Lesson 10: Flex Day: Skill-Based Huddles

• 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: Based on your confidence ratings in addition to how you’ve demonstrated your understanding in recent work, you’ll get individualized learning sessions today so you get what you need.

• Three 10–15-minute teacher huddles:

  • Huddle 1: RL.7.3 (Analyzing Character Responses)

  • Huddle 2: RL.7.6 (Inferring Point of View)

  • Huddle 3: RL.7.4 (Using Context for Meaning)

• Students not in a huddle work independently on one choice task.

Then sort students using:

1. Their Confidence Continuum responses

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

Huddle 1 (RL.7.3) + Independent Choice Work (10–15 minutes total)

Explain that you are first going to pull students for additional work on RL.7.3 (Analyzing Character Responses). Pull students who rated 1–3 on RL.7.3 and/or have shown difficulty with explaining how a character responds to key moments or pressures in the plot based on recent work. All other students begin independent work (see “Independent Choice Work” below).

Pull this group when students retell what happened in the passage, but do not explain what the character’s response reveals or how it connects to events in the plot. Their written responses may name an emotion or event, but leave out the motivation shaping the response or the impact it may have.

Independent Choice Work

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

Option 1: Independent Reading:

• How does a character in your independent reading respond to a key event, barrier, or pressure in the plot? Cite one example.

  • In my book, the main character responds to pressure by staying quiet at first and then speaking up. When her friend blames her, she pauses before answering, which shows she is trying to stay in control instead of exploding right away.

Option 2: Knowledge-Building:

• How does a character in the text respond to a barrier or struggle in the passage you read? Cite one detail, and explain what it shows.

  • The character responds to the barrier by arguing instead of backing down. One detail is that the character keeps repeating the same point even after someone disagrees, which shows the pressure matters a lot to them.

Huddle 1—Analyzing Character Responses (RL.7.3)

Use any short passage from A Raisin in the Sun or another teacher-selected short literary text for this huddle. Students should have the text in front of them.

Reteach

• Character response means what a character says, does, or chooses when something happens or puts pressure on them.

• A strong analysis names both the response and what shapes it.

• In drama, dialogue and stage directions work together to show a response.

• Say: In this passage, we are going to track what a character does in response to pressure, barrier, or problem. We are not just naming an emotion—we are figuring out what the response reveals about the character’s dream, fear, or motivation.

Guided Practice

Have students reread the short passage and underline one line of dialogue or one action that shows a clear response.

• Ask: Which exact line or action shows the character responding to pressure?

  • The line that shows the response is when the character answers sharply instead of calmly. That response stands out because it happens right after the pressure in the scene increases.

Have students look back at the lines or stage directions right before that moment and identify the pressure, barrier, or problem facing the character.

• Ask: What pressure, barrier, or problem is shaping that response?

  • The pressure is that the character feels blocked or ignored. The lines right before the response show that something important to the character is being dismissed, so the sharp answer makes sense.

Have students say and then write one sentence that connects the response to what it reveals about the character.

• Ask: What does this response reveal about the character?

  • This response reveals that the character feels desperate to be heard. Instead of staying quiet, the character pushes back, which shows how much this issue matters to them.

Quick Check

• Say: Now try the same move on your own. Write one to three sentences that name the character’s response, the pressure behind it, and what that response reveals.

• Ask: In this passage, how does the character respond to pressure, and what does that reveal?

  • The character responds by becoming defensive and speaking more forcefully. That response is shaped by the pressure of being misunderstood, and it reveals that the character feels deeply invested in being respected.

Huddle 2 (RL.7.6) + Independent Choice Work (10–15 minutes total)

Explain that you are going to pull students for additional work on RL.7.6 (Inferring Point of View). Pull students who rated 1–3 on RL.7.6 and/or have shown difficulty with inferring characters’ viewpoints from dialogue and reactions based on recent work. All other students begin independent work (see “Independent Choice Work” below).

Pull this group when students can quote what a character says but cannot explain what belief, value, or perspective the line reveals or when they cannot explain why or how two characters’ viewpoints differ. Their responses may confuse a single opinion with a larger point of view or may treat two characters’ perspectives as the same.

Independent Choice Work

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

Option 1: Independent Reading:

• What does a character in your independent reading seem to believe or value right now? Explain how this compares with the beliefs or values of another character. Cite one example.

  • My character seems to value honesty even when it is risky. One example is that he tells the truth even after his friend warns him not to, which shows he cares more about being truthful than staying safe. This is different from his friend, who thinks staying out of trouble is more important than telling the truth.

Option 2: Knowledge-Building:

• What point of view does a character in what you read today show about dreams or hopes for the future? Cite one detail.

  • The character’s point of view is that respect matters and earning respect is important for hopes and dreams. One detail is that the character rejects an easy answer and keeps questioning what is fair.

Huddle 2—Inferring Point of View (RL.7.6)

Use any short passage from A Raisin in the Sun or another teacher-selected short literary text for this huddle. Students should have the text in front of them.

