Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 32871
Narrative of the Captivity Close Reading
Students will read and interpret the "Narrative of the Captivity", identify and analyze how Rowlandson's use of allusion contributes to the meaning of
her account, identify the main idea and supporting details, express understanding through writing and speaking, and understand and use new
words. In this in-depth analysis lesson, students will experience a variety of compact and engaging instructional structures, including a Logic Lineup,
Jot Thoughts, and Philosophical Chairs. Supporting materials for the activities are included, and all structures contribute to the culminating activity of
composing a high-quality literary analysis essay.
Subject(s): English Language Arts
Grade Level(s): 11, 12
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Document Camera,
Computer for Presenter, Computers for Students,
Interactive Whiteboard, Overhead Projector, Adobe
Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office
Instructional Time: 2 Hour(s) 30 Minute(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: narrative, captivity, Rowlandson, close reading, informational text
Resource Collection: CPALMS Lesson Plan Development Initiative
ATTACHMENTS
Narrative of the Captivity_Activity Directions.docx
NOC Summative Assesment Essay Rubric.docx
Activities Narrative of the Captivity.docx
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Students will be able to:
read and interpret "Narrative of the Captivity"
identify and analyze allusions
identify the main idea and supporting details
express understanding of text through writing and speaking
understand and use new words
categorize key vocabulary
determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text
evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning and rhetoric
produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to task and audience
write arguments to support claims in substantive arguments
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
Students should have background knowledge regarding the American colonization, Native American and Early European settlers relations, as well as a thorough review
page 1 of 5 of the events leading up to and through King Philip's War. Students should also have background in specific writing skills in order to be ready for the summative writing
assessment, such as experience analyzing historical accounts including syntax, diction, and multiple allusions, as well as in using text evidence to support an original
claim.
Here are a list of the allusions for teacher reference:
Biblical Allusions (BA) and Historical References (HR):
1.he said: The Biblical allusion is to Job 16:2. In the passage cited, Job addresses those who try to console him in his afflictions. God had severely tested Job's faith by
causing Job to lose his children and his money, and to break out in boils all over his body. (BA)
2. Sagamore: a secondary chief in the hierarchy of several native American peoples. (HR)
3. King Philip's: Metacomet (1639?-1676), son of Masasoit (c.1580-1661) and chief of the Wampanoag from 1661 to 1676, was called King Philip by the colonists. In
1675, Metacomet led the Wampanoag and other American Natives in an attempt to end settlements in New England. The colonists retaliated, and both sides sustained
heavy losses of life in the resulting massacres, which came to be known as King Philip's War. Mary Rowlandson's captivity was part of this conflict. (See William
Bradford's narrative "Of Plymouth Plantation," page 33). (HR)
4. Praying Ind.: Native Americans who converted to Christianity were known as "praying Indians." The Colonial assemblies allowed these converts to live in selfgoverning towns. (HR)
5. Me... against me: Rowlandson quotes Jacob's lament in Genesis 42:36. Jacob had only this youngest son, Benjamin, at home. (BA)
6. 28th chapter of Deuteronomy: In Deuteronomy 28, Moses warns that God will bless those who obey Him and curse those who do not. (BA)
7. Jehu: ninth century B.C. Israelite king. Jehu was said to be a "furious driver" (2 Kings 9:20), and Rowlandson's allusion here is to the speed and fury with which her
captors moved away from the English Army. (BA)
8. sannup: husband. (HR)
9. abode: stayed. (HR)
10. Naananto: Naananto, or Canonchet (d. April 3, 1676), was a Narragansett Leader who was the driving force behind the American Indians' wish to exterminate the
New England colonists that resulted in King Philip's War. After his death, the conflict soon ended. (HR)
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
Transition Question:
Have there ever been truly objective accounts of Native American relations in colonial American times?
Reading 1: Text Marking
Teacher reads aloud a portion of the text, perhaps the first few paragraphs, modeling text marking through Read Aloud/Think Aloud strategy, and directs students to
the guided text marking question.
Guided Text Marking Question:
"How does Mary Rowlandson use allusions to add meaning to her account of the captivity?" As we read, mark the paragraphs with a "B" or an "H" showing where
Mary Rowlandson references the Bible and her knowledge of the current history of the time. Mark the Text with the Following Codes:
B-Biblical allusion
H-Historical allusion
Activity: Students mark the text with the codes. When they are finished, they discuss what they marked in their small groups. Optional large group share-out follows.
