Lesson 23: A Single Shard, Chapter 9, Part 1

Turn and Talk

Revisit the concept of a plot diagram (or story arc) with students. Display a simple story arc that includes exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Remind students that in Lesson 6, they talked about the five main parts of a plot.

Say these Directions: Discuss the following prompts with a partner:

• Ask: What are the five main parts of a plot?

  • exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution

• Ask: What happens in the first part of Chapter 9?

  • Tree-ear tells Crane-man what Min said about not teaching him to make pottery. Crane-man explains that “the same wind that blows one door shut often blows another open.” Tree-ear realizes he can mold pottery instead of throwing it on a wheel. Min pays Crane-man to make a straw container to carry the vases. Ajima asks Crane-man if he will help her do chores while Tree-ear is away and says she will pay him with a meal. Crane-man refuses Ajima’s offer, making Tree-ear very upset. Ajima explains that Crane-man is very proud.

• Ask: How has Tree-ear changed in the first part of Chapter 9?

  • Tree-ear felt disappointed when Min told him he would not teach him how to make pottery. But he feels excited about pottery again when he realizes he can mold pottery instead of throwing it on a wheel.

• Ask: Based on this information, how would you describe the story’s plot so far? What specific details connect to each part of the plot?

  • The characters are in the rising action. Tree-ear is preparing to leave for Songdo, which is helping build tension in the plot as it moves toward the climax.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, we’ll finish reading Chapter 9. This chapter represents a key part of the novel’s plot, as Tree-ear prepares to leave Ch’ulp’o for the capital at Songdo. You’ll also continue to discuss the stages of learning, as well as the role of pride and foolishness in the text.

Cloze Vocabulary

Target Words: kneaded, merging, soberly, bobble

Introduce the Words: Write kneaded, merging, soberly, and bobble on the board, and pronounce each word.

• Ask: Have you seen any of these words before? Where?

Define the Words: Share the definition of each word. Briefly discuss the meaning of each word with students, including its part of speech and, if relevant, its tense.

• kneaded (verb, past tense): pressed, rubbed, or squeezed with the hands

• merging (verb, present continuous): blending gradually

• soberly (adverb): in a serious way

• bobble (noun): a small object, such as a ball, that is inserted into a loop to fasten or secure something

Introduce the Activity: Display or project each sentence and the word bank. Explain that students will complete each sentence, considering their knowledge of the vocabulary and the context within the story.

Say these Directions: Work with a partner to complete each sentence using the four target vocabulary words: kneaded, merging, soberly, and bobble.

• Min ____ explained to the emissary why he could not make the journey to Songdo.

• Crane-man slipped the ____ through the braided circle of straw, ensuring that the lid of the container would not pop open.

• Tree-ear noticed the gentle ____ of the seasons as summer became fall.

• The potter ____ the clay between his strong hands and worked it into the shape of a duck.

Answer Key: 1. soberly 2. bobble 3. merging 4. kneaded

Review Responses: Review responses as a whole class, and discuss why each word best completes the sentence.

• Ask: Why does each word fit in the sentence you chose?

• Soberly fits because it’s an adverb that describes how Min spoke to the emissary.

• Bobble fits because it is a noun that means an object that is used to help fasten or secure something.

• Merging fits because it is a verb that shows change; Tree-ear noticed how one season was blending into another.

• Kneaded fits because the sentence describes an action that the potter is doing with his hands.

Tell students that this vocabulary will be further analyzed in this lesson’s text analysis work. Allow students to share their work.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, you will continue reading Chapter 9 of A Single Shard. Practice using these terms as you revisit and discuss the text.

Part A: Finish Reading A Single Shard, Chapter 9 (RL.6.3, RL.6.4) (20 minutes)

Say these Directions: Read the rest of Chapter 9 with a partner. When you’re finished, add the words kneaded, merging, bobble, and soberly to your Unit Vocabulary graphic organizer. Then, work with your partner to add details to the Stages of Learning graphic organizer, focusing on the “refining” stage.

• Tree-ear kneads a ball of clay into the shape of a petal and realizes that there are many different ways to make a pot, including by molding. Crane-man perfects and adds finishing touches to the straw container. Then he, Min, Ajima, and Tree-ear test it for its sturdiness. Tree-ear demonstrates what he’s learned by making a small clay monkey for Crane-man.

Invite two or three pairs to share the details they added to their Stages of Learning graphic organizers with the class.

Part B: Discussing Pride and Foolishness (RL.6.3) (10 minutes)

Think-Pair-Share

Lead students in a discussion of “pride” and “foolishness” in A Single Shard. Project the excerpt that begins with “‘Your offer of help is kindness itself,’” and ends with “... pride and foolishness were so often close companions?”

Remind students that they reflected on this quote for homework.

Say these Directions: Engage in a Think-Pair-Share with a partner to discuss the following prompts.

• Ask: How would you define the terms pride and foolishness?

  • Pride can mean “a sense of personal value.” It can also mean “exaggerated self-esteem.” Foolishness means “a lack of good sense or judgment.”

• Ask: What do you think the quote “Why was it that pride and foolishness were so often close companions?” means?

  • It means that people with too much pride are more likely to be foolish or make bad choices.

• Ask: How does pride show up in this excerpt? Support your response with evidence from the text.

  • Even though Crane-man has been relying on food from Ajima for months through Tree-ear, he is too prideful to accept the offer of help from Ajima directly.

• Ask: Why does Tree-ear view this as foolishness? Support your response with evidence from the text.

  • While Tree-ear is traveling to Songdo, Crane-man will have a much harder time finding enough food. Tree-ear views Crane-man’s decision to refuse Ajima foolish because now Crane-man will have nothing to eat.

• Ask: What are some ways that pride and foolishness show up in the character of Min? Support your ideas with evidence from the text.

  • After Min’s inlaid vases come out of the kiln with brown spots on the glaze, he is too proud to show his work to the emissary because it isn’t perfect, even though his technique is far superior to Kang’s. Instead, he smashes the vases into pieces. When the emissary asks Min to send his work to Songdo, Min explains he is too old. He shows excessive pride and foolishness by not asking Tree-ear (or anyone else in the village) to help him.

Then prompt students to consider the Essential Question: How does art connect people to their history and community?

• Ask: What do Tree-ear’s preparations for his journey in Chapter 9 reveal about the responsibilities of carrying a craft tradition forward? How is he beginning to represent his mentors and his community? Use details from the text to support your ideas.

  • Tree-ear’s preparations show that carrying a craft tradition forward takes planning, hard work, and dedication. He is beginning to represent his mentors and his community by carrying and delivering items that reflect his mentor’s hard work as well as his own. He is also representing the entire village of Ch’ulp’o, which is known for Goryeo celadon pottery.

Quick Write

Say these Directions: Write one or two sentences in response to the following prompt:

• Ask: What can you do to keep pride from interfering with your learning, success, or well-being?

  • One way I can prevent pride from getting in the way of learning is by asking for help, even if it makes me feel uncomfortable.

Students read their independent reading book for 20 minutes and complete a reading log entry.

Read your independent reading book for 20 minutes. In your reading log, record the date and pages you read, write 1–2 sentences about what happened or what you learned, and respond to this week’s prompt using evidence from the text.