Reteach

• Point of view is a character’s way of seeing the world.

• In drama, readers infer the point of view from what a character says, reacts to, and values.

• Two characters can face the same situation but see it differently.

• Say: In the passage we are reading, we are going to move past what the character actually says and infer what that shows about how the character sees the situation. We are looking for a pattern in the character’s words, reactions, and values.

Guided Practice

Have students reread the passage and mark one line that sounds especially strong, repeated, or emotional.

• Ask: Which line gives us the best clue to the character’s point of view?

  • The best clue is the line where the character keeps insisting on the same idea. That line stands out because it shows what the character cares about most in the scene.

Have students name the belief or value that lies beneath that line.

• Ask: What belief or value does that line reveal?

  • That line reveals that the character believes being treated fairly is important. The character is not just reacting in the moment—the line shows a bigger way of thinking.

Have students connect the point of view to the character’s response in the scene.

• Ask: How does that point of view shape the way the character responds?

  • Because the character believes fairness matters, they refuse to stay silent. The point of view explains why the response is so direct and intense.

Quick Check

• Say: Now write a short explanation that names another character’s point of view and connects it to one detail from the passage. Your goal is to show what the character believes, not just summarize the scene.

• Ask: What point of view can you infer from this passage, and what evidence supports it?

  • I can infer that the character believes dignity matters more than going along with others. The strongest evidence is the line where the character pushes back instead of agreeing, which shows they will not accept something they see as wrong.

Huddle 3 (RL.7.4) + Independent Choice Work (10–15 minutes total)

Explain that you are going to pull students for additional work on RL.7.4 (Using Context for Meaning). Pull students who rated 1–3 on RL.7.4 and/or have shown difficulty with using nearby clues to determine word or phrase meaning based on recent work. All other students begin independent work (see “Independent Choice Work” below).

Pull this group when students guess at a word’s meaning without pointing to context clues or when they stop at a rough definition and do not explain how the word shapes tone, characterization, or meaning. Their notes may also show confusion about figurative language.

Independent Choice Work

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

Option 1: Independent Reading:

• Choose one interesting word or phrase from your independent reading. What do you think it means, and what clue helped you?

  • The phrase probably means the character felt embarrassed. The clue that helped me was the description of the character looking down and avoiding everyone, which matched that feeling.

Option 2: Knowledge-Building:

• Choose one word or phrase from the text. Use context to explain its meaning and why it matters.

  • The word seems to mean “stubborn” or “persistent.” The clue is that the character keeps going even when the situation is hard, so the word matters because it shapes how we see the character.

Huddle 3—Using Context for Meaning (RL.7.4)

Use any short passage from A Raisin in the Sun or another teacher-selected short literary text for this huddle. Students should have the text in front of them.

Reteach

Review:

• Context clues are the words, actions, tone, and details around a word or phrase.

• Readers test a possible meaning by putting it back into the sentence.

• Word meaning matters because it shapes tone, character, or mood.

• Say: In this passage, we are going to slow down around one word or phrase and use the nearby clues to figure it out. Then we will ask why the author’s word choice matters in this moment.

Guided Practice

Have students circle one unfamiliar or important word or phrase and underline the clue words around it.

• Ask: Which surrounding words or details help you figure out the meaning?

  • The clue words are the ones that show the character’s reaction right after the word appears. Those nearby details help because they show whether the word has a positive, negative, or serious feeling.

Have students state a likely meaning in student-friendly language.

• Ask: Based on those clues, what do you think the word or phrase means?

  • I think the word means “tense” or “upset.” I think that because the surrounding details show the character speaking quickly and reacting strongly.

Have students substitute their meaning back into the sentence and explain the effect.

• Ask: If you replace the word with your meaning, does the sentence still make sense, and why does that word choice matter?

  • Yes, the sentence still makes sense if I replace the word with tense. The original word matters, though, because it gives the moment a sharper feeling and helps us understand the character more clearly.

Quick Check

• Say: Now choose one additional word or phrase from the passage, and write one to three sentences explaining what it means, which clue helped you most, and why that word choice matters.

• Ask: What does one word or phrase in this passage mean, and how do you know?

  • The phrase means the character is trying hard not to give up. I know this from the nearby details showing repeated effort, and the phrase matters because it makes the character seem determined.

Students complete a brief reflection based on what they did today. Invite two or three students to share.

Quick Write

Option A (Students Who Attended One or More Huddles):

• Re-rate your confidence for RL.7.3, RL.7.4, and RL.7.6. What specifically improved?

  • Before today, I was a 2 on RL.7.6, and now I’m a 4 because I can explain what a character believes instead of only repeating what they said. I’m also more confident with RL.7.3 because I can connect a character’s reaction to the pressure behind it.

Option B (Students Who Did Independent Reading/Knowledge-Building):

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

  • I’m learning that people respond to barriers in different ways depending on what they value. One detail from my reading showed a character refusing to stay quiet, which connects to our unit because dreams and fairness are shaped by pressure and systems.

Scoring Rubric (Quick Write Reflection)

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