InstructionalLessonPlan

EnglishLanguageArts
Grade:6

JulieKimballandJoGoslin
PearsonCommonCoreLiteratureUnit1
Lesson:TheCircuitday3

LessonOverview
Duringthislesson,studentswillworkincooperativegroupstodeterminethethemeofthestoryThe
Circuit.
EssentialQuestion/Overarchingidea/UnitQuestion
Isconflictalwaysbad?
UnitStandardsApplicabletoThisLesson/IntegrationofStandards
ReadingLiterature
1.
Citetextualevidencetosupportanalysisofwhatthetextsaysexplicitlyaswellasinferencesdrawn
fromthetext.
2
.Determineathemeorcentralideaofatextandhowitisconveyedthroughparticulardetails.

ReadingInformation

Writing

Language

SpeakingandListening
SL1
Engageeffectivelyinarangeofcollaborativediscussionswithdiversepartnersongrade6topics,
texts,andissues,buildingonothersideasandexpressingtheirownclearly
StudentOutcomes(ESKspecifictolesson)

Usesignificantdetailsofcharacterizationand/orplotdevelopment,repeatedwords,ideas,
and/orsymbolsascluestotheme
Connectconclusionsaboutcharacters,plot,and/orsymbolstodeterminetheme
Presentdetailstoaccentuatesupportofmainideasorthemes

Resources/Materials/BalanceofTextType
TheCircuitshortstory(PearsonCommonCoreLiterature)
PreAssessment
Noneofthestudentsthoughtaboutthebiggerpictureoftheongoingcycleofpovertyinthetheme
statementstheywroteontheirformativeassessmentfromyesterday.However,somestudentsdiddo
wellonanalyzingandidentifyingthemeonthePearsonbeginningofyearskillstest:
Period1:HannahK,JaredL,AustinR,CamrynW.
Period3:Nolan,Reed,Alex,Caitlin,Daniel,Garrhett,Caroline,Westin
Period5:Grayson,Nicole,Nick,Betsy,Justin,Brittany,Jillian,Camryn

Thesestudentsshouldbespreadoutinthecooperativegroups.

SpecialEducationstudentsaccommodations/modifications
Mrs.Downeswillscribeforthe1studentwhoreceivesthataccommodation.Thespecialeducation
teacherwillmonitorspecialeducationstudentstoensuretheyareparticipatingfullyinthediscussion
andaccountableforthecontent.
UDLconsiderations(http://www.udlcenter.org/implementation/examples)
Principal1:MultiplemeansofrepresentationThediscussionquestionswillbeprovidedverballyand
alsovisuallyonthewhiteboard.
TechnologyIntegration:
Onestudentwhojustreturnedfromvacationandhadaverbatimreadingaccommodationusedtheetext
audiotolistentothestory.Thewhiteboardwillbeusedforavisualdisplayofthediscussionquestions.
LessonProcedure
1.Warmup:What3elementsofastoryhelpdeterminethetheme?
2.Studentswillworkincooperativegroupstoanswerquestionsthatshouldhelpthemdeterminethe
themeofTheCircuit.

Expectationsfordiscussions:
1. Eachgroupmemberparticipatesinthediscussion.
2. Allgroupmembersmustagreeontheanswer.
3. Eachgroupmemberispreparedtoanswerthequestion.

Discussionquestions:
1. Whatclueaboutthethemeisprovidedbythetitleofthestory?
2. Rereadtheparagraphonpage62thatbegins,Yes,itwasthattimeofyear.Whatcluesdo
thiseventandthenarratorsactionsgiveyouaboutthestorystheme?
3. Sometimesobjectsinastorysymbolize,orrepresent,biggerideas.Whatcouldthefollowing
objectsrepresent?Gobackintothetexttorereadwhatitsaysexplicitlyandthenmake
inferencesaboutwhattheseitemsrepresent.
Mamaspot
Papascar
boxes
4.Rereadtheparagraphonpage66thatbegins,ItwasMonday,thefirstweekofNovember.How
doesthisparagraphsuggestthatthefamilyslifefollowsacycle?Howmightthiscyclerelatetothe
storystheme?
5.Speculate:Whatwillthemaincharacter,Panchito,dowhenhegetsolder?
6.WhatisthethemeofTheCircuit?

Answers:
1. Panchitosfamilydependsonacircuitofjobstheyarecaughtinacircuitofpoverty.
2. ThepackedboxesandmentionofmovingtoFresno,alongwiththenarratorsheavyfeelingand
tearsinhiseyes,showthatthethemeisprobablyaboutachildsunhappinesswithcontinual
movingandchange.
3. Mamaspot=consistency,Papascar=hardwork,boxes=constantlymoving
4. ThesentenceshowsthatRobertocangotoschoolonlywhenheisnotneededtopickcrops,
becausehisfamilysworkfollowsthecyclesofnatureandcropharvests.Thethemeit

suggestsisthatthefamilyiscaughtinadifferentcyclebecausethechildrenmustwork,they
cannotgetagoodeducationandsocannotimprovetheirlot.
5. Panchitowillprobablybeamigrantfarmworkerbecausehehashadlittleexposureto
education.Hemaywanttobeateacher,buthewouldhavetograduatehighschoolandhave
enoughmoneyforcollege.Atthispointthatseemsoutofhisreach.
6. Acycleofpovertyishardtoescape.

5.Closure:WhatisthethemeofTheCircuit?
Assessment
Formativeassessment:Exitticket(studentswriteathemestatementforthestoryTheCircuit.
Homework
ReadAcrossMaryland:Read30minutesfor30days
CompleteaReadingResponseJournalentryeachnightafterreading.