WW_L7_M3_TE_23A_887816_Updated 11.22

Grade 7 Module 3 Language and Power

Teacher Edition

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Table of Contents

MODULE OVERVIEW

Module Summary 2 Essential Question 3

Suggested Student Understandings 3 Texts 3

Module Learning Goals 5 Module in Context ............................................................................................................................... ........................ 7 Standards ............................................................................................................................... ......................................... 8 Major Assessments 9 Module Map 12

INSTRUCTIONAL LESSONS

Focusing Question: Lessons 1–11 How and why does language inspire?

Lesson 1 ............................................................................................................................... ....................................... 25

n TEXT: “‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter),” Sarah Kay

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Inspire Lesson 2 37

n TEXT: “‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter),” Sarah Kay

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Winsome

Lesson 3 49

n TEXTS: “‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter),” Sarah Kay • “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers,” Emily Dickinson • “Kinetic Poetry Hope Is the Thing with Feathers,” Nook Harquail, director

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Argument, claim Lesson 4 61

n TEXTS: “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers,” Emily Dickinson • “Dreams,” Langston Hughes • “Dreams,” Langston Hughes (audio)

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Precision and Concision

Lesson 5 73

n TEXTS: “Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou • “Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou (video)

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Academic Vocabulary: The Suffix –dom

Lesson 6 83

n TEXTS: “Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou • “Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou (video)

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Figurative language

Lesson 7 93

n TEXTS: Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy (excerpt) • Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy (video) • “‘Ask Not … ’: JFK’s Words Still Inspire 50 Years Later,” Nathan Rott • “Dreams,” Langston Hughes • “Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou

¢

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Repetition in Writing

Lesson 8 105

n TEXTS: Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy • Address to the United Nations Youth Assembly, Malala Yousafzai • “Thanks to Malala: Top 3 Ways Malala Has Changed the World,” Alex Harris

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Precise Language

Lesson 9 117

n TEXTS: “I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King Jr. • “I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King Jr. (video) • “Is Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ the Greatest Speech in History?” Emma Mason

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Concision

Lesson 10 127

n TEXTS: All Module Texts

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Execute with Precise and Concise Language

Lesson 11 ............................................................................................................................... ......................................... 135

n TEXTS: All Module Texts

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Academic Vocabulary: Alternate claim, opposing claim

Focusing Question: Lessons 12–21

How and why does language persuade?

Lesson 12 145

n TEXTS: “Serena Williams—Rise,” Andre Stringer • Advertisements

¢

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Persuade, persuasive Lesson 13 159

n TEXT: “How Advertising Targets Our Children,” Perri Klass

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Manipulative, deceptive Lesson 14 ............................................................................................................................... ................................... 169

n TEXTS: “How Advertising Targets Our Children,” Perri Klass • “Serena Williams—Rise,” Andre Stringer • Advertisements

¢

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Phrases and Clauses

Lesson 15 179

n TEXT: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter I

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Phrases

Lesson 16 193

n TEXTS: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter I • Excerpts from “Friedrich Engels, Revolutionary, Activist, Unionist, and Social Investigator,” Rosalie Baker

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Clauses

Lesson 17 207

n TEXT: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter I

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

Lesson 18 219

n TEXT: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter II • Excerpts from “Friedrich Engels, Revolutionary, Activist, Unionist, and Social Investigator,” Rosalie Baker

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Commandment

Lesson 19 ............................................................................................................................... .................................. 233

n TEXT: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter III

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Maxim

Lesson 20 245

n TEXT: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapters IV–V

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Vocabulary Assessment 1 Lesson 21 255

n TEXT: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapters I–V

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Execute Phrases and Clauses

Focusing Question: Lessons 22–30

How and why is language dangerous?

Lesson 22............................................................................................................................... .................................. 265

n TEXT: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter VI

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Scapegoat

Lesson 23 279

n TEXT: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapters VI–VII

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Varied Sentence Structures

Lesson 24 295

n TEXT: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter VIII

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Complex Sentences Lesson 25 307

n TEXTS: The Temple at Abu Simbel • The Great Sphinx of Giza • Excerpts from “Grandeur at Abu Simbel,” Steven Snape • Excerpts from “Let’s Tour the Temple,” Ramadan B. Hussein

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Cult of personality

Lesson 26 319

n TEXTS: Mini BIO—Joseph Stalin (video) • Propaganda Posters • Animal Farm, George Orwell

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Allegory

Lesson 27 331

n TEXTS: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter IX • “First They Came for the Communists,” Martin Niemoller ¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Complex Sentences in an Argument

Lesson 28 341

n TEXT: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter X

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Simple Sentences in an Argument Lesson 29 355

n TEXT: Animal Farm, George Orwell

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Orwellian Lesson 30 365

n TEXT: Animal Farm, George Orwell

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Execute Varied Sentence Structures in an Argument

Focusing Question: Lessons 31–37

How and why does language influence thought and action?

Lesson 31 375

n TEXTS: “In 1946, the New Republic Panned George Orwell’s Animal Farm,” George Soule • Review of Animal Farm, Michael Berry • Review of Animal Farm, Bapalapa2, student reviewer

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Academic Vocabulary: Satire Lesson 32 385

n TEXT: “Why You Should Read Animal Farm,” Kainzow, blogger

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Academic Vocabulary: The Morphemes lit, litera Lesson 33 ............................................................................................................................... ..................................... 395

n TEXT: Animal Farm, George Orwell Lesson 34 401

n TEXTS: All Module Texts

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Vocabulary Assessment 2 Lesson 35 409

n TEXTS: All Module Texts

Lesson 36 415

n TEXTS: All Module Texts

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Excel at Peer Editing Lesson 37 423

n TEXTS: All Module Texts

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Vocabulary Review

Appendices

Appendix A: Text Complexity 431

Appendix B: Vocabulary 433

Appendix C: Answer Keys, Rubrics, and Sample Responses 441

Appendix D: Volume of Reading 459

Appendix E: Works Cited 461

Teacher Edition

GRADE 7 MODULE 3

Language and Power

Module Summary

It is a paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladder of free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator has suppressed all free speech except his own.

—Herbert Hoover

What is the power of language? Poets understand words’ power to inspire, advertisers understand words’ power to persuade, propagandists understand words’ power to manipulate, and leaders understand words’ power to sway the course of human events. In every facet of our lives, as we navigate an onslaught of information from myriad sources, we experience the power of language in personal, political, commercial, and civic arenas.

Those who fail to realize language’s power are powerless themselves. The dictatorial society depicted in George Orwell’s Animal Farm becomes inevitable only when citizens surrender their commitment to critical literacy and thoughtful participation in government. Young people today have greater access to information than at any time in history, but they must be able to evaluate its validity, ask questions that will help them differentiate truth from falsehood, and stand up for their carefully considered beliefs.

Module 3 cultivates students’ abilities to analyze the logic and validity of arguments; to consider the perspectives of differing sources; to hold thoughtful, respectful discussions with others holding conflicting points of view; and to recognize language’s potential for both inspiration and manipulation. The texts compel a deep examination of rhetorical and propaganda techniques and appeals to logos, pathos, and ethos. Through this study, students learn to identify these techniques when they encounter them and employ appropriate and logical reasoning in their own compelling arguments. Ultimately, students build an understanding of the need to develop the critical reading and thinking skills that will enable them to recognize when others attempt to persuade or manipulate them with language.

At the core of the module, Animal Farm, Orwell’s classic indictment of tyranny and corruption, provides a foundation for these lessons. However, because Orwell’s vision of language, class, and society is nearly as bleak as it is profound, poetry and speeches offer a vital, complementarily uplifting perspective. Alongside Orwell’s whip-wielding pigs, students meet metaphorical birds who croon songs of hope, politicians who call citizens to help those less fortunate, and activists who spread human rights and freedom, illustrating language’s power to spark positive change. Taken together, Animal Farm and the supplementary texts enable a study honoring the multifaceted yet inextricable relationship between language and power.

By the time students encounter the End-of-Module (EOM) Task, they know language is powerful. But, is language more powerful when used to uplift or to control? Students weigh evidence from the array of texts and craft their own argument in response.

Suggested Student Understandings

Words carry power to inspire, uplift, persuade, manipulate, and control.

Language is a powerful tool for those seeking power or influence.

Failing to read and think critically about political content, media messages, and advertising can be dangerous.

Writers and speakers can use many techniques to inspire, persuade, control, and argue a point.

Architecture and Sculpture

Photograph of Abu Simbel, Wikimedia Commons (http://witeng.link/0293) ƒ

The Great Sphinx, Encyclopædia Britannica Online (http://witeng.link/0295) ƒ

The Lincoln Memorial, National Park Service (http://witeng.link/0296)

Articles

“‘Ask Not … ’: JFK’s Words Still Inspire 50 Years Later,” Nathan Rott (http://witeng.link/0276) ƒ

“How Advertising Targets Our Children,” Perri Klass (http://witeng.link/0353) ƒ

“Is Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ the Greatest Speech in History?” Emma Mason (http://witeng.link/0286) ƒ

“Thanks to Malala: Top 3 Ways Malala Has Changed the World,” Alex Harris (http://witeng.link/0283)

Book Reviews

“In 1946, the New Republic Panned George Orwell’s Animal Farm,” George Soule (http://witeng.link/0306) ƒ

Review of Animal Farm, Michael Berry (http://witeng.link/0307) ƒ

Review of Animal Farm, Bapalapa2, student reviewer (http://witeng.link/0308) ƒ

“Why You Should Read Animal Farm,” Kainzow, blogger (http://witeng.link/0309)

Historical Accounts

Excerpts from “Friedrich Engels, Revolutionary, Activist, Unionist, and Social Investigator,” Rosalie Baker (Handout 16B) ƒ

Excerpts from “Grandeur at Abu Simbel,” Steven Snape (Handout 25A) ƒ

Excerpts from “Let’s Tour the Temple,” Ramadan B. Hussein (Handout 25A)

Poetry

“‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter),” Sarah Kay (http://witeng.link/0314)

“Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou (http://witeng.link/0277) ƒ

“Dreams,” Langston Hughes (http://witeng.link/0292) ƒ

“‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers,” Emily Dickinson (http://witeng.link/0316) ƒ

“First They Came for the Communists,” Martin Niemoller (http://witeng.link/0303)

Poetry 180, Library of Congress (http://witeng.link/0321)

Poster

Images of Pro-Stalin Propaganda (http://witeng.link/0298)

Speeches

“I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King Jr. (http://witeng.link/0284) ƒ

Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy (http://witeng.link/0313) ƒ

Address to the United Nations Youth Assembly, Malala Yousafzai (http://witeng.link/Malala-Yousafzai’s-speech-at-the-United-Nations)

Audio and Videos

“Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou (http://witeng.link/0278) ƒ

“Dreams,” Langston Hughes (http://witeng.link/0318) ƒ

“Kinetic Poetry Hope Is the Thing with Feathers,” Nook Harquail, director (http://witeng.link/0317) ƒ

“I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King Jr. (http://witeng.link/0285) ƒ

Address to the United Nations Youth Assembly, Malala Yousafzai (http://witeng.link/0282) ƒ

Mini BIO—Joseph Stalin (http://witeng.link/0297)

Module Learning Goals

KNOWLEDGE GOALS

Name and describe ways that language and words inspire, persuade, and control. ƒ

Describe the structures and techniques used in poetry and political speeches, both in terms of their written expression and oral delivery. ƒ

Analyze, contextualize, and critique George Orwell’s Animal Farm to identify and evaluate its themes. ƒ

Define and classify elements and examples of propaganda, argument, and persuasion; isolate varied persuasive techniques; and recognize appeals to pathos, logos, and ethos. ƒ

Recognize Animal Farm as an allegory, connecting it to the Russian Revolution and the rise of Stalin.

READING GOALS

Analyze how the form or structure of a poem, as well as its rhymes and other repetitions of sounds, impact its meaning (RL.7.4, RL.7.5). ƒ

Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters (RL.7.6).

ƒ

Compare and contrast a text with its audio or video presentation, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject and unique techniques (RL.7.7, RI.7.7).

Trace and evaluate a written argument, assessing the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the claim (both to evaluate written arguments for their validity and to study models of arguments as preparation for drafting their own written arguments) (RI.7.8).

WRITING GOALS

ƒ

Formulate sound argument paragraphs to support claims with logical reasons and relevant evidence from Animal Farm and supplementary texts (W.7.1).

ƒ

Develop and revise an essay presenting an argument about whether language is more powerful when used to uplift or to control, acknowledging alternate or opposing claims and providing a conclusion that supports the argument (W.7.1).

ƒ

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

SPEAKING AND LISTENING GOALS

ƒ

Pose questions that elicit elaboration from others in discussions about language and power, and then listen for on- and off-topic responses (SL.7.1.a, SL.7.1.c).

ƒ

Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence (SL.7.3).

LANGUAGE GOALS

ƒ

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

ƒ

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

ƒ

Determine the meaning of target vocabulary through context, by applying understanding of grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots, and by exploring related words’ connotations and denotations (L.7.4.a, L.7.4.b, L.7.5.c).

ƒ

Interpret figurative language, such as similes, metaphors, imagery, personification, and allusion, and use figurative language in writing in order to be precise, concise, and descriptive (L.7.5.a).

Module in Context

ƒ

Knowledge: This study builds on Modules 1 and 2 as students continue to explore different facets of human experience in societal contexts. In Module 1, students read stories of individuals developing their identities in the context of the rigidly hierarchical medieval society. In Module 2, students examined the experience of individuals in the context of World War II. In Module 3, the focus shifts from the individual experience to the idea of humanity in society and the power of words to influence our thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

ƒ

Reading: Students deepen the close and analytical reading skills they developed in prior modules by analyzing the techniques writers use, through their written words, as well as oral and video presentations, to inspire, uplift, persuade, manipulate, or control their audiences. This exploration encompasses a broad variety of texts, including poems, speeches, advertisements, and arguments. In studying the core text, George Orwell’s Animal Farm, students identify similar uses of language by the novel’s characters, and they analyze how Orwell develops the characters’ perspectives to identify the novel’s powerful themes about language, power, and the rise of dictatorships. Students also consider the novel’s allegorical meaning as they compare its plot developments with the real-life events that it is based on—the Soviet revolution and the rise of Stalinism.

ƒ

Writing: Students build on the descriptive and figurative writing they learned while practicing narrative writing in Module 1, and they continue experimenting with narrative writing techniques to inspire readers. The structures and techniques students developed with informative writing in Module 2 serve as foundational building blocks for writing effective arguments in Module 3.

ƒ

Speaking and Listening: Students extend their speaking and listening skills in three Socratic Seminars about Animal Farm and the supplementary texts by asking for elaboration on key points, listening for off-topic responses, and evaluating arguments.

Standards

FOCUS STANDARDS

Reading Literature

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.

RL.7.5 Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning.

RL.7.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.

RL.7.7 Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).

Reading Informational Text

RI.7.7 Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).

RI.7.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.

Writing

W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

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.

L.7.4.a Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

L.7.4.b Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).

L.7.5.a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context.

L.7.5.c Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., refined, respectful, polite, diplomatic, condescending).

Speaking and Listening

SL.7.1.a Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

SL.7.1.c Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.

SL.7.3 Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

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 paragraph about why “I Have a Dream” is inspiring, explaining both the contribution of King’s written words in the transcript and the contribution of his vocal delivery and image details in the video.

ƒ Demonstrate understanding of how and why language inspires.

ƒ Analyze the impact of a speech’s language.

RI.7.1, RI.7.7, W.7.9

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

2. Write an argument paragraph about which of the three animals Squealer, Boxer, or the sheep is most influential in helping Napoleon gain and maintain power in Animal Farm

3. Write an argument paragraph about the most important theme about the power of language that Orwell develops in Animal Farm

ƒ

Demonstrate understanding of how and why language persuades. ƒ

Analyze how use of language allows Napoleon control the animals in Animal Farm. ƒ

Compose an argument with a claim, reasons, evidence, and elaboration.

RL.7.1, W.7.1, W.7.4, L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a

ƒ

Demonstrate understanding of the role of language in Animal Farm, analyzing how Orwell develops a theme. ƒ

Compose an argument with a claim, reasons, evidence, and elaboration. ƒ

Acknowledge an alternate or opposing claim.

RL.7.1, RL.7.2, W.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.9.a, L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a

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

1. Read Maya Angelou’s “Caged Bird,” and view its video performance. Use a graphic organizer to analyze how two techniques in the video affect the poem, and respond to multiplechoice questions.

2. Read the beginning of Animal Farm, chapter V, pages 45–48. Respond to multiple-choice and short-response questions to explain how Orwell develops the contrasting perspectives of the animals, particularly Mollie, Clover, Snowball, and Napoleon.

3. Read the Animal Farm review, and complete the multiple-choice questions. Then trace and evaluate the review’s argument using the graphic organizer.

Socratic Seminars

ƒ Analyze how a poem uses language to inspire. ƒ Analyze the impact of particular language techniques.

RL.7.1, RL.7.4, RL.7.5, RL.7.7, W.7.10, L.7.4.a, L.7.5.a, L.7.5.c

ƒ

Analyze Animal Farm citizens’ perspectives on their society, leadership, language, and power.

RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4, RL.7.6, W.7.10, L.7.4.b

ƒ

Demonstrate understanding of the elements of a strong argument. RI.7.1, RI.7.4, RI.7.8, W.7.10, L.7.4.a

Elements That Support Success on the EOM Task Standards

1. Discuss which of the texts is most inspiring, and why. ƒ

2. Discuss whether it is the responsibility of a government or its citizens to make sure citizens get accurate, logical information.

Demonstrate an understanding of how and why language inspires in speeches and poems. ƒ Determine which texts include the strongest evidence supporting language’s uplifting effect.

ƒ

Formulate opinions about language and power, supporting ideas with evidence from Animal Farm.

RL.7.1, RI.7.1, SL.7.1, SL.7.6

RL.7.1, SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Socratic Seminars

3. Discuss whether language is more powerful when used to uplift or to control.

Elements That Support Success on the EOM Task Standards

ƒ

Reflect on the relationship between language and power, responding to classmates’ EOM Task arguments.

RL.7.1, RI.7.1, SL.7.1, SL.7.6

End-of-Module Task Criteria for Success Standards

Write an argument essay about whether language is more powerful when it is used to uplift or whether it is more powerful when used to control. Develop your argument with evidence from Animal Farm and at least one other text.

ƒ

Write an engaging introductory paragraph in which you clearly state a claim as to which use of language is most powerful.

RL.7.1, RI.7.1, W.7.1, W.7.4, L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a

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Give two reasons for why this use of language is most powerful.

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Support your reasons with textual evidence and elaboration.

ƒ Acknowledge alternate or opposing claims.

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Include a conclusion that reinforces the argument and supports its significance.

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Use a variety of sentence structures effectively to express ideas.

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Use words, phrases, and clauses as transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claims, reasons, evidence, and elaboration.

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Maintain a formal style featuring precise language and content-area vocabulary.

Vocabulary Assessments* Elements That Support Success on the EOM Task Standards

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

ƒ

Acquire and use grade-appropriate academic terms.

L.7.4.b L.7.6

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

*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 and why does language inspire?

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

1 “ ‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter)”

Wonder

What do I notice and wonder about “B”?

Experiment

How do figurative language and sensory language work?

ƒ

Formulate questions and observations about “B” (RL.7.1).

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Experiment with figurative and sensory language inspired by “B” (W.7.3.d).

ƒ Develop a clear understanding of the word inspire based on its Latin root and dictionary definition (L.7.4.b).

2 “‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter)”

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of language and performance techniques reveal in “B”?

3 “‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter)”

“‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers”

Organize

What is happening in “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” and its video version?

Examine

Why is writing a clear claim to introduce an argument important?

ƒ

Analyze how Kay uses language to inspire her audience (RL.7.4).

ƒ Identify and analyze the performance techniques Kay uses to enhance “B” (RL.7.7).

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Analyze Kay’s use of the word winsome based on its context and morphemes (L.7.4.a, L.7.4.b).

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Analyze an argument paragraph about figurative language to understand the characteristics of a strong claim (W.7.1.a).

ƒ

Interpret “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” and its video version, attending to language and structure (RL.7.4, RL.7.5, RL.7.7).

ƒ Deepen understanding of the words argument and claim by comparing and contrasting their use in academic and other settings (L.7.4, L.7.5.b).

Focusing Question 1: How and why does language inspire?

4 “Dreams” (text and audio)

“‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers”

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” and “Dreams” reveal?

Experiment

How do claims work? Examine

Why are precision and concision important?

ƒ

Compare “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” to “Dreams,” analyzing language and structure (RL.7.4, RL.7.2, RL.7.5, L.7.5.a).

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Establish a claim about whether Dickinson or Hughes uses metaphor to inspire more effectively.

ƒ

5 NR “Caged Bird” (text and video) Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of “Caged Bird” and its video performance reveal?

6 “Caged Bird” (text and video) Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of “Caged Bird” reveal?

ƒ

Define and evaluate the impact of precision and concision in poetry (L.7.3.a).

Analyze how Angelou uses figurative language, structure, and rhyme in “Caged Bird” (RL.7.1, RL.7.4, RL.7.5, RL.7.7, W.7.10, L.7.4.a, L.7.5.a, L.7.5.c).

ƒ Integrate understanding about the suffix –dom to define words (L.7.4.b).

ƒ Analyze how Angelou uses language to inspire her audience (RL.7.4).

ƒ

Fluently recite poetry using delivery techniques.

ƒ Analyze figurative language in the context of student-selected poems (L.7.5.a).

7 Inaugural Address (text and video)

“‘Ask Not … ’:

JFK’s Words Still Inspire 50 Years Later”

Organize

What is happening in the text and video versions of JFK’s inaugural address?

Examine

Why is supporting a claim with clear reasons and evidence important? Examine Why is understanding the difference between repetition for effect and redundancy important?

ƒ

Summarize the central ideas in Kennedy’s inaugural address (RI.7.2).

ƒ

Identify the reasons and evidence supporting an article’s claim (RI.7.8).

ƒ Understand the importance of eliminating redundancy while still using repetition for effect as appropriate (L.7.3.a).

Focusing Question 1: How and why does language inspire?

8 Address to the United Nations Youth Assembly (text and video)

“Thanks to Malala: Top 3 Ways Malala Has Changed the World”

9 “I Have a Dream”

“Is Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ the Greatest Speech in History?”

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of Malala Yousafzai’s speech transcript and video reveal?

Examine

Why is supporting a claim with relevant evidence important? Experiment

How does precise word choice in a claim work?

ƒ Contrast Yousafzai’s speech transcript to the video to analyze the techniques she uses to inspire her audience (RI.7.7).

ƒ Explain the role of relevant evidence in an article about Yousafzai’s impact (RI.7.8, W.7.10).

ƒ Employ precise word choice in revising a claim (L.7.3.a).

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of King’s language in “I Have a Dream” reveal?

10 FQT All Module Texts Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of “I Have a Dream” and its video reveal?

Experiment

How does concise language work?

ƒ Analyze King’s use of language in “I Have a Dream” (RI.7.4).

ƒ Choose language to express ideas concisely and to avoid wordiness and redundancy (L.7.3.a).

ƒ

Experiment

How does relevant evidence work? Execute

How do I use language precisely and concisely and avoid wordiness and redundancy in my writing?

Compare and contrast the transcript of “I Have a Dream” to its video, analyzing each medium’s portrayal (RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.7, W.7.2, W.7.9.b).

ƒ Gather relevant evidence and evaluate the techniques writers use to inspire (RL.7.1, RI.7.1).

ƒ

11 SS

All Module Texts Know

How do these texts build my knowledge of how and why language inspires?

Experiment

How do claims, clear reasons, and relevant evidence work?

Revise writing to express ideas precisely and concisely, eliminating wordiness and redundancy (L.7.3.a).

ƒ Engage in a collaborative conversation about how and why language inspires, drawing on evidence, posing questions, responding to others, and using formal English as appropriate (SL.7.1, SL.7.6).

ƒ Draft an argument featuring a claim, reason, and evidence (W.7.1.a, W.7.1.b).

ƒ Use predicted and dictionary definitions of words and word relationships to understand alternate claims and opposing claims, developing basic argumentation skills (L.7.4.d, L.7.5.b).

Focusing Question 2: How and why does language persuade?

12 “Serena Williams Rise”

Car Ad 1 Car Ad 2 Dessert Ad Soda Ad 1 Soda Ad 2

Wonder

What do I notice and wonder about advertisements?

13 “How Advertising Targets Our Children”

Organize What is happening in the article “How Advertising Targets Our Children”?

Examine

Why is audience awareness important in argument writing? Examine

Why is asking for elaboration important in academic conversations?

14 “How Advertising Targets Our Children”

“Serena Williams Rise”

Car Ad 1 Car Ad 2 Dessert Ad Soda Ad 1 Soda Ad 2

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of persuasive techniques reveal in the advertisements?

Examine

Why are phrases and clauses important?

ƒ

Formulate observations and questions about video and print advertisements to understand how advertisers try to persuade consumers (RI.7.1). ƒ

Deepen understanding of the meanings of the words persuade and persuasive by comparing and contrasting their meanings with those of related words (L.7.5.b).

Summarize the key points the author of an op-ed article makes about the effects of advertising on children (RI.7.8). ƒ

ƒ

Deepen understanding of the words manipulative and deceptive by comparing and contrasting their meanings and using them in context (L.7.5.b).

Analyze the argument of an article to determine its claim(s), reason(s), and evidence (RI.7.8). ƒ

ƒ

Identify phrases and clauses, and explain their function in specific instances (L.7.1.a).

Focusing Question 2: How and why does language persuade?

15 Animal Farm, Chapter I Wonder

What do I notice and wonder about chapter I of Animal Farm?

Experiment

How does writing a claim supported by clear reasons and relevant evidence work?

Experiment

How does using phrases in arguments work?

16 Animal Farm, Chapter I

Excerpts from “Friedrich Engels, Revolutionary, Activist, Unionist, and Social Investigator”

Organize

What is happening in chapter I of Animal Farm?

Examine

Why are elaboration and transitions important in argument writing?

Experiment How does using clauses in arguments work?

ƒ Assert a claim about whether an advertisement uses fair or unfair techniques to persuade consumers, and support that claim with reasons and evidence (W.7.1.a, W.7.1.b).

ƒ Formulate observations and questions about chapter I of Animal Farm (RL.7.1).

ƒ Revise an argument paragraph by using phrases to create transitions, add detail and precision, and clarify relationships (L.7.1.a).

ƒ Describe key characters introduced in chapter I, identifying specific words, phrases, and actions Orwell uses to develop each character (RL.7.3).

ƒ Analyze how Old Major develops an argument in his speech (RI.7.8).

ƒ Write an argument paragraph about Old Major’s speech, using clauses to create transitions and clarify relationships (L.7.1.a).

17 Animal Farm, Chapter I Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of Old Major’s argument and use of persuasive techniques reveal in chapter I of Animal Farm?

Experiment

How does asking for elaboration in academic conversations work? Experiment

How does elaboration in argument writing work?

Experiment

How does using phrases and clauses in an argument work?

ƒ

Analyze the argument Old Major makes in his speech and song (RI.7.8).

ƒ

Compare Old Major’s perspective of life on the farm with that of Mr. Jones (RL.7.6).

ƒ

Revise argument paragraphs by using phrases or clauses to create transitions, add detail or precision, or clarify relationships (L.7.1.a).

18 Animal Farm, Chapter II

Excerpt from “Friedrich Engels, Revolutionary, Activist, Unionist, and Social Investigator”

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of character and perspective reveal in chapter II of Animal Farm?

19 Animal Farm, Chapter III Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of language and persuasion reveal in chapter III of Animal Farm?

Examine

Why are logical reasoning and accurate, relevant evidence important to making a strong argument?

20 NR VOC

Animal Farm, Chapters IV—V Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of character and perspective reveal in chapters IV and V of Animal Farm?

ƒ

Describe key character details and developments in chapter II, identifying words, phrases, and actions Orwell uses to develop each character (RL.7.3). ƒ

Analyze the contrasting perspectives of the animals in Animal Farm (RL.7.2, RL.7.6, W.7.9). ƒ

Deepen understanding of the word commandment by distinguishing among the connotations of similar words (L.7.5.c).

Analyze how Orwell develops and contrasts the perspectives of Napoleon and Snowball (RL.7.6). ƒ

ƒ

Trace and evaluate Squealer’s milk-and-apples argument, assessing his reasoning and use of evidence (RI.7.8).

ƒ

Use context to determine the meaning of maxim and deepen understanding of the word by comparing it to motto (L.7.4.a, L.7.5.b).

ƒ

Summarize the opening of Animal Farm, chapter V, and analyze how Orwell develops the animals’ contrasting perspectives (RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4, RL.7.6, W.7.10, L.7.4.b).

ƒ

Demonstrate understanding of grade-level vocabulary and how to use affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of words or phrases (L.7.4.b, L.7.6).

Focusing Question 2: How and why does language persuade?

Focusing Question 2: How and why does language persuade?

21

FQT Animal Farm, Chapters I–V Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of character and perspective reveal in the first half of Animal Farm?

Execute

How can I use a strong claim, clear reasons, and relevant evidence in an argument paragraph?

Execute

How do I use phrases and clauses in an argument?

ƒ Write an argument paragraph, establishing and supporting a claim about whether Squealer, Boxer, or the sheep are most influential in supporting Napoleon’s efforts to gain and maintain power (RL.7.1, W.7.1, W.7.4, L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a).

ƒ

Revise Focusing Question Task 2 paragraphs by adding phrases or clauses to create transitions, add detail or precision, or clarify the relationships among the claim, reasons, and evidence (L.7.1.a).

22 Animal Farm, Chapter VI Organize

What is happening in chapter VI of Animal Farm?

Excel

How do I improve an argument paragraph?

ƒ

Evaluate Focusing Question Task 2 response to identify areas for improvement and strengthen the argument (W.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.5).

ƒ Analyze the events of chapter VI from the perspective of different characters (RL.7.6).

ƒ

Apply understanding of literary allusions to interpret the word scapegoat in context as it is used to describe Snowball (L.7.5.a).

Focusing Question 3: How and why is language dangerous?

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

Focusing Question 3: How and why is language dangerous?

23 Animal Farm, Chapters VI–VII Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of Squealer’s arguments reveal?

Experiment

How does acknowledging alternate or opposing claims work?

Examine

Why is using varied sentence structures important when writing an argument?

ƒ

Trace the techniques Squealer uses in his arguments about pigs sleeping in beds and about “Beasts of England,” and draft a written assessment of the soundness of his reasoning (RI.7.8).

ƒ

Draft one or two additional sentences for the Focusing Question Task 2 response to acknowledge alternate or opposing claims (W.7.1.a).

24 Animal Farm, Chapter VIII Distill

What is the essential meaning of Animal Farm?

Experiment

How do complex sentences work?

ƒ

Identify and evaluate the impact of varied sentence structures (L.7.1.b).

ƒ

Identify and analyze a theme that Orwell develops in Animal Farm (RL.7.2).

ƒ

25 The Temple at Abu Simbel

The Great Sphinx of Giza

Excerpts from “Grandeur at Abu Simbel” and “Let’s Tour the Temple”

26 Animal Farm “Communism”

“Mini BIO— Joseph Stalin”

Images of Pro-Stalin Propaganda

Know

How do the temples at Abu Simbel and the Great Sphinx at Giza build my knowledge of monuments of ancient Egypt and how those connect to central ideas in Animal Farm?

ƒ

Combine simple sentences to create complex sentences to communicate multiple ideas (L.7.1.b).

Formulate observations and knowledge about selected monuments of ancient Egypt, and connect these to the ideas in Animal Farm (RL.7.2, SL.7.2, W.7.10, L.7.6).

ƒ

Deepen understanding of the phrase cult of personality, in part by distinguishing among the denotations and connotations of words related to cult and personality (L.7.5.c).

Organize

What’s really happening in Animal Farm?

Examine

Why is the structure of an argument essay important?

ƒ

Identify parallels between Stalin in the Soviet Union and Napoleon in Animal Farm (RI.7.2, RL.7.2, SL.7.2).

ƒ

Demonstrate understanding of and accurately use the literary term allegory (L.7.5.a).

27 Animal Farm, Chapter IX

“First They Came for the Communists”

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of theme reveal in Animal Farm?

Experiment

How do complex sentences work in an argument?

ƒ

Identify signs of the growing class divide on the farm, and analyze the ways that the pigs use language to obscure inequalities (RL.7.2).

ƒ

28 Animal Farm, Chapter X Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of the dramatic conclusion reveal in Animal Farm?

Examine

Why are introductions and conclusions important? Experiment

How do simple sentences work in an argument?

Write complex sentences to present a claim, and contrast it with an alternate or opposing claim (L.7.1.b).

ƒ Describe a theme revealed in the final chapter of Animal Farm (RL.7.2, W.7.10).

ƒ Write simple sentences to clearly and concisely state a claim or conclude an idea (L.7.1.b).

29 SS Animal Farm Distill

What is the essential meaning of Animal Farm?

ƒ Engage in a collaborative conversation about Animal Farm and the power of language, drawing on evidence, posing questions, responding to others, and using formal English as appropriate (SL.7.1, SL.7.6).

ƒ

Describe a theme on language and power that Orwell conveys in Animal Farm, and provide a textual example of how he develops this idea (RL.7.2).

ƒ

Develop an understanding of the suffix –ian through example and study of the word Orwellian, and then apply this understanding to define other new words (L.7.4.b).

Focusing Question 3: How and why is language dangerous?

30 FQT Animal Farm Know

How does Animal Farm build my knowledge of the dangerous power of language?

Execute

How do I use a strong claim, clear reasons, and relevant evidence in an argument paragraph? Execute

How do I effectively and purposefully vary sentences in a written argument?

ƒ

Write an argument paragraph for your teacher and classmates about the most important theme about the power of language that Orwell develops in Animal Farm, supporting the claim with clear reasons and relevant evidence (RL.7.1, RL.7.2, W.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.9.a, L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a).

ƒ

Vary sentence structures to emphasize important ideas and signal differing relationships in a written argument (L.7.1.b).

Focusing Question 4: How and why does language influence thought and action? LESSON TEXT(S) CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION CRAFT QUESTION(S) LEARNING GOALS

31 Review of Animal Farm, George Soule

Review of Animal Farm, Michael Berry

Review of Animal Farm, Bapalapa2, student reviewer

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of book reviews reveal?

Experiment

How do introductions work?

ƒ

Compare and contrast multiple authors’ reviews of Animal Farm, analyzing differing interpretations and evidence (RI.7.9).

ƒ

Draft an introduction paragraph using the HIC structure (W.7.1.a).

ƒ

Develop a deeper understanding of and accurately use the term satire (L.7.6).

32 NR “Why You Should Read Animal Farm”

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of the argument in a book review reveal?

33 Animal Farm Know

How do the book reviews build my knowledge of how and why language influences thought and action?

Experiment

How does organizing and concluding an argument work? Excel

How do I improve my book review?

ƒ

Trace and evaluate an Animal Farm review’s argument, assessing whether the author’s reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims (RI.7.1, RI.7.4, RI.7.8 W.7.10, L.7.4.a).

ƒ Analyze a book review website to identify its purpose and audience.

ƒ

Integrate understanding of the roots lit and litera to define and use words (L.7.4.b).

ƒ

Publish a book review arguing that an audience should or should not read Animal Farm (W.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.6).

34 EOM VOC

All Module Texts Know

How do these texts build my knowledge of how and why language influences thought and action?

35 All Module Texts Know

How do these texts build my knowledge of how language influences thought and action?

Execute

How do I use claims, reasons, and relevant evidence in an argument essay plan?

ƒ

Plan an argument essay about language and power, identifying relevant evidence (W.7.5).

ƒ

Demonstrate understanding of grade-level vocabulary and how to use affixes and roots as clues to the meanings of words or phrases (L.7.4.b, L.7.6).

Execute

How do I use the elements of an effective argument in an argument essay?

ƒ

Develop an argument essay about language and power, supporting claims with logical reasoning and relevant evidence (RL.7.1, RI.7.1, W.7.1, W.7.4).

ƒ Delineate a partner’s argument about language and power, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence (SL.7.3).

Focusing Question 4: How and why does language influence thought and action?

EOM

36 All Module Texts Know

How do these texts build my knowledge of how language influences thought and action?

Excel

How do I improve my argument essay?

Excel

How do I improve my argument to show command of English grammar, language, conventions, vocabulary, and style?

37 SS All Module Texts Know

How do these texts build my knowledge of the power of language?

ƒ

Provide and receive feedback to revise EOM Task essays and meet criteria for success (W.7.5). ƒ

Demonstrate an understanding of how to use precise and concise language, purposeful varied sentence structures, and a style appropriate for argument writing (L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a, L.7.6, W.7.4, W.7.5).

ƒ

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

Review and deepen understanding of words, phrases, and morphemes learned throughout the module (L.7.6).

Focusing Question 4: How and why does language influence thought and action?

Lesson 1: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (52 min.)

Notice and Wonder (27 min.)

Experiment with Figurative and Sensory Language (25 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (3 min.)

Assign the Volume of Reading Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Inspire (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.4 Writing ƒ W.7.10

Speaking and Listening

ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.2

Language ƒ L.7.5.a ƒ L.7.4.b

MATERIALS

ƒ

Handout 1A: Poetry Terms

Learning Goals

Formulate questions and observations about “B” (RL.7.1).

Complete a Notice and Wonder T-Chart.

Experiment with figurative and sensory language inspired by “B” (W.7.3.d).

Write examples of personification, metaphor, and simile inspired by “B.”

Develop a clear understanding of the word inspire based on its Latin root and dictionary definition (L.7.4.b).

Submit an Exit Ticket explaining how the core lesson’s Land quotation reflects the definition of inspire and its Latin root.

Prepare

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

What is the power of language?

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–11

How and why does language inspire?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 1

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

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 1

Experiment: How do figurative language and sensory language work?

Focusing Question 1 kicks off Module 3’s exploration of the power of language by prompting students to consider how and why language inspires. This first lesson hooks students with the uniquely moving “B,” a spoken word poem that could shatter any cynic’s notion of poetry as abstruse or dull. The poem’s rich yet accessible language provides a useful springboard for students’ own poetry experimentation.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Have students respond to the following in their Response Journal: “Imagine a child who could learn about life from you. The child could be someone you know, such as a younger cousin, or an imaginary child, such as a hypothetical future son/daughter or fictional character. Brainstorm a list of things you would tell or teach this child about life.”

Scaffold

Display a few items you might add to your list. For example, “I’d teach my future nephew how to bake rainbow cupcakes,” and “I’d tell him that standing up for what’s right is sometimes tough but always worth it.”

Launch

10 MIN.

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

Ask what the word powerful means. Then ask what it might mean for language to be powerful.

Ask: “How would you feel if someone you admired gave you advice like you wrote in the Welcome task?”

If students do not use the word on their own, explain that some people might use the word inspire to describe how such advice affects them.

Ask for students’ current understanding of the word inspire. Then provide the following definitions for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning

inspire (v.) 1. To fill someone with positive emotions, feelings, or thoughts.

2. To cause an increase in one’s desire to accomplish or create something, or to make a positive change in one’s life or attitude.

Have small groups share their Welcome task lists, and encourage them to add ideas to their lists if they become inspired by their peers.

Then ask the whole group: “In your opinion, which ideas from your list are inspiring?” Invite a few students to share.

Explain that students will begin investigating how and why language inspires by exploring inspirational poems.

52 MIN.

NOTICE AND WONDER

Whole Group

27 MIN.

Distribute Handout 1A. Explain that the listed terms are ones students have already learned. They will continue to add terms to enrich their writing and discussion about poetry. Ask pairs to review the definitions and jot a few examples in the third column.

Ask for an example to illustrate each term.

Scaffold

Consider displaying an anchor chart of poetry terms, allowing all students to easily refer to it during discussion and writing.

Explain that students will view “B,” a spoken word poem by Sarah Kay. Inform students that spoken word is the term for poetry that is intended to be performed, rather than just written on the page.

Tell students that on the first viewing of “B,” they should see what they notice and be prepared to share their observations.

Play “‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter)” (http://witeng.link/0314).

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What do you notice about ‘B’”?

n Kay made “B” meaningful and relatable by addressing ideas like heartbreak and happiness.

n Kay specifies a daughter, but her hopes and advice could apply to any person.

n Kay acknowledges that life is full of pain but emphasizes that we should stay determined, curious, and positive. It’s inspiring.

n The poem is mainly made up of figurative language.

n Kay uses vivid images and unique language that make the poem engaging.

n The poem doesn’t rhyme.

n The lines are unique and unexpected.

Tell students they will view “B” again. This time, they should use a Notice and Wonder T-Chart to jot the most striking quotations that they notice as well as what they wonder.

Students record their questions and observations on their T-chart, referring to the written text as needed.

After replaying the poem and providing time for students to add to their T-chart, have pairs discuss the striking quotations they noticed, why they found these quotations striking, and what they wondered. Encourage pairs to seek answers to their questions in the text.

Ask the whole group: “What is the most striking quotation you noticed, and why?” Emphasize that students should honestly answer why they are drawn to certain points in the text and that this question has no wrong answers. Have students share.

n “There’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline no matter how many times it is sent away.” This figurative language strikes me because the persistent ocean reminds me that you should never give up.

n “Life will hit you hard…but getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.” I like how Kay depicts life here because she doesn’t pretend that life always feels pleasant. At the same time, this gives me a positive feeling.

n “I am going to paint the Solar Systems on the backs of her hands.” This image is surprising and beautiful to visualize. It reminds me how big our world is and how much there is to learn.

Scaffold

Ask follow-up questions to deepen thinking about what students notice in “B.”

ƒ

What idea does that quotation make you think about?

ƒ

How does that line make you feel?

ƒ

Which of your quotations are examples of figurative language? Which use sensory language?

ƒ What is the term for that literary technique?

Then ask: “What did you wonder about?”

n Kay says she wants her daughter to “look through a microscope at the galaxies that exist on the pinpoint of a human mind.” What does that mean?

n What’s the meaning of the word winsome?

n Kay’s words are caring and supportive. I wonder if her parents acted that way.

Rather than interpreting parts of the poem for students, ask the whole group for their thoughts about any questions raised, encouraging them to refer to the written text whenever possible. Provide definitions for unknown vocabulary.

Extension

Ask students what they notice about additional literary elements and techniques, such as mood, metaphors, similes, personification, and alliteration.

Extension

“B” is the first section of Sarah Kay’s moving TED Talk about the value of poetry (http://witeng.link/0155). Consider showing students the full talk to stimulate their motivation to experiment with craft in the next activity and to emphasize its value.

EXPERIMENT WITH FIGURATIVE AND SENSORY LANGUAGE

Individuals

Display the Craft Question: How do figurative language and sensory language work?

25 MIN.

Have students take out their Welcome task response. Explain that students will use the ideas they listed to experiment with their own figurative and sensory language inspired by “B.”

Remind students that they wrote metaphors and similes during their study of the Middle Ages. Explain that another useful type of figurative language is called personification. Have students add the following to Handout 1A.

Meaning

personification (n.) The act of attributing human characteristics to nonhuman things.

Explain that an example of personification in “B” is the sentence, “life will hit you hard,” because hitting is an action that humans can do, but life is nonhuman.

Ask: “Where else do you see personification in ‘B’? Add at least one example to Handout 1A.” Then have students share.

n Life will “wait for you to get back up, just so it can kick you in the stomach.”

n “Remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.”

n “The ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline no matter how many times it is sent away.”

Scaffold

To ensure students remember how to write metaphors and similes, have students identify examples in the text.

Then ask students to identify a few places in which the figurative language incorporates sensory language. For example, students may point out that they can visualize the personified ocean returning to the shoreline.

Display the following prompt: “Draft at least three original lines that convey what you might say to the person you had in mind when you completed your Welcome task. Write at least one example of personification, one metaphor, and one simile.”

Scaffold

Begin by collaboratively writing a few lines with the whole group. For example, you might say, “I’d want a future little cousin to know he can depend on me, so I want to write a metaphor comparing myself to something that represents that. What’s an example of something that’s dependable? Can you think of a dependable object, person, animal, or natural element?”

Differentiation

Consider offering the option to collaborate. Also provide the following optional sentence frames for writers who need more support.

The world is a because

Heartbreak will Friendship is like .

(metaphor) (personification) (simile)

Challenge advanced students to develop short poems inspired by “B.”

Remind students to be original, avoiding clichés such as, “Life is a rollercoaster.”

Students independently write their examples of personification, metaphor, and simile in their Response Journal.

Have students share in small groups. Then invite a few students to share their favorite lines with the whole group.

Extension

Have all students write short poems inspired by “B.” Consider providing the following optional template: If I should have a , instead of , they are going to call me because

And I’m going to And they’ll learn that life will . I want them to know the world is like .

(person you’re writing to) (what they might actually call you) (name that represents your role in their life) (reason for that name) (something you could do to teach them a lesson from your Welcome list) (use personification) (use a simile)

Encourage stronger writers to abandon the template and simply use the types of figurative language that best express their ideas.

Land 5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Have students revisit the definition of the word inspire. Then facilitate a Whip Around to have students share the most inspiring quotation from the lesson, whether it is from “B” or from a student’s figurative language example.

3 MIN.

ASSIGN THE VOLUME OF READING

Distribute and review the list of additional texts from Appendix D: Volume of Reading, and the Volume of Reading Reflection Questions. Explain that the list contains books with further information about topics discussed in the module. Tell students that they should consider the reflection questions as they independently read any additional texts 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 (http://witeng.link/IG) for a further explanation of Volume of Reading as well as various ways of using the Volume of Reading Reflection Questions.

Scaffold

To ensure students remember how to write metaphors and similes, have students identify examples in the text.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students use T-charts to record the most striking quotations they notice in “B” as well as what they wonder (RL.7.1). Each student:

ƒ Identifies quotations from “B” and is able to articulate why each quotation is striking when prompted.

ƒ Asks questions based on specific points in the text.

Next Steps

This lesson presents an opportunity for students to become comfortable discussing poetry. If they struggle, emphasize that all text-based observations and questions are legitimate. Also consider starting by having students collaboratively annotate “B” with their observations and questions.

Lesson 1 Deep Dive: Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary: Inspire

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Time: 15 min.

ƒ

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Text: “ ‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter),” Sarah Kay (http://witeng.link/0314)

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Develop a clear understanding of the word inspire based on its Latin root and dictionary definition (L.7.4.b).

TEACHER NOTE

Vocabulary Deep Dives 20 and 34 provide vocabulary assessment tools and corresponding directions. To best meet students’ language needs, consider using these tools to assess students at the start of this module. Do not share results with students, but use the data to inform and differentiate vocabulary instruction. At the close of the module, reassess students using the same tool to determine their growth against the baseline data.

Launch

Explain that this lesson will help students develop a strong and precise understanding of the word inspire to ensure that, as they explore the Focusing Question and texts, their writing and discussions about inspiring language are clear and purposeful.

Ask a student to remind the class of the definitions of inspire from their Vocabulary Journal.

n To fill someone with positive emotions, feelings, or thoughts.

n To cause an increase in one’s desire to accomplish or create something, or to make a positive change in one’s life or attitude.

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

Word Part Meaning

in– (prefix)

spir spiro (Latin root)

In, on, onto.

Breathe, blow into.

Clarify that the prefix in– has multiple definitions. Students may already be aware that in– can mean “not,” as it does in the word inaccurate. It can also mean “in, on, onto,” as it does in the words incarcerate and inspire.

Then instruct students to independently jot an explanation of how the meanings of this prefix and Latin root relate to the Vocabulary Journal definitions of inspire. Also consider offering the option of drawing to reflect this connection.

Have small groups brainstorm other words that use this root, such as perspire, conspire, and spirit. Spanish-speaking students may observe the root’s presence in the Spanish word for breathe, respirar.

Learn

Have small groups share their responses, and then ask a few students to share with the whole group.

n Breathing is associated with life, so breathing into something is like giving life and energy.

n When you inspire someone you give life to their ideas, exerting a stimulating influence.

n If something inspires you, it’s like it breathes life into you and motivates you to accomplish or create something, or to make a positive change.

n When you inspire someone, you give life to emotions and thoughts. This is similar to how breath keeps our bodies going.

Instruct students to continue to refer to their Vocabulary Journal definition of inspire as they jot one or two examples of times when they have been inspired and then explain how the examples fit the inspire definitions.

Have small groups share.

Alternate Activity

Have students create a one- or two-sentence example of personification that expresses the role of inspiration in life. Advise students to refer to their example for inspiration and ask themselves: “How can I personify inspiration to show its meaning?”

Responses will likely be more creative without modeling, but if students need more support, Think Aloud with a small group or the whole class.

When I think about times I feel inspired, I think of each morning when I wake up. I’m sleepy at first, but when I consider the day ahead, inspiration stirs my thoughts and I feel excited to accomplish important things. I want to show how inspiration stirs thoughts and awakens me, so I’ll personify inspiration as someone with this impact: “Inspiration stands at the stove flipping thoughts like pancakes. When my alarm buzzes, she skips into my room to pull me out of bed.”

Land

Students revisit the inspiring quotation they identified during the core lesson’s Land and respond to an Exit Ticket prompt about this quotation: “How does this quotation fit your Vocabulary Journal definitions of inspire? How does the quotation reflect the meaning of the Latin root of inspire?”

How and why does language inspire?

Lesson 2

ƒ “‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter),” Sarah Kay (http://witeng.link/0314) ƒ “Don’t ever apologize for the way your eyes refuse to stop shining” (http://witeng.link/0315)

Lesson 2: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Analyze Language (34 min.)

Analyze Performance Techniques (25 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content

Vocabulary: Winsome (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.4, RL.7.5, RL.7.7

Writing ƒ W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.2

Language ƒ

L.7.5.a ƒ L.7.4.a, L.7.4.b

MATERIALS

Handout 1A: Poetry Terms ƒ

White paper ƒ

Colored pencils or markers

Learning Goals

Analyze how Kay uses language to inspire her audience (RL.7.4).

After creating a visual representation of a quotation from “B,” analyze the quotation.

Identify and analyze the performance techniques Kay uses to enhance “B” (RL.7.7).

Complete a chart analyzing two examples of performance techniques.

Analyze Kay’s use of the word winsome based on its context and morphemes (L.7.4.a, L.7.4.b).

Submit an Exit Ticket explaining how the word winsome helps reveal a central idea in “B.”

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–11

How and why does language inspire?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 2

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of language and performance techniques reveal in “B”?

In this lesson, students first analyze the written language in “B,” and then they analyze how Kay expresses those words on the stage. This is a collaborative study that prepares students to analyze poetic language and performance more independently in upcoming lessons.

Welcome

5 MIN.

In their Response Journal, have students use personification to finish the following sentence based on a line from “B”: “Sure, life will hit you hard in the face sometimes, but life will also … ”

Challenge students to write a sentence that expresses an idea they truly believe in, rather than the first words that come to mind.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question. Explain that students will look more deeply at the poem’s language, and they will also explore how Kay structures and performs the poem.

Ask a few students to briefly remind the class what “B” is about and what they noticed about its language in the last lesson. Students should understand that “B” frequently uses sensory and figurative language.

Remind students that using sensory and figurative language is something writers of all genres—not just poets—do. Have students Whip Around to share their personification examples.

ANALYZE LANGUAGE 34 MIN. Pairs

Display the following quotation from “B.”

And when they finally hand you a heartache, when they slip war and hatred under your door and offer you handouts on street corners of cynicism and defeat, you tell them that they really ought to meet your mother.

First, explore what students know about the word cynicism. Clarify its meaning as needed.

Then discuss the following TDQs with the whole group with reference to this quotation to support students in closely analyzing Kay’s language.

1. What literary terms can you use to describe the language in the quotation, and why? What idea does this language express?

n Kay uses figurative language. For example, it’s not possible to literally give someone a handout of cynicism or defeat on a street corner.

n Kay uses a specific type of figurative language: metaphors. For example, she compares hatred to something you could slip under a door, like a piece of paper. This shows how easily hatred can spread.

n Kay uses sensory language. For example, she creates the image of the door.

n This language shows that pain and challenges are everywhere. Kay suggests that cynicism is so common, it’s like a handout offered on street corners. However, she suggests that her daughter shouldn’t accept “handouts” of cynicism and defeat and that it is possible to remain optimistic—especially with the support of a parent.

2. “B” doesn’t rhyme, but it does use another type of repeating sound: alliteration, which indicates a repeating consonant sound. Where in the stanza above does Kay use alliteration? How does the alliteration affect this stanza?

n The “H” sound is repeated in hand, heartache, hatred, and handouts

n The alliteration makes this stanza sound more engaging and memorable, which is appropriate because it’s the final stanza. It’s catchy and has a satisfying flow.

n The alliteration helps connect the ideas. These words are mostly negative, and they come quickly at the beginning of the stanza. This emphasizes that negativity can spread relentlessly. However, the alliteration ends when Kay says to tell them they “really ought to meet your mother,” shifting to a positive idea.

Have students add the following terms and definitions to Handout 1A.

Word Meaning

alliteration (n.) The repetition of the same consonant sound in the beginning or stressed syllables of words in a sentence or phrase or line of poetry. stanza (n.) A section of a poem, made up of a group of related lines.

Extension

Have small groups create alliteration tongue twister examples.

3. Another term for sensory language is imagery Examine the imagery in the stanza above. What is its impact?

n Kay creates the image of war being slipped under the daughter’s door.

n This image is unexpected and unique, which engages the reader. It stirs the reader’s imagination.

n The image reinforces the idea that there’s pain in life and we will have to confront it, almost like we can’t avoid a piece of paper that’s been slipped under our door.

Have students add the following to Handout 1A.

Word

Meaning

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

4. What is the tone?

n The tone is positive, caring, sincere, and honest.

n She comforts her daughter, emphasizing that she will be there to support her daughter through challenges.

n She is honest as she admits her daughter will encounter things like heartache.

Tell students that the next activity will allow them to use both their creative and analytical skills. Distribute white paper and colored pencils or markers to pairs.

Instruct pairs to select one striking quotation from “B.” Explain that they should write the quotation on their white paper using creative lettering, and on that same paper, they should illustrate at least one image from the quotation. Consider showing this model: http://witeng.link/0315. However, reassure students that simpler illustrations and stick figures are fine, as long as they are creative and thoughtfully represent the quotation.

Have students add a caption to their illustrations that responds to the following questions.

1. What image does the sensory language depict? What is its impact?

2. What other terms can you use to describe the language here? What idea does this language express?

Students write captions for their illustrations in response to the questions.

Differentiation

Some students may benefit from a handout that designates spaces for them to draw their illustration and quotation and respond to questions 1 and 2. Also consider adding a word bank featuring the terms personification, metaphor, sensory language, and figurative language.

In addition, consider offering extra credit for taking the activity home and developing it with paint, collage, or film. This is one way to honor multiple intelligences as well as promote sustained thinking about the text.

Have small groups share. Invite a few students to share with the whole group.

Alternate Activity

Conduct a Gallery Walk, and then have students point out specific aspects of various pictures that they appreciated.

Extension

Now that students have explored sensory and figurative language more deeply, have them return to the figurative language examples they wrote in the last lesson and consider revisions. Would they be able to illustrate that sensory language the way they did with “B”? Where might they add vivid sensory detail?

ANALYZE PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUES

Individuals

Tell students that although purposeful language plays an essential role in inspiring an audience, the way the writer chooses to present that language can have a major effect on the words. Students will explore this by considering structure, form, and performance techniques in “B.”

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How can you describe the form and structure in “B”? How does this contribute to its meaning?”

n It doesn’t seem to use a rigid structure like a haiku. It sounds natural and free. This helps Kay sound genuine and passionate, like the words are flowing from her.

n The written poem organizes ideas in stanzas, which makes them easier to read.

n The line, “Believe me, I’ve tried,” is on its own in between two longer stanzas. This makes the line stand out to the reader. The reader sees that it’s important that the mother has personally struggled in life and wants to share what she’s learned.

If students do not mention it, guide them to see that the type of poem, spoken word, impacts the poem’s meaning as well.

Tell students that they will view the poem (http://witeng.link/0314) again. Explain that as they watch, they should jot a list of performance techniques Kay uses. Share an example, such as the observation that Kay speaks quickly at several points.

After playing the video, ask what performance techniques students noticed. As students share, chart their responses and have students do so in their Response Journal.

n Speak faster and more slowly.

n Increase and decrease volume.

n Pause.

n Emphasize particular words and phrases.

n Use body language and facial expressions.

n Speak expressively, changing your tone of voice.

Alternate Activity

If time is scarce, consider providing the list of techniques and having students focus on analyzing the listed techniques’ roles in Kay’s performance.

Have students create the following chart in their Response Journal. Then have them select three performance techniques from the list that they want to analyze in more depth as they watch “B” again.

Technique Example from “B”

How does this impact the words of the poem?

After viewing “B” again, students analyze three performance techniques using the graphic organizer, referring to the written text as needed.

Have students share.

Extension

Spoken word poetry is an engaging entry point to the study of poetry and language for many students. Consider having students explore additional spoken word poems online, take a field trip to a local poetry slam, and perhaps even host their own class poetry slam. For interested students, you might also recommend Louder Than a Bomb, an awardwinning documentary about a high school poetry slam competition.

Land5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Students submit an Exit Ticket in response to the following: What does a deeper exploration of the language in “B” and the performance techniques Kay uses reveal about what makes language inspiring?

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Inform students that there is no homework for this lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students write captions for illustrated language to analyze its meaning (RL.7.4). Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ Uses a precise term to describe the language.

ƒ Clearly explains how the language expresses a specific idea.

Next Steps

If students struggle to articulate clear and specific analyses, provide the following sentence frames and collaborate with a group that needs more support to use them.

This is an example of because . The words and suggest that , helping Kay express the idea that .

Content Vocabulary: Winsome

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

ƒ

Text: “‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter),” Sarah Kay (http://witeng.link/0314)

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Analyze Kay’s use of the word winsome based on its context and morphemes (L.7.4.a, L.7.4.b).

Launch

Display the following quotation from “B”: “You will put the win in winsome … lose some. / You will put the star in starting over and over.”

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What context clues signal what winsome might mean?”

n I’ve heard people say, “You win some and you lose some.” It means you can’t always win, but that’s OK. Kay is alluding to that saying.

n Winsome must be the opposite of losing. Maybe it means something similar to winning.

n Kay has a loving attitude toward her daughter in the poem, so winsome is probably positive.

n We can tell it’s a word that helps support the idea that starting over and over is not a bad thing.

Learn

Ask small groups to brainstorm a list of words that end with the suffix –some.

Then chart responses.

n Awesome.

n Troublesome.

n Bothersome.

n Cumbersome.

n Gruesome.

n Lonesome.

n Tiresome.

Ask what these words have in common, and guide students as needed to see that they are all adjectives.

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

Word Part Meaning

some (suffix)

Characterized by.

Explain that the Old English root wynn, from which win is derived, means “joy.” Then instruct small groups to draft definitions for winsome based on its morphemes and context.

Collaboratively draft a definition with the whole group, and then have students add the definition to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

winsome (adj.)

Charming, appealing, or attractive. charming, appealing, attractive

Remind students that they analyzed alliteration in “B” during the core lesson. Instruct small groups to create one to three alliterative sentences that show the meaning of the word winsome.

To model, display your own example and ask how it demonstrates winsome’s meaning. For example: “Wally the winsome Walrus performed his poem so well that the whales thought he was wonderful and waved wherever Wally went.” Reassure students that not every word needs to start with the sound. Students simply need to ensure that the sound is repeated a few times and the sentence demonstrates winsome’s meaning.

Alternate Activity

Ask students to provide an alliterative example before modeling. Offer a choice between writing alliterative sentences or similes.

Have students Mix and Mingle to share their responses with other groups. Then, as time permits, ask students to identify strong responses from other groups and explain how the responses chosen demonstrate the meaning of winsome.

Land

Display the quotation from “B” again: “You will put the win in winsome … lose some. / You will put the star in starting over and over.”

Students submit an Exit Ticket in response to the following: “How does the word winsome help reveal a central idea in the poem?”

How and why does language inspire?

Lesson 3

TEXTS

“‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter),” Sarah Kay (http://witeng.link/0314)

“‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers,” Emily Dickinson (http://witeng.link/0316) ƒ

“Kinetic Poetry Hope Is the Thing with Feathers,” Nook Harquail, Director (http://witeng.link/0317)

Lesson 3: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Examine Claims (29 min.)

Interpret Poetry (30 min.) Land (5 min.)

Examine Film Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Argument, claim (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.7.5, RL.7.7

Writing ƒ W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.2

Language ƒ L.7.4.a, L.7.5.a ƒ L.7.4

MATERIALS

Handout 1A: Poetry Terms

Handout 3A: Inspiration Cube

Handout 3B: Informative and Argument Paragraph Comparison

Handout 3C: Argument Paragraph and Essay Structures

Handout 3D: Academic Word Use

Learning Goals

Analyze an argument paragraph about figurative language to understand the characteristics of a strong claim (W.7.1.a).

Identify the claim in a multiple-choice question.

Interpret “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” and its video version, attending to language and structure (RL.7.4, RL.7.5, RL.7.7).

Record an interpretation of each stanza in a graphic organizer.

Write a Response Journal entry explaining how the video version of “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” impacts the viewer’s understanding.

Deepen understanding of the words argument and claim by comparing and contrasting their use in academic and other settings (L.7.4).

Write an Exit Ticket explaining how claim and argument are used in an academic setting, and offer one characteristic (or quality) needed to make each effective.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–11

How and why does language inspire?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 3

Organize: What is happening in “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” and its video version?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 3

Examine: Why is writing a clear claim to introduce an argument important?

In this lesson, students learn about claims, taking their first steps into this module’s focus on argument writing. Students also begin exploring language and structure in “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” to prepare for the next lesson’s analysis. These two lesson components lay the groundwork for the next lesson in which students apply their beginning understanding of claims and their knowledge of Dickinson’s poem to experiment with writing their own claims.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Distribute Handout 3A. Ask students to write what they consider to be the most inspiring quotation from “B” in one of the squares on the handout and then explain their selection in their Response Journal.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question. Explain that in this lesson, students will begin learning about the building blocks of argument writing and continue investigating inspiring language as they read another poem.

To help students express their current thinking about how and why language inspires, have pairs share their Welcome responses. Then have a few students share with the whole group.

