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S T U D E N T G U I D E

Temples

Why did people build temples like the Parthenon in ancient Greece, and why do these structures continue to interest people today?

View this lesson at ThinkCERCA

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Table of Contents

Vocabulary Building

  • Map a Word

Direct Instruction Guide

  • Cornell Notes: Understanding a Topic Through Multiple Texts

STEP 1: Connect

  • Finding Your Purpose for Learning
  • Think-Pair-Share

STEP 2: Read

  • Pause and Reflect
  • Test Prep Strategy: Pre-Reading Strategies (Optional)

STEP 3: Engage with the Text

  • Highlight and Annotate

STEP 4: Summarize

  • Write a Summary

STEP 5: Build an Argument

  • Collaborate: Share your argument builder

STEP 6: Create your CERCA

  • Peer Editing Activity
  • Writing Reflection

Throughout the guide, look for the laptop icon to find steps to complete online!

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Optional Extensions

  • Activity: Make a Mosaic
  • Inquiry to Research: Asking Questions of the Texts

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SYNONYM (SIMILAR OR LIKE WORD)

ANTONYM (OPPOSITE WORD)

(if possible)

PICTURE OF VOCABULARY WORD

SENTENCE USING VOCABULARY WORD

VOCABULARY WORD & DEFINITION

PART OF SPEECH

V O C A B U L A R Y B U I L D I N G

Map a Word: Replica, Ancient

Understanding key vocabulary terms will help you understand the reading. Use the vocabulary word in the title to fill in the word map below.

Completing this process will help the word "stick" in your memory!

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D I R E C T I N S T R U C T I O N G U I D E

Cornell Notes: Understanding a Topic Through Multiple Texts

What is a central, or main, idea?

A central, or main, idea is…

How do readers find information from more than one text?

Readers find information…

How can readers compare and contrast multiple texts to understand information?

Readers can compare and contrast…

Take notes on the lesson using the organizer below:

Watch the Direct Instruction lesson at learn.thinkcerca.com

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D I R E C T I N S T R U C T I O N G U I D E

Cornell Notes: Understanding a Topic Through Multiple Texts (continued)

Summarize and Reflect

In your own words and in complete sentences, write a 3–4 sentence summary of this skills lesson. An accurate summary will cover the lesson's central ideas and include important details to support those ideas.

Record your summary here:

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S T E P 1 : C O N N E C T

Finding Your Purpose for Learning

When you've finished reading the overview, answer the following questions in the space below:

What more would you like to learn about the Parthenon? What would you like to know about the Parthenon’s original purpose, and what it is used for today?

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Read the Topic Overview provided at learn.thinkcerca.com

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S T E P 1 : C O N N E C T

Think-Pair-Share

  1. Think: On your own, think about your experiences related to the topic.

  • Pair & Share: With a partner, group, or a trusted listener, share the parts of your response that you feel comfortable sharing.
  • Reflect: If time permits, reflect on your experience. What ideas did others share that you hadn't considered? How were your ideas alike?

Complete the writing activity in Step 1: Connect at learn.thinkcerca.com

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S T E P 2 : R E A D

Pause and Reflect

When you’ve finished reading, go back and find the questions in the text marked “Pause and Reflect.” These questions will help you connect the text to yourself, to other texts, or to the world around you.

Use the space on the left below to answer the reflection questions. Then, discuss your answers, noting how they were similar or different.

Record “Pause and Reflect” answers here:

Record discussion reflections here:

Read the text for this lesson at learn.thinkcerca.com

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S T E P 2 : R E A D

Test Prep Strategy: Pre-Reading Strategies

Pre-reading involves making predictions before you dive into a passage. This step, before you read, strengthens comprehension and test-taking skills.

Before reading, preview the text. If you are reading on a screen, scroll through the piece to determine its length. Then, look at the text and ask the following questions:

  • Based on the title, what do you think the reading will be about?
  • How is the passage organized?
  • Are there pictures (photos, maps, charts) with captions? If so, what do they suggest to the reader?
  • What predictions can you make based on bolded vocab words, subheadings, and other text features?
  • Is it fiction, or nonfiction? What is the genre (fiction examples include folklore, fantasy, and mystery; nonfiction includes biography and autobiography)?

Asking these questions before reading will help you actively think about the text as you read, and after.

Refer to the reading for this lesson at learn.thinkcerca.com.

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S T E P 3 : E N G A G E W I T H T H E T E X T

Highlight and Annotate

In this step, you will analyze the text closely, then discuss your findings to begin developing reasoning for your argument.

  1. Read the text again, highlighting and annotating important details. Follow the prompts provided.

The highlighting prompts will help you with the final writing task. You will find evidence to support your own argument or informational piece, as well as models of excellence that will help you better understand a writer’s craft in narratives. The evidence you highlight will be available when you begin building your draft in the next step.

