonym

nuance (n.) A subtle or slight difference in a quality, such as color, tone, or meaning. shade, gradation, subtlety, degree

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share about the specific ways in which the three synonyms are different. Encourage students to consider when they would use one word but not the other and why.

n Hilarious means that something is truly humorous and makes you laugh out loud. Ridiculous means that something is funny in a silly or odd way. Funny is kind of in the middle; something funny might make me smile but not laugh out loud.

n Funny can mean that something is amusing, or it could mean that something is odd. Hilarious implies true laugh-out-loud humor, but ridiculous implies some foolishness or discomfort.

n These words don’t have the same feeling behind them. I would say, “That comedian is funny” if I thought he was OK or “That comedian is hilarious” if I really liked him. But if I thought he was more childish than funny, I would use the word ridiculous.

Tell students they will define several related vocabulary words to analyze the nuances of each one’s meaning.

Point out that when reading about the Middle Ages, they will find several words related to manners, including genteel, courteous, polite, elegant, and refined. Explain that studying the nuances among these words will help them better understand the hierarchy of the medieval social order.

Learn Groups Give each group seven index cards and the following assignment:

Write each of the five words (genteel, courteous, polite, elegant, refined) on an index card and leave the other two blank.

Using context clues, the Outside-In strategy, and a dictionary as needed, define each term using your own words. Write the definition on the back of the card.

Under each word’s definition, write a sentence that expresses the tone or intensity of the word.

Arrange the cards from left to right based on your understanding of the medieval social order. The card farthest to the left could be applied to all people in the Middle Ages, including those on the lowest rung of society. The word farthest to the right could be used to describe the high-born ruling class.

Come up with two new synonyms for courteous, using available resources. Write the new words on the blank index cards. Place the words within the sequence based on their intensity or shade of meaning.

Extension: Ask students to come up with an additional two (or more) synonyms to add to the list.

Land

Groups share their results. A sequence may look something like this: polite < courteous < elegant < refined < genteel

When there are differences in rankings, ask groups to justify their decisions. Have them share and discuss sentences as needed to clarify.

Encourage groups to rethink their rankings as they hear other arguments. For each word, students identify a character from Castle Diary who could be described with the word. Students share responses and their reasoning with group members

Lesson 6: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (50 min.)

Analyze the Poacher’s Role (15 min.)

Examine Sensory Language (15 min.)

Experiment with Sensory Language (20 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Share Writing

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Perspective and Morphemes spect and –ive (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.3, RL.7.6

Writing

ƒ W.7.3

Speaking and Listening

ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language

ƒ L.7.4

MATERIALS

ƒ

Handout 6A: From the Poacher’s Point of View Planning Tool

Learning Goals

Analyze the poacher’s perspective to determine the medieval social hierarchy’s influence on daily life (RL.7.6).

Respond to TDQs 2 and 3.

Build skills in establishing character and point of view in writing (W.7.3).

Clarify the meaning of new content vocabulary using context clues, Greek or Latin affixes and roots, and lexical resources (L.7.4).

Use context clues and morphemes spec/spect and –ive, work with a partner to determine meaning of the word perspective.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–7

How does society influence identity and experience?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 6

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of point of view reveal in Castle Diary?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 6

Examine: Why is sensory language important?

Experiment: How does sensory language work?

Tobias’s story of castle life is rife with historical detail, but because he’s from a noble family, his daily experience is not representative of medieval living. In this lesson, students revisit Tobias’s encounter with a poacher, analyzing this contrast between members of different social classes and exploring the poacher’s perspective to gain a fuller understanding of medieval life.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Pairs create a time line of the major events from pages 69–90 of Castle Diary

Launch

10 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Ask: “What is point of view, and why is it important in storytelling?”

n People often refer to your point of view as your way of thinking about something.

n In literature, the point of view is the narrator’s position.

n First-person is told from the I point of view, and third-person is told using he, she, or they.

n Point-of-view shapes what readers see, hear, and know.

Ask and briefly discuss: “How does point of view affect the reader’s understanding of Castle Diary?”

n When we hear about events from Tobias’s perspective, we hear them from someone who is a member of the noble class.

n Lords, ladies, and servants do not see things the same way because they have different experiences of castle life. Therefore, the story would be different if it were told from a different point of view.

Scaffold:

If students have difficulty with this concept, use their perspective as an example. Ask them to think of a disagreement with a family member. What was their point of view? How did this differ from the perspective of the other person? Have them write an I statement from each perspective. For example: Student: I know it wasn’t my turn to do the dishes. Sister: I think she could have helped me even though it wasn’t her turn.

TEACHER NOTE You may wish to complete this lesson’s Deep Dive on the word perspective at this time.

50 MIN.

ANALYZE THE POACHER’S ROLE 15 MIN.

Small Groups

Ask students to share their understanding of the word poacher. Provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning

poacher (n.) A person who hunts or fishes without permission on someone else’s property.

Ask students to use the time lines they created with partners to summarize what happened to David the Poacher.

n Tobias sees him illegally fishing on castle grounds.

n David explains the harvest to Tobias.

n David is tried for poaching. If he’s found guilty, he’ll be killed.

n He’s found not guilty.

n He was tried by a jury of other villagers, and, as Mark says, “The villagers would not send one of their own to the hanging tree” (Platt 85).

Explain that looking at events through Tobias’s eyes allows the reader to understand more about Tobias and the society at the time. Small groups will explore what thinking about the perspectives of both Tobias and the poacher reveals by working through the following TDQs.

1. How do Tobias’s feelings about the poacher change over the course of the story? How do you know?

n When he meets the poacher, he feels threatened because the poacher grips his arm and makes him promise not to tell: “When his grip slackened I burst free and hurried back to the castle” (71). He wants to run home because he’s scared.

n When he sees the poacher at the boon, and the poacher is gentle, he feels glad and is happy to have someone he knows there (73–74). He starts to help him and feels comfortable around him.

n When he thinks the poacher will be killed, he is so alarmed that he drops his tablet (82).

2. To explore the differences between medieval social classes, list what Tobias (as a noble) is free to do, and also list what the poacher (as a peasant) must do.

What Tobias (a Noble) Is Free to Do: What the Poacher (a Peasant)

n He and the other nobles can hunt as much as they want.

n He attends fancy banquets.

n He is free to work in the fields if he wants but does not have to.

n He can roam around the grounds as much as he wants. He skipped school to do that.

Must Do:

n He may not remove fish from the pond or animals from the manor grounds. If he does, he could be executed.

n He must work for free during the “boon” and harvest the castle wheat.

n His work is controlled by the noble class, and he is not as free as Tobias. Peasants must “do this work for nothing—it is their ancient duty and they cannot refuse” (72).

n He must work at the castle even though he has his own work to do at home.

3. How does Platt develop and contrast the perspectives of Tobias and the poacher?

n Platt develops Tobias’s perspective by using Tobias’s first-person point of view. Because Platt tells the story through Tobias’s diary, the reader learns his thoughts and feelings. For example, Tobias chooses to enjoy a sunny day outdoors because he wants a day off of “dull schooling” (69).

n Platt develops the poacher’s perspective through his dialogue. For example, when Tobias sees him poaching fish, the poacher says, “Thou has not seen me, nor the fish!” (70). He feels panicked.

n Platt contrasts their perspectives by depicting Tobias roaming freely across his family’s property with no reason to worry other than getting scolded by his teacher. In the same scene, the poacher takes a desperate risk, illegally trying to catch something to eat on castle property.

TEACHER NOTE Consider defining the word economic. An economic relationship refers to how people exchange goods and services and money.

Extension:

Consider discussing concepts like equality and human rights in relation to the medieval context. Was the system fair to peasants?

Students who are interested in further study on the Middle Ages may explore the British Library’s site on Medieval Realms. The section on “Rural Life” (http://witeng.link/0706) includes a brief video, images, and information about the feudal relationships between lords and serfs.

EXAMINE SENSORY LANGUAGE

Pairs

15 MIN.

Display the Craft Question: Why is sensory language important?

Explain that authors often use details to appeal to readers’ senses and that this is known as sensory language. Ask what the five senses are, and chart them. Recall that students have worked with figurative language, and clarify that figurative language actually uses sensory language—when a poet describes the weed he identifies with, we can picture visual details. However, figurative language is not literal—the poet is actually a human.

Explain that in Castle Diary, Platt uses sensory language to describe the August 24 encounter between the poacher and Tobias. Have pairs identify details for each sense on pages 69–71 and then record them in a simple chart in their Response Journal.

Differentiation:

Consider making photocopies to support students who may struggle to create the chart.

Senses Example from Castle Diary: The Poacher Incident

What Tobias Sees n “The day was bright and clear” (69). n “The wheat stands high and yellow” (69). n “I spied some sudden movements” (69).

What Tobias Hears n “Suddenly the silence ended, and all was splashing as the man hurled the flapping fish on to the bank” (69). n “’Thou hast not seen me, hast thou boy?’ he growled” (70).

n The Poacher “began to talk more calmly” (71).

What Tobias Smells n “He smelled of onions and ale” (71).

What Tobias Feels n “before I could run his hand shot out and grabbed my arm” (70). n “though his voice was soft his grip was not” (71).

Ask: “What does this scene demonstrate about why sensory language is important?”

n Without sensory language, the poacher would be hard to visualize and the scene would be dull.

n Sensory language helps us understand characters. Knowing the poacher smells like onions and ale helps us visualize him as a distinctive character.

n We can imagine we’re part of the scene if we know it’s a bright, sunny day. Sensory language helps the story seem real.

EXPERIMENT WITH SENSORY LANGUAGE

Individuals

Distribute Handout 6A.

20 MIN.

Explain that students will experiment with sensory language and point of view by rewriting the fish poaching scene from the poacher’s point of view. To prepare, pairs will complete Handout 6A, brainstorming sensory language that the poacher might use to describe the scene.

Display the following prompt for students to respond to in their Response Journal.

Imagine you are the poacher. Describe in your diary what happened on the river bank (pages 69–71 in Castle Diary).

• How would the story change from this point of view?

• Your response can be brief—one or a few paragraphs.

Criteria for Success:

• Introduce yourself as the narrator: the poacher.

• Use sensory language to describe what he sees, feels, smells, and tastes.

• Use details that are realistic for the Middle Ages.

Students share in small groups.

Scaffold:

Provide an example of a different event told from another perspective. For example, at the banquet, before he falls ill, Tobias is amazed by the array of foods. But, what was the banquet like for others in attendance? They might have described it differently.

• The Earl: Last night I dined with the Baron of Strandborough. I was passing by his estate on my way to court. The food and the entertainment was fair, but not nearly to the level that I would provide guests at my own estate. One never knows who one can trust these days, so my butler tried every dish to make sure it was fit for me—and that it had not been poisoned. I know there are those who would like me out of the way so they can try to be closer to the king. I trust the Baron and know he wants me to help him with introductions to the king, so I do not think he would do me harm, but one can never be too careful.

• A servant: Last night I saw such wonders as I have never seen! At home in the house where I was born, we often did not have enough to eat for days. The foods at the banquet could have fed us for a year. When cook was not looking, I snuck a taste of roasted meat and a sip of twopenny ale. Never have I tried such rich and delicious fare! I hope I shall always have a position in the castle.

Help students see that the poacher has a very different perspective on the events.

• The poacher might think that he deserves the fish and that the laws of the land are unfair. He is hungry. He works on the land. Why should all the fish belong to the lord, who has plenty?

• The poacher is probably scared just as Tobias was. He is probably scared that Tobias will report him.

5 MIN.

SHARE WRITING

Summarize a few key points from the discussion about what a deeper exploration of point of view in Castle Diary reveals.

Have students Whip Around to share the sentence with the best sensory language they wrote this lesson.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students respond to the following in their Response Journal, supporting ideas with textual evidence: “How was Tobias’s identity shaped by his place in society? What about the poacher’s?”

Analyze

Context and Alignment

The diary entry offers an opportunity to assess students’ ability to wield sensory language and point of view (W.7.3). Remind students to integrate the sensory details they created using their planning tool, and help students working below grade level brainstorm as necessary. Check for the success criteria identified in the prompt.

Next Steps

Consider having pairs check one another’s writing for sensory language if more support is needed. Students will be expected to execute these skills when they complete the Focusing Question Task in the next lesson.

Content Vocabulary: Perspective and Morphemes spect and –ive

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

ƒ

Text: Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Richard Platt, pages 69–90

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Clarify the meaning of new content vocabulary using context clues, Greek or Latin affixes and roots, and lexical resources (L.7.4).

Launch

Display this quote from Sharon Creech, derived from an American Indian proverb: “Don’t judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins.”

Ask: “What do you think this quote might mean?”

n It’s an old saying that means not to judge someone until you’ve had identical experiences.

n It’s not literal. It means that you shouldn’t criticize unless you’ve lived the same life the same way. Only then can you see things from his point of view.

n It’s kind of saying two things. One, don’t judge anyone for being who they are unless you’ve gone through the same things. But if it were possible to experience someone’s life the way they have, you’d be able to see things the way they do, and then you wouldn’t feel the need to judge.

Learn

Tell students that they will use the Outside-In strategy to understand the meaning of the word perspective

Display the following information: Outside.

The perspective from the airplane made everything below look tiny.

It’s important to place things in perspective before making any big decisions.

Students should take notes in their Vocabulary Journal and copy relevant information about the word perspective. Guide students as needed in deciding which information is important.

Ask: “What evidence is there outside the word perspective that can help us determine its meaning?”

n In the first sentence, the phrases “from the airplane” and “made everything below look tiny” are clues. They make me think that perspective has something to do with how you see things from where you are.

n The clues in the second sentence might be “place things” and “before … big decisions.” The sentence is saying to look at your life before making a decision that could change it, possibly for the worse.

n It seems like both sentences are talking about how you see things, but one is literal and the other is figurative.

Display and read the following:

Inside spec/spect——from the Latin root meaning “to view, watch, or observe” ive——from the Latin suffix that means “pertaining to” or “likely to or tending to do something”

Students add spec/spect and –ive to the Morphology/Etymology section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Ask: “What are some words you know that include the root spec or spect?”

n Inspect. n Inspection. n Introspect. n Suspect. n Spectator. n Respect. n Expect. n Prospect.

Ask: “What are some words you know that end in the suffix –ive?”

n Abusive. n Active. n Effective. n Defensive. n Narrative. n Repulsive. n Reflective. n Selective.

Instruct student pairs to Think–Pair–Share about what the word perspective might mean in context and considering the morphemes spec/spect and –ive. They should jot their ideas in their Vocabulary Journal as they think about these meanings.

Ask: “Based on this outside and inside information, what do you think the definition of perspective is?”

Students’ answers may vary. Guide students with insupportable answers to try the outside and inside strategies again.

Land

Instruct students to verify their definitions using lexical resources (such as http://witeng.link/wordsmyth). Additionally, ask students to offer an explanation as to why perspective is important when discussing point of view in literature.

Word Meaning Synonyms

perspective (n.) A particular way of viewing things or events. angle, outlook, point of view

n Their meanings are slightly different or nuanced. The word perspective seems to deal more with how someone sees things based their life experience, and point of view seems to be how someone sees things in the moment.

n Point of view seems more like how a character sees things from where they are in relation to the story. It deals with first, second, or third person.

n Perspective seems to deal more with the character’s development and how they think and feel about what’s happening in the story. The word perspective allows us to discuss more than just where the character is in relation to the story.

n Tobias is a first-person point of view character from beginning to end, but his perspective about social order changes after his experience with the Poacher.

n You can’t really talk about the main character of a story without talking about their perspective.

Lesson 7

Lesson 7: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (50 min.)

Participate in Socratic Seminar (25 min.)

Express Understanding (25 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Share Writing

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

RL.7.1, RL.7.3

Writing ƒ W.7.3

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Learning Goals

Engage in a collaborative conversation, drawing on evidence, posing questions, responding to others, using formal English, and tracking progress toward goals (SL.7.1, SL.7.6).

Participate in a Socratic Seminar and complete a self-assessment.

MATERIALS

ƒ

Handout 4A: Speaking and Listening Goal-Setting and SelfAssessment ƒ

Handout 7A: Socratic Seminar Discussion Starters ƒ

Assessment 7A: Focusing Question Task 1

Express understanding of how Castle Diary’s medieval setting shapes character’s identities (RL.7.3).

Participate in a Socratic Seminar.

Create a diary entry using first person point of view and sensory language to express insight into medieval identity (W.7.3).

Complete Assessment 7A.

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–7

How does society influence identity and experience?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 7

Know: How does Castle Diary build my knowledge of identity, experience, and opportunity in the Middle Ages?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 7

Execute: How can I track progress toward goals in a Socratic Seminar?

Execute: How can I use first person point of view and sensory language in a diary entry?

In this lesson, students express their understanding of Focusing Question 1. To begin, they discuss the content through a Socratic Seminar. Through their discussion of open-ended questions, they build on each others’ contributions with examples, evidence, and follow-up questions. The result is that they truly collaborate in their thinking, preparing to write insightful responses to the Focusing Question Task 1.

Distribute Handout 7A. Explain that it features discussion starters that help students use formal English in an academic discussion.

Students read Handout 7A and mark a star next to discussion starters that look particularly useful.

10 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Display the Socratic Seminar Question: How did the medieval social order influence identity, experience, and opportunity?

Pairs discuss, referencing evidence they gathered for homework, from the texts, and from other Response Journal entries.

50 MIN.

PARTICIPATE IN SOCRATIC SEMINAR 25 MIN.

Whole Group

Display the Craft Question: How can I track progress toward goals in a Socratic Seminar?

Distribute Handout 4A.

Explain that a Socratic Seminar is a student-directed academic discussion. Students will discuss open-ended questions, and they will build on each others’ contributions with examples, evidence, follow-up questions, and minimal teacher participation.

Briefly discuss the Discussion Rules established at the beginning of the module.

Have students review Handout 4A. Remind them that in the Fishbowl discussion they had in Lesson 5, everyone worked toward a class goal. Tell them that this time each person will choose an individual goal. Have students briefly discuss possible goals with a partner and write their own individual goal in the space provided.

In a circle, students discuss the Socratic Seminar Question: Based on the module texts so far, how did the Medieval social order influence identity, experience, and opportunity?

Suggest that students begin with the first part of the question: “How did the medieval social order shape identity?”

Ask follow-up questions as needed:

ƒ What factors inform identity?

ƒ How was identity determined in the strict social order of the Middle Ages? How did the social order support identity? How did it limit identity?

Scaffold:

Consider beginning by asking the question students responded to for homework: “How was Tobias’s identity shaped by his place in society? What about the poacher’s?”

During the discussion, consider charting students’ ideas. Prompt students, as necessary, to cite evidence and connect their ideas to those of others.

Continue the discussion with the next part of the question: “How did the medieval social order influence people’s experiences and opportunities?”

Ask follow-up questions as needed: ƒ

What experiences does Tobias have? ƒ

How would these be different for someone in another part of the social order? ƒ

What will likely happen to Tobias next? And after that? ƒ

How would these opportunities be different if he was from a different social class? ƒ

What if he were a girl?

TEACHER NOTE

To track participation during the Socratic Seminar, you may want use the following system to take notes on who

* P (posed questions)

* R (responded to questions)

* O (made relevant observations)

* L (demonstrated effective listening)

* F (used formal language)

* V (used vocabulary)

Ask students to identify what they did well during the discussion and what they may need to improve. Have students talk in pairs about how they did in terms of meeting their individual goals.

Students complete Handout 4A, assessing their performance and setting a new goal for the next seminar.

EXPRESS UNDERSTANDING 25 MIN.

Individuals

Display the Craft Question: How can I use first person point of view and sensory language in a diary entry?

Distribute Assessment 7A.

Have pairs discuss what they plan to write about.

Students complete Focusing Question Task I, writing diary entries from the point of view of the poacher in his cell.

Land5 MIN.

SHARE WRITING

Students Whip Around to share their favorite sentence that they wrote in their Focusing Question Task.

5 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students respond to the following in their Knowledge Journal: “How does Castle Diary build my knowledge of identity and the Middle Ages? What do I know now that I didn’t know before reading it?”

Analyze

Context and Alignment

The Focusing Question Task assesses skills that are key to success on the EOM Task: using sensory language and establishing point of view and character (W.7.3). Reference the sample student response and narrative rubric in Appendix C.

Assess Socratic Seminar performance using the rubric from Appendix C, notes from the discussion, and students’ self-assessment.

Next Steps

Identify areas in which the diary entries can better exemplify the success criteria. Consider displaying excerpts from strong responses, analyzing them collaboratively, and then offering students a chance to revise theirs.

*Note that there is no Deep Dive in this lesson. Use any additional time to support practice of the vocabulary and/or style and conventions skills introduced in the module.

Lesson 8

Lesson 8: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (3 min.)

Launch (2 min.)

Learn (60 min.)

Notice and Wonder about the Prologue

Land (5 min.)

Reflect on Learning

Wrap (5 min.)

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Pilgrimage and the Morpheme –age (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading ƒ

RL.7.1

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.2, SL.7.6

Language ƒ

L.7.4.b, L.7.4.d

MATERIALS ƒ

None

Learning Goals

Formulate observations and questions about the prologue to The Canterbury Tales (RL.7.1).

Complete the Exit Ticket.

Verify the predicted meaning of target words based on the suffix –age, class discussion, and lexical resources (L.7.4.b, L.7.4.d).

Choose words from the brainstormed list, write definitions based on class discussion about the suffix –age, and then verify using reference materials.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 8

Wonder: What do I notice and wonder about The Canterbury Tales?

Students begin reading the Prologue to The Canterbury Tales and are transported to Chaucer’s medieval world. The language and concepts of the text are not easy; students engage in wholegroup reading and take time to notice and wonder what is happening. Letting the students guide learning helps foster their curiosity and ensures that they have the foundation to continue reading. This lesson also helps students build the “slow down, reread” habit of mind.

Welcome

3 MIN.

Students brainstorm words, ideas, and images in their Response Journal to answer: “What have you learned so far about what life was like in the Middle Ages?”

Launch

2 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Tell students they will continue to explore medieval England by reading another book, The Canterbury Tales.

Through The Canterbury Tales, they will explore both storytelling and the medieval identity. Tell students that at the end of the module, they will write their own story set in the Middle Ages. In each lesson leading up to the EOM Task, they will gather information about the medieval period and collect ideas about strong storytelling.

60 MIN.

NOTICE AND WONDER ABOUT THE PROLOGUE

Whole Group

60 MIN.

Display and ask students to recreate the following Notice and Wonder T-Chart in their Response Journals: Notice Wonder Characters Setting Plot (action or what is happening)

Have a student volunteer briefly explain why, when beginning a new text, it is helpful for readers to take note of what they discover about characters, setting, and the plot, and to make note of and reflect on any questions they have.

Distribute The Canterbury Tales, and have students study and read the front and back cover, recording on their T-chart what they notice and wonder. Invite students to share with a partner what they record, and then invite several students to share with the class.

n The illustration on the cover shows a woman and what looks like a knight on horseback. The clothes they are wearing and the decorations on the horse look old-fashioned.

n I wonder what it means that it is retold by Geraldine McCaughrean.

n On the back, it says it’s a classic. That makes me think it’s old.

n The back cover talks about a contest for who can tell the best story, and says it has an “assortment of tales,” so it sounds like a collection of different stories.

Address student questions as needed to foster understanding. For example, explain that Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales about 700 years ago, but students will not read the original, which was written in Middle English. Instead they will read a retelling by Geraldine McCaughrean who writes in a style that is more familiar and easier to understand.

Begin reading aloud while students follow along. Stop at the top of page 2: “So I sat down beside him and looked around at my fellow pilgrims” (McCaughrean 2). Give students time to record what they notice and wonder.

Ask: “What did you notice or wonder about the characters so far?”

n The narrator is on some kind of trip. I think his name is Geoffrey because the innkeeper calls out, “Geoffrey.”

n The innkeeper is called “Harry Bailey.”

n There is a knight there with gray hair.

n There are a lot of other people he calls “pilgrims.” I wonder why they are there. I thought they were on the Mayflower.

Ask: “What did you notice or wonder about the setting so far?”

n They are at an inn.

n There is a stable there for the horses.

n The narrator is going to some place called Canterbury in the morning, but I wonder why.

Address students’ questions as needed to clarify understanding. Be sure to address the following critical points even if students do not raise them:

ƒ

During this time period many people made pilgrimages to Canterbury. Provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

pilgrimage (n.) A long trip taken to a sacred place for a religious or moral purpose. excursion, journey

ƒ The pilgrims Chaucer is referring to, and he himself, are going on a pilgrimage to Canterbury.

TEACHER NOTE

The reason people took pilgrimages to Canterbury was because of a famous religious figure, Thomas Becket. Becket was the Archbishop of Canterbury, a high official in the Catholic Church in England. He had a quarrel with the English king, Henry II, about how much power and what rights priests and religious officials like him should have. Legend has it that the king said something that his loyal knights interpreted to mean that he wanted Becket killed. Given the hierarchy of the time, they carried out his orders, and four knights murdered Becket in the church at Canterbury. Following his murder, many miracles were said to have occurred in his name. He was made a saint with a shrine at the church in his honor. Many pilgrims traveled to the shrine, hoping to have their sins forgiven and praying for miracles of their own.

Extension

The British Library also has a brief introduction to the idea of religious pilgrimages on its site: (http://witeng.link/0707).

Students can explore this site to learn more.

Continue reading to page 3, stopping after the sentence, “I was just thinking about going to bed when he banged down his mug on a table and called out.” Pause for students to record what they notice and wonder.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What did you notice or wonder about the characters in this section?”

n The narrator likes the knight because he is kind and noble-looking and looks like he has a good story to tell.

n I wonder what is wrong with the man who smelled of onions. I don’t know what “weeping sores” are, but it sounds bad, like something is wrong with his skin.

n There are now about thirty people in the tavern, and the innkeeper is happy because he is making a lot of money.

Have students work in pairs to see if they can answer any of their questions from the text. Invite a few students to share questions that they could not answer on their own, and address these as needed to further the group’s understanding.

Continue reading to page 4, stopping at the break in the page (after the sentence, “You often meet such extraordinary people on the way.”).

After pausing to give students time to record what they notice and wonder, instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What did you notice or wonder about the plot or action in this section of the book?”

n The innkeeper has proposed that they have a storytelling competition on the way to Canterbury.

n Whoever tells the best story will win.

n He says that he’ll be the judge and if anyone argues with his rules, they will have to pay the expenses of the trip. I wonder what his rules are.

Have students work in pairs to see if they can answer any additional questions from their Wonder column. Invite a few students to share questions that they could not answer on their own, and help them address these as needed to further the group’s understanding. For example, you may want to explain that:

ƒ

A clergyman is a religious person. At the bottom of page 3, when the clergyman says, “St. Paul called storytelling an unholy waste of time,” he was referring to a famous holy man from the Bible.

ƒ

The book has a great deal of humor and irony. After the religious person says that it might not be religious to tell stories that are not from the Bible, all the people ignore him even though they are on a religious journey.

ƒ

The reference to “Saint Thomas” on page four is about Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury who was murdered.

Read to the end of the Prologue, again having students notice and wonder about the characters, setting, and plot in this section.

Ask: “What did you notice or wonder about characters in this section?”

n There were a lot of new characters. The one who smelled like onions and had the bad face is the Summoner. I wonder what a Summoner is.

n There is a Pardoner who is a man but looks like a woman.

n A ship’s captain is there. He was on Geoffrey’s horse by mistake.

Ask: “What did you notice or wonder about the plot in this section?”

n They are getting ready to start on their trip, but it’s rainy and foggy.

n I wonder what the narrator means when he says he’s “‘no Saint George when it comes to fighting dragons’” (5).

n The knight got the short straw and will tell the first story. He doesn’t really seem to want to though.

Have students work in pairs to see if they can answer any additional questions from the Wonder column. Invite a few students to share questions that they could not answer on their own, and help them address these as needed to further the group’s understanding. For example, you may want to briefly share the following:

ƒ

Share the legend of St. George and the Dragon, a popular story during the Middle Ages.

ƒ Offer descriptions of the jobs mentioned:

p Summoner: a person from the medieval church who calls, or summons, people before the church for their crimes.

p Pardoner: a person who sells official pardons, or excuses from sins, from the church (to raise money for the church).

p Parson: a member of the religious clergy, like a priest or a vicar.

p Miller: a person who owns or works in a grain mill (making wheat into flour, for example).

TEACHER NOTE

If students want to know more about St. George and the Dragon, this site offers a short summary of the legend, telling the story of St. George and also about the relics of St. George (http://witeng.link/0708).

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Have students complete an Exit Ticket in which they write:

1. One observation about the Prologue, and a quotation from the text that supports this observation.

2. One question and the quotation from the text that sparked this question.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students reread the prologue, adding any additional questions they have or significant details they notice.

Analyze Context and Alignment

The CFU offers insight into what students have observed in the prologue, and what questions may still remain. By connecting what they notice and wonder with specific textual evidence, students build foundations for engaging in text-based analysis.

Next Steps

Take stock of how well students identify relevant textual support for their insights and questions. If the connections are unclear, organize students into pairs or small groups and encourage students to share their ideas with their classmates and explain aloud how the quotations from the text connect.

Content Vocabulary: Pilgrimage and the Morpheme –age

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts: The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean; “Pilgrimages” from “Church in the Middle Ages: From Dedication to Dissent,” Alixe Bovey

ƒ

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Verify the predicted meaning of target words based on the suffix –age, class discussion, and lexical resources (L.7.4.b, L.7.4.d).

Launch

Ask students to turn to their definitions of the word pilgrimage in their Vocabulary Journal. Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What is an example of a pilgrim?”

n A pilgrim is someone who travels.

n The settlers who came from England and founded Plymouth colony called themselves pilgrims.

n Pilgrims can be people who travel to or away from something for spiritual, religious, or political reasons.

Explain that the concept of the pilgrim has been around since long before the Thanksgiving Day pilgrims we know from American history. The word has its roots in Old French, Latin, Italian, and Spanish, and dates back to the thirteenth century. In these languages, it meant “crusader,” “foreigner,” and “from beyond.”

If students don’t bring up the fact on their own, explain that today we use pilgrim to reference someone who travels to a holy place for religious or spiritual purposes.

Learn Display: pilgrim • age

Tell students that the suffix –age has many meanings. The meaning it takes on depends on the root it appends to.

Explain that a pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place. Faithful people traveled to ask forgiveness for their sins, seek miracle cures to their ailments, and experience more of the world. A clergyman on a pilgrimage might take along personal objects or partial remains of saints, called relics. Pilgrims might take short journeys to see places related to local saints, or they might make long journeys, like

Chaucer’s

St.

To better understand the multiple meanings of the suffix, have students conduct a brainstorming activity for words that end in –age. Ask a volunteer to post brainstorm words for review.

Some example words are: ƒ advantage ƒ appendage ƒ baronage ƒ blockage ƒ coinage ƒ commonage ƒ courage ƒ hermitage ƒ language ƒ marriage ƒ orphanage ƒ package ƒ parsonage

Students work in pairs to Think–Pair–Share to discover two or more meanings of the suffix –age based on their brainstormed words. Have them focus on how the root of each word changes meaning when the suffix –age is appended. Discuss the discovered meaning(s) of the suffix based on this exercise.

The suffix –age can refer to: ƒ

“Condition or situation” such as storage or roughage. ƒ

“Action; process; the result of such” such as passage, shrinkage, or wreckage.

“Sum; mass” such as coinage. ƒ

“Rate; amount; charge” such as postage, shortage, or tonnage. ƒ

“Place of” such as village or parsonage. ƒ

ƒ passage ƒ patronage ƒ postage ƒ roughage ƒ scrimmage ƒ shortage ƒ shrinkage ƒ storage ƒ tonnage ƒ village ƒ vintage ƒ wreckage G7 M1 Lesson 8 WIT & WISDOM® 108

journey from London to

Becket’s shrine in Canterbury in southeast England.

TEACHER NOTE

Students may not be able to articulate precise definitions like those offered above. However, they should be able to explain that the transitive verb store (for example) means “to put something away” and that adding –age changes the meaning to “a place to put something away.” (The suffix has changed the verb to a noun, creating a “situation” in which we store items.) Student answers will vary but should follow this example. Overall, students should get the sense that the suffix age typically forms mass or abstract nouns from various parts of speech.

Students choose at least two of the words from the brainstormed list with which they are unfamiliar. They should define vocabulary in their own words based on class discussion about the suffix –age. When finished, they can check their work using reference materials.

Land

Discuss how, as time passes, people change as well. Like many words in the English language, the word pilgrimage has taken on new meaning in modern times.

Ask: “What are some modern-day pilgrimages that people might take?”

n People might take a pilgrimage for personal reasons, not just for religious ones.

n My grandpa played in the major leagues and took a pilgrimage to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his ninetieth birthday.

n I want to take a pilgrimage to Spain to see the city my ancestors founded.

FOCUSING

QUESTION: LESSONS 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

33 34 2 1 3 5 6 7 15 26 11 19 30 9 17 28 13 24 21 32 8 16 27 12 23 20 31 10 18 29 14 25 22 4 35

Lesson 9

TEXTS

ƒ

The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean, Prologue

ƒ

Pilgrims Leaving Canterbury, from Lydgate’s “Siege of Thebes” (http://witeng.link/0709)

ƒ

Audio of the prologue to The Canterbury Tales (various versions are available online, Librivox offers six different readers) (http://witeng.link/0710)

ƒ (Optional) “Lamento di Tristano,” Anonymous (musical recording) (http://witeng.link/0711)

Lesson 9: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (2 min.) Learn (60 min.)

Notice and Wonder about the Prologue (10 min.)

Meet the Characters (30 min.)

Identify Narrative Elements (20 min.)

Land (8 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Concise Writing: Eliminating Redundant Modifiers (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.2, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.3.a

MATERIALS

Handout 9A: Narrative Elements

Handout 9B: Eliminating Redundant Modifiers

Learning Goals

Analyze how the author’s use of descriptive details supports characterization (RL.7.1, RL.7.3).

Complete the character chart.

Summarize the setting, plot, conflict, and characters of The Canterbury Tales (RL.7.2).

Summarize story elements.

Identify and eliminate redundancy in writing (L.7.3.a).

Eliminate redundant modifiers from a paragraph.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 9

Organize: What is happening in The Canterbury Tales?

In this lesson, students solidify their understanding of the setting, plot, and the cast of characters embarking on Chaucer’s pilgrimage.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Have students share with partners what new details they noticed in their reread of the prologue for homework, what questions they answered, and what new questions arose. Invite partners to work together to answer their questions using the text, as time permits.

Launch

2 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Tell students that now that they have had an initial introduction to The Canterbury Tales, they will organize what they noticed and learned to ensure they understand what is happening.

60 MIN.

NOTICE AND WONDER ABOUT THE PROLOGUE 10 MIN.

Whole Group

Display this image from the British Library (http://witeng.link/0709):

If students need help getting started, model a response for one or two characters.

Play audio of the original prologue in Chaucer’s Middle English. (Various audio recordings for the prologue are available online; Librivox offers audio of different readers http://witeng.link/0710).

Ask students to listen to the recording and study the painting and reflect on what they notice and wonder. Invite several students to share ideas.

Scaffold

You may want to prompt students with specific questions like the following: ƒ

What did you notice about the rhythm of the language in the prologue? ƒ

What words did you notice that you recognized?

What questions did you wonder about as you listened?

What did you see in the image?

What does the artist emphasize, and how?

What colors are used in the image, and how are they used?

What details in the image show medieval life?

Tell students that the image is a small illustration of a scene in a poem from around 1455–1462. In this poem, the author imagined the characters in The Canterbury Tales on their return, coming home from Canterbury. Hundreds of years ago, an illustrator depicted that image in a book now held in the British Library.

Tell students that what they heard on the audio recording is “Middle English,” the language spoken during the Middle Ages. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales about seven-hundred years ago, using this Middle English.

To give a context for when The Canterbury Tales were written, sketch a quick time line to display. Include any key events or dates that you know students have studied. Tobias Burgess’s fictional diary was written in 1285. The Canterbury Tales was written one hundred years later, in the years before 1400, when Chaucer died. Columbus landed in America almost one hundred years later in 1492. The Pilgrims arrived in New England in 1620.

Tell students that in today’s lesson they will spend more time thinking about the prologue to Geraldine McCaughrean’s retelling of The Canterbury Tales

MEET THE CHARACTERS

Individuals

30 MIN.

Ask students to make a two-column table in their Response Journal and to list the following characters on the left side of the table: ƒ The Narrator. ƒ The Innkeeper. ƒ The Knight. ƒ The Scholar. ƒ A Summoner. ƒ A Pardoner. ƒ The Parson. ƒ The Miller.

Provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning characterization (n.) The way a fictional character’s identity is developed and shown in a story, play, or movie.

Tell students that authors create convincing and realistic characters in many ways, including: ƒ Description of the character. ƒ

The character’s name. ƒ

The character’s actions. ƒ

The character’s words. ƒ The character’s thoughts. ƒ

The character’s interactions with other characters.

Direct students to review their Notice and Wonder T-Charts and the prologue itself to find out how

Chaucer characterized the characters they listed, including the characters’ appearance, speech, actions, or other descriptions, and to record that information on the right side of the table for later reference.

Scaffold

If students need help getting started, model a response for one or two characters.

Character Character Details ƒ Appearance ƒ Speech ƒ Description ƒ Actions

The Narrator n Friends with Harry Bailey.

n Enjoys stories; “I thought he might have a few good tales to tell. So I sat down beside him” (2).

The Innkeeper n Friendly innkeeper, Harry Bailey.

n He is friendly; “No one makes you more welcome than my good friend Harry Bailey” (1) and he is “beaming” at the narrator (1).

n He’s loud; he “roared” his welcome (1).

The Knight n Not young; “grey-headed” (1).

n Likable; “I liked him at once” (2).

n “quiet, noble-looking man” (2).

n Experienced; “I thought he might have a few good tales to tell” (2).

The Scholar n Awkward “gawky” (2).

n Not social; “sat in a corner reading” (2).

A Summoner n Ugly; “His face was covered in boils and spots and weeping sores” (2).

n Smelly; “even his sweat smelt of pickled onions—and his sweat had been with him for a long time” (2).

A Pardoner n Weak; “a pale, giggling Pardoner who had long, sparse, blond hair” (4).

The Parson n Serious, religious; “storytelling an unholy waste of time” “The Parson who disapproved of stories” (4).

The Miller n Huge; swears.

n “A shape I had mistaken for the gatepost and who proved to be the Miller, cursed the weather and wished himself home in bed” (4).

Students share responses.

Discuss how naming contributes to characterization. Ask: “What do you notice about the characters’ names?” Guide students to notice that many characters are not named; we know them only by what they do (which aids in Chaucer’s characterizations).

As needed, tell or remind students of the meanings of various character names:

ƒ

Innkeeper: a person who runs an inn, which is a place people can have a meal and sleep for the night.

ƒ Scholar: a person who is educated and studies or attends school.

ƒ

TEACHER NOTE

ƒ

Summoner: a person from the medieval church who calls, or summons, people before the church for their crimes.

Pardoner: a person who sells official pardons, or excuses from sins, from the church (to raise money for the church).

ƒ Parson: a member of the religious clergy, like a priest or a vicar.

ƒ Miller: a person who owns or works in a grain mill (making wheat into flour, for example).

Ask: “How would you group the characters by the medieval social order of ‘Those Who Fight,’ ‘Those Who Pray,’ and ‘Those Who Work’ that we discussed with Castle Diary?”

TEACHER NOTE

Guiding students to understand that Chaucer presents characters from all walks of life, some more favorably than others, sets the stage for students’ deeper understanding of characterization and identity in The Canterbury Tales.

Extension:

If time allows, organize students into groups for the above, and encourage them to find other ways to group the characters: male/female, young/old, rich/poor, positive/negative, honorable/dishonorable.

Come together to discuss what these different groupings suggest about the medieval social order.

Encourage students to discuss what might have been Chaucer’s motives and message for including such a wide spectrum. Will it allow him to explore interesting characters? Is he developing a theme that while we may be unequal, we are all equals on this journey through life?

Pairs

Now that students know who is taking this journey (the characters), invite them to consider other narrative elements.

Distribute Handout 9A.

Tell students that the basic narrative or story elements form the mnemonic ESCAPE; students will look for these elements while they read—and then use these elements in their EOM Tasks. Tell students that this list is not comprehensive; other narrative elements the class will discuss include structure, narrator, point of view, and theme.

Tell students that the class will discuss these narrative elements and many techniques authors use to develop their stories throughout the year, so students will want to keep Handout 9A and record these for use throughout the module.

TEACHER NOTE

Students will learn many terms related to narratives and literary analysis throughout this module. You may want to display lists of Narrative Elements and Narrative Techniques that you can add to as a group as the module continues, and that students can use as a reference.

Organize students into pairs. Assign each pair one of the following questions to discuss. Have them briefly record their responses, including textual evidence, in their Response Journal.

1. Setting: Reread the first paragraph. What is the setting?

n The pilgrims are going to Canterbury, in England.

n The book takes place in the Middle Ages, hundreds of years ago.

n It is April. Spring has arrived.

2. Point of View: Reread the next two paragraphs. Who is the narrator? What is the point of view?

n Geoffrey is the narrator.

n He tells the prologue in first person.

3. Action: Reread the next three paragraphs. Where are all of these people going? Why?

n They are making a pilgrimage to Canterbury.

n In the first paragraph, the narrator says he will “make a start for Canterbury by first light.”

n Then the innkeeper says he will “have good company for your pilgrimage this year.”

4. Problem: What does the innkeeper suggest they do to pass the time?

n He proposes a storytelling competition. They each tell a story, and the best teller gets a free dinner.

5. Point of View: How does the first-person point of view affect our reading of the story?

n The narrator of the story is Geoffrey. He’s one of the pilgrims.

n We see the other characters from his point of view.

n He describes some characters in a positive way (like the Innkeeper and the Knight) and some more negatively (like the Pardoner and the Summoner).

6. Structure: What purposes does the prologue seem to serve for The Canterbury Tales?

n The prologue sets up the plot, that each pilgrim will tell a tale on the journey to Canterbury.

n The prologue introduces the different characters, the pilgrims of all kinds who are making the journey.

n The prologue shows the setting for the opening of the story, an inn, in medieval England, where all the different pilgrims have gathered for their journey.

Invite pairs to briefly confer with other pairs that had the same question.

Then, as a whole group, invite volunteers to quickly summarize their responses to each question and what they know so far about the prologue. Direct students to briefly record ideas in their Response Journal.

8 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Have students answer the following question in their Response Journal: “Who makes up Chaucer’s cast of characters, and what setting and plot does Chaucer establish in the prologue?”

Tell students they do not need to list each character here but describe more generally the pilgrims as a group.

n S – Setting: It’s spring, in medieval England, and they are on a journey to Canterbury.

n C – Characters: There are about 30 people from all different places in the medieval social order.

n A – Action/Plot: They are on a pilgrimage to Canterbury, and are going to compete by telling stories.

TEACHER NOTE

To help students immerse themselves in the medieval world, you may want to play music of the period as students complete their summary responses. The Petrucci Music Library online offers audio files of period music, such as this one of the Lamento di Tristano: http://witeng.link/0711.

Wrap

Analyze

Context and Alignment

The CFU require students to consider the narrative elements in the prologue (preparing them for work with RL.7.3 in the module); cite textual evidence (RL.7.1); and summarize the text (RL.7.2). In their responses, be sure that students:

ƒ Cite textual evidence (including page numbers for any direct quotations).

ƒ Summarize the main narrative elements established in the prologue (plot, character, setting).

Next Steps

If students need review with the narrative elements, have small groups generate examples for the ESCAPE mnemonic using another story or book with which all students are familiar.

If students are having difficulty understanding the prologue, display a list of characters on the board and complete a character chart as a whole group, generating textual details about each character, placing each in the context of the medieval social order, and noting whether Chaucer characterizes each in a positive or negative light.

Lesson 9 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Experiment with Concise Writing: Eliminating Redundant Modifiers

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Identify and eliminate redundancy in writing (L.7.3.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 9 Experiment: How does precise and concise language work?

Launch Display:

• 8:00 a.m. in the morning.

• Postpone until later.

• Final conclusion.

• Scream loudly.

Ask: “What do you notice about these four phrases?”

Give students sufficient wait time, as they may need it to pinpoint the common thread among the phrases.

n It seems like something’s being repeated in each one.

n In the first example, a.m. and morning mean the same thing, so you don’t need the phrase in the morning.

n The word postpone means that you’ll do something later, so you don’t have to say until later.

n Both final and conclusion mean “the end.” It’s repetitive to describe the noun conclusion with the word final.

n When you scream, you do it loudly. Scream already implies loudness, so you don’t need to say loudly in the last example.

Provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

redundant (adj.) Not useful; excessive; uselessly repetitive; able to be taken away without a loss of meaning, clarity, or usefulness.

excessive, repetitious, superfluous

Explain that we use the word redundant to describe an idea that is unnecessarily repeated in something we read or hear. To say that someone is “extremely overjoyed,” for example, seems redundant because the word overjoyed already includes the idea of extremeness.

Emphasize that a word is redundant when it does not add new meaning. When the adjective, adverb, or prepositional phrase adds nothing to what the reader would already know from the word it modifies—like extremely with overjoyed—then the modifier should be deleted. Leaving redundancies in your writing can be distracting or confusing for the reader.

TEACHER NOTE

You may want to remind students that modifiers are words such as adjectives, adverbs, or adjectival and adverbial prepositional phrases that provide description and help create specific and interesting sentences. Many of us, however, often use unnecessary modifiers in our writing. Often, we do so because we tend to write as we speak, and most of us speak informally and with repetition.

Distribute Handout 9B: Eliminating Redundant Modifiers.

Read the passage aloud as students follow along. Explain that students will identify redundant modifiers in the passage and cross them out. Use the third sentence to model this process.

Display the sentence: Writing is just a part of their regular routine.

In the third sentence, the word regular modifies the noun routine. But I know that a routine is something that happens on a regular basis. To say, regular routine, is redundant, so I’ll eliminate the word regular from the sentence to correct it.

Display: Writing is just a part of their regular routine.

Tell students that, when they aren’t sure whether a word is redundant, they should have a dictionary or thesaurus handy to check its meaning.

Have students cross out regular in the third sentence. Students work on the remaining paragraph independently.

Students work in pairs to complete the remainder of the paragraph. Then, students share with the class the redundant modifiers they eliminated from the paragraph [regular, difficult, true, down, on, final, free].