Tell students that over the course of the upcoming lessons, they will add inspiring quotations from five more texts to their cube layout.

Learn

59 MIN.

EXAMINE CLAIMS 29 MIN.

Pairs

Display the Craft Question: Why is writing a clear claim to introduce an argument important?

Explain that in this lesson students will learn about argument writing as they also continue to explore the figurative language in “B.” Distribute Handout 3B and Handout 3C.

Explain that Handout 3B features two paragraphs that discuss figurative language. Instruct pairs to read them and discuss the similarities and differences between them. Then have students share.

n Both paragraphs interpret and discuss the role of figurative language in “B.”

n Both paragraphs use evidence and elaboration. They’re both organized.

n The informative paragraph provides information you couldn’t really argue with.

n Some could disagree with the argument paragraph. It’s like the writer is trying to convince us to adopt their opinion.

Incorporate students’ responses to explain that the second paragraph is an argument paragraph and that argument in this context has a very precise meaning in terms of academic writing.

G7 M3 Handout 3B WIT WISDOM

themes about life’s joy and life’s pain. E: In it, Kay addresses a hypothetical daughter, saying, “life will hit you hard … But getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.” E: Through personification of life and lungs, Kay shows that life can cause shocking pain. However, when Kay says this pain reminds lungs to enjoy air, she suggests that struggles can remind us to appreciate what we have. C: This language emphasizes Kay’s message to enjoy life despite challenges.

Argument Paragraph If one falls ill and must stay home on Friday night, the best way to pass the time is to watch figurativelanguage-filled spoken word poetry. Figurative language can uplift anyone’s mood. For example, in “B,” Kay uses figurative language to address a hypothetical daughter, saying, “life will hit you hard … But getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.” This line personifies life and lungs to demonstrate a truth that will comfort those who wish they could be out with friends: everyone experiences pain, but challenges can help us appreciate life’s beauty. Some might claim that watching movies is a better activity because movies are relaxing. However, when one is feeling down, inspiration is more important than relaxation. For sick nights, the inspiring effect of figurative language in poetry like “B” cannot be topped.

TEACHER NOTE As needed, remind students that the informative paragraph structure, To-SEEC, stands for: Topic Statement, Evidence, Elaboration, and Concluding Statement.

Explain that Handout 3C features the elements of an academic argument and that the structure, CREEA-C, contains these elements and will be what students will use to learn to write arguments in future lessons. Ask students to read it and then refer to it as they label each component of the argument paragraph on Handout 3B. Have pairs share their labeling. Then, discuss as a class how the argument paragraph follows the Paragraph Version structure.

Encourage pairs to discuss how they can best remember the CREEA-C mnemonic. Students may want to come up with their own or a class version of it, which will help them better remember and understand it.

Point out that while informative paragraphs include topic statements, argument paragraphs include a claim. Tell pairs to examine the claim in the argument and the topic statement in the informative paragraph on Handout 3B. Instruct them to create a Venn diagram in their Response Journal and use it to compare a claim to a topic statement from an informative paragraph.

Then have students share. Chart responses, and ask students to add ideas they had not thought of to their Venn diagrams.

n Both the claim and the topic statement are specific and focused.

n They both are not too general and not too detailed. They encompass the writer’s ideas in the paragraph.

n Both are concise, precise, and use formal language.

n The claim is debatable. One could disagree or agree.

n The topic statement in the informative paragraph offers a description of the texts. The purpose is to inform. Nothing is up for debate here.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How would you write a definition for the type of claim used in argument writing?”

Have a few students share ideas. Then have them record claim in their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning

claim (n.) A debatable statement that can be proven by evidence and reasoning. The best claims are focused and specific.

Alternate Activity

Rather than using the definition above, collaborate with students to create a claim definition to record.

Students independently respond to the following multiple-choice question in their Response Journal.

Spot the Claim:

1. I love seeing videos of poetry performances because they’re engaging and help me understand figurative language.

2. In “B,” Kay implements delivery techniques and figurative language honed since childhood to express beliefs about life’s beauty and pain.

3. Every time students study a poem’s language, the teacher should show a video version. In addition to the fact that videos can be engaging, poetry is meant to be read aloud, and students have a right to experience the best possible reading.

Discuss responses.

n Option A is not a claim. The statement that the writer loves videos is not debatable—it’s just how they feel.

n Option B would work for an informative paragraph, but it’s not a claim. One can’t debate the idea that Kay uses delivery techniques or that the poem expresses those beliefs.

n Option C is the claim. It’s possible to support it with evidence and also possible to disagree. For example, one could argue that some poems don’t have good video versions and they may still be worth studying.

Explain that students will have a chance to develop their own claim about figurative language in poetry in the next lesson using a poem they will now explore.

INTERPRET POETRY

Small Groups

Read aloud “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers,” and ask students to record what they notice and wonder by annotating on a T-chart.

Ask them to share a few general observations and questions in pairs and then with the whole group.

Briefly discuss any questions as a class. For example, students might ask why there are so many dashes. For questions like these, ask: “How do the dashes affect the way you read the poem?” Emphasize that there are no wrong answers, as long as students are thoughtfully explaining how textual details affect their reading.

Have students predict the meaning of unknown words such as gale using context clues. Then provide the following definitions for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

gale (n.) Strong, powerful wind.

blast, storm, tempest abash (v.) To cause to feel ashamed or embarrassed. embarrass, shame, wither extremity (n.) A condition of extreme danger or need.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What type of figurative language does Dickinson use most prominently here, and how do you know?”

n Dickinson uses one long metaphor.

n She compares hope to a bird. Birds have feathers, sing, and perch on things.

n The bird perches on the soul, which makes sense because hope can be a part of a person’s soul.

Have students recreate the following simple chart in their Response Journal.

Point out that the poem is organized into three stanzas. Tell students that in the chart’s second column, they will translate each stanza, keeping the bird metaphor in mind. They should leave the third column blank for now. Clarify that small groups should discuss ideas, but as always, each individual should write on their own chart.

Small groups write a description translating each stanza into their own words. Have students share.

n Stanza 1: Dickinson establishes the metaphor, comparing hope to a bird. She suggests that like a bird sitting comfortably on a perch, hope is part of the soul—a part of each person. The bird never stops singing, suggesting that hope never stops uplifting people.

n Stanza 2: Though the bird is little, it can survive in storms, which shows how resilient hope is. Hope has helped many people.

n Stanza 3: The speaker has even heard the bird in strange, harsh settings, which emphasizes that hope is powerful and exists everywhere. She says that she has not had to sacrifice anything for hope. She only receives its benefits.

Next, tell students that Dickinson uses a common technique having a structured rhyme scheme. Explain that this term refers to the pattern of rhymes for the words at the end of each line in a stanza and that this pattern can be described in letters. Use the first stanza of “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” to illustrate both rhyme scheme and how to use letters to denote rhyme scheme.

The first line is always labeled A. It ends in the word feathers, so any upcoming line that ends in a word rhyming with feathers will also be labeled A. Every time the rhyme changes, we assign a new letter. The next line ends in soul, which doesn’t rhyme with feathers, so we’ll have to label that B. It looks like the next line is another change, so that’s C. However, all rhymes with a word that came before, soul, so we can use a B for that line. So, the rhyming pattern for this stanza is ABCB.

Stanza Translation

Rhyme Scheme

Collaboratively determine the rhyme scheme for the second stanza with the whole group, and have students independently describe the third, filling out their charts’ third column.

n Stanza 1: ABCB

n Stanza 2: ABAB

n Stanza 3: ABBB

TEACHER NOTE

Students may suggest that soul and all do not rhyme. If they do, clarify that there are two types of rhymes: perfect rhymes and slant rhymes. Explain that soul and all are not perfect rhymes but are a good example of slant rhyme, meaning the sounds are similar. Tell students that slant rhyme is used frequently in poetry and music. Consider challenging students to share examples of slant rhymes from song lyrics they know.

Have students add rhyme scheme and speaker to Handout 1A.

Word Meaning

rhyme scheme (n.) The pattern of rhyming lines in a poem. speaker (n.) The narrator of a poem.

Tell students that now that they know basic information about what is happening in each stanza, they are prepared to more deeply analyze the poem’s language and structure in the next lesson.

5 MIN.

EXAMINE FILM

Show students the film version: http://witeng.link/0317

Ask: “What did you notice about the video?”

Then play the video again, directing students to jot examples of both vocal and image details in the video.

Have students share with the whole group and add to their lists as necessary.

n The person speaking is enunciating and pausing strategically.

n There are words arranged creatively.

n There are images of a flying bird, music notes, the ocean, and a boat.

Students independently select one or two details from the list and write a Response Journal entry explaining how the detail(s) impacts the viewer’s understanding of what is happening in the poem. Students refer to the print version as needed.

Wrap

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Inform students that there is no homework.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students interpret each stanza of the poem, demonstrating their ability to determine the meaning of figurative language (RL.7.4). Each student: ƒ Describes the figurative meaning of each stanza.

Next Steps

Students should be able to move beyond a poem’s literal meaning. Consider grouping students who struggle to determine figurative meaning, and provide a more scaffolded graphic organizer such as the following.

Stanza What is happening literally? (What is happening with the bird?)

What is happening figuratively? (What is the speaker saying about hope?) 1 2 3

Then Think Aloud to model how to interpret the first stanza, have the group collaborate on the second stanza, and ask individuals to interpret the third stanza.

Lesson 3 Deep Dive: Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary: Argument, claim

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: None

ƒ

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Deepen understanding of the words argument and claim by comparing and contrasting their use in academic and other settings (L.7.4).

Launch

Display the following sentences:

After the accident, the injured party made a claim with the other person’s insurance company.

In her paper, she asserted a claim that the poet’s use of metaphor was ineffective and did not create the imagery the poet wanted.

The callers to the TV station all claim they saw a UFO last night.

The sale of the house cannot go through because someone else is making a claim of ownership.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What do you notice about the meaning and use of the word claim in these sentences?”

n In some sentences it is a noun and in some a verb.

n It means different things in each sentence. In all but one sentence, it seems that making a claim or claiming something involves having evidence or some kind of proof behind what you are saying, but in the sentence about the UFO, it seems like the opposite, as if the word claim means you’re making something up.

n They all involve someone making some kind of statement.

Repeat the process with the following sentences containing the word argument.

The two friends had a heated argument about whether one of them cheated in a game, and both said things they didn’t really mean.

The student made a strong argument asserting that the abridged version of The Canterbury Tales did not do justice to the original.

After an argument about the best way to spend their funds, the committee made its decision.

n Just like with claim, they have some things in common. In all of them, the word argument implies some kind of disagreement.

n In all of them, argument seems to imply that there are at least two possible sides to an issue.

n The second implies that there were reasons and evidence presented to support the argument, but in the first and third, it sounds like the arguments might just involve people’s opinions.

Learn

Build on students’ responses in the Launch activity to point out that the words argument and claim have precise and specific meanings in academic settings and that both these words are important in this module.

Have students revisit Handout 3C, and ask: “Which sentences from the Launch use claim in the same way as on the handout?”

Then ask: “Which sentences from the Launch use argument in the same way as on the handout?”

Distribute Handout 3D, and instruct pairs to complete it. Encourage students to refer to Handout 3C as needed.

Invite students to share and explain their responses, building on those to solidify students’ precise understanding of how claim and argument are used academically.

Ask: “How are the words claim and argument related?”

Land

Students write an Exit Ticket explaining how claim and argument are used in an academic setting, and offering one characteristic (or quality) needed to make each effective.

How and why does language inspire?

Lesson 4

TEXTS

“Dreams,” Langston Hughes (http://witeng.link/0292) ƒ

“Dreams,” Langston Hughes, Audio (http://witeng.link/0318) ƒ

“‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers,” Emily Dickinson (http://witeng.link/0316)

Lesson 4: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (6 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Interpret Poetry (15 min.)

Compare and Contrast Language (24 min.)

Experiment with Claims (20 min.)

Land (4 min.)

Reflect on Inspiring Language

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Precision and Concision (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, RL.7.5, RL.7.7

Writing ƒ

W.7.1.a, W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.2

Language ƒ

L.7.4.a, L.7.5.a ƒ L.7.3.a

MATERIALS

Handout 3A: Inspiration Cube ƒ

Handout 4A: Poem Comparison

Learning Goals

Compare “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” to “Dreams,” analyzing language and structure (RL.7.4, RL.7.2, RL.7.5, L.7.5.a).

Complete Handout 4A, analyzing elements of the two poems using a graphic organizer.

Establish a claim about whether Dickinson or Hughes uses metaphor to inspire more effectively (W.7.1.a).

After comparing and contrasting the language of each poem, write a claim asserting that one of them uses metaphor to inspire more effectively than the other.

Define and evaluate the impact of precision and concision in poetry (L.7.3.a).

Write a Response Journal entry describing how “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” and/or “Dreams” exemplify precision and concision.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–11

How and why does language inspire?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 4

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” and “Dreams” reveal?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 4

Experiment: How do claims work?

Students read yet another metaphor-focused inspirational poem, “Dreams,” by Langston Hughes, and they compare its language to Dickinson’s language in “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers.” Post-comparison, students examine their poem analysis “data” and formulate an evidence-based claim asserting that one of these poems uses metaphor to inspire more effectively than the other.

Welcome

6 MIN.

Remind students that “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” uses a metaphor, comparing the concept of hope to a bird. Ask them to respond to the following in their Response Journal: “To what else could you compare hope? Write a short poem (a few thoughtful lines long) in which you describe a different metaphor for hope. The focus here is metaphor, so emulating Dickinson’s rhyme isn’t necessary.”

Differentiation

For students who need more support, provide the following optional template. Hope is a That on the And

(state what you’re comparing hope to, or give a clue, like Dickinson does) (describe an action your version of “hope” does) (location) (another action “hope” does)

Consider challenging advanced students to develop their extended metaphor across multiple stanzas or to emulate Dickinson’s rhyme scheme.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question. Explain that this lesson’s goal is to compare the language of “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” to the language of a poem by Langston Hughes and determine which uses metaphor more effectively to inspire.

Have small groups share their hope metaphor poetry. Invite a few students to share with the whole group.

Explain that students’ poems are examples of extended metaphor because the same metaphor is developed throughout the poem.

Tell students that metaphor is one element of language the two poems have in common, but the two poets use metaphor differently.

59 MIN.

INTERPRET POETRY

Whole Group

15 MIN.

Read aloud “Dreams” by Langston Hughes as students follow along. Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What do you notice and wonder about what’s happening in this poem?”

n This poem is about the importance of dreams.

n It says our lives will be lacking if we don’t hold on to our dreams.

n It uses rhyme, repetition, and metaphors.

n Is it common for figurative language to mention birds?

n What does barren mean?

If students fail to address the central ideas and techniques, ask questions, such as:

ƒ What is this poem about?

ƒ What poetry techniques does Hughes use?

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What is the meaning of the word barren based on its context?” Then have them record the following definition in their Vocabulary Journal.

Meaning Synonyms

barren (n.) Without vegetation or life; not able to produce or reproduce.

empty, arid, fruitless; infertile, unfruitful

Tell students that they will watch a video in which they will hear Hughes recite the poem and see an image of him. Explain that in this version, he combines “Dreams” with another poem called “The Dream Keeper.” Tell students to think about how the video affects their understanding of “Dreams.”

Play the video (http://witeng.link/0318).

Then instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How does Hughes’s delivery, his image, and the integration of the other poem affect your understanding of ‘Dreams’?”

n The image allows the viewer to visualize Hughes at his typewriter. That shows he’s a writer from history. He’s smiling, which makes me feel more positive about the poem.

n Hughes’s voice sounds expressive, warm, and knowing. This makes it seems like he really understands dreams, emphasizing the poem’s message about their importance.

n The other poem is longer and more detailed. It provides context for “Dreams.”

Extension

To allow students to be more thoughtful about the video, play it one or two more times. Also consider having students study the beautiful text of “The Dream Keeper”: http://witeng.link/0319

COMPARE AND CONTRAST LANGUAGE 24 MIN.

Pairs

Distribute Handout 4A. Explain that students will work in pairs, with each taking primary responsibility for analyzing one of the poems.

Pairs share information to complete the handout and collaboratively respond to the question beneath the chart.

Discuss responses with the whole group.

Scaffold

Collaboratively complete the first column with the whole group. Then have students analyze “Dreams” independently.

EXPERIMENT WITH CLAIMS

Individuals

Display the Craft Question: How do claims work?

Have a student remind the class of the definition of inspire from their Vocabulary Journal.

Inform students that now that they have analyzed how each poem uses language to inspire, they will write a claim asserting that one of the poems more effectively uses metaphor to inspire than the other. Emphasize that before determining a claim in argument writing, it is essential to start by considering the evidence from both sides.

TEACHER NOTE

Consider explaining that although both poets use metaphor extremely effectively, this is an opportunity for students to focus on the effect of poets’ use of metaphor, consider what type of language is especially inspiring to them, and practice argument skills.

To help students develop their opinions, tell Dickinson-supporting students to congregate in one corner of the room to discuss their reasons and Hughes supporters to discuss theirs in the opposite corner. After a moment, allow the two corners to briefly debate. Invite students to switch corners if they feel their mind changing.

TEACHER NOTE

As students change, consider pointing out that their movement demonstrates the purpose and power of argument to engage in high-level conversation so people can think deeply about issues and develop reasoned opinions.

Instruct students to turn to their claim notes from the last lesson. Ask a student to remind the class what a claim is: a debatable statement that can be proven by evidence and reasoning.

Display this nonexample of a claim from the last lesson: “I love seeing videos of poetry performances because they help me understand the material.”

Collaboratively guide students to revise the statement to meet the claim criteria in students’ notes.

n Watching poetry performance videos is an activity all teenagers should do because videos engage students and help them understand poems.

Make sure students understand that the revised claim is debatable and presents an evidence-based reason, while the original nonexample is not debatable because it describes the writer’s personal experience.

Students independently write a claim asserting that one of this lesson’s poems uses metaphor to inspire more effectively than the other.

Have pairs share and provide feedback. Invite a student to share a strong example.

4 MIN.

REFLECT ON INSPIRING LANGUAGE

Ask students to take out Handout 3A and add to it the most inspiring quotation from the poem their claim focuses on.

Wrap

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

There is no homework for this lesson, but consider the following extension.

Extension

Have students revise and develop their Welcome task poems into three stanzas that describe their “hope” metaphor. Remind students to use imagery.

Provide the following optional guide. ƒ

In the first stanza, establish the metaphor. ƒ

In the second stanza, describe how your version of “hope” reacts to a situation it finds challenging. ƒ

In the third stanza, describe your relationship with “hope.”

Or you might provide the option for students to return to their poems inspired by “B” and add a stanza featuring an extended metaphor.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students write a claim, practicing a key component of an argument essay (W.7.1.a). Check for the following success criteria: ƒ Establishes a clear, debatable position on which poem uses metaphor more effectively. ƒ Provides an evidence-based reason.

Next Steps

Because making a claim is a prerequisite to success in argument writing, this is an important opportunity to assess areas for improvement. Consider comparing strong claims generated in class to weaker claims with the whole group and then revising collaboratively. For students who need more support, offer a sentence frame: uses metaphor more effectively than because .

Lesson 4 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Examine Precision and Concision

ƒ Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts:

p “Dreams,” Langston Hughes (http://witeng.link/0292)

p “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers,” Emily Dickinson (http://witeng.link/0316)

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Define and evaluate the impact of precision and concision in poetry (L.7.3.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 4

Examine: Why are precision and concision important?

Launch

Share the Learning Goal for the lesson, and tell students that in today’s Deep Dive they will examine precision and concision in poetry.

Display the words precise/precision and concise/concision. Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask them to:

ƒ Define each word.

ƒ Name its word part.

n Precision is “the state of being accurate or exact.” Precise words are exact words.

n Concision is “the quality of saying much in a few words.” Concise writing is often short and to the point.

n Concision is the noun form of concise; precision is the noun form of precise.

Scaffold

If students do not remember these ideas from previous modules, display sentences using each of the words in context.

Extension

If time allows, ask students to brainstorm words that are the opposite of precise and concise ƒ Wordy.

ƒ Repetitive. ƒ Redundant. ƒ Imprecise. ƒ Long. ƒ Rambling.

Share a definition of the word poem with students: “A piece of writing, often rhythmical, metaphorical, and sometimes rhyming, that has vivid, carefully chosen words organized into separate lines and stanzas and strong emotional impact.”

Ask: “How are precision and concision particularly important in poetry?”

n Poets have to be very careful about their word choices.

n To create vivid images and inspire strong emotions, poets have to use language precisely.

n If a poet wants a certain rhythm and rhyme, they need to choose words carefully.

Learn

Organize the class into four or eight groups. (If eight, assign two groups each to the same tasks.) Tell students that they will have five minutes with their groups to complete a task, analyzing examples of precision or concision in one of the poems. Explain that students may use print or online dictionaries available for research as needed.

Tell them that they should appoint and prepare a spokesperson to briefly (one minute or less) share the group’s analysis after the five minutes.

Display the tasks:

Group 1 Focus: Hughes’s use of the word fast.

Question: “Why is the word fast an example of a precise word choice when Hughes writes that we should ‘hold fast to dreams’?”

Tips: Look up different meanings of the word fast. Think of the word fasten.

Group 2 Focus: Hughes’s use of the phrase “broken-winged bird” and the word barren.

Question: “How are the phrase ‘broken-winged bird’ and the word barren examples of concise word choice?”

Tips: Think of different ways that Hughes could have written the phrase. Look up the different meanings of the word barren.

Group 3 Focus: Dickinson’s use of the words perches and gale.

Question: “Why does Dickinson use the word perches instead of another word like sits or rests? Why does she use the word gale instead of ‘a strong wind’? How are these examples of precise and concise word choices?”

Tip: Look up a definition for perch.

Group 4 Focus: Dickinson’s use of the word thing.

Question: “Why does Dickinson use the word thing when she writes that “ ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers”? Is this an imprecise word choice? Why or why not?”

n Group 1: The word fast is precise because it is the exact word for his purpose and meaning. Fast helps with the rhythm of the poem, and it connotes two ideas. One is the idea that we have to hold tightly to dreams. Fast can mean “firmly” or “securely.” Another meaning of fast is “moving at a high speed.” This suggests the idea that holding onto dreams is urgent. Do it right now.

n Group 2: The phrase and the word are examples of concision because Hughes could have used more words to show these ideas. He could have written, “Life is a bird with a wing that is broken.” But that would have taken more words and not created as strong an image in the reader’s mind. Instead of barren, he could have written “empty” or “a field with few plants” or “a field where nothing grows.” Again, though, these would have taken more words and would not have given his meaning so exactly. Barren can also mean “a woman who cannot have a child.” So that emphasizes his idea that life without hope is lifeless.

n Group 3: The word perch reinforces Dickinson’s extended bird metaphor. A person can perch on a stool, but the word is usually used to describe a bird’s resting place. So by choosing this word, she emphasizes the bird comparison. This is a precise choice. The word gale instead of “a strong wind” is an example of concision. Why say something with more words than you need to? Do not use a definition of a word if you can use the word itself.

n Group 4: Usually thing is imprecise. But here it seems like Dickinson wants to emphasize that hope is a concept or an idea that is hard to describe but important. She does not just say thing, she writes that it is the thing. That way, she is showing how important it is.

Land

In their Response Journal, students describe how “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” and/or “Dreams” exemplify precision and concision.

Tell students that concision and precision are not only important to poets; in this module, students will gain practice using language that is concise and precise in their written responses and arguments.

Lesson 5

“Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou (http://witeng.link/0277) ƒ

“Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou, Video (http://witeng.link/0278) ƒ

Poetry 180 (http://witeng.link/0321)

Lesson 5: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (6 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (58 min.)

Complete the New-Read Assessment (29 min.)

Conduct Research (29 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Reflect on Inspiring Language Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Academic Vocabulary: The Suffix –dom (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1, RL.7.4, RL.7.5, RL.7.7

Writing ƒ W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.2

Language ƒ

L.7.4.a, L.7.5.a, L.7.5.c ƒ L.7.4.b

MATERIALS ƒ

Assessment 5A: New-Read Assessment 1 ƒ

Handout 3A: Inspiration Cube ƒ

Computers with internet access ƒ Handout 5A: The Suffix –dom

Learning Goals

Analyze how Angelou uses figurative language, structure, and rhyme in “Caged Bird” (RL.7.1, RL.7.4, RL.7.5, RL.7.7, W.7.10, L.7.4.a, L.7.5.a, L.7.5.c).

Complete Assessment 5A.

Integrate understanding about the suffix –dom to define words (L.7.4.b).

Make up a word ending in –dom to express the opposite of freedom, and then use the word in a sentence to explain how Maya Angelou’s contrast between the concepts of being caged and free creates deeper meaning in the poem.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–11

How and why does language inspire?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 5

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of “Caged Bird” and its video performance reveal?

Students apply their knowledge of poetry to a New-Read Assessment about Maya Angelou’s iconic “Caged Bird” poem and its video performance. Then, students browse poems online to find one that is personally moving to them. This method of exploration fosters a feeling of ownership over the learning process and deepens students’ thinking about what type of language is inspiring, a key aspect of the EOM Task.

Welcome

6 MIN.

Instruct pairs to write a quick four-line poem with a rhyme scheme of AABB about one of the following topics:

A. Hughes the Poet.

B. Kay the Poet.

C. The bird in the storm.

D. Your own idea.

Display the following example, “Em the Poet,” which refers to Emily Dickinson.

“Kooky and loopy is their neighbor Em. Hope’s a bird, she insists. Quite baffling to them.

She writes it on parchment now—heavens, she’s shameless. Their cheeks then turned pink though ‘cause Em became famous.”

Extension

Students may enjoy continuing to explore structure and rhyme scheme by reading and writing limericks, humorous poems with a rhyme scheme of AABBA.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Have small groups share their AABB rhyme scheme poems. Then invite a few students to share with the whole group.

Tell students they will take a New-Read Assessment focused on a poem that also uses rhyme but that this poem’s rhyme scheme is less regular, leading to a different type of impact.

58 MIN.

COMPLETE THE NEW-READ ASSESSMENT

29 MIN.

Individuals

Distribute Assessment 5A.

TEACHER NOTE

Instruct students to look closely at the task and decide what they need to do for success. Although it is up to students to decide how many times they reread, the Organize stage is especially important for orientation to the text and task. Engaging in the appropriate stages of reading and using appropriate accompanying routines, without teacher cues, shows how well a student has internalized the value of deep comprehension for assessment success.

Have students silently read “Caged Bird” to get a general understanding of it.

After silent reading, tell students that you will show them a video performance of the poem, which will also be part of the assessment. Play the video (http://witeng.link/0278) twice. Tell students to observe and take minimal notes in their Response Journal during the first viewing and more extensive notes during the second viewing.

Offer to play the video a third time if students need it, and then have them complete the assessment silently.

Students complete the assessment.

CONDUCT RESEARCH 29 MIN.

Individuals

Ask students to take out Handout 3A and add the most inspiring quotation from “Caged Bird” to it. Have students briefly explain the reasons for their selections in their Response Journal.

Then have small groups share, and invite a few students to share with the whole group.

Extension

Students can research Maya Angelou and consider connections between her inspiring life and “Caged Bird.”

For interested students, recommend Angelou’s memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Point out that the power of a text to inspire or influence depends upon the reader. Tell students that to deepen their exploration of how and why language inspires, they will peruse poems online and identify their favorite.

Provide computers and the links for these two websites: ƒ

Poetry Out Loud: http://witeng.link/0320.

Poetry 180: http://witeng.link/0321.

TEACHER NOTE

Students will use their favorite poems for homework. Ensure students are able to do this by having them email the poem, print the poem, or record the title and author in their Response Journal so they can look it up at home.

5 MIN.

REFLECT ON INSPIRING LANGUAGE

Have small groups share their poems and discuss why they chose them.

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students practice reading aloud the poems they selected until they can do so fluently and expressively. Students also respond to the following in their Response Journal: 1) What can you infer about the speaker in your poem? 2) Summarize the poem in three to six sentences. 3) What is the tone, and how do you know?

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students complete the New-Read Assessment, demonstrating their ability to analyze figurative language, structure, and rhyme in poetry (RL.7.1, RL.7.4, RL.7.5, RL.7.7, W.7.10, L.7.4.a, L.7.5.a, L.7.5.c). Refer to the answer key for Assessment 5A in Appendix C.

Next Steps

Identify common strengths and weaknesses, and review any troublesome questions with the whole group or small groups as appropriate.

Academic Vocabulary: The Suffix –dom

Time: 15 min. ƒ

Text: “Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou (http://witeng.link/0277) ƒ

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Integrate understanding about the suffix –dom to define words (L.7.4.b).

Launch

Display this stanza from the poem: The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.

Explain that in this lesson, students will delve more deeply into the meaning of the last word, freedom, and particularly its suffix, –dom.

Display the words ending in –dom and their accompanying context sentences from Part 1 of Handout 5A: ƒ

Kingdom: The kingdom went on for miles, including both cities and rural areas.

Boredom: With no toys or books, the child complained of boredom.

Wisdom: The judge’s decision showed great wisdom, as she found a solution fair to all.

Fandom: The band had a small but devoted fandom, consisting primarily of teenagers.

Stardom: The actor achieved overnight stardom after performing in a best-selling movie.

Martyrdom: Followers of many religions have suffered martyrdom as they have been killed for their beliefs.

Queendom: The queen looked out her castle window and surveyed her queendom.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Based on your understanding of these words and the context the sentences provide, what are some possible meanings of the suffix –dom?”

n It might mean an area, as in a kingdom or queendom.

n The suffix could mean “being.” For instance, freedom means “being free.”

n Some of the examples imply it has to do with a person’s qualities or existence, like wisdom or boredom.

n It seems as if it might have something to do with identity. Fandom and martyrdom seem as if they are connected with things people believe or care about.

Ask students to look at the words once more and ascertain what parts of speech they are. Guide students to see that all are nouns.

Learn

Provide the following definition for students to add to Part 2 of Handout 5A.

Word Part Meaning

–dom (suffix)

1. Fact or condition of being.

2. Collectively, members of a group.

3. Geographical or governmental domain.

Have students briefly compare these definitions to their predictions.

Using freedom as an example, model how to determine the word’s meaning by analyzing the meaning of its parts.

Instruct pairs to use the definitions of –dom and the sentences’ context to construct definitions for the words on Part 3 of Handout 5A.

Invite pairs to share their definitions, clarifying as needed to ensure understanding of the suffix and the words.

n Freedom: the condition of being free.

n Kingdom: the geographical domain of a king.

n Boredom: the condition of being bored.

n Wisdom: the condition of being wise.

n Fandom: the members of a group devoted to a team or performer.

n Stardom: the state of being a star.

n Martyrdom: the condition of being a martyr.

n Queendom: the geographical domain of a queen.

Remind students that as is true for many prefixes and suffixes, not all words ending with the letters d, o, and m have the –dom suffix. As an example, point out the word seldom in the poem, and explain that it and other words such as random just happen to end in those letters but are not –dom suffix words.

Land

Students make up a word ending in –dom to express the opposite of freedom and then use their newly created word in a sentence to explain how Maya Angelou’s contrast between the concepts of being caged and free creates deeper meaning in the poem. Students record their work on Part 4 of Handout 5A.

As time permits, have students share.

n Prisondom.

n By contrasting the views of a bird suffering from prisondom with that of a bird enjoying freedom, Maya Angelou shows that all people who are trapped or imprisoned in some way are inspired by those who are free and long to be so themselves.

Lesson 6

“Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou (http://witeng.link/0277) ƒ

“Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou, Video (http://witeng.link/0278)

Lesson 6: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (53 min.)

Analyze Language (28 min.)

Fluently Recite Poetry (25 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Reflect on Poetic Language

Wrap (2 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Figurative language (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

RL.7.1, RL.7.4

Writing ƒ W.7.1.a, W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.2

Language ƒ

L.7.5.a ƒ L.7.5.a

MATERIALS

Handout 1A: Poetry Terms ƒ

Handout 6A: Comic Strip Poetry

Learning Goals

Analyze how Angelou uses language to inspire her audience (RL.7.4).

Work in pairs to create a comic strip analysis of “Caged Bird” by completing Handout 6A.

Fluently recite poetry using delivery techniques.*

Perform a self-selected poem.

Analyze figurative language in the context of student-selected poems (L.7.5.a)

Write a comic strip poetry caption analyzing an example of figurative language.

* Fluency in Grades 6–8: In alignment with the CCSS, formal instruction and assessment of RF.4 occurs in Grades K–5. However, students in Grades 6–8 continue to build and refine their fluency skills. Adjust instruction and assessment based on students’ needs.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–11

How and why does language inspire?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 6

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of “Caged Bird” reveal?

The class poetry exploration draws to a close memorably and with a personal touch. First, students deepen their analysis of “Caged Bird” by creating an analytical comic strip version of it. Then students return to the poems they selected in the last lesson and recite them using the delivery techniques they have been observing from Kay, Dickinson, Hughes, and the “Caged Bird” performers.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Have students use a creative metaphor to complete the following sentence based on “Caged Bird”: “Sometimes the speaker in ‘Caged Bird’ felt that she was a caged bird singing of freedom, and I sometimes feel that I am a … ”

Launch

10 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question. Explain that students will continue exploring language in “Caged Bird,” and they will then explore and share the poems they selected in the last lesson.

Have small groups share their metaphors. Then invite a few students to share with the whole group.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What does the original metaphor, in which the speaker describes the caged bird singing for freedom, suggest about human nature?”

n The caged bird that refuses to stop singing shows the resilience of the human spirit. He is trapped, yet he keeps expressing his desire for freedom and doesn’t give up his dream of a better life.

n The caged bird doesn’t stop singing, just like in Dickinson’s poem, where “hope” never stops singing even during hard times. Both poems show that it’s possible to hold on to hope no matter what happens.

n The metaphor shows that everyone desires and deserves freedom. The caged bird has never experienced freedom, but he understands what it is and longs for it.

n The metaphor shows that freedom is necessary for contentment. Unlike the joyful free bird, the caged bird is not satisfied.

State that Angelou uses juxtaposition to contrast the experiences of the free bird and caged bird. Then ask what juxtaposition might mean based on your statement and students’ knowledge of the poem.

Provide the following definition for students to add to Handout 1A Word Meaning juxtaposition (n.) To bring together for the purpose of side-by-side comparison or contrast.

Extension

Have small groups identify examples of juxtaposition in the other poems.

53 MIN.

ANALYZE LANGUAGE

Pairs

28 MIN.

Distribute Handout 6A. Explain that pairs will create comic strip poetry to analyze Angelou’s language. To do this, ask pairs to select three quotations from “Caged Bird” that best represent the poem, analyze them, and illustrate the images the language creates. Tell students that to address the poem’s use of juxtaposition, it is important to represent both birds.

Scaffold

Consider starting by using the “caged bird sings of freedom” quotation as an example and then collaboratively brainstorming creative ways students could portray that quotation through illustration. For example, one could draw a bird waving an American flag, a smart phone screen displaying the track “‘Freedom Song,” by Caged Bird, or a bird holding a microphone and a thought bubble saying, “Freedom!” Then ask students for ideas about what to write for Handout 6A’s analysis component.

Pairs complete Handout 6A, creating a comic strip analysis of the poem.

After students complete Handout 6A, have small groups share or conduct a quick Gallery Walk.

To debrief, ask the whole group: “Based on your Handout 6A responses, how does Angelou use language to inspire?” Remind them to make connections to the inspire Vocabulary Journal definitions.

n She uses one long metaphor to create imagery that stirs the imagination, such as a free bird thinking about the “fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn” that he can eat.

n She uses imagery to help readers visualize a metaphorical caged bird that embodies admirable qualities. The bird is determined and resilient, singing despite being oppressed: “His wings are clipped … so he opens his throat to sing.” This can inspire readers to stay strong despite challenges.

n She uses repetition. By repeating, “the caged bird sings of freedom,” she emphasizes that everyone longs for freedom and a better life. This can motivate readers to think about how to help others in the real world.

n She uses juxtaposition of the joyful free bird and the caged bird “on a grave of dreams,” which can spark readers’ thinking about inequality.

Extension

Have students investigate how Angelou was inspired to write “Caged Bird,” by studying Paul Dunbar’s poem, “Sympathy” (http://witeng.link/0279).

Have students explore how “Caged Bird” inspired others by examining one of the many works it inspired, such as the Alicia Keys song “Caged Bird” (http://witeng.link/0280).

Have students extend their exploration of inspiring poetry by reading Angelou’s “Still I Rise” (http://witeng.link/0281), a gorgeous poem with an empowered tone.

FLUENTLY RECITE POETRY 25 MIN.

Small Groups

Ask pairs to take out their homework and discuss their three responses about the poem they chose.

Tell students that they will determine which delivery techniques are best for reciting their poems and then recite them. To review techniques and be inspired, students will first view the “Caged Bird” video again (http://witeng.link/0278).

Ask students to turn to their delivery techniques notes in their Response Journal. Instruct them to put a star next to the techniques they observe as they view the video. Tell them to focus on speakers they did not analyze in the last lesson.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What did you notice about the various speakers’ delivery techniques?”

n The strongest speakers were the ones who pause strategically, letting important phrases sink in.

n They emphasize certain words. Maybe these are the parts that resonate with them.

n Maybe it would have been effective if more speakers had used more body language.

n Some speakers use facial expressions to add to the poem’s emotion. For example, one of the actors looks straight at the camera, looking determined. They all use a sincere tone.

Ask students to independently annotate the poem they chose by identifying at least three places to use a delivery technique from their Response Journal list. For example, a student might identify one place to pause, one phrase to say more slowly, and one place to include a particular gesture.

Then have pairs practice and provide feedback based on their list of delivery techniques. Challenge them to embody the poem’s speaker and use a tone of voice that matches their poem’s tone.

TEACHER NOTE

Many Grade 7 students may feel self-conscious, impairing performance quality. To set an enthusiastic tone and help students feel comfortable, consider performing a dramatic reading of one of your favorite poems. In addition to providing another model, learning more about you and your taste in poetry can help foster a stronger community.

Students perform their poems in small groups, explaining why they chose them.

Invite a few students who used performance techniques particularly effectively to perform for the whole group.

Extension

Consider having students participate in Poetry Out Loud, a national recitation contest (http://witeng.link/0320).

Also consider having students create short films that use the text of their choice of poem.

5 MIN.

REFLECT ON POETIC LANGUAGE

Have students submit an Exit Ticket in response to the following: “Write a claim about the quality of the poem you selected and performed. Be sure to include a reference to its use of language. Review your notes on claims as needed.”

Wrap2 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Have students write a Response Journal entry in response to the following: “On a scale of one to ten, how strong was my performance? What went well, and how could it be improved?”

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students complete a comic strip analysis, analyzing the meaning of language in “Caged Bird” (RL.7.4). Check for the following success criteria: ƒ Represents three examples of imagery from the poem. ƒ

Captions each image with a thoughtful quotation. ƒ

Analyzes the language using at least one term from Handout 1A’s Word Bank.

Next Steps

If some students struggle, determine whether the issue is comprehension of the poem, difficulty with poetry terms, or difficulty articulating analysis. Choose a strong comic strip as model, and analyze it with a struggling group. Then have them revise any area of their work that is lacking.

Content Vocabulary: Figurative language

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts: Student-Selected Poems

ƒ

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Analyze figurative language in the context of student-selected poems (L.7.5.a).

Launch

Ask a student to remind the class of the meaning of the term figurative language.

Guide students to understand that figurative language is language that is not meant to be interpreted in a literal way.

Tell students that figurative language is not just used in poetry, songs, and other types of writing. People frequently use figures of speech—phrases of figurative language—while speaking. Ask groups to brainstorm common figures of speech, such as “fall in love” or “cold heart.”

Then have students share.

n We had a blast.

n He is sweet as pie.

n The kid’s sometimes a monster and sometimes an angel.

n I’m an early bird, but she’s a night owl.

n The couple broke up.

n I’m blind as a bat.

Emphasize that it is important to practice interpreting figurative language because it is commonly used to communicate and a powerful way to do so.

Learn

Instruct students to independently reread their self-selected poems and underline any figurative language.

Then have small groups share and select one phrase of figurative language from one of the poems to focus on.

Distribute blank paper.

Small groups represent their figurative language using one comic poetry frame similar to the comic poetry strip they created in the core lesson. For the caption, they write the quotation and respond to the following: “What context clues reveal the deeper meaning of this figurative language? How does this quotation help develop a central idea in the poem?”

Land

Have groups get up and Mix and Mingle to find classmates whose poems used similar types of figurative language and share their responses.

Extension

Consider assigning homework that connects content to students’ lives. Have students identify a song that contains figurative language, interpret that language, and then bring the lyrics to share.

Lesson 7

How and why does language inspire?

Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy, Paragraphs 21–27 (http://witeng.link/0313) ƒ

Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy, Video (http://witeng.link/0290) ƒ

“‘Ask Not … ’: JFK’s Words Still Inspire 50 Years Later,” Nathan Rott (http://witeng. link/0276) ƒ

“Dreams,” Langston Hughes (http://witeng.link/0292) ƒ

“Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou (http://witeng.link/0277) ƒ

Brainyquote.com (http://witeng.link/0156) ƒ

Quotegarden.com (http://witeng.link/0157)

Lesson 7: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.) Learn (59 min.)

Interpret Transcript (25 min.)

Discuss Delivery (15 min.)

Examine Clear Reasons and Evidence (19 min.)

Land (4 min.)

Reflect on Inspiring Language

Wrap (2 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Repetition in Writing (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

ƒ

RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.7, RI.7.8

Writing ƒ W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.2

Language ƒ L.7.3.a

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Summarize the central ideas in Kennedy’s inaugural address (RI.7.2).

Complete Handout 7A.

Identify the reasons and evidence supporting an article’s claim (RI.7.8).

Complete a chart outlining the reasons and evidence supporting the claim that Kennedy’s speech still inspires.

Handout 3A: Inspiration Cube ƒ Handout 7A: “Ask Not” Jigsaw

ƒ

Understand the importance of eliminating redundancy while still using repetition for effect as appropriate (L.7.3.a).

Write an Exit Ticket describing the difference between repetition and redundancy in writing.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–11

How and why does language inspire?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 7

Organize: What is happening in the text and video versions of JFK’s inaugural address?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 7

Examine: Why is supporting a claim with clear reasons and evidence important?

With the poetry exploration concluded, students move on to considering how and why language inspires in speeches. In this lesson, students study John F. Kennedy’s “Ask Not” speech and video excerpt. Students then further their study of argument writing by examining reasons and evidence in an article discussing the speech’s lasting impact.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Display the following quotation. In their Response Journal, have students interpret it using their own words and then write their prediction of what type of text the quotation might be from.

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

—John F. Kennedy

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What did you write in response to the Welcome task?”

Inform students that they will continue exploring how and why language inspires by studying three speeches that are famous for inspiring their audiences.

Tell students that the Welcome quotation came from this lesson’s speech, President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address. Have them record the following definition in their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning

inaugural (adj.) Marking the beginning, opening, or launching of a new activity, venture, or period of office.

Guide students to see that in an inaugural speech, a new president marks the start of their presidency and explains their leadership intentions. Tell them that Kennedy delivered his in 1961, during the Cold War, which was a period of tension with the Soviet Union.

Small Groups

Read aloud paragraphs 21–27 of Kennedy’s inaugural address, and instruct students to follow along and jot what they notice and wonder using a T-chart.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What did you notice and wonder?” Encourage pairs to return to the text to attempt to answer questions.

n Kennedy is asking Americans to contribute.

n He talks a lot about freedom.

n He uses repetition and figurative language, which is similar to the poems we read.

n Why does he say mankind instead of humankind?

n What does embattled mean?

Distribute Handout 7A.

Explain that students will use a Jigsaw activity to explore the central ideas and key details in the speech. Place students in groups of five, and instruct them to count off from one to five within each group. Point out that the handout assigns each speech section a number, and explain that within each group, students will take responsibility for interpreting the speech section matching their number. Explain that students should read the assigned text, look up unfamiliar words, and record definitions as needed in their Vocabulary Journal.

After providing silent time for this independent work, ask students to form new groups consisting of students responsible for the same assigned section. Have them share information within these groups and take notes to make sure they have fully comprehended their assigned paragraph and can explain it to their original group members.

Students return to their original group to share their expert information and complete Handout 7A.

To debrief, ask the whole group: “What was Kennedy’s message? What techniques did Kennedy use to inspire his audience?”

DISCUSS DELIVERY 15 MIN.

Whole Group

Tell students that for speeches, delivery affects the words, just like it does for poetry.

Display the following quotation from Kennedy’s speech: “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country.”

Ask students to briefly review some of the strategies they used to emphasize important points when speaking during their study of World War II, such as changing one’s volume or pace while speaking, or repeating a point for emphasis.

Explain that to prepare for speeches, speakers sometimes mark their texts to help with their delivery. For example, a speaker can underline a word or phrase to show it needs to be emphasized. A speaker can also mark a space between two words with a vertical line to indicate a place to pause.

Model the process of marking up a speech’s text using the Kennedy quotation. For example, add a vertical line between Americans and ask. Explain that you’re adding this pause to allow the audience to focus attention on what they are being asked to do. Finish marking by asking students where else one could add a vertical line and which words or phrases could be underlined.

Invite volunteers to read the sentence, adding pause and emphasis according to the markings.

Then ask students to independently use vertical lines and underlines to mark up the following sentence in their Response Journal: “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

Have small groups read their versions aloud and compare their choices. Invite a few students to share with the class and explain their choices.

Extension

Have students also determine which facial expressions and body language they could add.

Play the video of this speech (http://witeng.link/0290) excerpt once or twice. Ask students to identify Kennedy’s delivery choices and explain how viewing the video clip compares to reading the transcript.

EXAMINE CLEAR REASONS AND EVIDENCE 19 MIN.

Small Groups

Display the Craft Question: Why is supporting a claim with clear reasons and evidence important?

Ask a student to remind the class what a claim is.

Ask students to independently read the article, “‘Ask Not … ’: JFK’s Words Still Inspire 50 Years Later,” to learn about how the author supports his claim. When students finish, have them jot a few sentences summarizing the article’s main points in their Response Journal.

Alternate Activity:

If time is scarce, students can read the first two sections of the article.

Have small groups briefly discuss what the article is about.

Tell students that in argument writing, it is important to support one’s claim with clear reasons and evidence. Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What is the difference between a reason and evidence?”

Collaborate to create precise definitions, and have students copy the definitions into their Response Journal.

Scaffold

If students struggle to distinguish between reasons and evidence, provide definitions for them.

Word Meaning Synonyms

reason (n.) A statement that explains or justifies an action or belief. justification, rationale

evidence (n.) The body of facts and information that proves that a belief is true or supports that a claim is valid. proof

Collaborate with the whole group to record the article’s claim, one or two reasons, and one piece of evidence using a simple chart.

n Claim: Though Kennedy gave his speech fifty years ago, it still inspires.

Reasons Evidence

n Many Americans have careers that they entered due to hearing the speech when it was first delivered.

n Young Americans today still decide to serve others after hearing the speech.

Small groups add more evidence to the chart.

n A twenty-one-year-old who took six trips to New Orleans to volunteer says he is inspired by Kennedy’s words.

4 MIN.

REFLECT ON INSPIRING LANGUAGE

Ask students to turn to Handout 3A and add what they consider to be the most inspiring quotation from Kennedy’s speech. Have them explain their choice in their Response Journal.

2 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students browse sites such as Brainy Quote (http://witeng.link/0156) or Quote Garden (http://witeng.link/0157) and select any quote they consider to be inspiring. They write a brief paragraph in their Response Journal explaining how the language inspires.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students complete Handout 7A, identifying Kennedy’s techniques and summarizing his speech’s central ideas (RI.7.2). Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ

Accurately identifies central ideas in each section.

ƒ Identifies relevant supporting details. ƒ Identifies at least one method Kennedy used to inspire in each section.

Next Steps

If students struggle to comprehend the speech’s complex language, consider providing a glossary or excerpting challenging quotations to interpret collaboratively. To aid students in identifying Kennedy’s methods, consider providing a word bank featuring terms such as repetition and figurative language.

Lesson 7 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Examine Repetition in Writing

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts:

p “Dreams,” Langston Hughes (http://witeng.link/0292)

p “Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou (http://witeng.link/0277)

p Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy (http://witeng.link/0313)

ƒ

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Understand the importance of eliminating redundancy while still using repetition for effect as appropriate (L.7.3.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 7 Examine: Why is understanding the difference between repetition for effect and redundancy important?

Launch

Invite students to share what they remember about redundant writing from Module 1, and remind them of the meaning of the word redundant: “Not useful; excessive; uselessly repetitive; able to be taken away without a loss of meaning, clarity, or usefulness.”

Ask for and display examples of redundant words or phrases.

n He was a big, huge giant.

n She made her point at the end in the final conclusion.

n They screamed and yelled loudly

n I think I will wait and postpone that until later.

n I can meet you at 8:00 a.m. in the morning.

n She brushes her teeth every day as part of her regular routine

Ask: “What does it mean to repeat? Does the word repetition have a negative connotation or a positive connotation?”

n Repeat means to do something over and over again.

n It seems negative. If people repeat themselves all the time, it is so boring.

n It can be positive. You learn through repetition.

n In songs, poems, or speeches, singers, writers, and speakers often repeat ideas to emphasize them.

Follow up to be sure students understand that the word redundancy has a negative connotation because the repetition involved is unneeded while repetition can be negative but can also be used well, as in writing.

Ask: “How do repetition and redundancy relate to the idea of concision that we discussed in the Lesson 4 Deep Dive?”

n To make writing more concise, a writer can try not to be redundant.

n In concise writing, a writer would only repeat when it was really important.

Learn

Assign students to work in groups with each group assigned to one of the three texts for today’s Deep Dive: “Dreams,” “Caged Bird,” or John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address (paragraphs 21—27). (More than one group can be assigned to the same text.)

Ask each group to spend five minutes discussing the following for their text:

ƒ

ƒ

What words, phrases, or ideas are repeated in this text?

What purpose does this repetition serve?

ƒ Is this repetition an example of redundancy? Why or why not?

Tell groups to appoint a spokesperson, and give each group one minute to share their analyses.

n In “Dreams,” Hughes repeats the phrase, “Hold fast to dreams.” Repeating this phrase reinforces his central idea: dreams are important and give our lives meaning and purpose. The repetition also is used for effect. It is like a slogan or a motto. Readers and listeners will remember this phrase long after they forget other parts of the poem. This is not redundant because it is not just extra; it is very purposeful.

n Angelou repeats a stanza twice in her poem. “The caged bird sings with a fearful trill … ”. This makes it like a song with a repeating chorus. Having the two repeating stanzas makes the reader pay more attention to the parts that are not as predictable. She also repeats the phrases “caged bird” and “free bird” over and over throughout the poem. This seems to emphasize her contrast between being free and being trapped. She repeats ideas, too. The free bird “dares to claim the sky” and “names the sky his own.” But this isn’t redundant. This builds her idea using poetic language and reinforcing the images in the reader’s mind.

n In paragraphs 21—27, John F. Kennedy uses repetition in a few different ways. He repeats the phrases “my fellow citizens” and “my fellow Americans.” He is emphasizing the idea that we are all in this together. He starts out by saying the fate of America rests in “your hands” “more than in mine,” but then in the rest of the speech he repeats “we” and “us” and “our.” In the second-to-last two paragraphs, he repeats the phrase “Ask not … ”. He repeats the same words, but in a different order: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” This line is really memorable. Repeating “ask” makes it more beautiful and poetic. If he said, “Don’t ask,” it would have sounded bossier and like a command. Kennedy does not repeat unnecessary ideas, so this is not redundant.

To summarize, ask: “How do poets and speakers use repetition in poems and speeches?”

n They both might repeat a word or an idea to make the idea clearer.

n They both might repeat a whole line to emphasize its importance.

n They might repeat words to help build their ideas, like adding extra reasons or evidence.

n Poets repeat sounds, too, to create rhyme or alliteration.

n They might repeat whole lines or phrases to make their words more like a song.

Land

As an Exit Ticket, students describe the difference between repetition and redundancy in writing.

How and why does language inspire?

Lesson 8

TEXTS

Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy (http://witeng.link/0313) ƒ Address to the United Nations Youth Assembly, Malala Yousafzai, 4:00–7:46 (http://witeng.link/0282) ƒ

“Thanks to Malala: Top 3 Ways Malala Has Changed the World,” Alex Harris (http://witeng.link/0283)

Lesson 8: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (4 min.)

Learn (60 min.)

Analyze Transcript (25 min.)

Analyze Video (20 min.)

Examine Relevant Evidence (15 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Reflect on Language Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Precise Language (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

ƒ

RI.7.1, RI.7.4, RI.7.7, RI.7.8

Writing ƒ

W.7.1.b, W.7.10

Speaking

ƒ

and Listening

SL.7.1, SL.7.2

Language ƒ L.7.5.c ƒ L.7.3.a

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Contrast Yousafzai’s speech transcript to the video to analyze the techniques she uses to inspire her audience (RI.7.7).

Complete Handout 8A. Explain the role of relevant evidence in an article about Yousafzai’s impact (RI.7.8, W.7.10).

Collaboratively identify one especially important piece of evidence, and individually write about what makes the evidence relevant in a Response Journal entry.

ƒ

Handout 3A: Inspiration Cube ƒ

Handout 8A: Video Analysis

Employ precise word choice in revising a claim (L.7.3.a).

Choose one claim, and revise it to be more precise.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–11

How and why does language inspire?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 8

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of Malala Yousafzai’s speech transcript and video reveal?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 8

Examine: Why is supporting a claim with relevant evidence important?

In this lesson, students analyze the language of an exceptional teenager: Malala Yousafzai. Students also read an article about this young speaker’s influence on the world, and they develop their understanding of argument writing by examining the article’s evidence.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Have small groups share the quotations they found for homework and discuss why they find the language inspiring.

Extension

Create a Wall of Inspiration by hanging butcher paper and asking students to add their quotations to it as they enter the room. Then have small groups travel to the Wall and discuss observations.

Launch

4 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Invite a few students to share their homework with the whole group. Remind them to make connections to the inspire definitions in their Vocabulary Journal.

Explain that students will continue exploring inspiring language by studying a speech by Malala Yousafzai.

60 MIN.

ANALYZE

Pairs

TRANSCRIPT 25 MIN.

Ask what students already know about Yousafzai. If necessary, inform them that Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist for education who was shot by the Taliban, a fundamentalist group that controlled Afghanistan, for her beliefs.

Ask students to silently read the transcript, starting with, “I speak not for myself, but for all girls and boys.” Explain that when they finish, they should jot striking details they notice.

TEACHER NOTE Emphasize that Yousafzai delivered this speech when she was sixteen—only a few years above seventh grade.

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

Then ask what the speech’s message is.

n The message is that all children deserve rights and education.

n Yousafzai asks people to take action and stand up for children’s and women’s rights.

Instruct pairs to work on the following TDQs about Yousafzai’s use of language to inspire her audience.

1. What can you infer about Yousafzai based on her words?

n Yousafzai says she doesn’t hate the person who shot her because her soul tells her to “be peaceful and love everyone.” This shows she’s compassionate.

n She says, “Our words can change the world … No one can stop us,” showing that she’s determined, positive, and strong. She also believes in the power of words.

n She says, “We call upon our sisters around the world to be brave to embrace the strength within themselves and realize their full potential.” This shows that she is brave and believes others can be brave and accomplish great things, too. She feels solidarity with girls around the world, calling them “sisters.”

2. In the speech, what is the role of the word rights? What are its connotations?

n The speech uses repetition of the word rights many times.

n The word rights has very positive connotations. It connotes freedom, equality, choice, and things that one needs to live a satisfying life.

n Yousafzai connects education to many different types of rights, such as the “right to equality and opportunity.” This emphasizes how relevant her message about education is.

3. When does Yousafzai use the words I or me and when does she use the words we or us? How does this affect the speech?

n She uses I and me when she speaks of the experiences that make her perspective unique. For example, she discusses being shot. This makes the audience listen.

n She uses we and us throughout most of the speech. For example, she says, “No one can stop us. We will speak for our rights and we will bring change.” These are empowering words that could make the audience feel motivated.

n The repetition of we and us portrays the audience as already invested in her cause.

To debrief, ask the whole group: “Based on your responses, how does Yousafzai use language to inspire?”

ANALYZE VIDEO

Individuals

20 MIN.

Distribute Handout 8A, making sure students understand terms such as volume and tone.

Play the video excerpt twice from 4:00-7:46 (http://witeng.link/0282), and allow time for students to record notes on Handout 8A after each viewing.

To help students start Handout 8A, collaborate to analyze one example.

I noticed that Yousafzai put her hand over her heart when she said she wanted to be peaceful and love everyone, so I’m writing that in the first column. What is the impact of this gesture?

Have pairs share and then discuss with the whole group.

Extension

To broaden understanding of the speech, have students view a longer excerpt.

EXAMINE RELEVANT EVIDENCE

Small Groups

Display the Craft Question: Why is supporting a claim with relevant evidence important?

Ask students to independently read “Thanks to Malala: Top 3 Ways Malala Has Changed the World” and write the author’s claim when they finish.

Ask what the claim is, and then write it on the board.

n Thanks to Malala, much has been achieved for girls and young people around the world.

Ask a student to remind the class of the difference between reasons and evidence. Then ask: “What reasons does the author provide?”

n Thanks to Malala, children will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.

n Thanks to Malala, children in Pakistan have the right to access free education.

n Thanks to Malala, young people have a voice among world education leaders.

Point out that authors must make sure they use evidence that is relevant to their reason and to the audience.

Ask the whole group: “How do you know if evidence is relevant in an argument?” As needed, guide students to see that evidence is relevant if it shows that the reason and claim are true.

Explain that using relevant evidence is similar to staying on topic when speaking. Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Why is it important to use relevant evidence when writing and to stay on topic when speaking?”

n Relevant evidence and on-topic responses allow others to understand your point of view.

n If you give irrelevant evidence or off-topic responses, you distract from your argument or make your point of view unclear.

n Relevant evidence and staying on topic ensure writing isn’t too long or conversations don’t take too much time. Readers and listeners are using time well by listening to you.

Instruct small groups to work together to identify one piece of especially important evidence and discuss what makes the evidence relevant in a short Response Journal entry. Set the speaking goal to monitor off-topic comments to ensure that students are as productive as possible during these discussions.

Students collaboratively identify one especially important piece of evidence and individually write about what makes the evidence relevant in a Response Journal entry.

Ask students how they did with pursuing the speaking goal. Then have a few students discuss why they found a particular piece of evidence relevant.

Play the video at the bottom of the article, “One Girl Among Many,” which features young girls from around the world using language from Yousafzai’s speech to campaign for girls’ rights.

5 MIN.

REFLECT ON LANGUAGE

Ask students to turn to Handout 3A and add what they consider to be the most inspiring quotation from Yousafzai’s speech. Have them explain their choice in their Response Journal.

Invite a few students to share.

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Inform students that there is no homework for this lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students complete Handout 8A, contrasting the transcript and the video to analyze the techniques Yousafzai uses to inspire her audience (RI.7.7). Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ Identifies specific vocal and image details from the video.

ƒ Clearly explains how each of these details affects the speech’s meaning.

Next Steps

This skill is required for success on Focusing Question Task 1. If responses are vague, consider providing the following sentence frames to scaffold analysis, and have students use them to revise responses.

Yousafzai when she says . This emphasizes her point that because it . (vocal detail)

Lesson 8 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Experiment with Precise Language

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts:

l Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy (http://witeng.link/0313)

l Address to the United Nations Youth Assembly, Malala Yousafzai, 4:00–7:46 (http://witeng.link/0282)

ƒ

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Employ precise word choice in revising a claim (L.7.3.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 8

Experiment: How does precise word choice in a claim work?

Launch

Post the Style and Conventions Craft Question.

Display the following imprecise claims:

ƒ

The way that he used words and the way he spoke in his speech made John F. Kennedy’s talk really good.

ƒ

Yousafzai’s most important thing in what she said is that everybody should be able to go to school if they want to.

ƒ It was even better seeing Yousafzai’s face while she was speaking than it was reading her words because seeing her really makes you think and feel a lot.

Ask: “What do you notice about the precision of the word choice in these examples?”

n Some of the words do not seem very precise, like saying Yousafzai’s most important “thing” or John F. Kennedy’s “way.”

n In the first claim, “good” is vague.

n Sometimes the claims use a lot of words when there is another word that would work better. For example, in the first claim, “the way he spoke in his speech” could be “his delivery” or “his presentation.”

n In the second one, the claim says “everybody” when actually, Yousafzai was talking about all children having the right to go to school.

n It was kind of funny that the last one says that it “makes you think and feel a lot.” In this module, we’ve been talking about the word inspire. This claim could have used that word instead!

Scaffold

To support multilingual learners and students not yet meeting expectations with vocabulary, consider providing a list of frequently used but imprecise words, such as lots, very, really, many, thing, sort of, said, good, and nice.

As needed, discuss the meaning of the word vague.

Learn

Display the first sentence from the Launch activity, and tell students that you will work together to revise the claim to make it more precise.

The way that he used words and the way he spoke in his speech made John F. Kennedy’s talk really good.

Ask: “What is the important idea that the writer wants to communicate in this claim? What argument are they making?”

n John F. Kennedy’s words and his delivery both make his speech good.

Ask: “Which words or phrases could be replaced with more precise ones to better communicate that claim?”

n “Good.” I wasn’t sure if that meant inspiring or strong or powerful or memorable.

n “The way that he spoke in his speech.” Other words mean that exact thing and would be less confusing.

Incorporating students’ responses, guide them to see that a lack of precision prevents writers from communicating their thoughts effectively. For example, explain that readers cannot tell whether this writer thought the speech was inspiring, strong, or memorable. Tell students that as the class revises the claim to make it precise, they will have to make some choices that may or may not be what the writer thought.

Ask: “How can we replace those words?”

n “Good” could change to strong or inspiring or memorable.

n “The way he spoke in his speech” could be changed to delivery or presentation

n “The way that he used words” could be style and structure

Rewrite the claim using more precise language: “The style and structure of his ideas and the delivery of his speech combine to make John F. Kennedy’s speech both inspiring and memorable.”

Land

Display the last two examples of imprecise claims from the Launch:

ƒ Yousafzai’s most important thing in what she said is that everybody should be able to go to school if they want to.

