Launching the Inquiry

Overview

In this opening lesson of Stories That Shape Us, students explore the essential question, “How do stories shape what we believe and do?” They preview a paired literary and informational text set, establish expectations for collaborative discussion, and record initial predictions that will be revisited throughout the unit.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• explain what the unit’s essential question asks them to consider.
• preview literary and informational texts and make evidence-based predictions.
• contribute clearly to a collaborative discussion.
• write a brief reflection and prediction in one sitting.

Success criteria

• I can explain one way a story might influence a person’s beliefs or actions.
• I can refer to details from a text preview when sharing an idea.
• I can build on, question, or respectfully respond to a classmate’s idea.
• I can write a prediction and explain what led me to it.

Curriculum links

• Speaking and Listening — collaborative discussions with diverse partners.
• Speaking and Listening — preparing for discussion and referring to evidence.
• Writing — routine short-form writing for reflection and prediction.
• Reading Literature — previewing and preparing to comprehend grade-level literary texts.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook. Teacher opens with the opening question slide and displays two brief scenarios: a student changes an opinion after reading a novel, and a community changes a decision after hearing a true story. Students silently respond in notebooks: “Can a story change what someone believes or does? Why?”

2. 5–10 min · Essential question. Teacher reveals the unit question, “How do stories shape what we believe and do?” and explains that students will study both a literary text and an informational text over the next 15 lessons. Students paraphrase the question with a partner and identify the words stories, believe, and do as key ideas. Invite two or three students to share interpretations.

3. 10–17 min · Text-set preview. Teacher uses the text-set preview slides to show the literary text’s title, cover or opening image, a short spoiler-free description, and the informational text’s title, headings, and visual features. Do not read the full texts yet. Model a prediction using only visible evidence: “The heading suggests this text may explain why people respond to a story in a certain way.” Students record two details they notice and one question they have on the text-set preview and prediction sheet.

4. 17–25 min · Discussion norms. Teacher introduces four norms on the discussion norms slides: come prepared, listen to understand, refer to evidence, and build on ideas. Model a weak response and revise it aloud using stems such as “I agree with ___ because…,” “I would add…,” and “What makes you think…?” Students practice with a partner by sharing one preview detail, responding with a stem, and switching roles.

5. 25–35 min · Collaborative inquiry. Teacher places students in five groups of four and displays the inquiry discussion prompt: “Which text seems more likely to shape a reader’s beliefs or actions, and what makes you think so?” Circulate, listen for evidence-based comments, and prompt students to invite quieter voices. Students discuss their predictions, refer to a visible text detail, ask at least one question, and record the group’s strongest idea on the worksheet.

6. 35–41 min · Whole-class synthesis. Teacher facilitates a brief discussion, charting recurring ideas under beliefs, feelings, and actions. Ask, “What did another group say that changed, extended, or challenged your thinking?” Students share one idea from their group and explicitly name a classmate’s contribution when building on it.

7. 41–45 min · Exit reflection. Teacher distributes the group discussion exit ticket slips and asks students to complete one prompt independently. Students write one prediction about the text set, one discussion move they used or observed, and one question they want answered during the unit. Collect slips and worksheets before dismissal.

Resources

• the complete introduction and discussion deck
• the text-set preview and prediction sheet
• Literary text for the unit
• Informational text for the unit
• Projector or interactive display
• Chart paper or whiteboard and markers
• group discussion exit ticket slips

Assessment

• During partner and group discussion, listen for preparation, clear contributions, relevant preview evidence, questions, and responses that build on others’ ideas.
• Review worksheets for two accurate observations, a reasonable prediction, and an explanation connected to a text feature or detail.
• Use exit slips to identify students who need support with discussion norms, evidence, or explaining how stories may influence people.

Differentiation

• Provide sentence stems, a word bank with belief, action, influence, evidence, and predict, and allow students to rehearse orally before writing.
• For students needing additional support, preview images and headings individually, pair them with a supportive peer, and offer the option to record a prediction as labeled phrases before expanding it into sentences.
• For multilingual learners, clarify the essential question with everyday examples and invite home-language discussion before sharing in English when possible.
• Challenge students who are ready to extend their thinking to distinguish between a story changing what someone believes and changing what someone does, using separate evidence for each.