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Response to Literature Essay All Lessons

Welcome to TenMarks Writing! This document includes all of the lessons for the Response to Literature Unit. Use

the Resources Guide to help you select and sequence the lessons for your students.

Freewrite

Introduction to Freewriting 2

Prewrite

Outlining Plot 7

Analyzing Characters 11

Identifying a Theme 16

Preparing a Personal Response 22

Planning a Literary Summary 26

Main Points for a Response 30

Introduction to Finding Relevant Evidence 34

Finding Relevant Evidence 38

Draft

Essay in a Day: Response to Literature 44

Response to Literature Introductions 47

Hooks: Engage the Reader 55

Background that Introduces a Text 60

Thesis Statements for Response to Literature 66

Effective Topic Sentences 73

Drafting Supporting Paragraphs 77

Conclusions for Response to Literature 84

Revise & Edit

Revising with ARMS 90

Editing with CAPS 97

Publish

Planning to Publish 102

One Paragraph Lessons

Planning a One Paragraph Response 106

Drafting a Response to Literature Paragraph 111

Revising and Editing 117

All Lessons Response to Literature Essay

©TenMarks Education, LLC www.tenmarks.com

1

Introduction to Freewriting Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to freewrite in response to a prompt.

Suggested Time 30 minutes

Supporting Materials ● Freewrite Anchor Chart● Optional: Freewrite

Technology Used

Students: TenMarks Bursts (Freewrite) Teacher: Demo Student account

Name the Focus (1 minute) Tell students they will learn to a strategy called freewrite that writers use to generate ideas or begin writing again when they are stuck.

Connection (3 minutes) Pose the following questions to the class. Have students cheer if their answer is yes.

● Have you ever had struggled to get started writing?● Have you ever gotten stuck in the middle of writing something?● Have you ever erased or crossed out huge blocks of your writing?● Have you ever gotten side-tracked or distracted while you write?

Instruction (5 minutes) Explain Tell students that these roadblocks are common to all writers, even professionals. One way to overcome these roadblocks is by freewriting or writing whatever comes into your mind without thinking too much about it. Emphasize that freewriting isn’t evaluated or graded by anyone, not even yourself.

Model Log in to TenMarks Writing and go to the Demo Student account. Click on the Burst Topics tab. Select a Freewrite prompt from the menu, such as “Do you like breakfast or dinner better? Explain.”

Tell students you will freewrite for two minutes. You will write whatever comes into your head about the prompt without worrying about the best answer or the right words. You’re ignoring your self-censor.

Introduction to Freewriting TenMarks Writing

©TenMarks Education, LLC www.tenmarks.com 2

Set a timer and think out loud about the topic, writing down everything you are saying. Make sure to model several dos and don’ts listed on the Freewrite Anchor Chart, such as:

● Getting stuck or writing nonsense, and then getting back to your topic● Deleting and writing down that you are not supposed to delete● Misspelling and writing down that you want to fix the spelling, but it’s ok--you’re writing fast

When the timer goes off, write one sentence that brings your ideas back to your topic. Note: Students benefit from seeing you make mistakes and keep going. See the Freewrite Sample for how the writing may look after you are done.

Application (17 minutes) Practice Have students log in to TenMarks Writing and go to the Bursts prompts menu. Have them go to the Bursts Topic tab and all choose the same prompt, such as “Are you a morning person or a night person?”

Note: If you do not have enough computers, have students write in a freewriting notebook.

Set a timer and have students write for five minutes. Circulate and encourage students to follow the norms of freewriting.

Discuss (Partners) Have students read their freewriting aloud to a partner. Have the partner share a compliment and then have them switch roles.

Note: At first students may be uncomfortable sharing writing that has mistakes. It i important to build their comfort soliciting peer feedback on their writing projects at all stages.

Practice Have students choose another prompt, such as “What superpower would you most like to have? Why?” Have them again write for five minutes and then share with a partner. Circulate and conference.

If Students Then

Stop writing or hesitate Remind them to keep going and that, if they can’t think of anything, they can write a word from the prompt several times and try to free associate to help themselves get started again.

Focus on spelling or grammar, asking how to spell words or trying to fix them

Remind them that spelling and grammar don’t matter. They should keep going.

Delete or backspace a lot Suggest that they pretend that the delete or backspace buttons don’t exist, or give students a piece of tape to put on their delete and backspace keys as a physical reminder not to use that key.

Finish early Tell them there’s no such thing as finishing early with freewriting; the idea is to write as many ideas as possible. Give them a sentence starter based on the prompt



Closure (4 minutes) Discuss (Group) Ask the class to popcorn their ideas about how it felt to freewrite:

● What did you like about it? ● What was tricky? ● When might you want to use freewriting?

Encourage the observation that freewriting can get your thoughts flowing if you’re stuck and don’t know what to write. Let them know they can freewrite anytime they like using Bursts or in a notebook.



4

Freewrite Anchor Chart

DOs DON’Ts

● Write for at least five minutes. Set a timer or use a clock to keep track.

● Just start! Write as much as you can, as fast as you can.

● KEEP GOING! If you get stuck, use a word from the prompt to get started again.

● Let your thoughts flow. Write whatever comes into your head, even if it is off-topic.

● At the end, write one last sentence that brings your thoughts back to the topic.

● Don’t stop writing! ● Don’t try to fix spelling

or grammar. ● Don’t judge your ideas or worry whether

they are “good." ● Don’t delete or cross out.



5

Freewrite

Prompt: Do you like breakfast or dinner better? Explain.

I like dinner, because I don’t have a lot of time to eat in the morning. It is hard to get up and make

fod that without now I lost my train of thougth because I wanted to fix my spelling mistake. But I’m

supposed to keep going. So I will talk about dinner angain. That - ah, this is hard. Not supposed to

delete. I like dinner because more of the food I really like to eat is dinner food. Breakfast food is

more limited, like cereal or toast or oatmeal I guess that’s a kn kind of cereal. Too. Dinner. Dinner.

Dinner. Dinner. Dinner is good because there is italian food or chinese food or sushi or lots of

different things to eat. And I like to cookf or people and it is hard to have people over for breakfast.

It is better to eat dinner with friends than sit around eating bowls of cereal toge4ther. At least that’s

what I think. And now I’m stuck again. Dinner. Dinner is my favoirate meal of the day. I also don’t

really love lunch, except at work because by lunchtime I’m pretty hungry and want to eat. When I get

home, then I get to relax and eat and cook, well, really cook, then eat. It is fun to make a meal

together with my family and then sometimes we sit around the table and have it or we might eat in

the living room. DINNER IS THE MEAL I LIKE BEST IN THE DAY.



6

Outlining Plot Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to identify the major plot elements in a narrative story.

Suggested Time 30 minutes Supporting Materials

● Story Map Graphic Organizer ● Story Map Graphic Organizer Sample

Technology Used

None

Name the Focus (1 minute) Tell students they will be identifying the major parts of the plot in the story that they plan to write about.

Freewrite (5 minutes) Prompt That’s so predictable! What do you think makes it easy to tell what will happen next in some movies or books? Explain your thinking.

Look for: Descriptions of predicting plot elements, using plot-based clues

Instruction (9 minutes) Discuss Ask students to turn and talk to a partner briefly about their freewrite. Project the Story Map Graphic Organizer. Ask students what they notice about the diagram structure, encouraging observations about the upward slant toward the peak, or Climax, and the downward slant toward the Resolution.

Explain Tell students that this map is one tool they can use to describe the plot of a story. Explain that many stories follow this arc: the exposition provides information about the setting and the characters; the conflict starts the rising action, which builds to a climax; the climax is followed by falling action as the conflict gets settled in the resolution.

Model Think aloud that you are going to arrange the key parts of the plot of a popular story on the graphic organizer. Think aloud that many stories have common plot elements and you want to think about them in this order:

Outlining Plot Response to Literature


7

1. The exposition - a description of the protagonist (main character) and/or supporting characters, and setting 2. A conflict - the protagonist is threatened by a villain, a natural phenomenon, something in society, or an internal conflict 3. A resolution - the protagonist overcomes the conflict 4. A climax - the point at which the action is most suspenseful: the protagonist is in danger

Identify a story that most students are familiar with. Have students help you add details to the exposition, conflict, and resolution, then ask them to help you think about the climax by identifying the most exciting part of the story. Students may suggest important events in addition to the climax and resolution. If the events are part of the rising action leading up to the climax, you can write them in the empty space to the left side of the mountain graphic. If they are part of the falling action from the climax to the resolution, you can write them in the empty space to the right side of the mountain graphic.

Note: If your students don’t share common prior knowledge, or if you would like to use a mentor text, read aloud a short picture book, such as Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki, and use the story to complete the graphic organizer. Tell your students picture books are a quick text to read and map since they are short.

Application (13 minutes) Practice Tell students that they will be using this story map to organize the plot elements in the story that they read, then distribute a copy of the Story Map Graphic Organizer to each student. Encourage students to follow your example by filling out the exposition, conflict, and resolution, then determining which event they think is the climax. Have students arrange those events in the Story Map Graphic Organizer and complete it.

If Students Then

Struggle to identify the climax Encourage them to think about what part of the story was most exciting to them, and remind them that the climax usually comes close to the resolution.

Finish early Have them add details to the rising action and falling action sections by thinking about how the conflict developed and what events tied up loose ends as the story neared its resolution.

Are ready for a challenge Have them identify several turning points in the narrative and come up with arguments for or against those points being the climax.

Closure (2 minutes) Share out Have one to two students share out one of the events from their graphic organizer and have the rest of the class guess which part of the story map the event fell on (e.g., conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution).



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Story Map Graphic Organizer



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Story Map Graphic Organizer Sample



10

Analyzing Characters Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to identify a specific character’s traits based on textual evidence.

Suggested Time 30 minutes Supporting Materials

● Character Traits Activity Sheet ● Character Traits Activity Sheet Sample

Technology Used

None

Name the Focus (1 minute) Tell students that they will determine character traits by looking at the actions of a character in the text.

Freewrite (5 minutes)

Prompt Why do people say, “Actions speak louder than words?” Explain your thinking.

Look for: Students describing how actions reflect someone’s personality or motivation Instruction (8 minutes)

Discuss Have one to two students share out their responses. Ask students about the definition of character trait. Review or develop a definition of the term as a class, emphasizing that character traits are parts of a character’s personality and can be determined by examining how characters act. Explain Project the Character Traits Activity Sheet. Tell students you are going to use this activity sheet to brainstorm the traits of a character by thinking about how the character reacts during important events in the story. Tell students that you will be using the activity sheet to guide you through some helpful steps on finding character traits. Then write the steps on the board:

1. Select a character to focus on. 2. Brainstorm a few important events in the story that the character participated in. 3. Describe the character’s actions, thoughts, or words, as shown in dialogue or description during

those events. 4. Determine relevant character traits that correspond to the character’s actions, dialogue, or words.

Analyzing Characters Response to Literature


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5. Find other events or places in the story where the character shows the same trait. Note: If your students are not ready to extrapolate character traits from events, consider reversing the process: Begin with traits you think the character shows, come up with examples of these through actions, thoughts, or words of the character, and then identify the related events.

Model Select a character from a text you have read as a class. Start filling out one row of the activity sheet by determining an important event the character was involved in. Then think aloud about the character’s actions during this event. Solicit student input about the possible traits that could correspond to those actions. Then complete the final column on the activity sheet.

Note: If you have time for a read-aloud, consider using a short mentor text that focuses on character. Use specific evidence from the mentor text to support character traits listed in the Common Character Traits Word Bank on the activity sheet. Then, if students need additional scaffolding, you can apply the same steps to the class text or individual text.

Application (14 minutes)

Practice Tell students that they will now use the activity sheet to brainstorm some traits of the character they plan to write about. Distribute the Character Traits Activity Sheet. Have students follow the steps on the board to fill out the activity sheet. Let students know they can use traits not listed in the word bank.

If Students Then

Struggle to select a character Have them brainstorm key events in the text and consider which characters participated in most of those events.

Can’t think of any actions the character took

Encourage them to look through the text and any notes they have to find key events in the text. Then tell them to determine the role the character played in those events. Encourage students to select a different (or more central) character as the focus for their writing.

Struggle with trait vocabulary Remind students of familiar characters from movies or other texts who show those traits.

Finish early Have them identify which trait is most interesting to them and to look for other events in which the character demonstrates this trait.

Are ready for a challenge Have students consider what makes their character complicated, focusing on character traits and actions that seem to be at odds with one another. Remind them to justify their thinking with examples from the text.



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Closure (2 minutes) Discuss Have students turn to a partner and share one of the character traits, as well as how the character reveals a trait through their actions, thoughts, or words. Have partners give each other feedback and swap roles.



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Character Traits Activity Sheet

Title:

My Character:

Event Actions, Thoughts, or Words of the Character Character Traits

Common Character Traits Word Bank

Ambitious Assertive Cooperative

Courageous Clever Conceited

Cruel Dangerous Dishonest

Funny Gentle Grumpy

Humble Honest Neglectful

Rebellious Responsible Selfish

Thoughtful Trustworthy Withdrawn



14

Character Traits Activity Sheet Sample

Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

My Character: Harry Potter

Event Actions, Thoughts, or Words of the Character Character Traits

Malfoy steals Neville’s Remembrall to get the Gryffindors in trouble.

Harry flies on his broom to get Remembrall back for Neville even though the students are not allowed to fly without a teacher present.

