Loading course navigation

Loading lesson

Status updates

Academic discussion

Lesson 30: A Single Shard, Reflect and Respond Dialogue

50 min

California CCSS: Focus Standards

California CCSS: Supporting Standards

ELD Standards

Student Lesson

Lesson 30: A Single Shard, Reflect and Respond Dialogue

Skip to Lesson Sequence

Student Learning Objectives

Content

Students will engage in an academic discussion, analyzing how craftspeople and artists keep traditions alive through apprenticeship, by following established discussion norms and citing evidence from A Single Shard.

Language

Students will synthesize ideas about apprenticeship and intergenerational tradition by using synthesis phrases (“across the novel”/“one pattern that appears”) and evidence-based oral reasoning (according to/this shows/because), citing precise moments from A Single Shard.

Essential Question

How does art connect people to their history and community?

Connections to

Knowledge-Building:

Mentorship and practice develop skill and connect individuals to their community and heritage.

Enduring Understanding:

Through practice and mentorship, people turn skill into voice and work into art.

Future Lessons:

In Lessons 31-32, students find and use text evidence from informational texts to support a thesis or topic.

Unit Performance Task:

This lesson has students make and support claims.

Lesson Pacing

Lesson Flow	Purpose of Learning Experience
Launch5 Minutes	Students will use the Turn-and-Talk routine to prepare for the academic discussion by identifying moments in A Single Shard that best help them understand the connection between apprenticeship and the transfer of knowledge, skills, and values.
Literacy Lab10 Minutes	Students will select target vocabulary to use during the discussion and review a co-constructed list of conversation norms.
Learning in Action30 Minutes	Part A: Model Discussion (RL.6.3, SL.6.1.a–d) Students will observe as the teacher explains the Reflect-and-Respond Dialogue protocol and models a round of group discussion for students. Part B: Group Discussion (RL.6.3, SL.6.1.a–d) Students will engage in a Reflect-and-Respond Dialogue discussion in groups.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Addressed in Lesson

loyalty: the condition of showing devotion or faithfulness to a person or thing
collaboration: the act of people or organizations working together toward a common goal

Vocabulary for Additional Support

Not available for this lesson

Material List

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
Unit 2 Lesson 30 Student Edition
Unit Vocabulary graphic organizer (from Lesson 4)
Accountable Talk Sentence Stems graphic organizer
Reflect and Respond graphic organizer
Stages of Learning graphic organizer (from Lesson 5)

Routines

Turn and Talk
Reflect-and-Respond Dialogue
Quick Write

Lesson Sequence

Preparing for the Reflect-and-Respond Dialogue

Target Words: loyalty, collaboration

Present the words loyalty and collaboration.

Ask: Have you seen the words loyalty and collaboration before? If so, where?
Ask: What root or base word do you see?
- loyal in loyalty; collaborate in collaboration
Say: When someone is loyal, they show devotion or faithfulness to a person or thing. The word loyalty is a noun that means “the condition of showing devotion or faithfulness to a person or thing.”
Ask: What are some examples of loyalty in A Single Shard?
- Tree-ear shows loyalty to Crane-man by making sure he is cared for and fed while Tree-ear goes on his journey. Tree-ear shows loyalty to Min by finishing his journey to Songdo despite a major setback.
Say: When people collaborate, they work together. Collaboration is a noun that describes the act of people or organizations working together toward a common goal.
Ask: What are some examples of collaboration in A Single Shard?
- Tree-ear and Min work together to create beautiful pottery for the royal emissary.
Say: Today you will participate in a discussion of the following prompt:
Across the entire novel, how does Tree-ear’s apprenticeship show that artists and craftspeople keep traditions alive by passing down knowledge, skills, and values? What moments best illustrate this intergenerational connection?
Ask: How are loyalty and collaboration connected to this prompt?
- Loyalty is a value that may be passed down through apprenticeship. Through collaboration between mentors and apprentices, knowledge, skills, and values are passed from one person to the next.

Encourage students to use these terms as they participate in the academic discussion. Next, prompt students to take out their Unit Vocabulary graphic organizers and Personal Dictionaries.

