Curriculum / ELA / 7th Grade / Unit 6: Claiming Our Place: LGBTQ+ Experiences in the United States / Lesson 14
ELA
Unit 6
7th Grade
Lesson 14 of 20
Jump To
Identify an author or speaker’s argument and assess whether the evidence they provide is relevant and sufficient.
Book: The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater pp. 161 – 190
We participate in the Amazon Associate program. This means that if you use this link to make an Amazon purchase, we receive a small portion of the proceeds, which support our non-profit mission.
Unlock features to optimize your prep time, plan engaging lessons, and monitor student progress.
Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved
Based on the evidence she includes in the chapter titled "Under the Influence of Adolescence," what is Slater’s perspective on the practice of trying and punishing juveniles as adults? Identify her position and the evidence she provides to support this position. Then explain whether the evidence provided is relevant and sufficient to support this argument.
An example response to the Target Task at the level of detail expected of the students.
Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding
Why did states begin to charge juveniles as adults in the 1980s and 1990s? Provide specific details from the chapter "Direct Files" to support your answer.
On page 164, Slater suggests that giving prosecutors the choice about when to try juveniles as adults leads to significant inequality. What evidence is presented on this page to support that idea? Is the evidence relevant and sufficient to support this claim?
On page 190, Richard’s lawyer Du Bois makes the claim that Richard is not homophobic because "he doesn’t know how to spell homophobic." Is this evidence relevant and sufficient to support his claim? Explain your thinking.
Assess student understanding and monitor progress toward this lesson's objective with an Exit Ticket.
Review Richard’s two letters to Sasha (p. 180 and pp. 184–185). Do these letters change the way you feel about Richard? Does it change how you feel about the fact that he was accused of a hate crime?
Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text
malleable
adj.
easily influenced or shaped
sufficient
in appropriate amount; enough.
Reading and/or task to be completed at home in preparation for the next lesson.
To ensure that students are prepared for the next lesson, have students complete the following reading for homework. Use guidance from the next lesson to identify any additional language or background support students may need while independently engaging with the text.
Book: The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater pp. 191 – 222
While reading, answer the following questions.
What do Oakland High basketball players wear on their jerseys? Why?
How does the director of Oakland High's GSA respond when she sees a photo of Richard? Why?
Why is Sasha excited to talk to the media?
Who is Dan Gale? How has his life changed since the fire?
How does the judge respond to the request for Richard to be tried as a juvenile and not an adult?
Bring your most engaging lessons to life with comprehensive instructional guidance, detailed pacing, supports to meet every student's needs, and resources to strengthen your lesson planning and delivery.
RI.7.8 — Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
L.7.6 — Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
RI.7.1 — Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.7.2 — Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.7.10 — By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
SL.7.1 — Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.7.2 — Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.
W.7.1 — Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
W.7.1.a — Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
W.7.1.b — Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
W.7.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.7.8 — Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
W.7.9 — Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.9.b — Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g. "Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims").
W.7.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Lesson 13
Lesson 15
Writing
Unpack the expectations of an informational writing task, study a mentor text, and brainstorm research questions.
W.7.2 W.7.7
Use search terms effectively, assess the credibility of online sources, and begin to gather evidence.
W.7.7 W.7.8
Gather information from multiple sources and create an outline for an informational poster.
W.7.2 W.7.2.a W.7.8 W.7.9
Create an informational poster about a significant event in LGBTQ+ history.
SL.7.5 W.7.2 W.7.6
Present informational posters on a significant event in LGBTQ+ history.
SL.7.4 SL.7.5 W.7.2
Write a paragraph reflecting on the process of creating the LBGTQ+ history timeline.
L.7.1.a W.7.2
Describe how a text is organized, how specific chapters fit into the overall structure of the text, and how the author makes structural choices to develop the reader’s understanding of characters, setting, and plot.
RI.7.5
Describe how Sasha’s community responded to their gender identity, and how specific chapters in the text contribute to the reader’s understanding of characters, ideas, and events.
RI.7.3 RI.7.5
Identify a writer or speaker’s argument and assess whether the evidence they provide is relevant to claims.
RI.7.8 RI.7.9 SL.7.3
Explain specific chapters fit into the overall structure of the text and how the author makes structural choices to develop the reader’s understanding of characters, setting, and plot.
Analyze the way that Slater develops the reader’s understanding of the fire on the bus and compare news reports about the incident with facts and details Slater includes in The 57 Bus.
RI.7.7 RI.7.9
Make connections between larger legal concepts and events in The 57 Bus, drawing evidence from both texts to support ideas.
Analyze the effect of the author’s use of second person point of view.
L.7.1 L.7.1.b RI.7.5 W.7.1
RI.7.8
Explain the way that events affect individuals’ emotions, beliefs, and behavior in The 57 Bus.
RI.7.3
Explain how specific chapters in The 57 Bus fit into the overall structure of the text, and develop the reader’s understanding of characters and ideas.
Describe how The 57 Bus is organized and how Slater's structural choices develop the reader’s understanding of characters and ideas.
Identify central ideas in The 57 Bus and explain how Slater develops ideas over the course of the text.
RI.7.2
Socratic Seminar
Engage in a Socratic Seminar with peers, responding directly to others by rephrasing and delineating arguments, determining the strength of evidence, and posing clarifying questions.
SL.7.1 SL.7.1.d SL.7.3 SL.7.4
Assessment – 2 days
Create a free account to access thousands of lesson plans.
Already have an account? Sign In
See all of the features of Fishtank in action and begin the conversation about adoption.
Learn more about Fishtank Learning School Adoption.
Yes
No
Access rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free