Courageous Trustworthy Rebellious

Hagrid wins a dragon egg, but he must get rid of the baby dragon that hatches.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione come up with a plan to give the baby dragon to Ron’s brother even though it is illegal and dangerous.

Courageous Clever Trustworthy

Harry confronts Professor Quirrell, who has been trying to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Harry lies to Quirrell and refuses to give him the stone because Harry knows it will make Voldemort immortal.

Courageous Clever

Common Character Traits Word Bank

Ambitious Assertive Cooperative

Courageous Clever Conceited

Cruel Dangerous Dishonest

Funny Gentle Grumpy

Humble Honest Neglectful

Rebellious Responsible Selfish

Thoughtful Trustworthy Withdrawn



15

Identifying a Theme Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to identify a theme in the text that they are reading. Suggested Time 35 minutes Supporting Materials

● Theme Activity Sheet ● Theme Activity Sheet Sample ● Optional: Theme Anchor Chart ● Optional: Theme Anchor Chart Sample

Technology Used

None

Name the Focus (1 minute) Tell students that they will identify a theme in the text that they are reading.


Prompt What's the big idea? Use one word to say what your favorite movie, book, or television show is about. Explain why you chose that word.

Look for: Descriptions of a theme or mood Instruction (11 minutes)

Explain Tell students that movies and stories often have a big idea running through them, such as love, heroism, family, or right and wrong. Authors often have a specific message about those big ideas that they want their audience to understand. This message is called the theme. Sometimes, authors have several messages or themes in a text.

Note: If your students are unfamiliar with themes, use the Theme Anchor Chart Sample to demonstrate common themes or create your own chart listing themes from a class text using the Theme Anchor Chart.

Model Project the Theme Activity Sheet. Tell students that to find the theme, you’ll look for big ideas, or topics, that emerge and then use text examples to identify the author’s message about the topic. Write down a topic on the activity sheet. Then solicit student input about other topics that occur in the text. Tell

Identifying a Theme Response to Literature


16

students you want to list examples from the text that relates to that topic. Think aloud that you do not need to write down too many details. Have students help identify examples in the text. Finally, say that to identify a theme, you’ll focus on the topic with the most examples because it will have the strongest text evidence. Think aloud as you identify the author’s view on that topic and state the theme.

Note: If you have time for more practice, use a mentor text or a short fable, such as The Tortoise and the Hare by Aesop. As you read, encourage students to think about big ideas in the fable and to listen for hints about what the theme might be.


Practice Distribute the Theme Activity Sheet. Circulate and conference. Remind students to first list topics and examples from the text and then identify possible themes based on those examples.

If Students Then

Struggle to decide on a theme in the text

Have students look at their activity sheet and focus on which topic generated the most examples.

Have trouble determining a theme in the text

Provide them with a copy of the Theme Anchor Chart Sample so that they can see examples of typical themes. Encourage them to think about an important lesson that a character learned from his or her experience.

Finish early Encourage them to consider whether multiple themes are present in the text. Have them try to find more examples for topics they have listed on their activity sheet.

Are ready for a challenge Encourage them to think about the impact that minor characters had on the story and to consider whether these characters help to develop a theme. Have students think about whether they agree with the author’s message about the theme. Then ask them to do a freewrite about why or why not.

Closure (4 minutes) Reflect Have students tell a partner which text example they feel best supports the theme they identified and why.



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Theme Activity Sheet

Topic Examples Theme or Author’s Message



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Theme Activity Sheet Sample

Topic Examples Theme or Author’s Message

Love Harry Potter’s mother’s love protects him from Voldemort when he was a baby. Hagrid shows a lot of love towards Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the animals he has collected. Hagrid protects Harry as a baby and helps him get ready for Hogwarts.

Love is stronger than hate. Family love is the strongest love of all.

Loyalty Harry saves Neville’s Remembrall from Malfoy even though Harry risked getting in trouble. When the troll is in Hogwarts, Harry realizes Hermione is by herself. So, they go back to find her. Hermione and Ron go with Harry into the trap door even though they are scared.

Friends should always stick together. Friends are loyal to each other.

Teamwork Harry, Ron, and Hermione use their strengths to overcome obstacles to save the Sorcerer’s Stone. Hermione recognizes and gets rid of the Devil’s Snare. Harry catches the key. Ron plays chess.

You can accomplish more together than alone.

Identity

Harry does not fit into the world with the Dursleys, but finds himself at home at Hogwarts. He makes friends and is treated much better there. Harry learns about who he is and where he comes from, why weird things would happen when he is angry or upset, and about his mom and dad.

Your identity is not only about where you are from, but also who you choose to be. Knowing who you are is important for self-confidence.

Courage Harry, Ron, and Hermione all show courage. They defeat the troll, enter the trap door, and fight against Voldemort. They break the rules to figure out information about the Sorcerer’s Stone.

You must face your fears. It takes courage to achieve your goal.



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Theme Anchor Chart

Topic Theme or Author’s Message



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Theme Anchor Chart Sample

Topic Theme or Author’s Message

● Love

● Community

● Heroism

● Family

● Loyalty

● Honesty

● Love is stronger than hate.

● Family love is the strongest love of all.

● Strong community is worth making sacrifices for.

● Community means supporting each other through problems.

● Heroism is about doing what is right even when it is difficult.

● Being a hero is about helping your community.

● Families help each other get through difficult times.

● Family makes a house into a home.

● Friends should always stick together.

● Friends are loyal to each other.

● Honesty is always better than lying.

● Lying creates more trouble than it is worth.



21

Preparing a Personal Response Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to make connections to a text they have read. Suggested Time 30 minutes Supporting Materials

● Personal Response Activity Sheet ● Personal Response Activity Sheet Sample

Technology Used

None

Name the Focus (1 minute) Tell students that they will be learning about different ways to connect to a text and brainstorm on the ways they have connected to the text they are reading.

Freewrite (5 minutes) Prompt Compare your favorite movie to your favorite book. What do they have in common? What is most different?

Look for: Personal opinions and connections

Instruction (9 minutes) Discuss (Whole Group) Have one to two students share out an excerpt from their freewrite, and ask students to think about why making comparisons or connections can help make a reader’s opinion clear. Tell students that, just like people want to hear opinions about movies, readers also want to hear opinions about literature.

Explain Tell students that one way to help your audience understand your opinions about a text is by making connections between the text and something else, such as personal experiences, other texts, or events in the world. On the board, write the terms Text to Self, Text to Text, and Text to World, and define each term with your students. Remind students that negative opinions of a text are possible, too. If this comes up for any students, explore any relevant connections that led to this opinion.

Note: If students are not already familiar with these terms, devote additional time to instruction on types of connections to a text.

Preparing a Personal Response Response to Literature


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Model Project the Personal Response Activity Sheet. Have one student read aloud each of the headings. Think aloud that you are going to use this activity sheet to brainstorm some ideas and reactions to a story with which your students are familiar. Solicit student input as you list the main characters, problem, and several details from the text on the activity sheet. Brainstorm connections to each detail, thinking aloud that you want to choose important details that you can connect to a personal memory, another text or movie, or real world event. Think aloud that multiple types of connections make the reader see why you formed your opinion on the text. Make sure to draft at least one example each of a Text to Text, Text to World, and Text to Self connection.

Note: If you have time, you may want to read aloud a short mentor text and complete the activity sheet as a class, asking students to provide connections to the text and identify the types of connections they make. If you use the Sample Personal Response Activity Sheet as a model, show each row in turn instead of projecting all of the information at once.

Application (12 minutes) Practice Distribute a copy of the Personal Response Activity Sheet to each student. Have students fill out the sheet with details from the text, what it reminds them of and why, and the type of connection. Encourage students to brainstorm multiple types of connections.

If Students Then

Provide a concise summary of (rather than a personal response to) the text

Encourage them to give an overview of the story to a peer or to you. Have the listener repeat the details or background information he or she hears and/or ask follow-up questions about how these elements relate to the student’s life.

Struggle to identify a personal connection to the text

Ask students to identify high-level aspects of the story, such as the age of the main character or the place where the story happens. Have students connect that to themselves or to another story.

Finish early Encourage students to read student book reviews in order to identify techniques and/or formats that they would like to imitate in their personal response.

Are ready for a challenge Have students choose one type of connection to focus on, such as text to world, and come up with many details that support that type of connection.

Closure (3 minutes) Share Out Have one to two students share out and explain one of the personal connections they made. Have the class give a compliment or ask a question.



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Personal Response Activity Sheet

Title of Text:

Main Character(s): Main Problem:

Important Detail or Event from the Text

What It Reminds Me Of and Why

Type of Connection (Text to Self, Text to Text, Text to World)



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Personal Response Activity Sheet Sample

Title of Text: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling

Main Character(s): Harry Potter

Main Problem: Harry’s life is threatened by Voldemort

Important Detail or Event From the Text

What It Reminds Me Of And Why

Type of Connection (Text to Self, Text to Text, Text to World)

Harry meets Ron and Hermione on the way to Hogwarts

When I met my best friend on the first day of school, we were both nervous, but became close quickly

Text to Self

Harry gets placed in Gryffindor by the Sorting Hat

Like the students at Hogwarts, NFL players get selected by a team and find out who their teammates are

Text to World

Harry, Ron, and Hermione have to solve puzzles to prevent Voldemort from getting the Sorcerer’s Stone

In The Hobbit, Bilbo had to solve riddles with Gollum to escape the cave. The characters in both books use their wits to stay safe and complete their quests.

Text to Text



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Planning a Literary Summary Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to identify the necessary elements to include in a summary of a text. Suggested Time 30 minutes Supporting Materials

● Plan a Summary Activity Sheet ● Plan a Summary Activity Sheet Sample

Technology Used

None

Name the Focus (1 minute) Tell students that they will choose details from a text to include in a summary.


Prompt Why do you think people say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” When you are picking out a book in the library or a store, explain what things you look for and how quickly you can tell if you like a book or not.

Look for: Elements or descriptions of a summary Instruction (8 minutes)

Explain Tell students that many people read summaries to get an overview of a text. Including key information in a summary gives the audience a well-rounded picture of what the story is about.

Model Project the Plan a Summary Activity Sheet. Have student volunteers read the section headings. Think aloud that you are going to complete the activity sheet to plan a summary of a text that your class has read or one that they are familiar with. Solicit student input as you answer the corresponding questions in the activity sheet.

Note: If you have time, you may want to read aloud a short mentor text, such as a fable, and use it as a basis for completing the activity sheet.

Planning a Literary Summary Response to Literature


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Application (13 minutes) Practice Distribute a copy of the Plan a Summary Activity Sheet. Have students answer the questions based on the text they are responding to so that they can generate the information they will include in their literary summary. Circulate and conference.

If Students Then

Struggle to identify a specific element, such as setting or conflict, in the text that they read

Encourage them to consider the “who, what, where, when” to determine the setting, character, and conflict the characters face.

Finish early Encourage students to think about what other information they might want to add to enrich their summaries.

For example: Students may want to use a quote in their summaries, pose a question to their readers, or add additional details about the text.

Are ready for a challenge Have students include a theme from the text in their summary.

Closure (3 minutes) Discuss Have students turn to a partner and give a 30-second verbal summary of their text using the notes that they collected on the activity sheet. Have partners give a compliment or ask a question. Then tell partners to swap roles.



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Plan a Summary Activity Sheet

Title and Author ● What is the name of the text? ● Who wrote it?

Setting ● Where and when does the story take place? ● What is the environment like? What are the

most important features of the place?

Characters ● Who are the main characters in the story? ● What are some important details from the

main characters’ backgrounds? ● What are the main characters’

personalities like?

Conflict and Resolution ● Who or what causes problems for the

main characters? ● How is the main problem resolved?

Theme ● What is the main idea of this story? ● What is one message that the author shares

with the audience?



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Plan a Summary Activity Sheet Sample

Title and Author ● What is the name of the text? ● Who wrote it?

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Setting ● Where and when does the story take place? ● What is the environment like? What are the

most important features of the place? The story is set in present day, mostly in England and at Hogwarts, a school for wizards. Hogwarts is a spooky, magic-filled place with ghosts and wizard students and professors. It is surrounded by a forbidden forest, where fantastic creatures, like unicorns and centaurs, live.

Characters ● Who are the main characters in the story? ● What are some important details from the

main characters’ backgrounds? ● What are the main characters’

personalities like? Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger are all first-year students in the Gryffindor house of Hogwarts. Harry Potter is very famous because he is the only wizard to have survived a battle against Voldemort, an evil wizard. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are very brave, curious, and clever. They get into trouble because they break the rules, mostly when they are trying to protect people.

Conflict and Resolution ● Who or what causes problems for the

main characters? ● How is the main problem resolved?

Voldemort, the evil wizard who killed Harry Potter’s parents, is trying to come back into power after being gone for 11 years. He is looking for the Sorcerer’s Stone, which is being protected at Hogwarts, so that he can regain his powers and have eternal life. Harry and his friends try to stop him. Harry eventually confronts Voldemort and prevents him from getting the stone.

Theme ● What is the main idea of this story? ● What is one message that the author shares

with the audience? Main Idea: Harry survives twice against Voldemort because his mother’s love protects him. This shows that love is more powerful than evil. Author’s Message: Harry and his friends are very loyal to each other and work together to escape danger. This shows the importance of friends and that people are stronger when they work together.



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Main Points for a Response Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to generate many possible points to support a point of view about a text. Suggested Time 30 minutes Supporting Materials

● Main Supporting Points Activity Sheet ● Main Supporting Points Activity Sheet Sample

Preparation If you have not already done so, create or choose an essay prompt for your students in TenMarks Writing.