Say these Directions: First, look at your Unit Vocabulary graphic organizer and Personal Dictionary, and choose two or three words to use during today’s discussion. Discuss your word choices with a partner.

Invite two or three pairs to share their choices with the class.

Next, revisit the list of discussion norms that students co-created during Academic Discussion I.

Say: Review the discussion norms we created for academic discussions:
- Listening: We listen without interrupting. We take turns and wait until a speaker finishes before responding.
- Using evidence: We ground our comments in textual evidence. We try to include page numbers or describe the excerpt so others can find it.
- Word choice: We use target vocabulary words, temporal connectors (first, second, third, next, then, finally), and signal words and phrases (according to, explains, shows, suggests) to share our ideas and evidence.
- Responding to peers: We respond to ideas rather than individuals.

PURPOSE

Support students in preparing to speak in an academic discussion by selecting precise vocabulary and planning a claim + evidence + synthesis statement about apprenticeship and tradition.

SAY / ASK

Invite students to use bilingual resources (personal glossaries, cognates) to select precise academic words, then require an English rehearsal sentence using the term accurately.

After students choose 2–3 vocabulary words, require them to orally rehearse one sentence that includes: a synthesis phrase + a signal phrase + one text moment.

Coach students to pair each chosen word (loyalty, collaboration, other) with one scene and one relational verb (relies on, supports, guides).

Remind students to keep evidence “findable” (page + brief description of the moment).

“Across the novel, one pattern that appears is ___.”

“According to the text on p. __, ___, which shows ___.”

“This connects to ___ because ___.”

“Tree-ear shows loyalty/collaboration when ___ (p. __).”

Provide sentence frames for multilingual learners based on their proficiency levels as appropriate, and gradually reduce these supports as students become more independent.

Emerging: "One example is ___." / "Another example is ___."

Expanding: "One moment that shows this is ___." / "According to the text, ___."

Bridging: "Throughout the novel, ___." / "One pattern I noticed is ___."

WATCH FOR / SUPPORT IF NEEDED

Upgrade vague language: “He’s nice” → “Crane-man mentors Tree-ear by advising him.”

Recast summary into synthesis: “This happens” → “Across the novel, one pattern is . . .”

If students name a word without a scene → Prompt: “Attach a page + moment where we see that word in action.”

If students give only a plot retelling → Prompt: “Add ‘This shows’ + what value/skill is being passed down.”

Students select 2–3 usable vocabulary words and pair each with a specific moment in the novel.

Students rehearse one sentence that includes a synthesis phrase + evidence + explanation.

Students use at least one relational verb (guides, supports, relies on, influences).

Students at different proficiency levels may need to begin at different points within the task. Based on responses, look for opportunities to support and expand student use of academic language, and provide scaffolding as needed.

Emerging: Names two examples from the novel using a synthesis frame.

Expanding: Cites moments from A Single Shard with a brief explanation.

Bridging: Identifies patterns across the novel and cites specific moments.

Connection to Today’s Learning

Say: As you participate in today’s discussion, use target vocabulary words and the discussion norms to help you be successful in sharing your ideas and responding to the ideas of your classmates.

Part A: Model Discussion (RL.6.3, SL.6.1.a–d) (10 minutes)

Provide students with the Accountable Talk Sentence Stems and Reflect and Respond graphic organizers to help them formulate their thoughts during the discussion.

Before students begin their group discussion, display and explain the Reflect-and-Respond Dialogue routine.

Say these Directions: During our discussion today, we’ll follow the Reflect-and-Respond Dialogue routine. This protocol helps us build meaning together rather than just sharing separate opinions. You will work in groups of four, and each round will follow the same structure:

I will ask and post the text-dependent question.
You will get two to three minutes to reread, find evidence, and write down your ideas in response.
One student will begin as the presenter and share their responses.
Each student has one minute to speak and share their responses.
The final student has 30 seconds to synthesize the group’s thinking, naming one point of agreement and one new insight.
Say: To ensure everyone practices leadership, the first and final speakers will rotate each round. By the end, each person will have led once and ended once. And remember to follow the norms we established for this discussion.

