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Lesson 1

We will practice gathering and organizing evidence by reading an excerpt from Toni Morrison, “The Site of Memory,” and determining which details are most central to supporting her central idea.

Lesson Goals

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

Texts

Optional

  • Digital Access
    • “The Site of Memory,” Toni Morrison, Houghton Mifflin, 1995

Materials

Tools

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Write

We will read an excerpt from Toni Morrison’s essay, “The Site Of Memory,” selecting details we feel are significant to determine how Morrison feels authors create text and subtext?

Read the excerpt from Toni Morrison’s "The Site of Memory" (pp. 98-99).

Make note of the details she includes regarding memory.

When finished reading, use the Attending to Details Tool and add at least three details you feel relate to the following question:

  1. How does Morrison feel authors create text and subtext?

Activity 2: Write – Read

We will complete the Attending to Details Tool by working on the think about the details and express your understanding sections.

Complete the Attending to Details Tool. Under each detail in the first section, describe what you think the detail means in your own words, and explain your rationale as to how this answers the guiding question:

  1. How do authors create text?

When finished, look holistically at the evidence you have collected to answer the guiding question. In the Express Your Understanding section, think about how you would answer the guiding question. The connections between your response and your details should be clear; if there is a disconnect, you will need to go back and select alternate details.

Activity 3: Write

We will reflect on our ability to analyze perspective.

Gathering and organizing evidence from a central claim or idea is a skill you have been practicing throughout this unit—one you will use to complete the Culminating Task. How prepared do you now feel to organize and include evidence from other texts? Consider the following questions and write down your responses on the back of your Attending to Details Tool.

  1. Can you better show your ability to use this skill?

  2. Do you still need assistance?

  3. Could you help a peer with this skill?

  4. What additional support is needed to aid in your mastery of this skill?