Crisis of Leadership

Overview

Students will analyze an informational passage about Eli’s sons to determine central ideas and how those ideas develop across the text. They will then write an objective summary that captures two or more central ideas and the author’s overall purpose in contrasting inherited leadership with responsibility.

Learning intentions

• Students will identify two or more central ideas in a text about Eli’s sons.
• Students will analyze how each central idea develops from beginning to end.
• Students will write an objective summary that accurately reflects the text without adding opinions.
• Students will plan an objective informational paragraph using clear structure and topic preview.

Success criteria

• I can name at least two central ideas from the text and explain where the details support them.
• I can describe how one central idea changes or becomes clearer over the course of the text.
• I can write an objective summary that includes key points from both central ideas.
• I can organize my summary with a clear introduction, logical ordering, and a concluding statement.

Curriculum links

• Reading: Informational Text — RI.7.2 central ideas and development; objective summary.
• Writing — W.7.2a introduces topic clearly and organizes ideas using strategies (comparison/classification/cause-effect) with appropriate formatting.
• Reading: Informational Text — RI.7.3 analyzes interactions between individuals, events, and ideas that shape leadership outcomes.
• Reading: Informational Text — RI.7.6 analyzes author’s purpose and how it’s distinguished from others.

Lesson structure (38 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Quick activation. Teacher writes: “Inherited roles don’t replace character.” Students do a silent 30-second think, then turn-and-talk: What might happen when leadership is inherited without responsibility?

2. 4–12 min · First reading for central ideas. Teacher gives the passage “Crisis of Leadership: Eli’s Sons” and sets a purpose: mark phrases that show leadership choices, consequences, and the author’s message. Students read once independently and underline evidence for possible central ideas.

3. 12–19 min · Central idea tracking and development. Teacher models a two-column organizer: “Central idea” and “How it develops (where/what changes).” Students choose two central ideas and add evidence for each, noting at least one “shift” (new evidence, deeper explanation, or cause-effect link).

4. 19–26 min · Interaction analysis (who/what influences what). Teacher prompts: “How do individuals (Eli, Eli’s sons), events, and ideas interact to show the danger of inherited leadership?” Students complete a brief interaction chart: Person → Action → Result → Leadership idea it supports.

5. 26–33 min · Objective summary drafting. Teacher reviews what “objective” means: no personal judgments, no new facts, and neutral wording. Students draft a 6–8 sentence objective summary that includes both central ideas and shows their development across the text.

6. 33–37 min · Share and refine with a checklist. Teacher displays a short checklist aligned to RI.7.2 and W.7.2a: central ideas named, development explained, objective tone, logical ordering, and clear topic preview. Students swap papers and highlight one sentence that best shows development, then suggest one improvement.

7. 37–38 min · Exit ticket. Students write one sentence answering: “What is one central idea and how did the author help you understand it?” Collect for quick formative feedback.

Resources

• Printed passage: “Crisis of Leadership: Eli’s Sons”
• Central ideas two-column graphic organizer (prepared handout)
• Interaction chart (Person → Action → Result → Leadership idea)
• Objective summary sentence frame strips (optional): “The text explains…,” “As the passage continues…,” “Overall…”
• Drafting paper or lined notebook paper
• Student checklist aligned to objective summary requirements
• Timer for pacing

Assessment

• Formative check during organizer work: teacher listens for accurate central idea statements and evidence selection.
• Formative check during interaction chart: teacher verifies students connect events to leadership consequences (cause-effect reasoning).
• Exit ticket submission: teacher reviews whether students can state a central idea and describe its development with neutral language.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters for central idea statements (“One central idea is… because…”) and for summary topic preview (“The passage focuses on…”).
• Support: Offer a model paragraph (highlighted) showing objective wording and a clear structure.
• Extension: Challenge students to revise their summary to include the author’s purpose in one sentence (for example, warning readers about leadership without responsibility) using neutral language.
• EAL/SEN: Allow annotations in the first language or with symbols (cause = arrow, consequence = star) before rewriting in English; pre-highlight key transitions in the text (e.g., “however,” “as a result,” “in contrast”).