Short Text Unit

Decisions, Decisions! Making Choices in Life and Literature

Skill Focus: Analyzing Cause and Effect Relationships
Week 3 of 3: Plan 7 of 9
Summary Plan
Content Requirement Satisfied:
Objectives:
Cognitive:
1) Students will understand that their actions have consequences for
themselves and for others.
a) Students will know definitions: actions, consequences, causes, effects.
b) Students will know the relationship between actions and consequences.
c) Students will know the relationship between causes and effects.
2) Students will understand that people make decisions informed by their own
perspectives.
a) Students will know definitions: perspective, diverse.
b) Students will know that people have diverse perspectives as a result of
their diverse experiences.
3) Students will understand that people's choices are related to their
identities.
a) Students will know definition: identity
b) Students will know that people identify with others who they perceive as
similar to themselves.
Affective:
4) Students will feel that decision-making is a skill they use in their own lives.
5) Students will respect their classmates' varied backgrounds and
perspectives.
6) Students will appreciate written work as a means for expressing one's
perspective.
Procedural:
7) Students will be able to analyze cause and effect relationships.
a) Students will be able to identify the decisions of literary characters.
b) Students will be able to predict the decisions of literary characters.
c) Students will be able to evaluate the decisions of literary characters.
8) Students will be able to write a creative piece expressing a cause and effect
relationship.
b) Students will be able to use graphic organizers as a pre-writing strategy.
c) Students will be able to draft an expression of a logical cause-and-effect
relationship.

d) Students will be able to revise a draft to include details relevant to the

cause-and-effect relationship.
e) Students will be able to explore perspective and character development
through writing.
SOL:
6.5 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a
variety of fictional texts, narrative nonfiction, and poetry.
d) Describe cause and effect relationships and their
impact on plot.
g) Explain how character and plot development are used
in a selection to support a central conflict or story line.
CCS:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a
series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or
change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
Methods of Assessment:
Diagnostic:
I will use students participation in Lessons Five and Six as an early
diagnostic assessment. I will review their Perspective Specs over the
weekend to help me plan where I should be trying to begin this
lesson.
This will assess students progress towards Objectives 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a,
2b, 3a, 7a, SOL 6.5d, SOL 6.5g, CCSS.EDLA-Literacy.RL.6.3.
Formative:
Students will analyze the numerous perspectives presented in "I Hear
America Singing."
This will assess students progress towards Objectives 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a,
2b, 3a, 7a, SOL 6.5d, SOL 6.5g, CCSS.EDLA-Literacy.RL.6.3.
Summative:
Students will write an Epilogue to All Summer in a Day which
follows logically from the events in the story.
This will assess students progress towards Objectives 1a, 1b, 1c, 4,
7a, 7b, 7c, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e, SOL 6.7b, SOL 6.7f, CCSS.ELALiteracy.RL.6.3.
Beginning Room Arrangement:
Students desks will be arranged in table groups of four.

Procedures and Instructional Strategies:

Bell-Ringer: Journal Entry (5 minutes)
As students enter the room, they should get their journals and take
their seats to answer the following question: "After reading 'All
Summer in a Day' last week, we discussed how characters'
perspectives related to their decision-making. How do different
characters' perspectives affect their different ideas of right and
wrong? Do characters ever do something that they know is wrong at
the time?"
Bridge: Discussion of Journal Entries (15 minutes)
Students will discuss their characters' conceptions of right and wrong
and how those contributed to the work. I will ask students to share
their thoughts in groups, and we can examine whether different
groups who considered the same characters generally agreed or
disagreed. Afterwards, we will discuss the role that students'
understandings of right and wrong played in their interpretations of
their characters.
Step One: I Can Hear America Singing (15 minutes)
I will introduce the poem "I Can Hear America Singing" by providing
some background information about Walt Whitman and his poetry,
especially including the fact that he was considered by many to be
"the" American poet. Before we read the poem, I will introduce a few
of the occupations and ask students to volunteer to read each of the
lines that has to do with a specific job. (I might first ask male
students to read the male occupations, and female students to read
the female occupations.) As we read the poem, I will project on a
PowerPoint images of men with the occupations mentioned in the
poem to give students a visual of the "America" that Walt Whitman
describes.
Afterwards, we as a class will discuss what sort of Americans are
represented in Walt Whitman's poems, as well as what sort of
Americans are not represented. I'll also ask what Walt Whitman
seems to think is "right" in this poem. Is there anything he seems to
think is "wrong?" What parts of the poem make us think that?

