Solomon’s Choices

Overview

In this lesson, students analyze how Solomon’s later decisions develop a central idea about the risks of wealth and obsession in leadership. They practice tracing ideas across the text and then writing an objective summary.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Identify two or more central ideas in the text about Solomon’s later leadership choices.
• Analyze how each central idea develops from earlier events to later outcomes.
• Determine an objective summary that includes the most important ideas without personal opinions.
• Support claims with specific details from the text.

Success criteria

• I can state two central ideas and explain how the text shows each one changing over time.
• I can describe cause-and-effect links between Solomon’s choices and the consequences for leadership.
• I can write an objective summary that accurately reflects the text’s main points in my own words.
• I can use evidence (events/phrases) from the text to support each central-idea claim.

Curriculum links

• Reading: Informational Text — Determine two or more central ideas and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary.
• Reading: Literature — Determine a theme or central idea and analyze its development; provide an objective summary.
• Reading: Informational Text — Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text and how sections contribute to the development of ideas.
• Reading: Literature — Analyze how word meaning and repetition/impact contribute to specific parts of a text (as relevant to key phrases in the reading).

Lesson structure (38 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Retrieval + setup. Teacher asks students to recall: “In lesson 9, what leadership value did we focus on, and what happens when leaders ignore it?” Students do a quick write: one value + one consequence, then share with a partner.

2. 5–12 min · Read for central ideas. Teacher provides the Solomon passage and a short excerpt about later consequences (print or digital). Students do a first read for gist, then a second read with annotation: underline any detail that connects to (a) wealth/material power and (b) obsession/compulsive focus that pulls the leader away from wise priorities.

3. 12–20 min · Direct teach: central ideas & development. Teacher models with a quick example: “Central idea #1: wealth increases temptation; it develops as Solomon’s priorities shift.” Teacher then explains development language: start, change, intensify, outcome. Students complete a two-column chart: Central idea (wealth) / Evidence across the text (early vs. later). Repeat for central idea (obsession).

4. 20–26 min · Small-group analysis (objective, evidence-based). Teacher forms groups of 3–4 and assigns each group a guiding question:

• Group A: How does wealth function as a risk to leadership in the later choices?
• Group B: How does obsession change Solomon’s decision-making over time?
• Group C: What pattern connects both risks to the final outcome? Students discuss using sentence starters: “The author develops this idea by…” and “A key turning point is…”

5. 26–33 min · Objective summary writing. Teacher displays a model summary frame (no opinions): “The text explains that… As Solomon’s leadership progressed, … Ultimately, …” Students write a 6–8 sentence objective summary that includes two central ideas and their development, using at least two pieces of evidence.

6. 33–37 min · Share + revise with feedback. Teacher selects two student summaries (anonymous copies) for class review using a quick checklist:

• Does it name two central ideas?
• Does it describe how they develop?
• Is it objective (no personal judgments)? Students do a 1-minute “glow and grow” note on their own draft.

7. 37–38 min · Exit ticket. Students answer: “Name two central ideas and one specific detail that shows development over time.” Teacher collects for quick review.

Resources

• Solomon reading passage (teacher-provided text) with later choices section clearly marked
• Central idea annotation handout (two-column: wealth / obsession)
• Group discussion question cards (A/B/C)
• Objective summary writing template (sentence frame)
• Evidence checklist for peer feedback
• Student notebooks or lined paper

Assessment

• Teacher circulates during annotation to check that students correctly connect evidence to central ideas.
• Group discussion notes are reviewed for accurate “development” statements and evidence use.
• Exit ticket verifies students can name two central ideas and cite a detail showing change over time.
• Optional quick scoring of summaries using a 3-point rubric: central ideas named, development explained, objectivity maintained.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters for development (“At first… later… ultimately…”) and a word bank for objective language (explains, shows, results in, reveals).
• Support: Offer a partially completed central-idea chart with one example for each central idea; students fill the remaining evidence.
• Extension: Challenge students to identify the text’s structure (e.g., “turning points,” “cause and effect”) and explain how that structure helps the central ideas develop, using one additional sentence in the summary.
• EAL/SEN: Allow highlighting instead of handwriting annotations; provide simplified summary frames and encourage audio read-aloud of the text.