Lesson Author Hannah Smith

Date N/A
Period N/A
Grade Level 7th
Time Allotted 60 minutes
Context/ This is the beginning of the third and final week of the unit. We are about to finish the unit text, ​Refugee​ by Alan Gratz. This lesson will be the
Rationale transition from learning about compassion, both the roles it plays in the book and what it looks like in our everyday lives, to learning about how to
take that a step further and partake in activism. This is where our made-up term, “compactivism” comes into play. Students will learn how
compassion needs an action, and that action is activism. Students have already written a short extended-definition paper on compassion, which will
be a guide for their final project for the unit. I will be handing their graded papers back today, as well as introducing the final project. We will also
be drawing on previous conversations in class, using a list that we have already created of characters from the book that exhibited compassion to see
if those characters moved past compassion into action. We will discuss what effect that had on the main characters and other refugees. We will
discuss what activism means, tying it to concrete examples in our society.
Central Focus The central focus for this lesson is to define activism and have students find examples of it in the book and in our society. This is important for them
to do as it is going to play a major role in their final project, as well as prepares them for being active citizens in our democracy. The main goal for
our students is to learn skills that they will need for the rest of their lives. Being activists for causes that they have compassion for is important in our
society. This focus aligns with the standards because students will be collaboratively discussing activism as a class, and students will be finding
evidence of activism within ​Refugee ​and other digital articles. The central focus is fleshed out within our objectives, which is a clear map for what
the lesson will look like.
Essential/ What is activism?
Compelling
Question(s)
Goals Objectives
Students will be able to define activism.
Students will be able to find examples of activism in ​Refugee​.
Students will be able to find examples of activism in our society.
Students will be able to research and find the credibility of activist organizations.
Standards
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one on one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, 
texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
W.7.6 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each 
source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
Assessments Informal Formative Summative
Students will answer questions and participate N/A N/A
in the class discussion, which will help us
understand more about where students are at.
Language Language Function Vocabulary Syntax/Discourse
Supports Define Activism Syntax: class discussion and research
Activist Discourse: discussing with peers and researching
Cause online
Secondary characters
Materials & Projector
Technology Classroom set of ​Refugee
Graphic Organizers for each student
Notebooks
Pens or pencils
Laptops
INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN
How are you inviting students to learn? How are you moving them through the lesson and engage them in the activities? How are you bringing the lesson to a close?
Provide basic “step-by-step” directions and prompts for implementing these areas of the lesson. A substitute teacher should be able to pick up your lesson plan and
say and do everything you would have if you were there. Please be explicit and specific. Remember – YOU CAN (and likely SHOULD) ADD ROWS.
Time Lesson Component Teacher AND Learner Roles/Procedures (what are you doing? what are students doing?)
both should be present.
5 minutes Warm Up The warm up is on the projector. I will greet students as they come into class. Students should
come in, sit down, and begin working on the warm up. Once class begins, students should
continue working on the warm up until they are done. I will allot five minutes to work on this. If
they get done earlier, then they can read ​Refugee​ silently.
5 minutes Review Warm Up I will have students turn to their peers and share what they wrote for their quick writes, saying,
“Please turn to the person next to you and share what you wrote in your quick write. Then, after
both of you have shared what you wrote, try and come up with a definition for the word
 ‘activism.’ Write it down because we are going to talk about it as a class.” Students will take it
in turns to talk about what they wrote about and then write on a sticky note provided for them on
their desk about their combined definition of activism. Once students seem to be done, I will have
them read out their definitions. I will ask students to pay attention to similarities between the
definitions that they are hearing.
5 minutes Define Activism Once students have read out their definitions, I will ask students if they heard any similarities, or
words repeated. Students should call out similarities that they heard. If no students are answering,
I will randomly call on specific students. As they tell me them, I will write these similarities and
words repeated on the board. Once we have a good list, I will put up the actual definition of the
word ‘activism.’ I will draw similarities between the definition and our list on the board. Students
should write the definitions down in their graphic organizers that we will be using for the next
activity..
20 minutes Connect Activism to ​Refugee I will then transition to our next activity, where students will be finding examples of activism in
