Lesson 38: Flex Day: Skill-Based Huddles: A Raisin in the Sun

Say: Based on your self-assessment and your recent work, I'll be meeting with small groups while others work independently. Let's start by rating your confidence.

Instruct students to reflect on their ability to do each of the following using the Reflection routine.

Connection to Today's Learning

Say: Using your confidence ratings in addition to how you've demonstrated your understanding in recent work, you'll get individualized learning sessions so you get what you need today.

• Three 10–15-minute teacher huddles:

  • Huddle 1: RL.7.9 (Comparing Fiction and History)

  • Huddle 2: RI.7.8 (Tracing an Author's Argument)

  • Huddle 3: W.7.7 (Refining Research Questions)

• Students not in a huddle work independently by choosing either independent reading or a short knowledge-building response.

Then sort students using:

1. their Reflection responses

2. your data from recent formative assessments (exit tickets, annotations, short responses)

Huddle 1 (RL.7.9) + Independent Choice Work (10–15 minutes total)

Explain that you are first going to pull students for additional work on RL.7.9 (Comparing Fiction and History). Pull students who rated 1–3 on RL.7.9 and/or have shown difficulty with comparing what a literary text invents or emphasizes versus what a historical account documents based on recent work. All other students begin independent work (see "Independent Choice Work" below).

Pull this group when students retell two texts separately, quote from only one text, or say the texts are "the same" without explaining differences in emphasis, point of view, or added fictional detail.

Independent Choice Work

Students not in responsive huddles choose one task and write a brief response.

Option 1: Independent Reading

• Ask: How does a scene, event, or issue in your independent reading connect to a real-world problem or historical situation? Cite one example.

  • In my book, the main character keeps getting judged because of where she lives. That connects to a real-world issue because housing and neighborhood labels can affect how people are treated.

Option 2: Knowledge-Building

• Ask: How does your reading today connect to the idea that systems shape what becomes possible for people? Cite one example.

  • My reading connects to that idea because the character has talent, but the rules around school placement make it harder for him to move forward. The system matters, not just the person's effort.

Huddle 1 — Comparing Fiction and History (RL.7.9)

Use any short historical account and any related literary text related to the unit for this huddle. Students should have the texts in front of them.

Reteach

• A historical account works to document what happened or what conditions were like, using facts, dates, and evidence.

• A fictional text may invent characters or scenes, but it can still reveal truths about people’s emotions, conflicts, and choices.

• A strong comparison names both the shared issue and the difference in emphasis between the two texts.

Say: In this huddle, we're going to line up a literary passage and a historical passage that deal with the same issue. We are looking for what stays similar and what changes because one text is fiction and one text is history.

Guided Practice

Have students reread one short section from the selected literary text and one short historical account on the same issue, underlining details that connect.

• Ask: What issue, event, or condition appears in both texts?

  • Both texts show barriers to fair housing and the stress families feel when trying to move into a better neighborhood.

Have students label one detail from each text and discuss what each author chooses to focus on.

• Ask: What does each text emphasize most?

  • The historical account emphasizes policies and public actions, while the fictional passage emphasizes how those barriers affect one family’s emotions and decisions.

Have students write one compare-and-contrast sentence using both texts.

• Ask: Why might an author choose fiction to show this issue instead of only giving historical facts?

  • Fiction can help readers feel the pressure on people inside the event, while history explains the bigger system around it. Using both helps us understand both the facts and the human impact.

Quick Check

Say: Now show the move on your own. Write one sentence to compare the two texts and one sentence to explain why the difference matters.

Have students label one new detail from each text and explain how it affects the reader’s focus and understanding.

• Ask: In the details in the fiction text and the historical account, what is one shared issue and one difference in emphasis?

  • Details in both texts show unfair barriers to housing. The historical account focuses on laws and neighborhood groups, while the fictional passage focuses more on how the barriers shape one family’s choices and feelings.

Huddle 2 (RI.7.8) + Independent Choice Work (10–15 minutes total)

Explain that you are going to pull students for additional work on RI.7.8 (Tracing an Author's Argument). Pull students who rated 1–3 on RI.7.8 and/or have shown difficulty with identifying claims, separating reasons from evidence, or explaining how a detail supports an argument based on recent work. All other students begin independent work (see "Independent Choice Work" below).

Pull this group when students copy a strong sentence from the article but cannot say whether it is the claim, a reason, or evidence, or when they accept any fact as support without checking how it connects to the author’s main point.

Independent Choice Work

Students not in responsive huddles choose one task and write a brief response.

Option 1: Independent Reading

• What idea or opinion does the author seem to be building, and what reasoning or evidence supports that idea?

• The author seems to be building the idea that kids are underestimated. One supporting piece of evidence is the data on student performance and graduation rates from that year.

Option 2: Knowledge-Building

• What claim could someone make about fairness and opportunity based on today’s reading? Cite one detail and explain your reasoning.

• A person could claim that access to opportunity is not equal for everyone. One detail is that some people in the text had more choices because they lived in a specific neighborhood, which supports the reasoning that opportunity often depends on where people live or how much money they have.