Technology Used

None

Name the Focus (1 minute) Tell students that they will be generating many possible points to support their point of view on a text.


Prompt Why shouldn’t I? Describe a time you tried to stop someone from doing something. What reasons did you give?

Look for: Students listing many different reasons on the same topic Instruction (7 minutes)

Explain Tell students that when planning a response to literature, the first step is to express your point of view in response to the prompt. The next step is to come up with supporting points that will help persuade your reader that your point of view is correct. Model Project the Main Supporting Points Activity Sheet and write your prompt. Think aloud that your response to the prompt is your point of view on the text. Then, generate a list of many possible reasons, or points, to support your point of view, soliciting student input. Think aloud that your points should relate to your point of view, but you want to avoid self-censoring at this stage. List all possible supporting points now; you will review them for quality later.

Main Points for a Response Response to Literature


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Once you have many supporting points, write two criteria for evaluating them on the board: ● They work together to clearly demonstrate your point of view. ● They can be supported with evidence from the text.

Explain that you want to come up with points you can support with evidence from the text to help your reader understand where your point of view comes from. Tell students that, depending on the prompt, you may need your supporting points to be very different from each other to cover several different examples, or you may need them to build on one another to show how something changes over the course of the story.

For example: For a prompt asking whether the author used foreshadowing effectively, three very different examples would work well. For a prompt about how the character changes over the course of the story, closely related supporting points showing what the character was like at the beginning, middle, and end of the story would work well.

Think aloud as you use these criteria to evaluate the supporting points from your list, starring the three that will work together best to support your point of view on the text.

Application (12 minutes) Practice Distribute the Main Supporting Points Activity Sheet. Have students write down the prompt and a one-sentence response to the prompt as their point of view statement, then generate many supporting points for their point of view. Circulate and conference.

Once most students have finished generating a list of supporting points, have students evaluate them based on the two criteria written on the board, starring the three main points they feel will work together best to support their point of view.

If Students Then

Struggle to identify a point of view Have them think about the prompt and give you their first reaction.

Struggle to generate supporting points for their point of view

Have them work with a partner to explain their ideas orally while the partner takes notes on the explanations.

Struggle to identify which three main points best support their point of view.

Ask what they would say to convince someone who disagreed with their point of view.

Finish early Encourage them to plan the order in which they might want to present their main points in their essay, and to write about why.

Are ready for a challenge Encourage students to think deeply as they come up with points, considering what they can infer, rather than what is stated directly.

Closure (5 minutes)

Reflect Have students write a Note to Self explaining why the three main points they picked work together best to support their point of view on the text.



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Main Supporting Points Activity Sheet

Prompt:

My Point of View:

My Supporting Points:



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Main Supporting Points Activity Sheet Sample

Prompt: How does the main character change as a result of events in the plot? Explain using specific evidence about the character’s traits as well as moments in the plot.

My Point of View: Harry becomes a more self-confident person as a result of the events in the story.

My Supporting Points: ● At the beginning, Harry is uncertain about who he is. ✭ ● He lives with the Dursleys, who treat him horribly and make him feel like an outsider. ● His cousin makes sure he has no friends at school. ● He mostly avoids confrontation.

● He learns he is a wizard and becomes a student at Hogwarts. ✭

● Harry makes friends, like Ron and Hermione. ● He starts to discover his powers, but he doesn’t have much control over them yet. ● He learns he is very good at Quidditch and that his dad used to be really good, too. ● He and Ron save Hermione from the troll. ● He goes into the Forbidden Forest and stands his ground when Malfoy wants to run away. ● He chooses to still play Quidditch even after he thinks Snape bewitches his broom. ● He leads Ron and Hermione through the trapdoor. ● He works with them to overcome challenges.

● He faces Quirrell/Voldemort at the end of the book by himself and defeats him alone. ✭



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Introduction to Finding Relevant Evidence Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to discern between textual evidence that relates to a main point and evidence that is not relevant. Suggested Time 30 minutes Supporting Materials

● Supporting Evidence Activity Set ● Supporting Evidence Activity Set Sample Key

Preparation Cut the Supporting Evidence Activity Set into sorting cards. Prepare one set per two or three students.

Technology Used

None

Name the Focus (1 minute) Tell students that they will match good text evidence with an appropriate main point for a sample essay topic.


Prompt Think of a song lyric that you like a lot. Describe what makes it memorable and what you think it means in the song.

Look for: Explanations of quotes and the use of textual evidence Instruction (10 minutes)

Explain Tell students that just as they used clues from the song and their own life to understand lyrics, they can also use supporting evidence from the text to support their ideas when responding to literature. One way to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant evidence is to go through the supporting evidence, determine which one best supports each main point, and discard evidence that doesn’t connect to the main point.

Model On the board, write this claim: Harry becomes a more self-confident person as a result of the events in the story. Read aloud one of the Main Point cards from the set. Then choose an irrelevant Evidence card

Introduction to Finding Relevant Evidence Response to Literature


34

and model discarding it, explaining how the evidence does not connect to the main point. Then choose a relevant Evidence card. Think aloud about how the evidence connects to the main point, drawing attention to how the quote or explanation proves the point and clearly connects to the main point. Place it next to the main point.

Note: If your students are responding to a class text rather than Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, you can modify the activity set with the content from that more familiar text.


Practice Put students in groups of two or three. Tell students that they will sort the rest of the Evidence cards based on how they relate to the main points. Distribute cards from the Supporting Evidence Activity Set. Have them complete the sorting activity, matching supporting evidence to main points and discarding irrelevant evidence.

Note: You may want to provide students with blank Evidence cards so they can generate additional supporting evidence for each main point. Alternatively, you can create a game in which students match the evidence to the main points and claim (such as Go Fish).

Discuss (Whole Group) Ask groups to share out which Evidence cards best support each main point and which do not. Encourage them to justify their thinking and to debate why certain pieces of evidence better support a main point than others. Let them know that interpreting support for a main point can be subjective.

If Students Then

Struggle to tell whether evidence connects to a main point

Tell students to use these guiding questions to clarify: ● Why do I think the claim is true? (Main point) ● How do I know? (Supporting evidence)

Struggle to identify the main point that a piece of evidence best supports

Have students explain how the evidence relates to each main point and then tell which relationship sounds most clear and logical.

Finish early Provide students with blank cards and a copy of the text. Then tell them to generate additional Evidence cards that support each main point and additional Main Point cards to support the claim. Encourage students to determine which piece of supporting evidence they think is the most persuasive and turn to a partner to explain why.

Are ready for a challenge Remove the Main Point cards from the set. Then have students generate their own main points based on the Evidence cards.

Closure (3 minutes)

Reflect Have students write a Note to Self about how they plan to identify the best supporting evidence for their own response to literature.



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Supporting Evidence Activity Set

Main Point #1 In the beginning, Harry is uncertain about who he is and avoids confrontation with his unkind relatives.

Evidence Harry does not fit in with the Dursleys. “...it was just no good telling the Dursleys he [Harry] didn’t make them [strange things] happen.”

Evidence Dudley makes sure that Harry has no school friends.

Evidence Harry is excited to go to the zoo for Dudley’s birthday. “Harry, who couldn’t believe his luck, was...on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life.”

Main Point #2 After Harry learns he is a wizard and becomes a student at Hogwarts, he gains confidence in standing up for himself and others.

Evidence Harry stands up for Neville by getting his Remembrall back from Draco Malfoy. “‘Give it here,’ Harry called, ‘or I’ll knock you off that broom!’”

Evidence Harry refuses to back down against Snape. “‘I’m going to play,’ he told Ron and Hermione. ‘If I don’t, all the Slytherins will think I’m just too scared to face Snape. I’ll show them.’”

Evidence Harry learns to cast spells and make a feather float.

Main Point #3 By the end, Harry is determined to stand up to and stop Voldemort.

Evidence Harry decides to go after the Stone, despite Hermione and Ron’s pleads not to. “I’ll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there…I’m going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop me!’”

Evidence Harry risks his own life to keep the Stone from Voldemort. “The pain in Harry’s head was building...he could only hear Quirrell’s terrible shrieks and Voldemort’s yells of ‘KILL HIM!’”

Evidence Neville gets 10 points for Gryffindor. “‘There are all kinds of courage,’ said Dumbledore, smiling. ‘It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom.’”



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Supporting Evidence Activity Set Sample Key

Main Point #1 In the beginning, Harry is uncertain about who he is and avoids confrontation with his unkind relatives.

Main Point #2 After Harry learns he is a wizard and becomes a student at Hogwarts, he gains confidence in standing up for himself and others.

Evidence Harry does not fit in with the Dursleys. “...it was just no good telling the Dursleys he [Harry] didn’t make them [strange things] happen.”

Evidence Harry stands up for Neville by getting his Remembrall back from Draco Malfoy. “‘Give it here,’ Harry called, ‘or I’ll knock you off that broom!’”

Evidence Dudley makes sure that Harry has no school friends.

Evidence Harry refuses to back down against Snape. “‘I’m going to play,’ he told Ron and Hermione. ‘If I don’t, all the Slytherins will think I’m just too scared to face Snape. I’ll show them.’”

Main Point #3 By the end, Harry is determined to stand up to and stop Voldemort.

Irrelevant Evidence

Evidence Harry decides to go after the Stone, despite Hermione and Ron’s pleads not to. “I’ll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there…I’m going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop me!’”

Evidence Harry is excited to go to the zoo for Dudley’s birthday. “Harry, who couldn’t believe his luck, was...on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life.”

Evidence Harry risks his own life to keep the Stone from Voldemort. “The pain in Harry’s head was building...he could only hear Quirrell’s terrible shrieks and Voldemort’s yells of ‘KILL HIM!’”

Evidence

Harry learns to cast spells and make a feather float.

Evidence Neville gets 10 points for Gryffindor. “‘There are all kinds of courage,’ said Dumbledore, smiling. ‘It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom.’”



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Finding Relevant Evidence Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to find examples and quotes within the text they are responding to in order to support their reasons. Suggested Time 30 minutes Supporting Materials

● Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet ● Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet Sample ● Optional: Main Supporting Points Activity Sheet (Completed) ● Optional: Main Supporting Points Activity Sheet Sample

Preparation Gather copies of the text the students are responding to so they can look through these for quotes and examples.

Technology Used

None

Name the Focus (1 minute)

Tell students that they will look for evidence in the text to support their point of view and main points. Freewrite (5 minutes)

Prompt Describe a time, real or imaginary, when you realized something about a character or person based on what they said.

Look for: Descriptions of making inferences using quotes Instruction (8 minutes)

Explain Tell students that you can sometimes learn about who people are based on what they say. Similarly, in responding to literature, authors use quotes from the text to draw their own conclusions. Model Project the Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet. Tell students that you will be looking for evidence to back up your point of view and main points. Refer to your completed Main Supporting Points

Finding Relevant Evidence Response to Literature


38

Activity Sheet as you write your point of view and three main supporting points in the appropriate spaces on the Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet.

Note: If you have not completed a Main Supporting Points Activity Sheet, you can use the point of view and three starred supporting points from the completed sample.

Explain Tell students that they need to support their main points with specific details from the text. Write these steps on the board:

1. Skim and scan for an example from the text that relates to one of the main points. 2. Read closely to find details and a quote from that example. 3. Write the direct quote and summarize the connection between the example and the main point. 4. Write the page numbers to make it easier to find the evidence again.

Model Think aloud as you follow the steps on the board to find and analyze supporting evidence for one of your reasons. As you look for a quote, emphasize the importance of finding one from the example that proves your point.


Practice Tell students that they will now be finding supporting evidence for their own point of view on the text. Distribute the Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet and copies of the text students are responding to. Have students complete the sheet using the four steps on the board, referring to their completed Main Supporting Points Activity Sheet or other completed prewriting materials. Circulate and conference.

If Students Then

Struggle to find supporting evidence in the text

Have them work in groups with peers who are writing on the same prompt and have a similar opinion on the text.

Don’t explain why the quote supports the related main point

Have students describe the connection between a quote and the main point to you or a friend without looking at the text.

Finish early Have them double check that they have written page numbers for each piece of supporting evidence.

Are ready for a challenge Encourage them to view their response to literature as an argument on a literary text and to apply their understanding of the argument by searching for evidence that best proves their analysis of the text.

Closure (2 minutes) Reflect Tell students that now that they’ve planned, they’re ready to draft. Have them write a Note to Self with two writing goals they’d like to work on as they draft.



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Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet

My Point of View:

Main Points Related Evidence

Examples or Quotes:

Connection:

Examples or Quotes:

Connection:

Examples or Quotes:

Connection:



40

Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet Sample

My Point of View: The events cause Harry Potter to learn more about himself and become a more self-confident person.


In the beginning, Harry is uncertain about who he is and mainly avoids confrontation with his unkind relatives.

Examples or Quotes: Harry does not fit in with the Dursleys. “The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn’t make them happen.” (Page 24) Dudley makes sure that Harry has no friends at school. “At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley’s gang hated that odd Harry Potter...and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley’s gang.” (Page 30)

Connection: Harry does not know why he is different and has to put up with his relatives’ meanness.

After he learns he is a wizard and becomes a student at Hogwarts, he gains confidence in standing up for himself and others.