It was even better seeing Yousafzai’s face while she was speaking than it was reading her words because seeing her really makes you think and feel a lot.

Students choose one claim and revise it to be more precise.

Scaffold

Break the activity into steps for students who need additional support.

1. First, read the claim and decide what the main idea is. State it in your own words.

2. Next, underline words that seem imprecise, vague, or inexact.

3. For each underlined word or phrase, brainstorm multiple words that could be used instead. For example, instead of “thing” how about point, idea, proposal, thought, opinion, or conclusion?

4. Then, look at the alternate ideas and choose the word that seems the most exact or precise.

5. Rewrite the sentence, and read it silently. Ask: “Does this sentence say exactly what I want it to?”

6. If yes, you are finished!

If time allows, ask volunteers to share their revisions. Remind students that they will draft and revise for precision in their writing throughout this module.

Lesson 9

How and why does language inspire?

“I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King Jr. (http://witeng.link/0284) ƒ

“I Have a Dream” Video Excerpt, 12:08–17:28 (http://witeng.link/0285) ƒ

“Is Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ the Greatest Speech in History?” Emma Mason (http://witeng.link/0286)

Lesson 9: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (58 min.)

Discuss Speech (29 min.)

Analyze Language (29 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (2 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Concision (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

RI.7.1, RI.7.4, RI.7.6, RI.7.7

Writing ƒ W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.2

Language ƒ L.7.3.a

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 9A: Language Scavenger Hunt ƒ

Sticky notes ƒ

Learning Goals

Analyze King’s use of language in “I Have a Dream” (RI.7.4).

Complete Handout 9A.

Choose language to express ideas concisely and to avoid wordiness and redundancy (L.7.3.a).

Revise the paragraph on Handout 9B for concision.

One section of “Is Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ the Greatest Speech in History?” for each student ƒ

Handout 9B: Concision Exercise

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–11

How and why does language inspire?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 9

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of King’s language in “I Have a Dream” reveal?

In this lesson, students encounter one of the most iconic inspirational speeches in history: Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream.” Students explore the masterful richness of King’s language by embarking on a Language Scavenger Hunt and then analyzing examples of the different types of language they find.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Display text, stating that the word emancipation means “the state or act of being freed,” and the Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order signed by Abraham Lincoln that freed more than three million slaves in 1863.

Display the second paragraph of “I Have a Dream.” Ask students to rephrase the quotation in their Response Journal.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question. Have pairs discuss responses, and then ask a few students to share with the whole group.

Explain that a reference like the one to Abraham Lincoln is called an allusion. It is common for authors to include allusions to things like famous people, songs, and biblical passages. Remind students that they looked for allusions in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales in Module 1.

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

Word Meaning Synonyms allusion (n.) A brief and indirect mention of or reference to a person, place, idea, or older text with historical, cultural, and literary importance.

hint, mention, reference

Explain that the paragraph from the Welcome task came from Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered in 1963. The speech includes several allusions, many of which are set off by quotation marks. Be sure that students understand that authors allude to other well-known sources to develop a deeper meaning and create a shared understanding with their audience.

Ask the whole group: “What do you know about Martin Luther King Jr. and his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech?”

Students should know that King was a leader in the African American civil rights movement and that he gave the speech at a march for civil rights. Segregation was legal at the time.

Learn58 MIN.

DISCUSS SPEECH 29 MIN.

Small Groups

Have students independently read “I Have a Dream,” and annotate to identify what they notice and wonder.

Scaffold

Consider reading the speech aloud as students follow along.

Ask small groups to discuss what they notice and wonder, encouraging them to return to the text to find answers. Then discuss as a whole group, clarifying misconceptions as needed.

n I noticed there’s a lot of figurative language.

n King repeats that he has a dream that things will get better. It’s hopeful and inspiring.

n Why does he include song lyrics?

n Why is he talking about cashing checks?

Ask the whole group: “What did King aim to inspire people to do or think? How do you know?”

n King wanted to inspire people to stay positive and to make progress in the civil rights movement. Kings uses a lot of imagery that may have helped the audience visualize a brighter future.

n King wanted people to understand that taking action was important. He emphasized that equality wasn’t a reality yet, but one day it would be.

n He wanted people to join together peacefully. He mentions sisters and brothers.

Play the “I Have a Dream” video from 12:08–17:28 (http://witeng.link/0285). Invite students to take notes on anything that captures their attention, and then ask them to briefly discuss the difference between watching the video and reading the transcript.

Pairs

Distribute Handout 9A.

Record each of the following items on ten brightly-colored sticky notes, one item per sticky note: repetition; simile; allusion; three metaphors; alliteration; imagery; personification; the most important word in the speech; a detail that is emotionally moving; find a sentence with one unknown vocabulary word and look up its meaning. Stick the notes at easily visible points throughout the room.

Emphasize that King used numerous techniques to inspire his audience. Explain that students will embark on a Scavenger Hunt to identify as many different examples as possible. Then they will analyze their examples.

Instruct pairs to circulate the room, stop at each sticky note, examine “I Have a Dream” to find an example of each sticky note’s item, and then record their findings on Handout 9A.

Differentiation

For struggling students, emphasize that finding thoughtful examples of various types of language is more important than finding every item.

Ask advanced students to begin analyzing their examples or find additional examples if they finish early.

After ample time for students to find many thoughtful examples, instruct them to return to their seats and explain that in the last column of Handout 9A, they should write analyses for how at least four of their examples affect the speech. Clarify, as needed, that if students choose the Unknown Vocabulary option, they should use their discoveries of the meanings of the words they identified and analyze how those words affect the speech.

Use a Think Aloud to model the process of analysis, using the allusion example from the Welcome task. How does the allusion to Abraham Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation affect the speech’s meaning? The allusion makes me think about what a major turning point that proclamation was after slavery. This introduces a key idea in the speech: the importance of progress toward freedom and equality. King said progress must still be made to achieve the freedom associated with the proclamation, which highlights the importance of King’s message.

Students write analyses for at least four of their examples using column three of Handout 9A.

Extension

Students complete a Declamation. Have them select the speech of their choice, either from the speeches studied in class or from an internet search. Have students annotate their speech thoroughly, identifying places to use delivery techniques. Then, organize a performance. For students, this type of engagement with a speech fosters deep textual understanding. It also builds public speaking skills, which are central to career readiness.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Have small groups discuss their Scavenger Hunt findings and share their analyses.

Then ask the whole group: “What does a deeper exploration of King’s language in ‘I Have a Dream’ reveal?”

Wrap2 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Each student is assigned one of the seven sections from the article, “Is Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ the Greatest Speech in History?” Each writes a short paragraph summarizing why the speaker considers King’s speech to be great.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students complete Handout 9A, analyzing the impact of King’s word choices on the speech’s meaning (RI.7.4). Check for the following success criteria: ƒ

Identifies accurate examples of multiples types of language. ƒ

Clearly analyzes how at least four types of language affect the speech’s meaning.

Next Steps

If some students struggle, group them and then have them collaboratively annotate a copy of the speech to identify various types of language with your support. Then collaboratively analyze an example before having the group analyze other examples independently.

Lesson 9 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Experiment with Concision

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

ƒ

Text: “I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King Jr. (http://witeng.link/0284)

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Choose language to express ideas concisely and to avoid wordiness and redundancy (L.7.3.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 9 Experiment: How does concise language work?

Launch

Post the Style and Conventions Craft Question.

Point out that although purposeful repetition like Martin Luther King Jr. used in his speech can be a powerful and effective writing technique, most often writers need to look out for unintentional repetition, redundancy, and lack of concision.

Display the following sentences.

ƒ I actually did pretty well on that essay.

ƒ

Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech is a message for each and every one of us.

ƒ There are many techniques that speakers can use.

Ask: “What do you notice about the writing in these examples? How could the words be rewritten to be more concise?”

n The first one does not need the words “actually” or “pretty.” You could write: “I did well on that essay.”

n The second one does not need the words “each and every one.” It could be rewritten as “all of us.”

n The last one could be rewritten with fewer words: “Speakers can use many techniques.”

Learn

Review some of the tips students have previously learned for drafting and revising for concision.

Display the first tip: “Delete unnecessary words.”

Provide an example: “Look at this sentence. ‘I know for certain that 2 plus 2 is 4.’ The words ‘for certain’ can be removed without changing the meaning.”

Using examples like the following, ask students to identify and explain why certain words are unnecessary.

ƒ

This particular example will be helpful.

This sentence basically says the same thing.

Display the next tip: “Replace multiple words with single words when possible.”

Provide an example: “I have a lot of friends.” Point out that the words “a lot” can be replaced with “many.”

Using examples like the following, ask students to suggest replacements. ƒ

After that. ƒ

Even though. ƒ

At this point in time.

Display: “Avoid words like there is and there are when possible.”

Provide an example: “There were thirty-one young pigs between them.” Show students how to rewrite as: “They had thirty-one young pigs.”

Using examples like the following, ask students for ideas for how to avoid words like there is and there are ƒ

There are many themes in Animal Farm. ƒ

It is Napoleon who makes all of the decisions for the farm. ƒ

In the end, there is only one commandment that remains.

Display: “Replace prepositional phrases with adjectives or adverbs when possible.”

Provide examples: ƒ “Animal Farm by George Orwell” can be written as “George Orwell’s Animal Farm.” ƒ

“The animals sang with enthusiasm” can be written as “The animals sang enthusiastically.”

Provide additional examples like the following, and ask students to rewrite for concision. ƒ

The pig with the small, fat body. ƒ

The teachings of Old Major. ƒ

Words that are persuasive.

Distribute Handout 9B, and ask students to read the paragraph silently.

Then, display the paragraph, and ask students to read the paragraph again, looking for ways they can make the writing more concise.

Concision in writing can be basically defined as “the quality of saying a whole lot in very few words.” Concise writing is to the point, but it is not always short in length or low in word count. The important thing in concision is that the writer does not include any words or sentences that are unnecessary. Every word on the page has meaning and serves a purpose. Sometimes, writers will intentionally repeat or add words. They might do this to create rhythm, emphasize ideas, or achieve a specific style. For most of us, though, in most writing tasks or assignments or projects, concise writing is a worthy goal to have to be sure our writing is meaningful and not wordy or redundant.

Scaffold

Provide students with a list of guiding questions to consider when editing for concision: ƒ

Are there redundant words or phrases that can be eliminated without changing the meaning? ƒ

Are there redundant ideas that do not serve a purpose? ƒ

Are there words that can be replaced with fewer words that would more clearly convey meaning?

Students revise the paragraph on Handout 9B for concision.

n

Concision in writing can be defined as “the quality of saying much in few words.” Concise writing is to the point, but it is not always short. The key is that the writer does not include unnecessary words or sentences. Every word serves a purpose. Sometimes, writers intentionally repeat or add words to create rhythm, emphasize ideas, or achieve a specific style. For most of us, though, concise writing is ordinarily a worthy goal.

Scaffold

For students reading below grade level or multilingual learners, underline the examples of wordiness or redundancy and have them make revisions accordingly, either to replace the words with fewer words or take out unnecessary words.

Concision in writing can be basically defined as “the quality of saying a whole lot in very few words.”

Concise writing is to the point, but it is not always short in length or low in word count. The important thing in concision is that the writer does not include any words or sentences that are unnecessary.

Every word on the page has meaning and serves a purpose. Sometimes, writers will intentionally repeat or add words. They might do this to create rhythm, emphasize ideas, or achieve a specific style.

For most of us, though, in most writing tasks or assignments or products, concise writing is a worthy goal to have to be sure our writing is meaningful and not wordy or redundant

Or, provide the original and revised sentences side-by-side, and have students work in pairs or with you to orally explain how the revisions are more concise than the original.

Original Revision

Concision in writing can be basically defined as “the quality of saying a whole lot in very few words.”

Concise writing is to the point, but it is not always short in length or low in word count.

The important thing in concision is that the writer does not include any words or sentences that are unnecessary.

Every word on the page has meaning and serves a purpose.

Sometimes, writers will intentionally repeat or add words. They might do this to create rhythm, emphasize ideas, or achieve a specific style.

For most of us, though, in most writing tasks or assignments or products, concise writing is a worthy goal to have to be sure our writing is meaningful and not wordy or redundant.

Concision in writing can be defined as “the quality of saying much in few words.”

Concise writing is to the point, but it is not always short.

The key is that the writer does not include unnecessary words or sentences.

Every word serves a purpose.

Sometimes, writers intentionally repeat or add words to create rhythm, emphasize ideas, or achieve a specific style.

For most of us, though, in most writing situations, concise writing is a worthy goal.

Remind students that writing concisely takes practice and careful proofreading and is a skill they can continue to build throughout the year.

Lesson 10

“I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King Jr. (Transcript) (http://witeng.link/0284) ƒ

“I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King Jr. (Video) (http://witeng.link/0285)

Lesson 10: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (6 min.)

Launch (5 min.) Learn (58 min.)

Complete the Focusing Question Task (32 min.)

Experiment with Relevant Evidence (26 min.) Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Execute with Precise and Concise Language (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

ƒ

RL.7.1, RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.4, RI.7.7

Writing

ƒ

W.7.2, W.7.3, W.7.9.b

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.1.c, SL.7.2 Language ƒ L.7.3.a

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 3A: Inspiration Cube ƒ Assessment 10A: Focusing Question Task 1 ƒ

Handout 10A: Socratic Seminar Preparation ƒ

Handout 10B: Precision and Concision Review

Learning Goals

Compare and contrast the transcript of “I Have a Dream” to its video, analyzing each medium’s portrayal (RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.7, W.7.2, W.7.9.b).

Complete Assessment 10A. Gather relevant evidence, and evaluate the techniques writers use to inspire (RL.7.1, RI.7.1).

Complete Handout 10A in small groups.

Revise writing to express ideas precisely and concisely, eliminating wordiness and redundancy (L.7.3.a).

Revise Focusing Question Task 1 response based on peer feedback and self-assessment.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–11

How and why does language inspire?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 10

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of “I Have a Dream” and its video reveal?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 10

Experiment: How does relevant evidence work?

Students complete Focusing Question Task 1, expressing their understanding of inspiring language in “I Have a Dream” and analyzing the impact of King’s delivery on his words. Then, students gather evidence demonstrating the effects of techniques writers use to inspire in multiple texts. In the next lesson, students will discuss the evidence in a Socratic Seminar and determine the most inspiring texts.

Welcome

6 MIN.

Have students take out their homework summary of their reaction to “I Have a Dream.” Instruct them to think back to their narrative writing lessons and create an Exploded Moment from the perspective of an audience member watching King give his speech. Remind students to include snapshots and thoughtshots.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Have small groups share their Welcome task responses and describe how they relate to their homework responses. Invite a few students to share.

58 MIN.

COMPLETE THE FOCUSING QUESTION TASK

32 MIN.

Individuals

Distribute Assessment 10A. Play the “I Have a Dream” video from 12:08–17:28 (http://witeng.link/0285) twice as students take notes on the assessment in their Response Journal.

Students complete Focusing Question Task 1.

Alternate Activity

If each student has access to a computer and headphones, consider incorporating the element of choice by inviting students to focus on either King’s, Yousafzai’s, or Kennedy’s speech.

EXPERIMENT WITH RELEVANT EVIDENCE

Small Groups

26 MIN.

Display the Craft Question: How does relevant evidence work?

Distribute Handout 10A. Explain that in this lesson, small groups will gather evidence supporting the inspiring effects of various language techniques. Explain that they will ultimately evaluate the evidence to determine which text is the most inspiring. In the next lesson, they will discuss the evidence in a Socratic Seminar.

Ask small groups to first reflect on all the techniques the poems and speeches used to inspire and then list as many as possible in their Response Journal. Instruct groups to listen for off-topic responses and help each other stay on track so each group can be as productive as possible.

Scaffold

Advise students to identify techniques by referring to their favorite texts and the quotations on Handout 3A and then articulating what aspects of the language inspire them.

Then have students share with the whole group to collaborate on a comprehensive list of techniques. Have students add to the lists in their Response Journal as needed.

n Repetition.

n Juxtaposition.

n Allusion.

n Imagery.

n Alliteration.

n Figurative language.

n Simile.

n Metaphor.

n Personification.

n Precise, concise, memorable phrases.

n Details that appeal to emotion.

n Words that present a vision of the ideal, such as freedom.

n Emphasizing admirable traits, such as resilience.

n Using the pronoun we to connect with the audience.

Alternate Activity

If time is scarce, consider providing the list of techniques rather than having students brainstorm.

Small groups select three of the techniques and complete Handout 10A.

To debrief, ask students whether they met the Listening Goal.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Instruct students to take out Handout 3A and record what they consider to be the most inspiring quotation in “I Have a Dream.” In their Response Journal, have them explain what technique the quotation uses and why it inspires them (the audience).

Tell students that in the next lesson, they will turn Handout 3A into a cube and share.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Inform students that they may wish to review the texts to prepare for the next lesson’s Socratic Seminar.

Analyze Context and Alignment

Students complete Focusing Question Task 1, comparing and contrasting the transcript of “I Have a Dream” to its video and analyzing each medium’s portrayal. Use the sample response in Appendix C to support assessment.

Next Steps

If students struggle, determine whether the issue is in analyzing the transcript, analyzing the video, or expressing analysis through the written paragraph. Collaborate with small groups to review the appropriate task component, providing sentence frames as needed.

Lesson 10 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Execute with Precise and Concise Language

ƒ Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts:

p “I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King Jr. (http://witeng.link/0284)

p “I Have a Dream” Video Excerpt, 12:08–17:28 (http://witeng.link/0285)

ƒ

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Revise writing to express ideas precisely and concisely, eliminating wordiness and redundancy (L.7.3.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 10

Execute: How do I use language precisely and concisely and avoid wordiness and redundancy in my writing?

Launch

Post the Style and Conventions Craft Question.

Tell students that they will have the chance to review and revise their Focusing Question Task 1 responses for precision and concision.

Learn

Ask students to take out their Focusing Question Task 1 paragraphs, or return them to students and assign partners for a peer review.

Distribute Handout 10B, and instruct students to swap Focusing Question Task 1 paragraphs.

Provide time for students to return their partners’ papers, read any comments, discuss, and ask clarifying questions.

Land

Students revise their Focusing Question Task 1 responses based on their partner’s feedback and their own review.

Remind students that their revisions are always up to their own discretion; if they do not agree with a peer’s comment, they are not required to make the change.

If time allows, provide time for students to add to the Skills section of their Knowledge Journal what they have learned about precision and concision in writing.

Lesson 11: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (6 min.)

Launch (7 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Participate in a Socratic Seminar (40 min.)

Experiment with Claims, Reasons, and Evidence (15 min.)

Land (6 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Academic Vocabulary: Alternate claim, opposing claim (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

RL.7.1, RI.7.1

Writing ƒ

W.7.1.a, W.7.1.b, W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.1.c, SL.7.6

Language ƒ

L.7.4.d, L.7.5.b

MATERIALS

Handout 3A: Inspiration Cube

Handout 10A: Socratic Seminar Preparation

Handout 11A: Speaking and Listening Goal-Setting and SelfAssessment

Tape

Handout 11B: Alternate and Opposing Claims

Learning Goals

Engage in a collaborative conversation about how and why language inspires, drawing on evidence, posing questions, responding to others, and using formal English as appropriate (SL.7.1, SL.7.6).

Participate in a Socratic Seminar.

Draft an argument featuring a claim, reason, and evidence (W.7.1.a, W.7.1.b).

Draft a paragraph claiming that a particular text is the most inspiring.

Use predicted and dictionary definitions of words and word relationships to understand alternate claims and opposing claims, developing basic argumentation skills (L.7.4.d, L.7.5.b).

Write a response to the following: “How could knowing if someone else’s claim is an alternate or opposing claim help you better address it in an argument?”

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–11

How and why does language inspire?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 11

Know: How do these texts build my knowledge of how and why language inspires?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 11

Experiment: How do claims, clear reasons, and relevant evidence work?

Students deepen and conclude their exploration of how and why language inspires by participating in a Socratic Seminar about the most inspiring texts. This discussion prepares students to thoughtfully determine which text is most inspiring of all and express an evidencebased opinion in a short argument paragraph.

Welcome

6 MIN.

Have students turn Handout 3A into an Inspiration Cube by cutting along the shape’s periphery, folding along the lines, and taping the edges together.

Then have small groups pass around their cubes and discuss the quotations they also consider to be inspiring and ones they are surprised to see.

Launch

7 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Briefly discuss what students noticed about their peers’ Inspiration Cube choices. Ask which quotations were repeated across cubes and why this might be. Also ask which choices students consider to be strong and which they find surprising.

Display the question for the Socratic Seminar: Out of all the poems and speeches we have studied, which text is the most inspiring?

Have individuals take out Handout 10A and evaluate their evidence to determine which text might be the most inspiring.

Remind students to be listening for on- and off-topic responses throughout the Seminar.

55 MIN.

PARTICIPATE IN A SOCRATIC SEMINAR 40 MIN.

Whole Group

Have pairs discuss the Socratic Seminar Question.

As needed, remind students that a Socratic Seminar is a student-directed academic discussion. Students will build on one another’s contributions with examples, evidence, followup questions, and minimal teacher participation.

Remind students that a productive discussion requires focused contributions, and ask them to listen for off-topic responses.

Have students review Handout 11A and write their goals in the space provided.

Students form a circle and discuss the question for the Socratic Seminar: Out of all the poems and speeches we have studied, which text is the most inspiring?

During the seminar, encourage students to cite evidence, pose questions that elicit elaboration, and connect their ideas to others’ ideas.

Ask follow-up questions as needed: ƒ

Which of the poems is the most inspiring? ƒ

Which of the speeches is the most inspiring?

Which elements of language make a text inspiring?

ƒ

Out of the poems you found online, is there one that should be added to a lesson about inspiring language?

ƒ

Do you think the language in one of these texts is not inspiring enough to be part of our study?

ƒ Have any of your opinions about inspiring texts changed as a result of this discussion? Which comments either altered or reinforced an opinion?

Record and display students’ ideas.

To track participation during the Socratic Seminar, consider using the following system to take notes on who:

ƒ P (posed questions).

ƒ R (responded to questions).

ƒ O (made relevant observations).

TEACHER NOTE

ƒ L (demonstrated effective listening).

ƒ F (used formal language).

ƒ V (used vocabulary).

If so, consider having students do the job of recording and displaying key ideas during the seminar.

Ask students to identify what the class did well during the discussion and how they can improve. Then ask whether the conversation met the listening goal by staying on topic.

Have students complete Handout 11A, assessing their performance and setting a new goal for the next seminar.

For more information on the Socratic Seminar routine used in this lesson, see the Wit & Wisdom Implementation Guide (http://witeng.link/IG).

EXPERIMENT WITH CLAIMS, REASONS, AND EVIDENCE

Individuals

15 MIN.

Display the Craft Question: How do claims, clear reasons, and relevant evidence work?

Display the following prompt: “Your teacher will use the most inspiring text in the classroom next year. Which of our texts is the most inspiring? Write a short argument paragraph that includes a claim, reason(s), and relevant evidence.” Encourage students to think about everything they discussed during the Socratic Seminar to formulate their claim.

Consider informing students that teachers often decide which texts to study again and which texts to remove from the curriculum to make room for new activities. Explain that your decisions about which texts to study next year will be informed by their written responses. This conveys that students are writing for an authentic purpose.

Students independently draft their short paragraph.

Differentiation

Students who need more support can benefit from sentence frames such as the following. is the most inspiring text the class has studied, and the teacher should use it every year. The language is inspiring because . For example, .

You may wish to challenge advanced writers to explore the content more deeply by offering additional reasons, explaining why their choice is stronger than another popular text, or completing the paragraph with elaboration and a concluding statement.

Have students Think–Pair–Share, and then invite a few students to share with the class.

6 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Students will use their Knowledge Journal more regularly throughout Modules 3 and 4.

Remind students to bring their Knowledge Journal to class, and be sure they have organized their Knowledge Journal into four sections: ƒ

Reflections

TEACHER NOTE

ƒ

Knowledge of the World: understanding of concrete information about specific subjects, events, issues, innovations, places or other significant happenings in past and present times.

ƒ

Knowledge of Ideas: understanding of abstract concepts, complex questions, and big ideas.

ƒ

Knowledge of Skills: understanding of specific reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language goals.

Have students turn to the Knowledge of Skills section in their Knowledge Journal. Then ask them to list ideas in response to one of these three scenarios to help them reflect on what the poems and speeches have taught them about how and why language inspires:

ƒ

You have to give a speech at a school assembly to get everyone excited about an upcoming school event. What would be helpful from what we have learned so far?

ƒ

You are asked to write a short poem or text for the front of a brochure designed to welcome new students to your school. Incorporating what we have learned, what would you write to make it inspiring?

ƒ

You are writing an analysis for your school newspaper about a speech given by a local politician to inspire students to become more involved in the community. To analyze the speech, what would you pay attention to, and what would help your readers understand the speech’s effectiveness?

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Inform students that there is no homework for this lesson.

Analyze Context and Alignment

Students participate in a Socratic Seminar, demonstrating their knowledge of how language inspires as well as their speaking and listening skills (SL.7.1, SL.7.6). Assess performance using your observations, students’ self-assessments, and the Speaking and Listening Rubric in Appendix C.

Next Steps

Meet with individuals who did not meet the goals they identified on Handout 11A, and collaborate to develop strategies for improvement.

Academic Vocabulary: Alternate claim, opposing claim

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts: All Module Texts

ƒ

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Use predicted and dictionary definitions of words and word relationships to understand alternate claims and opposing claims, developing basic argumentation skills (L.7.4.d, L.7.5.b).

Launch

Remind students that in the Socratic Seminar and the argument paragraph they stated a claim about which text is most inspiring. Call out the name of each text read, and ask students to raise their hand if they selected that text in their paragraphs or during the Seminar.

Point out that not everyone agreed. Remind students that when people take another “side” to an argument, this is called an alternate claim or an opposing claim.

Tell students that as they develop their skills with written arguments in this module, they will learn to address alternate and opposing claims in their own arguments. Explain that in this lesson, they will develop a deeper understanding of the phrases alternate claim and opposing claim in preparation for being able to address those in their writing.

Display the following sentences:

ƒ

The students set forth opposing claims. One claimed that the use of metaphor in “Caged Bird” made the poem inspiring, while the other claimed that the use of metaphor in “Caged Bird” did not contribute to the poem’s inspiring nature.

ƒ

The students set forth alternate claims. One argued that Martin Luther King’s precise and elegant use of language was the most powerful contributing factor to his speech being inspiring. The other agreed that King’s writing was elegant, precise, and powerful but claimed that King’s delivery, especially his use of inflection, was what gave the speech its power to inspire.

Have students read the sentences and predict the words’ meanings based on context. Then have students use dictionaries to verify the definitions and then record them in their Vocabulary Journal.

Meaning Synonyms

alternate (adj.) Being one of two or more possibilities. alternative, another opposing (adj.) Establishing a contrasting position. contrasting, differing

Have students compare their predictions to the definitions, clarifying misunderstandings as needed. Guide students to see that when two people make an alternate claim, they are agreeing with each other’s claim but suggesting a slightly different perspective, one of many, but when they make an opposing claim, they are taking the opposite position, one of two sides.

Learn

Display the following two claims (or have two students share a claim they made in the Socratic Seminar):

Claim 1: Malala Yousafzai’s speech to the United Nations was the most inspiring speech in this module.

Claim 2: Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was the most inspiring speech in this module.

Ask: “Are these two claims alternate or opposing claims?”

Then instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What would an opposing claim to Claim 1 be?”

Display the following two claims:

Claim 1: Kennedy’s performance of his speech enhanced his written words and made the speech more inspiring and effective.

Claim 2: Kennedy’s performance of his speech added nothing to his words; they were just as inspiring written as when he delivered them.

Ask: “How would you characterize these two claims?”

Distribute Handout 11B. Have students work in pairs to decide whether claims are alternate or opposing and to write alternate or opposing claims to those listed.

Invite students to share their responses and thinking.

Land

Students respond to the following in their Vocabulary Journal: “How could knowing if someone else’s claim is an alternate or opposing claim help you better address it in an argument?”

Ask students to share. Build on responses to explain that the reason to address alternate or opposing claims is to strengthen one’s own argument and that as a result, one might address an alternate claim differently from an opposing one.

Lesson 12

TEXTS

ƒ

ƒ

“Serena Williams—Rise,” Andre Stringer, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0347)

Soda Ad 1, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0348)

ƒ

ƒ

Soda Ad 2, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0349)

Car Ad 1, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0350)

ƒ

ƒ

Dessert Ad, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0351)

Car Ad 2, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0352)

Lesson 12: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (7 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Encounter and Explore a Video Advertisement (20 min.)

Complete a Gallery Walk of Print Ads (20 min.)

Write from the Advertiser’s Perspective (15 min.)

Land (6 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (2 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Persuade, persuasive (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading ƒ

RI.7.1, RI.7.8

Writing ƒ W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.2

Language ƒ L.7.5.b

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Formulate observations and questions about video and print advertisements to understand how advertisers try to persuade consumers (RI.7.1).

Record observations and questions about the advertisements on a Notice and Wonder T-Chart.

Deepen understanding of the meanings of the words persuade and persuasive by comparing and contrasting their meanings with those of related words (L.7.5.b).

Complete Handout 12A.

Handout 12A: Word Comparison

Printed versions of the print ads ƒ Chart paper ƒ

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 12–21

How and why does language persuade?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 12

Wonder: What do I notice and wonder about advertisements?

Students begin to consider language through a new lens how and why language persuades by looking at texts particularly familiar and relevant to them as adolescents in today’s world: advertisements. They explore a range of modern and vintage ads, observing closely and wondering about what is happening in the advertisements and about how advertisers try to persuade consumers to purchase products.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Display the following directions:

ƒ

Imagine you were trying to talk me into doing something, such as canceling a test or having a class party.

ƒ Think about how you would try to convince me.

ƒ Jot notes in your Response Journal of what you would say and how you would say it.

Launch

7 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question. Have students read them silently, and ask: “What do you notice about the new Focusing Question?”

If students do not do so on their own, point out the word persuade, and briefly explain that its adjective form is another word students will be using frequently during the module, persuasive. Then ask: “What do you already know about what it means to persuade someone or be persuasive?”

Scaffold

If it is likely that students will be unfamiliar with these words, provide several sentences, such as:

ƒ Advertisers try to persuade consumers to buy certain products.

ƒ Sometimes children persuade their parents to let them stay up past their bedtime.

ƒ

Some ads are very persuasive, and a company’s sales go up immediately after the ads run.

Then ask: “Based on these sentences, what do you think the words persuasive and persuade mean?”

Ask pairs to practice being persuasive by taking turns acting out their ideas from the Welcome task.

Then instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “If you were me, would you be persuaded by your partner’s arguments? Why?”

Invite a few students whose partners found them particularly persuasive to act out their ideas for the class. Again, reflect on what made their performance persuasive.

Tell students that in this series of lessons, they will continue to think about language’s power to persuade as they delve into persuasive texts and analyze their techniques, beginning with the texts in this lesson—advertisements. Ask students to continue thinking about the meaning of the words persuade and persuasive throughout the lesson.

55 MIN.

ENCOUNTER AND EXPLORE A VIDEO ADVERTISEMENT

Whole Group

20 MIN.

Explain that you will play a video advertisement and that as students view it, they should record what they notice and wonder on a T-chart in their Response Journal.

Play “Serena Williams—Rise” (http://witeng.link/0347), pausing briefly afterward to give students time to record their observations and questions.

Students record observations and questions about the video advertisement on their Notice and Wonder T-Chart.

Ask: “What did you notice as you watched this advertisement?”

n The ad seems to be telling a story. Even though it is short, it has a definite beginning, middle, and end.

n I noticed that it has a very catchy song in it.

n The song matched what was happening. It was a song about rising up, and she rises in the morning and then rises to the challenge of working out and going up the stairs.

n At first she is remembering hard moments from her tennis games, but the memories get happier as the commercial continues.

n The ad maker uses light effectively. At first it is very dark, matching how the woman is feeling, but it gets lighter as the ad progresses, becoming sunny at the end, just as she is feeling happy and confident.

n It uses some of the same techniques as the inspiring poems and speeches we read, and I felt inspired watching it.

Ask students what questions they had as they watched the ad.

n I wondered what the ad was for. I think it was for a music service or headphones, but it was hard to tell.

n I wondered what she was thinking. For example, when she was watching herself on the TV monitors, was she happy to see herself there, or did it make her feel stressed?

n I was confused by what was happening, especially at the beginning. Who was talking about her?

Tell students that as you play the video again, they should see if they can answer any of their or classmates’ questions.

TEACHER NOTE

Consider posting some of the students’ questions to help them remember what to watch for and to make it easier to return to these after the second viewing.

In addition, ask students to pay particular attention this time to what the advertisement says about the product being sold and how the advertiser tries to persuade consumers to buy it.

Play the video, again giving students time to finish recording observations and questions.

Invite pairs to share what they noticed and wondered during their second viewing. Encourage partners to address one another’s questions.

Ask: “What did you notice and wonder about what the advertisement says about the product being sold and how the advertiser is trying to persuade consumers to buy it?”

n I noticed the product is headphones, and I noticed the name of the brand.

n The sound of the song is really clear, so it seems as if the advertiser is trying to persuade people to buy them because of how good they will make music sound.

n I wondered why the advertisers do not tell us more about the headphones and whether the ad would have been more persuasive if they did.

n I noticed that a famous tennis player is wearing the headphones, which makes them seem cool or popular. The advertiser seems to be trying to persuade consumers by saying that they will be cool if they buy them.

n I wondered if there is something about those headphones that makes them better than others.

Consumers might be more persuaded if they knew that.

n I noticed that the ad makes me feel energized and motivated to exercise. Maybe the message is that’s what the headphones do.

n It seems that the advertiser is trying to persuade through the story itself. She is feeling down at the beginning of the ad, but after wearing the headphones and listening to the song on them, she starts feeling better and better. The advertiser is offering the same thing to consumers.

Extension

Have students use some of the narrative techniques they have learned throughout the year to write about what is happening in the ad. Consider offering the following writing choices:

ƒ Choose one moment from the ad and write it as an Exploded Moment.

ƒ Write thoughtshots for what Serena Williams is thinking at various points in the ad. ƒ Use figurative language to describe some of the scenes from the ad.

Then tie students’ writing to the ad’s persuasive techniques by asking: “What did the narrative writing activity show about how the advertiser is trying to persuade consumers to buy the product?”

COMPLETE A GALLERY WALK OF PRINT ADS 20 MIN.

Individuals

Post each print ad, its date, and a Notice and Wonder T-Chart on chart paper next to it at various spots around the room.

TEACHER NOTE

The dates for the ads are as follows: Soda Ad 1 (varies), Soda Ad 2 (1950s), Car Ad 1 (1950), Car Ad 2 (1965), Dessert Ad (1922). For the Soda Ad 1 (http://witeng.link/0348), select the advertisement(s) you believe would be most engaging for your students and include a date for each. Also for ease of reference, consider labeling each ad, such as Soda Ad 1, Soda Ad 2, Car Ad 1, Car Ad 2, Dessert Ad. Also, consider using other print ads that would be more relevant or engaging to your students.

Explain that the ads posted are advertisements from various time periods, including the 1950s and before. Remind students of the World War II era that they studied in Module 2, and ask: “What might have been different about people’s exposure to ads during that time period as compared to today?”

n There was no internet, so people would not have been exposed to as many ads as we are.

n Television was new, and there were only a few channels, so people might not have seen or grown up with as many TV ads as we do.

n People seemed to have had less money to spend then, so they may not have been as focused on buying things as our generation is.

Explain that students will take a Gallery Walk, stopping at each ad to record one or two observations and questions on the posted T-chart and read their classmates’ observations and questions. Tell them to keep in mind what they discussed about the time frames of the ads.

Alternate Activity

If you are unable to print copies of the ads, another way to facilitate this activity is to have students create Notice and Wonder T-Charts for the ads on separate pages in their Response Journal and then display a slide of each ad for one to two minutes as students record what they notice and wonder.

After briefly sharing general observations and questions, have students do a second Gallery Walk. This time, have them record their observations and questions about the product and the ways the advertisers are trying to persuade.

After students finish writing on the class charts, invite them to look at each chart. Invite students to refer to the ads to address some of the wonder questions.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Thinking about the ads as a whole, including the video ad, what do you notice and wonder about how advertisers were trying to persuade people to buy their products?”

n They seem to be persuading people not through facts but for other reasons. For example, the dessert ad seems to be saying, “Even this cute bear loves this dessert, so you should love it, too.” It makes you feel cute and cuddly, but I’m not sure that’s a real reason to buy that dessert.

n I noticed that they all seem to be promoting happiness and saying, “If you buy this car or soda or headphones, you will feel happier.”

n I wondered if it was legal then to get away with some of what they were saying, especially in that soda ad. That ad was telling people that putting soda in their babies’ bottles is good for babies, but that couldn’t have been true scientifically, even back then.

n I noticed that most of them were saying that people’s lives would be better if they buy this product. Some of the soda ads just have a catchy slogan and cute picture, but they are happy feeling. The car ad is promising that if you buy the car, you’ll have more power, more space, and with 35 percent less effort!

n I noticed that sometimes they make no sense why should I eat a dessert just because a bear does? The soda ad says they list all the ingredients, but it does not say whether the ingredients are healthy. One of the soda ads just says, “For the taste you never get tired of.” When you think about it, a lot of what advertisers say is meaningless.

WRITE FROM THE ADVERTISER’S PERSPECTIVE 15 MIN.

Individuals

Tell students that they will now explore what ads might look like if advertisers had to write their message using the argument paragraph structure students have been learning. Explain that students

will choose an ad, imagine they are the advertisers who designed it, and write the claim and reason the advertiser is making and the evidence offered.

Model the process with student input for one of the ads. For example:

Everyone should buy our soda! If parents buy our soda and give it to their babies, the babies will be healthier, and the parents will be happier. Our soda is pure, wholesome, and healthy enough for babies; it’s healthy enough for people of all ages. The ingredients are right on the back of the bottle. We put them there even though we do not have to. Babies who refuse to drink plain milk will drink it if our soda is mixed in.

TEACHER NOTE

Having students write the claim(s), reasons, and evidence advertisers are presenting serves two goals. It gives students a playful, low-risk way to practice their burgeoning skills in writing argument paragraphs and previews the idea of the next lesson—that ads are most often persuasive not due to their logic or evidence, but due to their appeals to emotion or a person’s sense of self.

Have students choose a different ad from the one used as a model and write from the advertiser’s perspective: the claim or claims the ad makes, the reasons for the claim(s), and the evidence the advertiser offers.

Invite them to share their writing with partners, or if time permits, choose a few students to share with the class.

Ask: “What was challenging about this writing assignment?”

n It was hard to find evidence! Most of the ads offer a claim and reasons, but not much evidence. n I had a hard time figuring out the difference between the claim, reasons, and evidence in the ads.

6 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Remind students of their earlier discussion of the words persuade and persuasive. Ask: “After looking at the ads, what do you think those words mean?” After a brief discussion, provide the following definitions for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

persuade (v.) To lead another person to act in a certain way or believe a particular idea by appealing to logic or emotion or making a strong argument.

convince, influence

persuasive (adj.) Being able to lead another person to act in a certain way or believe a particular idea. convincing

Then display the following scale:

1. Very persuasive—the ad would cause a consumer to want to buy the product.

2. Somewhat persuasive—the ad might cause a consumer to want to buy the product.

3. Not persuasive—the ad would not cause a consumer to want to buy the product.

Explain that students should evaluate how persuasive each ad is according to this scale. Clarify that to the extent possible, students should put themselves in the shoes of the target audience for the ads, such as a parent or car buyer from the 1950s. Name each ad, and have students show with their fingers the rating they would give it. If time permits, have students share reasons for their ratings.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students find three ads to study, for example, on television, in magazines, on billboards, or online, taking notes in their Response Journal of what the advertisers are selling and how the advertisers are trying to be persuasive and convince consumers to buy their products.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students create a Notice and Wonder T-Chart, formulating observations and questions based on details in the video ad (RI.7.1). Make sure that students: ƒ

Identify the product the ad is selling. ƒ

Record details and questions relevant to the ad’s story, rather than random details. ƒ

Observe all aspects of the ad—the music, the flashbacks, and what is happening currently. ƒ

Consider not just what the ad states explicitly but also what is implied.

Next Steps

If students struggle to identify what the advertiser is doing to persuade consumers, consider having pairs discuss ideas before recording them. Also encourage students to consider the advertisement as they would a narrative, looking at character, plot, or setting. Alternatively, facilitate a whole-class discussion using questions such as: ƒ

What is this advertiser selling? ƒ

If you were going to map out the plot of this ad using Literary Dominoes, what would those be and in what order? ƒ

What did you notice about the music? ƒ

What emotions is Serena Williams feeling at different points in the ad? ƒ

What is the overall message? ƒ

What do you notice about how the ad maker is trying to make people feel?

Lesson 12 Deep Dive: Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary: Persuade, persuasive

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts:

p “Serena Williams—Rise,” Andre Stringer, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0347)

p Soda Ad 1, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0348)

p Soda Ad 2, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0349)

p Car Ad 1, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0350)

p Dessert Ad, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0351)

p Car Ad 2, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0352)

ƒ Vocabulary Learning Goal: Deepen understanding of the meanings of the words persuade and persuasive by comparing and contrasting their meaning with those of related words (L.7.5.b).

Launch

Remind students that the definitions of persuade and persuasive involve leading another person to act or believe in a certain way.

Ask: “What are the ads we examined in the lesson trying to persuade consumers to do or believe?”

Then ask: “How could we judge if they were actually persuasive?”

n You could do a research study to see if people who watched the ads were more likely to buy the product than people who did not.

n You could have people watch the ad and then do a survey of their reactions.

n You could test how people felt about the product before and after watching or seeing the ad.

Explain that in this Deep Dive, students will deepen their understanding of the words persuade and persuasive by comparing them to two other words related to language and power in this module: inspiring and argument.

Learn

Draw or post a blank Venn diagram. Tell the whole group to think of what they learned about the word inspiring and describe how it is similar to and different from the word persuasive. Record responses on the Venn diagram.

PERSUASIVE

n The goal of being persuasive is selfish, for one’s own benefit, not to help the other person.

n It is more controlling than inspiring because it is trying to cause someone to do or believe something, not just have an influence on them.

n They both involve trying to use language to affect other people’s thinking or behavior.

INSPIRING

n The goal seems to be to help the other person.

n They both depend upon the person listening. What might be inspiring to one person might not be to someone else, and what might be persuasive to one might not be to another.

n It is more positive. The definition talks about accomplishing or creating something.

n It involves influencing someone but does not seem to go as far as persuasive does.

Explain that students will now compare the difference between being persuasive and making an argument.

Distribute Handout 12A . Clarify that students should use the definition of the word argument that they learned in Lesson 3: “a way of expressing a position on an issue using reason, logic, and evidence.” Remind students also to consider the elements of an effective argument, including claims, reasons, and evidence, that they have been studying in the module so far and the persuasive techniques they have examined.

Scaffold

For students reading below grade level, multilingual learners, and visual learners, displaying the two definitions side by side will facilitate their comparison.

Persuasive

Being able to lead another person to act in a certain way or believe a particular idea.

Students complete Handout 12A. Invite students to share their ideas.

Argument

A way of expressing a position on an issue using reason, logic, and evidence.

BEING PERSUASIVE MAKING AN ARGUMENT

n The goal is to engage in a thoughtful conversation about an issue.

n The goal is to get someone else to do or believe something.

n The person being persuasive will not change their mind.

n Being persuasive does not require being logical or having good evidence.

n Being persuasive might involve techniques that are unfair or misleading, like in the soda ad.

n They both involve trying to influence others.

n In both, there is a choice involved.

n The person making an argument might change their mind if another person makes a logical and convincing argument.

n Making an argument requires having logical reasons and evidence.

n Making an argument requires that one be straightforward and honest about the evidence.

Land

Do a Whip Around in response to this question: “Why are ads an example of persuasion and not an example of an argument?”

Lesson 13: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (57 min.)

Encounter the Text (37 min.)

Examine Tailoring Writing to an Audience (10 min.)

Examine Asking for Elaboration (10 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (3 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Manipulative, deceptive (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

ƒ

RI.7.1, RI.7.4, RI.7.2, RI.7.8

Writing ƒ W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.2

Language ƒ

L.7.4.a, L.7.5.b

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Summarize the key points the author of an op-ed article makes about the effects of advertising on children (RI.7.8).

Complete Handout 13A.

Deepen understanding of the words manipulative and deceptive by comparing and contrasting their meanings and using them in context (L.7.5.b).

Write a Vocabulary Journal entry about whether a selected ad is manipulative or deceptive, and why.

Handout 13A: Article Summary ƒ

ƒ

Four large labels: Manipulative, Deceptive, Neither, Both

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 12–21

How and why does language persuade?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 13

Organize: What is happening in the article “How Advertising Targets Our Children”?

CRAFT QUESTIONS: Lesson 13

Examine: Why is audience awareness important in argument writing?

Examine: Why is asking for elaboration important in academic conversations?

In this lesson, students build on their examination of ads by reading a New York Times article about the dangerous techniques advertisers use. To prepare for analyzing the author’s claim, reasons, and evidence in depth in the next lesson, students develop a basic sense of what this sophisticated article says about the negative influence of advertising on children, why children are particularly vulnerable to advertising techniques, and how advertisers attempt to exploit those vulnerabilities. Students also view this article from a craft viewpoint, as they look at how the author tailors her argument to her audience, the parents of these vulnerable children.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Have pairs discuss the three ads they examined for homework, focusing in on what they noticed the advertisers were doing to try to persuade consumers to buy their products or services.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Ask: “What did you notice the advertisers were doing to try to persuade people? Were the ads persuasive?”

Then ask: “Who was the audience for each ad you studied, and how could you tell?”

Explain that in this lesson students will think more about the target audience, effects, and techniques of advertisements as they read an article about them.

ENCOUNTER THE TEXT 37 MIN.

Whole Group

Read aloud the first three paragraphs of the article “How Advertising Targets Our Children” (http://witeng.link/0353).

Ask: “What is this article about?”

Briefly explain some of the references in the second paragraph, such as those to tobacco advertisements on television and to Mad magazine.

Then ask: “Based on what you have read so far, what kind of text do you think this is, and why?”

n It does not seem to be informational because she uses I frequently and discusses her own ideas and experiences.

n It is not a formal argument because she uses the first person.

n It seems to be a cross between argument and opinion because she is giving her opinion, but she mentions studies, so she may have some evidence to back up her opinions.

Incorporating students’ responses, explain that the article is from the Opinion section of the New York Times and that the article is not a formal academic argument, but it shares some similarities with such arguments because the author is expressing an opinion but backing that up with reasons and evidence.

Ask students to think about what the word cynical means as you reread the first paragraph. Invite students to share their ideas.

n It has something to do with not trusting because she talks about people who want to gain trust but are not trustworthy.

n She says she wants her children to be “alert” about advertising, so cynical must mean not fully believing or accepting what something says.

n She is talking about her own children, and she talks about how slick the ads are at trying to sell things. I think cynical means she doesn’t want her own children to fall for them.

Encourage students to keep thinking about the word’s meaning as you continue reading aloud.

Stop after paragraph 16, after the word manipulative.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “According to the author, what are some of the dangers of advertising to children?”

n Advertising increases the chances of children drinking alcohol, missing school, and getting into fights.

n Advertising also leads children to want unhealthy foods such as fast food, sugary cereals and drinks, and candy.

n She talked about how easy it is for advertisers to win over children. For example, three- to five-yearolds identified foods as tasting better if they had packaging from a particular brand.

Then ask: “What advertising techniques does the author find particularly troubling?”

n She talks about how some products appear on TV and in movies.

n Ad makers have website with reward programs.

n They have online games that promote their products.

n With social media sites, if children “like” a certain brand, they begin receiving daily ads for it and may share those with friends. She implies that friends then influence each other to like certain products, so advertisers are using friendships.

Point out the words manipulative and deceptive in paragraph 16. Ask: “When the expert author quotes these words, what is her basic message about advertising?”

n Manipulative is like the word manipulate, and I know that means “using people to get your own way.” She is saying that is what advertisers are doing.

n They are negative words and imply some kind of dishonesty or tricks.

n The message about advertising is that they are trying to use false or misleading techniques to get people to buy their products.

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

Word Meaning Synonyms

manipulative (adj.) Able to change facts, numbers, a situation, or others’ beliefs, emotions, etc., unfairly to benefit oneself or for some other purpose.

scheming, cunning, devious, sneaky

deceptive (adj.) Being able or attempting to make someone believe something that is not true. misleading, false, dishonest

Read until you reach the end of the article. Ask: “What is the author’s main point in this part of the article?”

n She is giving parents advice about what to do about ads.

n One of the experts says that although it is important to educate kids about ads, advertisers should still have to be responsible.

Remind students of the word cynical that they explored earlier in the lesson, pointing out that the author returns to this idea in paragraph 19 when she writes about her own goals to raise children who are cynical.

Ask: “Now that you have read the complete article, what do you think cynical means, and why does the author want her children to be cynical when it comes to advertising?”

n She does not want her children to trust advertisers but instead wants them to be cautious and suspect their motives.

n She wants her children to be aware of what advertisers are trying to do so they do not fall for every product.

n When her kids see a product in a movie or online, she wants them to realize that it’s there as an advertisement, not just randomly.

Distribute Handout 13A. Explain that students will summarize key information from the article by rereading it and then working with a partner to fill out details on the handout.

Pairs gather evidence about the key points the author makes, recording their ideas on Handout 13A.

EXAMINE TAILORING WRITING TO AN AUDIENCE

10 MIN.

Pairs

Display the Craft Question: Why is audience awareness important in argument writing?

Point out the title of the article, and explain that just as advertisers “target” their ads to certain groups, writers “target” their writing to an audience.

Ask: “Who is the intended audience for this article, and how do you know?”

n The audience is parents because throughout the article the author gives tips to parents about what they can do to help kids. For example, on the third page, she offers suggestions to parents.

n Near the end she writes directly to parents telling them what to do.

n She also talks about how parents do not always know what their children are exposed to.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How does the author tailor her argument to her audience?”

n She provides information parents need to know but might not.

n She talks about all the universities the research was from, that is impressive to parents.

n She gives advice just for parents.

Then ask: “How might she have written it differently if her audience had been children your age?”

n She would probably have used simpler vocabulary and sentence structures.

n She might have organized it differently and spelled out the claim, reasons, and evidence in a more obvious way.

n She would have offered advice for us about what to do to make sure we are not manipulated by advertisers.

Whole Group

Display the Craft Question: Why is asking for elaboration important in academic conversations?

Ask students to imagine that in the academic conversation they just had about the audience for the article, a person said the following: “If the audience had been children, she would have written it differently.”

Then ask: “Why might it be important to ask the person to elaborate on or say more about this statement?”

n It would be important to ask for more because it is hard to tell what he means otherwise.

n The person might have a really interesting or important point to make that will help everyone understand, but it is hard to tell that from this brief statement.

n It may be that the person does not understand the effect of tailoring writing for an audience, and if she says more, others in the conversation can help her better understand her own thinking.

Model a few ways you might ask for elaboration.

To invite this person to elaborate, I might say, “Could you please say more about that?” or “What do you mean when you say she would have written it differently? How?”

Ask: “What did you notice about how I asked for elaboration?”

n You were respectful.

n You sounded curious to hear more, not confused or annoyed.

n Your question asked for more reasons or explanation.

Tell students that in future lessons, they will continue to explore why and how to ask others to elaborate in academic conversations.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Have students write a response to the following question in their Response Journal: “Do the ads we examined yesterday or the ones you considered for homework confirm or disprove what the author has to say about ads and their effects and techniques? Why?”

Invite students to share responses.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students do the following:

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Find or choose a familiar ad to share. It can be one of the ones students used for the homework for this lesson.

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Bring a copy of the ad if it is a print ad or be prepared to describe it if it is a video ad or they cannot print it.

ƒ Think about the target audience for the ad and how the advertiser is trying to persuade that audience.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

In preparation for a deeper analysis of the author’s argument in the next lesson, students complete Handout 13A, identifying the evidence the author uses to support her claims and reasons (RI.7.8). Be sure that students: ƒ

Correctly identify the products advertised to children discussed in the article. ƒ

Name the negative effects the author mentions. ƒ

Describe the advertising techniques the author describes in their own words, showing a basic understanding of what these entail. ƒ

Explain what the author says about the particular vulnerabilities of children to advertising.

Next Steps

If students struggle to understand the author’s points about the negative effects of advertising, the subtle techniques advertisers use, or the reasons children are particularly susceptible, consider rereading select paragraphs and thinking aloud about how to determine the author’s central ideas and key details. Also consider having students color-code various paragraphs of the article to match the categories on Handout 13A.

Content Vocabulary: Manipulative, deceptive

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Time: 15 min.

Text: “How Advertising Targets Our Children,” Perri Klass (http://witeng.link/0353) ƒ

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Vocabulary Learning Goal: Deepen understanding of the words manipulative and deceptive by comparing and contrasting their meanings and using them in context (L.7.5.b).

Launch

Remind students of the definitions for the words manipulative and deceptive.

Ask: “What do the definitions of these two words have in common?”

Then ask: “When people like the expert quoted in the article ‘How Advertising Targets Our Children’ use the words manipulative and deceptive to describe advertisers, what general message are they conveying?”

n They are saying that advertisers use unfair methods.

n They are calling advertisers liars.

n They are implying advertisers are not trustworthy.

Learn

Place one of the following labels in each corner of the classroom: ƒ

Manipulative. ƒ Deceptive. ƒ Neither. ƒ Both.

Explain that you will read a description of an ad and then students will think about whether the ad is manipulative, deceptive, neither, or both. On your signal, students will walk silently to the corner of the room with the label corresponding to their choice and then be ready to discuss the reasons they made that choice.

Read the ad descriptions one at a time, repeating as needed, having students think and then move to the appropriate corner, and then calling on several students to share their reasons with the class. Encourage students to refer to the words’ definitions in explaining their decisions.

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An ad says that four out of five doctors recommend a product, but the ad does not say that those four doctors all work for the company making the product.

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An ad for athletic shoes features an athlete giving a testimonial about them and wearing them in an actual sporting event. The athlete does in fact wear the shoes to play his sport. The ad does not reveal that the company pays the athlete a large amount of money per year to wear the shoes.

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An ad for a breakfast cereal accurately states that one serving contains eighteen vitamins and minerals. The ad does not disclose that the cereal only contains trace amounts of these and contains five times the daily recommended amount of sugar.

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An ad gives a very low price for a product but fails to tell consumers that there are additional fees and costs that will make it much more expensive.

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An ad for a restaurant shows a video clip of people eating there. The people are not actors. They all look happy and have delicious-looking food in front of them.

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A commercial for soda shows a popular cartoon character drinking the soda and looking happy and cute. The ad runs on a popular children’s network during a time when many young children watch TV.

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A political campaign runs an ad with an embarrassing picture of the other candidate. The picture was altered from its original state.

Alternate Activity

Print and cut out the descriptions. Organize students into pairs, and distribute an ad description to each pair. Instruct pairs to discuss whether the ad discussed on their paper is manipulative, deceptive, neither or both. Then have them exchange papers with another group and discuss a new ad. After students have had time to discuss several ads, ask them to share their observations with the whole group.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “In what situations other than advertising might someone be manipulative or deceptive?”

n Sometimes children are manipulative when they try to get their parents to do something that they want.

n Sometimes the bad guys in books or movies are deceptive.

n People sometimes are manipulative with friends when they try to make them feel bad if they don’t do something they want.

Land

Students choose one ad from the core lesson and write in their Vocabulary Journal about whether it is manipulative or deceptive, and why.

Invite students to share their responses.

Lesson 14

TEXTS

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“How Advertising Targets Our Children,” Perri Klass (http://witeng.link/0353)

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“Serena Williams—Rise,” Andre Stringer, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0347)

Soda Ad 1, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0348)

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Soda Ad 2, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0349)

Car Ad 1, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0350)

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Dessert Ad, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0351)

Car Ad 2, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0352)

Lesson 14: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (60 min.)

Analyze an Argument (25 min.)

Analyze the Three Appeals and Ad Techniques (35 min.)

Land (4 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 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

RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.8

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.2

Language ƒ

L.7.1.a

MATERIALS

Handout 14A: Argument Analysis ƒ

Students’ completed versions of Handout 13A: Article Summary

Handout 14B: The Three Appeals ƒ

Handout 14C: Advertising Techniques ƒ

Handout 14D: Functions of Phrases and Clauses

Learning Goals

Analyze the argument of an article to determine its claim(s), reason(s), and evidence (RI.7.8).

Complete Handout 14A.

Identify phrases and clauses, and explain their function in specific instances (L.7.1.a).

Summarize functions or purposes phrases and clauses serve, adding ideas to Handout 14D.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 12–21

How and why does language persuade?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 14

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of persuasive techniques reveal in the advertisements?

This lesson takes students deeper into the article they read in the last lesson, as they analyze the argument the author is making, looking at the claim, reasons, and evidence she offers about the dangers of advertising. Students then revisit actual ads in light of the article’s argument, as they learn the three rhetorical appeals of pathos, logos, and ethos and look at the appeal each ad makes, and then they look more closely at the specific techniques advertisers use to persuade. Students’ analysis of the article’s argument and the persuasive techniques the ads use is essential to helping them analyze evidence and make a claim when they write their EOM Task argument about the power of language.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Instruct pairs to share the ads they brought in and then discuss this question: “Is the ad you brought in persuasive? Manipulative? Deceptive? Why?”

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Invite students to share their responses to the Welcome task, encouraging them to be as specific as possible when referring to the ads they brought for homework.

Ask: “What have you discovered about the relationship between the words persuasive, manipulative, and deceptive?”

n Sometimes there is a very fine line between what is manipulative and deceptive.

n Sometimes being manipulative or deceptive can be persuasive but not always. Sometimes it is easy to see through the manipulation or deception.

n Whether something is persuasive may depend upon the person looking at the ad. What may be persuasive to one person may not be to another. So sometimes manipulation and deception might not work.

60 MIN.

ANALYZE AN ARGUMENT 25 MIN.

Pairs

Invite a student to summarize the key points of the article. Explain that in this lesson, students will analyze the author’s argument in more detail so they can evaluate her claim.

Review Handout 14A’s task and directions for analyzing the article’s argument. Encourage students to use their notes on Handout 13A from the last lesson as needed.

Pairs analyze the author’s argument by completing Handout 14A.

Scaffold

If it appears many pairs are struggling, consider doing some of Handout 14A’s analysis collaboratively with the whole class.

Ask: “What claim is the author making regarding the effects of advertising?”

Guide students, as needed, to see that the author’s claim is that ads are dangerous to children.

Then ask: “What reasons does she offer to support her claim?”

n Ads influence children to engage in harmful behavior.

n Ads mislead children, who are too young to understand what is happening, to make choices that are not good for them.

n Ads use misleading or deceptive techniques to trick children.

Then ask: “What evidence does she offer to support her reasons?”

n As evidence, she quotes experts to support her claim. She is very specific about what university they are from and the kinds of studies they did.

n She describes what some of the research is, as when she talked about how one researcher followed 4,000 students from seventh to tenth grades to look at the effects of advertising.

n She also presents information about how much advertising children are exposed to and what children’s brains are like that show why the ads might be so harmful.

Ask students: “Based on your analysis, is the author’s argument convincing? Why?”

n It is convincing. She presents many reasons for her claim, and the evidence is from several different experts.

n She does a good job presenting the evidence, not just saying what the experts say but explaining some of their studies as well.

n It is convincing, but to be completely convinced, I would need to see more evidence and read more about the studies she mentions and other studies.

ANALYZE THE THREE APPEALS AND AD TECHNIQUES 35 MIN.

Small Groups

Explain that there are three appeals writers of persuasive texts, such as a speech or advertisement, use to try to change their audience’s beliefs or behaviors. Display the following information about the three appeals:

Type of Appeal Meaning Example

Pathos

An appeal to emotion. an ad that makes viewers feel happy by showing an adorable child feeding puppy food to an equally cute puppy

Logos

An appeal to logic or reason. a political speech that tries to convince an audience to vote for a candidate and gives logical reasons and evidence why that candidate would help the audience

Ethos

An appeal to character or credibility, showing that the company or product is believable or reliable.

Display the print ads from the previous lesson.

an ad that shows a celebrity using a product, because the ad makers know that people who love that celebrity will trust their judgment about a product and will be more likely to believe the product is reliable or helpful

Distribute Handout 14B, and collaboratively analyze the first two ads. Have small groups complete the remainder of the handout.

Invite students to share their responses and rationale. Ask: “What did you notice about which types of appeals advertisers most frequently make?” Guide students to understand that advertisers appeal to pathos and ethos often but rarely to logos.

Then, explain that as students may have pointed out, advertisers use specific techniques to make these appeals.

Place students in small groups, and assign each group one of the specific advertising techniques described on Handout 14C. (If you have more than six groups, multiple groups can work on the same technique.) Ask each group to read about the technique assigned and work together to find a few examples of that technique in the video or print ads they viewed in the prior lesson.

Small groups study and find examples of their assigned advertising technique.

Ask a member of each group to briefly describe their assigned technique and share the examples, and instruct students to take notes as others share.

TEACHER NOTE

As time permits, allow groups to research their technique in more detail, including the historic and iconic ads using the technique. It might also be helpful to contrast the ads with the article students read. Guide students to see that the article appeals far more to logos, using facts and statistics to support the author’s claim.

Extension

Consider having each group create their own ad for a product using a specific technique assigned to them.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Which of the techniques listed on Handout 14C might lead advertisers to be manipulative or deceptive?”

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students write in their Response Journal about which of the three rhetorical appeals the ad they chose for homework is making and which of the advertising techniques it uses.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students build on their identification of the article’s key points in the last lesson to dissect and analyze the author’s argument in depth. They complete Handout 14A, identifying the author’s claim, reasons, and evidence (RI.7.8). Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ Succinctly states the author’s claim: that advertising is dangerous to children.

ƒ Identifies at least two reasons for the author’s claim.

ƒ Identifies at least three key pieces of evidence supporting the author’s claim and reasons.

