Grade 5: Unit 5 – Ninth Ward: Connected Text Seminars

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand Katrina’s impact on young survivors based on the article. Scholars analyze the moves Roethke makes to convey the power of the storm in his poem.

Seminar 1: “6 Young Survivors Relive Hurricane Katrina, the Storm that Changed Their Lives Forever” from MTV News (Nonfiction) and “The Storm” by Theodore Roethke (Poem)

Do Now — 10 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous seminar based on the feedback you gave them.

Launch — 2 minutes

• Tell scholars that today, they will be reading two texts: “6 Young Survivors Relive Hurricane Katrina, the Storm that Changed Their Lives Forever” and “The Storm.” Build excitement by telling scholars that both texts will develop their background knowledge about concepts important in Ninth Ward.

Read and Discuss 1 — 40 minutes

Display “6 Young Survivors Relive Hurricane Katrina, the Storm that Changed Their Lives Forever.”

Preview the Text (2 minutes):

• • Have scholars read the title and scan the passage to frame their thinking.
  • Call on scholars to share what they noticed about the article and what they will think about as they are reading.

Read (5 minutes):

• • Say: As you are reading, think, “What is this article mostly about?”
    • Read the article aloud while scholars follow along on their digital copies.

Discuss (3 minutes):

• • Scholars discuss the following question in pairs: What is this article mostly about? Call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars back up their claims with evidence from the text.

Read (15 minutes):

• • Say: As you are rereading, think, “Why did the author write this article?”
  • Read the article aloud as scholars follow along on their digital copies. While reading aloud, pause to ask the questions below:
    • Stop after Paragraph 3, “… about their experiences with anyone.”
      • Partner Talk: What is the author’s argument about young survivors of Hurricane Katrina?
    • Stop after Paragraph 14, “… a few of those stories.”
      • Partner Talk: Why does the author use the word “miraculously”?
    • Stop after Paragraph 35, “… to come and change it.”
      • Partner Talk: How did the storm impact Edward and Shawn?
  • Discuss: Why did the author write this article?

Main Idea Jot (3 minutes):

• • Scholars jot a main idea in a comment next to the title of the text.
  • While scholars are working, circulate to determine which scholars have a bull’s-eye main idea jot and which do not.

Discuss (10 minutes):

• • Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class:
    • How does Paragraph 11 support the author’s central argument?
    • Why does the author include two sections — “The Storm” and “The Calm” — under each subheading?

Give scholars 2 minutes to revise their main idea jots based on the discussion.

Write — 10 minutes

Write an essay of no more than 200 words:

• • How does the author support the claim that Hurricane Katrina had “at least some positive effects” (Paragraph 14) on the lives of survivors? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from “6 Young Survivors Relive Hurricane Katrina, the Storm that Changed Their Lives Forever.”

Wrap-Up — 5 minutes

• Show an exemplar essay to scholars. Have scholars discuss what makes the claim clear and compelling. Set your expectations for what scholars must do differently when approaching the next text.

Read and Discuss 2 — 35 minutes

Display “The Storm.”

Preview the Text (2 minutes):

• • Have scholars read the title and scan the poem to frame their thinking.
  • Call on scholars to share what they noticed about the poem and what they will think about as they are reading.

Read (10 minutes):

• • Say: As you are reading, think, “What is this poem mostly about? Why did the author write this?”
  • Scholars independently read and annotate the poem on their Chromebooks. When they are finished, they jot a main idea in a comment next to the title of the poem.
  • While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trend in scholars’ work and conference with two to three scholars.

Discuss (5 minutes):

• • Scholars discuss the following questions in pairs: What is this poem mostly about? Why did the author write this poem? Call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars back up their claims with evidence from the poem.

Give scholars 2 minutes to revise their main idea based on the discussion.

Read (6 minutes):

• • Say: As you are rereading, think, “How does Roethke illustrate the power of the storm?”
  • Reread poem with scholars.

Discuss (5 minutes): Scholars discuss the following question as a whole class:

• • How does Roethke illustrate the power of the storm?

Exit Ticket — 8 minutes

Write an essay of no more than 200 words:

• • Why did the author write this poem? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from “The Storm.”