Examples or Quotes: Harry stands up for Neville by getting his Remembrall back from Draco Malfoy, even though Harry is not supposed to fly on his broom. “‘Give it here,’ Harry called, ‘or I’ll knock you off that broom!’” (Page 149) Harry refuses to back down against Snape, even after the Quidditch match. “‘I’m going to play,’ he told Ron and Hermione. ‘If I don’t, all the Slytherins will think I’m just too scared to face Snape. I’ll show them…it’ll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win.’” (Page 221)

Connection: Harry ignores his fear and stands up to both Draco and Snape.

By the end, he is determined to stand up to and stop Voldemort, whatever the cost.

Examples or Quotes: Hermione and Ron try to convince Harry not to go after the Stone, but he does not care about getting caught. “‘I’ll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there, it’s only dying a bit later than I would have… I’m going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop me!’” (Page 270) Harry risks his own life to keep the Stone from Voldemort. He grabs Quirrell and holds on even when he screams and resists. “The pain in Harry’s head was building—he couldn’t see—he could only hear Quirrell’s terrible shrieks and Voldemort’s yells of ‘KILL HIM!’” (Page 295)

Connection: Harry knows that he is in danger, but continues to go after Voldemort.



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Main Supporting Points Activity Sheet

Prompt:

My Point of View:




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Main Supporting Points Activity Sheet Sample

Prompt: How does the main character change as a result of events in the plot? Explain using specific evidence about the character’s traits as well as moments in the plot.

My Point of View: Harry Potter becomes a more self-confident person as a result of the events in the story.


● In the beginning, Harry is uncertain about who he is. ✭ ● He lives with the Dursleys, who treat him horribly and make him feel like an outsider. ● His cousin makes sure that he has no friends at school. ● He mostly avoids confrontation.

● He learns that he is a wizard and becomes a student at Hogwarts. ✭

● Harry makes friends, like Ron and Hermione. ● He starts to discover his powers, but he does not have much control over them yet. ● He learns that he is very good at Quidditch and that his dad used to be really good, too. ● He and Ron save Hermione from the troll. ● He goes into the Forbidden Forest and stands his ground when Malfoy wants to run away. ● He chooses to still play Quidditch, even after he thinks Snape bewitches his broom. ● He leads Ron and Hermione through the trapdoor. ● He works with them to overcome challenges.

● In the end, he faces Quirrell and Voldemort by himself and defeats him alone. ✭



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Essay in a Day: Response to Literature Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to understand the components of an essay and draft one. Suggested Time 33 minutes Supporting Material Model of an Essay Anchor Chart

Technology Used

Students: TenMarks Writing Project (Draft Stage) Teacher: None

Name the Focus (1 minute) Tell students they will be drafting the introduction, supporting paragraphs, and conclusion for their essays.


Prompt The idiom "clear as mud" can be used to describe confusing situations. Explain the meaning of this idiom in your own words. Tell about a time you thought something was as "clear as mud".

Look for: Correct explanations of the idiom and descriptions of confusing situations Instruction (5 minutes)

Create a Reference Remind students that clear organization can ensure that the readers of their essays are not confused. Project the Model of an Essay Anchor Chart, and review the components of an essay:

1. Introduction 2. Supporting Paragraphs 3. Conclusion

Solicit student input as you explain the role of each of those paragraphs. For example: Tell students that the introduction introduces the text and their point of view on it; the supporting paragraphs provide the main supporting points and evidence from the text; and the conclusion wraps up their thoughts and convinces the reader why their topic matters.

Essay in a Day: Response to Literature Response to Literature


44


Practice Have students log in to TenMarks Writing and draft their essays. Remind students that this is a first draft, so they don’t need to worry about spelling, punctuation, or phrasing. Encourage students to use any graphic organizers or planning materials they might have. Circulate and conference as students draft.

Note: If students do not finish their drafts, consider devoting a subsequent class period to drafting or assign the remaining paragraphs for homework.

If Students Then

Are distracted by trying to fix mistakes as they draft

Encourage them to pretend the delete button doesn’t exist so that they get their first drafts down and don’t worry about phrasing or perfecting their work.

Struggle with topic sentences Remind them to revisit their thesis statements and explain the connection between their topics and their supporting ideas.

Are unsure of how to write their introduction

Suggest that they begin with the supporting paragraphs then come back to the introduction. Encourage them to think about what makes their topics interesting and what background information would help readers understand the text and their point of view on it.

Are unsure of how to write a conclusion Have them try rephrasing their main points and include why the information in the paragraph is important.

Finish early Have students look for places where they can add transitions between ideas and paragraphs so their essay flows well.

Are ready for a challenge Encourage them to try adding more vivid verbs and changing their word choice to engage the reader even more.

Closure (2 minutes) Reflect

Have students reflect on how comfortable they feel writing a Response to Literature, using a rating scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is not comfortable at all and 5 is completely comfortable. Have students record their rating and explain it in an exit ticket.



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Model of an Essay Anchor Chart

Introduction

Supporting Paragraph(s)

Conclusion



46

Response to Literature Introductions Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to draft their introductory paragraphs. Suggested Time 30 minutes Supporting Materials

● Planning an Introduction Anchor Chart ● Planning an Introduction Anchor

Chart Sample ● Optional: Engaging Hooks Anchor Chart Sample

● Optional: Background Information for Introductions Activity Sheet Sample

● Optional: Thesis Statements Activity Sheet Sample

Technology Used



Tell students they will focus on writing introductions that include engaging hooks, useful background information, and clear opinion statements.


Prompt Coming soon! Tell about a movie or TV trailer you saw recently that made you really excited to see the movie or show. What was it about the trailer that caught your interest?

Look for: Descriptions of personal connections, hooks, or other means of engaging interest Instruction (10 minutes)

Explain Tell students that just as a movie or TV producer uses a trailer to tell viewers what a movie is about and make them want to see it, writers use the introduction to an essay for a similar purpose. The introduction helps readers know what the essay will be about and why they should want to read it. Create a Reference Show the Planning an Introduction Anchor Chart. Direct students’ attention to the triangle that represents the introduction, and explain that a good introduction has three parts.

● An engaging hook that starts the essay in a way that will grab your reader’s attention. ● Background information that gives your reader some information so he/she knows which text

you’re responding to and understands your point of view.

Response to Literature Introductions Response to Literature


47

● A thesis statement that expresses a clear point of view and gives the reader a sense of how that point of view will be supported.

Note: If students are unfamiliar with these components, review the optional activity sheet samples. Model Explain that you are going to work backwards to ensure that your introduction clearly presents your ideas. In each section at the bottom of the anchor chart, model writing the parts in this order:

1. Thesis Statement: Read the prompt. As you draft, think aloud about how you are giving your point of view and previewing all of your main points without actually listing them. Solicit feedback on the clarity of the statement.

2. Background: Think aloud about what information you need to include about the text and how it will help the reader understand your point of view. Solicit feedback on whether you have included too much, enough, or not enough information.

3. Hook: Solicit student ideas about how to grab the reader’s interest. Think aloud about how your hook connects to the background information.


Practice Have students log in to TenMarks Writing to draft their introductions. Circulate and conference.

Note: If students don’t finish their introductions, you may need to extend drafting to another class period or assign this as homework.

If Students Then

Have trouble coming up with an engaging hook

Ask them what they find personally meaningful about their takeaway from the book; encourage them to use that in a specific type of hook.

Struggle to include the right amount of relevant background information

Have them highlight each element of the text they are mentioning, explain aloud how each one is related to their thesis statement, then remove any background information that isn’t directly related.

Struggle to generate a thesis statement Have students verbally summarize their topic and main ideas and then try to write their summary in one sentence.

Provide them with a sentence frame. For example: [Opinion] because [Reason 1, Reason 2, and Reason 3].

Finish early Have them read aloud their introduction and add transitional ideas or phrases to make sure the three parts of the introduction flow.

Have them partner with peers who are also done and give each other feedback on their work based on the elements of introductions.

Are ready for a challenge Have them think of their essay as an argument on a text and make their introduction as persuasive as possible to sway the reader to agree with their point of view.



48

Closure (2 to 3 minutes)

Discuss Have pairs of students discuss why they think the model of an introduction is in the shape of a triangle. Then have students share out with the class. Encourage the observation that the introduction starts out broad, then narrows to a focused thesis.



49

Planning an Introduction Anchor Chart

Introduction

Hook: Starts the essay in a way that grabs the reader’s attention

Background: Gives the reader information to understand your point of view

Thesis Statement: Expresses a clear point of view; describes supporting reasons without listing them



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Planning an Introduction Anchor Chart Sample

Introduction

Hook: Starts the essay in a way that grabs the reader’s attention “‘Don’ you worry, Harry. You’ll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you’ll be just fine. Just be yerself.” (p. 86) Hagrid offers good advice, but since Harry doesn’t yet know who he is, being himself is a discovery he has to make. Background: Gives the reader information to understand your point of view In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter is orphaned when an evil wizard, Lord Voldemort, kills his parents. He is raised by a family that makes him feel like a misfit, but then discovers he is a wizard and attends the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, he and his friends try to protect the Sorcerer’s Stone, a stone with magical powers, from Voldemort. Thesis Statement: Expresses a clear point of view; describes supporting reasons without listing them The events that occur as Harry discovers he is a wizard and fulfills his quest for the Sorcerer’s Stone cause him to become more self-confident over the course of the novel.



51

Engaging Hooks Anchor Chart Sample

Type of Hook Example

Sound Effect Begin with a sound that connects to your topic and leads to your background information.

“BOOM. SMASH!” When Hagrid kicks in the door and reveals that Harry Potter is a wizard, bound for Hogwarts, he changes Harry's life forever.

Unusual Detail or Interesting Fact Use a detail or fact about your topic that your reader likely will not know.

Merlin, from the Legend of King Arthur, is one of the most famous wizards in literature, but no more famous now than Harry Potter.

Surprising Statement Tell the reader something surprising, shocking, or exaggerated that relates to your topic.

You can live forever. At least that is what Voldemort thinks he will be able to do when he gets his hands on the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Appeal to Emotion Tell the reader something that will make them care.

Imagine being orphaned as a baby, never knowing your mother or father. Harry Potter experienced that, and then the family he had left would not even speak of his parents.

Ask a Question Provoke the reader’s thinking by introducing a question that is related to your topic and main points. Avoid asking a question that will distract your reader.

What would you do if you found out you were a wizard? Harry Potter faces this shift in his reality.

Quotation Provide an interesting or useful quotation that relates to your topic.

“‘Don’ you worry, Harry. You’ll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you’ll be just fine. Just be yerself.” Since Harry does not yet know who he is, being himself is a discovery he has to make.



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Background Information for Introductions Activity Sheet Sample

What to Include Example:

Author J. K. Rowling

Title of text

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Setting: The place and the time (if it is set during a historical time)

England, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Just enough Information about the text for the reader to understand your point of view

Harry Potter has lived with his horrible non-magic relatives for 11 years. He is a wizard. He attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He once survived an attack by an evil wizard. He is trying to keep that evil wizard from obtaining the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Put It All Together… In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter is orphaned when an evil wizard, Lord Voldemort, kills his parents. He is raised by a family that makes him feel like a misfit, but then discovers he is a wizard and attends the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, he and his friends try to protect the Sorcerer’s Stone, a stone with magical powers, from Voldemort.



53

Thesis Statements Activity Sheet Sample

Definition

A thesis statement expresses a clear point of view and gives the reader a sense of how that point of view will be supported. A strong thesis statement:

● States a clear point of view ● Can be supported with main points and supporting text evidence ● Describes the supporting points without listing them ● Refers to the prompt

My Examples

As the story progresses, many things happen to Harry Potter and he changes as a result. B

Harry becomes more self-confident because he helps Ron save Hermione from the troll. N

Throughout the novel, Harry learns who he is and where he comes from, which helps him

become more self-confident.

S

The events starting with Harry discovering he is a wizard to fulfilling his quest for the

Sorcerer’s Stone cause him to become more self-confident over the course of the novel.

S ✭



54

Hooks: Engage the Reader Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to draft an engaging hook for their introductory paragraph. Suggested Time 30 minutes Supporting Materials

● Engaging Hooks Anchor Chart ● Engaging Hooks Anchor Chart Sample ● Optional: Model of an Essay Anchor Chart

Technology Used

Students: TenMarks Writing Project (Draft Stage) Teacher: Demo Student account


Tell students that they will write hooks that grab their audience’s attention. Freewrite (5 minutes)

Prompt Hello? Hello? Hello!? Describe a time when you had a hard time getting somebody’s attention. Explain how you tried to get their attention and how you felt about it.

Look for: Descriptions of different methods used to draw attention and explanations about why one method was more effective than another

Instruction (12 minutes)

Explain Tell students that just as there are many ways to get someone’s attention in the real world, writers have many ways of getting their readers’ attention at the beginning of a piece.

Create a Reference Show the Engaging Hooks Anchor Chart. Have several student volunteers read the various types of hooks. Then ask students to give examples of each type of hook and record them on the anchor chart.

Note: If you do not have time to create the anchor chart with students, you can project the Engaging Hooks Anchor Chart Sample.

Once you have completed the anchor chart, solicit students’ opinions about which type of hook is the most engaging and which type you should try to write for your sample essay.

Hooks: Engage the Reader Response to Literature


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Model Log in to TenMarks Writing and go to the Demo Student account. Draft a hook online, thinking aloud about how to make sure your hook connects to the topic.

Note: Use the Model of an Essay Anchor Chart to review the structure of an introduction if your students need a reminder of the elements of an introductory paragraph.


Practice Have students generate at least three different types of hooks for their introductions. Once they select the hook they would like to use, have them log in to TenMarks Writing and enter their hook. Circulate and conference.

