Lesson 5: A Single Shard, Chapter 2

Retell and Paraphrase Partner Check

Have students take out A Single Shard and their homework responses from the previous lesson.

Lesson 4 Homework: Read Chapter 2 of A Single Shard and annotate at least two descriptions of pottery described in the chapter. Respond to the following prompt in your Reflection Journals:

• What did you learn about pottery that you did not know before?

Say These Directions: Use the Retell and Paraphrase Partner Check routine to retell Chapter 2 of A Single Shard. Be sure your summary includes key details and events from the chapter in the order they appear in the story.

Remind students to confirm the gist or accuracy as their partner retells or paraphrases.

• Student responses will vary but may include: Tree-ear observes Min's production for several days. Tree-ear decides to explore Min's workspace on one of the days that Min is not throwing. Min catches Tree-ear holding and studying a set of nesting boxes.

Connection To Today’s Learning

Say: Today, you'll learn more about the process of making pottery while identifying connections to details and ideas in A Single Shard. You will notice the stages of learning that Tree-ear experiences in Chapter 2.

Using Context Clues

Target words: glazed, fired, derision

Introduce the target words, glazed, fired, and derision. Explain that each word connects to important themes and ideas in Chapter 2 of A Single Shard.

Say these Directions: Use the Unit Vocabulary graphic organizer to track the Target Words you learn throughout Unit 2. Write the Target Words in the first column of the Unit Vocabulary graphic organizer.

Introduce and review each part of the Unit Vocabulary graphic organizer.

Introduce the Word: Present the word glazed to students and pronounce it.

• Ask: Have you seen this word before reading Chapter 2 of A Single Shard? If so, where?

Identify Context Clues:

• Say: Context clues are words or phrases in a text that help readers determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. Review the sentence from Chapter 2 of A Single Shard:

Read the sentence aloud.

"They were at the stage the potters called "leather-hard" dried by the air but not yet glazed or fired. Unglazed, the work was of little interest to thieves."

• Ask: What words and phrases in this sentence provide context clues about the meaning of glazed?

  • "dried by air but not yet glazed," "Unglazed. . . little interest to thieves."

• Say: Use these context clues to make a prediction about the meaning of glazed and write it in the second column of the Unit Vocabulary graphic organizer.

Determine Meaning: Invite students to share their predicted definitions of glazed with a partner. Affirm correct predictions and state the dictionary’s definition of glazed.

• Say: Share and compare your definition prediction with a partner. Identify the context clues that helped you determine the meaning of the word glazed.

• Say: The context clues in the sentence tell us that a pot is not finished until it is glazed. The sentence also says that the unglazed pottery won’t be stolen by thieves. These clues help us to understand that when pottery is glazed, it is finished and also that it becomes more valuable.

• Say: Write the definition for glazed in the Unit Vocabulary graphic organizer. Next, draw a picture that represents glazed and write an original sentence using the word.

Invite volunteers to share the context clues they identified and any predictions they made about each word's meaning.

• Ask: What context clues did you identify for the word glazed in the text?

• Ask: What predictions did these clues help you make about this word’s meaning?

Determine Meaning: Share the definition for glazed.

• Say: The dictionary definition says that in regards to pottery, glazed means painted with a shiny coating, usually before firing.

• Say: Write the definition of glazed in the Unit Vocabulary Graphic Organizer. Then draw a picture and write an original sentence using each word.

Have students work with a partner to repeat this process using the words fired and derision. If time allows, consider reviewing the additional vocabulary words from the chapter. When students are done, invite them to share with the class their process, the definition of each word and the verified meanings.

Allow students to share their work. Once sharing is complete, affirm the connection: 

Connection to Today’s Learning 

Say: Tree-ear, the main character of A Simple Shard, becomes interested in making pottery after he observes Min, a very skilled potter in his village. Knowing words related to the pottery-making process, such as glazed and fired helps us better understand what is happening in the story. Today, as we revisit Chapter 2, pay attention to the way these and other pottery terms are used.

Transition the students into partnerships to engage with the Building Background content and Chapter 2 of the text.

Part A: Integrate Observations about the Pottery-Making Process (RI.6.7) (10 minutes)

Teacher Search: Find and display a short video or images introducing students to the process of making pottery, including preparing, forming, drying, firing, glazing, and refiring.

Say these Directions: View the video (or images) showing the pottery making process and then discuss your observations with a partner.

Prompt students to use the vocabulary they have learned (kiln, glazed, and fired) while viewing and discussing the media with a partner.

• Ask: Describe what you see in the video or images. What are the key steps in the pottery-making process?

