Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment Part 1: Writer’s Roundtable

For Teachers 7th Standards
Hear ye, hear ye, it's time for a writer's roundtable! Scholars clarify their thinking about their narrative writing project by engaging in a fishbowl discussion about their plans. As members within the inner circle discuss the topic,...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Preparing for the Mid-Unit Assessment: Planning the Children’s Book

For Teachers 7th Standards
Pupils complete a My Children's Book Plan worksheet to carefully prepare for a narrative writing project. Scholars also continue working in their groups from lesson plan two, using their scavenger hunt worksheets to discuss what makes a...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Introducing Module 4A: This Is Your Brain—Plugged In

For Teachers 7th Standards
What does brain science reveal about teens and decision making? Scholars watch a short video and participate in a gallery walk to pique their interest and curiosity about the topic. Next, they begin reading an informational article about...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Comparing Text to Multimedia: Understanding How the Brain Changes

For Teachers 7th Standards
Learners explore how the human brain changes over time, comparing an interactive web page about brain development to a text-only version. Additionally, pupils continue reading an article about teen decision making, analyzing the main...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing the Main Idea in Video: Understanding the Limbic System

For Teachers 7th Standards
It's time to put on those thinking caps and analyze the brain! Pupils watch a video about teenage brain development, using a note-catcher to capture their thoughts about the main idea. Finally, they select two pieces of information from...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: Development of the Young Brain

For Teachers 7th Standards
Scholars view a video clip about adolescent brain development and work with partners to identify the main idea and supporting details. Next, as part of the mid-unit assessment, pupils watch another clip from the video and complete a main...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing Main Ideas and Supporting Details: “Growing Up Digital”

For Teachers 7th Standards
Young scholars continue their exploration of adolescent brain development by reading an informational text, "Growing Up Digital," by Matt Richtel. Then, with partners, they complete note-catcher worksheets to capture the article's main...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Building Context for the Narrative: The Abolition Movement

For Teachers 7th Standards
That's history. Scholars work together to review the text Abolition and its accompanying text-dependent questions. They then determine what information to add to the Historical Context anchor chart. For homework, individuals think...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Close Reading Excerpt 2: Plantation Life

For Teachers 7th Standards
Time for a good old fashioned match game! Readers complete an initial, second, and third read of Plantation Life to gain a deep understanding. After close reading the text, scholars practice identifying paraphrasing by...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Poetic Tools in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

For Teachers 7th Standards
Scholars listen to a reading and answer probing questions about If We Must Die by Claude McKay. Readers annotate their personal copies of the poem as they discuss its figurative language, vocabulary, and meaning. They then transfer...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Bringing Douglass’s Words to Life: The Fight with Covey

For Teachers 7th Standards
Readers have the opportunity to bring the words from an excerpt of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass to life. They use strategies from the Storyteller’s Toolbox anchor chart as a guide and then work in pairs to prepare...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing Douglass’s Purpose: Excerpt 4

For Teachers 7th Standards
Anchors away! Scholars take a look at the Group Work anchor chart to prepare for the excerpt four, The Fight with Covey, analysis. The Excerpt 4 Analysis note catcher guides the group as they carry out their analyses. The class...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing Douglass’s Purpose: An Escape Attempt

For Teachers 7th Standards
Time for more team work! Class members work in a team once again to complete Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Excerpt 5 Analysis note catcher. Before beginning, teams review the Group Work anchor chart and roles....
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Forming a Research-Based Claim: Comparing Cascading Consequences

For Teachers 7th Standards
It's time to weigh the risks and benefits of screen time! Pupils work in triads to identify the strongest positive and negative consequences from their Cascading Consequences chart. Next, using the chart and their researcher's notebooks,...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing a Model Position Paper: “Facebook: Not for Kids”

For Teachers 7th Standards
It's time to take a position! Scholars learn to write a position paper by analyzing a model paper titled Facebook: Not for Kids. After studying the model paper, learners think about their own papers using the Position Paper Planner. They...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Logic and Argument: Evaluating the Argument in “Beyond the Brain”

For Teachers 7th Standards
The brain is not the mind. Scholars explore the claim by reading an informational article about neuroscience research, "Beyond the Brain." As they read, they answer text-dependent questions and complete an anchor chart to evaluate...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Evaluating an Argument: “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”

For Teachers 7th Standards
Does the Internet negatively affect peoples' brains? Scholars complete a Tracing an Argument note catcher to evaluate the question as they read the text "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Exploring both sides of the issue, they add their...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Evaluating an Argument in The Big Thirst

For Teachers 7th Standards
Don't argue with me! Scholars first evaluate the argument in The Big Thirst. Learners work with partners to determine if the text supplies enough evidence to support the claim. They then complete a Tracing an Argument Note catcher for...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Scaffolding for Essay: Planning Body Paragraphs for Position Paper

For Teachers 7th Standards
Let's make a plan. Scholars work on the plan for their papers using a Position Paper Planner. They talk with a partner about counterclaims and think about counterclaims to include in their papers. As learners begin to write, they work...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Finishing the End of Unit Assessment: Final Draft of Position Paper and Reflection on the Writing Process

For Teachers 7th Standards
Think about it. Writers think about their end of unit essays through reflection. They use the End of Unit 3 Assessment, Part 2: Reflection on the Writing Process handout to analyze the writing process they used to create their...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Introducing Module 4B: “Water Is Life”

For Teachers 7th Standards
Learners take a gallery walk around the classroom to view various images and quotes. As they walk, they write down what they notice and wonder about what they see. After discussing their notice and wonder notes, they read the...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Research Task: Comparing and Contrasting Texts

For Teachers 7th Standards
It's the half-way mark! Pupils demonstrate understanding of unit standards by completing a mid-unit assessment. After reading an informational article about water management strategies, scholars complete a graphic organizer to identify...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part 1A: Fishbowl on Better Use of Water in Agriculture

For Teachers 7th Standards
Just keep swimming! Pupils participate in a Fishbowl discussion, sitting in two concentric circles and alternating between speaking and listening roles. During the discussion, they defend a claim about the best way to begin managing...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Scaffolding for Position Paper: Clarifying Body Paragraphs, Introduction, and Conclusion

For Teachers 7th Standards
Let's have a talk. Scholars talk through the body paragraphs of their Sustainable Water Management position paper with peers. They take turns explaining their work to one another. They then begin to work independently on the introduction...