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Grade 6: Module 1: Unit 1: Lesson 1
Cold Call requires students to think and interact with the question at hand, even if they’re not sure of the answer. Cold Call also promotes equity in the classroom; students who normally dominate the discourse step back and allow other students to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise.
– Thumb-O-Meter helps students visualize student comfort level or readiness in relation to a learning target or aspect of their work, using their thumb. Adjust the instruction accordingly.
– Equity Sticks ensure academic equity by physically tracking who has been called upon or interacted with during the course of the class. This is especially useful during whole-class discussions or while working with large groups of students.
Thislessonisthefirstthatincludesbuilt-outinstructionfortheuseofGoal1Conversation Cues. Conversation Cues are questions that promote productive and equitable conversation (adapted from Michaels, Sarah and O’Connor, Cathy. Talk Science Primer. TERC, 2012. http://inquiryproject.terc.edu/shared/pd/TalkScience_Primer.pdf. Based on Chapin, Suzanne, O’Connor, Cathy, and Anderson, Nancy. Classroom Discussions: Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn, Grades K–6. Second Edition. Math Solutions Publications, 2009). Goal 1 Conversation Cues encourage all students to talk and be understood. As the modules progress, Goals 2, 3, and 4 Conversation Cues are gradually introduced. Refer to the Online Resources for the complete set of cues. Examples of the Goal 1 Conversation Cues used in the next two units include:
– After any question that requires thoughtful consideration and allows time for students to think and process language internally:
“I’ll give you time to think and write or sketch.”
“I’ll give you time to discuss this with a partner.”
– To help students share, expand, and clarify thoughts:
“Can you say more about that?” “Can you give an example?” “So, do you mean _____?”
Conversation Cues are similar to discussion norms, which are introduced in Lesson 13, in that they seek to foster productive and collaborative conversation. Furthermore, Conversation Cues aim to ensure equitable conversation by gradually building student capacity to become productive, collaborative participants. Goal 1 Conversation Cues focus on the fundamentals of encouraging students to talk and be understood. Goals 2–4 take students to deeper levels of conversation, from listening to others, to deepening their thinking, to thinking with others.
Opportunities to Extend Learning
This unit is designed to focus on specific excerpts of the text during class so as to provide time for analysis. To cover the entire text, encourage students to read each chapter in its entirety outside of class time.
How It Builds on Previous Work
If students have worked on EL Education modules in Grades 3–5, this module will build on those foundations.
EL Education Curriculum 31
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