GRADE 7 ELA EXEMPLAR LESSON Teacher Copy Quarter 1, Weeks 4 5 ...

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Curriculum and Instruction

Division of Language Arts/Reading English Language Arts (ELA) Exemplar Lesson

GRADE 7 ELA EXEMPLAR LESSON ? Teacher Copy

Quarter 1, Weeks 4 & 5: 09/3/12-09/14/12

Learning Objectives

The goal of this exemplar lesson is to provide students an opportunity to explore targeted passages of complex texts. Through teacher Read Alouds, audio listening, student independent reading and rereading, and scaffolded discussion of text-dependent questions, students will analyze elements of plot structure, and the author's use of figurative language and word choice. Vocabulary is learned from context and writing fosters deeper understanding of text. The lesson culminates in an evidentiary writing activity. Teachers may need to further scaffold activities to address individual students' needs depending on the intent of the lesson and specific learners' needs.

Rationale: This lesson explores fictional text and analyzes various stages of plot development. Students will analyze elements of plot structure, including exposition, setting, character development, rising/falling action, conflict/resolution, theme, and other literary elements in Gary Soto's short story "Seventh Grade."

Text Title: "Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto McDougal Littell Literature, pp. 30-41 Genre/Text Structure: Fiction-Short Story

Targeted Text Selection Pages 32-38

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) RL.7.1-7.4, and 7.10; W.7.3



Lesson Sequence

PERFORMANCE TASK /CULIMINATING INDEPENDENT WRITING ASSESSMENT (Carol Booth Olson Writing Lesson) Writing Directions Write a letter from Teresa to a friend who moved away before school started. Describe Victor's behavior and your reactions to it. Use specific details that show, rather than tell, Teresa's thoughts and feelings. Keep the following key traits in mind as you compose your letter:

Ideas Clearly describes Teresa's experiences on the first day of seventh grade. Explain her feelings about Victor.

Organization Includes a salutation, body, and closing appropriate to a friendly letter Hooks the reader with an intriguing introduction Clearly shows the reader the order in which the events occurred Concludes by summarizing Teresa's feelings about Victor and the significance of the day

Voice Uses a friendly tone that is appropriate for Teresa's audience and purpose Reflects Teresa's personality and style as presented in the story

Word Choice Uses strong sensory words that show, rather than tell, Teresa's experience

Sentence Fluency and Conventions Varies sentence structure and length to help the paper flow and correctly follows the conventions of written English

Activity 1: GUIDING QUESTION(S): 1. The teacher/students will read the first two paragraphs on page 32. The opening sections of the piece may be read aloud or played on audio at . Rereading on day one is embedded in the text-dependent questions and discussion activities.

2. Students will independently read pages 32-38.

3. Students should discuss and write about the initial meaning they have made from reading p. 34, lines 15-24. What are your impressions of Victor and Michael?

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vity 2: DING QUESTION(S): urning to the text, the teacher asks students to analyze each character. How do his/her words and actions influence the thoughts and/or ons of another character?

sible Answers: or takes the opportunity of being in French class with Teresa to impress her by trying to speak French. Even though Victor feels like a fool for not g able to convince Mr. Bueller that he is speaking French, Teresa is impressed and begins a conversation with him, leading the reader nticipate Teresa likes Victor and wants to spend time with him on a regular basis.

Bueller chooses not to humiliate Victor, even though he knows Victor is pretending to speak French. Based on these kind actions, Victor is ved and considers Mr. Bueller to be "a good guy." Mr. Bueller's kindness has a positive effect on Victor, who becomes motivated to do well in nch.

esa is a person that appears to be a very conscientious student. Her scholarly actions influenced the way Victor acted in school. She is good in h, she stays after class to talk to the teachers, and she reads books during homeroom. She doesn't seem to worry about other kids calling her a oolgirl". Victor is very interested in dating Teresa, and so begins to emulate some of her scholarly tendencies. He sat quietly during homeroom ead of squirming in his chair like the other kids. During lunchtime, he pretended to be quietly reading his math book instead of playing around the other boys. Victor also took a risk by taking a French class, which was out of his comfort zone in order to impress Teresa with his French uage knowledge.

Graphic organizers or Reader Response Journals serve as a means to organize thoughts for prewriting activities: tify Events in the Plot: As students read, ask them to create a flowchart identifying the events in the plot. Plot Flow Chart:

phic Organizers at

vity 3: pond in writing: Sometimes people go to great lengths to impress those who are important to us. In Soto's short story "Seventh Grade," Victor in ways that range from the silly to the downright embarrassing in an attempt to impress Teresa. It appears that he succeeds. But does he y?

student will be able to interpret Victor's motives and actions throughout the story and write to explain whether or not Victor was successful in eving his goals. If Victor was successful in achieving his goals, give examples from the text. If he was not successful, explain why not, and give mples of his failed attempts toward his goals and clarify why he failed.

vity 4: y: Story, Plot, and Time in Film, the Media connections at .

vity 5: Bob Marzano's Power Thinking activities at DING QUESTION(S): Like Michael, Victor has a plan for attracting the attention of girls, particularly Teresa. He decides to impress Teresa with upposed knowledge of French, although in reality he knows no more French than she does. What can happen when an individual uses an ocent deception to achieve a goal?

te about a time in your life when you used a simple deception to try to achieve a goal. Did it work or not? Was it worth it, or did it have some xpected consequences? Could you have achieved your goal in some other way? Write about your experience in a one-page journal entry.

