7th Grade Unit C: Science

Transcription

Amplify
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7th Grade
Unit C: Science
© 2014 Amplify Education, Inc. All trademarks and copyrights are the property of Amplify or its licensors.
UNIT C : Science
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Unit C Software Terminology Guide
1
Lesson 1: Science vs. Fiction
5
Lesson 2: But Something Goes Wrong This Time
13
Lesson 3: Phineas Should Have Been Dead
21
Lesson 4: Phineas Has a Stroke of Luck
29
Lesson 5: The Life of Bacteria
38
Lesson 6: Phineas Is Declared Fully Recovered
47
Lesson 7: A Tour of the Brain
52
Lesson 8: Diagnose Phineas’ Brain Injury
57
Lesson 9: Phrenologists vs. Whole Brainers
63
Lesson 10: Digging Up the Body: Harlow Rethinks AGAIN!
68
Lesson 11: Brain Science 101
75
Lesson 12: Dopamine and the Adolescent Brain
87
Lesson 13: Hot Cognition and Cold Cognition
93
Neuroscience Quest Summary (Lessons 14–18)
104
Essay Lessons:
107
Lesson 19: Comparing “Visual Neglect” to “Eyes Right”
108
Lesson 20: Making a Claim
122
Lesson 21: Writing Body Paragraphs
131
Lesson 22: Flex Day
139
Lesson 23: Revising Body Paragraphs
149
Lesson 24: Writing an Introductory Paragraph and Editing the Essay
156
Appendix A: Excerpts from the book Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman 165
Appendix B: The journal article “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” by Laurence Steinberg
178
Appendix C: Excerpts for the Perception Academy Quest from Oliver Sacks’ book,
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.
184
CONFIDENTIAL &
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Unit 7C: Software Terminology Guide
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This document will guide readers through the language of the software “feature
set” for ELA Curriculum, Unit 7C, Informational Text/Neuroscience.
Also available in this packet. as appendices, are the three key texts for the unit.
Appendix A: Excerpts from the book Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science
by John Fleischman
FT
Appendix B: The journal article “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” by Laurence Steinberg
Appendix C: Excerpts for the Perception Academy Quest from Oliver Sacks’ book,
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.
The unit includes a total of 24 lessons.
The Amplify Curriculum Scope and Sequence: 7th Grade document lays out the lessons in
detail, including CCSS alignments, learning objectives, and key texts for each lesson. The lessons
themselves provide minute-by-minute detail of each lesson.
A
The goal of this document is to walk through some of the terminology in the print versions of lessons
that will ultimately be digitized for inclusion in the digital curriculum. Because the lessons are not yet
visible on a tablet or computer for review, this guide aims to explicate the terminology in the paper/
PDF draft versions of these Unit C lessons. Amplify uses this terminology internally as print materials
are prepped for leading into a digital publishing system.
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Here is a guide to some of the terms in this lesson that may not be familiar or for which additional
explanation may be helpful. The terms here are described in the order in which they appear in the
lesson, not necessarily the order they will be viewed by a teacher or student working through a lesson
in the digital Amplify world.
Lesson Variations: These are opportunities for differentiation to reach both more advanced and
more challenged students than those for whom the lesson is written.
Lesson Flow Image: This refers to a visual that will be present on the teacher’s main screen for
each lesson and will also be the main image for students so that all may see the activities included
in the lesson. (In Teacher Lesson Launch Page: Illustration, the Lesson Flow Image starts with the
orange box with the white book, moves through the blue light bulb images, and closes with the gray
box with the image of a human head.)
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The Lesson Flow Image is described in more detail in the chart on page 37; it also provides a pacing
guide for each of the learning objects in the lesson. This lesson has the following learning objects:
1. Vocabulary
4. Verbal Warm-Up
5. Writing Prompt
6. Sharing
7. Verbal Warm-Up
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3. Discussion
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2. Multiple Choice, Partner Work, Class Discussion
Cardstack/Lesson
flow image
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8. Misunderstanding Notebook Entry
Teacher Lesson Launch Page: Illustration
This is a rough visual of the teacher “home page” for a typical lesson in the ELA
curriculum. This wire frame is from a lesson called “Phineas Should Have Been Dead,”
and it is intended only to give a rough idea of which items will be included on the screen
and the emphasis given to each. This is not a design rendering.
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Excerpts: Lesson excerpts are indicated in these documents both by indicating the pages of a
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text and by using bracketed text, as follows: [The first piece of bracketed text indicates the first few
words that start the excerpt.] [The second piece of bracketed text indicates the last few words of that
excerpt.] This visual is to guide the team that loads content into our digital publishing system; these
instructions will not be visible to users of our curriculum.
Differentiation: All of our lessons include ideas for differentiated instruction. In the graphic above,
these ideas have a “home” inside the “DIFFERENTIATION” box.
group instructional moments.
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Student Action Plans: The material here will provide teachers with ideas for individual or small
Card Stack: The term “card stack” refers to a group of lesson activities supporting a
learning object.
In the case of vocabulary, each day includes the same activity model: Four words with three
multiple choice activities per word for a total of 12 activities. For ELLs, a separate approach to
vocabulary is intended in which each ELL students will work with 5–8 words identified as highfrequency and crucial. (Note: This is another example of differentiation in the curriculum.)
•
Other card stacks have different types of activities, including multiple choice, short answer,
highlighting, and more.
A
•
Each card has a number. For example, Card 2a is the first card in the second learning object.
Student Instructions: These are the directions a student will see on his or her digital device. (If a
lesson is missing student directions, it is because those have not yet been authored or are intended to
be authored in the next few weeks inside the digital content publishing system.)
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Teacher Instructions: These are suggestions and guidance for the teacher on how to manage the
activity. (If a lesson is missing teacher directions, it is because those have not yet been authored or
are intended to be authored in the next few weeks inside the digital content publishing system.)
Look Fors: Embedded in each lesson are “look for” suggestions targeted to any student who may
need in-the-moment support. This tool will include three specific examples of how students may
struggle, with examples of explicit “Say/Do” feedback teachers may provide in response. The “Look
Fors” are easily absorbed, actionable guidance for teachers. While the “Look Fors” are not targeted
specifically to ELL students, they will be helpful to them.
The “Look Fors” also include information for what a teacher should expect to see from students who
are “On Track”—i.e., who are moving smoothly through the lesson and activity stack.
Quote bubbles are used inside the teacher instructions to provide talking points that may be useful to
some teachers.
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C1
5 min
Vocabulary
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Science vs. Fiction
Which passage is the most engaging?
20 min
FT
Individually, students see pre-selected passages and choose the most engaging one.
As a class, they look at class selections and discuss. “We are describing texts. How does it make you feel,
what images does it create in your mind, which word draws you in?”
Students pair with a partner who had a different choice and discuss their choices.
As a class, teacher cold calls on a pair and asks them to discuss their choices.
Using video clips to help figure out what makes the passages engaging.
View video clip that illustrates “teasing.”
Students turn and talk with a partner and discuss what they saw in the video, and how the video made them
feel.
Cold call on a few students to share their reaction to the video. Instruct students to write down whatever
responses they think are good models of descriptive language.
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20 min
Short Answer Activity: Play each video clip and have students respond independently in writing: What do
you see? How does what you see make you feel?
In pairs, students decide which video clip best illustrates what’s happening in each Phineas passage.
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Writing Prompt
11 min
Verbal Warm-Up: Teacher cold calls on pairs, asking what they discussed about a particular passage.
Writing: Choose one or two new passages to show how Fleischman grabs the reader. Describe and explain
how he grabs you.
2 min
Poll in Motion
Student Summary
What does Fleischman do to grab your attention? Can you name it?
Lesson What
Students look at pre-chosen passages from the text to see which ones are the most engaging, and then
they discuss and write about their choices. An alternate card stack is provided in which students compare a
passage from Phineas Gage with a passage from “Sucker,” in Unit B.
Lesson Why
Fleischman’s writing is extremely engaging, and students who learned how to describe fiction in Unit B should
be able to apply those skills here. In fact, some of Fleischman’s techniques actually distract students from
the author’s non-fiction goals of conveying information—and as you move into the rest of the unit that’s more
focused on science, you’ll want students to be well aware of those moments when Fleischman distracts the
reader with literary technique.
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Key Excerpts
Excerpt from chapter 1: pages 1–6
[The most unlucky/lucky][from cheekbone to forehead, through and through] (1–6)
Reading: Describing evidence
Writing: Use of evidence
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Targeted Skills
Encyclopedia: Narrative choices/techniques
CCSS
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.5: Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major
sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
Teacher Prep
Prepare video clips.
Before Class
Materials
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Write the first and last words of each excerpt on the board so students know which to refer to.
Chart paper or board, stickies (for paper adaptation)
After Class
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Write comments on student work that focus on specific language they use to describe what Fleischman does.
Note any original observations students make about Fleischman’s language and ways that they show they had
a particular experience with the text.
Card Stack 1: Vocab Activities (5 min)
Text Excerpt
n/a
6
Student Instructions
Teacher Instructions
As students arrive, direct them to get
started on their vocabulary activities.
Remind students that it’s better to
work carefully and complete fewer
activities than to work quickly and
make careless errors.
If any students did not complete the
reading assignment in Solo C, instruct
them to read Chapter 1 from Phineas
Gage, starting at paragraph 1 through
page 6, paragraph 1.
Card Stack 2: Which passage is the most engaging? (20 min)
What: Identify and discuss moves the author makes to grab your attention.
Why: Make sure students start to come up with some words to describe the text.
Activity type: Polling (5 min)
Text: pages 1–6
Text Excerpt
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Card 2a
[The most unlucky/lucky moment]
[on September 13, 1848] (1)
[His task is to blast the solid rock]
[working with touchy explosives] (3)
[The biggest question is the simplest
one and the hardest to answer] [his
time has nearly come] (2)
Card 2b
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[This is what happens] [through and
through] (5–6)
FT
[There is no argument about what
Of the five passages, choose the one
happens next] [about thirty feet away] that really grabs you and put an X next
(5)
to the passage.
Activity type: Notice and Share (5 min)
Text: pages 1–6
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Text Excerpt
Look at the selections the class made.
happens next] [about thirty feet away]
Notice which passages were chosen
(5)
the most.
Be prepared to describe why the
passage you chose grabbed your
attention.
Write down language that describes
how the text engages the reader:
through] (5–6)
Display class selections. Ask students
to notice which passages were chosen
most. Then ask a few students why
they chose their passage. Explain that
they are describing texts.
Questions to consider: How does it
make you feel? What image does it
create in your mind? Which words did
you notice first?
While they are describing why the
passage grabbed their attention,
write the phrases on the board to
capture their best descriptions of
Fleischman’s language.
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Card 2c
Activity type: Pair and Share (5 min)
Text: pages 1–6
Text Excerpt
through] (5–6)
Card 2d
Be prepared to share your partner’s
response with the class.
how the text engages the reader.
Text: pages 1–6
Text Excerpt
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Activity type: Whole Class Discussion (5 min)
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happens next] [about thirty feet away] response with the class.
(5)
how the text engages the reader.
through] (5–6)
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Instruct students to discuss with
their partners why they chose their
passage, reminding them to look
at the responses on the board as
examples of strong descriptive
language.
FT
For each passage chosen, ask
students to quickly stand at a
designated point in the room. This way
they can find a partner who chose a
different passage than they did.
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Pair up with a partner who chose a
happens next] [about thirty feet away] different passage.
(5)
Tell your partner which passage you
chose.
Explain why you chose it, how it
grabbed your attention, and what it
made you feel and see.
Circulate around the room while
students are discussing, prompting
them to be more specific in how they
are describing the text, if they aren’t
already.
Cold call on a few students to share
their partner’s response.
While they are describing why the
passage grabbed their attention,
write the phrases on the board to
capture their best descriptions of
Fleischman’s language.
Card Stack 3: Using video clips to help figure out what makes the passages
engaging.
(20 min)
What: View videos that illustrate different ways to grab a reader’s attention, such as teasing or creating
suspense, as triggers to elicit further descriptive language from students when they explain how the author
grabs their attention.
Activity type: Observe (2 min)
Video: Teasing Clip
Text Excerpt
Video clip illustrating “teasing.”
Card 3b
Activity type: Turn and Talk (5 min)
Text Excerpt
Watch the video.
Play the video clip.
With your neighbor to your left,
discuss your reaction to the video:
Circulate around the room while pairs
are sharing. Prompt them to use more
descriptive language, if necessary.
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Video: Teasing Clip
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Card 3a
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Why: Comparing Fleischman’s methods to the methods used in the videos should make it clear how
purposeful he is and help students come up with additional language to describe what he is doing.
Video clip illustrating “teasing.”
What did you see?
How did it make you feel?
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During discussion, write down some
examples of descriptive language.
response with the class.
Cold call on a few students to share
their partner’s responses.
Instruct students to write down
whatever responses you think are
good models of descriptive language.
Card 3c
Activity type: Observe and Short Answer (5 min)
Video: Teasing Clip
Text Excerpt
Video clips illustrating:
After watching each video clip,
answer:
Play video clips.
Suspense
Shock
Showing not telling
What did you see?
How did it make you feel?
Instruct students to record their short
answer responses. Move relatively
quickly, but push students to identify
the details that caused them to feel a
certain way when watching the video.
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Card 3d
Activity type: Multiple Choice (5 min)
Text: Pages 1–6
Text Excerpt
Choose your answer from the dropdown choices.
Explain your reason.
through] (5–6)
Spaces are the drop-down boxes
where students will choose one of the
four options:
Teasing
Suspense
Showing, not telling
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Shock
FT
Circulate around the room, looking
for strong possible responses for cold
calling in the Verbal Warm-Up.
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For each excerpt, decide which video
happens next] [about thirty feet away] clip uses the same technique to
(5)
engage you.
Transition: Writing Prompt
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Activity: Verbal Warm-Up (2 min)
Text Excerpt
Be prepared to share your answers Cold call on students, asking for
to the last activity.
their responses to a particular
passage from the previous
(multiple choice) activity. This
will generate more descriptive
language for students in
preparation for writing time.
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Card Stack 4: Writing Prompt (11 min)
What: Choose a new passage that shows how Fleischman grabs the reader’s attention. Then explain and
describe how Fleischman grabs the reader.
Why: To see if the student can select and describe textual evidence with greater independence and less stepby-step guidance.
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Activity type: Writing (10 min)
Text: pages 1–6
Text Excerpt
Pages 1–6
Writing prompt:
Circulate, using OTSCs to reinforce
skills.
FT
Choose one new passage that grabs
your attention. Describe and explain
exactly what Fleischman does here
with his writing to grab you.
LOOK FORS
SAY/DO
“Right here, you describe the moment when the blasting
process goes wrong as ‘watching a movie in slow motion.’ I
love this. You need to explain why watching a movie in slow
motion makes for good storytelling.”
And
“Wow, you picked a strong passage. I like how you describe
the power of the shocking image of someone getting
stabbed through the head with a giant iron rod and then
not only getting up but talking with blood all over his face. I
agree, it seems like a cartoon because it is so unbelievable.
How could anyone NOT want to continue reading after
learning this?”
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ON TRACK: Chooses a relevant passage. Uses descriptive
language to explain why and how the passage grabs their
attention: “See the pointy end of the rod enter under his
left cheekbone, pass behind his left eye, through the front
of his brain, and out the middle of his forehead just above
the hairline. It takes a fraction of a fraction of a second for
the iron rod to pass from cheekbone to forehead, through
and through.”
And
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“The iron throws him flat on his back, but as his men
come running through the gunpowder smoke, he sits
up. A minute later, he speaks. Blood is pouring down his
face from his forehead, but Phineas is talking about the
explosion.”
Look For: Student is stuck.
Skill: Staking a claim
Look For: Student hasn’t answered the question and IS
writing about relevant evidence.
Skill: Describing how the evidence supports the claim
Look For: Student quotes the text without any elaboration.
You can’t tell if he or she has a grasp of descriptive
language.
“It will kill him, but it will take another eleven years, six
months, and nineteen days to do so.”
“Did the description of the accident make you want to keep
reading? Why?”
“Point to a specific passage on that page that made you
want to read the next sentence.”
“It grosses you out. Great. Start writing here about that.”
“Engaging passage. I’m looking forward to seeing how you
answer the question.” (Come back in two minutes to make
sure the student explains and describes why the passage
grabs him or her.)
“I agree that this passage does that interesting trick of
giving away the story, yet makes us so curious to see how
it will actually happen. Why do we still want to know how it
unfolds? What makes us curious? Write another couple of
sentences explaining this in more detail.”
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Card Stack 5: Poll in Motion (2 min)
What: Ask the students to respond to review questions with physical moves.
Why: Get some movement going, since it’s known that the brain works best when the body is in motion. This
will also help them think about the different choices writers make.
Activity type: Poll (2 min)
n/a
Do a jumping jack if you can think
of two moves the author made to
tell a good story.
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Text Excerpt
FT
Give students time to get their
nerve up to respond physically—an
awkward pause often does the
Make a honking sound if you found trick.
more than two new passages that Provide some other options
grabbed your attention.