Next Steps

Being able to analyze an argument is a key skill for students as they read Animal Farm and begin writing their own arguments. If students struggle, first identify the source of the problem. Are they having difficulty cutting through the information to identify the author’s claim? If so, consider providing a sentence frame: The author claims that advertising to children. Or, are students struggling to figure out what the author’s reasons are? If that is the case, have students return to Handout 13A from the last lesson. Ask students to think about the author’s claim and look at what information from Handout 13A would support the idea that ads are dangerous to children. If identifying evidence is the problem, consider rereading the fourth paragraph beginning with the sentence, “In a study published last month …” Discuss why this study can be considered evidence for the author’s reasons. Then have students go through the article and highlight other similar evidence.

Lesson 14 Deep Dive: Style and

Conventions

Examine Phrases and Clauses

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Time: 15 min. ƒ

Texts: “How Advertising Targets Our Children,” Perri Klass (http://witeng.link/0353), “Serena Williams—Rise,” Andre Stringer, Advertisement (http://witeng.link/0347) ƒ

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Identify phrases and clauses, and explain their function in specific instances (L.7.1.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 14

Examine: Why are phrases and clauses important?

Launch

Post the Style and Conventions Craft Question.

Distribute Handout 14D, and tell students to brainstorm what they remember about phrases, independent clauses, and dependent clauses, recording key characteristics on the first row of the table on the handout.

Display the following two sentences from the article, explaining that students should use them to describe characteristics of phrases and clauses as needed: ƒ

“Older children may have a better understanding of commercials, but they are vulnerable in other ways.”

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“And when a child asks for something, parents should not simply refuse.”

Invite students to share what they brainstormed. Guide them as needed to understand and revise their notes on Handout 14D to reflect that:

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A phrase is a group of words that does not have a subject-verb set. In the posted sentences, “of commercials” is an example of a phrase.

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An independent clause is a group of words that has a subject-verb set and could stand alone as a sentence. Independent clauses can be joined by a conjunction like and, but, or, or yet, or by a semicolon. In the posted sentences, “[T]hey are vulnerable in other ways” is an independent clause.

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A dependent clause is a group of words that has a subject-verb set but could not stand alone as a sentence. Dependent clauses begin with dependent marker words, also known as subordinating conjunctions, such as after, because, even though, when, or while. In the posted sentences, “when a child asks for something” is a dependent clause.

Explain that in this and the next few Deep Dive lessons, students will examine the functions of phrases and clauses and will think particularly about why using phrases and clauses is important to writers of arguments.

Ask students to recall from prior modules and lessons, including the most recent ones on sentence structures, what purposes or functions phrases and clauses serve.

n Both phrases and clauses can be used as transitions.

n Dependent clauses can be used to show a time relationship. For example, the dependent clause in the second sentence, “when a child asks for something,” does that.

n Phrases can be used to add more information. For example, in the sentences posted on the board, the phrase “of commercials” gives more information about the word understanding and answers the question “understanding of what?”

Display the following paragraph, from Handout 14D, pointing out that it includes some of the elements of a CREEA-C paragraph—claim, reason, evidence, and elaboration:

The ad “Rise” shows that an inspiring ad may not be as persuasive as other types of ads because the consumer may be left feeling inspired but not persuaded to buy the product. Numerous elements combine to make “Rise” inspiring. The song is uplifting and catchy, sticking with the viewer long after the ad ends. It also sends a musical message to keep fighting even when things are tough. The ad designer also tells a compelling story, starting with how desolate Serena Williams feels at the beginning of the ad, as she gets up early and remembers her negative press coverage and bad tennis moments. From that low point, though, the story “rises,” as she begins to run, especially when she begins running up the stairs. By the time she reaches the top of those stairs, she is remembering better moments from her career, the times of great shots and winning trophies. The combination of the song and the story leave the viewer feeling inspired to go play tennis, run, or surmount other obstacles, but the question is what is being advertised? It is hard to even remember that part of the ad. The inspiring story and music would cause most viewers to overlook the product—a particular brand of headphones. While the ad is powerful, it does not necessarily persuade viewers to buy headphones, which is, after all, the point.

Have pairs use Handout 14D to identify whether the underlined words are phrases, dependent clauses, or independent clauses and jot notes above each about the function it serves.

Then invite students to share examples, clarifying understanding as needed.

Land

Students summarize their ideas about what functions or purposes phrases and clauses serve in the second row of the table in Handout 14D.

Incorporating students’ ideas, summarize the key purposes of phrases and clauses as follows, recording them on an anchor chart for future reference:

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Phrases and clauses can be used as transitions.

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Phrases add information and precision to writing, often by answering who, what, when, where, why, or how questions.

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Phrases and clauses show relationships among ideas, such as relationships of time, cause-and-effect, or comparison and contrast.

Lesson 15: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Share and Analyze Ads

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Experiment with Writing a Claim, Reason, and Evidence (20 min.)

Notice and Wonder about New Text (35 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (5 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Phrases (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

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RL.7.1, RL.7.4

Writing ƒ W.7.1.a, W.7.1.b

Speaking and Listening

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SL.7.1, SL.7.2

Language ƒ

L.4.a ƒ L.7.1.a

MATERIALS

Handout 14B: The Three Appeals ƒ Handout 14C: Advertising Techniques ƒ

Handout 15A: Experiment with Phrases

Learning Goals

Assert a claim about whether an advertisement uses fair or unfair techniques to persuade consumers, and support that claim with reasons and evidence (W.7.1.a, W.7.1.b).

Write a partial argument paragraph with a claim, reason, and evidence.

Formulate observations and questions about chapter I of Animal Farm (RL.7.1).

Record observations and questions about Animal Farm on a Notice and Wonder T-Chart.

Revise an argument paragraph by using phrases to create transitions, add detail and precision, and clarify relationships (L.7.1.a).

Revise the paragraph on Handout 15A by adding phrases to serve three different purposes.

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 12–21

How and why does language persuade?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 15

Wonder: What do I notice and wonder about chapter I of Animal Farm?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 15

Experiment: How does writing a claim supported by clear reasons and relevant evidence work?

After completing their study of advertisers’ persuasive techniques by writing a claim with a reason and evidence about one of the ads, students then delve into the core text, Animal Farm, to see how persuasive and other language techniques play out in this classic tale. While Orwell wrote Animal Farm as a thinly veiled allegory of the Russian Revolution, students will primarily focus on reading and understanding the story on a literary level, focusing on its themes of the power of language and the importance of critical thinking. In this lesson’s exploratory reading of chapter I, students get a sense of the characters and setting and encounter the first critical moment in the text: Old Major’s speech.

SHARE AND ANALYZE ADS

In pairs, students share their analysis of which of the three rhetorical appeals the ads they chose for homework are making, and the techniques the ad makers use. Encourage students to refer to Handout 14B and Handout 14C as needed.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and the Content Framing Question.

Ask: “What have you learned so far about the power of language to persuade?”

Invite students to share a few of their observations about the appeals and techniques used in the ads that they discussed in the Welcome task.

55 MIN.

EXPERIMENT WITH WRITING A CLAIM, REASON, AND EVIDENCE

Individuals

20 MIN.

Display the Craft Question: How does writing a claim supported by clear reasons and relevant evidence work?

Ask students to make the following T-chart in their Response Journal:

Fair to Consumers

Unfair or Misleading

Then instruct them to choose one of the ads, look through their notes about that ad as well as their notes on Handouts 14B and 14C, and fill in the T-chart with evidence about techniques the ad uses that are fair to consumers and those that are not.

Have students decide, based on the evidence, whether the ad is persuasive in a way that is fair to consumers or in a way that is unfair or misleading.

Ask: “What is the reason and evidence for your claim?”

Students write the beginning of an argument paragraph about whether the ad they chose is persuasive in a way that is fair or in a way that is unfair or misleading. Specify that students’ paragraph starters should include:

1. A claim statement.

2. A clear reason.

3. At least two pieces of evidence that support that reason.

Differentiation

Consider challenging advanced writers to experiment with the order in which they present these elements.

Invite pairs to share. As time permits, choose one or two students to share with the class, using their examples to reinforce prior teaching about writing claim statements, presenting a clear reason, and offering reliable, relevant evidence.

NOTICE AND WONDER ABOUT NEW TEXT 35 MIN.

Whole Group

Tell students that they will begin a new novel, Animal Farm. Distribute the books, and give students a few minutes to read and note key details from the front and back cover. Invite students to share their observations.

n I noticed that there is a drawing of a pig on the front cover around the title.

n The back cover text uses the words fable and fairy tale. I’m surprised by those words because it seems like a novel, and those seem like picture book words.

n The back cover also uses words like “one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned” and “masterpiece,” so I think this is a famous book.

n I noticed that it says that it is for grown-ups. That confuses me because of the fairy tale and fable parts.

Ask students to turn to a clean two-page spread in their Response Journal. Have them create the following Notice and Wonder T-Chart on the left-hand page, leaving ample space to write in each box:

Notice Wonder Character

Plot

Setting

Then instruct them to create a plain Notice and Wonder T-Chart on the right-hand page.

TEACHER NOTE

Animal Farm uses Roman numerals to identify each chapter. If students are likely to be unfamiliar with the Roman numeral system, consider posting an anchor chart or having them quickly make a key in their Response Journal to show the equivalent Arabic numeral for each Roman numeral.

Explain that as you read, students should read along and think about what they notice and wonder.

Begin reading chapter I aloud, stopping at the end of the first paragraph on page 6 after the sentence ending, “without listening to a word of what he was saying.”

Students record what they notice and wonder about character, plot, and setting on the left-hand chart.

TEACHER NOTE

As you read and discuss students’ observations and questions, refrain from thinking aloud or making interpretations, as students will do so on their own as they delve more deeply into chapter I in the next two lessons.

Ask: “What did you discover about the characters so far?”

n Orwell describes the animal characters as being and acting just like humans. It is like the personification we learned in the poetry lessons, except it is more specific and detailed.

n There is a large pig called Old Major who is about to tell his dream.

n There are two horses named Boxer and Clover. The author calls Boxer “stupid” and “not of first-rate intelligence” but also says others respected him for his “steadiness of character” and “tremendous powers of work.”

n There is a bad-tempered donkey named Benjamin. The author describes him using the word cynical, which is a word we read in the article about advertising. It surprised me that he is devoted to Boxer.

n It is hard to tell who the most important characters are other than Old Major.

Ask: “What questions do you have about the characters?”

n I wonder what it means when the text says that Old Major is “majestic looking.” I’m trying to picture what that looks like for a pig.

n What does it mean when it says, “his tushes had never been cut”?

n I wonder why the author includes some of the details, like that the horse Mollie wants everyone to notice her red ribbons.

Address students’ questions as needed to ensure comprehension. For instance, be sure to clarify that Old Major is a boar or male pig.

Ask: “What have you noticed about the plot and setting so far?”

n The setting is a farm and more specifically, the barn on the farm.

n Mr. Jones, the farmer, has gotten drunk and gone to bed. He seems careless because he forgot to shut the popholes and “kicked his boots off at the back door.”

n The old pig or boar is going to tell all the other animals about his dream.

n I wonder why they are so interested in his dream. The text says that “he was highly regarded on the farm,” but even so, it seems strange to think his dream is important.

n They are all excited to hear it and are gathering in the big barn.

Ask: “What are you wondering about the plot or setting so far?”

n I wonder what the speech is going to be about.

n I am wondering if the plot is going to have action. So far they are just gathering in a barn to listen to a speech.

n I am wondering what kind of story this is. The plot seems kind of babyish with farm animals as the characters and all of them gathering in a barn.

Address questions to the extent needed to assure comprehension.

Explain that Old Major uses a word to address the animals, comrades. Tell students that to help them infer the word’s meaning, you will read the next two paragraphs on page 6.

Read the two paragraphs, and ask students to use context to predict comrade’s meaning. Clarify understanding as needed, using the following definition: “a close friend who has shared experiences, possesses similar interests, or is committed to a similar cause.”

TEACHER NOTE

Later in the module, students will learn that Orwell chose this word because of its use by the leaders of the Soviet Union’s Communist Party. But, at this early stage of reading the novel, students merely need to understand the word’s common meaning.

Explain that as you read, students should record key details and questions about Old Major’s speech on the Notice and Wonder T-Chart on the right-hand side of their two-page spread. Begin reading Old Major’s speech from the beginning, stopping at the end of the second paragraph on page 10 after the sentence, “Major raised his trotter for silence.”

TEACHER NOTE

Read the speech with the type of inflection and passion Old Major would have used. Students will engage in a fluency activity throughout this module to deliver the speeches of various characters in Animal Farm; your reading will serve as a model.

Pause for students to record observations and questions. Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What did you notice about Old Major’s speech?”

n He thinks he will die soon and wants to share what he knows before he dies.

n He says that animals in England have unhappy lives and compares them to slaves. They are born, they are worked to death, and then they are slaughtered. I remember discussing that word in Code Talker and how it implies a brutal death.

n He blames “Man” for the animals’ lives. He says that animals could have plenty of food and a restful life if it weren’t for humans.

n I noticed that he uses some of the same techniques the speakers in the speeches we studied used, such as repeating his points or key words.

n I noticed that during his speech, he sometimes speaks directly to certain animals. For example, he asks the cows how many gallons of milk they have given over the last year, and the hens, how many eggs. He talks to Clover about where the foals she gave birth to have gone.

n He is brutal when he describes how they will all die. He gets very specific.

n He calls for the animals to rebel against humans, and he tells the animals to spread the word about that.

n He says that once they rebel, they will have a better life.

n I noticed that he was using many complex and other complicated sentence structures, but then he says, “All men are enemies. All animals are comrades.” It is like we have been discussing in Deep Dives, by switching to simple sentences, those two points really stand out.

If, after giving students ample time to share their observations, they do not point out key aspects of the speech, use questions like the following to draw students’ attention to them:

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TEACHER NOTE

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What is Old Major saying about the lives of animals?

Who does he hold responsible for animals’ sad lives?

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What does Old Major suggest would happen to animals if humans did not have power over animals?

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What is Old Major suggesting as a solution to the problems he outlines?

Then instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What questions did you have as you read and heard the speech?”

n I wonder why he still has not shared about his dream because I thought that was the reason they all gathered, and I’m curious about that.

n What is a knacker?

n I am wondering what the other animals are thinking about what he is saying. He has been talking a while, and I wonder why the author has not told us anything about the other animals.

TEACHER NOTE

If no students notice or question the way the speech is punctuated, briefly explain the use of quotation marks throughout Old Major’s speech, as students will need to be aware of this rule as they read other speeches in the text.

Briefly address questions as needed to support comprehension. For example, explain that the word knacker refers to “a person who disposes of dead animals, especially those not fit for people to eat.”

Explain that as you read the final portion of chapter I, students should continue to record what they notice and wonder about character, plot, and setting on the left and details and wonderings about Old Major’s speech on the right.

Read aloud to the end of the chapter.

TEACHER NOTE

Because of the inspirational nature of Old Major’s song and its role in the novel, consider singing it (using the tune of “Clementine”), having students sing it with you chorally, or playing one of the many recorded versions available online.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What did you notice and wonder about Old Major’s speech in this section?”

n I noticed that after the dogs tried to kill the rats, Old Major paused his speech to ask the animals to vote on whether rats are comrades. The animals voted that they are.

n He says all animals are equal and warns the animals not to adopt humans’ bad habits.

n I wonder why after all the build up to the dream, all he says is, “And now, comrades, I will tell you about my dream. I cannot describe that dream to you. It was a dream of the earth as it will be when Man has vanished.” That is not what I expected.

n Instead of describing his dream, he talks about his childhood and sings a song he learned then. The song is about how sweet life will be for the animals once they are free.

Then ask: “What else did you notice and wonder in the last pages of chapter I?”

n The animals were very excited by the song. I wonder why.

n They all learned it quickly, even the “stupidest” ones.

n We learned more about the setting—the story takes place in England.

n I noticed that even though up to this point Orwell has discussed the animals as almost human-like, they still have animal qualities, as when the dogs chased the rats or when he described them singing the song with the cows lowing, the dogs whining, the sheep bleating, and the ducks quacking. I wonder why he switches back and forth in this way.

n I noticed that they woke up Farmer Jones who shoots a gun and scares them all.

n I wonder why the animals didn’t revolt right after the speech and the song, or at least, start planning for that.

n The book reminds me of a fairy tale because the animals talk, but what the pig is talking about does not seem very fairy tale-ish.

Have students look back over their questions and identify which have been answered and which they are still wondering about. As time permits, encourage pairs to use the text to see which of their questions they can answer, or address questions as a whole group.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Ask students to look back at what they recorded on their Notice and Wonder T-Chart and discuss with a partner what connections they can make to texts and learning from prior modules or from earlier lessons in the current module. As time permits, invite a few students to share.

n I noticed that Old Major is concerned about humans having all the power and animals having none. That reminded me of Module 1 because we discussed hierarchy and the effects of hierarchy on characters like Alyce in The Midwife’s Apprentice.

n I also noticed a connection to Module 2 because Old Major is trying to unite the animals against a common enemy, humans, and the war led many in America and other allied countries to join against the common enemies of Japan, Germany, and Italy.

n I noticed many connections to the speeches in this module. It seems as if the author intentionally used many of the same techniques real-life speakers use.

n I also noticed connections to our Speaking Goal from Module 2, to emphasize important points. He was using some of the same strategies we discussed.

Wrap5 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Assign students one of the nine paragraphs from Old Major’s speech to deliver aloud during Lesson 16. Exclude the paragraph on page 10 in which Old Major invites the animals to vote on whether rats are comrades. Encourage students to read the paragraph silently, noting which words and phrases they want to emphasize, and then practice reading the paragraph aloud, delivering it fluently.

Differentiation

Consider assigning paragraphs based on fluency abilities. Students with less fluency can deliver paragraphs 1 or 2. Students with greater fluency can be guided to select a longer, more complex paragraph.

Have students refer to their Response Journal notes from Module 1 on the Elements of Fluency, or display a summary of the Elements of Fluency for student reference:

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Effort: Read smoothly; pronounce words correctly.

ƒ Clarity: Read clearly; enunciate words so your listener can understand.

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Accuracy: Read precisely; verbalize the words on the page.

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Speed: Read purposefully; speak slower or faster to emphasize meaning.

Expression: Read meaningfully.

p Emphasize important words.

p Use punctuation. Pause at commas. Stop at periods. Express emotion at exclamation points. Use a questioning voice at a question mark.

p Divide sentences into significant chunks or phrases.

p Use volume; raise and lower voice to add meaning.

p Use pitch and tone.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students go deeper with the skill of argument writing as they write a portion of an argument paragraph, including a claim about whether an advertisement uses fair or unfair techniques to persuade consumers, and reasons and evidence to support that claim (W.7.1.a, W.7.1.b). Check for the following success criteria:

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Succinctly and directly states a claim.

ƒ Presents reasons that are logically related to and supportive of the claim.

ƒ Cites specific and relevant evidence from the advertisement chosen.

Next Steps

For students’ ultimate success with argument writing, it is critical that they understand each element of an argument paragraph and can apply that understanding. Providing early support for those who are having difficulty is essential. If students struggle with writing a paragraph with the elements addressed in this lesson—claim, reasons, and evidence—consider having them use a graphic organizer like the following:

Claim The ad, , uses fair/unfair techniques to persuade consumers. (Fill in blank and circle appropriate word for your claim.)

Reason It is fair/unfair because it: (list reasons, specifying generally fair or unfair techniques used).

Summarize the reasons in one sentence:

Evidence What specific images or text in the ad support the reasons?

Lesson 15 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions Experiment with Phrases

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Time: 15 min.

Text: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter I ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Revise an argument paragraph by using phrases to create transitions, add detail and precision, and clarify relationships (L.7.1.a).

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STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 15 Experiment: How does using phrases in arguments work?

Launch

Post the Style and Conventions Craft Question.

Post the previous Deep Dive’s anchor chart summarizing the functions of phrases and clauses: ƒ

Phrases and clauses can be used as transitions. ƒ

Phrases add information and precision to writing, often by answering who, what, when, where, why, or how questions. ƒ

Phrases and clauses show relationships among ideas, such as time, cause-and-effect, or comparison and contrast.

Divide the class into three groups, and assign each group one of the purposes.

Display the following paragraph from Handout 15A, and instruct students to work together to identify places in the paragraph where it would be helpful to add a phrase or clause for their assigned purpose.

When students improve their noticing and wondering skills, they become better readers. They pay attention early. They think consciously about what questions they have. They develop a deeper understanding of what they read. Many teachers report that students who notice and wonder well understand books at a deeper level. They demonstrate this both through their work in class and high scores on reading assessments. One teacher pointed to her experience with one student. She noticed only three basic facts and had no questions when her class read the first book of the year, Castle Diary. This student struggled with comprehension early in the year. The year progressed. The student listened to classmates share their observations and questions and received teacher support. She improved her noticing and wondering skills. When the class read the first chapter of Animal Farm, the student listed over twenty important details, including making connections to prior texts the class had read and recognizing the use of techniques such as figurative language the class had learned about. The student wondered about many aspects of the book. She is a stronger reader now. She demonstrates a solid understanding of Animal Farm. She makes astute comments in writing and in class discussions. She performs well on New-Read Assessments and other assessments. Improving students’ noticing and wondering skills makes them more capable readers.

Call on a representative from each group to share an idea:

n We noticed that it does not have many transitions, and as a result, it sounds choppy and hard to follow. For example, it needs a transition between the first and second sentences.

n Many places could use more detail or precision. For example, the writer says, “They pay closer attention early.” But, it would be helpful to know the answer to the question, “Paid attention to what?”

n We noticed that the last sentence could use a phrase or clause showing a connection between all the evidence the writer presented and the claim that becoming better at noticing and wondering helps people become better readers.

Learn

Explain that in this Deep Dive, students will focus on using phrases to improve the paragraph, and in the next Deep Dive they will focus on clauses.

Model how a phrase can be used as a transition.

The essay could use a phrase to connect the evidence the writer presents about the individual student to the writer’s last sentence. For example, I might add the phrase, “As demonstrated by this student’s experience,” to the beginning of the last sentence to show this connection and make the paragraph flow more smoothly.

Then model how a phrase might add needed information or precision.

The sentence “They pay closer attention early” leaves the reader hanging. I might add a participial phrase like, “They pay closer attention early, noting key details about the plot, character, and setting of the text.”

Have pairs add a phrase to the paragraph to clarify a relationship among ideas.

Invite a few pairs to share their examples.

n We added the phrase, “For example,” to the sentence beginning, “One teacher pointed to her experience with one student” to create a transition from the general points the author was making to more specific evidence.

n To show that listening to classmates share their observations and getting support from the teacher caused the student to improve her noticing and wondering skills, we added the phrase, “As a result,” to the beginning of the sentence, “She improved her noticing and wondering skills.”

Scaffold

If students are having a hard time coming up with phrases or distinguishing between phrases and clauses, briefly review the key types of phrases used so far as examples:

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Prepositional phrase: A phrase beginning with a preposition and including a noun, such as “to the moon.” (Connect this type to its function—that it often answers a who, what, why, when, or where question.)

Appositive phrase: A noun phrase explaining or giving a synonym of another noun. For example, “the author, a well-known writer.” (Connect this type to its function—that it often serves to clarify an idea or add information.)

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Participial phrase: A phrase including the adjective form of a verb, such as “Swimming in the lake for hours, we splashed and enjoyed each other’s company.” (Connect this type to its function—that it often serves as an adjective to add information.)

Land

Students add phrases to the paragraph on Handout 15A to serve the three purposes discussed in the Launch.

As time permits, invite students to share some of the phrases they added and explain the functions they serve. Clarify misunderstandings as needed.

Lesson 16

ƒ Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter I ƒ Excerpts from “Friedrich Engels, Revolutionary, Activist, Unionist, and Social Investigator,” Rosalie Baker (Handout 16B)

Lesson 16: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Practice Fluent Reading

Launch (3 min.) Learn (63 min.)

Organize and Analyze Character Details (15 min.)

Analyze a Speech Paragraph (17 min.)

Compare and Contrast Texts (18 min.)

Examine Elaboration (13 min.)

Land (3 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Clauses (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

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RL.7.3, RI.7.8

Writing ƒ W.7.1.c

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1

Language ƒ L.7.1.a

MATERIALS

Handout 16A: The Characters of Animal Farm ƒ

Nine pieces of chart paper, one sheet per group ƒ

Handout 16B: Excerpts from “Friedrich Engels, Revolutionary, Activist, Unionist, and Social Investigator,” Rosalie Baker ƒ

Handout 16C: Key Terms, Events, People, and Places ƒ

Handout 16D: Experiment with Clauses

* While Animal Farm is a literary text, RI.7.8 nonetheless applies to students’ analyses of the arguments that Old Major, Squealer, and others make throughout the book to persuade others and justify their decisions or actions. This standard focuses on the techniques and structure of arguments, and in their speeches and arguments, these characters are using the very types of arguments and techniques the standard intends for students to analyze.

Learning Goals

Describe key characters introduced in chapter I, identifying specific words, phrases, and actions Orwell uses to develop each character (RL.7.3).

Record character details on Handout 16A with a partner.

Analyze how Old Major develops an argument in his speech (RI.7.8*).

Collaboratively create a chart listing the key claims, reasons, and techniques Old Major uses in an assigned paragraph.

Write an argument paragraph about Old Major’s speech, using clauses to create transitions and clarify relationships (L.7.1.a).

Write a portion of an argument paragraph supporting the claim from Handout 16D, using at least two clauses to create transitions and clarify relationships.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 12–21

How and why does language persuade?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 16

Organize: What is happening in chapter I of Animal Farm?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 16

Examine: Why are elaboration and transitions important in argument writing?

In this lesson, students return to chapter I’s rich content as they organize what they discovered about characters, a process that will set the stage for them to track character perspective and development over the course of the novel. They also begin to analyze the argument Old Major makes and compare what Old Major does and says with what they learn in a short text about the theories of Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx, hinting at what students will soon discover—that what may seem like a simple story about animals actually goes much deeper.

Welcome

5 MIN.

PRACTICE FLUENT READING

Have students pair with partners who practiced the same paragraph as they did for homework and follow these directions: ƒ

One partner fluently reads the paragraph to the other. ƒ

The other partner listens carefully. ƒ

The listener then gives feedback, identifying one element of fluency that is a strength and one that is an area for growth. ƒ

Partners switch roles and repeat the process.

Display the Elements of Fluency for student reference: ƒ

Effort: Read smoothly; pronounce words correctly. ƒ

Clarity: Read clearly; enunciate words so your listener can understand. ƒ

Accuracy: Read precisely; verbalize the words on the page.

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Speed: Read purposefully; speak slower or faster to emphasize meaning.

Expression: Read meaningfully.

p Emphasize important words.

p Use punctuation. Pause at commas. Stop at periods. Express emotion at exclamation points. Use a questioning voice at a question mark.

p Divide sentences into significant chunks or phrases.

p Use volume; raise and lower voice to add meaning.

p Use pitch and tone.

Launch

3 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question. Ask: “How did practicing Old Major’s speech aloud help you recognize or appreciate the techniques he uses to persuade the other animals?”

63 MIN. ORGANIZE AND ANALYZE CHARACTER DETAILS 15 MIN.

Pairs

Explain that as with any novel, it will be important to keep track of characters and their developments throughout Animal Farm and that students will use Handout 16A for this task.

Model how to use this handout by collaboratively filling out Chart 1 of the handout with details about Old Major and the pigs:

Chapter Description of the Character(s)

n I n “Prize Middle White Boar.”

n “Highly regarded on the farm.”

n 12 years old.

n Stout.

n “Majestic looking.”

n “Wise and benevolent in appearance.”

What’s New, or How Has/Have the Character(s) Changed in this Chapter?

Old Major:

n Had a strange dream that he wants to share with other animals.

n Gives speech about how humans mistreat animals.

n Calls for animals to rebel.

n Leads singing of “Beasts of England.”

Other pigs:

n Sit on straw immediately in front of platform where Major will speak.

Instruct students to work in pairs to fill in information on the following characters on Handout 16A: ƒ Boxer. ƒ Benjamin. ƒ Mollie.

Pairs add information to Handout 16A.

Have volunteers share.

n Boxer: horse; enormous; strong as two horses put together; stupid-looking; not that intelligent; respected for his character and hard work; careful not to tread on smaller animals when he sits in the straw.

n Benjamin: donkey; oldest animal on farm; bad-tempered; rarely talks or laughs; cynical; devoted to Boxer and spends Sundays with him.

n Mollie: “foolish, pretty white mare;” chewing lump of sugar; wants everyone to notice red ribbons in her mane.

TEACHER NOTE

Students will use this handout throughout the remaining Animal Farm lessons to document what they learn about characters to make it easier to analyze character and plot developments over the course of the novel.

Small Groups

Place students into small groups according to the paragraph of Old Major’s speech they were assigned for fluency homework. Give each group a large piece of chart paper, and instruct them to have one person in the group make the following chart on the paper in a landscape style:

Paragraph #

What Does Old Major Say? Why Does He Say It?

How Does He Say It?

Display and explain the following directions for how groups should complete their charts: ƒ

“What Does Old Major Say?” Choose four key words or phrases Old Major uses in your assigned paragraph.

“Why Does He Say It?” For each word or phrase chosen, explain why Old Major uses that word or paragraph. ƒ

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“How Does He Say It?” Record at least two specific techniques Old Major uses to emphasize his message and make his points.

Model the process with student collaboration using the first paragraph of Old Major’s speech as an example. For example, students might choose the phrase “I have had a long life” and then infer that Old Major says this to make the animals trust him and his experience. For the “How” box, students might note that he uses formal phrases like “I shall not be” and “I feel it is my duty” to make the speech seem serious and important.

Scaffold

If students need additional support, consider working through several other examples from different paragraphs of Old Major’s speech. Additionally, consider asking questions like the following as you circulate to assist groups that are struggling:

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What words in the paragraph might stand out to the listeners? ƒ

What effect might those words have on the other animals? ƒ

Think about the advertisements we saw. Is Old Major doing anything similar to persuade in this paragraph?

Small groups create their chart, recording the key claims, reasons, and techniques Old Major uses in their assigned paragraph.

Collect or post groups’ charts, explaining that in the next lesson, students will do a Gallery Walk and use the charts for further analysis of Old Major’s speech.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST TEXTS 18 MIN.

Whole Group

Explain that although Orwell’s novel is fiction, he wrote it based on actual ideas and events. Tell students to read along as you read an informational text about some of these ideas and events.

Read excerpts from “Friedrich Engels, Revolutionary, Activist, Unionist, and Social Investigator” (Handout 16B).

Instruct pairs to discuss the following question: “What parallels can you draw between what Old Major says and does and what Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels said and did?”

Display and have students create the following T-chart in their Response Journal:

was a criticism of the state of factory workers during the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in Europe and a call to arms meant to inspire workers to fight for their rights. This one phrase has been used as the tagline for communist leaders since its initial publication in 1848 …

2 Friedrich Engels was the oldest son of a German businessman who owned several factories. As a young man, Engels had a variety of interests, including reading “radical” literature that criticized the treatment of factory workers. During the Industrial Revolution, many factory owners made a great deal of money, but they did not share this new wealth with the workers. Factory employees also had to work very long hours, often in difficult conditions. It was these conditions that upset the young Friedrich Engels.

3 Engels knew about life in a factory. He had walked through streets polluted by factory emissions on his way to school. He also observed the living conditions of the city’s working class, which he described as being worse than those of animals …

* * *

G7 M3 Handout 16B WIT WISDOM Page of G7 M3 Lesson 16 WIT & WISDOM®

Old Major Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

As students share the parallels, fill in the class version of the chart, and have students take notes on their individual chart.

Old Major Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

n Gives a speech calling on animals to rebel. n Wrote a manifesto calling on workers to fight for their rights.

n Upset that humans became rich while the animals barely had enough to eat and were eventually slaughtered.

n Upset that factory owners became rich while workers did not.

n Angry about how humans treat animals. n Angry about how factory owners treated workers (long hours, difficult conditions).

n Compares the way animals are treated to slaves. n Compared the way workers were treated to animals.

Scaffold

If students struggle to make comparisons, point to specific sentences from the article and then ask students to draw parallels to Old Major.

Distribute Handout 16C. Ask students to silently read the definitions of communism and highlight key words. Ask: “Based on these definitions, what is your understanding of communism?” In discussing students’ responses, be sure they understand that in many economies, such as the current American system, people individually own businesses and property privately and make the profits from those, while in a communist system, property and businesses are “owned or controlled by the public.” Offer examples with which students might be familiar to clarify the distinction between public and private ownership, such as a “No Trespassing” sign for private property or an electricity bill for a public utility company. Also point out that, just as in Animal Farm, communism began, in part, to address a perceived inequity among social and economic classes and to improve the lives of the working class.

TEACHER NOTE

Because the focus of this module is on the literary nature of Animal Farm, rather than the historical context, the lessons do not address the allegorical nature of the novel in as much depth as possible. Multiple websites offer more detailed information about the allegory. For example, the following blog post, which is connected to a book review students will read in Lesson 32, provides more about the real-life impetus for Orwell’s work: http://witeng.link/0288.

EXAMINE ELABORATION

Whole Group

13 MIN.

Display the Craft Question: Why are elaboration and transitions important in argument writing?

Display the following paragraph.

Old Major’s speech is as inspiring a speech as any politician or leader could wish to deliver. He gives the animals on the farm a reason to hope for a brighter future, and he spells out concrete actions the animals can and should take to accomplish that future. For example, he says, “Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be our own. Almost overnight we could become rich and free” (9). He also says, “That is my message to you, comrades: Rebellion!” (9).

Ask: “What do you notice about this paragraph?”

n It kind of leaves the reader hanging. It gives evidence but does not say anything about why it is important.

n It sounds smooth at the beginning but choppy at the end.

n It does not explain anything.

Then display the following revised version of the paragraph:

Old Major’s speech is as inspiring a speech as any politician or leader could wish to deliver. He gives the animals on the farm a reason to hope for a brighter future, and he spells out concrete actions the animals can and should take to accomplish that future. For example, he says, “Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be our own. Almost overnight we could become rich and free” (9). This bright picture of the animals’ future without human control is a positive message that must make the animals feel joyful and hopeful. Old Major goes further, though, and explains how the animals can reach that future. He says, “That is my message to you, comrades: Rebellion!” By telling the animals how they can achieve the bright future he portrays, his speech becomes even more inspiring. He shows that being rich and free is not just something the animals can dream about but something they can actually accomplish.

Ask: “What do you notice about the difference between the two paragraphs?”

n In the second paragraph, the writer inserts an elaboration sentence after each piece of evidence.

n In the second paragraph, the writer uses transitions to connect the elaboration sentences to the evidence.

n The elaboration sentences show why the evidence from the book supports the claim that the speech gave the animals a reason to hope and a way to accomplish what they are hoping for.

n The second paragraph sounds much smoother and makes more sense with the transitions and elaboration.

n The second paragraph sticks together better.

Build on students’ responses to emphasize that the primary goal of elaboration in argument writing is to make it clear to the reader why the evidence the writer selects supports the reasons he gives for his claim.

Ask students to focus on the transitions in the paragraph. Ask: “What transitions do you notice, and what purpose does each serve?”

n The writer uses “for example” to connect the sentence containing the reason with the first sentence containing evidence.

n The phrase, “By telling the animals how they can achieve the bright future he portrays,” introduces the elaboration sentence which shows the connection between the evidence and the reason.

Build on students’ responses to clarify that in addition to the purposes for transitions students learned in Module 2, transitions serve an additional purpose in argument writing—to connect claims to reasons and reasons to evidence.

3 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Remind students that in today’s lesson they looked at character details in chapter I, analyzed specific words and techniques Old Major uses in his speech, and compared what happens in chapter I to some of the real-life people and events on which Orwell based the novel. Ask students to summarize in their Response Journal the most important points of their thinking and learning about chapter I either by doing a Quick Sketch or Quick Write about the chapter.

Wrap

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students continue to practice fluently reading their assigned paragraph.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

As they will throughout the novel, students use Handout 16A to track major character developments in chapter I. In this way, students prepare to analyze the interaction between characters and other literary elements (RL.7.3). Check for the following success criteria:

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Records at least four relevant pieces of evidence from the text about Boxer and at least two each about Benjamin and Mollie.

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Accurately quotes or summarizes the text.

Refrains from interpreting the text or drawing conclusions about characters.

Next Steps

Because students will return to Handout 16A frequently and for varied purposes, it is critical for them to get off to the right start recording character information completely and accurately. If students struggle, consider directing them to specific paragraphs to look for information, such as the following:

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Boxer: on pages 4–5, toward the middle of the long paragraph beginning on page 4 and ending on page 5.

ƒ Mollie: bottom of page 5 to start of page 6.

ƒ Benjamin: on page 5, toward the end of the long paragraph beginning on page 4 and ending on page 5.

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Also consider reading specific sentences aloud and then discussing what that sentence says about a specific character.

Some students may also be able to better focus on Orwell’s descriptions if given the chance to sketch characters based on the text before completing Handout 16A.

Lesson 16 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions Experiment with Clauses

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Time: 15 min.

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Text: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter I

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Write an argument paragraph about Old Major’s speech, using clauses to create transitions and clarify relationships (L.7.1.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 16

Experiment: How does using clauses in arguments work?

Launch

Post the Style and Conventions Craft Question.

Remind students that in the last Deep Dive, they experimented with phrases. Explain that in this lesson, they will build on the previous Deep Dive and their work in the lesson with transitions and elaboration as they use clauses to make transitions and clarify relationships among ideas.

Display the following paragraph:

When students improve their noticing and wondering skills, they become better readers. By paying closer attention early to what is happening in the text and thinking consciously about what questions they have, they develop a deeper understanding of what they read. Many teachers report that students who notice and wonder well understand books at a deeper level, as they demonstrate both through their work in class and high scores on reading assessments. For example, one teacher pointed to a student who noticed only three basic facts and had no questions when her class read the first book of the year, Castle Diary. This student struggled with comprehension early in the year. As the year progressed and the student listened to classmates share their observations and questions and received teacher support, she improved her noticing and wonder skills. Later in the year when the class read the first chapter of Animal Farm, the student listed over twenty important details, including making connections to prior texts they had read and recognizing the use of techniques such as figurative language. The student also wondered about many aspects of the book, including questions about key vocabulary and character descriptions. She is a stronger reader now, already demonstrating a solid understanding of Animal Farm, making astute comments in writing and in class discussions, and performing well on NewRead Assessments and other assessments. As this student’s growth shows, improving students’ noticing and wondering skills makes them more capable readers.

Ask: “What function do the underlined clauses serve?”

n

In the first sentence, the dependent clause, “When students improve their noticing and wondering skills,” establishes the author’s claim about the relationship between noticing and wondering and improving as a reader.

n The dependent clause beginning with “as they demonstrate” shows a relationship between the writer’s claim and the evidence for it.

n The dependent clause beginning with “As this student’s growth shows” provides a transition from the prior sentences and shows the relationship between the evidence the author has presented and the claim.

Learn

Distribute Handout 16D, explain the task, and then ask: “What are the key elements of an argument? How might you use clauses to connect those parts?”

n The key elements of an argument are the claim, reasons, and evidence.

n A clause can connect the claim to the reasons. If we did that in one sentence, we could begin a clause with the word because.

n We might want to show how the evidence connects to other evidence. One way to do this might be to have a sentence with two independent clauses about evidence connected by and.

was a stirring and a fluttering all through the farm buildings” because “[w]ord had gone round during the day” (3) that Old Major was going to speak about his strange dream. “Old Major was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite willing to lose an hour’s sleep to hear what he had to say” (4). When he calls for a vote as to whether rats are comrades, an overwhelming majority agrees that they are, based on what he has said (10). All the animals join in the singing of his song (13). His speech is quite long, but there is no mention of any restlessness, so a reader could infer that the other animals respect him and are listening to him.

n A clause can show the relationship between the reasons and the evidence. For example, we might use a dependent clause starting with that, as in, “That all the animals joined in the singing shows that Old Major’s speech moved them deeply.”

Reiterate that in an argument, conjunctions and clauses can help make the reasoning and argument clear and explicit to the reader.

Students write a portion of an argument paragraph supporting the claim from Handout 16D, using at least two clauses to make transitions or clarify the relationship among ideas.

Scaffold

Collaboratively brainstorm or post conjunctions for independent clauses, such as and, or, but, and yet, or dependent marker words or subordinating conjunctions students can use to begin dependent clauses, such as after, although, as, because, before, even though, even if, if, since, though, unless, until, when, whenever, whether, or while.

Land

Have pairs share their paragraphs, pointing out clauses that they used and the function each serves.

As time permits, invite several students to share with the class, using their examples to reinforce prior teaching.

Lesson 17: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Do a Gallery Walk

Launch (3 min.)

Learn (62 min.)

Perform Old Major’s Speech (10 min.)

Analyze Old Major’s Speech and Song (15 min.)

Analyze Persuasive Techniques (22 min.)

Experiment with Elaboration (15 min.)

Land (3 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (2 min.)

Assign Homework

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

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RL.7.1, RL.7.6, RI.7.1, RI.7.8

Writing

ƒ W.7.1.c

Speaking and Listening

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SL.7.1, SL.7.1.c

Language ƒ L.7.1.a

MATERIALS ƒ

Student-made charts from Lesson 16 ƒ

Handout 14C: Advertising Techniques ƒ

Handout 17A: Techniques of Persuasion

Learning Goals

Analyze the argument Old Major makes in his speech and song (RI.7.8).

Discuss TDQs 1, 2, and 3, focusing on the claims, reasons, and evidence offered in the speech and song.

Compare Old Major’s perspective of life on the farm with that of Mr. Jones (RL.7.6).

Discuss TDQ 4.

Revise argument paragraphs by using phrases or clauses to create transitions, add detail or precision, or clarify relationships (L.7.1.a).

Revise argument paragraph draft by adding phrases or clauses for specified purposes.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 12–21

How and why does language persuade?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 17

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of Old Major’s argument and use of persuasive techniques reveal in chapter I of Animal Farm?

CRAFT QUESTIONS: Lesson 17

Experiment: How does asking for elaboration in academic conversations work?

Experiment: How does elaboration in argument writing work?

In this lesson, students complete their study of Old Major’s speech by analyzing the claims he makes and the reasoning and evidence behind those claims. Old Major’s speech also offers students a productive opportunity to identify and analyze techniques of persuasion, and students build on the learning of the last lesson by looking at those techniques in more detail. Exploring Old Major’s argument and these techniques will help students build needed knowledge and skills for the EOM Task.

5 MIN.

DO A GALLERY WALK

TEACHER NOTE

Prior to the lesson, post the student-made charts from the previous lesson on the classroom walls or place them on the tops of desks or tables so students can closely analyze each.

Instruct students to do a silent Gallery Walk of the charts made during the previous lesson, considering Old Major’s claims, reasons, evidence, techniques he uses in his speech, taking notes as needed in their Response Journal.

Launch

3 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Ask pairs to share one claim Old Major makes in his speech.

Learn

62 MIN.

PERFORM OLD MAJOR’S SPEECH

Whole Group

10 MIN.

Explain that several volunteers will perform Old Major’s speech paragraph by paragraph, demonstrating fluency and expression. Ask for one volunteer per paragraph. Encourage students to read dramatically.

Distribute a class sign-up sheet so students who do not read aloud today can sign up for an opportunity to do so in a future lesson. Tell students that each one should have roughly the same number of students signed up.

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Chapter III: Squealer’s speech about the milk and apples (35–36). ƒ

Chapter V: Squealer’s speech about Napoleon and Snowball (55). ƒ

Chapter VI: Napoleon’s speech about Snowball (69–70). ƒ

Chapter VII: Squealer’s speech about Snowball (81). ƒ

Chapter IX: Squealer’s speech about Boxer (124).

While students sign up, have the volunteers for this lesson practice their paragraphs.

Ask all students to sit quietly and then introduce the speaker who will deliver the first paragraph of Old Major’s speech. Instruct the next volunteers to be ready to jump in. You can read the parts of the narrator, or skip these and continue with the speech.

Ask the remaining students to think as they listen about the same aspects they considered in the Welcome task: “What claims, reasons, and evidence is Old Major presenting, and what techniques is he using to persuade?”

When volunteers finish, call for applause.

ANALYZE OLD MAJOR’S SPEECH AND SONG 15 MIN.

Whole Group

Display the Craft Question: How does asking for elaboration in academic conversations work?

Explain that before students analyze Old Major’s argument as a whole, they will use the skill of asking for elaboration to make sure they fully understand the ideas each group shared on the displayed charts. Ask: “What questions could you ask one or more of the groups to have them elaborate, or say more about, what they placed on their charts, and why?”

Give students a few minutes to ask other groups to elaborate or explain their ideas. As students ask questions, record the way they start their requests for elaboration on a class anchor chart.

Starters for Asking for Elaboration

n Tell me more about

n Could you please say more about why …?

n Could you please explain what you mean by …?

n Why do you think that ?

Ask students to use the displayed charts, their notes from the Gallery Walk, and the text as they discuss the following TDQs. Encourage students to ask others for elaboration as classmates respond to each question.

1. What are the most important claims Old Major makes in his argument?

n Humans are animals’ enemies.

n Animals’ lives would be great were it not for humans.

n Animals should rebel against humans.

2. What reasons or evidence does he offer for his claim?

n Humans work animals too hard and slaughter them in the end.

n Humans take almost everything the animals produce: eggs, milk, even manure.

n Humans make the animals work to stay alive. All they are paid are “bare rations and a stall.”

n The land of England is rich, fertile, and abundant enough. If humans did not use more than they need, animals could have better lives by having more of these resources.

3. How does the song “Beasts of England” reinforce the claim or claims Old Major makes in his speech?

n Just like he says in his speech, it says that the future will be a utopia, with plenty of food and freedom.

n The song says that humans will be banished; animals will rule.

n It says that all animals must stay hopeful and work together for the day they will be free.

4. The speech is told from Old Major’s perspective. What does the text suggest about how Mr. Jones’s perspective might differ?

n The fact that he gets drunk in chapter I suggests that his perspective might be that his life is not as great as Old Major says.

n The text also shows that the animals have shelter, that there are dangers to the animals, such as foxes, and that Mr. Jones uses his gun to chase off threatening animals. Mr. Jones might argue that by providing shelter and protecting them from attack, he is actually helping them.

n He might also argue that humans need more resources because they have more needs. We already learned that he has a house, bed, and boots, for example, and he needs money to pay for those things. He may not have options other than to sell the animals’ food or offspring.

Extension

Consider asking: “If you were an animal listening to Old Major’s speech, what points might you want him to elaborate on, and why?”

n I might want to ask how animals will take care of themselves without humans.

n I might want to ask who will be in charge if the humans are not in charge.

n I might want to ask more questions about food because I think on many farms humans buy food to feed the animals.

ANALYZE PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES

Pairs

Distribute Handout 17A.

22 MIN.

Briefly review the twelve persuasive techniques described on the handout. 1. Engage your audience.

Compliment your audience.

Create a sense of urgency.

Inspire your audience.

Use the power of images.

Convince the audience that you have authority.

Appeal to your audience’s emotions.

Convince your audience with logic and reason.

Address objections.

Repeat ideas.

Use mottos and simple phrases.

Create an enemy.

Answer any questions about the techniques or language on the handout.

Have students briefly look at the advertising techniques from Handout 14C and the inspiring techniques they have recorded in their Response Journal earlier in the module, and ask: “What connections can you draw between the inspiring techniques and advertising techniques we studied and the persuasive techniques on Handout 17A?”

n From the Advertising Techniques, #4, “Inspire Your Audience,” and #5, “Use the Power of Images,” go with the ad technique of “Transfer,” because they all involve trying to make the audience feel good about your message or product.

n Repetition is both an inspiring technique and one of the persuasive techniques.

n Appealing to emotions is a technique used in all three areas.

Build on responses to remind students that the types of speech overlap, and speakers, writers, and advertisers often use a mix of appeals and techniques to communicate their messages.

Tell students that pairs will identify in more detail the techniques and strategies that Old Major uses to persuade in his speech. Encourage students to refer to the posted charts for examples of techniques already identified.

Pairs complete Handout 17A.

Scaffold

The list of persuasive techniques is long and Major’s speech and song offer numerous examples of techniques and strategies to influence and persuade. If students need additional support or if time is limited, divide the list, giving each pair a subset of the full list. Have students work in pairs and then complete the remainder of the handout with input from other pairs.

Students share their findings.

EXPERIMENT WITH ELABORATION

Individuals

15 MIN.

Display the Craft Question: How does elaboration in argument writing work?

Ask students to briefly recall why elaborating on evidence is important to making a strong argument.

Display the following:

Claim: Although Old Major’s speech inspires the animals, the song “Beasts of England” is by far the most inspiring contribution to the night.

Reason: It offers the animals a positive message of their future and makes the animals feel powerful emotions.

Evidence 1: “Hearken well and spread my tidings of the golden future time” (13).

Evidence 2: “The singing of this song threw the animals into the wildest excitement” (13).

Have students talk with partners about how, if they were going to write a paragraph based on these ideas, they might use elaboration to connect the evidence to the reason.

Instruct students to write a paragraph that includes the claim, reason, and evidence provided, as well as their elaboration for the evidence. Clarify that students should write the claim, reason, and evidence in their own words and are not bound by the wording of the displayed text. Also remind students that there is no particular order in which they must present these argument elements. They should order the elements as needed to make the most effective argument possible.

Choose several responses to share to highlight strong and varied examples of ways to elaborate.

Land

3 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Ask pairs to summarize the key argument Old Major makes in five words or less. Invite a few pairs to share.

2 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read chapter II of Animal Farm, recording what they notice and wonder using annotation or a T-chart in their Response Journal.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students continue developing their ability to analyze arguments by answering TDQs 1, 2, and 3 (RI.7.8). As students respond, check for the following success criteria:

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Accurately and succinctly states Old Major’s claim: that animals’ lives would be happy and rich were it not for humans.

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Identifies text-based reasons or evidence Old Major offers to support his claim.

Articulates how the song “Beasts of England” helps Old Major reinforce his claim.

Next Steps

If students struggle to identify Old Major’s claim, remind them of the claim they identified for the “How Advertisers Target Our Children” article: that advertising is dangerous to children. Make a comparison to that claim, and ask: “In this instance, whose actions is Old Major making a claim about? What positive or negative effects does he assert those actions have?” Alternatively, consider asking scaffolding questions, such as:

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What is Old Major’s view of how human actions affect animals?

How does Old Major describe the life animals would have without humans?

Then lead students to collaboratively write a first draft of a claim, revising it until it accurately and succinctly sets forth Old Major’s claim.

If students struggle to identify the reasons or evidence that support his claim or how the song supports it, consider having them dissect the claim into two parts: the evils of human actions and the ill effects on animals. Have students search for reasons and evidence in the speech or song to support each aspect of the claim.

Lesson 17 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Experiment with Phrases and Clauses

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Time: 15 min.

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Text: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter I

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Revise argument paragraphs by using phrases or clauses to create transitions, add detail or precision, or clarify relationships (L.7.1.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 17

Experiment: How does using phrases and clauses in an argument work?

Launch

Post the Style and Conventions Craft Question.

Display the following paragraph, explaining that it is a paragraph starter like the one they did in the last Deep Dive, including the same claim, reason, and evidence from that lesson:

Although Old Major’s speech inspires the animals, the song “Beasts of England” is by far the most inspiring contribution to the night. The song offers the animals a positive and memorable message about their future and affects their emotions. For example, in the verse, “Hearken well and spread my tidings of the golden future time” (13), the phrase “golden future” is catchy and visual at the same time, and, as a result, it conveys feelings of hope and happiness as the animals sing it. When Orwell writes, “The singing of this song threw the animals into the wildest excitement” (13), he explicitly shows that the song had a powerful emotional effect on the animals. Because Orwell does not describe anything similar happening after the speech, he shows that the song had a greater impact.

Ask: “How do phrases and clauses help make this writer’s argument more explicit and clear to the reader? How do they show the relationships between the claim, reasons, and evidence?”

n The writer uses the phrase, “For example” as a transition between the presentation of the reason and the evidence. It also shows the relationship between those two sentences.

n The clause beginning, “and, as a result” shows why the evidence (the verse from the song) supports the reason (the song affects their emotions).

n The phrase “Because Orwell does not describe anything similar happening” makes a transition from the prior sentence, and it also shows why the evidence or lack of it supports the author’s claim.

Have pairs exchange the argument paragraphs they wrote in the core lesson. Instruct partners first to examine the phrases and clauses their partners used and the functions those served. Invite partners to discuss their observations and give positive feedback about what the author has already done.

Then explain that partners should identify two or three places in which a transition is needed, more detail or information is needed, or a relationship among ideas could be clearer.

Students revise their argument paragraphs by adding or revising phrases and clauses to make transitions, add detail or precision, or clarify the relationships among ideas.

Scaffold

A list of words that are particularly relevant to argument can help to spur students’ thinking. Post a list like the following:

ƒ Because or for can help show a connection between a claim and reasons: “This claim is true because of (or for) these reasons.”

ƒ For example, for instance, in fact, such as can help to introduce a piece of evidence.

ƒ

As Orwell states, When Orwell writes, According to Orwell can introduce a quotation.

ƒ And, also, as well, furthermore, in addition can add another piece of evidence.

ƒ

Land

Finally, in conclusion, therefore can signal a conclusion.

Invite students to share examples of phrases and clauses they added and to explain why they did so.

LESSONS 12–21

why does language persuade? ƒ Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter II ƒ Excerpts from “Friedrich Engels, Revolutionary, Activist, Unionist, and Social Investigator,” Rosalie Baker (Handout 16B)

Lesson 18

Lesson 18: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (57 min.)

Analyze Character Developments (22 min.)

Analyze the Seven Commandments (15 min.)

Write from a Character’s Perspective (20 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (3 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Commandment (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

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RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RL.7.4, RL.7.6

Writing ƒ W.7.9

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1

Language ƒ L.7.4.a ƒ L.7.5.c

MATERIALS

Handout 16C: Key Terms, Events, People, and Places ƒ

Handout 16A: The Characters of Animal Farm ƒ Handout 18A: The Seven Commandments ƒ

Sets of six blank note cards for each Deep Dive group

Learning Goals

Describe key character details and developments in chapter II, identifying words, phrases, and actions Orwell uses to develop each character (RL.7.3).

Record descriptive words, phrases, and actions for various characters on Handout 16A in pairs.

Analyze the contrasting perspectives of the animals in Animal Farm (RL.7.2, RL.7.6, W.7.9).

Write a diary entry about the events of chapter II from one of the characters’ perspectives.

Deepen understanding of the word commandment by distinguishing among the connotations of similar words (L.7.5.c).

Complete an Exit Ticket, analyzing what the pigs’ use of the word commandment reveals about them.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 12–21

How and why does language persuade?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 18

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of character and perspective reveal in chapter II of Animal Farm?

Chapter II brings the surprisingly painless Rebellion against Mr. Jones, and with it some early signs that the society the animals create afterward may not be developing as Old Major envisioned. Students take a close look at the character and plot developments and come to see that by creating Animalism, listing the commandments, and taking the milk, the pigs are beginning to consolidate their power over the other animals. By analyzing events from different characters’ perspectives, students also build a foundation for ultimately understanding why living up to Old Major’s ideals may be harder than his speech suggested.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Post the following quotation from chapter II: “Now, as it turned out, the Rebellion was achieved much earlier and more easily than anyone had expected” (18).

Ask students to write in their Response Journal about what this sentence means, incorporating evidence from chapters I and II to support their interpretation.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Ask students to consider the meanings of the words inspiring and persuasive. Ask: “In light of the events of chapter II, would you use either of these words to describe Old Major’s speech from chapter I? Why or why not?”

n His speech was persuasive because it caused the animals to want to do something, which was to rebel against Mr. Jones. It seems very unlikely that the animals would have planned for a rebellion or that it would have happened were it not for Old Major’s speech.

n His speech was inspiring because it filled the animals with positive feelings. That is what led to the Rebellion.

n

Another part of the definition of inspiring involves increasing one’s desire to make a positive change.

Old Major’s speech gave the animals that desire, but by the end of chapter II, I was beginning to wonder if the Rebellion is going to end up being a positive change for all the animals.

Explain that in today’s lesson, students will explore the effects of the animals’ revolution and look more closely at the characters involved in it and its aftermath.

ANALYZE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENTS

Pairs

Invite a few students to share their responses to the Welcome task. Have several volunteers quickly summarize the major events of chapter II before and after the Rebellion. Ask follow-up questions as needed to highlight the following:

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Before the Rebellion, the pigs took it upon themselves to organize the other animals.

The pigs have come up with a system of thought based on Old Major’s speech called Animalism. ƒ The animals are holding secret meetings before the Rebellion.

ƒ

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The Rebellion takes only a short time.

The pigs have secretly taught themselves to read and write and have come up with seven commandments.

ƒ

At the end of the chapter, the cows’ milk has disappeared.

Remind students that Orwell intentionally based Animal Farm on actual events. Display the following text from Handout 16B:

A revolt, taking place over several years, during which a group of rebels, led by Vladimir Lenin, ultimately overthrew and took over the Russian government. The system at the time consisted of a Tsar who was a monarch or king and who exercised a great deal of power over the people. The revolutionaries rebelled because of what they saw as the unfairness and injustice of the monarchy system and because they believed that under that system, those in the upper classes were taking advantage of working people and others in the lower classes. The leaders of the movement embraced the general theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels and established a new political and economic system based on those. They labeled their new political and economic system communism.

Ask: “What connections can be made between these historical events and ideas and the events and ideas of chapter II in Animal Farm?”

To provide more context for the Russian Revolution and Orwell’s allegory, have students read summaries such as that contained at http://witeng.link/0289. If students are studying world history, and specifically Russian history, the novel’s allegory provides an excellent opportunity for cross-curricular linkages. After reading, students might also be interested in the blog post linked to the Lesson 32 book review (http://witeng.link/0288).

Then remind students of the definition of comrade and explain that many in the communist movement used this word to address anyone else who was friendly to the ideas of communism. Ask: “What message is Old Major sending the animals by using this word?”

Have students turn to Handout 16A and work with partners to record details about the new characters introduced in chapter II, Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer, and add details and developments for the following characters introduced in chapter I:

ƒ Old Major.

ƒ The pigs.

ƒ Boxer.

ƒ Mollie.

Pairs record character details and developments on Handout 16A.

Instruct pairs to talk briefly about what they think happened to the milk at the end of the chapter. Then invite students to share with the whole group.

n The pigs milk the cows.

n Napoleon sends the other animals to gather the hay and tells them not to worry about the milk, but when they return, the milk is gone.

n It seems that Napoleon has taken the milk.

Ask: “What has chapter II revealed about how the pigs are different from the other animals?”

n The pigs are “generally recognized as being the cleverest of the animals” (15).

n They establish Animalism and write the Seven Commandments on the wall.

n They see it as “their duty” to teach and organize the other animals.

n The narrator or they see themselves as better than the others. When the pigs introduce their ideas, the text says that they are “met with stupidity and apathy” (16).

n The pigs are the most like humans. They come up with theories, read and write, organize the other animals, milk the cows, and keep the milk for themselves!

Small Groups

Distribute Handout 18A, and explain that students will use it to think more deeply about the Seven Commandments posted on the barn wall.

Ask: “What does the word commandment mean?” Clarify understanding as needed.

Read the directions on Handout 18A, and model the process by guiding students to fill in text evidence and inferences about why the pigs chose the first commandment: “Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.”

n Old Major said this in his speech on page 11.

n They want the animals to consider humans as an enemy because it will unite the animals and help them work together.

n They want animals to never trust humans again.

Place students in small groups of six. Have each student in each group take responsibility for one of the Commandments, gathering and recording text evidence and drawing inferences about why the pigs might have chosen that commandment. Then have students within each group share their ideas, as others record those for each commandment on the chart.

Ask: “Looking at the Commandments as a whole, what is their central message?”

Then display this line from the text: “[T]hese Seven Commandments would now be inscribed on the wall; they would form an unalterable law by which all the animals on Animal Farm must live for ever after” (24).

TEACHER NOTE

You may want to post the Commandments prominently in the classroom so it will be easy for students to track them as they change—and to see what they were at the beginning of Animal Farm

Ask: “Based on your knowledge of the parts of the word and context, what do you think unalterable means?”

TEACHER NOTE

This lesson’s Deep Dive explores connotations of the word commandment in more detail. Consider pausing the lesson at this point to explore the significance of the pigs’ use of this word.

Individuals

Post the following list of characters:

ƒ Napoleon. ƒ Squealer. ƒ Boxer. ƒ Mollie. ƒ Benjamin.

Tell students that they will choose one of these characters, consider that character’s perspective on the events of chapter II, and then write a first-person diary entry for that character.

Ask students to think about the perspective of this character. Ask: “What is the character’s perspective on the Rebellion? How will they benefit from the Rebellion? How do you know?” Provide time for students to take notes in their Response Journal, reminding them to identify a quotation that illustrates the perspective and answers the question, “How do you know?”

Scaffold

Students who have chosen the same character can meet in small groups to brainstorm ideas.

After students have had time to reflect on their chosen character’s perspective, have them write in response to the following:

Pretend that you are the character you chose.

Write a two-paragraph entry in your diary to describe what has happened in chapters I and II of Animal Farm, and tell your own feelings about the events on the farm. Do you support or oppose the rebellion?

Your response should be based on evidence from the text and include:

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The name of the animal. ƒ

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A summary of what happened.

A clear perspective on the events, describing this animal’s emotional response to Old Major’s speech and reaction to the animal’s rebellion.

Students write diary entries from their chosen character’s perspective.

Scaffold

For students who need additional support, remind them of the features of the diary they read in Module 1, Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess. Explain that a diary entry should:

ƒ Be written from the first-person perspective.

ƒ Give insight into the characters’ thoughts and feelings.

ƒ Include facts accurate to the events in the novel.

Also consider providing a model of a diary entry like the following example from Mr. Jones:

Dear Diary,

The most frightening thing happened to me last night! My own animals kicked me off my own farm! Now sure, I had a bit to drink. And I might have forgotten to feed them. But I have cared for those animals all of their lives. They have a nice barn. They have plenty of hay, most of the time. Last night, though, it was as if they had gone insane. I have never seen anything like it. It was totally against the natural order of things. I do not know what I will do next. Mrs. Jones tells me we must go back to the farm and show the animals who their masters truly are. For now, though, I think I’ll just go to the pub for a bit to think things over.

