Updated May 2021

Name: Joy Ondrak Date lesson taught: 10/27/2021

Content Area: ELA

Course Title & Grade Level: English 11A
Standards:
RL.11-12.2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text,
including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.

RL.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language
that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful.

Objectives:

Content—SWBAT determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text as
well as determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings.

Language—After an initial read of “My True South: Why I Decided to Return Home,” students will be able to individually
identify and explain central ideas and meaning of phrases in the text by writing 5 out of the 5 Think Questions correctly.

Student-friendly— After the first read of “My True South: Why I Decided to Return Home,” I will be able to individually
identify and explain central ideas and meaning of phrases in the text by writing 5 out of the 5 Think Questions correctly.

Assessment:
o Formative:
- Writing answers to 5 out of the 5 Think Questions correctly (can view answers on StudySync)
- Completing the “Text in the Middle” graphic organizer

Proactive Management:
o Expectations:
- Participate in the 5 W’s of Jesmyn Ward (anticipatory set)  looking up their assigned questions/sharing
- Taking notes in their “Text in the Middle” graphic organizer
- Participate in class discussion
- Answer Think Questions at the end of the reading
o Tell students to be prepared to share, when necessary, because I will be calling on each group
o Groups will be determined by tables, students who sit next to one another that the teacher has assigned
o Papers (graphic organizers) will be handed out while instructions are being explained (ask for student help)
o Technology is allowed when researching author, reading story, and answering the Think Questions

Instructional Strategies:
o Graphic Organizer  Text in the Middle
o Brainstorming
o Questioning

Note Taking Strategy:

o Text in the Middle Graphic Organizer (attached below)
- Students will be writing a summary of the text as well as an answer to one of the “Big Questions”
- Participation in graphic organizer is required, but responses are based upon each student

Questions:
o Included in the lesson below (see purple text)
o Who is Jesmyn Ward? (divergent, understand, small groups)
o What is Jesmyn Ward most known for? (divergent, understand, small groups)
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o Where is Jesmyn Ward from? (convergent, understand, small groups)
o When was “My True South: Why I Decided to Return Home” written? (convergent, understand, small groups)
o How can we summarize this piece of text? (divergent, apply, provide wait time, whole class)
o What questions do you have about this process? (divergent, clarification, whole group, provide wait time)

Beginning of the lesson:

o Literary Focus: Realism, Naturalism, and Regionalism (20 min)

-Ask students how much they have completed on the Literary Focus Lesson
-Most students will probably need time (~20 min)
-Time can be adjusted as needed

o Anticipatory Set (10 min)

-Review: Yesterday you made posters about realism, naturalism, and regionalism and shared them with the class.
-Preview: Today we are going to start reading our first story, “My True South: Why I Decided to Return Home.”
-Hook: Before we start reading the text, let’s find out some background about the author.
-each table will be working together on one of the 5 W’s (Who, What, Where, When & Why) (3 min)
-Who is Jesmyn Ward? (divergent, understand, small groups)
-Award-winning American novelist/professor of creative writing at Tulane University
-What is Jesmyn Ward most known for? (divergent, understand, small groups)
-Lyrical prose and graphic portrayal of the lives of black Americans in rural Mississippi
-Where is Jesmyn Ward from? (convergent, understand, small groups)
-De Lisle, Mississippi
-When was “My True South: Why I Decided to Return Home” written? (convergent, understand, small groups)
-2018
-Why does Jesmyn Ward write about racial injustice? (divergent, understand, small groups)
-she had a tough childhood, and she wants her voice to be heard

-Groups will have 2 minutes to come with an answer to each of their questions
-groups will be determined by table groups (assigned by teacher)
-Tell students they should be prepared to share/will need one person to share with the class
-Not required to write anything down but recommend so that they will be prepared to share (5 min)

-Additional information about the author (SLIDE 5) (1 min)

-Objective: After the first read of “My True South: Why I Decided to Return Home,” I will be able to individually
identify and explain central ideas and meaning of phrases in the text by writing 5 out of the 5 Think Questions correctly. (1 min)

The Lesson:
o Literary Focus: Realism, Naturalism, and Regionalism (20 min)
-Ask students how much they have completed on the Literary Focus Lesson
-Most students will probably need time (~20 min)
-Time can be adjusted as needed

o Anticipatory Set (10 min)

-(Included above)

-Transition: Now that we have some background about the author let’s start reading the story. Everyone needs
to have StudySync open with my “My True South” pulled up and ready to read.

o I DO “My True South: Why I Decided to Return Home” (7 min)

