Lesson 18: Sixth's Dilemma — Individual Survival vs. Community Preservation
50 min
Student Lesson
Lesson 18: Sixth's Dilemma — Individual Survival vs. Community Preservation
Student Learning Objectives
Content
Students will analyze how Sanderson develops character and theme through key details in Sixth of Dusk.
Language
Students will use textual evidence from Sixth of Dusk to support written and oral analysis.
Foundations
Students will use domain-specific island and Aviar vocabulary when discussing the text.
Essential Question
How does Sanderson use textual evidence in this passage to develop theme and character in Sixth of Dusk (Isles of the Emberdark)?
What does this scene reveal about power, agency, or identity?
Connections to
Knowledge-Building
Close reading "Sixth of Dusk, Part 7: Sixth Considers the Cost of Cooperation" builds the evidence base students need to analyze how Sanderson develops character and theme in Sixth of Dusk (Isles of the Emberdark).
Enduring Understanding
Close reading with annotation develops the habit of supporting claims with precise textual evidence — the same skill required in every writing lesson in this unit.
Future Lessons
Evidence gathered from this passage will be referenced in upcoming writing and discussion lessons.
Unit Performance Task
This close read directly informs the unit's performance task, which asks students to synthesize evidence across Sixth of Dusk (Isles of the Emberdark) to argue about the unit's essential questions.
Lesson Pacing
| Lesson Flow | Purpose of Learning Experience |
|---|---|
Launch5 Minutes | Orient students to the day's learning goals and activate relevant prior knowledge about Sixth of Dusk (Isles of the Emberdark). |
Literacy Lab10 Minutes | Provide direct instruction on the day's focus skill before releasing students to practice with the anchor text. |
Learning in Action30 Minutes | Students apply the day's focus skill to the anchor text with teacher support through circulation, conferring, and targeted questioning. |
Vocabulary
Vocabulary Addressed in Lesson
Aviar
Magical birds on the island of Patji that bond to humans and grant different protective abilities depending on their species.
Trapper
A skilled hunter who ventures into the deadly interior of Patji's island to capture Aviar and sell them to the outside world.
Patji
The most dangerous of the Drominad system's islands, and also an avatar of the Shard Autonomy — simultaneously a place and a presence.
Additional Vocabulary
Not available for this lesson
Material List
- Text: Sixth of Dusk, Part 7: Sixth Considers the Cost of Cooperation
- Graphic organizer: Character motivation tracker
- Handout: Annotation guide — tracking theme and evidence
- Student journals
Routines & Protocols
- Close Read & Annotation Protocol
- Think-Pair-Share
- Turn-and-Talk