Organize, Analyze, Explain

Grade: 6

Subject: English Language Arts

Duration: 90 minutes

Class Size: 25 students

Text: Gorillas in the Mist (Excerpt)

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Learning Objectives (Aligned to CCSS):

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.5: Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas (TEKS 6.6C).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text (TEKS 6.7E).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.8: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not (TEKS 6.10B).

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“I Can” Statements:

• I can explain how the author organizes ideas in a text to help me understand better.
• I can identify the author’s purpose and message.
• I can analyze how facts in the text support the author's claim.

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Success Criteria:

• I can use graphic organizers to map the structure of the text.
• I can explain the author’s purpose using evidence from the text.
• I can critically think about claims and support them with facts from the reading.
• I can participate in meaningful discussions using sentence frames.

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Materials Needed:

• Copies of Gorillas in the Mist excerpt (dyslexia-friendly font version available)
• Graphic organizers: Text Structure Chart, Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) chart
• Whiteboard and markers
• Chart paper for group work
• Sticky notes
• Sentence frame handouts for discussion
• Mirrors & Windows Consumable pages for supplementary text and vocabulary
• Highlighters and pencils

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Lesson Plan Breakdown:

1. Do Now (5 minutes)

Pre-Reading Prompt:
"Have you ever learned something surprising about animals from a book or documentary? What was it?"

• Students quickly write or share with their partner. This primes their schema for reading about gorillas.

2. I Do: Direct Model (10 minutes)

Building Background Knowledge (5 minutes):

• Briefly introduce Gorillas in the Mist, explaining Dian Fossey’s role as a primatologist and the purpose of her research.
• Explain that today’s focus is analyzing how the text is structured to organize ideas, understanding the author's purpose, and how facts support claims.
• Preview key vocabulary using visual aids and word maps, e.g., "habitat," "conservation," "endangered," "behavior."

Direct Teach: Modeling (5 minutes):

• Project a specific paragraph from the excerpt.
• Use think-aloud: “I notice the author starts by describing the gorilla’s environment, then moves on to their behavior. This tells me the author is organizing ideas from setting to action.”
• Annotate the paragraph marking transition words and evidence supporting claims.
• Model how to fill out a Text Structure Chart for this paragraph.

3. Check for Understanding (2 minutes)

• Ask: "How is this section organized? What clues helped you know?"
• Use thumbs up/down or quick individual written responses.

4. We Do: Guided Practice (12 minutes)

• Students work in pairs with the next section of the text.
• Use sentence stems for discussions:
  • "The author organizes this part by..."
  • "I believe the author’s purpose is..."
  • "This fact supports the claim that..."
• Students annotate the text and begin filling out their graphic organizers together.

5. You Do: Independent Practice (15 minutes)

• Each student reads the final section independently with dyslexia-friendly formatting if needed.
• Fill out a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) chart indicating:
  • Claims made by the author (e.g., why gorillas need conservation).
  • Facts or evidence supporting the claim.
  • Reasoning connecting the evidence to the claim.
• Teacher circulates offering feedback and prompting deeper thinking.

6. Debrief (10 minutes)

• Small groups share their CER charts and explanation of text structures.
• Teacher records excellent examples on chart paper as exemplar models.
• Discuss the author’s purpose and main message: What does Dian Fossey want us to understand about gorillas and conservation?

7. Extension Activity (for advanced learners)

• Research a current conservation effort for gorillas and create a short presentation or a persuasive paragraph arguing its importance using facts.
• Suggest use of digital tools (e.g., slideshow or poster app).

8. Differentiation Strategies:

• For struggling readers/dyslexic learners:

  • Provide dyslexia-friendly text fonts and formatting.
  • Use audio recordings of the passage.
  • Offer sentence frame scaffolds and graphic organizers with examples.
  • Pair with supportive peers in We Do activities.
  • Chunk reading into smaller, manageable segments.

• For English Language Learners (ELL):

  • Pre-teach key vocabulary with visuals.
  • Use bilingual dictionaries or glossary.
  • Encourage partner talk in a structured way using sentence frames.

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Exit Ticket (3 minutes)

• Prompt: “Write one sentence explaining how the author uses facts to support a claim in the text.”
• Collect as quick formative assessment aligned with CCSS RI.6.8 and TEKS 6.10B.

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Teacher Reflection & Implementation Tips:

• Preview text thoroughly to create annotated exemplar.
• Prepare sentence stems for academic language support.
• Use graphic organizers as ongoing references.
• Group strategically to mix diverse learners with different strengths.
• Plan for multiple checks to scaffold and confirm comprehension.

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This lesson integrates analysis of text structure, critical thinking about the author’s purpose, and evaluation of claims supported by evidence as prescribed by the Common Core and TEKS standards while being engaging and accessible for 6th-grade learners.