Note: If you plan to have students write the rest of their introductions on the same day, extend the student practice so they can finish during the lesson, or have them finish their introductions for homework.

If Students Then

Struggle to develop a hook Have students focus on only a particular type of hook, such as a sound effect. Have them use sentence starters.

Finish early Have students partner with peers who have also finished to read and review each other’s three hooks, focusing their feedback on which hook is most engaging.

Are ready for a challenge Have students come up with a type of hook that is not on the anchor chart and write an example of how to use it.

Closure (2 minutes)

Discuss (Pairs) Have kids talk with a partner about why they think the hook is called a hook.



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Engaging Hooks Anchor Chart





Appeal to Emotion Tell the reader something that will make him or her care.





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Engaging Hooks Anchor Chart Sample



“BOOM. SMASH!” When Hagrid kicks in the door and reveals that Harry Potter is a wizard, bound for Hogwarts, he changes Harry's life forever.


Merlin, from the Legend of King Arthur, is one of the most famous wizards in literature, but no more famous now than Harry Potter.


You can live forever. At least that is what Voldemort thinks he will be able to do when he gets his hands on the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Appeal to Emotion Tell the reader something that will make them care.

Imagine being orphaned as a baby, never knowing your mother or father. Harry Potter experienced that, and then the family he had left would not even speak of his parents.


What would you do if you found out you were a wizard? Harry Potter faces this shift in his reality.


“‘Don’ you worry, Harry. You’ll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you’ll be just fine. Just be yerself.” Since Harry does not yet know who he is, being himself is a discovery he has to make.



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Introduction


Conclusion



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Background that Introduces a Text Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to include background information on the text in the introduction to their response. Suggested Time 30 minutes Supporting Materials

● Thesis Statements Activity Sheet (Completed) ● Optional: Thesis Statements Activity Sheet Sample ● Background Information for Introductions Activity Sheet ● Background Information for Introductions Activity Sheet Sample

Technology Used

Students: TenMarks Writing Project (Draft Stage) Teacher: Demo Student account (optional)

Name the Focus (1 minute) Tell students that they will be selecting and writing about background information that introduces the text they are responding to and supports their opinion about it.

Freewrite (5 minutes) Prompt Open a text you’ve never read to a random page and read the first paragraph you see. What questions would you need to ask to understand what’s happening in the story?

Look for: Descriptions of background information needed to understand an excerpt from a story

Instruction (10 minutes) Explain Ask students to share out some of the questions they came up with in the freewrite. Draw attention to patterns in the information they would ask for, such as basic information about characters, setting, and plot. Tell students that they’ll need to include these kinds of background information on the text they're responding to in order to help the reader understand their points of view. Model Referring to your Demo Student account in TenMarks Writing, your completed Thesis Statements Activity Sheet, or the Thesis Statements Activity Sheet Sample, read aloud the thesis statement in your

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introduction and think aloud about what general information your audience doesn’t yet know. Explain that you assume the reader has not read the book. Project the Background Information for Introductions Activity Sheet. Think aloud as you fill in the author, title, and setting. Then ask for student input as you add just enough about the text to help your reader understand your thesis statement. Think aloud about what you are including and leaving out. Tell students you need to pull all this information into 1 to 2 sentences; write these on the activity sheet.

Application (12 minutes) Practice Distribute a copy of the Background Information for Introductions Activity Sheet to each student. Have students log in to TenMarks Writing and read their thesis statements, then use the activity sheet to plan their background information sentences before drafting them in the tool. Remind them to include information that introduces the text and connects to their thesis statement. Circulate and conference.

If Students Then

Do not include enough background information

Have them read their background information and thesis statement to a partner or to you and have the listener share questions that he or she has about missing information.

Include excessive or irrelevant background information

Have them highlight each element of the text they are mentioning, and explain aloud how each one is related to their thesis statement. Have them remove any background information they notice is not directly related.

Have already written their hooks Have them read aloud their complete introduction in sequence: hook, background information, and thesis statement. Then add any information they need to make the transitions smooth.

Finish early Have them create a puzzle for a partner who is also finished, by adding another 1 or 2 sentences of background information, then having the partner try to identify which background information should really be included.

Are ready for a challenge Have them consider word choice with the goal of making the background information more interesting.

Closure (2 minutes) Takeaway Write a new sample thesis statement on the board, such as “Throughout the novel, Harry learns who he is and where he comes from, which helps him become more self-confident.” Have students write an exit ticket telling what background information about the text would be needed to help the reader understand the thesis.



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Thesis Statements Activity Sheet

Definition



Examples



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Definition



My Examples





S



S ✭



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Background Information for Introductions Activity Sheet

What to Include Example

Author

Title of text

Setting: The place and the time (If it is set during a historical time)

Just enough information about the text for the reader to understand your point of view

Put It All Together…



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Background Information for Introductions Activity Sheet Sample

What to Include Example:

Author J. K. Rowling

Title of text

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Setting: The place and the time (if it is set during a historical time)

England, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Just enough Information about the text for the reader to understand your point of view

Harry Potter has lived with his horrible non-magic relatives for 11 years. He is a wizard. He attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He once survived an attack by an evil wizard. He is trying to keep that evil wizard from obtaining the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Put It All Together… In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter is orphaned when an evil wizard, Lord Voldemort, kills his parents. He is raised by a family that makes him feel like a misfit, but then discovers he is a wizard and attends the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, he and his friends try to protect the Sorcerer’s Stone, a stone with magical powers, from Voldemort.



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Thesis Statements for Response to Literature Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to draft their thesis statements for their response to literature essays. Suggested Time 30 minutes Supporting Materials

● Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet (Completed) ● Optional: Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet Sample ● Thesis Statements Activity Sheet ● Thesis Statements Activity Sheet Sample

Technology Used



Tell students that they will be learning about thesis statements and drafting their own. Freewrite (5 minutes)

Prompt Delicious! Think about one of your favorite meals. If you were writing a restaurant menu, what would you name that meal? What description would you write to make people want to order it?

Look for: Students describing a meal clearly without listing all the ingredients Instruction (10 minutes)

Explain Tell students that a menu gives a customer a clear idea of what a meal will be like without listing all the ingredients. Similarly, a thesis statement gives the reader an idea of the essay’s focus without listing every detail. Explain that a good thesis expresses a clear point of view and gives the reader a sense of how that it will be supported. Listing all the reasons that will be given is unnecessary. Model Project your completed Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet. Tell students that you are going to review your point of view, main points, and supporting evidence. Then tell them that you will brainstorm several different thesis statements and see which one best covers your main points.

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Note: If you have not completed a Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet, you can use the completed sample.

Project the Writing Thesis Statements Activity Sheet. Review the information in the top portion, then begin brainstorming a list of potential thesis statements in the Examples section. Think aloud about how you are giving your point of view and providing a preview of all of your main points without actually listing them.

Note: As you brainstorm, make sure to include at least one thesis that’s too broad, one that’s too narrow, and one that’s strong. Consider making this activity sheet into an anchor chart as a reference for students.

Discuss Have volunteers read aloud the thesis statements you have generated. Solicit student ideas about which thesis statement best shows your position and gives the reader an idea of the reasons you will use. Label each thesis as “Too Broad,” “Too Narrow,” or “Strong,” using symbols such as B, N, or S. Star the strongest thesis and think aloud that you plan to use it in your essay. Tell students that the thesis statement may change as you write your essay. So, you won’t worry about perfecting it in the first draft.


Practice Distribute the Writing Thesis Statements Activity Sheet. Have students draft several possible thesis statements for their essay and tell them to refer back to their completed Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheets or other organizers for their point of view and main points. Have students evaluate their thesis statements for size, marking each one as too broad, too narrow, or strong. Have them star their strongest thesis, then log in to TenMarks Writing and add it to their essay. Circulate and conference.

If Students Then

Struggle to generate a thesis statement Have students verbally summarize their topic and main ideas, and then write their summary in one sentence.

Provide them with a sentence frame. For example: [Opinion] because [Reason 1, Reason 2, and Reason 3].

Finish early Have students deliberately come up with a thesis statement that is too narrow and one that is too broad. Have them trade with a partner and revise one another’s statements to make them strong.

Are ready for a challenge Encourage students to think about how they might express a more nuanced point of view on their topic, such as one that accounts for a character’s weaknesses as well as their strengths.

For example: Although Harry is filled with questions about his past and his family, he grows increasingly self-confident once he enrolls at Hogwarts and embarks on his quest to save the Sorcerer’s Stone.



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Closure (5 minutes) Discuss (Partners) Have partners read one another’s thesis statements. Then tell them to provide feedback on whether the point of view is clear and then guess what main points their partner will use to support it. If they cannot guess correctly, have them help their partner revise the thesis statement to give a clearer sense of the main points.



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My Point of View:


Examples or Quotes:

Connection:

Examples or Quotes:

Connection:

Examples or Quotes:

Connection:



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Thesis Statements Activity Sheet

Definition



Examples



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Definition



My Examples





S



S ✭



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Effective Topic Sentences Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to write topic sentences for their supporting paragraph(s). Suggested Time 30 minutes Supporting Materials

● Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet (Completed) ● Optional: Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet Sample

Technology Used



Tell students that they will be writing topic sentences to show the main idea of a paragraph. Freewrite (5 minutes)

Prompt That’s so cool! What’s one of the best days you’ve ever had? Write a list of everything that made it so great. Then try to sum it all up in one short sentence that captures what was so great about the day.

Look for: A sentence that captures the key ideas about a packed day Instruction (7 minutes)

Explain Tell students that strong topic sentences make it clear to the reader what the paragraph will be about and connect the paragraph to the writer’s point of view on the text.

Model Project your completed Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet. Think aloud that you want to review the main points and supporting evidence you plan on using in your supporting paragraph so you can draft a topic sentence that provides a preview of the paragraph. Read aloud one of your main points and the supporting evidence, then think aloud how they are related.

Note: If you have not completed the Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet, you can use the Sample, or any organizer you’ve used to collect reasons and supporting information.

Log in to TenMarks Writing and go to the Demo Student account. Draft a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph and previews the supporting information.

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Note: If students have background knowledge of topic sentences, model how the topic sentence connects back to the thesis statement. Reread your thesis statement and solicit student input as you use transition words and phrases to clarify the connection between your thesis and the topic sentence.


Practice Have students log in to TenMarks Writing and draft their topic sentence(s), referring to their completed Finding Supporting Evidence Activity sheets, or other organizers. Circulate and conference.

Note: If you want students to practice the skill of writing topic sentences first and foremost, have them write the topic sentences for all supporting paragraphs before drafting the paragraphs. Otherwise, have students draft supporting paragraphs one at a time, making sure to write a clear topic sentence for each one.

If Students Then

Struggle to write a clear topic sentence Have them articulate to you or a peer what the paragraph is about and the top three things the paragraph will cover. Then have them put these in writing and combine into a single sentence.

Have trouble connecting their topic sentence with their thesis or other supporting paragraphs

Have students describe the connection between the main point of the paragraph and the thesis statement to you or a friend without looking at the text. Provide students with sentence starters or a set of transitional words or phrases to help explain how their ideas are connected.

Finish early Encourage them to add transitional words or phrases or vary the transitions they have used in their topic sentences. Have them read their topic sentences aloud and improve them, focusing on varying vocabulary and clarifying the relationship between each supporting paragraph and their thesis statement.

Are ready for a challenge Have them consider how to use transitions within their paragraphs to ensure that each piece of supporting evidence connects back to the topic sentence and, by extension, to the thesis.

Closure (2 minutes) Takeaway Have students write an exit ticket with a topic sentence about their favorite book or movie.

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My Point of View:


Examples or Quotes:

Connection:

Examples or Quotes:

Connection:

Examples or Quotes:

Connection:



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Drafting Supporting Paragraphs Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to use supporting evidence in their writing as they draft their supporting paragraphs. Suggested Time 33 minutes Supporting Materials

● Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet (Completed)

● Optional: Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet Sample

● Supporting Paragraphs Anchor Chart ● Supporting Paragraphs Anchor Chart Sample ● Optional: Model of an Essay Anchor Chart

Technology Used



Tell students they will be using the reasons and supporting evidence that they’ve organized to draft strong supporting paragraphs for their essays.


Prompt What’s wrong?!? Tell about a time when someone was angry with you, but you didn’t know why. How did it feel?

Look for: Descriptions of being frustrated by missing information Instruction (10 minutes)

Discuss Explain that when writing supporting paragraphs, writers consider what evidence readers need to understand their examples or quotes and to explain for the reader how those examples and quotes relate to their point of view and main supporting points. Ask students what a reader might find frustrating about reading a supporting paragraph with missing information. Model Project your completed Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet. Review the point of view and one main point. Think aloud about how the supporting evidence connects to the point of view. Explain that you will be turning the point and supporting evidence into your first supporting paragraph.

Note: If you have not completed a Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheet, you can use the sample provided that is based on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

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Next, project the Supporting Paragraphs Anchor Chart, and explain that you need to do five things to write a complete paragraph with supporting evidence your reader can understand. Have volunteers read aloud from the Purpose column to explain the function of the sentences needed in the paragraph. Solicit student input as you draft a paragraph by writing an example of each part of the paragraph on the Supporting Paragraphs Anchor Chart. Think aloud about how each component strengthens the paragraph.

Note: If you have already written topic sentences in another lesson, use one here rather than drafting a new topic sentence.

Log in to TenMarks Writing and go to the Demo Student account. In your writing project, show students the Draft stage, where they will be writing their supporting paragraphs.