Ask: “Why are the seven modifiers in the passage redundant?”

n They are unnecessary words.

n They are already implied.

n They do not add new meaning to the sentence.

Land

In pairs, students edit their Lesson 9 Response Journal entries about Chaucer’s cast of characters for redundant modifiers.

FOCUSING QUESTION: LESSONS 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling? ƒ

Lesson 10

“Knights,” Western Reserve Public Media (http://witeng.link/0702)

ƒ

The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean, “The Knight’s Tale: Chivalry and Rivalry,” pages 7–15 (ending with the line “We seemed to be about to hear his story, whether we liked it or not.”)

Lesson 10: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Activate Knowledge

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (50 min.)

Examine the Elements of Fluency (15 min.)

Execute a Summary (20 min.)

Analyze the Tale and Its Teller (15 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content

Vocabulary: Chivalry, chivalrous, and the Morpheme –ous (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RRL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3

Speaking

ƒ

and Listening

SL.7.1, SL.7.2, SL.7.6

Language

ƒ

L.7.4.a, L.7.4.b

Learning Goals

Summarize the sequence of events in “The Knight’s Tale” (RL.7.2).

Write a brief summary of the story.

Analyze how the Knight’s tale reflects his character (RL.7.3).

Describe how the Knight’s tale reflects his character.

MATERIALS

ƒ

Handout 10A: What Do I Know about Knights in the Middle Ages? ƒ

Small slips of paper or index cards (twelve per small group) ƒ

Handout 10B: Fluency Homework (optional)

Define chivalrous using context clues and the Latin affix –ous, and apply it appropriately in a sentence (L.7.4.a, L.7.4.b).

Create at least three sentences that use the word chivalrous, and describe a chivalrous act.

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 10

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of characterization reveal in “The Knight’s Tale”?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 10

Examine: What are the elements of fluency?

Execute: How can I use the elements of an effective summary to write my own?

Study of “The Knight’s Tale” provides an opportunity for students to examine the elements of fluent reading and the connection between narrator, character, and plot.

ACTIVATE KNOWLEDGE Pairs

Distribute Handout 10A.

Have students complete the handout, encouraging them to think of what they learned about knights from their reading from Western Reserve Public Media and from Castle Diary, as well as knowledge they may have developed elsewhere.

Pairs discuss their answers and make any changes or additions to the handout.

Launch

10 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Ask a volunteer to provide a quick summary of the prologue to The Canterbury Tales, including the competition suggested by the Innkeeper.

Tell students that they will continue their reading of The Canterbury Tales by reading the pilgrims’ tales which are told by different representatives of the medieval social order: “Those Who Fight,” “Those Who Pray,” and “Those Who Work.” Students will begin today with “The Knight’s Tale: Chivalry and Rivalry,” a story told by one of “Those Who Fight.”

TEACHER NOTE

You may want to complete the Deep Dive on chivalry before students complete this activity about the Knight’s character, as much of his characterization and tale are informed by the code of chivalry. The word chivalrous provides students with important background knowledge and a good descriptor for the Knight.

Ask students to take out their Response Journal with their notes on the characters in The Canterbury Tales. Ask: “What have you noticed about the Knight so far?”

n He is brave. (He spent his life fighting.)

n He is generous.

n He is modest: he didn’t want to start the storytelling.

n He is “noble-looking.”

n The narrator already seems to admire him.

Ask students to use what they know about the Knight to predict what kind of a story he will tell. Discuss students’ predictions.

50 MIN.

EXAMINE THE ELEMENTS OF FLUENCY 15 MIN.

Whole Group

Display the Craft Question: What are the elements of fluency?

Read aloud the first two paragraphs of “The Knight’s Tale: Chivalry and Rivalry” twice. First, read quickly in a monotone. Then, perform a dramatic, fluent reading.

Ask: “What did I do that made the second reading more interesting, engaging, and easy to follow and understand?”

As students share ideas, guide them to generate a list of the Elements of Fluency, including the following concepts, and help them with exact terms or definitions as needed.

ƒ Expression—The reader emphasizes important words and phrases. The reader pays attention to punctuation, for example, pausing at commas. The reader uses pitch, tone, and volume meaningfully, such as by raising and lowering their voice.

ƒ

Accuracy—The reader correctly reads the actual words from the page. The reader does not struggle over unknown words.

ƒ

ƒ

Enunciation—The reader reads words clearly so that they are easy to understand.

Pace—The reader maintains a regular reading rate or speed, speeding up and slowing down to emphasize meaning.

Display the list, and have students recreate it in their Response Journal.

Tell students that for homework today, and as the module continues, they will practice fluent reading using the listed elements.

Differentiation:

For students working below grade level, Handout 10B: Fluency Homework offers additional, optional fluency practice that students can complete for homework.

Continue reading aloud “The Knight’s Tale” to the end, ending on page 15 with, “We seemed to be about to hear his story, whether we liked it or not.”

EXECUTE A SUMMARY 20 MIN.

Small Groups

Tell students they will use a strategy called Literary Dominoes to summarize “The Knight’s Tale.”

Explain that the plot of a story is like a game of dominoes; when the dominoes are set close to each other, knocking one over causes the rest to fall. The chain of events that make a story’s plot is similar; the first event leads to the next, to the next, and so on.

Distribute twelve small slips of paper or index cards to each group.

Direct students to record the events of “The Knight’s Tale” on the paper dominoes and place them in the order in which they happened. Encourage students to include only the most important events.

Scaffold

Expand discussion of how to distinguish between important events and minor details. Think aloud. Say: “The walls of Thebes were smoking, but that is a descriptive detail, not a central idea. I think that there were two thousand men is a detail too. Actually, it seems like this whole first paragraph is setting the scene. The important element seems to be that two young knights who are cousins survive the battle.” Model ideas for the first few dominoes for groups who have difficulty.

• Two cousins, Palamon and Arcite, are taken prisoner in Athens after a battle.

• From their prison, they see Emily and fall in love with her.

Groups share their Literary Dominoes.

Working collaboratively as a class, organize a set of dominoes, pulled from different groups as needed, that show the sequence of central events.

Inform students that a summary of a literary text is called a plot summary. It focuses on the action. A plot summary will often reference other narrative elements (character, setting, and so on) but is designed to summarize the sequence of events in the story.

Display the Craft Question: How can I use the elements of an effective summary to write my own summary?

Display the following summary of the prologue:

The Canterbury Tales opens on a spring day in medieval England. In the beginning, the narrator, Geoffrey, arrives at the Tabard Inn, to begin a pilgrimage to Canterbury. At the inn, he encounters many other pilgrims, from all different stations of life. They agree to travel together. The prologue ends with the pilgrims agreeing to a competition of storytelling, in which each pilgrim will share two tales along their way.

Ask students to look back at the list of the elements of an effective summary that they recorded in their Response Journal in Lesson 2. Ask: “Which of these elements are also helpful in writing an effective plot summary?”

Be sure that students understand that the point of a summary is to explain, not analyze. A summary tells what happens, not why or what it means.

Explain that when writing a sequential summary, it is helpful to use transition words that signal sequence. Ask students to brainstorm a list of these words.

Scaffold

If students have difficulty, provide a list of transition words like in the beginning, first, next, then, after, last, finally, or in the end

Students write a summary of the story, using their literary dominoes and referring to the elements of an effective summary as needed.

ANALYZE THE TALE AND ITS TELLER

Whole Group

15 MIN.

To encourage students to think about how character, plot, and structure connect, ask: “Why do you think The Canterbury Tales begins with ‘The Knight’s Tale’?”

n The Knight is the highest-ranking noble person on the pilgrimage, so he goes first.

n The Knight does not want to go first, showing that he is both polite and modest, which are signs of his high social rank.

n Chaucer obviously admires him; perhaps the Knight is supposed to set an example for the others.

Briefly review the frame structure of The Canterbury Tales, discussing how the story within a story structure gives Chaucer the chance to reveal more about his characters through the tales they tell. Explain that students will discuss the following TDQs as a class to more deeply explore how the Knight’s tale helps to characterize the Knight and reveals some interesting ideas about medieval ideals of knights and romantic love.

1. In what ways do Palamon and Arcite seem like ideal knights?

n They are romantic. They put love above all else. They pledge to serve Emily until death.

n They solve their problems by fighting in a joust.

2. How do Palamon and Arcite fall short of the ideal?

n Their love for Emily seems shallow. Palamon can’t even pick Emily out of a crowd, and he is distracted by all the other pretty girls.

n In love, they mope instead of taking action.

n Falling in love with the same girl creates a conflict between them. They cannot be honorable and faithful to each other. They lie and cheat. They argue.

3. At the end of the story, the Knight describes the following:

“Palamon took off his gauntlets and crawled across the grass to Arcite’s side. ‘Friend,’ he said, touching his cousin’s cheek. ‘What have we done?’”

“Duke Theseus was there, and Emily too, though Palamon could not recognize her at first among the other women. They were all quite pretty . . . ”

“Take Emily’s hand, and forget every unhappiness. The wedding shall be tomorrow!’”

“‘Urgh, do I have to? His hair’s awfully thin already, and I don’t like his mouth.’ She had a voice like the teeth of a comb clicking” (14).

What lesson might the Knight hope to teach his listeners with these details, descriptions, and dialogue?

n He seems to be making the point that killing and dying for the sake of a silly crush is not worth it. Palamon killed his dearest friend, but now he can hardly tell Emily apart from the other pretty women.

n Unlike a true knight (like the narrator), these knights are foolish.

Discuss students’ responses to these questions, and invite students to share anything else they noticed and wondered about the Knight and his tale. Students take out Handout 10A and discuss one answer they would change, and why.

Land5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

In their Response Journal, students answer the following question: “How does ‘The Knight’s Tale’ reflect the identity of the Knight himself?”

Wrap5 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Tell students that in the next two lessons they will put their fluent reading on display with a Readers’ Theater performance.

If students are capable independent readers, assign parts and instruct students to read “The Miller’s Tale” and practice their lines for homework. (It may work best to organize students into groups of five):

Students can double up if the class does not evenly divide into groups of five.

Emphasize that this is a humorous story, so the actors can make their classmates laugh. Encourage students to ham up their introduction and bring in small costume items.

If a number of students are reading below grade level, do not assign the reading for homework. The class can read “The Miller’s Tale” as a whole group in the next lesson.

(Optional) Distribute Handout 10B to any students reading below grade level who might benefit from additional fluency practice. Tell students they should keep this handout for the next five days and can practice the passage for homework after Lessons 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14.

TEACHER

Research demonstrates a reciprocal relationship between fluency and comprehension. More fluent readers, who can read with automaticity, are better able to attend to comprehension, and those who comprehend are able to read more expressively. In the middle grades, students reading below grade level can benefit from repeated readings. Practicing with fluency excerpts can develop both students’ fluency and their comprehension. The fluency handouts, offered over the next twenty days of this module, are provided as optional homework for students who struggle as readers. Handout 10B can be practiced for homework with Lessons 10–14. G7 M1 Lesson 10 WIT & WISDOM®

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students’ responses to the Content Framing Question demonstrate their understanding of how the character, plot, and central ideas of the tale interact in “The Knight’s Tale” (RL.7.3). Check for the following success criteria: ƒ

Recognizes that the choice of topic of the Knight’s story reflects the Knight himself (he tells of knights, true love, jousts). ƒ

Notes that the story is told by the Knight, and that Chaucer seems to intentionally contrast the honorable Knight with the foolish knights in his story.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty, organize students into small groups to discuss questions including the following: “What do you know of the character of the Knight? What were the lives of Knights like in the Middle Ages? How does the Knight’s story fit with his character?” Then, invite students to revise their responses to the Content Framing Question as a result of this verbal rehearsal.

To evaluate performance on their summaries, and reinforce their learning, students can selfassess or work in pairs for peer assessment, comparing their summaries to the elements of an effective summary and to “The Knight’s Tale” itself. A checklist like the following can be used, with YES/NO and comments: ƒ

Does the summary capture the central ideas? ƒ

Does the summary only include important details? ƒ

Does the summary tell and not analyze? ƒ

Is the summary brief? ƒ

Is the summary written in the student’s own words?

Students should revise to meet any criteria not met by their summaries.

Lesson 10 Deep Dive: Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary: Chivalry, chivalrous, and the Morpheme

–ous

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts: “The Middle Ages,” “Knights,” Western Reserve Public Media; “The Knight’s Tale: Chivalry and Rivalry,” from The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean, pages 7–15

ƒ

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Define chivalrous using context clues and the Latin affix –ous, and apply it appropriately in a sentence (L.7.4.a, L.7.4.b).

Launch

Display: “What qualities would a man in the Middle Ages have needed to be a good knight?”

Using their background knowledge, recall from Castle Diary and Response Journal notes about the Knight from the prologue, students identify at least four descriptors that illustrate a knight’s character. Ask a student volunteer to display students’ descriptors.

n Brave. n Strong. n Warrior. n Generous. n Modest.

Learn

n Noble. n Admirable. n Courteous. n Dignified. n Loyal.

n Gallant. n Virtuous. n Landowner. n Chivalrous.

Provide the following definitions for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

chivalry (n.) 1. The system, beliefs, and practices of knighthood in medieval times. knighthood

2. The qualities valued by medieval knights, such as polite manners, loyalty, and trustworthiness. honor, integrity, nobility, valor, virtue

Display this sentence:

The king’s army abided by the laws of chivalry and vowed to uphold their loyalty to the crown

Tell students to record the displayed information in their Vocabulary Journal.

Explain that the medieval social system developed a code of conduct for knights known as chivalry. This code was like a rulebook that outlined honorable behavior.

Ask a student volunteer to read aloud the “Chivalry” excerpt from Western Reserve Public Media’s “Knights” article so students can verify their predicted definitions.

From the 1300s, the word chivalry (a noun) meant a grouping of knights, knighthood, or the art of warfare or bravery in war. It is a loanword or borrowed word from older languages such as the Latin meaning “horseman,” the Old French referring also to nobility and cavalry, and chevaler, meaning “knight.” From the late 1400s, its meaning referred to nobility that owned land in the kingdom; it also refers to a code of ethics that emphasized honor, bravery, generosity, and courtly manners.

Ask students to revise their definition based on what they’ve learned about knights and the word chivalry. Remind them that words can have more than one meaning. Students add to or revise their definition as necessary.

Post a handful of grade-appropriate words that end in the suffix –ous.

Display the following possible words: ƒ Adventurous. ƒ Ambitious. ƒ Bulbous. ƒ Chivalrous. ƒ Courteous. ƒ Delicious. ƒ Envious.

ƒ Furious. ƒ Gracious. ƒ Hideous. ƒ Hilarious. ƒ Infectious. ƒ Judicious. ƒ Luminous.

ƒ Monstrous. ƒ Notorious. ƒ Outrageous. ƒ Perilous. ƒ Poisonous. ƒ Righteous. ƒ Serious.

ƒ Spacious. ƒ Thunderous. ƒ Unconscious. ƒ Venomous. ƒ Zealous.

Ask: “Based on these words, what do you think the meaning of the suffix –ous is?”

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share. Circulate as students generate their definitions. Ask volunteers to share with the class. They should record their predicted definition in their Vocabulary Journal.

n The suffix –ous could mean “full of something,” like in the words ambitious, which means “full of ambition.”

n It could mean “related to or dealing with.” The word hideous, for example, means “related to horror or ugliness.”

Guide unreasonable responses as necessary, and display the following:

The suffix –ous adds meaning that illustrates “having, having to do with, or full of” something and makes adjectives from nouns.

Examples: joy + –ous = joyous, courage + -ous = courageous, and chivalry + –ous = chivalrous.

Instruct students to compare their predicted definitions of the suffix with the posted information.

Display:

The maiden was delighted by the knight’s chivalrous heroism. To save her, he had battled the evil dragon with great skill and without regard for his own mortality.

Instruct students to create their own definition of the word chivalrous using the context clues from the posted sentence, their knowledge of the suffix –ous, and their list of descriptors for the Knight. Tell them to include the words’ parts of speech.

n Chivalrous is an adjective that describes someone who is brave and noble.

n It’s an adjective that’s used to describe a knight or warrior.

n The word chivalrous is a describing word that can refer to just about anyone who has the qualities of a person who puts other people before himself.

Land

Say: “Today you may hear the phrase ‘chivalry is not dead’ when a man opens a door for a woman. What do we mean when we say this?”

n Here, chivalry might refer to the behavior of someone who is kind and always doing things for others, just as knights did a long time ago.

n We mean to say that there are still men in the world who hold themselves to a higher standard that we associate with knights in the medieval days.

n Here, chivalry might refer to a certain way someone behaves in front of mixed company or members of the opposite sex.

Students work in pairs.

Instruct students to create at least three sentences that use the word chivalrous and describe a chivalrous act. For example, “The chivalrous soldier shielded his commanding officer from the blast with his own body.” Encourage them to use the word in different contexts such as the previous situation discussed. Circulate to assess understanding and offer assistance as needed.

FOCUSING QUESTION: LESSONS 8-19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

Lesson 11

ƒ The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean, “The Miller’s Tale: A Barrel of Laughs,” pages 15–23 (beginning with “‘Who asked you?’ and ending with the line “Fancy you knowing about Romantic Literature—a man of your low breeding.”)

Lesson 11: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Compare Characters

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (45 min.)

Analyze Characterization (15 min.)

Examine the Impact of Details (15 min.)

Experiment with Fluency (15 min.)

Land (10 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Phrases and Clauses (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

RL.7.1, RL.7.3, RL.7.6

Writing ƒ W.7.2

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.1.a

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 11A: Narrative Techniques—The Writer’s Toolbox ƒ

Handout 11B: The Impact of Details ƒ

Handout 10B: Fluency Homework (optional) ƒ

Handout 11C: Identifying Phrases and Clauses

Learning Goals

Identify specific textual details that help the narrative come to life for the reader (RL.7.1).

Complete Handout 11B.

Analyze how the author’s choices about plot, description, and narrative structure develop the character of the Miller (RL.7.3, W.7.2).

Answer the Content Framing Question.

Identify phrases and clauses, and explain their function in specific sentences (L.7.1.a).

Identify the phrases and dependent clauses used in Response Journal entries.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 11

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of characterization reveal in “The Miller’s Tale”?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 11

Examine: How do details help narratives come to life for readers?

Experiment: How can I incorporate the elements of fluency into my own fluent reading?

Be forewarned! This tale contains some sexual innuendo and earthy humor—and offers a great contrast to the Knight’s tale. In this lesson, students compare the Knight and the Miller and reflect on how and why their tales differ. Students consider how the author characterizes the Miller. Preparing for a Readers’ Theater supports student comprehension of and engagement with this humorous story.

Welcome

5 MIN.

COMPARE CHARACTERS

Using the character charts in their Response Journal as a reference, students choose one word to describe the Knight and one word to describe the Miller and note these words in their chart. (The Knight might be described as noble, formal, chivalrous. The Miller might be described as large, drunk, lower class, sharp-tongued.)

Pairs discuss why and how the Miller’s tale differs from the Knight’s tale.

Differentiation:

If students did not read “The Miller’s Tale” for homework, ask for predictions about how the Miller’s tale might differ from the Knight’s tale. Have students look back at their descriptions of the Miller, and compare these to what they know of the Knight, and support their predictions with textual evidence.

Launch

10 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Set the goal for today’s lesson: students explore the tale to look at the specific ways that the author characterizes the Miller.

In their Response Journal, ask students to create a two-column table, and label the left column The Knight and the right column The Miller. Then, have students divide the table into two rows.

Organize students into groups. Ask groups to discuss and list in the top row of the table what they know about each character, including where each fits in the medieval social order. Encourage students to refer to their character chart, the prologue, and “The Knight’s Tale” as needed. (For now, tell students to leave the bottom row blank.)

Discuss students’ ideas as a whole group.

The Knight The Miller

n Mature.

n Likable.

n A “noble-looking man” (2).

n Generous.

n Experienced fighter.

n Ideal version of a knight.

n Fights over serious things [“fights to the death ought to be over matters of life and death” (6)].

n Admired by the narrator.

n One of “Those Who Fight,” at the top of the social order.

n Huge (the narrator mistakes him for a gatepost on page 4).

n Swears (he “cursed the weather”).

n Drunk (the Reeve says, “Drunk already, Matt” on page 15, and the Miller admits it himself on page 17: “I’m a little bit tipsy”).

n Ready to fight over nothing.

n “Red as a firebrand” and “like a wild boar” (15).

n Seen as an object of humor by the narrator.

n One of “Those Who Work,” at the bottom of the social order.

45 MIN.

Differentiation:

If students did not read “The Miller’s Tale” for homework, read the tale aloud as students follow along in their text. Begin with “’Who asked you?’” (15), and stop on page 23, with the line, “Fancy you knowing about Romantic Literature—a man of your low breeding.”

TEACHER NOTE

After students read “The Miller’s Tale,” you may want to discuss how the low-brow humor in this story was funny in Chaucer’s time—and remains a staple of modernday movie and television comedies.

ANALYZE CHARACTERIZATION 15 MIN.

Small Groups

Ask: “Why do you think ‘The Miller’s Tale’ follows ‘The Knight’s Tale’?”

n Chaucer might have wanted to contrast the two tales. “The Knight’s Tale” is an idealized romance. It is polite. “The Miller’s Tale” is earthier and funny. It is rude.

n Contrasting the two tales contrasts the two characters.

n The contrast highlights a conflict in The Canterbury Tales. Pilgrims from very different places in the social order have come together, but they are not the types of people who might usually be together, creating conflict between the characters.

Organize students into groups. Tell students they will reflect on some questions that will help them understand how Chaucer develops the character of the Miller and how the Miller’s identity is linked to his place in the medieval social order.

Small groups discuss TDQs, writing notes in their Response Journal.

1. In “The Miller’s Tale,” the Carpenter only trusts Alison with Nicholas because “‘Nicholas is an educated man…a clever man, a religious man’” (18). Given Nicholas’s actions, what do you think the Miller is suggesting about educated and religious people?

n While the Carpenter is saying these nice things about Nicholas, Nicholas is kissing the Carpenter’s wife and plotting to make him look foolish.

n The Miller seems to be questioning whether those who study or pray are “better” people just because they are higher up in the social order and are more educated or religious.

n The Miller seems to be suggesting that they are phony—they say they are religious and holy, but they act as badly as everyone else.

2. What do these lines from the tale suggest about the Miller?

“The Miller scowled at her. ‘Lower class of people, indeed!’ I suppose you want stuff about princesses and heroic princes galloping on chargers spouting bits of Latin” (23).

n He seems angry and defensive.

n He might be sensitive about being called “lower class.”

3. How is “The Miller’s Tale” a parody, or an exaggerated humorous imitation, of “The Knight’s Tale”?

n

“The Miller’s Tale” parodies “The Knight’s Tale” and the ideals of love and chivalry described in that tale.

n In “The Knight’s Tale,” the knights fall in love with Emily on first sight. They long for her from a distance. In “The Miller’s Tale,” three men compete for one girl. They do not want to admire her from afar; they want to kiss her.

n In “The Knight’s Tale,” the knights follow rules of behavior. They duel to the death. In “The Miller’s Tale,” no one follows rules! Absalom brands Nicholas with a hot iron. Absalom mistakes Nicholas for Alison and kisses him.

Come back as a whole group to share insights about the Miller, his tale, and the medieval social order.

Ask: “What are some of the specific ways Chaucer shows readers the character of the Miller?” Call on students to share ideas of how authors develop characters. Discuss ideas such as: through direct description, through dialogue, through interactions with other characters, and so on.

Distribute Handout 11A. Provide time for students to list different techniques authors use to characterize.

Pairs

Display the Craft Question: How do details help narratives come to life for readers?

Tell students that storytellers show rather than tell what happens. One way they do this is by “exploding” moments in the story with additional details.

Distribute Handout 11B.

Tell students that they will use the handout to identify specific examples of how the author “explodes” a moment in “The Miller’s Tale.” (Let students know they will come back to this idea of “exploding” a moment throughout the module.)

Students complete Handout 11B in pairs.

Come together as a group to share examples and discuss students’ ideas. Provide time for students to record examples of sensory details, description, and dialogue in Handout 11A.

EXPERIMENT WITH FLUENCY 15 MIN.

Small Groups

Name Date Class

Handout 11B: The Impact of Details

Directions: Compare the two columns in the chart. The left side is boring! But the right side is not. What did the author do to “explode” the moment and make the story come to life? Read the passage from “The Miller’s Tale” on the right, and mark examples of:

Sensory details—where the reader can see, hear, smell, and feel the scene.

Description—where the reader can imagine the scene. Dialogue—how the characters sound so they come to life for the reader.

Then, answer the question at the bottom of the page.

Tell the Scene in a Boring Way (Or, An Example of What Not to Do!)

The Carpenter came into Nicholas’s room, and Nicholas told him that the End of the World was coming.

Explode the Moment (Or, An Example of What To Do!)

“…when he got no answer, he threw himself against the door until it fell off its hinges.

There sat Nicholas, bolt upright, on the edge of his bed. His eyes were lifted towards the ceiling, and strange humming came from his nose.

‘Lord have mercy! told you he was religious,’ cried Oswald. ‘He’s in some kind of trance. He’s seeing visions!’ And shaking Nicholas by the hair, he shouted in his ear: ‘Wake up, boy! Snap out of it!’

One blink, two blinks, and Nicholas closed his mouth with a sigh. ‘Ah, brother Oswald, I’ve been visited by the angels and they showed me such visions!’ ‘What? Tell us—what?’

Then Nicholas clapped the Carpenter in an embrace and said tearfully: ‘You’ve

Display the Craft Question: How can I incorporate the elements of fluency into my own fluent reading?

Tell students they will perform a Readers’ Theater of “The Miller’s Tale.”

Organize students into groups of five, and assign parts.

Have students double up if the class does not evenly divide into groups of five.

Emphasize that this is a humorous story, so the actors can make their classmates laugh.

Review the Elements of Fluency.

ƒ

Expression—The reader emphasizes important words and phrases. The reader pays attention to punctuation, such as pausing at commas. The reader uses pitch, tone, and volume meaningfully, such as by raising and lowering their voice. ƒ

Accuracy—The reader reads the correct words from the page. The reader does not struggle over unknown words. ƒ

Enunciation—The reader reads words clearly so they are easy to understand. ƒ

Pace—The reader maintains a regular reading rate or speed, speeding up and slowing down to emphasize meaning.

Provide time for students to practice their lines, silently and aloud in their groups, reading with fluency. If time allows, groups can take turns performing for each other.

You may want to distribute or display the Elements of Fluency so students can use it as a checklist for peer and self-assessment.

Does the reader do the following: ƒ

Emphasize important words and phrases? ƒ

Pay attention to punctuation? ƒ

Use pitch, tone, and volume meaningfully? ƒ

Read the correct words from the page? ƒ

Read unknown words smoothly and without struggle? ƒ

Speak clearly so words are easy to understand? ƒ

Maintain a regular reading speed?

Tell students that in the next lesson, volunteers will perform for the whole class.

10 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Have students write one or two paragraphs in response to the following in their Response Journal: “In The Canterbury Tales, the author makes choices about how to order the tales, how to introduce the characters, and how to develop the stories the characters tell. What do the author’s choices reveal about the Miller and his place in the medieval social order?”

Scaffold

Remind students to refer to their notes in their Response Journal from their earlier TDQ work. You can also provide a paragraph frame for students’ responses:

In The Canterbury Tales, the author makes choices that reveal the characters of the many pilgrims on this journey. By putting “The Miller’s Tale” after “The Knight’s Tale”, the author contrasts the two.

The Miller is not like the Knight. Instead he is

The story the Miller tells is different from the Knight’s. The Miller’s story is

The Miller is at the lower end of the medieval social order. We see this when

By reading his story, we can tell a lot about the character of the Miller!

Extension

If time allows, discuss how our expectations about social class and different types of people impact our ideas about books, movies, and television shows today. What kinds of films win awards? Which are the most popular? Why?

5 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students practice their parts in the Readers’ Theater. Encourage students to think of ways to ham up their introduction and delivery. Suggest that students bring or make small costume items or props.

Students reading below grade level can complete the additional fluency practice with Handout 10B.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

In the first CFU, students use the handout to identify specific textual details that help the narrative come to life for the reader (RL.7.1). Focusing on these specific techniques helps students prepare for the EOM Task (W.7.3). Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ

Identifies specific examples of sensory details, description, and dialogue that help to “explode” the moment.

In the second CFU, students analyze the intersection of the Miller’s character with the story that he tells (RL.7.3). Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ

Describes the character of the Miller.

ƒ

Connects this characterization with some specific choices the author makes (how to structure the story, the plot of the story, direct description, dialogue).

Next Steps

ƒ

If students struggle to identify details in the first CFU, Handout 11B, model your responses. Select specific details and think aloud how that detail helps the reader to see, hear, smell, or feel what is happening or how the dialogue helps the reader to imagine the characters.

ƒ

If students struggle with the Miller’s characterization and the intersection of character, plot, structure, and style, stage a dramatic moment in the classroom (such as asking another teacher to run into the classroom asking for a bandage). Come back together as a group, and tell students to write as many details they remember about the moment as possible. Invite students to share their responses. Discuss how, even when a group has all experienced the same event, people’s perspectives and retellings will differ. Ask students to make connections between this activity and the difference between the stories told by the Knight and the Miller.

Lesson 11 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Examine Phrases and Clauses

Time: 15 min. ƒ

Text: The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Identify phrases and clauses, and explain their function in specific sentences (L.7.1.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 11

Examine: Why is knowing about phrases and clauses important to my writing?

Launch

Distribute Handout 11C: Identifying Phrases and Clauses, and display:

Phrase—a group of words without a subject-verb component, used as a single part of speech. A phrase provides additional information or more context to sentences. ƒ Clause—a group of words containing a subject and verb. An independent clause is a simple sentence that can stand on its own. A dependent clause begins with a dependent marker word and cannot stand alone. ƒ

Examples of dependent marker words: although, while, but, which, if, who, as, that, besides.

Review the definitions of phrases and clauses with students. Tell them to take notes on their handout as you review.

Students form groups of three and brainstorm a few phrases and clauses based on the information provided. Boost their thinking by providing the first few phrases and clauses.

Possible Phrases: ƒ

In the car.

Over the house.

Under the table.

About my cat.

A vase of flowers.

The box of chocolates.

Had been there.

Will be going.

Really interesting.

Truly wondrous.

Very slowly.

As fast as possible.

Possible Clauses: ƒ But I can’t make any promises.

Or they will fly away.

Although I prepared for the test.

While she was sleeping.

If the day goes well.

Who runs the clinic.

That carries the water bucket.

Which is still growing.

Learn

Display the following two sentences from The Canterbury Tales:

1. “He was allowed a. to steal a kiss b. in the dark c. of the larder ...” (McCaughrean 18).

2. “a. though to tell the truth, she should not have flirted so much …” (McCaughrean 18).

Ask students to decide which sentence has phrases and which has a dependent clause. Guide student responses if necessary by revisiting their handout and notes and by asking them to figure out which underlined parts have a subject and verb set inside them. If they still struggle, consider telling them that one example includes only phrases and the other only clauses.

n The first sentence has phrases only. They don’t have a subject and verb inside them.

n The second sentence has a dependent clause. The underlined part has a subject and verb phrase inside it.

n The second sentence has a dependent clause because the underlined part has a subject-verb set and begins with a marker word like when and as.

Tell students to look at the example sentences from The Canterbury Tales again, but this time to analyze how the phrases and clauses are used. Ask: “Why do we use phrases and clauses in our writing?”

Students should say that phrases and clauses add information and/or make content clearer.

Land

Divide students into small groups.

Instruct students to review the paragraphs they wrote in their Response Journal about the choices the author makes in how to order the tales. They should identify the phrases and dependent clauses that they used. If they can’t identify any phrases or dependent clauses, tell them to find opportunities where they might incorporate a phrase or dependent clause to add information or note a change in sequence.

QUESTION: LESSONS 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

Lesson 12

ƒ The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean, “The Miller’s Tale: A Barrel of Laughs,” pages 15–23 (beginning with “’Who asked you?’ and ending with the line “Fancy you knowing about Romantic Literature—a man of your low breeding.”)

Lesson 12: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Visualize Characters

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Explore Language and Tone (10 min.)

Experiment with Language (20 min.)

Execute Fluently (25 min.)

Land (10 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Figures of Speech: Similes, Metaphors, and Sensory Language (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

RL.7.3

Writing ƒ W.7.3.B

Speaking

ƒ

and Listening

SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.5

MATERIALS

Handout 12A: Word Choice, Character, and Tone ƒ

Handout 11A: Narrative Techniques—The Writer’s Toolbox ƒ

Handout 10B: Fluency Homework (optional) ƒ

Four 3 × 5 index cards or sticky notes

Learning Goals

Practice writing figures of speech (similes and metaphors) to describe characters and convey tone (W.7.3.b).

Complete the fourth column of Handout 12A.

Analyze how the author’s choices about language and tone reveal the character of the Miller (RL.7.3).

Answer the Content Framing Question.

Identify and interpret figures of speech and sensory language in the context of “The Miller’s Tale” (L.7.5).

Find at least one simile, one metaphor, and two examples of sensory language in “The Miller’s Tale,” and explain the effect of the figurative language on the story.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CONTENT RAMING QUESTION: Lesson 12

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of language and tone reveal in “The Miller’s Tale”?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 12

Experiment: What are figures of speech, and how do they work to show character and convey tone?

Execute: How can I demonstrate fluency?

Students analyze the author’s word choices and how these develop the characters and convey tone. Students engage in a brief craft activity to explore the connection between word choice, character, and tone. The Readers’ Theater further extends students’ exploration of word choice and tone; volunteers perform for the class, enhancing the performance with an expressive, dramatic delivery that illuminates the comedic elements.

Welcome

5 MIN.

VISUALIZE CHARACTERS

Students draw a sketch to represent the Miller. It could be a drawing of the Miller himself, a word map, or another visual image.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Set the goal for today’s lesson: students explore language and tone in “The Miller’s Tale” by looking at specific character descriptions and performing the Readers’ Theater. Remind students that thinking about language choice and tone will be important when they write their narratives for the EOM Task.

Pairs share their drawings and explain how they represent the Miller.

EXPLORE LANGUAGE AND TONE 10 MIN.

Whole Group

Tell students that the author’s choice of language reveals the tone in their writing. The word tone can mean “the feeling or attitude the author expresses.” The tone might be formal, informal, serious, playful, sad, or rowdy. Tone shows the writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward a subject and the audience.

Provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

tone (n.) In writing, tone is the attitude of a writer toward a subject or audience and is conveyed through choice of words or viewpoint. feeling, attitude

Tell students they will look at figurative language the author uses in “The Miller’s Tale,” and then experiment with changing the words to change the tone.

Ask: “What is the tone of ‘The Miller’s Tale’?” (Students might reply humorous, comic, informal, slapstick, rude.)

Tell students they will look at some of the words the author uses to describe characters and create that tone.

Distribute Handout 12A: Word Choice, Character, and Tone.

Tell students they will complete the first two columns of the handout in their small groups.

Model the first row for them.

To complete the first cell, think aloud about what the description tells the reader. The author’s words tell the reader that Alison is pretty and young. She must have a lot of energy to be compared to a squirrel!

For the second cell, ask volunteers to share what they know of the Miller already. Summarize students’ responses: “We know he is a big, drunk, fighting, common man.” So, while a nobleman might use a more elegant comparison, comparing a beautiful woman to a rose or a summer’s day, the Miller compares her to a squirrel.

NOTE

The author’s use of the word pretty offers a great opportunity for students to distinguish the connotations of words with similar denotations (L.7.5.c) by comparing words such as lovely, beautiful, stunning, cute, gorgeous, and pretty

Students may be interested to know, too, that pretty also meant “cunning” in Middle English, so this word might be telling more about Alison’s personality than just her looks!

EXPERIMENT WITH LANGUAGE

Small Groups

20 MIN.

Display the Craft Question: What are figures of speech, and how do they work to show character and convey tone?

Remind students of the discussion that they had around identity and the poem in Lesson 1. Ask for volunteers to review the meanings of figurative language, simile, and metaphor

Ask for examples.

n “She is like a flower” (simile).

n “His lips are like roses” (simile).

n “My baby sister is an animal” (metaphor).

n “His words were weapons” (metaphor).

Ask: “Why do authors use figures of speech (words in ways other than just their literal meanings) like these?”

n Figures of speech add style, color, interest; create tone; and spark readers’ imagination, creating pictures in their minds’ eyes.

Provide time for students to take notes and record examples of figurative language in Handout 11A.

Tell students they will look at the examples from “The Miller’s Tale” again, play around with them to experiment with language and tone, and record their ideas in the last two columns of Handout 12A.

Discuss that the Miller describes characters in earthy, common ways. Alison is like a “squirrel.” Nicholas is “a pot of jam.” Oswald is an “ugly duck.”

2. 3.

What are three specific examples of how the author “explodes” the moment to make it come to life?

themselves revealed it to me. The End of the World is coming!’” (19).

been like a father to me. So I’m going to tell you terrible secret. The angels

Then Nicholas clapped the Carpenter in an embrace and said tearfully: ‘You’ve

‘What? Tell us—what?’

Oswald, I’ve been visited by the angels and they showed me such visions!’

One blink, two blinks, and Nicholas closed his mouth with sigh. ‘Ah, brother

ear: ‘Wake up, boy! Snap out of it!’

trance. He’s seeing visions!’ And shaking Nicholas by the hair, he shouted in his

‘Lord have mercy! told you he was religious,’ cried Oswald. ‘He’s in some kind of

towards the ceiling, and a strange humming came from his nose.

told him that the End of the

Nicholas’s room, and Nicholas

hinges. There sat Nicholas, bolt upright, on the edge of his bed. His eyes were lifted

World was coming. “…when he got no answer, he threw himself against the door until it fell off its

The Carpenter came into

to Do!) Explode the Moment

(Or, An Example of What To Do!)

(Or, An Example of What Not

Tell the Scene in a Boring Way

Then, answer the question at the bottom of the page.

Dialogue—how the characters sound so they come to life for the reader.

Description—where the reader can imagine the scene.

Sensory details—where the reader can see, hear, smell, and feel the scene.

Read the passage from “The Miller’s Tale” on the right, and mark examples of:

author do to “explode” the moment and make the story come to life?

Directions: Compare the two columns in the chart. The left side is boring! But the right side is not. What did the

Handout 11B: The Impact of Details

Name Date Class

Tell students to think about the Knight. Ask: “How would his tone be different? How would he describe these characters? To what kinds of things would he compare these characters?”

Guide students to see that the Knight would write more formally, using higher-level language and more noble comparison. Provide some specific examples. Instead of a duck, the Knight might refer to a peacock or swan. Instead of comparing Alison to a squirrel, the Knight might compare her to an angel. Instead of the Devil with a pitchfork, the Knight might refer to a Knight with his sword.

Groups discuss and complete the last two columns of Handout 12A.

Extension:

If students are ready to move beyond this handout, challenge them to write figures of speech describing other characters they have met in this module (the narrator, the Innkeeper, Tobias Burgess).

Invite groups to share their favorite examples.

EXECUTE FLUENTLY 25 MIN.

Whole Group

Display the Craft Question: Execute: How can I demonstrate fluency?

Tell students volunteers will perform a Readers’ Theater of “The Miller’s Tale” for the class.

Ask for volunteers to take the five parts: 1. A narrator 2. Oswald 3. Alison 4. Absalom 5. Nicholas

If you have more than one volunteer for each part, switch actors during the performance to give more students a chance to perform, or alternate readers for the part of the narrator. Alternatively, if time allows, let multiple groups perform for the whole class.

Invite the narrator to begin reading aloud on page 18, starting with “Down at Osney Mead.”

As each character is introduced in the text—“a carpenter called Oswald—a crusty, old misery,” “a pretty young thing called Alison,” “poor Absalom, the clerk,” and Nicholas “a different pot of jam”—instruct student actors to come to the front of the room.

Encourage students to ham up their introduction while still remaining silent and not interrupting the narration. For example, Alison can flirt and act as pert as a squirrel; the carpenter can act like a “crusty, old misery;” Nicholas can act clever and scholarly; and so on, as they are described in the text. Motion to students as they are referenced to cue them.

After the end of the fourth paragraph, which ends, “while he helped her hang out the washing,” when all characters have entered, reintroduce the actors. Introduce the production: “A Barrel of Laughs.”

Have actors read straight through, pantomiming their actions as they read their lines.

When the performance ends, call for a round of applause and have the actors take a bow and return to their seats.

10 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

In their Response Journal, students answer the following question: “How do the author’s word choices create the tone of ‘The Miller’s Tale’?” Remind students that they can use examples from Handout 12A or from their own reading to support their answer.

Tell students they can write in complete paragraphs or use a more informal list format. Remind them to be sure to:

ƒ

Describe the tone of “The Miller’s Tale.” (Think about: Would the story be different if told by the Knight?)

ƒ

Connect this tone to specific examples of words and phrases in the tale.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK (OPTIONAL)

Students reading below grade level can complete the additional fluency practice on Handout 10B: Fluency Homework.

thought he might have a few good tales to tell. So sat down beside him and looked around at my fellow pilgrims. What a gallery of faces! There were about as many as the letters of the alphabet—and each one equally different from his neighbor.

Page of

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students experiment with tone and figurative language in their responses on Handout 12A. This work extends their earlier literary analysis of these narrative techniques to a more direct preparation for their own narrative writing, using figures of speech (similes and metaphors) to describe characters and convey tone (W.7.3.b). Answers will vary, but check to ensure that students show the Knight responding in a more formal, elevated tone than the Miller.

Next Steps

Students who are successful with Handout 12A can complete the extension activity. For those students who struggle, modify the extension activity to build students’ understanding of the connection between figurative language, word choice, tone, and meaning. Provide figures of speech, and ask (1) how the meaning of the words goes beyond the literal meaning, and (2) which character uses or is described by the figure of speech. For example: ƒ

“[A]fter so much time indoors I had no heart for spending more in dull schooling” (Platt 69). ƒ

“[A] gigantic woman in an enormous hat sat on the other end of his bench shouting and laughing in a voice that drowned most others” (McCaughrean 2). ƒ

“Red as a firebrand, the Miller’s hair and beard showed through the mist like beacons” (McCaughrean 15).

Figures of Speech: Similes, Metaphors, and Sensory Language

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts: The Canterbury Tales, “The Knights Tale,” “The Miller’s Tale: A Barrel of Laughs,” Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean

ƒ Vocabulary Learning Goal: Identify and interpret figures of speech and sensory language in the context of “The Miller’s Tale” (L.7.5).

Launch

Figurative Language Word Wall

Display a large poster titled Figurative Language that includes the following information on 3x5 index cards or sticky notes: simile——(n.) Compares two things using the words “like” or “as.”

metaphor——(n.) Like similes, it describes one thing as another unlike thing and does not use the words “like” or “as.”

Simile Example: “A rustling of leaves sent him bolting like a rabbit into the bowl of a hollow tree” (McCaughrean 10).

Metaphor Example: “’You asp! You wolf-in-sheep’s clothing!’” (McCaughrean 10).

Have students briefly summarize what they know or have learned about figurative language.

n Figurative language deals with figures of speech.

n Figures of speech are phrases that say one thing but mean another, like it’s raining cats and dogs.

n There are different types of figures of speech like sayings and personification.

Instruct students to take notes and copy important posted information they don’t already know in the Figurative Language section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Review simile and metaphor using the examples posted on the Word Wall and the text. Ask: “Why do you think the author chose the particular simile and metaphor in these examples?”

n The author may have used the simile “sent him bolting like a rabbit” because Palamon was frightened by the wind, and rabbits are easily frightened.

n “Sent him bolting like a rabbit” shows that the knight was scared of something, so he ran and hid like a scared rabbit would.

n When Palamon calls Arcite an “asp” and “a wolf-in-sheep’s clothing,” he is saying that Arcite is sneaky like a snake and deceitful like a wolf trying to snatch sheep.

n The author is using an “asp” and “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” to show what Palamon thinks of Arcite—he thinks he’s scheming and cunning.

n People attribute deviousness to snakes and wolves, so Palamon is comparing Arcite to those animals.

Explain that this lesson will focus on sensory language in addition to the similes and metaphors they just discussed.

Remind students that they discussed sensory language when they read The Castle Diary. Write a definition and example of sensory language on a 3x5 sticky note, and post it on the Figurative Language Word Wall:

sensory language—(n.) The use of details from the five senses to add interest to writing and help readers visualize the scene.

Example: “The joust was a circus of colour. Knights caparisoned in mail, heraldic surcoats, and plumes fit for birds of paradise were brazed by the blaring of trumpets whose scarlet oriflammes were embroidered with silvery beasts” (McCaughrean 12).

Scaffold

Help students define text-critical vocabulary from the example such as caparisoned, mail, heraldic, surcoats, plumes, brazed, and oriflammes before exploring sensory images. Consider finding pictures of chain mail, heraldic surcoats, etc. for students who would benefit from visual representations. This is also a good opportunity to note how British English has different rules for spelling some words (colour vs. color).

Say:

We know that sensory details or images deal with the five senses of touch, taste, sound, sight, and smell.

The author uses sensory language to help the reader visualize a scene. In a sense, the author is painting a word picture so that the reader can envision what is happening in the story.

Ask: “What is the purpose of the sensory language in the joust example? In other words, in his tale, what image is the Knight trying to paint for his pilgrim listeners?”

n He is trying to show or describe how the jousting tournament looked like a circus of color.

n He is describing what the knights were wearing and what people could hear during the jousts.

n All the detailed descriptions of the armor and music help you see what he means by “a circus of color.”

Students work in pairs.

Students participate in a scavenger hunt for similes, metaphors, and sensory language in “The Miller’s Tale.”

Direct students to: 1) Find at least one simile, one metaphor, and two examples of sensory language; 2) Explain the effect of the figurative language the author (or the Miller) chose to tell his story.

Possible text examples with explanations:

1. “Alison burst into such a fit of giggles that she had to stuff her apron into her mouth, and still the laughter snorted and snuffled in her nose” (21).

ƒ sensory language

2. “He dropped like a stone—right on top of the settle ...” (22).

ƒ

To say that “he dropped like a stone” means he fell hard and fast, probably with a thump.

3. “... at this point the Reeve came back, with a tongue like a fly-swat, and demanded that the Miller be disqualified from the competition” (23).

ƒ

To say that the Reeve had a tongue like a fly-swat means that he quickly and forcefully responded to the Miller and asked that he be disqualified. It might also imply that he was angry because, when you swat a fly, you do so with speed and force.

