Lesson 23: 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

Students’ self-ratings, together with recent annotations and written responses, will help determine which huddle will best support them today.

Collect a quick visual of ratings.

Explain the plan:

• Three 10–15-minute teacher huddles:

  • Huddle 1: RL.7.2 (Determining Thematic Development)

  • Huddle 2: RL.7.3 (Connecting Character and Plot)

  • Huddle 3: RL.7.6 (Analyzing Narrator's Point of View)

• Students not in a huddle work independently through either independent reading or a knowledge-building task.

Then sort students using:

1. Their Reflection responses, and

2. Recent formative data from annotations, discussion notes, quick Writes, and exit tickets.

Huddle 1 (RL.7.2) + Independent Choice Work (10–15 minutes total)

Explain that you are first going to pull students for additional work on RL.7.2 (Determining Thematic Development). Pull students who rated 1–3 on RL.7.2 and/or have shown difficulty with moving from details to a bigger idea based on recent work. All other students begin independent work (see “Independent Choice Work” below).

Pull this group when students list events or quotes correctly but stop there or when they name a topic like friendship or belonging without explaining the message the text develops about that topic.

Independent Choice Work

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

Option 1: Independent Reading

• How does identifying a theme connect to your independent reading today? Cite one detail and explain what bigger idea it develops.

  • I can understand theme in my reading when Johnny tells Ponyboy to “stay gold.” It connects to the theme that innocence doesn’t last. This detail shows that growing up means losing something pure, which is a bigger idea about how childhood fades whether you’re ready or not.

Option 2: Knowledge-Building

• How does your reading today connect to the unit idea that empathy and difference can strengthen community? Cite one detail.

  • When Cherry and Ponyboy talk at the drive-in, they realize they have things in common even though one is a Soc and the other is a Greaser. This connects to the idea that empathy across difference can build community because their willingness to listen to each other creates a real connection despite their backgrounds.

Huddle 1—Determining Thematic Development (RL.7.2)

Use any short passage from The Outsiders for this huddle. Students should have the text in front of them.

Reteach

• A theme is a message or lesson the text develops, not just a one-word topic.

• Details are the small pieces the author repeats or emphasizes through actions, thoughts, dialogue, or setting.

• Strong readers ask: What bigger idea do these details point to together?

Say: In this passage from The Outsiders, we are going to collect details first and then connect them to a bigger message. We are looking for how the details work together, not just what happens.

Guided Practice

Have students reread the passage and underline one detail that seems important or repeated.

• Ask: What detail stands out, and why does it seem important?

  • A detail that stands out is that the character keeps looking around before speaking. That seems important because it shows the character does not feel fully safe or accepted.

Have students look at the underlined detail and name the larger topic it connects to.

• Ask: What topic does this detail connect to, and what does the text seem to be saying about that topic?

  • This detail connects to the topic of belonging. The text seems to be saying that when people feel judged, they may hold back instead of acting like themselves.

Have students turn that idea into a complete theme statement.

• Ask: What is a full theme statement you could write for this passage?

  • One theme is that people need safety and trust before they can fully belong in a group.

Quick Check

Say: Now you are going to do this on your own. Use one detail from the passage and write a short theme statement that grows out of that detail.

• Ask: In one to three sentences, explain how one specific detail in the passage helps develop a theme.

  • The detail that the character hesitates before joining the group helps develop the theme that belonging is not automatic. The text shows that people may want connection, but trust has to be built first.

Huddle 2 (RL.7.3) + Independent Choice Work (10–15 minutes total)

Explain that you are going to pull students for additional work on RL.7.3 (Connecting Character and Plot). Pull students who rated 1–3 on RL.7.3 and/or have shown difficulty with analyzing how a character responds to conflict or how those responses affect the story based on recent work. All other students begin independent work (see “Independent Choice Work” below).

Pull this group when students retell the scene instead of explaining why a character reacts a certain way or when they describe a trait without connecting that response to relationships, conflict, or plot.

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 challenge today? Cite one example and explain what that response reveals.

  • When the character is alone and runs into the other boys, he stays calm and tries to talk his way out of the situation rather than immediately fighting back. This reveals that even though he acts tough, he relies on his words and his wits. This shows his real strength is his ability to think, not just react.

Option 2: Knowledge-Building

• How does a character’s response in your reading connect to the unit idea that chosen families can shape identity? Cite one detail.

  • When Darry takes on the role of guardian, Ponyboy initially resents him but slowly realizes that Darry's strictness comes from not wanting to lose him. This connects to the idea that chosen families shape identity because Ponyboy's sense of who he is is always being shaped by how the Curtis brothers show up for each other.

Huddle 2—Connecting Character and Plot (RL.7.3)

Use any short passage from The Outsiders for this huddle. Students should have the text in front of them.

Reteach

• Character analysis is more than naming a trait; it explains how a character responds to pressure, conflict, or change.