Practice Have students log in to TenMarks Writing and draft their supporting paragraphs, using their completed Finding Supporting Evidence Activity Sheets or other organizers in which they gathered their supporting evidence. Consider providing students with a blank copy of the Supporting Paragraphs Anchor Chart to use as a checklist. Circulate and conference as they work.

Note: If students don’t finish drafting their supporting paragraphs, you may need to extend drafting to another class period or assign the remaining paragraphs for homework.

If Students Then

Have trouble introducing an example or quote

Have them think about what evidence they would need to give to someone who has never read the book before. Which example or quote would help make sense of the book to this reader?

Struggle to connect their example to the topic sentence

Have them explain aloud why they selected that quote or example. Have them review the other supporting evidence they generated and select another example or quote.

Struggle to write or try to fix too many mistakes as they go

Ask them to pretend the delete button is broken so that they get their first draft down without worrying about perfecting their work.

Finish early Have them ensure they have used transitions between ideas.

Are ready for a challenge Encourage students to try embedding a quote into their own sentence. For example: Harry was courageous when he “jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as tight as he could.”

Closure (2 minutes)

Reflect

Have students write a Note to Self describing the five parts of a supporting paragraph and why each is important.



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My Point of View:


Examples or Quotes:

Connection:

Examples or Quotes:

Connection:

Examples or Quotes:

Connection:



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Supporting Paragraphs Anchor Chart

Sentence Type

Purpose Example

Topic Sentence

Introduce the Main Point Give the main point and connect it to the point of view expressed in the essay.

Supporting Sentences

Introduce an Example or Quote Give some background about the example or quote so the reader can understand it. If needed, connect it to the previous main point.

Example or Quote State the example or quote. For quotes, include the page number.

Explanation Explain what the example or quote shows and how it connects to the main point.

Closing Sentence

Sum Up Connect the example and main point back to the point of view expressed in the essay.



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Supporting Paragraphs Anchor Chart Sample

Sentence Type

Purpose Example

Topic Sentence

Introduce the Main Point Give the main point and connect it to the point of view expressed in the essay.

At the beginning, Harry is unsure of who he is and mainly avoids confrontation with his unkind relatives.

Supporting Sentences

Introduce an Example or Quote Give some background about the example or quote so the reader can understand it. If needed, connect it to the previous main point.

Harry does not fit in with the Dursleys and anything he does angers his aunt, uncle, and cousin, Dudley.

Example or Quote State the example or quote. For quotes, include the page number.

“The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn’t make them happen.” (p. 24) For example, his hair grows back after his aunt gives him a bad haircut and he finds himself on the school roof after he hides from Dudley’s friends.

Explanation Explain what the example or quote shows and how it connects to the main point.

Without knowing he is a wizard, he can’t understand why these things happen. When he gets punished for them, he has no explanation.

Closing Sentence

Sum Up Connect the example and main point back to the point of view expressed in the essay.

His uncertainty about who he is and why things happen to him, along with his relatives’ mean treatment, make it so he doesn’t have much confidence in himself.



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Introduction


Conclusion



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Conclusions for Response to Literature Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to draft their concluding paragraphs. Suggested Time 30 minutes Supporting Materials

● Planning a Conclusion Anchor Chart ● Planning a Conclusion Anchor Chart Sample ● Why It Matters Activity Sheet ● Why It Matters Activity Sheet Sample

Technology Used



Tell students that they will learn about the elements of a conclusion and draft concluding paragraphs for their essays.


Prompt Don’t leave me hanging! Think about a time when a conversation or movie ended abruptly or was interrupted. Write about what happened and how it felt to leave it unfinished.

Look for: Descriptions of frustration or confusion because of loose ends Instruction (12 minutes)

Create a reference Tell students that just as people get more from a conversation or a movie that has a clear ending, readers get more out of an essay when the writer wraps it up with a strong conclusion. Direct students’ attention to the triangle that represents the conclusion in the Planning a Conclusion Anchor Chart. Then explain that a strong conclusion has three parts. Have volunteers read aloud the bottom half of the page explaining the purpose of each part of a conclusion. Model Solicit student input as you briefly model drafting the Review Thesis Statement and Summary of Main Points at the bottom of the Planning a Conclusion Anchor Chart. Then, tell students that the Why It

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Matters part is important because it gives the reader a takeaway from the essay and helps the writing make a strong impression. Project the Why It Matters Activity Sheet Sample. Explain that there are many ways to say why the topic or text matters and that some are listed on the sheet. Have volunteers read aloud the descriptions of each type of statement and examples. Think aloud about which type of Why It Matters statement would make the most powerful takeaway for your reader, and draft one to complete your Planning a Conclusion Anchor Chart. Then model reading over the whole conclusion to see how it flows.

Application (12 minutes) Practice Have students log in to TenMarks Writing and review their thesis and main points. Have them turn to a partner and briefly explain their thesis in different words and summarize their main points. Have them consider which type of Why It Matters statement they want to include. Then have them draft their conclusion.

If Students Then

Struggle to restate their thesis Encourage them to imagine explaining their main points to a younger student.

Struggle to summarize their main points briefly

Have them pretend they need to send their main points as a text message. Then tell them to consider what the text would say.

Struggle with Why It Matters Have them think of a person they would recommend the book to, and explain aloud to another student how that person would benefit from reading it.

Finish early Have students compare their conclusions and introductions to ensure they are not using the same words to express their ideas.

Are ready for a challenge Encourage them to think of a new kind of Why It Matters that is not on the activity sheet and provide an example of it.

Closure (2 minutes) Discuss (Partners) Have partners read each other’s concluding paragraphs and give each other feedback on which of the three parts are strong and which could be stronger. Encourage them to make specific suggestions to strengthen each other’s writing.



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Planning a Conclusion Anchor Chart

Conclusion

Review Thesis Statement: Restate your thesis in a different way.

Summary of Main Points: Briefly summarize your supporting points, connecting them to the thesis.

Why It Matters: Helps the reader understand a major takeaway from the text.



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Planning a Conclusion Anchor Chart Sample

Conclusion

Review Thesis Statement: Restate your thesis in a different way. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry becomes much more self-confident as he learns more about himself throughout the events in the story. Summary of Main Points: Briefly summarize your supporting points, connecting them to the thesis. Harry transforms from a timid, nonconfrontational child living with his horrible relatives to a strong and brave wizard who stands up for himself and his friends. Why It Matters: Helps the reader understand a major takeaway from the text. After reading the story, I hope more people will take on some of the characteristics of Harry and his friends: loyalty, courage, and the confidence to stand up for what is right.



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Why It Matters Activity Sheet

Type of Why It Matters Statement Example

Make a Personal Connection Tell the reader how your takeaway from the book has affected the way you live your life.

Hope for the Future Describe something you would like to happen that relates to your topic.

Appeal to Emotion Tell your reader something that will make them care.

Connect to Current Events Connect your topic to something that is happening in the world today.

Call to Action Challenge your reader to do something.



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Why It Matters Activity Sheet Sample

Type of Why It Matters Statement Example

Make a Personal Connection Tell the reader how your takeaway from the book has affected the way you live your life.

Like Harry in the beginning, I can be timid and unsure of myself, but I am working on my confidence. This story is teaching me how important it is to trust myself and know who I am.

Hope for the Future Describe something you would like to happen that relates to your topic.

After reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone , I hope more people will take on some of the characteristics of Harry and his friends: loyalty, courage, and the confidence to stand up for what is right.

Appeal to Emotion Tell your reader something that will make them care.

Harry Potter may be famous and celebrated, but he never forgets what it is like to be an outcast because that is how he lived until he was 11 years old.

Connect to Current Events Connect your topic to something that is happening in the world today.

Bullying in schools and online is a huge problem today. We should stand up for each other, just like Harry Potter and his friends.

Call to Action Challenge your reader to do something.

We can all take a cue from Harry Potter. We need to stand up for what is right and for people who do not have the voice to speak out, even if that makes you rebellious or unpopular.



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Revising with ARMS Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to revise their writing using the ARMS strategy. Suggested Time 30 minutes Supporting Materials

● Revising with ARMS Activity Sheet ● Revising with ARMS Activity Sheet Sample

● Revising with ARMS Anchor Chart ● Optional: Parts of a Paragraph Anchor Chart ● Optional: Model of an Essay Anchor Chart

Technology Used

Students: TenMarks Writing Project (Revise & Edit Stage) Teacher: Demo Student account (optional)


Tell students that they will be reading and revising their writing using the ARMS strategy. Freewrite (5 minutes)

Prompt You just don’t understand! Describe a time when a misunderstanding led to conflict with another person.

Look for: Descriptions of miscommunication

Instruction (7 minutes) Explain Tell students that just as clear communication can help you avoid conflict in relationships, clear writing can prevent a reader from misunderstanding your essay. Write the acronym ARMS on the board and complete the word that each letter stands for:

Add Remove Move Substitute

Remind students that during the revision process, they will be focusing on their ideas and phrasing instead of on spelling, grammar, or punctuation. Explain that you can use ARMS to improve your writing at the essay, paragraph, or sentence level. Think aloud that you are going to look at some sentences to see how you can revise them with ARMS.

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Note: If you are introducing ARMS for the first time to students, consider teaching each letter of the mnemonic separately, or give students more practice with each before applying the strategy to their own writing.

Model Project the Revising with ARMS Activity Sheet. Read through each kind of revision, soliciting student input as you model how to add information, remove unnecessary information, move information so your writing flows logically, and substitute for repetitive words or phrases.

Note: Instead of using the activity sheet to model revising, you can also use your sample essay from the Demo Student account if you have been writing along with your class.


Practice Project the ARMS Anchor Chart as a reference for students. Have students log in to TenMarks Writing and begin revising their writing. Circulate and conference.

If Students Then

Struggle to identify places to revise their work

Encourage them to use their Parts of a Paragraph Anchor Chart and the Model of an Essay Anchor Chart to ensure they have all the necessary components in each paragraph.

Have copied from a text Encourage them to substitute their own words (paraphrasing) or add quotation marks around part of the information and paraphrase the rest. You may need to remind students how to properly introduce a quote.

Finish early Encourage students to review their writing and see where they can add transitions between ideas to make them flow better. Have them review their language use and vary their vocabulary.

Are ready for a challenge Have students read through their writing with an ear for their own style and voice, looking for consistency as they revise.

Have students add figurative language and figures of speech to their writing where appropriate.


Reflect Have students write a Note to Self explaining how it feels to delay revising until after the whole draft is written, and why doing so might be a helpful strategy.



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Revising with ARMS Activity Sheet

First Draft Revision

Add When Snape takes the Stone, Hermione and Ron try to convince Harry not to go.

Add

Remove Harry learns how to play Quidditch after Professor McGonagall sees him fly on his broom, which is a good thing because Ron loves Quidditch.

Remove

Move Because of Harry’s determination, Ron and Hermione agree to help him. Harry decides he needs to stop Voldemort at all costs.

Move

Substitute Harry’s understanding of himself and his past helps him become a better person.

Substitute



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Revising with ARMS Activity Sheet Sample

First Draft Revision

Add When Snape takes the Stone, Hermione and Ron try to convince Harry not to go.

Add When Snape takes the Stone, Hermione and Ron try to convince Harry not to go after him to get it back.

Remove Harry learns how to play Quidditch after Professor McGonagall sees him fly on his broom, which is a good thing because Ron loves Quidditch.

Remove Harry learns how to play Quidditch after Professor McGonagall sees him fly on his broom.

Move Because of Harry’s determination, Ron and Hermione agree to help him. Harry decides he needs to stop Voldemort at all costs.

Move Harry decides he needs to stop Voldemort at all costs. Because of Harry’s determination, Ron and Hermione agree to help him.

Substitute Harry’s understanding of himself and his past helps him become a better person.

Substitute Harry’s understanding of himself and his past helps him become more self-confident.



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Revising with ARMS Anchor Chart


See if you can add: Words that make ideas clearer Transitions between paragraphs and ideas Details and descriptions Facts, quotations, explanations

Take out any: Words or sentences that do not make sense Wordy phrases that could be shorter or clearer Sentences that are not on your topic

Change the order of: Sentences related to ideas in another part of your writing Facts and details that fit better in a different paragraph Transitions that fit better in a different spot

Switch out: Vivid verbs for dull verbs Appropriate words for slang words or phrases Related details for unrelated details



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Parts of a Paragraph Anchor Chart

Topic Sentence Introduces the main idea of the paragraph and explains

the connection to the main idea of the essay

Supporting Sentences Introduce your supporting information and explain how it relates to your topic sentence

Closing Sentence Summarizes the example and describes how it supports the

topic sentence and main idea of the paragraph



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Introduction


Conclusion



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Editing with CAPS Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to edit their writing using the CAPS acronym. Suggested Time 29 minutes Supporting Materials

● CAPS Anchor Chart ● Practice with CAPS Activity Sheet ● Practice with CAPS Activity Sheet Sample

Technology Used

Students: TenMarks Writing Project (Revise & Edit Stage) Teacher: Demo Student account


Tell students that they’ll be improving their writing by editing for spelling, grammar, and mechanics. Freewrite (5 minutes)

Prompt What is it like to walk backwards or say every word in a sentence in the reverse order? Explain how the experience is different from what you normally do.