Step Two: Return to "All Summer in a Day" (5 minutes)

Next, we will return to our look at "All Summer in a Day." I will ask
students what Walt Whitman might have in common with Ray
Bradbury. What sorts of voices do we hear from in Ray Bradbury?
What does "All Summer in a Day" think is right? What is obviously
wrong?
Step Three: Introduce Writing Assignment (15 minutes)
Next, I'll introduce the writing assignment. I'll mention that although
we can definitely tell that something bad has happened to Margot at
the end of the story, we don't necessarily know how she dealt with it
or how she's going to react. I'll ask them to get out their "Somebody
Wanted But So" summaries and then ask them to get out the "Thens"
that they wrote at the end of the last class.
Then, I'll introduce an epilogue. We'll play the scene from the end of
the Harry Potter movies and read the first three paragraphs of the
epilogue. We'll talk about what questions the epilogue answers as
well as how the opening paragraphs of the epilogue work.
Then, I'll model how to write an epilogue. I'll also use "All Summer in
a Day" as the source, but I'll write from the teacher's perspective. I'll
probably only write the first five sentences or so, but make sure that
students understand that their epilogues should be half a page.
Step Four: Write and Reason! (30 minutes)
I'll ask students to use their writing journals to write their first drafts
of their epilogues to "All Summer in a Day." As students work, I'll
have a checklist to make sure that I check in with each student. I may
have to check in by tables for a bit to make sure that I see all
students, and then spend more time with students who tell me that
they are struggling.
Closure: (5 minutes)

For the last five minutes of class, I will ask students to use Post-Its
and "annotate" their own writing. How does the question of right and
wrong get answered in this piece? What questions do they still have
that need to be answered while they revise?
Differentiation to Meet Student Needs:
The poem is read aloud, with opportunities for various students to
volunteer to help reading. This is meant to be motivating for students
who like to read aloud and feel comfortable volunteering in class, but
also encouraging for students who are less likely to volunteer to read
aloud so that they can hear their peers interpretations and will be
less likely to struggle with it. This means that Ashley, who is always
eager to volunteer, will have a chance to participate and make reading
in class an exciting opportunity for students. But students like Brian
and Stuart, who have trouble reading, will have something to follow
along with when we read as a class.
Materials Needed:
student journals
Q) Harry Potter movie clip
R) Harry Potter book excerpt
S) my model text (Epilogue)
Powerpoint

Materials Appendix Q: Harry Potter Movie Clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEKA6rmVfW8

Materials Appendix R: Harry Potter Book Excerpt (Epilogue)

Materials Appendix S: My Model Text (Epilogue)

(I have allotted this segment here despite the fact that I will definitely write
it in front of the students. I just want to make sure that I keep track of this
as a material that I will need to prepare before class.)

