Lesson 14: A Single Shard, Informational Writing, Part 2

Present the word to students on the board or on a slide. Say the word aloud, and have students chorally repeat.

Say these Directions: We are going to discuss the word thesis. Think about what you might already know about this word as we go through some questions.

• Say: The word thesis comes from a Greek word that means “something put forth.” Thesis does not have any affixes; however, it is a root word found in many other common words.

• Ask: What other words do you know that have thesis as a root?

  • hypothesis, hypothesize, synthesis, synthesize

• Say: Hypothesis means “a proposed explanation for why something happens.” Synthesis means “the combination of ideas or information into a coherent whole.”

• Ask: Based on this information, what can you infer about the meaning of the word thesis?

  • It has something to do with thoughts or ideas.

Transition:

• Say: Today, you’ll be learning about thesis statements, an important part of writing expository (informative) and argumentative essays.

Language Study

Sentence Combining Using Adjectives and Adverbs

Say these Directions: We are going to practice combining sentences using adjectives and adverbs. This skill will help you in your in-class writing and Performance Task.

Display these two sentences about the novel A Single Shard:

• Tree-ear examined the shards.

• The shards were delicate.

Read the sentences aloud. Have students repeat them chorally.

• Say: In Lesson 9, we learned about combining simple sentences to make compound and complex sentences using coordinating conjunctions and other connecting words. Writers can also put sentences together by combining ideas across sentences. This makes the writing smoother and less choppy.

• Ask: What do you notice about the two sentences?

  • They both mention shards.

• Ask: What does the second sentence tell you about the shards that the first sentence does not?

  • The shards were delicate.

• Say: We can combine the ideas in these sentences by taking the adjective delicate and moving it to the first sentence.

Display the new sentence:

• Tree-ear examined the delicate shards.

Read the sentence aloud to model fluency. Have students chorally repeat it.

• Say: By combining the two sentences, we can communicate the same idea using fewer words and smoother language.

Display the following sentences:

• Tree-ear ate from the gourd.

• Tree-ear ate hungrily.

Read the sentences aloud to model fluency. Have students chorally repeat them.

• Ask: What do you notice about the two sentences?

  • They both discuss Tree-ear eating.

• Ask: What type of word is hungrily?

  • an adverb

• Ask: What does the second sentence tell you about how Tree-ear ate that the first sentence does not?

  • that he ate hungrily

Have students work with a partner to combine the two sentences. In a whole group, discuss how the sentences combine.

• Say: We can combine the sentences by taking the adverb hungrily and moving it to the first sentence: Tree-ear ate hungrily from the gourd.

Display the following sentences on the board:

• Rain dripped from the eaves overhead.

• The rain dripped gently.

Read the sentences aloud to model fluency. Have students repeat them chorally. Prompt students to work independently to combine the sentences. Invite one or two students to share their results.

• Ask: How did you combine these two sentences, and why?

  • I moved the adverb gently from the second sentence to the first sentence to describe how the rain fell from the eaves: The rain dripped gently from the eaves overhead.

Transition: Explain to students that today, they will be learning about and writing thesis statements in response to a prompt about Chapters 1–7 of A Single Shard. Tomorrow, they’ll be using evidence to support thesis statements. Encourage them to think of ways they can combine sentences as they write across Lessons 14 and 15.

Part A: Writing Process Workshop: Thesis Statements (W.6.2.a) (15 minutes)

Explain to students that in this lesson, they will learn how to craft a thesis statement in response to a prompt about A Single Shard.

• Say: A thesis statement is a single sentence that explains to readers the main idea or argument of an essay, article, or other written work. Informative, or expository, and argumentative essays include thesis statements. A thesis statement is made up of three parts: the topic, the writer’s position or claim, and the main points or reasons that support their position—in other words, the topic and what the writer has to say about the topic. The thesis statement generally appears at the beginning of the essay and acts as a road map for what the essay will be about.

Say these Directions: We are going to discuss what a strong thesis should include. Then, we will look at some samples and evaluate their effectiveness.

Write the following thesis structure formula on the board or on a piece of chart paper (you will reference this throughout the lesson):

Thesis = topic + claim + preview

Display the following thesis statement:

People in ancient Korea produced beautiful pottery.

• Say: When you evaluate a thesis statement, see if you can find the topic, the author’s position or claim, and their reasons. Then use the “how or why?” test: Ask yourself, “Does the thesis statement say how or why the writer is making their point?” A strong thesis answers one or both of the questions “how?” and “why?”; a weak thesis does not.

