Lesson 39: Digital Witness Exhibit, Integrate Sources

Turn-and-Talk

Teacher Guidance: Have students take out Seen and Unseen, their T-Chart graphic organizers from Lesson 38, and the sentences they drafted in the previous lesson.

Students sit with a partner and place their T-Chart graphic organizer where both partners can see it.

Say these Directions: In Lesson 38, we compared words and images in Seen and Unseen to notice what each one revealed. Today, we are taking that work one step further by finding another source that can answer a question our first sources did not fully answer. This matters because strong presentations use more than one source to help an audience understand the full story.

• Ask: What similarity or difference did you notice between the text and image in your T-chart, and what new question could another source help you answer?

  • In the section with Toyo Miyatake’s guard tower photo on p. 59 and the testimony about slipping under the fence on p. 78, both sources show how closely people in the prison camp were watched. The image helps me see the guard tower, and the testimony helps me understand the risk people took. A new question I could research is what punishments people faced if they were caught breaking camp rules.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Now that you have a question worth chasing, you are ready to learn how to use quotations from a new source accurately and ethically.

Routine: Language Study

Teacher Guidance: Use this mini-lesson to show students that shortening a quotation is a choice that requires accuracy, not just convenience.

Students keep Seen and Unseen open and jot in their journals as needed.

Say these Directions: When we use someone else’s words in our presentation, we have to keep the meaning honest. Today, we are learning how an ellipsis can help us shorten a quotation without twisting what the source says. This skill matters because sometimes it makes sense to use only part of a quotation, but you still need to present it fairly.

Target Sentence Block:

At least Manzanar had a supply of water. Using scraps, tightly rationed supplies, and a good deal of manual labor, the prisoners in Block 22 created a Japanese garden in a lot adjoining the mess hall and were even able to grow some decorative plants. Since each block was limited to three sacks of cement per month, the garden became known as “Three Sack Pond.”

• Say: When I look at this sentence, I do not necessarily want to copy all of it. I first ask myself, “What idea do I need most?” If I am writing about resourcefulness, the most important part is that supplies were limited but people still built the garden. That means I can shorten the quotation, but I have to keep the words that carry the main meaning. A fair shortened version might be that supplies were “tightly rationed. . . . [E]ach block was limited to three sacks of cement per month.” That version still tells the truth because it keeps the important limit and does not make the garden sound easier to build than it was.

• Ask: Why would this shortened quotation be misleading: “Manzanar had a supply of . . . decorative plants”?

  • That shortened quotation is misleading because in the original, it says there was a supply of water, not of plants. It also makes it sound like decorative plants were everywhere, which changes the original meaning. The source is really saying that green spaces were created with effort, not that the whole prison camp was full of plants.

Say these Directions: Now try one on journal paper. Choose a short quotation from the Three Sack Pond passage, use an ellipsis only if you need it, and explain what you left out and why.

• Ask: Which omission is fair, and why?

  • A fair omission would be “tightly rationed . . . limited to three sacks of cement per month.” I left out the extra description in the middle because it gives background, but I kept the idea that the supplies were limited. That way, the quotation still supports the point about how resourceful people had to be.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: You are now ready to use ethical quotation choices as you evaluate and record evidence from a new source.

Part A: Model Source Research (W.7.7, RI.7.7) (10 minutes)

Think-Pair-Share

Teacher Guidance: Remind students that they already gathered sources in Lesson 32. Today’s model shows how to choose a source that more directly matches a narrower research question.

Say: Follow along as I model how to choose a source that clearly answers a research question. Notice how I sort my notes into three categories: connection to my question, new details and perspectives, and omissions or differences.

• Say: Here is the sample research question: How did people at Manzanar try to beautify their surroundings while they were incarcerated in the California desert?

• Say: When I look at this question, the key words are “beautify their surroundings.” That tells me I should not choose just any source about Manzanar; I need one that actually describes gardens, landscaping, or changes people made to daily living spaces. Roy Kakuda’s writing is a strong match because it directly answers my question about how people made their living spaces more livable.