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Targeted Text Selection -

Vocabulary

Page 32-38, paragraphs 2, 13, 17, 20, 24, 34

Paragraph 2: Besides, Teresa, a girl he had liked since they were in catechism classes at Saint Theresa's, was taking French, too. With any luck they would be in the same class. Teresa is going to be my girl this year, he promised himself as he left the gym full of students in their new fall clothes. She was cute. And good in math, too.

underlined words with insufficient contextual clues

catechism-formal classes in religious instruction

Paragraph 13: The students squirmed in their chairs and ignored him, they were anxious to go to first period. Victor sat calmly, thinking of Teresa, who sat two rows away, reading a paperback novel. This would be his lucky year. She was in his homeroom, and would probably be in his English and math classes. And, of course, French.

Paragraph 17: Victor lingered, keeping his head down and staring at his desk. He wanted to leave when she did so he could bump into her and say something clever.

lingered-to continue to stay; delay leaving

Teacher Activities and Techniques Text-Dependent Questions

Return to the text, and ask students a small set of guiding questions about the targeted section. (Q1) How does the author show the reader how much Victor likes Theresa? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Possible answer. Paragraph 2 ? He liked Teresa since they were in catechism together.

Paragraph 13- In his homeroom class, Victor sat calmly thinking about Teresa.

Paragraph 17- He wanted to leave class when she did.

Paragraph 20 ? He admired how gracefully she walked

Paragraph 24 ? He blushed when the girls giggled because they knew he had a crush on Teresa.

Paragraph 20: As Teresa walked down the hall, Victor walked the other way, looking back, admiring how gracefully she walked, one foot in front of the other. So much for being in the same class, he thought. As he trudged to English, he practiced scowling.

Paragraph 24: "Teresa," Victor said automatically. Some of the girls giggled. They knew he had a crush on Teresa. He felt himself blushing again.

In French class, he does something foolish to impress her.

Paragraph 34 ? Victor moved to a table near her and dreamed of taking her to a movie.

In the end ? He says Teresa is a great girl and he was going to enjoy seventh grade.

Paragraph 34: Then he saw her. She was sitting with a girlfriend under a plum tree. Victor moved to a table near her and daydreamed about taking her to a movie. When the bell sounded, Teresa looked up, and their eyes met. She smiled sweetly and gathered her books. Her next class was French, same as Victor's. Page 34, line 16 They shook hands, raza-style, and jerked their heads at one another in a saludo de vato. "How come you're making a face?" asked Victor.

Page 34, lines 29-31 They talked about recent movies, baseball, their parents, and the horrors of picking grapes in order to buy their fall clothes. Picking grapes was like living in Siberia, except hot and more boring.

Page 35, lines 63-66 He watched her on the sly. As she turned to leave, he stood up and hurried to the door, where he managed to catch her eye.

(Q2) What literary devices does the author use to give insight into the characters and advance the plot? Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.

Possible answer. The author uses Spanish, and figurative language, such as idioms and metaphors to enhance the readers' understanding of the characters and their thoughts and feelings.

The author primarily uses dialogue, which moves the plot and helps the reader get to know the characters and their relationship to each other. For example, the conversation in class when Mr. Lucas says, "Yes, now somebody give me an example of a person ? you, Victor." And Victor, says, "Teresa." Then the girls giggled.

Page 35, lines 77-86 In English they reviewed the parts of speech. Mr. Lucas, a portly man, waddled down the aisle, asking, "What is a noun?"

portly-heavy or rotund of body

Idiom: Victor managed to "catch her eye." What is the meaning of this idiom? A- In this context the phrase means he managed to "get her attention."

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"A person, place, or thing," said the class in unison. "Yes, now somebody give me an example of a person-- you, Victor Rodriguez." "Teresa," Victor said automatically. Some of the girls giggled. They knew he had a crush on Teresa. He felt himself blushing again. "Correct," Mr. Lucas said. "Now provide me with a place." Mr. Lucas called on a freckled kid who answered, "Teresa's house with a kitchen full of big brothers."