Mr. Jones of the Manor Farm

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Have pairs share their entries and then discuss this question: “What does your character’s perspective reveal about why it may be difficult for the animals to live up to the ideals of Animalism or Old Major’s speech?”

3 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read chapter III of Animal Farm, recording what they notice and wonder through annotation or a T-chart in their Response Journal.

Students who signed up for fluency readings of chapter III practice delivering Squealer’s speech about the milk and apples (35–36).

Remind these students that they should rehearse the speech, to make sure they can read smoothly, clearly, and accurately, and to plan their speed, emphasis, volume, and tone.

Display or reference the Elements of Fluency for these students:

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Effort: Read smoothly; pronounce words correctly.

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Clarity: Read clearly; enunciate words so your listener can understand.

Accuracy: Read precisely; verbalize the words on the page.

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Speed: Read purposefully; speak slower or faster to emphasize meaning.

Expression: Read meaningfully.

p Emphasize important words.

p Use punctuation. Pause at commas. Stop at periods. Express emotion at exclamation points. Use a questioning voice at a question mark.

p Divide sentences into significant chunks or phrases.

p Use volume; raise and lower voice to add meaning.

p Use pitch and tone.

Extension

If students are ready to deliver a more dramatic reading, remind them of the description of Squealer in chapter II. Orwell describes him as “a small fat pig named Squealer, with very round cheeks, twinkling eyes, nimble movements, and a shrill voice. He was a brilliant talker, and when he was arguing some difficult point he had a way of skipping from side to side and whisking his tail which was somehow very persuasive” (16). Encourage students to deliver the speech in character.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

The task of writing a diary entry from one character’s point of view gives students a meaningful opportunity to compare and contrast character perspectives (RL.7.6) as well as an opportunity to practice narrative writing. A successful diary entry will meet the following criteria:

ƒ Describe plot events accurately. ƒ

Accurately reflect the character’s physical and personality traits, as well as their opinions, as revealed by the text.

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Be written in a descriptive, personal style appropriate to a diary entry.

Next Steps

If, despite use of the suggested scaffold in the lesson, students struggle, consider having them fill in a table like the following before rewriting, based on their character:

Events That Would Be Most Important to the Character

How the Character Might Feel about Each Event

What the Character Might Say about Those Feelings or That Event

Lesson 18 Deep Dive: Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary: Commandment

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Time: 15 min.

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Text: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter II

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Deepen understanding of the word commandment by distinguishing between the connotations of similar words (L.7.5.c).

Launch

Remind students of their discussion of the word commandment. As needed, clarify the denotation or exact meaning: “an important rule or command that everyone must follow.”

Explain that students will now explore the word’s connotation. Remind students, as needed, that the denotation may not fully capture a word’s meaning, so it can be helpful to think of a word’s connotation. Remind them that the word connotation refers to a word’s shades of meaning or the feelings, thoughts, or subtler ideas the word suggests.

Display the following passage from Animal Farm:

They explained that by their studies of the past three months the pigs had succeeded in reducing the principles of Animalism to Seven Commandments. These Seven Commandments would now be inscribed on the wall; they would form an unalterable law by which all the animals on Animal Farm must live for ever after (24).

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What does this paragraph suggest about the connotations of the word commandment?”

n The “unalterable law” statement makes it seem as if a commandment can never be changed.

n When it says that everyone must live by them for ever after, it makes it seem as if there are negative consequences for not following the commandments. It seems to have a threatening connotation.

n Because they are “inscribed,” it also suggests that a commandment is very formal and important.

n Because “all” the animals have to do it, it sounds like a commandment is not a choice or an option; it must be obeyed.

n It does not sound like the commandments come from a consensus or a democracy. They are not like when we set up our class rules and decide them together.

Ask: “What other words do groups use for the rules that everyone in a group should live by?”

n Laws.

n We call our class rules “agreements.”

n The constitution.

n Statutes.

n Regulations.

n Orders. Learn Explain that to deepen their understanding of commandment’s connotations, students will consider its shades of meaning in relation to those of similar words.

Display these words and definitions:

ƒ Commandment: an important rule or command that everyone must follow.

ƒ Law: the set of rules that govern a society.

ƒ Order: a direction or command.

ƒ Agreement: an arrangement determining the action to be followed by individuals or groups; the result of agreeing on a plan.

ƒ Decree: an official order or decision, especially by a ruler or government.

ƒ Suggestion: a statement of something that might be possible, useful, helpful, or enjoyable. Arrange students into groups of six, giving each group six note cards. Instruct students to write one of the words on each of the note cards. Tell students that they should think about each word, its definition, and how they may have heard it used, and imagine what it would feel like to live in a society where the rules everyone had to live by were labeled with each of these words. Explain that students should rank the words from those it would be easiest to live under to the hardest. Tell students to be ready to defend their lineups to their classmates.

Scaffold

If students struggle, ask them to think of two words at a time and provide a specific context. For example, ask: “Would you rather be in a class with agreements spelling out how everyone will act or orders? Why?”

Invite groups to share their sequence and reasoning. For example, students might place the words in this sequence:

agreement law suggestion decree order commandment

n

We thought it would be easiest to live in a group with agreements because it would feel as if everyone had a say in making these rules and everyone was working together to follow them. The word laws also seems like one that it would feel OK to live under because it has neutral connotations and does not imply that it is going to be a harsh dictatorship as some words suggest. At first, we thought it might be good to live in a group that called the laws suggestions, but then we thought that word might be confusing and lead to unfairness because it would not be clear whether everyone had to follow them. The last three words all seem fairly harsh to us as if someone else has all the control, and of those, commandments seem the most problematic.

Land

Students respond to the following Exit Ticket: “What does the pigs’ use of the word commandments show about them?”

Have a few students share their responses. Then ask: “Why might Orwell have chosen this word and not one of the other words we discussed?”

Lesson 19: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Record Character Developments

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (60 min.)

Analyze Equality (20 min.)

Compare Perspectives (10 min.)

Examine Accuracy and Logical Reasoning (30 min.)

Land (3 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (2 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content

Vocabulary: Maxim (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

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RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RL.7.6, RI.7.8

Writing ƒ W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.1.c, SL.7.3

Language ƒ

L.7.4.a, L.7.5.b

MATERIALS

Handout 16A: The Characters of Animal Farm ƒ

Handout 19A: Comparison of Characters’ Perspectives ƒ

Handout 19B: Analysis of Squealer’s Milk-and-Apples Argument

Learning Goals

Analyze how Orwell develops and contrasts the perspectives of Napoleon and Snowball (RL.7.6).

Complete a Venn diagram comparing the characters’ perspectives, and write about how Orwell develops the difference in perspectives.

Trace and evaluate Squealer’s milk-and-apples argument, assessing his reasoning and use of evidence (RI.7.8).

Complete Handout 19B in small groups.

Use context to determine the meaning of maxim and deepen understanding of the word by comparing it to motto (L.7.4.a, L.7.5.b).

Write a maxim that a character from Animal Farm other than Snowball might express, based on text evidence.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 12–21

How and why does language persuade?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 19

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of language and persuasion reveal in chapter III of Animal Farm?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 19

Examine: Why are logical reasoning and accurate, relevant evidence important to making a strong argument?

In chapter III, students begin to see the cracks appearing in the ideal society the animals have tried to create. They explore these cracks by looking at character differences, comparing and contrasting the perspectives of Snowball and Napoleon. They also take a close look at the pigs’ growing abuse of language as they analyze Squealer’s argument about why the pigs have failed to share the milk and apples with the other animals, an exercise that will prepare them for both the content and craft of the EOM Task.

Welcome

5 MIN.

RECORD CHARACTER DEVELOPMENTS

On Handout 16A, pairs record new details and developments about the following characters: the pigs, Napoleon, Snowball, Squealer, and Boxer.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Ask students to look at each column of the chart on Handout 16A, and ask: “What have you noticed about how the characters have changed or stayed the same?”

Explain that much of this lesson will explore the last of the Seven Commandments: “All animals are equal.” Referring to the posted Focusing Question, ask: “Why might it be easier for a person with greater knowledge, power, or authority to influence someone with less?”

TEACHER NOTE

These are complex questions, and if students have difficulty answering them at this time, assure them that that is understandable. Encourage them to keep thinking about the questions as they engage with the activities in this lesson.

ANALYZE EQUALITY 20 MIN.

Small Groups

Have a volunteer briefly summarize chapter III. Address any questions students recorded on their Notice and Wonder T-Chart or annotations as needed to ensure comprehension. If students do not raise the issue on their own, check to make sure they remember the word motto from Module 2, and explain that maxim is a related word meaning, “a short expression of a general or basic truth or rule of conduct” like the sheep’s “Four legs good, two legs bad.”

Post the definition of equality students learned in Module 2: “a state of having the same value, measure, or quantity as something else.”

Explain that students will think more deeply about this definition as they consider the seventh Commandment, “All animals are equal,” and analyze whether the animals on Animal Farm are equal.

Assign groups of four one of these areas of life on Animal Farm to focus on: ƒ Work. ƒ Literacy. ƒ Access to Food. Explain that groups should:

1. Examine the evidence from the text as to whether the animals are equal in this area.

2. Make a claim as to whether they are. (Are they equal or not?)

3. Provide a reason for that claim. (How can we tell if they are equal or unequal?)

4. Think about the implications for the animals’ future if the group’s claim is correct. (If they are not equal, what will that mean in the future?)

Further explain that within each group, students should count off so each group member is responsible for taking notes on the item corresponding to their number.

Call on representatives from various groups to share responses. As students share, encourage other students to ask for elaboration as needed.

Work:

n The animals are not equal in terms of work. The pigs are doing less work than everyone else, and Boxer is doing more work than anyone.

n Some evidence includes the statements that “The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others” (27) and Boxer’s motto that “I will work harder!” (29). Also in several other places the text talks about how hard he works.

n The implications of this are that some animals might get fed up with the pigs, the animals might become overly tired or worn out, or the pigs might get too lazy.

Literacy:

n Even though the text says, “By the autumn almost every animal on the farm was literate in some degree” (32), this is not entirely true, and in any event, the animals are definitely not equally literate.

n Being literate means that one can read and write, and some animals are very strong in these areas while others have only learned one letter.

n The pigs, dogs, goat, and Benjamin can all read or write. Clover knows the alphabet but not words. Boxer can only get to D. Mollie can only write her name. None of the other animals can get past A.

n The implications may be that the pigs will have more power because they can read and learn and write the laws, but the rest of the animals will not know the same things or be able to read the laws. Because the pigs are literate, it makes them seem smarter which makes it easier for them to claim they should be in charge.

Access to Food:

n The animals are not equal in terms of food.

n Almost from the beginning, the pigs have taken more food for themselves.

n In chapter II, one can make a pretty strong inference that Napoleon took the milk for the pigs or himself. Then in chapter III, we discover that they are indeed taking all the milk and apples and not sharing with the others.

n The implications are that there could be fights or arguments over food, especially if it becomes scarce. The other animals might resent the pigs. The other animals might get hungry and have a harder time working.

Ask: “Based on your work, how would you say the animals are doing in terms of following the seventh Commandment? Are they aware of or concerned about any inequalities?”

To help students deepen their understanding of these concepts, ask small groups to reflect on their work during this task. For example, ask: “Did you all work equally during this task? Why or why not? Did the directions call for equal work? Why or why not? Why might it be hard to evaluate whether two people’s work is equal?”

COMPARE PERSPECTIVES

Individuals

10 MIN.

Distribute Handout 19A. Tell students to take a few minutes to look at their notes from Handout 16A and the text and consider what they can infer about the perspectives Snowball and Napoleon have on the events in chapters I and II. How do they view events similarly? How are their perspectives different?

Ask students to record their ideas on the characters’ perspectives on the Venn diagram on the handout.

Students complete the Venn diagram and write about how Orwell develops the difference in perspectives.

Extension

Have students write in their Response Journal about the differing perspectives, choosing one of the following two options:

Write one or two paragraphs comparing and contrasting Snowball’s perspective with Napoleon’s. Provide textual examples to tell how Orwell makes these perspectives clear to the reader.

Write and then act out a dialogue between Napoleon and Snowball, using specific examples from the text to show how their perspectives are different and similar.

As time permits, invite several students to share their writing with the class.

Ask: “At this point in the novel, are Snowball and Napoleon equal to each other?”

EXAMINE ACCURACY AND LOGICAL REASONING

Small Groups

30 MIN.

Have the students who signed up for fluency performances perform an oral, fluent reading of Squealer’s speech. As students listen to the performances, have them jot notes in their Response Journal on the speech’s claims and evidence.

Applaud performers.

Display the Craft Question: Why are logical reasoning and accurate, relevant evidence important to making a strong argument?

Ask students to remember what they have learned so far about making an argument. If needed, have students refer to Handout 3C.

Explain that students will think about Squealer’s argument in terms of these elements and ultimately decide whether it is a strong argument.

Distribute Handout 19B. Work with students to identify and fill in Squealer’s claim, reasons, and evidence. Use the opportunity, as needed, to assess and support students’ ability to distinguish between these three important areas of making an argument.

TEACHER NOTE

Claim

Reason(s)

For students to fully understand the problems with Squealer’s argument, it is critical that they see that Squealer’s claim does not just involve the pigs’ having access to milk and apples but having exclusive access.

n The milk and apples should not be shared equally among all animals but instead should be given to the pigs.

n The pigs need to preserve their health.

n The management of the farm depends upon the pigs, so they must stay healthy.

n If the pigs are not healthy and can’t run the farm, Mr. Jones will come back.

Evidence

n Milk and apples have been scientifically proven to be necessary to pigs’ well-being.

Instruct students to work in small groups to complete the remaining questions on Handout 19B based on the information they just recorded and the text itself.

Groups complete the questions on Handout 19B.

Discuss responses.

Be sure students understand that Squealer’s argument includes reasons and evidence, but that the reasoning is faulty and the logic is designed to manipulate instead of to inform.

Ask: “How is analyzing Squealer’s argument helpful in thinking about how to craft your own arguments?”

Land

3 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

In their Response Journal, students respond to the following question: “Why did the animals accept Squealer’s claim that the pigs would get all of the apples and milk?”

Extension

To deepen understanding, ask: “Is there a connection between the animals accepting Squealer’s argument and the lack of equality among animals, and if so, what is it?”

Wrap

2 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read chapter IV of Animal Farm, recording what they notice and wonder either through annotation or a T-chart in their Response Journal.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Handout 19B prompts students to analyze and evaluate Squealer’s milk-and-apples argument (RI.7.8), deepening their understanding of how the pigs are using language to manipulate the other animals. Check for the following success criteria:

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Identifies Squealer’s claim as one asserting the pigs’ exclusive right to the milk and apples.

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Lists at least two of Squealer’s purported reasons supporting that claim.

Recognizes that the only evidence Squealer puts forth is the vague claim that milk and apples have been scientifically proven to be necessary for pigs’ health.

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Evaluates Squealer’s argument as lacking in logic because neither the reasons nor evidence are logically related to the claim.

Next Steps

If students struggle, identify the area of challenge. If they are having difficulty identifying the claim, provide a sentence frame, such as: Squealer is claiming that the milk and apples should go to and not to . If students struggle to identify the reasons and evidence for the claim, read each sentence from the argument aloud and identify what it purports to do. If students have correctly identified the claim, reasons, and evidence but struggle to evaluate the logical fallacies in the argument, consider having them make the following T-chart with Squealer’s claim and an alternate claim, and then identify which claim the reasons and evidence support.

Squealer’s Claim: The pigs should get all the milk and apples.

Alternate Claim: All the animals, including the pigs, should share the milk and apples.

Use the chart to guide students to see that the reasons and evidence provided support the alternate claim, but Squealer has presented no reasons or evidence that support only his claim.

Content Vocabulary: Maxim

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Time: 15 min. ƒ

Text: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter III ƒ

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Use context to determine the meaning of maxim and deepen understanding of the word by comparing it to motto (L.7.4.a, L.7.5.b).

Launch

Display the following passages from Animal Farm:

“His answer to every problem, every setback, was “I will work harder!”—which he had adopted as his personal motto” (29).

“After much thought Snowball declared that the Seven Commandments could in effect be reduced to a single maxim, namely: ‘four legs good, two legs bad’” (33–34).

Remind students that they studied the word motto in Module 2 in connection with the Marine Corps motto of Semper Fidelis, which means “always faithful.” Ask students what motto means. If needed, remind students of the definition: “a short phrase used to recall or exemplify a philosophy, code of behavior, or the like.”

Ask: “Based on how it is used in the text, what do you think maxim means?” Have students jot their predictions in their Vocabulary Journal.

Learn

Display the following examples of maxims and mottos:

Maxims: ƒ

It’s better to be safe than sorry. ƒ

You’re never too old to learn. ƒ

Actions speak louder than words. ƒ

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Mottos: ƒ

United States Motto: “In God We Trust” ƒ

Hogwarts Motto (from the Harry Potter series): “Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus” (Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon)

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California State Motto: “Eureka!” (“I Have Found It”)

New Hampshire State Motto: “Live Free or Die”

TEACHER NOTE To make these more meaningful, choose maxims and mottos that have significance for students, such as a state or school motto.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What are the similarities and differences between the meanings of maxim and motto?”

n They have very similar meanings.

n Motto just means a rule to live by. Maxim can mean a rule to live by but can also mean a general truth like, “Four legs good, two legs bad.”

n People, groups, and places seem to adopt mottos to express what they are like. Maxims seem to apply more to anyone.

n They both seem to be catchy phrases people repeat often.

Instruct students to revise their predicted definitions of maxim as needed, based on this discussion.

Extension

Have students explore the meaning of maxim in more depth by brainstorming basic truths about their lives at school or rules for proper conduct at school.

Have each pair choose a favorite maxim to share with the whole class.

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

Word Meaning Synonyms

maxim (n.) A short expression of a general or basic truth or rule of conduct. saying, expression

Invite students to compare their predictions with the actual definition, noting misconceptions.

Ask: “Is Snowball sharing a basic truth or a rule for proper conduct when expressing the maxim ‘four legs good, two legs bad?’ How do you know?”

Land

Students choose a character from Animal Farm other than Snowball and write a maxim that character might express, based on evidence from the text.

As time permits, ask pairs to share their maxims and the evidence behind them. As students share, have classmates evaluate whether their examples fit the definition of maxim

Lesson 20: At a Glance

GENDA

Welcome (4 min.)

Reflect on a Quotation Launch (4 min.)

Learn (60 min.)

Summarize Chapter IV (20 min.)

Complete the New-Read Assessment (40 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (2 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Vocabulary Assessment 1 (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

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RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4, RL.7.6

Writing ƒ W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1

Language ƒ L.7.4.b, L.7.6

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Summarize the opening of Animal Farm, chapter V, and analyze how Orwell develops the animals’ contrasting perspectives (RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4, RL.7.6, W.7.10, L.7.4.b).

Complete Assessment 20A. Demonstrate understanding of grade-level vocabulary and how to use affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of words or phrases (L.7.4.b, L.7.6).

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Handout 16A: The Characters of Animal Farm ƒ

Assessment 20A: New-Read Assessment 2 ƒ

Assessment 20B: Vocabulary Assessment 1

Complete Assessment 20B.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 12–21

How and why does language persuade?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 20

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of character and perspective reveal in chapters IV and V of Animal Farm?

In this lesson, students summarize the central events and developments in chapter IV. Understanding these events is crucial for students to later realize the full impact of how Napoleon manipulates the farm’s history in his quest for power. Students complete a New-Read Assessment on the opening pages of chapter V to build and demonstrate their understanding of the contrasting perspectives that Orwell develops.

REFLECT ON A QUOTATION

Display the following quotation from chapter IV: Frederick and Pilkington changed their tune and began to talk of the terrible wickedness that now flourished on Animal Farm. It was given out that the animals there practiced cannibalism, tortured one another with red-hot horseshoes, and had their females in common (39).

Have students reflect in their Response Journal about this quotation by answering this question: “Why are the neighboring farmers spreading false rumors about Animal Farm?”

Launch

4 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Invite a few students to share their Welcome task responses.

n On page 38, the text says they “were very anxious to prevent their own animals from learning too much about it.” They don’t want their animals to know that Animal Farm is working because they are afraid they will rebel.

n They think if their animals hear how bad life is on Animal Farm, they won’t consider taking over their farms.

Then ask: “Which of the adjectives we have studied about the use of language—persuasive, manipulative, deceptive—would you use to describe how the farmers are using language?”

n They are being manipulative because they are trying to use language in a devious way to help themselves.

n Their use of language is also deceptive because they are spreading lies.

n They are using manipulative and deceptive language to persuade, too, because they want their animals to believe that it is not possible for animals to run a farm, and they want them to keep following their commands.

60 MIN.

SUMMARIZE CHAPTER IV 20 MIN.

Whole Group

Call on students to review the characteristics of an effective summary, as discussed in earlier modules.

n Capture the central idea(s) of the text.

n List only the most important details.

n Restate the ideas briefly.

n Use your own words.

With student input, write a class summary of chapter IV.

Summer ends and news of the rebellion has spread. Jones enlists the help of some neighboring farmers. Together, they return to Animal Farm to try to take control from the animals. But Snowball has been preparing for this moment. Because of his knowledge and bravery, the animals win the “Battle of the Cowshed.”

Divide the class into three groups. Assign each group one of the following characters: Mollie, Snowball, or Boxer. Ask students within each group to work in pairs to find evidence about that character’s development in chapter IV, annotating the text as needed.

Invite students from each group to share ideas, and instruct all students to add character developments to Handout 16A

Then ask: “What did these characters’ actions before, during, and after the ‘Battle of the Cowshed’ reveal about them and their perspectives?”

n Snowball anticipated the battle and planned for it. It shows that he was worried about human intervention all along, and the success of his planning shows how clever he is.

n We learned that Boxer has a kind heart and is sad to have killed someone, but Snowball seems coldhearted. He says, “The only good human being is a dead one.” They have differing perspectives on the value of life.

n Boxer and Snowball both prove their bravery and determination. Snowball gives a speech saying that all animals must be prepared to die for the farm. This is a new side to him.

n Mollie continues to seem superficial and even cowardly. She was hiding under the hay during the battle.

Extension

Consider having students do a frame-by-frame drawing of the battle to cement their understanding of what actually happens versus the revised version Napoleon later presents.

Also consider having students make connections to some of their learning from Module 2. For example, ask: “Given what we learned in Module 2 about the effects of fighting a war together, how might the other animals now feel about Snowball and Boxer?”

Exploring this question will help students understand that the battle has elevated Snowball’s status, making him a threat to Napoleon’s quest for power, and has similarly raised Boxer’s status so that when he later supports Napoleon’s decisions, that support carries a great deal of weight.

40 MIN.

Individuals

Distribute Assessment 20A

TEACHER NOTE

1.

B:

best supports the correct answer in Part A? a. “On every kind of pretext she would run away from work and go to the drinking pool, where she would stand foolishly gazing at her own reflection in the water” (45). b. “‘He didn’t! wasn’t! It isn’t true!’ cried Mollie, beginning to prance about and paw the ground” (46). “She was between the shafts of a smart dog cart painted red and black, which was standing outside a public-house” (46). d. “The two disagreed at every point where disagreement was possible” (47).

2. PART A: From Clover’s words and actions, what does her perspective about Mollie appear to be? She is worried that Mollie feels unwell. b. She thinks no one should speak to her. She thinks Mollie should do what she wants. d. She thinks Mollie should not break the rules.

2. PART B: Which evidence from Animal Farm supports the correct answer in Part A? a. “… she complained of mysterious pains …” (45). b. “Do you give me your word of honour that that man was not stroking your nose?” (46). “None of the other animals ever mentioned Mollie again” (47). d. “A thought struck Clover” (46).

Instruct students to look closely at the task and decide what they need to do for success. Although it is up to students to decide how many times they reread, the Organize stage is especially important for orientation to the text and task. Engaging in the appropriate stages of reading and using appropriate accompanying routines, without teacher cues, shows how well a student has internalized the value of deep comprehension for assessment success.

Ask students to mark the section they are to read for the assessment: the opening of chapter V, ending with, “But of all their controversies, none was so bitter as the one that took place over the windmill” (48).

Students independently read the opening of chapter V and complete the New-Read Assessment.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Remind students of the newspaper headlines they wrote during Module 2. Challenge them to write in their Response Journal a headline and subhead for a character development activity for chapter IV or the beginning of chapter V. The headline and subhead should relate to a character or character’s perspective and reveal something deeper about that character or the novel.

As time permits, invite students to share.

n ANIMALS WIN BATTLE!

Snowball: “No Sentimentality! Be Prepared to Die!”

n MOLLIE FOUND WITH HUMANS, SUGAR, RIBBONS

Commandments Broken? Disappears!

n TROUBLE AHEAD?

Snowball and Napoleon Disagree…about Everything!

Wrap2 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read the rest of chapter V, making note of what they notice and wonder as they read, either through annotation or on a T-chart in their Response Journal.

Tell those students who signed up for chapter V to practice delivering Squealer’s speech about Snowball (55–56). Tell students that you will play the role of “somebody” who poses a question to Squealer in the middle of his speech, or choose a student volunteer to do so.

Remind these students that they should rehearse the speech to make sure they can read smoothly, clearly, and accurately and to plan their speed, emphasis, volume, and tone.

Display or reference the Elements of Fluency for these students:

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Effort: Read smoothly; pronounce words correctly.

ƒ

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Clarity: Read clearly; enunciate words so your listener can understand.

Accuracy: Read precisely; verbalize the words on the page.

ƒ

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Speed: Read purposefully; speak slower or faster to emphasize meaning.

Expression: Read meaningfully.

p Emphasize important words.

p Use punctuation. Pause at commas. Stop at periods. Express emotion at exclamation points. Use a questioning voice at a question mark.

p Divide sentences into significant chunks or phrases.

p Use volume; raise and lower voice to add meaning.

p Use pitch and tone.

Extension

If students are ready to deliver a more dramatic reading, remind them again of the description of Squealer in chapter II. Orwell describes him as “a small fat pig named Squealer, with very round cheeks, twinkling eyes, nimble movements, and a shrill voice. He was a brilliant talker, and when he was arguing some difficult point, he had a way of skipping from side to side and whisking his tail which was somehow very persuasive” (16). Encourage students to deliver the speech dramatically, in character.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

The New-Read Assessment assesses students’ comprehension of the opening of chapter V as well as their ability to summarize and analyze the ways that Orwell develops contrasting perspectives among the animals (RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4, RL.7.6, W.7.10, L.7.4.b). For success criteria, refer to the answer key and sample responses in Appendix C.

Next Steps

Identify common strengths and weaknesses in students’ responses and summaries. Address those by reviewing challenging questions with the whole group or a small group and using upcoming lessons to reinforce skills as appropriate.

Lesson 20 Deep Dive: Vocabulary

Vocabulary Assessment 1

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Time: 15 min. ƒ

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Texts: All Module Texts

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Demonstrate understanding of grade-level vocabulary and of how to use affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of words or phrases (L.7.4.b, L.7.6).

Launch

Tell students that they will take the first Vocabulary Assessment to measure their understanding of content and academic vocabulary

Point out that some items address the meaning of morphemes (word parts) and that in those instances the morpheme is in boldface type. Explain that for these items, students should define only the morpheme, not the whole word.

Learn

Distribute Assessment 20B, and review the directions with students.

Students complete Assessment 20B.

Help with pronunciation and spelling as needed.

Land

Collect the assessments. Ask students which terms they found difficult, and discuss the correct answers to those as a class.

TEACHER NOTE

Evaluate assessment results to see which module words need to be reviewed or retaught. Also remember to focus only on whether the written definitions demonstrate students’ understanding of the words, not writing skills or conventions. See Appendix C for a sample answer key.

Lesson 21

Lesson 21: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (60 min.)

Analyze an Argument (15 min.)

Complete the Focusing Question Task (45 min.)

Land (3 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (2 min.)

Assign Homework Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Execute Phrases and Clauses (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

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RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.6, RI.7.8

Writing

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W.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.5

Speaking and Listening

ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.3

Language ƒ

L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a ƒ L.7.1.a

MATERIALS

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Assessment 21A: Focusing Question Task 2

Learning Goals

Write an argument paragraph, establishing and supporting a claim about whether Squealer, Boxer, or the sheep are most influential in supporting Napoleon’s efforts to gain and maintain power (RL.7.1, W.7.1, W.7.4, L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a).

Complete Assessment 21A.

Revise Focusing Question Task 2 paragraphs by adding phrases or clauses to create transitions, add detail or precision, or clarify the relationships among the claim, reasons, and evidence (L.7.1.a).

Revise responses to Focusing Question Task 2 by adding phrases or clauses for specified purposes.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 12–21

How and why does language persuade?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 21

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of character and perspective reveal in the first half of Animal Farm?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 21

Execute: How can I use a strong claim, clear reasons, and relevant evidence in an argument paragraph?

Students discuss the pivotal and dramatic developments in chapter V, including an analysis of Squealer’s misleading defense of Napoleon’s seizure of power. They then turn their attention to the Focusing Question Task, in which they demonstrate their developing skills as writers of argument by first gathering evidence of ways Boxer, Squealer, and the sheep use language to support Napoleon and then making a claim about whose use of language is most influential in helping him gain and keep power at Animal Farm. Completing this Focusing Question Task response not only helps students demonstrate and develop argument-writing skills but also provides them with evidence for their EOM Task responses.

Welcome

5 MIN.

As students enter, assign half of them the character Snowball and half Napoleon. Ask students to make a list in their Response Journal of what their character’s perspective on building the windmill is in the early parts of chapter V.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Ask several students from each side to share their Welcome task responses.

n Snowball says they should build a windmill because with the additional power the animals will be able to live more comfortably, with light and heat in the winter, and work less.

n Napoleon argues that building the windmill will mean they cannot work as hard to produce food and will starve.

Then ask: “How do each of them try to persuade others of their view? Who is more persuasive?”

n They have a debate where they try to convince the other animals to vote for their positions.

n Snowball seems to be the most persuasive.

n But then Napoleon summons a violent pack of dogs, and they chase Snowball off the farm.

Learn60 MIN.

ANALYZE AN ARGUMENT

Whole Group

15 MIN.

Have students briefly summarize what happens after the dogs chase Snowball away, guiding them, as needed, to include these key events:

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The other animals are shocked at what has happened but ultimately go along with it.

ƒ Napoleon changes the plans for the Sunday meetings. There are no more debates. They salute the flag, Napoleon announces the orders, and they sing the song.

ƒ Napoleon announces that the windmill will be built after all.

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Napoleon always has the dogs with him, and they threaten those who try to disagree.

ƒ Squealer gives a speech in defense of Napoleon.

Explain that students will now focus on one event from the chapter Squealer’s speech about Napoleon and Snowball.

Introduce the students who signed up for fluency performances. Post the Elements of Fluency.

Have those students perform an oral, fluent reading of Squealer’s speech on pages 55–56, starting with “Comrades …” and ending with “Surely, Comrades, you do not want Jones back?” (56). Instruct the remaining students to think as they listen to Squealer’s speech about what his claim, reason, and evidence are, and whether his argument is convincing.

At the right moment, play the role of “somebody” who interrupts Squealer by saying, “He fought bravely at the Battle of the Cowshed” (55), or choose a student volunteer to do so. Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What is Squealer’s claim, and what are his reasons, and evidence?”

n Squealer claims that Napoleon has done away with debates and will be making all decisions himself for the good of the other animals.

n One reason is that if animals made their own decisions, they might make the wrong ones.

n

Another reason he gives is that some of the mistakes they might make would be disastrous and might lead to Mr. Jones returning.

n He does not seem to give any actual evidence.

Display the list of persuasive techniques from prior lessons: ƒ Engage your audience. ƒ Compliment your audience. ƒ Create a sense of urgency. ƒ Inspire your audience. ƒ Use the power of images. ƒ

Convince the audience that you have authority. ƒ Appeal to your audience’s emotions. ƒ

Convince your audience with logic and reason. ƒ Address objections. ƒ Repeat ideas. ƒ Use mottos and simple phrases.

ƒ Create an enemy.

Ask: “What persuasive techniques does Squealer use in his argument about why Napoleon should be the leader?”

Guide students, as needed, to see that, among other techniques: ƒ

Squealer makes Napoleon look noble and selfless: “Do not imagine, comrades, that leadership is a pleasure!” (55).

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He uses the threat of Jones again to silence the animals: “Surely, comrades, you do not want Jones back?” (56).

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He uses misleading evidence about the battle: “I believe the time will come when we shall find that Snowball’s part in it was much exaggerated” (55).

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He creates an enemy: “Snowball, who, as we now know, was no better than a criminal!” (55).

Ask: “Is Squealer’s argument sound? Why?”

Student responses may vary, but guide students to an understanding that whether they are personally convinced by Squealer’s argument, his use of persuasive techniques is effective in convincing the other animals.

COMPLETE THE FOCUSING QUESTION TASK

45 MIN.

Individuals

Distribute Assessment 21A. Read aloud the purpose, introduction, task, directions, and checklist for success. Check to see if students have any questions.

Instruct students to make the following chart in their Response Journal.

The Sheep

Tell them to use the chart to record evidence they find about what each of the three animals or groups of animals does to help Napoleon gain and keep power. Clarify that students can and should gather evidence from all five chapters read so far, not just chapter V.

Instruct students to use the evidence they have collected to complete the task.

Students complete Focusing Question Task 2.

3 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Have pairs discuss this question: “What do the other animals do, or not do, that allows Napoleon to take power?”

Squealer

Boxer

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read chapter VI, recording what they notice and wonder using annotation or a T-chart in their Response Journal.

Tell those students who signed up for chapter VI fluency to practice delivering Napoleon’s speech about Snowball (69–71), beginning with “Comrades …” and ending with “Long live Animal Farm!” (71). Tell students that they will skip the author’s words on page 70 and deliver only the two full paragraphs of Napoleon’s speech.

Remind these students that they should rehearse the speech to make sure they can read smoothly, clearly, and accurately and to plan their speed, emphasis, volume, and tone.

Display or reference the Elements of Fluency for these students:

ƒ

ƒ

Effort: Read smoothly; pronounce words correctly.

Clarity: Read clearly; enunciate words so your listener can understand.

ƒ Accuracy: Read precisely; verbalize the words on the page.

ƒ Speed: Read purposefully; speak slower or faster to emphasize meaning.

ƒ

Expression: Read meaningfully.

p Emphasize important words.

p Use punctuation. Pause at commas. Stop at periods. Express emotion at exclamation points. Use a questioning voice at a question mark.

p Divide sentences into significant chunks or phrases.

p Use volume; raise and lower voice to add meaning.

p Use pitch and tone.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Focusing Question Task 2 assesses students’ ability to draft an argument paragraph (RL.7.1, W.7.1, W.7.4, L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a). This Focusing Question Task prepares students for the EOM Task both by developing their skills with argument writing and by giving them a meaningful opportunity to think about the deeper questions of the module such as what the power of language is and how and why some characters’ use of language has greater effects than that of others.

Students will revise their paragraphs, but they should be assessed on the draft paragraph. Accordingly, ensure that students hand in these draft paragraphs before or with the revised version in the next lesson. Check for the success criteria listed on Assessment 21A, and refer to the exemplar in Appendix C. For a more detailed understanding of the success criteria, refer to the Grade 7 Argument Writing Rubric in Appendix C.

Next Steps

Using the success criteria on Assessment 21A, identify specific areas in which individual students struggled and areas in which many students had difficulty. Work with individual students, using the remaining argument writing tasks as opportunities for them to practice. For example, if students struggled to articulate a claim, have them practice during the alternate and opposing claim lessons by offering sentence frames or inviting pairs to discuss claims before writing them. If students struggle with identifying reasons and evidence or elaborating on those, consider offering a graphic organizer to help them build an argument.

For more common areas of challenge, group students with similar needs and plan small group support for them with the skills they still need to encounter success with their EOM Task response.

Lesson 21 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Execute Phrases and Clauses

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Time: 15 min.

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Text: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapters I–V

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Revise Focusing Question Task 2 paragraphs by adding phrases or clauses to create transitions, add detail or precision, or clarify the relationships among the claim, reasons, and evidence (L.7.1.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 21

Execute: How do I use phrases and clauses in an argument?

Launch

Post the Style and Conventions Craft Question.

Display a student response to Focusing Question Task 2, with the student’s permission.

Ask the following questions, pausing between each for the class to discuss:

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“What do you notice about how this writer has used phrases and clauses?”

“What specific praise could you offer this writer about the way they have used phrases and clauses?”

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“Where is a place the author could use a phrase or clause, and why?”

Based on responses to the last suggestion, discuss as a class ways the writer could improve their response by adding or revising phrases and clauses.

Learn

Students revise their responses to Focusing Question Task 2 by adding phrases and clauses to make transitions, add detail or precision, or clarify the relationships among their claim, reasons, and evidence.

As time permits, have students share with the whole class an example from their work that they think effectively clarifies a relationship among claims, reasons, or evidence. Ask them to be explicit about the function the phrase or clause serves in the sentence or paragraph as a whole.

Land

Ask: “Why is it sometimes easier to suggest or make revisions to others’ work than to your own?”

Then discuss strategies students have found to address this challenge.

Lesson 22

Lesson 22: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (4 min.)

Launch (2 min.)

Learn (60 min.)

Strengthen Writing (20 min.)

Organize Ideas (20 min.)

Reflect on Chapter Developments (15 min.)

Practice Fluent Delivery (5 min.)

Land (7 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (2 min.)

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Scapegoat (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

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RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RL.7.6

Writing

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W.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.5

Speaking

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and Listening

SL.7.1, SL.7.3

Language ƒ

L.7.5.a

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Evaluate Focusing Question Task 2 response to identify areas for improvement and strengthen the argument (W.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.5).

Revise response to Assessment 21A.

Analyze the events of chapter VI from the perspective of different characters (RL.7.6).

Complete an Exit Ticket.

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Handout 22A: Focusing Question Task 2 Review ƒ

Handout 22B: Changes to the Seven Commandments of Animal Farm ƒ

Handout 16A: The Characters of Animal Farm

Apply understanding of literary allusions to interpret the word scapegoat in context as it is used to describe Snowball (L.7.5.a).

Create a visual organizer or graphic or draw a picture showing the connection between Snowball and the biblical story of the day of Atonement.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 22–30

How and why is language dangerous?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 22

Organize: What is happening in chapter VI of Animal Farm?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 22

Excel: How do I improve an argument paragraph?

In this lesson, students develop and strengthen their responses to Focusing Question Task 2. Students then organize their ideas about chapter VI, preparing for the EOM Task by considering how language can be dangerous—in this case, as evidenced by the changes in the animals’ situation, at the midpoint of Animal Farm

Welcome

4 MIN.

In pairs, students follow this procedure to share their Focusing Question Task 2 responses.

1. Decide which student is Partner 1 and which is Partner 2.

2. Partner 1 reads aloud their Focusing Question Task 2 response. (1 min.)

3. Partner 2 identifies the claim, reasons, and evidence, and then chooses one element that they find most convincing. (1 min.)

4. Pairs switch roles. Partner 2 reads aloud. (1 min.)

5. Partner 1 identifies the claim, reasons, and evidence, and then chooses one element that they find most convincing. (1 min.)

Tell students that they will have an opportunity during the lesson to engage in a more in-depth peer review; the Welcome task is only to get the gist of each other’s arguments and offer a high-level response.

Launch

2 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Draw students’ attention to the new Focusing Question. Ask for a few examples of when language might be dangerous.

Tell students they will first exchange feedback on and revise their Focusing Question Task 2 response. Then, in the second half of the lesson, they will consider the changes happening on the farm in chapter VI.

Learn

60 MIN.

STRENGTHEN WRITING

Pairs

20 MIN.

Post the Craft Question: How do I improve an argument paragraph?

Invite a volunteer to summarize the task, purpose, and audience for Focusing Question Task 2.

Remind students that in the last module, they read aloud as a strategy for reflecting on writing and identifying errors or places that are unclear or awkward.

Instruct pairs to read their paragraphs aloud to their partners. Encourage students to note any edits or places for revision as they read and listen.

TEACHER NOTE

If appropriate, remind students of the importance of staying on task while working together and some of the strategies for doing so. For example, ask: “What are some ways to redirect the conversation if it moves off topic?”

n Acknowledge what the person is saying, but politely go back to the task.

n You might say something like, “I’m not sure how that relates to revising our argument paragraphs,” or “Let’s talk about that after we finish this.”

n Restate the task: “Right now, we should work on our paragraphs.”

Once each student has read aloud to the other, have each complete Handout 22A. Tell students that you will collect their peer feedback along with their revisions and will review both so you can continue to help students learn how to offer thoughtful feedback to their peers.

Differentiation:

Depending on students’ skill levels and maturity, peer review can be more or less beneficial. If working independently with some teacher support may be more effective with your students, invite students to complete the handouts independently, evaluating their own paragraphs. As students work, circulate to offer one-on-one conferencing to students who may benefit from a more structured review process.

After students have completed the handouts, encourage them to analyze the feedback and identify the focus for their targeted revisions.

TEACHER NOTE

Consider working with students one-on-one, or organize students with similar needs into small groups for targeted mini-lessons. For example, organize the room with focused revision tables or areas with additional materials and prompting questions displayed and available to students by paragraph or writing element.

Provide time for students to suggest revisions to their Focusing Question Task responses. Time may not allow for a full revision; if it does not, guide students to annotate their paragraphs to show planned revisions.

Students submit the revision (or annotated original) along with the original draft and any related feedback (such as completed Handout 22A).

Evaluate students’ revisions (or proposed revisions) against their original drafts and against the feedback.

Individuals

Ask students to open their books to chapter VI, and tell them that they will spend the rest of the lesson discussing the developments in the chapter.

Call on volunteers to quickly summarize what happens in chapter VI.

n The animals, and especially Boxer, continue to work harder than ever before.

n Napoleon announces that the animals will trade with other farms.

n The pigs move into the farmhouse and sleep on beds.

n The windmill falls over.

n Napoleon blames Snowball.

Instruct students to turn to Handout 16A and Handout 22B. Ask students to complete the following:

On Handout 22B, students note which commandment changes in chapter VI, how it changes, and what the change means or reveals about what is happening on the farm.

On Handout 16A, students take notes for chapter VI on three groups or characters: the pigs, Napoleon, and Boxer.

Invite students to share their responses to both handouts.

n Commandment 4 changes. “No animal shall sleep in a bed” changes to “No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets.” The pigs make this change because they want to sleep in the farmhouse in beds and be more comfortable.

n The pigs move into the farmhouse and start sleeping in beds and change the commandments so the other animals do not protest.

n Napoleon decides to start trading with other farms. He blames Snowball for destroying the windmill.

n Boxer works hard and continues to repeat his mottos: “I will work harder,” and “Napoleon is always right.”

If you have posted a list of the Commandments in your classroom, consider changing them as they change in the novel to help students more fully realize the impact of these changes.

As another way of helping students appreciate the impact of the changing of the Commandments, discuss what might happen if you slowly started changing your class rules or classroom discussion rules, such as changing the rule, “Respect everyone,” to “Respect everyone except people sitting in the front row.” Or, consider what effects changes to the Bill of Rights in the Constitution might cause.

REFLECT ON CHAPTER DEVELOPMENTS 15 MIN.

Whole Group

Display the following contrasts that Orwell sets up in chapter VI:

“All that year the animals worked like slaves” (59). “But they were happy in their work …” (59).

“… everything that they did was for the benefit of themselves …” (59). “… and not for a pack of idle, thieving human beings” (59).

Then, challenge students to work in pairs to find additional contrasts to add to the chart.

n “This work was strictly voluntary …” (59). n “… but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half” (59).

n “Again the animals seemed to remember that a resolution against this [moving into the farmhouse] had been passed …” (66).

n “… Squealer was able to convince them that this was not the case” (66).

n “They had had a hard year …” (68). n “… but the windmill compensated for everything” (68).

Remind students of their discussion of juxtaposition in the earlier lesson on Maya Angelou’s poem, “Caged Bird.” Invite them to think about why Orwell would have employed this literary technique to place these ideas side by side in contrast.

Ask students to share ideas as a whole group about what these contrasts show.

PRACTICE FLUENT DELIVERY 5 MIN.

Pairs

Remind students that the chapter ends with a thunderous speech from Napoleon.

Introduce the students who signed up for fluency performances. Remind students that they need only read Napoleon’s lines, not the narration.

In pairs (or small groups, depending on the number of students signed up for this fluency performance), student volunteers share an oral, fluent reading of Napoleon’s speech (69–71).

Discuss the significance of Napoleon’s speech. Ask: “Who has become the enemy now?”

Tell students that Snowball has been made a scapegoat, an idea that they will explore further in the lesson’s Deep Dive.

Land7 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Explain that as students may have observed, Orwell does not use thoughtshots spelling out what the different animals are thinking. However, he provides evidence from which the reader can infer the perspective various animals have on the developments on the farm.

Students choose three characters from the following list, and write one to three sentences in their Response Journal about what this character likely thinks about the developments on the farm and why: ƒ Napoleon. ƒ Squealer. ƒ Snowball. ƒ Boxer. ƒ Clover. ƒ Benjamin. ƒ The hens. ƒ

The four young pigs. ƒ The sheep.

Scaffold

If students need more support to be successful with this Check for Understanding (CFU) task, model a response for one of the characters. For example:

Clover seems a little worried about Boxer working so hard and about the changes to the farm. She asks Muriel to read her the Fourth Commandment because she thought she remembered a rule against sleeping in beds, but because she does not know how to read or think critically, she accepts what Napoleon tells the animals.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read chapter VII in Animal Farm.

Tell students they will discuss the significance of chapter VII’s plot developments and also return to their Focusing Question Task responses in the next class period to continue to build their skill with argument.

Those students who signed up for chapter VII fluency practice delivering Squealer’s speech about Snowball (81–82), beginning with “That was part of the arrangement” (81), continuing with the paragraph that begins with “Our Leader, Comrade Napoleon” (81), and ending with the paragraph which begins with “That is the true spirit, comrade” (82). Tell students that they will skip the author’s words and Boxer’s interjections on pages 81–82 and deliver only the three paragraphs of Squealer’s speech.

Remind these students that they should rehearse the speech to make sure they can read smoothly, clearly, and accurately and plan their speed, emphasis, volume, and tone. Encourage students to read dramatically and in the character of Squealer.

Display or reference the Elements of Fluency for these students:

ƒ

Effort: Read smoothly; pronounce words correctly.

ƒ Clarity: Read clearly; enunciate words so your listener can understand.

ƒ

Accuracy: Read precisely; verbalize the words on the page.

ƒ

ƒ

Speed: Read purposefully; speak slower or faster to emphasize meaning.

Expression: Read meaningfully.

p Emphasize important words.

p Use punctuation. Pause at commas. Stop at periods. Express emotion at exclamation points. Use a questioning voice at a question mark.

p Divide sentences into significant chunks or phrases.

p Use volume; raise and lower voice to add meaning.

p Use pitch and tone.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students’ revision of their Focusing Question Task 2 responses provides a window into how well students can self-assess or assess, provide and receive feedback, and use that analysis to strengthen a piece of writing to develop the criteria for effective arguments (W.7.1), to tailor writing to the specific task, purpose, and audience (W.7.4), and to engage in the writing process to produce a stronger final draft (W.7.5). Check that students can: ƒ Define the elements of an effective argument. ƒ Articulate the task, purpose, and audience for writing. ƒ Identify areas for improvement in their own and others’ writing. ƒ Engage in the processes of revising, editing, and trying a new approach as needed.

Next Steps

Should students have difficulty with drafting, reviewing, and revising their argument paragraphs, consider grouping students and conducting additional mini-lessons in which you address targeted elements of writing: language and conventions, style, elements of the CREEA-C structure, content development, attending to audience, and so on. Devoting a class period to independent reading, such as with texts from the Appendix D: Volume of Reading list, or additional research to allow for one-on-one writing conferences with students will also be beneficial. Continued study of models of strong writing and arguments will build all students’ skills and knowledge. Providing time for students to orally debate opposing and alternate claims will also help them develop their ideas for writing.

Lesson 22 Deep Dive: Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary: Scapegoat

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Time: 15 min.

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Text: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter VI

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Apply understanding of literary allusions to interpret the word scapegoat in context as it is used to describe Snowball (L.7.5.a).

Launch

Display these sentences:

ƒ Napoleon uses Snowball as a scapegoat and says that he is the enemy who has destroyed the windmill.

ƒ

Instead of taking responsibility for her own problems, the midwife makes Alyce her scapegoat and blames her when things go wrong.

ƒ The internment of Japanese Americans in World War II is an example of a government unfairly making a racial or ethnic group a scapegoat

Ask students to share their initial ideas about the meaning of the word scapegoat.

n An enemy.

n The bad guy.

n Someone who commits a crime.

n The one who is blamed for an accident or a problem.

Learn

Remind students of the meaning of the word allusion, an indirect reference to a person, place, event, idea, or story, often with historical, literary, religious, or mythical significance.

Ask students for an example of an allusion, such as “I was as chilly as Frosty the Snowman.”

Then, provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

scapegoat (n.) A person who is blamed for someone else’s wrongdoing. butt, prey, target

Invite volunteers to share any ideas about what the word scapegoat might be an allusion to.

Tell students that the word is an allusion to a story in the Bible, in which, on the day of Atonement, or the day God is to forgive humans’ sins and reunite with them, a goat is set out to the wilderness, to carry all of the humans’ guilt away.

Ask: “How does this story from the Bible connect to this word?”

The biblical allusion is to Leviticus 16:8:

He is to cast lots for the two goats one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat (New International Version).

And 16:21–22:

TEACHER NOTE

He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites all their sins and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness (New International Version).

Explain, as needed, that the purpose of this Deep Dive is to give students the background needed to understand the Biblical allusion, not to teach the Bible or religion.

Help students make the connection between the word scapegoat, the character of Snowball, and the biblical day of Atonement. (Or, discuss all three of the sentences from the opening of the lesson and discuss the connection between the biblical story and the midwife and Alyce or the United States government and the Japanese internees.)

Students create a visual organizer or graphic or draw a picture showing the connection between Snowball and the biblical story of the day of Atonement.

Invite students to share their organizers or graphics.

Land

In writing in their Response Journal, or with a partner orally, invite students to reflect on why Napoleon might have used Snowball as a scapegoat.

n Napoleon saw Snowball as a threat even at the beginning, when each wanted to lead the farm.

n Napoleon did not want to be blamed for the windmill falling, so he blames Snowball instead.

n Having another enemy helps guarantee that the animals will not see Napoleon as their enemy. They will stay united fighting against Snowball and others like him.

n Instead of giving up after the windmill falls, the other animals will have more energy to work because they will be so angry!

Challenge students to draw on what they learned of World War II in Module 2. Ask them to name another dictator who used a scapegoat for the misfortunes of the people. Responses might include that Hitler cast the European Jews in the role of scapegoats for the nation’s problems, or the way the American government made scapegoats of the interned Japanese Americans.

Lesson 23

Lesson 23: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (4 min.)

Launch (6 min.) Learn (60 min.)

Organize Ideas (10 min.)

Practice Fluent Delivery (10 min.) Analyze Arguments (25 min.)

Strengthen Writing (15 min.)

Land (3 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (2 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Varied Sentence Structures (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

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RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RI.7.8

Writing

ƒ W.7.1.a

Speaking and Listening

ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.3

Language ƒ L.7.1.b

MATERIALS ƒ

None

Learning Goals

Trace the techniques Squealer uses in his arguments about pigs sleeping in beds and about “Beasts of England,” and draft a written assessment of the soundness of his reasoning (RI.7.8).

Compose an evaluation of Squealer’s argument in the Response Journal.

Draft one or two additional sentences for the Focusing Question Task 2 response to acknowledge alternate or opposing claims (W.7.1.a).

Build onto Focusing Question Task 2 response by acknowledging an alternate or opposing claim.

Identify and evaluate the impact of varied sentence structures (L.7.1.b).

In the Response Journal, describe one way varied sentences can help communicate a claim, reasons, or evidence, and one benefit of using varied sentence structures.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 22–30

How and why is language dangerous?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 23

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of Squealer’s arguments reveal?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 23

Experiment: How does acknowledging alternate or opposing claims work?

While the most shocking event in chapter VII may be the slaughter of the animals deemed traitors, force is not Napoleon’s only tool—he continues to use language to control the other animals. Understanding the contents of chapter VII will help students prepare for the EOM Task argument (or address alternate or opposing claims within the argument) with regard to the dangerous power of language. In this lesson, students continue to develop and strengthen their understanding of argumentation, first by analyzing the techniques that Squealer uses in his arguments in chapters VI and VII, and then by applying techniques of effective argumentation to their own Focusing Question Task 2 responses—specifically by acknowledging alternate or opposing arguments.

Welcome

4 MIN.

In their Response Journal, students describe the most shocking event of chapter VII.

Launch

6 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Invite students to share responses from the Welcome task, explaining why the event they selected was the most shocking to them.

Tell students that in this lesson, they will continue to discuss the developments on the farm and look more closely at the arguments Squealer uses to control the other animals.

ORGANIZE

60 MIN.

IDEAS 10 MIN.

Whole Group

Invite volunteers to summarize the events of chapter VII.

n The animals work through the cold winter, but they do not have enough food and are hungry.

n Napoleon wants to hide the farm’s problems from the humans.

n He decides to sell eggs for profit, but the hens rebel.

n Napoleon starves them. Nine die before they give up.

n Napoleon holds a meeting and executes many animals accused of being traitors.

n Squealer tells the animals they can no longer sing “Beasts of England,” and the song of rebellion is replaced with a new song.

Differentiation:

If students do not address all the key developments in the chapter, pose prompting questions, such as:

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In what situation do the animals find themselves at the beginning of chapter VII? ƒ

Why does Napoleon want to hide their circumstances? ƒ

Why do the hens protest and how does Napoleon respond? ƒ

Why does Napoleon call a meeting? What happens to the animals who confess to working against the farm? ƒ

How do the other animals react?

PRACTICE FLUENT DELIVERY

Whole Group

10 MIN.

Post the Elements of Fluency for students as a reminder.

Introduce the students who signed up for fluency performances. Remind students to skip the words of Boxer and the author and perform only Squealer’s words to the other animals.

Students share an oral, fluent reading of three paragraphs of Squealer’s speech about Snowball on pages 81–82.

Applaud volunteers.

Discuss the significance of this passage. Ask: “Is Squealer telling the truth? Why or why not? Why is Snowball now the enemy?”

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What is the tone of Squealer’s speech? Is he wise, rational, persuasive, angry, desperate, or something else?”

Encourage students to think critically about what reasons and evidence Squealer provides to “prove” that Snowball is a traitor.

Be sure students recognize that now that the animals are starving and suffering, and the pigs are becoming more human, Napoleon and Squealer want them to focus their energies on a scapegoat like Snowball, rather than looking too critically at their own situation. The pigs are becoming more desperate now that even loyal Boxer is questioning their version of the truth.

ANALYZE ARGUMENTS

Whole Group

25 MIN.

Point out that the argument students just performed for fluency was just one of Squealer’s many oral arguments throughout the novel. Tell them that together you will analyze another of his arguments: why the animals no longer need to sing “Beasts of England.”

Remind students of the word propaganda that they discussed in the context of Code Talker in Module 2. Ask a volunteer to share the definition: “information or statements of opinion that are deliberately circulated among the public to persuade the population to accept a certain point of view.”

Ask: “Is Squealer’s speech propaganda?” If students are unsure, ask them whether his speeches meet the criteria set by the definition: “does he deliberately share his messages with the public to try to persuade the animals to accept a certain point of view?”

Explain that we often evaluate arguments based on whether they are sound and valid in terms of their reasoning. In a sound and valid argument, we know that if the reasons are true, then the conclusion that comes from them is true.

Display some examples.

Mint chip is a kind of ice cream. Kate likes all kinds of ice cream. Therefore, Kate likes mint chip.

A quadrilateral is a shape with four sides. Squares have four sides. Therefore, a square is a quadrilateral.

I want to do well on the test. I do better on tests when I study. Therefore, I should study.

Help students see the structure: If this is true … And this is true … Then this is true.

Tell students that the first parts of the statements are called premises. They lead to a conclusion.

Tell students that this kind of reasoning is sound only if (1) both the premises are true and (2) the second premise is a bridge between the first and the last. That is, both of the ideas have to be true and logically connected.

Scaffold

A helpful analogy for students will be to compare this to math: If a = 3 and b = 2, then a + b must equal 5. If b is not actually 2, then the whole thing falls apart! In the same way, if one of the premises is not true, the argument is not sound.

Invite a volunteer or two to generate additional examples. Ask the class to critique these for their reasoning.

Tell students that they will analyze Squealer’s argument to determine whether his reasoning is sound.

To do so, they will have to first put it into the structure: If this is true … And this is true … Then this is true.

Read aloud Squealer’s argument about “Beasts of England,” starting with “‘Beasts of England’ was the song of the Rebellion …” and ending with “Clearly this song has no longer any purpose” (88).

Ask students to identify Squealer’s premises and his conclusion. (Students can work with a partner to discuss, work independently to write their ideas, or just review the argument and draw a conclusion.) Invite students to share their ideas, and display. (Be sure that students see that Squealer makes two arguments here.)

n “Beasts of England” was the song of the Rebellion. Now the rebellion is over because the traitors were killed and the enemy defeated. Therefore, this song no longer has a purpose.

n “Beasts of England” was a song about the animals’ longing for a better society. Now that society has been established. Therefore, this song no longer has a purpose.

Have students discuss in small groups whether Squealer’s reasoning is sound, and share their conclusions with the whole group.

n His first premises are true. “Beasts of England” was the song of the Rebellion. It did express the animals’ longing for a better society.

n Squealer’s next premises are false.

n Killing animals was prohibited on the animals’ farm. So killing animals is not a sign the rebellion is over. The named enemies are all humans and Snowball. They have not been defeated.

n Has a better society been established? Not necessarily. The animals have less food, less free time, and are working like slaves.

n Finally, the song clearly does have a purpose. Singing the song was the first thing the animals did to comfort themselves when the other animals were killed.

In their Response Journal, students describe Squealer’s claim about the song, “Beasts of England. ” Students trace his argument and explain why his reasoning is unsound.

Differentiation:

Students who need additional practice with argumentation can analyze the argument about the sheets and beds from chapter VI on page 67. Ask students to list his premises and name his conclusion, or provide them for students:

There was never a ruling against beds, only one about sheets. The pigs have removed the sheets and only sleep between blankets. Therefore, the pigs are right to sleep in the beds in the farmhouse.

Ask students to assess the truth of each premise. Be sure students see that the argument is based on a lie; one of the original commandments was against animals sleeping in beds.

Squealer also suggests that if the pigs did not sleep in beds, Jones might come back.

The beds help the pigs sleep. Without sleep, the pigs might be “too tired to carry out our duties” (67). Then, the animals might see Jones back.

Ask students to assess the truth of each premise—and the connection between the premises and the conclusion. Be sure students see that the second premise may not be true; the animals have always carried out their duties without sleeping in beds. But more problematic is that the conclusion does not connect to the premise. Squealer has not offered a reason and evidence for how the pigs’ duties are connected to Jones’s return. Jones’s return is irrelevant to the argument at hand.

Extension

Have students work together to identify specific techniques Squealer uses to persuade the other animals, including:

ƒ

He alters history. He claims there was never a rule against beds. ƒ

He manipulates language. He says that a bed is only a place to sleep and not an actual object. ƒ

He uses faulty logic. If pigs did not sleep in beds, they would be too tired to work. Of course, this cannot be true because none of the animals has ever slept in a bed and they have all worked hard.

ƒ

He emphasizes the importance and superiority of the pigs. He says they need more rest “with all the brainwork we have to do nowadays” (67).

ƒ

He reminds them of their common enemy: “Surely none of you wishes to see Jones back?” (67).

If time allows, you may want to conduct a mini-debate to invite reflection on the violence in the chapter and the dangerous language. Ask students to take a side in response to the following question: “Which is more powerful in controlling the animals: Napoleon’s use of force or Squealer’s use of language?”

Ask students to move to one side of the room to argue for Napoleon or the other side to argue for Squealer. Give each side a couple of minutes to generate ideas. Then provide each side with one minute to present their claims, reasons, and evidence to the other side, and then one minute each to respond to the opposing claims.

STRENGTHEN WRITING

Pairs

15 MIN.

Post the Craft Question: How does acknowledging alternate or opposing claims work?

Display examples of some of Squealer’s arguments:

ƒ

“‘Comrades! ... You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this [eating the milk and apples] in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples’” (35).

ƒ

“‘Do not imagine, comrades, that leadership is a pleasure! On the contrary, it is a deep and heavy responsibility. No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal’” (55).

ƒ

“‘You did not suppose, surely, that there was ever a ruling against beds?’” (67).

Tell students that each of these three excerpts shares something in common. Invite students’ observations.

n He speaks directly to his audience, his “comrades.”

n He tries to guess what they might “imagine” or “suppose.”

n He tries to make them feel stupid, like what they might be thinking is definitely wrong.

n He predicts the arguments they might make against him and tries to stop them before they can make the argument.

Synthesize responses, drawing students’ attention to how Squealer is anticipating what arguments his audience might have against him and acknowledging and responding to them.

Scaffold

If students need additional support, work through each excerpt one by one more explicitly as a whole group. Ask: “What argument does Squealer think the other animals might make against him? How does he respond to that other argument?”

n The other animals might have argued that the pigs were being selfish by drinking the milk and apples. He says they don’t even like milk and apples!

n The other animals might have argued that Napoleon thought that he was better than the other animals and was taking leadership because of the benefits to himself. He says the job is a really difficult responsibility.

n The other animals might have argued that one of the commandments was against animals sleeping in beds. He claims that there never was such a commandment.

Tell students that you will spend some time discussing how to address alternate or opposing claims in an argument, and that their arguments will be much stronger if they do not avoid the opposing side. Instead, they should:

1. Think about what alternate or opposing claims someone might make to their argument.

2. Determine why their claim is stronger than these alternate or opposing claims.

3. Consider how to most effectively respond to these other claims.

Explain that addressing these other claims will help them seem more knowledgeable about the full scope of the debate. This technique will also help them connect with their audience. If they are respectful to the other side, they might encourage their audience to consider a new perspective.

Distribute or ask students to take out their Focusing Question Task 2 responses.

Ask students to silently reread their responses and think about what alternate or opposing claims others might make.