Land

Tell students that they will be expected to incorporate figurative language into their EOM Task narrative. Have them develop a list of figures of speech as practice, beginning with simile, metaphor, and sensory images.

Lesson 13

Lesson 13: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Reflect on Art and Literacy

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (50 min.)

Analyze the Elements of Giotto’s Work (30 min.)

Tell the Story of Giotto’s Work (10 min.)

Synthesize Conclusions (10 min.)

Land (10 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Composition and the Morphemes com, pos, and –tion (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading ƒ RL.7.1

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.2

Language ƒ L.7.4

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 13A: Analysis of Art ƒ

Handout 13B: Composition and Its Morphemes ƒ

Handout 10B: Fluency Homework

Learning Goals

Closely observe and analyze a work by Giotto, and cite specific visual evidence to support analyses (RL.7.1, SL.7.2).

Identify three visual elements Giotto uses, and tell how he uses each to tell the story of Joachim among the Shepherds.

Clarify the meaning of target vocabulary using context clues, Greek or Latin affixes and roots, and lexical resources and apply the target word appropriately (L.7.4).

Write a paragraph about the composition of the painting, using the word composition appropriately.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 13

Organize: How does Giotto use composition and space to tell a story?

Students have explored how Chaucer uses narrative in The Canterbury Tales. Now students look at how an artist from the same time period uses his medium to tell a story. When students reflect on the techniques and elements of visual arts, they build understanding of how writers and visual artists create characters and tell stories through different art forms. As an extension, students may also explore how Giotto is significant in art history. Just as Chaucer’s work marked a new age in literature, with his telling in common English and his earthy characters from across the social hierarchy, Giotto, too, broke new ground. His work represents the transition from the two-dimensional art of the medieval period to the more lifelike, three-dimensional work of the Renaissance.

Welcome

5 MIN.

REFLECT ON ART AND LITERACY

Have students free-write in their Response Journal about this question: “In a society in which most people could not read or write, what role did storytelling, music, and art likely play?”

Launch

10 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Tell students that today they will look at a different kind of storytelling, the stories told through visual art.

Display the image (http://witeng.link/0712).

Prompt students to look at the image for three minutes and notice as much as they can.

TEACHER NOTE

The Scrovegni Chapel

Giotto’s work in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy, is recognized as the masterwork of Giotto and a masterpiece of the period.

Joachim among the Shepherds is one scene of many around the small chapel that are used to tell the chronological story of Mary’s life, the life of Jesus, and the Passion. Each scene builds on the last and offers foreshadows of the next.

The paintings were made as frescoes, which directly adorn the walls and ceiling of this small chapel. In a fresco, pigment is applied directly to wet plaster, which then dries into the wall. This means that the art is embedded in the walls of the chapel; the panels cannot be removed.

The entire set of works in the chapel is remarkable for its use of the separate panels to tell a complex story. If time allows, you may want to show students an image of the full interior of the chapel for further context and to highlight the power of the work: (http://witeng.link/0713).

Students jot notes in their Response Journal. Students can do this as a bulleted list or create a T-chart in their Response Journal with one column labeled Notice for observations and one column labeled Wonder for questions.

Pairs share observations.

50 MIN.

ANALYZE THE ELEMENTS OF GIOTTO’S WORK 30 MIN.

Small Groups

As a whole group, invite volunteers to share what they noticed in their study of the painting.

Prompt students with questions such as:

What is happening in the image?

What do you notice about the colors?

Where is your eye drawn first?

What do you notice about how the scene is arranged?

What do you notice about the figures or the characters in the scene?

Tell students the title of the work, Joachim among the Shepherds. If students are unfamiliar with the word shepherd, share the meaning of the word: “a person who herds or watches over sheep.”

TEACHER NOTE

Joachim can be pronounced yo-a-KEEM with the English pronunciation.

Tell students that in the same way that in the English classroom readers use words like plot, setting, theme, and characterization to talk about literary texts, those who study art have a formal vocabulary that they use to talk about the elements of a painting and the techniques of the painter.

As a class, generate ideas about what kinds of elements people would probably examine when discussing a work of visual art. Display students’ ideas.

n What the work of art shows.

n What the work of art means.

n How the artist made the work.

n How realistic the work is.

n What colors the artist uses.

n Where our eyes are drawn to or what we see first.

n How the work of art makes us feel.

Distribute Handout 13A.

Tell students that the list on the handout describes some of the formal ways people analyze art. Have students discuss how the list they generated connects with these more formal terms. Then connect these terms to the terms for narrative techniques that students have been discussing with The Canterbury Tales, terms like characterization, figurative language, sensory description.

In groups, students study the terms and describe what they notice about how each is reflected in Giotto’s work.

Scaffold

If students have difficulty, discuss the terms as a whole group, inviting volunteers to provide examples, or circulate to support group work.

For the last question, encourage students to make guesses about the story, even if they do not know who Joachim is and why he is with the shepherds.

Groups come together to share responses to Handout 13A.

Whole Group

Tell students that Joachim among the Shepherds is one of many scenes that Giotto painted in a chapel in Italy around 1305. Together, all of the scenes fill the chapel, and the panel of Joachim is quite large on its own. It is 185 × 200 centimeters, or around 6 × 6 feet.

In this scene, Joachim has been sent away for being childless. He arrives among the shepherds to ask if he can stay the night. The painting “tells” this story of Joachim.

Extension:

If students do not know, you can offer background on the religious nature of Giotto’s panels.

The scenes tell stories of the Bible, or fill in gaps in the narrative of the Bible. Joachim is Mary’s father, and Jesus’s grandfather. Jesus is the central figure of Christianity, the Son of God. His mother is Mary.

Ask: “How does Joachim feel? How does the image convey this?”

Joachim is sad and isolated. The viewer can see this because:

n Giotto paints him alone on one side of the scene. On the shepherds’ side, the many sheep are moving and the figures stand close together. Joachim stands apart.

n Joachim’s head is bent down. His arms are folded across his chest. He holds his robes close to him. All these postures look like those of someone who is sad and preoccupied.

n His robes look heavy, as if he is weighed down.

n His face is cast down and looks serious. He might be ashamed.

n The dog looks like it is trying to check if Joachim is OK.

Ask: “How do the shepherds feel? How does the image convey this?”

n The shepherds seem suspicious of Joachim and unsure of what to do. The one shepherd is looking sideways at the other. He has a questioning look on his face.

n They are standing together, blocking the entrance to the shelter behind them.

n The vertical line of the shepherd’s stick divides the shepherds from Joachim, making them seem even more separate.

n Only the dog approaches Joachim, while the shepherds stand back.

Whole Group

Tell students that some see Giotto’s work as the beginning of the Renaissance, where art shifted from symbolic, two-dimensional work to a more lifelike style and three-dimensional perspective.

Organize students into pairs. Ask pairs to synthesize their analysis from Handout 13A and their consideration of the story-like elements of Giotto’s work to answer the question: “What specific elements and principles did you notice Giotto using to make his scene seem lifelike and tell a story to the viewer?”

n In Joachim among the Shepherds, Giotto depicts a single moment in a story. It is clear that Joachim is the central figure of the story. The contrast between the light pink of his cloak and the darker shades of the brown in the cliff draw the viewer’s eye straight to Joachim. A golden halo hovers over his head, highlighting his importance, as well as the sorrow on his face. Giotto shows movement and emotion as the shepherds turn to each other, questioning what they should do. The dog leaps up, and Joachim bends his head with shame or sadness. The dark blue sky in the upper half of the painting shows the heaviness Joachim feels as he searches for a place to stay.

Remind students that these questions do not have a single correct answer. Their ideas will vary depending upon which elements they focus on as they view the painting and notice and wonder about the image.

Invite students to share any of their ideas from the lesson’s Launch. What did they notice and wonder that they have not yet discussed about the painting?

Invite students to return to the question they answered in the Welcome section of the lesson. Ask students to share their ideas about the role of storytelling, music, and art in the Middle Ages.

TEACHER NOTE

Extension:

Giotto is noteworthy because his art represents a clear transition from the one-dimensional, flat paintings of the earlier period to the more vivid, lifelike paintings of the Renaissance period.

Students can see this artistic development by looking at and comparing a pair of key works from each period.

For example, the Christian Egyptian work of Christ and Abbot Mena, at the Louvre (http://witeng.link/0714), shows two painted figures standing side-by-side. Encourage students to consider how lifelike these figures and scene are. Ask: ƒ

“In what ways does the setting look realistic?” ƒ

“How are the figures painted to life like human proportions—or are they not?” ƒ

“Does the painting create a sense of depth or is it one-dimensional?”

(If students do not know the term, discuss the word proportion, when the sizes of the different elements in the work appear as one would expect.) Through questioning, guide students to see that the painting is flat, two-dimensional, and not very lifelike. Tell students that early medieval European art was often more symbolic than lifelike.

By contrast, show students an image of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” (http://witeng.link/0715). Guide students to consider the work by asking questions like: ƒ

“How does this painting show perspective?” ƒ

“How does the artist use shadow and light?” ƒ

“How does the artist show emotion?” ƒ

“How is the painting realistic?”

Through questioning, guide students to see that this painting is lifelike. It tells a dramatic story, through a clearly illustrated scene, emotion through movement and gestures, and use of perspective.

Share that the first painting is from the eighth century. The second was completed in 1498. Giotto’s work was completed between the two, in 1305. Ask: “How did art change, from before the Middle Ages to after?”

Share with student that some see Giotto’s work in the chapel as marking the start of the Renaissance, or rebirth of cultural life in Europe.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Have students answer the following question in their Response Journal using Handout 13A as a reference: “What are three elements Giotto uses in Joachim among the Shepherds, and how does he use each element to tell a story?”

ASSIGN HOMEWORK (OPTIONAL)

Students reading below grade level can complete the additional fluency practice on Handout 10B: Fluency Homework.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

For their CFU response in their Response Journal, students closely observe and analyze Giotto’s work, citing specific visual evidence to support their analyses (RL.7.1, SL.7.2). Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ Responds to the prompt by naming three elements from Handout 13A.

ƒ Offers specific support for each, describing how Giotto uses each element to tell the story of Joachim among the Shepherds.

Next Steps

If students struggle in their analyses of the techniques visual artists use to tell a story, use the terms in Handout 13A to look at another image, such as the image that opens the next lesson, Lesson 14. Help students see the connection between these techniques and the techniques of authors and storytellers that they are discussing as they read The Canterbury Tales. Just as writers have a “toolbox,” so do artists.

Content Vocabulary: Composition and the Morphemes com, pos, and –tion

ƒ Time: 15 min. ƒ

Text: Joachim among the Shepherds, Giotto di Bondone (http://witeng.link/0712) ƒ

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Clarify the meaning of target vocabulary using context clues, Greek or Latin affixes and roots, and lexical resources, and apply the target word appropriately (L.7.4).

Launch

Distribute Handout 13B: Composition and Its Morphemes. Briefly review the instructions, and encourage students to take notes during discussion.

Display the painting Joachim among the Shepherds, and remind students of the Content Framing Question for the core lesson: Organize: How does Giotto use composition and space to tell a story?

Explain that the word composition has several different meanings and you want them to consider which of the following best fits the word as used in the question.

Display the following information:

Composition

PBC Page of

1. The act of composing or putting together, such as writing an essay, composing music, or putting together a piece of art.

2. The makeup of an object or person.

3. The final product resulting from composing, such as a piece of writing, music, or art.

4. The thoughtful arrangement of the various parts of an artistic work so that the final piece is unified and whole.

5. The process of forming compound words from two or more morphemes.

Ask: “Which of these definitions do you think best fits the word as used in the question? Why?”

Have students discuss their ideas in pairs but not share as a whole group.

Post the following two statements, and tell students that the word composition is being used in the same way in these statements as in the question:

Composition

1. “Composition is the art of arranging in a decorative manner the diverse elements at the painter’s command to express his feelings.”—Henri Matisse

2. In western art, the elements of composition include a piece of art’s unity, balance, movement, rhythm, focus, and contrast.

Ask: “Which meaning of the word composition is being used in these two sentences? How do you know?”

If necessary, clarify that the intended meaning is the fourth one given in the first section of their handout.

Learn

Explain that the word composition comes from Latin and is made up of three parts, the roots com and pos and the suffix –tion. Display these parts, and briefly explain the meaning of each:

Composition

ƒ com—from the Latin meaning “together.”

ƒ pos—from the Latin meaning “put or place.”

ƒ –ion—from the Latin meaning “the act or state of.”

Explain that these parts help us understand the meaning of the word composition in the question because the question wants you to think of the artist’s act of putting the parts of his painting together to create a unified image and story.

Ask: “What are some other words you know that include the root com?”

n Combine.

n Communicate.

n Community.

n Compare.

n Compass.

n Compassion.

n Compose.

Ask: “What are some other words you know that include the root pos?”

n Deposit. n Dispose. n Expose. n Impose. n Oppose. n Position. n Proposal.

Ask: “What are some other words you know that end with the suffix –tion?” n Description. n Explanation. n Elimination. n Imagination. n Transition. n Revolution. Land

Have students look at the painting and consider its composition and the pieces that were thoughtfully arranged by the artist. Encourage them to think about how the meaning of the painting might have changed were those pieces placed differently in the painting.

Students work in pairs.

Have students write a short paragraph in their Vocabulary Journal about the composition of the painting. They should use the word composition appropriately in the sentence. Instruct them to share their work with a partner.

Lesson 14

TEXTS

ƒ

ƒ

FOCUSING QUESTION: LESSONS 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

The Three Living and the Three Dead, Master of the Dresden Prayer Book (http://witeng.link/0716)

The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean, “The Pardoner’s Tale: Death’s Murderers,” pages 59–69 (beginning with “When the Pardoner had been sent packing by the formidable Widow … ” and ending with “ … or half an old pillowcase”)

Lesson 14: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Respond to an Image Launch (10 min.)

Learn (50 min.)

Notice and Wonder in a First Read (35 min.)

Lay Out the Plot (15 min.)

Land (10 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Figures of Speech: Imagery and Personification (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading ƒ

RL.7.1

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.2, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.5.a

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Formulate observations and questions about “The Pardoner’s Tale” (RL.7.1).

Complete the 3–2–1 Exit Task.

Identify and interpret instances of personification and allusion in the context of “The Pardoner’s Tale” (L.7.5.a).

ƒ

Twenty small slips of paper or index cards for each pair of students ƒ

Handout 10B: Fluency Homework (optional) ƒ

Four 3 × 5 index cards or sticky notes

Find and interpret examples of personification and allusion in the text.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 14

Wonder: What do I notice and wonder about “The Pardoner’s Tale”?

Students analyze the character, point of view, and plot of “The Pardoner’s Tale.” If they have not already, students will quickly see that Chaucer has not portrayed the Pardoner in a favorable light!

Welcome

RESPOND TO AN IMAGE

Display the image, The Three Living and the Three Dead (http://witeng.link/0716), a work by a Flemish master from the Dresden Prayer Book, 1480–1485. (Digital image courtesy of the Getty’s Open Content Program.)

Students observe the image for two minutes, jotting notes about what they notice and wonder. Encourage students to use some of the elements and principles of art they learned in the previous lesson as they observe.

Launch

10 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Explain that today, students will be introduced to a new tale, “The Pardoner’s Tale,” and will examine the pacing in that tale to inform their own writing.

Ask volunteers to share their ideas from the Welcome activity.

Scaffold:

To scaffold this Notice and Wonder activity, you can prompt students with questions like the following:

What elements and principles of art that you studied in the last lesson do you see illustrated here?

What do you think the purpose of this image was?

Where might this image have been found?

What was the artist’s message?

What story does this painting “tell”?

Tell students that the image is from a page of a late medieval prayer book, so is actually fairly small, about 8 1/16 by 5 13/16 inches, or less than half the size of a sheet of 8 1/2 by 11 inch notebook paper.

TEACHER NOTE

Students may be interested to know that before books were printed, books were handmade. They were treasured as works of art, and many included lavish illustrations by artists like this one. Some even had covers decorated with gold and jewels.

Tell the students that the image shows a well-known story of the time. Three men encounter three corpses, who turn out to be their ancestors. The ancestors have come to warn the men that they should change their ways and live a better life while they still can or else they will end up in hell in the after life.

Ask students to point out images of death that appear in the work. Notice the skull in the border, reminding viewers that death is waiting.

NOTICE AND WONDER IN A FIRST READ 35 MIN.

Whole Group

Tell students that today’s story tells about illness, death, and religion in the Middle Ages.

To activate students’ prior knowledge, ask: “Based on what we learned so far, why might images of death like the one we just looked at have been common in medieval life?”

Remind students of the references to illness and death in Castle Diary. Explain that because of poor medical care, disease, and infant mortality, people in medieval times often died young. Without hospitals like we have today, most people died at home. Be sure that students understand that fear of death, and of going to hell after they died, motivated people to turn to religion and the church.

Ask: “What does it mean to pardon someone?”

Tell students that medieval pardoners were authorized by the church to sell pardons that would forgive or excuse people from their sins. Pardoners would take money to show or give people relics, which were the (often fake) physical remains of holy places or people. In this way, the church would raise money, and people would be relieved of their guilt over sins they had committed.

Ask: “What kind of person might be interested in, or good at, a job where he wants people to feel guilty or afraid so that they will buy his fake goods?” Discuss.

Tell students that as you read the beginning of the text, you will model some things that you notice and wonder about the text.

As you read, model, by thinking aloud for students, how you might use the Notice and Wonder Process to comprehend a new text.

Begin reading aloud on page 59, with “When the Pardoner had been sent packing …”

Differentiation:

Multilingual learners might benefit from a definition for this colloquial phrase, “had been sent packing.” Explain that the Widow had gotten rid of him—as if she’d packed his bags and sent him away on a journey to somewhere else.

At the end of the paragraph, think aloud: “I notice that he’s offering the Knight a chance to pay to see a relic from the Holy Virgin Mary and the thigh bone of Saint Sebastian.”

Continue reading on page 60.

After the first paragraph, think aloud: “I also notice that the narrator does not like the Pardoner! He says the Knight was polite, ‘even to fools.’”

Continue with the next paragraph.

Think aloud: “It sounds like the Sea Captain is accusing the Pardoner of being a fake. He saw a ship full of so many relics, they had to be fake.”

Continue reading the next three paragraphs.

Think aloud: “The Summoner is another religious man whom the author does not show in a good light! He stinks like garlic and has a nose covered with pus. And the Pardoner IS lying—the doctor says the bone is a pig’s bone. But even when he is accused of lying, he threatens all the pilgrims with hell.”

Read the final paragraph.

Think aloud: “By now I notice that the narrator cannot stand the Pardoner! He describes him as a ‘straggle-haired booby.’ A booby is a stupid person. Straggle-haired means his hair is untidy, dirty, and limp. He is unattractive. And now he is going to scare everyone with threats of hell and stories of death!”

Differentiation:

Multilingual learners and students reading below grade level might benefit from a definition for the idiomatic phrase, “to drum up a little custom.” Explain that in British English custom is business. In American English, we would say he wanted to “drum up some business.” The Pardoner wanted to get more people interested in what he was selling. Be sure that students see that the way that the Pardoner would get business is by making people afraid of death and going to hell. Then, people would want to pay him to make sure they could get to heaven instead.

TEACHER NOTE

Many medieval pardoners abused their position, preying on people’s desire to be in good standing with the church. Critics spoke out against the selling of pardons. Written sources from the period criticized pardoners for the sale of false relics, objects falsely claimed to be part of the body or possessions of a saint or other religious figure. So while the church had power in people’s daily lives, members of the church abused this power, and, by Chaucer’s time, more were openly criticizing these abuses. “The Pardoner’s Tale” is an exemplum, a brief story told to make a point or offer a moral lesson. In this case, the lesson about the dangers of greed is for the other pilgrims—but Chaucer is also making clear that the Pardoner could learn this lesson himself!

Ask a volunteer to share what they know about the Black Death or the Plague, clarifying and adding your own information as needed.

n The bubonic plague was an infectious, bacterial disease that spread quickly. In the Middle Ages, the plague killed about half of the people in Western Europe.

Have students make a T-chart like the following in their Response Journal: Notice Wonder

Characters Plot

Tell students that as you read “The Pardoner’s Tale,” you will no longer think aloud, but they should notice and wonder themselves, jotting notes and questions as you read.

Continue reading “The Pardoner’s Tale” from page 61 to 64 (stopping after the sentence, “But there was a pot of money as big as any crock of gold at the rainbow’s end.”). As you read, pause for student notes. Model fluent, expressive reading so students feel the tension of the story.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What did you notice and wonder about the characters in ‘The Pardoner’s Tale?’”

n Grab is drunk (61) and seems mean because he wants to kill a helpless old man (63).

n The names of the characters, Dip, Cut, and Grab are strange. I wonder why they have those names.

n They talk about death like a person. A lot of people in the town have died from the plague, so they are going to try to kill Death (61–62). I wonder what that means.

Then ask: “What did you notice and wonder about the plot or what is happening in ‘The Pardoner’s Tale’?”

Encourage students to try to answer their questions by referring to the text, but help address any unanswered questions as needed.

Continue reading from 64–65, stopping at the break on page 65. Pause for students to take notes.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask, “What did you notice and wonder about the plot or what is happening in ‘The Pardoner’s Tale?’”

Encourage students to try to answer their questions by referring to the text, but help address any unanswered questions as needed.

Repeat the process for pages 65–68, stopping at the break on page 68.

Pairs

Organize students into pairs. Tell students they will use Literary Dominoes to identify the sequence of key events in “The Pardoner’s Tale.”

Remind students that a story’s plot is like a set of dominoes; when the dominoes are set up close to each other, knocking one over causes the rest to fall. This is similar to a story’s plot; the first event leads to the next, and the next, and so on.

Distribute about twenty small slips of paper or index cards to each pair.

Remind pairs to use their judgment to record only the most important (no more than twenty) events of “The Pardoner’s Tale” onto their paper dominoes.

If needed, offer a few examples of important events, such as, “Grab is at a bar drinking, when he hears a friend died.” “He decides to stand up to Death.” “He gets his friends, Dip and Cut, and they go looking for Death.”

Tell students that they will use the dominoes in the next lesson.

Land10 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Remind students of the Content Framing Question: What do I notice and wonder about ‘The Pardoner’s Tale’?

In their Response Journal, students complete a 3–2–1 Exit Ticket, noting:

Three observations that they noticed while reading “The Pardoner’s Tale.”

Two questions they wondered about while reading “The Pardoner’s Tale.”

One way that the illustration, The Three Living and the Three Dead connects to “The Pardoner’s Tale.”

Remind students to include relevant evidence from the illustration and from the story to make their observations and questions clear.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK (OPTIONAL)

Students reading below grade level can complete the additional fluency practice on Handout 10B: Fluency Homework.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students’ responses to the 3–2–1 Exit Ticket reveal what students noticed in “The Pardoner’s Tale” and what questions they may still have. By connecting what they notice and wonder with textual evidence (RL.7.1), and making connections between the illustration and the story, students build foundations for further textual analysis in the next lesson. Check for the following success criteria:

• Attends to the task guidelines, offering three observations, two questions, and one connection.

• Cite relevant evidence as appropriate to each response.

Next Steps

If students’ questions in the lesson show that they are struggling with the story, assign the story for homework, encouraging students to reread the story, making notes about what they notice and wonder about specific narrative elements, including plot, setting, and characters.

Figures of Speech: Imagery and Personification

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean, “The Pardoner’s Tale: Death’s Murderers,” pages 59–69

ƒ

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Identify and interpret instances of personification and allusion in the context of “The Pardoner’s Tale” (L.7.5.a).

Launch

Write the following information on four 3x5 index cards or sticky notes and post on the Figurative Language Word Wall (begun in Deep Dive 1):

personification (n.) A technique used in art or literature for giving human qualities to nonhuman creatures or things.

allusion (n.) A brief and indirect mention of or reference to a person, place, idea, or older text with historical, cultural, and literary importance.

Personification Example: “Lady, your eye has scorched me like a burning-glass!” (“The Knight’s Tale” p. 12).

Scaffold

Allusion Example: “’You asp! “’You Judas!” (“The Knight’s Tale” p. 8).

Access students’ prior knowledge by asking them what they remember from previous class discussions on similes, metaphors, sensory language, and imagery. You can also review these terms by offering a few brief examples of each type of figurative element and asking students to identify what kind of element is being used.

Ask a student to read the information aloud and restate both types of figurative language in their own words. Prompt students to take notes and copy important posted information in their Vocabulary Journal.

Tell students that while they may not know the word, they probably already know what personification is. Explain that if they watched (or watch) cartoons, they have been bombarded with images of personification, such as rabbits talking and frogs wearing top hats, since they were little. Simply put, personification is attributing human characteristics to nonhuman things.

Ask: “What is being personified in the Word Wall example?”

Students should say that the Word Wall example, “Lady, your eye has scorched me like a burningglass!” personifies a woman’s eye.

Ask: “What do you think the knight in this example is really saying?”

n The knight is saying that the woman looked at him in a hateful way.

n He is responding to her nasty look—it’s as though he was burned by it.

n He feels as though her intense staring has burned him like a magnifying glass catching the sun.

Extension:

Consider assigning advanced students an extension incorporating the study of personification on a deeper level. Personification can also refer to a representation of a person, as in literature or art, which symbolizes some quality or other abstraction. For instance, one might say that the villain in a story personifies evil or the flawed hero personifies mankind.

Tell students that an allusion is an indirect reference to something from older works of literature or biblical texts. Explain that sometimes authors allude to people, places, and things from other sources, such as Shakespeare’s tragedies or the Bible. Authors allude to these sources because they are usually well known across cultures.

Ask: “What is being alluded to when Palamon calls Arcite ‘Judas’?”

Differentiation:

If students struggle, have a student on standby to look up allusions either online or in a classroom resource.

n Judas was the disciple who betrayed Jesus, so to call Arcite “Judas” is calling him a traitor.

n When you call someone a “Judas” you are accusing them of betraying your friendship.

n The biblical disciple Judas is being alluded to, so the example’s a biblical allusion that means “traitor.”

You may want to note that the allusion example on the Word Wall is also a metaphor since Arcite is not named Judas.

In pairs, students participate in a scavenger hunt for personification and allusion in “The Pardoner’s Tale.”

Direct students to: 1) find at least two examples of personification and allusion; and 2) interpret the personification and allusion examples.

Possible text examples with explanations:

1. “... and Death laid hands on every man, woman and child and carried ‘em off’” (61).

2. “And if you ask me, it’s about time some brave soul stood up to Death and put an end to his carryings-on—his carryings-off, I mean” (62).

3. “Death must have made himself quite a walletful by now” (62).

n The act of people dying is being personified in these three excerpts. In “The Pardoner’s Tale,” Death is a living being that carries people away to their final destination. The personification of death is common across many cultures and spans ages.

4. “... he’s older than Methuselah!” (63).

n This is an allusion to the man reported to have lived to the age of 969 in the Hebrew Bible.

5. “We’ll be the Three Kings of the Thieves” (64).

n The “Three Kings” may allude to the biblical Magi, a group of distinguished foreigners who visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Grab is stating that he, Dip, and Cut will be like kings among all the thieves.

6. “They lapsed into silence, and above them the oak’s heavy branches groaned while the gold coins clinked between their fingers” (65).

n The oak tree is personified when the branches are said to “groan.”

7. “The opened one had emptied itself into the ground” (68).

n The opened wine bottle is personified when it is said to empty “itself” into the ground.

Land

Instruct students to practice creating examples of personification and allusion and share them with a partner. Tell students that they will be expected to incorporate figurative language into their EOM narrative. They may add some examples to their list of figures of speech that could help describe the setting or characters or tell their EOM story.

FOCUSING QUESTION: LESSONS 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

Lesson 15

ƒ

The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean, “The Pardoner’s Tale: Death’s Murderers,” pages 59–69 (beginning with “When the Pardoner had been sent packing by the formidable Widow ... ” and ending with “ ... or half an old pillowcase.”)

Lesson 15: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (50 min.)

Examine Pacing (20 min.)

Analyze the Character (15 min.)

Determine and Analyze the Theme (15 min.)

Land (10 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Excel with Concise Writing (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.2, SL.7.6

Language ƒ

L.7.3.a

MATERIALS

Twenty small slips of paper or index cards for each pair of students ƒ

Handout 11A: Narrative Techniques—The Writer’s Toolbox ƒ

Handout 10B: Fluency Homework (optional)

Learning Goals

Analyze how the author develops and reveals a central idea in “The Pardoner’s Tale” (RL.7.2, RL.7.3).

Explain how the tale communicates a central idea about the concept of greed

Apply various strategies to communicate ideas concisely and precisely in writing (L.7.3.a).

Revise Exploded Moment writing for precision and concision.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 15

Distill: What is the central idea of “The Pardoner’s Tale,” and how is this idea developed over the course of the story?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 15

Examine: How and why do storytellers pace their stories?

Students analyze “The Pardoner’s Tale,” landing by exploring the theme of greed in the story, both of the characters and of the Pardoner himself. In addition, by deconstructing the character and examining the craft of pacing, students deepen their understanding of narratives, preparing them for the EOM Task.

Welcome

5 MIN.

With the same partners from the end of the previous lesson, students use their Notice and Wonder T-Chart and their Literary Dominoes to review and discuss the major events and characters in “The Pardoner’s Tale.”

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Set the goal for today’s lesson: Students analyze character, plot, and theme in “The Pardoner’s Tale.”

Ask volunteers to share their ideas from the Welcome activity.

EXAMINE PACING 20 MIN.

Pairs

Display the Craft Question: How and why do storytellers pace their stories?

Tell students that they will now think about the pacing of the plot of “The Pardoner’s Tale.” Explain that pacing refers to how quickly or slowly an author takes the reader through a story. To make a story or part of a story fast-paced, an author writes plot events that happen one after another, with little description. When the author wants to slow down the pace, they include a lot more detail about characters’ thoughts and feelings.

Ask: “Why might an author pace events slowly? Why might an author speed things up?”

Display a visual so students can see the narrative structure, and review the terms, rising action, climax, and falling action.

CLIMAX RISING ACTION FALLING ACTION

Tell students that rising action refers to the events building to the climax, the climax is the turning point for the main character (things might turn out for the better or for the worse), and the falling action is when the conflict unravels, is resolved, the story ends, and the reader’s tension is resolved.

Tell students to work in pairs to arrange their completed dominoes to show the dramatic structure of the story. Students should place the dominoes rising as the action occurs and builds and then falling when the conflict is resolved.

Ask students to look at the shape of their structures and see what they show about the pacing of the Pardoner’s story. (Most will have a long rising action, and then a quick falling off.)

Discuss why the story might end so quickly, with Death taking all three of the thieves. Help students to see that the slow pace builds suspense, and then the quick resolution emphasizes Death’s power over the living.

Help students see that the slow build up allows the reader to see what fools the thieves are. They make mistakes and then turn on each other.

Extension:

“The Pardoner’s Tale” is also an opportunity to discuss the structure of a narrative, and the ways that an author might shift from a straight chronological approach (first this, then this, then this) with foreshadow or flashback

Introduce students to the literary term foreshadow. Explain that when authors foreshadow, they give hints or warnings about a future event.

Tell students that the Pardoner foreshadows the conclusion of his story several times.

Challenge students to find examples of foreshadowing, such as the following:

n The hooded man at the bar says that Death “sure enough comes for every man in the end” (61).

n The old man on the road says, “You’re the lucky ones—you might die today!” (63).

n Dip walked with the sun “behind him, and his shadow stretched long and spidery ahead, so that he was all the time stepping into his own darkness” (64).

n When the plague cart passes with a dead person’s arm hanging out, the arm “swung to and fro, for all the world as if it was beckoning them” (67).

Provide time for students to record terms and ideas on Handout 11A.

Tell students they will have a chance to experiment with pacing.

Ask pairs to identify one scene in “The Pardoner’s Tale” that has a slow pace and one with a fast pace.

n The pace moves quickly as Grab, Cut, and Dip plot against Death and then find gold and plot against each other.

n The author includes a lot of detail, description, and action to build to the climax.

n The end comes suddenly, when Death carries off all three.

Invite pairs to take one line or scene from “The Pardoner’s Tale” and either speed it up or slow it down. Have students record these new lines or scenes in their Response Journal.

Call on volunteers to share their newly paced lines or scenes and explain what they did to either speed up the pace or slow it down.

Provide time for students to add notes about pacing to Handout 11A.

Small Groups

Organize students into small groups. Tell students they will think more deeply about the character who told this dark tale. Invite students to make an Identity Web to show the character of the Pardoner.

Ask students to write The Pardoner in the center of a clean page of their Response Journal. Then, in a web around the name, have students record words, phrases, and examples from the text that show:

ƒ How the Pardoner is described.

ƒ What the Pardoner does.

ƒ What the Pardoner says.

ƒ How others react to the Pardoner.

When students have finished, come together as a whole group, and ask: “What kind of person is the Pardoner? How do you know?”

Invite groups to share their findings.

Be sure students note relevant words, phrases, and evidence to describe the Pardoner such as:

n “[U]nattractive,” “a liar,” “a conman,” “a charlatan” (60).

n “[A] straggle-haired booby” (60).

n “[S]ticky white palms” (68).

n “[B]lond lashes straining like exclamation marks round his bulging blue eyes” (69).

n A fake (The Doctor points out that Saint Sebastian’s thigh-bone is actually a pig’s foot).

n Greedy (He tries to convince the others by scaring them with his scary story about death and threatens that they “will all burn in hell” (60).).

Invite students to share ideas with the whole group.

Extension:

If time allows, students can explore the other characters within “The Pardoner’s Tale.” One of the ways that authors characterize characters is with their names. Ask: “Why do the names Grab, Cut, and Dip fit the characters in this story?”

Students can discuss:

ƒ

To grab means “to take hold of something quickly or to take it from someone else.” The name is not positive; it means he takes things.

ƒ

To cut means “to remove something.” Cut got his name because he steals purses: “Cut fingered his sharp penknife—the one he used for cutting purses” (62).

ƒ

To dip means “to let something down quickly.” Maybe Dip got his name because he dipped his fingers into other people’s purses or pockets. The Pardoner says, “Dip felt his fingers itch at the promise of rich pickings” (62).

ƒ

These are all the names of thieves. (But be sure students realize that Chaucer might be playing with these names since the Pardoner himself is also a lying thief.)

DETERMINE AND ANALYZE THE THEME 15 MIN.

Whole Group

Tell students that now that you have talked about the character and the plot, it is time to talk about the meaning of the story.

Provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning

theme (n.) The central topic, subject, or message of a literary work.

Tell students that when readers think about theme, they can ask themselves, “What does the author want me to take away from this story?”

In this case, because of Chaucer’s story-within-a-story structure, students need to ask themselves two questions.

First, ask: “What do you think the Pardoner wanted his fellow pilgrims to take away from his story?”

Second, ask: “What ideas about the Church and the role of Pardoners do you think Chaucer wanted his readers to think about by his description of the Pardoner and the story that the Pardoner chose to tell?”

Discuss both questions as whole group, recording students’ ideas for display.

Scaffold:

To support greater levels of participation, offer one minute after asking each question for students to either note ideas individually in response or to share ideas with a partner before coming back together as a whole group.

Help students see that Chaucer develops multiple central ideas and themes through the Pardoner and his tale.

n The Pardoner wants his audience to see that Death is always present in life and that Death will win in the end, no matter how the living try to cheat Death.

n The Pardoner’s tale is a warning against sins. The tale delivers the message that sins lead to other sins (the thieves are drunk, jealous, and greedy).

n The Pardoner wants his audience to see that greed (or other human sins) will be punished. (He wants them to feel afraid so they will buy his pardons!)

n Chaucer makes the Pardoner so greedy that he emphasizes this theme that greed is an evil.

n Chaucer also seems to be developing an idea about the Church; perhaps that the way to be truly pardoned is through good behavior, not through paying for pardons with a Pardoner!

n Both the Pardoner and his tale show how self-interested and hypocritical people can be.

n Both stories warn their listeners to beware of those who try to manipulate them, whether it is the Pardoner with his fake relics or the thieves who turn against each other.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Remind students of the Content Framing Question: “What is the central idea of ‘The Pardoner’s Tale,’ and how is this idea developed over the course of the story?”

Write the word greed on the board. Define the word if needed: greed is a selfish and consuming desire for more of something, such as food, money, or possession, usually beyond what the person needs or has earned.

In their Response Journal, students respond to the following question: “How is the ‘The Pardoner’s Tale’ a story about greed, and how is this idea developed through ‘The Pardoner’s Tale’?”

Remind students to use textual evidence to support their answers.

n The message of the tale is that greed will be punished. Cut, Dip, and Grab were too greedy, so they died.

n But the irony is that the Pardoner is greedy himself. He tells the story to get the pilgrims to worry about their own deaths and want to be pardoned for their own sins, and as a result to give the Pardoner more money to see his relics!

n Chaucer develops the idea by carefully pacing the Pardoner’s tale to emphasize the greed of the thieves, and their swift punishment. He also develops the idea by developing the character of the Pardoner, and having such a greedy person tell this tale about greed.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” (pages 48–58) and take notes about what they notice and wonder while reading. Engage students’ curiosity by telling them that they will finally get to hear from the perspective of a medieval woman!

© Great Minds PBC

G7 M1 Handout 10B WIT WISDOM

just back from Normandy, and my horse was forever knee-deep in mud over there.” I liked him at once, this quiet, noble-looking man. From the mud on his jerkin, he looked as if he had travelled half Christendom, and thought he might have a few good tales to tell. So sat down beside him and looked around at my fellow pilgrims. What a gallery of faces! There were about as many as the letters of the alphabet—and each one equally different from his neighbor. Page of 2

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students describe how the Pardoner’s tale develops the theme of greed (RL.7.2, RL.7.3). Check for the following success criteria: ƒ Demonstrates an understanding of the story and its central idea or theme. ƒ Answers the question by clearly connecting the concept of greed with the tale. ƒ Uses textual evidence to support the response.

Next Steps

195 © 2023 Great Minds PBC G7 M1 Lesson 15 WIT & WISDOM®

Lesson 15 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Excel with Concise Writing

ƒ

Text: The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer ƒ Time: 15 min. ƒ

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Apply various strategies to communicate ideas concisely and precisely in writing (L.7.3.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 15 Excel: How do I improve my writing to be more concise and precise?

Launch Display: 1. The cloth we use on the table.

Very funny.

Real, genuine personality. 4. Got to go out to eat. 5. There are a thousand balloons in the sky. 6. The man who works on cars.

Instruct students to pair up and jot ways the displayed phrases can be revised. Tell them they should be prepared to explain their suggested revisions. If needed, they can use page two of Handout 4B: Identifying Wordiness in Writing to guide them.

n In the first one, you can eliminate the prepositional phrase “on the table” and say “the table cloth we use.”

n You can get rid of “very” in number two and change funny to “hilarious” to be more precise.

n There’s repeated information in number three. Real and genuine are synonyms, so you can just say “genuine personality.”

n You can eliminate “there are” in number five by rephrasing the sentence. You can eliminate “there” and say, “A thousand balloons are in the sky.”

n To be more precise, you can change “the man who works on cars” to “the mechanic” in number six.

Explain that students will work with partners to edit Exploded Moments they wrote recently for precise and concise writing. Display and read the following sample Exploded Moment:

Sir Salvio was walking aimlessly in the woods with no real direction. Suddenly there was a really pretty maiden in front of him. He froze as still as a statue and stared at her. His heart was going fast. Sir Salvio knew that he must steal a kiss from her and approached her with a great smile.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “If this were my partner’s writing, how could I use what we have learned about being precise and concise to help them improve?”

Work collaboratively with students to make suggested edits.

Sir Salvio was walking walked aimlessly in the woods with no real direction. Suddenly there was he spied a really pretty stunning maiden in front of him. He froze as still as a statue and stared at her. His heart was going fast beat wildly. Sir Salvio knew that he must steal a kiss from her and approached her with a great his most dazzling smile.

Land

Students work in pairs.

Instruct students to choose an Exploded Moment from their Response Journal entries and exchange it with a partner. Each partner should look for places where the writer could have been more concise and precise, referring to Handout 4B as needed. Remind students that some description is essential to “exploding” moments, so they should help each other carefully judge what information is important.

Circulate to assess understanding and offer assistance as necessary.

Students return the Response Journal entry to their partner. They discuss the edits and suggestions peers have made in their journal entry. Then they should revise their work.

FOCUSING QUESTION: LESSONS 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

Lesson 16

ƒ

The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean, “The Wife of Bath’s Tale: What Woman Most Desire,” pages 48–58 (beginning with “’You’re clearly a woman after my own heart!’” and ending with “who liked nothing better than a kiss in the wood from her beloved knight!”)

Lesson 16: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Activate Prior Knowledge

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Reread for Plot (15 min.)

Examine the Opening (20 min.)

Analyze the Character (20 min.)

Land (10 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Coyly, daintily, fervently (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.2, SL.7.6

Language ƒ

L.7.4

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Analyze the interaction between character and plot in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” (RL.7.3).

Explain how the Wife of Bath’s tale fits her character.

Clarify the meaning of new content vocabulary using context clues, Greek or Latin affixes and roots, and lexical resources (L.7.4).

ƒ

Handout 11A: Narrative Techniques—The Writer’s Toolbox ƒ

Handout 16A: Fluency Homework (optional)

Write a short paragraph, using target words correctly and with strong context clues.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 16

Organize: What is happening in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 16

Examine: How do storytellers engage and orient their readers?

Students consider the role of gender in medieval identity through a reading of “The Wife of Bath’s Tale.” The texts to this point in the module have focused on the medieval male identity; this tale provides a chance to explore another element of identity—gender.

Welcome

5 MIN.

ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Post the question: “What do you know about women in the Middle Ages, either from Castle Diary or other sources?”

In their Response Journal, students jot facts or ideas about medieval gender roles.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Remind students that for homework, they heard from the perspective of a medieval woman, the Wife of Bath. Explain that today, they will make sure they understand what is happening in the story and what the text means. They will also examine Chaucer’s craft in the text to inform their own writing.

55 MIN.

REREAD FOR PLOT 15 MIN.

Small Groups

Tell students that you are going to begin by identifying what happens in the Wife of Bath’s story.

Organize students into small groups. Ask groups to summarize the story’s events. Invite volunteers to share, while charting the key events in sequence for display.

n The Wife of Bath offers to tell a story about what a woman most wants from her man.

n She tells the story of Sir Salvio.

n Sir Salvio offends a woman in the woods by kissing her.

n He is about to be killed when Queen Guinevere says his life can be saved if, within a year, he can answer this riddle: “What Do Women Most Desire?”

n He goes on a quest to find the answer by asking many different women, but they all give him different answers.

n Finally, an old lady tells him that she will tell him the answer if he agrees to marry her.

n It turns out she has the right answer: “What Women Most Desire is to have their own way in everything.”

n He does not want to marry her but does.

n She finally tells him she is magical, and he can either have her ugly but devoted to him or beautiful but desired by other men.

n Following the answer to the riddle, he lets her choose. Because he gets the right answer, he gets both— her beauty and loyalty.

EXAMINE THE OPENING 20 MIN.

Small Groups

Display the Craft Question: How do storytellers engage and orient their readers?

Now that they have the plot in mind, challenge students to think about how the story is told. Remind students that in this module, they’ve been looking at the elements and techniques of narratives, or stories.

Ask volunteers to generate a list of criteria for a good story. Ask: “What elements and techniques would you find in a good story?”

Display students’ ideas.

If students need to be prompted, remind them of the ESCAPE mnemonic (engage and Establish a context and point of view, set the Setting, introduce Characters, describe the Action, present the Problem, and offer a resolution or Ending).

Post criteria for narrative writing, from a grade-level standard for narrative writing or from the Great Minds checklist for narrative writing:

ƒ

I establish a context and point of view for my story. ƒ

I create a conflict for my characters. ƒ

I introduce a narrator and/or character(s). ƒ

I organize events logically. ƒ

ƒ

I use dialogue, pacing, and description to develop events and characters.

I use descriptive details and sensory language.

ƒ I offer a resolution.

Invite students to compare their ideas with the criteria, and discuss what makes a story effective.

Highlight that one criterion for an effective story is that it engages and orients the reader by setting the stage for the story. Stories often open by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters.

Organize students into small groups. Ask groups to look again at the opening of “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” on page 50:

ƒ

How does the opening engage the reader?

How does the opening orient the reader in terms of the setting? ƒ How does the opening establish the narrator? ƒ How does the opening introduce the characters? ƒ

ƒ

How does the opening identify the point of view?

Scaffold:

If time is limited, assign each group one question. Have groups analyze how the opening meets this one criterion. Then, have groups share findings with the class.

n The opening engages the reader by repeating the word love over and over and referencing exciting things, like King Arthur’s Round Table, knights and other royalty, and jousts. The opening starts like a fairy tale almost, “Once upon a time …”

n The setting is immediately established. The story takes place long ago, in the “old days.”

n We know the narrator is the Wife of Bath, since she is telling the tale to the pilgrims.

n We hear of damsels, squires, men, women, but the first named character we hear of is “the hot-blooded Sir Salvio.”

n The Wife of Bath seems to be poking fun at the idea that everyone talked of nothing but love, love, love, but then when they were together, they only talked about the weather. (We know already that the Wife of Bath would think this was silly! She speaks her mind!)

Extension:

If time allows, discuss the ample use of figurative language through metaphors and similes and sensory description throughout the Wife of Bath’s tale. Ask: “What do you notice about the language on the first two pages of the tale?”

n The Widow uses an abundance of figurative language to describe characters and actions. The knight says the water is “‘Almost as sweet to taste as a kiss’” (50). The lady “shrieked and swooped like a parrot” (50). The knight has “cast his shadow” over the lady (51). The ladies fell to the floor “like swathes of corn behind a sickle” (51).

Challenge students to continue to reread and identify examples of figurative and descriptive language throughout the story and to note their favorites on Handout 11A.

Discuss students’ observations about figurative and descriptive language.

ANALYZE THE CHARACTER

Whole Group

20 MIN.

Tell students that now that they have established what happened and how it happened, they are going to think about the teller of this tale.

Provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning

innuendo (n.) When a person makes a subtle hint or veiled insult, usually about something immoral or improper.

Give students an example: “If McKenna thinks that Justin told a lie but does not want to directly accuse him, she might purposefully glance at him and say to someone else, ‘Well, unlike other people, I am not someone who tells lies.’” Tell students that the Wife of Bath often hints or suggests something without directly or explicitly saying it. Tell students to keep their ears open to identify these innuendos.