Huddle 2 — Tracing an Author's Argument (RI.7.8)

Use any short informational passage connected to the unit for this huddle. Students should have the text in front of them.

Reteach

• A claim is the author’s main point or position.

• Reasons explain why the author believes the claim is true.

• Evidence is the proof the author uses, such as facts, examples, or quotations.

Say: In this huddle, we're going to follow the path of an argument. We are looking for the main claim, the reasons supporting it, and the evidence that tries to prove those reasons.

Guided Practice

Have students reread a short argumentative paragraph or passage and underline the sentence that seems to state the author’s position.

• Ask: Which sentence is the author’s claim?

  • The claim is the sentence where the author argues that access to quality housing still shapes people’s chances today.

Have students bracket one reason and circle one piece of evidence connected to it.

• Ask: What reason does the author give, and what evidence supports that reason?

  • One reason is that neighborhoods affect access to resources. The evidence is the example showing that some neighborhoods have stronger schools and more services than others.

Have students explain whether the evidence strongly supports the claim.

• Ask: Does the evidence actually support the claim, or does it only sound convincing?

  • It supports the claim because the example connects directly to opportunity. It is not just a random fact; it helps prove the author's point about unequal access.

Quick Check

Say: Now trace one small part of the argument by yourself. Identify the reason or piece of evidence, and explain how effectively it supports the author’s claim.

• Ask: What is one piece of evidence or reasoning that the author uses to further support the claim? Is it effective?

  • One supporting piece of evidence is the example showing that families in some areas had more access to loans and better housing options. This is effective because it develops the claim by suggesting that opportunity is shaped by larger systems, not just individual effort.

Huddle 3 (W.7.7) + Independent Choice Work (10–15 minutes total)

Explain that you are going to pull students for additional work on W.7.7 (Refining Research Questions). Pull students who rated 1–3 on W.7.7 and/or have shown difficulty with turning broad topics into focused, searchable questions based on recent work. All other students begin independent work (see "Independent Choice Work" below).

Pull this group when students write questions that are too broad, yes-or-no, based only on opinion, or too vague to guide research with real sources.

Independent Choice Work

Students not in responsive huddles choose one task and write a brief response.

Option 1: Independent Reading and Writing

• Ask: What new question does your reading raise about a character, issue, or system that could be developed into a narrow research topic? Use one detail that sparked the question.

  • My reading made me ask why some neighborhoods keep getting fewer resources over time. I started wondering about this because the text showed one area with broken buildings and limited stores.

Option 2: Knowledge-Building

• Ask: What is one topic from this unit that you would want to research more deeply, and why? How could you narrow it to a researchable question?

  • I would want to research school funding because it seems connected to where people live and what chances they get later. That topic feels important because it affects students directly. I could narrow this by setting a specific time period or location.

Huddle 3 — Refining Research Questions (W.7.7)

Use any teacher-selected short literary or informational passage connected to the unit for this huddle. Students should have the text in front of them.

Reteach

• A broad topic is a large subject, like housing or education.

• A focused research question narrows the topic to a specific issue, group, place, or time.

• A strong research question can be answered with sources and usually begins with how or why.

Say: In this huddle, we're going to take a big topic and shape it into a question that can actually guide research. We are looking for a question that is focused, searchable, and worth investigating.

Guided Practice

Have students identify the broad topic in a short passage from the text.

• Ask: What broad topic does this passage raise?

  • The broad topic is housing inequality.

Have students compare two draft questions related to the same topic, such as “How does housing discrimination affect access to schools and jobs?” and “Is housing unfair for people today?”.

• Ask: Which question is stronger for research, and why?

  • The stronger question is “How does housing discrimination affect access to schools and jobs?” because it is focused and can be answered with sources. A weaker question, like “Is housing unfair for people today?,” is too broad and opinion-based.

Have students revise one weak question into a researchable one.

• Ask: How can we revise a broad question so it is focused enough to research?

  • We can add a specific system, group, place, or effect. For example, instead of asking “Is housing unfair?” we can ask “How do rising rents affect families in large cities today?”

Quick Check

• Say: Now do the move on your own. Take a broad topic and turn it into one question that could guide real research.

Have students apply their understanding to a sample topic, such as “housing and fairness today” or to the topic they have chosen for their own research.

• Say: Revise the broad topic into a focused research question.

  • How does housing discrimination today affect where families can live and the opportunities available in those neighborhoods?

Students complete a brief reflection based on what they did today (huddle reflection or independent work reflection). Invite 2–3 students to share.

Quick Write

Option A (students who attended one or more huddles):

• Ask: Rerate your confidence for RL.7.9, RI.7.8, W.7.7. What specifically improved?

  • Before, I was a 2 on RL.7.9, and now I am a 4 because I can explain not just what two texts have in common but also what each one emphasizes differently. I feel more confident because I used comparison words instead of just summarizing.

Option B (students who did independent reading/knowledge-building):

• Ask: What are you learning about on the unit topic from today’s reading/work? Cite one detail.

  • I am learning that opportunity is shaped by more than personal effort. One detail from my reading showed that where people live can affect the resources and choices they have.

Scoring Rubric (Quick Write Reflection)

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