Scaffold

If time allows, it may be helpful to select three students who made three different claims in response to the Focusing Question Task and invite them to share their responses with their classmates. As each reads aloud, students can make notes about strong reasons and evidence in favor of the alternate or opposing claims.

Ask students to write one to three sentences to add to their Focusing Question Task 2 responses that acknowledge an alternate or opposing claim.

Scaffold

If students need additional support to be successful, they may benefit from sentence frames for acknowledging alternate or opposing claims. Make sure these students see the structure for each of the frames: First, introduce the alternate or opposing claim, then, disprove the alternate or opposing claim.

Introduce the Other Claim Disprove the Other Claim

On the other hand, one could argue However, the evidence suggests that

Although it is true that The evidence clearly shows that

Others might argue that

Overall, though, a stronger argument can be made that

Land

3 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

As an Exit Ticket, students respond to the following question: “Why do the reasoning, logic, and soundness of Squealer’s arguments matter?”

2 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read chapter VIII, annotating their observations and questions as they read.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students’ evaluation of the soundness of Squealer’s reasoning and the development of his argument is crucial to their understanding of Orwell’s larger messages in the novel and to their abilities to critically think about written and oral arguments (RI.7.8, SL.7.3) and compose their own (W.7.1). Check that students can:

ƒ

Identify the claim of Squealer’s argument: that the song, “Beasts of England,” is no longer needed.

ƒ

ƒ

Describe the reasons Squealer gives for why the song is now prohibited.

Explain why Squealer’s reasoning is unsound.

Next Steps

Should students have difficulty evaluating Squealer’s reasoning, engage them in additional practice by completing the Differentiation activity and analyzing the argument about the sheets and beds from chapter VI on page 67. Students can also examine other examples of unsound reasoning throughout the novel, such as Boxer’s conclusion on page 85:

The executions were shocking and unexpected on the farm.

The violence must be due to some fault of the animals.

Therefore, the solution is to work harder.

Have students work in groups to evaluate whether Boxer’s premises are true and his conclusion valid.

Another example is on page 64, with Squealer’s arguments about trade with humans.

The animals might be only dreaming that there once was a resolution against engaging in trade and using money.

“Nothing of the kind existed in writing.”

Therefore, the animals must have been mistaken.

(Encourage students to look back to page 11 and Old Major’s list of man’s vices to remind themselves of the original ideas the animals had about trade.)

Lesson 23 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Examine Varied Sentence Structures

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapters VI–VII

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Identify and evaluate the impact of varied sentence structures (L.7.1.b).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 23

Examine: Why is using varied sentence structures important when writing an argument?

This lesson builds on the knowledge of varying sentence types students developed in earlier modules to help them better “[c]hoose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas” (L.7.1.b) and improve their writing.

Authors use a variety of sentence types to create interest, detail, and rhythm in their writing. As discussed in Module 2, using varied sentence structures can help create formality in a piece of writing.

Sentence Type What It Is Example(s)

Simple A simple sentence has one independent clause and no dependent clauses.

Compound A compound sentence has multiple independent clauses joined by a conjunction or semicolon but no dependent clauses.

Complex A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. (Reminder: Generally, a dependent clause cannot stand alone and begins with a dependent marker word, such as after, although, as, because, before, even though, even if, if, since, though, unless, until, when, whenever, whether, or while In this example, when is a dependent marker word.)

CompoundComplex A compound-complex sentence has multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

“It was a bitter winter” (73).

“[T]he quarry was full of snowdrifts and nothing could be done” (74).

“The human beings did not hate Animal Farm any less now that it was prospering; indeed, they hated it more than ever” (65).

“When it was all over, the remaining animals, except for the pigs and dogs, crept away in a body” (84).

“The harvest was a little less successful than in the previous year, and two fields which should have been sown with roots in the early summer were not sown because the ploughing had not been completed early enough” (59–60).

Launch

Share the Learning Goal for the lesson, and tell students that in today’s Deep Dive, they will examine the effect of the sentence structures used in the paragraphs.

Display the following paragraph from Animal Farm:

In January, food fell short. The corn ration was drastically reduced, and it was announced that an extra potato ration would be issued to make up for it. Then it was discovered that the greater part of the potato crop had been frosted in the clamps, which had not been covered thickly enough. The potatoes had become soft and discoloured, and only a few were edible. For days at a time the animals had nothing to eat but chaff and mangels. Starvation seemed to stare them in the face (74).

TEACHER NOTE

Define vocabulary for students as needed. Clamps are bands used to hold things together, chaff refers to the husks of corn or grasses, and mangels are large beets grown as food for cattle.

As a whole group, discuss the following questions.

Question 1: “What do you notice about the sentences in this paragraph?”

n They vary in length and type.

n The beginnings are varied.

n They do not all start with the same subject.

Question 2: “What ideas does Orwell emphasize in this paragraph?”

n That the animals do not have enough food and might starve.

Question 3: “How does Orwell use sentence structure to emphasize his most important ideas? What kinds of sentences does he use for details and evidence?”

n He uses simple, short sentences to show the most important ideas.

n He uses longer, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to describe details and provide evidence that shows the gravity of the situation.

Differentiation:

If students would benefit from a review before beginning the Learn activities, ask volunteers to name and briefly define the different sentence types. Display the following sentences from chapters VI and VII, and ask students to work together to label them.

ƒ

“The work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half” (59).

ƒ

“The windmill presented unexpected difficulties” (60).

ƒ

“The animals were not badly off throughout that summer, in spite of the hardness of their work” (62).

ƒ

“All the animals remembered passing such resolutions: or at least they thought that they remembered it” (63).

ƒ

“And when, some days afterwards, it was announced that from now on the pigs would get up an hour later in the mornings than the other animals, no complaint was made about that either” (68).

ƒ

“There was a cry of indignation, and everyone began thinking out ways of catching Snowball if he should ever come back” (70).

ƒ

“The animals knew that this was not the case” (73).

ƒ

“They were always cold, and usually hungry as well” (74).

ƒ

“The potatoes had become soft and discoloured, and only a few were edible” (74).

ƒ

“Only Boxer and Clover never lost heart” (74).

ƒ

“The animals were thoroughly frightened” (79).

ƒ

“When it was all over, the remaining animals, except for the pigs and dogs, crept away in a body” (84).

Or, conduct a Grammar Safari, challenging students, in pairs or small groups, to identify examples of each type of sentence from chapters VI and VII of Animal Farm.

Learn

Display the following argument paragraph:

Squealer is the most important character in Animal Farm. Without Squealer, it is doubtful that the animals would all have continued to follow Napoleon. Even as the situation grows worse and worse, the animals continue to believe that their lives are better because Squealer tells them so. When Squealer tells the animals they are better off, they believe him. When Squealer tells the animals they are all equal, they believe him. Only Squealer can “turn black into white” (16).

Instruct groups of students to discuss the following questions.

1. What is the author’s most important point or claim?

2. How does the author use sentence structures to make that point or claim?

3. What else do you notice about the effect of the author’s sentence structure choices on the argument being made?

n The claim is that Squealer is the most important character.

n Orwell uses shorter, simple sentences to open and close the paragraph. The simple sentences at the beginning and the end of the paragraph emphasize the claim.

n The other, complex sentences that are the body of the paragraph add details. Two of the sentences follow the same structure to create a rhythm: “When Squealer” does something, then the animals “believe him.” But most of the sentences start in different ways to be more interesting to readers, which helps them pay better attention to the argument. All of the body sentences do not start with “Squealer.”

Share ideas as a whole class to cement understanding, informally assess all students’ understanding, and address misconceptions as needed.

Scaffold

If groups are having difficulty with the second and third questions, have them explicitly identify the type of sentence for each sentence in the paragraph and then think about the variety and purpose for each sentence.

Alternate Activity

If time is limited, as a whole group, identify the claim and then ask half the class to discuss question 2 and the other half to discuss question 3. Then, come together to report findings.

Land

In their Response Journal, students describe:

1. One way varied sentence structures can help communicate an argument’s claim or reasons and evidence.

2. One style benefit of using varied sentence structures.

1. Using a short sentence can emphasize the claim. Complex sentences can describe evidence and reasons.

2. Alternating short and long sentences and varying sentence types can create interest and improve the rhythm of writing.

Alternate Activity

If time allows, as additional practice, consider doing the following activity.

Ask students to turn to the opening of chapter VI on page 59 and reread the first paragraph. Ask students to respond to the following in their Response Journal:

1. Describe the sentence structures Orwell uses in chapter VI, paragraph 1.

2. What idea does Orwell most seem to want to emphasize?

3. How does Orwell interest the reader?

4. How would you describe the rhythm of this writing?

1. Orwell uses only two sentences in this paragraph. He uses a simple sentence to open and then a compound-complex sentence to end the paragraph.

2. He emphasizes that they “worked like slaves.” This is the idea he opens with and the short sentence emphasizes this idea.

3. Calling the animals “slaves” and ending the short sentence with this word gets the reader’s attention.

4. The rhythm of the second sentence seems like it lulls the reader into believing all of the lies the pigs are telling the other animals. It is almost like an argument and an opposing argument. The animals might say they are like slaves, but the pigs could argue that they are actually happy, and they are helping themselves, and the humans were bad, and now they are free of the humans.

Encourage students to pay attention to the varying sentence structures as they continue to read Animal Farm. Tell them that they will practice writing their own varied sentences throughout the module.

Lesson 24

Lesson 24: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (4 min.)

Launch (6 min.)

Learn (60 min.)

Analyze Text (30 min.)

Distill Meaning (20 min.)

Analyze Characters’ Perspectives (10 min.)

Land (4 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Complex 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, RL.7.6

Writing ƒ W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1

Language ƒ L.7.1.b

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 22B: Changes to the Seven Commandments of Animal Farm ƒ Chart paper

Learning Goals

Identify and analyze a theme that Orwell develops in Animal Farm (RL.7.2).

In groups, complete a Carousel activity to describe themes developed in chapter VIII.

Combine simple sentences to create complex sentences to communicate multiple ideas (L.7.1.b).

Write a complex sentence, combining two ideas to show time, contrast, or cause-and-effect.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 22–30

How and why is language dangerous?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 24

Distill: What is the essential meaning of Animal Farm?

In this lesson, students discuss the developments and events of chapter VIII and distill these ideas into a larger theme or message. Drawing these kinds of conclusions builds students’ deep understanding of the novel and its fable-like qualities. This prepares them for both the EOM Task and for the upcoming lessons on Stalin and Abu Simbel.

Welcome

4 MIN.

Instruct students to turn to Handout 22B and update the chart based on the developments through chapter VIII.

Launch

6 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Invite students to share responses from the Welcome task, discussing what the changes to the commandments show about life on the farm.

Ask: “Why does Orwell open and close chapter VIII describing the changes to two of the commandments? Why don’t the animals protest these changes to the commandments?”

TEACHER NOTE

During the Holocaust, among the books burned were those by German Jewish poet Heinrich Heine, who in 1821 wrote the prescient words: “Where they burn books, they will also ultimately burn people.” If time allows, you may want students to consider this quotation in light of the suppression of literacy on the animals’ farm, and the ways that the illiterate animals help enable Napoleon’s rise.

60 MIN.

ANALYZE TEXT 30 MIN.

Small Groups

Call on volunteers to quickly summarize what happens in chapter VIII.

n The animals continue to suffer and toil, while Squealer lies with fake statistics about the farm’s success and Napoleon builds himself up as the supreme leader.

n The animals try to trade with humans but are the victims of a swindle.

n A battle ensues after men come to the farm and knock down the windmill.

n Although the animals are bloody and feel defeated, Squealer claims they won.

n Napoleon drinks too much and regrets it the next day but then decides he will plant a field with barley to make more alcohol.

Organize students into six groups, and tell them they will do a Carousel activity on chart paper posted around the classroom.

Number the charts 1 to 6, and assign each group to one of the following questions and the corresponding chart.

1. The phrase a cult of personality describes when leaders use language, media, and persuasive propaganda to create an ideal, heroic image of themselves. How is a cult of personality created around Napoleon in chapter VIII?

2. Compare “Beasts of England” (12–13) with “Comrade Napoleon” (94–95). Which words are repeated most often in each, and what is the impact of these repetitions?

3. What is Squealer’s perspective on Animal Farm? How do you know?

4. The scene at the end of chapter VIII mirrors what other scene from the book? Why is this important?

5. Why don’t the other animals understand what happened with Squealer and the paint at the end of the chapter?

6. After all their work on the windmill, are the animals better or worse off? In what ways?

Provide each group five to seven minutes to discuss and record their responses on their chart paper. Then, signal the groups to rotate, spending a few minutes at each chart, reviewing and adding to the other responses.

Question/Chart 1:

n A trumpet signals before he speaks.

n Everywhere he goes, his dogs attend him.

n A gun is to be fired every year on his birthday.

n He is no longer called only Napoleon but is called “our Leader,” “Comrade Napoleon” or other important titles.

n Squealer cries when he tells of how much Napoleon loves all animals.

n Napoleon is given credit for any achievement on the farm, even those with which he has nothing to do.

n A poem about him and painting of him are set in the barn.

Question/Chart 2:

n Both the song and the poem repeat the words of their title throughout.

n The impact is that the song is clearly written to inspire all animals to unite while the poem is written to glorify one individual.

Question/Chart 3:

n You don’t really know what his true perspective is because he is always going to say that everything is great and that it is all thanks to Napoleon.

n For example, after the battle, he says that the animals should celebrate it as a victory, that they can build more windmills, and that it is all thanks to Napoleon.

Question/Chart 4:

n The pigs are drunk, just as Mr. Jones was at the opening of the book.

n This scene shows how much the pigs are starting to resemble humans.

Question/Chart 5:

n The other animals question nothing.

n Because they do not know how to read and write, the pigs can change the laws, and the other animals do not notice.

n Muriel is a little suspicious, but she assumes she made a mistake.

n Benjamin seems to know more, but he never speaks.

Question/Chart 6:

n The animals on the farm are worse off.

n The men destroyed the windmill.

n Almost all the animals are injured in the battle.

n Boxer realizes he may not have the energy to rebuild the windmill.

DISTILL MEANING

Small Groups

20 MIN.

Ask a volunteer to recall the definition of the word theme learned in previous modules. Tell students that each of the questions they answered during the Carousel activity is about a specific character or scene from Animal Farm and that each also reveals one of Orwell’s central ideas or underlying messages.

Guide students through the process of determining the theme related to a given question and its responses.

Pose the question: “Why is it significant that Squealer ‘would read out to them lists of figures proving that the production of every class of foodstuff had increased by two hundred percent, three hundred percent, or five hundred percent’?”

Share possible responses to the question: “Squealer is clearly lying and the animals ‘see no reason to disbelieve him’.”

Connect these responses to a theme of Orwell’s: “What sounds like truth might be lies; consider the messenger when you evaluate an argument; don’t believe everything you hear.”

TEACHER NOTE

Take this opportunity to remind students that just because an argument includes what appear to be facts and figures, readers, listeners, and viewers should be skeptical and consider the source. An argument can appear to have all the elements of a valid argument—a claim, reasons, evidence, elaboration, and defense—and still be invalid.

Students add central ideas and themes to their chart.

Provide five minutes for discussion and note-taking on the chart. Then ask groups to circulate around the room, to review and add ideas to the other charts, rotating on your signal every two minutes.

n Question/Chart 1: Napoleon’s cult of personality shows that tyrants who present themselves as the champion of the people can actually be the people’s worst enemy. This question also shows the power of language, propaganda, and images.

n Question/Chart 2: The songs show the idea that repetition is a powerful tool in delivering a message.

n Question/Chart 3: Squealer’s character is a reminder to consider the messenger when you consider the truth of an argument.

n Question/Chart 4: The pigs’ drinking shows how much the pigs are becoming like Mr. Jones. Power corrupts.

n Question/Chart 5: The fact that the other animals could not make sense of what Squealer was doing with the paint shows the dangers of an ignorant population, the importance of literacy and education, and the connection of language and power.

n Question/Chart 6: When the windmill is destroyed, and Boxer realizes he might not have the energy to rebuild, Orwell explores the plight of the workers. While the pigs, the “brains” of the farm, are getting drunk, Boxer, the worker, is worrying about the work that must be done.

Provide a couple of minutes for students to add the most important central ideas or themes to their Response Journal.

Individuals TEACHER NOTE

By now, all students should recognize that despite the ideal of equality, life for the animals is decidedly unequal, with the pigs living very differently from the other animals. But Orwell does not give readers a look into how the animals feel or react to the changes on the farm.

Invite students to try to see the farm from the perspective of one of the characters.

Display the following quotations from chapter VIII:

Squealer: “On Sunday mornings Squealer, holding down a long strip of paper with his trotter, would read out to them lists of figures proving that the production of every class of foodstuff had increased by two hundred percent, three hundred per cent, or five hundred per cent, as the case might be” (92).

Napoleon: “Smiling beatifically, and wearing both his decorations, Napoleon reposed on a bed of straw on the platform, with the money at his side, neatly piled on a china dish from the farmhouse kitchen” (100).

Boxer: “But for the first time it occurred to him that he was eleven years old and that perhaps his great muscles were not quite what they had once been” (106).

Benjamin: “None of the animals could form any idea as to what this meant [Squealer lying on the ground next to a ladder, lantern, paint, and a paintbrush], except old Benjamin, who nodded his muzzle with a knowing air, and seemed to understand, but would say nothing” (108-109).

Muriel: “But a few days later Muriel, reading over the Seven Commandments to herself, noticed that there was yet another of them which the animals had remembered wrong” (109).

Provide a few minutes for students to read the quotations, and then ask students to choose one of the characters and write about an event from that character’s perspective. Tell students they can use the quotations as a starting point or write about another point in the text. Their responses might be in the form of a quick journal entry, a note to a friend, a short dialogue, or a thoughtshot.

If time allows, invite students to share their responses.

Alternate Activity

Play a game of “Guess Who?” with students. Invite students to get into character and talk about the farm to a small group or the whole class. Encourage students to have fun imitating their chosen animal so that, without naming the animal, their classmates can guess which character they are portraying.

Land4 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Display the following quotation for students: “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

In their Response Journal, ask students to connect this quotation with the novel, Animal Farm.

Scaffold

Define adversity as needed for students: “difficulties, troubles.”

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students reflect on their knowledge of real-life leaders who resemble the dictator, Napoleon, in Animal Farm.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students’ analysis of key events and character developments in chapter VIII supports their inferences about Orwell’s central ideas and themes (RL.7.2). This work reveals whether students are reading the text beyond the literal level. Check that students can:

ƒ Articulate Orwell’s central ideas and themes in Animal Farm.

ƒ Connect these to specific events and character developments in chapter VIII.

Next Steps

If students struggle with the concept of theme, select books, films, or television programs with which they are familiar and discuss the themes raised by these stories. Fables are a great place to start, particularly with multilingual learners. Should students have difficulty reading at the inferential level and connecting textual evidence to the theme, it may be helpful to work backward. Provide these students with an idea of a theme (“power corrupts”), and have them work in groups to collect textual evidence, in the form of quotations, character developments, and key events, that support this theme. Visual learners who struggle to communicate ideas in writing may build confidence by creating an image that reflects one of the central ideas or themes of the novel, such as a poster of Napoleon as the supreme leader.

If students are ready for further challenge, they can combine their learning around argument with their inferences about theme by engaging in mini-debates about the most important theme of Animal Farm. Alternatively, students may want to read current events to try to find examples of national or international events or situations that reflect key ideas in Animal Farm.

Lesson 24 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Experiment with Complex Sentences

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Time: 15 min. ƒ

Text: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter VIII ƒ

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Combine simple sentences to create complex sentences in order to communicate multiple ideas (L.7.1.b).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 24

Experiment: How do complex sentences work?

Launch

Display the following examples of complex sentences: ƒ

When the terror of the executions faded, the animals remembered the Sixth Commandment. ƒ

After the animals were executed, the pigs changed the Sixth Commandment. ƒ

Though the animals felt hungry, Squealer said they actually had more food. ƒ Although the animals were all equal, Napoleon was called “our Leader, Comrade Napoleon.” ƒ Because he was a human, the animals did not trust him. ƒ

Even though they suffered grave injuries, the animals won the battle.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What do you notice about each of these sentences? What kinds of relationships are shown between the ideas in each sentence? Which words help show these relationships?”

n All the sentences have more than one idea and more than one subject and verb. They could all be two separate sentences.

n The way they are written, though, each of the parts cannot stand alone. We would have to change the sentences to write two separate sentences.

n The sentences show how the ideas are connected.

n The ideas have different relationships. Some of them show the order things happened.

n The middle two sentences show two different ideas and how they are different.

n The last two show effects or the reason why something happened.

If students do not point it out on their own, clarify that each example is a complex sentence. Incorporating students’ ideas, summarize the purposes of complex sentences: to show time relationships (the first two examples), to contrast ideas (the second set of examples), or to show cause-and-effect (the third set of examples).

Scaffold

If students need additional support to see the different relationships between the ideas in the sentences, show the sentences as two sentences, and then show the sentence combined as one. Provide a list of subordinating conjunctions or dependent marker words, along with their function, and have students match them, using the word that connects the two clauses and its function as a clue. For example: ƒ

The terror of the executions faded. ƒ

The animals remembered the Sixth Commandment.  When the terror of the executions faded, the animals remembered the Sixth Commandment.

Subordinating Conjunctions/Dependent Marker Words

Time Contrast Cause-and-Effect after when though although

because even though

Learn

Remind students that, as discussed in the previous lesson, varying sentence types can make writing more interesting and can more effectively communicate ideas.

Explain that by combining simple sentences, students can create their own complex sentences to show time, contrast, and cause-and-effect.

Have students work in pairs to combine the following sentence pairs.

Pair 1: ƒ Napoleon seemed friendly with Pilkington. ƒ Napoleon sold the wood to Frederick.

Pair 2: ƒ

The humans had more firepower and weapons. ƒ Many of the animals were injured.

Pair 3: ƒ

Squealer fell off of the ladder. ƒ Squealer lay stunned on the ground.

Scaffold

If students need additional support, provide a list of subordinating conjunctions or dependent marker words, along with their function.

Subordinating Conjunctions/Dependent Marker Words

Time Contrast Cause-and-Effect

after before when since until as soon as

although even though though

because if in order that now that since so

n Sentence 1: Even though he seemed friendly with Pilkington, Napoleon sold the wood to Frederick.

n Sentence 2: Because the humans had more firepower and weapons, many of the animals were injured.

n Sentence 3: After he fell off the ladder, Squealer lay stunned on the ground.

Ask students to use the ideas from the Launch to identify the purpose for each complex sentence they created. Have students share ideas, using those to reinforce the various purposes complex sentences serve.

Land

Students write their own complex sentence, connecting two ideas to show time, contrast, or cause-and-effect.

Remind students that they will practice writing varied sentence types throughout this module; complex sentences will help them elaborate on their claims and explain their reasoning when they write arguments.

How and why is language dangerous?

Lesson 25

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The Temple at Abu Simbel (http://witeng.link/0293) and (http://witeng.link/0294)

ƒ The Great Sphinx of Giza (http://witeng.link/0295)

ƒ Excerpts from “Grandeur at Abu Simbel,” Steven Snape and “Let’s Tour the Temple,” Ramadan B. Hussein (Handout 25A)

ƒ Lincoln Memorial, National Park Service (http://witeng.link/0296)

Lesson 25: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (4 min.)

Launch (6 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Organize Ideas about the Temples (32 min.)

Use Art Terms to Reveal Meaning (15 min.)

Make Connections to Animal Farm (8 min.)

Land (9 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Preview the Next Lesson Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Cult of personality (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

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RL.7.1, RL.7.2

Writing ƒ W.7.10

Speaking and Listening

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SL.7.1, SL.7.2

Language ƒ L.7.6 ƒ L.7.5.c

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Formulate observations and knowledge about selected monuments of ancient Egypt, and connect these to the ideas in Animal Farm (RL.7.2, SL.7.2, W.7.10, L.7.6).

Respond to a prompt in writing about how the monuments and the novel demonstrate ways that rulers construct and create images of themselves.

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Handout 25A: The Temples at Abu Simbel ƒ

Sets of six blank note cards for each Deep Dive group

Deepen understanding of the phrase cult of personality, in part by distinguishing among the denotations and connotations of words related to cult and personality (L.7.5.c).

Make an inference about the citizens who would follow a leader who created a strong cult of personality.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 22–30

How and why is language dangerous?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 25

Know: How do the temples at Abu Simbel and the Great Sphinx at Giza build my knowledge of monuments of ancient Egypt and how those connect to central ideas in Animal Farm?

In this lesson, students step back in time to explore monuments and statuary of ancient Egypt and to make connections between these works and the cult of personality developed around Napoleon in Animal Farm. This work will expand students’ understanding of the use of propaganda and imagery to reinforce power and help them see the power of visual language.

Welcome

4 MIN.

Display the image from the module cover and the series of images of Abu Simbel (http://witeng.link/0293 and http://witeng.link/0294).

Instruct students to create a Notice and Wonder T-Chart in their Response Journal and spend four minutes recording what they notice and wonder about the images.

Launch

6 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

From the Content Framing Question, ask students to draw conclusions about the images they just saw. Ask volunteers to share what they think these buildings are and where they are located.

n These must be photographs of the temples at Abu Simbel.

n The question says we’ll be looking at monuments of ancient Egypt. So, Abu Simbel must be in Egypt. Ask students to share responses from the Welcome task.

n I noticed that the pictures seem to show a building carved into a rock. Now I know that it is a temple.

n I noticed four figures that look the same, sitting over an entry. I wondered who they are. Why would someone carve four huge figures of the same image?

n Some are missing parts, like a head or part of a torso. They look old and worn by the weather.

n The figures are wearing headpieces and have beards.

n People seem to be walking behind and under the statues, and the people look tiny in comparison, so the statues must be huge.

n The carvings look very old. Now that I read the question, I know they are from ancient Egypt. So the photos must show people today visiting the ancient temples.

Tell students that in this lesson, they will explore the temples and another Egyptian monument and then think about how these monuments connect to their reading of Animal Farm.

TEACHER NOTE

These four colossi sit at the entrance to one of the two temples at Abu Simbel, built by Pharaoh Ramesses II in Southern Egypt during the thirteenth century BC. The temples were built as a monument to the Pharaoh. Ramesses, also commonly written as Rameses or Ramses, is seen as one of the greatest pharaohs of the Egyptian Empire. He assumed leadership as a teenager and lived to be over one hundred years old. He had many wives and between fifty and one hundred children.

Many Egyptian structures and records have been destroyed by the Nile flooding its banks over the centuries. Monuments that remain provide important information about history, beliefs, and life. During the 1960s, the temples were excavated, carved into blocks, and moved from their original location to a new location on top of an artificial hill, because a new dam was being built near the original site and would have covered the temples in water.

55 MIN.

ORGANIZE IDEAS ABOUT THE TEMPLES 32 MIN.

Whole Group

Display the image of the entrance to the temple. Ask students to look at the image and imagine what it might have been like to come upon this temple when it was built.

TEACHER NOTE

Reassure students that they do not need to know what life was like in Egypt over three thousand years ago. They should just imagine how such a monument might impact someone. Be sure students realize that no one could have seen a photograph or another image of the monuments; they would only have seen them in person.

n

From how small the people look in the photograph, we can see the temple is huge. I think people would have been impressed and in awe over the statues. The statues would have seemed like they were of important people.

n It might have looked as if it rose from the desert on its own or was made by one of their gods.

n It looks like it is part of the rocks and the mountains. It seems permanent. People probably thought it would last forever.

Continue to display an image of the temples at Abu Simbel, and ask students to turn to Handout 25A. Read the excerpts aloud as students follow along, or provide time for silent reading. As students read, ask them to pay particular attention to these questions:

ƒ What do we know about who commissioned the temples?

ƒ What do we know about why the temples were built?

TEACHER NOTE

One of the most stunning monuments ever crafted in the ancient world is the Great Temple of Abu Simbel. It was built in Nubia for Ramesses II, ruler of Egypt from about 1290 BC. to about 1224 BC. Carving the massive structure into the slope of a mountain began in year four of Ramesses’ reign and took around 20 years to complete.

2 For Ramesses, the monument was not only a testament to his country’s might and technological superiority, but also a way to promote Egyptian religious beliefs. Amazingly, this temple remains essentially in its original form. Nature itself protected it, as through the centuries, wind-blown sand gradually covered the entrance.

Beloved of Amun

3 Known today as the Great Temple of Abu Simbel, it was called “Temple of Ramesses, beloved of Amun” by the ancients. The Egyptians had conquered Nubia, the territory that lay to the south, and so, to promote loyalty to himself and to Egypt, Ramesses encouraged his Nubian subjects to worship him as a god. At the time, Egyptians throughout the country honored three gods as state or national deities: Ptah, the principal deity of the city of Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt; Re-Horakhty, a form of the sun god worshiped in Heliopolis, an important religious center; and Amun, the creator god of Thebes, the capital of Egypt … Art as Propaganda

4 The scenes depicted on the walls show the king in battle against the Hittites, Libyans, and Nubians. While all represent actual campaigns that took place during Ramesses’s reign, the most important was the Battle of Kadesh, in what is present-day Syria. There, Egyptian forces clashed with the Hittites of Anatolia (present-day Turkey).

© Great Minds PBC

Page of 4

Define unfamiliar vocabulary as needed to ensure student comprehension, including testament (a sign of evidence or proof), deities (gods or goddesses), and coronation (the act of crowning a king, queen, or other sovereign ruler).

Invite students to share what they learned from reading the excerpts.

n The temples were commissioned by Ramesses II, a powerful Egyptian ruler.

n Ramesses wanted the people to worship him like a god. So he showed himself like a god. I thought that the four statues on the front of the temple might be of different Egyptian gods, but they are all statues of Ramesses.

n Ramesses built the temples to show his power. He showed battle scenes from important battles and had them made to look like he was a more powerful fighter than he might have been in real life.

n Inside the temples, a carving shows Ramesses, the king, making an offering to himself, Ramesses the god. Maybe he was trying to encourage the people to make offerings to him as a god, too?

n Statues inside the temple are placed so the sun shines on them early in the morning on two dates. Researchers think these might have been days important to Ramesses—his birthday and his coronation day.

USE ART TERMS TO REVEAL MEANING

Whole Group

Post and review the following definitions:

ƒ Form: a three-dimensional object in a work of art.

ƒ

Scale: the relationship of size between a part and a whole and also of one object in relation to another object.

Remind students that while we talk about the shape of an object in a two-dimensional painting, in a three-dimensional work of art, we use the word form.

Ask: “How might the form of the colossi, or huge statues, at the entrance to the Temple at Abu Simbel have affected viewers during the Pharaoh’s time?”

n The figure of Ramesses looks bulky and solid. He is carved from stone. He seems strong and powerful and as if he will be the ruler forever.

n Repeating four statues of Ramesses, one after the other, might make a statement that the ruler has great reach and power.

Ask: “How does the scale affect how people see the statues of Ramesses?”

n The statues tower over the people beneath them. The massive forms must have seemed superhuman.

n Visitors do not even reach the figures’ feet, so someone standing at the statues would definitely feel less powerful.

n People at the time might have known how difficult it would have been to create such a monument. The person who designed it had to have been powerful to command the workers over years. Just this power might have inspired respect from people.

Post and review the definition for a third word, space.

ƒ Space: the areas around, between, or within shapes or forms in a work of art.

Tell students you are going to display a series of images of another great Egyptian work. Challenge them to observe the work silently and formulate impressions using the words form, scale, and space. Without naming the image, display the series of images of the Great Sphinx at Giza (http://witeng.link/0295). Provide a few minutes for students’ silent observations.

Then, ask: “What do you notice about the statue, its setting, and its form, scale, and space?”

n It looks old and carved of stone, like the temple.

n In terms of form, the statue looks bulky and solid like the statues of Ramesses. It is seated, as if it will be there forever.

n Like the statues in front of the temple, the scale looks massive.

n Unlike the temple, the statue looks solid. In the same way the huge statues of Ramesses stand over the entrance, this statue is placed in front of the pyramid and looks like it is guarding the entrance to the pyramid.

Tell students the following:

ƒ

The Great Sphinx at Giza faces east, into the rising sun and guards the entranceway to a pyramid on the Giza plateau that another pharaoh built.

ƒ It is the largest statue in the world that was carved from a single stone.

ƒ It stands 66 feet high, 241 feet long, and 63 feet wide.

ƒ

The sphinx is a mythological animal, with a woman’s head and a lion’s body.

Ask: “How might the Great Sphinx have affected viewers seeing it during the time it was made?”

n The Sphinx has such a strong body and a human-like head. It might have been frightening to people who came upon it.

n It is so huge. If people did not know better, they might have thought that human beings could not have designed and carved it.

n Because of the size, you would have been able to see the statue for a long time as you walked toward it.

n If you believed in this mythical creature, you might have been frightened. This would have been a good way to keep robbers away.

Scaffold

If students have trouble generating responses from their initial viewing of the images and reading of the excerpted articles, they may benefit from additional time in pairs or small groups to generate ideas for whole-group discussion.

Displaying sentence frames like the following can also foster academic discussion:

The huge scale of the sculptures at Abu Simbel shows that .

The form of the Pharaoh’s figure and pose shows that .

The space around the figures shows that

The huge scale of the sphinx sculpture shows that The form of the Sphinx’s figure and pose shows that .

The space around the Sphinx shows that .

MAKE CONNECTIONS TO ANIMAL FARM 8 MIN.

Whole Group

Remind students that two different ancient Egyptian pharaohs, at different times, commissioned these large works. Ask: “Why might rulers create monuments, such as statues, buildings, or other structures?”

n Rulers might want to show their importance through a building or a statue. A building or a statue would show your enemies that you have enough workers to build something like that.

n A building or a statue seems so permanent and lasts a long time. They might be a way for leaders to leave a mark on future generations. They might want to be remembered over time as a great leader.

n Ramesses wanted people to think of him as a god, so he carved himself into a temple honoring other gods as well.

n The Great Sphinx and the huge statues of Ramesses would tower over people. Leaders might want people to fear disobeying them.

n The sculptures would outlast the rulers who made them. They would send a message and stand guard long into the future.

n Carvings and pictures in or on the monuments can tell stories, the way that Ramesses tells the stories of battles in the temples at Abu Simbel. He also shows other members of his family. This seems like another way he wants to tell his story for history.

Ask: “How might these monuments connect with the themes and ideas of Animal Farm?”

n Rulers who have power want to keep it. So they want to control how people see them so they can hold on to their power.

n People can be influenced by words and images. Huge statues of the ruler or of a giant, mythological creature standing guard can influence how people think and respond.

n Building huge statues probably made the ancient Egyptian pharaohs seem powerful. Napoleon kept trying to build the windmill to make himself seem powerful.

n In the temples at Abu Simbel, Ramesses included lots of statues and images of himself. In Animal Farm, Napoleon has his picture painted on the side of the barn. Both are like a kind of propaganda, to help them seem even more important and powerful.

n Because the pharaohs lived so long ago, we probably do not know a lot of details about their lives. Ramesses might have had someone like Squealer who went around telling positive stories about him that might not have all been true. The carvings of the battles that make it seem as if Ramesses was more powerful than he might have really been seems like Napoleon and Squealer, retelling their battles as if they were total victories.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Students respond in the Knowledge of the World section of their Knowledge Journal to the following prompt: “How do the monuments—the temples at Abu Simbel and the Great Sphinx of Giza—and the novel, Animal Farm, demonstrate ways that rulers construct and create images of themselves, and for what purposes? Be sure to use vocabulary from the lesson, including form, scale, or space.”

PREVIEW THE NEXT LESSON

Tell students that in the next lesson, they will explore the Russian dictator who inspired the character of Napoleon.

Analyze Context and Alignment

Students’ analysis of visual images of monuments and art builds their critical thinking images as well as words (SL.7.2). Analyzing diverse media and formats is important for learners today, who will have arguments presented to them and will need to present arguments via diverse media. Using vocabulary appropriate to the discipline helps ensure that students are prepared for content-area reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities. Check that students can:

ƒ Describe the ways that the temples at Abu Simbel and the Great Sphinx of Giza can be considered propaganda.

ƒ Connect these ideas to themes, characters, and events in Animal Farm.

ƒ

Use lesson vocabulary, including form, scale, and space.

Next Steps

If students struggle with analyzing the monuments from ancient Egypt and connecting these monuments to ideas about power and propaganda, they may benefit from viewing images closer to home. Display images of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., such as those provided on the National Park Service site (http://witeng.link/0296), and invite students to share what they notice and wonder about the memorial and to make inferences about what the monument is intended to symbolize. Pose probing questions to explore the concepts of personal and national power and the cult of personality, such as: “How is it different that Ramesses had statues of himself built and Napoleon had a portrait of himself painted, but the Lincoln Memorial was made to commemorate Lincoln after he died?”

The monuments of Egypt also offer an opportunity for some cross-disciplinary study. The scale of the statues can tie in well with the study of ratios and proportions in mathematics. The images depicted in the temples can spur a conversation about the difference between primary and secondary sources in history, and how historians build knowledge of a period.

Content Vocabulary: Cult of personality

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Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts: Animal Farm, George Orwell; The Temple at Abu Simbel (http://witeng.link/0293); The Great Sphinx of Giza (http://witeng.link/0295); Excerpts from “Grandeur at Abu Simbel,” Steven Snape and “Let’s Tour the Temple,” Ramadan B. Hussein (Handout 25A)

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Vocabulary Learning Goal: Deepen understanding of the phrase cult of personality, in part by distinguishing among the denotations and connotations of words related to cult and personality (L.7.5.c).

Launch

Synthesize students’ learning in the core lesson: “Both Napoleon in Animal Farm and Ramesses, who commissioned the temples at Abu Simbel, created a cult of personality around themselves.”

Refresh students’ memory of the activities around the phrase cult of personality in Lesson 24. Provide examples from the beginning of chapter VIII of how Napoleon creates a cult of personality around himself.

ƒ

Napoleon has a cockerel that walks before him, trumpeting.

ƒ A gun is fired in celebration of Napoleon’s birthday.

ƒ

ƒ

Napoleon eats alone, on china, and keeps himself apart from the other animals.

All of the animals give Napoleon credit for every good thing and every accomplishment on the farm.

ƒ

Napoleon has a poem about himself written on the barn, next to a portrait of himself.

Then, ask: “How would you define the phrase cult of personality?”

n I think it is when a leader tries to build themself up to be larger than life.

n When a ruler uses art and propaganda to make people follow them, this is creating a cult of personality.

Address any misconceptions or clarify any misunderstandings; arrive at a shared definition, such as “cult of personality describes when a leader uses language, media, and persuasive propaganda to create an ideal, heroic image of themself.”

Learn

Explain that to deepen their understanding of the phrase cult of personality, students will consider the words within the phrase and their meaning in connection to related words.

Based on their prior knowledge, ask students to share a definition of the word cult.

n A cult is a group of people who follow a person, thing, or an idea.

Scaffold

If needed, provide a few examples of sentences using the word cult in context to prompt students’ ideas of its meaning.

Ask: “Does this word have a positive or negative connotation?”

n I think cult has a negative connotation. The majority of people might think the people in a cult believe something that is not true or is wrong.

Display these related words: ƒ Cult. ƒ Sect. ƒ Organization. ƒ Group. ƒ Team. ƒ Clique.

Ask: “Would you rather be a part of a cult or a team? Why?”

Arrange students into groups of six, giving each group six note cards. Instruct students to write one of the words on each of the note cards. Tell students that they should work together in their groups to generate a definition for each word and discuss its connotation. Then they should rank them from “which would you most want to be a part of?” to “which would you least want to be a part of?” Tell students that they should be ready to defend their lineup to their classmates.

Invite groups to share their sequence and reasoning. For example, students might place the words in this sequence:

team organization group sect clique cult

Now, tell students that they will consider the word personality. Ask: “What is the definition of the word personality?”

n Someone’s personality is what makes that person unique and different from other people.

n Your personality is the way you are.

n The word can also be used for a famous person, like a celebrity.

Tell students they are going to do another ranking activity, but this one will be slightly different. Ask: “Imagine you are voting in an election. What are the different ways that you would decide who to vote for?”

n Their experience.

n Whether I agree with their ideas.

n If I like their personality.

n If I think they would be a good leader.

n Their intelligence.

Tell students that they will work in their groups to rank the reasons they generated during discussion from the most important way to decide who to vote for to the least important.

Invite groups to share their sequence and reasoning and to discuss whether a candidate’s personality is more or less important than their experience, intelligence, and ideas.

Land

Students respond to the following Exit Ticket: “If someone were to say that the citizens were following a leader who had created a cult of personality, what does this suggest about the citizens?”

n That they are unthinking. The word cult suggests a group that follows something blindly. People who follow someone based on their personality instead of their knowledge or experience are not choosing a leader in the most thoughtful way.

Lesson 26

How and why is language dangerous?

ƒ Mini BIO—Joseph Stalin (video) (http://witeng.link/0297) ƒ Images of Pro-Stalin Propaganda: p (http://witeng.link/0298) p (http://witeng.link/0299) p (http://witeng.link/0300) p (http://witeng.link/0301) ƒ Animal Farm, George Orwell ƒ “Communism,” Encyclopedia Britannica Online (http://witeng.link/0302)

Lesson 26: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Organize Ideas about Joseph Stalin (15 min.)

Make Inferences about Propaganda (20 min.)

Examine Arguments about Stalin (20 min.)

Land (7 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (3 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content

Vocabulary: Allegory (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RI.7.1, RI.7.2

Writing ƒ W.7.1.a

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.2

Language ƒ

L.7.5, L.7.6.a

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 26A: Two Arguments ƒ

Handout 26B: Allegory in Animal Farm ƒ

Handout 3C: Argument Paragraph and Essay Structures ƒ

Chart paper

Learning Goals

Identify parallels between Stalin in the Soviet Union and Napoleon in Animal Farm (RI.7.2, RL.7.2, SL.7.2).

Complete an Exit Ticket. Demonstrate understanding of and accurately use the literary term allegory (L.7.5, L.7.6a).

Apply and define the term allegory in the context of the novel Animal Farm

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 22—30

How and why is language dangerous?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 26

Organize: What’s really happening in Animal Farm?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 26

Examine: Why is the structure of an argument essay important?

This lesson illuminates the function of Animal Farm as an allegory for the Russian Revolution, rise of Stalin, and creation of the Soviet Union. Exploring the biography of Joseph Stalin, including arguments about his reign, provides evidence for students’ EOM Task responses. Stalin strategically manipulated language to control the Russian people—evidence of the dangerous power of language. While Stalin used language both to inspire and to persuade, the greatest danger for Russians under Stalin was from physical force rather than words.

TEACHER NOTE

To build knowledge of the development of communism and Stalinism in the Soviet Union, have students explore the era summaries of the Alexandria Plan, in particular the one entitled “Post-War World: An Iron Curtain Divides the Globe 1945–1960s.”

Share a short video about Joseph Stalin (http://witeng.link/0297).

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Ask: “What did you learn from the video biography of Joseph Stalin?”

n Stalin was a Russian leader. He took over leadership in the Soviet Union after it had become communist.

n The video says he was one of the most terrible leaders in all history; he ruled by fear and threats of violence. He had many people killed.

n They said he did increase the production of food and industrialized the Soviet Union, but many, many people died.

n He made an agreement with Hitler, but then Hitler turned on him and invaded Russia. After World War II, he demanded that much of Eastern Europe be turned over to the Soviet Union. Under his rule, the country became a world power.

Tell students that in this lesson, they will learn more about Joseph Stalin. They will use information about Stalin and the novel Animal Farm as they further explore the craft of argument writing.

ORGANIZE IDEAS ABOUT JOSEPH STALIN

Whole Group

Display key dates for Stalin’s rule, World War II, and George Orwell’s life.

Stalin World War II George Orwell

Joseph Stalin lived from 1878 to 1953.

Stalin was dictator of the Soviet Union from 1929 to 1953.

World War II begins in Europe in 1939.

Germany and Japan surrender; World War II ends in 1945.

George Orwell lived from 1903 to 1950.

Animal Farm was published in 1945.

Ask: “What do you notice about the dates for the people and events shown?” Invite students to share what they remember about World War II from their study in Module 2. Ask for connections between their prior knowledge and what they just learned about Stalin and have been learning about Animal Farm and George Orwell. Help students see that Stalin came to rise during a time that dictators ruled across Europe (Hitler in Germany and Mussolini in Italy) and that Orwell was influenced by the war and his observations of Stalin’s rule in the Soviet Union.

Then, play the video (http://witeng.link/0297) again, this time directing students to look for the answers to these four questions as they watch:

ƒ

ƒ

Why did Stalin change his name? What is the meaning of the name Stalin?

In Animal Farm, the animals are persuaded to follow a movement called Animalism. What political movement does Stalin follow?

ƒ

ƒ

Why did many Russians admire Stalin even after his brutal rule?

In what other ways is Stalin’s leadership like that of Napoleon’s in Animal Farm?

Share students’ responses. Remind students that the similarities between Napoleon and Stalin are not accidental because Orwell intentionally wrote the story based on real events in the Soviet Union.

Explain that he did so to present powerful themes about good and evil, like those students explored in the prior lesson. Explain that when an author bases his story on real life events to present ideas about good or evil, the story is called an allegory, a word students will explore in more depth in the Deep Dive.

Invite students’ questions, responding to them in discussion or displaying them for reference, but tell them they will also continue to explore Stalin’s use of propaganda, his techniques for controlling the populace, and the function of Animal Farm as an allegory.

MAKE INFERENCES ABOUT PROPAGANDA

Small Groups

Remind students of the definition of communism, referring to Handout 16C. Review the idea that, while Stalin is remembered as “one of the greatest villains of the twentieth century” (Mini Bio—Joseph Stalin, video), he took power of the Soviet Union as a communist society, one in which the ideal was to work toward a classless society in which everyone, including workers, was treated equally.

Ask: “What evidence did the video provide about whether workers were better off before or after Stalin’s rule?”

n The video said that he increased the amount of food production but at a great cost to the people. Many people starved.

n He made the country an industrialized country and a superpower but killed many people.

n It would be hard to argue that people were better off when so many were starving and dying.

TEACHER NOTE

The theory of communism was developed in response to the concern of Karl Marx and others about the mistreatment of workers under industrialization. For example, factory owners profited while the factory workers worked long hours in poor conditions. The goal of communism was to create a classless society. For more information on communism, share a resource like the following with students: (http://witeng.link/0302).

Display the images of Stalin’s propaganda around the classroom:

ƒ http://witeng.link/0298.

ƒ http://witeng.link/0299.

ƒ http://witeng.link/0300.

ƒ http://witeng.link/0301

Remind students of the terms logos, pathos, and ethos discussed in Lesson 14. Display the words along with some other words that share the same Greek root:

ƒ

ƒ

Pathos, sympathy, antipathy, apathy.

Logos, logical, logic.

ƒ Ethos, ethics.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask them to discuss the definitions of each term and how each relates to the other words that share the same root.

n All of the words with path are about feelings.

n Logic and logical are about ways of thinking.

n Ethos is about your morals or your character.

Be sure that students understand these three appeals, or modes of persuasion, used to convince an audience.

ƒ Pathos: an appeal to emotion.

ƒ Logos: an appeal to logic or reason.

ƒ Ethos: an appeal to character, credibility, reliability.

Post a piece of chart paper next to each image of Stalin’s propaganda, and ask students to circulate to answer the following questions:

ƒ What was Stalin trying to achieve through this image and text?

ƒ How are the images or text used to manipulate the viewer?

ƒ Is the poster an example of an appeal to logos, ethos, pathos, or some combination?

After students finish recording ideas, have a volunteer station themself at each of the chart papers to report findings.

Discuss students’ responses as a whole group, and ask students to reflect on the juxtaposition between what they learned in the video on Stalin and how he was portrayed in the posters.

EXAMINE ARGUMENTS ABOUT STALIN

20 MIN.

Pairs

Display the Craft Question: Why is the structure of an argument essay important?

Ask students to turn to Handout 26A, and read the two arguments.

Stalin was able to convince people that the “truth” was that he was a strong hero without enemies.

3 In addition, Stalin was masterful at using visual images to communicate ideas. He used propaganda posters with pictures of him with common people and babies. He made other posters showing pig faces for the farmers who resisted him. By showing himself as kind and caring, and his enemies as pigs, Stalin created a positive image of himself. His use of visuals helped consolidate his power.

4 With words and images, Stalin created a cult of personality around himself. He called himself Comrade Stalin, a “friend” to the people. He made his name part of the country’s national anthem. His image made it easier for people to see him as a great leader, without thinking critically about his policies. One could argue that his greatest power was in his cruel actions. He had countless people killed, but how did he get away with murder? He used language and pictures to show himself as a hero and a friend.

Handout 26A WIT & WISDOM G7 M3 Lesson 26 WIT & WISDOM® 324

Review the components of an argument, the HI-CREEA-CC model shown in Handout 3C:

H = Hook your audience’s attention.

I = Introduce your audience to the topic.

C = State your claim about the topic.

R = State a reason that supports your claim.

E = Cite evidence.

E = Explain how the evidence and reason connect.

A = Acknowledge alternate or opposing claims.

C = Reinforce your argument in conclusion.

Tell students that the order of the elements may vary but that the structure presented on Handout 3C is one way to organize an argument.

In pairs, have each student identify the elements in one of the arguments, and then take turns presenting their findings to each other.

Alternate Activity

Students may benefit from seeing the writing process at work and hearing you think aloud while writing an argument, using the examples in Handout 26A as models. For example, model for students that you might not begin by writing the hook but might instead begin by writing a claim with a body paragraph and then fleshing out the engaging introduction, which can help students who do not know how to begin.

Scaffold

Choose one of the arguments to work through as a whole group, modeling how you identify each of the components of the argument. Then, have pairs or small groups work together with the second argument to identify the elements.

7 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Students respond, as an Exit Ticket, to the following question: “What three parallels did you notice between Joseph Stalin’s rule in the Soviet Union and Napoleon’s rule over the animals’ farm?”

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read chapter IX, annotating for (1) the growing class divide on the farm and (2) clues about Boxer’s fate.

Those students who signed up for chapter IX fluency practice delivering Squealer’s speech about Boxer (124–125), beginning with “It was the most affecting sight …” (124), continuing with “It had come to his knowledge …” (124), and ending with “That was how the mistake had arisen” (125).

Remind these students that they should rehearse the speech to make sure they can read smoothly, clearly, and accurately and plan their speed, emphasis, volume and tone. Encourage students to read dramatically and in the character of Squealer.

Display or reference the Elements of Fluency for these students:

ƒ

Effort: Read smoothly; pronounce words correctly.

ƒ Clarity: Read clearly; enunciate words so your listener can understand. ƒ

Accuracy: Read accurately; verbalize the words on the page.

ƒ

ƒ

Speed: Read purposefully; speak slower or faster to emphasize meaning.

Expression: Read expressively.

p Emphasize important words.

p Use punctuation. Pause at commas. Stop at periods. Express emotion at exclamation points. Use a questioning voice at a question mark.

p Divide sentences into meaningful chunks or phrases.

p Use volume; raise and lower voice to add meaning.

p Use pitch and tone.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students’ ability to make connections between Stalin’s life and the character of Napoleon in Animal Farm requires literal comprehension of the facts and the story, an inferential understanding at the allegorical level of the novel, and an ability to synthesize across multiple texts. Check that students can: ƒ

Correctly identify the repressive techniques and brutal approaches Stalin brought to his leadership over the Soviet Union. ƒ

Connect these ideas to themes, characters, and events in Animal Farm, particularly the character of Napoleon. ƒ

Synthesize to make connections between life in the Soviet Union and life on the animals’ farm.

Next Steps

If students struggle, try to unpack the source of their difficulty. ƒ

Are they challenged by literal comprehension? Work with pairs or small groups using a graphic organizer to organize central ideas and supporting details about the life of Stalin and his ruthless dictatorship. ƒ

Are students struggling making connections across the two texts? Invite them to do some online research. Many sites are available to unpack the alignments between Soviet history and the story of Animal Farm. ƒ

Do students struggle with communicating their ideas in writing? Invite small groups or pairs to discuss ideas orally before students put pen to paper.

If students are ready for extension and further study, they may want to:

ƒ

Research terms such as industrialization, utopia, and communism, and connect these to the biography of Stalin and the story of Animal Farm. ƒ

Read more about Stalin’s rule and life under communism in the Soviet Union from some of the titles listed in Appendix D: Volume of Reading, or create small book groups around one of the following.

p Joseph Stalin, by Sean McCollum, part of Scholastic’s Wicked History series, explores Stalin’s life and rise and builds students’ understanding of this infamous figure and the time period during which he ruled the Soviet Union.

p Peter Sís’s The Wall is a hauntingly lovely picture-book account of life in the Soviet Union under communism.

p Breaking Stalin’s Nose, by Eugene Yelchin, tells the shattering fictional tale of a boy whose life falls apart under the strict rules of Soviet society.

Content Vocabulary: Allegory

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

Texts: Animal Farm, George Orwell; Texts on Stalin ƒ

ƒ

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Demonstrate understanding of and accurately use the literary term allegory (L.7.5, L.7.6).

Launch

Display the following list of book, movie, and story titles: ƒ Animal Farm. ƒ

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. ƒ Wall-E. ƒ

The Tortoise and the Hare. ƒ

The Hunger Games.

Differentiation

You may wish to tailor this list with alternate titles of allegorical stories that you know will be familiar to your students to ensure all students can participate.

Instruct students to Think-Pair-Share, and ask: “What do these books, stories, and movies have in common?”

n They all have elements of fantasy or talking animals.

n They all have a deeper meaning.

n They all have characters or plots that reveal a moral or a message.

Come together, and discuss students’ ideas. Be sure students see that all have a deeper meaning beyond the literal. Tell students that stories like these, with a symbolic meaning beyond their literal meaning, are allegories.

Learn

Tell students that in the content area of English language arts, specific words like allegory are used to discuss, classify, analyze, and evaluate texts. Knowing these literary terms will help students be successful as they continue in English classes; read newspapers, magazines, and other texts; and discuss movies or books with others.

Invite volunteers to generate ideas of literary terms they have used this year in previous lessons.

n Genre.

n Characterization.

n Theme.

n Metaphor.

n Protagonist.

Tell students that today, they will explore the term allegory. Provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

allegory (n.) A device artists and writers use to convey a message about morality or spirituality through concrete characters, things, or events; a symbolic story or narrative.

Share an example with students, explaining why the story is an allegory.

fable, parable

One example is “The Tortoise and the Hare.” The literal story is that a turtle beats a rabbit in a race. But, the allegorical meaning of the story is that being slow and steady, instead of careless and overconfident, will help one be successful. (The hare, who thinks he is faster, is so confident that he stops and then falls asleep.) So, an allegory can be a message.

The Hunger Games is another example. The book, and movie, is an allegory of the dangers of Americans becoming so involved in reality television that they fail to critically examine their leaders and pay attention to growing social-class divisions in the United States. In this example, the allegory is still giving a message, but this time by paralleling a current event or a real-life situation.

Display the list of book, movie, and story titles used in Launch:

ƒ Animal Farm. ƒ

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

ƒ Wall-E.

ƒ The Hunger Games.

Ask: “What makes each of these an allegory?”

TEACHER NOTE

Students may be unfamiliar with some of these texts or stories or may not have understood the deeper meaning of the text. Clarify for students that they should discuss as many as possible, or they can suggest and discuss other texts that they feel fit the definition of allegory.

In groups, have students discuss what makes each an allegory, and then share their responses with the whole group.

n Animal Farm is an allegory of the rise of Stalin and communism in the Soviet Union.

n The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is an allegory of the story of Jesus Christ.

n Wall-E is an allegory for the importance of caring for planet Earth.

Discuss: “Why do you think authors might use the device of an allegory?”

n Authors might use allegory to communicate a deeper truth, teach a lesson, or make a statement about a political or historical situation. They might not want to openly criticize a form of government, for example, so they do it through an allegory.

Land

Students complete Handout 26B to apply their understanding of the word allegory to Animal Farm.

Lesson 27

QUESTION: LESSONS 22–30 How and why is language dangerous? ƒ Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter IX ƒ “First They Came for the Communists,” Martin Niemoller (http://witeng.link/0303)

Lesson 27: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (4 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Chart Character Developments (15 min.)

Deliver Fluency Performances (15 min.)

Distill Meaning (25 min.)

Land (10 min.)

Synthesize Ideas

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Complex Sentences in an Argument (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 Listening ƒ SL.7.1

Language ƒ L.7.1.b

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Identify signs of the growing class divide on the farm, and analyze the ways that the pigs use language to obscure inequalities (RL.7.2).

In groups, complete Handout 27A.

Write complex sentences to present a claim, and contrast it with an alternate or opposing claim (L.7.1.b).

ƒ

Handout 16A: The Characters of Animal Farm ƒ

Handout 27A: The Ideal vs. the Reality

Draft a complex sentence to state a claim.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 22–30

How and why is language dangerous?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 27

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of theme reveal in Animal Farm?

In this lesson, students explore the developments on the farm as they come to the realization that none of the original ideals have been realized and that the animals will nonetheless continue to work for the farm because they continue to be manipulated and controlled by the pigs. Mapping the character developments, exploring Squealer’s words through a fluency activity, and charting the growing class divide all help students prepare for the end of the novel and provide them with evidence to use in the EOM Task responses.

Welcome

5 MIN.

In their Response Journal, students write a brief summary of chapter IX.

Launch

4 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Draw students back into the world of Animal Farm. Invite them to share their summaries from the Welcome task and/or share their reactions to the events of chapter IX.

TEACHER

NOTE

Allow time for students to react to Boxer’s sad end. If needed, make sure that students understand what was written on the side of the truck. Explain that a knacker is a person whose business it is to dispose of dead or unwanted animals, and that, in the past, glue was made from horse hooves and bones. The scene of Boxer being driven away, trying to weakly kick his way out of the truck, is tragic. Help students see the horror of his end, including by rereading this section if necessary. Students need to understand how little the pigs care about the other animals, despite Boxer’s lifetime of toil for the farm.

CHART CHARACTER DEVELOPMENTS 15 MIN.

Individuals

Have students turn to Handout 16A and take notes about the developments in chapter IX for the following characters:

ƒ Boxer.

ƒ Benjamin.

ƒ The pigs. Call on volunteers to share their responses.

n Boxer: Even in pain, Boxer continues to work tirelessly for the farm to build the windmill. When he collapses from overwork, the pigs immediately send him to be killed for glue. He tries to escape the truck but is too weak.

n Benjamin: Benjamin realizes before anyone else what is happening to Boxer, but he speaks up too late.

n The pigs: The pigs are getting fatter. They are having babies. They are treated like the upper class of the farm. They show that they never planned to let Boxer retire. At the end of the chapter, they are all drunk, just like Mr. Jones was at the beginning.

DELIVER FLUENCY PERFORMANCES

Whole Group

15 MIN.

Post the Elements of Fluency for students as a reminder.

Introduce the students who signed up for fluency performances for chapter IX.

Students deliver Squealer’s speech about Boxer (124–125), beginning with “It was the most affecting sight …” (124), continuing with “It had come to his knowledge …” (124), and ending with “That was how the mistake had arisen” (125).

Applaud volunteers.

Small Groups

As a whole group, discuss the significance of Squealer’s speech. Ask: “What was his intent with this speech? Why?”

n He wants to lie to the animals. When “his little eyes darted suspicious glances from side to side” (124) you can tell he is lying!

n He does not want them to realize how bad things really are. Instead, he tells them that Boxer “received every attention a horse could have” and died saying that “‘Napoleon is always right’” (124).

n He wants the other animals to think the pigs are good and kind and care about the animals. To do this, he makes the animals feel stupid for thinking otherwise: “It was almost unbelievable, said Squealer, that any animal could be so stupid” (124) as to think that Boxer was taken away to be killed.

Then, ask: “How do the other animals react? Why?”

n The animals believe everything Squealer says!

n They don’t want to believe a terrible thing happened to Boxer, so they are relieved when Squealer tells them another story.

Remind students that communism was conceived as a way of creating a society without social classes. Tell students that in the next activity, they will reflect on how well the reality of the animals’ farm is fulfilling this ideal.

Ask students to turn to Handout 27A. Tell them the first example has been provided for them in each row.

Quickly answer any student questions. Make sure students understand the phrase gloss over in the last row.

Scaffold

Students who need additional support to complete the chart may benefit from a discussion of the word euphemism, “the substitution of a mild or inoffensive word or expression for one that is harsh or offensive.” Tell students that sometimes people use euphemisms to be polite; someone might ask for directions to the “ladies’ room” instead of the “toilet.” Sometimes, though, speakers use euphemisms to mislead their listeners. In the example from Animal Farm in the handout, Squealer uses the word readjustment because that makes it sound as if food is just being moved around to where it is most needed; if Squealer used the word reduction, the animals might actually realize how much less they have to eat! Provide a few examples for students (“let go” instead of “fired,” “passed away” instead of “died”). Then invite students to generate their own examples of euphemisms.

Groups complete the chart.

Come together as a whole group to discuss.

n The growing class divide is clear because animals have to stand aside for pigs. The pigs live in the house with lamps and candles. The pigs have beer and whiskey. A school is built for the pigs. Instead of having the chance to retire, Boxer is killed.

n The pigs are living a life of leisure. They are definitely the upper class. The animals work all the time. They are hungry, cold, and never able to rest.

n The pigs try to hide what is happening. Squealer overwhelms them with “facts” about how much life is better than in Jones’s time, a time most of the animals cannot remember. Squealer reminds the other animals that in the old days they were slaves and now they are free. The animals are required to go to “Spontaneous Demonstrations.” When Boxer is taken away, Squealer lies to the animals and tells them he was given great care.

10 MIN.

SYNTHESIZE IDEAS

Display the text of “First They Came for the Communists” by Martin Niemoller (http://witeng.link/0303).

Read the text aloud for students, or play one of the dramatic deliveries available online.

TEACHER NOTE

A number of dramatic audio and video versions of the poem are available online. A quick search will reveal varied options. Or link to one of these dramatic deliveries of the poem (or an extension of the original): http://witeng.link/0304; http://witeng.link/0305.

In their Response Journal, students connect this text with Benjamin’s actions in chapter IX. Ask: “What role did Benjamin play in Boxer’s fate? What message do Benjamin’s story and Niemoller’s poem convey?”