Look for: Students explaining it takes more thought or you have to be more careful or go more slowly

Instruction (7 minutes)

Explain Tell students that often we try to delay judgment about mistakes so you can get your ideas down and then fix the mistakes later. Now is that time. They will now be editing their work to make sure that they are clearly presenting their thoughts and catching any mistakes they may have made. Practice Project the CAPS Anchor Chart and distribute the Practice with CAPS Activity Sheet. Tell them that when you are editing, reading a text out loud can help you find and catch errors. Tell students to raise their hands if they see or hear any errors as you read aloud the text from the activity sheet, starting with the last sentence and working backwards. Solicit student input as you read aloud and fix your errors, regularly reminding students to look for errors in Capitalization, All sentences checked, Punctuation, and Spelling on the activity sheet.

Editing with CAPS Response to Literature


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Note: If you have additional time, you can also show how to edit one of the paragraphs you wrote in the Demo Student account. If your students cited references, tell them that the CAPS acronym doesn’t work well for references because references are not in complete sentences and they have a different formatting. If students are unfamiliar with CAPS, consider teaching one letter of the acronym at a time and having students practice with it, using both the activity sheet and their own writing.


Practice Have students edit their work in TenMarks Writing. Explain that they will be editing from the bottom up in TenMarks Writing, just as they did on the activity sheet. Circulate and conference.

If Students Then

Struggle to identify parts of their work to edit

Have them read their work aloud or listen to a partner read his or her work. As students read aloud, encourage them to listen for errors.

Struggle to recognize errors in capitalization, sentences, punctuation, and spelling

Have them focus on one specific editing focus from the CAPS acronym and then ask them to move to the next one.

Finish early Encourage them to write a note to you or to themselves about their next writing goal based on the errors they edited. Assign a TenMarks practice set of questions on a language topic that students need to review.

Are ready for a challenge Ask them to add more sentence variety. Have them analyze their writing for the types of sentences they use, and read it aloud to hear the rhythm of their writing. Then they can modify their sentence types to vary the rhythm they hear. Have them look for where they can add a very short sentence among longer sentences for impact.

Closure (2 minutes) Reflect Have students write a Note to Self in which they rate themselves using a scale of 1 to 5 on how much their work improved through editing, where 1 is almost no improvement and 5 is much, much better. Have them explain their ratings using a specific example from their work.



98

CAPS Anchor Chart

Capitalization All sentences checked

Punctuation Spelling

Look at each: ● First word of a sentence

● Word in a title ● Name of a person or a place

Watch out for: ● Missing words ● Really long sentences

● Vague or shifting pronouns

● Sentences that sound strange

See if you need to add or take out: ● End punctuation ● Commas, parentheses, or dashes

● Apostrophes ● Quotation marks

Look for words that: ● Are misspelled ● Are homophones of the correct word

● Sound wrong in the sentence (“I came form home.”)



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Practice with CAPS Activity Sheet

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone , by J. K. Rowling, show the fight of good and evil. Throut the

book, harry has to fight back against many cruel people, his aunt and uncle, his cousin and his

friends, and Draco Malfoy, all of whom try to make Harry’s life miserable by being mean to him the

worst of them all, is Voldemort, the most evilest wizard who killed Harry Potter’s parents. Voldemort

embodies dark magic and evil, and is trying to come back into pour after being gone for 11 years. He

is looking for the Sorcerer’s Stone so that he can have eternal life. Harry and his friends try to stop

him and harry eventually confronts him and prevents him from getting the stone. Harry’s victory

shows the power of love, goodness, and friendship over evil and Darkness.



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Practice with CAPS Activity Sheet Sample

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone , by J. K. Rowling, shows the fight of between good and evil.

Throughout the book, hHarry has to fight back against many cruel people, such as his aunt and

uncle, his cousin and his friends, and Draco Malfoy, all of whom try to make Harry’s life miserable by

being mean to him. The worst of them all, by far, is Voldemort, the most evilest wizard who killed

Harry Potter’s parents. Voldemort embodies dark magic and evil, and is trying to come back into

pourpower after being gone for 11 years. He is looking for the Sorcerer’s Stone so that he can have

eternal life. Harry and his friends try to stop him. and Eventually, Harry eventually confronts him and

prevents him from getting the stone. Harry’s victory shows the power of love, goodness, and

friendship over evil and Ddarkness.



101

Planning to Publish Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to make a plan for publishing their writing. Suggested Time 30 minutes Supporting Materials

● Ways to Publish Anchor Chart ● Ways to Publish Anchor Chart Sample

Technology Used

Students: TenMarks Writing Project (Publish Stage) Teacher: Demo Student account


Tell students they will be making a plan to publish their final draft. Freewrite (5 minutes)

Prompt Tell the world! Imagine you have an announcement you want to make or an issue you want to draw people’s attention to. How would you make sure your audience hears you? Explain your choice.

Look for: Descriptions of publishing work or reaching audiences Instruction (7 minutes)

Discuss (Partners) Show the Ways to Publish Anchor Chart. Tell students they will create a list of possible ways to publish that will help them choose how to publish their piece. Have students turn to a partner and briefly discuss how they might publish. Create a Reference Have partners share out some of their ideas with the class. As students share, write these ideas on the Ways to Publish Anchor Chart and think aloud about how the writing will be shown and who will see it. Encourage students to add further ideas about who else might be interested.

Note: If you have already created this reference when teaching a previous genre, refer students to the anchor chart and ask what other ways they might want to publish. For example, if social media is listed as a publishing option, encourage students to think about other Internet-based publishing options, such as blog posts and school websites. Add these to the anchor chart. Ask students if there are ways that stand out as especially good for sharing their work.

Planning to Publish TenMarks Writing


102

Model Log into TenMarks Writing and go to the Demo Student account. Project the final draft of your writing. Tell students that you are going to review it and decide how to publish it. Think aloud about the audience you had in mind. Solicit students’ opinions about effective ways to publish, encouraging suggestions based on the Ways to Publish Anchor Chart. Once you decide how to publish, think aloud about next steps.

For example: If you and your students decide that your writing could be published in a local newspaper, think about who might see it and how you would submit your writing.


Practice Tell students that they will now review their final drafts and choose how to publish their work. Have students log in to TenMarks Writing and save their writing as completed work. Have students consider how they want to share their work and next steps to take. Circulate and conference. Encourage students to think about publishing in more than one way. Have them consider including additional materials that often accompany published work, such as illustrations, diagrams, or cartoons. Discuss (Partners) Have students turn to a partner to describe their intended audience and how they want to publish to reach those readers. Have partners give feedback and provide some ideas about next steps the author needs to take. Have them swap roles.

If Students Then

Struggle to decide on a method of publishing

Have students describe their intended audience to you or a peer. Have them think about where people would be most likely to see their writing.

Are not comfortable drawing attention to themselves or their work

Have them create individual portfolios for their work. Ask one or more of your students’ teachers from previous years if they, or their current students, would make a good audience for your students’ work.

Want to publish their work in a forum outside of school, such as an online writing contest or a periodical

Assist them in looking up the rules of submission and the mailing or e-mail address for their chosen forum.

Quickly decide how to publish their work and develop next steps

Encourage them to design materials to enhance their work, such as related illustrations or diagrams.

Closure (2 minutes)

Note to Self Congratulate students on finishing their assignment. Have them write a Note to Self about one thing they’re proud of and one thing they want to work on in future writing pieces.



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Ways to Publish Anchor Chart



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Ways to Publish Anchor Chart Sample

Online ● In blog posts ● On social networks ● E-mail ● On school website

Print

● In local newspaper ● In school newspaper ● In a magazine ● As part of an anthology ● On a poster or bulletin board in school

Aloud

● In a different class ● At an open mic ● At a publishing party ● To family, friends, or other adults, such as teachers, a principal, or a coach



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Planning a One Paragraph Response Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to brainstorm main points to support their point of view and generate supporting

evidence related to one point.


Supporting Materials ● Main Points and Evidence Activity Sheet

● Main Points and Evidence Activity Sheet Sample

Preparation ● If you have not already done so, create or choose an essay prompt for your students

in TenMarks Writing.

● Gather copies of the text that students are responding to so they can look through these

for quotes and examples.

Technology Used

None

Name the Focus (1 minute) Tell students that they will be brainstorming points to support their point of view about a text and

generating supporting evidence related to one of the points.

Freewrite (5 minutes) Prompt

Describe a time you had to convince someone of something very quickly. What did you tell that person?

Look for: Focusing on the most persuasive facts and details to convince someone

Instruction (7 minutes) Explain

Tell students that writers use evidence to provide strong support for their ideas and point of view. Tell

them that in a short one-paragraph response, they are limited to only one supporting point and a small

amount of evidence, so they will need to focus on only the strongest support for their point. Explain that

you’ll be using the following four steps to do that (and write them on the board):

Planning a One Paragraph Response Response to Literature: One Paragraph


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1. Take a position

2. Brainstorm supporting points

3. Choose a top supporting point

4. Write supporting information

Model

Model the four steps:

1. Write your point of view on the text. Think aloud that you won’t worry about phrasing for now.

2. Tell students that you want to think of many possible supporting points; you will review them for

quality later. Solicit student input while you brainstorm main points that relate to your opinion.

Note: You can use the Main Points and Evidence Activity Sheet Sample for a sample set of

supporting points and evidence.

3. Explain that the next step is to choose just one point that will be the main idea of your paragraph.

Review your supporting points and think aloud as you choose the one that best addresses the

prompt.

4. Solicit student input as you select information to best support your main point. Model looking for

evidence from the text to support it:

● Skim and scan for parts of the text that relate to your main point.

● Read closely to find supporting details.

● Take notes on details or quotes you find. Put quotes around text you copy down directly.

● Write page number(s) so you can find the information again.

Application (11 minutes) Explain

Tell students that they will now be writing their opinion on a text, brainstorming supporting points,

choosing just one main point, and finding supporting evidence for it. Remind students of a brainstorming

norm: Generate as many ideas as possible without self-censoring.

Practice

Distribute the Main Points and Evidence Activity Sheet and make sure students have a copy of the text to

look up evidence. Have students follow the four steps on the board, making sure to write down an

example or quote that supports their chosen main point. Circulate and conference.

If Students Then

Struggle to identify a point of view Have them think about the prompt and tell you their first reaction.

Struggle to generate supporting points

for their point of view

Have them work with a partner to explain their ideas orally while

the partner takes notes on the explanations.

Struggle to identify which main point

they want to base their paragraph on

Ask what they would say to convince someone who disagreed with

their point of view.

Are not able to generate at least three

supporting facts or details for the main

point

Coach students on broadening their main point or changing to one

that can be better supported.



107

Struggle to find supporting evidence in

the text

Have them work in groups with peers who are writing on the same

prompt and have a similar point of view on the text.

Don’t explain why a quote supports the

main point

Have students describe the connection between a quote and the

main point to you or a friend without looking at the text.

Finish early Encourage them to consider which of their other supporting points

they could include in their paragraph to reinforce the main point.

Are ready for a challenge Encourage students to think deeply as they come up with points,

considering what they can infer, rather than what is stated directly.

Closure (2 to 3 minutes) Discuss (Partners)

Have students share with a partner why they chose the main point for their paragraph.



108

Main Points and Evidence Activity Sheet

Prompt:

My Point of View:

Supporting Points

Related Evidence

Examples or Quotes:

Connection:



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Main Points and Evidence Activity Sheet Sample

Prompt: In a paragraph, describe the main character of the story. What is something about the

main character that stands out to you?

My Point of View: Harry’s tremendous courage is what makes him stand out.

Supporting Points

● Harry learns Voldemort killed his parents and gave him his scar.

● Voldemort lost most of his powers and is struggling to regain them by searching for the

Sorcerer’s Stone.

● Voldemort possesses Quirrell and uses him to get at Harry and the Stone.

● Harry starts to discover his own powers, but he does not have much control over them yet.

● In the end, Harry faces Quirrell/Voldemort by himself and defeats him alone. ✭

Related Evidence

Examples or Quotes:

Hermione and Ron try to convince Harry not to go after the Stone, but he does not care about getting

caught. “‘I’ll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there, it’s only dying a

bit later than I would have… I’m going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going

to stop me!’” (page 270)

Harry risks his own life to keep the Stone from Voldemort. He grabs Quirrell and holds on even when

he screams and resists. “The pain in Harry’s head was building—he couldn’t see—he could only hear

Quirrell’s terrible shrieks and Voldemort’s yells of ‘KILL HIM!’” (page 295)

Connection:

Harry knows that he is in danger, but continues to go after Voldemort.



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Drafting a Response to Literature Paragraph Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to draft a paragraph by incorporating supporting evidence from a text.


Supporting Materials ● Main Points and Evidence Activity Sheet (Completed)

● Main Points and Evidence Activity Sheet Sample

● Drafting a Response to Literature Paragraph Anchor Chart

● Drafting a Response to Literature Paragraph Anchor Chart Sample

Technology Used

Students: TenMarks Writing Project (Draft Stage)

Teacher: Demo Student account

Name the Focus (1 minute) Tell students that they will be analyzing details and examples from the text as they draft their paragraph.

Freewrite (5 minutes) Prompt

Write a description of the most interesting field trip you ever went on with a class. Use specific examples

to describe your field trip.

Look for: Examples or details about students’ experiences

Instruction (10 minutes) Discuss

Tell students that just as details help others understand a memory you describe, details help readers

understand a writer’s opinion. Explain that when writing a paragraph in response to a piece of literature,

writers use examples or quotes from the text to help the reader understand their opinion about it.

Model

Project your completed Main Points and Evidence Activity Sheet. Review the point you starred. Think

aloud about how the evidence connects to it. Explain that you will be turning the point you chose and its

supporting evidence into your paragraph.