(hand waving, elbow wagging) for
students who may be shy.
Do the wave if you think it’s
challenging to describe how a
writer grabs your attention.
Touch your toes if you think the
author did a good job of getting
your attention.
Solo
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Text Excerpt
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Slump down in your seat, twiddling
your thumbs if you think the
author failed at getting you excited
about brain science.
Pages 1–6 [The most unlucky/
lucky][from cheekbone to
forehead, through and through]
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Read.
C2
5 min
Vocabulary
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But Something Goes Wrong This Time
15 min
FT
Sequence the process to see if there are any misconceptions about a straightforward
process.
Students put passages about the blasting process in the correct order without using the text.
Automated correction shows them CORRECT answers.
Whole class discussion of correct answers/misconceptions, round 1
Read for the moment when the process went wrong and discuss with a partner to identify
misconceptions.
Individually, students read the new passage and decide which step of the process went wrong.
Poll shows answers/misconceptions, round 2.
13 min
Whole class discussion of variations in answers.
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Students pair with someone with a different answer and try to convince each other that their answers are
correct, pointing to the text for support. Pairs come to an agreement on which answer is correct and submit
it.
Poll and notice the differences between the first and second rounds.
8 min
Discuss misconceptions, their importance, and how they are presented in the text as
engaging storytelling elements.
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Discussion on misconceptions, what they are, and how they are presented in the text.
5 min
Closing
Introduce Misunderstanding Notebook.
Student Summary
What caused Phineas’ accident? Let’s examine the blasting process and investigate what went wrong in
Phineas’ accident.
Lesson What:
Students look at the simple blasting process and then what occurred when it went wrong, causing Phineas’
accident. They start to use a technique we will use over the next several lessons to notice misconceptions from
misreading of the text.
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Lesson Why:
Fleischman moves out of sequence to tell a good story. By comparing the sequence of the blasting process
with the account of Phineas’ accident, we help students notice the complexity of Fleischman’s story, and it is
that complexity that draws them in and also leads them to misconceptions if they don’t read carefully.
Key Excerpts:
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Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 1, pages 1–6
[The most unlucky/lucky][from cheekbone to forehead, through and through] (1–6)
Targeted Skills:
FT
Rereading; distinguishing narrative sequencing from technical/scientific process; appreciating the usefulness
of misconceptions
CCSS:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.5: Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3: Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how
ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
Text Excerpt
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Page 3, paragraph 2, through page
6, paragraph 1. [His task is to blast]
[through and through]
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If any students did not complete
the reading assignment in Solo C1,
instruct them to read chapter 1 of
Phineas Gage, starting from page
3, paragraph 2 through page 6,
paragraph 1.
Card Stack 2: Sequence the process to see if there are any misconceptions about a
straightforward process. (15 min)
What: Sequence the blasting process by trying to remember the order and consider the logic.
Card 2a
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Why: Students use their memories to demonstrate their understanding of the blasting process. They start to
notice that they need to read carefully for accuracy.
Activity Type: Sequencing (5 min)
Text: Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 1, pages 1–6: [The most unlucky/lucky][from cheekbone to
FT
Text Excerpt
No excerpt. They are doing the activity Without using your book, number
from memory.
each passage in the order that the
blasting process was supposed to
happen.
___ Drill a hole in the rock at exactly
the right angle and depth.
Correct Sequence:
1 Drill a hole in the rock at exactly
3 Press the fuse down into the
powder.
6
Shout a warning.
5
Tamp the sand tight.
___Shout a warning.
4
Plug the hole with loose sand.
___Tamp the sand tight.
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Light the fuse and run.
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___ Press the fuse down into the
powder.
___Plug the hole with loose sand.
___ Light the fuse and run.
2 Fill the hole with coarse-grained
gunpowder
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___ Fill the hole with coarse-grained
gunpowder.
Card 2b
Activity Type: Posting sequencing choices and noticing variations (5 min)
Text Excerpt
Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 1,
pages 1–6: [The most unlucky/lucky]
[from cheekbone to forehead, through
and through]
Notice the variations you and your
classmates chose.
Display the variations the students
chose for sequencing.
**Teacher emphasizes that today
there is only ONE right answer.
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Card 2c
Activity Type: Comparing answers (5 min)
pages 1–6: [The most unlucky/lucky]
[from cheekbone to forehead, through
and through]
Notice how your answers compare to
the correct sequence.
Post the correct sequence.
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Text Excerpt
As a group, look at the responses
and notice where the mistakes/
misconceptions were made.
FT
Ask for the strategies they used to
determine the answers—key words,
sequencing, logic.
3 Key Points to Emphasize:
1. Reading as an experience (Lesson
1, no right or wrong answers) vs.
reading for information (today’s
lesson has only one right answer).
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2. Mistakes are opportunities to
go back, reread, and find the
right answer, as in a scientific
investigation.
3. Scientific questions are hard and
will get harder. We expect mistakes.
This is about digging deeper into
our investigation and finding the
truth.
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Card Stack 3: Read for the moment when the process went wrong and discuss with a
partner to identify misconceptions. (13 min)
What: Read the new passage in order to identify the step that went wrong, causing Phineas’ accident.
Why: They will try to find the correct scientific answer when Fleischman gets into storytelling mode—noticing
that his storytelling can make it difficult to find the right answers.
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Card 3a
Activity Type: Reading and selecting (3 min)
[But something goes wrong this time]
[a loud clang about thirty feet away]
(5)
Read the passage individually.
This is a new passage. It includes the
anecdotal part of Phineas’ accident
that was not included in the first
activity reading.
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Text Excerpt
Decide and select which step of the
process went wrong and caused
Phineas’ accident.
___Drill a hole in the rock at exactly
Correct Answer:
Plug the hole with loose sand
FT
___Fill the hole with coarse-grained
gunpowder.
powder.
___Plug the hole with loose sand.
___Tamp the sand tight.
___Shout a warning.
Card 3b
A
Make sure you can point to the text to
indicate how you chose your answer.
Activity Type: Polling (3 min)
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Text Excerpt
(5)
Display class selections. Ask students
to notice variations in answer choices
and any answer that was chosen more
often than the others.
Notice the variety of answers.
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Card 3c
Activity Type: Answering and discussing in pairs (5 min)
Text: [But something goes wrong this time] [a loud clang about thirty feet away] (5)
(5)
Find a partner who disagrees with
your answer, and try to convince him
or her that your answer is correct
by pointing to evidence in the text.
Come to an agreement on the correct
answer and submit the same answer
as your partner.
Review the instructions, making sure
to emphasize that today there is ONE
right answer and that they are trying
to convince each other of that right
answer and reach an agreement. This
is very different from yesterday, when
they were sharing different ideas.
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Text Excerpt
FT
___ Drill a hole in the rock at exactly
___ Fill the hole with coarse-grained
gunpowder.
powder.
___ Plug the hole with loose sand.
___ Tamp the sand tight.
___ Shout a warning.
Card 3d
A
Make sure you can point to the text to
indicate how you chose your answer.
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Text Excerpt
(5)
Look at the selections the pairs made.
Display class selections alongside
the first poll when they answered
individually in activity 3A. Ask
students to notice the differences
between the first and the second set
of answers.
18
Compare them to the first set of
answers they selected individually.
Card Stack 4: Discuss misconceptions, their importance, and how they are
presented in the text as engaging storytelling elements. (8 min)
What: Discuss what is known and what is not known.
Card 4a
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Why: By homing in on the complexity in the narrative of the accident vs the precision of the blasting process,
students begin to notice the connection between elements in Fleischman’s engaging storytelling and how they
might have led to misconceptions.
Activity Type: Class Discussion (8 min)
Text: [But something goes wrong this time] [a loud clang about thirty feet away] (5)
(5)
Be prepared to share how your team
came up with their answer.
Invite students to share their answers,
how they decided on them, and why
they changed them.
FT
Text Excerpt
Notice the way the answers changed
after the discussion in pairs.
Give students the correct answer to
the question about which step went
wrong in Phineas’ blasting accident.
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A
Discussion points:
What did they notice about the
sequencing of the blasting process
and how it differs from the sequence
of events in Phineas’ blasting
accident?
Where did their misconceptions come
from? Remind students to point to the
text.
There are lots of wrong answers in
this poll and not as many in the first
sequencing activity poll. What were
the reasons?
Connect those reasons to
Fleischman’s engaging storytelling by
asking:
Did these engaging storytelling
elements throw you off/lead you to a
misconception?
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Card Stack 5: Closing (5 min)
What: Introduce the Misunderstanding Notebook.
Why: To begin tracking their own misconceptions and those of the scientists and doctors in 1848.
Activity Type: Introduce the Misunderstanding Notebook (5 min)
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Text Excerpt
Have students turn to their
Misunderstanding Notebooks,
while you explain why and how to
use it. Point to different parts of the
notebook and discuss how students
should use them, so that they can get
started on it at the end of class.
FT
Misunderstanding Notebook features Turn to your Misunderstanding
draw them in—showing them how
Notebook.
Harlow found it to be so useful for him
and his discoveries and how it will help
them in the same way.
Digital alternative: Animation of Dr.
H explaining why and how to use the
Misunderstanding Notebook.
Solo
Phineas Gage, pages 8–13, [It’s
an hour after the accident] [to
counter infections] and pages
17–19 [According to the best medical
theories] [Phineas is resting quietly at
last]
Read
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A
Text Excerpt
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C3
5 min
Vocabulary
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Phineas Should Have Been Dead
What did the doctors know in 1848?
Students answer T/F questions to pinpoint what the doctors knew in 1848.
FT
13 min
Students move around the room according to their T or F answer. They stand by their choice.
What mistakes did we make? What mistakes did the doctors make?
19 min
Students pair with someone with a different answer, and come to an agreement about which answer is correct.
Teams move around the room to show their NEW T or F answer.
Class discussion about STUDENTS’ misconceptions and about the doctors’ misconceptions.
Closing—Short Answer
Respond to short answer question.
A
5 min
Student Summary
What did the doctors know in 1848? Why is what we know today different? Did the doctors not really know
what they knew? What is knowledge and how does knowledge change over time?
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Lesson What:
Students investigate the limitations of medical knowledge in the late 19th century.
Lesson Why:
It is difficult for students to accept that medical knowledge—even in 1848—could be untrue. This book is
all about how doctors learned to revise their knowledge. We will also show students how to revise THEIR
knowledge by rereading carefully.
Key Excerpts:
Excerpt from “‘Horrible Accident’ in Vermont”: pages 8–13, 17–19
[It’s now an hour after the accident][to counter infections] (8–13)
[According to the best medical theories][Phineas is resting quietly at last] (17–19)
Targeted Skills:
Understanding misconceptions
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CCSS:
ELA-Literacy.RI.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and
tone.
Teacher Prep:
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ELA-Literacy.RI.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
Card Stack 1: Vocab Activities
Text Excerpt
FT
If you don’t have a signal for transitions (e.g., bell, turning lights off, snapping), choose one and use it, as this
lesson is heavy with transitions.
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A
Excerpt from “‘Horrible Accident’ in
Vermont”: pages 8–13, 17–19 [It’s now
an hour after the accident][to counter
infections] (8–13) and [According to
the best medical theories][Phineas is
resting quietly at last] (17–19)
instruct them to read Phineas Gage
from page 8, starting at paragraph 5
(“It’s now an hour...”) through page
13, paragraph 4 (ending with, “...
to counter infections”) and page 17
(“According to the best...”) through
page 19, paragraph 1 (ending with, “...
Phineas is resting quietly at last”).
Card Stack 2: What did the doctors know in 1848? (13 min)
What: Pinpoint the knowledge that doctors had in 1848.
Why: Students have to try to figure out the RIGHT answer about what the text says about how the doctors
were WRONG. It requires careful reading and rereading and establishes the basis for what doctors learned from
Phineas’ case.
22
Card 2a
Activity type: True/False (8 min)
Text: Excerpt from “‘Horrible Accident’ in Vermont”: pages 8–13, 17–19 [It’s now an hour after the accident]
[to counter infections] (8–13) and [According to the best medical theories][Phineas is resting quietly at last]
(17–19)
Select “True” or “False”
Correct answers:
Put a “T” or an “F” next to each
sentence.
_T__1) Microscopes have been
invented.
According to the author, at the time of
Phineas’ accident (1848), these tools
and medical knowledge are available.
_F__2) Bacteria causes infections.
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Text Excerpt
_T__3) Emetic and purgative
medicines balance humors.
FT
Vermont”: pages 8–13, 17–19 [It’s now
an hour after the accident][to counter
infections] (8–13) and [According to
the best medical theories][Phineas is
resting quietly at last] (17–19)
____1) Microscopes have been
invented.
____2) Bacteria cause infections.
____3) Emetic and purgative
medicines balance humors.
____4) Doctors use adhesive strips to
tape together skin.
_T__4) Doctors use adhesive strips to
tape together skin.
_F__5) Antibiotics are prescribed to
cure infections.
_F_6) A person can survive without a
part of his or her brain.
____5) Antibiotics are prescribed to
cure infections.
Card 2b
A
____6) A person can survive without a
part of his or her brain.
Activity type: Standing by Your Answer (5 min)
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Text: Excerpt from “’Horrible Accident’ in Vermont”: [It’s now an hour after the accident][to counter infections]
(8–13) and [According to the best medical theories][Phineas is resting quietly at last] (17–19)
Text Excerpt
Excerpt from “’Horrible Accident’
in Vermont”: [It’s now an hour after
the accident][to counter infections]
(8–13)
When your teacher reads each
question
Designate the right side of the room
as False and the left side of the room
as True.
[According to the best medical
theories][Phineas is resting quietly at
last] (17–19)
• go to the right side of the room if
you answered “False.”
• go to the left side of the room if
you answered “True.”
Tell students that when you read
each question, they have to move to
one side or the other based on their
answers. Read each question out loud,
and record responses as tally marks
under each question.
*Teacher note: It’s worth having the
students move around because it’s a
literal commitment to their decision—
and it is a fun way to see how students
answered. Next, when the kids work in
pairs, the stakes will be higher.
23
Card Stack 3: What mistakes did we make? What mistakes did the doctors make?
(19 min)
What: Students work with partners to determine the correct answers to the T/F questions. Then they discuss
their revised (or not) answers with the class and the misconceptions they and the doctors had.
Activity type: Partner Work (8 min)
FT
Card 3a
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Why: Once the students have committed to their answers in the previous activity, it raises the stakes for their
pair work. When they have reached agreement and are told the correct answers, this opens the discussion:
Just as some of the scientists’ ideas were correct and some not, so are ours. This is how we will learn when we
are correct or not so we can self-correct. It’s okay to be wrong. In fact, it’s great to make a mistake because you
get to look back at the text and figure out where the mistake came from.
Text: [It’s now an hour after the accident][to counter infections] (8–13)
Text Excerpt
[It’s now an hour after the accident]
[to counter infections] (8–13)
your answer and try to convince him
answer and submit the answer.
Choose the answer choices (we
recommend three) that have the
biggest discrepancies.
last] (17–19)
A
Be prepared to discuss
1. why you did or did not revise your
answer.
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2. what you notice about the class’
responses as a whole.
24
Tell students that these are the
questions they will discuss in pairs
and submit an answer to.
Teacher tip: Review the instructions,
making sure to emphasize that they
are trying to convince each other of
the right answer and then reach an
agreement on which is right.
Bear in mind that this activity will be based on the teacher selecting the answer choices that have the biggest
discrepancies (there are six questions, so they might find three for the students to discuss in pairs). However,
we have listed possible reasons why each answer might be wrong.
SAY/DO
ON TRACK: Students pointing to the places in the text
about the tools and medical knowledge available at the
time of Phineas’ accident (1848): that microscopes
have been invented, that antibiotics have not yet been
developed, that they don’t yet know bacteria cause
infection, and the popular medical theory was based on
balancing the humors, even though we know now this is
incorrect.
Good to see you listening to each other and making sure
no one gets away with an unsupported answer.
Students need support: Making a case for their answers
without pointing to evidence.
You could possibly be correct on the science, but the
question is about what is IN the text. While I’m standing
here, point to one line that supports or contradicts your
answer.
Look For: Both partners have the wrong answer.
It is good to test each answer. What might be wrong
about this answer? Remember, the question asks you to
respond according to the knowledge they had in 1848. Is
the common medical knowledge in 1848 that emetic and
purgative medicines balance the humors?
FT
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LOOK FORS
Reasons for incorrect answers for each T/F question:
1. True. Students might be confused by the fact that
microscopes were invented but weren’t commonly
used.
2. False. Yes, bacteria cause infections, but the answer is
false because the question asks about the knowledge in
1848.
A
3. True. This is the one to look out for. Students might not
be able to grasp the idea that this incorrect knowledge
was the knowledge at the time, so the answer is true.
4. True. If they missed this, they were reading carelessly.
5. False. If they missed this, they weren’t paying attention
to the question—knowledge available in 1848.
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6. True. This is INFERRED, never explicitly stated in the
text, requiring more advanced reading and thinking.
Look For: Still discussing but have not yet come to
consensus.
