Acquisition Lesson Plan Concept: Determining and Revealing Theme

Acquisition Lessons need to be differentiated; use multiple methods of presentation, strategic instruction and assessment to differentiate learning. Differentiation is italicized within the lesson.

Author Name(s): Theresa Bennett/Pilot feedback by Kim Clendaniel

Grade: 6 Time Frame: 1-3 days______

Pre-requisite(s): Prerequisite knowledge of central idea, supporting/key details, and summary needed prior to this lesson.
Common Core Standard(s): RL.6.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgements.
Essential Question: How do good readers determine and reveal the theme in a literary text?
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What do students need to learn to be able to answer the Essential Question?
Assessment Prompt(AP) #1: Determine the difference between a theme and a summary.
Assessment Prompt #2: Explain how a reader determines the theme of a text.
Assessment Prompt #3: Explain how particular details reveal a theme.
Activating Strategy: Essential question
Teacher introduces the essential question, “How do good readers determine and reveal the theme of a literary text?” Discuss what we will need to know in order to be able to answer this essential question. Teacher can ask students to think-pair-share or use numbered heads to generate ideas to share out to the larger group. Teacher can keep a running list on the board. / Key Vocabulary Words to Preview: key details, supporting details, central idea, summary, theme
Teaching Strategies: whole group, collaborative pairs, small guided groups, distributed summarizing
Graphic Organizer: Somebody Wanted But So
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Instruction: Students work in small groups; pass out envelopes that contain a variety of theme and plot summary strips.
Directions for students: Each envelope contains a variety of themes and plot summaries; sort the strips accordingly using the headings that are provided. When you are finished with this task, we will discuss the characteristics of a theme and a summary.
Assessment Prompt #1: Determine the difference between a theme and a summary.
Students will examine their sort of the theme and plot summary strips and write down characteristics for each on a small white board.
Debrief: Small groups share out to the larger group; students make a generalization of the terms theme and summary.
Instruction: [Teacher can use the PPT provided for #s 1-5]
1. Review the generalization of theme – theme is the special message that a reader takes away from a story. No two readers will state a theme exactly the same way.
2. How to determine theme:
·  The title:
o  Sometimes the writer will use the title to hint at the story’s theme.
o  What does the title suggest?
o  Why do you think the writer chose this title?
·  The characters:
o  How do the main characters change in the course of the story?
o  What do they discover that could have meaning for other people’s lives – including your own?
·  The big moments:
o  Which scenes or passages in the story seem especially important?
o  What revelations about life do they suggest to you?
·  The resolution:
o  How are conflicts or problems in the story settled?
o  How do you feel about the outcome?
o  Does the resolution give you an idea of what the story means?
3. Theme is a message, not a summary:
·  A summary explains what happens in a story.
·  A theme is the truth about life revealed in a story.
·  BUT – a summary can help you find the theme!
4. Introduce the graphic organizer: Somebody Wanted But So (SWBS)
Title:______
Somebody – the most important character (character) / Wanted – what did this character want? (event) / But – what happened to keep the character from getting what he/she wanted? (conflict) / So – what was the outcome? (resolution)
Summary: ______
Theme: ______
5. Whole group/teacher modeling: Use the SWBS organizer to create a summary that will help students determine the theme of Ant and the Grasshopper (Aesop’s Fables).
Title: The Ant and the Grasshopper
Somebody– the most important character (character) / Wanted – what did this character want? (event) / But – what happened to keep the character from getting what he/she wanted? (conflict) / So – what was the outcome? (resolution)
Grasshopper / He wanted to hop, chirp, sing, and chat with the ant. / The ant wanted to work and prepare for the winter. / The ant was prepared for the winter and the grasshopper was dying of hunger.
Summary: The grasshopper chose to play instead of preparing for the winter and now he is dying of hunger.
Theme: ______
AP #2: Determine the theme of a text.
In collaborative pairs, students use the completed SWBS organizer to determine the theme of The Ant and the Grasshopper. Remind students that no two readers will state the theme exactly the same way. A few possible themes include: It is best to prepare for the future; Sacrifices bring rewards.
Instruction: Collaborative Pairs/Guided Practice – Have students use The Dog and His Reflection (Aesop’s Fable) and the SWBS organizer to refine their understanding of how an author reveals the theme of a text.
AP #3: Explain how particular details reveal a theme.
Students think-ink-pair share which details in the text helped to reveal the theme.
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Assignment: Teacher can choose: 1) an anthology selection or, 2) literature circle selection. The independent practice/assignment should align to current instruction with an emphasis on appropriate text complexity.
Summarizing Strategy: Answer the essential question. [Spend some time deconstructing the 4pt rubric with the students prior to giving this assignment]
Resources/Citations:
http://www.umass.edu/aesop/fables.php (The Ant and Grasshopper)
http://mythfolklore.net/aesopica/milowinter/125.htm (The Dog and His Reflection)
http://aesopfables.com/ (additional fables)

Attachment 1

SUMMARY
THEME
Human beings all have the same needs.
Crime does not pay.
Man struggles against nature.
Sacrifices bring rewards.
A man climbs a mountain during a snowstorm.
A woman works hard to attend college.
The family donated money to help the victims of the flood.
The shoplifter was arrested and sent to jail.

Attachment 2

Name: ______Date: ______

SOMEBODY WANTED BUT SO!

Title: ______

SOMBODY (the most important or main character) / WANTED (what did his character want? / BUT (what happened to keep the character from getting what he wanted? / SO (What was the outcome or resolution?)

Summary: ______

______

______

Theme: ______

Attachment 3

Think - Ink - Pair - Share

THINK INK
PAIR SHARE

Attachment 4

Theme EQ Name: ______

Date:______

EXTENDED RESPONSE: Answer the following question in the space provided. Your answer will be scored using the following rubric:

Score Point / Description
4 / Response is a thorough (and insightful) explanation that shows complete understanding, supported with sufficient and relevant information from the lesson and/or text.
3 / Response is an adequate explanation that shows satisfactory understanding, supported with some relevant information from the lesson and/or text.
2 / Response is a limited explanation that shows partial understanding, with mostly general references to the lesson and/or text.
1 / Response is an attempted explanation that shows minimal understanding, with mostly vague references to the lesson and/or text.
0 / Response is totally incorrect or irrelevant for this question.

EQ: How do good readers determine and reveal the theme in a literary text?

Lesson plan format adapted from Learning-Focused Strategies. Thompson, M., Thompson, J. (2011).