Short Text Unit

Decisions, Decisions! Making Choices in Life and Literature
Skill Focus: Analyzing Cause and Effect Relationships
Week 3 of 3: Plan 8 of 9
Summary Plan
Content Requirement Satisfied: syntax instruction
Objectives:
Cognitive:
1) Students will understand that their actions have consequences for
themselves and for others.
a) Students will know definitions: actions, consequences, causes, effects.
b) Students will know the relationship between actions and consequences.
c) Students will know the relationship between causes and effects.
2) Students will understand that people make decisions informed by their own
perspectives.
a) Students will know definitions: perspective, diverse.
b) Students will know that people have diverse perspectives as a result of
their diverse experiences.
3) Students will understand that people's choices are related to their
identities.
a) Students will know definition: identity
b) Students will know that people identify with others who they perceive as
similar to themselves.
Affective:
4) Students will feel that decision-making is a skill they use in their own lives.
5) Students will respect their classmates' varied backgrounds and
perspectives.
6) Students will appreciate written work as a means for expressing one's
perspective.
Procedural:
7) Students will be able to analyze cause and effect relationships.
a) Students will be able to identify the decisions of literary characters.
b) Students will be able to predict the decisions of literary characters.
c) Students will be able to evaluate the decisions of literary characters.
8) Students will be able to write a creative piece expressing a cause and effect
relationship.
b) Students will be able to use graphic organizers as a pre-writing strategy.
c) Students will be able to draft an expression of a logical cause-and-effect
relationship.

d) Students will be able to revise a draft to include details relevant to the

cause-and-effect relationship.
e) Students will be able to explore perspective and character development
through writing.
SOL:
6.5 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a
variety of fictional texts, narrative nonfiction, and poetry.
d) Describe cause and effect relationships and their
impact on plot.
g) Explain how character and plot development are used
in a selection to support a central conflict or story line.
CCS:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a
series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or
change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
Methods of Assessment:
Diagnostic:
I will use students participation in Lessons Five and Six as an early
diagnostic assessment. I will review their Perspective Specs over the
weekend to help me plan where I should be trying to begin this
lesson.
This will assess students progress towards Objectives 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a,
2b, 3a, 7a, SOL 6.5d, SOL 6.5g, CCSS.EDLA-Literacy.RL.6.3.
Formative:
Students will analyze perspective presented in "I, Too, Sing America"
and explain how it complicates out understanding of "I Hear America
Singing."
This will assess students progress towards Objectives 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a,
2b, 3a, 7a, SOL 6.5d, SOL 6.5g, CCSS.EDLA-Literacy.RL.6.3.
Summative:
Students will write an Epilogue to All Summer in a Day which
follows logically from the events in the story.
This will assess students progress towards Objectives 1a, 1b, 1c, 4,
7a, 7b, 7c, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e, SOL 6.7b, SOL 6.7f, CCSS.ELALiteracy.RL.6.3.
Beginning Room Arrangement:
Students desks will be arranged in table groups of four.

Procedures and Instructional Strategies:

Bell-Ringer: "I, Too, Sing America" (5 minutes)
As students walk into the room, I'll crowd the door and greet them.
Good morning, Qweon. Good morning, Tomas.
As students enter the room, they should find a handout with the poem
"I, Too, Sing America" next to "I Hear America Singing" on their
desks. They should re-read and annotate the Walt Whitman poem,
and read and annotate the Langston Hughes. They can draw lines to
connect thoughts of the two poems, but also be thinking about how
the poems are different.
I'll ask Brian to do a quick sketch of a scene from "I, Too, Sing
America" to use in the discussion in a few minutes. (I'll have a backup image ready, though, in case he decides he does not want to
share.)
Bridge: "I, Too, Sing America" (15 minutes)
Okay, so... today, I want to start just by asking you -- what did you
notice?
First, I'd like to give students a moment or two to respond entirely on
their own. Afterwards, I'll ask them questions related to the day's
specific learning objectives. How are these two poems related? What
sorts of things connect these two poems?
Okay, so they both have to do with this idea of singing. what else?
Right, they both invoke an image of a man working. True, you're
right to bring up the fact that the Walt Whitman poem has more
characters who are all involved. That makes me want to ask a
question about contrasting, then, so I will. What are the differences
that you see between these two poems?
Yes, Walt Whitman's does mention more. But let's think about
Langston Hughes for a moment. I don't know how many of you know