Read aloud the introduction to “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” beginning on page 48 with, “‘You’re clearly a woman after my own heart!’” and ending at the bottom of page 49.

Ask: “What innuendos did she make?”

n She makes sexual innuendos, referring to her five husbands and their “treasures.”

Ask: “What does this introduction to the Wife of Bath’s story show about her character?”

Remind students that there are many ways that authors characterize their characters. Tell students that the character of the Wife of Bath is shown through direct description, through her words in the pages leading up to her tale, through her interactions with the other pilgrims, and through the story she chooses to tell the other pilgrims.

Ask: “How would you describe the Wife of Bath?”

n Independent.

n Free with what she thinks and says.

n Rich. She is wearing red woolen stockings and soft leather shoes.

n She does not have patience for fools, as we can see by how she responds to the Pardoner.

n She is kind, as we can see by how she treats the Squire.

Display students’ ideas as they discuss her character.

Land10 MIN.

ADDRESS THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Ask: “To what extent does the tale, ‘What Women Most Desire,’ fit the teller, the Wife of Bath? Provide specific examples from the text to support your answer.”

n Before the story, she tells the groups she has “won the hearts of five husbands” (48). So clearly, she knows about marriage and relationships, and so can tell a story about marriage and relationships.

n She is glad to be independent and knows what she wants. She says, “Now I’m free to think about and say what I like, thanks be to God” (48). So it is fitting that she concludes that what women want is to have their own way.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK (OPTIONAL)

Distribute Handout 16A: Fluency Homework to any students reading below grade level who might benefit from additional fluency practice. Tell students that they should keep this handout for the next four days and can practice the passage for homework after Lessons 16, 17, 18, and 19.

Great Minds PBC

Extension:

ƒ

ƒ

What the Poacher Feels

What the Poacher Hears

What the Poacher Thinks

What the Poacher Sees

Directions: Complete the organizer, brainstorming ideas about what the Poacher thinks, sees, hears, and feels.

Handout 6A: From the Poacher’s Point of View Planning Tool

Name Date Class

G7 M1 Handout 6A WIT & WISDOM Page of

Rereading the passage builds students’ fluency and also gives them the chance to read a passage from the text closely, over multiple readings. This short passage offers much to explore. You might consider posing specific questions for students to consider with each rereading—or on the final reading.

How does the author convey the passing of time through specific word choices? (He traveled “on and on” and “through lands” and “through wastelands.”)

How does the author characterize the old woman? (She repeats the word old, uses words like crone and hag, describes her humped shoulders and black teeth.)

How does the author develop the Knight’s character here? (The Knight is worried about being dishonored if he comes to the palace a day late, but he is very rude to the old woman.) ƒ

ƒ

How does the author vary word choice to make the writing more interesting? (Instead of using the word said with dialogue, the author writes that the Knight shouted and the old hag lisped.)

ƒ

How does the author use sensory language to describe? (You can feel the cold of the “frozen lips;” hear the old crone’s lisp; see her black teeth; smell the shirt he’s worn for a year.)

ƒ

What details in this excerpt make this story seem like a fairy tale? (There is an old woman like a witch, a handsome knight riding to a palace, a cauldron with bubbles that sigh.)

Analyze

Context and Alignment

The CFU assesses how well students understand the character of the Wife of Bath and how the character interacts with plot and central ideas (RL.7.3). Check for the following success criteria: ƒ

Clearly connects the character of the Wife of Bath with the tale she tells. ƒ

Provides textual evidence in support of the response.

Next Steps

Reflecting on the interactions between narrative elements (plot, narrator, perspective, theme) helps students to analyze stories more deeply. If students struggle with the CFU, provide specific examples and ask them to make connections. For example, use sentence frames like the following: ƒ

She tells a story about “What Women Want.” This seems appropriate for the Wife of Bath because . ƒ

She tells a story that is less about knights and chivalry than the Knight’s tale but less rude than the Miller’s tale. This seems appropriate for the Wife of Bath because ƒ

She tells a story about love and marriage. This seems appropriate for the Wife of Bath because . ƒ

She is happy to be “free to think about and say what I like” (48), so the Wife of Bath tells a story where the central idea is .

Content Vocabulary: Coyly

daintily

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

,

ƒ

fervently

ƒ

,

Text: The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean, “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” (pages 48–58)

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Clarify the meaning of new content vocabulary using context clues, Greek or Latin affixes and roots, and lexical resources (L.7.4).

Launch

Tell students that they will use the Outside-In strategy to understand the meaning of new target vocabulary from the text.

Display the following information:

Outside

1. She laughed at his joke and then coyly turned away, blushing.

2. The little girl daintily set down porcelain teacups in front of each of her dolls.

3. We knew he was angry when he fervently shoved all the books off the library shelf.

Explain that during the discussion that follows, students should take notes in the New Words section of their Vocabulary Journal and copy relevant information about the words coyly, daintily, and fervently. Guide students in deciding which information is important, if necessary.

Ask: “What information outside the underlined words offers clues to their meaning?”

Students may pair up and jot their ideas and reasoning before sharing with the class.

n I think the words “laughed” and then “turned away, blushing” in the first sentence are clues to the word. The word coyly could mean “shyly or embarrassed.”

n In the second sentence, I think the fact that the subject is a little girl and that she’s playing with porcelain teacups means that she is putting the cups down very carefully.

n The words “angry” and “shoved all the books” in sentence three support that the word fervently means “passionately.”

coy— dainty— fervent— –ly

As a class, come to a consensus on the meaning of the words based on their context. Have students use a dictionary to verify their meanings. Then ask students to recall the meaning of the suffix –ly, or if they cannot remember what the suffix means, ask them to use context to figure it out. If necessary, guide the students by pointing out that all three words in the Launch sentences modify verbs.

n The suffix –ly turns adjectives into adverbs.

n It makes adverbs—they modify verbs.

n It means “to do something in a certain way” or “be like” something.

Differentiation:

If students have difficulty remembering or deciphering the meaning of the suffix, have the class brainstorm several examples of words that end in –ly. Then have them create sentences with a couple of the words and try guiding them toward its meaning again.

After reaching class consensus, verify the meaning of the suffix in a classroom or online dictionary such as http://witeng.link/wordsmyth.

Students pair up and create a short paragraph incorporating all three words correctly and with strong context clues. Volunteers share their paragraphs, and the rest of the class assesses the volunteers’ word usage. If students do not agree with students’ word usage, they should explain why and offer a suggestion for improvement.

Land

Ask: “How do these three words—coyly, daintily, and fervently—offer insight into the character, the Wife of Bath?”

Tell students that, if needed, they can refer to the sections where these words appear on pages 23, 51, and 52 of The Canterbury Tales.

Instruct students to think first and then discuss in pairs or small groups, explaining their reasoning as they share their thoughts.

n These three words show how the Wife of Bath acts—they show her personality.

n These words give the reader an idea of how the Wife of Bath behaves.

n They show that she is coy, does things in a careful, almost formal way, and that she speaks passionately.

Lesson

Lesson 17: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Activate Prior Knowledge Launch (5 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Examine an Exploded Moment (30 min.)

Experiment with Storytelling (25 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Reflect and Set Goals

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Vocabulary Assessment (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading ƒ RL.7.3

Writing ƒ W.7.3

Language ƒ L.7.6

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Explore how word choices, details, and other narrative techniques “explode” a moment of a narrative (RL.7.3, W.7.3).

“Explode” a narrative moment.

Demonstrate understanding of grade-level vocabulary (L.7.6).

ƒ

Handout 9A: Narrative Elements (for reference) ƒ

Handout 11A: Narrative Techniques—The Writer’s Toolbox (for reference) ƒ

Handout 16A: Fluency Homework (optional) ƒ

Assessment 17A: Vocabulary Assessment 1

Complete the direct vocabulary assessment.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 17

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of narrative techniques reveal about effective storytelling?

CRAFT QUESTIONS: Lesson 17

Examine: How and why do storytellers “explode” specific moments in their stories?

Experiment: How can adding description help me show an important moment in a story?

Students distill what they have learned about narrative and incorporate what they have learned into writing their own narrative moments, using the narrative elements and techniques modeled in The Canterbury Tales. Focusing on a moment of a narrative helps students integrate description, sensory and figurative language, use of dialogue, and other techniques they have examined in the module texts so far. This practice provides background for students to think more critically about literary works and prepares them to write their own narratives in the EOM Task.

Welcome

5 MIN.

ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Assign a 3–2–1 Response. In their Response Journal, students list: ƒ

Three elements of stories. ƒ

Two techniques authors use to develop their stories. ƒ

One favorite example from The Canterbury Tales of an effective element or technique.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Tell students that today they will focus on storytelling and understanding what The Canterbury Tales teaches us about effective storytelling.

55 MIN.

EXAMINE AN EXPLODED MOMENT 30 MIN.

Whole Group

Display the Craft Question: How and why do storytellers “explode” specific moments in their stories?

Ask students to recollect what it was like to be little and listen to a story. Tell them to sit back and get ready for storytime.

Once you’ve set the stage for a really “good” story, proceed to tell a long, overly detailed, boring, bedto-bed story—perhaps a boring retelling of a scene in one of Chaucer’s tales.

This is your chance to model what NOT to do.

When Sir Salvio woke up on his second morning, he looked at the long list of notes on his sleeve. He felt frustrated. He did not know the answer to the question. He was worried. He wondered what might happen to him if he could not figure out the answer to the question. He put on his cloak. He brushed and fed his horse. He gave his horse some water. He drank some water himself. He ate a piece of dried meat he carried in his bag. He got onto his horse. He rode slowly down the road. He scanned the horizon looking for another woman to whom he could ask his question. He rode for a long time without seeing anyone. It was a spring day. Hours passed by. He decided to stop for lunch. He drank more water. His horse drank water too. He ate an oatcake he had in his bag. He set off again down the road. He saw a woman. He talked to her. He wrote another note on his sleeve. Then he continued.

Tell students that what you have told them can be called a bed-to-bed story. Your story included every little thing that happened.

Ask the following questions and discuss:

ƒ Is this an interesting story? Why or why not?

ƒ

Are there parts of the story that you wanted to know more about?

Tell students that it is important when telling a story to choose only important moments and then to “explode” or describe every detail of these moments so readers can imagine the story clearly.

Tell students that these Exploded Moments are when the author slows down the story to focus on a specific scene. A good example occurs in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale.” It would take far too long to tell of every woman Sir Salvio meets on his journey, so instead the author writes: “On and on he travelled, through lands of ice where women would not part their frozen lips to answer him—through wastelands where all the women wanted was the next meal for their children. Finally time ran short …” (53). But when Sir Salvio meets the hag, the author slows down and describes this important encounter in detail. The author also describes in detail what happens when Sir Salvio comes back to the Round Table to tell the answer to the Queen’s riddle because this is another key moment in the narrative.

Group students, and have groups look at what techniques the author uses to “explode” the moments with the old woman and at the Round Table.

Invite student volunteers to share specific examples. The list should include ideas such as:

ƒ Dialogue/what the characters say.

ƒ Figurative and descriptive language, including similes and metaphors.

ƒ Sensory language to help readers visualize the scene.

ƒ Characters’ thoughts and feelings.

Tell the class that you will choose a scene from The Canterbury Tales to “explode” together. You might choose to “explode” a scene in which Sir Salvio enters one of the frozen lands where a woman was too cold to answer him or one of the wastelands where a woman could not feed her children, as described on page 53 in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale.” Or you might choose another moment to “explode.” (Just be sure to choose one that is undeveloped in the story.)

As a group, collaboratively “explode” the moment in the story that the class has selected. Display the Exploded Moment for the group as you work. It is not necessary to finish this task. Just work on it long enough to give students an idea of how to use the techniques they brainstormed to “explode” a moment.

Scaffold:

If students have trouble getting started, model some examples for them: “Sir Salvio shivered, and pulled his cloak more tightly around himself. He was nearly asleep in the saddle, but he knew he had to get to shelter before he fell asleep. Ahead, he saw smoke rising from a small hut that looked as if it were made of ice …”

Ask volunteers to point out specific techniques that helped the group “explode” the moment.

Small Groups

Display the Craft Question: How can adding description help me show an important moment in a story?

Tell students that they will now have the chance to “explode” their own moment with a partner.

Display a brief description of several different moments for partners to choose to “explode,” such as expanding an existing scene or imagining a new scene about one of the characters from Castle Diary or The Canterbury Tales. For example:

ƒ

Palamon and Emily speak to each other after the duel. (expanded scene)

ƒ

ƒ

The pilgrims react to “The Pardoner’s Tale” or “The Wife of Bath’s Tale.” (expanded scene)

The hot-blooded Sir Salvio meets with the lady in the wood at the opening of the Wife of Bath’s tale. (expanded scene)

ƒ

Tobias was sent to deliver an important message. (new scene)

ƒ

ƒ

The Miller and the Pardoner have a disagreement. (new scene)

A new pilgrim joins the others on their way to Canterbury. (new scene)

Partners work together to create a first draft of an “exploded” moment. Each student should record the exploded moment in their Response Journal.

Invite pairs to share their “exploded” moments.

REFLECT AND SET GOALS

Students write about how Exploded Moments improve the bed-to-bed type story with which the class opened and identify one goal for improving their own narrative writing in their Response Journal.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Remind students about the upcoming Socratic Seminar, and display the discussion question: “What do The Canterbury Tales’ varied stories of medieval characters and society teach modern readers about strong storytelling and vivid characterization?”

Ask students to generate: ƒ One specific example of a narrative element or technique that Chaucer models in the tales. ƒ One question they would like to pose to their classmates during the discussion.

Students bring the idea and question with them to the discussion in the following lesson. (Optional) Distribute Handout 16A to any students reading below grade level who might benefit from additional fluency practice, and assign Day 2 of fluency practice.

time ran short, and he turned back to keep his appointment with the King’s deadline. To be one day late at Camelot would dishonour him, for the other knights would think he was fearful of the sword’s edge. So it was that he came to be riding at a gallop through the Forests of Dean on the last day, when he saw an old crone boiling up water in a cauldron.

“Old woman!” he shouted out. “Boil my shirt, for I have slept in it this year past, and today I must present myself before the Queen of England.” He handed her the shirt on which he had scrawled the answer of every woman he had met.

The old hag held up each sleeve in turn. “What’s this, then?” she lisped through two black teeth. Love Money Passion Power Beauty Children Long life Fame…These are the stuff of women’s wishes!”

“Mind your own business, weaselly one, and boil the shirt. I’m sick and tired of asking What Women Most Desire.”

The shirt was plunged into the cauldron, and the bubbles that rose gave strangely feminine sighs.

“What Women Most Desire? Oh, can tell you that lording. But my answer has a price. What desire most is to marry a handsome knight with hair of just your colour and curls of just your kind. If were to tell you the answer, you would have to marry me.”

“I’d gladly marry even you, Dame Cockroach, for the sake of the right answer. But I’ve heard so many now, that dare say I’ve already heard yours from someone else.”

The old crone shrugged her humped shoulders and gave him back his shirt, dripping and steaming. “What Women Most Desire is to have their own way in everything,” she said.

G7 M1 Handout 16A WIT & WISDOM Page of 2 G7 M1 Lesson 17 WIT & WISDOM® 218

Analyze

Context and Alignment

The Exploded Moment activity builds students’ ability to analyze the elements and techniques of literary texts (RL.7.1, RL.7.3) and uses effective techniques to create their own narrative work (W.7.3). Be sure that students know you are not evaluating this Exploded Moment as a final draft; this activity provides background for the narrative writing they will do in the second half of the module.

Next Steps

For students who struggle to “explode” a moment, provide additional structure, such as through a checklist like the following:

ƒ

Dialogue: Where can I add dialogue to show what the characters say? ƒ

Thoughts: Where can I add ideas to show what the character think? ƒ

Feelings: Where can I add details to show how the character feels? ƒ

Action: Where can I add words and phrases to capture the actions and show what characters do? ƒ

Pacing: Where can I add details to slow down the pacing? ƒ

Sensory Language: Where can I add sensory language to describe how things look, sound, taste, feel, or smell?

ƒ

Figurative Language: Where can I add figurative language to make my writing more interesting?

Students should hold on to their copy of the collaborative Exploded Moment and their group “exploded moment” to refer back to in future lessons.

Lesson 17 Deep Dive: Vocabulary

Vocabulary Assessment

ƒ

Time: 15 min. ƒ

Text: Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Richard Platt, The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean ƒ

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Demonstrate understanding of grade-level vocabulary (L.7.6).

Launch

ƒ

Students will take the first of two Vocabulary Assessments to measure their understanding of studied content and academic vocabulary. ƒ

The words for this unit have been split into two tests. This first test covers vocabulary learned during the study of Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess and The Canterbury Tales. The second test covers vocabulary learned during the study of The Midwife’s Apprentice. Students will take the second assessment in Deep Dive Lesson 31. ƒ Note that numbers 5, 10, and 11 are about the meaning of the morphemes in bold. Students should define only the morphemes, not the whole word. ƒ Ask students to raise their hand if they need help with spelling.

Distribute Assessment 17A: Vocabulary Assessment 1, and review the handout directions with students.

Students complete the direct vocabulary assessment. Circulate to answer questions, pronounce words, or give spelling support.

TEACHER NOTE

Consider evaluating assessment results to see which module words need to be reviewed or retaught at a later time.

Lesson 18

Lesson 18: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Reflect on Storytelling

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Plan for Discussion and Define the Listening Goal (10 min.)

Participate in Socratic Seminar (40 min.)

Assess Performance and Track Progress (5 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Synthesize Understandings

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep

Dive: Examine Simple and Compound Sentences (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.3

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.1.b

MATERIALS

Handout 9A: Narrative Elements ƒ

Handout 7A: Socratic Seminar Discussion Starters ƒ

Handout 4A: Speaking and Listening Goal-Setting and SelfAssessment ƒ

Handout 18A: Noticing Mood, Intent, and Tone When Listening ƒ

Handout 16A: Fluency Homework (optional)

Learning Goals

Engage in a collaborative conversation, drawing on evidence, posing questions, responding to others, acknowledging new information, and using formal English as appropriate (SL.7.1, SL.7.6).

Participate in the Socratic Seminar, and complete the self-assessment in Handout 4A.

Track progress toward specific goals for participating more effectively in group discussion (SL.7.1.b).

Complete Handout 4A.

Identify and explore how simple and compound sentences signal differing relationships among ideas (L.7.1.b).

Review a partner’s writing, and suggest opportunities to use simple sentences stylistically or opportunities to combine simple sentences into compound sentences to eliminate choppiness.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 18

Know: How does The Canterbury Tales build my knowledge of strong storytelling?

CRAFT QUESTIONS: Lesson 18

Examine: Why is noticing another speaker’s mood, tone, or intent important in collaborative discussions?

Experiment: How does noticing mood, tone, and intent work?

In a Socratic Seminar, students consider The Canterbury Tales as a model of strong storytelling. This discussion leads into Focusing Question Task 2, in which students record their responses and textual evidence in writing. Their work with The Canterbury Tales, their discussion in the Socratic Seminar, and their written response to the Focusing Question Task together build students’ knowledge of narrative that they will draw upon in their work in the second half of the module and in their response to the EOM Task.

Welcome

5 MIN.

REFLECT ON STORYTELLING

In their Response Journal, students describe what they learned in the previous day’s lesson on storytelling and Exploded Moments.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Tell students that today, they will participate in a Socratic Seminar to respond to both questions.

Display the Socratic Seminar question: “What do The Canterbury Tales’ varied stories of medieval characters and society teach modern readers about strong storytelling and vivid characterization?”

55 MIN.

PLAN FOR DISCUSSION AND DEFINE THE LISTENING GOAL

Whole Group

10 MIN.

Display the Craft Question: Why is noticing another speaker’s mood, tone, or intent important in collaborative discussions?

Remind students of the Discussion Rules and that, during the last Socratic Seminar, they each set a goal for themselves based on those rules. Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What was your goal during the last Socratic Seminar? How did having a goal help you participate effectively?”

Tell students that in today’s Socratic Seminar, they will all have the same specific listening goal.

Display the Listening Goal: Notice mood, intent, and tone. Have students read the goal and note any new or confusing words. Provide short definitions for words as needed.

Distribute Handout 18A.

Students annotate the page for Questions and Confusions.

Have students work in pairs to clarify their thinking and generate examples.

Call on student pairs to share lingering questions. Respond to student questions, addressing any misconceptions.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How might noticing the mood, intent, and tone of a speaker help the group learn more?”

n If the tone of the speaker is insistent, we know they feel strongly about something.

n If the speaker’s intent is to convince us to do something, we can think more critically about what she is saying.

n Noticing the mood of a conversation could change how people participate in it.

Choose a few students to share with the whole group.

Explain that today, students should focus on noticing mood, intent, and tone, and they should continue to do so whenever they have an academic conversation in this module.

PARTICIPATE IN SOCRATIC SEMINAR

Whole Group

Display the Craft Question: How does noticing mood, tone, and intent work?

Distribute Handout 4A: Speaking and Listening Goal-Setting and Self-Assessment. Name Handout

Ask students to complete the top part of the handout, listing the “Notice mood, tone, and intent” as their goal for today’s discussion.

Explain that another goal for all students during today’s discussion is to use words from their Vocabulary Journal.

The whole group discusses the Socratic Seminar question, citing evidence in support of ideas.

If discussion slows, allow wait time, and then pose questions like the following:

ƒ

How does the structure of The Canterbury Tales allow Chaucer to play with many different characters’ identities and many different kinds of stories? ƒ What techniques does the author use to create vivid characters with strong identities in The Canterbury Tales? ƒ

How did the storytellers use language to set a tone and describe in The Canterbury Tales? ƒ What narrative element does Chaucer develop most fully: plot, setting, or character? Explain. ƒ What specific techniques made the stories interesting or enjoyable? ƒ Read aloud from a favorite scene or line from one of the tales. What narrative element or technique does this example illustrate? ƒ Which tale should win the contest? Why?

Differentiation:

Multilingual learners and students with less well-developed academic vocabularies may benefit from a review of Handout 7A: Socratic Seminar Discussion Starters. Or, use a more basic introduction to academic language in discussion by encouraging students to use the following academic language:

Name

Handout 7A: Socratic Seminar Discussion Starters

Directions: During our Socratic Seminar or classroom discussions, you will want to speak clearly, support your ideas thoughtfully, listen to your classmates, and use academic English. The sentence frames below will help with all these goals for academic discussion. Challenge yourself to use them in our classroom discussions.

When You Want to State Your Opinion or Share an Idea: 1. I believe that because 2. I think that because 3. When the author wrote this made me think that 4. According to the author, So, it seems obvious that 5. I think an important idea is that 6. Because of we can tell that When You Want to Ask for More Information or Clarity: 1. Can you explain what you mean by ? 2. I am confused about Do you mean that 3. In other words, are you saying that ? 4. Can you say more about that? 5. Where do you see that in the book? 6. Can you give an example of ? When You Want to Change the Subject: 1. Does anyone have anything else to add about ? 2. If not, I’d like to move on to talk about When You Want to Agree and Add More to an Idea: 1. I really like ’s idea about 2. I agree. In addition, 3. I’d like to go back to what said about When You Want to Disagree and Present a Different Idea: 1. I see what means, but I think that 2. I can see your point, but from my perspective 3. I partly agree, but also think that © Great Minds PBC Page of

Academic Discussion Words

Everyday Language Formal Language talk about discuss answer respond say again restate, repeat say share, report, state, describe, explain, respond think about consider, reflect on so as a result, therefore, thus like prefer, appreciate

Individuals

Students use Handout 4A to self-assess and track progress toward speaking and listening goals.

To track student performance during the Socratic Seminar, beyond the students’ own self-assessments, you may want to take a class list and make notes during the discussion to record who:

ƒ P (posed questions).

TEACHER NOTE

ƒ R (responded to questions). ƒ O (made relevant observations). ƒ L (demonstrated effective listening). ƒ F (used formal language). ƒ V (used vocabulary).

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What did you notice about mood, intent, and tone during today’s discussion? How did noticing those things help our discussion?”

SYNTHESIZE UNDERSTANDINGS

In their Knowledge Journal, students write three interesting ideas or insights from the Socratic Seminar.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read the epilogue, pages 110–113, taking notes about what they notice and wonder as they read.

(Optional) Distribute Handout 16A to any students reading below grade level who might benefit from additional fluency practice, and assign Day 3 of fluency practice.

Handout 16A: Fluency Homework

1. Day 1: Read the text carefully, and annotate to help you read fluently.

2. Each day: a. Practice reading the text aloud three to five times. b. Evaluate your progress by placing a √, √-, or √+ in the appropriate, unshaded box. Ask someone (adult or peer) to listen and evaluate you as well.

3. Last day: Respond to the self-reflection questions at the end of this handout.

From The Canterbury Tales “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” pages 53–54

On and on he travelled, through lands of ice where women would not part their frozen lips to answer him—through wastelands where all the women wanted was the next meal for their children. Finally time ran short, and he turned back to keep his appointment with the King’s deadline. To be one day late at Camelot would dishonour him, for the other knights would think he was fearful of the sword’s edge. So it was that he came to be riding at a gallop through the Forests of Dean on the last day, when he saw an old crone boiling up water in a cauldron.

“Old woman!” he shouted out. “Boil my shirt, for I have slept in it this year past, and today I must present myself before the Queen of England.” He handed her the shirt on which he had scrawled the answer of every woman he had met.

The old hag held up each sleeve in turn. “What’s this, then?” she lisped through two black teeth. Love Money Passion Power Beauty Children Long life Fame…These are the stuff of women’s wishes!”

“Mind your own business, weaselly one, and boil the shirt. I’m sick and tired of asking What Women Most Desire.”

The shirt was plunged into the cauldron, and the bubbles that rose gave strangely feminine sighs. “What Women Most Desire? Oh, can tell you that lording. But my answer has a price. What desire most is to marry a handsome knight with hair of just your colour and curls of just your kind. If were to tell you the answer, you would have to marry me.”

“I’d gladly marry even you, Dame Cockroach, for the sake of the right answer. But I’ve heard so many now, that dare say I’ve already heard yours from someone else.” The old crone shrugged her humped shoulders and gave him back his shirt, dripping and steaming. “What Women Most Desire is to have their own way in everything,” she said.

Name Date Class

Page of

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Assess Socratic Seminar performance (SL.7.1, SL.7.6) using the rubric from Appendix C, teacher notes from the discussion, and students’ self-assessment and goal-setting.

Next Steps

To support students in goal-setting (SL.7.1.b), discuss the characteristics of effective goals, which include that they are both challenging but attainable, specific rather than overly broad, and focused on the positive rather than the negative.

Lesson 18 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Examine Simple and Compound Sentences

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

ƒ

Text: The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Identify and explore how simple and compound sentences signal differing relationships among ideas (L.7.1.b).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 18

Examine: Why are simple and compound sentences important?

Sentence Structures Refresher

1. A simple sentence has one independent clause (or complete thought) and no dependent clauses. For example, “My dad bought a new car.” An independent clause has a complete subject and verb component.

2. A compound sentence has multiple independent clauses joined by a conjunction or semicolon but no dependent clauses. For example, “The dog frightened the little girl, and she ran off screaming.”

3. A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one dependent clause For example, “After Mary took her test, she went home.” Generally, a dependent clause cannot stand alone and begins with a dependent marker word such as after, although, as, because, before, to, since, unless, until, when, whenever, whether, and while

4. A compound-complex sentence has multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. For example, “When I went to bed last night, my cat fell asleep on my head and I had dreams about suffocating.”

Launch

Display the following simple and compound sentences.

1. I ate.

2. I arrived late, but I started on time.

3. The dog ran away.

4. Would you like a drink, or would you rather have a snack?

5. She is a strong, beautiful girl.

6. The sun was shining; everyone seemed happy.

Ask students to consider with a partner whether each sentence is simple or compound and how they know. Invite students to share their ideas.

Scaffold:

Post a list of the different sentence structures, simple, compound, complex, compound-complex, along with their definitions, such as in the refresher above. However, to help students access prior knowledge, tell them that there are only two of the four types posted in this task.

Differentiation:

Some students may need more help understanding these concepts. If so, review the example simple and compound sentences from the refresher to help identify each sentence type.

n The first, third, and fifth sentences are simple sentences. They only have one idea that stands alone without added information.

n The first, third, and fifth sentences are simple because they have a complete subject, complete predicate, and no added subordinate clauses.

n The second, fourth, and sixth sentences are compound. Two and four have two complete ideas joined by a conjunction, and six uses a semicolon in place of a conjunction.

n The second, fourth, and sixth sentences are compound sentences because they have two complete thoughts joined by a comma and conjunction or a semicolon.

Learn

Direct students to the last two paragraphs on page 112 of The Canterbury Tales. Guide students to identify only the simple and compound sentences in the paragraphs.

Afterward, ask: “How are these two paragraphs unusual compared to most of the writing in the novel?”

Students should say that these particular paragraphs have very short, simple sentences compared to the rest of the novel. If students struggle, guide them by having them compare those paragraphs to other more complex paragraphs from the novel.

Ask: “Why do you think that the writer decided to use simple sentences in these paragraphs?”

n Maybe he was trying to make some kind of point. He was using short sentences like you might use a pause—for effect.

n He was being serious. He says earlier in the chapter that he’s “always liked words over and above the meaning wrapped up in them.” But at this time, he is not enjoying anything; he’s serious, so his sentences are shorter.

n He was using shorter simple sentences because the Parson had pretty much shut everyone up. Chaucer couldn’t put too much enjoyment in his words because of that.

n A lot of the short sentences come from the Parson’s dialogue, and the Parson is frustrated with the pilgrims’ storytelling foolishness. When people are mad, they usually use short sentences to make their point.

Ask: “Why do you think the writer chose to use a compound sentence before a string of five short, simple sentences in the first of the two paragraphs?”

n It’s like the short simple sentences—he’s using it for effect. He wants the pilgrims to remember why they are on the pilgrimage in the first place.

n We usually use compound sentences to join two related ideas. In this case, the Parson is expressing two important, related ideas, so it makes sense to join them.

n It would sound choppy for the Parson to say, “He brought us here,” period. “Tomorrow it’s him we’ll pray to in the Cathedral,” period, etcetera.

Explain that, just like choosing words precisely, a good writer also chooses his sentence structures wisely and sometimes for effect. A good writer also chooses his sentence structures based on what the content dictates, just as the author did with the compound sentence in the first paragraph.

Tell students that they will be reviewing other sentence types to see how sentence structures can be used for effect, show character and narrative development, help create variety, and express fluency.

Display the following non-example, and ask a volunteer to read it aloud:

The Widow got to her feet. She was as majestic as an oak tree. She patted Harry on his bald head. “Your word is absolutely final, of course, my pet,” she said. “However, if I will venture a suggestion … These people won’t be content. They won’t till someone is declared Best Storyteller. Now there’s not one story with more votes than another. So I suggest this. We all tell another story on the way back. This is to part the sheep from the goats, so to speak.”

Ask: “How does this paragraph compare to the original paragraph on page 112 of the Epilogue?”

Ask a student to read the original paragraph on page 112, and instruct students to study the displayed model.

n The writing sounds a little choppy. It’s like every sentence is a simple sentence.

n It doesn’t have the flow of the original paragraph.

n The compound sentences in the original paragraph sound more fluent. There are less stops and starts.

Land

Students pair up and share each other’s Exploded Moments from Lesson 17. Have students review their peers’ work for opportunities to use simple sentences stylistically or to combine simple sentences into compound sentences to eliminate choppiness. They should read each other’s work aloud to help identify choppiness and/or fluent writing.

FOCUSING QUESTION: LESSONS 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

33 34 2 1 3 5 6 7 15 26 11 19 30 9 17 28 13 24 21 32 8 16 27 12 23 20 31 10 18 29 14 25 22 4 35 WIT & WISDOM®

Lesson 19

TEXTS G7 M1 Lesson 19 © 2023 Great Minds PBC

Lesson 19: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Name a Winner Launch (5 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Discuss the Epilogue (20 min.)

Demonstrate Knowledge on the Focusing Question Task (35 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Set a Writing Goal

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Complex and Compound-Complex Sentences (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.1.b

MATERIALS ƒ

Assessment 19A: Focusing Question Task 2 ƒ

Handout 16A: Fluency Homework (optional)

Learning Goals

Demonstrate knowledge of what The Canterbury Tales exemplifies about strong storytelling (RL.7.1).

Respond to the Focusing Question Task.

Identify and explore how complex and compoundcomplex sentences signal differing relationships among ideas (L.7.1.b).

Review a peer’s work for opportunities to use compound and compoundcomplex sentences.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–19

What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 19

Know: How does The Canterbury Tales build my knowledge of strong storytelling?

In this lesson, students complete their study of The Canterbury Tales with a discussion of the Epilogue and a reflection on the effective narrative elements and techniques that Chaucer’s work exemplifies. The knowledge students have built about characters with strong identities, the medieval setting, and effective narrative elements and techniques will serve them in their work with The Midwife’s Apprentice and the EOM Task.

Welcome

NAME A WINNER

5 MIN.

In their Response Journal, students state which Canterbury tale should have won the competition, and why.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Tell students that they will consider strong storytelling as they discuss the epilogue and reflect on Chaucer’s narrative approaches.

First take a class vote: “Which tale should win the competition?” Count tallies for the Knight’s tale, the Miller’s tale, the Pardoner’s tale, and the Wife of Bath’s tale. Ask: “Why did you choose the story you did? What elements and techniques make your choice the best story?”

Identify the story that is the class’s winner. Ask: “Who won the contest in The Canterbury Tales? Why might Chaucer have chosen to end the contest in this way?”

DISCUSS THE EPILOGUE 20 MIN.

Whole Group

Tell students that they have come to the end of their pilgrimage and reached Canterbury!

TEACHER NOTE

If students have not read the epilogue for homework, read it aloud while students follow along. To build fluency and student engagement, you may want to assign students to read the parts of the pilgrims [Miller, Summoner, Harry the Innkeeper, Prioress, Scholar, Magistrate, Widow (the Wife of Bath), Ship’s Captain, Parson, Brother John] while you read the narrator’s part.

Pair students, and provide a few minutes for them to summarize the Epilogue in one or two sentences. Call on volunteers to share their responses.

Explain that an epilogue is “a brief final section to a book, play, or piece of music that often finishes the story or gives the reader insight into what ultimately happens to the characters.”

Ask: “How does Chaucer’s Epilogue meet this definition of the word?”

Check students’ comprehension of the Epilogue by posing questions to the group: ƒ

Why does Harry the Innkeeper say he has won? ƒ

What does the Widow suggest they do? ƒ

What does the Parson say they should remember? ƒ

How does Brother John respond?

Encourage students to reflect on the text by asking: “To what extent does The Canterbury Tales focus on the pilgrimage, and to what extent does it focus on the tales the pilgrims tell? Explain.”

n The focus is more on the stories.

n The reader learns a lot about the pilgrims themselves through their interactions and their stories, but not as much about the setting and the journey and what the pilgrims see and do in Canterbury.

Ask: “What reasons are given in the Epilogue for what might make the best story?”

n One that is humorous. “‘Well it’s obvious, isn’t it?’ said the Miller. ‘For a laugh’” (110). The Miller would vote for his own story if he could!

n One that teaches a lesson. The Prioress says, “‘We must consider the VALUE of the stories. How much did they teach us about LIFE?’” (111).

n One that uses language well. The Narrator thinks to himself, “I voted for Brother John’s story myself. But then I’ve always liked words over and above the meaning wrapped up in them” (111). Invite students to compare their reasons for selecting the winner with the reasons given by the pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales.

Ask: “Why do you think people still read this book of stories that is more than six-hundred years old?” Prompt students to think about what a great storyteller Chaucer was, how the stories still hold up today because they address universal themes (about romantic love, honor, the role of religion, punishment for sins, death, and so on).

n Chaucer was a great storyteller.

n Chaucer’s stories are funny, about cheating wives, phony religious people, and stupid thieves.

n Chaucer writes about things that still matter to people today, like love, religion, and death.

n Chaucer wrote about all different kinds of people so we can relate to them.

n The Canterbury Tales tells us what life was like long ago.

n The Canterbury Tales helps us think about how stories are important (we still tell stories to pass the time in the car or when we are talking to other people).

DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE ON THE FOCUSING QUESTION TASK 35 MIN.

Individuals

Distribute Assessment 19A: Focusing Question Task 2.

Offer time for students to review the task and plan.

Students complete Focusing Question Task 2 in their Response Journal.

Scaffold:

For students reading and writing below grade level, provide a list of narrative elements and techniques such as the following:

Narrative Elements (ESCAPE)

ESTABLISH: Engaging and orienting the reader with an effective opening. ƒ

SETTING: Describing a setting through details. ƒ

CHARACTERS: Creating vivid characters. ƒ

ACTION: Capturing the action and conveying events to develop the plot. ƒ

PROBLEM: Setting up interesting conflicts for characters to resolve. ƒ

ENDING: Delivering a satisfying end.

Narrative Techniques

STRUCTURE: Using an interesting structure, such as telling a story within a story. ƒ

SENSORY LANGUAGE: Using sensory details (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell) to describ. ƒ

PACING: Using effective pacing to build tension and develop the plot. ƒ

POINT OF VIEW: Offering a strong and clear point of view. ƒ

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: Employing figures of speech to bring a story to life. ƒ

TONE: Adjusting tone to appeal to the audience and to fit the narrator and story. ƒ

HUMOR: Poking fun at something through a humorous imitation (parody).

Give students the option of choosing four elements or techniques from this list and working in small groups to identify textual support from The Canterbury Tales that exemplifies each element or technique.

Alternatively, you can choose the four narrative elements and techniques for students and have them focus on identifying relevant textual support for each. The Canterbury Tales is a particularly excellent model of these four elements and techniques: ƒ

Vivid characterization. ƒ

Sensory and descriptive language. ƒ

Strong point of view. ƒ

Tone (each story suits the pilgrim who tells it).

You may also want to model one element or technique for students. For example, say this aloud: “My first narrative element I am going to write about is character. Modern readers can learn a lot about developing characters from reading Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. Readers get to know the pilgrims by what they say, by how they interact with other characters, by what they wear, and by how they look. The author uses sensory, descriptive language so readers can really imagine the characters. One example of this is in the prologue: ‘The noisy, evil-smelling individual with the horrible face was also a religious gentleman—a Summoner—travelling with a pale, giggling Pardoner who had long, sparse, blond hair’ (4). We can see right away that we are not going to like these two characters!”

Ask volunteers to share their responses and textual examples.

5 MIN.

SET A WRITING GOAL

Students take a moment to reflect on what they have learned from reading The Canterbury Tales, participating in the Socratic Seminar, and responding to the Focusing Question Task.

Students write in their Response Journal about one narrative element or technique they think they are already using effectively in their writing and one they want to develop or improve upon in their own narrative writing in the remainder of this module.

5 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students write a one-page reflection in their Knowledge Journal in response to the following: “What did The Canterbury Tales teach you about 1) identity and character and 2) effective storytelling?”

a

or

in the appropriate, unshaded box.

someone (adult or peer) to listen and evaluate you as well.

Last day: Respond to the self-reflection questions at the end of this handout. From The Canterbury Tales “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” pages 53–54 On and on he travelled, through lands of ice where women would not part their frozen lips to answer him—through wastelands where all the women wanted was the next meal for their children. Finally time ran short, and he turned back to keep his appointment with the King’s deadline. To be one day late at Camelot would dishonour him, for the other knights would think he was fearful of the sword’s edge. So it was that he came to be riding at a gallop through the Forests of Dean on the last day, when he saw an old crone boiling up water in a cauldron.

(Optional) Distribute Handout 16A to any students reading below grade level who might benefit from additional fluency practice, and assign Day 4 of fluency practice. Name

“Old woman!” he shouted out. “Boil my shirt, for have slept in it this year past, and today must present myself before the Queen of England.” He handed her the shirt on which he had scrawled the answer of every woman he had met.

The old hag held up each sleeve in turn. “What’s this, then?” she lisped through two black teeth. “Love Money Passion Power Beauty Children Long life Fame…These are the stuff of women’s wishes!”

“Mind your own business, weaselly one, and boil the shirt. I’m sick and tired of asking What Women Most Desire.”

The shirt was plunged into the cauldron, and the bubbles that rose gave strangely feminine sighs.

“What Women Most Desire? Oh, can tell you that lording. But my answer has a price. What desire most is to marry a handsome knight with hair of just your colour and curls of just your kind. If were to tell you the answer, you would have to marry me.”

“I’d gladly marry even you, Dame Cockroach, for the sake of the right answer. But I’ve heard so many now, that dare say I’ve already heard yours from someone else.”

The old crone shrugged her humped shoulders and gave him back his shirt, dripping and steaming. “What Women Most Desire is to have their own way in everything,” she said.

G7 M1 Handout 16A WIT & WISDOM Page of G7 M1 Lesson 19 WIT & WISDOM®

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Student responses to Assessment 19A show how well students understand The Canterbury Tales and can discern specific narrative elements and techniques (RL.7.1) that have helped Chaucer’s work stand the test of time. Thinking critically about the narrative elements and techniques offers students a structure for planning their responses to the EOM Task. Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ

Lists four narrative elements or techniques exemplified in The Canterbury Tales. ƒ

Connects each with specific textual evidence.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty identifying relevant textual support for the narrative elements and techniques they listed for the Focusing Question Task 2 response, organize students into groups and require students to orally justify to their peers their support for each element and technique, making revisions in writing as needed as they share ideas verbally with their peers.

Lesson 19 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Examine Complex and Compound-Complex Sentences

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Identify and explore how complex and compoundcomplex sentences signal differing relationships among ideas (L.7.1.b).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 19

Examine: Why are complex and compound-complex sentences important?

Launch

Display the following simple and compound sentences.

1. They supplied us with balloons, streamers, plates, napkins, and cups for our party.

2. Because we had arrived at the bus station late, we missed the entire concert.

3. A person can drive a car, or a person can text on a phone; however, a person shouldn’t drive a car while they are texting.

4. Would you like a fountain drink with your food, or would you rather have a shake?

5. While I made the tea, Jack barbecued the chicken, but Sandy just watched TV.

Ask students to consider, with a partner, whether each sentence is complex or compoundcomplex and how they know. Invite students to share their idea.

Scaffold:

Post a list of the different sentence structures, simple, compound, complex, compound complex, along with their definitions, such as in the refresher from Deep Dive Lesson 18, or have students refer to their notes from that lesson. However, tell students that there are only two of the four types posted. This will help students access prior knowledge.

Differentiation:

Some students may need more help understanding these concepts. If so, review the example simple, complex, and compound-complex sentences from the previous refresher to help identify each sentence type.

n The first sentence is simple. “They supplied us” is the complete thought, including two prepositional phrases explaining what was supplied and for what.

n The second sentence is complex. It is a simple sentence that includes a dependent clause or incomplete thought that has a subject and verb that begins with “because.”

n The third sentence is compound-complex. It has three complete thoughts or independent clauses joined by a conjunction and a semicolon, which makes it a compound sentence. The addition of the dependent clause “while they are texting” makes the sentence compound-complex.

n The fourth sentence is compound. It is made up of two complete thoughts that are joined by a comma and conjunction.

n The fifth sentence is compound-complex. It has three complete thoughts. One of those “while I made the tea” is a dependent clause. So, it is compound-complex.

Remind students that dependent clauses have a subject and verb. Explain that the words, such as while and because, that begin dependent clauses are called dependent marker words. Examples of dependent marker words include although, while, but, which, if, who, as, that, besides. Without these dependent marker words, you could have a complete thought or independent clause.

For instance, if you take out while from the dependent clause in sentence three, you get the independent clause, “They are texting.”

Note that you can find a thorough list of dependent marker words in the dependent clause article in Wikipedia (http://witeng.link/0717).

Learn

Direct students to the first paragraph of the epilogue, page 110. As a class, identify the complex sentence (second) in the paragraph.

Ask: “Why do you think the author used a complex sentence here?”

Students should say that a complex sentence includes necessary transition words such as after, although, since, and until that help move the story forward and give the reader a sense of time.

Direct students to the second-to-last paragraph on page 58 of “The Wife of Bath’s Tale.” As a class, identify the compound-complex sentence (third) in the paragraph.

Then ask: “Why do you think the author used a compound-complex sentence here?”

n The Fairy’s dialogue cues a transition with “Because you gave this answer” and lets the reader know that she is about to offer something to Sir Salvio. It cues a turning point in the story.

n The compound part of the sentence is necessary because Sir Salvio is unhappy with the prospect of having either a beautiful wife that cheats or an ugly old woman who is loyal. So, the sentence reveals that he is able to “have his cake and eat it, too,” so to speak.

n A compound-complex sentence seems like the best way for the fairy to break the good news to Sir Salvio. Starting with “Because” creates suspense before he finds out that he has everything he could want in a marriage.

Explain that sentence structures, as the author demonstrated here, are not just different ways of writing sentences. Like choosing words precisely, a good writer also chooses sentence structures wisely and sometimes does so for effect. A good writer also chooses sentence structures based on what the content dictates, just as the author did with the compound sentence in the first paragraph. The author’s choices affect the reader’s understanding of the text and characters.

Tell students that they will be reviewing all sentence types together to see how sentence structures can be used for effect, show character and narrative development, help create variety, and express fluency.

Land

Students pair up and share each other’s Exploded Moments from core Lesson 17. Have students review their peers’ work for opportunities to use compound and compound-complex sentences to join two similar ideas, note shifts in time, and connect information seamlessly.

QUESTION: LESSONS 20–30

In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time? ƒ “What Is a Midwife?” Karen Carr (http://witeng.link/0741) ƒ The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman, Chapter 1 ƒ Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Richard Platt

20

Lesson 20: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (50 min.)

Notice and Wonder (30 min.)

Compare and Contrast Characters (10 min.)

Build Content Knowledge (10 min.

Land (10 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Protagonist, antagonist (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RI.7.1, RL.7.1, RL.7.3, RL.7.4

Speaking and Listening

ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.2, SL.7.6

Language ƒ

L.7.4, L.7.5.b

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Build content knowledge about the role of midwives in medieval society.

Describe the role of midwives based on evidence from an informational article.

Formulate observations and questions about The Midwife’s Apprentice (RL.7.1).

Stop and Jot to identify key details and questions.