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read chapter X to finish Animal Farm, noting quotations or scenes that are particularly powerful or significant.

Analyze Context and Alignment

Students’ identification of the growing class divide and analysis of Squealer’s language support their inferences about the power of language to obscure and control, a central idea of Orwell’s (RL.7.2). Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ Describes the growing class divide on the farm.

ƒ Identifies the differing impacts on the different animals.

ƒ Analyzes Squealer’s language to identify examples of language being used to hide meaning.

Next Steps

If students struggle to analyze Squealer’s language, provide specific examples of where Squealer uses language to obscure his meaning or manipulate the animals, and have students complete a What He Says versus What He Means T-Chart to consider the difference between the literal meaning of his words and the meaning behind them.

Lesson 27 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Experiment with Complex Sentences in an Argument

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapters VIII and IX

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Write complex sentences to present a claim, and contrast it with an alternate or opposing claim (L.7.1.b).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 27

Experiment: How do complex sentences work in an argument?

Launch

Display the following paragraph:

While Napoleon uses many techniques to gain and maintain power in Animal Farm, among the most important is his creation of a cult of personality. The animals are blindly loyal to Napoleon. They give him credit for everything good. Why? They are brainwashed! Napoleon controls all information and creates propaganda to make him appear powerful and almost god-like. In chapter VIII, he begins to walk, led by a young rooster who trumpets his arrival. He establishes his birthday as a national holiday. He is always referred to as “our Leader, Comrade Napoleon” (93). In chapter IV, the “Spontaneous Demonstrations” begin with parades, banners, songs, and gunshots. Through his cult of personality, Napoleon achieves absolute power.

Ask: “What do you notice about the underlined sentence in this paragraph?”

n It is a complex sentence.

n It acknowledges that there might be alternate or opposing claims but clearly states the claim of the argument.

n It packs a lot of information in one sentence.

n It sounds different from the next sentences, which are short and set the scene. The difference makes the reader pay more attention to those points.

Learn

Incorporating students’ ideas from the opening, explain that writers of arguments can use complex sentences for many reasons, including to develop reasoning and explanation in an argument and to contrast a claim with an opposing or alternate claim. Explain that in this lesson, they will practice doing that, first by writing a complex, front-loaded sentence to address an opposing claim and state a claim like the first sentence in the Launch paragraph.

Model an example for students.

n Some people argue that 1984 is Orwell’s best work.

n Animal Farm’s simple language and easy-to-follow plot convey a powerful message that even younger students can understand.

Show students how you can combine these two sentences into a single, complex, front-loaded sentence.

n While some people argue that 1984 is Orwell’s best work, Animal Farm’s simple language and easyto-follow plot convey a powerful message that even younger readers can understand.

Display the following pairs, and challenge students to create their own sentences from them.

Claim 1: ƒ Napoleon has some skills that make him a strong leader. ƒ He abuses his power and exploits the other animals.

Claim 2: ƒ Squealer, the dogs, and the sheep all play important roles in keeping Napoleon in power. ƒ Boxer is the most important animal on the farm.

Claim 3: ƒ

Telling the story from the perspective of all of the animals is the best way for Orwell to show how the whole group falls prey to Napoleon. ƒ The reader does not know the perspective of any one animal.

Claim 1:

n Although it may be true that Napoleon has some skills that make him a strong leader, he still abuses his power and exploits the other animals.

Claim 2:

n Although Squealer, the dogs, and the sheep all play important roles in keeping Napoleon in power, Boxer is the most important animal on the farm.

Claim 3:

n The reader does not know the perspective of any one animal, but telling the story from the perspective of all the animals allows Orwell to show how the whole group falls prey to Napoleon.

Tell students that they will now write their own complex sentence to make a claim in response to one of the following questions:

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Should Benjamin have spoken up earlier about what he saw happening on the farm?

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Should Boxer have worked so hard to support the goals of Animal Farm?

Should the animals believe that they are better off than they were before?

Using the models they have looked at in Learn, remind students to address an alternate or opposing claim in their complex sentence. That is, students should think about another possible claim, and acknowledge it in the same sentence where they state their new claim.

Students write a complex sentence to state a claim.

As time permits, have students check their own sentence, to be sure they are complex, or switch their examples with a partner to assess the sentence type quickly.

n Although he demonstrated loyalty and dedication, Boxer should have also taken care of himself.

Extension

If time allows, consider displaying some examples of students’ complex sentences along with simple sentences that communicate similar ideas.

For example:

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Although he demonstrated loyalty and dedication, Boxer should have also taken care of himself. (complex)

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Boxer worked too hard! (simple)

Discuss what purpose each type of sentence could serve in introducing a claim.

Lesson 28

Lesson 28: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (4 min.)

Launch (4 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Consider the Final Commandment (14 min.)

Analyze Characters and Themes (25 min.)

Examine Introductions and Conclusions (20 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Connect the Focusing and the Content Framing Questions

Wrap (3 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Simple Sentences in an Argument (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, RL.7.6

Writing ƒ

W.7.1.a, W.7.1.e, W.7.9.a, W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1

Language ƒ L.7.1.b

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Describe a theme revealed in the final chapter of Animal Farm (RL.7.2, W.7.10).

In the Response Journal, describe a theme and reflect on its connection with the characters and events in chapter X.

Write simple sentences to clearly and concisely state a claim or conclude an idea (L.7.1.b).

Draft a simple sentence to state a claim about Animal Farm

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Handout 16A: The Characters of Animal Farm ƒ

Handout 28A: The Final Commandment

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 22–30

How and why is language dangerous?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 28

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of the dramatic conclusion reveal in Animal Farm?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 28

Examine: Why are introductions and conclusions important?

In this lesson, students complete the novel and discuss the chilling, memorable commandment: “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” Students reflect on the different characters’ perspectives and the changes on the farm, connecting these with Orwell’s central ideas and themes. The ending of the book also provides the opportunity for a writing craft examination of introductions and conclusions. Together, all of these activities help prepare students for the immediate work of the upcoming Socratic Seminar and Focusing Question Task 3, as well as for the final argument they will write in response to the EOM Task.

Welcome

4 MIN.

Ask students to take one minute to review chapter X and to select one quotation or scene that was particularly compelling. In pairs, have students exchange their quotations or scenes and discuss the significance.

Launch

4 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Invite a few volunteers to share the quotations or scenes from the Welcome task, and discuss their significance.

Tell students that in this lesson, they will explore the ending of the novel and connect this to the deeper meaning of the book and the students’ own writing of beginnings and endings.

CONSIDER THE FINAL COMMANDMENT

14 MIN.

Whole Group

Have students turn to Handout 28A. Provide time for students to complete the handout independently, adding the final commandment and reflecting on its significance.

Come together as a whole group and discuss.

As needed, ask prompting TDQs to reflect on the significance of the change. Begin by unpacking the meaning of the new commandment.

1. What does the new commandment mean? Is it logical?

n The new commandment makes no sense. Being equal means being the same; you can’t be more the same than someone else.

n The pigs have not ever really worried about being logical, and the other animals do not seem to notice.

n The new commandment basically says that the pigs are better than all the other animals, and the other animals need to just accept this as a law.

Continue delving into the reasons for the new commandment.

2. Why are the old commandments no longer needed on the farm?

n The old laws were written for the society they thought they were going to have; this one is for the society they have.

n The new commandment basically says how the pigs have been living the whole time on the farm.

Consider what the commandment reflects about life on the farm.

3. Are the animals equal on the farm? Is life better for all of the animals?

n The animals are not equal. For the pigs, life is better. They have all the comforts on the farm. They do not work. The profits go to them.

n Life seems as bad or worse for most of the animals. In the end, they are back where they started, on Manor Farm. The pigs have become just like the humans.

n Most animals cannot even remember if life is better or worse for them. A lot of time has passed. And they never thought really critically about the pigs to begin with. They believe what they are told throughout the book.

Conclude by discussing the significance of the final commandment.

4. What is the deeper meaning of the final commandment?

n Orwell is warning the readers to be critical readers, listeners, and thinkers. Do not just take things as they seem to be or as someone says they are.

n Orwell is actually talking about the problems in human society, with widening social classes and a world filled with misleading and illogical arguments.

n The commandment shows how well the pigs use language to control the other animals. A central idea throughout the book is that language is a powerful tool and can influence the public. The pigs say and write things that seem to make sense, so the animals believe them, but when you think about the words and the logic, the pigs’ words and arguments do not make sense at all.

n Orwell is warning people to beware of leaders who abuse power. A central idea in the book is that power corrupts. Old Major seemed to want an equal society, but the pigs quickly saw an opportunity to be “more” equal.

ANALYZE CHARACTERS AND THEMES 25 MIN.

Small Groups

Ask: “Was the ending a surprise to you?” Discuss why students were or were not surprised by the conclusion of the novel.

Ask: “Do you think it was a surprise to the animals on the farm?”

n I think so. At the beginning of chapter X, the animals still had hope. They were proud of living on a farm owned by animals.

n When the pigs started walking on two feet, though, I think the animals must have finally figured out what was going on. At the end, I think they had to understand what was happening when they could not even tell the pigs and humans apart.

Ask: “Why do you think Orwell chose to tell the story without giving readers the perspective of any one character’s thoughts and feelings?”

n Orwell wanted us to see how the society affected everyone, not just look at the impact on one character. Maybe one character, like Benjamin, saw what was happening, but Orwell wanted to make the point that, as a whole, they did not see what was coming.

n Since it is an allegory, I think it makes it easier to compare the book to other events and people if we don’t really think of the characters as individuals.

n The animals do not seem to have many thoughts; the book would have been boring if we were in the mind of someone without many thoughts or ideas.

TEACHER NOTE

Some students may recognize that, while Orwell writes from the third person, he writes from the general animals’ perspective—and not from the perspective of a critical outsider. For example, on page 132, when he writes, “All animals were equal,” the reader knows they are not. But, the general population of animals on the farm still believes this to be true.

Extension

More advanced readers may recognize that while Orwell writes in the third-person point of view, relating all action from the view of an outside narrator, he is constantly aware of his reader. At times he seems to nudge the reader to recognize an inside joke, or to contrast what the animals know with what the reader sees. For example, when Orwell writes that the windmill had not, in the end, “been used for generating electrical power. It was used for milling corn, and brought in a handsome money profit” (129), he seems to hope readers will recognize the pigs’ choice to profit instead of using the windmill to improve the lives of the animals on the farm. Challenge students to find additional examples of these kinds of “inside” jokes throughout chapter X. Some examples include:

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“She was two years past the retiring age, but in fact no animal had ever actually retired” (127).

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“The truest happiness, [Napoleon] said, lay in working hard and living frugally” (129).

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“These [the files, reports, minutes, and memoranda] were large sheets of paper which had to be closely covered with writing, and as soon as they were so covered, they were burnt in the furnace” (129–130).

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“If they went hungry, it was not from feeding tyrannical human beings; if they worked hard, at least they worked for themselves” (132).

Remind students that even though we do not have the benefit of thoughtshots or descriptions of the characters’ thoughts and feelings, we can make inferences based on what the animals say, the intent behind their words, their actions, and our own insights.

Display these characters’ names along with their words from chapter X.

Napoleon: “The truest happiness … lay in working hard and living frugally” (129).

Benjamin: “things never had been, nor ever could be much better or much worse—hunger, hardship, and disappointment being … the unalterable law of life” (130).

The Sheep: “Four legs good, two legs better! Four legs good, two legs better!” (134).

The Pigs: “ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS” (134).

Discuss what each character’s words say about that character or those characters.

TEACHER NOTE If needed, caution students that they will have to read between the lines; they should not just take things at face value as the animals on the farm do.

Be sure students see that:

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Napoleon’s words are not what he really thinks. We know this because he does not work hard or live frugally! He says these words to keep the other animals working hard and living frugally.

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Benjamin’s words are the only ones that reflect what he thinks.

The sheep say these words, but it does not seem as if they really mean them. They were trained to repeat a new slogan without understanding its meaning.

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The pigs all want to keep themselves at the top of the society.

Instruct students to turn to Handout 16A and add to the final row to chart significant character developments at the end of the novel. Then, ask students to reflect on the significance of these characters and how they develop Orwell’s themes in Animal Farm.

In their Knowledge Journal, in the Knowledge of Ideas section, students write one theme that Orwell develops in Animal Farm, connecting it to a specific character or group of characters, and describing how the developments involving this character(s) reflect the theme.

EXAMINE INTRODUCTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

Whole Group

Tell students that you will now look at Animal Farm in a slightly different way: to think about the choices Orwell made as the author about how to tell his story. Ask students to reflect on the writing choices Orwell makes in deciding how to open and close the story of Animal Farm.

Ask: “What did you notice about how Orwell chose to begin and to conclude the novel? How do you think he wanted the introduction and conclusion to affect the reader?”

n In the beginning, Farmer Jones was drunk; in the end, the pigs are! I think he wanted the reader to realize the pigs are just as bad as the humans were.

n In the beginning, Old Major has called all the animals to the barn for an inspiring speech. In the end, the men and the pigs are in the house making deals that will keep the other animals down. Both have a big meeting with lots of people or animals, but the meetings are so different! The reader goes from feeling a little hopeful at the beginning to feeling hopeless at the end.

n In the beginning, Orwell makes the reader curious; we want to know about Old Major’s dream. In the end, he tries to wrap things up. Now the pigs have become completely human, and the farm is back to being The Manor Farm.

n The ending definitely connects back to the beginning, sometimes in a parallel way, other times as the exact opposite.

Scaffold

If needed, pose prompting questions, such as:

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How did Orwell engage the reader in the opening?

How does he establish his characters, plot, and setting in the first chapter? ƒ

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How does he set up his central ideas in chapter I? ƒ

How does he connect the ending to the beginning? ƒ

How does the ending follow what has come before? ƒ

How does the last chapter offer a conclusion for readers?

Remind students that just as they have seen in Animal Farm, and just as they have studied and practiced in their Module 1 narrative writing and their Module 2 informative writing, introductions and conclusions are important to argument writing.

Provide a model argument for pairs to examine the introduction and conclusion. Select this model from one of the following module texts:

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The two arguments on the source of Stalin’s power (Handout 26A).

The argument against advertising aimed at children (“How Advertising Targets Our Children,” Perri Klass, http://witeng.link/0353). (Note that this argument will require additional scaffolding because the structure is less transparent.)

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The speech by Malala Yousafzai to the United Nations (http://witeng.link/0282). (Note that both the introduction and conclusion consist of multiple paragraphs.)

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“Is Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ the Greatest Speech in History?” Emma Mason (http://witeng.link/0286).

Or, draft your own argument for students to examine so you can more easily think aloud about the process of writing and the key criteria for each section.

Alternate Activity

If time allows, assign different pairs to different arguments from the module, and then allow time for a class sharing about each text by students who worked with the same text.

Ask students to work with a partner to review the introduction and conclusion of the model they used and generate a list of criteria that they can use to evaluate any introduction or conclusion they write for an argument.

Invite students to share, clarifying or adding to the list with additional criteria as needed.

TEACHER NOTE

Use the HI-CREEA-CC model (Handout 3C), the Grade 7 Argument Writing Rubric, and/or relevant grade-level standards on argument writing as student resources.

n Introductions should engage or hook the reader and make them want to read more.

n An introduction for an argument should clearly tell what the writer’s claim is. The introduction should answer the following question: Which side is the writer on?

n The conclusion should connect with the rest of the argument and support it.

n The conclusion should wrap things up in some way for the reader so reader does not end with a lot of questions.

Preview for students that they will have the chance to practice with introductions and conclusions in the upcoming lessons and on the EOM Task.

Land5 MIN.

CONNECT THE FOCUSING AND CONTENT FRAMING QUESTIONS

Instruct students to Whip Around in response to the question: “How does Animal Farm as a whole, or the final chapter specifically, show that language can be dangerous?”

3 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students prepare for the Socratic Seminar on Animal Farm and the power of language.

Assign students to reread their Student Edition handouts and Response Journal notes from Animal Farm. Ask students to write the following questions into their Response Journal to consider as they prepare for the seminar:

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How does Animal Farm relate to the Focusing Question: How and why is language dangerous?

To what extent are the animals controlled, and to what extent do they allow themselves to be controlled?

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How are Orwell’s ideas still relevant today?

Remind students to bring their notes and books for use during the discussion.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students’ connection of theme with the character developments in the novel’s final chapter demonstrates their literal and inferential comprehension (RL.7.2). Check for the following success criteria:

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Identifies and clearly describes a theme ƒ

Articulates the connection between the theme and the character and/or events in the final chapter.

Next Steps

If students struggle with the concept of theme, organize small groups with similar challenges to review. Review their discussion and work in Lesson 24, for example. Select books, films, or television programs with which students are familiar, and discuss the themes raised by these stories. Be sure that students understand that themes need to speak out beyond the individual text; they should capture a truth or a message that is relevant to human experience.

To reinforce students’ understanding, encourage them to add their descriptions of the themes of Animal Farm to their Knowledge Journal during the subsequent lessons.

Students who are ready for additional challenge may enjoy writing in response to the novel. Whether they love it or hate it, Animal Farm is sure to stir up some strong feelings among students! Channel these emotional responses into a writing assignment like one of the following:

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Narrative response: What happens next? Students read chapter XI of Animal Farm, and write a description of what the animals do next, once they realize that their hopes and dreams for the farm will not be realized under the pigs’ rule.

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Informative response: What was it about? Students write a literary response essay, describing an important theme from the novel and detailing how Orwell develops the theme across the novel.

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Argument response: Who is to blame? Students write an argument identifying the one character who singlehandedly does the most to cause the downfall of the farm and moves it so far from the ideals that Old Major stated in chapter I.

Experiment with Simple Sentences in an Argument

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Time: 15 min. ƒ

Text: Animal Farm, George Orwell, Chapter X ƒ

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Write simple sentences to clearly and concisely state a claim or conclude an idea (L.7.1.b).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 28

Experiment: How do simple sentences work in an argument?

Launch

To review introductions and conclusions, ask: “What are the purposes of introductions and conclusions in writing?”

Then ask a volunteer to share a quick definition of a simple sentence.

Scaffold

If students need additional review, remind them that simple sentences convey one complete thought. Display examples of simple sentences from chapter X: ƒ

“Years passed” (127). ƒ

“Snowball was forgotten” (127). ƒ

“Napoleon was now a mature boar of twenty-four stone” (128). ƒ

“They could not remember” (130). ƒ

“All animals were equal” (132). ƒ

“There was nothing there now except a single Commandment” (134). ƒ

“Clover’s old dim eyes flitted from one face to another” (140).

Remind students that simple sentences are not always short. They can be expanded with prepositional phrases, like “from one face to another,” and transition words.

Then, instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What purpose might a simple sentence serve in an introduction or conclusion?”

n In either place, it could emphasize an idea.

n It could clearly state a claim in an introduction.

n It could grab the readers’ attention at the beginning.

n It could give the reader one last important idea to think about in a conclusion.

n It could sum up an idea at the end.

Extension

Encourage students to reflect again on the importance of variety in sentence structures. Ask: “What is the danger of using too many simple sentences?” Help students see that too many simple sentences can make writing choppy. Other structures may be better at showing more complex ideas.

Learn

Display the following sentences.

ƒ All animals are equal.

ƒ All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

Ask students to identify each type of sentence.

Then, instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What purpose does each sentence serve?”

n The first is clean and simple.

n It is like an ad slogan. It is catchy and easy to remember.

n The first is very clear.

n The second one is supposed to be more confusing, especially for the other animals who are not very smart.

n The second one does not make sense. It starts by saying all animals are equal but then contrasts that with the idea that actually some are more equal.

Remind students that their goal in writing is to be clear and logical—like the first example!

Display the following sentence.

Although Animal Farm is a book about animals on a farm who stage a revolution, the book is about many other things, including a critique of Communist Russia, especially under the rule of Stalin, and a warning about the ways that language can be used to control, especially through propaganda and “patriotic” songs and slogans.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Does this claim come across clearly? Why or why not?”

n It is difficult to figure out what the claim is.

n The writer includes too many ideas.

n The writer tries to say everything in one sentence.

Help students see that the claim is that Animal Farm is more than a story about animals. Invite volunteers to propose revisions. Display a student’s suggestion, or this revision:

Animal Farm is more than a story about animals. The novel is a critique of Communist Russia and Stalin’s rule. The novel is a warning about the ways that language can be used to control. Using the story as an allegory, Orwell warns against dangerous dictators and various kinds of mind control, including propaganda and “patriotic” songs and slogans.

Ask: “Now is it easier to see the claim? Explain why or why not.”

Land

Tell students that they will now write a simple sentence to state a claim.

Tell students that their claims should be about George Orwell’s Animal Farm and should be claims that could open a longer argument about the themes and ideas in the book.

Scaffold

If students need support thinking of a topic, display the following ideas that they can use as prompts. Instruct students to choose one question to respond to, and take a minute to jot some ideas before they complete the task.

ƒ What message does Orwell give about the corrupting influence of power? ƒ Is intelligence the most important characteristic for a leader to have?

ƒ Do revolutions fail because they just replace one bad leader with another?

ƒ Does Orwell believe that it is human nature to be self-interested?

Students write a simple sentence in their Response Journal to state a claim about Animal Farm.

Lesson 29

Lesson 29: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (4 min.)

Launch (6 min.)

Learn (60 min.)

Participate in a Socratic Seminar (45 min.)

Organize Ideas for the Focusing Question Task (15 min.)

Land (4 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Orwellian (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 Listening ƒ

SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.4.b

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Engage in a collaborative conversation about Animal Farm and the power of language, drawing on evidence, posing questions, responding to others, and using formal English as appropriate (SL.7.1, SL.7.6).

Participate in a Socratic Seminar.

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Handout 29A: Speaking and Listening Goal-Setting and SelfAssessment ƒ

Handout 29B: Focusing Question Task 3 Evidence Organizer

Describe a theme on language and power that Orwell conveys in Animal Farm, and provide a textual example of how he develops this idea (RL.7.2).

Reflect on the seminar, and prepare for the Focusing Question Task 3 by completing Handout 29B.

Develop an understanding of the suffix –ian through example and study of the word Orwellian, and then apply this understanding to define other new words (L.7.4.b).

Define other words with the suffix –ian, and invent a word with the –ian ending, define it, and use it in context.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 22–30

How and why is language dangerous?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 29

Distill: What is the essential meaning of Animal Farm?

A Socratic Seminar builds students’ ability to collaborate with others and their command of formal English, and it helps them develop skill with argument by requiring that they support their claims with evidence, reasons, and elaboration. In this lesson, the discussion serves as a platform to explore the novel, Animal Farm, its themes about language, and its warnings to an unthinking populace. Through their collaborative discussion, students gain insights while also preparing for the next lesson’s Focusing Question Task 3.

Welcome4 MIN.

Display the following words: ƒ Control. ƒ Manipulate. ƒ Propaganda. ƒ Literacy. ƒ Education. ƒ Truth. ƒ Misinformation. ƒ Honesty. Ask students to choose one of the words, and in their Response Journal, write briefly about the word and how it relates to Animal Farm and the dangerous power of language.

Launch

6 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Tell students that they will participate in a Socratic Seminar. The focus of the conversation will be Animal Farm and the power of language.

Invite volunteers to share their responses to the Welcome task.

60 MIN.

PARTICIPATE IN A SOCRATIC SEMINAR

Whole Group

45 MIN.

Remind students that during this Socratic Seminar, they should pay particular attention to the module’s speaking and listening foci: posing questions to elicit elaboration and listening for on- and off-topic responses.

Explain that for the conversation to be successful, all students will need to participate effectively. Allow one minute for students to independently and in writing answer the question: “What is one element of an effective discussion?”

Share ideas, listing key ideas for display.

Then, ask students to turn to Handout 29A and complete the first part of the handout to set a goal for the discussion.

Display the following question: Is it the responsibility of a government or its citizens to make sure that citizens get accurate, logical information?

Provide a few moments for student reflection to prepare for the Seminar. Ask students to jot notes about their initial responses to the question and what additional questions they have that they would like to discuss.

Tell students that the seminar will be organized in three parts:

1. First, students will spend about five minutes responding to the Focusing Question: How and why is language dangerous?

2. Then, students will spend about 30 minutes discussing Orwell’s central ideas and themes in the novel about the power of language. They should begin with this question:

p To what extent are the animals controlled, and to what extent do they allow themselves to be controlled?

And, then continue the discussion extending the question to a broader context:

p Is it the responsibility of a government or its citizens to make sure that citizens get accurate, logical information?

3. Finally, students will spend about five minutes connecting the novel to their lives and society today: How are Orwell’s ideas still relevant today?

Students form a circle and participate in the Socratic Seminar.

Remind students that they lead the discussion; your role is to keep time, give reminders to cite evidence or elaborate, and pose follow-up questions only as needed.

Serve as the timekeeper, allowing about five minutes for introductory discussion, thirty minutes for the body of the discussion, and five minutes for students to make connections.

To track participation during the Socratic Seminar, consider using 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).

When discussion has ended, ask students to open their Knowledge Journal to the Reflections section and take a few minutes to describe how their thinking shifted during the seminar.

Scaffold

For students who would benefit from additional structure, offer these frames:

Before the seminar, I thought But, now, I think I am eager to

To close, ask students to complete Handout 29A, assessing their performance and setting a new goal for the next seminar.

For more information on the Socratic Seminar routine used in this lesson, see the Wit & Wisdom Implementation Guide (http://witeng.link/IG).

ORGANIZE IDEAS FOR THE FOCUSING QUESTION TASK

Pairs

Tell students that in the next lesson, they will complete a Focusing Question Task that will allow them to reflect on what they learned and discussed while reading Animal Farm.

Explain that, to prepare, it will be helpful for them to reflect on their Socratic Seminar discussion.

Pairs complete the top two rows of Handout 29B, naming three central ideas or themes Orwell conveys in Animal Farm, and providing textual evidence for each.

Invite pairs to share their ideas with the class.

15 MIN.

Land

4 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Ask students to complete an Exit Ticket, listing one additional question that they wish they had a chance to discuss with classmates, and explaining why.

Extension

If time allows, perhaps during a lesson with one-on-one teacher conferencing with students around a writing product, organize small groups to engage in discussion around some of these questions, as a mini Socratic Seminar activity.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Inform students that there is no homework for this lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

In addition to providing insight into students’ understanding of the novel’s central ideas and themes (RL.7.2) and students’ ability to use textual evidence to support reasons and claims (RL.7.1), the Socratic Seminar provides an opportunity to assess students’ speaking and listening skills (SL.7.1, SL.7.6). Assess Socratic Seminar performance using the rubric from Appendix C, notes from the discussion, and students’ self-assessments. During this Socratic Seminar, each student should also demonstrate skill with the speaking and listening foci of this module: posing questions that elicit elaboration from others in academic conversations (SL.7.1.a, SL.7.1.c) and listening for on- and off-topic responses (SL.7.1.c).

Next Steps

If students struggle with the content of the Socratic Seminar, consider one of the many suggestions offered throughout the module for building literal comprehension, understanding theme, and identifying relevant textual evidence. The Socratic Seminar offers a unique moment to formatively assess and respond to students experiencing challenges with speaking and listening. Partner with students working below grade level to target focused goals for improvement with speaking and listening and to devise strategies for accomplishing these goals. You may want to organize students into small groups for focused work on specific speaking and listening skills.

Analyze your whole-class assessment data to:

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Determine needed scaffolds. If students struggle with using academic language in discussion, consider posting some sentence starters. If students struggle with the content of the discussion, consider displaying some of the key ideas from previous lessons and discussions.

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Set select discussion rules to emphasize for the whole group, reminding and reviewing with students as needed prior to the next Socratic Seminar.

Content Vocabulary: Orwellian

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Time: 15 min.

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Text: Animal Farm, George Orwell

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Develop an understanding of the suffix –ian through example and study of the word Orwellian, and then apply this understanding to define other new words (L.7.4.b).

Launch

Display the following sentences:

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He was born and raised in Washington and thinks of himself as a true Washingtonian

She had never met a Norwegian before, so she asked a lot of questions about life in Norway.

Give students a minute to read the sentences and jot ideas about what the suffix –ian might mean.

Then, display these sentences:

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She became obsessed with Russia and started to speak in a Russian accent, eat only Russian food, and read Russian literature.

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He loves Italian food and could eat pasta or pizza every night of the week.

Give students another minute to add to their ideas about what the suffix –ian might mean.

Next, display these sentences:

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He was a well-known Shakespearian scholar who uncovered many of the allusions and references in Shakespeare’s well-known plays.

ƒ

Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson had a debate that changed American history. The Hamiltonian vision for the United States was a strong central government; the Jeffersonian ideal was for states to have more rights.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “From looking at all of these sentences, what do you think the meaning of the suffix –ian might be?”

n From the first two sentences, I thought –ian was a way to describe a person from a place.

n From the next two sentences, it looked like –ian is a way to make an adjective that describes something that comes from or belongs to a place, like Italian food or Russian literature.

n Then I thought it might just mean “of.” The Shakespearian scholar is a scholar of Shakespeare.

Come together, and ask a few pairs to share ideas. Incorporating students’ ideas, explain that the suffix –ian has multiple meanings and is used to form new nouns or adjectives from base nouns (for example, Brazil and Brazilian food).

Guide students to a correct understanding and then provide the following definition for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Part Meaning Synonyms

ian (suffix) 1. One who belongs to a particular group, time, or place or follows the ideas of a particular person or group; 2. typical of; 3. relating to.

–an, –ean

Reassure students that sometimes the definitions of suffixes and other word parts can be difficult to articulate, but that after today’s activity, they will have a better understanding of the suffix –ian and how it is used.

Learn

Display the following list of policies or behaviors:

ƒ

A government that uses false numbers and statistics to hide the truth.

ƒ A society that rewrites its history to make it more positive.

ƒ A government that creates propaganda to make people love and honor their leader as a hero.

ƒ A government that uses euphemisms to make unpleasant realities seem more pleasant, such as calling the leaders “more equal than others” instead of “more powerful than everyone else.”

Ask students to share reactions or ideas about these policies or behaviors quickly.

n They all seem wrong.

n I wouldn’t want to live in that place.

n It sounds like Animal Farm.

Tell students that because of Animal Farm and another book by Orwell, 1984, the term Orwellian has developed as a common way of referring to policies or behaviors such as these.

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

Word Meaning

Orwellian (adj.) Of or relating to the work of George Orwell, especially the abuses of language by the leaders of the societies as portrayed in his novels Animal Farm and 1984.

Contrast the way the word Orwellian is used with the way the words Hamiltonian and Jeffersonian are used in the examples from the beginning of the lesson. Make sure students understand that Orwellian relates to the ideas in Orwell’s novels; Jeffersonian and Hamiltonian relate to the ideas of the men themselves. This distinction is important; be sure students see that the word Orwellian

describes instances when the power of language is used to control thoughts, but it does not describe the way Orwell would have actually wanted language to be used!

Invite volunteers to generate examples of other Orwellian government behaviors or policies.

n A leader who uses language to try to trick or fool the people.

n A government that runs schools to teach children what the government wants them to believe.

n A government that controls the news and information that people receive.

Extension

Students who have a firm grasp on the concept of Orwellian might be interested in making current-day connections to Orwell’s dire warnings. Ask: “In what ways might someone describe modern-day governments or societies as Orwellian?” Students might also enjoy considering what Orwell would have thought of the word Orwellian. Ask: “Would Orwell have liked the way the word Orwellian is used? Why or why not?”

Land

Students complete the following two tasks to demonstrate their ability to use the suffix –ian to understand and define new words:

Using what you have learned of the suffix –ian, complete the following two tasks:

1. Briefly define the following words: Martian, Christian, disciplinarian.

2. Invent your own word ending with –ian, use it in a sentence, and write a brief definition.

Tip: The word you make up might be based on the name of your favorite author, a famous movie star, a teacher, a family member, or someone in your class. Just be sure to write something that you would feel comfortable sharing with that person; you can be funny, but be nice! For example, if your teacher Mr. Smith gives a lot of challenging homework, having a “Smithian night last night” could mean an evening filled with lots of difficult homework.

If time allows, do a Whip Around for students to share their new words, or provide a chance for them to share examples with a partner or small group.

Lesson 30: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (4 min.)

Launch (3 min.)

Learn (55 min.)

Prewrite for the Focusing Question Task (15 min.)

Complete the Focusing Question Task (40 min.)

Land (12 min.)

Reflect on Learning Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Execute Varied Sentence Structures in an Argument (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.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.5, W.7.9.a

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1

Language ƒ

L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a ƒ L.7.1.b

MATERIALS

ƒ

Assessment 30A: Focusing Question Task 3 ƒ

Handout 30A: Argument Outline ƒ Handout 29B: Focusing Question Task 3 Evidence Organizer

Learning Goals

Write an argument paragraph for the teacher and classmates about the most important theme about the power of language that Orwell develops in Animal Farm, supporting the claim with clear reasons and relevant evidence (RL.7.1, RL.7.2, W.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.9.a, L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a).

Complete Assessment 30A.

Vary sentence structures to emphasize important ideas and signal differing relationships in a written argument (L.7.1.b).

Revise the Focusing Question Task 3 response based on a partner’s feedback and self-assessment.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 22–30

How and why is language dangerous?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 30

Know: How does Animal Farm build my knowledge of the dangerous power of language?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 30

Execute: How do I use a strong claim, clear reasons, and relevant evidence in an argument paragraph?

Students complete Focusing Question Task 3, stating a claim about which of Orwell’s themes on language is most important. Drafting an argument in paragraph form is a building block toward students writing a full argument essay and prepares them for future learning with argumentation throughout the module and for the EOM Task response. Students Land by reflecting in their Knowledge Journal about their learning during their study of Animal Farm.

Welcome

Display this list of criteria: ƒ

4 MIN.

A claim should be clearly introduced. ƒ

Alternate or opposing claims should be acknowledged. ƒ

Evidence should be logical and relevant and accurate. ƒ

The reader should be persuaded even if the arguer has to bend the facts. ƒ

Transition words and phrases should be used to connect ideas. ƒ

A concluding statement should support the claim. ƒ

The argument should be written from the first-person, I, point of view.

Tell students they will have the chance to play a game of “Which of these does not belong?” Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and note which of these criteria is or is not a criterion for an effective argument, and why.

Launch

3 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Read aloud the list from the Welcome task, asking for a thumbs-up or thumbs-down for whether each is a criterion for an effective argument.

Be sure that students recognize that bending the facts (because of the importance of logic and accuracy) and writing from the first person (because of the need to establish authority and not offer opinion) are not criteria for effective arguments. Engage in a group discussion to eliminate any misconceptions.

55 MIN.

PREWRITE FOR THE FOCUSING QUESTION

TASK 15 MIN.

Individuals Distribute Assessment 30A.

Provide a few minutes for students to read over the task, answering any clarifying questions.

Ask students to turn to Handout 30A. Provide time for students to use the organizer to plan their Focusing Question Task 3 response.

Encourage students to refer back to Handout 29B to consider the evidence and determine which theme they will select as the most important of Orwell’s themes on language in Animal Farm.

QUESTION

Individuals

Display the Craft Question: How do I use a strong claim, clear reasons, and relevant evidence in an argument paragraph?

Tell students that they have about forty minutes to complete their paragraph response to Focusing Question Task 3.

Students complete Focusing Question Task 3.

If students finish early, encourage them to reread their paragraph, checking against the criteria listed on Assessment 30A, and making edits or revisions as needed.

REFLECT ON LEARNING

Instruct students to open their Knowledge Journal. Tell them that they will reflect in their journal on their reading of Animal Farm

Ask students to choose one of the following for an entry:

ƒ

In the Knowledge of the World section, write about how Animal Farm has helped you learn about the world and history, including its role as an allegory of the Russian Revolution and the rise of communism.

ƒ

In the Knowledge of Ideas section, write about the power of language—to inspire, persuade, or harm as shown through the novel.

ƒ

In the Knowledge of Skills section, reflect on specific techniques for effective and/or misleading argumentation, and describe the three appeals of logos, pathos, and ethos. Discuss how techniques can be used in responsible ways or in dangerous ways.

Then have students turn to the Reflections section, and have them briefly reflect on what this knowledge means to them and their lives: what might they do or think differently now that they have read Animal Farm? Post some of these questions to help push students’ thinking: ƒ

How might you view the statements of leaders or politicians differently? ƒ

How might you listen to a speech or ad in a different way from before? ƒ

What might you do if you heard a leader or political candidate make promises, such as ones to help working or poor people?

ƒ

What might you do differently as a citizen?

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Encourage students to continue to use their Knowledge Journal to record their ideas and observations as they read new texts, examine ads, listen to speeches or statements by politicians, read blogs or other online editorials, write and revise their own arguments, or see other real-life communications. For example, they might add entries when they find examples of logos, pathos, and ethos or see the many other language techniques they have learned in action.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students write an argument paragraph for their teacher and classmates that states a claim for Orwell’s most important theme and offers textual evidence in support of the claim (RL.7.1, RL.7.2, W.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.9.a, L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a). This formative assessment provides insight on students’ thinking about the novel, as well as on their developing skills with argument writing (preparation for the EOM Task). Check for the following success criteria: ƒ

Clearly states a claim as to Orwell’s most important theme about language. ƒ

Gives a reason or reasons for why this is Orwell’s most important theme. ƒ

Supports the reasons with textual evidence from Animal Farm and with elaboration. ƒ

Identifies and acknowledges an alternate or opposing claim. ƒ

Includes a concluding statement that reinforces the argument. ƒ

Uses a variety of sentence structures effectively to express ideas. ƒ

Uses words, phrases, and clauses as transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationship among the claim, reasons, evidence, and elaboration. ƒ

Maintains a formal style, featuring precise language and content-area vocabulary.

In addition to evaluating the response against the criteria listed, refer to the exemplar and to the Grade 7 Argument Writing Rubric in Appendix C.

Next Steps

If most students have difficulty successfully completing the Focusing Question Task 3 paragraph, consider facilitating a whole-group discussion, unpacking the prompt, providing students with a HI-CREEA-CC organizer to guide writing planning, and brainstorming evidence as a whole group.

If performance varies, use the HI-CREEAC structure and/or the Grade 7 Argument Writing Rubric to evaluate the responses and identify the source of strength or challenge for each student.

If students struggle with structure, some strategies that might be useful include:

ƒ

Unpack the prompt. Encourage students to take notes and discuss with a partner to ensure that each student understands the elements of the prompt.

ƒ

Clearly define the claim. Have students work in pairs or small groups to orally rehearse, stating their claim and offering reasons and evidence in support.

ƒ

Identify alternate and opposing claims. Have students work in pairs to identify alternate and opposing “sides” to their argument, and engage in informal debates to strengthen their own arguments.

If students struggle with development, they might benefit from the following guidance:

ƒ

Reread purposefully, stopping at points in the text that seem to support the claim and asking: “How does this support my claim?” Encourage students to annotate as they go.

ƒ

Paraphrase and summarize. Encourage students to work in pairs or small groups to briefly restate their claims, reasons, and evidence and work together to generate additional evidence.

ƒ

Distinguish relevant from irrelevant evidence. Provide a series of quotations for students, and ask them to justify which are relevant to their claims and which are irrelevant.

ƒ

Use a graphic organizer. Consider providing students with a graphic organizer or another visual support to scaffold their development.

If students struggle with style, some strategies that might be useful include the following:

ƒ

Read aloud. Encourage students to read their responses aloud or to a partner, reading with fluency, and listening to how their writing sounds and which ideas are emphasized.

ƒ

Consider sentence structures. Review some of the work students have done with sentence structures and encourage them to identify places where simple sentences can be combined to form complex sentences or where complex sentences can be broken down into simple sentences to clarify or emphasize ideas.

If students struggle with conventions, suggest the following:

ƒ

Read widely. Reading additional texts, such as those in the Appendix D: Volume of Reading list, will model effective conventions for students.

ƒ

Review work from the Deep Dives.

Group students with similar needs and plan small-group support for these skills to set students up for success in the upcoming lessons and with the EOM Task. Consider devoting a full class period to independent reading or research to allow for one-on-one writing conferences with students. The Volume of Reading list in Appendix D includes suggestions for some additional titles that may be helpful in guiding students’ independent reading or research.

Lesson 30 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Execute Varied Sentence Structures in an Argument

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: Animal Farm, George Orwell

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Vary sentence structures to emphasize important ideas and signal differing relationships in a written argument (L.7.1.b).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 30

Execute: How do I effectively and purposefully vary sentences in a written argument?

Launch

Post the Style and Conventions Craft Question, and ask students to take out their Focusing Question Task 3 responses.

Ask students to work with a partner and complete the following tasks:

1. Choose one sentence from their response.

2. Tell what kind of sentence it is.

3. Explain what they hoped to accomplish with that sentence.

Learn

Assign students partners for a peer review.

Instruct students to swap Focusing Question Task 3 responses. Tell them that they should note their partner’s use of varied sentence structures and evaluate whether structures are used effectively for emphasis, to show the relationships between ideas, and to add interest for the reader.

Tell students they can annotate their partner’s sentences or write a separate evaluation with examples.

Provide the following guiding questions for peer editors:

ƒ Are sentences varied?

p If NO, how might they be varied?

p If YES, what kinds of sentence structures are used? (Mark an S next to a simple sentence and a C next to a complex sentence.)

ƒ Do the chosen sentence structures do the following:

p Create appropriate emphasis?

p Show the connections between ideas (such as showing time or sequence clearly, cause-and-effect, and conparison and contrast)?

ƒ Add interest for the reader?

Provide time for students to return their partners’ papers, read any comments, discuss, and ask clarifying questions.

Land

Students revise their Focusing Question Task 3 responses based on their partner’s feedback and their own review.

Remind students that their revisions are always up to their discretion; if they do not agree with a peer’s comment, they are not required to make the change.

If time allows, provide time for students to add to the Skills section of their Knowledge Journal what they have learned about simple and complex sentences and how/why to choose between them for different purposes and to signal differing relationships among ideas.

Lesson 31

How and why does language influence thought and action?

ƒ Review of Animal Farm, George Soule (http://witeng.link/0306)

ƒ Review of Animal Farm, Michael Berry (http://witeng.link/0307)

ƒ Review of Animal Farm, Bapalapa2, Student Reviewer (http://witeng.link/0308)

Lesson 31: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (2 min.)

Launch (4 min.)

Learn (58 min.)

Summarize the Author’s Position (27 min.)

Compare and Contrast Reviews (26 min.)

Experiment with Introductions (5 min.)

Land (10 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

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

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

ƒ

RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.4, RI.7.6, RI.7.8, RI.7.9

Writing ƒ W.7.1.a

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1

Language ƒ L.7.6

MATERIALS

Handout 3C: Argument Paragraph and Essay Structures ƒ Handout 31A: New Republic Jigsaw ƒ

Handout 31B: Animal Farm Review Comparison

Learning Goals

Compare and contrast multiple authors’ reviews of Animal Farm, analyzing differing interpretations and evidence (RI.7.9).

Complete Handout 31B. Draft an introduction paragraph using the HIC structure (W.7.1.a).

Draft an introduction paragraph for a book review.

Develop a deeper understanding of and accurately use the term satire (L.7.6).

Write an explanation of whether Animal Farm is an effective satire.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 31–37

How and why does language influence thought and action?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 31

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of book reviews reveal?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 31

Experiment: How do introductions work?

In this lesson, students explore what makes language powerful by studying a genre of text that holds particular influence over thoughts and actions in modern life: reviews. Students analyze three reviews of Animal Farm, comparing and contrasting the authors’ disparate positions on the novel. Then students write introductions to their own Animal Farm reviews, which they will finish and publish in an upcoming lesson. This provides practice for the EOM Task as well as the opportunity to write for an authentic audience.

Welcome

2 MIN.

Small groups discuss the following: Have you ever read a review of a book, game, movie, restaurant, or something else? Why did you read it?

Launch

4 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question. Emphasize that, as many groups mentioned during the Welcome, reviews have a powerful influence over readers’ thoughts and actions.

Ask pairs to discuss whether they would recommend Animal Farm, and why.

Display George Soule’s review of Animal Farm (http://witeng.link/0306). Ask students to infer the meaning of the word panned in the title, “In 1946, The New Republic Panned George Orwell’s Animal Farm.”

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

Word Meaning

pan (v.)

To severely criticize something, such as a book or a play.

Clarify as needed that panned is the past tense of pan. Ask students for a show of hands if they have ever read a review that panned a book, movie, restaurant, or game.

Learn58 MIN.

SUMMARIZE THE AUTHOR’S POSITION 27 MIN.

Small Groups

Explain that students will compare and contrast three reviews, and they will start by understanding the position on Animal Farm in the review whose title they looked at in the Launch, “In 1946, The New Republic Panned George Orwell’s Animal Farm.” Elaborate that as students read, they should pay attention to the author’s opinion on whether people should read Animal Farm and why he feels this way.

Have students read the review independently, annotating for key information about George Soule’s position on Animal Farm as well as any questions.

Scaffold

Remind students that it is fine if they don’t fully understand every detail of this challenging text during their first read.

Consider reading the text aloud as students follow along.

Then have pairs discuss their annotations.

Distribute Handout 31A

In groups of five, have students count off to five, and then within each group, assign students the numbered section on the handout corresponding to their number. Then have students work independently on their section of Handout 31A, reading their assigned section, looking up unfamiliar vocabulary, making notes as needed in their Vocabulary Journal to help them remember key words, and identifying the central idea of their section.

Next, have students meet with those who analyzed the same section to share information and clarify understanding. These new groups should collaborate to share ideas, clarify key vocabulary, and agree on and record the central idea for the section.

Then have students return to their original group and collaborate to complete Handout 31A, writing the central idea for each section and composing a one-sentence summary of Soule’s position.

Ask for a few examples of definitions for key words students discussed.

Word Meaning Synonyms

dissolute (adj.) Lacking in morals or given to improper behavior. immoral, wild deplore (v.) To express or to feel strong disapproval or regret. condemn, decry

COMPARE AND CONTRAST REVIEWS 26 MIN.

Pairs

Explain that students will compare Soule’s review with two other reviews.

TEACHER NOTE

Seeing peers’ published work sets a clear standard for the upcoming review writing activity. Accordingly, let students know that a student close to their age wrote the Teen Ink review.

Ask individuals to read the Teen Ink review (http://witeng.link/0308) and the Common Sense Media review (http://witeng.link/0307), taking notes on each author’s position on Animal Farm.

Then ask pairs to discuss each reviewer’s position.

TEACHER NOTE

The Common Sense Media review is an interactive multimedia review that can best be appreciated online. Display the review, or consider having students explore it using laptops, tablets, or smartphones.

Distribute Handout 31B.

Display Handout 31B, and collaboratively fill in the column for The New Republic with the whole group, using bullet points to jot key information. Have students follow along, filling in their own copy.

n The position is that Animal Farm is not a good book.

n One reason offered is that the allegorical connections are unclear.

n Another reason is that the author’s intentions are unclear.

n One piece of evidence is that Napoleon could be either Lenin or Stalin.

n One piece of evidence is that it’s unclear whether Orwell is criticizing socialism, industrialization, or something else.

Pairs complete Handout 31B, analyzing how each author supports their position on Animal Farm.

Have students share and discuss points with which they agree and disagree.

EXPERIMENT WITH INTRODUCTIONS 5 MIN.

Individuals

Display the Craft Question: How do introductions work?

Explain that students will write an introduction that responds to the following prompt, and that in an upcoming lesson, they will complete and publish their own book review.

You are a writer for a website that provides book reviews. Write a review for an audience unfamiliar with Animal Farm, arguing that they should or should not read the novel.

Have students turn to Handout 3C to reference the HIC introduction structure, and ask students if they have questions about what this would look like for a book review.

Invite pairs to discuss what they plan to write in their introduction.

10 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Students independently write an introduction for their own Animal Farm review

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Inform students that there is no homework for this lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students draft introduction paragraphs using the HIC structure, offering an opportunity to assess their ability to introduce a claim (W.7.1.a). Check for the following success criteria: ƒ

Includes an engaging hook. ƒ Briefly introduces the audience to the topic. ƒ

Clearly takes a position on whether the audience should read Animal Farm, and offers one or two reasons to support it.

Next Steps

Determine which components of the introduction students struggle with and then teach minilessons on those. For example, students may benefit from practicing writing hooks about various topics, comparing introductions that provide too much or too little information, or crafting claim statements that clearly take a position.

Academic Vocabulary: Satire

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts: Animal Farm, George Orwell; Review of Animal Farm, George Soule (http://witeng.link/0306)

ƒ

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Develop a deeper understanding of and accurately use the term satire (L.7.6).

Launch

Display the following sentences:

ƒ

“It seems to me that the failure of this book…arises from the fact that the satire deals not with something the author has experienced, but rather with stereotyped ideas about a country which he probably does not know very well” (Soule).

ƒ

Although the popular cartoon show is funny in its own right, it also works at a deeper level, as a satire, gently making fun of the habits of many American families.

ƒ

Many comedy shows and political cartoons are satires, ridiculing politicians for their worst traits.

Ask: “Based on your discussion of the article during the lesson and these sentences, what part of speech do you think satire is, and what does it mean?”

n It is a noun because it is a type of story or type of literary work. I think it has something to do with mocking or making fun of people.

n I know that Animal Farm was written as an allegory about real-life events and shows those negatively, and the review calls the novel a satire, so satire has something to do with criticizing real people or events.

Learn

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

Word Meaning Synonyms

satire (n.) A literary or dramatic work that ridicules or makes fun of people’s weaknesses or foolish behavior.

Have students briefly compare the definition with their predictions.

parody, caricature

Explain that to deepen their understanding of the word, students will explore several examples and decide if they are satire, based upon the definition. Agree upon Nonverbal Signals students can use for yes and no.

Share the following examples, one at a time. Pause between each for students to signal whether they think the example is a satire, and then discuss their reasons.

Example 1: A film tells the story of a fictional rock band, making rock stars’ lives appear glamorous and important.

Example 2: A film is a fake documentary, pretending to show the everyday life of a rock band, exaggerating and making fun of the lifestyles of rock stars and their fans.

Example 3: A fictional children’s book tells the story of a ridiculously unruly class of children whose teacher decides to play a trick on them by dressing up and acting like a mean substitute teacher. Among other antics, the children stand on their heads during story time, and the substitute nails one child by his coat to the wall.

Example 4: A fictional children’s story is based on an actual event and tells the story of a child who keeps her family’s lighthouse burning during a storm while her father is away. At one point in the story, the child almost gives up but then perseveres.

Example 5: A popular TV show portrays a fictionalized version of the president of the United States, her family, and her staff. The show presents the president acting in very human ways—making wise decisions as well as selfish choices, doing kind acts while also sometimes seeming to be heartless, and having high ethical standards in some situations but bending the rules in others.

Example 6: A popular TV show portrays a fictionalized version of the president of the United States, her family, and her staff. The show presents the president acting in fairly ridiculous ways and getting away with it. For example, in one scene, to avoid having to be interviewed by a reporter, the president dashes into a closet in the White House and hides, only coming out when her aide offers her whatever she wants from the White House chef.

Direct students to reread the examples they agreed were satire and think about what they have in common. Have small groups discuss their ideas and then share.

Guide students to see that satire is often used in the context of modern-day situations or topics to draw attention to the flaws of a person, group of people, society, nation, or the world or humans in general.

As time permits, point out that the author of the review from The New Republic uses two other words derived from satire—satirical and satirize, and briefly explore those words’ parts of speech and meanings, including how their suffixes contribute to those meanings.

Explore whether particular stories, shows, and films with which students might be familiar are examples of satire.

Land

Students respond to the following prompt in their Response Journal: “Based on your reading of Animal Farm and your understanding of the word satire, do you agree with the author of the New Republic review that Animal Farm is not an effective satire? Why or why not? Use the definition of satire and an example from Animal Farm to support your answer.”

As time permits, have students share their responses in pairs.

FOCUSING QUESTION: LESSONS 31–37

How and why does language influence thought and action?

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

Lesson 32

ƒ

ƒ

“Why You Should Read Animal Farm,” Kainzow, Blogger (http://witeng.link/0309)

“In 1946, the New Republic Panned George Orwell’s Animal Farm,” George Soule (http://witeng.link/0306)

ƒ

Review of Animal Farm, Michael Berry (http://witeng.link/0307)

ƒ

ƒ

Review of Animal Farm, Bapalapa2, Student Reviewer (http://witeng.link/0308)

Goodreads website (http://witeng.link/0371)

Lesson 32: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Complete the New-Read Assessment (25 min.)

Analyze Review Websites (34 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Reflect on Book Reviews

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Academic Vocabulary: The Morphemes lit, litera (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

ƒ

RI.7.1, RI.7.4, RI.7.8

Writing ƒ

W.7.1.a, W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1

Language ƒ L.7.4.a ƒ L.7.4.b

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 3C: Argument Paragraph and Essay Structures ƒ

Assessment 32A: New-Read Assessment 3 ƒ

Computers with internet access ƒ

lit, litera Word Cards (found at end of Deep Dive), one card per Deep Dive group ƒ

Large sheets of white paper, one per Deep Dive group

Learning Goals

Trace and evaluate an Animal Farm review’s argument, assessing whether the author’s reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims (RI.7.1, RI.7.4, RI.7.8 W.7.10, L.7.4.a).

Complete the New-Read Assessment.

Analyze a book review website to identify its purpose and audience.

Browse a book review website and take notes on purpose and audience in your Response Journal.

Integrate understanding of the roots lit and litera to define and use words (L.7.4.b).

Work in a group to use the lit, litera root to predict the meaning of an assigned word, confirm that meaning, and then represent the word and its parts visually.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 31–37

How and why does language influence thought and action?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 32

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of the argument in a book review reveal?

To demonstrate what they have learned about evaluating arguments, students complete a NewRead Assessment focused on the argument of a new Animal Farm review. Then, students explore a book review website to understand its purpose and audience, preparing to create and publish their own reviews in the next lesson. In this manner, students gain authentic argument-writing practice for the fast-approaching EOM Task.

Welcome

5 MIN.

Have pairs read each other’s book review introduction from the previous lesson and evaluate how effectively it uses the HIC structure. Each student should write one thing that makes the introduction effective and one way it can be strengthened.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Have pairs discuss the feedback they formulated during the Welcome task.

Tell students that in the next lesson, they will revise the introduction and then complete and publish their book review. To prepare, this lesson is devoted to first evaluating a book review’s argument in a New-Read Assessment and then analyzing a book review website’s purpose and audience.

Remind students that many texts, such as this lesson’s New-Read text, do not use HIC, which means students will need to think carefully to identify the claim.

59 MIN.

COMPLETE THE NEW-READ ASSESSMENT

25 MIN.

Individuals

Distribute Assessment 32A.

TEACHER NOTE

Instruct students to look closely at the task and decide what they need to do to succeed. Although it is up to students to decide how many times they reread, the Organize stage is especially important for orientation to the text and task. Engaging in the appropriate stages of reading and using appropriate accompanying routines, without teacher cues, shows how well a student has internalized the value of deep comprehension for assessment success.

Students independently read “Why You Should Read Animal Farm” and complete the New-Read Assessment.

ANALYZE REVIEW WEBSITES

Individuals

34 MIN.

Display the book review writing prompt introduced in the last lesson.

You are a writer for a website that provides book reviews. Consider an audience who is unfamiliar with Animal Farm, and write a review arguing that they should or should not read the novel.

Explain that before completing their reviews, students will analyze a book review website so they can tailor their writing to this purpose and audience.

Students browse a book review website, such as Goodreads (http://witeng.link/0371). In their Response Journal, students respond to the following questions.

1. Why does this site exist, and how do you know?

2. Who publishes these reviews? Who reads them?

3. What do you notice about the elements of strong reviews?

4. Which reviews are weak, and why?

TEACHER NOTE

In the next lesson, students will publish their reviews by posting them online. If they need to register or create profiles on the website or class blog you select, consider having them do so during this time.

Have small groups discuss their observations. Then have a few students share with the class.

n The site exists to help people decide which books they should read. There are reviews, recommendations based on book preferences, and recommended reading lists.

n The reviews are published by readers of all ages and for readers of all ages. It’s a wide audience. They all seem passionate about reading, though, and they seem to have strong preferences.

n The strong reviews have examples and reasons that help me understand whether I might like a book. They also use organized, clear, engaging writing.

n The weak reviews are general. They present the writer’s opinion, but I can’t tell if I might share their opinion without reasoning and evidence.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Instruct students to submit an Exit Ticket in response to the following: “What does a deeper exploration of the argument in a book review reveal?”

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Inform students that there is no homework for this lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students complete the New-Read Assessment, tracing an Animal Farm review’s argument and assessing whether the author’s reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims (RI.7.8). Refer to Appendix C to assess mastery.

Next Steps

It is important that students understand the elements of a successful argument, as they will soon encounter the EOM Task and craft their own. As needed, review the assessment with the whole group or a small group that struggled.

Academic Vocabulary: The Morphemes lit, litera

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Time: 15 min.

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Texts: Review of Animal Farm, George Soule (http://witeng.link/0306); Review of Animal Farm, Michael Berry (http://witeng.link/0307); Review of Animal Farm, Bapalapa2, Student Reviewer (http://witeng.link/0308); “Why You Should Read Animal Farm,” Kainzow, blogger (http://witeng.link/0309)

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Vocabulary Learning Goal: Integrate understanding of the roots lit and litera to define and use words (L.7.4.b).

Launch

Display the following sentences:

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“Nobody would suppose that good allegory is literally accurate, but when the reader is continually led to wonder who is who and what aspect of reality is being satirized, he is prevented either from enjoying the story as a story or from valuing it as a comment” (Soule).

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“Really Animal Farm is the epitome of allegorical literature!” (Kainzow).

One of the themes of Animal Farm is the importance of literacy. If citizens can read and process information deeply, it is harder for their leaders to manipulate or deceive them.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Based on your understanding of these words and the context the sentences provide, what are some possible meanings of the root these words share, lit or litera?”

n They must have something to do with words because literally means taking words exactly as they are written, not making inferences. Literature and literacy also involve words.

n They might mean reading because literature and literacy both involve reading.

n Those roots might be connected to books. All three examples have something to do with reading or words or books.

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

Word Part Meaning

lit, litera Letters, reading.

Have students briefly compare this definition to their predictions. Point out that the word letter is derived from these root words.

Divide students into groups of three. Give each group one of the lit, litera Word Cards included at the end of this lesson and a large sheet of paper. (Some groups may have the same word.)

Post and explain the directions:

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Use your understanding of lit, litera and the additional information on your card to predict your word’s meaning.

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Write your prediction in your Vocabulary Journal.

ƒ Confirm that definition using a dictionary, making changes as needed.

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On your large sheet of paper, write a sentence using the word that demonstrates within the context of the sentence what the word means.

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On the same paper, make a visual to show how the word parts work together to create the word’s meaning.

Scaffold

If students have difficulty coming up with a visual, brainstorm ideas with the group using a known word. For example, students could use a picture or symbol for each word part with arrows showing how they connect, or students could do a series of visuals, showing how the addition of each word part changes the underlying root’s meaning.

Groups use the lit, litera root along with other word parts to predict the meaning of their assigned word, confirm that meaning, and then show their understanding of the resulting word by using the word in context and representing it and its word parts visually.

Have each group share with another group.

Ask the whole group: “Which word parts, sentences, or visuals helped you understand lit, litera, and words using that root, and why?”

Tell students to think about what they know about the word literature, the roots lit, litera, and these word part definitions:

—ate (adjective suffix): full of; in a state of —ure: act or process of

Ask them to think about what the word literature means. Explain that although the word has many connotations, its denotation or formal definition is, “written works, including novels, stories, and dramas, that are considered to have lasting merit or artistic value.”

Ask the whole group: “In light of the meaning of these word parts and the definition of literature, how would you summarize the opinion of the author of The New Republic article about the relationship of Animal Farm to the word literature?”

lit, litera Word Cards

Transliterate

trans–: across –ate (verb suffix): to make, cause, do

Alliteration

al–: to, toward –ation: the act, process, or result of Obliterate

ob–: against, away –ate (verb suffix): to make, cause, do

Illiterate il–: not, without –ate (adjective suffix) full of; in a state of Literary

–ary: like, of, related to

Literacy –acy: state or quality of

Lesson 33

How and why does language influence thought and action?

Lesson 33: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (4 min.)

Learn (60 min.)

Experiment with Organization and Conclusions (20 min.)

Improve and Publish Reviews (40 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

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RI.7.1

Writing

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W.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.6, W.7.5, W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Publish a book review arguing that an audience should or should not read Animal Farm (W.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.6)

Write an Animal Farm review, and share it on the internet.

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Handout 3C: Argument Paragraph and Essay Structures ƒ

Handout 33A: Argument Essay Checklist ƒ

Computers with internet access

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 31–37

How and why does language influence thought and action?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 33

Know: How do the book reviews build my knowledge of how and why language influences thought and action?

CRAFT QUESTIONS: Lesson 33

Experiment: How does organizing and concluding an argument work?

Excel: How do I improve my book review?

Students draft, revise, and publish their own reviews, using the power of their own language to influence readers beyond the walls of the classroom.

5 MIN.

Display the book review writing prompt.

You are a writer for a website that provides book reviews. Consider an audience who is unfamiliar with Animal Farm, and write a review arguing that they should or should not read the novel.

Ask pairs to reference Handout 3C and discuss how many body paragraphs a good review might include and why, and what one could write in a book review’s conclusion.

Launch

4 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question. Tell students that in this lesson, they will complete, revise, and publish their book reviews.

Ask a few students to share the ideas they discussed during the Welcome task.

n You could write one body paragraph that supports one important reason why a person should or should not read the book.

n You could write two body paragraphs if you have multiple reasons and want to deepen your argument.

n The conclusion could emphasize your argument one last time and explain how Animal Farm is or is not relevant to the reader’s life.

60 MIN.

EXPERIMENT WITH ORGANIZATION AND CONCLUSIONS 20 MIN.

Individuals

Display the Craft Question: How does organizing and concluding an argument work?

Ask students to take out the introductions they drafted, and then invite pairs to discuss what they plan to write in their book reviews.

Have students complete their drafts.

IMPROVE AND PUBLISH REVIEWS 40 MIN.

Individuals

Display the Craft Question: How do I improve my book review?

Briefly explain that revision is especially important before students publish their book reviews.

Distribute Handout 33A. Ask students to first use it to evaluate their reviews, and then to evaluate a partner’s draft.