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-pass out graphic organizer and “Big Questions” reference sheet (ask for student help)
-tell students to not write anything yet, I will explain expectations later
-Start reading “My True South”
-read paragraphs 1-2
-Explain the Text in the Middle Graphic Organizer (attached below)
-the text that I’m asking students to summarize is already in the graphic organizer
-left box  students will summarize the text in their own words
-right box  students will answer one of the “Big Questions” provided to them (attached below)
-My example:
-Text: “When I crossed the 100th meridian west of Dallas, with moisture settling in the air and
plants crowding the sides of the highway, tall pines and verdant vines and lush shrubs, it was as if
the very water in the air buoyed me up so I could float through the heat,” (p. 1)
-Summary: The author describes the humidity she encounters closer to home, in contrast to the dry
desert air. The moisture of the air in the South frees her and makes her feel more at home.
-Big Question Response: I never thought a climate could affect a person’s thoughts or attitude.
-What questions do you have about this process? (divergent, clarification, whole group, provide
wait time)

-Student choice: ask students whether they would like to have the teacher read or read with one another

o WE DO or YOU DO (TOGETHER)  based on student choice (10 min)

-WE DO – Continue Reading
-continue reading  paragraphs 3-5
-students will now complete the second row of boxes of the Text in the Middle Graphic Organizer
-How can we summarize this piece of text? (divergent, apply, provide wait time, whole class)
-Potential Answer: The whole nation has views on the South based on their unwavering beliefs of racism.
-students will then answer one of the Big Questions with their table groups
-groups will have 2 minutes to respond
-tell students will be prepared to share

-Continue Reading (if time allows)

-read paragraphs 6-9
-students will now complete the third row of boxes of the graphic organizer
-How can we summarize this piece of text? (divergent, apply, provide wait time, whole class)
-Potential Answer: Even today, black families are discouraged from purchasing land near the land of a white person.
-students will then answer one of the Big Questions with their table groups
-groups will have 2 minutes to respond
-tell students will be prepared to share

-YOU DO (TOGETHER)
-students will read paragraphs 3-5 together (instructions are also on graphic organizer)
-make sure students are reading aloud
-students will complete the second row of boxes of the Text in the Middle Graphic Organizer
-walk around to each group and ask them their thoughts on the text

-Continue Reading (if time allows)

-student will read paragraphs 6-9 together
-make sure students are reading aloud
-students will complete the third row of boxes of the Text in the Middle Graphic Organizer
-walk around to each group and ask them their thoughts on the text
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o YOU DO (ALONE) Think Questions (after reading/as homework/following day)

- students will have the remainder of the time to work on the Think Questions in StudySync
-walk around to offer help to students if they need it

Closure:
Procedural—If you haven’t finished the Literary Focus from the beginning of class, be sure that you finish that for homework!
You will also want to finish reading the text, if you haven’t already, and answer the Think Questions.
Content Summary— Today our objective was to individually identify and explain central ideas and meaning of phrases in the
text by writing 5 out of the 5 Think Questions correctly. Tomorrow, you will continue working with the “My True South” short
story.
References:

Text in the Middle. (n.d.). Cultures of Thinking. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from

http://www.rcsthinkfromthemiddle.com/text-in-the-middle.html

Presentation:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1PeOlTdVz1W8hbwI0GoNDj6Qd_xudWZ-IhrXc912sozU/edit?usp=sharing

Text, StudySync Questions, Big Questions Handout Information (provided by mentor teacher)

Big Questions Reference Sheet and Text in the Middle Handout (provided below)

Lesson Plan Reflection (required):

1) Highlight Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) components within your lesson.
Write a paragraph (3-5 sentences) elaborating on the intentionally planned CRT components of your lesson. How did you
demonstrate high expectations (be specific on what this looks like), make learning relevant, and motivate students?

The first component of intentionally planned CRT in my lesson is demonstrating high expectations by letting students know
exactly how I expect them to be writing in their Text in the Middle graphic organizers. I explain my expectations, model how
one should complete the graphic organizer, and check for understanding of the expectations. Learning is made relevant by
completing background information on the author and text that reveals it was written in the last 5 years. I also motivate
students by providing student choice within the lesson. Students have the option to answer one of the three Big Questions and
they can choose whether we read aloud as a class or with table groups.

2) Italicize Universal Design for Learning (UDL) components within your lesson.
Write a paragraph (3-5 sentences) elaborating on the intentionally planned UDL components (representation, action &
expression, engagement) of your lesson. How did you differentiate to meet the needs of ALL learners?

UDL 9.1, promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation, is implemented in the lesson as I set high expectations
that motivated students to participate in class discussion. UDL 3.3, guide information processing and visualization, is also
implemented as explicit prompts are given for each step of the graphic organizer. The text is also chunked into smaller
elements to assist learners. UDL 8.3, foster collaboration and community, is implemented in my lesson plan as students are
asked to work with their tables to respond to the prompts throughout the reading.
Updated May 2021