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Lesson 8

Based on Part 1 and Part 2 of The Warmth of Other Suns, we will write responses to demonstrate how well we understand Wilkerson’s use of sources, organization, and structure and how they relate to her purpose and perspective.

Lesson Goals

Reading and Knowledge

  • Attend to Details: How well do I recognize and interpret language and sentence structures to deepen my understanding of The Warmth of Other Suns?
  • Analyze Relationships: How well do I recognize and interpret important relationships among ideas and structure within The Warmth of Other Suns?
  • Analyze Perspective: How well do I analyze how Wilkerson’s perspective influences the position, purpose, and ideas of The Warmth of Other Suns?
  • Determine Meaning and Purpose: How well do I use connections among details, elements, and effects to make logical deductions about Wilkerson’s perspective, purpose, and meaning in The Warmth of Other Suns?
  • Evaluate Effects: How well do I evaluate the effects of literary devices and rhetoric in The Warmth of Other Suns?

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?
  • Gather and Organize Evidence: How well do I gather and organize relevant and sufficient evidence in order to demonstrate understanding of texts and topics, support claims, and develop ideas?
  • 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 Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson, Vintage Books, 2010

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read

We will get ready to complete the Section Diagnostic task.

Alone or with a partner, review the Section 1 Diagnostic Checklist as well as your completed Note-Taking Tools, Learning Log notes, and quick-writes to help you plan your response.

Review your Vocabulary Journal. Identify a significant word or words that you would like to use in your response to the Section Diagnostic.

Review your Mentor Sentence Journal. Select at least one technique that you plan to use when writing your response to the Section Diagnostic.

Activity 2: Write

We will complete the Section Diagnostic.

Individually, draft your response to the Section 1 Diagnostic prompt:

Based on your understanding of Part 1 and Part 2 of The Warmth of Other Suns, write a response to the following questions:

  1. Why does Wilkerson select the specific sources she chooses to include in her book, and how do these choices relate to her overall structure?

  2. How effective are the choices in helping Wilkerson achieve her purpose and convey her perspective on the subjects she writes about?

In your response, be sure to provide specific details from the text to support your ideas.

Activity 3: Write

We will revise our content and ideas to ensure that our work is appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience. This will help us develop our work.

On your own, review and edit your paragraphs, paying attention to how clearly you have communicated your ideas. Use the Section 1 Diagnostic Checklist to review and revise your response.

Activity 4: Discuss

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

Choose at least three of the following questions about the Section Diagnostic and respond to them in your Learning Log:

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

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

  3. With what did you struggle during the completion of this task? How did you push through those struggles?

  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?

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.

Engage in a reflective whole-class discussion as time allows.