ƒ

Handout 20A: Venn Diagram ƒ Handout 20B: Fluency Homework ƒ Handout 20C: Frayer Model Protagonist

Use a Frayer Model to study the word relationship between and clarify the meanings of protagonist and antagonist (L.7.4, L.7.5.b).

Define antagonist, provide examples of protagonists, and provide nonexamples for each word.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 20–30

In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 20

Wonder: What do I notice and wonder about The Midwife’s Apprentice?

Students advance their study of the relationship between society and identity, meeting the young protagonist of The Midwife’s Apprentice. As an orphaned girl, Beetle’s low rank in the social hierarchy leads her to face challenges that compromise her sense of self.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Provide the following definitions for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

midwife (n.) A person who helps women during childbirth. apprentice (n.) A person who learns a job, skill, art, or trade by working for someone who has mastered it. beginner, learner

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question. Read them aloud. Remind students of the Essential Question, and ask what they have learned in response so far.

Provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms protagonist (n.) The main character in a work of fiction. main character, hero

Briefly put the word in context by having students identify protagonists in some of the stories they have read so far, such as Tobias Burgess in Castle Diary or Sir Salvio in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale.”

TEACHER NOTE

You may want to complete the Deep Dive on the word protagonist at this time. Doing so provides a deeper understanding of the word before students study the protagonist of the novel.

Learn50 MIN.

NOTICE AND WONDER 30 MIN.

Pairs

Ask students to examine the book cover and title and list what they notice and wonder about the book using a T-chart in their Response Journal.

Pairs discuss what they noticed and wondered about the book’s cover. Prompt pairs to ask each other the following question: “What visual details make you ask that?”

Explain that as you read The Midwife’s Apprentice aloud, you will periodically ask students to Stop and Jot in their Response Journal and then discuss what they notice and wonder about the book so far.

Read to the bottom of page 2, ending with the sentence, “It was as cold and dark inside her as out in the frosty night.”

Pause for students to take notes, and then ask: “What have you noticed about the protagonist so far?”

n The protagonist sleeps in a dung heap.

n She doesn’t have a family.

n She doesn’t have a home but goes from town to town.

n Why doesn’t she have a name?

n How does she not know her age?

Have students work with partners to discuss some of their questions. Clarify as needed. For example, if students do not know the word dung, ask them to determine its meaning using the clue in the first sentence.

TEACHER NOTE

Consider explaining that while Brat/Beetle does not know her age, this is not as strange as it might seem to us today. In the Middle Ages, children did not have birth certificates, and most children did not go to school.

Continue reading until the end of page 3.

After giving students time to note new details and questions, instruct them to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What else have you noticed or wondered about the protagonist?”

n She has been hungry and cold a lot in her life.

n She says she has to keep “walking and walking and working to stop the pain,” which makes it sound like she has to keep going from town to town to try to find work and stop being hungry.

n I wonder why there isn’t some group like a children’s home or foster family to take care of her.

Invite students to talk briefly with partners about their questions, encouraging them to refer to the text to try to answer them. Address any remaining questions as needed to clarify understanding.

Then, ask: “What other characters did you notice and wonder about in this section?”

n Some boys were being mean to her.

n A lady shows up and tells the protagonist to go away.

n I wonder what a bailiff is.

n What is a wimple?

n The girl doesn’t defend herself when the woman is rude.

Read to the end of the chapter, and then instruct students to Think–Pair–Share about what they noticed and wondered about what happens during this final section.

n The lady calls the girl “Beetle,” but that is not much of a name.

n She says it’s colder at the lady’s house than the dung heap, but she still seems to like it better.

n I wonder what it means that the lady thinks she can use the girl’s hunger to her own greedy purpose.

Address questions as needed.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST CHARACTERS

Pairs

Distribute Handout 20A.

Tell students that to help them better understand the protagonist, Brat/Beetle, pairs will identify similarities and differences between her and Tobias using a Venn diagram. They should list facts that apply only to Brat/ Beetle in the left circle, facts that apply only to Tobias in the right circle, and facts that apply to both characters in the middle.

Provide an example for each part of the diagram.

Brat/Beetle Tobias

-No family.

-No social connections.

-No home.

-No food.

-No family. -No possessions or privilege.

-No dreams. -No real name.

-Same age (10–13 years old).

-Live during the Middle Ages. -Serve as apprentices; Tobias as a page and Beetle as a midwife’s apprentice.

-Must adjust to an unfamiliar environment.

-Close-knit family. -Noble connections. -Comfortable home. -Plenty of food. -Close family. -Privilege and access to goods.

-Dreams of being a knight.

Ask: “How does this diagram help you better understand Brat/Beetle?”

BUILD CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Individuals

10 MIN.

Tell students that they will read an article, “Midwife,” to learn about the role midwives served in medieval society.

Students briefly respond to the following in their Response Journal: “What role did midwives serve in medieval society?”

Then have a few students share.

10 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Students respond to the following in their Response Journal: “What have you noticed about the protagonist? What might happen to her next?”

5 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read and annotate chapters 2 and 3 of The Midwife’s Apprentice.

Explain that to annotate text means to write brief notes about what one is reading.

Students should mark the text as they read with the following symbols:

ƒ ! = Something that I find interesting or surprising.

ƒ ? = Something that I don’t understand or have questions about.

Model annotation by displaying page 1 and marking a question mark where Cushman states that the girl doesn’t know her age. Explain that you’re wondering why this is. Ask what else you could annotate.

Extension:

If students need more practice with annotation, the class can collaboratively annotate. Students can annotate a text in small groups. Or, consider displaying texts at various points throughout the room and allowing students to annotate each one.

Additionally, consider creating a model of an annotated text and posting it for student reference.

Students reading below grade level can complete the additional fluency practice on Handout 20B: Fluency Homework.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students Stop and Jot notes and questions about their initial impressions and questions based on the text (RL.7.1). Assess contributions in the class discussion to check that the student: ƒ Identifies both observations and questions while reading. ƒ Connects these observations and questions with specific textual evidence.

Next Steps

If students’ questions demonstrate challenges with comprehension, spend some time as a whole group discussing the narrative elements of character, setting, and plot in this first chapter. To analyze themes about identity that develop throughout the novel, students must first understand that due to the protagonist’s place in the social hierarchy, she faces challenges that impede quality of life and sense of self.

Lesson 20 Deep Dive: Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary: Protagonist, antagonist

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts: “What Is a Midwife?” Karen Carr (http://witeng.link/0741); The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman, Chapter 1; Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Richard Platt

ƒ

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Use a Frayer Model to study the word relationship between and clarify the meanings of protagonist and antagonist (L.7.4, L.7.5.b).

Launch

Display: “Think about your favorite movie or comic book hero. What qualities made them the hero of the story?”

Students Think–Pair–Share and jot their ideas before volunteering to share with the class.

n The hero is the good guy.

n The hero overcomes some big problem.

n The hero faces a villain or nemesis that usually causes their problem.

n Sometimes the hero changes in a good way over the course of the story.

Learn

Distribute Handout 20C: Frayer Model Protagonist.

Display a blank Frayer Model graphic organizer with the word protagonist in the middle. Instruct students to take notes and fill in their graphic organizer during class discussion.

TEACHER NOTE

Many students may struggle with note-taking because they may not know how to gauge what information is important. Guide them through the process by jotting the important points of your explanations or insights from class discussion. Explain that whatever is written on the board is important and should be noted on their graphic organizer or in their Vocabulary Journal.

A Frayer Model for protagonist has been completed for you in this lesson to help guide discussion and your displayed notes.

Display the Greek roots, the suffix, and their meanings for protagonist, and have students copy the information on their graphic organizer in the Definition square.

Briefly discuss the Greek roots and suffix of the word protagonist. Remind students that when learning a new word, it helps to review its affixes and roots. Their prior knowledge of morphemes can help them determine a word’s meaning, and learning a new morpheme can help them learn new words.

Explain that the word protagonist is made up of three morphemes. The first morpheme, proto or prot, is a Greek root that (in this case) means “original.” Some words that begin with the root proto or prot are: prototype, proton, protoplasm, protozoa, protein, and protect.

Explain that the second morpheme, agon is another Greek root that means “struggle” or “contest.” Some words that have the root agon are agonize, agony, and antagonistic. You may also want to note that geometry terms such as hexagon and octagon do not use the Greek root agon, but the suffix gon, which means “angled” or “angular.”

Ask students to list words they know that ends in the suffix –ist, and have them clarify the suffix’s meaning based on these words.

TEACHER NOTE

Knowledge of the suffix –ist should be familiar to students from their work in earlier grades. However, you may consider reviewing the meaning of this suffix as scaffolding for students.

Possible student answers include:

n Activist. n Pianist.

n Soloist. n Motorist.

n Cartoonist. n Dentist.

Students should say that –ist means “someone who does or makes.”

n Capitalist. n Stylist.

Ask: “Based on these morphemes, what do you think the definition of the word protagonist is?”

n A protagonist is an original person who makes a struggle.

n It’s an original person who struggles.

n A protagonist is a character who struggles with some problem in a story.

Display the dictionary definition of protagonist for students to copy in the Definition section of their Frayer Model graphic organizer.

Protagonist Frayer Model Key/Exemplar:

Definition: (n.) The main character in a work of fiction.

proto, prot: A Greek root that means first, original, primitive.

agon: A Greek root that means struggle, contest.

–ist: A suffix that means “a person who does or makes.”

Examples:

- Beetle, The Midwife’s Apprentice; she struggles with poverty and Jane’s moods.

Protagonist

- comic book super heroes; they fight for good.

- Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games; she fights for her people and struggles against the landscape.

- Frodo, The Fellowship of the Ring; he struggles with Orcs, the landscape, and the ring’s temptation.

Characteristics:

- experiences personal transformation - faces different types of conflict - attempts to overcome this conflict

Nonexamples:

antagonist (n.) In literature, a character who (or something that) works against the protagonist. ant–/anti–: against; opposite of.

- Jane/Midwife, The Midwife’s Apprentice has a temper

- Beetle’s station in life/poverty, The Midwife’s Apprentice

- The Capitol, The Hunger Games

- Sauron, The Fellowship of the Ring

Explain that a protagonist is the so-called hero of a narrative. Although not all protagonists are heroes like those modern-day examples from comic books, the protagonist in a piece of literature shares many characteristics with these heroes.

Tell students to prepare to take notes in the Characteristics section of Handout 20C. Display the underlined information as you explain.

In literature, the word protagonist refers to the main character of a story who goes through some kind of transformation. Protagonists face different types of conflict in their individual stories. It is their attempt to overcome this conflict that takes them on a remarkable journey, resulting in their transformation.

Students pair up and complete the remainder of the graphic organizer. They should include the following:

1. Under Examples:

a. The protagonist in The Midwife’s Apprentice and her struggle.

b. At least 3 other protagonists from literature or movies, including their struggles.

2. Under Nonexamples:

a. The meaning of the prefix ant–/anti–.

b. The definition of antagonist along with its part of speech.

c. At least three examples of antagonists, along with the conflict they cause.

Land

When finished, volunteers offer their definitions for antagonist, examples of protagonists, nonexamples, and explanations for each. Address misinformation as necessary. Then discuss how Jane the midwife and poverty are sources of conflict for Beetle.

QUESTION: LESSONS 20–30 In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

Lesson 21

The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman, Chapters 2–3

Lesson 21: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Identify Narrative Elements (25 min.)

Examine Narrative Techniques (15 min.)

Experiment with Narrative Techniques (15 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Share Writing

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Figurative Language: Idioms (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

RL.7.1, RL.7.3

Writing ƒ W.7.3

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.5.a

MATERIALS

Handout 21A: Narrative Element Identification ƒ

Collaborative story created in Lesson 17 ƒ

Handout 11A: Narrative Techniques—The Writer’s Toolbox ƒ

Handout 20B: Fluency Homework ƒ Handout 21B: Interpreting Idioms

Learning Goals

Identify narrative elements in chapters 1, 2, and 3 of The Midwife’s Apprentice (RL.7.3).

Use a graphic organizer to identify narrative elements.

Describe the narrative techniques authors use to develop vivid writing (W.7.3).

Identify narrative techniques in an Exploded Moment.

Identify and interpret idioms in context (L.7.5.a).

Interpret figures of speech in the module texts.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 20–30

In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 21

Organize: What is happening in The Midwife’s Apprentice?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 21

Examine: What narrative techniques do writers use to create an Exploded Moment?

In The Midwife’s Apprentice, author Karen Cushman creates a complete narrative within each chapter. Together, these vignettes offer a complete picture of the protagonist’s transformation. On their own, they offer excellent opportunity for narrative study.

In this particular lesson, students focus on identifying narrative elements in The Midwife’s Apprentice, a necessary precursor to being able to analyze how the elements interact with one another in the novel. The work in this lesson prepares students to meet the full standard of RL.7.3 in later lessons.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Pairs discuss their annotations from the previous lesson’s homework. Each partner shares: ƒ

One or two parts of the reading that were interesting or surprising. ƒ

Any questions about the reading.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Ask for a brief summary of the reading.

55 MIN.

IDENTIFY NARRATIVE ELEMENTS 25 MIN.

Pairs

Explain that each chapter of The Midwife’s Apprentice is its own complete story with a set of narrative elements, including conflict and resolution.

TEACHER NOTE You might point out that based on the ESCAPE list, conflict can be referred to as the problem and resolution can be called the ending.

Distribute Handout 21A.

Pairs complete Handout 21A, using evidence to identify what is happening for narrative elements in chapters 1–3.

Differentiation:

It is important that students develop a solid understanding of the text before moving on to analysis. If your advanced readers have already developed strong textual understanding and require a more significant challenge, then instead of completing Handout 21A, they might complete a more in-depth analysis-focused graphic organizer. Narrative techniques may be analyzed as well.

Narrative Elements

Textual Example or Quotation Analysis

(How does this example help develop a character?)

Characters

(How does the author introduce the characters? Choose one.)

Conflict/Problem

Narrative Techniques

Example or Quotation from the Text Analysis (How is this effective?)

Dialogue

Sensory Language

Next, as time permits, ask how some of the details students identified impact the reader’s understanding of the characters.

For example, ask: “You pointed out that Jane Sharp had six children who died. How does learning that detail affect your understanding of her?”

Then, to push students to begin considering identity, ask: “Why doesn’t Brat or Beetle have a name? What impact might that have on her?”

Guide students to understand that without a name, Beetle might not have a strong sense of identity and self-worth.

EXAMINE NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES

Whole Group

15 MIN.

Display the Craft Question: What narrative techniques do writers use to create an Exploded Moment?

Explain that students will revisit the Exploded Moment they wrote previously and compare it to another story to identify effective Exploded Moment techniques.

Display the Exploded Moment written collaboratively in Lesson 17. Additionally, display and have a student read the following story: “Beetle walked somewhere. She saw the village boys, and they chased her. She almost fell. The cat helped her get away. Beetle went back. The midwife was there.”

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Which story is better, and why?”

n Our story is better because you can visualize what’s happening.

n It’s more engaging because the words are creative.

n The pacing is more purposeful in our story. The other story should describe how the cat helps Beetle escape.

n In the other story, I can’t tell what the setting is, so it’s hard to get interested.

n I can’t connect with Beetle because we don’t know what she’s thinking or feeling.

n Our story shows the events, while the other story tells. Show, don’t tell!

Have students take out Handout 11A.

Ask students to look at the narrative techniques listed on Handout 11A and identify the techniques the stronger story uses. Prompt students to identify techniques by asking questions such as: “You mentioned that creative word choice engaged you. What particular narrative technique makes the word choice creative?”

Tell students that in the coming lessons, they will focus on experimenting with some of the most important techniques they identified.

EXPERIMENT WITH NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES

Pairs

15 MIN.

Have pairs improve the uninteresting story by adding the following: 1) dialogue, and 2) one or two additional narrative techniques of their choice.

Small groups share.

5 MIN.

SHARE WRITING

Pairs Whip Around, sharing one or two sentences that effectively use a narrative technique.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK 5 MIN.

Students read chapters 4 and 5 of The Midwife’s Apprentice and annotate by marking an F every time they see a place where the protagonist has a feeling.

Students reading below grade level can complete the additional fluency practice on Handout 20B: Fluency Homework.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students complete Handout 21A, identifying literary elements in order to organize understanding of the text and build a foundation needed for analysis of literary elements (RL.7.3).

Next Steps

If students have difficulty, you may wish to complete the graphic organizer as a whole group or with a smaller group of students working below grade level. Identify whether the issue is with understanding literary terms or comprehending the text, and Think Aloud accordingly.

Figurative Language: Idioms

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman

ƒ Vocabulary Learning Goal: Identify and interpret idioms in context (L.7.5.a).

Launch

Display the following definition and familiar idioms:

idiom—(n.) A group of words that has come to have a particular meaning that is not literally related to the meanings of its individual words.

ƒ

It’s raining cats and dogs!

ƒ A penny for your thoughts.

ƒ

Don’t beat around the bush.

ƒ She let the cat out of the bag.

ƒ Well, speak of the devil!

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share (or work in small groups) about the meanings of the idioms listed and how they are used.

n The first one means it’s raining really hard.

n The second one is just a way of asking what someone is thinking.

n The third one means to stop taking so long to make a decision or act on something.

n The fourth one means that someone told a secret.

n You’d say the fifth one if someone you were just talking about showed up.

Learn

Ask: “When or why do we use figures of speech like this?”

Student answers may vary. If they have difficulty articulating an explanation, explain that people from all over the world and from many different cultures have their own turns of phrase or figures of speech. We use idioms to express something that conventional phrasing does not express as clearly or as cleverly. We often use an image or symbol to describe something clearly and make our point effectively. For instance, in a nutshell implies that all of the information can be contained within very few words. Idioms are a common way of speaking for some people, but they are informal and should be used sparingly in writing.

Students work in pairs.

Distribute Handout 21B: Interpreting Idioms. Name

In this activity, students will offer brief interpretations of eight figures of speech taken from the three novels they’ve read for this module.

Handout 21B: Interpreting Idioms Directions: Interpret to following idioms taken from the texts you’ve read this module. Explain your reasoning. You may read the passages that these excerpts are taken from for more context.

1. “… Abigail blushed and looked at me from the tail of her eye” (Platt 10).

2. “Watch your tongue!” (Platt 14).

3. “Sitting in the cold Keep fair freezed me to the bone …” (Platt 31).

4. “[T]he ale loosened everyone’s tongues” (Platt 63).

5. “The rest of us will foot the bill” (McCaughrean 3).

6. “By cock and pie cat, would have you live” (Cushman 9).

7. By the bones of Saint Cuthbert they have sent me a nitwit!” (Cushman 22).

8. “[T]win babies were ill-starred and unlucky” (Cushman 93).

1. “… Abigail blushed and looked at me from the tail of her eye” (Platt 10).

2. “Watch your tongue!” (Platt 14).

3. “Sitting in the cold Keep fair freezed me to the bone …” (Platt 31).

4. “[T]he ale loosened everyone’s tongues” (Platt 63).

5. “The rest of us will foot the bill” (McCaughrean 3).

6. “By cock and pie, cat, I would have you live” (Cushman 9).

7. “By the bones of Saint Cuthbert, they have sent me a nitwit!” (Cushman 22).

8. “[T]win babies were ill-starred and unlucky” (Cushman 93).

Extension:

Have students do some research on idioms from the Middle Ages and create a bank of idioms to use in their EOM narrative.

Land

Ask student volunteers to share and explain their interpretations with the class. If time allows, instruct students to try creating their own idioms.

QUESTION: LESSONS 20–30 In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

Lesson 22

The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman, Chapters 4–5

Lesson 22: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (10 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (50 min.)

Analyze Character Development (35 min.)

Notice Mood, Intent, and Tone (15 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Reflect on the Content Framing Question

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Sentence Structures (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3

Writing ƒ W.7.3

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.4 ƒ L.7.1.b

MATERIALS

Handout 22A: Character’s Feelings: Chapter ƒ

Handout 20B: Fluency Homework ƒ

Handout 22B: Experimenting with Sentence Structures

Learning Goals

Describe Alyce’s development between chapters 4 and 5 of The Midwife’s Apprentice (RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3).

Describe Alyce’s development.

Experiment with different sentence structures to better understand how to signal differing relationships among ideas (L.7.1.b).

Review a peer’s work for opportunities to use varied sentence structures to improve a composition.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 20–30

In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 22

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of characterization reveal in chapters 4 and 5 of The Midwife’s Apprentice?

In chapters 4 and 5, Beetle becomes Alyce, a pivotal event in the character’s identity development. Students will explore how Alyce’s sense of self develops in this lesson.

Welcome

10 MIN.

In pairs, students identify and describe how one important moment helped shape or change their identity.

Then students work independently to “explode” that moment in their Response Journal, using some of the Exploded Moment techniques discussed in the last lesson.

Scaffold:

If students struggle to identify a significant moment, have them refer to their Day 1 Identity Web and explain how a particular component of the web emerged. For example, a student who identifies as a big sister might write about the day her sibling was born.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Say: “In chapters 4 and 5 you probably noticed a shift in Alyce’s sense of self.”

Ask: “What might sense of self mean? How does sense of self relate to identity?”

n One’s perception of oneself.

n It refers to how well you know your identity.

n If you have a strong sense of self, you feel confident and comfortable with who you are. In small groups, students share their Welcome responses.

ANALYZE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 35 MIN.

Pairs

Ask volunteers to briefly summarize chapters 4 and 5, guiding as needed. Check to see if students have questions, and address those as needed to further the class’s understanding.

Organize students into pairs, and distribute two copies of Handout 22A to each pair. Explain that students will analyze the protagonist’s development and discuss her changing sense of self. Model how to complete the handout.

In the middle box that says character, I’m writing “Beetle, Chapter 4.” In the surrounding boxes, I need to write Beetle’s feelings from chapter 4. Based on the homework annotations that mark F for feeling, I’ll write that Beetle feels frightened. In the Quotation or Example boxes, I must write an example that shows when Beetle feels frightened: “She feared being turned cold and hungry out of the midwife’s cottage.” I can’t forget to cite! “(Cushman 24).”

Pairs complete their first copy of Handout 22A based on chapter 4 and the second copy based on chapter 5.

Ask and briefly discuss: “What did you notice about how the protagonist’s feelings changed from chapter 4 to 5?”

n In chapter 4, Beetle seems fearful, anxious, and lacking in confidence.

n In chapter 5, Beetle seems happy, peaceful, and proud.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What do these changing feelings show about how the protagonist’s sense of self is changing between chapters 4 and 5, and what do you think is causing those changes?” Provide time for students to take notes and discuss.

n In chapter 4, Beetle seems to have a poor sense of self. One cause for that is she is insulted by the midwife and the miller’s wife.

n She does not feel confident enough to try to deliver the baby.

n In chapter 5, she gets to go to the fair on her own and is around people who do not know her or her background.

n She is mistaken for someone with a name who can read.

n She is given a compliment and a comb for her hair.

n These nice things boost her confidence and suggest that she is worthy of a name and kindness.

You might remind students that literacy was not widespread in the Middle Ages. Reading was a rare ability.

Whole Group

Display the Listening Goal.

Remind students that in their last Socratic Seminar, they focused on the listening goal of noticing mood, intent, and tone. Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Why is it important to notice mood, intent, and tone in an academic conversation?”

n The mood of a conversation affects how people contribute to it.

n Noticing the intent of a speaker can help others know how to respond in a way that makes the conversation more focused.

n If I notice the tone of a speaker or speech, it gives me more information about the feelings behind it.

Explain that you want students to pretend that they are engaging in an academic conversation about the following question: “Has Jane the Midwife treated the protagonist well so far? Why or why not?”

Read the following quotation aloud in an angry and aggressive tone of voice, and instruct students to Think–Pair–Share to identify the mood, tone, and intent of the speaker:

“I do not see how anyone can think she has treated her well. In the very first chapter, it said that the midwife was going to take advantage of her being hungry for the midwife’s own greedy purposes. Also, she is always insulting her. In chapter 2, she said that the girl had the ‘brains of a chicken.’ In chapter 4, she threatens to send her away and break both of her knees. No one can say she has treated her well.”

Ask: “What did you notice about the speaker’s mood, tone, and intent?”

n The speaker seems angry about how Jane treated the girl.

n The speaker also seems to have a good intention. She wants to make a point, and she has evidence to back it up.

n She doesn’t seem to be in a great mood.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How would practicing our Listening Goal help you if you were going to respond to this person?”

n Noticing that the speaker seemed really angry about the way the midwife treated the girl would make me pause before I spoke and think more about what I wanted to say. Even if I agreed, I might want to make my point more calmly to try to help other people who disagreed speak up. If I disagreed, I would want to say that I agreed with some of what the speaker said first.

n If I recognized that the speaker had a good intent even if she was a little angry about expressing it, it might make it easier for me to respond.

If time permits, invite students to discuss the question about the midwife and pay attention to others’ mood, intent, and tone as they do so.

5 MIN.

REFLECT ON THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Have a student summarize how the protagonist’s sense of self develops in chapters 4 and 5.

Then, have students reread their Welcome response and add to their entry: Choose a new name or title for yourself that represents the shift in your identity you described. Briefly explain the reason for your choice.

10 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students reread the following excerpt: “The comb was hers. Beetle stood breathless for fear someone would snatch it back. Never had she owned anything except for her raggedy clothes and occasional turnips, and now the comb with the cat was hers. The wink and the comment about her curls, though Beetle didn’t know it, were also gifts from the generous merchant, and they nestled into Beetle’s heart and stayed there” (Cushman 30).

Students respond to the following in their Response Journal: “Why is this moment so significant for Beetle?”

Students reading below grade level can complete the additional fluency practice on Handout 20B: Fluency Homework.

© Great Minds PBC © 2023 Great Minds PBC

she cried. “I be sore afraid to open that sack, but I just can’t let you be.”

Taking a sharp stone, she slit the bag and ran behind a tree. Looking like the Devil himself, a shiny brown eel slithered out and made for the pond. And the bag was still again. “By cock and pie, cat, I would have you live.”

G7 Handout 20B WIT & WISDOM Page of G7 M1 Lesson 22 WIT & WISDOM® 272

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students describe Alyce’s development between chapters 4 and 5 and how the events in chapter 5 impact her sense of self (RL.7.2, RL.7.3). Circulate around the room to observe student conversations and check for the following success criteria:

Articulates shift in Alyce’s sense of self (answers will vary, and they may highlight changes in her feelings, change in her name, her widening sense of herself and the world around her).

Connects shift with evidence and examples from the text.

Next Steps

If students had difficulty seeing the change in Alyce, spend more time as a whole group discussing responses to Handout 22A, including the following:

Chapter 4: ƒ

Questioning/curious—“Curious about this unusual behavior, Beetle began to follow the midwife when she was on errands” (Cushman 18).

Annoyed—After Beetle is caught spying on Jane and the baker, she states that she has no one to tell about the affair anyway (Cushman 20).

Unsure/nervous—“The miller grabbed Beetle’s arm … and off he dragged her by the arm to his cottage” (Cushman 21). ƒ

Fearful—“Beetle felt she was in Hell, being attacked by demons, and her screams joined the rest” (Cushman 23).

Chapter 5:

Joyful—“She laughed at the puppets, wondered at the soothsayers, applauded the singers and cheered for the racing horses” (Cushman 28).

Excited—“Her guts still trembled with excitement and she was content just to smell” (Cushman 28). ƒ

Confident/proud—“Beetle was no name for a person, for someone who looked like she could read” (Cushman 31). ƒ

Peaceful/contented—“She headed back to the midwife’s cottage and never noticed when it grew cool and dark, for the heat and light within her” (Cushman 32).

Lesson 22 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Experiment with Sentence Structures

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman, Chapters 4–5

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Experiment with different sentence structures to better understand how to signal differing relationships among ideas (L.7.1.b).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 22

Experiment: How does varying sentence structure work?

Launch

Students will explore a piece of writing and determine what problems are caused by the sentence structures the author used.

Distribute Handout 22B: Experimenting with Sentence Structures.

Part 1 of Handout 22B: Beetle raced to the dairy. She thrust the greasy ointment at Meg. Then she grabbed the eggs and the butter. She tied them in her skirt. Then she ran by her secret hidden way to the field by the Old North Road where she put the butter and eggs carefully in a hollow log. She climbed a tree from which she could see the whole of the field. In no time there came Jane Sharp from the village. From the other path, with a basket of bread steaming and warm, came the baker.

Ask a volunteer to read the paragraph aloud, and tell students to think about how the story sounds

as the student reads. Have the volunteer read the paragraph a second time while students annotate where and why the sentence structures are problematic.

Scaffold:

Post the list of the different sentence structures: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex along with their definitions and examples for student reference.

Students pair up and edit the paragraph, noting how they would revise it. Have a few volunteers share their revised paragraph with the class. Answers will vary. Ask the class to verbally offer feedback on students’ revised paragraphs after sharing.

Then ask students to read the last paragraph on page 19 of The Midwife’s Apprentice, ending with “the baker.”

Ask: “What do you notice about the sentence structures in the modified paragraph of your handout compared to how Cushman uses them on page 19? Why is Cushman’s paragraph a better example of how to use different sentence structures?”

n All of the simple sentences in the handout make the paragraph sound choppy compared to Cushman’s original. Cushman starts with one long sentence that has a lot of actions, which adds to the feeling of rushing that Beetle has.

n The second sentence in Cushman’s original paragraph is complex and ties together information that happens in a sequence. The modified paragraph uses simple sentences instead, which makes the story start and stop a lot.

n The third sentence in Cushman’s original paragraph is compound and joins two related thoughts. It also helps the reader understand that Jane and the baker are sneaking around. There are no compound sentences in the modified paragraph, which adds to its choppy sound.

Ask: “Based on what you’ve learned about sentence structures so far, what can each type do that can help make an author’s writing better?

n Simple sentences can slow down the story so the reader can focus more on individual ideas. Or, like in Cushman’s paragraph, they can show urgency with a string of actions.

n Compound-complex sentences can put information in a nutshell and help the timing or pacing of the story.

n Complex sentences are good for adding necessary information that helps drive a story forward. They can help with sequences.

n Compound sentences are good for joining two ideas that are closely related. It’s good to use these sometimes instead of a lot of simple sentences.

Remind students that sentence types have special relationships both with the content (the story they are telling) and with each other. When they are chosen for technical purposes (to precisely express an idea), and for stylistic purposes (to create emphasis or manage pacing), they come together to create effect, show narrative development, help create variety, and express fluency.

Land

Students pair up and share each other’s Exploded Moment paragraphs from Lesson 21. Have students review their peers’ work for opportunities to use varied sentence structures to create a more seamless composition. They should use Part 2 of Handout 22B to guide their edits.

In Part 2 of Handout 22B, peer editors are encouraged to ask the following of their peer’s work:

1. Do the chosen sentence structures precisely express an idea, or could different structures express this idea better?

2. Do the chosen structures create emphasis when the story calls for it?

3. Do the chosen structures manage time or a sequence of events well?

4. Do they show narrative development well?

5. Do they create variety?

6. Do they create fluency (when read aloud)?

Review the handout instructions with students, and clarify questions as necessary.

Lesson 23

QUESTION: LESSONS 20–30 In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

Lesson 23: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (50 min.)

Annotate Text (20 min.)

Experiment with Fluency (15 min.)

Analyze Character (15 min.)

Land (10 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Coordinate Adjectives (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.2.a

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 20B: Fluency Homework ƒ

Handout 23A: Identifying and Punctuating Coordinate Adjectives

Learning Goals

Analyze how the events in chapter 6 support the book’s theme of identity development (RL.7.2, RL.7.3).

Complete an Exit Ticket explaining how Alyce’s development conveys a theme.

Identify and correctly punctuate coordinate adjectives (L.7.2.a).

Edit modified sentences from text by identifying and then correctly punctuating coordinate and cumulative adjectives.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 20–30

In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 23

Distill: What is a theme of The Midwife’s Apprentice?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 23

Experiment: How can I incorporate the elements of fluency into my reading of The Midwife’s Apprentice?

Students build on last lesson’s study of Alyce’s sense of self, analyzing the changes she continues to experience. By the end of the lesson, they begin to delve into the deeper meaning of the text, drawing conclusions about its possible themes.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Have pairs share their homework responses and discuss similarities and differences in how they described the significance of the merchant’s gifts.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Ask students to summarize how Alyce has changed so far.

50 MIN.

ANNOTATE TEXT 20 MIN.

Individuals

Explain that students will read chapter 6, and to help make sense of their reading, they will use the following annotation system, which they should first write in their Response Journal:

! = Something interesting or surprising.

? = Something I have a question about.

Circled word = Unknown word.

< > = Important passages I might want to cite later.

Explain that students may use multiple annotations for one short passage.

Model by reading the first paragraph of chapter 6 aloud, stopping to provide the following examples.

I’m going to mark an exclamation point next to the first sentence. This is interesting because it explains why the midwife is always in a bad mood. She’s angry at her bad luck.

I’ll put angle brackets ( < > ) around where Alyce says, “My name is Alyce” because that’s important. She has a name, and she’s making a point of telling the midwife.

I’ll put a question mark next to the sentence where the midwife says, “You look more like a toad or a weasel or a mudhen than an Alyce.” Why does she say these demeaning things? Is she trying to insult Alyce again?

I’m also going to circle the word punctuated because it’s used in an unusual way here. Punctuation in grammar means symbols like commas, periods, and apostrophes. Here, the word punctuated seems to mean “doing something at a regular interval;” each time she said a name she threw a pot.

Students read and annotate chapter 6.

Then, have pairs share their questions, and encourage them to use the text to determine answers.

Invite students to share unanswered questions. Address those as needed to further the whole class’s understanding of chapter 6.

EXPERIMENT WITH FLUENCY

Small Groups

Display the Craft Question: How can I incorporate the elements of fluency into my reading of The Midwife’s Apprentice?

Review the Elements of Fluency using students’ Response Journal or a posted chart.

ƒ

Expression—The reader emphasizes important words and phrases. The reader pays attention to punctuation, such as pausing at commas. The reader uses pitch, tone, and volume meaningfully, such as by raising and lowering his or her voice.

ƒ

Accuracy—The reader reads the correct words from the page. The reader does not struggle over unknown words.

ƒ

ƒ

Enunciation—The reader reads words clearly, so they are easy to understand.

Pace—The reader maintains a regular reading rate or speed, speeding up and slowing down to emphasize meaning.

Emphasize that students should use these elements to communicate the villagers’ reactions to Beetle’s name change. Explain that in groups of three, students will read chapter 6 with:

ƒ

One student taking the role of Alyce. ƒ

ƒ

One student being the narrator.

One student taking the role of any characters who are not Alyce.

Give students a few minutes to study and practice their roles. Then have students read the chapter within their groups.

When they finish, instruct groups to revisit the Elements of Fluency and reflect on what they did well and what they could improve.

Invite a group to perform a few paragraphs for the class.

Ask students to explain what they noticed about the villagers’ reactions to the name change.

n The villagers are not kind to Beetle.

n When she explains to the midwife, the miller, the blacksmith’s daughter, and the teasing boys that she now goes by Alyce instead of Beetle, they mock her.

n They tell her insulting names she should be called instead.

Small Groups

Explain that students will answer a series of TDQs in small groups to help them explore the character of Alyce in a deeper way. In groups of four, each student will jot their ideas for each question, with textual support, and then discuss as a group.

1. Based on what you read, what might Alyce’s new name symbolize?

n Her new name represents a shift in how she sees herself.

n She is no longer named after a dirty, smelly, insignificant insect, the beetle. She is a brand new person with a proper human name, Alyce.

n Her name signifies that she is someone of value.

n She chooses this name, showing that she can shape her identity.

n She requests that others call her by this new name, insisting that others recognize her worth.

2. How does Will’s behavior toward Alyce change over the course of the chapter? What does this change reveal about her?

n Will goes from teasing Alyce to thanking her for her bravery after rescuing him.

n On page 39, when Will calls her Beetle, she corrects him. He then calls her Alyce, showing that he has a new respect for her. This shows that Alyce is beginning to think of herself as a person who deserves respect.

3. How does Alyce’s sense of right and wrong compare with the sense of right and wrong the village boys have?

n The boys don’t seem to have much of a sense of right or wrong. They were drunk and teasing Alyce, and they abandoned their drowning friend.

n Alyce, on the other hand, saves Will even though he had been unkind to her. She claims she fears for his soul. She is a brave, caring person.

4. What is the significance of Alyce’s dream?

n Alyce never dreamed before. Earlier, the author said that was because Alyce had nothing worth dreaming about.

n Now she dreams that the Pope calls her by name. An important person calling her by name shows that she sees herself as worthy of being noticed. This shows that her sense of self and sense of future possibilities are growing.

Have students discuss their small group responses as a whole group.

10 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Remind students that when they read “The Pardoner’s Tale” from The Canterbury Tales, they considered what the theme of the story was. Ask and briefly discuss, “What does theme mean, and what was the theme of ‘The Pardoner’s Tale?’”

Have pairs complete an Exit Ticket in response to the following: “Although the story is not yet finished, there are several themes developing. Identify one theme that has developed at this point in The Midwife’s Apprentice. Use evidence to briefly explain how Alyce’s development conveys this theme.”

Scaffold:

To support students, provide the following sentence frame: “What does Alyce’s story teach the reader about ____?” Have students try out a few concepts in the blank, such as identity, challenges, and perseverance. Explain that their answer will reveal the theme. Conduct a Think Aloud to model the thought process for identifying theme.

n The potential to overcome challenges: Alyce struggles to work through her difficult situation and come out stronger. The boys tease her, but she saves Will anyway, proving that she is strong.

n Shared human needs: While Alyce is at the lowest end of the medieval social order, she still wants what everyone wants: food to eat, a place to call home, a sense of who she is, and people (or a cat!) to care about her.

n The search for identity: Alyce seeks answers to the questions: “Who am I? Where do I belong?” She finds an apprentice job, and she even gives herself a new name.

n The importance of perseverance: No matter how difficult her life is, Alyce never gives up. No matter how people respond at first, she continues to insist people call her by her new name. She also continues to learn midwifery despite the midwife’s rudeness.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Warn students that chapter 7 is mysterious! State that it is titled “The Devil.” Remind students of what they learned in reading The Canterbury Tales, that death was common in the Middle Ages and that many people feared the afterlife. Explain that the devil was considered the ruler of hell and the chief spirit of evil in Christianity. Students should read chapter 7 with this understanding in mind and should annotate chapter 7 with the symbols used in this lesson.

Scaffold:

To support understanding of chapter 7, show students an image depicting a devil with hooves.

Students reading below grade level can complete the additional fluency practice on Handout 20B: Fluency Homework. Name Date Class

Analyze

Context and Alignment

From The Midwife’s Apprentice Chapter 2, pages 8–9 “Cat,” she asked, “are you drownt? I’d open the sack and let you out, but be sore afraid of the eel. Cat?” She kicked the bag with her dirty bare foot. Nothing. She left the bag and started back to the village. Came back. Left again. Came back again. “The devil take you, cat,” she cried. “I be sore afraid to open that sack, but I just can’t let you be.” Taking a sharp stone, she slit the bag and ran behind a tree. Looking like the Devil himself, a shiny brown eel slithered out and made for the pond. And the bag was still again. “By cock and pie, cat, I would have you live.” Ripping a piece from the rag she called her skirt, she wrapped him tightly and ran her hidden route back to the village. She scooped hole in the dung heap and laid the cat in it. If Beetle had known prayers, she might have prayed for the cat. If she had known of gentle words and cooing, she would have spoken gently to him. But all she knew was cursing: “Damn you, cat, breathe and live, you flea-bitten

Students complete an Exit Ticket to explain how Alyce’s development conveys a theme in The Midwife’s Apprentice (RL.7.2, RL.7.3). Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ Responds to the prompt by connecting Alyce’s development with a theme or central idea.

ƒ Demonstrates understanding that a theme does not mention specific details from the book, such as character names. Also, a theme is not one word. Rather, a theme is a message or opinion about humanity.

Next Steps

If many students struggle, consider reviewing how to identify themes in simpler texts, such as short, well-known fairytales or songs. Then, return to The Midwife’s Apprentice, and collaborate with the group to identify its themes.

Lesson 23 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Examine Coordinate Adjectives

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

ƒ

Text: The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Identify and correctly punctuate coordinate adjectives (L.7.2.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 23

Examine: Why is punctuating coordinating adjectives correctly important?

Launch

Display the following paragraph, and ask a student to read it aloud:

1 It was a cold, rainy night on Lake Erie when Tim was arrested for stealing. 2 The accuser had made a cruel, heartless claim against him. 3 Tim was a professional hockey player and would never risk his career. 4 Fortunately, he was not found guilty of stealing the beautiful custom sailboat.

Ask: “What do you notice about the underlined words in these four sentences?”

n They are descriptive words placed before a noun.

n They are two adjectives in a row that describe a noun.

n There is a comma between the two words in the first two sentences but not in the second two sentences.

Ask: “Why are there commas between the adjectives in the first two sentences but not the second two?”

Students will most likely not be able to articulate why some adjective pairs have commas and some don’t. Explain that a punctuation rule exists for certain kinds of adjectives that occur in a row, like the first two pairs in this paragraph. The second two pairs create a different set of adjectives and do not require a comma.

Learn

Tell the class to read each of the displayed sentences aloud, placing and between each adjective pair. Ask students to raise their hand when they come to the pair of adjectives that sounds awkward when they use and to separate them. Students should raise their hands when adding the conjunction to the second two pairs of adjectives.

Display: co • ordinate adjectives (with the separation between co and ordinate).

 

equal order

Explain that the first two pairs of underlined words are called coordinate adjectives. Co– means “with” or “equal,” and ordinate means “order,” so, coordinate adjectives are “equal in order.” Because they are equal, using the conjunction and between them does not change the meaning and doesn’t usually sound strange. Coordinate adjectives can also be arranged in any order.

Display:

ƒ

“It was a cold and rainy night.” ƒ

“It was a rainy and cold night.” ƒ “It was a rainy, cold night.”

Explain that, besides saying “It was a cold, rainy night,” we can say, “It was a cold and rainy night,” or “It was a rainy and cold night,” or “It was a rainy, (comma) cold night.” The punctuation rule is this: when eliminating the conjunction and, always use a comma between coordinate adjectives.

Refer to the second two adjective pairs in the paragraph.

Display:

cumul • ative adjectives professional and hockey player custom = beautiful sailboat

Explain that the second two pairs of underlined adjectives in this paragraph are called cumulative adjectives. The Latin root cumul (heap) and the suffix –ative (causing/connection) join to mean “making a larger connection.” The actual definition of cumulative is, “becoming bigger or more important by adding on to what came before.”

Clarify that cumulative adjectives, although looking just like coordinate adjectives, do not separately or equally modify their nouns. Instead, the adjective just before the noun connects to that noun, creating a unit. The first adjective, then, modifies that unit.

Therefore, in the third sentence, the phrase hockey player works as a unit, and the word professional modifies it. It’s the same with the fourth sentence. The word custom modifies the phrase, beautiful sailboat. This is why it sounds incorrect to say “professional and hockey player” or “custom, beautiful sailboat.”

Share this strategy: If the adjectives sound strange when reversed and read aloud, or when the word and is between them in the text, then no comma is used. If reversing the adjectives or adding and between them sounds correct when read aloud, then there should be a comma. However, explain that this shortcut strategy is not perfect! There will be times when the ear is unreliable. When in doubt, leave it out.

Distribute Handout 23A: Identifying and Punctuating Coordinate Adjectives.

Students independently edit modified sentences from the first two chapters of The Midwife’s Apprentice that include both coordinate and cumulative adjectives. They should identify the coordinate adjectives and punctuate them correctly.

Complete the first sentence with the class.

“But the girl noticed, and, on that frosty night, burrowed deep into the warm rotting muck, heedless of the smell …” (Cushman 1).

Ask: “What type of adjectives are those underlined in this first sentence, and how do you know?”

along hidden secret paths around the village, … (Cushman 7). 7. She kicked the bag with her dirty bare foot (Cushman 8). 8. Looking like the Devil himself, a shiny brown eel slithered out and made for the pond (Cushman 9). 9. “And so Beetle remained … as spring grew near and new green shoots appeared on the bare branches of shrubs and trees … (Cushman 12) 10. She crept up to the bag and found the scrawny scruffy orange cat tangled in the soggy sack (Cushman 9).

Encourage students to use the and inclusion and reversibility tests to hear whether the adjectives may be cumulative.

n They are coordinate adjectives because I can insert and between them and it sounds correct.

n They are coordinate adjectives because I can reverse them and it still sounds correct.

n They could be cumulative adjectives because the word warm could modify rotting muck. Maybe only rotting muck is warm.

Land

Students pair up to peer edit Handout 23A according to instruction. If time allows, have students share their answers.

QUESTION: LESSONS 20–30 In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

Lesson 24

The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman, Chapter 7

Lesson 24: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (10 min.)

Experiment with Writing Techniques

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (50 min.)

Identify Evidence (10 min.)

Improve Speaking and Listening (30 min.)

Evaluate Performance (10 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Identify a Theme Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content

Vocabulary: Taunt, torment (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.2

Writing ƒ W.7.3

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.2, SL.7.6

Language ƒ

L.7.4.d, L.7.5.b

MATERIALS

Handout 7A: Socratic Seminar Discussion Starters ƒ

Handout 4A: Speaking and Listening Goal-Setting and SelfAssessment ƒ

Handout 11A: Narrative Techniques—The Writer’s Toolbox ƒ

Handout 24A: Fluency Homework ƒ

Handout 24B: Word Relationships

Learning Goals

Analyze how Alyce’s conflict with the villagers develops themes in chapter 7 (RL.7.2, RL.7.3).

Write a response that explains how Alyce’s conflict develops a theme.

Engage in a collaborative conversation, drawing on evidence, posing questions, responding to others, acknowledging new information, and using formal English as appropriate (SL.7.1, SL.7.6).

Participate in the Socratic Seminar.

Study the word relationship between target content words to help clarify their meaning (L.7.4.d, L.7.5.b).

Share connections between target words.

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 20–30

In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 24

Distill: What is a theme of The Midwife’s Apprentice?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 24

Improve: How can I track my progress toward speaking goals?

In this lesson, students explore the significance of Alyce’s revenge against the villagers, analyzing themes that reflect Alyce’s increasingly complex identity. A Socratic Seminar challenges students to respond to one another’s insights using high level speaking and listening skills.

10 MIN.

EXPERIMENT WITH NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES

Students refer to the narrative techniques listed on Handout 11A and “explode” the following moment: Grommet would sit on top of Alyce “so that Jack and Wat could rub chicken manure in her hair” (Cushman 40).

