Lesson 25: A Single Shard, Informational Writing, Part 4

Turn and Talk

Have students take out their Journal responses that they completed for homework:

• Prompt: Compare a relationship in your life to one of those in the story. Use the Venn Diagram graphic organizer or another visual to show similarities and differences.

Organize students into pairs. Then have them engage in the Turn and Talk routine.

Say these Directions: Work with your partner to answer the following question.

• Ask: Describe a relationship in your life that was similar to one of the mentor–mentee relationships in the book. How was it the same? How was it different?

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

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, we’ll continue to explore ideas related to mentorship by using text evidence to write about relationships and mentorship in A Single Shard.

Language Study

Using Signal Words and Phrases with Quotations

Display the following sentence:

• According to Crane-man, “a well-kept tradition can be stronger than law.”

Read the sentence aloud. Use the following “meaningful chunks” to lead a discussion about how this sentence is constructed and why.

• “According to . . .”

  • Ask: What does this part of the sentence tell you? Why did the writer include it?

  • Concept: This is a signal phrase. It shows that the writer is about to quote text from another author or speaker.

• “. . . Crane-man, . . .”

  • Ask: What does this part of the sentence tell you?

  • Concept: This identifies who said the quoted text that is about to follow.

• “. . . ‘a well-kept tradition can be stronger than law.’”

  • Ask: Why did the writer include quotation marks around this part of the sentence?

  • Concept: The quotation marks show that this text was spoken by a character in the novel; they are not the original words of the writer.

Say these Directions: Let’s review how signal words and phrases can introduce quotations.

• Say: Writers use signal words and phrases to make connections between ideas in a text. This includes when they quote text or speech from other writers and speakers. When used in this context, signal words and phrases can show where the quotation came from (for example, a novel or a speech), who spoke or wrote the quotation, or both. Some common examples of signal words and phrases used to introduce quotes include according to, discusses, states, argues, claims, explains, notes, and demonstrates.

Display the following sentence that quotes text from A Single Shard.

Min explains to Tree-ear, “The potter’s trade goes from father to son,” which demonstrates the significance of tradition to Korean culture.

• Say: In this sentence, the writer uses the signal word explains to show who spoke the quote (Min) and the word demonstrates to make a connection between the quoted text and the point the writer is making. Notice how this sentence uses a comma followed by an opening quotation mark before the quoted text. The sentence then uses a period before the closing quotation mark.

Have students work with partners to write their own original sentences using signal words and phrases and quotes from A Single Shard. Invite partners to share their responses with the class.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, we’ll be incorporating text evidence into short paragraphs, including using direct quotes from A Single Shard. During the lesson, consider ways you can use signal words and phrases to help connect ideas in your writing.

Part A: Teacher Model: Integrating Text Evidence (W.6.2.b, W.6.9) (15 minutes)

Teach: Integrating Text Evidence

Introduce the lesson by making a connection to what students learned about thesis statements and strong evidence, and explaining what it means to integrate text evidence.

• Say: In Lesson 14, you learned how to write a thesis statement. In Lesson 15, you learned how to support a thesis statement using strong evidence. When you write, however, it isn’t enough to identify strong evidence. Effective writers integrate text evidence; in other words, good writers use signal words and phrases and their own original ideas to effectively synthesize text evidence to support their ideas.

Say these Directions: Study and discuss the two paragraphs written to the prompt below.

• Using evidence from the novel, explain how one relationship in A Single Shard demonstrates how a mentor or caregiver passes down knowledge or values.

Display the first response to the prompt.

• Response 1: The relationship between Tree-ear and Crane-man demonstrates how a caregiver passes down both knowledge and values. After Min tells Tree-ear that he will not teach him to make a pot, Tree-ear asks Crane-man if it is true that the trade of pottery always passes from father to son. Crane-man explains that in the past, “the king . . . decreed that sons of potters must become potters themselves.” Crane-man then notes that he is not sure if this is still a law, but “a well-kept tradition can be stronger than law.” Crane-man, recognizing that Tree-ear is saddened by this information, tells him, “My friend, the same wind that blows one door shut often blows another open.” This line encourages Tree-ear to keep trying and to look for creative solutions to his problem, reflecting the value of perseverance.

• Ask: How effectively does the writer integrate evidence into this paragraph? Provide examples to support your response.

  • The writer integrates evidence effectively by using signal words and phrases to make connections between quotes from the text and their own ideas.

• Ask: Which signal words and phrases do you see?

  • Examples like “Crane-man explains” and “Crane-man then notes” are signal phrases that tell the reader an idea or concept is coming. Crane-man often shares wisdom, and words like “explains” and “notes” indicate that the writer is highlighting something important he said.

  • Display the second paragraph in response to the prompt.

• Response 2: The relationship between Tree-ear and Min shows how a mentor passes down knowledge. Tree-ear observes how other potters collect clay from the riverbank. He then brings the clay back to Min’s workshop to purify it. Tree-ear learns that clay needs to be purified more than once to refine it for different uses. “Min would squeeze handfuls of the purified clay, or rub it between his fingers. He usually did this with his eyes closed—the better to feel it, Tree-ear supposed.”

• Ask: How effectively does the writer integrate evidence into this paragraph? Provide examples to support your response.

  • The writer is not effectively introducing evidence because they use just one quote from the text and do not include any signal words or phrases to connect the quote to their original ideas.

• Ask: What examples of ineffective integration of evidence did you notice?

  • There is no explanation of how the quote from the text connects to mentorship. The evidence has not been integrated to support an effective response to the prompt.

• Ask: What are some ways we can improve this paragraph?

  • by including transitions and signal words, also finding more relevant text evidence and providing an explanation of how it connects to the prompt.

As a class, rewrite the second paragraph to integrate text evidence.

• The relationship between Tree-ear and Min shows how a mentor passes down knowledge. Tree-ear observes and learns from Min how to purify the clay so that it is ready to be used. Tree-ear watched Min test the clay for readiness, noting how he “would squeeze handfuls of the purified clay, or rub it between his fingers. He usually did this with his eyes closed—the better to feel it . . .” Observing and practicing these actions eventually leads Tree-ear to know when clay is refined enough.

Part B: Practice Integrating Text Evidence (W.6.2.b, W.6.9) (15 minutes)

Have students work with a partner to write a brief paragraph in response to the following prompt:

• Using evidence from the novel, explain how one relationship in A Single Shard demonstrates how a mentor or caregiver passes down knowledge or values.

Say these Directions: Work with a partner to identify at least two pieces of text evidence that answer the prompt. Then write a short paragraph using signal words and phrases to make connections and integrate the text evidence into your response.

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

Lesson 25 Writing Rubric: Explanatory Paragraph — Integrated Evidence

Writing prompt: Revise a non-example paragraph to correctly integrate evidence from A Single Shard and at least one additional text. Add a signal phrase, embed the evidence smoothly, and explain how it supports the claim. Use commas and semicolons correctly.

Quick Write

Say these Directions: Respond to the Quick Write prompt in one or two sentences.

• Ask: Why do writers use signal words and phrases when integrating text evidence?

  • Writers use signal words and phrases when integrating text evidence to show who or where the quote came from. They also use signal words and phrases to make connections between the text evidence and other ideas.

Have students finish reading Chapter 10 of A Single Shard. Instruct students to prepare a response in their Journal to the following:

Respond to the following prompt about the “Rock of the Falling Flowers” story in your Journal:

• What is the significance of this story? Does it represent Tree-ear’s journey? Why or why not?