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Lesson 7

For the Section 4 Diagnostic, we will write a response that evaluates the effectiveness of how The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and one of the companion texts address one of the following central issues: race, ethics, class, or science.

Lesson Goals

Reading and Knowledge

  • Gather and Organize Evidence: How well do I gather and organize relevant and sufficient evidence to demonstrate an understanding of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and a companion text?
  • Summarize: How well do I express an accurate understanding of the central issues of a text?
  • Evaluate Effects: How well do I evaluate the effects of techniques used by authors?

Writing

  • Form Claims: How well do I develop and clearly communicate meaningful and defensible claims that represent valid, evidence-based analysis?
  • Develop Ideas: How well do I use devices, techniques, descriptions, reasoning, evidence, and visual elements to support and elaborate on coherent and logical narratives, explanations, and arguments?
  • Organize Ideas: How well do I sequence and group sentences and paragraphs and use devices, techniques, descriptions, reasoning, evidence, and visual elements to establish coherent, logical, and well-developed narratives, explanations, and arguments?
  • Use Conventions to Produce Clear Writing: How well do I apply correct and effective syntax, usage, mechanics, and spelling to communicate ideas and achieve intended purposes?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot, Crown Publishing Group, 2010
  • Unit Reader
    • “HeLa,” L. Lamar Wilson, Carolina Wren Press, 2008
  • Digital Access
    • Henrietta Lacks (HeLa): The Mother of Modern Medicine, Kadir Nelson, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and National Museum of African American History and Culture, 2018
  • Multimedia
    • The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, George C. Wolfe, HBO, 2017

Optional

  • Unit Reader
    • “Henrietta Lacks, HeLa Cells, and Cell Culture Contamination,” Brendan P. Lucey, Walter A. Nelson-Rees, and Grover M. Hutchins, College of American Pathologists, 2009

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Present

We review the section 4 diagnostic checklist.

Review the Section 4 Diagnostic Checklist. Ask clarifying directions as needed.

Activity 2: Write

We will write our response to the section 4 diagnostic.

Write a multiparagraph response that compares how The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and one of the companion texts address one of the following central issues: race, ethics, class, and science. Use the Section 4 Diagnostic Checklist to guide your writing.

Activity 3: Write

We will review our response to ensure we have fully supported and developed our ideas based on the needs of the task, purpose, and audience. This will help us develop work that is clear and coherent.

Revision is the process of seeing your work with fresh eyes. Revision is a challenge for all writers—the art of making writing better is hard work that can feel very messy at times.

Using the Section 4 Diagnostic Checklist as a guide, reread your draft response. Ask yourself the following questions:

  1. Does my response contain a strong central claim?

  2. Does my response include relevant details and evidence from eachtext to develop your ideas and analysis.

  3. Is my response organized into paragraphs that establish a logical, coherent, and well-developed analysis.

  4. Does my response clearly communicate my analysis through effective word choice, sentence and paragraph development, and transitions among ideas?

  5. Does my response use proper conventions of usage, mechanics, and punctuation.

Make any necessary revisions or edits to improve the communication of your ideas.

Activity 4: Write

We will reflect on our work on the Section Diagnostic and assess how prepared we are for the Culminating Task.

Step 1

Choose at least three of the questions below and respond to them in your Learning Log:

  1. How well did you take necessary action to prepare for the task?

  2. What went well for you during the completion of this task?

  3. What did you struggle with during the completion of this task? How did you push through that struggle?

  4. How well did you actively focus your attention during this independent task?

  5. How well did you develop and use an effective and efficient process to maintain workflow during this task?

  6. What would you do differently during the next Section Diagnostic?

Step 2

Review your Culminating Task Progress Tracker. Think about all you have learned and done during this section of the unit. Evaluate your skills and knowledge to determine how prepared you are for the Culminating Task.

  • Add or refine any skills and content knowledge required for the Culminating Task.

  • Evaluate how well you are mastering skills and knowledge required for the Culminating Task.