You have to come to an agreement on the correct answer.
Are either of you feeling any doubts about one answer or
the other?
25
Card 3b
Activity type: Standing by Your Answer (3 min)
When your teacher reads each
question:
last] (17–19)
• go to the right side of the room,
with your partner if you answered
False.
Activity type: Class Discussion (8 min)
Tell students that when you read each
question, just as in the first activity,
they have to move to one side or the
other based on their answers. Read
each question out loud and record
responses as tally marks under each
question.
FT
• go to the left side of the room
with your partner if you answered
True.
Card 3c
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Text Excerpt
Be prepared to discuss
Cold call on a few teams to share
why they did or did not revise their
answers.
A
Text Excerpt
1. why you did or did not revise your
answer.
2. what you notice about the class’
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last] (17–19)
Announce the correct answer to each
question.
Natural lead-in to discussion of
misconceptions: Elicit the definition
from them. They’ve been using it; now
they learn the name of it.
Discussion points:
• Ask students to help you define
“misconception.”
• Connect how sure kids were
when they were moving toward
“true” or “false,” to how doctors
felt about what they knew about
medicine in 1848.
• Ask students to consider, when
reading, what do I think is true? Is
it really true?
• Let them know that especially
with scientific reading, they
will need to go back and check
their answers or they may have
misconceptions.
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Card Stack 4: Closing—Short Answer
What: Distinguish between the misconceptions the doctors had in 1848 and the misconceptions we as readers
of the text have.
Card 4a
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Why: We do this to gain awareness of the limitations of scientific knowledge in 1848 and our own limitations in
terms of what we know, as well as to become aware of the power of misconception.
Activity type: Recording Misconceptions/Share (5 min)
last] (17–19)
In your Misunderstanding Notebook
Reintroduce the Misunderstanding
Notebook they learned about in the
previous lesson and tell them they will
record their first findings.
FT
Text Excerpt
• record one misconception the
doctors had about science or
medicine in 1848.
• record one misconception, you
encountered as a reader of this
text.
Cold call on a few students.
[Examples of misconceptions the
students might have:
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A
• An open brain injury is “better”
than a closed brain injury.
• The blood-brain barrier prevents
Phineas from getting an infection.
Dr. Harlow cleans Phineas’ wound
because he knows it will cause
infection if he doesn’t.]
Leave the students thinking about
opportunities that the scientists
might have missed to correct
misconceptions—and to not miss
those opportunities on our own.
Tell students you are counting on
mistakes because they will continue to
be answering hard questions, and the
interesting part is in going back and
finding the right answer.
27
SAY/DO
ON TRACK: Answers both questions. Possible
misconception the doctors had could be that the
humors need to be balanced in order to be healthy. One
misconception the student might have could be that the
blood brain barrier prevents Phineas from getting an
infection.
You’ve done a great job understanding the difference
between what the scientists knew and didn’t know, and
what the author explains to us about modern science. This
is a tricky book because of that, but that makes it more like
a puzzle to figure out. And you found out what mistake you
made and corrected it! Keep an eye on Dr. Harlow and see
if he ends up doing the same thing.
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LOOK FORS
LOOK FOR: Student is confused by the difference between
the doctors’ misconceptions and his or her own.
• Let’s look at this part about bacteria. What does the
book say the doctors know about bacteria?
• Right, they know very little about bacteria. So what
might be a mistake they make because they don’t
know that bacteria cause infection?
FT
• Great. You just identified one of the doctors’
misconceptions. Now let’s look at one of your own.
• Can you point to one spot that confused you?
Solo
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Text Excerpt
A
• I totally agree! I had to reread that part about the
blood-brain barrier three times. So this would be one
of your misconceptions as a reader. And you know
what’s great about being able to point to the areas
where you got confused? You have the opportunity
to be like a CSI detective and figure out the correct
answer! These are hard questions, and I’m expecting
mistakes because that’s where the interesting part
comes in. The answers are inside the text; you only
need to keep going back and eventually you’ll find
them.
Phineas Gage, pages 9–11 [Dr. Harlow
does what he can] [unit of life]
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Read
C4
5 min
Vocabulary
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Phineas Has a Stroke of Luck
What is the advantage and disadvantage of an open brain injury?
Project answers.
22 min
FT
Students choose the advantage and the disadvantage of an open brain injury.
Students pair with someone with a different answer and try to convince each other why their answer is
correct, as they refer to the text for support. Pairs come to an agreement on which answer is correct.
Project answers.
Based on students’ responses, guide class discussion.
What does Harlow know about infection?
Respond to short answer question about what Dr. Harlow knows and doesn’t know about infection. Discuss
the responses.
Closing
5 min
A
10 min
Respond to short answer.
Leave students thinking about the scientific information they learned today and how it applies to their own
daily experience.
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Student Summary
What are the differences between an open brain injury and a closed brain injury?
Lesson What:
Identifying the differences between an open brain injury and a closed brain injury.
Lesson Why:
By understanding the differences between the two types of injuries, the reader can grasp how unbelievable it is
that Phineas survived. This understanding is key to this lesson, in which we look at why scientists didn’t believe
what happened to Phineas.
Key Excerpts:
Excerpt from Chapter 1, pages 9–11
[Dr. Harlow does what he can] [unit of life]
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CCSS:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
tone.
Teacher Prep:
Materials: Chart paper
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8
text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Text Excerpt
FT
A
Excerpt from Chapter 1, pages 9–11,
[Dr. Harlow does what he can] [unit
of life]
As students arrive, direct them
to get started on their vocabulary
activities. Remind students that it’s
better to work carefully and complete
fewer activities than to work quickly
and make careless errors. If any
students did not complete the reading
assignment in Solo C3, instruct them
to read Chapter 1 of Phineas Gage,
page 9, paragraph 2.
Card Stack 2: What is the advantage and disadvantage of an open brain injury? (22 min)
What: Pinpoint the advantage and disadvantage of an open brain injury.
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Why: To explore difficult scientific questions in text, to identify the places in the text that led to students’
misconceptions, and to self-correct those misconceptions.
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Card 2a
Text: Excerpt from chapter 1: pages 9–11 [Dr. Harlow does what he can] [unit of life]
of life]
Select the advantage and the
disadvantage of an open brain injury.
Instruct students to complete the
activity.
Post your answers.
Post the first round of answers.
A. According to Fleischman, Phineas
has an open brain injury, which
is both good and bad for his
“battered brain.” Select the
advantage of an open brain injury.
(pages 9–11)
Teacher Tip:
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Text Excerpt
students are completing the activity.
FT
Be attentive to how the students
might be misreading, so you can
address this in a class discussion.
Advantage
1. His brain won’t stop bleeding.
2. His brain has room to swell and
isn’t crushed up against his skull.
3. His brain is exposed to infection.
4. His brain is protected from
bacteria by the blood-brain barrier.
5. His brain has an opening to drain
off the “foul-smelling liquid.”
A
B. According to Fleischman, Phineas
has an open brain injury, which is
both good and bad for his “battered
brain.” Select the disadvantage of
an open brain injury. (pages 9–11)
Disadvantage
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2. His brain has room to swell and
isn’t crushed up against his skull.
4. His brain is protected from
bacteria by the blood-brain barrier.
5. His brain has an opening to drain
off the “foul-smelling liquid.”
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Card 2b
of life]
or her that your answer is correct by
pointing to evidence in the text.
While students discuss their answers
with a partner, conduct OTSCs, asking
students to point to and explain their
evidence in the text.
Once 90% of students have submitted
answers, project the answer board
that shows the new round of answers.
FT
LOOK FORS
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Text Excerpt
SAY/DO
ON TRACK: Students pointing to the places in the text
about both the dangers of an open brain injury and the
advantage of Phineas having one: It gives his brain room to
swell without crushing up against his skull, but his brain is
exposed to infection.
STUDENTS NEED SUPPORT:
“You could possibly be correct on the science—but the
answer.”
A
Look For: Making a case for their answers without pointing
to evidence.
“Good to see you listening to each other and making sure
no one gets away with an unsupported answer.”
“It’s good to test each answer. What might be wrong about
this answer? Explain to me how draining off the foulsmelling liquid is a disadvantage of an open brain injury.”
consensus.
“You’ve to come to an agreement on the correct answer.
the other?”
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Card 2c
of life]
Be prepared to discuss why you
revised or did not revise your answer
and what you notice about the class’
Compare the two rounds by pointing
out:
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Text Excerpt
• In the first round, most of you
thought _______
• In the second round, that
changed. Most of you thought ___
FT
Be sure to give students the correct
answers:
A) 2, B) 3
Discuss the misconceptions they
had about the brain injury, as well
as those that Dr. Harlow had. Most
importantly, ask students to point to
the text to explain their understanding
of the brain science or Dr. Harlow’s
misconceptions.
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A
Teacher Tip:
When the class discussion begins,
reiterate the points that were noted in
Lessons 2 and 3:
Compliment the students for having
the experience of rereading and
correcting their mistakes.
Remind them that this is an
investigation, and they’re going to
keep returning to the text until they
find the right answer. Above all, it’s
about curiosity and wonder and trying
to figure out the truth. That’s why
misconceptions are so useful, exciting,
and interesting, so we’re going to
challenge each other throughout the
unit by identifying misconceptions.
33
Incorrect Answers for Disadvantage
If students chose this answer, they aren’t reading carefully.
On p. 10, it indicates that if the injury were closed the
swollen brain would cut off the blood supply. Lower on the
page, it also states that “the bleeding from his forehead
slows and then stops…”
If they chose this answer, they aren’t reading carefully. On
p. 10, it indicates that if the injury were closed the swollen
brain would cut off the blood supply. Lower on the page, it
also states that “the bleeding from his forehead slows and
then stops…”
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Incorrect Answers for Advantage
2. His brain has room to swell and isn’t crushed up against
his skull.
If they chose this answer, they are confusing the advantage
with the disadvantage. On p. 10 it says, “The bad news is
If they chose this answer, they are confusing the advantage
that his brain is open to infection.”
with the disadvantage. It states, on p. 10, “Here Phineas
has a stroke of luck. His is an ‘open brain’ injury. The hole
on top of his head gives his battered brain swelling room.”
4. His brain is protected from bacteria by the blood-brain
barrier.
If they chose this answer, they are caught up in the
complexity of the science. This is a tough one. There is a
brief paragraph about the blood-brain barrier on p. 11, in
which it explains the purpose of the blood brain barrier, but
it also states, “Oxygen and nutrients can cross the bloodbrain barrier, but many dangerous substances like bacteria
cannot. With his skull fractured, Phineas’ exposed brain
is wide open, making him an ideal candidate for a fatal
infection.”
If they chose this answer, they are caught up in the
complexity of the science. This is a tough one. There is a
brief paragraph about the blood-brain barrier on p. 11, in
which it explains the purpose of the blood brain barrier, but
also states, “Oxygen and nutrients can cross the bloodbrain barrier, but many dangerous substances like bacteria
cannot. With his skull fractured, Phineas’ exposed brain
is wide open, making him an ideal candidate for a fatal
infection.”
5. His brain has an opening to drain off the “foul-smelling
liquid.”
5. His brain has an opening to drain off the “foul-smelling
liquid.”
If they chose this answer, they are not comprehending
that the injury exposes the brain to infection, which is what
causes the foul-smelling liquid. See paragraph 3 on p. 10.
If they chose this answer, they are not comprehending
that the injury exposes the brain to infection, which is what
causes the foul-smelling liquid. See paragraph 3 on p. 10.
A
FT
4. His brain is protected from bacteria by the blood-brain
barrier.
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Card Stack 3: What does Harlow know about infection? (10 min)
What: Record exactly what Dr. Harlow knows and doesn’t know about infection.
Why: To more fully understand which elements of Phineas’ treatment just happened to work because of luck
and which parts worked because the doctor had good knowledge. (Students will use this understanding to
answer the Mazur question in Lesson 5 and for the writing prompt.)
34
Card 3a
Activity type: Short Answer (10 min)
Text: Excerpt from chapter 1: pages 9–13 [Dr. Harlow does what he can] [bacteria swells up and turns red]
Text Excerpt
Excerpt from Chapter 1: pages
9–13, [Dr. Harlow does what he can]
[bacteria swells up and turns red]
Use the text to answer the following:
Direct students to use the text to
find out what Dr. Harlow knows and
doesn’t know about infection.
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What does Dr. Harlow know and not
know about infections?
Record your answers in the chart.
Know
Not know
Give students five minutes to find the
answers as you circulate around to
help. Then cold call on students to see
who was able to figure out Dr. Harlow’s
misconceptions.
FT
Check to see if students understand
that Dr. Harlow’s “knowledge” was
incorrect. Ask students the following
question to assess whether they
understand that he and other doctors
during his time held misconceptions:
Why didn’t Dr. Harlow know that
bacteria cause infection?
Possible answers:
Know
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• Sepsis leads to gangrene.
• Clean the skin around the hole.
• Dress the wound.
Not know
• Bacteria are microscopic, etc.
• Bacteria cause infection.
• Keep all equipment and body
parts that will touch patient free
of bacteria by keeping them clean
and sterile.
Teacher Tip: Consider using the
surgeon’s picture to reinforce this
point.
35
LOOK FORS
SAY/DO
ON TRACK: Answers both questions.
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“We learned yesterday that this book can get confusing
because of the difference between the knowledge the
Not know: what bacteria is; that bacteria causes infections;
doctors had, what they didn’t have, and what we know now.
that sterilizing equipment and washing hands prevent
The author also shares this information with the reader.
bacteria.
But you’ve made it clear what Dr. Harlow knows and
Know: Sepsis leads to gangrene; keep the wound clean;
doesn’t know, which shows that his medical knowledge
dress the wound; watch for inflammation.
was incorrect.”
Look For: Student is unable to distinguish between what
Dr. Harlow knows and what he doesn’t know. This may
mean he or she is confused by the idea that Dr. Harlow’s
knowledge was incorrect.
“How does Dr. Harlow treat Phineas’ wound? Show me in
the text.”
“Yes, it says that he dresses the wound. So, this is one
thing he knows. You can add that to the Know column.”
FT
“Now let’s look at what he doesn’t know. Point to the part
of the text where it discusses that science is still twenty
years away.”
“Yes, you’ve got it now! When we see the author referring
to things that haven’t yet been discovered, we know that
this is an example of what Dr. Harlow doesn’t know. And
you point out a great example—they don’t know that
antibiotics counter infections.”
A
“These are hard questions, and I’m expecting mistakes
because this is where the interesting part comes in. The
answers are in the text. You only need to keep going back
to the text and eventually you’ll find them.”
What: Use the information students learned about bacteria to answer a question.
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Why: See if they understand the information enough to apply it.
Card 4
Text Excerpt
n/a
Why do you wash your hands before
eating?
Ask several volunteers to share their
responses.
Use one piece of information from
today’s reading to support your
answer.
Give students specific positive
feedback about how they worked with
partners.
36
Let them know that tomorrow they will
go on a bacterial journey!
SAY/DO
ON TRACK: Student answers the question using evidence
from the text: “…floating in the air on dust particles, lurking
on fingertips, or growing on the shiny steel blades of their
unwashed surgical scalpels are single-celled bacteria and
other microscopic life forms.”
“Yes. Isn’t it interesting how we may be doing something
every day, all our lives, and never really know the reason
behind it? Now you know exactly why you are washing your
hands. Pretty cool, huh?”
Look For: Student answers the question without using
evidence from the text.
“It makes sense that you’d wash your hands because
you don’t want anything gross on them when you eat.
Besides the fact that it grosses you out, why could having
something gross on your hands be dangerous if you put
your hands in your mouth before washing them? We need
to use the text to support our answers. We learn about the
science of infection and bacteria in today’s reading. Go
back to p. 13 and find a piece of evidence to support why
you wash your hands before eating.”
Text Excerpt
FT
Solo
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LOOK FORS
Read
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[medical science in 1848] [the patient
gains strength]
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C5
Lesson Brief
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The Life of Bacteria
FT
Overview:
For students to fully grasp the enormity of Phineas’ survival after such a serious brain injury, they need to
understand the science of infection and the history of that science. At the same time that students are learning
what we know NOW about infection, they are also learning what Phineas’ doctors did not know THEN. This
combination of facts and misunderstandings can be confusing but is key to explaining exactly what was
extraordinary about Phineas’ survival.
Like the last three lessons, the teaching methods you’ll use in this lesson will help students identify their own
misunderstandings and reread for clarification. Help them see and empathize with the 19th century doctors
who only thought to wash their hands AFTER surgery, but who carefully read and reread their patients’ cases
and set the wheels in motion for the evolution of brain science.
A
Student-Facing Objective
Phineas survived an accident that the author claims should have killed him. But we know this author can be
very dramatic. Let’s see if the science supports his claim.
First Time (when applicable—when there is a new teaching technique, a new app to get familiar with or a new
skill the teacher is introducing)
Lesson Variations:
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You can turn this writing prompt into a longer essay that includes outside texts. See suggestions for other texts
in Reading.