• Say: As I read, I am not copying everything I notice. I am sorting information into three buckets: how the source connects to my question, what new details it adds, and what it leaves out or handles differently. When I see details like cellars, koi ponds, and swamp coolers, I know this source helps me move past a general idea like “people made gardens” and toward a clearer explanation of how families made a harsh place more livable.

• Say: This source also gives me information about where it is from. This can help me evaluate credibility and find other possible sources. For example, the caption tells me who is in the photograph. I can also see not only who wrote this but also where it was published. In my own research, I can go to this website to see who created it and for what purposes, and I can also see whether there are other relevant essays and images.

• Ask: What is an example of how a source might document where it is from and how it was created?

  • A source might include the author’s name, the organization that published it, and details about where the information came from. For example, an article could list references, explain when an interview was done, or link to photographs or archives it used.

Completed 3-Column Chart

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

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: You will now apply the same charting process to a source connected to your own research question.

B: Research and Annotate Sources (W.7.7, RI.7.9, SL.7.1c) (20 minutes)

Choosing a Source

Teacher Guidance: Students work independently first. Once they have completed chart notes, they use partner talk to rehearse one question the source answers and one new question it raises.

Say these Directions: Before you choose a source, reread the image, testimony, and narration criteria in the Performance Task Handout. Then find one credible external source that helps answer your research question more clearly.

Students may begin with these archive options:

• For oral histories of camp survivors: Densho, Japanese American National Museum, Manzanar National Historic Site

• For orders, notices, and other official documents: National Archives, Library of Congress

• For museum and historical interpretation sources: Japanese American National Museum, National Park Service, reputable nonprofit archives

Say these Directions: Once you have identified a credible source, record a source identification line at the top of your chart with the title, organization, and source type. Then annotate for perspective, tone, key details, and omissions, and use complete sentences in your 3-Column Chart graphic organizer. Be ready to explain why you chose this source and what new question it raises for you.

Turn-and-Talk:

• Say: My first step is to record the source information before I get lost in the details. Then I reread my research question and ask, “Does this source answer it directly, or does it only sort of connect?” If I find one strong detail, I place it in the middle column and attribute it right away so I do not forget where it came from. Next, I compare it to Seen and Unseen and decide whether it corroborates, complicates, or extends what I already know. I also leave room for what the source does not answer, because missing information helps me plan my next step. By the end, my chart should show not just what I found but why this source matters for my presentation.

Students work independently. When most students have notes recorded, partners share their findings.

Say these Directions: Turn to your partner. In one minute, explain one question your source helped answer and one new question it raised. Then switch.

• Ask: What is one question that your source helped you answer?

  • My source helped me answer how people tried to make life at Manzanar feel more livable. I learned that some families dug cellars under the barracks and used swamp coolers, so beautifying the camp was also about making everyday life more manageable in the desert.

• Ask: What is one new question that your source raised for you?

  • A new question I have is how many families had the time or materials to make those changes. I also want to know whether camp officials supported things like koi ponds and landscaping or whether people had to create those spaces mostly on their own.

Quick Write

Say these Directions: Today, you added one more source to your research. In three or four sentences, explain one insight this source gave you and how it can strengthen your presentation. Cite at least two specific details from your source or about the connection between your source and Seen and Unseen.

• Ask: What is one insight you gained by researching and examining an additional source today, and how will it strengthen your presentation?

  • One insight I gained is that beautifying Manzanar was not only about making the prison camp look nicer. Kakuda describes cellars under barracks and swamp coolers, which shows families were trying to make daily life more livable in the desert. He also mentions koi ponds and landscaping, so comfort and beauty were connected. This will strengthen my presentation because I can explain that people were creating dignity and home even while they were incarcerated.

Revise your 3-Column Chart graphic organizer by adding one accurately quoted or paraphrased piece of evidence with full source information. Bring your updated chart and Performance Task materials to the next lesson.