  • Answers will vary but may include: First, the potter prepares the clay by wedging it to remove air bubbles. Second, the potter forms the clay into different shapes, either by hand or by using a wheel. Then, the potter dries the clay, so it is leather hard. The potter then fires the clay in a kiln. Depending on the process, the potter may fire a piece once before glazing it and firing it a second time.

• Ask: What types of tools do potters use? Identify specific examples from the video.

  • Answers will vary but may include wheel, kiln, sponge, bucket, carving tools, needle tools, cutting wires.

Connect the content in the video or images to what students read about the pottery-making process in Chapter 2.

• Ask: Which steps of the pottery process have you read about in Chapter 2? How do these connect to what you observed in the video or images? Cite text evidence to support your response.

  • Answers will vary but may include: In Chapter 2, Tree-ear imagines himself throwing a pot on a pottery wheel; this is similar to a step shown in the video. The novel also discusses gathering firewood to prepare the kiln; using a kiln is part of the pottery-making process.

• Ask: What types of pottery does the author describe in Chapter 2? Cite text evidence to support your response.

  • The author describes a small ceramic duck that is used as a water dropper, clay nesting boxes made up of a "plain box" that "held five smaller boxes—a small round one in the center" and a tall jug "with ribbed lines that imitated the shape of a melon."

Check for Understanding

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

Part B: The Stages of Learning (RL.6.3) (20 minutes)  

Say these Directions: Now that you’ve read and discussed Chapter 2 and learned about the pottery-making process, you will explore the chapter more deeply to gain a clearer understanding of Tree-ear’s journey toward becoming a potter.

Organize students into small groups of three or four students. Introduce the Stages of Learning graphic organizer. Provide two 3-column charts for each student. You can have them divide one chart into five columns, or use both organizers to make five columns.

• Say: Learning can be broken down into five different stages: observing a master, trying, failing, refining, and creating. In your own words, what do you think "observing a master" means? Why might this stage be important to learn something like making pottery?

  • "Observing a master" means closely watching or studying someone who already knows how to perform a task well. This stage might be important to learn something like making pottery because it is a difficult skill that takes a long time to learn and become good at.

Jigsaw Reading

Divide Chapter 2 into three or four sections (depending on group size). Direct group members to assign each student a different section of Chapter 2.

Say these Directions: You will participate in Jigsaw Reading to complete the “Observing a Master” column of the Stages of Learning graphic organizer.

• Say: As you reread your section of Chapter 2, look for ways that Tree-ear illustrates the "observing a master" stage of learning. Then, share these examples with members of your group. Be sure to add any new information to the first column of the Stages of Learning graphic organizer. Cite text evidence to support your response.

  • Tree-ear studies the different pieces of pottery that Min has made; Tree-ear watches as Min builds a pot on his pottery wheel before smashing down the clay; Tree-ear takes guidance from Min about where to collect firewood.

After students have added information to their graphic organizers, have them participate in a Think-Pair-Share to discuss the following question:

1. Say: Based on Chapter 2, what does Tree-ear’s first encounter with Min reveal about the role of effort and attention in beginning to learn a difficult craft?

• Tree-ear's first encounter with Min reveals that learning a difficult craft often means starting with the most basic tasks, including ones that may not be very fun. Tree-ear expects he will start making pottery on his first day working for Min. Instead, he spends the day working very hard to chop and collect firewood that will be used in the village's kiln.

Transition students into the Lesson Look Back by having them reflect on the relationship between Tree-ear and Min so far in the story.

Quick Write

Prompt students to use the Quick Write routine as they respond to the following writing prompt.

Say these Directions: Write a response to the following prompt:

• How does Min react when Tree-ear offers to work to repay him for the dented pottery box? Based on these events and responses, what can you predict about how the relationship between Tree-ear and Min will develop? Use details from the chapter to support your ideas.

  • Tree-ear responds to the hard labor and the injury he experiences working for Min in this chapter by not giving up. Even though chopping wood all day is very tiring and he hurts his hand badly, he keeps working and finishes the job. He knows he broke Min’s pottery box, so he feels it is his responsibility to work to repay him. Instead of complaining or quitting, he pushes through the pain and plans to return the next day, which shows he is determined and hardworking. Based on these events, I predict that Min will slowly start to respect Tree-ear’s effort and honesty. At first Min is strict and does not trust him, but Tree-ear’s hard work might change Min’s opinion. Their relationship could grow into one where Min becomes more of a teacher, and Tree-ear may get the chance to learn about pottery as the story continues.

Read the first half of Chapter 3, through ". . . to tell Crane-man the good news" and annotate for descriptions of the pottery process. Then respond to the following prompt in your Journal:

• What are your impressions of Min so far?

• How do you predict Min's character will change over the course of the story? What details from the story support your ideas?