about Langston Hughes. Give me a thumbs-up if you're at least a

little bit familiar with anything about him. Anything at all.
That's okay, it looks like we're going to learn something new today.
Great. So Langston Hughes was a poet of the Harlem Renaissance. I
don't know what you all know about the Harlem Renaissance, but it
was an important movement in American history (and more
specifically, American literary history, or the history of American
books). The Harlem Renaissance was a movement that focused on
the works of black and African-American writers, singers, and
playwrights. The idea was that so much of American culture was
white -- and there needed to be culture for people who weren't white.
So Walt Whitman, the I Hear America Singing guy, with all the voices
in his poem, came along actually in the middle of the eighteenhundreds. A lot of his poems are famous because the catalog, or list,
a lot of things - and sometimes those things are just regular objects or
places, but sometimes those things are people. In this poem,
Whitman catalogs people. Well, Langston Hughes came along -probably about some forty years later at least -- and he thought, well,
this is a good poem. But do you know what I don't see in it? Anyone
who's not white.
So Langston Hughes wanted to make sure that when we talk about
"singing America," we also talk about him. He said, "I, Too, Sing
America..." which kind of begs the question, why didn't we hear him
before?
So how does this relate to all of our talk about choices? Well, the idea
that certain experiences that you have are important to you and shape
the way you see the world goes hand-in-hand with the idea that
sometimes these voices need to be shared. And making sure that
people get a chance to share their voice can be a choice.
Think about the way we made class rules in the beginning of the year.
I told you all the core rules -- my four core rules. But, I let you all talk
about what those rules mean to you, and how we can use them to be
successful in school. So giving you a voice in the classroom was very
important to me.

I made the choice to make sure that you have a voice. I even let you
have a voice in deciding right and wrong, because we talked about
what's right for our classroom and what's wrong for our classroom.
Step One: Re-Read Write and Reason Epilogues (5 minutes)
Okay. Sorry that ended with me talking a lot at the end of that minilecture, it's not my favorite thing to do. Right now, let's get our
student journals out silently if you haven't already, and we'll take a
look back to the work you did last class.
Take a moment to star anything that gives you a question that you
didn't answer or think about in what we did last class. Write that
question down if you like. Just take a moment to make sure you feel
comfortable with what you have on the page -- and what you think
you'll be wanting to put on the page next.
Step Two: Syntax Instruction (15 minutes)
(This syntax instruction has been modified from Harry Noden's Image
Grammar.) Okay. So we're going to take a moment to bring ourselves
back to the end of the short story "All Summer in a Day." I know
we've been reading quite a few poems since then, so I want us to
think about how these ideas relate to our ideas of the importance of
representation, but I also want us to think just a little bit about what's
going on just in the short story all by itself.
We've been doing a lot of writing lately, and even a lot of revising, so
today it's important to talk a little bit about syntax and grammar and
how they fit into the way we write and the reasons that we write.
So since today we're going to be continuing our conversation about
cause and effect, I want us to try to work on making sentences that
show cause and effect. As you may remember, in the beginning of the
unit we read that kiddie lit book, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" and
talked a little bit about "If, Then" statements. We said "If... something
happens... then... something else happens."

Now before I get too carried away with this next point -- you all
seemed really comfortable with that a few weeks ago. How
comfortable are you with it right now, just hearing me say that?
Well, alright. We can work with that!
So a "then" clause is what we in grammar stuff call an "independent
clause." That means it's strong enough to be a sentence all by itself,
and it doesn't have to lean on anything. A then clause could be
something like. "Then we went to the store." That tells you exactly
what happened, and it's still a complete sentence that expresses a
complete thought.
So what I'd like you all to do, in your table groups right now, is to
open up the envelopes that are in front of you. In the envelopes, you
have some red cards and some blue cards. Try to play around with
these cards to make as many different sentences as you can.
As students play with the cards to make the various sentences, I'm
going to walk around and see how they're doing. Finally, I'm going to
go get my own envelope and play with these cards on the Elmo so that
students can see what I'm doing.
Alright, Gracie. Tell me one of the sentences that you made in your
group.
Okay. And what was the color pattern for that sentence?
Alright, great! Did anybody else have a blue-red sentence? Jordan?
Great. I'll take a few more examples of blue-red and red-blue
sentences, before I start to show the class the rules.
So your red phrases are your independent clauses -- clauses that
could be sentences all on their own if they really wanted to. Your blue
sentences are independent clauses. Those need to lean on a red
sentence in order to become a proper sentence -- they just can't be
one by themselves.

