Seventh Grade By Gary Soto Lesson Plan for 7th Grade Students

Topic: Social Issues, Text-Based Questions, Close Reading

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to analyze the theme of social issues in the short story "Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto by using close reading techniques.

Materials

• Copies of the short story "Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
• Graphic organizer worksheet (one per student)

Warm-up

• Ask students to share their thoughts about social issues, such as bullying and discrimination, using examples from their own experiences or from media they have encountered.
• As a class, create a list of social issues and their causes (e.g. poverty, racism, bullying).

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the novel "Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto.
• Explain that the main character, Esteban, faces many social issues in seventh grade, including bullying and discrimination.
• Ask students to listen attentively as you read the first few chapters of the novel. As you read, ask students to identify the main characters and events in the story.
• After reading, discuss the social issues facing Esteban in seventh grade. What are the causes of these issues? How do they affect Esteban and his friends?
• Ask students to share their own experiences with social issues and how they have been able to overcome them.

Guided Practice

• Divide students into small groups and assign each group a specific chapter from the novel.
• Have students work together to identify the main characters and events in their assigned chapter.
• Have students discuss the social issues facing the characters in their chapter and how these issues are caus ed.
• Have students brainstorm ideas for how the characters could overcome their social issues.
• Have students present their ideas to the class and discuss as a group.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose one of the social issues presented in the novel and write a short essay addressing how this issue has affected their life.
• Encourage students to use specific examples from the novel to support their point.

Closure

• Have students share their essays with the class and discuss any new insights they gained about the social issues presented in the novel.
• Discuss the importance of speaking up about social issues and how each person can make a difference.

Assessment

• Collect and grade the essays written during independent practice.
• Use a rubric to evaluate students' participation in group discussions and their participation in the role-play activity.
• Use a simple grading scale to assess the visual components of the presentations.