Lesson Flow Image:
Vocabulary
Multiple Choice: Now that you’ve just learned some new words that will be used in today’s lesson, let’s see
how carefully you are reading. There’s lots of drama in Fleischman’s text. Make sure you understand the
science. Project answers.
Partner Work: Try to prove that your answer is correct and check again to see if it is. Project answers (and
compare to the first projection).
Class Discussion: Look at the two rounds of answers. In the first round, most of you thought _______. In the
second round, that changed. Where in the text did you find evidence that made you change your mind?
Verbal Warm-Up
Writing Prompt: Apply what we’ve learned about bacteria and infection and what the doctors knew and didn’t
know about these topics in 1848. Writing prompt: Fleischman writes, “Phineas should have been long dead...”
Argue for or against Fleischman’s claim using evidence from the text.
Sharing
Verbal Warm-Up
Misunderstanding Notebook: Now let’s get a sense of what DIFFERENT things our classmates have learned
(and maybe MIS-learned) about the science. Then record a misunderstanding in our Misunderstanding
Notebooks.
38
Prep
Be prepared to project multiple-choice question and each round of responses.
Note that in the second card stack, students will partner with someone who answered the question differently.
Excerpts:
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Reading
Chapter 1, pages 11–15 [Medical science in 1848] [The patient gains strength]
Other book 1 on infection
Other book 2 on Phineas
FT
Other book 3 on 19th century medical training
Differentiation
The writing prompt asks students to explain how the new scientific information they’ve learned applies to
Phineas’ case. Students who are having trouble understanding the science could really struggle. Help them by
asking them to choose one particular scientific detail and focus on explaining that one fact until it is clear. Don’t
worry about repetition. If you can elicit more and more explanation, you’ll have plenty to choose from when you
need to show the student an example of SOMETHING that is clear.
Students who’ve demonstrated proficiency in explaining evidence may be challenged to explain the connection
between the science of infection and the science of the open/closed brain injury. They can even be pushed to
refer back to the reading from Lesson 1 to find some of the early hints about the risk of Phineas’ infection.
A
Note the alternative writing prompt for struggling students who are challenged by staking a claim and/or
explaining in detail one piece of evidence from the text: Explain one of the risks to Phineas’ life and how it could
have caused him to die.
Skills and Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1
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Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.8
Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and
the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
Skills:
1. Explaining and describing evidence to support a claim.
The last time your students worked on this skill was in the previous lesson when they had to defend their
true/false answers with a partner, using evidence from the text.
2. Writing arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
The last time your students worked on this skill was in the essay for “Sucker” in Unit B. In Unit C, daily
writing has focused on explaining. Here, students will need to explain in order to make an argument. Use the
argument to motivate students to explain their evidence more thoroughly.
Student Action Plans:
A link to take a look at some data and create a little plan for students whom the teacher might visit or what he
or she might want to focus on with a small group.
39
5 min
Vocabulary
Multiple Choice, Partner Work, Class Discussion
Students answer a question about why it is dangerous if Phineas’ wound becomes infected.
15 min
Students pair with someone with a different answer. They will try to convince each other why their answer is
correct, pointing to the text for support. Pairs come to an agreement on which answer is correct.
Discussion
2 min
Verbal Warm-Up
Writing Prompt
10 min
Students respond to the prompt:
FT
3 min
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Class discussion based on how they arrived at their answer.
Fleischman writes, “Phineas should have been long dead...”
Argue for or against Fleischman’s claim, using evidence from the text.
5 min
Sharing
2 min
Verbal Warm-Up
Misunderstanding Notebook Entry
Record one misunderstanding discovered today in the Misunderstanding Notebook.
Student Summary
A
5 min
Phineas’ doctors didn’t quite understand how infections work. Do you? You’ll need to understand infections to
truly appreciate the science behind Phineas’ survival.
Lesson What:
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Work on factual questions about the science of bacteria and how bacteria cause infection before answering a
writing prompt that asks students to use knowledge from the first several lessons of Phineas Gage.
Lesson Why:
By understanding how and why bacteria cause infection, the reader observes the extent of medical knowledge
available at the time and how that impacted Dr. Harlow’s treatment of Phineas. The writing prompt will show if
they can synthesize and explain the details of significant scientific information they’ve learned in the past four
lessons.
Key Excerpts:
[Medical science in 1848][The patient gains strength] pages 8–10
[Dr. Williams examines Phineas’ head] [just a matter of time now]
Targeted Skills:
CCSS: ELA-Literacy.RI.7.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major
ELA-Literacy.W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
Teacher Prep:
Before Class: Be prepared to project two rounds of student answers to true/false questions.
40
Excerpt from chapter 1, pages 11–15
[Medical science in 1848][The patient
gains strength]
Read
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Text Excerpt
FT
instruct them to read the excerpt
from chapter 1, pages 11–15 [Medical
science in 1848][The patient gains
strength]
Card Stack 2: Infection! Poll and Share (15 min)
What: What do you understand from the text about how infections cause a body harm?
Why: To help students identify and correct their misunderstandings about the science and what Dr. Harlow
may not have known about infection in 1848, and to get students ready for the writing prompt.
A
Card 2a
Activity Type: Multiple Choice (8 min)
Text: Excerpt from chapter 1: pages 11–15 [Medical science in 1848][The patient gains strength]
Text Excerpt
Based on the passage, why is it
dangerous for Phineas if his wound
becomes infected?
students are completing the activity,
reminding students to look at the
text (but don’t help students avoid
misunderstandings).
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gains strength]
a. Dust particles can get inside and
colonize.
b. Bacteria overpower the immune
system by releasing toxic
chemicals.
c. The body’s immune system
creates pus from white blood cells.
Once all students have answers,
project answer board with first round
of answers.
Ask students to notice the variations
in student responses.
d. Animalcules cause people to get
sick and die.
LOOK FORS
SAY/DO
ON TRACK: Students look for answers in the text.
“It’s good to remind yourself about what Fleischman
wrote.”
STUDENTS NEED SUPPORT: Students answer without
considering the text.
Remind students that the answers are in the text, but DO
NOT help them find the right place to look or help them
correct misunderstandings.
41
What: Students attempt to convince each other of the correct answer by using evidence from the text.
Why: To compare answers and evidence and to get students ready to write about the facts in the writing prompt.
Card 2b
Activity Type: Partner Work (5 min)
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Text: Excerpt from chapter 1, pages 11–15 [Medical science in 1848][The patient gains strength]
gains strength]
your answer, and try to convince him
or her why your answer is correct
Once 90 percent of students have
submitted answers, project answer
board showing second round of
answers compared to first round.
FT
Text Excerpt
Based on the passage, why is it
dangerous for Phineas if his wound
becomes infected?
a. Dust particles can get inside and
colonize.
b. Bacteria overpower the immune
system by releasing toxic
chemicals.
A
c. The body’s immune system
creates pus from white blood cells.
d. Animalcules cause people to get
sick and die.
LOOK FORS
SAY/DO
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ON TRACK: Students are pointing to the places in the text “Good to see you listening to each other and making sure
about the dangers of bacterial infection: an open wound is no one gets away with an unsupported answer.”
a place where bacteria love to breed because of the warm,
wet, nutrient-rich cells inside; dust particles carry bacteria;
pus is a sign that the immune system is attacking bacteria.
Look For: Making a case for their answers without pointing
to evidence .
“You could possibly be correct on the science, but the
answer.”
“It’s good to test each answer. What might be wrong about
this answer? What does the pus have to do with it?”
consensus.
“You have to come to an agreement on the correct answer.
the other?”
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Card Stack 3: Infection! Discussion, comparing answers (3 min)
What: Students compare their answers from when they worked individually to the answers from when they
worked with a partner.
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Why: Show students the value of rereading to find and correct misunderstandings, and make sure that they
know what the right answer is before they respond to the writing prompt.
Card 3a
Activity Type: Class Discussion (3 min)
Text: Excerpt from chapter 1, pages 11–15 [Medical science in 1848][The patient gains strength]
gains strength]
revised or did not revise your answer
and what you notice about the class’
out:
FT
Text Excerpt
thought _______
• In the second round, what you
thought in the first round changed.
Most of you now think ________
Discuss why “B” is the correct answer,
and why the others are not correct but
might have SEEMED correct. Point out
what words in the text led them to the
wrong answer.
Ask them why they changed their
answer and why they thought they
were sure they were correct.
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Make sure to give students the right
answer, “B.”
Card Stack 4: Verbal Warm-Up (2 min)
What: Make sure every student can point to places in the text and think about their significance before going
into the writing prompt.
Why: You want to make sure that every student has a place to start writing—and that you know where to start
your OTSCs.
Teacher Instructions:
Think about a place in the text that shows that Dr. Harlow didn’t understand something about
infection. (Give students a minute to find one, and walk around to see if students are pointing
to it.)
Raise your hand if you would go to a doctor who didn’t know THAT.
Raise your hand if you think it’s amazing that Phineas didn’t die when the tamping iron
went through his head.
Raise your hand if you think it’s MORE amazing that he didn’t die when Dr. Harlow treated
him with his dirty hands.
Raise your hand if you can remember ANYTHING about an open brain injury.
43
What: Get ready for writing based on the outcome of the verbal warm-up. Then respond to Fleischman’s claim
that Phineas should have died, using evidence from today’s reading or from any part of the text.
Card 5a
Activity Type: Writing Prompt (10 min)
Text Excerpt
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Why: To help students practice explaining the significance of the scientific details in writing.
Fleischman writes, “Phineas should
have been long dead...”
Circulate, using OTSCs to help
students find and describe evidence
from the text. Remind students to
point to evidence that they noticed
today and other days as well.
LOOK FORS
FT
Argue for or against Fleischman’s
claim, using evidence from the text.
SAY/DO
ON TRACK: Answers the question, Yes or No.
Provides evidence about bacteria, brain swelling, shock, or
blood loss.
Look For: Student is stuck.
“Finally, someone explains how remarkable it is that
Phineas survived when his brain was exposed to so many
bacteria. Can you read that later during sharing?”
A
Correct answer might also include marveling at the
physical facts of the injury.
“Wow, you are not easily impressed by Phineas’ survival.
You must be very confident about the human ability to
survive this type of brain injury—maybe you should be a
doctor.”
“Are you surprised that he didn’t die? Point to something
in the text that makes you think he should have/could have
died.”
“Exactly how would THAT (insert detail from text) cause
someone to die?”
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“Start writing about THAT…, right here.”
Skill: Staking a claim
Look For: Student hasn’t answered the question and IS
writing about relevant evidence.
Skill: Staking a claim or selecting relevant evidence
Look For: Student hasn’t answered the question and is
stuck or writing about irrelevant details from the text.
Skill: Describing how the evidence supports the claim
Look For: Student quotes the text without any elaboration.
You can’t tell if he or she understands what could have
caused Phineas to live or die.
44
“Good evidence. I’m looking forward to seeing how you
answer the question.” (Come back in two minutes to make
sure the student provides a Yes/No answer.)
“Are you surprised that he didn’t die? Point to something
in the text that makes you think he should have/could have
died.”
“Exactly how would THAT (insert detail from text) cause
someone to die?”
“Start writing on the next line about THAT, right here.”
(Don’t worry about what they’ve already written.)
“Ah, there’s something about the blood-brain barrier. I had
to read that three times in order to understand it. Explain
to me exactly what the blood-brain barrier has to do with
Phineas living or dying.
Card Stack 6: Sharing (5 min)
What: Two students read their work aloud and two students respond specifically to each piece of writing.
Why: Make sure students notice specific words and phrases that they or their classmates have used that get a
reader’s attention.
Follow the Rules for Sharing.
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Be prepared to share your writing with the class.
FT
Make sure students call on each other and identify specific words, phrases, or sentences that support their
evidence.
Card Stack 7: Misunderstanding Notebook Verbal Warm-Up (2 min)
What: Do a quick verbal warm-up.
Why: Get students ready for writing in the Misunderstanding Notebook and enable students to see the range
of misunderstandings across the class.
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n/a
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Text Excerpt
Before asking students to note a
misunderstanding in their notebook,
use this warm-up to remind them of
the misunderstandings they might
choose from and get them to notice
how differently classmates react.
Raise your hand if you were surprised
that doctors in 1848 didn’t know that
they needed to keep their instruments
and hands clean.
Raise your hand if you knew that strep
throat was an infection caused by
bacteria.
Raise your hand if this was the first
time you learned about Louis Pasteur.
Raise your hand if you thought it was
silly that the scientists called cells
animalcules.
Raise your hand if you never knew the
reason why we wash our hands before
eating.
45
Card Stack 8: Misunderstanding Notebook (5 min)
What: Get ready for writing based on the outcome of the verbal warm-up. Then record a misunderstanding in
the Misunderstanding Notebook.
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Why: Students can choose to focus on their own learnings or on Dr. Harlow’s misunderstandings in their
writing.
Card 8a
Activity type: Misunderstanding Notebook Entry (5 min)
Turn to your Misunderstanding
Notebook and record a
misunderstanding that you discovered
from today’s reading. You can choose
one of yours or one of the scientists’
in 1848.
The verbal warm-up should have
reminded students of some of the
misunderstandings they learned
about today.
FT
Text Excerpt
LOOK FORS
Let students know these
misunderstandings can be used for
their entry, but encourage them to
use one from their writing prompt
response or a new one.
SAY/DO
“Science is pretty neat that way—showing us things
we take for granted but really can’t explain the reasons
for. It’s great to know that if we can identify our
misunderstandings, we can correct them.”
A
ON TRACK: Students write their misunderstandings: I
didn’t know that infections are caused by bacteria.
Scientists’ misunderstanding: They didn’t know that
Phineas’ open wound was a breeding ground for bacteria.
“Yes, we might consider this to be common knowledge, but
the doctors didn’t know this back then.”
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Students are not sure how to record their
misunderstanding.
“Remember these different parts of the notebook.
We use them this way. Look at how you noted this last
misunderstanding.”
Solo
Text Excerpt
Phineas Gage, pages 15–19 [None
of this progress][to regain his full
powers]
Read
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C6
5 min
Vocabulary
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Phineas Is Declared Fully Recovered
Multiple Choice, Partner Work, Class Discussion
15 min
FT
Multiple choice question about Dr. Harlow’s assessment of Phineas’ healing.
Students pair with someone with a different answer, and try to convince each other that their answer is
correct, pointing to the text for support. Pairs come to an agreement on which answer is correct and submit
it.
Compare the two rounds of answers and discuss.
Transition—Verbal Warm-Up, Writing Prompt
Transition
20 min
Verbal Warm-Up
Writing Prompt:
A
Using evidence from the text, explain why you believe that Phineas is or isn’t fully recovered.
Full class discussion on misconceptions the 1848 doctors had about Phineas’ type of brain injury.
Closing
Record new misconceptions they uncovered about doctors’ knowledge in 1848, in Misunderstanding
Notebook.
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5 min
Student Summary:
The doctors in 1848 declared Phineas fully recovered. Let’s explore their idea of a full recovery from Phineas’
type of brain injury, and whether or not we agree with their diagnosis.
Lesson What:
Nail down exactly why Dr. Harlow decided that Phineas had fully recovered and write about whether or not they
agree.
Lesson Why:
Dr. Harlow declared Phineas fully recovered but was never quite comfortable with that conclusion and so
continued to watch Phineas throughout his life. Students need to know exactly what it was that he was
watching for (and care about those things) in order to understand the scientific debates throughout the rest of
the book.
Key Excerpts:
Excerpt from “‘Horrible Accident’ in Vermont”: pages 15–19
[None of this progress][to regain his full powers] (15–19)
47
CCSS:
ELA-Literacy.RI.7.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the
reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
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Text Excerpt
Vermont”: pages 15–19 [None of this
progress][to regain his full powers]
FT
instruct them to read “‘Horrible
Accident’ in Vermont,” pages 15–19
[None of this progress][to regain his
full powers].
A
Card Stack 2: Multiple Choice, Partner Work, Class Discussion (15 min)
What: Nail down the evidence that Dr. Harlow had that made him declare Phineas fully recovered.
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Why: There is conflicting evidence here and students need to be able to see that Harlow’s conclusion, as
written down, was NOT qualified but was based only on SOME of what he had observed.
Card 2a
Text: Excerpt from “‘Horrible Accident’ in Vermont”: pages 15–19 [None of this progress][to regain his full
powers]
Text Excerpt
Answer question and post:
Don’t help students avoid
misconceptions!
Choose the evidence that Dr.
Harlow used to declare Phineas fully
recovered. Select the correct answer.
(pages 15–19)
a. His fever breaks and his wound
starts to heal.
b. He wants to go home to his
mother’s house.
c. He is able to feed and dress
himself.
d. He understands the value of
money.
48
Once all students have answers,
project answer board with first round
of answers.
Ask students to point out the
variations in responses.
Card 2b
powers]
Excerpt from “'Horrible Accident' in
Vermont”: pPages 15–19 [None of this
or her why your answer is correct
Once 90% of students have submitted
answers, project the answer board,
showing a new round of answers.
FT
Card 2c
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Text Excerpt
powers]
Text Excerpt
revised your answer and what you
notice about the class’ responses as
a whole.
out:
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thought _____.
