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50 min
Student Lesson
Lesson 35: Flex Day: Skill-Based Huddles, Day 4
Content
Students will evaluate whether reasons and evidence support a claim in a short argument while improving their command of pronouns in standard grammar.
Language
Students will explain their reading using academic vocabulary about reasoning and rhetoric and conventions of grammar surrounding pronoun use.
Foundational Skills
Students will apply reading and writing strategies to correct pronoun errors in sentence-level writing, including to use consistent pronoun number and person and to clarify vague pronoun references.
Why were some contributions overlooked in historical accounts, and how can research help us build a fuller record?
Knowledge-Building:
Students revisit how researchers and writers make hidden contributions visible by using clear claims, strong evidence, and precise language.
Enduring Understanding:
Scientific discovery grows through questions, evidence, and collaboration, and research helps build a fuller historical record.
Future Lessons:
Today’s flex support prepares students to strengthen the final hidden innovator performance task, especially the “Making the Case” section.
Unit Performance Task:
Students will need to explain an innovator’s contribution clearly and argue why that person deserves recognition.
| Lesson Flow | Purpose of Learning Experience |
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Launch5 Minutes | Students self-assess confidence on RI.6.8, L.6.1.c, and L.6.1.d to help the teacher form huddles. |
Learning in Action40 Minutes | Teacher uses flexible grouping to provide targeted 10–15-minute huddles on evaluating claims, keeping pronouns consistent, and clarifying vague pronouns; other students engage in independent reading or knowledge-building tasks. |
Look Back5 Minutes | Students reflect on growth in confidence or new learning from huddle work or independent work. |
Material List
Student copies of a teacher-selected short passage from the unit text set
Teacher-selected hidden innovator source or informational research passage
Unit 3 Lesson 35 Student Edition
Routines
Quick Write
Say: Today is a Flex Day. Today, we are focusing on tightening three places where writing can get shaky: checking support for a claim, keeping pronouns consistent, and making pronouns clear. Based on your self-assessment and your recent work, I’ll be meeting with small groups for a quick skill session while others work independently. Let’s start by rating your confidence.
Instruct students to reflect on their ability to do each of the following using the Reflection routine.
Reflection (RI.6.8, L.6.1.c, L.6.1.d) |
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Reflect on your ability to do each of the following using the Reflection routine.
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Say: Based on your confidence ratings in addition to how you’ve demonstrated your understanding in recent work, you’ll get individualized learning sessions so you get what you need today.
Collect a quick visual of ratings by having students hold up fingers or record their rating on paper.
Explain the plan:
Three 10–15-minute teacher huddles:
Huddle 1: RI.6.8 (Evaluating Claims and Evidence)
Huddle 2: L.6.1.c (Recognizing Pronoun Consistency)
Huddle 3: L.6.1.d (Clarifying Vague Pronouns)
Students not in a huddle work independently and choose one task.
Then sort students using:
1. their Reflection responses and
2. your data from recent formative assessments, especially Lesson 34 assessment writing, research notes, and performance task drafts.
Teacher Tip |
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Explain that you are first going to pull students for additional work on RI.6.8 (Evaluating Claims and Evidence). Pull students who rated 1–3 on RI.6.8 and/or have shown difficulty with selecting details that do not actually support a claim, or summarizing a topic rather than judging the strength of the writer’s reasons and evidence, based on recent work. All other students begin independent work (see “Independent Choice Work” below).
Pull this group when students can name a topic but cannot clearly state the writer’s claim, when they treat any fact as support even if it is unrelated, or when their explanations say only that a detail is “important” without explaining how it proves the claim.
Students not in responsive huddles choose one task and write a brief response.
Option 1: Independent Reading
How does the author in your reading support a claim or main point? Cite one example.
The author supports the main point by providing facts and specific examples that show the claim is true rather than just stating it. For example, instead of just saying something is important, the author includes data or real events that prove why it matters.
Option 2: Knowledge Building
How does strong evidence help make a hidden innovator’s contribution visible? Cite one example from your reading or research.
Strong evidence helps make a hidden innovator's contribution visible by giving people something concrete to point to instead of just relying on memory or reputation. For example, when researchers find original notes, photographs, or records showing what someone actually did, it becomes much harder to overlook or erase that person's role in a discovery.
