6th Grade Quarter 2 Sample Module Summary and Analysis of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” Big Idea: Choices and Consequences Essential Questions: How do authors reveal their purposes for writing? As a discerning reader, how can I use author’s details to provide a summary of the text that reflects an accurate understanding of the author’s purpose separate from my personal judgments? Text/Text Set: “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost Task/Assignment: After reading the poem, “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, write an analysis of the theme. To support your analysis, include an objective summary of the poem and explain how particular words, phrases, or stanzas contribute to the development of the theme. Standards: Reading RL.6.1 Cite textual evidence RL.6.2 Determine a theme and how it is conveyed through details RL.6.5 Analyze how a particular word, phrase, or stanza develops the theme Speaking + Listening SL.6.1 Engage in collaborative discussions, building on other’s ideas and expressing their own clearly SL.6.1a Come to discussion prepared, having read material; explicitly draw on that preparation SL6.1b Follow rules for collegial discussions SL6.1c Pose and respond to specific questions SL6.4 Present findings, use appropriate eye contact Writing W.6.2 Write informative text to examine a topic… W.6.2a Introduce a topic; organize ideas W.6.2b Develop the topic with concrete details W.6.2c Use transitions W.6.10 Write routinely Language L.6.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships… L.6.5a Interpret figures of speech in context. Assignment Planning Template (from FUSD innovative Professional Learning Project) Subject: ELA Grade: 6 Author/s: An assignment is a task that has high alignment to a focus standard and involves multiple skills to accomplish its product. Instruction is delivered through mini-tasks, providing students with strategies and guidance to use these skills in combination to produce evidence of learning. Step One Identify 2-3 Focus CC standards. Identify a text if appropriate. Step Two Identify a product Step Three Write a prompt Step Four Identify “meets expectations” criteria Step Five Do the prompt and determine mini-task skills RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RL.6.5 W.6.2a-c SL.6.1a-c, SL.6.4 L.6.5a Students will write a summary and analysis of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” After reading the poem, “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, write an analysis of the theme. To support your analysis, include an objective summary of the poem and explain how particular words, phrases, or stanzas contribute to the development of the theme. • Summary provides objective description of poem noting key details from each stanza • Commentary provides analysis of the theme of the poem, accurately describing how at least three key details support the thinking • Ability to visualize poem, ability to determine meaning of words and phrases literally and figuratively, ability to track notes, ability to trace key details across the poem, ability to determine how key phrases or stanzas contribute to the theme of the poem, ability to write accurate summary utilizing previous skills, ability to infer author’s figurative meaning, ability to relate inferences to the theme Attach 2-3 sample student works. Assignments Matter Eleanor Dougherty 2013 Page 1 Construct an instructional plan for teaching the assignment by inserting mini-tasks. Add rows if necessary. Mini-task 1. Task Analysis: What are the steps you need to take to complete this assignment? • Students read the prompt, highlighting language that emphasizes the goals of the assignment. • Teacher charts goals around summary/commentary • After coming to consensus, create a criteria for success  • Once finished, explain to students we’ll be reading this text multiple times with multiple purposes. Be aware of how each purpose may help us to address the task. Mini-task “Meets Expectation” Rubric Provides a credible response and identifies critical steps. 2. Reading Process: Poem Reading/Listening to a Poem Students determine criteria for listening and reading a poem. • Teacher reads poem clearly and aloud and verbally shares how to read punctuation mark to punctuation mark and change the inflection of voice to emphasize certain words—this helps us show and understand the feeling of the poem • Ask students to mark the poem for words they’d like to emphasize • Have students read aloud to a partner • Call on a few students to share and promote their reading (applause, etc.) • Reflection Write: How has this purpose helped prepare us for the task? What do you specifically understand better now than you did before? 3. Reading Process: Poem Storyboarding/Visualization Storyboard accurately reflects each stanza. • Ask students to read each stanza and draw a picture that explicitly shows what is happening in that stanza. • Students share their pictures with their table partners Assignments Matter Eleanor Dougherty 2013 Page 2 • • and circle differences they had in each picture. Next to each of their pictures, they respond to: What did my partner see that I didn’t? Reflection: Did the pictures accurately show what was happening? Why or why not? 4. Reading Process: Determining Key Words or Phrases • Explain key words to students as words that may be repeated throughout the text, or as words that best helped to display their pictures (their understanding), or as words that stand out from other words -Ex. “diverged”, “two roads”, “traveler”, “bent in the undergrowth”, “sigh” (key words are single, phrases are 2-4 words) • Use consensus method “keep it or junk it” for students uncovering key words (example shown on teachingchannel.org) -Students highlight what they feel are key words individually -With partners they decide what to “keep or junk” -One pair presents to the class their kept words and asks the class to decide if they should keep or junk the words or phrases they’ve selected or place them in a cloud (for future consideration) -Consider providing formal questions for students to ask and guide the class discussion -When students