- The objective for my first capstone lesson is "Students can create a table demonstrating which action(s) of Salva and Uncle allow them to persevere during an incredibly difficult time. Tomorrow, they will use this table to write a CER." i.e. I am asking students to find actions (evidence) and then demonstrate how those actions show a perseverance strategy (reasoning). The next day they will use this information to write a claim, evidence, reasoning paragraph addressing how a character uses a perseverance strategy.
a. The formative assessment here is checking that students have listed evidence in direct quotes from the text. Additionally, their reasoning has to be logical in relation to the evidence. They need to write notes that show how that evidence demonstrates a perseverance strategy.
b. A task from the lesson is to create the chart. We will follow an I do, We do, You do model for gradual release when it comes to finding evidence and explaining reasoning.
c. My students are inquisitive thinkers who like to go deep into the material. They are also kids who are going through a lot in their lives and learning how to persevere and act kindly and responsibly even when things are hard. To that end, our SEL connection for the day will ask them to pick one of the perseverance strategies they identified in the chapter and write about how they could apply that strategy to their own life.
d. Cognitive Demand: Understand, Analyze, Evaluate
e. Language Demands: Reading & listening:
- Demand: students will read/listen along to chapter 7.
Speaking:
- Demand: students will turn and talk at various points during the lesson. Students will contribute to whole group discussion
- Function: describe, analyze
- Form: language of justification/ complete sentences
Writing
- Demand: Students will complete a table drawing connections between a person’s actions and decisions and their ability to persevere in challenging situations.
- Function: Analyze
- Forms
- Full sentences/ language of explanation: We are working on always speaking and writing in full sentences by restating the question and using the language of explanation (because, by, so, etc.).
Grammar and formatting: We are also working on formatting quotations properly as well as capitalizing names and first words in sentences and using punctuation at the end of our sentences.
- Resources: To be honest, most of my resources come from things I have watched other ELA teachers do. We don't use a ton of websites or books outside of our class novels. Some things I like for ELA instruction are: anticipation guides, plot diagram charts, CER scaffolding charts, the fortunately/unfortunately framework for discussion, respectful disagreement prompts, vocabulary scaffolds (frayer models/ picture, definition, use in a sentence sheets, etc).