• In the second round, that
changed, and most of you
thought _____.
Make sure to give them the right
answer.
Discuss why “C” is the correct answer
and why the others are not correct
but might have SEEMED correct. Ask
them what made them change their
answer or why they were sure they
were correct.
Card Stack 3: Transition—Verbal Warm-Up, Writing Prompt (20 min)
What: Find evidence that shows Phineas is or isn’t fully recovered.
Why: Make sure at least SOME students ALSO notice that Dr. Harlow had reason for doubt—there is evidence
to suggest something strange is going on.
49
Card 3a
Activity type: Discussion and Verbal Warm-Up (7 min)
powers]
Read along.
Read aloud: from p. 19, paragraph 2
[Ten weeks] to [his full powers]
(passage about buying stones)
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Text Excerpt
Ask:
FT
• Why would Dr. Harlow ask
Phineas this question about
buying his rocks for money?
• What did he learn about Phineas
from his answer?
• Why do you think he declared him
fully recovered anyway?
Conduct the verbal warm-up:
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• Point to a place in the book that
suggests evidence that Phineas is
not fully recovered.
• Raise your hand if you think that
Phineas just needs more time and
he’ll be back to normal.
• Raise your hand if you think
doctors know best and we
shouldn’t be questioning them.
• Raise your hand if you think
Phineas is fully recovered.
Card 3b: Writing Prompt
Text Excerpt
Writing Prompt:
Circulate around the room doing
OTSCs to help students find and
describe evidence from the text.
Using evidence from the text, explain
why you believe that Phineas is or isn’t
fully recovered.
• I see that you...
• I like...
• Remember...
• Right here you...
Use Hummingbird to record your
interactions with students during
OTSCs.
50
Card 3c
Activity type: Whole Class Discussion (7 min)
Several volunteers share their
responses.
Several volunteers share their
responses.
Discuss the misconception that is
uncovered in today’s lesson.
Discuss the idea that the belief Dr.
Harlow initially held about Phineas
being fully recovered was based on
a common misconception in the late
1800s about how the brain worked,
what it controlled, and what it meant
to fully recover from that type of head
injury.
FT
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Text Excerpt
What: Put new misconceptions into the Misunderstanding Notebook.
Why: Do this to continue tracking both Dr. Harlow’s misconceptions and their own, in order to eventually see
the self-correcting of those misconceptions unfold.
Card 4a
Text Excerpt
Record the new misconceptions
you discovered today in your
Misunderstanding Notebook.
Give students positive feedback about
something specific that occurred in
class.
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n/a
A
Activity type: Misunderstanding Notebook Entry (5 min)
Solo
Text Excerpt
Phineas Gage, pages 27–31 [By
Phineas’ time, doctors know what a
brain looks like][makes every human
being singular]
Read
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C7
5 min
Vocabulary
Preparatory Work
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A Tour of the Brain
10 min
FT
Students interpret a sentence in a visual way.
They share with a neighbor and explain why they interpreted as they did.
A couple of volunteers share with the class, which elicits a brief conversation on how there are different
ways to present information; and in non-fiction texts, we often find these in the form of diagrams, charts,
etc., that supplement the text.
Targeted Instruction—Parts of the Brain
13 min
Students fill in a diagram of the brain, dragging each area’s function from the text into the corresponding
brain part.
A
Students share answers and, as the teacher fills in the correct responses, students correct any errors they
may have on their own diagrams.
Matching, Class Discussion
10 min
Students fill in a diagram of the cortex, dragging the function from the caption into the corresponding lobe.
Students share answers and, as the teacher fills in the correct responses, students correct any errors they
may have on their own diagrams.
Closing
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5 min
Student Summary
We need a working knowledge of the brain and how it functions in order to better understand what Phineas is
going through. We’ll use diagrams of the brain to map the functions with the areas that manage those functions.
Lesson What:
Students learn to read and use scientific diagrams to gain a working knowledge of the areas of the brain and
their functions.
Lesson Why:
Students will need to learn some basic brain anatomy to understand the rest of the book and to understand
the next article they will read. Using the diagrams helps them practice the skill of integrating the graphic and
written elements of a text.
Key Excerpts:
Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 2: pages 27–31
[By Phineas’ time, doctors know what a brain looks like][makes every human being singular] (27–31) and
captions.
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CCSS:
tone.
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.7 Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text,
analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the
words).
Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter
2: pages 27–31 [By Phineas’ time,
doctors know what a brain looks like]
[makes every human being singular]
FT
Text Excerpt
Card Stack 2: Preparatory Work (10 min)
What: Students present information they are given in a different way to show a reinterpretation of information.
Card 2a
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Why: This is to get them to understand that information can be presented visually and to practice
reinterpreting information visually themselves.
Activity type: Interpret the Facts (5 min)
Text Excerpt
Read the following sentence and
present the information without using
words.
activity.
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50% of the students in our school
always complete their homework,
25% never complete their homework,
and 25% sometimes complete their
homework.
Examples of ways to interpret the
sentence might be a pie chart, bar
graph, picture, or icon.
Circulate around the room making
yourself available to answer questions
students may have.
Card 2b
Activity type: Pairs Work and Discussion (10 min)
Text Excerpt
Share your interpretation with your
neighbor.
SHORT ANSWER: Is your partner’s
interpretation effective? Why or why
not?
DISCUSSION: Once students have
shared with their neighbors, ask for a
couple of volunteers to compare and
contrast their chart and that of their
partners.
Try to find five similarities and
five differences between your
visualizations and your partner’s.
Then explain that in non-fiction texts,
writers often use visuals, like diagrams
and charts, to present information.
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Card Stack 3: Targeted Instruction—Parts of the Brain (13 min)
What: Match the areas of the brain with their functions.
Card 3a
Activity type: Matching (5 min)
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Why: Make sure students notice that there are specific locations associated with particular functions (this will
be important later when they learn about the “localizers”).
Text: Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 2, pages 27–30 [You can have a look for yourself][outside of a brain]
pages 27–30 [You can have a look for
yourself][outside of a brain]
Drag the “function” from the text over
to the part of the brain on the diagram
that controls that function.
Before students start, read the parts
of the brain aloud so that students
hear the correct pronunciation.
Card 3b
Activity type: Correct Brain Diagram (5 min)
FT
Text Excerpt
Text: Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 2, pages 27–30 [You can have a look for yourself][outside of a brain].
Text Excerpt
yourself][outside of a brain].
Be prepared to share your answers.
Call on a few students to identify
the functions of the different parts
of the brain. On the display, drag the
correct functions from the text into
the diagram as students identify the
correct functions with the correct
parts of the brain. Tell students to
correct their diagram if they made any
errors.
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A
Correct your diagram if you have any
errors.
Card Stack 4: Matching, Class Discussion (10 min)
What: Students match the areas of the cortex with their functions.
Why: Make sure students see that there are parts of the physical brain that control different categories of
behaviors (so they can start to link those parts to Phineas).
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Card 4a
Activity type: Matching (5 min)
Text: Cortex Caption
The Cerebral Cortex is divided up
into four parts and each part has a
job. The Occipital Lobe is in charge
of how we understand what we are
seeing. The Temporal Lobe helps us
understand what we are hearing, and
is also responsible for how we form
our words and understand speech.
The Parietal Lobe is in charge of how
our body moves (for example, how we
use our hands to do different things),
and how we react to stimuli, which
is anything we touch or feel—for
example, how we react to temperature
and pain. We might flinch if we touch
something burning hot, and we might
bend over if we experience pain. The
Frontal Lobe is where our personality
lives. It manages impulse control and
emotional control, along with social
behavior. It is also where the heavy
thinking is going on, like problem
solving, reasoning and planning.
So this lobe helps us to solve our
problems for homework and to figure
out the rules to a game. It also helps
us to make decisions.
Drag the “function” from the text
over to the diagram of the cortex and
the specific part of the cortex that
controls that function.
Before students start, read the parts
of the brain aloud so that students
hear the correct pronunciation.
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Text Excerpt
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Card 4b
Activity type: (5 min)
Text Excerpt
Call on a few students to identify the
functions of the parts of the cortex.
Drag the correct corresponding
functions from the caption into the
diagram as students identify the
correct functions with the parts of the
brain. Tell students to correct their
diagram if they made an error.
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FT
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The Cerebral Cortex is divided up
Be prepared to share your answers.
into four parts and each part has a
Correct your diagram if you have any
job. The Occipital Lobe is in charge
errors.
of how we understand what we are
seeing. The Temporal Lobe helps us
understand what we are hearing, and
is also responsible for how we form
our words and understand speech.
The Parietal Lobe is in charge of how
our body moves (for example, how we
use our hands to do different things),
and how we react to stimuli, which is
anything we touch or feel, for example,
how we react to temperature and pain.
We might flinch if we touch something
burning hot, and we might bend over if
we experience pain. The Frontal Lobe is
where our personality lives. It manages
impulse control and emotional control,
along with social behavior. It is also
where the heavy thinking is going on,
like problem solving, reasoning and
planning. So this lobe helps us to solve
our problems for homework, and to
figure out the rules to a game. It also
helps us to make decisions.
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What: Students respond to a brain anatomy question and other questions regarding the diagrams and how
beneficial they were to understanding.
Why: This will help them recognize that they now have a working knowledge of one of the most complicated
and sophisticated human organs.
Card 5a
Activity type: Closing Verbal Polling (5 min)
Text Excerpt
n/a
How many of you knew what the
cerebellum was before reading this
book?
class.
How many of you found the brain
Make sure you let them know that
more complicated than you expected? many people don’t study brain science
until college, and that they should be
How many of you found the diagrams
proud of themselves for now holding
useful in helping you to understand
some very sophisticated knowledge.
the brain parts and functions?
How many of you think you understand
the brain better now because of the
diagram and the activity?
How many of you had a misconception
about how the brain works?
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C8
7 min
Vocabulary
Preparatory Work
Describe an image that visualizes the act of synthesizing.
FT
5 min
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Diagnose Phineas’ Brain Injury
T-Chart and Drag and Drop
13 min
Gather information about Phineas’ behavior.
Then drag that information into the brain diagram—specifically, into the area of the brain that manages that
behavior.
12 min
Synthesize information from several sources to diagnose the area of Phineas’ brain that’s been injured.
Closing
Validate diagnosis with animated Phineas.
A
2 min
Writing Prompt
Student Summary:
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Now that you’ve taken a tour of the brain, it’s time for you to diagnose a patient! You’ll examine and synthesize
scientific information from the text and diagrams to diagnose what part of Phineas’ brain was affected by his
injury.
Lesson What:
Students practice synthesizing scientific evidence from the text and the diagrams to reach a conclusion about
what part of Phineas’ brain was affected by his injury.
Lesson Why:
You’ll find out if students can synthesize the information from the text and images at a superficial level when
they try to make a diagnosis, and then at a deeper level when they try to explain it in writing.
Key Excerpts:
Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 1, pages 6–8 and pages 19–22
[Amazingly, Phineas is still alive][that the iron went right through his head] (6–8)
[Ten weeks after the accident] [for twenty years] (19–22)
CCSS:
ELA-Literacy.RI.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
tone.
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Text Excerpt
yourself][makes every human being
singular]
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FT
from chapter 2, pages 27–31 [You can
have a look for yourself][makes every
human being singular].
Card Stack 2: Preparatory Work (7 min)
What: Students look at an image and describe what they see in order to understand what they are trying to do
when they are asked to synthesize.
Card 2a
A
Why: This simple visualization will keep them focused on their goal while they try to put together all the
complicated pieces of Phineas’ injury with the diagram of the brain.
Activity Type: Synthesizing (5 min)
Text Excerpt
With your partner, respond to the
following questions about the visual:
activity and to discuss the questions
with their neighbors.
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N/A
• What do you see?
• What is happening?
VISUAL:
+
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=
Card 2b
Activity Type: Discussion (5 min)
Text Excerpt
Synthesize: To combine separate
parts to form a new idea.
Be prepared to share your response
with the class.
Call on a couple of students to share.
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Display the definition of synthesize
after students share their responses.
FT
Ask a couple of students to apply the
definition of synthesize to the exercise
they just did. Today they are going to
synthesize the scientific information
about the brain that they gathered
from the text and the diagrams and
apply it directly to Phineas’ case.
Card Stack 3: T-Chart and Drag and Drop (13 min)
What: Students will use a T-Chart to identify what is the same and what is different about Phineas after the
accident, then drag and drop the evidence they gathered into the part of the brain that controls that behavior.
Card 3a
A
Why: Students will need to take the time for each of these steps to match specific behavior to specific parts of
the brain in order to make a diagnosis (don’t skip any!).
Activity Type: Filling in a T-Chart in Pairs (8 min)
Text: Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 1, pages 6–8 [Amazingly, Phineas is still alive][that the iron went
right through his head] and pages 19–22 [Ten weeks after the accident] [for twenty years]
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Text Excerpt
Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 1, Get into pairs and reread the text.
pages 6–8 [Amazingly, Phineas is still
1. Find evidence from the text that
alive][that the iron went right through
shows what is the same about
his head] and pages 19–22 [Ten weeks
Phineas. Add it to the paper
after the accident][for twenty years]
T-Chart.
Circulate around the room, making
students may have.
See sample answers in paper teacher
guide.
2. Find evidence from the text that
shows what is different about
Phineas or how he has changed.
Add it to the paper T-Chart.
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Sample T-Chart for teacher reference:
How is Phineas different?
He can talk:
He does foolish things:
“Immediately after the accident Phineas tells Dr.
Williams that the tamping iron went through his
head.”
“He insults old workmates and friends.”
He can sit up:
He has poor judgment:
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How is Phineas the same?
“As his men come running through the gunpowder
smoke, he sits up.”
“Soon after the accident, Phineas angrily refuses to
accept $1,000 for the pocketful of pebbles he has
collected.”
He is still alive:
He is unable to control his impulses:
“He spouts vulgar language in the presence of
women.”
FT
“Phineas is still alive.”
He still has his memory:
He demonstrates risky behavior:
“Phineas still recognizes people after the accident,
and can remember new people.”
“The new Phineas is unreliable…”
He is able to do work:
He is unstable/impulsive:
Card 3b
“He changes his mind and his orders from minute to
minute.”
A
“Phineas calls out for his time book and makes an
entry.”
Activity Type: Drag and Drop in Pairs (5 min)
Text: Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 1, pages 6–8 [Amazingly, Phineas is still alive][that the iron went
right through his head] and pages 19–22 [Ten weeks after the accident] [for twenty years], and T-Chart
Drag the textual evidence from the
T-Chart to the corresponding part
of the brain that controls those
behaviors/functions.
yourself available to support and
answer student questions.
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Text Excerpt
after the accident] [for twenty years]
T-Chart
On the paper brain diagram, write
the textual evidence from the T-Chart
on the corresponding part of the
brain that controls those behaviors/
functions.
What: Students use the information they’ve gathered to stake a claim about the area of Phineas’ brain that’s
been injured. They describe specific aspects of Phineas’ behavior and explain how this behavior supports their
claim, using three pieces of evidence from the text.
Why: To demonstrate the ability to synthesize information from several sources.
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Card 4a
Activity Type: (12 min) Writing
Text: Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 1: pages 6–8 [Amazingly, Phineas is still alive][that the iron went right
through his head] and pages 19–22 [Ten weeks after the accident] [for twenty years], T-Chart, Brain Diagram
after the accident][for twenty years]
Use the information you’ve gathered
to stake a claim about the area of
Phineas’ brain that’s been injured.
Circulate around the room, using
OTSCs to reinforce skills.
@ I see that you’ve identified the
frontal lobe of the cortex, and then
you support that with textual evidence
showing his behavior toward his
coworkers after the accident. You
explain that the cortex is responsible
for reasoning and thinking, which
is absent in his behavior after the
accident.
FT
Use three pieces of evidence from the
text to support your claim.
@ I like how you describe the way
Phineas insults people as his inability
to feel emotion and socialize with
people. You point to the frontal lobe of
the cortex as being the damaged part
of Phineas’ brain because it manages
those behaviors.
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Brain Diagram
Describe specific aspects of Phineas’
behavior and explain how this
behavior supports your claim.
A
T-Chart
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Text Excerpt
@ You’ve identified the part of the
brain that Phineas damaged, but don’t
forget that you need to show how
you know this with textual evidence,
details from the text. I see in your
T-Chart that you use the example
from the text where Phineas refuses
the $1,000 the doctor offered for
his pebbles. This is a great piece of
evidence that shows Phineas’ inability
to reason or make smart decisions.
@ Right here you mention that
Phineas suffered damage to the
corpus callosum because there are
no signals moving back and forth
between the two sides of the brain.
The corpus is defined, along with
its function, but I don’t see any
discussion in the text of how this is
damaged in Phineas’ case. Take a
look at the text again, and specifically
look for clear evidence of the part of
his brain that was damaged. I’ll come
back to see what you’ve come up with.
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What: Provide positive feedback to students.
Why: To acknowledge how well the students have grappled with difficult new skills.