Add “How?” and “Why?” as bullet points under the thesis structure.

• Ask: Is this a strong or a weak thesis statement? Use the thesis structure formula to help you determine why.

  • This is a weak thesis statement. It identifies a topic (pottery in ancient Korea), but it doesn’t clearly state the writer’s position on the topic, and it fails the “how or why?” test.

Display the following thesis statement on the board:

People in ancient Korea used many innovative methods to produce beautiful pottery, including the clay refining process, detailed inlay work, and the creation of celadon glaze.

• Ask: How does this thesis statement compare to the first one? What makes this a strong thesis statement?

  • It includes additional details about the author’s position on the topic and tells the reader how the author will support their views.

• Ask: How does this thesis statement create a road map for the essay?

  • The sentence includes the topic (ancient Korean pottery), the position (it was made using innovative methods), and how the writer plans to explain this position (by discussing the clay refining process, detailed inlay work, and the creation of celadon glaze).

Turn and Talk

Display the following thesis statements:

• Crane-man is the most influential of Tree-ears mentors because of his wisdom and moral guidance.

• The setting of A Single Shard is very interesting for readers because it is so detailed.

• Despite his gruff exterior, Min still communicates his approval of Tree-ear through subtle verbal and non-verbal communication.

• Having a mentor has positive effects for mentees.

Prompt students to engage in the Turn and Talk routine to discuss what makes each of the thesis statements strong or weak, using the thesis structure formula and the prompts below.

• Ask: Can you identify the topic and the author’s position or claim about the topic?

• Ask: Does the thesis statement say how or why the writer is making their point?

• Ask: Is it a strong or weak thesis? What makes you say that?

Introduce the following prompt:

• Across Chapters 1–7, what evidence shows the stages Tree-ear goes through (observing, trying, failing, refining) as he learns how to become more skilled?

Then model writing a strong thesis statement.

• Say: You will be practicing writing thesis statements related to this prompt. Before you get started, let’s practice writing a strong thesis statement as a class.

• Say: First, let’s break down the prompt to see what it is asking us to do. I notice that the prompt is asking for evidence from Chapters 1–7 about how Tree-ear has gone through the stages of learning and how he has become more skilled. This tells me this will be the topic of our thesis.

• Say: Second, let’s determine our position or claim and supporting reasons. Based on our readings, we know that Tree-ear has observed Min and Kang making pottery. He has tried and failed while chopping wood and collecting clay, but through these stages of learning, he has become more efficient at these tasks. He has also refined his ability to know when clay is ready to be used. Our position is that Tree-ear has become more skilled by observing Min’s pottery process.

• Say: Finally, let’s put the topic, position and a brief preview of the reasons into a single statement. One example of a thesis statement might be “Through Chapters 1–7 of A Single Shard, Tree-ear becomes more skilled by observing the techniques used by Min and Kang when they make pottery.”

Part B: Practice Writing Thesis Statements (W.6.2.a) (15 minutes)

Write-Pair-Share

Say these Directions: You will be drafting a thesis statement in response to the prompt using the Write-Pair-Share graphic organizer. Later, you will use the Write-Pair-Share routine to discuss your thesis statements with partners.

• Across Chapters 1–7, what evidence shows the stages Tree-ear goes through (observing, trying, failing, refining) as he learns how to become more skilled?

Invite two or three students to share their thesis statements with the class.

Lesson 14 Writing Rubric: Explanatory Paragraph — Thesis Introduction

Writing prompt: Write an introduction paragraph for an explanatory essay about how Tree-ear grows as a learner through mentorship in A Single Shard. Your introduction must include a clear thesis that previews the main ideas you will develop.

Quick Write

Transition students from their work drafting thesis statements into a structured reflection. Students will complete a Quick Write, then evaluate their experience drafting thesis statements and set a specific goal for future writing.

Say these Directions: Complete a Quick Write to share your thesis statement. Then, use the Think-Pair-Share routine to respond to the reflection prompts.

Prompt:

After writing your thesis statement:

• circle the claim or position.

• underline the previewed reasons.

Think about the following prompts, discuss them with a partner, then share your responses with the class:

• Reflection: How did evaluating strong and weak thesis statements affect your process of drafting a thesis statement?

• Growth Opportunity: What part (or parts) of drafting a thesis statement still feel like a challenge?

Invite one or two students to share their reflections. Collect two or three goals, and post them as “class writing targets” for Lesson 15 (e.g., add reasons, tighten claim, preview evidence).

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