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Lesson 6

We will diagram the structure of Chapter 33 in order to continue our study of author craft. We will then analyze the confrontation between two key persons by completing a representation chart. We will update our Author Craft Note-Taking Tool and complete a mentor sentence activity.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I recognize and interpret important relationships between key persons in the text?

  • Can I gather and organize relevant and sufficient evidence to demonstrate an understanding of the text and topics, support claims, and develop ideas?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot, Crown Publishing Group, 2010

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Discuss – Write

We will diagram the important ideas in chapter 33 in order to understand how the author uses structure.

Step 1

In your group, complete the following sequence to diagram Chapter 33:

  1. Skim the chapter and write down the six or seven most important details in order of their appearance.

  2. Determine the most important detail to the least important detail and label each.

Answer these guiding questions when you have completed the first two steps:

  1. What do you notice about the order of important details?

  2. What is the effect of the order of details?

  3. What do you think is the author’s purpose in ordering the details in this chapter?

  4. How would you label the structure of this chapter?

Step 2

Pick one of your answers to discuss with the class. Be prepared to defend your answer. Add to or modify your notes as you deepen your understanding.

Step 3

Lastly, write a short summary about how this chapter relates to one or more of the central issues—ethics, race, class, or science.

Activity 2: Read – Write – Discuss

We will analyze the confrontation between deborah and Skloot in chapter 34 by completing a representation chart.

Step 1

Divide your group into pairs. Choose which pair will analyze Deborah and which pair will analyze Rebecca in Chapter 34. Use the Representation of Key Persons section of the Author CraftNote-Taking Tool to focus your study. Make sure you explain your answers and add evidence from the text.

After you have finished the questions, create a summary statement of your person’s actions and thoughts in the chapter.

Step 2

Compare your notes with the other pair in your group, adding to your notes about the other person, and discuss the conflict and resolution. Share one of your discussion points with the class.

Add to or modify your notes as you deepen your understanding. Add connections to one or more of the central issues as you discuss the chapter.

Activity 3: Read – Write

We will synthesize our notes on central issues and author craft in our Author Craft Note-Taking Tool to deepen our understanding.

Review your notes in your Learning Log for Chapters 33-34 on author craft. Highlight your notes that provide the most insight into the writer’s craft; copy the evidence into the cell for Chapters 33-34. Make sure you label each piece of evidence using the terms on the tool. Answer the Framing Questions for each piece of evidence.

Review your notes on the central issues of the text from Chapters 33-34. Summarize your notes and answer the Framing Questions above the cell to deepen your understanding.

Activity 4: Read – Discuss – Write

We will discuss and analyze Rebecca Skloot’s sentences, analyzing the diction and sentence structure. We will then write sentences that mimic her structure, style, grammar, and punctuation.

Step 1

Reading like a writer involves studying how an author writes and determining why the author makes specific writing choices at the paragraph and sentence level. Understanding what those writing choices mean and deconstructing how the author made those choices can help you emulate those choices in your own writing practice and diversify your range of writing strategies.

Follow your teacher’s direction regarding grouping, materials, and which mentor sentences you will analyze. Use the Working with Mentor Sentences Tool to work through the following steps for each mentor sentence:

Step 2

Read the sentence aloud. Unpack any unfamiliar vocabulary using your vocabulary strategies. Then, determine what the sentence is saying, and paraphrase the sentence to convey its meaning based on your initial understanding.

Step 3

Deconstruct the whole into parts. Split the sentence up into parts as directed by your teacher; sometimes your teacher will give you the parts, and sometimes you will have to split the sentence on your own. Complete the following for each part:

  • Determine the parts of speech and function.

  • Note other observations about the part, such as examples of effective diction or changes in verb tense or point of view.

Step 4

Follow along as your teacher reviews the relevant grammatical terms and concepts of specific phrases and clauses, punctuation, syntax, mood, and tone.

Step 5

Analyze the concepts. Review, discuss, and revise your deconstruction notes. Then, respond to the following questions:

  1. Which parts make up the main clause? The main clause is the main subject and predicate that expresses the central idea of the sentence. Write down the sentence, underlining the main clause.

  2. How do the other parts of the sentence (e.g., phrases, clauses, modifiers) enhance the main clause?

  3. How could you restructure this sentence so that it relays the same message to the reader? What is the impact of the different structures on your understanding?

  4. What revisions need to be made to your initial paraphrasing now that you have increased your understanding of the sentence?

Step 6

Analyze mood, tone, and meaning. Discuss the following questions:

  1. What mood does the author create in this sentence? How is this mood created?

  2. What tone is conveyed by the author in this sentence? How is that tone conveyed?

  3. What does this sentence contribute to the author’s ideas in the text? How does it expand your understanding of the text or author?

Step 7

Follow your teacher’s directions about choosing one or two mentor sentences to mimic. Use your deconstruction analysis of your chosen sentences to write your own, mimicking what the author does in terms of structure, style, grammar, and punctuation. The specific content of your sentences is your choice. Be prepared to share your sentences with your peers.

Activity 5: Read – Write

For homework, we will read chapters 35–37 in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

For homework, read and annotate Chapters 35-37 of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Respond to the following questions in your Learning Log, providing evidence from the text to support your answers.

Chapter 35

  1. What new or more nuanced understanding do you have about Deborah in this chapter?

  2. How does the scene with Gary and Deborah enhance your understanding of the book?

Chapter 36

  1. How does the author address issues of religion in the chapter?

Chapter 37

  1. What do you learn about Deborah in this chapter? In what ways does HeLa affect Deborah’s health?

Be sure to write down new or interesting words in your Vocabulary Journal.