Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963

Lesson 3
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ELA

Unit 1

6th Grade

Lesson 3 of 32

Objective


Explain how Christopher Paul Curtis develops Kenny’s point of view of himself and other characters.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis  pp. 20 – 46 — Chapter 2 and 3

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Target Task


Note: There is no Target Task for today’s lesson. Students will spend the next two lessons learning about the elements of a strong analytical paragraph and the process of planning and drafting one. 

Key Questions


Close Read Questions

  • What is Kenny’s point of view of himself when the teachers ask him to read aloud, and how does it change? How does Christopher Paul Curtis develop this perspective? Provide specific evidence that helps to develop Kenny’s perspective on pages 22–23.

  • How does Byron’s perspective of Kenny differ from what Kenny expects? How does Christopher Paul Curtis develop this perspective? Provide specific evidence that helps to develop Byron’s perspective on pages 24–25.

  • How do the other kids view Rufus? How does Curtis develop the reader's understanding of their perspective? Provide at least two pieces of specific evidence from pages 29-33 to support your answer. 

Discussion Questions

  • Why do some students bully others? What can we learn about bullying from today’s reading?

Exit Ticket

Assess student understanding and monitor progress toward this lesson's objective with an Exit Ticket.

Vocabulary


Text-based

vital

adj.

(p. 23)

(1) absolutely necessary (2) full of energy

emulate

v.

(p. 24)

imitate; copy

hostile

adj.

(p. 23)

unfriendly; antagonistic

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Common Core Standards


  • RL.6.3 — Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
  • RL.6.6 — Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

Supporting Standards

L.6.6
RL.6.1
RL.6.2
RL.6.10
SL.6.1
SL.6.6
W.6.1
W.6.1.a
W.6.1.b
W.6.4
W.6.9
W.6.9.a
W.6.10
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Lesson 2

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Lesson 4

Lesson Map

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