Modeling a Discussion Round

Choose three students to join you in modeling a discussion round. Post the example question on the board: “What are the responsibilities of mentors?” Give students in the model group two minutes to find text evidence to support their responses before starting the model discussion.

Have Student 1 start as the presenter.
- On p. 6, the text shows Crane-man giving advice to Tree-ear about the importance of earning something instead of stealing it, which shows a responsibility of mentors is to teach values.
Have Student 2 respond.
- I agree, and later in the text, Crane-man continues to reinforce the value of honesty when he helps Tree-ear determine that he should keep Kang’s new technique a secret (pp. 62–63).
Have Student 3 respond.
- I want to add that as a mentor to Tree-ear, Crane-man passes on knowledge to Tree-ear. He explains why the craft of pottery traditionally passes from father to son in Ch’ulp’o (pp. 96–97).
Playing the role of the final speaker, model how to synthesize the group’s thinking.
- Say: Hearing your points helps me see that two responsibilities of mentors are passing on values and passing on knowledge. Crane-man introduced important ideas to Tree-ear, then helped build on them and reinforce them over time.

Teacher Tip
Invite students to stop you and ask questions as you model the procedure. As you move through the rounds, point to the step in the directions so that students know what you’re modeling in the protocol. To clarify your responses, use the Accountable Talk Sentence Stems whenever possible. Highlight and discuss when/why/how you use temporal connectors and signal words and phrases to support your points.

Teacher Tip

Invite students to stop you and ask questions as you model the procedure. As you move through the rounds, point to the step in the directions so that students know what you’re modeling in the protocol. To clarify your responses, use the Accountable Talk Sentence Stems whenever possible. Highlight and discuss when/why/how you use temporal connectors and signal words and phrases to support your points.

Provide students with a confidence continuum (i.e., 1–5). As needed, model how to demonstrate a level of confidence using the continuum.

Reflection
Reflect on your understanding of the Reflect-and-Respond Dialogue steps and roles using the Reflection routine. How confident do you feel about your ability to participate in the academic discussion using these steps? Then write a sentence that explains how your understanding of or participation in the academic discussion might be improved.

Reflection

Reflect on your understanding of the Reflect-and-Respond Dialogue steps and roles using the Reflection routine.

How confident do you feel about your ability to participate in the academic discussion using these steps?

Then write a sentence that explains how your understanding of or participation in the academic discussion might be improved.

Part B: Group Discussion (RL.6.3, SL.6.1.a–d) (20 minutes)

After organizing students into groups of four, launch the first discussion by reading aloud and displaying the first of three preparatory discussion questions.

Reflect-and-Respond Dialogue

Say these Directions: Participate in your academic discussion using the Reflect-and-Respond Dialogue routine.

Ask: What are the responsibilities of mentors and apprentices? Do Tree-ear and Min succeed in carrying out their responsibilities in these roles? Why or why not?

Once the first discussion round is complete, continue with the second- and third-round preparatory discussion questions.

Ask: How does mentorship help someone learn? Does the mentor learn, too? How?
Ask: How is collaboration different from mentorship? How is it the same? Which one is better for helping people connect to their communities? Which is better for helping keep traditions within a community alive?

For the fourth and final discussion round, have students discuss the prompt they reflected on for homework and during the Launch.

Ask: Across the entire novel, how does Tree-ear’s apprenticeship show that artists and craftspeople keep traditions alive by passing down knowledge, skills, and values? What moments best illustrate this intergenerational connection?

PURPOSE

Support students in sustaining group discussion across multiple rounds by synthesizing ideas, using evidence efficiently, and comparing mentorship vs. collaboration with clear academic language.

SAY / ASK

Invite students who are quieter to serve as “evidence trackers” in one round (list pages/details), then rotate them into a speaking role with prepared evidence.

Before each round, require 60 seconds of silent planning: write a claim + one evidence note + one synthesis phrase to use.

During rounds 2–3, prompt students to explicitly compare concepts (mentorship vs. collaboration) using comparative structures (similarly, unlike, whereas).