  1. If time permits, pair and share your highlights and annotations with a classmate. Pay close attention to this conversation! Your thinking is important reasoning you may include in your final draft.

Return to learn.thinkcerca.com to complete Step 3: Engage with the Text.

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S T E P 4 : S U M M A R I Z E

Write a Summary

Summaries help you process your thinking about a text and are often a great way to start off an argumentative or informational essay. A good summary shows you have knowledge about a topic.

Practicing summarizing also helps you prepare for the main idea questions posed on many standardized assessments. In addition, summarizing is a helpful skill for working with others, such as when you need to confirm your understanding of what someone else has said. That's a useful skill for all parts of life.

  1. ��Use the sentence stems provided to summarize the text.

Your summary should:

  • Be brief
  • Include the main idea and key details
  • Represent these ideas fairly and accurately �
  • If time permits, pair and share with a classmate. Read each other’s summary, and discuss how they are similar or different. What did you say were the main idea and key details? Were your summaries fair and accurate? Why?

Return to learn.thinkcerca.com to complete Step 4: Summarize.

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S T E P 5 : B U I L D A N A R G U M E N T

Collaborate: Share your Argument Builder

When you’ve completed the argument building step, share your results with others, and listen to how they responded to the same question. Ask questions and give feedback to help strengthen your partners’ reasons and evidence.

Share

Listen

Why did people build temples like the Parthenon in ancient Greece, and why do these structures continue to interest people today?

Why did people build temples like the Parthenon in ancient Greece, and why do these structures continue to interest people today?

1.

2.

3.

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S T E P 6 : C R E A T E Y O U R C E R C A

Peer Editing Activity

  1. Do a self-assessment of your CERCA. Use the online Rubric for the lesson on learn.thinkcerca.com, checking each box where you find evidence that you have achieved the criteria.�
  2. Next, collaborate with a peer or peers to read each other’s drafts. Again, use the Rubric to evaluate each other’s work.�
  3. Share insights into what might make your pieces stronger. Find two positive attributes and one area of growth for each draft you review.�
  4. Revise your piece using what you learned from your self-assessment and the feedback from your peers.

Complete Step 6 to create your CERCA at learn.thinkcerca.com

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S T E P 6 : C R E A T E Y O U R C E R C A

Writing Reflection

Before you submit your final CERCA, write a brief reflection describing your experience.

An area for growth for me on this piece or in my writing in general is…

The strongest areas of this piece of writing are…

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Through self-assessment and/or peer editing, I learned…

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Optional Extensions

The following activities can be used as optional extensions to this lesson.

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O P T I O N A L E X T E N S I O N : A C T I V I T Y

Make a Mosaic

Background

Mosaics are images made of tile, glass, or stone. These patterned pictures can appear on walls, ceilings, and floors. When exploring ancient ruins in Greece, archaeologists often uncover mosaics. These images teach us about how people lived, and about what was valued in their societies.

Above: an ancient floor tile from the island of Cypress.

With this activity, you will make your own mosaic out of paper. Your mosaic will be of a pattern or an object of interest to you (for example, a soccer ball, a car, etc.).

Materials Needed

Create

  1. With a pencil, lightly sketch a design for your mosaic on paper.
  2. Cut out scraps of paper to fit the spaces on your mosaic.
  3. Glue or tape your scraps of paper to your mosaic design to make a lively and colorful image!

Share

We love seeing the brilliant art students create! Share your designs on social media with the hashtag #SparkCourageousThinking.

  • Scissors
  • Tape or glue
  • Old magazines
  • Pencil
  • Construction paper

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O P T I O N A L E X T E N S I O N : I N Q U I R Y T O R E S E A R C H

Asking Questions of the Texts

As you engage with texts in any subject, you can actively ask questions about the author’s purpose, intended audience, and occasion to understand the message. The table below provides examples.

Approaches

Example

Questions about the author

Is the author an authority on this topic? What was the author’s motivation in writing this piece?

Questions about the audience, purpose, and occasion of the text

Why was this article written? Why was it published at this time?

Questions about civics, economics, geography, and history

How can we learn about the lives of everyday people in the past?

Questions about concepts and ideas

What does the Parthenon tell us about ancient Greek culture?

Questions about self and community reflections

Why are we still so interested in the Parthenon?

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O P T I O N A L E X T E N S I O N : I N Q U I R Y T O R E S E A R C H

Asking Questions of the Texts (continued)

Use the table below to record questions about the text you read.

Approaches

Questions

Questions about the author

Questions about the audience, purpose, and occasion of the text

Questions about civics, economics, geography, and history

Questions about concepts and ideas

Self and Community Reflections

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