| Objectives | Students will be able to: (1) define summarizing; (2) use the Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then framework; (3) write a concise summary of a fiction text. |
|---|---|
| Materials | Short narrative text (e.g., a fable), SWBST chart. |
| Key vocabulary | summary, concise, Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then |
| Engage (starter) | (10 min) Ask a student to summarize a movie they saw recently in exactly 3 sentences. Discuss how hard it is to leave out minor details. |
| Develop (main) | (35 min) 1. Explain the SWBST framework. Somebody (main character), Wanted (goal), But (problem), So (action taken), Then (resolution). 2. Read the fable together. 3. Model filling out the chart on the board. 4. Students use the chart to write a one-paragraph summary. 5. Independent practice with a new short story. |
| Plenary (close) | (10 min) Read summaries aloud. Compare length to the original text. |
| Assessment | Summary contains all 5 SWBST elements and excludes minor details. |
| Teacher notes | This framework is excellent for fiction; non-fiction requires a different approach. |
| Objectives | Students will be able to: (1) differentiate between direct and indirect speech; (2) punctuate direct speech; (3) convert direct speech to indirect speech. |
|---|---|
| Materials | Sentence strips, quotation marks. |
| Key vocabulary | direct speech, indirect speech, quotation marks, reported speech |
| Engage (starter) | (10 min) Say: "I am hungry." Ask a student to tell the class what you said ("Mr. Smith said that he was hungry"). Point out the difference. |
| Develop (main) | (35 min) 1. Define direct speech (exact words, needs quotes) vs indirect speech (reported, no quotes, tense shifts). 2. Review quotation mark punctuation. 3. Model converting sentences. ("I love reading," she said. -> She said that she loved reading.) 4. Worksheet: Add punctuation to direct speech, and convert 3 sentences to indirect speech. |
| Plenary (close) | (10 min) Review worksheet conversions. |
| Assessment | Accurate conversion showing tense shift and pronoun change. |
| Teacher notes | The tense shift in reported speech (present to past) is the hardest part. |
| Objectives | Students will be able to: (1) define context clues; (2) identify 4 types of clues (definition, synonym, antonym, inference); (3) determine meaning of unknown words. |
|---|---|
| Materials | Passages with challenging vocabulary words bolded. |
| Key vocabulary | context clues, definition, synonym, antonym, inference, deduce |
| Engage (starter) | (10 min) Write a nonsense word in a sentence: "The boy was so *flig* that he drank three glasses of water." What does *flig* mean? How do you know? |
| Develop (main) | (35 min) 1. Introduce the 4 types of context clues. 2. Give examples of each type using sentences. 3. Read the passage together. Stop at bolded words and use the surrounding text to deduce the meaning. 4. Determine which *type* of clue helped them figure it out. 5. Independent practice. |
| Plenary (close) | (10 min) Discuss the strategies used for the hardest words. |
| Assessment | Correct definition of vocabulary words based on context. |
| Teacher notes | Encourage students to act like detectives. |
| Objectives | Students will be able to: (1) use transition words; (2) write a topic sentence for a body paragraph; (3) support the reason with examples. |
|---|---|
| Materials | Approved outlines from Day 14, transition word list. |
| Key vocabulary | body paragraph, transition word, evidence, support |
| Engage (starter) | (10 min) "Today we build the meat of the hamburger! We take our reasons and prove them." |
| Develop (main) | (35 min) 1. Review the outlines. 2. Provide a list of transition words (Firstly, In addition, Furthermore, Most importantly). 3. Model writing one body paragraph: Transition + Topic Sentence (Reason 1) + 2 sentences of explanation/example. 4. Students draft their 3 body paragraphs based on their outline. |
| Plenary (close) | (10 min) Partner share: read one body paragraph to check if the example supports the reason. |
| Assessment | Body paragraphs follow the structure and use transition words. |
| Teacher notes | This takes focused writing time; writing stamina is important here. |
| Objectives | Students will be able to: (1) summarize a text; (2) identify context clues; (3) convert direct to indirect speech. |
|---|---|
| Materials | Term 1 check-in test. |
| Key vocabulary | assessment, review |
| Engage (starter) | (10 min) Review SWBST and direct/indirect speech rules. |
| Develop (main) | (35 min) 1. Administer the Term 1 Check-in. Includes reading a narrative for a SWBST summary, vocabulary questions relying on context clues, and grammar conversions. 2. Ensure students have enough time for the written summary portion. |
| Plenary (close) | (10 min) Collect tests. Class discussion on what they feel was the most challenging topic this term. |
| Assessment | Formal assessment data for report cards. |
| Teacher notes | Use the summary portion to gauge writing mechanics as well as comprehension. |