Lesson 28: Red, White, and Whole, Explanatory Writing, Part 1

Students should have their Character Support Network Chart from Lesson 27 and their copy of Red, White, and Whole open.

Think-Pair-Share

• Say these Directions: In the previous lesson, we characterized the people who help keep Reha afloat and saw that support in this story comes from a network, not just one person. Today, we are turning that idea into analytical writing by showing how LaRocca uses imagery to reveal support instead of simply stating it.

Take a moment to review the prompt below and to look through your chart from the previous lesson. Then, take turns sharing ideas with your partner.

• Ask: Which row or moment from your chart already feels strong enough to develop the content for a paragraph because it shows, rather than tells, that Reha is not alone?

  • In “Afternoons,” the moment when Reha laughs and notices “the unfamiliar noise” (p. 145) feels strong enough for a paragraph because LaRocca does not say Reha feels supported. Instead, she shows that being with Pete changes Reha’s mood enough for laughter to come back.

Connection to Today's Learning:

• Say: Now that you have selected a moment, you are ready to study how one small phrase can carry a much bigger meaning.

Language Study

• Say these Directions: We are going to practice analyzing word choice by looking closely at one short phrase.

Teach: Analyzing Word Choice

• Say: Strong literary analysis does more than point to a quote. It explains what the writer’s language does for the reader. Today, we are going to practice that type of interpretation with one small phrase.

Target Sentence:

In “Afternoons,” Reha describes her laugh as “the unfamiliar noise” (p. 145).

• Say: When I read the phrase “the unfamiliar noise,” I notice that LaRocca does not call it a laugh right away (pp. 145). That choice matters because it makes Reha’s own laughter seem strange to her, almost like it belongs to someone else.

• Say: If I only write “Reha laughs,” I am describing the event. But if I write “The phrase ‘the unfamiliar noise’ suggests that laughter has become unusual for Reha, so Pete’s presence gives her a rare feeling of relief,” I am explaining the effect of the word choice. That is the move we are practicing today; to identify what the line does, not just what the line says. .

• Ask: Why is “the unfamiliar noise” a stronger phrase than simply saying “my laugh”?

  • “The unfamiliar noise” is stronger because it shows Reha does not even recognize her own laughter right away. That makes the reader feel how unusual joy has become for her.

• Ask: Which of the five senses is being highlighted in this imagery, and what does that sensory detail reveal?

  • The strongest sense is sound because Reha hears her laughter as something surprising. The sound detail reveals that this lighter feeling has been missing from her life for a long time.

Connection to Today's Learning:

• Say: You now have a model for the kind of commentary you will need to build in your own paragraph.

Partners should return to their Character Support Network Chart and choose one moment from “Afternoons,” “True,” “The Promise,” “Rapids,” “The Arrival,” “Another Surprise,” “My Mother’s Sister,” or “Roommates.”

Part A: Choose the Best Moment and Name Its Effect (RL.7.4) (12 minutes)

Think-Pair-Share

Teach: Writing about a Key Moment

• Say: A strong paragraph starts with a smart choice. I do not need three poems or five quotes to make a point. I need one moment where LaRocca’s wording clearly reveals support. So first I ask, “Which moment gives me something to analyze?” Then I ask, “What exact word or phrase creates that effect?” If I can answer both of those questions, I am ready to write a claim, add evidence, and explain what the word choice accomplishes.

• Say these Directions: Share with your partner a key moment from your chart that shows Reha is not alone. Then identify the key word or phrase you want to analyze more closely, and explain its effect in one sentence. Jot your best sentence in your notes so you can use it in your paragraph.

• Ask: Which row from your chart gives you the strongest opportunity to explain the effect of imagery?

  • The strongest moment for me is in “Afternoons” when Reha hears “the unfamiliar noise” (pp. 145). That phrase gives me something to analyze because it emphasizes the significance of her laughter, and shows that Pete’s presence helps her feel lighter.

Part B: Draft, Revise, and Edit for Effect (W.7.2.a, W.7.2.b) (18 minutes)

Students have now rehearsed their idea aloud and are ready to write a focused analytical paragraph.