Pairs share.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Ask a student to remind everyone of the meaning of the word theme.

50 MIN.

IDENTIFY EVIDENCE 10 MIN.

Pairs

Have a volunteer summarize what happened in chapter 7.

Then provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

taunt (v.) To make fun of someone in a hurtful way or to provoke that person. mock, ridicule

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Who do you think the devil taunting the village in chapter 7 might be? Why?”

If needed, guide students to conclude that Alyce was behind the actions attributed to the devil in chapter 7.

TEACHER NOTE

If students struggle to determine the devil’s identity, suggest they examine page 46.

Pairs review chapter 7 and list as many pieces of evidence as they can find to suggest Alyce is responsible for the devil’s actions.

Invite students to share their evidence.

n We are told that Alyce “saw much of what went on in the village and how people lived” (41).

n Before the hoof prints appear, Alyce takes time to “think and plan” (41). She might be planning to reveal the villagers’ sins.

n Before the tracks appear, Alyce visits old Gilbert Grey-Head “about the carving and polishing of wood” (41).

n She visits the priest and asks him about sin and the devil (42).

n After the last revelation, Alyce appears near where the tracks led, by the river (possibly a place that would hide her tracks), takes something from under her skirt, and throws it into the water (46).

n After this, the devil was never seen in the village, and “no one but Alyce knew why” (46).

n A few days later, “two blocks of wood carved in the shape of the hooves of some unknown beast” turn up downstream (46–47).

n Alyce has a motive to get back at those whose behaviors are exposed. All of them were either cruel to her or cruel to someone she likes:

¢ Grommet Smith was cruel to Alyce on page 40.

¢ The miller often pinched Alyce on the rump.

¢ Jack and Wat rubbed chicken manure in Alyce’s hair on page 40. ¢ The baker did not treat Alyce badly, but he treated his wife badly by having an affair with the midwife. Alyce is fond of the baker’s wife, since she was kind and always asked, “how she fared” (40), so she has a motive for exposing the baker.

IMPROVE SPEAKING AND LISTENING

Whole Group

30 MIN.

Handout 7A: Socratic Seminar

During our Socratic

for academic discussion.

to your classmates, and use

Review the Discussion Rules. Remind students that during the last seminar, everyone sought to follow the goal of noticing mood, tone, and intent. Explain that today, they should still follow this goal as well as the goal of using two Vocabulary Journal words.

English.

yourself to use them in our

to

help with all

Display the Craft Question: How can I track my progress toward speaking goals? Distribute Handout 7A and Handout 4A. Challenge students to use the discussion starters in the seminar.

When You Want to State Your Opinion or Share an Idea: 1. believe that because 2. think that because 3. When the author wrote this made me think that 4. According to the author, So, it seems obvious that 5. think an important idea is that 6. Because of we can tell that When You Want to Ask for More Information or Clarity: 1. Can you explain what you mean by ? 2. am confused about Do you mean that ? 3. In other words, are you saying that 4. Can you say more about that? 5. Where do you see that in the book? 6. Can you give an example of ? When You Want to Change the Subject: 1. Does anyone have anything else to add about ? 2. If not, I’d like to move on to talk about When You Want to Agree and Add More to an Idea: 1. really like ’s idea about 2. agree. In addition, 3. I’d like to go back to what said about When You Want to Disagree and Present Different Idea: 1. see what means, but think that 2. can see your point, but from my perspective 3. partly agree, but I also think that Great Minds PBC Page of

Explain that students should also choose an individual goal based on how they want to improve as a speaker or listener. Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share about an appropriate individual goal and then record that goal on Handout 4A.

Display and quickly review the words sin, justice, good and evil, judgment, and punishment.

Pairs rank the words in order of which idea is most important to Alyce’s conflict with the villagers in this chapter.

Display the Socratic Seminar question: Which idea (sin, justice, good and evil, judgment, punishment) did you decide is the most important in this chapter? Why?

Scaffold:

Before the Socratic Seminar, you might have students use a graphic organizer to record evidence that supports their response. This ensures that all students are prepared to contribute to a text-based discussion.

The whole group discusses. Teacher involvement should be limited to posing additional questions.

Was Alyce justified in unveiling the sins of the townspeople?

What does this show about Alyce’s sense of justice?

What does this show about the villagers’ sense of right and wrong?

Can the villagers be called good or evil? What makes you think so?

How do Alyce’s actions show a change in her identity?

To track participation during the Socratic Seminar, you may want use the following system to take notes on who:

ƒ P (posed questions).

TEACHER NOTE

ƒ R (responded to questions).

ƒ O (made relevant observations).

ƒ L (demonstrated effective listening).

ƒ F (used formal language).

ƒ V (used vocabulary).

EVALUATE PERFORMANCE 10 MIN.

Individuals

Ask the whole group to identify strengths and weaknesses of this lesson’s seminar.

Have students evaluate participation and set goals using Handout 4A.

Students Whip Around to share one goal for the next Socratic Seminar.

5 MIN.

IDENTIFY A THEME

Students respond to the following in their Response Journal, supporting their response with evidence: “Chapter 7 describes a conflict between Alyce and the villagers. What does chapter 7’s conflict teach readers about (one of the ideas discussed in the seminar) ?”

Students share.

5 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read chapters 8 and 9 and annotate using the previously discussed symbols: ! = Something interesting or surprising. ? = Something I have a question about.

Circled word = Unknown word

< > = Important passages I might want to cite or quote later.

Students also write one margin note per page.

The note should answer the question “How is Alyce’s identity changing on this page?” Students label the note with a Ch for character

Students reading below grade level can complete the additional fluency practice on Handout 24A.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students participate in the Socratic Seminar and continue to track their progress toward speaking goals (SL.7.1, SL.7.2, SL.7.6). Assess Socratic Seminar performance using the Speaking and Listening Rubric from Appendix C, notes from the discussion, and students’ self-assessment.

Next Steps

If many students struggle to effectively participate in the Socratic Seminar, begin the next whole group discussion with another review of the Discussion Rules, and invite small groups of students to demonstrate effective performances.

Lesson 24 Deep Dive: Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary: Taunt, torment

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts: The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman, Chapter 7

ƒ Vocabulary Learning Goal: Study the word relationship between target content words to help clarify their meaning (L.7.4.d, L.7.5.b).

TEACHER NOTE

Launch

Use the completed three-column chart to guide your displayed notes and class discussion. Note that only the text sentences should be displayed for students when instructed below.

Assign half the class the word taunt and the other half the word torment

Distribute Handout 24B: Word Relationships. Display the blank three-column chart in the handout, and fill in only the two words and their corresponding text sentences on either side as follows:

Taunt Word Relationships Torment

Text sentence: “Beetle endured their anger and their taunts in silence …” (Cushman 14).

Text sentence:

Text sentence: “And the boys moved off to torment someone else until they were found …” (Cushman 64).

Students write the assigned word and corresponding sentences in the appropriate boxes in the chart. Instruct students to write a definition for the assigned term in their own words and predict the part of speech.

Scaffold:

Consider reading the entire excerpt from the novel in which the word occurs before students create their definitions. For instance, for the word taunt, you may want to read the second whole paragraph on page 14 in which the word occurs. This will offer more context for students than the partial sentence in this chart.

Same-word students pair up to complete the following:

1. Look up the word in a dictionary, and verify its definition (http://witeng.link/wordsmyth) as it is used in the sample sentence. Revise as needed.

2. Record the correct part of speech.

Under the correct definition, students write at least three synonyms and at least two similar or related words with which they are familiar.

Taunt Word Relationships Torment

Text sentence:

• “Beetle endured their anger and their taunts in silence …” (Cushman 14).

Definition and part(s) of speech:

• (n.) A sarcastic challenge or insult.

Synonyms: mock, ridicule

Like/related words: make fun of, insult, harass, heckle

Text sentence:

Text sentence:

• “And the boys moved off to torment someone else until they were found …” (Cushman 64).

Common characteristics:

Definition and part(s) of speech:

• (v.) to make someone else feel great mental or physical pain.

Synonyms: annoy, harass, badger, trouble

Like/related words: pester, bully, heckle, bedevil

TEACHER NOTE

Most dictionaries, online and in print, list similar or related words in addition to synonyms. Related words are not exact synonyms but have some connection (direct or indirect) with the target word. For instance, the verbs taunt and torment are related, but they are not exact synonyms. The former refers to insults while the latter implies psychological or physical pain derived from those insults. However, they are similar because they can denote shared synonyms, like the words harass or heckle

In the displayed handout, fill in the text sentence under Word Relationships, and have students copy the information. Instruct them to pair up with a classmate that was assigned a different word. Partners talk about their words to find a connection between them. Students should note that the text sentence in the Word Relationships column uses the verb form of the word taunt and fill in the definition for that form. Circulate to assess understanding and offer guidance as needed.

Taunt Word Relationships Torment

Text sentence:

• “Beetle endured their anger and their taunts in silence …” (Cushman 14).

Definition and part(s) of speech:

• (n.) a sarcastic challenge or insult.

• (v.) to make fun of, tease, or challenge in mean language.

Synonyms: mock, ridicule

Like/related words: make fun of, insult, harass, heckle

Text sentence:

• “And so it was that all (except for the fortunate midwife) who had taunted or tormented Alyce were punished for their secret sins” (Cushman 46).

Common characteristics:

• Both words have verb forms.

• Both words have similar meanings.

Shared synonyms/related words: harass, heckle

Text sentence:

• “And the boys moved off to torment someone else until they were found …” (Cushman 64).

Definition and part(s) of speech:

• (v.) to make someone else feel great mental or physical pain.

Synonyms: harass, heckle synonyms: annoy, harass, badger, trouble

Like/related words: pester, bully, heckle, bedevil

When they have finished, students share their connections with the class.

If students need more guidance or cannot make a connection, explain that, in this case, the words taunt and torment share a part of speech, synonyms, and related words. The noun form of torment can represent the result of someone’s taunting. Words can also be connected in a sentence describing an aspect of the text, such as setting or a character’s actions, as in the offered text sentences.

Students 1) add their partner’s word to their Vocabulary Journal, and 2) create a list of taunting words and phrases from chapters 1–7.

List of taunting words and phrases from chapters 1–7: ƒ Nincompoop (23). ƒ Brainless Brat (24). ƒ Good-for nothing (24). ƒ Stupid as a woodchuck (26). ƒ Clumsy as a donkey in a dress (26). ƒ

ƒ Dung Beetle (3). ƒ Clodpole (13). ƒ Shallow-brained whiffler (13). ƒ Brains of a chicken (15). ƒ Nitwit (22). ƒ Lackwit (22). ƒ No Brain (22). ƒ Idiot (23).

“You look more like a Toad or a Weasel or a Mudhen than an Alyce” (33). ƒ Daft (34).

List of tormenting actions from chapters 1–7 of The Midwife’s Apprentice: ƒ

“In every village there were boys, teasing, taunting, pinching, kicking. … And so they taunted and tormented her” (3). ƒ

“The taunting, pinching village boys bedeviled the cat as they did her, but he, quicker and smarter than they, always escaped” (7). ƒ

“Beetle tried to go in, but Jane slapped her, calling her clodpole and shallow-brained whiffler, and made her stay outside where she wouldn’t get in the way” (13). ƒ

“Screeching still, the miller’s wife let go of Beetle’s arm and began to throw at the girl whatever she could reach from her bed—a jug of warm ale, half a loaf of bread, a sausage, the brimming chamber pot” (22) ƒ

“Drunken boys ran her, scared, up into a tree” (37). ƒ

“Some were mean, like Grommet Smith, near as big as a dozen Alyces, who would sit on top of the girl so Jack and Wat could rub chicken manure into her hair, or the miller, who pinched her rump when she brought grain to the mill to be ground” (40).

QUESTION: LESSONS 20–30 In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

Lesson 25

The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman, Chapters 8–9

Lesson 25: At a Glance

Welcome (10 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (50 min.)

Analyze Descriptive Details (15 min.)

Examine Descriptive Details (15 min.)

Experiment with Descriptive Details (20 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Share Writing Wrap (5 min.)

Look Ahead

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Phrases and Clauses (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.3, RL.7.9

Writing ƒ W.7.3.d

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.1.a

MATERIALS

Handout 11A: Narrative Techniques—The Writer’s Toolbox ƒ

Handout 25A: Snapshots and Thoughtshots ƒ

Handout 24A: Fluency Homework

Learning Goals

Analyze how Cushman uses descriptive details to develop Alyce’s story (RL.7.3).

Respond to TDQs 1 and 2.

Experiment with descriptive details (W.7.3.d).

Write a paragraph using descriptive details.

Explain how phrases and clauses affect writing (L.7.1.a).

Write an Exit Ticket explaining how adding dependent clauses and prepositional phrases can enhance a main clause.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 20–30

In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 25

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of descriptive details reveal in chapters 8 and 9?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 25

Experiment: How do snapshots and thoughtshots work?

Focusing on historical facts and sensory language, students analyze how Cushman uses descriptive details to tell Alyce’s story of identity development in medieval society. Students then experiment with their own descriptive writing—a key practice in preparation for their narrative EOM Task.

Welcome10 MIN.

Ask a student to remind everyone what the term sensory language means.

Have individuals create a simple T-chart to identify a detail for each sense from chapters 8 and 9.

Senses Example from The Midwife’s Apprentice, Chapters 8–9

Seeing n “She couldn’t see the figure on the bed at first for all the smoke” (Cushman 57).

Hearing n “Tansy called out, low and mournful and full of pain and fright” (Cushman 50).

Smelling n “The second task would lay perfume on the air and gladden noses near and far” (Cushman 48).

Tasting n “the crisp, white-fleshed Cackagees, the small, sour Foxwhelps, or the mellow, sweet Rusticoats or Rubystripes” (Cushman 49).

Touching n “Alyce felt her skin prickling with delight” (Cushman 52).

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Ask a student to remind everyone what the term descriptive detail means. Explain that this lesson will focus on deepening students’ understanding of descriptive details and improving their ability to use them in writing.

Students share the sensory details they identified.

Learn

50 MIN.

ANALYZE DESCRIPTIVE DETAILS

Pairs

15 MIN.

Invite a volunteer to summarize chapters 8 and 9. Then, instruct students to Think–Pair–Share about their homework annotations. Encourage students to help answer each other’s questions by referring to the text. Address unanswered questions as needed to further student understanding.

Explain that pairs will respond to the following TDQs in order to analyze what Cushman’s use of descriptive and historical details reveals in chapters 8 and 9.

1. Because The Midwife’s Apprentice is a work of historical fiction, many of Cushman’s descriptive details are also historical details. Read the facts, and provide an example where Cushman uses each fact to add detail to her story.

Historical Fact and Fiction: The Midwife’s Apprentice and the Middle Ages

Fact

Nobles ate rich, fancy foods that were made by their servants. Peasants usually lived off of the land.

Example from The Midwife’s Apprentice, Chapters 8–9

n “Hazelnuts, walnuts, chestnuts, almonds mounded in her basket and stirred her hunger with thoughts of hot roasted nuts on cold winter nights. That was the limit of her imaginings, for never had she heard of almond cream, pickled walnuts, or eels in chestnut sauce such as they ate at the manor” (54).

Medieval people believed that those who practiced medicine in the Middle Ages could use magic and summon the devil.

Medieval people believed that demons, or fallen angels, lurked around every corner and were always present in their lives.

Midwives in the Middle Ages relied on many herbs to care for their patients.

n “ … [U]ntil they were quite old the boys in the dark of night sometimes were afraid that the midwife’s bottle actually had the power to make them into women” (55).

n “From inside the pit came the cries of some fearsome thing—a beast or a witch or a demon—so she crossed herself and hurried her steps” (49).

n “Up, Beetle, and to the cottage for cowslip, mugwort, and pepper. By the Fourteen Holy Helpers, Joan will have to sneeze this baby out!” (56).

2. What does the following description reveal about Alyce?

“Alyce took another deep breath and returned to Joan’s side. She gave her mugwort in warm ale to drink and spoke soothingly, calling her Sweetheart and Good Old Girl. She warmed oil over the fire and rubbed her head and belly, as she had the cow’s. She did not know the spells or the magic, so gave Joan all she had of care and courtesy and hard work” (59).

n After helping Will deliver the calves, Alyce realizes she can approach birth as Will did—with warmth and care.

n Alyce has become nurturing and kind.

n Alyce discovers a way to work effectively—even without the midwife—which shows her growing confidence and independence.

3. When chapter 9 ends, Alyce returns home feeling proud and satisfied. Then, “Facing the midwife’s jealous anger, she went back to their cottage, ate some cold soup and hard bread, lay down on her straw mat by the fire, and had a dream about her mother, which upon waking she could not remember” (Cushman 60).

What does this description reveal about Alyce?

n Alyce is feeling so good about herself that she doesn’t let the midwife’s anger bother her. She focuses on nurturing herself, eating, and sleeping by a warm fire.

n This is the first time she’s remembered her mother. Maybe bringing Little Alyce into the world causes her to dream about the mother who brought her into the world. Maybe Little Alyce’s birth makes Alyce feel that she has a secure place in the world. She can deliver babies. A baby is even named after her.

Ask: “Based on your responses, how is Alyce’s identity and view of herself changing?”

n Alyce is gaining confidence and a stronger sense of self with her increasing skills and knowledge.

n With her goal to be a successful midwife, she’s figuring out a place in society.

Have students share with the whole group.

Pairs

Display the Craft Question: How do snapshots and thoughtshots work?

Have students take out Handout 11A.

Remind students that they used descriptive details to complete the Castle Diary Focusing Question Task, as they read The Canterbury Tales, and in their recent Exploded Moment practice. Now, students will deepen their craft knowledge by examining two other types of descriptive details that they can use to “explode” a moment: snapshots and thoughtshots.

Students add the following terms and definitions to their list of narrative techniques on Handout 11A.

ƒ Snapshots: Snapshots are sensory details that are external. What does something sound like, smell like, taste like, look like, feel like? What are characters doing? Where is the scene—time and place?

ƒ Thoughtshots: Thoughtshots are feelings or thoughts that are internal. Descriptions of what characters are thinking, remembering, asking themselves, or feeling helps readers understand characters.

TEACHER NOTE The terms snapshot and thoughtshot are used by Barry Lane in his book, After the End: Teaching and Learning Creative Revision

Distribute Handout 25A.

Explain that Handout 25A shows how Cushman uses details to tell Alyce’s story. On the left, the chart shows what Cushman could have written—without detail. In the middle, the chart shows what the author did write—rich with detail. On the right side, pairs should explain whether the author added snapshots or thoughtshots, and why.

Scaffold:

The first response has been completed. You may wish to think aloud to model how to arrive at that response and then collaborate with the whole group to complete the next one.

When students finish, ask: “How do these techniques help readers?”

n Snapshots create images in the reader’s mind. They help the reader visualize.

n Thoughtshots help readers see a unique point of perspective on an event, helping readers understand the character.

n Snapshots and thoughtshots engage readers. Without these, readers would be left with basic reporting of what happened. With them, readers can imagine experiencing what the characters see, hear, smell, and feel.

EXPERIMENT WITH DESCRIPTIVE DETAILS 20 MIN.

Individuals

Tell students they will write their own snapshots and thoughtshots, by doing the following:

1. Choose one of these moments: ƒ

The Pardoner held out his bag of relics to the innkeeper. ƒ

The Wife of Bath leaned forward on her horse and asked the scholar to repeat himself. ƒ

Tobias Burgess suddenly felt ill in the middle of the banquet. ƒ

Alyce shared some old cheese with the cat.

2. In your Response Journal, answer these questions:

Snapshot ƒ

Where (time and place) is this scene? ƒ

What do you see? ƒ

What do you smell? ƒ

What do you hear?

Thoughtshot ƒ

What is each person thinking? ƒ

What is each person feeling?

3. Now write a paragraph including snapshot and thoughtshot details for your chosen moment.

TEACHER NOTE

Consider offering the choice of writing from the point of view of a character or the point of view of someone observing the scene. Or, you may want to assign an observer’s point of view since students have been examining third-person point of view this lesson.

Think aloud to show what snapshot and thoughtshot details you might use, using the following example: The poacher lay down on the grass and caught a fish.

I want to show that the fish was big and plump and its scales glistened in the sunlight. The hungry poacher was happy that he would be able to feed his family that night.

Scaffold:

Model your completed paragraph: “The poacher lay down on the grass. The sun was hot on his neck, but he was focused on the task at hand. He lay still and quiet, his large hands in the freezing water. He felt the slick scales of a fish start to pass and grabbed as quickly as he could. The fish felt plump and cold in his hand. He sighed with relief. He could picture the smiles on his children’s faces when they smelled the fish cooking over the fire. They would not be hungry tonight.”

Pairs discuss what they plan to write, and then individuals complete their paragraph.

5 MIN.

SHARE WRITING

Students Whip Around to share their favorite sentence from their creative response.

LOOK AHEAD

Explain that next lesson, students will complete another New-Read Assessment and continue to read about Alyce’s transformation.

Students reading below grade level can complete the additional fluency practice on Handout 24A.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students write a paragraph using descriptive details to capture action and convey an experience (W.7.3.d). Check for the following success criteria. ƒ Uses sensory details that describe the action and setting. ƒ Uses details that describe the character’s thoughts or feelings.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty, consider collaborating to create a word bank featuring descriptive words that appeal to each of the five senses.

Lesson 25 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Experiment with Phrases and Clauses

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman, Chapters 8–9

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Explain how phrases and clauses affect writing (L.7.1.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 25 Experiment: How do phrases and clauses work?

Launch TEACHER NOTE

Display:

This lesson includes an activity that uses sentence strips. Consider having a student volunteer create seven sets of the sentence strips or print and cut out sets yourself prior to the lesson. A printer-friendly version of the sentence parts is supplied for you at the end of this lesson.

The cat ran across the field and into the barn where we couldn’t reach it.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share to identify the phrases and clauses in the posted sentence and explain how they know whether the sentence part is a phrase or clause. They may use their notes from Deep Dive Handout 11C: Identifying Phrases and Clauses to refresh their memories about phrases and clauses.

n The sentence has two clauses. The first is the main clause, “The cat ran.” This is the main clause because it has a subject-verb set, and it’s what the sentence is about.

n The second is a dependent clause, “where we couldn’t reach it.” This is a dependent clause because it begins with the dependent word marker, “where.”

n The first sentence has two phrases, “across the field,” and “into the barn.” These are prepositional phrases because they have no subject-verb set, they begin with prepositions, and tell where the cat went.

Tell students that they will practice creating sentences using independent or main clauses, dependent clauses, and prepositional phrases.

Distribute the phrases and clauses sentence strips. Ask students to use the clues in their sentence strip to determine whether the group of words on their sentence strip is a main clause that can stand alone as a sentence, a dependent clause that begins with a dependent marker word, or a prepositional phrase.

Explain that capital letters, commas, and periods have been taken out to remove hints regarding phrasing and how the sentences begin and end.

Assign areas of the room for students to stand based on the type of word group they have. If students need help identifying their word group, remind them that prepositional phrases do not contain verbs and begin with prepositions, main and independent clauses have a complete subject and verb set, and dependent clauses begin with a dependent marker word such as while, if, because, and as.

Once students have categorized their words, tell them that now they need to be part of a complete sentence.

Ask: “Do the students with main clauses need to link up with another sentence part?” (No.)

Ask: “Do students with dependent clauses or prepositional phrases need to link up with another student?” (Yes.)

Ask: “Can two dependent clauses or a dependent clause and a prepositional phrase link together to make a complete sentence?” (No.)

Stress that each sentence must include a main clause, which the entire sentence is about. Explain that no prepositional phrase or dependent clause can be left out and students may not refer to the text when creating their groupings. Allow students five minutes to form complete sentences.

When students have completed their task, ask each group to share their completed sentence with the class. As long as the grouping is a complete, logical sentence, it does not need to match the text.

Land

Display the completed sentences as they occur in the text along with the modified sentences that omit underlined clauses and phrases.

1. “First they cooked parsnips with sugar and spices and yeast and poured this into casks, where the fermenting mixture sang loud and sweet as it turned into wine” (Cushman 48).

ƒ

“First they cooked parsnips and poured this, where the fermenting mixture sang loud and sweet as it turned.”

2. “Returning to the village late in the day, with her baskets and belly full of apples, Alyce cut through the manor field near where the villagers had dug a pit for the quarrying of gravel” (Cushman 49).

ƒ

“Returning to the village late in the day, with her baskets and belly full of apples, Alyce cut through the manor field.”

Ask: “Do the prepositional phrases in the first sentence enhance the main clause in any way?”

Students should say that the phrases add information about the cooked parsnips and provide some description. Without them, the reader would not know what was cooked with the parsnips, where it was poured, and what the concoction made.

Ask: “Does the dependent clause in the second sentence enhance the main clause in any way?”

Students should say that, without the dependent clause, the reader loses a description of Alyce’s surroundings. These descriptions are important because they keep the reader grounded in the time period.

Students write an Exit Ticket: “How can adding dependent clauses and prepositional phrases enhance a main clause? Should all main clauses have dependent clauses or prepositional phrases added to them?”

 first they cooked parsnips  with sugar and spices and yeast  and poured it  into casks  where the fermenting mixture sang loud and sweet  as it turned  into wine  returning  to the village  late 

in the day   with her baskets and belly full  of apples  Alyce cut  through the manor field  near where the villagers had dug a pit  for the quarrying  of gravel 

Lesson 26

QUESTION: LESSONS 20–30 In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

Lesson 26: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Independently Analyze (40 min.)

Identify and Describe Conflict (15 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Coordinate Adjective Sentences (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4

Writing ƒ W.7.3

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.4, SL.7.6

Language ƒ

L.7.2.a

MATERIALS ƒ

Assessment 26A: New-Read Assessment 2: The Midwife’s Apprentice ƒ

Handout 24A: Fluency Homework ƒ

Handout 26A: Experiment with Coordinate and Cumulative Adjectives

Learning Goals

Independently determine word meaning, theme, and characterization in chapter 10 (RL.7.2, RL.7.4).

Complete New-Read Assessment 2.

Identify and describe Alyce’s conflicts in chapter 11.

Use bullet points to describe Alyce’s conflicts in chapter 11.

Complete sentence frames using sets of appropriately punctuated modifiers (L.7.2.a).

Highlight the accurate use of commas in coordinate adjectives or guide others to correct errors in use of coordinate adjective punctuation.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 20–30

In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 26

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of conflict reveal in chapters 10 and 11?

Students independently demonstrate mastery of skills and content through their second NewRead Assessment. Then, students analyze Alyce’s conflicts in relation to the social hierarchy. To succeed on the EOM Task, an understanding of how social class can lead to conflict is crucial.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Students “explode” the following moment of conflict by creating a snapshot and/or thoughtshot:

Alyce didn’t enjoy the smell of the dung heap, but she slept there anyway.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question. Ask: “What is your understanding of what the word conflict means?”

Students should understand that readers can think of characters’ problems as conflicts. Point out that Alyce has faced many problems as a result of her place in the social hierarchy. Ask for examples of Alyce’s conflicts.

Have students share their Welcome response with a partner. Then invite a few students to share theirs with the whole group.

55 MIN.

INDEPENDENTLY ANALYZE 40 MIN.

Individuals

Distribute Assessment 26A. Explain that before students continue to explore the Content Framing Question, they will independently read chapter 10 and complete a New-Read Assessment featuring the kinds of questions they might see on a statewide assessment.

Students complete Assessment 26A: New-Read Assessment 2: The Midwife’s Apprentice.

IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE CONFLICT

15 MIN.

Have a volunteer summarize chapter 10. Address questions students had about chapter 10 as needed.

Read aloud chapter 11, and then discuss the following questions as a whole group.

1. What happens in this chapter?

n Alyce is called to deliver Emma Blunt’s baby. The baby won’t come.

n Alyce feels like a failure when the midwife delivers the baby.

n She feels so ashamed that she leaves the village.

The Midwife’s

PART B: Which evidence from page 61 supports the correct answer in PART A? a. “She took and stored in her brain and her heart” (Cushman 61). b. “[H]iding in the shadows so as not to be noticed” (61). c. “[T]he midwife can shout into the birth passage, ‘Infant, come forward!’” (61). d. “[W]atching closely to see what the midwife did and how and why” (61). 2. PART A: What is a central idea of “The Boy”? In the Middle Ages, midwives used herbs to help deliver babies. b. In the Middle Ages, people were more superstitious and believed in magic. c. Human beings seek connections with others like themselves. d. Kings or other leaders are not always universally liked.

PART B: Which evidence best supports the correct answer in PART A? a. “She discovered that an eggshell full of the juice of leeks and mallows will make a labor quicker” (61). b. “She learned that newborn infants are readily seized by fairies unless salt is put in their mouths” (62). c. “A sudden pleasure inside her warmed her hands as she reached out to smooth the boy’s hair” (63). d. “‘The Devil Hisself,’ said Brian Tailor, who was a Scot and so had reason” (65). © Great Minds PBC Page of 4

2. What internal conflict does Alyce feel at the beginning of chapter 11? How do you know?

n She doesn’t know whether to feel nervous or happy. Cushman says she stood, “not knowing whether to be pleased” (68).

n She seems nervous, not knowing whether she can succeed: “She wiped her hair from her eyes, licked her lips, and went in” (68).

3. Recall the discussion of pacing from “The Pardoner’s Tale” in The Canterbury Tales. How would you describe the pacing shown in the following scene: “She wiped her hair from her eyes, licked her lips, and went in” (68). How does this pacing impact your understanding of Alyce’s conflict?

n The pacing is slow. Alyce doesn’t walk in immediately.

n This highlights Alyce’s indecision. If she had gone right in, she would have seemed confident.

n When she stands at the door and wipes her hair and licks her lips, we see her hesitation. We see how uncertain she feels.

Small groups respond to the following in writing using bullet points: What other conflicts does

Alyce struggle with in this chapter? How does her place in the social hierarchy influence her problems?

n She’s not able to deliver the baby and doesn’t know what to do.

n She doesn’t want to have to call the midwife, but she does.

n She feels like she has to leave her home.

n Due to her rank as a poor orphaned girl, she is not given privilege, opportunities, or support. She must struggle to learn a difficult job without support or resources. She never had a family to build her confidence. When she fails, there is nothing left for her in the village.

Land5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Have the whole group discuss their responses to the small-group question.

5 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students annotate chapters 12 and 13 using the previously discussed symbols:

! = Something that is interesting or surprising.

? = Something that I don’t understand or have questions about.

Circled word = Unknown word.

< > = Important passages that I might want to cite or quote later.

In addition to the symbols, students choose four places to write margin notes in response to the question: “How does Alyce feel about herself at this point of the story?” (Students label this note with a Ch for “character.”)

Students reading below grade level can complete the additional fluency practice on Handout 24A. Name Date Class

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students complete a New-Read Assessment, determining word meaning, theme, and characterization (RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4). Evaluate the assessment using the answer key located in Appendix C.

Next Steps

The New-Read Assessment’s multiple-choice questions offer a quick method for assessing students’ understanding of skills and content. Identify common issues and review the content with the whole group or small, targeted groups.

Lesson 26 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Experiment with Coordinate Adjective Sentences

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman, Chapters 10–11

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Complete sentence frames using sets of appropriately punctuated modifiers (L.7.2.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 26

Experiment: How does punctuating coordinate adjectives work?

Launch

Display: “What do you remember about coordinate and cumulative adjectives?”

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share about their previous learning. Encourage students to first try to remember what they learned about coordinate adjectives in the Deep Dive in Lesson 23 without referring to their notes. If they have difficulty, then allow them to reference their notes.

n One type of adjective needs a comma, and the other one doesn’t.

n Coordinate adjectives use a comma because they are equal.

n Coordinate adjectives can be separated by and and still make sense.

n Cumulative adjectives aren’t equal.

n Cumulative adjectives are made up of an adjective and the phrase it modifies.

Learn

Distribute Handout 26A: Experiment with Coordinate and Cumulative Adjectives.

Review instructions with students, and complete the first sentence frame as a model.

I think the words scared and peasant work here. So I wind up with, “In the beginning of the novel, the girl called Dung Beetle was a scared peasant girl.” But I’m not sure what type of adjective pair I have, and I don’t know whether I need a comma.

Ask a student to help you understand what type of adjective pair you have created.

n If you use the “and” test, you’d say “was a scared and peasant girl.” That doesn’t make sense, so they’re cumulative adjectives.

n Using the “reverse” test, you’d say “was a peasant, scared girl,” and that doesn’t make sense. They must be cumulative adjectives.

n They are cumulative adjectives because the word scared modifies the phrase “peasant girl.” It doesn’t need a comma.

Students in pairs complete sentence frames using adjectives that describe Alyce in her many stages of growth in The Midwife’s Apprentice. Circulate to assess understanding and offer guidance if needed.

Land

Ask pairs to post their adjective pairs along with the nouns they modify. Students do not need to copy the whole sentence frame. Class members assess student work by taking turns highlighting the accurate use of commas in coordinate adjectives or guiding those who have made mistakes to correct their errors.

Lesson 27

QUESTION: LESSONS 20–30 In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

Lesson 27: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Compare and Contrast Perspectives (20 min.)

Examine Descriptive Details (15 min.)

Experiment with Description and Perspective (20 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Share Writing

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content

Vocabulary: Contented, wretched (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.6

Writing ƒ W.7.3.d

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ

L.7.5.b, L.7.5.c

MATERIALS

Handout 27A: How Alyce Sees Herself Compared to How Others See Her ƒ

Handout 27B: Characters’ Snapshots and Thoughtshots ƒ

Handout 24A: Fluency Practice (Optional) ƒ

Handout 27C: Word Relationships— Connotation ƒ

Seven index cards for each small group of students

Learning Goals

Analyze how Cushman develops the contrast between how Alyce views herself and how others view her (RL.7.6).

Complete graphic organizer on Alyce’s characterization.

Use descriptive details to convey information about characters (W.7.3.d).

Write snapshots and thoughtshots for various characters.

Distinguish among the connotations of synonyms of the target vocabulary and rank them to better understand the word and its context (L.7.5.b, L.7.5.c).

Rank synonyms according to connotations, and compare rankings to those of other students.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 20–30

In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 27

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of point of view reveal in chapters 12 and 13?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 27

Examine: How can snapshots and thoughtshots convey character information?

Students consider the impact of perspective as they analyze the differences between Alyce’s self image and the way others perceive her. Then, students write creative descriptions that explore the perspectives of various other characters.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Display this quotation from the end of chapter 12: “I know what I want. A full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world” (Cushman 81).

Make sure students understand that contented means “satisfied.”

Have students respond to the following in their Response Journal: “In your own words, explain the three things that Alyce wants. What do her desires reveal about identity in society?”

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question. Ask a student to remind everyone what the term point of view means.

Instruct students to share their quotation response with a partner, and then invite a few students to share with the whole group.

n Alyce wants food, love, and a sense of purpose that makes her feel like she belongs.

n She wants enough to eat, happiness, and an identity.

n She is tired of struggling and feeling like nobody—she wants to know who she is and where she can fit into society. Basically, she wants what all people want.

n Her desires aren’t unrealistic. She does not wish to earn riches or live in a castle. However, being at the bottom of the hierarchy makes things more challenging—if she had been born into a privileged family like Tobias’s, she would probably already have these three things!

55 MIN.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST PERSPECTIVES 20

Pairs

MIN.

Ask for a brief summary of chapters 12 and 13. Address questions about what happened in those chapters as needed to clarify understanding.

Scaffold: If students need more support, you may wish to have them summarize using Literary Dominoes. However, bear in mind that students should be moving toward being able to summarize texts without such support.

Have pairs look at their annotations and discuss at least one thing they found interesting or surprising and any questions they have.

Distribute Handout 27A.

Pairs complete Handout 27A using details from the text and their own explanations.

Then ask: “How does Alyce’s point of view affect your understanding of The Midwife’s Apprentice?”

Students should understand that because the story is told from Alyce’s point of view, the reader learns Alyce’s feelings, thoughts, and desires.

Ask how Alyce sees herself compared to how others see her. Prompt students to respond using evidence from Handout 27A.

Guide students to see that Alyce’s feelings about herself influence the choices she makes, and emphasize that Alyce sees herself differently from how others see her. Seeing both perspectives helps readers better understand her character.

EXAMINE DESCRIPTIVE DETAILS

Individuals

Display the Craft Question: How can snapshots and thoughtshots convey character information?

Tell students that they will identify snapshots and thoughtshots from The Midwife’s Apprentice and then create their own examples.

Ask students to state in their own words what these terms mean.

n Snapshots are sensory details that are external. These details help readers imagine the scene.

n Thoughtshots are feelings or thoughts that are internal. They help readers understand characters.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Identify one snapshot and one thoughtshot in chapters 12 and 13. Why is each a strong example?”

n Snapshot: “Each week the autumn grew colder and wetter, and the inn, although dirty and drafty, was much cozier than any barn or dung heap to be found outside, so she remained” (75).

n This is a snapshot because we can imagine what it feels like and looks like in the inn. Autumn is cold and wet. The inn isn’t fancy, but it’s more comfortable than the outdoors.

n Thoughtshot: “Alyce’s face grew hot and then as cold as bare feet in January; her throat tickled and her eyes stung as she imagined the midwife telling Magister Reese of the girl’s stupidity, her incompetence, and her failure. Run away, she said to herself. Run away. But her shame was less than her curiosity— that and her desire not to leave Magister Reese hearing only the worst of her—so she stayed, hiding in the shadows of the room to listen without being seen” (86).

n This is a thoughtshot because it shows Alyce’s feelings and train of thought. She tells herself to run away because she’s embarrassed. She’ s also curious. She doesn’t want Magister Reese to think badly of her. She’s conflicted. Should she stay? Should she go? This causes the reader to sympathize and become curious about what Alyce will do.

EXPERIMENT WITH DESCRIPTION AND PERSPECTIVE 20 MIN.

Individuals

Distribute Handout 27B.

Explain that students should choose three of the characters from Handout 27B and pick a moment from chapters 12 and 13 that was important for each of them

Students independently write a thoughtshot and/or snapshot for each of the three moments.

Clarify that students are writing their own snapshots and thoughtshots and should not take one from the book.

Differentiation:

Students working below grade level may benefit from working with a partner so they can discuss their ideas.

Encourage more confident writers to create descriptions for additional characters or to develop their descriptions into longer paragraphs.

Have pairs share before inviting a few writers to share strong examples with the whole group. Consider having students infer characters’ identities based on the details provided.

5 MIN.

SHARE WRITING

Whip Around: Each student states a character name and their favorite sentence.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students annotate chapters 14 and 15 using the previously discussed symbols:

! = Something that is interesting or surprising.

? = Something that I don’t understand or have questions about.

Circled word = Unknown word.

< > = Important passages that I might want to cite or quote later.

In addition to the symbols, students should choose four stopping points, across the two chapters, to write margin notes (labeled with a Ch for “character”) about Alyce or another character.

© Great Minds PBC

listen

c. Ask

3. Last

Will

Respond

G7 M1 Handout 24A WIT & WISDOM Page of

Name Date Class Handout 24A: Fluency Homework Directions: 1. Day 1: Read the text carefully, and annotate to help you read fluently. 2. Each day: Practice reading the text aloud three to five times. 331 © 2023 Great Minds PBC G7 M1 Lesson 27 WIT & WISDOM®

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students use descriptive details to write snapshots and thoughtshots for various characters (W.7.3.d). Check for the following success criteria: ƒ Uses descriptive details to develop a moment in time. ƒ Selects a significant moment in chapters 12 and 13 for each character. ƒ Accurately presents each character’s unique perspective.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty, identify whether the issue is with writing snaphots and thoughtshots, the concept of perspective, or reading comprehension. Remind students that they completed a similar task when exploring the perspective of the poacher from Castle Diary, and then collaboratively write a response with a group of students working below grade level. This is essential practice students will apply when they complete their narrative EOM Task.

Content Vocabulary: Contented, wretched

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman, Chapters 12–13

ƒ Vocabulary Learning Goal: Distinguish among the connotations of synonyms of the target vocabulary, and rank them to better understand the word and its context (L.7.5.b, L.7.5.c).

Launch

Display the following sentences from The Midwife’s Apprentice

“Her nostrils quivered at the smells of roasting meats and fresh hot bread and pies stuffed with pork and raisins, but her guts still trembled with excitement, and she was content to just smell” (Cushman 28).

“‘I know what I want. A full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world. … But it is my misfortune instead to be hungry, out of humor, and too stupid to be a midwife’s apprentice’” (Cushman 81).

“I am but a poor woman with this wretched inn and a blind man to care for” (Cushman 83).

Instruct students to pair up and attempt to glean the meaning of the words contented and wretched from the context in the displayed sentences. If necessary, they can read the paragraph or section of the novel from which the sentence is taken from for more context.

Students jot their ideas about what the words mean and then share with the class.

n According to the two sentences, I think to be content means that you are happy or satisfied with the way things are.

n Based on the sentence, I think wretched could mean “sad” or “ugly.”

Provide the following definitions for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

contented (adj.)

Feeling or demonstrating happiness with one’s life or a particular situation. well, satisfied

wretched (adj.)

Deeply unhappy; miserable; in a terrible condition. unhappy, miserable, pitiful

Encourage students to supplement these definitions with their ideas from reading context for each word.

Ask: “In what way are the words contented and wretched related?”

Students should say that they are both adjectives and are antonyms of each other.

Ask: “What kind of feeling does the word contented evoke compared to the word wretched?”

If needed, add that words can have a positive, negative, or neutral feeling attached to them.

Students should say that contented is a positive word while wretched is negative.

Learn

Tell students they will review words related to both contented and wretched as a way to analyze the connotations that can exist among words. Remind them that connotation is the feeling that we attach to words.

Antonyms usually carry opposite connotations. Connotation is a kind of nuance or subtle difference among words with similar meanings.

Distribute Handout 27C: Word Relationships— Connotation. Give each group seven index cards and guide them in the following task:

1. Write contented, neutral, and wretched on three index cards, and leave the other four cards blank.

2. Write the part of speech under the word on the front of the card.

3. Write a sentence that expresses the appropriate connotation and tone or intensity of the word.

4. Arrange the cards by degrees of meaning with the most positive on the far left, neutral in the middle, and the most negative on the far right.

5. Come up with two new synonyms for contented and two for wretched using available resources. Write the new words on the remaining blank index cards.

6. Place the words within the sequence based first on their connotation and then intensity or shade of meaning.

A sequence might look something like this: contented - pleased - satisfied - neutral - disappointed - miserable - wretched

Differentiation:

Offer two synonyms for each target word if students have difficulty choosing their own.

Extension:

Ask students to come up with an additional synonyms and antonyms to add to the list.

Land

Instruct groups to share their results.

When there are disagreements about how to order the words, ask groups to justify their decisions. It may help for students to share and discuss sentences at this point to understand each other’s rankings. They can also use a dictionary or thesaurus to help them decide on how to rank words. Guide inaccurate reasoning as necessary.

Sample index card information:

+/- Word Part of Speech Sentences

+ contented adjective In winter, I am contented with a hot cup of cocoa and snuggling with my cat under a warm blanket.

+ pleased adjective Pleased with her grades, she smiled all the way home from school.

+ satisfied adjective My grandpa, satisfied after having a big steak dinner, loosened his belt.

+/- Neutral disappointed adjective The band was disappointed that so few people came to hear them play. depressed adjective He has been depressed since he lost his job. wretched adjective They were wretched after they lost everything they owned in the fire.

Encourage groups to rethink their rankings as they consider other students’ reasons. Students should write the sentences they created for content and wretched in their Vocabulary Journal.

Lesson 28

QUESTION: LESSONS 20–30 In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

Lesson 28: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Analyze Character Development (15 min.)

Examine Pacing (20 min.)

Experiment with Pacing (20 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Share Writing

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Execute with Coordinate Adjectives (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.3, RL.7.4

Writing ƒ W.7.3.d

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.2.a

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 11A: Narrative Techniques—The Writer’s Toolbox ƒ

Handout 28A: Baby Steps ƒ

Handout 28B: Fluency Homework

Learning Goals

Analyze how Alyce’s interactions with other characters reveal her growth.

Respond to TDQ 2.

Use descriptive details to adjust narrative pacing (W.7.3.d).

Write a detailed description to show what might happen at the moment Alyce returns to the inn.

Appropriately use coordinate adjectives to add description in writing (L.7.2.a).

Edit a peer’s writing for correct usage of coordinate adjectives, and make suggestions about where to add coordinate adjectives to enhance description.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 20–30

In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 28

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of character development reveal in chapters 14 and 15?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 28

Experiment: How do baby steps work?

In analyzing Alyce’s interactions with little Edward, students see her identity shift from victim to protector. Then, students build on their craft study of descriptive detail by experimenting with pacing.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Have pairs discuss their annotations for chapters 14 and 15, sharing at least one interesting text section and any questions.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Content Framing Question and the Focusing Question.

Ask: “How has Alyce changed so far?”

ANALYZE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 15 MIN.

Pairs

Ask for a brief summary of chapters 14 and 15. Address questions about what happened in those chapters as needed.

Remind students that one way authors show what a character is like is by depicting their interactions with other characters. Have pairs work on the following TDQs to analyze how Alyce’s character has developed.

1. When Alyce imagines seeing Edward, she thinks that he will say, “’Have you come to take me away?

I pray you have, for I am desolate without you and as well am starving and beaten and forced to sleep outside in the snow and no one cares for me” (Cushman 90).

What is the meaning of the word desolate, and what does it suggest about Alyce?

n It is obviously negative; everything else he says (in Alyce’s imagination) is terrible.

n He says “without you,” so that would suggest it means “alone or without.”

n He is hoping (in Alyce’s imagination) that she has come to take him away. Alyce used to live in desolate conditions, and she wants to help Edward to live a better life. This reveals that she has changed into a protector rather than a victim.

Provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

desolate (adj.) Feeling very lonely or without hope. lonely, lonesome, hopeless

2. At the beginning of the book, when Alyce was trying to save the cat, she did not know what to say: “All she knew was cursing: ‘Damn you, cat, breathe and live, you flea-bitten sod, or I’ll kill you myself” (9).

Now, she has “learned that ma’ams and sirs served her well even with cooks and stableboys when asking favors” (92). She says “Please, ma’am” to the cook.

What does this show about Alyce’s development?

n Initially, she only knew rude ways to speak because that was how she’d been spoken to.

n Now that she has observed kindness, she has learned that kindness can help her to connect with others and get what she needs.

n She has learned different ways to speak. She can use gentle words to help a mother give birth. She even sang to the calves when they were born.