First Writing Response After Reading:
Essential Question (For Writing): What aspects of the Rowlandson's narrative are influenced by her knowledge of the local history and the Bible, and how do they
affect her survival as a captive?
Activity: Students respond in writing for 10 minutes.
Second Reading:
Directed Note-taking Directed Note-taking Question: What motivated Mary Rowlandson to recount the narrative of her captivity as it is presented, and how might the
account have been different for another person?
Question Generation: Students create at least five questions and turn two into multiple choice questions. Share out on Smart Board.
Second Response After Reading: Students compose their responses to the final question (essential question).
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
In this module, the teacher is the facilitator of student learning. The teacher scaffolds conceptual and thematic analysis through a carefully designed progression of
questions that prepare students for the closure activity. With each new question and activity, the students shift to deeper and deeper levels of textual analysis.
Through classroom discussion, modeling, and providing multiple opportunities to learn and work, the teacher is consistently using formative assessment to check for
student comprehension.
Specifically, the teacher will review background information on the history of the King Philip's War as well as review the essential terminology through a PowerPoint
presentation (or some other method of presentation) and direct instruction. This presentation, constructed by the teacher (not included in this lesson), may include the
strategy of Visual Vocabulary Collage, which is presenting visuals related to understanding the vocabulary presented. This can be pictures or diagrams as necessary.
For this example, pictures of King Philip's War as well as any other allusions or vocabulary in the lesson would be appropriate. This is at the teacher's discretion and
according to the level of scaffolding appropriate for the specific class. The teacher provides direct instruction at this point by verbally and visually going through the
various representations and connections made to the historical basis of the narrative. Students should be encouraged to make connections and ask questions at this
page 2 of 5 point.
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
The teacher uses Read Aloud, Think Aloud to support students through reading complex text. This strategy includes: As students read the selected passage
silently, the teacher reads the same material aloud. As points of difficulty (e.g., contradictions, unknown words) arise, the teacher stops and "thinks aloud" how
to handle these. For instance, "I don't know this word. I will look for familiar word parts to help me." The teacher will also make predictions as the material is
read aloud so students can see how a hypothesis about the passage is developed.
The teacher also models the Text Marking strategy to students during the Read Aloud, Think Aloud.
The teacher must determine the level of support needed for students to read complex text when deciding how much text to read aloud with students.
Students then complete the text marking independently.
The teacher can use this time to circulate and provide support as needed.
The teacher shares his or her question with students as the model for the Question Generation Activity.
Students then create their own questions using the teacher's example.
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
Students complete the following activities independently:
Mark the Text (after modeling)
Response to Essential Question after Read 1
Directed Note-Taking (after modeling)
Question Generation (after modeling)
Final Response to Essential Question
Closure Activity
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
For the summative assessment, using their notes and responses from reading, students will compose an organized 3-5 page essay explaining the following: The
student will write an analyses presenting how Rowlandson's account of her captivity is shaped through her own background and perspective, including her knowledge
of the Bible, her knowledge of historical references and current events, as well as her views on Native Americans. The student will produce a 3-5 page paper, and
provide dual evidence from research and the text that supports this claim. The teacher will supports students' success on the summative assessment by providing
outline options and opportunities for the structuring and planning of the paper, as well as providing scaffolded aspects of the paper that are reviewed as the paper is
being composed, such as the major claim of the paper.
After this, students will prepare for an in-class Philosophical Chairs activity in which they use notes from their essay in order to support an analysis revisiting the
original transition question regarding if historical accounts with Native Americans were ever truly objective and in what way(s) Mary Rowlandson was biased as
evidenced in her account of her captivity. Speaking and Listening standards will be assessed via a rubric for the Philosophical Chairs activity that teachers can create
based on the desired outcomes of the teacher and the depth and length of the activity according to time.
Summative Assessment
Using their notes and responses from reading, students will compose an organized 3-5 page essay explaining the following:
The student will write an analysis presenting how Rowlandson's account of her captivity is shaped through her own background and perspective, including her
knowledge of the Bible, her knowledge of historical references and current events, as well as her views on Native Americans. The student will produce a 3-5 page
paper, and provide dual evidence from research and the text that supports this claim.
A rubric for this assessment has been provided.
