1. Grade 8: Module 1: Unit 1: Lesson 7 Building Background Knowledge: Small-Group Work to Learn More about the History of Wars in Vietnam

2. Reviewing Homework
“The Vietnam Wars” Questions and Notes: Section 1: The Chinese Dragon Take two minutes to turn and talk with a partner about your notes. Model writing summary statement for Section 1. A strong summary will be a brief statement about the most important information. For example, “The main idea of Section 1 is that the Vietnamese are warriors who have been fighting many different countries for over 1,000 years.” Check your own summary to compare to mine.

3. Question for Section 1: “What seems to be the author’s perspective toward the Vietnamese people? The author respects the Vietnamese people. What specific words or phrases led you to infer that perspective?” ‘warrior’ ‘heroes’ ‘momentous.’ Today we will continue to focus on the author’s word choice as you work in your groups today.

4. Learning Targets
Today, they will work collaboratively in groups on Sections 2, 3, and 4 of the article, and share what we have learned with groups who read other sections. Remember the purpose for reading this informational text: it provides important background knowledge about the history of war in Vietnam, which will in turn help them understand the time and place that Ha describes in her diary. Also remember that this history is very complex; You do not need to memorize every single name and date. You should focus on the central ideas.

5. Part A: Jigsaw, Part I: Key Vocabulary and Questions
Today we will do work similar to what we did together for Section 1. But today, they will work in small groups.
Who knows how a Jigsaw activity works?
Each group will reread and summarize just one section of the article,
Then share what you learned with peers in other groups who reread a different section.
Your goal is to understand more about Vietnam so you can understand more about what is going on with Ha and her family. You do not need to understand every detail in your section of the text.
Your have about 2 minutes to reorient to your section, silently rereading.
Take out “The Vietnam Wars” Questions and Notes (for the specific section your group was assigned).
In your groups discuss the gist :
“What is the gist of this section? What was your initial sense of what it is mostly about?”

6. Take 10 minutes to do the following:
Read the questions on the Questions and Notes for your specific section.
With your partner, reread your section of text with these questions in mind.
Work with your partner to answer the questions.
In your small group of four prepare to share your brief summaries (which you should have wrote on the note-catchers).

7. B. Jigsaw, Part II: Sharing Our Summaries
Now different groups you share with the class about the section they read. Each group will have about 5 minutes per section for sharing. You are not sharing everything on your note-catcher: just the summary, and then specific evidence that will help your peers understand that summary statement. We will start with with the group that focused on Section 2. Hold on to their Questions and Notes (for all three sections) to support you as you reread and do a QuickWrite for homework. You will also need your articles for your homework.

8. Debrief: Adding to Our “Things Close Readers Do” Anchor Chart
Preview the homework.
Remember that this text is difficult, and we will revisit key passages in future lessons.
The homework asks you to begin to connect this informational text to the novel. You read pages 22–41 of the novel a few days ago for homework, and may want to revisit those pages as you write.
Remember that many aspects of close reading apply for both literature and informational text, and that some aspects are more specific to the type of text.
Pay attention to text structure: titles and headings (in informational text)
Consider the author’s purpose/perspective
If no student suggests these, remind them and add to the anchor chart.
We have been practicing close analytical reading with both informational text and the novel. In Lesson 8, they will return to the novel.

9. Homework
Reread Section 4, “The Fall of the French.” Use the questions on the note-catcher to help focus your reading.
QuickWrite 3: How do the details in this informational text connect to Ha’s circumstances? Be sure to include evidence from the novel and the article in your answer.