Activity Type: Validating (3 min)
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Card 5a
Text Excerpt
n/a
Interact with animated Phineas to
see whether the part of the brain you
diagnosed as injured is correct. Press
on the other brain parts to see what
happens to Phineas if that part is
injured.
Watch the kids have fun with animated
Phineas.
Text Excerpt
Solo
Text Excerpt
class.
A
n/a
FT
For Paper: Closing (2 min)
Read
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2, pages 34–40 [The Boston doctors]
[yet we really understand only the
rough outlines]
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class.
C9
5 min
Vocabulary
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Phrenologists vs. Whole Brainers
Highlight, Short Answer
Review the Solo reading on Phrenologists vs. Whole Brainers with a highlighting exercise and short answer
question.
FT
8 min
Draw the Brain, Pairs Work
13 min
Students draw their brains on bathing caps, from the perspective of the Phrenologists on one side and the
Whole Brainers on the other side.
Students partner with a neighbor to share their “brains.”
Short answers and discussion
5 min
Look at the logic behind the theories: How do the rival schools of brain theory use Phineas as proof of their
theories?
Closing
Poll
A
10 min
Student Summary:
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How can two sides use the same evidence as proof that they are right? Today we will learn about the two
primary theories of brain science during the time of Phineas Gage. We will explore how both of these theories
were a little right and wrong about the workings of the brain.
Lesson What:
Students learn who the Whole Brainers and the Phrenologists are, their theories about brain science, and how
they each used Phineas as proof of their theory. Expose further medical misconceptions.
Lesson Why:
Once students understand the two different theories, they can focus more on the reasoning and logic behind
the misconceptions rather than the lack of knowledge available at the time.
Key Excerpts:
[The Boston doctors] [yet we really understand only the rough outlines] (34–40)
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CCSS:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.2 Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over
the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
Before Class: Purchase bathing caps
Materials: Bathing caps, markers
After Class: N/A
FT
Teacher Prep:
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tone.
Text Excerpt
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A
pages 34–40 [The Boston doctors]
rough outlines].
instruct them to read the excerpt from
Phineas Gage, chapter 2, pages 34–40
[The Boston doctors] [yet we really
understand only the rough outlines].
Card Stack 2: Highlight, Short Answer (8 min)
What: Who are the Phrenologists and Whole Brainers and what are their theories about the brain?
Why: Make sure students understand the theories, so they can focus on how each theory uses the same
evidence with different logic later in the lesson.
Card 2a
Activity type: Highlight (3 min)
Text: Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 2, pages 34–40 [The Boston doctors] [yet we really understand only
the rough outlines]
Text Excerpt
pages 34–40 [The Boston doctors]
rough outlines]
Highlight specifics about what the
Whole Brainers and Phrenologists/
Localizers believe.
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Card 2b
the rough outlines]
Excerpt from Phineas Gage,
chapter 2, pages 34–40 [The Boston
doctors] [yet we really understand
only the rough outlines]
In your own words, what do the Whole
Brainers believe?
students may have.
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Text Excerpt
FT
In your own words, what do the
Phrenologists/Localizers believe?
Card Stack 3: Draw the Brain, Pairs Work (13 min)
What: Draw on a bathing cap: On one side, “your” Phrenological head; on the other side, what the Whole
Brainers theorize the brain is like.
Why: To test student comprehension of the Solo reading about the Phrenologists and Whole Brainers and to
have fun diving into historic brain theory by personalizing it for students.
Card 3a
Activity type: Draw Two Versions of the Brain (8 min)
Take your bathing cap and draw a line
down the middle.
Pass out markers and bathing caps.
A
Text Excerpt
Walk around the room making yourself
On one side, draw your understanding available to students who might need
of the Phrenological head, but use
guidance.
your own characteristics. (Tap here for
an example.)
D
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On the other side, draw your
understanding of the Whole Brainer
theory of the brain. (Tap here for more
guiding questions.)
Guiding Questions for the
Phrenological Side:
• What are your strengths and
weaknesses?
• Where do you want to place
them?
• What size do you want to make
them?
For the Whole Brain Side:
• What does brain jelly or a
formless cloud look like?
• Can you come up with your
own interpretation of the Whole
Brainers’ brain?
• How do you want to represent
what the Whole Brainers believe
about the brain?
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Card 3b
Activity type: Pairs Work (5 min)
Text Excerpt
Share your interpretation of both
brain theories with your partner.
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1. Why does one area stand out the
most?
2. Are areas bigger or smaller and
what does that mean?
3. Why did you choose to place things
where you did?
FT
4. Explain why you chose to represent
the Whole Brainers side the way
you did.
Use evidence from the text to support
your answers.
Card Stack 4: Short Answers and Discussion (10 min)
What: Explore how both schools of brain theory can use the same piece of evidence— Phineas—as proof of
their theories.
Card 4a
A
Why: Practice differentiating between the two theories’ logic as a way to distinguish one theory from the other,
as opposed to the knowledge that the theory is based on.
D
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the rough outlines]
Text Excerpt
Both sides use Phineas as proof of
their theories:
activity.
Reread the text to find one piece
of evidence that proves the
Phrenologists’ theory.
students may have.
Reread the text to find one piece
of evidence that proves the Whole
Brainers’ theory.
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Card 4b
Text Excerpt
Both sides are also wrong:
activity.
students may have.
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Reread the text to find one piece of
evidence that shows a misconception
the Phrenologists had about how the
brain works.
FT
Reread the text to find one piece of
evidence that shows a misconception
the Whole Brainers had about how the
brain works.
What: In a poll, students indicate which theory they agree with more—the Whole Brainers’ or the
Phrenologists.’ Explain why.
Why: When students explain why, they indicate to what extent they’ve absorbed the information about both
brain theories.
A
Card 5a
Activity type: Polling (5 min)
Text Excerpt
Which theory seems more
reasonable to you—Whole Brainer or
Phrenologist? Be prepared to answer
why.
Once students have chosen their side,
ask several volunteers to answer why
they chose that side.
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n/a
Stand to the right of the classroom for
Phrenologists.
class.
Stand to the left of the room for Whole
Brainers.
Solo
Text Excerpt
3, pages 53–64 [Half the world away]
[do you stop acting human?]
Read.
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C10
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Digging Up the Body: Harlow Rethinks AGAIN!
Lesson Brief
FT
Overview:
Though a seemingly simple text, Phineas Gage invites the reader to consider how sure we are of certain
knowledge. Fleischman’s description of Dr. Harlow’s work suggests that we can have a hunch, maintain doubt,
and continue to search with an open mind for new information. When Dr. Harlow learns of Wernicke’s and
Broca’s discoveries, he goes to great lengths to dig up Phineas’ body to confirm a hypothesis and settle some
doubts he had about Phineas’ brain injury all those years before. In order for students to understand why
Dr. Harlow wants to dig up Phineas’ dead body, they need to connect the dots from Wernicke’s and Broca’s
discoveries about the brain to Dr. Harlow’s treatment of Phineas 40 years earlier.
A
Fleischman presents Wernicke’s and Broca’s discoveries in a straightforward manner, so the lesson will not
instruct the students to reread for misunderstandings. Hopefully, by Lesson 10, you will see students taking the
initiative to read carefully, and to reread if necessary, to find the correct answer. Help them see and appreciate
the humility Dr. Harlow has, as an example of a true learner and seeker of knowledge.
Student-Facing Objective:
Why would Dr. Harlow, nearly 20 years after Phineas’ accident, go back and dig up Phineas’ body? Let’s get to
the bottom of this and see how we can explain Dr. Harlow’s behavior and what he might be trying to discover?
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Lesson Flow Image:
Vocabulary:
True/False: Now that you’ve just learned some new words that will be used in today’s lesson, let’s make sure
that you know the key facts about Wernicke’s and Broca’s discoveries.
Compare Answers: Let’s compare our answers to the correct answers and see where the misunderstandings
were.
Short Answer: Time to connect the dots from Wernicke’s and Broca’s discoveries to Dr. Harlow and his work
with Phineas.
Make a Claim: With our new understanding of how those scientific discoveries affected Dr. Harlow, write a
statement about what Dr. Harlow thinks now about Phineas’ recovery from his accident. Indicate how sure he is
of his knowledge after learning about Wernicke’s and Broca’s finds.
Spectrum of Certainty: Put Dr. Harlow on the Spectrum of Certainty and see where your classmates put him.
Misunderstanding Notebook Entry: Record your new findings in your Misunderstanding Notebook.
Closing: Let’s put the pieces of Phineas Gage’s story together and describe his impact on brain science.
Prep
Be prepared to project True/False questions and student responses beside correct answers.
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Reading
Excerpt: Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 3, pages 53–64 [Half the world away] [do you stop acting
human?]
Differentiation
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Skills [LR5] and Standards [LR6] :
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.5, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.8
Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the
whole and to the development of the ideas.
Rubrics
Student work (when available)
Vocab Words:
Drastically
Persistent
Subsequent
5 min
A
Generates
FT
Students have been tracking Dr. Harlow’s journey from misunderstanding to hunch to a complete rethinking
of his original assessment of Phineas as having a full recovery from his brain injury. In this lesson they have the
opportunity to look at the journey as a whole and place Phineas in the history of science.
Vocabulary
True/False, Broca’s and Wernicke’s Areas
Answer questions about Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas.
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11 min
Check answers.
Short Answer, Make a Claim, Spectrum of Certainty
17 min
Complete short answers about the impact of these discoveries on Dr. Harlow’s work.
Write a claim about Dr. Harlow’s level of certainty about Phineas’ case.
Place Dr. Harlow on the Spectrum of Certainty.
Misunderstanding Notebook Entry
7 min
3 min
Record a misunderstanding that Dr. Harlow had and add a new piece of evidence that helped him correct his
misunderstanding.
Closing
Poll
Student Summary
Why would Dr. Harlow, nearly 20 years later, go back and dig up Phineas’ body? How do we explain this? What
is he trying to discover?
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Lesson What:
Get the facts straight about Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas and then understand how that information caused
Dr. Harlow to reconsider the viability of his hunch about Phineas.
Lesson Why:
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After spending much of the unit trying to find the right answer and appreciating the role of noticing the
WRONG answer, students move beyond just right/wrong to questions of how to think about the level of
certainty of a scientist’s knowledge and their own knowledge. They see how new knowledge caused Dr. Harlow
to reconsider ideas he had had for decades in a new light—and students have the chance to review much of
what they have learned from Phineas’ case from the beginning of the unit.
Key Excerpts:
FT
[Half the world away] [do you stop acting human?] (53–64)
CCSS:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3 Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how
ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
A
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether
the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
Text Excerpt
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from Phineas Gage, chapter 3, pages
53–64 [Half the world away] [do you
stop acting human?]
Card Stack 2: True/False, Broca’s and Wernicke’s Areas (11 min)
What: True/False question to identify the role of Wernicke’s and Broca’s research.
Why: Students need clarity about the main insights from Broca’s and Wernicke’s research in order to consider
why the research had such an impact on Dr. Harlow.
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Card 2a
Activity Type: Check the “true” answers (5 min)
Text Excerpt
chapter 3, pages 53–56 [Half the
world away] [more detailed and more
localized]
The discovery of Wernicke’s and
Broca’s areas changed the path of
brain science.
Correct Answers:
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___Broca’s area controls the ability to
speak and Wernicke’s area controls
the ability to understand language.
Which facts are true about these two
areas?
CHECK AS MANY AS APPLY:
___These areas are proof that the
brain has localized functions.
FT
___These areas were discovered
by using low-voltage electricity
to stimulate points in the brain.
___Broca’s area controls the ability to
speak and Wernicke’s area controls
the ability to understand language.
___These areas can cause an
interruption of the blood supply
to the brain that causes localized
damage.
___Both areas are located in the
frontal lobe.
Card 2b
A
___These areas are proof that the
brain has localized functions.
Activity Type: Compare Answers (6 min)
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Text Excerpt
[more detailed and more localized]
How do your answers compare to the
correct answers?
Project the correct answers.
Notice and ask students to describe
the strategies they used to determine
the answers—key words, sequencing,
logic.
Card Stack 3: Short Answer, Make a Claim, Spectrum of Certainty (17 min)
What: Complete a short-answer question about the impact of the discovery of these areas of the brain on Dr.
Harlow, making a claim about his level of certainty in reference to his new findings, then placing him on the
Spectrum of Certainty.
Why: We’ve been tracking Dr. Harlow’s misunderstandings and are now going to observe how he corrects his
misunderstanding about Phineas’ brain injury, prompted by the discoveries of Broca and Wernicke.
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Card 3a
Activity Type: Pairs Work (5 min.)
Text Excerpt
students may have.
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Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 3, With a partner, answer the questions
pages 55–60 [The new scientific map] and be ready to share your responses
[how to be social]
with the class.
Why does the discovery of Broca’s
areas and Wernicke’s areas replace
the theories of Phrenologists and
Whole Brainers?
What does Dr. Harlow want to prove by
digging up Phineas’ brain?
Card 3b
Activity Type: Short Answer (5 min)
FT
What does Dr. Harlow reveal to the
audience at the Massachusetts
Medical Society?
Text: Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 3, pages 55–60 [The new scientific map] [how to be social]
Text Excerpt
A
Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 3, In three or four sentences, answer the
pages 55–60 [The new scientific map] following question, using evidence
[how to be social]
from the text.
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How does the discovery of Broca’s
area and Wernicke’s area impact Dr.
Harlow and his understanding of
Phineas’ brain injury?
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students may have.
Card 3c
Activity Type: Make a Claim (5 min)
Text: Excerpt from Phineas Gage, chapter 3, pages 53–64 [Half the world away] [do you stop acting human?]
In 1868, when Dr. Harlow speaks to
the Massachusetts Medical Society,
he says, “This case has been cited as
one of complete recovery…without
any impairment to the intellect,” but
in truth, Phineas’ personality changed
drastically after the accident.
Make yourself available to any student
who may need help.
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Text Excerpt
FT
Write a statement about Dr. Harlow’s
new understanding of Phineas’ case
by filling in the blanks.
Now that I have received new
information about how the brain
works from Broca’s and Wernicke’s
studies, I ______________________
(have a hunch, think, know, can prove)
that when Phineas left my care, he
was ______________________________.
A
Card 3d
Activity Type: Spectrum of Certainty (8 min)
Text Excerpt
Where does Dr. Harlow fall on the
Spectrum of Certainty?
After students choose their point on
the spectrum, designate four spots
in the room as each of the points and
have students stand by their choice.
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Spectrum of Certainty
has a hunch
thinks
knows
can prove
Ask one student from each group
to explain the reason for his or her
choice.
Card Stack 4: Misunderstanding Notebook Entry (7 min)
What: Students identify and record Dr. Harlow’s misunderstandings about Phineas’ brain injury in the
Misunderstanding Notebook. They may also record their new understandings about brain science and/or the
text.
Why: To see how new evidence can help us rethink and reach a new understanding.
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Card 4a
Activity Type: Misunderstanding Notebook Entry (7 min)
Turn to your Misunderstanding
Notebook.
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Text Excerpt
FT
Record a misunderstanding that Dr.
Harlow had and add a new piece of
evidence that helped him correct his
misunderstanding.
What: Final poll to put together the pieces of Phineas Gage and his impact on brain science.
Why: To understand the role Phineas played in turning brain theory into brain science.
Card 5a
Text Excerpt
n/a
Student facing: Raise your hand
when you agree with a statement.
Conduct the poll.
A
• Raise your hand if you learned
something new about Dr. Harlow.
class.
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• Raise your hand if you want to
learn more about the brain.
• Raise your hand if you didn’t
realize until now what a big
impact Phineas had on brain
science.
• Raise your hand if you had a
misunderstanding that you
corrected over the course of
reading this book.
Solo
Text Excerpt
Excerpt from “Demystifying the
Adolescent Brain” [Adolescents can
be mature] [changing most at that
stage]
Read
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C11
5 min
Vocabulary
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Brain Science 101
Read, Choose, Commit, Discuss
Students move through a cycle of reading, answering a question, and discussing to identify synapse
formation, synaptic pruning, and myelination.
Pairs Work
7 min
FT
27 min
Students pair with someone with a different answer to the final question in which they identify the image
that shows myelination, and then they come to an agreement about which answer is correct.
Find a piece of evidence from the text to support answers and record them.
Stand by NEW answers
Class Discussion
12 min
Class discussion about how these scientific processes impact adolescent behavior. The fMRI gives us the
picture of the brain in action, so we can study the link between behavioral changes and changes in the brain.
Closing
A
8 min
T/F in groups
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Student Summary:
We’ve seen what Dr. Harlow knew about the brain in the late 1800s from just looking AT it from the outside and
observing patients. We have new tools that let us look into it and see it working. Let’s take a look at what we
know now.
Lesson What:
Students learn about synapse formation, synaptic pruning, and myelination.
Lesson Why:
Students studied a narrative about brain science with Phineas Gage. Now they are looking at the modern
science of the brain—specifically, of the adolescent brain. They learn about certain chemical processes that
occur in the brain so that they can eventually link these changes to changes in behavior.