Use any teacher-selected short passage for this huddle. Students should have the text in front of them.
A claim is the main point a writer wants the reader to believe.
A reason tells why the writer believes the claim.
Evidence includes facts, examples, or details that prove the reason and support the claim.
Say: We are going to look closely at a short part of a text and test the writer’s support. We are not just finding details. We are asking whether those details actually prove the claim.
Use any teacher-selected short passage for this huddle. Students should have the text in front of them.
Have students reread a short paragraph or section and underline the sentence that most clearly states what the writer wants readers to believe.
Ask: What is the claim in this part of the passage?
The claim is that this innovator’s work deserves recognition because it made an important contribution. I know it is the claim because it tells the main point the writer wants readers to believe.
Have students circle one detail that supports the claim and label it as a reason or evidence.
Ask: What support did you find, and how would you label it?
I found the detail about how the innovator’s work helped solve a real problem. That is evidence because it gives a specific example that supports the claim.
Have students discuss whether the evidence used for support is strong, weak, or incomplete, and explain why.
Ask: Does this evidence strongly support the claim? Why or why not?
Yes, it is strong support because it connects directly to the claim and shows a real result of the person’s work. If the passage only said where the person worked, that would be weaker because it would not prove the contribution mattered.
Say: Now you are going to apply what we just practiced in a short written response. Your job is to decide whether the support is enough and explain your thinking clearly.
Ask: A writer claims that a scientist deserves to be famous for an achievement, but the only detail the writer gives is that the scientist worked for a large university. Is that enough support for the claim? Explain in 1–3 sentences.
No, that is not enough support. Saying where the person worked gives background information, but it does not prove what they did or why the work mattered. The writer needs stronger evidence about the contribution or impact.
Check for Understanding |
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Circulate and spot-check:
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Explain that you are going to pull students for additional work on L.6.1.c (Recognizing and Correcting Pronoun Consistency). Pull students who rated 1–3 on L.6.1.c and/or have shown difficulty with switching between singular and plural pronouns or shifting from third person to second person in the same idea, based on recent work. All other students begin independent work (see “Independent Choice Work” below).
Pull this group when students write sentences like “A scientist records their data, and you use it to make a conclusion” or when they move from “they” to “you” or from singular to plural without a clear reason.
Students not in responsive huddles choose one task and write a brief response.
Option 1: Independent Reading
Find one paragraph in your reading that uses nouns and pronouns. Explain whether the pronouns stay consistent and how you know.
In one paragraph from my reading, the author introduces a person using [noun] and then uses pronouns to refer back to them throughout the rest of the paragraph. The pronouns stay consistent because the author uses the same one every time instead of switching, which makes it easy to follow who or what is being discussed.
Option 2: Knowledge Building
Write two sentences about a hidden innovator using consistent pronouns from start to finish.
This innovator spent years conducting research that was essential to a major scientific breakthrough, but she rarely received credit for her work during her lifetime. She continued contributing to her field despite the obstacles she faced, and her discoveries are now recognized as a critical part of the historical record.
Use any teacher-selected short passage for this huddle. Students should have the text in front of them.
A pronoun takes the place of a noun.
Number refers to whether the pronoun is singular or plural.
A singular pronoun refers to one person. If a noun is singular, the pronoun should also be singular.
A plural pronoun refers to multiple people. If a noun is plural, the pronoun should also be plural.
Person means first person, second person, or third person. A sentence can get confusing when it shifts without a reason.
Say: We are going to check how pronouns work in and around the text. Then we will practice revising sentences so the pronouns stay steady and the reader can follow the idea.
Have students locate one sentence or pair of sentences with pronouns and underline the pronouns they notice.
Ask: What pronouns do you notice, and who do they refer to?
I notice “she” and “her.” Both pronouns refer to the engineer in the passage.
Have students check whether the pronouns stay in the same person and number.
Ask: Do the pronouns stay consistent, or do you notice a shift?
In the sentence I picked, the pronouns stay consistent because it starts in the third person and keeps using “she.” If it switched to “you,” that would be an inappropriate shift.
Have students revise the sentence if they find a shift, or explain why the original sentence already works.
