Day 2

Content Area: English

CC Reading Standard:
1 - Cite strong and thorough
textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text, including
determining where the text leaves
matters uncertain.

What do students
need to know?
Students do not
need any prior
knowledge.

Grade Level: 11
What do students need to be able to do?

Read a passage aloud, question it, clarify words,

concepts or phrases using the text, summarize it,
and predict what the author will discuss next in
the text.

4 - Determine the meaning of

words and phrases as they are
used in a text, including figurative,
connotative, and technical
meanings; analyze how an author
uses and refines the meaning of a
key term or terms over the course
of a text
Lesson Objective:
Understand and explain the argument, definitions, and points made in the introduction of The New Jim Crow
by Michelle Alexander using text evidence
Lesson Outline and Task for the students:
Desks should be arranged into four groups of four and two groups of five. On the board should be the
assignment: In your groups, use Reciprocal Teaching to read the introduction to The New Jim Crow starting
after the break on page 2. Look out for the definitions on the handout as they develop in the text and record
what you find including the page number. Your definitions will be collected at the end of class. Pay attention to
descriptions of hysteria, social control, and the group being discriminated against. Although students have
already had a lot of practice with reciprocal teaching, put the steps on the board as well: Read a paragraph
out loud, then Question, Clarify, Summarize, and Predict. Read the directions and have students get to work
right away. As they work, walk around the room checking to make sure each student is participating, following
along to who is reading, and adhering to the steps of Reciprocal Teaching. Make sure that students are
writing definitions and citing pages. Be prepared for questions on definitions, such as parole and purport, but
direct students to the text and ask them what they think it means, only provide an answer if the whole group is
stuck. If students are not following the steps, ask them questions that prompt them to question, clarify,
summarize, and predict the text. Students should spend forty minutes completing this activity. In the last five
minutes ask students for evidence of hysteria, social control, and who is stigmatized, explaining how
stigmatized relates to stigma. Collect the definitions handout as students leave class and remind them to
think on these topics for tomorrows class.
Summative Assessment (how will you know if students hit the objective at the level of the standard?):
Walk around listening to make sure students are using text evidence to clarify words, phrases, and concepts
as well as to make predictions on what will be discussed in the text. Collect and review the definitions
handout. When students respond to the final questions, they should include page numbers of where they
found their evidence, ask them to provide it if they do not automatically.

The introduction to The New Jim Crow is a More Challenging Text on the Text Complexity
Gradient. This lesson plan uses UDL 8.3, Foster collaboration and community, 6.3, Facilitate
managing information and resources, and 2.3, Support decoding of text, mathematical notation, and
symbols. This assignment falls on Hesss Cognitive Rigor Matrix at Understand Level 2 as students
summarize results, concepts, ideas; make basic inferences or logical predictions from data or texts;
identify main ideas or accurate generalizations of texts and locate information to support explicitimplicit central ideas.
My students have already used Reciprocal Teaching many times and understand how it works.
To introduce it to your class, you will need to model it for students and explain that students take turns
in the role of teacher. This method is especially helpful to Bijan and Santo, who struggle with
vocabulary and text comprehension respectively. It also aids Michelle with decoding and fluency by
having students read aloud and listen to words as they read them. Bijan also struggles with
morphology and asking about stigmatization while relating the word to stigma, should help him draw
connections. Each of my ELL students should find this Reciprocal Teaching well suited to help their
needs without separating their objectives from the other students.