• A response can appear in dialogue, action, silence, or a decision.

• Strong analysis links a character’s response to what it reveals and to what it changes in the story.

Say: In this passage from The Outsiders, we are going to watch what the character does when something happens. Then we will explain what that response shows and why it matters in the story.

Guided Practice

Have students find the moment where the character reacts to an event, another person, or a problem.

• Ask: What does the character do or say in response?

  • The character goes quiet instead of arguing back. That is the main response in this moment.

Have students look closely at that response and infer what it reveals.

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

  • This response reveals that the character is trying to protect the relationship, even while feeling hurt. It also shows self-control under pressure.

Have students connect the response to the development of the story.

• Ask: How does this response shape the next part of the plot or the relationship between characters?

  • Because the character stays quiet, the conflict does not happen right away. That choice changes the relationship with [other character] and builds tension for what happens next.

Quick Check

Say: Now show this analysis in writing. Focus on one response and explain both what it reveals and how it affects the story.

• Ask: In one to three sentences, explain how one character response in the passage reveals something important and helps shape the story.

  • When the character steps back instead of fighting, it reveals caution and loyalty at the same time. That response shapes the story because it changes how the conflict grows between the characters.

Huddle 3 (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 (Analyzing Narrator's Point of View). Pull students who rated 1–3 on RL.7.6 and/or have shown difficulty with distinguishing the narrator’s perspective from other characters’ perspectives based on recent work. All other students begin independent work (see “Independent Choice Work” below).

Pull this group when students confuse the narrator with the author or when they summarize events without noticing how the narrator’s feelings, word choices, or judgments shape the reader’s understanding.

Independent Choice Work

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

Option 1: Independent Reading

• How does the narrator or point-of-view character shape the way you understand today’s reading? Cite one example.

  • Because Ponyboy is the narrator, readers experience events through his eyes. When he describes events, it shows how he sees the world as unfair and also how much he’s paying attention to the relationships around him.

Option 2: Knowledge-Building

• How does a narrator’s point of view affect the way readers understand social differences or belonging in a text? Cite one detail from your reading.

  • First-person point of view shapes how readers understand social differences because everything is filtered through the character’s experience, which makes it easy to empathize with his side. For example, when he reflects that they are all looking at the same sunset, it shows his realization that there might be less dividing them than they think.

Huddle 3—Analyzing Narrator's Point of View (RL.7.6)

Use any short passage from The Outsiders for this huddle. Students should have the text in front of them.

Reteach

• Point of view is the lens through which readers experience the story. It is the way the narrator or character views the characters and events.

• An author can develop a narrator’s or character’s point of view by showing what details or other characters they notice, ignore, or judge in a certain way.

• Strong readers remember that point of view is not objective. They ask: How would this moment look different from another character’s perspective?

Say: In this passage from The Outsiders, we are going to pay attention to the narrator’s lens. We are looking for words that show how the narrator sees the event and how another character might see it differently.

Guided Practice

Have students highlight a word, phrase, or description that shows the narrator’s feelings or judgment.

• Ask: What part of the passage shows the narrator’s point of view most clearly? What is happening in this part of the text?

  • The narrator’s point of view shows clearly in the description of [event]. The character describes it as “[quote from the text].”

Have students name what that language reveals about the narrator’s perspective.

• Ask: What does this language reveal about how the narrator sees the situation?

  • It reveals that the narrator feels hurt and defensive. The narrator is judging what the character said and did rather than explaining it in a neutral or objective way.

Have students compare the narrator’s view with that of another character at the same moment.

• Ask: How does the author contrast the narrator’s point of view with another character’s perspective? Why does that matter?

  • The author shows that the other character sees the moment as normal or unimportant, while the narrator sees it as painful. That matters because the reader understands the event through the narrator’s emotions first, which shows why he feels different or set apart from the other characters.

Quick Check

Say: Now choose another detail that reveals the narrator’s point of view. Explain how the author shows this, how it contrasts with another character’s, and how it shapes the reader’s understanding.

• Ask: In one to three sentences, explain how this detail develops the narrator’s point of view in this passage and how it affects the way the reader understands the event.

  • The author develops the narrator’s point of view by having him reflect on [key idea]. This shows the reader how he is reacting to what [other character] is saying and that he disagrees. This helps the reader understand that the event is important and that the contrast in their perspectives is upsetting. It builds tension and shows the reason for the narrator’s confusion about what to believe.

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.7.2, RL.7.3, and RL.7.6. What specifically improved?

  • Before this lesson, I was a 2 on RL.7.6, but now I am a 4 because I can tell the difference between what happened and how the narrator sees what happened. I also got better at using a quote or detail first instead of jumping straight to my opinion.

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

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

  • I am learning that belonging can depend on trust, not just being part of a group. In my reading, one character stayed quiet before joining in, and that detail showed the character did not feel fully accepted yet.

Scoring Rubric (Quick Write Reflection)

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