Ask: How would you revise the sentence to keep the pronouns consistent?
The sentence is already working because it refers to [proper noun] and then stays in the third person to use the singular pronoun “he.”
Say: Now you will fix a sentence on your own. Watch for both person and number so the sentence stays steady for the reader.
Sentence: When a scientist records data, you should check them carefully before they report the results.
Ask: What pronoun shift do you notice? Rewrite the sentence so the pronouns stay consistent.
The sentence shifts from “a scientist” to “you” and then to “they.” One correct revision is: “When scientists record data, they should check it carefully before they report the results.”
Check for Understanding |
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Circulate and spot-check:
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Explain that you are going to pull students for additional work on L.6.1.d (Clarifying Vague Pronouns). Pull students who rated 1–3 on L.6.1.d and/or have shown difficulty with using pronouns without making it clear what those words refer to, based on recent work. All other students begin independent work (see “Independent Choice Work” below).
Pull this group when students write sentences such as “It changed history” or “They helped with the mission” that lack a clear noun, or when readers have to guess which person, idea, or object a pronoun refers to.
Students not in responsive huddles choose one task and write a brief response.
Option 1: Independent Reading
Find one clear pronoun in your reading and explain what noun it refers to.
In my reading, the author uses the pronoun "it" shortly after introducing the specific noun, making it easy to know exactly what is being referred to. After naming the discovery, the author uses the pronoun “it” in the next sentence to continue talking about it without repeating the full name every time.
Option 2: Knowledge Building
Revise this sentence so the pronoun is clear: “They made it possible for the mission to succeed.”
"The team of women computers made it possible for the mission to succeed." Now the reader knows exactly who "they" refers to because the noun "team of engineers" comes right before it.
Use any teacher-selected short passage for this huddle. Students should have the text in front of them.
A pronoun needs a clear antecedent, which is the noun it refers to.
A pronoun is vague when the reader cannot tell exactly what it means.
Strong writing makes it clear what antecedent a pronoun is referring to.
Say: We are going to test pronouns for clarity. If a reader has to stop and guess who “she,” “they,” or “it” means, the sentence needs revision.
Have students find a sentence with a pronoun and underline the pronoun.
Ask: Which pronoun do you notice in the sentence?
I notice the pronoun “it” in the sentence.
Have students look back for the noun that the pronoun refers to or decide that the pronoun is unclear.
Ask: What is the antecedent, or is the pronoun vague?
I think the antecedent is “the calculation” in the sentence before this, but the sentence also talks about “the order.” So “it” is unclear in this sentence because there are two possible nouns.
Have students revise a sentence if the antecedent is unclear or explain why the original sentence is already clear.
Ask: What makes the pronoun-antecedent relationship clear, or how would you revise the sentence so the pronoun is clearer?
I would replace “it” with “the calculation” so the reader knows exactly what changed the mission plan.
Say: Now you will revise a sentence with vague pronouns. Your goal is to make sure the reader never has to guess who or what the pronouns mean.
Have students revise a sentence of their own or provide this sample sentence: Kate told Delia that she should share it with her friend.
Ask: Which pronouns are vague? Rewrite the sentence so the reader knows exactly who and what each pronoun refers to.
“She,” “it,” and “her” are vague because the reader has to guess what they mean. One clear revision is: “Kate told Delia to share the cupcake with Delia’s friend.”
Check for Understanding |
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Circulate and spot-check:
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Students complete a brief reflection based on what they did today (huddle reflection or independent work reflection). Invite 2–3 students to share.
Option A (students who attended one or more huddles):
Re-rate your confidence for RI.6.8, L.6.1.c, and L.6.1.d. What specifically improved?
Before, I was a 2 on RI.6.8, and now I am a 4 because I can tell the difference between a claim and evidence. I also got better at L.6.1.d because now I check who a pronoun refers to instead of assuming the reader will know.
Option B (students who did independent reading/knowledge building):
What are you learning about on the unit topic from today’s reading or work? Cite one detail.
I am learning that hidden innovators need more than just a name in history. In my reading, one detail showed that the scientist’s data helped a mission succeed, and that detail made the contribution feel real and important.
Students read their independent reading book for 20 minutes and complete a reading log entry.