After each round, require the synthesizer to cite at least one piece of evidence named by the group.

“Across the novel, one pattern that appears is ___.”

“Mentorship is different from collaboration because ___, whereas ___.”

“Both ___ and ___ show ___; however, ___ (p. __) suggests ___.”

“Taken together, these moments reveal ___ about tradition/values.”

Provide sentence frames for multilingual learners based on their proficiency levels as appropriate, and gradually reduce these supports as students become independent.

Emerging: “Both mentorship and collaboration show ___.” / “One example is ___.”

Expanding: “Mentorship and collaboration are similar because ___; however, they are different because ___.”

Bridging: “Whereas mentorship ___, collaboration ___; in A Single Shard (p. __), ___ shows this contrast, which reveals ___ about tradition and values.”

WATCH FOR / SUPPORT IF NEEDED

Turn “both” statements into precise comparisons: “Both help” → “Mentorship differs from collaboration because . . .”

Recast intimidation/authority language into academic verbs: makes → influences, shapes, enables.

If students repeat the same example each round → Prompt: “Add a second moment from a different chapter to extend your claim.”

If students cannot connect to the question → Prompt: “Restate the question as your first clause, then answer.”

Students contribute each round with a claim + evidence + explanation (not just opinion).

Students use at least one synthesis phrase and one comparative connector across the discussion.

Group synthesizers accurately name one agreement + one new insight grounded in text evidence.

Students at different proficiency levels may need to begin at different points within the task. Based on responses, look for opportunities to scaffold up or release supports.

Emerging: Names one example of mentorship and one example of collaboration from the novel using a frame.

Expanding: Compares mentorship and collaboration with a comparative connector (similarly, however, unlike) and cites one moment from the text.

Bridging: Sustains comparison across multiple rounds using nominalized comparison structures (whereas, in contrast to) and cites specific moments with brief synthesis.

Situation	Try this
Struggling with: Using evidence efficiently	Provide students with brief prompts to focus their use of evidence. Ex. “Name the page, then describe the passage that supports your idea.” “What piece of narration or dialogue supports that?”
Struggling with: Connecting to evidence	Provide students with sentence frames to help them connect their ideas with evidence. Ex. “One idea I had about apprenticeship/mentorship is that ____. For example, in the text . . .” “This line/page/passage supports the idea that . . .” “Tree-ear’s/Crane-man’s/Min’s actions on page __ show . . .”
Ready for extension: Responding to the prompt	Have students write a full response to the fourth discussion prompt using at least two pieces of evidence from A Single Shard or another text read during the unit. Across the novel, Tree-ear’s apprenticeship shows that artists and craftspeople keep traditions alive by passing down knowledge, skills, and values. As Tree-ear’s reluctant mentor, Min keeps the tradition of Goryeo celadon pottery alive by sharing with Tree-ear knowledge about refining clay to use in both the pottery and the special jade-green glaze (pp. 75–76). From observing Min, Tree-ear learns important skills like how to purify clay and how to hand mold and incise the clay with details—techniques that make Min’s pottery especially beautiful and valuable (p. 67). Tree-ear’s apprenticeship also shows that craftspeople keep their craft alive by passing on values such as hard work, perseverance, and a willingness to take risks and try new things. This is supported by Min’s efforts to learn and perfect Kang’s inlay technique. Use the Unit 2 Academic Discussion 2 Scoring Rubric to assess students’ discussion performance. Unit 2 Academic Discussion 2 Scoring Rubric

Checklist [SL.6.1.a–d, RL.6.3]
You will turn in your discussion notes for feedback. A strong draft should: ☐ Enter prepared, having reviewed the annotations you have made so far in this unit. ☐ Speak from evidence by naming a page number and describing specific textual (narration/dialogue) details, not just a general event. ☐ Build on peers’ ideas using discussion language (agree-and-add, clarify, challenge with evidence, ask a question). ☐ Respond to ideas, not individuals (using “The text suggests . . .” / “That detail shows . . .” instead of “You’re wrong”). ☐ Name how the characters show their character traits using evidence from the text. ☐ Synthesize at the end of a round by naming points of agreement and one new shared insight.