Peer Review

• Say these Directions: Choose one key moment from your chart and draft one analytical paragraph in your journal. Your paragraph should include a clear claim, one embedded quote, and at least two sentences that explain the effect of the word choice.

When you finish your draft, trade journals with your partner and answer the revision question. Then revise one sentence in your paragraph based on your partner’s feedback for stronger structure or cleaner punctuation. Use the checklist below as you draft your paragraph:

Draft Checklist

• A clear claim about how imagery shows Reha is not alone

• One embedded quote with correct punctuation

• Commentary that explains what the word choice does

• Sentences that are complete and correctly punctuated

• Ask: After reading your partner’s paragraph, does it explain the effect of the word choice, or does it only describe the moment? What is one revision move the writer should make?

  • This paragraph starts to explain the effect because it says the phrase shows laughter feels rare for Reha, but the ending still sounds a little descriptive. I would revise the last sentence so it explains that Pete’s presence brings back a feeling Reha has been missing.

Teach: Drafting an Analytical Paragraph

Display the following writing model if needed for support and guidance:

In “Afternoons,” LaRocca shows that Pete’s presence gives Reha a break from fear. When Reha hears her own laugh and calls it “the unfamiliar noise,” the phrase sounds strange on purpose. Instead of directly saying that Reha feels better, LaRocca shows that laughter has become so rare that Reha barely recognizes it. This word choice emphasizes the pain and turmoil Reha is feeling because of Amma’s illness. It also reveals that being with Pete changes the mood enough for a forgotten sound to return, which suggests that Reha feels safe and supported by her friend at this moment.

• Say: As I draft, I want to make sure each sentence has a job. My first sentence makes the claim. My next sentence brings in the quote with correct punctuation. Then I add an explanation that answers not just “What happened?” but “Why does this language choice matter?” When I revise, I check whether my paragraph explains the effect of the word choice or only repeats the event.

• Say: Finally, I edit for sentence structure and punctuation so my ideas sound clear and connected.

Lesson 28 Writing Rubric: Analytical Paragraph — Reha Is Not Alone

Writing prompt: Write an explanatory paragraph analyzing how imagery in a specific poem from Red, White & Whole reveals that Reha is not alone in her experience of belonging to two worlds. Use at least one piece of textual evidence and explain what the imagery shows.

Students have now practiced the exact analytical move they will need when they write about imagery in the unit performance task. Transition students from drafting to reflection by asking them to notice not just what they wrote, but what analytical move helped their writing grow.

Quick Write

• Say: Today we practiced one of the most important moves in literary analysis: explaining what a writer’s language does, not just what it says. In your performance task, that move will help you turn a quote into real analysis that proves your claim. The work you did today makes later essay writing stronger because you already know how to connect imagery to a bigger idea about connection and belonging.

• Say these Directions: Reread the paragraph you composed in this lesson and explain how you went beyond plot summary or description to analyze the effects of word choice. Write 2–3 sentences.

• Ask: What words or phrases help push your writing to become more analytical? Use emphasizes, reveals, or suggests in your response.

  • One word that helped me move from description to analysis was “reveals.” After I included a quote from the poem, I chose the specific words “the unfamiliar noise” and explained how that phrase reveals Reha’s reflective nature and the recognition that Pete’s presence was providing Reha a rare sense of relief.

Optional Sentence Starter:

One phrase that helped me move from description to analysis was __________ because __________.

The Performance Task Bridge

• Say: When you write your full literary analysis later in this unit, you will need to do exactly what you practiced today: make a claim, use a quote carefully, and explain the effect of the language. A strong essay is built out of strong paragraph thinking. Keep this paragraph because it can become part of your future analysis work.

Instruct students to read “The New Rhythm,” “Pop or Alternative,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Mix Tape,” “Prema Auntie’s Little Sister,” “What Amma Needs Next,” “The Surprise,” and “Shock.”

Ask students to respond to the following question in their Journal:

• How does the significance of blood take on new meaning in these poems?