Students revise their book reviews and publish them on Goodreads (http://witeng.link/0371), a similar website, or a

class blog.

Tell students that they will now read and respond to as many of their classmates’ reviews as they can in the allotted time. For each of their classmate’s reviews they read, students should identify at least one quotation from that review and explain why it makes a strong point or why they respectfully disagree with that point. Emphasize that comments must use academic language.

Scaffold

To set a high standard for comments and ensure students understand how to be respectful, start by modeling how to write a comment that disagrees politely.

Writing for an authentic audience emphasizes the relevance of skills and content, fostering investment in the learning process. In turn, this can help motivate students to generate high-quality writing pieces.

TEACHER NOTE

Goodreads combines books with elements of social media, which can promote reading engagement.

You might also encourage students to submit their writing for publication in Teen Ink.

Alternate Activity

If technology is not available, students can hand-write reviews. Then they can complete a Gallery Walk and comment on one another’s work using sticky notes.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Inform students that there is no homework for this lesson.

Analyze Context and Alignment

Students publish a book review arguing that an audience should or should not read Animal Farm, demonstrating their argument writing skills (W.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.6). Check for the following success criteria: ƒ

Takes a clear position on whether their audience should read Animal Farm. ƒ Supports the claim with clear reasons and relevant evidence. ƒ Logically organizes ideas and provides a conclusion that supports ideas.

Next Steps

This represents students’ final opportunity to experiment with argument writing before the EOM Task, so it is important to identify areas for additional support. Consider having a below grade level group compare a strong student review to a weaker example, collaborate to revise that example, and then independently revise their own review.

*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 (59 min.)

Evaluate Evidence (35 min.)

Execute Claims, Reasons, and Evidence (24 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Vocabulary Assessment 2 (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

RL.7.1, RI.7.1

Writing ƒ

W.7.1.a, W.7.1.b, W.7.5

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1

Language ƒ L.7.4.b, L.7.6

MATERIALS

Handout 3C: Argument Paragraph and Essay Structures ƒ

Assessment 34A: End-of-Module Task ƒ

Handout 34A: Argument Essay Evidence ƒ

Handout 34B: Argument Essay Outline ƒ

Assessment 34B: Vocabulary Assessment 2

Learning Goals

Plan an argument essay about language and power, identifying relevant evidence (W.7.5).

Students plan their essays by completing Handout 34B.

Demonstrate understanding of grade-level vocabulary and how to use affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of words or phrases (L.7.4.b, L.7.6).

Complete Assessment 34B.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 31–37

How and why does language influence thought and action?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 34

Know: How do these texts build my knowledge of how and why language influences thought and action?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 34

Execute: How do I use claims, reasons, and relevant evidence in an argument essay plan?

At this point, all students should understand that language is powerful, but is it more powerful when used to uplift or to control? In this lesson, students begin the EOM Task writing process, considering which side of the argument is supported by stronger evidence. After careful evaluation, students formulate their claims, which they will support by drafting essays in the next lesson.

5 MIN.

Distribute Assessment 34A, and ask students to annotate the handout with any questions.

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Ask for questions about the assignment. Remind students that before making a claim, it is important to carefully consider evidence from all sides. Explain that in this lesson, students will gather evidence and then they will evaluate the evidence to formulate their essay claim.

59 MIN.

EVALUATE EVIDENCE 35 MIN.

Pairs

Distribute Handout 34A.

Have pairs complete Handout 34A.

Then ask students to independently weigh the evidence, decide which side has the strongest evidence, and jot a brief explanation in their Response Journal of why that evidence will support the claim that language is most powerful when used to either uplift or to control.

Have pairs share their thinking.

EXECUTE CLAIMS, REASONS, AND EVIDENCE

24 MIN.

Individuals

Display the Craft Question: How do I use claims, reasons, and relevant evidence in an argument essay plan?

Distribute Handout 34B.

To review how to craft clear, evidence-based claim statements, display the following examples:

Claim Statement 1: Stalin was a leader of the Soviet Union who made his country an atomic superpower, killed many of his own people, and suppressed freedom of speech.

Claim Statement 2: I believe Stalin was a terrible leader.

Claim Statement 3: Although Stalin made the Soviet Union an atomic superpower, he was a terrible leader because he killed many of his own people and suppressed freedom of speech.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How would you rank these claim statements from strongest to weakest, and why?”

Students should understand that Claim Statement 3 is strong because it 1) introduces a claim: Stalin was a terrible leader, 2) provides reasons supporting the claim: he killed his own people and suppressed freedom, and 3) acknowledges an opposing claim: he made his country an atomic superpower.

Students complete Handout 34B, planning their essay.

Land5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Have students Whip Around to share their claim statements.

Wrap

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Inform students that there is no homework for this lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students complete Handout 34B, planning arguments about language and power, and identifying relevant evidence (RL.7.1, RI.7.1). Check for the following success criteria: ƒ

Formulates an evidence-based claim that takes a clear position. ƒ

Identifies clear reasons and relevant evidence that support the claim. ƒ Identifies an alternate or opposing claim.

Next Steps

If some students struggle to craft strong claims, provide additional examples or the following sentence frames.

Although language has the power to , it is most powerful when used to . This is proven by in Animal Farm and in .

(identify text[s]) (text 2) (technique 1) (technique 2) G7 M3 Lesson 34 WIT & WISDOM® 406

Lesson 34 Deep Dive:

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Assessment 2

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Time: 15 min.

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Texts: Texts for Focusing Questions 3 and 4

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Demonstrate understanding of grade-level vocabulary and how to use affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of words or phrases (L.7.4.b, L.7.6).

Launch

Tell students that they will take the second Vocabulary Assessment to measure their understanding of content and academic vocabulary.

Point out that some items address the meaning of morphemes (word parts) and that in those instances, the morpheme is in boldface type. Explain that for these items, students should define only the morpheme, not the whole word.

Learn

Distribute Assessment 34B, and review the directions with students.

Students complete Assessment 34B.

Help with pronunciation and spelling as needed.

Land

Collect the assessments. Ask students which terms they found difficult, and discuss the correct answers to those as a class.

TEACHER NOTE

Evaluate assessment results to see which module words need to be reviewed or retaught. Also remember to focus only on whether the written definitions demonstrate students’ understanding of the words, not writing skills or conventions. See Appendix C for a sample answer key.

Lesson 35

Lesson 35: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (4 min.)

Launch (2 min.)

Learn (64 min.)

Execute Elements of an Argument (64 min.)

Land (4 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

RI.7.1, RL.7.1

Writing ƒ W.7.1. W.7.4

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.3

Language ƒ L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a

MATERIALS

Handout 3C: Argument Paragraph and Essay Structures ƒ

Assessment 34A: End-of-Module Task ƒ

Handout 34B: Argument Essay Outline ƒ

Computers

Learning Goals

Develop an argument essay about language and power, supporting claims with logical reasoning and relevant evidence (RL.7.1, RI.7.1, W.7.1, W.7.4).

Draft an EOM Task essay.

Delineate a partner’s argument about language and power, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence (SL.7.3).

Complete a Response Journal entry delineating and evaluating a partner’s argument.

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 31–37

How and why does language influence thought and action?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 35

Know: How do these texts build my knowledge of how language influences thought and action?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 35

Execute: How can I use the elements of an effective argument in an argument essay?

In this lesson, students draft their EOM Task essay, synthesizing understanding of this module’s texts, skills, and content.

4 MIN. Have small groups take out Assessment 34A and discuss what they believe is most challenging about the EOM Task.

2 MIN. Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question. Ask for questions about the EOM Task.

64 MIN.

EXECUTE ELEMENTS OF AN ARGUMENT 64 MIN.

Individuals

Display the Craft Question: How can I use the elements of an effective argument in an argument essay?

Explain that partners will focus carefully on listening to each other’s arguments and then they will evaluate them, offering feedback. Explain that this develops the listener’s listening skills and helps the speaker prepare for writing.

Partners take turns explaining their argument and responding to the following in their Response Journal about their partner’s claims:

1. What is the claim?

2. What reasons and evidence support the claim?

3. How sound is the reasoning, and how sufficient is the evidence?

Remind students to reference Handout 3C, Assessment 34A, and Handout 34B.

4 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Have students submit an Exit Ticket in response to the following: “On a scale of one to ten, how effectively does your draft currently convey what you know about language and power? Why?”

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Inform students that there is no homework for this lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students complete a Response Journal entry delineating and evaluating their partner’s argument (SL.7.3). Check for the following success criteria: ƒ

Accurately identify the claim, reasons, and evidence. ƒ

Logically evaluate the soundness of reasoning and sufficiency of evidence.

Next Steps

If students struggle, consider modeling or working collaboratively to evaluate a volunteer’s argument. To promote the opportunity to delineate a rigorous argument, consider having students evaluate multiple partners’ arguments.

*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 36: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (51 min.)

Provide Feedback (25 min.)

Improve the Essay (26 min.)

Land (8 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Excel at Peer Editing (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

RI.7.1, RL.7.1

Writing ƒ

W.7.1. W.7.4, W.7.5 ƒ W.7.4, W.7.5

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.7.1

Language ƒ

L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a, L.7.6

MATERIALS

Assessment 34A: End-of-Module Task ƒ

Handout 34A: Argument Essay Evidence ƒ

Handout 36A: Argument Essay Checklist ƒ

Computers

Learning Goals

Provide and receive feedback to revise EOM Task essays and meet criteria for success (W.7.5).

Provide peer feedback using Handout 36A.

Revise EOM Task essay.

Demonstrate an understanding of how to use precise and concise language, purposeful varied sentence structures, and a style appropriate for argument writing (L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a, L.7.6, W.7.4, W.7.5).

Revise the EOM Task based on peer feedback and the language criteria.

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 31–37

How and why does language influence thought and action?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 36

Know: How do these texts build my knowledge of how language influences thought and action?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 36

Excel: How do I improve my argument essay?

Students use peer feedback and self-evaluation to revise their EOM Task essays, creating their strongest possible arguments about the relationship between language and power.

5 MIN.

Distribute Handout 36A. Have students mark a star next to each criterion on which they would especially like to receive feedback from a peer reviewer. Explain that they will ask their peer reviewer to pay close attention to these items.

10 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Address questions about the checklist. Then ask students to evaluate their own drafts using the first three sections of the checklist.

51 MIN.

PROVIDE FEEDBACK 25 MIN.

Pairs

Display the Craft Question: How do I improve my argument essay?

Explain that students should evaluate their partners’ essays using the first three sections of Handout 36A. They should then elaborate on one piece of praise and one suggestion. Inform students that you will collect and assess the handout to ensure the feedback is thoughtful and constructive.

TEACHER NOTE Students will peer edit using the Style and Conventions section of Handout 36A during the Deep Dive.

Ask pairs to swap papers and briefly discuss any elements they would like their peer reviewer to focus on.

Students read their partner’s essay and evaluate it using the first three sections of Handout 36A.

When they finish evaluating, have pairs discuss their feedback and plans for revision.

IMPROVE THE ESSAY 26 MIN.

Individuals

Students revise their essays, taking into account the feedback from Handout 36A.

As time permits, have students meet with additional partners to give, receive, and apply feedback.

8 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Have students think about “B,” the poem they read at the outset of the module. Remind them that the speaker in that poem sought to impart her knowledge to her hypothetical daughter. Ask students to think about the child they imagined giving advice to in Lesson 1.

Ask students to think about this question: “What do you know now about language and power that you didn’t know then, and what knowledge would be especially helpful in giving advice to that child?”

Then have them keep the child and question in mind as they respond to the following prompts in their Knowledge Journal:

1. What are the most important things you learned about what makes language powerful?

2. What are the elements of a strong argument essay?

3. Which text did you learn the most from, and why?

4. In what ways does this module connect with your life?

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Inform students that there is no homework for this lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students use Handout 36A to provide and receive feedback for revision (W.7.5). Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ

Accurately evaluates the draft based on the checklist criteria.

ƒ Writes an example of specific praise and an actionable suggestion.

Next Steps

If students need more support to use the checklist effectively, consider reviewing each component and then having them use colored pencils to color code elements of the checklist in the draft. Also consider having students use a model essay as a point of reference.

Lesson 36 Deep Dive: Style and Conventions

Excel at Peer Editing

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Time: 15 min. ƒ

Texts: All Module Texts ƒ

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Demonstrate an understanding of how to use precise and concise language, purposeful varied sentence structures, and a style appropriate for argument writing (L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a, L.7.6, W.7.4, W.7.5).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 36

Excel: How do I improve my argument to show command of English grammar, language, conventions, vocabulary, and style?

Launch

Post the Style and Conventions Craft Question.

Display the style and conventions criteria from the last section of Handout 36A: ƒ

Use a variety of sentence patterns (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex) to add interest and signal differing relationships among ideas. ƒ

Use vocabulary words that are specific and appropriate to the content. ƒ

Write precisely and concisely, without using unnecessary words. ƒ

Write in an appropriately formal style. ƒ

Use a writing style appropriate for the audience.

Ask: “How can you check your arguments to see if you meet these criteria?”

n To check for sentence structures, you could quickly identify which type of sentence each sentence is.

n You could also read the paragraph aloud. If it sounds choppy, it may use too many simple sentences. If it sounds too complicated and hard to follow, you might need to consider revising a few compound or complex sentences to be simple.

n To look for concision, I could look for redundancies or meaningless phrases like “there is.”

n I could check for formality by looking for slang, contractions, or use of the first person.

Learn

Tell students to again switch their argument with their partner. Display instructions asking students to:

ƒ

Circle instances when the writer could use a more precise word.

ƒ Underline sentences that could be more concise.

ƒ

Put an asterisk next to sentences that might need a different structure.

ƒ Double underline words or phrases that are too informal or are not appropriate for the audience.

Land

Instruct students to return their partner’s paper. Tell them to review their partner’s annotations and make changes as needed. Emphasize that students should only make the changes that they understand and agree with.

Students revise EOM Task responses based on peer feedback and the language criteria.

Lesson 37: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (6 min.)

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (54 min.)

Evaluate Arguments (10 min.)

Participate in a Socratic Seminar (44 min.)

Land (4 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Vocabulary Review (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

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

Reading

RL.7.1, RI.7.1

Writing ƒ W.7.1, W.7.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.7.1, SL.7.6

Language ƒ L.7.6

MATERIALS

Handout 37A: Speaking and Listening Goal-Setting and SelfAssessment ƒ

Completed Assessment 34A

Learning Goals

Engage in a collaborative conversation about language and power, drawing on evidence, posing questions, responding to others, and using formal English as appropriate (SL.7.1, SL.7.6).

Participate in a Socratic Seminar.

Review and deepen understanding of words, phrases, and morphemes learned throughout the module (L.7.6).

Write about how playing a word game deepened understanding of one word’s meaning or use.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 31–37

How and why does language influence thought and action?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 37

Know: How do these texts build my knowledge of the power of language?

In this concluding lesson, students participate in a Socratic Seminar, reflecting on all the knowledge they have gained about the power of language.

Welcome

6 MIN.

Have pairs take out three sheets of paper and title each with one of the following: Knowledge of the World Knowledge of Ideas and Knowledge of Skills.

Have pairs take out their Knowledge Journal entries from the last lesson and use them for inspiration as they Chalk Talk to express the knowledge they have gained in each of the three areas.

Alternate Activity

Distribute chart paper to allow small groups to Chalk Talk, or conduct a whole-group Chalk Talk by having students circulate or come up to the board.

Launch

10 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question. Explain that students will discuss their knowledge of language and power in a Socratic Seminar. To prepare, they will read one another’s essays and identify the strongest arguments.

To ensure students encounter new arguments, have them take their essays, get out of their seats, circulate for a moment, and then form a small group with the classmates closest to them. Then have the small groups silently read one another’s essays. Tell students to mark a star next to any particularly convincing argument as they read.

Alternate Activity

Have students form new groups by silently circulating as you play an audio version of a poem (no images) such as “B.” When you stop the audio, students form groups with those closest to them.

54 MIN.

EVALUATE

ARGUMENTS

Small Groups

10 MIN.

Ask small groups to discuss the most convincing reasons and evidence they encountered in the essays, and why. Have them record key reasons and evidence in a chart in their Response Journals.

Claim Reason Evidence

PARTICIPATE IN A SOCRATIC SEMINAR 44 MIN.

Whole Group

Have students review Handout 37A and write their goals in the space provided. Remind students to use words from their Vocabulary Journal whenever possible.

Scaffold

Display useful vocabulary words for students to use throughout the discussion.

Students form a circle and discuss the questions for the Socratic Seminar: Is language more powerful when used to uplift? Or is it more powerful when used to control?

During the Socratic Seminar, encourage students to cite evidence, pose questions that elicit elaboration, and connect their ideas to others’ ideas.

Ask follow-up questions as needed:

ƒ What makes language powerful?

ƒ How has this module influenced your thinking about language and power? ƒ Which texts best exemplify the power of language?

ƒ What is the relationship between power and critical thinking?

ƒ How significant is the influence of language in your lives?

Record and display students’ ideas.

To track participation during the Socratic Seminar, you may wish to use the following system to take notes on who:

• P (posed questions).

• R (responded to questions).

• O (made relevant observations).

TEACHER NOTE

• L (demonstrated effective listening).

• F (used formal language).

• V (used vocabulary).

If so, consider having students do the job of recording and displaying key ideas during the seminar.

Ask students to identify what the class did well during the discussion and how they can improve.

Have students complete Handout 37A, assessing their performance and setting a new goal for the next seminar.

For more information on the Socratic Seminar routine used in this lesson, see the Wit & Wisdom Implementation Guide (http://witeng.link/IG).

Have students reflect by returning to their Lesson 1 figurative and sensory language experimentation, for which they wrote about advice they would offer a younger child. Ask students to add two to four lines communicating advice about dealing with language and power. Advise students to consider what they would say about both expressing language and encountering language. Challenge them to use figurative language and imagery.

Scaffold

Offer the following sentence frames. ƒ

Language and power go together like ƒ

It’s important to use words like because . ƒ When she encounters , I hope she because language is . ƒ

Power is because ƒ

(simile) (simile) (example of the influence of language) (reaction) (metaphor) (metaphor) (personification)

Sometimes language .

Land

4 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Students reflect in the Reflections section of their Knowledge Journal about how the Socratic Seminar affected their thinking.

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Inform students that there is no homework for this lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students complete a Socratic Seminar, expressing their knowledge about language and power while demonstrating speaking and listening skills (SL.7.1, SL.7.6). Assess students through your observations, their self-evaluations, and the Speaking and Listening Rubric in Appendix B.

Next Steps

If students struggle to express their knowledge of language and power during the Socratic Seminar, consider pausing to provide additional time for students to Chalk Talk and review their Knowledge Journal and essay. You might even provide an additional graphic organizer students can use to organize evidence in response to each question.

Lesson 37 Deep Dive: Vocabulary Vocabulary Review

Time: 15 min. ƒ

Texts: All Module Texts ƒ

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Review and deepen understanding of words, phrases, and morphemes learned throughout the module (L.7.6).

Launch

Display the words, phrases, and morphemes students learned in the course of the module. ƒ inspire ƒ in–ƒ spir, spiro ƒ winsome ƒ –some ƒ claim

ƒ argument ƒ –dom ƒ alternate claim ƒ opposing claim ƒ persuasive ƒ manipulative

ƒ deceptive ƒ commandment ƒ maxim ƒ scapegoat ƒ cult of personality

ƒ allegory ƒ Orwellian ƒ satire ƒ lit/litera

Have students work in groups of three to identify two words, phrases, or morphemes they still find challenging to understand or remember. Caution students not to let any other group hear what words they identify.

Learn

Explain that after a brief planning time, students will join with two other groups and play a game. Explain the rules of the game: ƒ

Each group will take turns giving clues to the other two groups about a word, phrase, or morpheme. ƒ

The other two groups will try to guess it. ƒ

The first team to guess will get a point. ƒ

If that team can define the word, they will get an extra point. ƒ

If that team can use the word correctly in a sentence, they will get another extra point. Explain that the clues could be silent acting, as in the game of charades, silently providing picture clues, or offering clues aloud through words. Explain, however, that each group must choose which type of clue they will use before they start and then ensure that all their clues fit this selection. Clarify that if a group chooses to offer word clues, the words should not be from the definition or the actual word, phrase, or morpheme.

After giving students a brief time to plan their clues, have them play the game, continuing as time permits.

Land

Students choose one of the words for which their small group provided clues and write in their Vocabulary Journal about how the process helped them develop a deeper understanding of the word’s meaning or use.

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 text:

Title and Author Animal Farm, George Orwell

Description of Text Few works of twentieth-century literature have had the international impact of Orwell’s Animal Farm. An immediate bestseller when it was published in 1945, Animal Farm has remained in print ever since. The novel’s deceptively simple style and animal characters recall classic children’s books or fables, but all comparisons end there. Orwell’s tale is intended neither to amuse nor to soften the harsh realities of tyranny. Having witnessed firsthand the atrocities perpetrated by Stalin under the guise of socialism, Orwell penned a biting indictment of societies that allow tyrannical leaders to lie, cheat, and oppress the trusting, obedient masses. While written as an allegory of Stalin and the rise of the Soviet Union, the book remains relevant today and is a warning for all times.

Complexity Ratings Quantitative: 1170L

Qualitative:

Meaning/Purpose: While the story is straightforward and grade-level appropriate, the themes and layers of meaning on an allegorical and symbolic level will pose a challenge to uncritical readers.

Structure: The structure is straightforward and grade-level appropriate. The narrative voice is consistently objective, but students may miss Orwell’s occasional use of irony in describing the animals’ general reactions to the development on the farm. The novel’s events unfold chronologically.

Language: The novel uses a simple style. While students will encounter unfamiliar vocabulary, in general, that vocabulary and the sentence structures are only moderately complex for middle-school students.

Knowledge Demands: The historical context of the novel’s publication could present a challenge for students who seek to read the book on an allegorical level but are unfamiliar with Stalin’s rise to power in the former Soviet Union.

Text-Reader-Task Considerations

Through their work with Animal Farm, students analyze the logic and validity of arguments, consider the perspectives of differing sources, and learn to recognize language’s potential for both inspiration and manipulation. Through their work with the novel and the module’s supplementary texts, students realize the persuasive and potentially dangerous power of language—and understand the need to think critically and to recognize when others attempt to control them through faulty reasoning and manipulative use of persuasion.

Rationale for Placement

A major work of cultural importance that is accessible for Grade 7 students, Animal Farm warrants a module-long focus as students work to develop their own argumentative writing and consider the power of language.

Appendix B: Vocabulary

Wit & Wisdom focuses on teaching and learning words from texts. Students develop 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 and word 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 Vocabulary: Necessary for understanding a central idea of the domain-specific text and/or module topic.

ƒ

Academic Vocabulary: “High-priority” words that can be used across disciplines and are likely to be encountered in other texts. Often abstract and with multiple meanings, these words are unlikely to be known by students with limited vocabularies.

ƒ Text-Critical Vocabulary: Words and phrases that are 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 the text at hand. 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 students’ 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 (Grades K–2) and sentence assessments (Grades 3–8).

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Indirect Assessment: Students are expected to use and incorporate words from the following list into their academic discourse, through speaking and listening (during Socratic Seminars) and writing (during formal writing tasks, such as the EOM task).

ƒ

Direct Assessment: Students’ word knowledge will also be evaluated directly, through definition assessments. 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 of assessed words available to students. (List of assessment words can also be broken down into smaller word banks for ease of use.)

Module Word List

The following is a list of all words taught and practiced in the module. Those that are assessed, directly or indirectly, are indicated.

“

‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter),” Sarah Kay

Lesson Number Word ContentSpecific Academic Text Critical Teaching Strategy Assessment

2, 2 DD winsome  

“

‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers,” Emily Dickinson

Use context to infer word meaning; morphology; teacher-provided definition

Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 20

Lesson Number Word ContentSpecific Academic Text Critical Teaching Strategy Assessment 3 gale  

Use context to infer word meanings, and then verify with teacher-provided definition 3 abash  

Use context to infer word meanings, and then verify with teacher-provided definition 3 extremity  

Use context to infer word meanings, and then verify with teacher-provided definition

“Dreams,” Langston Hughes

Lesson Number Word ContentSpecific Academic Text Critical Teaching Strategy Assessment 4 barren  

Use context to infer word meanings, and then verify with teacher-provided definition

“I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King Jr.

Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 20

Lesson Number Word ContentSpecific Academic Text Critical Teaching Strategy Assessment 9 emancipation   Teacher-provided definition

“How Advertising Targets Our Children,” Perri Klass

Lesson Number Word ContentSpecific Academic Text Critical Teaching Strategy Assessment 13 cynical  Use context to infer word meaning 13, 13 DD manipulative  

Teacher-provided definition; apply understanding

Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 20 13, 13 DD deceptive  

Teacher-provided definition; apply understanding

Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 20

Lesson Number Word ContentSpecific Academic Text Critical Teaching Strategy Assessment 15 comrade  

Infer meaning from context; teacher-provided definition 15 knacker 

Teacher-provided definition 18, 18 DD commandment   Apply understanding; word line Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 20 19, 19 DD maxim  

Infer meaning from context; apply understanding; teacherprovided definition

Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 20 22 DD scapegoat 

Infer meaning from context; apply understanding; teacherprovided definition

Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 34 “In 1946, the New Republic Panned George Orwell’s Animal Farm,” George Soule

Infer meaning from context; teacher-provided definition 31 DD satire   Apply understanding Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 34

Animal Farm, George Orwell

11 DD alternate claim 

Apply understanding; teacher-provided definition

Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 20 11 DD opposing claim 

Apply understanding; teacher-provided definition 12, 12 DD persuade, persuasive 

Teacher-provided definition; apply understanding; relationship mapping

Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 20 14, 26 ethos 

Teacher-provided definition; apply understanding

Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 34 14, 26 pathos 

Teacher-provided definition; apply understanding

Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 34 14, 26 logos 

Teacher-provided definition; apply understanding

Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 34 16, 18 communism 

Teacher-provided definition; apply understanding

Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 34 23 propaganda  Apply understanding 25 form 

Teacher-provided definition; apply understanding 25 scale 

Teacher-provided definition; apply understanding 25 space 

Teacher-provided definition; apply understanding 25 DD cult of personality 

Use context to infer word meaning; apply understanding; word line

Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 34 26 DD allegory 

Teacher-provided definition; apply understanding

Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 34 29 DD Orwellian 

Direct Assessment in Deep Dive 34 G7 M3 Appendix B: Vocabulary WIT & WISDOM® 437

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. “

‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter),” Sarah Kay ƒ landmine (line 57) ƒ overtrusting (line 59) ƒ naïve (line 59) ƒ cynicism line 74 “ ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers,” Emily Dickinson ƒ perches (line 2)

“Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou ƒ trill (lines 16 and 31)

Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy, Paragraphs 21–27 ƒ summoned (paragraph 21) ƒ loyalty (paragraph 21) ƒ embattled (paragraph 22) ƒ tribulation (paragraph 22) ƒ tyranny (paragraph 22) ƒ forge (paragraph 23) ƒ alliance (paragraph 23) ƒ endeavor (paragraph 24) ƒ conscience (paragraph 27)

“I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King Jr. ƒ momentous (paragraph 2) ƒ seared (paragraph 2) ƒ manacles (paragraph 3) ƒ languished (paragraph 3) ƒ promissory note (paragraph 4) ƒ defaulted (paragraph 4)

bankrupt (paragraph 5) ƒ tranquilizing (paragraph 6) ƒ gradualism (paragraph 6)

sweltering (paragraph 7)

degenerate (paragraph 9) ƒ inextricably (paragraph 10) ƒ unmindful (paragraph 15) ƒ tribulations (paragraph 15)

“How Advertising Targets Our Children,” Perri Klass ƒ proselytizing (paragraph 1) ƒ unfettered (paragraph 2) ƒ parodies (paragraph 2) ƒ subtler (paragraph 3) ƒ developmentally (paragraph 13) ƒ vulnerable (paragraph 14) ƒ aspirations (paragraph 19)

Animal Farm, George Orwell

Chapter I ƒ ensconced (4) ƒ plaited (6) ƒ dissentients (10) ƒ enmity (11)

Chapter II ƒ preeminent (15) ƒ vivacious (16) ƒ tormentors (19) ƒ knoll (21) ƒ gambolled (22)

Chapter III ƒ parasitical (28) ƒ rations (29) ƒ indefatigable (32)

Chapter IV ƒ perpetually (38) ƒ flogging (40) ƒ irrepressible (40) ƒ ignominious (42) ƒ impromptu (43) ƒ posthumously (44)

Chapter V ƒ pretext (45) ƒ publican (46) ƒ disinterred (56) ƒ manifestly (47) ƒ restive (51)

Chapter VI ƒ arable (62) ƒ solicitor (64) ƒ intermediary (64) ƒ cryptic (68) ƒ malignity (70) ƒ indignation (70)

Chapter VII ƒ capitulated (76) ƒ stupefied (80) ƒ cowered (82) ƒ countenance (83) ƒ incited (84)

Chapter VIII ƒ retinue (92) ƒ clamoured (96) ƒ censured (97) ƒ machinations (97) ƒ forgeries (101) ƒ contrived (107) ƒ lamentation (107) Chapter IX ƒ superannuated (112) ƒ stratagem (117) ƒ demeanour (124)

Chapter X ƒ inebriate (127) ƒ morose (128) ƒ taciturn (128) ƒ deputation (135) ƒ subsist (138)

“In 1946, the New Republic Panned George Orwell’s Animal Farm,” George Soule ƒ dissolute (paragraph 1) ƒ subsequent (paragraph 1) ƒ herald (paragraph 1) ƒ castigation (paragraph 2) ƒ deplore (paragraph 2) ƒ puritanical (paragraph 3) ƒ sabotage (paragraph 3) ƒ caricature (paragraph 6) ƒ indistinguishable (paragraph 7) ƒ sycophancy (paragraph 9)

Rubrics,

Appendix C: Answer Keys, Rubrics, and Sample Responses

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Assessment 5A: New-Read Assessment 1 Answer Key ƒ

Assessment 10A: Focusing Question Task 1 Sample Response

Speaking and Listening Grade Level Rubric (Lessons 11, 29, 37)

Assessment 20A: New-Read Assessment 2 Answer Key

Assessment 20B: Vocabulary Assessment 1 Answer Key

Assessment 21A: Focusing Question Task 2 Sample Response

Assessment 30A: Focusing Question Task 3 Sample Response

Assessment 32A: New-Read Assessment 3 Answer Key

Assessment 34A: EOM Task Annotated Sample Response

Assessment 34B: Vocabulary Assessment 2 Answer Key

Grade 7 Argument Writing Rubric

Assessment 5A: New-Read Assessment 1 Answer Key

PART 1

Techniques Example from the Video Impact

Technique 1: Emphasizing particular words and phrases

Maya Angelou emphasizes “wind” and “end” in her reading. She draws them out a little, like they have an extra syllable.

Sometimes she does not put emphasis on a word you would think she would, like when she reads, “So he opens his throat to sing.” She says “to sing” more quietly.

This helps listeners hear the rhyme scheme and feel the rhythm of her reading.

In the second example, the emphasis—or actually not having emphasis—makes you notice. This might be to show that the caged bird cannot just open up and sing loudly.

Technique 2: Pausing At the very end of the poem, Maya Angelou pauses like this: “For the caged bird <<pause>> sings of freedom.”

The actress, Tyne Daly, also pauses: “with a fearful trill <<pause>> of things unknown <<pause>> but longed for still.”

Her pause sounds like she is taking a deep breath, like she feels the bird’s pain and she has to take a deep breath just to tell about it.

The actress’ pauses make it sound very dramatic. She makes the “unknown” sound almost frightening. But I’m not sure that is exactly what Maya Angelou meant.

Assessment 10A: Focusing Question Task 1 Sample Response

Texts: Focusing Question 1 Poems and Speeches

Focusing Question: How and why does language inspire?

Prompt: Use the graphic organizers to compare and contrast King’s speech transcript with his speech video, analyzing each medium’s portrayal. Then answer the question that follows (RI.7.1, RI.7.7, W.7.9).

Sample Response: TEACHER NOTE

Due to issues of permissions, the subject of the sample response is Malala Yousafzai, but the response exemplifies the criteria students should meet when writing about King. Consider responding to the prompt using King’s speech to get a strong sense of the task and create a guideline for scoring students’ work.

1. Transcript

What is King’s message?

King’s message is that all children deserve justice, education, and equal rights.

What are two examples of language that is especially inspiring or uplifting? (Use quotations.)

Example 1: She says she speaks up for children’s rights: “Their right to be treated with dignity. Their right to equality of opportunity. Their right to be educated.”

Example 2: “I am here to speak up for the right of education of every child. I want education for the sons and the daughters of all the extremists, especially the Taliban.”

How does this language inspire or uplift?

Example 1 Analysis: Malala Yousafzai uses repetition of the word rights, emphasizing that all children truly deserve equality and education. This repetition of an important word emphasizes the uplifting nature of her message: dignity, opportunity, and education are things all people need in order to live their best lives, and Yousafzai helps us notice that not all children have those things.

Example 2 Analysis: This quotation is inspiring because it shows that even though the Taliban shot her, Yousafzai did not become afraid. Instead, she became stronger. She went beyond the act that led to her attack, seeking her own education, and she advocated for education for all.

2. Video

Vocal Details

(e.g., pausing after specific words, speed, volume, tone)

Observations: What specific details do you notice?

ƒ She pauses after saying “Dear Friends.”

ƒ She uses a passionate tone of voice.

Analysis: How do these details affect the impact of the speech?

ƒ When she pauses after “friends,” this draws attention to the word and suggests that Yousafzai cares about each person, causing the audience to feel invested in her story. This pause also allows time to focus on her important story about standing up for oppressed children.

ƒ The passionate tone engages us and emphasizes the importance of Yousafzai’s message.

Image Details

(e.g., facial expressions, body language, setting, people)

ƒ

The viewer sees many faces in the crowd, and their excited reactions.

ƒ The viewer sees the United Nations.

ƒ

Yousafzai lays her hand over her heart when she explains that she does not hate the man who shot her because her soul tells her to “be peaceful and love everyone.”

ƒ The excited crowd helps the viewer feel excited about the speech.

ƒ

The UN setting suggests that the speech is significant and the speaker is accomplished.

ƒ The body language emphasizes how deeply she believes that even children of the Taliban deserve education.

3. Write a paragraph about why King’s speech is inspiring, explaining both the contribution of his written words, as shown through the transcript, and the vocal and image details of his delivery, as shown through the video. Yousafzai’s speech inspires through both its words and delivery, sending a message of hope to her audience at the United Nations and the many who have heard her speech since she delivered it. She uses simple but powerful words and phrases to express her message. She emphasizes important words by using repetition and concision. For example, she says, “Their right to be treated with dignity. Their right to equality of opportunity. Their right to be educated.” Yousafzai also uses delivery techniques that enhance her message. For example, before she explains that the Taliban shot her, she begins with the words, “Dear friends,” and then pauses. Referring to audience members as friends suggests that Yousafzai cares about each person, causing the audience to feel invested in her story. When she pauses after “friends,” this draws attention to the word. This pause also gives the audience time to focus on her important story about getting shot and continuing to stand up for oppressed children. The video’s imagery reinforces Yousafzai’s message. The viewer sees many faces in the crowd at the United Nations, and their excited reactions to Yousafzai’s words. These images show Yousafzai’s impressive support and suggest that viewers should feel excited, too.

1 (Does not yet meet expectations)

2 (Partially meets 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 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.

Does not yet present claims. ƒ Does not prepare for discussions. ƒ Does not yet use logic. ƒ Does not yet respond to other’s reasoning. ƒ Does not yet acknowledge new ideas.

ƒ

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.

3 (Meets expectations)

(Lessons 11, 29, and 36) Grade 7—Speaking and Listening Grade Level Rubric 4 (Exceeds 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 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.

Listening

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.

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Structure

Coherently and effectively presents claims and findings emphasizing salient points. 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.

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Development

1 (Does not yet meet expectations)

2 (Partially meets expectations)

ƒ Does not use multimedia components. ƒ Word choice doesn’t yet enhance expression. ƒ Does not yet use inflection. ƒ Does not yet speak formally. ƒ Does not yet adapt inflection, tone, or nonverbal expression to audience or 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.

3 (Meets expectations)

and Listening Grade Level Rubric 4 (Exceeds expectations)

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 Varies formality of speech to context.

ƒ Uses multimedia components to strengthen spoken descriptions. 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.

Style

Multiple-Choice Answers

1A. b

1B. a

2A. d

2B. b 3A. c 3B. c 4A. b 4B. c 5. b

Question

6 Sample Response:

Relevant Standards

1. RL.7.6

2. RL.7.6

3. L.7.4.a

4. RL.7.6

5. L.7.4.b

Answers will vary, but should identify one quotation that accurately reflects the perspective of Napoleon (RL.7.6).

ƒ “Napoleon produced no schemes of his own, but said quietly that Snowball’s would come to nothing, and seemed to be biding his time” (48).

Question 7 Sample Response:

Answers will vary but should explain how the quote selected shows Napoleon’s perspective (RL.7.1, RL.7.6).

ƒ This quotation shows that Napoleon thinks that if he says Snowball’s plans will come to nothing and waits or “bides his time,” the animals will eventually agree with him. It also shows that in his perspective, the best way to win over the animals is not to make grand speeches but to be subtle as he waits for events to unfold and spreads information “quietly.”

Question 8 Sample Response:

Answers will vary but should (1) use textual evidence to (2) show how the reader knows the characters’ perspectives.

ƒ Orwell shows readers the characters’ perspectives by describing their actions and through their words. In addition to the example described in response to question 7, Snowball’s actions reveal his perspective. Orwell writes that Snowball often “won over the majority by his brilliant speeches” (47). Orwell also writes that Snowball “was full of plans for innovations and improvements” (48). Through these descriptions, Orwell shows that Snowball’s perspective is that the best path forward is for the animals to unite and agree to try some of his innovations and improvements.

ƒ

Orwell also frequently uses what the animals say to reveal their perspective. For instance, when Clover suspects that Mollie is letting humans pet her, she says, “Do you give me your word of honour that that man was not stroking your nose?” (46) This statement shows that Clover believes that the animals should not trust humans or have any contact with them and is outraged that Mollie has been dealing with humans.

Question 9 Sample Response:

Answers will vary, but should briefly summarize pages 45–48 (RL.7.2).

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The animals are worried because Mollie does not work. After Clover thinks she sees Mollie letting a human stroke her, she confronts her. Mollie denies this, but Clover is suspicious and then discovers Mollie has a secret stash of sugar lumps and ribbons. Soon afterward, Mollie disappears and is never mentioned again. Napoleon and Snowball have frequent arguments about many things, especially how the farm should operate. Snowball has a lot of ideas for improvements. Napoleon opposes those. Snowball gives great speeches about them, which often leads many animals to agree with him, but Napoleon gathers support for his views more subtlly and quietly.

Assessment 20B: Vocabulary Assessment 1 Answer Key

Note: The sample answers are only illustrations: answers of course will vary, as there are many acceptable ways to define each word. When evaluating student responses, consider what level of specificity you will require for a correct answer. For instance, “Her cold is contagious” might provide enough context for a student to easily answer “able to spread,” but to demonstrate understanding of the particular meaning of contagious, a student would need to indicate that contagious requires contact.

4. deceptive: being able or attempting to make someone believe something that is not true; misleading; false; dishonest.

5. maxim: a short expression of a general or basic truth or rule of conduct.

6. spir: breathe; blow into.

7. commandment: an order or directive.

8. claim: a debatable statement that can be proven by evidence and reasoning.

9. alternate claim: being one of two or more possible claims other than the one being asserted.

10. manipulative: able to change facts, numbers, a situation, or others’ beliefs, emotions, etc., unfairly to benefit oneself or for some other purpose; scheming; cunning; devious; sneaky.

11. winsome: charming; appealing; attractive.

12. persuasive: being able to lead another person to act in a certain way or believe a particular idea; convincing.

13. –some: characterized by.

14. dom: fact or condition of being; collectively, members of a group; geographical or governmental domain.

15. barren: without vegetation or life; not able to produce or reproduce; empty; arid, fruitless; infertile; unfruitful.

Assessment 21A: Focusing Question Task 2 Sample Response

Text: Animal Farm, George Orwell

Focusing Question: How and why does language persuade?

Prompt: For your teacher and classmates, write an argument paragraph about which of the three animals Squealer, Boxer, or the sheep is most influential in helping Napoleon gain and maintain power. Use evidence from Animal Farm to present and support your claim (RL.7.1, W.7.1, W.7.4, L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a).

Sample Response:

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Boxer’s language is the most significant in helping Napoleon gain power. He is the most important because his words are the most inspiring to the other animals, he is the most respected speaker of the working animals, and his actions align with his words. Boxer supports Napoleon by frequently sharing mottos and maxims with other animals. After Napoleon makes a controversial decision, such as when he reverses his position and supports the building of the windmill, Boxer repeats the maxim, “Napoleon is always right” (56). This repetition tells other animals that even if they at first doubt Napoleon, they should reject those doubts because Napoleon “is always right.” Boxer’s defense of Napoleon allows Napoleon to keep making selfish decisions that hurt the other animals. Boxer’s support of Napoleon has greater influence than Squealer’s or the sheep’s because Boxer is one of the most respected animals on the farm. As Orwell says early in the novel, Boxer “was universally respected for his steadiness of character and tremendous powers of work” (5). Boxer uses those “tremendous powers of work” to help meet Napoleon’s goals and he also frequently repeats the motto, “I will work harder.” His hard work and motto signal to the other animals that they can and should trust Napoleon. They probably motivate them to work for Napoleon, too. Because he is so trusted and supports Napoleon in so many ways, Boxer’s language is the most significant in helping Napoleon gain and keep power over the other animals.

Assessment 30A: Focusing Question Task 3 Sample Response

Text: Animal Farm, George Orwell

Focusing Question: How and why is language dangerous?

Prompt: For your teacher and classmates, write an argument paragraph about the most important theme about the power of language that Orwell develops in Animal Farm. Use evidence from Animal Farm to present and support your claim. Defend your claim by acknowledging another theme that others might deem most important, and briefly responding to that alternative or opposing claim (RL.7.1, RL.7.2, W.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.9.a, L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a).

Sample Response:

ƒ Animal Farm’s most important theme about language is that education and literacy are essential to using language powerfully and resisting others’ abuses of language. Because the pigs are the only literate animals, they can their language skills to take advantage of the others. For example, Napoleon breaks every one of the seven commandments. He does this without being criticized because the pigs can rewrite the commandments to support Napoleon’s actions. When Napoleon disobeys the Sixth Commandment: “No animal shall kill any other animal” (Orwell 91), he simply adds the words, “without cause.” Most of the animals cannot even keep track of the commandments because they cannot read them. The few literate animals are fooled by the revised version because they lack the critical thinking skills needed to realize the commandments are being altered by the more literate pigs. Additionally, Squealer uses language to hide faulty reasoning in his speeches. For example, he threatens that Farmer Jones will come back, even when speaking about unrelated topics. If the animals were well-educated, they could more skillfully interpret arguments, and they would not be so easily manipulated.

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Some argue that Animal Farm’s most important theme about language is that powerful leaders can use language to oppress the working class. These people might point to the way Napoleon uses language to oppress the other animals. While this may be a valid interpretation of the novel, the theme that education and literacy are essential to using and interpreting language is far more significant. A major reason why Napoleon is able to oppress the animals is that he manipulates language in many ways, such as tampering with official documents and creating propaganda. The animals lack the literacy skills needed to understand how they are being manipulated. If they had been literate, they may have been able to resist.

Multiple-Choice Answers

1. D 2. A 3. D

Relevant Standards

1. RI.7.8

2. L.7.4.a 3. L.7.4.a

State the author’s position on Animal Farm in one or two sentences:

n The reviewer claims that the book is one of a kind and should be read by everyone.

Reasons Evidence Analysis

Section/Reason 1:

n It is simple and easy to read.

n It has short sentences and short chapters, so everyone can understand it.

Section/Reason 2: n It is short. n “The book is very straightforward and economical.”

Section/Reason 3: n It is important because it is an allegory.

n “Everything before, during, and after the Bolshevik Revolution is represented in this novel.”

n The author could have provided some specific examples, and I’m not sure a nine-year old would understand it. But the chapters are short, and it is not hard to understand. So the evidence is relevant and the reasoning is sound, but the author could have more evidence if this were an academic paper and not just a book review.

n This is true. The book is not long.

n The author does not really provide any specific evidence to support this—unless you click on the link. Then there is a lot of relevant evidence. The argument that “the more you decipher the allegories, the more you’ll like the book,” may or may not be true. I’m not sure this reasoning is sound.

Section/Reason 4: n It is like a children’s story.

n It is like a fable. The narrator describes things clearly (as if to a child). So reader’s read this like it is a children’s story—to hold reader’s attention.

n I agree that telling the story keeps your attention— and then makes the ending even more shocking. But I think the writer of the review could have given more evidence—how is this like a fable? (Because it has a moral; it has animal characters.) The writer makes some big generalizations: “is there any other way to do so apart from using a setting that even the youngest of kids will be familiar with?” I think there probably are other ways. And I don’t think Orwell was writing to the youngest kids. So I’m not sure this reasoning is sound.

Assessment 34A: EOM Task Annotated Sample Response

Language Blues

Like technology, globalization, and superhuman strength, language is a powerful force that can be used for both good and evil. George Orwell’s character, Napoleon, the real-life dictator, Stalin, and many advertisers claim to be helping people, but instead, use language to control. The abuse of language is key to Napoleon’s and Stalin’s abuses of power, and the manipulation of language is key to the success of advertisers. Napoleon and Stalin used lies and propaganda to put their people down. Advertisers “push children and adolescents toward unhealthy behaviors” (Klass). Together, the examples of these dictators and advertisers demonstrate that, although language can be used to lift people up, it is more powerful when used to control.

One reason language is more powerful when used to control is that it can hide the truth. In Animal Farm, Napoleon rewrites official documents. The pigs establish seven “unalterable” commandments, which Napoleon disobeys, one by one. Then, Napoleon has each commandment secretly rewritten to support his decisions and actions. For example, when he executes a large group of citizens, he violates the Sixth Commandment: “No animal shall kill any other animal” (Orwell 91). However, he escapes criticism because he alters the commandment by adding the words, “without cause.” Clover and Muriel are initially disturbed by their comrades’ execution, but when they read the new language, they believe “the commandment had not been violated; for clearly there was good reason for killing the traitors” (Orwell 92). Napoleon’s manipulation of the Commandments prevents the other animals from seeing what is really happening and from criticizing Napoleon. Finding the early attempts at deception so easy and facing no criticism, Napoleon is emboldened to make even more self-interested decisions that harm the other animals.

Another reason language is so powerful when used to control is that leaders and speakers can use it to create a false sense of trust. Stalin and Napoleon created this false sense of trust with propaganda. Stalin used the media to show himself as a hero who loved his people. For example, in many posters, Stalin wore plain clothes and socialized with children to show that he was a man of the people. This misled his citizens to think he cared when, in reality, he was killing millions of them. In Animal Farm, Napoleon uses propaganda in a similar way. Squealer’s speeches glorify Napoleon as a caring leader. Napoleon publicly displays a poem praising him alongside his portrait. Just as many Soviet citizens loved Stalin despite his deadly policies, the animals repeat comments like, “Thanks to … Comrade Napoleon, how excellent this water tastes!” (Orwell 94). Similarly, advertisers “want your trust but are not really your friends” (Klass). As Klass points out, advertisers post ads on social media sites that young people see as friendly places to socialize. This falsely creates the feeling that the advertisers and their products are friends. In both situations, that false sense of trust leads to poor decisions by citizens and consumers.

W.7.1.a: The introductory paragraph clearly and succinctly introduces the claim while also acknowledging an opposing claim.

W.7.1.b: The claim is supported with logical reasoning and relevant evidence. The essay demonstrates an understanding both of the power of language and the way this topic was approached in the module texts. It uses accurate and credible sources.

W.7.1.c: The argument essay uses appropriate transitions that create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claims, reasons, and evidence.

Though it is possible to argue that language is most powerful when used to uplift, the evidence is weaker for this view. For example, in Animal Farm, Old Major’s speech and song uplift and inspire the animals, creating a vision of an ideal society. The animals believe in this ideal society and stage a rebellion. But the pigs’ later abuse of language is more powerful, as they use language to take the power, resources, and profits from the farm for themselves, just as the humans did.

The examples of Napoleon, Stalin, and the advertisers prove that although language can inspire and uplift, it is most powerful when it is used to control. When language is used to spread lies, manipulate people’s trust and beliefs, and control their actions, it has immense power to harm. So, is there hope? Yes, as citizens, we can use our language skills to think critically about messages that are designed to control our thoughts and behavior. We have the power to recognize the attempted manipulation of language by advertisers or leaders and to resist giving them control.

W.7.1.d: The argument essay establishes and maintains a formal style.

W.7.1.e: The conclusion follows from and supports the argument presented.

Content Knowledge: By making a claim that language is more powerful when used to control and supporting that claim with reasons and evidence, this argument provides a strong, evidence-based response to the Essential Question: What is the power of language? Additionally, sufficient background information and numerous textual examples communicate the many ways language is used to control in the module texts.

Assessment 34B: Vocabulary Assessment 2 Answer Key

1. scapegoat: a person who is blamed for someone else’s wrongdoing; butt; prey; target.

2. lit–: letters; reading

3. logos: an appeal to logic or reason.

4. allegory: a device artists and writers use to convey a message about morality or spirituality through concrete characters, things, or events; a symbolic story or narrative.

5. Orwellian: of or relating to the work of George Orwell, especially the abuses of language by the leaders of the societies as portrayed in his novels, Animal Farm and 1984.

6. communism: a political and economic system in which property and resources are owned or controlled by the public or the state.

7. ethos: an appeal to character or credibility.

8. cult of personality: phenomenon of a leader using language, media, and persuasive propaganda to create an ideal, heroic image of themself.

9. satire: a literary or dramatic work that ridicules or makes fun of people’s weaknesses or foolish behavior; parody; caricature.

10. pathos: an appeal to emotion.

1 (Does not yet meet expectations)

Does not respond to prompt; off-topic. ƒ Piece lacks focus on claim or argues in support of alternate/opposing claims. ƒ Does not introduce claim. ƒ Reasons and evidence are disorganized. ƒ Does not provide a conclusion. ƒ Does not use transitions to connect ideas.

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2 (Partially meets expectations)

ƒ Responds to some elements of prompt. ƒ Often departs from focus on claim; may at times argue in support of alternate/opposing claims. ƒ Introduces claim in an incomplete or unclear way. ƒ Organizes reasons and evidence inconsistently. ƒ Provides a conclusion that is incomplete or may not follow from the focus. ƒ Inconsistently uses transitions to connect ideas.

3 (Meets expectations)

Responds to all elements of prompt. ƒ Maintains focus by arguing in support of claim throughout piece with occasional minor departures. ƒ Introduces claim clearly, acknowledging counterclaim(s). ƒ Organizes reasons and evidence clearly and mostly logically. ƒ Provides a conclusion that follows from and supports the focus. ƒ Uses appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify relationships.

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Rubric 4 (Exceeds expectations)

Responds thoroughly to all elements of prompt. ƒ Maintains focus by arguing in support of claim throughout piece. ƒ Introduces claim clearly and thoroughly, acknowledging counterclaim(s). ƒ Organizes reasons and evidence clearly and logically. ƒ Provides a strong conclusion that follows from, supports, and expands on the focus. ƒ Uses appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify relationships.

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Structure

ƒ Supports claim with clear, logical reasons and relevant, accurate evidence from text(s). ƒ Elaborates upon evidence.

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ƒ Does not support claim with reasons; lacks relevant, accurate evidence from text(s). ƒ Does not elaborate upon evidence. G7 M3 Appendix C: Answer Keys, Rubrics, and Sample Responses WIT & WISDOM® 456 This page may be reproduced for classroom use only.

ƒ Supports claim with unclear reasons and evidence from text(s) that is occasionally irrelevant or inaccurate. ƒ Elaborates upon evidence vaguely or superficially. © 2023 Great Minds PBC

Development

1 (Does not yet meet expectations)

Sentence patterns are basic and repetitive. ƒ Uses limited vocabulary inappropriate to the content. ƒ Language is imprecise and lacks concision, often wordy or redundant. ƒ Uses an inappropriately informal style. ƒ Writing is inappropriate to audience.

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2 (Partially meets expectations)

Varies sentence patterns occasionally for clarity or interest. ƒ Uses general vocabulary with a few domain-specific words. ƒ Language is occasionally precise and may be unnecessarily wordy. ƒ Attempts to use a formal style but with many lapses. ƒ Writing is somewhat appropriate to audience.

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3 (Meets expectations)

Varies sentence patterns for clarity and interest. ƒ Uses domain-specific vocabulary. ƒ Mostly expresses ideas precisely and concisely. ƒ Establishes a formal style, with occasional minor lapses. ƒ Writing is appropriate to audience.

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4 (Exceeds expectations)

Varies sentence patterns for clarity, emphasis, interest, and style. ƒ Uses precise language and domain-specific vocabulary. ƒ Consistently expresses ideas precisely and concisely. ƒ Establishes and maintains a consistent, formal, and engaging style. ƒ Writing shows exceptional awareness and skill in addressing audience’s needs.

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Style

Does not show command of grammar, mechanics, spelling, and usage; errors significantly interfere with overall meaning and writing is difficult to follow.

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ƒ Shows inconsistent command of grammar, mechanics, spelling, and usage; some errors interfere with meaning.

Shows consistent command of grammar, mechanics, spelling, and usage; occasional errors do not significantly interfere with meaning.

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Shows strong command of grammar, mechanics, spelling, and usage; errors are minor and few.

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Conventions

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 can be found in the back of the Student Edition document.

Lexile measures are listed when available. The Lexile code AD (Adult Directed) refers to a book that is usually read aloud to a child and includes difficult language or text elements. A text labeled with HL (High-Low) Lexile indicates a developmentally appropriate text that is better suited for reluctant or striving readers.

Biographies

ƒ (950L) The Family Romanov, Candace Fleming ƒ (970L) Joseph Stalin, Sean McCollum ƒ (N/A) Stalin: Russia’s Man of Steel, Albert Marrin*

Novels

ƒ (HL490) Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys* ƒ (670L) Breaking Stalin’s Nose, Eugene Yelchin ƒ (590L) The Red Umbrella, Christina Diaz Gonzalez ƒ (880L) The Endless Steppe, Esther Hautzig*

Picture Book

ƒ (AD760L) The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, Peter Sís

* This title is currently out of print.

Appendix E: Works Cited

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Advertisement for Ford with the text “You Name It. Ford Has It.” Vintage Ad Browser. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Advertisement for 7up with the text “Youngest Customers.” Gaia Ad Age. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

“Alicia Keys—Caged Bird (Piano & I: AOL Sessions + 1).” YouTube, uploaded by aliciakeysVEVO, 1 July 2011. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Angelou, Maya. “Caged Bird.” Poetry Foundation. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Angelou, Maya. “Still I Rise.” Poets.org, Academy of American Poets. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Baker, Rosalie. “Friedrich Engels, Revolutionary, Activist, Unionist, and Social Investigator.” Calliope, 30 People Who Changed the World. Cricket Media, Carus Publishing Company.

Ball, Terence and Richard Dagger. “Communism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 9 June 2008. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Bapalapa2, Student Reviewer. Review of Animal Farm Teen Ink, Emerson Media. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

BBC Staff. “Joseph Stalin: National Hero or Cold-Blooded Murderer?” BBC: iWonder, BBC. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Berry, Michael. Review of Animal Farm. Common Sense Media. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

BrainyQuote. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016

Coca Cola advertising proofs. Duke University Libraries Digital Collection, Duke University Libraries. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Dickinson, Emily. “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers.” Poetry Foundation. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Dunbar, Paul Laurence. “Sympathy.” AllPoetry. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

“First They Came… (If this doesn’t wake you up—nothing will!)” YouTube, uploaded by maverickzvn, 11 May 2009. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Genesee Pure Food Company. Jell-O: America’s Most Famous Dessert at Home and Everywhere. 1922. Duke University Libraries Digital Collections, Duke Universities Libraries. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

GoodReads. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

“Great Sphinx.” Encyclopædia Britannica Online, Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Grinets, D. Thanks to Comrade Stalin. 1937. Seventeen Moments in Soviet History, Michigan State University. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Harquail, Nook, creator. “Kinetic Poetry Hope Is the Thing With Feathers Emily Dickinson.” YouTube, uploaded by owlishlyyours, 21 Aug. 2011. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Harris, Alex. “Thanks to Malala: Top 3 Ways Malala has Changed the World.” Plan International UK, Plan International, 12 July 2016. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Hingley, Ronald Francis. “Joseph Stalin.” Encyclopædia Britannica Online, Encyclopædia Britannica, 23 Nov. 2015. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

History.com Staff. “Joseph Stalin.” History.com, A+E Networks, 2009. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Hughes, Langston. “Dreams.” Poets.org, Academy of American Poets. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Hughes, Langston. “The Dream Keeper.” AllPoetry. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Hussein, Ramadan B. “Let’s Tour the Temple.” Dig, Oct. 2010. Cricket Media, Carus Publishing Company.

Image with text that reads “Beloved Stalin—People’s Happiness.” “Behind the Iron Curtain: Stalin in Posters,” Kansas City with the Russian Accent, 6 Jan. 2011. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Image with text that reads “Under the Great Stalin’s Leadership.” “Behind the Iron Curtain: Stalin in Posters,” Kansas City with the Russian Accent, 6 Jan. 2011. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Kainzow. “Why You Should Read Animal Farm.” Eye of Lynx, 10 Oct. 2013. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Kainzow. “Animal Farm: Flawless!” Eye of Lynx, 1 Oct. 2013. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Kay, Sarah. “’B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter).” Words for the Year, 19 Feb. 2014. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Kay, Sarah. Image with text that reads “Don’t ever apologize for the way your eyes refuse to stop shining.” Kay, Sarah (sera), 2011. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Kennedy, John F. “Inaugural Address.” 20 Jan. 1961. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Accessed 29 August 2017.

King, Martin Luther, Jr. “I Have a Dream.” 1963. American Rhetoric Online Speech Bank, American Rhetoric. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Klass, Perri. “How Advertising Targets Our Children.” The New York Times, The New York Times Company, 11 Feb. 2013. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

“Langston Hughes Reads His Poem, Dreams.” YouTube, uploaded by Mr. Belprez’s Online Learning Page, 30 July 2014. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

“Martin Luther King | ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech.” YouTube, uploaded by LogistiKHD, 28 Aug. 2013. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

“Martin Niemöller—First They Came for the Communists.” YouTube, uploaded by andi mknzi, 4 Feb. 2012. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Mason, Emma. “Is Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ the Greatest Speech in History?” History Extra, Immediate Media Company Limited, 15 Jan. 2016. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

“Maya Angelou’s masterpiece ‘Caged Bird.’” YouTube, uploaded by CBS Evening News, 28 May 2014. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

McCollum, Sean. Joseph Stalin. A Wicked History, Scholastic, 2010.

“Mini BIO Joseph Stalin.” YouTube, uploaded by BIO, 16 Oct. 2012. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Niemoller, Martin. “First they came for the Communists.” All Poetry. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. 1956. Signet Classics, 1996.

Photograph of the temple of Abu Simbel. Spectrum Colour Library/Heritage-Images. Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Poetry 180. Library of Congress, United States Congress. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Poetry Out Loud. Poetry Foundation and The National Endowment for the Arts. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Rott, Nathan. “‘Ask Not…’: JFK’s Words Still Inspire 50 Years Later.” NPR, 18 Jan. 2011. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

“Savior of the Union.” Lincoln Memorial, National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior, 1 July 2016. Accessed 1 Sept. 2016.

Snape, Steven. “Grandeur at Abu Simel.” Calliope, Oct. 2005. Cricket Media, Carus Publishing Company.

Soule, George. Review of Animal Farm. 2 Sept. 1946. “In 1946, the New Republic Panned George Orwell’s Animal Farm.” New Republic, 26 Sept. 2013. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Stringer, Andre, director. “Serena Williams Rise | Beats by Dre.” YouTube, uploaded by Beats by Dre, 2 Sept. 2015. 15 Sept. 2016.

Than217. Photograph of Abu Simbel. 30 May 2007. Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Foundation, uploaded by Webaware, 7 Aug. 2007. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Russian Revolution of 1917.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 26 Oct. 2011. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

The Quote Garden. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

Yousafzai, Malala. Address to the United Nations Youth Assembly. Youth Takeover, United Nations Youth Assembly, 12 July 2013, United Nations General Assembly, New York. A World At School, Theirworld. Transcript and video. Accessed 15 Sept. 2016.

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.

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All images are used under license from Shutterstock.com unless otherwise noted.

Handout 16B: “Friedrich Engels, Revolutionary, Activist, Unionist, and Social Investigator” by Rosalie Baker from 30 People Who Changed the World, Calliope Magazine, January 2011. Text copyright © 2011 by Carus Publishing Company. Reprinted by permission of Cricket Media. All Cricket Media material is copyrighted by Carus Publishing d/b/a Cricket Media, and/or various authors and illustrators. Any commercial use or distribution of material without permission is strictly prohibited. Please visit Cricket Media (http://witeng.link/cricketmedia) for licensing and subscriptions.

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Handout 25A: “Let’s Tour the Temple” by Ramadan B. Hussein from Abu Simbel, Dig Magazine, October 2010. Text copyright © 2010 by Carus Publishing Company. Reprinted by permission of Cricket Media. All Cricket Media material is copyrighted by Carus Publishing d/b/a Cricket Media, and/or various authors and illustrators. Any commercial use or distribution of material without permission is strictly prohibited. Please visit Cricket Media (http://witeng.link/cricketmedia) for licensing and subscriptions.

Handout 25A: “Grandeur at Abu Simbel” by Steven Snape from Egypt’s Ramesses the Great, Calliope Magazine, October 2005. Text copyright © 2005 by Carus Publishing Company. Reprinted by permission of Cricket Media. All Cricket Media material is copyrighted by Carus Publishing d/b/a Cricket Media, and/or various authors and illustrators. Any commercial use or distribution of material without permission is strictly prohibited. Please visit Cricket Media (http://witeng.link/cricketmedia) for licensing and subscriptions. ƒ

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