Formative Assessment
As the teacher engages the class through the vocabulary instruction and reinforcement game activity, the teacher will guide and support students through questioning
the class to elicit responses regarding their background knowledge of the allusions as well as the time period of the work. Also, formative assessment will be provided
throughout the lesson in the form of scaffolded levels of questioning and specifically in the guiding questions section (through the Directed Note-taking Handout - see
page 6).
Feedback to Students
Students will receive specific feedback at several points throughout the lesson. Students will receive immediate feedback regarding the front-loaded essential
vocabulary, literary terminology, biblical allusions, and historical allusions noted in the Prior Knowledge section as well as the text-marking portion of the lesson.
Students will also receive peer feedback after marking the text, guided note-taking, and question generation in a collaborative setting via discussion and reflection.
Students may also create an outline of their final papers, which will be reviewed by the teacher before creating the summative assessment.
Students will receive feedback from the teacher and their peers during the philosophical chairs activity, as well as during the reading and text-marking portions in
order to support dense content knowledge for analytic application.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
page 3 of 5 Accommodations:
Accommodations for students with special needs include extra time for writing and note-taking, especially for summative assessment, as well as providing
differentiated instruction via visual, audio, and tactile/construction-based supportive learning options.
A major supportive strategy for struggling readers is the Read Aloud Think Aloud strategy, whose instructions are borrowed from
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/think_alouds/. Please see below for this strategy, which can be used at any point of difficulty where students are stuggling
with reading comprehension.
How to use Read Aloud Think Alouds:
1. Teacher begins by modeling this strategy. Model your thinking as you read. Do this at points in the text that may be confusing for students (new vocabulary, unusual
sentence construction).
2. Introduce the assigned text and discuss the purpose of the Think-Aloud strategy. Develop the set of questions to support thinking aloud (see examples below).
What do I know about this topic?
What do I think I will learn about this topic?
Do I understand what I just read?
Do I have a clear picture in my head about this information?
What more can I do to understand this?
What were the most important points in this reading?
What new information did I learn?
How does it fit in with what I already know?
3. Give students opportunities to practice the technique and offer structured feedback to students.
4. Read the selected passage aloud as the students read the same text silently. At certain points stop and "think aloud" the answers to some of the pre-selected
questions.
5. Demonstrate how good readers monitor their understanding by rereading a sentence, reading ahead to clarify, and/or looking for context clues. Students then learn
to offer answers to the questions as the teacher leads the Think Aloud.
Extensions:
The following is an extension to be given in place of or following the summative writing assessment:
How does "Narrative of the Captivity" reveal bias on behalf of its author? In what ways is Rowlandson biased regarding her feelings toward her captors, and how does
this change throughout her account?
Suggested Technology: Document Camera, Computer for Presenter, Computers for Students, Interactive Whiteboard, Overhead Projector, Adobe Acrobat Reader,
Microsoft Office
Special Materials Needed:
Students will need vocabulary cards and a timer for the essential terminology Logic Lineup activity. A clean printed copy of the text and materials packet is
encouraged, as well as highlighters and pens for all students.
Further Recommendations:
It is suggested that the teacher provide a copy of the original "Narrative of the Captivity" (this can be found on Gutenberg.org) in its entirety to show to the class.
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
This lesson engages students in the process of analyzing a historical account of captivity during the period of early European settlement. Throughout the lesson, students are
probed to consider the implications of how the author's life experiences and perspective contribute to the construction of an autobiographical account. This lesson includes
highly engaging and rigorous activities, such as Logic Lineup, Jot Thoughts, and Philosophical Chairs. Supporting materials are provided, and students will produce an essay
summative assessment that is authentic and text-based.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Rebecca Jamme
Name of Author/Source: Rebecca Jamme
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Lee
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
page 4 of 5 Related Standards
Name
LAFS.1112.RI.1.1:
LAFS.1112.RI.1.2:
LAFS.1112.RI.4.10:
LAFS.1112.SL.1.3:
LAFS.1112.SL.2.4:
LAFS.1112.W.1.1:
LAFS.1112.W.2.4:
Description
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including
how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 11–CCR text
complexity band independently and proficiently.
Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links
among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners
can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization,
development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence.
a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from
alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons,
and evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while
pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level,
concerns, values, and possible biases.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion,
and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s)
and counterclaims.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the
discipline in which they are writing.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience. (Grade­specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
page 5 of 5