respond, they must describe why a word or phrase should be kept in relation to its importance to the text -Consider sentence frames for response -Have a few pairs present and guide class discussion until Assignments Matter Eleanor Dougherty 2013 Students cite evidence from text and support their thinking of the key words with reasoning based upon their understandings. Page 3 • the list of key words and phrases is concise and accurate Reflection: How has this process prepared me to write a summary of the text? 5. Preparing for Writing: Text Reconstruction Students consider the accuracy of their writing to the poem. Consider having students draw lines from the poem to the text • Read the poem while students just listen they’ve written to show each accurate connection made. • Read the poem while students this time listen for their selected key words and phrases • Read the poem a third time while students take notes based on what the poem says • Have students discuss their notes with a partner and work together to reconstruct the text (They write the text not as a poem, but by accurately describing what is happening) -Consider having sequential transitions available for students as they are writing their work together • Have students compare the original text to the text they’ve written looking for similarities and differences between the texts. • Reflection: Has this prepared us to write the summary or commentary? Why? Assignments Matter Eleanor Dougherty 2013 Page 4 6. Reading Process: Figurative Language Analysis using SQAT • Explain the difference between literal and figurative showing some idiomatic expressions for effect (Is it literally raining cats and dogs? That would take an impressive umbrella!) • Provide students with a T-chart (Literal/Figurative) and a list of a few words or phrases from the poem • Students, in pairs, decide if the words have figurative meaning or if they should be considered literal • Consider using “road” or “yellow wood” for class discussion • SQAT is a four corner chart that takes symbolic or figurative phrases and leads students to a theme. -Symbol Identification stresses the importance of citing and identifying evidence to utilize. -Questioning represents multiple levels. To get to a related deeper meaning, one must understand and describe the surface. Ex. What is a road? A road is a path that people can take to a destination. If the road is a path that leads somewhere, why would the speaker emphasize standing at two? What does the road represent for him/her? -Analysis allows for students to answer their questions utilizing evidence from the whole text. This is an opportunity for them to make connections throughout. -Theme provides an opportunity for students to make a judgment about the author’s purpose of the text based on the evidence in the text. Assignments Matter Eleanor Dougherty 2013 Students are graded on the depth of their analysis. Are they describing the text on a surface level or are they moving into figurative understanding? Have students check for this with their table teams and council in this area. Page 5 Symbol Identification (Identifies and cites evidence) Ex. Frost writes, “two roads diverged in a yellow wood” when describing what a “traveler” stood viewing. Questioning (On multiple levels of DOK) Ex. Level 1: What is a road? Level 2: How are the two roads similar or different? Level 2: Why is the author’s purpose for saying they “diverged into a yellow wood”? Level 3: What does the road represent for him/her? Theme (Judgment regarding author’s use of language) Analysis (answers questions) A road is a path that people can take to a destination. However, the author focuses on two, describing them both as worn and unknown as they diverge into a yellow wood. Because they both diverge or disappear into the wood, the author shows that neither path leads to a clear destination. Both roads represent a choice of which the speaker can make with no guarantees of what the future may hold. One thing is certain, he/she made a choice. Frost expresses the theme that though life presents many choices and mistakes will be made, people must not be afraid to choose. Assignments Matter Eleanor Dougherty 2013 Page 6 • The emphasis of this learning is on the process. Students develop questions together and should even question each other as they come to a deeper understanding of the author’s writing choices. • The four corners work as a planning tool for writing their commentaries. • Students could complete in teams and share to the class. • Teacher could provide copies of student work to each team. • Reflection: For which writing should I use this activity, summary or commentary? Why? Preparing for Writing: • Review the criteria and have students take out their notes • Students categorize their notes for what will help them write the summary and what will help them write the analysis. • If this is the first time for either a summary or commentary, consider providing sentence stems for scaffolding or guidance of students 7. Writing Process: Development and Publishing • Students utilize their notes, sentence stems if needed, and transition words to write their two pieces • Possible mini-task on developing a claim for their commentary • Possible mini-task on analyzing/explaining how evidence supports the claim • Consider how students will edit and revise their writing and how they will publish the work • Because they’ve written two for two purposes, this Assignments Matter Eleanor Dougherty 2013 Rubric generated from early criteria and based upon the information/explanatory focus writing standards (summary) from quarter one and the argument writing standards (commentary) from quarter two Page 7 provides an opportunity for contrasting the two works to measure the accuracy and objectivity of the summary and analysis and evidence of the commentary. Completion of Assignment Product: Turn in your final copy, on time according to specifications. Assignments Matter Eleanor Dougherty 2013 Page 8 NAME: PERIOD: DATE: Symbol Identification Questioning _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Theme Analysis/Answering _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________