Page 37, lines 141-143 Mr. Bueller understood that the boy didn't know French and turned away. He walked to the blackboard and pointed to the words on the board with his steel-edged ruler. "Le bateau," he sang. "Le bateau," the students repeated. "Le bateau est sur l'eau," he sang. "Le bateau est sur l'eau." Victor was too weak from failure to join the class. He stared at the board and wished he had taken Spanish, not French. Better yet, he wished he could start his life over. He had never been so embarrassed. He bit his thumb until he tore off a sliver of skin. The bell sounded for fifth period, and Victor shot out of the room, avoiding the stares of the other kids, but had to return for his math book. He looked sheepishly at the teacher, who was erasing the board, then widened his eyes in terror at Teresa who stood in front of him. "I didn't know you knew French,"she said. "That was good." Mr. Bueller looked at Victor, and Victor looked back. Oh please, don't say anything, Victor pleaded with his eyes. I'll wash your car, mow your lawn, walk your dog-- anything! I'll be your best student, and I'll clean your erasers after school. Mr. Bueller shuffled through the papers on his desk. He smiled and hummed as he sat down to work. He remembered his college years when he dated a girlfriend in borrowed cars.

unison-a harmonious agreement or union

sheepishly- affected by or showing embarrassment caused by consciousness of a fault

Page 38, lines 177-178 "Yeah, right, bonjour," Victor said. He turned and headed to his class. The rosebuds of shame on his face became bouquets of love. Teresa is a great girl, he thought. And Mr. Bueller is a good guy.

Metaphor: He also uses descriptive language, such as "Great rosebushes of red bloomed on Victor's cheeks." A-His cheeks turned bright red as he was blushing.

(Q3) Analyze a character. How do his/her words and actions influence the thoughts and/or actions of another character?

What is the author's attitude towards Mr. Bueller as shown through his words and actions?

Possible answer. Victor took a risk and attempted to speak French and, although he failed to say the correct answer in class, Mr. Bueller did not point out his mistake, and Teresa was still impressed. After class she said, "I didn't know you knew French," and once again, Mr. Bueller didn't acknowledge Victor's mistake. Then Teresa asked him if he would help her with French. So "the rosebuds of shame" that came with his embarrassment in class, turned to "bouquets of love" for Teresa.

The author portrays Mr. Bueller as "a good guy." We know this because of his reaction to Victor's actions in French class. He shows understanding and empathy for his student who finds himself in an embarrassing situation, while trying to impress a girl he especially likes.

In line 177, the author says, "The rosebuds of shame on his face became bouquets of love." What are the actions that led to this change of feeling in Victor?

Possible Answer: Teresa complimented Victor on his French and asked him if he would help her with her French. She added, "I won't be bothering you, will I?"

Cross Genre Connections OR Across Text or Non- Text Sources:

Brown Girl, Blonde Okie ?Gary Soto

Jackie and I cross-legged In the yard, plucking at

Grass, cupping flies And shattering them against

Each other's faces-- Smiling that it's summer, No school, and we can

Sleep out under stars

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(Q4) In this poem, how do the speakers see themselves and ultimately their own future? Sharing reactions to the poem. Ask students questions about their emotions/experiences: Have they ever felt inadequate because of their ethnicity?

Possible Answers: Jackie and her friend appear to be two adolescent "tomboys", that are beginning to shift their focus from sports to boys they may love. However, as they reflect on each of their own appearances, they realize that they are disheveled and have imperfect features and that they may not be as successful as

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And the blink of jets Crossing up our lives. The flies leave, or die, And we are in the dark,

Still cross-legged, Talking not dogs or baseball,

But whom will we love, What brown girl or blonde

Okie to open up to And say we are sorry For our faces, the filth We shake from our hair, The teeth without direction. "We're ugly," says Jackie On one elbow, and stares

Lost between jets At what this might mean.

In the dark I touch my Nose, trace my lips, and pinch My mouth into a dull flower.

Oh God, we're in trouble.

Formative Assessment/ Rubrics, Reading and Writing Connection: ed/resources/applications/ebook/index.jsp

they hope to be. In addition, as indicated by the title, "Brown Girl, Blonde Okie", the girls become acutely aware of their own cultural backgrounds and how that impacts their own self-reflection for the possibility of finding love in the future.

Class discussion(s) on text-dependent comprehension questions OR writing responses (graphic organizers, reader response journals, or prewriting activities) serve as formative assessments.

Summative Assessment/Culminating Independent Writing Task

Carol Booth Olson lesson plan found at Writing Situation: Sometimes people go to great lengths to impress those who are important to us. In Soto's short story "Seventh Grade," Victor acts in ways that range from the silly to the downright embarrassing in an attempt to impress Teresa. It appears that he succeeds. But does he really?

Writing Directions:

Write a letter from Teresa to a friend who moved away before school started. Describe Victor's behavior and your reactions to it. Use specific details that show, rather than tell, Teresa's thoughts and feelings.

Extension Activities/Further Resources

Technology:

Core Analysis Frame: Fiction ources/pdfs/literary_analysis_frames/MS_Fiction_Frame s.pdf

? (see links embedded in pacing guide)



On-line Author Study: ured/student/resources/applications/authoronline/Soto /Author_Pages/G_Soto.html

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