So these patterns of dependent and independent, of red and blue,

have a lot of variation in them. You can make sentences by using a
dependent clause first, "If he has time," and an independent clause
after "we will go to the store." Or, sometimes, you can say, "We will
go to the store" -- independent first -- "If he has time" followed by
dependent. It just depends on how you want your words to sound and
what you want them to mean.
That way, you don't hear: "If you give a mouse a cookie, he is going to
want a glass of milk. If you give him a glass of milk, he is going to
want a straw. If you give him a straw, he is going to want to blow
bubbles in his milk. If you let him blow bubbles in his milk, he is
going to need a napkin."
While you're revising your papers, try to play around a little bit with
your clauses, and think about why you might -- or might not -- want
sentences that break the blue-red, blue-red, blue-red pattern.
Step Three: Writing Workshop Time (45 minutes)
Students should spend the next forty-five minutes revising their
writing and typing up their revisions. While students are working on
their revisions, I'll be conferencing with them individually according
to my checklist. Again, I'll be meeting with Brian and Stuart more
regularly, to make sure that they have the support they need in order
to be able to accomplish the learning objectives for this lesson.
Closure: (5 minutes)
As an exit slip, students will write in their journal to briefly explain
some of the changes they made to syntax in their work and why they
made them.
Differentiation to Meet Student Needs:
The poem is read aloud, with opportunities for various students to
volunteer to help reading. This is meant to be motivating for students
who like to read aloud and feel comfortable volunteering in class, but
also encouraging for students who are less likely to volunteer to read
aloud so that they can hear their peers interpretations and will be
less likely to struggle with it.

 I have asked Brian to draw a sketch while he reads the poem, which
should help him to focus on interpreting a poem visually, which is an
important skill. It will also give him a chance to show off his artwork
to the class if he feels comfortable doing that and should hopefully
help him connect affectively to the lesson as he shares his drawing
with the group.
I also will check in with Brian and Stuart more regularly during the
writing time to make sure that they have the assistance necessary to
complete their learning goals.
Using the manipulatives is how I hope to gain everyone's interest in
the syntax instruction and understanding that their sentences are
malleable -- but it's also helpful to a student like Anji who doesn't
necessarily volunteer to speak very much. By engaging with the
words in her group, I hope that she has an opportunity to interact
with the text and feels more comfortable speaking up in class.
Materials Needed:
T) Class Powerpoint
U) Poems Sheet
V) Red Clause Cards
W) Blue Clause Cards
student journals
laptops

Materials Appendix T: Class Powerpoint

Bell-Ringer: September
10, 2015
On your desk is the Walt Whitman
poem we looked at last class, "I
Hear America Singing." On the
same sheet is Langston Hughes's "I,
Too, Sing America."

Using the Say Something! categories,

try to draw some connections (and

disconnections) between these
poems.

Materials Appendix U: Poems Sheet

I Hear America Singing
Walt Whitman

I, Too
Langston Hughes

I hear America singing, the varied

carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one
singing his as it should be blithe
and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he
measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes
ready for work, or leaves off
work,
The boatman singing what belongs
to him in his boat, the
deckhand singing on the
steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on
his bench, the hatter singing
as he stands,
The wood-cutters song, the
ploughboys on his way in the
morning, or at noon intermission
or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother,
or of the young wife at
work, or of the girl sewing or
washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or
her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the dayat
night the party of young
fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their
strong melodious songs.

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
Ill be at the table
When company comes.
Nobodyll dare
Say to me,
Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.
Besides,
Theyll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed
I, too, am America.

Materials Appendix V: Red Clause Cards

We will go to the store.

They will have dinner with us.

She will set the table for a month.

He will take a nap today.

You will not be so fortunate.

They will pay their dues on time.

Materials Appendix W: Blue Clause Cards

If she comes over next week.

