Unit: A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (Module 2) Grade: 7th Date:

Teacher: Ms. Francois ELA Lesson Plan

OBJECTIVE CONNECTION TO ACHIEVEMENT GOAL
What will your students be able to do? How does the objective connect to your
achievement goal?
Students will be able to determine the central A huge part of our goal is to increase our
idea of The Geography of Sudan: Two reading comprehension skills and to translate
Perspectives by completing a close reading that understanding into writing that is both
and a double entry journal in order to answer clear and concise. In this lesson, students
a text dependent question. will be able to determine the authors main
idea and explain how it influences peoples
Standards: RI.7.1; RI.7.2; RI.7.3; L.7.4 lives.

PREREQUISITE SKILLS DIAGNOSTIC

What will your students need to know to master
the grade-level objective?
Students must know how to determine the
main idea and what the author is trying to
convey. In addition, they must know how to
PRE-PLANNING
How will you assess students mastery of these
foundational skills?
Students will complete a double entry journal
where they will be asked to identify the
differences between two cities in Sudan.

include textual evidence that is both relevant Then, they will have to provide evidence
and applicable to the topic at hand. explaining the conflicts taking place in Darfur
and how it affects people within the society.

END OF LESSON ASSESSMENT

How will you know whether your students have made progress toward the objective?
After completing their double entry journals, students will be asked to use the information they
collected in order to write a summary free op personal opinions about the article The
Geography of Sudan: Two Perspectives, and explain how the adversity was overcome in the
article.

KEY POINTS
What three to five key points will you emphasize?

1) How do we determine the central idea of an article? Students will know that the central
idea is the primary take-away that the author wants readers to understand.
2) What is adversity and how is an individual able to persevere through it? Students
will make connections to the essential question about better understand it by applying
it to the article.
3) How do we compare and contrast the characteristics of two cities? Students will find
the similarities and differences between the two cities (Darfur and Khartoum) to better
understand life for the people who live there.
OPENING ( 15 min.) MATERIALS
(Consider: How will you communicate what is about to happen?
How will you communicate how it will happen?
How will you communicate its importance?
How will you communicate connections to previous lessons?
How will you engage students and capture their interest?)
LESSON CYCLE
PowerPoint
Using a Document Reader, display the Wordle (see below) created using presentation,
the article The Geography of Sudan: Two Perspectives. document
o Explain to the students that these are the important vocabulary reader
terms that pertains to the article The Geography of Sudan: Two
Perspectives. The larger the word on this Wordle, the more the
author used it in their writing.
Allow the students a few moments to review the vocabulary silently.
Then, allow the students to turn to a partner, and share the terms they
know and what they think this article will be about.
Finally, allow the students to share their thoughts regarding the
vocabulary and what they think this article will be about. Explain that
after we complete our first read, we will use this Wordle to help us write a
summary of the article.

INTRODUCTION OF NEW MATERIAL (25 min.)

(Consider: What key points will you emphasize and reiterate?
How will you ensure that students actively take in information?
How will you vary your approach to make information accessible to all students?
Which potential misunderstandings will you anticipate? Why will students be
engaged/interested?)
PowerPoint
Distribute the article The Geography of Sudan: Two Perspectives to the presentation,
class and explain to the students that this article will help us understand document
some important information regarding Sudan, which is where the novel, reader, copies
A Long Walk to Water takes place. of article (The
o Before we begin our deeper analysis, we will complete a first read Geography of
for general understanding. Sudan: Two
Popcorn read the article. Perspectives),
o As we complete the first read, students should annotate for general copies of
understanding. graphic
After we complete the first read, ask for students to share what this short organizer
article was about. (double entry
Display the Wordle again and ask, Why are these larger terms like journal)
Darfur, Sudan, government, and etc. important to understanding the
article?

GUIDED PRACTICE ( 15 min.)

(Consider: How will you clearly state and model behavioral expectations?
How will you ensure that all students have multiple opportunities to practice?
How will you scaffold practice exercises from easy to hard? How will you monitor
and correct student performance? Why will students be engaged/interested?)
 Distribute the double entry journal and explain that as we reread the
article The Geography of Sudan: Two Perspectives we will look for
evidence of the differences between Darfur and Khartoum, as well as
evidence of adversity taking place within the society and if this
adversity was overcome.
Read from the beginning of the article until We use this water
throughout the day to cook, clean and drink.
Direct the students attention back to Because we live in the desert,
there are very few water sources. Every morning, my sisters wake up
early and walk to the nearest well to gather water, which is a long 2
mile walk.
Model writing this quote on the right hand side under evidence of
adversity that is taking place in Darfur.
After writing the quote, and analysis for how this affects Abit.

Evidence of differences between Evidence that demonstrates

Darfur: Western Sudan and adversity taking place in Darfur:
Khartoum-The Capital of Sudan Western Sudan

Analysis: How does the evidence

affect the individual within the
society?
Evidence Because we live in the
desert, there are very few water
sources.

Analysis Due to the lack of water

available in the desert of Sudan,
she spends a great deal of her day
walking the 2 miles back and forth
to get clean water. This affects Abit
and her brother because they are
unable to attend school as they
have to make this 2 mile trip for
water several times a day.
Continue by allowing students to take turns reading the second
paragraph of the article.
Next, allow the students to assist you with selecting evidence for right
hand side of the double entry journal under evidence of adversity
taking place in Darfur.
Then, allow them to work with you to write an analysis for the
evidence collected.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (15 min.)
(Consider: How will you clearly state and model behavioral expectations?
In what ways will students attempt to demonstrate independent mastery of the
objective? How will you provide opportunities for extension? Why will students be
engaged/interested?)

Allow the students to work with a partner or small group to read the
remaining paragraph in the first section, and add to the double entry
journal.
As the groups are working, circulate to assist students as needed, and/or
work with a small group. Make certain they are completing the graphic
organizer correctly and maintaining productive academic conversations.

CLOSING ( 10 min.)
(Consider: How will students summarize what they learned?
How will students be asked to state the significance of what they learned?
How will you provide all students with opportunities to demonstrate mastery of (or
progress toward) the objective?
Why will students be engaged/interested?)

Bring the students back to whole group review what the students
have added to the double entry journal.
Distribute copies of the Wordle we reviewed at the beginning of the
lesson.
Ask students to use the information captured on the double entry
journal and some of the vocabulary from the Wordle to write a
summary free of personal opinions about the article The Geography
of Sudan: Two Perspectives, and explain if the adversity was
overcome in the article.