3. Edward tells Alyce that “a story should have a hero and brave deeds” (99). Who is the hero of The Midwife’s Apprentice, and why?

n Alyce is the hero. She has accomplished brave deeds.

n Alyce kept going when life was difficult, she found a place for herself as an apprentice, she stood up for herself against the village boys, she safely delivered Alyce Little, she rescued the cat, she saved Edward from homelessness, and she saved Will Russet from drowning.

Invite the whole group to share their responses to TDQ 3.

EXAMINE PACING

Pairs

20 MIN.

Display the Craft Question: How do baby steps work?

Have students take out Handout 11A.

Explain that students will learn a new narrative technique. Have them record the term and definition on Handout 11A: Baby steps: When an author slows the movement way down—like slow motion in a movie. This allows the author to convey a moment small step by small step, which helps the reader pay attention to meaningful details.

TEACHER NOTE Barry Lane discusses the baby steps technique in his book, After the End: Teaching and Learning Creative Revision

Clarify that baby steps is another technique for developing a strong Exploded Moment, and these baby steps can include snapshots as well as thoughtshots. This is one way to adjust pacing. Students will examine how Cushman uses baby steps and then experiment with the technique.

Distribute Handout 28A.

Explain that on left, the chart shows what Cushman could have written—without detail. In the middle, the chart shows what Cushman did write—in detailed slow motion (baby steps). The column on the right tells what the baby steps do.

Think Aloud to model how to arrive at the handout’s example response.

Pairs complete Handout 28A, filling in the blank section. Pairs add notes and examples of baby steps to the last column of the narratives technique table in Handout 11A.

EXPERIMENT WITH PACING 20 MIN.

Individuals

Name Date Class

Handout 28A: Baby Steps Directions: Complete the organizer to reflect on how Cushman adds detail in her writing. Baby Steps: Slowing Down the Action to Add More Detail Sentence without Detail— What the Author Could Have Written

Example Slowed Down— What the Author Did Write in Baby Steps

What the Baby Steps Do Alyce woke up and then decided to go back to bed.

“The cat was hungry. He pushed at the lumpish weight that was holding him down, spitting and scratching until Alyce shifted His exertions woke Alyce and she sat up and looked about her. At first she made to stretch and smile and face a fine new day; then she remembered. It was afternoon, she was a failure, and she had run away. It was beginning to rain and she faced a night outside alone in the wet. She curled up again into a wet soggy ball” (72).

“Alyce’s face grew hot and then as cold as bare feet in January; her throat tickled and her eyes stung as she imagined the midwife telling Magister Reese of the girl’s stupidity, her incompetence, and her failure. Run away, she said to herself. Run away. But her shame was less than her curiosity—that and her desire not to leave Magister Reese hearing only the worst of her—so she stayed, hiding in the shadows of the room to listen without being seen” (86).

Give the BIG Idea: The cat woke Alyce up, and she is feeling bad. Give a SNAPSHOT: The cat was spitting and scratching. It was cold, wet, and soggy. Give a THOUGHTSHOT: At first Alyce forgot where she was and what had happened. She even felt good enough to smile. Then she remembered how bad she feels and goes back to bed.

Give the BIG Idea:

Give a SNAPSHOT: Give a THOUGHTSHOT:

G7 M1 Handout 28A WIT WISDOM Page of 2

Tell students they will write their own baby steps based on what they imagine might happen when Alyce returns to the inn and Jennet.

Display a sentence without detail, such as: “Alyce arrived at the inn, and Jennet opened the door.”

Students rewrite this moment in their Response Journal, adding baby steps to show step-by-step what happens.

Small groups share. Choose a few students to share their responses with the class.

5 MIN.

SHARE WRITING

Students Whip Around to share one or two of their favorite baby steps sentences from their response.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students annotate chapters 16 and 17 using the previously discussed symbols: ! = Something that is interesting or surprising. ? = Something that I don’t understand or have questions about. Circled word = Unknown word. < > = Important passages that I might want to cite or quote later.

Students reading below grade level can complete the additional fluency practice on Handout 28B.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students describe what might happen at the moment Alyce returns to the inn, using descriptive details to adjust narrative pacing (W.7.3.d). Check for the following success criteria: ƒ Uses descriptive details to slow down the pacing of a brief moment. ƒ Demonstrates understanding of Alyce’s character.

Next Steps

If students struggle, consider backing up and modeling the baby steps writing process. Then, ask the whole group to add details to your description. Baby steps will help students learn to use detail and pacing to tell an effective story for the EOM Task.

Lesson 28 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Execute with Coordinate Adjectives

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman, Chapters 14–15

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Appropriately use coordinate adjectives to add description in writing (L.7.2.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 28 Execute: How do I use coordinate and cumulative adjectives in my own writing?

Launch

Ask students to recall what they have learned about coordinate and cumulative adjectives. They may refer to their notes from the Deep Dives in Lessons 23 and 26, if needed. Then explain that they will add coordinate and cumulative adjectives into their own writing.

Ask: “Why do you think a writer would want to use a coordinate or cumulative adjectives? Why not just use one adjective to describe something or someone?”

n A writer might want to use two or more adjectives for one noun because it’s quicker than describing something in a couple of sentences.

n Sometimes using two adjectives sounds better when describing something complex.

n Adjectives help paint a picture for the reader, so using as many as you need helps paint a more complete picture.

If necessary, explain that coordinate and cumulative adjectives are good tools to use in descriptive writing for all the reasons noted above.

Learn

Remind students that it is important not to create redundancies when using adjective pairs and to use paired adjectives sparingly.

Display and read the sentence: “Beetle liked to watch the orange and white cat stretching in the warm, bright sunshine, combing his soft, furry belly with his coarse, pink tongue, chewing the sharp burrs and short bristly stubble out from between his small, pink toes.”

Ask: “How can we revise the excessive use of adjectives in this sentence to make the paragraph more concise?”

Allow students to pair up, and offer them ample time to discuss and manipulate the sentence.

n You could take out all the pairings except for the descriptions of the cat’s tongue and toes. This way the reason that Beetle liked to watch the cat is emphasized.

n Taking out all the descriptors would be OK because there is already enough description through the action.

n You could take out “orange and white,” “warm, bright,” and “short, bristly” because that information doesn’t seem important; it doesn’t add important information about why Beetle liked watching the cat.

Explain that there are several ways to improve the overuse of adjectives in the sentence but eliminating as many pairings and using as few adjectives as possible creates a better description for the reader.

For an example, direct students to page 91 of The Midwife’s Apprentice, and have them read the section beginning with “Passing the village fields,” and ending with “or your cow.” Have students identify the two coordinate adjective pairs in the section (“tall, red-nosed,” and “warm, sticky”).

Point out that, in all four paragraphs, Cushman uses only two adjective pairings.

Land

Students work independently.

Using their snapshots and thoughtshots activity from Lesson 27, students incorporate coordinate and cumulative adjectives in their descriptions.

Writers will:

1. Identify all adjective pairs.

2. Incorporate at least two coordinate or cumulative adjective pairs into their writing, if they have none.

3. Make sure that all coordinate adjectives are punctuated.

Instruct students to pair up and edit each other’s work. They should discuss their edits and revise their own work afterward. Circulate to assess understanding and guide students when needed.

Editors will:

1. Look for correct use and punctuation of adjective pairs.

2. Point out excessive use of adjectives.

3. Identify opportunities to incorporate more description.

4. Make sure writers didn’t use redundant pairings.

Lesson 29

QUESTION: LESSONS 20–30 In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

Lesson 29: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (50 min.)

Analyze Textual Excerpts (15 min.)

Examine Narrative Beginnings and Endings (15 min.)

Experiment with Narrative Beginnings and Endings (20 min.)

Land (10 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive Deep Dive: Morphology: The Affix be–(15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4

Writing ƒ

W.7.3.a, W.7.3.e

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.4.a, L.7.4.b

MATERIALS

Handout 11A: Narrative Techniques—The Writer’s Toolbox ƒ

Handout 28B: Fluency Homework ƒ

Handout 29A: The Prefix be

Learning Goals

Analyze how Cushman uses descriptive details, historical details, and theme in the resolution (W.7.3.a, W.7.3.e).

Analyze textual excerpts.

Experiment with effective introductions and conclusions in narrative writing (W.7.3.a, W.7.3.e).

Complete the beginnings and endings writing activity.

Use context and apply common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to determine the meaning of a word (L.7.4.a, L.7.4.b).

Complete Part 2 of Handout 29A, defining the target words and explaining which definition of the prefix be– is used in each word.

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 20–30

In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 29

Distill: What is the essential meaning of The Midwife’s Apprentice?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 29

Experiment: How do narrative beginnings and endings work?

The novel’s end is an opportune time to reflect on Alyce’s changed identity as well as Cushman’s craft. After analyzing endings and beginnings, students experiment with their own.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Display the final sentences of The Midwife’s Apprentice: “The door opened. Alyce went in. And the cat went with her.”

Instruct students to “explode” this moment in their Response Journal by including a snapshot (sensory language) and a thoughtshot (revealing how Alyce, the cat, or the midwife felt or what they thought).

Scaffold

If students need more support, have them identify sensory details and thought details in the model below.

Alyce stood, surrounded by the scent of roses, her throat choked with hope, waiting for the door to open. Then she heard the click of the latch. The door opened slowly, and there the midwife stood, still frowning, but perhaps not quite as sharply as before. Alyce went in. And the cat went with her, nudging her gently back to her home.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question. Ask how the two questions are connected.

Pairs share their alternate endings. Have a few students share strong responses with the class.

Consider quickly debating whether Cushman’s simpler ending or the Exploded Moment student endings are more effective.

n The simpler version is stronger because it shows how much Alyce has changed. Instead of taking time to reflect on her thoughts and feelings, Alyce walks in without hesitating. This shows how confident she has become.

n The Exploded Moments are stronger because the reader can easily visualize the scene and connect with Alyce.

50 MIN.

ANALYZE TEXTUAL EXCERPTS

Small Groups

15 MIN.

Ask for a brief summary of chapters 16 and 17. Address student questions about what happened in those chapters as needed to clarify student understanding.

Assign each small group one of the following passages from the final two chapters.

Excerpt 1: Page 108, the paragraph that begins with “Lightning lit up the room.”

Excerpt 2: Page 110, the six paragraphs beginning with “Alyce saw the man” and ending with “the wart should fall off her chin.”

Excerpt 3: Page 113, the two full paragraphs, which begin with “As she chewed on a grass.”

Excerpt 4: Pages 114–115, the last two paragraphs on page 114, beginning with “Not too long after this.”

Excerpt 5: Page 116–117, the paragraph that begins on the bottom of page 116 with “Jane Sharp! It is I, Alyce, your apprentice.”

Differentiation:

Excerpt 5 is shorter and less dense than the others. You may want to assign this to readers who could use additional support.

In their Response Journal or annotations, each group identifies five things:

ƒ

Sensory details that show the setting.

ƒ Details that develop the characters.

ƒ Interesting words or phrases or repetitions of words or sounds.

ƒ Historical details about the Middle Ages.

ƒ Details that support a theme or central idea of The Midwife’s Apprentice.

Have groups share findings.

EXAMINE NARRATIVE BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS 15 MIN.

Whole Group

Display the Craft Question: How do narrative beginnings and endings work?

Remind students that in The Midwife’s Apprentice, every chapter is a complete story with a beginning and an ending.

Ask: “What are some common ways to begin a story?”

n “Once upon a time …”

n “It was a dark and stormy night ...”

n By introducing the character.

n By describing the scene (“The day was hot and sunny”).

Ask: “What might a writer aim to accomplish at a story’s beginning?” Chart responses.

n They want to hook the reader (make you want to read more).

n They want to introduce the character or the setting.

n They want to start with a problem or conflict.

n They want to establish a tone or a mood.

n They want to establish the point of view.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How does Cushman begin chapters 16 and 17? What might she wish to accomplish?”

n She starts chapter 16 with suspense that makes the reader wonder what will happen next: “One warm evening came a stillness as if the whole world were holding its breath.”

n She describes the setting. It seems ominous. A storm is coming.

n At the beginning of chapter 17, she describes the setting. It’s June. The flowers are blooming.

n Then, she describes many of Alyce’s future opportunities. She makes the reader look forward for Alyce, thinking, “What will happen next?” The tone is hopeful.

Ask: “What are some common ways to end a story?”

n “And they lived happily ever after.”

n “The End.”

n The protagonist realizes something.

Ask: “What might a writer aim to accomplish at a story’s ending?” Chart responses.

TEACHER NOTE

If students have trouble, give examples to prompt them. When I write, “They lived happily ever after,” what am I trying to establish? When I write, “Little did she know that her next case was just around the corner,” what am I trying to do?

n They want to wrap things up and answer questions.

n They want to leave you wanting more.

n They want to make you feel sad or happy or bittersweet.

n They want to connect to the theme.

n They want the end to feel like the end (so sometimes they repeat sounds or words).

n They want to leave you with something to think about.

Have students take out Handout 11A. Instruct them to add an Effective Beginnings row to Handout 11A, adding the ideas they discussed to the last column.

Emphasize that both the content and the language of the ending are important. The end needs to tie things up, and it needs to sound like the end. (For example, at the end of chapter 2, Beetle and the cat “fell asleep in the sun.” The conflict with the cat is resolved, and the language sounds peaceful and drowsy. At the end of The Midwife’s Apprentice, the author writes Alyce’s impassioned speech to the Midwife and then ends with simple, staccato sentences: “The door opened. Alyce went in. And the cat went with her.”)

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How does Cushman end chapters 16 and 17? What might she be trying to accomplish?”

n At the end of chapter 16, Cushman makes us feel happy. The conflict is resolved. The baby was born, and Alyce laughs a “true laugh,” which Cushman calls “the true miracle that night” (111).

n Chapter 16 ends with a snapshot. We picture the moon and the warm night. It also ends with a thoughtshot. We can feel what Alyce feels when she laughs.

n Cushman ends with repetition: “of the moon, of women, and of childbirth” (111), adding a sense of finality and peace.

n In chapter 17, we finally get to see Alyce stand up for herself and state what she wants, which resolves conflict and feels satisfying.

n The book opened with her meeting the midwife, and it closes with Alyce returning to the midwife. She returns to where she started, and we notice how much she’s changed.

n The final paragraph is short and has no snapshot or thoughtshot. Cushman uses repetition. Three short sentences.

If students struggle to come up with these points, prompt them with questions:

Sometimes authors circle back to where they started. Does the author return to the beginning in any way here?

Sometimes authors try to show characters have a realization of something or make a change. Does Alyce realize something?

Sometimes authors connect to the theme. Does this connect to a theme about identity and finding yourself?

Does the author try to make you feel a certain way? How?

Does the author resolve the conflict?

EXPERIMENT WITH NARRATIVE BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS

Individuals

20 MIN.

Have students write an alternate beginning or ending to the chapter of their choice.

Ask: “How else could the author have started or ended this story?”

Clarify that students should not change what happens (for example, Alyce should not decide to stay at the inn). Instead, students should just change the approach. For example, students could start or end at a different point in the story, change the point of view, or, start or end with a focus on a different literary element, such as the setting or conflict.

Differentiation:

For students writing below grade level, provide more structure for the assignment. Have them examine page 1. Guide them to see that it begins with the setting, the dung heap. Instead, Cushman could have started with the action (or plot). Have students write a few sentences that start in the action of chapter 1, either when the protagonist encounters the boys or when she meets the midwife.

Encourage stronger writers to experiment with beginnings and endings for multiple chapters or to develop one of their descriptions into a full Exploded Moment.

Students share in small groups. Ask a few students to share strong examples with the class.

Land10 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Ask students to recall some of the themes for The Midwife’s Apprentice that they proposed after they read chapter 6. Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask, “Now that you have finished The Midwife’s Apprentice, what do you think its theme is now? Why?”

Then ask pairs to write brief responses to the following questions, supporting ideas with textual evidence:

How did medieval society challenge Alyce in her path to discovering her true self?

How did medieval society help her in her path to discovering her true self?

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students reading below grade level can complete the additional fluency practice on Handout 28B.

door and knocked firmly. “Jane Sharp! It is I, Alyce, your apprentice. I have come back. And if you do not let me in, will try again and again. can do what you tell me and take what you give me, and know how to try and fail and try again and not give up. I will not go away.” The door opened. Alyce went in. And the cat went with her.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students annotate textual excerpts, analyzing how Cushman uses descriptive details, historical details, and theme in the resolution (W.7.3.a, W.7.3.e). Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ Identifies sensory details that show the setting.

ƒ Identifies details that develop the characters.

ƒ Identifies interesting words or phrases or repetitions of words or sounds.

ƒ Identifies historical details about the Middle Ages.

ƒ Identifies details that support a theme or central idea of The Midwife’s Apprentice.

Next Steps

Identify any elements students struggle to comprehend, and then collaboratively annotate with the whole group to identify only those elements. Or, you might differentiate by grouping students according to elements they struggle with and then assigning annotation tasks focused on each group’s area of difficulty.

Morphology: The Affix be

Time: 15 min. ƒ

Text: The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman, Chapters 16–17 ƒ Vocabulary Learning Goal: Use context and apply common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to determine the meaning of a word (L.7.4.a, L.7.4.b).

Launch

Ask students to brainstorm a list of words that begin with the prefix be–. Create a Graffiti Wall of words that begin with this prefix.

n before n beyond n between n below

Learn

n behave n beseech n betroth n bewilder

n bewitch n befriend n beloved n befuddled

n begotten n bedevil n begrudge n befouled

Explain that The Midwife’s Apprentice contains several words beginning with this prefix. Understanding what it means can help open the door to understanding other words.

Distribute Handout 29A: The Prefix be–, and encourage students to take notes during discussion.

Display the affix’s multiple meanings with examples.

TEACHER NOTE

Note that the chart below is only for instructional guidance. The handout has some information filled in for them, but students should fill in the rest. Only the top portion of the handout should be displayed for discussion.

Prefix be- Teacher Guide

Middle/Old English prefix, be–:

1. To cause to be; treat as; make.

ƒ

Used to change nouns, adjectives, and intransitive verbs into transitive verbs. ƒ Examples:

9 (prefix) be– + (adj.) little = belittle, to make (someone or something) seem less in size, value, or importance

9 (prefix) be– + (n.) friend = befriend, to be or act as a friend to Our new cat reluctantly befriended our dog.

My fourth grade teacher would never belittle us in front of our peers.

2. Completely or thoroughly; excessively.

ƒ Used as an intensifier.

ƒ Examples:

9 be– + (v.) dazzle = (tr. v.) bedazzle, to dazzle or impress so entirely as to cause confusion or uncritical admiration

The show’s fabulous costumes, lights, and sets bedazzled the audience.

9 be– + (v.) loved = (adj.) beloved, deeply loved The soldier looked at a picture of his beloved wife.

3. Over; on; around.

ƒ

Examples:

9 be– + (v.) sprinkle = (tr. v) besprinkle, to sprinkle on all parts or sides

The wedding cupcakes were besprinkled with pearl-like sugar beads.

Explain that the prefix be– has several meanings, and review the displayed information. Complete the three sections of notes with students and clarify misunderstandings as necessary.

After review, assess the accuracy of words students listed on the Graffiti Wall. Guide students to understand that some words, such as bendable, beagle, or bedtime, do not use the prefix be–. The roots of these words just happen to begin with the letters b and e.

Land

Have students work in pairs to complete Part 2 of Handout 29A. They will define the three target words from The Midwife’s Apprentice and explain which definition of the prefix be– is used in each word.

Students share their answers with the class.

QUESTION: LESSONS 20–30

The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

Lesson 30

Lesson 30: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Improve Speaking and Listening Skills (35 min.)

Execute Narrative Techniques (20 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Share Writing

Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Execute with Sentence Structures (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.3

Writing ƒ W.7.3

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.1.b

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Engage in a collaborative conversation, drawing on evidence, posing questions, responding to others, acknowledging new information, and using formal English as appropriate (SL.7.1, SL.7.6).

Participate in a Socratic Seminar.

Explain how Alyce’s identity is supported and limited by her society (RL.7.3).

Complete Assessment 30A.

Handout 4A: Speaking and Listening Goal-Setting and SelfAssessment ƒ

ƒ

Handout 7A: Socratic Seminar Discussion Starters ƒ

Assessment 30A: Focusing Question Task 3 ƒ

Handout 28B: Fluency Homework (optional)

Create a scene that uses narrative techniques to express understanding of Alyce’s identity (W.7.3).

Apply different sentence structures to signal differing relationships in writing (L.7.1.b).

Review a peer’s response to Focusing Question Task 3 for opportunities to use varied sentence structures to create a more effective composition.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 20–30

In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does the protagonist’s identity change over time?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 30

Know: How does The Midwife’s Apprentice build my understanding of the connection between individual identity and society?

CRAFT QUESTIONS: Lesson 30

Excel: How can I improve my speaking and listening skills?

Execute: How can I use narrative techniques in Focusing Question Task 3?

This lesson’s Socratic Seminar challenges students to analyze the connection between the Focusing Question and the Essential Question. To participate, students discuss how Alyce’s identity changes, and they also discuss what the story reveals about how society supports and limits identity. This rigorous discussion of identity in society segues into Focusing Question Task 3, in which students combine their insight into medieval identity with their narrative writing skills.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Have students respond to the following prompt:

“To develop a healthy identity, you must develop your self-worth, or your sense of value as a person.

To improve your sense of self-worth, you can: ƒ Create positive relationships. ƒ Take care of and be kind to yourself. ƒ

Add meaning to your life by being kind and helping others. ƒ Work hard to make a difference. ƒ Learn new skills and pursue interests.

In your Response Journal, describe one way that Alyce improves her sense of self-worth in The Midwife’s Apprentice.”

Pairs share their responses.

TEACHER NOTE

If time permits, you might want to incorporate Georgia Douglas Johnson’s “Your World,” a beautiful poem describing a journey that mirrors Alyce’s development. Students might use the poem for fluency practice, or they might analyze parallels between the speaker and Alyce (http://witeng.link/0718).

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Display the Socratic Seminar questions: In The Midwife’s Apprentice, how does Alyce’s identity change over time? How does medieval society support and limit her identity?

Pairs discuss the question.

55 MIN.

IMPROVE SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS 35 MIN.

Whole Group

Display the Craft Question: How can I improve my speaking and listening skills?

Have students recall the discussion rules that the class has been following since the beginning of the module. Have pairs briefly discuss what they have done well in terms of following the rules and areas in which they need to continue to improve. Then have each student choose a goal for the seminar, and record it on Handout 4A.

Remind students that everyone should also continue to pursue the goal of noticing mood, intent, and tone and the goal of using words from the Vocabulary Journal.

Then review the discussion starters on Handout 7A.

The whole group discusses the Socratic Seminar question, citing evidence from the text.

Teacher participation should be minimal, but consider asking the following questions to scaffold discussion.

ƒ How does Alyce break free from her initial place in the social hierarchy?

ƒ How does she challenge her own and others’ expectations of her?

ƒ How does Alyce’s story combine elements of the medieval social order (she is first seen in a dung heap) with a more modern view of identity formation (she takes control of her own place in society)?

ƒ How is Alyce’s story relevant to identity in modern society?

Date Class

Handout 7A: Socratic Seminar Discussion Starters Directions: During our Socratic Seminar or classroom discussions, you will want to speak clearly, support your ideas thoughtfully, listen to your classmates, and use academic English. The sentence frames below will help with all these goals for academic discussion. Challenge yourself to use them in our classroom discussions.

When You Want to State Your Opinion or Share an Idea: 1. believe that because 2. think that because 3. When the author wrote this made me think that 4. According to the author, So, it seems obvious that 5. think an important idea is that 6. Because of we can tell that When You Want to Ask for More Information or Clarity: 1. Can you explain what you mean by ? 2. am confused about Do you mean that ? 3. In other words, are you saying that 4. Can you say more about that? 5. Where do you see that in the book? 6. Can you give an example of ? When You Want to Change the Subject: 1. Does anyone have anything else to add about ? 2. If not, I’d like to move on to talk about When You Want to Agree and Add More to an Idea: 1. really like ’s idea about 2. agree. In addition, 3. I’d like to go back to what said about When You Want to Disagree and Present a Different Idea: 1. see what means, but think that 2. can see your point, but from my perspective 3. partly agree, but I also think that

Handout 7A WIT & WISDOM Page of

ƒ How would you describe her identity and sense of self at the end of The Midwife’s Apprentice?

Students use Handout 4A to self-evaluate and track progress toward speaking and listening goals.

EXECUTE

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES 20 MIN.

Individuals

Display the

Students complete Assessment 30A.

Scaffold

Provide a graphic organizer that helps students plan a response that meets the task requirements. For example, students can fill in an organizer with spaces for thought details and sensory details that show the setting and action.

Land5 MIN.

SHARE WRITING

Students Whip Around to share the best sentence they wrote in the Focusing Question Task 3.

5 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Using their Knowledge Journal, students write a one-page reflection in response to the following: “What did The Midwife’s Apprentice teach you about 1) identity in society, 2) the Middle Ages, and 3) narrative writing?

Students reading below grade level can complete the additional fluency practice on Handout 28B.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students complete Focusing Question Task 3, creating a scene that uses narrative techniques to express understanding of Alyce’s identity (W.7.3). Assess writing using the task’s Criteria for Success, and reference the rubric from Appendix C for further guidance.

Next Steps

After identifying areas that need improvement, provide practice and feedback to prepare students to successfully complete the EOM Task. In the next lesson, students use all they have learned about storytelling and the Middle Ages to begin planning their narratives.

Lesson 30 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Execute with Sentence Structures

ƒ Time: 15 min.

ƒ

ƒ

Text: The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman, Chapters 4–5

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Apply different sentence structures to signal differing relationships in writing (L.7.1.b).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 30

Execute: How do I use different sentence structures to signal differing relationships in my writing?

Launch

Direct students to the first paragraph in chapter 4 (page 14) of The Midwife’s Apprentice. Ask a student volunteer to fluently read the first paragraph.

As a class, decide what types of sentences are in the paragraph. Ask students how they know what types of sentences they are, and display their answers on the board.

Scaffold

Post a list of the different sentence structures, simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex, along with their definitions. Tell students that an easy way of distinguishing sentence structures is to look for 1) two complete thoughts joined by a comma and conjunction, which signals a compound sentence, and 2) a dependent marker word such as although, while, or besides followed by a complete thought.

n The first sentence is compound-complex. The first half up to “young girls” is the compound part and has three complete thoughts; the dependent clause begins with “as” and ends with the period.

n The second sentence is complex. It begins and ends with a dependent clause: the first is “And just as the world burst into flowers,” and the second is “to dip into cool ale on a warm summer morning.” The middle part of the sentence is a simple sentence followed by a lot of phrases.

n The third sentence is complex. It starts with a simple sentence and ends in a dependent clause that begins with the dependent marker word, “until.”

n The fourth sentence is simple. It has a complete thought followed by two prepositional phrases.

n Sentences five through seven are simple sentences made up of short independent questions.

Learn

Direct students to view all the displayed answers from recent student responses on the board.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What do you notice about how this paragraph is structured?”

n The author begins with a long compound-complex sentence and ends with a two-word simple sentence.

n The paragraph is like a pyramid with the first sentence being the longest and the last one being the shortest.

Ask: “Why do you think Cushman decided to structure this paragraph in that way?”

n It’s like the story is shaping her sentence structure choices. The first sentence is long and compound-complex because she’s describing everything that’s going on, now that it’s summer— and there’s a lot going on. The last sentence is simple and short because the question Beetle has is simple.

n It’s as though she’s inside Beetle’s head, telling her thoughts as she’s thinking on that summer’s day. If Beetle were talking out loud, maybe she would be structuring her sentences that way naturally.

n The longer, complex sentences make the story’s pacing quick. The shorter, simple sentences at the end make it seem like time is slowing down.

If students need guidance in understanding Cushman’s use of sentence structures, explain why she might have structured the paragraph as she did.

Cushman first elaborately describes the dawn of summer and how everything is blooming. Then she tells how the Midwife’s house is suddenly overflowing with bread. Next she notes Beetle’s curiosity about the sudden surplus of bread. The paragraph ends with a simple question, “why?” It appears that Cushman allows Beetle’s story to dictate her sentence structures, and it seems natural to structure the paragraph in this way. This is how we tend to think when we stumble upon a mystery we’d like to solve. It’s like your mind is shaken into focus, and your thoughts come to a screeching stop.

Land

Students pair up and share their Focusing Question Task 3 from Lesson 30 with a partner. Have students review their peer’s work for opportunities to use varied sentence structures to create a more seamless composition. Circulate to assess understanding and offer assistance as needed.

Peer editors should ask the following of their peer’s work:

1. Do the chosen sentence structures precisely express an idea, or could different structures express this idea better?

2. Do the chosen structures create emphasis when the story calls for it?

3. Do the chosen structures manage time or a sequence of events well?

4. Do they show narrative development well?

5. Do they create variety?

6. Do they create fluency (when read aloud)?

Lesson 31

Lesson 31: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (50 min.)

Evaluate Exemplars (35 min.)

Brainstorm Ideas (15 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Identify Elements

Wrap (5 min.)

Look Ahead

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Vocabulary Assessment (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ RL.7.1

Writing ƒ W.7.3

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.6

MATERIALS ƒ

Assessment 31A: End-of-Module Task ƒ

Handout 31A: End-of-Module Task Models ƒ

Assessment 31B: Vocabulary Assessment 2

Learning Goals

Identify building blocks of effective narratives (W.7.3).

Complete an Exit Ticket.

Analyze sample EOM Task narratives (W.7.3).

Collaboratively review sample narratives.

Demonstrate understanding of grade-level vocabulary (L.7.6).

Complete the direct vocabulary assessment.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 31–35

What elements make for an engaging historical narrative?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 31

Know: How do End-of-Module models build my knowledge of historical fiction elements?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 31

Examine: What are the elements of a successful historical fiction narrative?

To conclude their study of stories from and about the Middle Ages, students will write their own, demonstrating their understanding of narrative techniques as well as understanding of identity in medieval society. To prepare, the final five lessons focus on instruction in writing, drafting, and revision. In this lesson, students begin the process by analyzing and evaluating a sample EOM Task response.

Welcome5 MIN.

Remind students that Castle Diary and The Midwife’s Apprentice are both examples of historical fiction.

Have pairs write as many characteristics of historical fiction as possible.

TEACHER NOTE

If students struggle to articulate elements of historical fiction, start by asking for examples of narrative elements. Then, prompt students to consider how each element of a story might differ when used in historical fiction. For example, ask: “How might characters in historical fiction be different from characters in other genres? How might the setting be different?”

Launch

10 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Explain that students will begin the process of writing their EOM Task narrative by analyzing EOM Task models. Make sure students understand that a model is a standard that is suitable for or worthy of imitation or comparison.

Have students share their Welcome responses, and chart responses that accurately describe elements of historical fiction.

n Character is a realistic character who did or could have lived in the time period.

n Place is a specific geographical place.

n Time is a specific historical period.

n Events must seem real.

n Historical details place the reader in the historical time and place.

n Tone must make the story seem real so the reader believes it might really have happened.

n Language that sounds appropriate to the time and place.

Students copy the elements of historical fiction into their Response Journal.

Learn 50 MIN.

EVALUATE EXEMPLARS

Small Groups

35 MIN.

Display the Craft Question: What are the elements of a successful historical fiction narrative?

Introduce the EOM Task in a way that engages your students, and distribute Handout 31A.

For the past few weeks, you have been reading stories that other authors have written, but now it’s your turn. You will have a chance to use your imagination and creativity to write your own historical fiction narrative. Just as in The Canterbury Tales, we will share these stories with each other when they are finished.

the hundreds of men of Lord Saxony’s army. We stood, all of us afraid, but none wanting to seem so. The lines of enemy soldiers seemed to stretch forever into the distance, as far as one could see on this clear day.

All at once, the bugle was sounded—a call that the fighting had begun. The knights galloped forward on their horses, and we foot soldiers were right behind. It was hard to see what was happening. Chaos was all around us. Suddenly, Sir Gavin, a well-known and brave knight, was knocked off his horse. A lance had pierced his side. He called to me, in a hushed voice, barely a whisper, “Christopher.” was surprised he knew my name. “Christopher, it is your time now to be a knight. may be mortally wounded, but my horse is not. Take his reigns and my armor and weapons, then carry on to battle.” did not know what to do, for was not a knight! Though I had dreamed of becoming a knight, am not of noble birth. did not have the training of Sir Gavin. Indeed, had never even been an apprentice! did as he commanded,

Read Handout 31A aloud as students follow along with their copy, and answer questions.

Distribute Assessment 31B. Tell students that they will evaluate a model EOM Task narrative.

TEACHER

NOTE

You may wish to write your own story so students see you engaging in the writing process and sharing your insights into the process, but, if time does not allow, use the models from Handout 31A.

Assign each small group one of the two models from Handout 31B.

Instruct students to read the model and evaluate it using the Criteria for Success from their EOM Task prompt. Tell students that for each criterion, their small groups should annotate textual examples.

Model the process using the first paragraph of Model A.

First, I’ll examine the Criteria for Success. It says the story’s beginning should establish character, point of view (or, POV), and setting. I see that this beginning establishes character and POV—the character’s a soldier, and the story is told from his point of view. I’m going to underline “we soldiers,” and I’m going to write “beginning establishes character” in the margin. I’m also writing, “first-person POV.” Does the writer effectively establish setting? Tell me what to annotate here.

Scaffold:

Collaboratively evaluate Model A with the whole group, and then have small groups evaluate Model B. Students evaluate and share.

Pairs

Have pairs refer to Handout 31A to discuss moments they want to write about.

Then, have students create an Identity Web for their character. The web should feature the character’s name in the center, and it should include the character’s role in medieval society as well as words or phrases that describe who the character is.

Differentiation:

Encourage students who could use a greater challenge to come up with a moment to “explode” that’s not listed on Handout 31A.

IDENTIFY ELEMENTS

Individuals submit an Exit Ticket that 1) lists four elements of successful narratives, 2) identifies the element that they believe will be most challenging to implement, and 3) identifies the element they feel most confident about implementing effectively.

LOOK AHEAD

Tell students to feel free to brainstorm story ideas! In the next lesson, they will develop their narrative plan.

Analyze Context and Alignment

The Exit Ticket assesses each student’s understanding of the elements of successful narratives (W.7.3).

n Strong characters.

n Clearly described setting.

n Problem and resolution.

n Descriptive language.

n Other possible answers: dialogue, good pacing, sensory details, thoughtshots etc.

Next Steps

Group students working below grade level, and work with them to identify elements of successful narratives in an EOM Task model. Consider having them contrast the model with a weaker narrative and identify the elements that make the model stronger. Students will implement elements of successful narratives as they write their EOM Task responses.

Lesson 31 Deep Dive: Vocabulary

Vocabulary Assessment

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ Vocabulary Learning Goal: Demonstrate understanding of grade-level vocabulary (L.7.6).

Launch

ƒ Students will take Part 2 of Assessment 31B to measure their understanding of studied content and academic vocabulary.

ƒ This is the second of two tests that will cover vocabulary learned during the study of The Midwife’s Apprentice.

ƒ Note that number 11 is about the meaning of the morpheme in bold. Students should define only the morpheme, not the whole word.

ƒ Ask students to raise their hand if they need help with spelling.

Distribute Assessment 31B: Vocabulary Assessment 2, and review the assessment directions with students.

Students complete the direct vocabulary assessment. Circulate to answer questions, pronounce words, or give spelling support.

TEACHER NOTE

Consider evaluating assessment results to see which module words need to be reviewed or retaught at a later time.

Lesson 32

ƒ WIT & WISDOM®

The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman, pages 30–32

QUESTION: LESSONS 31–35

Lesson 32: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.) Learn (55 min.)

Execute Narrative Planning (35 min.)

Improve Narrative Planning (20 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Develop Ideas

Wrap (5 min.)

Look Ahead

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Excel with Phrases and Clauses (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading ƒ

RL.7.1

Writing ƒ W.7.3, W.7.5

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.1.a

Assessment 31A: End-of-Module Task

Handout 32A: ESCAPE Plan

Photocopies of pages 30–32 from The Midwife’s Apprentice

Handout 32B: Using Phrases and Clauses

Learning Goals

Analyze narrative elements and techniques in an excerpt from The Midwife’s Apprentice (W.7.3).

Annotate excerpts.

Formulate ideas for a short narrative featuring a character from the Middle Ages (W.7.3).

Complete a narrative plan.

Employ phrases and clauses appropriately to enhance writing (L.7.1.a).

Edit a peer’s Response Journal entry, looking for opportunities to add prepositional phrases and dependent clauses.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 31–35

What elements make for an engaging historical narrative?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 32

Know: How does Cushman’s writing build my knowledge of what an effective historical fiction narrative is?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 32

Execute: How can I use elements of historical fiction to create my own historical fiction narrative?

Students examine a passage to review narrative elements and techniques. Then, they take a key step toward EOM Task success: creating strong, purposeful EOM narrative plans.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Small groups discuss the character they chose for their EOM Task and offer suggestions.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Invite a few volunteers to share the characters they have chosen and any words or descriptions they added in their small groups.

EXECUTE NARRATIVE PLANNING 35 MIN.

Pairs

Display the Craft Question: How can I use elements of historical fiction to create my own historical fiction narrative?

Distribute the excerpt from The Midwife’s Apprentice (the scene on pages 30–32 at the end of chapter 5), and tell students that this is an example of an Exploded Moment.

Display the following questions and annotation symbols, and have pairs use them to analyze the narrative elements and techniques Cushman uses: ƒ How does Cushman describe the character? Underline these descriptions, and mark them with a C. ƒ Where does Cushman include details about the setting? Underline these, and mark them with an S ƒ Where does Cushman include historical details about the Middle Ages? Mark those places with MA ƒ Where does Cushman describe a problem? Underline that, and mark it with a P ƒ Where does Cushman provide a resolution? Underline that, and mark it with an R

Students share their annotations and explain how the excerpt is an example of an Exploded Moment.

Distribute Handout 32A.

Explain that this plan will help students include the narrative elements that allow readers to escape into their Exploded Moment and craft an effective historical narrative like Cushman. Emphasize that students do not have to use the elements in the order they are listed but can change the narrative element sequence for effect.

Display Handout 32A, and fill it in with the whole group for The Midwife’s Apprentice.

Students fill in Handout 32A to plan their narratives.

Small Groups

Tell students that they will now work in groups of four to refine their narrative ideas.

ƒ Have each student use Handout 32A to share their current plan in two minutes or less. (Remind them to put what they have learned about summarizing to good use here!) Explain that their group will have two minutes to respond with feedback and ideas. Be strict about timing to ensure everyone has the same amount of time to share.

ƒ

Provide sentence frames for responding:

• I liked your idea because …

• I think it would work well if you start your story like this because …

• I liked the words you used to describe …

• I think you could include details when you write about …

• You might want to add …

• You might want to think about …

• I was confused about …

Students revise their ESCAPE plans based on feedback.

DEVELOP IDEAS

Students submit an Exit Ticket in response the following: How will your story demonstrate how the social order supports or limits your protagonist’s identity?

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students add to the Identity Web they created for their character in the last lesson, listing as many words and phrases as possible that describe aspects of the character’s identity (family members, occupation, activities, home, traits and values, etc.).

If necessary, students can continue planning their narratives.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students complete ESCAPE Plans, specifying the shapes narrative elements will take in their stories (W.7.3). Check for the following success criteria. ƒ

Identifies narrative elements correctly. ƒ

Details are appropriate to a medieval setting.

Next Steps

You may find that students include more plot events than it is possible to develop in a short narrative. In this case, remind students that this should simply be a moment in a character’s life, developed with details. Display a problematic plan, and collaboratively brainstorm revision ideas. You might also find you need to review first-person point of view and third-person point of view. Students may choose either one.

Lesson 32 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Excel with Phrases and Clauses

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

ƒ

Text: The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Employ phrases and clauses appropriately to enhance writing (L.7.1.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 32

Execute: How can I use phrases and clauses to enhance my own writing?

Launch

Display: “What do phrases and clauses add to sentences? How do they enhance a paragraph (or story) overall?”

Students brainstorm alone or in pairs before sharing with the class. They may use their notes from the Deep Dives in Lessons 20 and 24 if necessary.

Students should say that phrases add relevant information and/or description, and clauses connect ideas more clearly and move the narrative forward.

Learn

Distribute Handout 32B: Using Phrases and Clauses.

Display the following paragraph from their handout:

Alyce had a moment. She saw the Magister Reese’s kind eyes, heard Jennet’s merry voice, and smelled the Salisbury merchant’s rich robes. She felt again the vigorous, squirming wonderful aliveness. She heard the joyful birds building their nests, saw the triumph, remembered the silky feel and the sticky softness called Alyce Little. Alyce was now a midwife.

Use the following revised paragraph to guide student sharing and discussion. Prepositional phrases are underlined once, and dependent clauses are underlined twice.

Alyce had a moment of realization. In her mind she saw the Magister Reese’s kind eyes, heard Jennet’s merry voice, and smelled the Salisbury merchant’s rich robes that left a trail of flowery perfume. She felt again the vigorous, squirming wonderful aliveness of the merchant’s son as he wriggled into her hands. She heard the joyful chatter of birds building their nests in the thatch of the church, saw the triumph on the face of the midwife as she coaxed a reluctant baby into life, remembered the silky feel of Tansy’s newborn calves and the sticky softness of the baby called Alyce Little. Alyce, once known as Dung Beetle, was now a midwife.

Students pair up to edit the sample paragraph and annotate where they can include phrases and clauses that will enhance the narrative. They should use their previous notes from the Deep Dives in Lessons 20 and 24. They should not refer to the text until after they have completed the task.

Instruct students to revise the paragraph based on the following criteria:

ƒ

Phrases add relevant information or description. ƒ

Phrases do not clutter sentences.

ƒ

ƒ

Clauses move the narrative forward or enhance the narrative by connecting ideas clearly.

Clauses that begin sentences do so naturally.

Circulate to guide students when necessary. When they are finished, ask volunteers to share their paragraphs with the class. Annotate the displayed paragraph during discussion, and tell students to revise their work as needed.

Land

Students work in pairs.

Instruct students to peer edit today’s Response Journal entry, looking for opportunities to add prepositional phrases and dependent clauses. They should follow the criteria noted above and on today’s Deep Dive handout. Likewise, peer editors should look for overuse of phrases or clauses that clutter paragraphs and do not add relevant information.

For every note of constructive criticism, students must offer a suggestion for improvement. If time allows, students should revise their edited journal response.

Lesson 33

Lesson 33: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (10 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (45 min.)

Execute Prewriting (10 min.)

Draft Narratives (35 min.)

Land (10 min.)

Provide Feedback Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1

Writing ƒ W.7.3, W.7.5

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Learning Goals

Write a short narrative, set in the Middle Ages and featuring a clearly described character, conflict, and resolution (W.7.3).

Complete a first draft.

Provide a thoughtful and informed peer review (W.7.5). Complete a peer review.

MATERIALS

ƒ

Assessment 31A: End-of-Module Task ƒ Handout 32A: ESCAPE Plan ƒ

Handout 33A: Peer Review

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 31–35

What elements make for an engaging historical narrative?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 33

Know: How has the study of medieval stories in this module built my knowledge of stories, identity, and the Middle Ages?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 33

Execute: How can I use elements of historical fiction to create my own historical fiction narrative?

This lesson begins with a Medieval Party activity that requires purposeful improvisational acting, sparking enthusiasm and deepening students’ thinking about their story’s protagonist. Then, students draft. Peer review ends the lesson and supports students in developing their best writing.

Welcome10 MIN.

EXPRESS CHARACTER UNDERSTANDING

Explain that in order to get to know their characters better, students will attend a short Medieval Party, taking on the persona of their characters.

To prepare, students examine their character Identity Web and respond to the following two questions in their Response Journal: “How does your character speak? What are your character’s mannerisms?”

To demonstrate, ask the class how you should talk and act in order to embody the knight from The Canterbury Tales. Then, act out an example with a line such as, “Greetings, my fairest and most honorable young students!”

Have students create a name tag displaying their character’s name.

Medieval Party: In character, students get out of their seats, eat invisible snacks, and mingle. Encourage students to discuss the problems they identified in their narrative ESCAPE Plans.

TEACHER NOTE

Consider joining the party as the knight to ask questions, engage self-conscious actors, and model enthusiastic participation. Tell students not to worry if two students playing the same character must interact—they will be able to empathize with each other.

Alternate Activity:

If you prefer that students are independent at the start of class, you may wish to simply use the Welcome task for student writing about characters’ mannerisms and style of speech. Then, students can complete the Medieval Party activity during the Launch.

Extension: Medieval Feast Project: Students research, prepare, and bring in food for a class Medieval Feast. Students should wear costumes, attend the feast in character, and then reflect on how the activity developed their understanding of the Middle Ages and their protagonist. To deepen the experience, students can also research and incorporate decorations and entertainment.

This website features simple medieval recipes: http://witeng.link/0719

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Ask students how the Medieval Party helped them understand their characters.

Review the EOM Task. Ask students if they have questions. Learn 45 MIN.

EXECUTE PREWRITING 10 MIN.

Pairs

Display the Craft Question: How can I use elements of historical fiction to create my own historical fiction narrative?

Tell students that they will tell their stories orally to help prepare to write their first drafts.

Scaffold:

Model how to tell a story. You can retell one of the stories students have read, one of the EOM Task models, or your own story.

Give students five minutes each to tell their stories in pairs. Explain that you will make an announcement after three minutes so partners can ask questions and provide feedback.

TEACHER NOTE

Research demonstrates that storytelling and talking about writing supports students in selecting effective approaches, focusing on engaging their listeners/ readers, and identifying areas for revision.

DRAFT NARRATIVES 35 MIN.

Individuals

Encourage students to use their book, Response Journal, and other notes to draft their narrative.

Brainstorm, guide, and suggest ideas for students who have difficulty.

10 MIN.

PROVIDE FEEDBACK

Distribute Handout 33A.

Students read their partners’ stories and complete the review sheet.

Tell students to select either S for “successful” or N for “needs improvement,” and then add supporting evidence.

When completed, have partners briefly discuss their reviews. Suggest that they begin with a compliment and continue with recommendations.