Checklist [SL.6.1.a–d, RL.6.3]

You will turn in your discussion notes for feedback. A strong draft should:

☐ Enter prepared, having reviewed the annotations you have made so far in this unit.

☐ Speak from evidence by naming a page number and describing specific textual (narration/dialogue) details, not just a general event.

☐ Build on peers’ ideas using discussion language (agree-and-add, clarify, challenge with evidence, ask a question).

☐ Respond to ideas, not individuals (using “The text suggests . . .” / “That detail shows . . .” instead of “You’re wrong”).

☐ Name how the characters show their character traits using evidence from the text.

☐ Synthesize at the end of a round by naming points of agreement and one new shared insight.

	1 – Developing	2 – Approaching	3 – Meets
Preparation	Student has not reviewed annotations or notes from the unit and is not prepared for discussion.	Student has reviewed some of their annotations and notes and is somewhat prepared for discussion.	Student has reviewed their annotations and notes and is fully prepared for discussion.
Listening	Student does not follow classroom norms for academic discussions.	Student listens to classmates some of the time and follows some classroom norms for academic discussions.	Student listens to all classmates and follows all classroom norms for academic discussions.
Speaking/Contributions	Student does not contribute to the discussion with any relevant ideas or text evidence.	Student contributes to the conversation in some rounds with somewhat relevant ideas and text evidence.	Student contributes to the conversation every round with relevant ideas and text evidence.
Language	Student’s comments are unclear or incomplete. Student uses vague words (stuff, things) and rarely uses academic or domain-specific language. Sentence structures may confuse meaning.	Student’s comments are mostly clear. Student sometimes uses academic words/phrases (for example, shows, according to, explains, suggests), but wording may be repetitive or imprecise.	Student’s comments are consistently clear and precise. Student uses academic verbs and transitions to explain thinking (for example, builds, contrasts, highlights, therefore, as a result) and adjusts language to respond respectfully to peers’ ideas.
Content Connections	Student makes mostly summary statements or opinions without explaining significance. Connections to themes such as apprenticeship, mentorship, collaboration, loyalty, and the transfer of knowledge, skills, or values are unclear or unsupported.	Student explains at least one meaningful idea about mentorship and apprenticeship and attempts to make a connection to the transfer of knowledge, skills, and values, but the link may be general or only partly supported by evidence.	Student explains a clear idea about apprenticeship and mentorship using specific evidence. Student shows how apprenticeship and mentorship keep tradition alive by passing down knowledge, skills, and values.

Lesson Texts

Novel

A Single Shard

Linda Sue Park

Lesson Materials

(2 total)

Accountable Talk Sentence Stems

Preview

Reflect-Respond

Preview

Status updates

California CCSS: Focus Standards

California CCSS: Supporting Standards

ELD Standards

Student Learning Objectives

Essential Question

Connections to

Lesson Pacing

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Addressed in Lesson

Vocabulary for Additional Support

Lesson Sequence

Turn and Talk

Connection to Today’s Learning

Preparing for the Reflect-and-Respond Dialogue

🎯PURPOSE

🗣️SAY / ASK

👁️WATCH FOR / SUPPORT IF NEEDED

Part A: Model Discussion (RL.6.3, SL.6.1.a–d) (10 minutes)

Modeling a Discussion Round

Reflection

🗣️SAY / ASK

👁️WATCH FOR / SUPPORT IF NEEDED

Part B: Group Discussion (RL.6.3, SL.6.1.a–d) (20 minutes)

Reflect-and-Respond Dialogue

🎯PURPOSE

🗣️SAY / ASK

👁️WATCH FOR / SUPPORT IF NEEDED

Checklist [SL.6.1.a–d, RL.6.3]

Quick Write

Lesson Texts

Lesson Materials

PURPOSE

SAY / ASK

WATCH FOR / SUPPORT IF NEEDED

SAY / ASK

WATCH FOR / SUPPORT IF NEEDED

PURPOSE

SAY / ASK

WATCH FOR / SUPPORT IF NEEDED