Key Excerpts:
Excerpt from “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain”
[Adolescents can be mature] [changing most at that stage]
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Targeted Skills:
Reading comprehension
CCSS:
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tone.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Teacher Prep:
FT
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.
Materials: Posters or sheets of images for the second activity.
Text Excerpt
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A
Adolescent Brain” [Adolescents can
be mature] [changing most at that
stage]
instruct them to read “Demystifying
the Adolescent Brain” [Adolescents
can be mature] [changing most at that
stage]
Card Stack 2: Read, Choose, Commit, Discuss (27 min)
What: Revealing what students know and misunderstand about synapse formation, synaptic pruning, and
myelination.
Why: Students have to grapple with a difficult scientific text to understand the connection between scientific
processes and behavior. The text requires careful reading and rereading and establishes the basis for their
understanding of the changes they are undergoing as adolescents.
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Card 2a
Activity type: Choose the correct answer (5 min)
Text: Excerpt “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” [The human brain contains] [adapt to changing
circumstances]
“Demystifying the Adolescent Brain”
[The human brain contains] [adapt to
changing circumstances]
1. Read along with your teacher.
Before students begin the activity,
use an explanation of the fMRI as
a transition from Phineas Gage to
“Demystifying the Adolescent Brain.”
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Text Excerpt
2. Choose the image that best shows
synapse formation. Underline a
piece of evidence from the text that
supports your answer.
Show them a picture of the fMRI.
FT
“We’ve seen what Dr. Harlow knew
about the brain in the late 1800s from
just looking AT it from the outside
and observing patients. We have new
tools that let us look into it and see
it working. One new tool is the fMRI,
which is a picture of the brain that
examines patterns of brain activity
while a person is performing a task.”
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A
Then read the excerpt on synapse
formation aloud and have them
answer the question individually.
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Card 2b
Activity type: Standing by your answer (2 min)
Text: “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” [The human brain contains] [adapt to changing circumstances]
When your teacher reads the
question, go to the side of the room
that has the image you chose.
Have the images posted around the
room.
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Text Excerpt
the question, they have to move to
the image/answer they chose. Read
the question out loud and record
question.
Card 2c
A
Activity type: Discuss (5 min)
FT
Teacher note: It’s worth having the
students move around because it’s a
literal commitment to their decision—
and it is a fun way to see how students
answered—and to quickly pair them
off after the last question is answered.
When students work in pairs, the
stakes will be higher.
Text: Excerpt “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” [The human brain contains] [adapt to changing
circumstances]
Text Excerpt
Be prepared to share your answer.
Tell students the correct answer: A
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Ask for students to notice the
similarities/differences in each other’s
answers—particularly if they called
out different pieces of evidence or
chose to describe the same evidence
in different ways.
Card 2d
Text: Excerpt “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” [Initially, the brain produces] [during that stage]
Text Excerpt
[Initially, the brain produces] [during
that stage]
Read the excerpt on synaptic pruning
aloud and have them answer the
question individually.
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A
FT
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synaptic pruning. Underline a piece
of evidence from the text that
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Card 2e
Activity type: Share and discuss (5 min)
Text: Excerpt “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” [Initially, the brain produces] [during that stage]
[Initially, the brain produces] [during
that stage]
Be prepared to share your answer.
Ask students to raise their hands
when you show the image/answer
they chose. Tally up the responses
beside each image.
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Text Excerpt
Tell students the correct answer: A
Card 2f
FT
Ask for students to notice the
similarities/differences in each other’s
in different ways.
Text: Excerpt “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” [Initially, neurons are “nude”] [at that stage]
[Initially, neurons are “nude”] [during
that stage]
Read the excerpt on myelination
aloud and have students answer the
question individually.
A
Text Excerpt
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myelination. Underline a piece
of evidence from the text that
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Card 2g
Text: “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” [Initially, neurons are “nude”] [during that stage]
[Initially, neurons are “nude”] [during
that stage]
that has the image you chose.
Have the images posted around the
room.
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Text Excerpt
the question, they have to move to
the image/answer they chose. Read
the question out loud and record
question.
FT
Now have students pair up with
someone who chose a different
answer.
Card Stack 3: Pairs Work (7 min)
What: Students work with partners to determine the correct answer to the final question. They find a piece of
evidence from the text and record it, explaining why they chose their answer.
Card 3a
A
Why: Students have worked with the teacher on how to approach and comprehend the difficult scientific text;
now it’s time for them to practice with a classmate.
Activity type: Pair work (5 min)
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Text: “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” [Adolescents can be mature] [changing most at that stage]
Text Excerpt
“Demystifying the Adolescent
Brain” [Adolescents can be mature]
[changing most at that stage]
With a partner who disagrees with
your answer, try to convince him
answer.
Record a piece of evidence from the
text for the answer, explaining why you
chose it, and then submit the answer.
Be prepared to discuss:
1. Why you did or did not revise your
answer.
2. What you notice about the class’
responses as a whole (when they are
posted).
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Card 3b
that has the image you and your
partner chose.
Tell students that when you read the
question—just as in the first activity—
they have to move to the image/
answer they chose. Read the question
out loud, and record responses as tally
marks under each question.
FT
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Text Excerpt
Card Stack 4: Class Discussion (8 min)
What: Discussion linking brain scientific processes to behavior. Students discuss their revised (or not) answers
with the class and begin hashing out what exactly all these processes are and how they impact behavior.
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A
Why: Understanding brain maturation is complex and requires comparing brain structure with brain activity.
Students need to comprehend the scientific processes (brain structure), such as synaptic pruning, in order to
see how they affect behavioral development (brain activity).
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Card 4a
Activity type: Class discussion (8 min)
Text Excerpt
Be prepared to discuss:
Cold call on a few teams to share why
they did or did not revise their answers.
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1. Why you did or did not revise your
answer.
2. The evidence you chose for your
answer.
Discuss how these processes impact
behavior.
“We’ve seen what Dr. Harlow knew
about the brain. Let’s look at what we
know now.”
FT
3. What you notice about the class’
Announce the correct answer to the
final question: A
Point out that the fMRI is what gives
us a picture of the brain while activity
occurs.
“This is how we will learn why we do
what we do. And once we know that,
we can begin to take charge of how we
want to be in the world.”
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A
Key facts students need to know:
• A synapse is the gap between
neurons that acts as a bridge for
signals to cross from one neuron
to another. The development of
connections (synapses) between
neurons occurs throughout life but
peaks at different times.
• Synaptic pruning gets rid of the
synapses we aren’t using, to
allow the ones we are using to
communicate more effectively
with each other, which improves
brain functioning.
Teacher’s note: It is not in the text, but
let students know that pruning works
from the back of the brain to the front,
so the frontal lobe is the last to undergo
these structural changes.
• Myelination improves the brain’s
ability to transmit information,
which helps with the development
of skills such as impulse control.
Give students this stat (not in the text):
Cells covered with myelin transmit
impulses up to 100 times faster than
unmyelinated cells—like a high-speed
Internet connection vs. a dial-up.
What: Students answer true/false questions in groups.
Why: To get a sense of student comprehension of the scientific processes.
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Card 5a
Activity type: T/F in groups (12 min)
Get into your group and prepare for
the True/False round to test your
knowledge of brain science. You have
five minutes to answer the questions.
Underline the part of the text that
Students count off 1 to 6, then form
groups according to number (all 1s in
a group, etc.).
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Text Excerpt
Answer True or False:
1. False
FT
___An fMRI is used to examine only
the brain’s structure.
Once time is up, call on each group to
answer a question and show the class
the portion of the text where they
got their answer. Give students the
correct answers.
___Synaptic pruning is important
because it sharpens the brain’s
functioning.
___The brain gets larger during
adolescence.
___Myelination slows down the brain’s
ability to transmit information.
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A
___Neurotransmitters are chemicals
that carry information through
gaps between neurons.
An fMRI gives us a picture of the
brain, not just to study the structure,
but also to study how it functions
when a person is doing an activity,
which helps us study the link between
behavioral changes and changes in
the brain.
2. True
Synaptic pruning gets rid of the
synapses we aren’t using, to allow the
ones we are using to communicate
more effectively with each other,
which improves brain functioning.
3. False
Bigger is not better in terms of brain
function. Think of how the muscles
become more pronounced and efficient
when fatty tissue is burned off.
4. False
Myelination improves the brain’s
ability to transmit information, which
helps with the development of skills
such as impulse control.
5. True
Tell students that they will learn
about a specific neurotransmitter,
dopamine, in the following lesson. The
text does not tell them dopamine is a
neurotransmitter, so make sure that
you tell them.
Solo
Text Excerpt
“Demystifying the Adolescent Brain,”
[During adolescence, the brain is
remodeled] [having a skilled driver
behind the wheel]
Read
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C11: Student Worksheet
B.B.
neurotransmitters
storage vesicle
containing
neurotransmitters
FT
A.A.
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2. Choose the image that best shows: Synapse formation. Underline a piece of evidence from the text
that supports your answer.
neurotransmitters
storage vesicle
containing
neurotransmitters
A
receptor
receptor
cell membrane
cell membrane
SIGNAL-RECEIVING
NEURON
SIGNAL-EMITTING
NEURON
SIGNAL-RECEIVING
NEURON
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SIGNAL-EMITTING
NEURON
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2. Choose the image that best shows: Synaptic Pruning. Underline a piece of evidence from the text
that supports your answer.
B.B.
Stages in Synaptic Density:
Infancy
Stages in Synaptic Density:
Adolescence
Birth
Infancy
Adolescence
FT
Birth
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A.A.
NEURONS
MORE DENSE
MOST DENSE
D
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LEAST DENSE
A
NEURONS
LEAST DENSE
MOST DENSE
LESS DENSE
2. Choose the image that best shows: Myelination. Underline a piece of evidence from the text that
A.A.
high impulse
speed
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B.B.
high impulse
speed
C12
5 min
Vocabulary
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Dopamine and the Adolescent Brain
Drag and Drop, Poll, Discussion, Writing
17 min
Poll
Discussion
FT
Hunt for terms that have something to do with dopamine.
Write a paragraph about dopamine, using terms generated from poll and drag and drop.
Partner Work and Class Discussion
Share writing with a partner and respond to questions together.
Class discussion on what dopamine is, what it is responsible for, and how it impacts the adolescent brain
and, consequently, adolescent behavior.
A
13 min
Writing Prompt
10 min
Writing Prompt:
People who are under 25 years old get in more car accidents when driving than people over 25 years old.
Explain why, using evidence from the text.
Closing
D
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5 min
Share writing.
Student Summary:
Ever wondered why we do things that we know aren’t such a good idea? Today we are going to explore the
scientific reasons why.
Lesson What:
Students learn about dopamine and how it impacts adolescent behavior.
Lesson Why:
Students began linking brain changes to changes in behavior in the previous lesson. Today they begin to
explore how these changes in the brain, specifically the increase in dopamine activity during adolescence, drive
adolescent behavior.
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Key Excerpts:
Excerpt from “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain”
[During adolescence, the brain is remodeled] [a skilled driver behind the wheel]
CCSS:
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Targeted Skills:
tone.
FT
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
Text Excerpt
the Adolescent Brain” [During
adolescence, the brain is remodeled]
[a skilled driver behind the wheel]
D
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A
Excerpt from “Demystifying
the Adolescent Brain” [During
adolescence, the brain is remodeled]
[a skilled driver behind the wheel]
Card Stack 2: Drag and Drop, Poll, Discussion, Writing (17 min)
What: Generate a list of words/phrases related to dopamine.
Why: Students start to notice which words will be most useful when trying to explain dopamine.
Card 2a
Activity type: Word/phrase hunt (5 min)
Text: Excerpt from “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” [During adolescence, the brain is remodeled] [a skilled
driver behind the wheel]
Text Excerpt
remodeled] [a skilled driver behind
the wheel]
Drag and drop any word or phrase that
seems to help explain dopamine into
the text box.
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Card 2b
Activity type: Poll (2 min)
the wheel]
Choose the word or phrase that
you think explains the essence of
dopamine.
Notice that here you are not looking
for right or wrong answers. You want
students to show preferences for
using particular words to clarify the
meaning of a scientific concept.
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Text Excerpt
____Risky things
____Pleasure
____Rapid increase in adolescence
FT
____Brain’s reward center
____Rewarding experiences
____Intensity
____Driving fast
____Foolish things
____Chemical substance
Card 2c
A
Activity type: Discussion (5 min)
Text Excerpt
Notice which words or phrases were
chosen the most.
D
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the wheel]
Be prepared to point to the text and
use the word or phrase you chose to
explain how dopamine works.
Card 2d
Text Excerpt
the wheel]
Write a paragraph using at least three
of the terms from the poll, and more
that you put in your own text box, to
explain how dopamine functions in the
brain.
The words/phrases are displayed on
the tablets.
OTSCs.
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Card Stack 3: Partner Work and Class Discussion (13 min)
What: Check your facts on dopamine activity in adolescence.
Card 3a
Activity type: Pair and share (8 min)
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Why: Students should see that the facts really matter when they are explaining scientific concepts, but that
two people might explain the same thing differently.
the wheel]
With a partner:
OTSCs.
FT
Text Excerpt
Read your paragraphs to each other.
Check your paragraphs to see if they
agree in the following areas:
• What is the definition of
dopamine?
• What feelings is dopamine
responsible for?
• How does dopamine affect the
adolescent brain in particular?
A
• For what types of behaviors is
dopamine responsible?
Fill in the chart together (below).
Paragraphs agree
D
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Definition of
dopamine
Feelings dopamine is
responsible for
How dopamine affects
the adolescent brain
Behaviors dopamine is
responsible for
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How Partner A’s is different
How Partner B’s is different
Card 3b
Activity type: Class discussion (5 min)
Text Excerpt
Call on a couple of volunteers to read
their paragraphs.
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the wheel]
After each volunteer shares, students
respond to the questions.
Provide correct answers:
FT
• Definition of dopamine:
Neurotransmitter
• What it does: Responsible for the
feeling of pleasure
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• How it affects the adolescent
brain: More dopamine activity in
the brain’s reward center during
adolescence than at any other
time of life
• The behaviors that occur because
of its activity in the brain: risky
and foolish behavior like drunk
driving and speeding—without
thinking about the consequences.
“They’re so driven to seek pleasure
that they may not pay attention to the
associated risks.”
What: Students complete a writing prompt.
Why: Use this to determine if students can apply their new understanding of dopamine to a real-life scenario.
Card 4a
Activity type: Writing Prompt (10 min)
Text Excerpt
the wheel]
Writing Prompt:
OTSCs.
People who are under 25 years old get
in more car accidents when driving
than people over 25 years old. Explain
why, using evidence from the text.
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What: Students share.
Why: Students get a sense of their classmates’ understanding of dopamine and its impact on behavior.
Card 5a
Activity type: Share (5 min)
the wheel]
Solo
Ask for a couple of volunteers to share
their writing.
Ask students to say which evidence
they found particularly compelling.
[Psychologists draw a distinction]
[behavior will improve]
Read
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Text Excerpt
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Text Excerpt
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C13
5 min
Vocabulary
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Hot Cognition and Cold Cognition
Short Answer, Pair Work, Discussion
Short-answer question defining hot and cold cognition
Pair work revising the answer
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15 min
Discussion around the answers
T-Chart in Pairs, Discussion
15 min
T-Chart for hot cognition and cold cognition, including behaviors, developmental periods, and what’s
happening in the adolescent brain
Discussion
3 min
Writing Prompt
A
10 min
Short answer using graph as a visual aide, along with the text
Closing
Sharing
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Student Summary
Let’s put it all together. If the reasoning part of our brain is well developed in adolescence, why do we still do
things that don’t make much sense?
Lesson What
Students learn about hot cognition and cold cognition.
Lesson Why
In the previous lesson, students learned about dopamine, a neurotransmitter that causes us to feel pleasure
and thus can result in immature behavior. Today they learn about the concepts of hot cognition and cold
cognition, which will help them link all the disparate developments in the adolescent brain and get the full
picture of why adolescents behave the way they do.
Key Excerpts
Excerpt from “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain,” excerpt from Lesson 12 on dopamine, and excerpt from
Lesson 11
[Psychologists draw a distinction] [behavior will improve] (“Demystifying the Adolescent Brain”)
[We now know][their radar screen] (excerpt from Lesson 12)
[In general, the development of synapses][most at that stage] (excerpt from Lesson 11)
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Targeted Skills
CCSS:
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tone.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
Text Excerpt
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A
Adolescent Brain” [Psychologists draw
a distinction] [behavior will improve]
the Adolescent Brain” [Psychologists
draw a distinction] [behavior will
improve]
Card Stack 2: Short Answer, Pair Work, Discussion (15 min)
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What: Students answer questions about the definitions of hot and cold cognition.
Why: In order to begin understanding how these terms fit into adolescent behavior, students need a definition.
Card 2a
Text: Excerpt “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” [Psychologists draw a distinction] [behavior will improve]
Text Excerpt
Answer the following questions, using
the text:
What sorts of behaviors does the
author use the term “hot cognition” to
describe?
What sorts of behaviors does the
author use the term “cold cognition”
to describe?