Note: If you have not completed a Main Points and Evidence Activity Sheet, you can use the

Sample provided that is based on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone .

Drafting a Response to Literature Paragraph Response to Literature: One Paragraph


111

Next, project the Drafting a Response to Literature Paragraph Anchor Chart, and explain that you need to

include five types of sentences to write a complete paragraph with supporting evidence that your reader

can understand. Have volunteers read aloud from the Purpose column to explain the function of the

sentences needed in the paragraph.

Solicit student input as you draft a paragraph by writing an example of each part on the Response to

Literature Paragraph Anchor Chart. Think aloud about how each component strengthens the paragraph.

Log in to TenMarks Writing and go to the Demo Student account. In your writing project, show students

the Draft stage, where they will be writing their paragraph.


Practice

Have students log in to TenMarks Writing and draft their topic sentence, supporting sentences, and

closing sentence. Encourage students to use any notes they’ve taken and/or materials they’ve

referenced to support their paragraph with details and examples as they draft.

If Students Then

Need further support organizing their

ideas

Have them complete the Drafting a Response to Literature

Paragraph Anchor Chart before drafting in TenMarks Writing.

Have trouble introducing an example or

quote

Have them think about what evidence they would need to give to

someone who has never read the book before. Which example or

quote would help make sense of the book to this reader?

Struggle to connect their example to

the topic sentence

Have them explain aloud why they selected that quote or example.

Have them review any other supporting evidence they generated

and select another example or quote.

Struggle to write or try to fix too many

mistakes as they go

Suggest they pretend the delete button is broken so that they get

their first draft down without worrying about perfecting their work.

Finish early Have them try to find additional details that might interest the

reader, then add these to the paragraph.

Have them try to add transitions within their paragraph to make

clearer connections between ideas and information.

Are ready for a challenge Encourage them to try embedding a quote into their own sentence.

For example: Harry was courageous when he “jumped to his feet,

caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as tight as he could.”

Closure (1 minute) Discuss (Partners)

Have students read a partner’s paragraph and share one thing that their partner did well. Then the

partners should switch roles.



112

Main Points and Evidence Activity Sheet

Prompt:

My Point of View:

Supporting Points

Related Evidence

Examples or Quotes:

Connection:



113

Main Points and Evidence Activity Sheet Sample

Prompt: In a paragraph, describe the main character of the story. What is something about the main

character that stands out to you?


Supporting Points

● Harry learns Voldemort killed his parents and gave him his scar.

● Voldemort lost most of his powers and is struggling to regain them by searching for the

Sorcerer’s Stone.

● Voldemort possesses Quirrell and uses him to get at Harry and the Stone.

● Harry starts to discover his own powers, but he does not have much control over them yet.

● In the end, Harry faces Quirrell/Voldemort by himself and defeats him alone. ✭

Related Evidence

Examples or Quotes:

Hermione and Ron try to convince Harry not to go after the Stone, but he does not care about getting

caught. “‘I’ll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there, it’s only dying a

bit later than I would have… I’m going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going

to stop me!’” (page 270)

Harry risks his own life to keep the Stone from Voldemort. He grabs Quirrell and holds on even when

he screams and resists. “The pain in Harry’s head was building—he couldn’t see—he could only hear

Quirrell’s terrible shrieks and Voldemort’s yells of ‘KILL HIM!’” (page 295)

Connection:

Harry knows that he is in danger, but continues to go after Voldemort.



114

Drafting a Response to Literature Paragraph Anchor Chart

Prompt:

My Point of View:

Sentence Type

Purpose Example

Topic

Sentence

Introduce the Main Point

Give the main point and respond to

the prompt. Introduce the text and

the author.

Supporting

Sentences

Introduce an Example or Quote

Give some background. Set up the

example or quote so the reader can

understand it.

Example or Quote

State the example or quote. For

quotes, include the page number.

Explanation

Explain what the example or quote

shows.

Closing

Sentence

Sum Up

Connect the example back to the

main point expressed in the

paragraph.



115

Drafting a Response to Literature Paragraph Anchor Chart Sample

Prompt: In a paragraph, describe the main character of the story. What is something about the main

character that stands out to you?


Sentence Type

Purpose Example

Topic

Sentence

Introduce the Main Point

Give the main point and respond to

the prompt. Introduce the text and

the author.

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone , by J. K.

Rowling, the main character, Harry, shows

tremendous courage that makes him stand out.

Supporting

Sentences

Introduce an Example or Quote

Give some background. Set up the

example or quote so the reader can

understand it.

In the story, Harry faces Lord Voldemort in a quest to

prevent him from regaining his old powers. When

Harry was a baby, Voldemort killed his parents and

tried to kill Harry too, but ended up destroying his

own powers. Voldemort disappears for years, but

then returns for the Sorcerer’s Stone, which is

supposed to give him his powers and immortality. He

possesses a professor at Hogwarts, Quirrell, to help

get the Stone. Using Quirrell, Voldemort threatens

Harry again and again with his terrible powers.

Example or Quote

State the example or quote. For

quotes, include the page number.

In the end, Harry risks his own life to keep the Stone

from Voldemort. He grabs Quirrell and holds on even

when he screams and resists. “The pain in Harry’s

head was building—he couldn’t see—he could only

hear Quirrell’s terrible shrieks and Voldemort’s yells

of ‘KILL HIM!’” (page 295)

Explanation

Explain what the example or quote

shows.

In this terrible situation, Harry must have been in so

much pain, and he must have been afraid for his life.

Closing

Sentence

Sum Up

Connect the example back to the

main point expressed in the

paragraph.

Many people would have run away from danger, but

Harry shows his great courage by staying and

fighting for what he knows is right.



116

Revising and Editing Lesson Plan

Learning Objective Students will be able to revise their writing with the ARMS strategy and edit with CAPS.


Supporting Materials ● Acronyms to Improve Writing Anchor Chart● Practice with ARMS and CAPS Activity Sheet● Practice with ARMS and CAPS Activity Sheet Sample

● Optional: Strong Paragraph Anchor Chart● Response to Literature Paragraph Checklist● Response to Literature Paragraph

Checklist Sample

Technology Used

Students: TenMarks Writing Project (Revise & Edit Stage) Teacher: None

Name the Focus (1 minute) Tell students that they will revise their writing with ARMS and edit with CAPS.

Freewrite (5 minutes) Prompt Say that again? Tell about a time when you did not understand something the first time, but hearing it explained again helped you to comprehend it. What made a difference for you?

Look for: Descriptions of ideas being clearer when explained in a different way

Instruction (12 minutes) Explain Tell students that just as explaining an idea a little differently can clarify for the listener, revising and editing is the writer’s chance to make ideas clearer for the reader.

Remind students that during the revision process, they will focus on their ideas and phrasing first and then on spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Explain that it makes sense to leave the editing until the end because the revision process may introduce new errors.

Note: If you are introducing ARMS or CAPS for the first time, consider using the Acronyms to Improve Writing Anchor Chart to teach each part of the strategies separately.

Model Project the Acronyms to Improve Writing Anchor Chart and briefly review each part. Distribute a copy of the Practice with ARMS and CAPS Activity Sheet. Ask students to focus first on revisions, not on editing.

Revising and Editing Response to Literature: One Paragraph


Have them compare the first sentences in each paragraph. Then have students share out which letter from ARMS corresponds to the revisions. Practice (Partners) Have students pair up and read the remaining sentences in the paragraphs to find other revisions. Have students label the changes with A, R, M, or S. Then have them share their changes with the group. Explain Tell students that when they are editing, reading a text out loud backwards can help them catch errors because they will need to read more slowly and carefully. Encourage the observation that their brain can fill in the correct word and that they would miss the error if they read the text normally. Tell students to raise their hands if they hear errors as you read aloud the first draft from the activity sheet. Start with the last sentence and work backwards. Remind students to look for errors using CAPS.


Practice Have students log in to TenMarks Writing to revise and edit their writing. Circulate and conference.

Note: If students cited references, tell them that the CAPS acronym doesn’t work well with them because they are formatted differently.

If Students Then

Struggle to identify what to revise Encourage them to refer to the Strong Paragraph Anchor Chart to review all of the necessary components in their paragraph.

Struggle to identify parts of their work to edit

Have them read their work aloud or listen to a partner read their work. As students read aloud, encourage them to listen for errors.

Have trouble recognizing errors using CAPS

Have them first apply one specific editing focus from the CAPS acronym and then move to the next one.

Copy exact language from a reference Encourage them to substitute their own words or to add quotation marks around part of the information and paraphrase the rest. You may need to remind students of how to properly introduce a quote.

Finish early Have students examine the first line of the second draft on the activity sheet: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling, shows the fight between good and evil. Then tell them to look for places in their own writing where they can add a parenthetical phrase with commas. Assign a TenMarks Writing assignment on editing based on the elements that students need to practice.

Are ready for a challenge Have students reread their writing and look for a group of sentences that are about the same length and sound similar. Encourage them to combine the sentences or introduce a very short sentence to add sentence variety.



118


Reflect Distribute the Response to Literature Paragraph Checklist. Then ask students to assess their own paragraph in the four areas, giving each area a check for meeting expectations, a minus for needing more work, and a plus for exceeding expectations. After they have graded themselves, have them make further changes to their paragraph where necessary.



119

Acronyms to Improve Writing Anchor Chart

ARMS


See if you can add: ● Words that make

ideas clearer ● Transitions between

paragraphs and ideas

● Details and

descriptions ● Facts, quotations,

or explanations

Take out any: ● Words or

sentences that do not make sense

● Wordy phrases

that could be shorter or clearer

● Sentences that are

not on your topic

Change the order of: ● Sentences related to

ideas in another part of your writing

● Facts and details that

fit better in a different paragraph

● Transitions that fit

better in a different spot

Switch out: ● Vivid verbs for

dull verbs ● Appropriate words

for slang words or phrases

● Related details for

unrelated details

CAPS

Capitalization All sentences checked

Punctuation Spelling

Look at each: ● First word of

a sentence ● Word in a title ● Name of a person or

a place

Watch out for:

● Missing verbs

● Long sentences

● Missing short words, like a and the

● Sentences that

sound strange

See if you need to add or take out:

● Periods

● Question marks

● Commas

● Apostrophes

● Quotation marks

Look for words that:

● Have misspellings

● Sound the same, but spelled differently

● Sound wrong in the

sentence (“I came form home.”)



120

Practice with ARMS and CAPS Activity Sheet

First Draft

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling show the fight of good and evil. Throut

the book, harry has to fight back against many crool people. The worst of them all, is Voldemort, the

most evilest wizard who killed Harry Potter’s parents and is the worst wizard ever. After being

gone for 11 years, Voldemort is trying to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone so that he can have Eternal Life?

Harry’s victory shows the power of love, goodness, and friendship over evil and darkness. Harry and

his friends try to stop him and eventually, Harry stops him from getting the stone.

Second Draft

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling, shows the fight between good and evil.

Throughout the book, Harry has to fight back against many cruel people. The worst of them all, by

far, is Voldemort, the evil wizard who killed Harry Potter’s parents. After being gone for 11 years,

Voldemort is trying to come back into power by stealing the Sorcerer’s Stone so that he can have

eternal life. Eventually, Harry and his friends confront him and prevent him from getting the stone.

Harry’s victory shows the power of love, goodness, and friendship over evil and darkness.



121

Practice with ARMS and CAPS Activity Sheet Sample

First Draft

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling, shows the fight of between good and evil. Throughout the book, hHarry has to fight back against many croolcruel people. The worst of them A R all, by far, is Voldemort, the most evilest wizard who killed Harry Potter’s parents and is the worst A wizard ever. After being gone for 11 years, Voldemort is trying to come back into power by stealing the Sorcerer’s Stone so that he can have Eeternal Llife?. Harry’s victory shows the power of love, goodness, and friendship over evil and darkness. Harry and his friends try to stop him. and S eEventually, Harry and his friends stop him confront him and prevent him from getting the stone. M Harry’s victory shows the power of love, goodness, and friendship over evil and darkness.

Second Draft

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling, shows the fight between good and evil. Throughout the book, Harry has to fight back against many cruel people. The worst of them all, by far, is Voldemort, the evil wizard who killed Harry Potter’s parents. After being gone for 11 years, Voldemort is trying to come back into power by stealing the Sorcerer’s Stone so that he can have eternal life. Eventually, Harry and his friends confront him and prevent him from getting the stone. Harry’s victory shows the power of love, goodness, and friendship over evil and darkness.



122

Strong Paragraph Anchor Chart



123

Response to Literature Paragraph Checklist

Category Description

Scoring

Ideas and Support States an opinion about the text and supports it with evidence.

Organization Shows standard paragraph format (topic sentence, supporting sentences, and closing sentence).

Language Uses clear, appropriate language to respond to the text.

Editing Is edited and shows few grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes.

Notes



124

Response to Literature Paragraph Checklist Sample

Category Description

Scoring

Ideas and Support States an opinion about the text and supports it with evidence.

Organization Shows standard paragraph format (topic sentence, supporting sentences, and closing sentence).

Language Uses clear, appropriate language to respond to the text.

Editing Is edited and shows few grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes.

Notes My paragraph has great ideas. I needed a closing sentence though, so I will add that in. Maybe I could

find some better synonyms, but I used pretty good language overall, and I edited really well.



125

Documents

Response to Literature Essay All Lessons · PDF fileResponse to Literature Essay All Lessons ... or writing whatever comes into your mind without ... ask them to help you think about