Refugee​. They have already created a list of characters who exhibited compassion in a previous
class, so I will have them pull that back out in order to guide today’s activity. Students will look
through the list of characters exhibiting compassion and will decide whether or not they moved to
activism. They will fill out their worksheet for today’s class, which consists of a graphic
organizer. They are allowed to work on it with the people at their table. I will model one
example, saying, “On our previous list, we said that the police officer, Mariano Padron, exhibited
compassion towards Josef’s family. Was he moved by his compassion into action? Did he
become an activist for refugee rights? No, his compassion highlighted his kindness, especially
towards Josef’s family. However, he did not move into activism because he did not try to
advocate for the Jewish refugees getting off the boat. He let things stay the same, repeating
‘Mañana, mañana...’ Because he did not show what it is to be an activist, I will not add him to the
graphic organizer. I am only adding people who exemplify activism to this graphic organizer.
Does anyone have any questions? Ok, you guys may begin.” Students should be discussing as a
group, but filling out their own individual graphic organizers. If they get done early, they can
continue to read the last few chapters of ​Refugee​. For the last five minutes of this segment, we
will come back together and discuss what characters people included in their graphic organizers.
I will make sure to give feedback as to whether or not they are on the right track.
10 minutes Research Activism and Organizations After we have discussed how activism can be found in the book, I will talk about how activism
exists in our present day society. I will ask students to think about different social issues that they
have compassion for, whether that is for homelessness, immigrants/refugees, LGBTQ+ rights,
racism in institutions, etc. I will have each table group decide on what social issue that they
would like to research, and have each group research activist organizations within the social
issues that they feel compassionate about. If they cannot pick one as a group, I will assign them
one. Students will work together on laptops at their table. They will compile a list of different
organizations on a class Google Doc that I have shared with them, with a little blurb next to it that
explains what the organization is and what issue they are activists for or against.
10 minutes Introduce Final Project I will then transition students into discussing our final project in more detail. I will discuss how
the project is to create a video about something that students have compassion for. They should
use their extended definition papers about compassion to highlight what invokes compassion in
themselves and others. They should use these papers to guide their planning and/or script for
making a video for one of the organizations that we have listed in the Google Doc. It will
essentially be a video compelling people into action on the specific social issue that the
organization addresses, as well as invites people on how to get involved with the organization
itself. Students will work in groups of five and will be grouped on interest level. We will go over
the rubric together, answer questions, and begin to think about groups for the final project. I will
have students individually look over the list of organizations on the Google Doc and come up
with a list of three organizations that they are interested in based on this list. They will then give
them to me, and I will group students accordingly. I will give students their groups in tomorrow’s
class (Tuesday), and then they will work on their projects on Wednesday through Friday.
5 minutes Review Paper After we have gone over the final project, I will hand back the extended definition papers that
students submitted to me at the end of last week. I will give them time to look at their feedback
and ask me any individual questions that they have about the paper or the final project.
Accommodation
After you review various data (collected through your own observations, discussions with your cooperating teacher, student conferences, etc.), how will you adjust
instructional materials, activities, and sequencing given what you have learned about students’ academic skills, attitudes, and needs?
Learning Needs IEPs/504s Striving Readers/RTI/MTSS ELL Support Gifted/AIG
Students are grouped according Students who need preferential Students will be working as Students can research I will have additional activities
to their learning needs. They are seating are seated where they groups, so they can read aloud to organizations for their final and reading that students can do
seated in groups of four, and I need to be. I have also met any one another if need be. Students project in their native language, if they get done early.
change up the seating plan can listen to audiobooks of
according to what the students other needs of specific students Refugee if need be. I have some and work with social issues that
need. They will work in that that the IEP or 504 outlines. copies for them to listen to. their culture is familiar with.
group for the activities in today’s
class.

*Make sure that you include the handouts/links/etc to any materials one needs to teach this (hyperlinks are fine!)

Warm Up and Activism Definition:

Class Google Doc about Activist Organizations:

Graphic Organizer for Activity:

Adapted from: ​https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/graphic-organizer/