Provide students with sentence frames for providing feedback:

I liked the beginning because …

I think it would be better if you started your story like this because …

I liked the words you used to describe …

I think you could add more details when you write about …

You might want to add …

I was confused about …

If I were going to revise the ending, I would …

Alternate Activity:

The peer review sheet requires a fair amount of writing. If time is an issue, engage peers in an annotation activity like the one they did in the previous lesson. In this way, they can identify issues without having to write as much textual evidence. ƒ

How does the author describe the character? Underline those, and mark them with a C ƒ

Where does the author include details about the setting? Underline those, and mark them with an S ƒ

Where does the draft include historical facts and details about the Middle Ages? Mark those places with MA ƒ

Where does the draft describe a problem? Underline that, and mark it with a P ƒ

Where does the draft provide a resolution? Underline that, and mark it with an R

Have students complete their annotation by noting two specific suggestions for revision or improvement.

5 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students who did not complete their draft can finish for homework.

Analyze Context and Alignment

Students draft their historical fiction narratives, implementing the narrative elements and techniques they have studied throughout the module (W.7.3). Assess student progress by referencing the success criteria on the EOM Task prompt.

Next Steps

Remind students to use narrative techniques, such as sensory language, rather than simply writing a plot. Identify areas in which students have difficulty, and use this information to help group students in next lesson’s revision activity.

*Note that there is no Deep Dive in this lesson. Use any additional time to support practice of the vocabulary and/or style and conventions skills introduced in the module.

Lesson 34: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.) Learn (55 min.)

Improve Writing (40 min.)

Experiment with Fluency (15 min.) Land (5 min.)

Experiment with Fluency Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Excel with Language Skills (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Writing ƒ

W.7.3, W.7.5

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.1, L.7.5, L.7.6

MATERIALS

Assessment 31A: End-of-Module Task

Handout 32A: ESCAPE Plan

Handout 33A: Peer Review

Handout 34A: Editing and Revising for Style and Conventions ƒ

Vocabulary cards for Deep Dive

Learning Goals

Review and revise draft of narrative assignment (W.7.3, W.7.5).

Edit and revise writing to demonstrate command of English conventions and understanding of gradeappropriate words and phrases (L.7.1, L.7.5, L.7.6).

Edit a peer’s work, and revise own work based on peer edits and conference.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 31–35

What elements make for an engaging historical narrative?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 34

Know: How do effective peer feedback and self-reflection build my knowledge of how to tell a story?

CRAFT QUESTIONS: Lesson 34

Excel: How do I improve my historical fiction narrative?

Experiment: How can I read my narrative fluently?

In this lesson, students form revision groups that support them in meeting EOM Task requirements with excellence.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Students revisit their feedback from the last lesson and create a list of revisions to complete.

Students identify which area they would most like to improve: ƒ Character development. ƒ Setting description. ƒ Conflict. ƒ Dialogue/language issues. ƒ Beginning/ending. ƒ Use of vocabulary from module texts.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Have students form small groups based on the challenge they identified.

55 MIN.

IMPROVE WRITING 40 MIN.

Small Groups

Display the Craft Question: How do I improve my historical fiction narrative?

Display or distribute the following instructions for each group. Tell students to jot their peers’ suggestions (or assign a notetaker for each writer so the writer can focus on listening):

ƒ

Character development group: generate details about characters, and ask for ideas. How does the character fit in the social order of the Middle Ages? What does the character look like? How would they describe themselves? How would others describe them?

ƒ

Setting group: generate additional details about the setting, and ask for ideas. Emphasize sensory details—sights, sounds, smells.

ƒ

Conflict group: try to describe the problem to their classmates, and ask for ideas about how to resolve the problem.

ƒ

Dialogue and language issues group: imagine what the characters might say, use their group to role-play dialogue, and ask for ideas for revision.

ƒ

Beginnings and endings group: use the chapters from The Midwife’s Apprentice and other stories from the module to find examples of strong beginnings and endings. Have them ask for ideas from the group about what would be most effective.

ƒ

New words group: refer to their Vocabulary Journal to find more precise and artful words to use in their narratives.

Encourage students to talk about their stories and their ideas as a way to help improve their writing.

Students use their Handout 33A and their discussion notes to make revisions.

EXPERIMENT WITH FLUENCY

Pairs

15 MIN.

Display the Craft Question: How can I read my narrative fluently?

Explain that students will annotate their narratives to prepare to perform a fluent reading in the next lesson.

Have students review the Elements of Fluency using the list in their Response Journal.

ƒ Expression—The reader emphasizes important words and phrases. The reader pays attention to punctuation, such as pausing at commas. The reader uses pitch, tone, and volume meaningfully, such as by raising and lowering their voice.

ƒ Accuracy—The reader reads the correct words from the page. The reader does not struggle over unknown words.

ƒ Enunciation—The reader reads words clearly so they are easy to understand.

ƒ

Pace—The reader maintains a regular reading rate or speed, speeding up and slowing down to emphasize meaning.

Before practicing, have students annotate by 1) circling end punctuation marks that they believe indicate good place to pause and 2) underlining words and phrases that deserve extra emphasis.

Scaffold:

Model how to annotate a text for fluency by marking up a few sentences from a student’s narrative as an example. Circle a place to pause, and underline a word to emphasize. Read the text once in monotone and then again with the strategic pause and emphasized words.

Pairs read excerpts from their narratives and provide feedback based on the Elements of Fluency in their Response Journal.

5 MIN.

EXPERIMENT WITH FLUENCY

In their Response Journal, students write one or two Elements of Fluency they most need to improve upon.

Wrap

5 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students practice fluently reading their narratives in preparation for next lesson’s performance. Consider encouraging students to bring costumes and props.

Scaffold: Consider distributing fluency evaluation charts for students to use for self-evaluation or that they can give to a listener at home.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students revise their narratives, implementing teacher and peer feedback (W.7.3, W.7.5). Assess the EOM Task using the narrative rubric in Appendix C and the annotated Sample Student Responses in Appendix C.

Next Steps

If some students require more support, you may wish to create a template with sentence frames for them. Additionally, you may wish to work with students individually or in a small group, and have them talk through each paragraph before they revise it.

Lesson 34 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Excel with Language Skills

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: Castle Diary, Richard Platt; The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean; The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman

ƒ

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Edit and revise writing to demonstrate command of English conventions and understanding of grade-appropriate words and phrases (L.7.1, L.7.5, L.7.6).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 34

Excel: How do I improve my writing to show a greater command of English language conventions, vocabulary, and style?

TEACHER NOTE Before conducting this lesson, duplicate and cut seven or eight decks of the vocabulary cards attached to the end of this lesson.

Launch

Instruct students to form groups of three in round-table fashion with their EOM narrative drafts.

TEACHER NOTE If possible, group multilingual learners with students who are strong writers and natural coaches.

Distribute a set of vocabulary cards, one to each group. Explain that students will sort the cards according to a category that they either create or that can fall under an existing vocabulary word. For instance, all words dealing with social order could go under hierarchy, or words like daintily and coyly could go under the category behaviors.

Circulate to monitor progress and eliminate roadblocks within groups.

When students have finished sorting, ask them to record words or figures of speech they could add to their EOM narrative drafts. Note that it may be beneficial for students to record these on the drafts themselves.

Distribute Handout 34A: Editing and Revising for Style and Conventions.

Students work in groups.

Review instruction and peer editing expectations with students. Students should remain in groups of three. Consider completing a brief mock peer-edit with two student volunteers to demonstrate the type of peer conferencing that should occur after the edits.

Students check peers’ drafts for:

1. Correct punctuation in coordinate adjectives.

2. Appropriate use of main clauses, dependent clauses, and prepositional phrases.

3. A variety of sentence types, including simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.

4. Use of precise and concise language.

5. Effective use of figurative language.

6. Appropriate use of content and text-critical vocabulary studied throughout the module.

Circulate as students work to assess understanding and offer guidance as necessary. Have students review feedback with a partner.

Land

After students peer-edit each other’s work, instruct them to hold a brief conference to clarify and discuss edits. When finished, students revise their own work based on peer edits and conferences.

tradesmen miller bedeviled innkeeper fervently befouled G7 M1 Lesson 34 WIT & WISDOM®

nobles summoner apprentice genteel The Black Death wretched

knights pardoner taunt poacher coyly desolate

clergy parson tormented pilgrimage daintily begrudge 399 © 2023 Great Minds PBC

Lesson 35

Lesson 35: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (10 min.) Learn (50 min.)

Execute Fluency Skills Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question and Essential Question Wrap (5 min.) Look Ahead

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Speaking and Listening

ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.6

MATERIALS

ƒ

Assessment 31A: End-of-Module Task

Learning Goals

Present writing clearly, fluently, and with expression to engage and entertain listeners (SL.7.6).

Perform an EOM narrative.

ƒ

Assessment 31B: Vocabulary Assessment 2

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 31–35

What elements make for an engaging historical narrative?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 35

Know: How do our historical fiction narratives offer insights into identity and medieval life?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 35

Excel: How do I use my best fluency skills to present my story?

This lesson concludes students’ study of identity in society and gives them the opportunity to participate in their own medieval storytelling competition, like the one in The Canterbury Tales. As students build their fluency skills, they consider insights into identity and medieval life.

Welcome

10 MIN.

Pairs practice reading their narratives aloud, using the Elements of Fluency—expression, accuracy, enunciation, and pace.

TEACHER NOTE

If some students struggle in their reading, consider having them perform one overly dramatic reading. This can help students relax and realize that what may at first seem overly dramatic is actually appropriately dramatic.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Set the stage for the day’s storytelling.

You have been transported to the Middle Ages and are now a character from The Canterbury Tales, Castle Diary, or The Midwife’s Apprentice. You are traveling to a fair in a distant village, and on the way you encounter many travelers. Because the road is long and the hours pass slowly, you all decide to tell each other stories.

EXECUTE FLUENCY SKILLS 50 MIN.

Whole Group

Display the Craft Question: How do I use my best fluency skills to present my story?

Tell students that they can provide context for their stories as needed. If you have students who struggle with oral presentation, you may want to have these students present early so that their anxiety does not build.

Explain that the audience should take notes in their Response Journal. For each performance, students should write 1) the name of the speaker, 2) one or two specific aspects of the performance that were strong, and 3) one or two areas that may need improvement.

Alternate Activity:

Consider having students evaluate performances using a rubric or checklist. This is more time-consuming, but it supports deeper critical thinking about the elements of strong narrative and performance.

Students read their stories to the rest of the class, as if they were all traveling together and swapping entertaining stories.

If time is a concern, have students first perform in small groups and then vote for the strongest storyteller in each group, who will then perform for the class.

Students submit their vote for the best story by writing a rationale that references their notes.

Extension:

Now that students have participated in a storytelling competition, encourage them to submit their narrative to a prestigious recognition program such as the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards (http://witeng.link/0720).

Additionally, encourage students to submit their work for publication in a literary magazine such as TeenInk (http://witeng.link/0721).

Consider publishing a class set of the students’ medieval tales. Students can collaborate to name their set of tales and compile a volume like The Canterbury Tales. They could write a prologue, similar to the one from The Canterbury Tales, and invent a narrator. Each writer can determine their identity—medieval lady, knight, peasant, summoner, scholar, midwife, and so on—and how they want to be referenced in the prologue.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION AND ESSENTIAL QUESTION

Students submit an Exit Ticket in response to the 1) Content Framing Question: How do our historical fiction narratives offer insights into identity and medieval life? and 2) the Essential Question: How does society both support and limit the development of identity?

Wrap5 MIN.

LOOK AHEAD

In the next lesson, students begin Module 2.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students present their writing clearly, fluently, and with expression (SL.7.6). Check for the following success criteria: ƒ

Expression—The reader emphasizes important words and phrases. The reader pays attention to punctuation, such as pausing at commas. The reader uses pitch, tone, and volume meaningfully, such as by raising and lowering their voice. ƒ

Accuracy—The reader reads the correct words from the page. The reader does not struggle over unknown words. ƒ

Enunciation—The reader reads words clearly so they are easy to understand. ƒ

Pace—The reader maintains a regular reading rate or speed, speeding up and slowing down to emphasize meaning.

Next Steps

Take note of areas that can be improved, and focus on these areas in the next module’s fluency work.

*Note that there is no Deep Dive in this lesson. Use any additional time to support practice of the vocabulary and/or style and conventions skills introduced in the module.

Appendix A: Text Complexity

Great Minds® carefully selects content-rich, complex module texts. Module texts, especially the core texts, must be appropriately challenging so that students develop their literacy skills and progress toward meeting Anchor Standard for Reading 10 by year’s end. Great Minds evaluates each core module text using quantitative and qualitative text-complexity criteria outlined in both Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) (http://witeng.link/0483) and the updated supplement (http://witeng.link/0093).

This Appendix provides text-complexity details for each core text in order of appearance in the module. The analysis supports teachers and administrators in understanding the texts’ richness and complexity, and the module’s knowledge building and goals. Alongside the Family Tip Sheets, this information can also support conversations with families about texts.

Core module texts:

Title and Author Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Richard Platt

Description of Text Platt’s Castle Diary is an engaging, firsthand, fictional account of the life of a young page during the Middle Ages.

Complexity Ratings

Meaning/Purpose: The text’s meaning and purpose fall within the appropriate complexity bands for this grade.

Structure: The daily, chronological diary structure will be familiar to students, as will the clear, first-person narration.

Language: Some of the inverted structures Platt uses to mimic medieval speech (e.g., “Today returned my uncle” or “It is he who”) may cause students to pause but should not hinder their comprehension.

Knowledge Demands: While this work of historical fiction addresses some unfamiliar aspects of medieval life and times, it does so in a supremely accessible manner.

Students begin their work with the concept of identity and use the diary to understand the social dynamics and daily goings-on of the people living in the Middle Ages. Structured questions and academic conversations guide students to gain insights into key ideas in the book. Students also use the text as a straightforward model of narrative writing to build their skill with aspects of creative writing such as character, setting, and plot.

This day-to-day account of medieval life provides an excellent opportunity for knowledge building so that students can gain new knowledge of the Middle Ages. Castle Diary opens the module and introduces students to the Middle Ages through an accessible narrative form. Students employ the knowledge they build from reading Castle Diary in their work throughout the module and in their own medieval narratives.

Description of Text Written in modern English, this is a lively retelling of one of the most famous works of English literature. McCaughrean’s retelling adds clarity and concision to many of the more well-known tales while remaining faithful to Chaucer’s vision and insights as well as the entertaining bawdy humor of the time.

Complexity Ratings

Quantitative: N/A

Qualitative:

Meaning/Purpose: Because of Chaucer’s frame story, students will have many different stories, characters, and plots to follow while maintaining focus on the pilgrims on their pilgrimage to Canterbury. Each tale follows its own structure and genre, employing various literary elements and techniques to varying degrees

Structure: The structure of the narrative may present some challenge for students because of the frame having a set of stories told within another story.

Language: The vocabulary load is high, with descriptive and contentspecific, formal, and archaic words related to the medieval characters and settings.

Knowledge Demands: The historical and cultural knowledge (of the medieval church, pilgrimages, various trades, and so on) may also pose a challenge to students.

The Canterbury Tales provides an excellent opportunity to build students’ cultural knowledge of the Middle Ages and to develop skills analyzing literary elements and narrative techniques. The language and concepts of the text are not easy; students read intentionally selected tales, engaging in whole group reading and taking time to notice and question what is happening.

“The Miller’s Tale,” which students read in Lesson 11, includes sexual innuendo and earthy humor.

Students apply their understanding of social hierarchy from Castle Diary to consider Chaucer’s subversion of that hierarchy with his diverse group of pilgrims. Students also engage with Chaucer’s innovations in narrative storytelling, which are culturally significant and support students in writing their own narratives.

Title and Author The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean

Description of Text This engaging work of historical fiction tells the story of one girl’s quest for identity within the rigid social order of her time.

Complexity Ratings

Quantitative: 1150L

Qualitative:

Meaning/Purpose: Engaging young characters and the coming-of-age theme make the meaning and purpose accessible.

Structure: A clear, sequential narrative structure, with chapters organized around specific episodes in the protagonist’s life, supports students’ reading.

Language: Some specific vocabulary related to the medieval practice of midwifery and life in a medieval village may be unfamiliar to students.

Knowledge Demands: The experiences of a medieval midwife will extend beyond students’ personal life experiences, as will references to life in a medieval village, but students will have built up their knowledge of medieval life at this point in the module so these demands should not be too high for students.

Text-Reader-Task Considerations

Students advance their understanding of the relationship between society and identity and explore figurative language, the author’s techniques, and effective storytelling. Helpfully, Cushman’s chapters constitute complete narratives in and of themselves, allowing students to understand the protagonists’ transformation within portions of the text and across the entire narrative.

Rationale for Placement

As the final narrative in the module, The Midwife’s Apprentice allows students the opportunity to apply what they know about medieval life from Castle Diary and what they have learned about narrative structure from The Canterbury Tales to this accessible text.

Title and Author The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman

Appendix B: Vocabulary

As a text-based curriculum, Wit & Wisdom focuses on teaching and learning words from texts. Students develop word consciousness: an awareness of how words are built, how they function within sentences, and how word choice affects meaning and reveals an author’s purpose.

The purpose of vocabulary study in Wit & Wisdom is to achieve the following three key student outcomes: ƒ

Improve comprehension of complex texts. ƒ

Increase students’ knowledge of words/parts (including affixes, Latin or Greek roots, etc.). ƒ Increase students’ ability to solve for unknown words on their own.

In order to achieve these outcomes, vocabulary study in Wit & Wisdom emphasizes the following three categories of vocabulary words:

ƒ

Content: Words and phrases necessary for understanding a central idea of the domain-specific text and/or module topic.

ƒ

Academic: “High-priority” words that can be used across disciplines and are likely to be encountered in other texts; often abstract, with multiple meanings; unlikely to be known by students with limited vocabularies.

ƒ

Text Critical: Words and phrases essential to students’ understanding of a particular text or excerpt.

Vocabulary study in Wit & Wisdom will occur within the following types of instruction:

ƒ

“Core” 75-minute daily lessons: Vocabulary study that is essential to understanding text that students are reading. Instructional strategies are explicitly introduced and practiced during vocabulary instruction and put into practice during a reading of a text. ƒ

Vocabulary Deep Dives: Vocabulary instruction and practice that advances student knowledge of high-value words and word-solving strategies, focusing on aspects such as abstract or multiple meanings, connotation, relationships across words, and morphology.

Vocabulary learning is assessed indirectly through application and directly through two-question assessments (Kindergarten–Grade 2) and sentence assessments (Grades 3–8).

ƒ

Indirect Assessment: Students are expected to use and incorporate words from the below list into their academic discourse, through speaking and listening (during Socratic Seminars) and writing (during formal writing tasks, such as the EOM Task).

ƒ Assessment words are selected because of their importance to the module’s content as well as their relevance and transferability to other texts and subject areas. Teachers should make this list available to students. (The list of assessment words can also be broken down into smaller word banks for ease of use.)

Vocabulary

pilgrimage P

P

Direct Assessment Deep Dive 17 9, 29 resolution P Teacher Defined FQT 3, EOM 9 characterization P Teacher Defined CFU 8, 9 innkeeper P P Teacher Defined CFU/Character Chart 8, 9 scholar P P Teacher Defined CFU/Character Chart 8, 9 summoner P

P

P

chivalry/ chivalrous

P P

Direct Assessment Deep Dive 17 12, 12 Deep Dive

similes P Teacher Defined, Interactive Word Wall 12, 12 Deep Dive

metaphors P Teacher Defined, Interactive Word Wall 13 Renaissance P Teacher Defined 13 proportion P Teacher Defined 13 Deep Dive composition P Frayer Model Deep Dive CFU

P © 2023 Great Minds PBC G7 M1 Appendix B: Vocabulary WIT & WISDOM® 413

24, 24 Deep Dive

taunt P

Teacher Defined, Link Up Deep Dive CFU, Direct Assessment Deep Dive 31 24 Deep Dive tormented P

Link Up Deep Dive CFU, Direct Assessment Deep Dive 31 24 Deep Dive, 29 Deep Dive

bedeviled P Word Relationships, Morphology: prefix be–

Deep Dive CFU, Direct Assessment Deep Dive 31 27 Deep Dive contented P

Teacher Defined, Word Line

Deep Dive CFU, Direct Assessment Deep Dive 31 27 Deep Dive wretched P Word Line Deep Dive CFU, Direct Assessment Deep Dive 31 28 desolate P TDQ Direct Assessment Deep Dive 31 29 Deep Dive begrudge P

Morphology: prefix be–, Outside-In Deep Dive CFU, Direct Assessment Deep Dive 31 29 Deep Dive befouled P

Morphology: prefix be–, Outside-In Deep Dive CFU, Direct Assessment Deep Dive 31

Words to Know

Understanding vocabulary and building background knowledge are essential for students’ comprehension of complex text. Wit & Wisdom students study topics for an extended period of time, building background knowledge. However, students may need additional support with unfamiliar vocabulary as they access complex text.

The words listed here may pose a challenge to student comprehension. Provide definitions or a glossary for these challenging words so students will comprehend complex text. Use a free resource such as Wordsmyth (http://witeng.link/glossary) to generate glossaries for students.

Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Richard Platt ƒ bodes ƒ encamped ƒ melancholic ƒ saucy ƒ wile

The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman ƒ bonny ƒ clodpole ƒ cockeyed ƒ compendium ƒ kirtle ƒ lusty ƒ Magister

mewling

mucking

mutton

paternosters

ragtag

solemnity

soothsayers

sorrel

swigging

ƒ tantalizingly ƒ vellum ƒ whiffle ƒ wimple ƒ writhe

The Canterbury Tales, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean ƒ apothecary ƒ billeted ƒ booby ƒ cacophonous ƒ cannikins ƒ caparisoned ƒ conjuror ƒ duffer ƒ forelocks ƒ haft ƒ Infidel ƒ intoning ƒ jerkin ƒ knobbled ƒ macabre ƒ mace ƒ oriflammes ƒ pommel ƒ pustular ƒ quagmire ƒ sepulchral ƒ swathes ƒ welter ƒ yeoman

Appendix C: Answer Keys, Rubrics, and Sample Student Responses

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Assessment 5A: New-Read Assessment: Castle Diary Answer Key

Assessment 7A: Focusing Question Task 1 Sample Response

Lessons 7, 18, 24, 30: Speaking and Listening Rubric

Assessment 17A: Vocabulary Assessment 1 Answer Key

Assessment 19A: Focusing Question Task 2 Sample Response

Assessment 26A: New-Read Assessment 2: The Midwife’s Apprentice

Assessment 30A: Focusing Question Task 3 Sample Response

Assessment 31A: EOM Task Annotated Sample Response

Assessment 31B: Vocabulary Assessment 2 Answer Key

Lesson 35: EOM Rubric

Assessment 5A: New-Read Assessment: Castle Diary Answer Key

Multiple Choice Answer

1A. C

1B. C

2A. B 2B. B 3A. D 3B. D 4A. B 4B. B 5A. C 5B. C 6A. D 6B. D 7. F, C, A

Relevant Standards

1A. (RL.7.4)

1B. (RL.7.1, RL.7.4)

2A. (RL.7.4)

2B. (RL.7.1, RL.7.4)

3A. (RL.7.4)

3B. (RL.7.1, RL.7.4)

4A. (RL.7.1)

4B. (RL.7.1)

5A. (RL.7.1)

5B. (RL.7.1)

6A. (RL.7.2)

6B. (RL.7.1, RL.7.2) 7. (RL.7.9)

Assessment 7A: Focusing Question Task 1 Sample Response

Text: Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Richard Platt

Focusing Question: How does society influence identity and experience?

Prompt: Write a diary entry from the poacher’s point of view as he sits in his cell awaiting trial and reflecting on his life. In it, the poacher should reflect on 1) his place in the social hierarchy and 2) how medieval society has shaped his identity (RL.7.3, W.7.3, W.7.4).

Sample Response:

Here I sit, crammed in this cold, dark cell, watching for the giant black rats that scamper through, looking for the crumbs from the scraps that my daughter brings. And what is my great crime? Stealing one lousy fish from a river that has plenty. As I sit huddled by the small fire, trying to warm the chill that has gone to my bones, I think about how they sit up in that castle with so much food at every meal that they never even know what hunger is. I’ve heard from Cook about their grand feasts and parties with course after course of food. I hear that they sometimes even feel sick from eating too much. Meanwhile, we villagers have to work and scrounge for whatever food we get. When we try to feed our families with a little fish or game every now and then, we are treated like the worst of criminals. They call it stealing, but I can’t help but think about how we work for free during the boon. For days, we abandon our own harvest so that from dawn to dusk, we can cut the castle wheat. They call it our duty, but that doesn’t make it right.

My fate is out of my hands. I pray to God my fellow villagers will see the wrong of it all and spare me from hanging.

Lessons 7, 18, 24, 30: Speaking and Listening Rubric

Grade 7 Speaking and Listening Grade-Level Rubric

4 (Exceeds expectations)

ƒ

Structure

Poses probing questions that elicit elaboration.

ƒ Responds to questions with relevant and coherent observations and ideas.

ƒ Requests elaboration to further understanding.

ƒ Organizes relevant and related information to strong effect.

ƒ Effectively analyzes information and connects it to the topic of discussion.

ƒ Coherently and effectively presents claims and findings emphasizing salient points.

Development

ƒ Prepares thoroughly in advance for discussions, and draws extensively on evidence from that preparation.

ƒ Logically and strategically orders contributions.

ƒ Effectively and strategically evaluates the soundness of others’ reasoning.

ƒ Effectively reflects on and modifies own views in response to new, stronger ideas.

ƒ Uses a variety of multimedia components to strengthen spoken descriptions.

3 (Meets expectations) 2 (Partially meets expectations)

ƒ

Poses questions that elicit elaboration.

ƒ Responds to questions with relevant observations.

ƒ Requests more information to clear up confusion.

ƒ Organizes relevant and related information.

ƒ Analyzes information, and connects it to the topic of discussion.

ƒ Poses clarifying questions.

ƒ Responds to clarifying questions.

ƒ Sometimes requests more information.

ƒ Sometimes connects information.

ƒ Interprets information, and connects it to the topic of study.

1 (Does not yet meet expectations)

ƒ Does not yet pose questions.

ƒ Does not yet respond to questions.

ƒ Does not request more information.

ƒ Does not connect information.

ƒ Does not yet present information connected to the topic of study.

ƒ Coherently presents claims and findings emphasizing salient points.

ƒ Prepares in advance for discussions, and draws on evidence from that preparation.

ƒ Logically orders contributions.

ƒ Evaluates the soundness of others’ reasoning.

ƒ Modifies own views in response to new, stronger ideas.

ƒ Presents claims and findings using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details.

ƒ Prepares in advance for discussions.

ƒ Responds with some attention to logic.

ƒ Responds to others’ reasoning.

ƒ

Acknowledges new ideas.

ƒ Does not yet present claims.

ƒ Does not prepare for discussions.

ƒ Does not yet use logic.

ƒ Does not yet respond to others’ reasoning.

ƒ Does not yet acknowledge new ideas.

Style

ƒ Chooses precise and meaningful words to express ideas and feelings clearly.

ƒ Optimally adapts inflection, tone, and nonverbal expression to audience and purpose.

ƒ Effectively varies formality of speech to context.

ƒ Uses multimedia components to add detail to spoken descriptions.

ƒ Chooses strong words to express ideas and feelings clearly.

ƒ

Adapts inflection, tone, and nonverbal expression to audience and purpose.

ƒ

Uses multimedia components when speaking.

ƒ Chooses words to express ideas and feelings.

ƒ

Adapts inflection, tone, or nonverbal expression to audience or purpose.

ƒ Speaks formally in academic conversations.

ƒ Does not use compound or complex sentences.

ƒ Uses limited vocabulary inappropriate to the content.

ƒ

Varies formality of speech to context.

Assessment 17A: Vocabulary Assessment 1 Answer Key

1. Hierarchy: chain of command; a group of people grouped according to rank or level of authority.

2. Genteel: refined; courteousness and style usually associated with wealthy and educated people.

3. Daintily: gracefully; small and delicate.

4. Perspectives: points of view; the ability to understand the points of view of others or the ability to understand events from different points of view.

5. -archy: root that means “government” or “rule.”

6. Fervently: passionately; having or expressing warmth, depth, or intense feelings.

7. Pilgrimage: any trip made to visit a respected place or person or to seek something important.

8. Coyly: artfully shy or reserved; bashfully flirtatious.

9. Chivalrous: gallant; kind and courteous in a manner suggestive of chivalry.

10. age: a suffix that means “action, process, or the result of an action or process.”

11. ly: a suffix that means “in a certain way.”

Assessment 19A: Focusing Question Task 2 Sample Response

Text: The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean

Focusing Question: What do The Canterbury Tales reveal about identity and storytelling?

Prompt: What can writers today learn about effective narrative elements and techniques from reading The Canterbury Tales? List four specific elements or techniques that The Canterbury Tales exemplifies (RL.7.1).

Sample Response:

n Theme. All the stories have a strong message. “The Knight’s Tale” shows how important it is to stay loyal to your family and friends. The message of “The Miller’s Tale” is to be careful about whom you trust. The quest of the knight in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” shows how important it is to understand other people and listen to what they want. The theme of “The Pardoner’s Tale” is that it is harmful to be too greedy. These themes don’t just apply to the Middle Ages but still have meaning today.

n Problem. Every story has a really clear and interesting problem that’s easy to relate to. The problem in “The Knight’s Tale” is that Palamon and Arcite both love the same woman. In “The Miller’s Tale,” the problem is that Nicholas wants to be with the Carpenter’s wife. In “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” Sir Salvio has to find out what women really want within a year or he will be killed. In “The Pardoner’s Tale,” Dip, Cut, and Grab all want the gold.

n Characterization. The Canterbury Tales all have believable and interesting characters, and the writer makes it seem like the reader knows the characters. For example, in “The Miller’s Tale,” the Carpenter seems like a foolish man who trusts Nicholas even though Nicholas is just like all the other men who like his wife. He even believes the story Nicholas tells him about the flood and sits up in a barrel waiting for the flood.

n Plot. The stories all have a lot of twists and turns, and the author writes in a way that keeps things interesting. In “The Knight’s Tale,” the reader is waiting to see who will get Emily, and what Palamon and Arcite will do to each other. When it gets to the joust, it is really exciting, and the reader worries about whether they are going to kill each other. Similarly, in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” Sir Salvio goes on this long quest to discover what women truly desire, and he keeps hearing different answers. When the time comes for him to report back, there is a lot of suspense because the reader is not sure if he will get the right answer.

26A: New-Read Assessment 2: The Midwife’s Apprentice

Answer Relevant Standards

1A. B

1B. B

2A. C

2B. C

3. A 4A. B

4B. B

5. Answers will vary but should include quotations that show Alyce cares for Edward.

1) “A sudden pleasure inside her warmed her hands as she reached out to smooth the boy’s hair” (63).

2) “Next time you be much warmer nestled in the dung heap these cold days” (63).

3) “But Alyce minded little, for she thought not of her tasks but of Edward’s face and the abundance of bread and cheese up at the manor looking for a hungry boy’s belly to fill” (66).

6A. A

6B. A

7. E, G, D, F

8. Sample Response:

Answers will vary, but student must present evidence to support the theme chosen.

n The theme that is most fully developed in chapter 10, “The Boy,” is friendship and the universal desire for connection. Throughout the chapter, Cushman shows that almost from the start, Alyce feels drawn to the boy. As soon as she meets him, she tells him he is not a nobody and feeds him. When she sees the boys in the town tease him, just like they used to tease her, she stands up for him. She feels happy knowing she is helping him. Cushman talks about the “pleasure inside her” and how she doesn’t even mind the midwife’s giving her terrible chores because she knows the boy is safe. All these events show that people feel better about themselves when they have friends and people they care for.

1A. (RL.7.4)

1B. (RL.7.1, RL.7.4)

2A. (RL.7.2)

2B. (RL.7.1, RL.7.2)

3. (RL.7.1)

4A. (RL.7.4)

4B. (RL.7.1, RL.7.4)

5. (RL.7.1)

6A. (RL.7.1)

6B. (RL.7.1)

7. (RL.7.1)

RL.7.1, RL.7.2

Assessment 30A: Focusing Question Task 3 Sample Response

Text: The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman

Focusing Question: How does society influence identity and experience?

Prompt: What might happen to Alyce after she returns to her apprenticeship? Use descriptive details to slow down the pacing and “explode” the following moment into a scene: Two villagers walked by the tree Alyce was sitting in. They were whispering that the midwife didn’t want to compete with Alyce for jobs, so she was planning to get rid of her. Alyce tried to come up with a plan (W.7.3, W.7.4).

Sample Response:

Alyce sat alone in the tree, enjoying the sound of the birds and the way the wind rustled her hair. She decided to wait a few minutes before gathering the leaves the midwife needed. She found herself daydreaming when all of a sudden, she heard the voices of Gladys and Sara, who had just been having tea with the midwife.

Alyce was about to say, “Good day!” when she heard Gladys whisper, “Jane Sharp is no fool. She sees how fast the girl learns and how the mothers want the girl’s soft touch and heart.” Then, Alyce’s heart stopped as she heard Sara reply, “Aye, she will have nothing if she doesn’t send that girl packing back to that inn.”

Alyce froze, wondering if she had fallen asleep in the tree and was having a nightmare, but as she pinched her arm and saw the red welt her fingers left, she realized that no, this was true. The midwife was going to get rid of her. But that could not be. She could not let that happen. She had already made her choice. She was the midwife’s apprentice. She could not let that slip away.

As she concentrated on what to do, Alyce straightened, stretched, and lost her balance on the branch she was resting on. She tried to grab on with her hands, but the branch slipped away as she fell to the ground, landing with a thud and a bruise. Rubbing her backside, Alyce stood up, grabbed the cat, and began to pace.

She had given up twice before, but now she would not, could not. The midwife wanted someone who would not quit, so she would not. She would work harder and make sure Jane Sharp saw how easy her life could be with Alyce’s help. And, if Jane Sharp tried to get rid of her, she would simply refuse to leave. What was Jane Sharp going to do? Throw her out? Alyce was no longer a frail girl in a dung heap. She would not be thrown out. She would stay as the midwife’s apprentice. Of that she was sure.

Assessment 31A: EOM Task Annotated Sample Response

“You will marry Sir Galbraith. It is your duty.” With those words uttered in a voice I know I cannot argue with, Father leaves the great hall. Cold in this drafty room, I huddle by the fire and try to hope for the best. Perhaps Sir Galbraith, my future husband is tall, handsome, and kind like Sir Alex. Maybe he is chivalrous like the knights in the stories I love. Maybe he would slay a dragon for me, save me from dangerous creatures in the forest, or protect my honor should anyone insult me. A small glimmer of hope rises inside of me.

But, then I begin to wonder. Some knights are not what they should be. Look at Sir Richard. He is old and cranky, always complaining about his aching stomach and the way the armor weighs heavily on him. His face is plastered with a permanent frown, and he fusses over his curly locks far more than a knight should. Or, Sir Hector, who is young and handsome but always looking for a battle. If my husband were to be like him, he will be dead before I am 20.

My mother comes in and holds my hand. As always, her soft, slender skin, sweet and holy face, and calm demeanor bring me peace. “Do not fear, my child,” she says, as she pats my hand, “Sir Galbraith will be a good and faithful husband to you. I know you will be far away from your father and me, but you will find happiness there. Do not fret. He is a good and chivalrous man, just like your father.”

And I do feel calmer. I smile at my mother and see my smile returned in her kind, blue eyes. I will miss her so much that the doubt returns. A small ache grows in my heart. But, it is my duty, just as my father and she have said. I will marry Sir Galbraith. I will be the mistress of my castle. I will not complain.

W.7.3.a: The beginning engages and orients the reader, establishing a medieval context and a young noblewoman’s point of view.

W.7.3.c: Transition words, phrases, and clauses convey sequence and signal shifts.

W.7.3.b: This sentence uses the narrative technique, description, to characterize Sir Richard.

W.7.3.a: The event sequence unfolds logically.

W.7.3.d: Precise words, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language capture the interaction between the protagonist and her mother.

W.7.3.e: The ending follows from the narrated events; the protagonist accepts her duty, resolving her conflict.

Content knowledge: This narrative demonstrates an understanding that the medieval social order significantly impacted identity and experience. Here, a young noblewoman reckons with the role thrust upon her due to her social class and gender. The social order’s influence compels her to accept her noble identity and the opportunities available to her; she accepts her role as mistress of the castle. The writer effectively develops a medieval setting, including historical details such as a great hall, a cold and drafty castle, knights, and the concept of chivalry.

Assessment 31B: Vocabulary Assessment 2 Answer Key

1. Midwife: a person who is trained to assist women during childbirth.

2. Taunt: insult; to make fun of, tease, or challenge in mean language.

3. Begrudge: resent; to feel envious and disapproving of (someone) having or being given (something).

4. Apprentice: someone who works for somebody else to learn that person’s skill or trade.

5. Torment: to annoy, tease, or cause to feel worry.

6. Bedeviled: to annoy or harass devilishly; torment.

7. Contented: pleased; satisfied with things as they are; content.

8. Befoul: to make foul; defile.

9. Wretched: unhappy; miserable.

10. Desolate: very lonely or without hope.

11. Be–: a prefix that means “to cause to be.”

Appendix D: Volume of Reading

Students may select from these recommended titles that support the module content or themes. These texts can be used as part of small-group instruction or as part of an independent and/or choice reading program. Volume of Reading Reflection questions are located in the back of the Student Edition.

Middle Ages in Europe Drama

(N/A) Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village, Laura Amy Schlitz Historical/Scientific/Technical/Economic Accounts

(AD650L) Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta 1325–1354, James Rumford

(920L) Miquel’s Brave Knight: Young Cervantes and his Dream of Don Quixote, Margarita Engle

(1090L) Manners and Customs in the Middle Ages, Marsha Groves

(1120L) Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction, David Macaulay

(N/A) The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay: Life in Medieval Africa, Patricia McKissack and Fredrick McKissack

Novels

(620L) The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog, Adam Gidwitz

(770L) A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver, E. L. Konigsburg

(780L) Crispin: The Cross of Lead, Avi

(880L) The Kite Fighters, Linda Sue Park

(920L) A Single Shard, Linda Sue Park

(990L) The Door in the Wall, Marguerite de Angeli

(1030L) Adam of the Road, Elizabeth Janet Gray

(1170L) Catherine, Called Birdy, Karen Cushman*

* This title is currently out of print.

Appendix E: Works Cited

Ashliman, D.L. “The Legend of Saint George.” Abstr. From The Golden Legend; or, Lives of the Saints University of Pittsburgh, 16 Dec. 2002, https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/stgeorge1.html

Bovey, Alixe. “Church in the Middle Ages: From Dedication to Dissent.” The British Library. British Library: The Middle Ages, bl.uk/the-middle-ages/articles/church-inthe-middle-ages-from-dedication-to-dissent

Bovey, Alixe. “Peasants and Their Role in Rural Life.” The British Library, 30 Apr. 2015, bl.uk/themiddle-ages/articles/peasants-and-their-role-in-rural-life#:~:text=By%20exploring%20 illuminations%20depicting%20rural,could%20be%20described%20as%20peasants.

Bovey, Alixe. “Women in Medieval Society.” The British Library. British Library: The Middle Ages, bl.uk/the-middle-ages/articles/women-in-medieval-society

Carr, Karen. “What Is a Midwife?” Quatr.us Study Guides, 16 Aug 2017, quatr.us/science/midwife-history-childbirth.htm

Chaucer, Geoffrey. “Prologue to The Canterbury Tales.” Various readers. LibriVox. https://librivox.org/prologue-to-the-canterbury-tales-lines-1-18-by-geoffrey-chaucer/

Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. 1475. Adapt. Geraldine McCaughrean. 1984. Puffin Classics, 1996.

Christ and Abbot Mena. 8th century. Digital image. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icon_of_Christ_ and_Abbot_Mena#/media/File:Kristus_a_svat%C3%BD_Menas.jpg

Cushman, Karen. The Midwife’s Apprentice. Sandpiper, 1995.

Da Vinci, Leonardo. The Last Supper. 1498. Digital image. The Met Museum, metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_leon_1.jpg

“Dependent Clause.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dependent_clause

di Bondone, Giotto. Joachim among the Shepherds. 1304-1306. Digital image. Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, Italy. WikiArt, wikiart.org/en/giotto/joachim-among-the-shepherds

“Easy Recipes.” Medieval Cookery, medievalcookery.com/recipes/indexesy.html

Johnson, Georgia Douglas. “Your World.” Poetry Foundation, poetryfoundation.org/poems/56591/your-world.

“Lamento di Tristano.” Musical recording. Petrucci Music Library, https://imslp.org/wiki/Lamento_di_Tristano_(Anonymous)#IMSLP253108

Lydgate. Pilgrims Leaving Canterbury. 1455–1462. Digital image. The British Library, bl.uk/learning/images/medieval/artmusicliterature/large97327.html

Master of the Dresden Prayer Book or Workshop. The Three Living and the Three Dead. 1480–1485. Digital image. The J. Paul Getty Museum, getty.edu/art/collection/object/107SY3

Platt, Richard. Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess. Illus. Chris Riddell. Candlewick Press, 2003. Polanco, Julio Noboa. “Identity.” Breadloaf Poetry Exchange, breadloafpoetryexchange.pbworks.com/w/ page/39725748/Identity%20by%20Julio%20Noboa%20Polanco

The Middle Ages Teacher’s Guide. Public Broadcasting Service 45 & 49, Western Reserve Public Media, pbs4549.org/middleages.

“The Scrovegni Chapel in Padua.” Italia. Italian National Tourist Board, italia.it/en/veneto/padova/things-to-do/scrovegni-chapel-in-padua

CREDITS

Great Minds® has made every effort to obtain permission for the reprinting of all copyrighted material. If any owner of copyrighted material is not acknowledged herein, please contact Great Minds® for proper acknowledgment in all future editions and reprints of this module.

ƒ All material from the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects © Copyright 2010 National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

ƒ p. 114, “Miniature of Pilgrims Leaving Canterbury” from John Lydgate’s Siege of Thebes painting from the British Library. Created 1457-1460 by John Lydgate. Public Domain.

ƒ p. 177, The Three Living and the Three Dead created by Master of the Dresden Prayer Book or workshop (Flemish, active about 1480—1515). Digital image courtesy of the Getty’s Open Content Program.

ƒ

ƒ

All images are used under license from Shutterstock.com unless otherwise noted.

For updated credit information, please visit http://witeng.link/credits

Great Minds® Staff

The following writers, editors, reviewers, and support staff contributed to the development of this curriculum.

Karen Aleo, Elizabeth Bailey, Ashley Bessicks, Sarah Brenner, Ann Brigham, Catherine Cafferty, Sheila ByrdCarmichael, Lauren Chapalee, Emily Climer, Rebecca Cohen, Elaine Collins, Julia Dantchev, Beverly Davis, Shana Dinner de Vaca, Kristy Ellis, Moira Clarkin Evans, Marty Gephart, Mamie Goodson, Nora Graham, Lindsay Griffith, Lorraine Griffith, Christina Gonzalez, Emily Gula, Brenna Haffner, Joanna Hawkins, Elizabeth Haydel, Sarah Henchey, Trish Huerster, Ashley Hymel, Carol Jago, Mica Jochim, Jennifer Johnson, Mason Judy, Sara Judy, Lior Klirs, Shelly Knupp, Liana Krissoff, Sarah Kushner, Suzanne Lauchaire, Diana Leddy, David Liben, Farren Liben, Brittany Lowe, Whitney Lyle, Stephanie Kane-Mainier, Liz Manolis, Jennifer Marin, Audrey Mastroleo, Maya Marquez, Susannah Maynard, Cathy McGath, Emily McKean, Andrea Minich, Rebecca Moore, Lynne Munson, Carol Paiva, Michelle Palmieri, Tricia Parker, Marya Myers Parr, Meredith Phillips, Eden Plantz, Shilpa Raman, Rachel Rooney, Jennifer Ruppel, Julie Sawyer-Wood, Nicole Shivers, Danielle Shylit, Rachel Stack, Amelia Swabb, Vicki Taylor, Melissa Thomson, Lindsay Tomlinson, Tsianina Tovar, Sarah Turnage, Melissa Vail, Keenan Walsh, Michelle Warner, Julia Wasson, Katie Waters, Sarah Webb, Lynn Welch, Yvonne Guerrero Welch, Amy Wierzbicki, Margaret Wilson, Sarah Woodard, Lynn Woods, and Rachel Zindler

Colleagues and Contributors

We are grateful for the many educators, writers, and subject-matter experts who made this program possible.

David Abel, Robin Agurkis, Sarah Ambrose, Rebeca Barroso, Julianne Barto, Amy Benjamin, Andrew Biemiller, Charlotte Boucher, Adam Cardais, Eric Carey, Jessica Carloni, Dawn Cavalieri, Janine Cody, Tequila Cornelious, David Cummings, Matt Davis, Thomas Easterling, Jeanette Edelstein, Sandra Engleman, Charles Fischer, Kath Gibbs, Natalie Goldstein, Laurie Gonsoulin, Dennis Hamel, Kristen Hayes, Steve Hettleman, Cara Hoppe, Libby Howard, Gail Kearns, Lisa King, Sarah Kopec, Andrew Krepp, Shannon Last, Ted MacInnis, Christina Martire, Alisha McCarthy, Cindy Medici, Brian Methe, Ivonne Mercado, Patricia Mickelberry, Jane Miller, Cathy Newton, Turi Nilsson, Julie Norris, Tara O’Hare, Galemarie Ola, Tamara Otto, Christine Palmtag, Dave Powers, Jeff Robinson, Karen Rollhauser, Tonya Romayne, Emmet Rosenfeld, Mike Russoniello, Deborah Samley, Casey Schultz, Renee Simpson, Rebecca Sklepovich, Kim Taylor, Tracy Vigliotti, Charmaine Whitman, Glenda Wisenburn-Burke, and Howard Yaffe

Early Adopters

The following early adopters provided invaluable insight and guidance for Wit & Wisdom:

Bourbonnais School District 53 • Bourbonnais, IL

Coney Island Prep Middle School • Brooklyn, NY

Gate City Charter School for the Arts • Merrimack, NH

Hebrew Academy for Special Children • Brooklyn, NY

Paris Independent Schools • Paris, KY

Saydel Community School District • Saydel, IA

Strive Collegiate Academy • Nashville, TN

Valiente College Preparatory Charter School • South Gate, CA

Voyageur Academy • Detroit, MI

Design Direction provided by Alton Creative, Inc.

Project management support, production design and copyediting services provided by ScribeConcepts.com

Copyediting services provided by Fine Lines Editing

Product management support provided by Sandhill Consulting