If he promises to bring popcorn.

If they tell him not to.

If they think it is the best decision.

If you are not careful.

If we have to tell him again.

Short Text Unit

Decisions, Decisions! Making Choices in Life and Literature
Skill Focus: Analyzing Cause and Effect Relationships
Week 3 of 3: Plan 9 of 9
Summary Plan
Content Requirement Satisfied:
Objectives:
Cognitive:
1) Students will understand that their actions have consequences for
themselves and for others.
a) Students will know definitions: actions, consequences, causes, effects.
b) Students will know the relationship between actions and consequences.
c) Students will know the relationship between causes and effects.
2) Students will understand that people make decisions informed by their own
perspectives.
a) Students will know definitions: perspective, diverse.
b) Students will know that people have diverse perspectives as a result of
their diverse experiences.
3) Students will understand that people's choices are related to their
identities.
a) Students will know definition: identity
b) Students will know that people identify with others who they perceive as
similar to themselves.
Affective:
4) Students will feel that decision-making is a skill they use in their own lives.
5) Students will respect their classmates' varied backgrounds and
perspectives.
6) Students will appreciate written work as a means for expressing one's
perspective.
Procedural:
7) Students will be able to analyze cause and effect relationships.
a) Students will be able to identify the decisions of literary characters.
b) Students will be able to predict the decisions of literary characters.
c) Students will be able to evaluate the decisions of literary characters.

SOL:

6.5 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a

variety of fictional texts, narrative nonfiction, and poetry.
d) Describe cause and effect relationships and their
impact on plot.
g) Explain how character and plot development are used
in a selection to support a central conflict or story line.
CCS:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a
series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or
change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
Methods of Assessment:
Diagnostic:
I will use students participation in Lessons Seven and Eight as an
early diagnostic assessment. Specifically, I will consider their
annotations of "I Hear America Singing" and "I, Too, Sing America"
and their treatment of the perspectives presented in these poems as a
means of gauging how they perceive written work as expressing
identity and perspective.
This will assess students progress towards Objectives 3a, 3b, 6.
Formative:
Students will participate in their peers' story-shares as active
listeners, offering constructive compliments and feedback.
This will assess students progress towards Objectives 4, 5, 6.
Summative:
Students will write a reflective "exit slip" that describes their
reactions to their peers' pieces
This will assess students' progress towards Objectives 4, 5, 6.
Beginning Room Arrangement:
Students desks will be arranged in a large circle for sharing.
Procedures and Instructional Strategies:
Bell-Ringer: Sustained Silent Reading and Set-Up (15 minutes)
As students enter the room, they should get out the piece that they
are going to share. They may read it to themselves silently to prepare
or read a book of their choice. Instructions for this time will be
written on the board.

Bridge: I'll Share My Story (5 minutes)

Since I plan on writing alongside the students and I want to show
them that I'm emotionally invested in the writing as they are, I'll ask
students if they'd rather hear my Choose-Your-Own-Adventure story or
my Write and Reason epilogue. I'll read aloud whichever one they
suggest as a way to break the ice.
Step One: Story Shares (65 minutes)
Students will take turns sharing their stories and offering feedback to
one another. I will put sentence starters up on the board for feedback
so that students offer compliments, or at least constructive criticisms.
We will try to make sure that each reading takes no more than four
minutes so that everybody in the class gets a chance to share.
Closure: "Exit Slip" (5 minutes)
Students will answer the following prompt in their journals: "What
was your favorite part of sharing your story? What did you learn from
listening to your peers' stories?"
Differentiation to Meet Student Needs:
I have included an opportunity for students to review their stories
before class to help students who might be nervous about speaking in
front of everyone. (This might include Brian, Stuart, and even Anji.)
I have also included sentence starters to help students like Anji, who
sometimes have trouble speaking in front of the class. These sentence
starters will likely be helpful to more students, however, as they
provide scaffolding so that everybody understands how to give
positive and constructive feedback.
Materials Needed:
student journals
student writing
my model text
sentence starters
snacks!