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Card 2b
Activity type: Pair Work (5 min)
Text: “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” [Psychologists draw a distinction] [behavior will improve]
Share your answer with your neighbor.
Decide together what the correct
answer is and revise it in your own
words.
Card 2c
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Text Excerpt
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Text Excerpt
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Call on several students to share their
answers.
Hot cognition is responsible for
emotional reactions.
Examples: Throwing a punch at
someone who insults your girlfriend,
joyriding with friends, jumping up and
down with excitement.
Cold cognition is responsible for
factual, unemotional responses.
Examples: Solving an algebra
problem, making a decision based on
factual information.
Use school elections as a way to
explain the difference between hot
and cold cognition.
“In a school election, hot cognition
would mean your decision for school
president is based on emotion: that
you like her or him or that you think
he or she is cute, etc. Cold cognition
would mean you are basing your
decision on factual information to
determine suitability: is the candidate
responsible, does the candidate have
experience in a leadership position?”
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Card Stack 3: T-Chart in Pairs, Discussion (15 min)
What: Students create a T-Chart for hot and cold cognition.
Card 3a
Activity type: T-Chart (8 min)
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Why: Once students have defined the terms and worked on further understanding them with a partner, they
can begin linking hot and cold cognition to what happens in the adolescent brain under their influence.
Text: Excerpt “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” [Psychologists draw a distinction] [behavior will improve];
excerpt from Lesson 12 on dopamine [We now know][their radar screen]; and excerpt from Lesson 11 [In
general, the development of synapses][most at that stage]
With a partner:
Fill in the T-Chart with behaviors that
fall under each category, when each
system develops fully, and what’s
Excerpt from Lesson 12 on dopamine
happening in the brain. Use your list
[We now know][their radar screen]
from the previous lesson if you’d like
Excerpt from Lesson 11 [In general, the to.
development of synapses][most at
that stage]
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Text Excerpt
Card 3b
Text: “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” [Psychologists draw a distinction][behavior will improve]
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What: Answer a writing prompt referring to textual evidence and evidence from a chart and graph.
Card 4a
Activity type: Writing Prompt (10 min)
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Why: Use the opportunity to assess students’ ability to interpret the text and the chart, based on how well they
can describe the evidence and connect it to hot and cold cognition.
Using your chart, the graph, and
evidence from the text, respond in
writing:
OTSCs.
Excerpt from Lesson 12 on dopamine
[We now know][their radar screen]
Why do teenagers who are capable of
logical reasoning do foolish things?
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Excerpt from Lesson 11 [In general, the
development of synapses][most at
that stage]
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Text Excerpt
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Card Stack 5: Closing
What: Students share their answers.
Card 5a
Activity type: Sharing (3 min)
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Why: To get a sense of their classmates’ understanding of hot and cold cognition and its impact on adolescent
behavior.
Solo
Ask for a couple of volunteers to share
their answers.
Ask students to notice the similarities
and differences in each other’s
in different ways.
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Prepare for the Quest.
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Text Excerpt
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Student Chart
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Student Worksheet
Graph 2
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Graph 1
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Writing Skills in Essay
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Read the Rubric for Writing Skills in Essay on the following page and decide if you are going to
grade your students in Focus, Using Evidence, Logical Structure, Introduction, and/or Conventions.
For each skill that you are grading, read each descriptor and choose the one that most accurately
matches each individual student’s performance. For struggling students, you may want to reduce the
number of skills assessed in order to help them focus on making steadier progress with fewer skills.
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Please note that when you communicate essay grades with students, it is important to provide
authentic written feedback in addition to the grades. Since students are inclined to take feedback
on essays very seriously and place high importance on the grade they receive, it’s important to
write targeted comments about specific places in the text that help them notice the impact they are
having on readers. Make it clear that while the rubric-based feedback provides them with helpful
information about their performance on the piece, the ultimate goal is to improve their ability to have
an impact on a reader.
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2= Developing
Proficiency
1= No Progress
Toward Proficiency
Throughout the essay,
all sentences develop
one overall idea.
most sentences
develop one overall
idea.
some sentences
develop one overall
idea.
almost none of the
sentences develop one
overall idea.
The student describes
what s/he notices in
most pieces of textual
evidence and explains
the connection
between most of the
evidence and the
overall idea.
some pieces of textual
the connection
between some of
the evidence and the
overall idea.
The student does
not describe what s/
he notices in textual
evidence or does not
explain the connection
between the evidence
and the overall idea.
Within each
paragraph, all
sentences focus on a
clearly defined portion
of the overall idea.
Within each
paragraph, some
Within each
paragraph, no
all pieces of textual
the connection
between all of the
evidence and the
overall idea.
Within each
paragraph, all
Transitions clearly
indicate which portion
of the overall idea is
being discussed.
Transitions are present
but don’t clearly define
which portion of the
overall idea is being
discussed.
The overall idea is
clearly defined.
The overall idea is
defined.
The overall idea is
somewhat defined.
An engaging lead that
is closely connected
to the overall idea is
included.
A lead that is
connected to the
overall idea is included.
A lead that is
somewhat connected
to the overall idea is
included.
There are almost no
errors in grammar or
usage.
There are a few
distracting errors in
grammar and usage,
but meaning is clear.
There are multiple
distracting errors
in grammar
and usage that
occasionally impede
understanding.
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Logical
Structure
3= Proficient
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Using
Evidence
4= Exceeds
Expectations
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Rubric for Writing Skills in Essay
Introduction
Conventions
OR
The essay is
not divided into
paragraphs.
The overall idea is not
defined.
AND/OR
A lead that is
connected to the
overall idea is not
included.
There are multiple
distracting errors in
grammar and usage
that often impede
understanding.
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QUESTS: Background
A Quest is a series of lessons that uses the language of games and adventure to motivate students to read a
text closely and to write about it more expressively. Each Quest is different, based on the individual core text
that students are reading, but each unfolds as an original long-form narrative that plunges students deeper
into the text and envelops them in its historical context.
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In this immersive environment, Quests harness students’ curiosity and competitive drive and compel them
toward a specific goal. When students study the works of Edgar Allan Poe, for example, the Quest plays out as a
macabre murder mystery which teams of students must solve. During the Quest they read fascinating primary
source documents while a variety of other elements—such as music, cartoons, photographs, and interactive
tablet experiences—create a multimedia adventure that doesn’t feel like school.
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In addition, the collaborative nature of Quests raises the stakes for individual students, who must rise to the
challenge of the material they’re studying to help their teams succeed. During a Quest, students may be
asked to inform the rest of the class of the contents of source documents. Students also learn the meanings
of vocabulary words from context and pass those meanings on to their peers. Discussing their thoughts and
impressions and sharing their insights with their classmates are fundamental components of these special
lessons. Quests are learning experiences, but at the same time they provide opportunities for students to
teach.
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While exercising core skills, Quests provide an opportunity for students to master difficult texts in a way that
is dynamic, empowering, and fun!
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SUBJECT TO CHANGE
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SUMMARY
Unit C Quest: Perception Academy
The Perception Academy Quest is a series of linked activities that focuses on brain disorders
and how they affect what we perceive and how we respond to the world around us. Students
move through the periods of a school day as though they had one of the perception disorders
described in Oliver Sacks’s book The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. The Quest builds on
the work students have been doing in Unit C and helps them master the challenging neurological
concepts in Sacks’s non-fiction text. Perception Academy makes the study of the brain so
compelling and accessible that it builds students’ confidence and helps them approach difficult
non-fiction texts with less anxiety.
The Quest, which covers lessons 14-18, is structured like a medical thriller: On an ordinary
morning, students are involved in a minor school bus fender bender on the way to school. They
experience the crash via audio recording though their headphones. While “walking” the rest of
the way to school, they hear narration detailing the eerie “symptoms” of altered perception—
something is clearly amiss, but students don’t yet understand what it is. At school, augmented
reality software distorts students’ tabletized school breakfast, offering more evidence of the
mind-bending changes going on inside them. Finally, in ELA, they read case studies in Sacks’s
book, which detail the powerful forces that have commandeered their perception—they are
suffering from neurological disorders, the result of brain trauma.
Soon, students are exploring the implications of five distinct maladies on all facets of their
daily life. They play a card game, created for the Quest, that helps them confront their new
limitations, and then they practice cooperative problem-solving skills with a partner to complete
a challenging task. The Quest concludes with a collaborative writing assignment in which
students use the knowledge they’ve acquired of all five disorders and create a scenario that
explains the circumstances of that morning’s bus accident. For an entire afternoon, students feel
the constraints of a life in which the brain has failed to function reliably, thereby widening and
deepening their understanding of the brain, its functions, and its fundamental importance to the
quality of life and, indeed, to the survival of all living creatures.
Over the course of the Quest, students will also watch a series of videos, each presenting
testimony from a real person experiencing one of the disorders that students are studying. Dr.
Sacks himself has “face blindness,” the inability to recognize faces, even of loved ones. Like the
simulated experiences students go through, these videos serve to create awareness, empathy,
and respect for the real people described in Sacks’s work.
The Unit C Quest covers these Common Core State Standards (CCSS): Literacy.SL.7.1b,
SL.7.1c, RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.3, RI.7.9
CONFIDENTIAL &
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
The Perception Academy Quest Summary
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ESSAY UNIT :
Writing a Response
to Text Essay
LESSONS
••
Lesson 19: Comparing “Visual Neglect” to “Eyes Right”
••
••
••
Lesson 22: Flex Day
••
••
Lesson 24: Writing an Introductory Paragraph and Editing the
Essay
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LESSON
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19
Comparing “Visual Neglect” to
“Eyes Right”
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Lesson Overview for Teachers
In this lesson, students review the video “Visual Neglect” from the Quest and an
excerpt from the chapter “Eyes Right” from Oliver Sacks’ The Man Who Mistook
His Wife for a Hat to refamiliarize themselves with the material and to practice
finding similarities between the two patients (students will be reading a sample
essay based on these two sources in the next Solo). Students are then briefly
introduced to the Response to Text Essay Prompt that they will begin working
on in the next lesson. Students will reread passages from “Demystifying the
Adolescent Brain” to begin to identify textual evidence of teenage behaviors.
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Lesson Objectives for Teachers
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Reading Objective: The students will identify similarities between two patients
who suffer from a similar brain disorder in “Visual Neglect” and an excerpt from
“Eyes Right” in order to prepare for writing the essay. Then students will reread
passages from “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” to identify textual evidence
of teenage actions and behaviors for their essay.
Target Skills
Developing: Gathering evidence to support a claim (e.g., debate, argument
in essay)
Practicing: Rereading
Teacher Prep
1. Have on hand a tablet to display the video “Visual Neglect” from the PBS
program Secrets of the Mind.
2. Have on hand chart paper or access to a board.
3. Have on hand highlighters.
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Professional Development
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Today’s lesson is a transition from the Quest into the essay unit. Therefore, the structure
is a bit different than other lessons and does not include a five-minute Independent Work
session at the start of the lesson. Lesson 20 is the beginning of the Response to Text Essay
unit. During the five lessons of the unit, students will synthesize what they have learned
from two different texts and integrate that information in a polished essay. The essay
prompt asks students to find evidence from two different sources to support a claim,
which is a skill that students have been practicing in this unit. By giving students some
time at the end of class to start rereading and finding evidence, the task won’t seem as
daunting when they continue on their own for their Solos.
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By reviewing the video “Visual Neglect” and an excerpt from the chapter “Eyes Right,”
from The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, students have the opportunity to practice
finding similarities between two “texts” (sources), a skill they will need when they start
to gather evidence to support their claim in their Response to Text Essay. By referencing
materials that they just encountered during the Quest, the transition into the essay writing
lessons will be smoother. Additionally, the subject matter will engage students because
the patients discussed in both texts have a very unusual yet fascinating brain disorder. The
hope is that students will be so interested in this material, especially after their hands-on
experience with the Quest, that their approach to the essay assignment will be a positive
one.
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Targeted Instruction—Reviewing “Visual Neglect” and “Eyes Right”
and Introducing the Response to Text Essay (19 min)
Today we are going to revisit the video “Visual Neglect” that you
watched during the Quest.
Have students turn to the Visual Neglect Chart in their resource books. Read it aloud.
As you watch, pay attention to Peggy’s actions and jot down some notes
about what the doctors say causes her to do what she does.
Show the three-minute video “Visual Neglect.” Have students take notes as they watch.
You can show the video twice if there is time and if students need a second viewing.
Turn and talk with the person sitting next to you. Talk about some of the
things, that you noticed Peggy did and the reasons the doctor provided
for Peggy’s behavior.
Give students 1–2 minutes to turn and talk with a partner about the video.
Cold call on two or three pairs of students to share what they discussed. Make a list on a
T-Chart on the board or chart paper that details Peggy’s actions and what causes them.
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Now you’re going to go into the Perception Academy app on
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your tablets to revisit one of the case studies you read during
the Quest. After opening the app, tap the button in the top
left corner to open your navigational menu. From there, tap on
RECESS, and pull the text-viewer up from the bottom of the
screen. Tap the tab that says “Mrs. S.”
Before you begin to reread this case study, let’s go over the
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directions for Activity 1.
Remind students that if they encounter an unfamiliar word, they should try to
figure out the word from context. If necessary, they can refer to the Lesson 19
Dictionary.
Have students turn to Activity 1 in their resource books. Read it aloud.
AC T I V I T Y 1
On your tablets, reread the excerpt from “Eyes Right,” the case study about Mrs. S.
Find descriptions of Mrs. S. in the text that are similar to the things you saw Peggy do
in the video.
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On your Eyes Right Chart, write the phrases and sentences you find in the text that
show their similarities.
Remember, we are taking a second look at these items so you
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can compare two different sources, a video and a text, that you
are familiar with. Plus, you need to be familiar with them in
order to do tonight’s Solo.
Give students 3–5 minutes to silently read and fill in the chart.
Ask two or three students to share what they found in the text and to explain
the similarities. As students share, write the similarities on the board or on
chart paper.
Possible Correct Answer:
Both ignore the left side of their visual fields.
Both have perception issues.
Both only pay attention to the right side of their vision.
Both don’t see things the way they really are.
Both know they aren’t drawing left but can’t seem to do it
“The systems of the brain responsible for cold cognition are mature by the
time most individuals are 16.” (87)
“systems that control hot cognition aren’t—they’re still developing well into
the 20s.” (87)
We looked at this text and this video to practice finding the
similarities between the two. In the same way that these both
showed similarities in brain function, the texts that you read
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during this unit about Phineas Gage and adolescents are also
similar.
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You are going to write about the similarities between teenagers
and Phineas Gage in your next assignment: A Response to Text
Essay.
Briefly introduce the Essay Prompt.
In the next few lessons, you will write an essay using both
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of the texts we read during this unit, Phineas Gage and
Display the Essay Prompt. Read it aloud.
Explain to students that they are just looking at the prompt right now, and that
they won’t begin writing just yet. They will first start to identify the details in the
texts that will support their claim.
E S S AY P R O M P T
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Explain how adolescent behavior* can be similar to the behavior of someone who is
suffering from pre-frontal cortex damage.
Use details from “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” and Phineas Gage to support your
claim.
* The term “adolescent behavior” refers to actions or abilities that teens might do or
have.
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You just found similarities in brain functions between Peggy and
Mrs. S. For this essay, you will make a claim about the similarities
between the behaviors of adolescents and someone with prefrontal cortex damage, such as Phineas, using details from each
text to support your claim and convince your reader.
Work Session (20 min)
The next activity is to be done at the students’ own pace. Some students will
need more time and can finish for their Solo.
You are going to start looking for evidence to include in
your essay. You will start with the article, “Demystifying the
Adolescent Brain.” You are going to reread a few short passages
and look for examples of adolescent behaviors.
Don’t worry if you don’t finish these activities in class. You will
be able to finish them for your Solo.
Hand out highlighters.
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AC T I V I T Y 2
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Turn to “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” in your resource book. Reread, starting
on page 85 (“What This Means for the Adolescent Brain…”) and ending on page 88,
paragraph 4 (“…their own behavior will improve”).
Highlight at least four pieces of evidence that show adolescent behaviors or
adolescent actions.
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Remember to highlight only the phrases and sentences that you need to show
adolescent behavior. You should not highlight whole paragraphs.
Give students 20 minutes to complete the activity. Circulate around the room
using OTSCs to reinforce skills. If you have Hummingbird, use it to record your
interactions with students during OTSCs.
I see that you highlighted that teenagers are so “driven to seek
pleasure that they may not pay attention to the associated
risks” (86). This is strong textual evidence of a common
teenage behavior of taking risks and not thinking of the
consequences of those risks.
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I like that you have highlighted “the fact that teenagers’ ability
to control their impulses is immature at the same time that
their interest in sensation seeking is stronger than ever makes
them vulnerable to making mistakes” (87). This quote shows
that you understand that not being able to control impulses is
an adolescent behavior.
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Remember to highlight the examples of the behaviors or the
teenage actions in the text, too. You can find some in the
paragraph that starts with “The urge to seek out rewarding and
pleasurable experiences…” (86)
Right here you have highlighted this whole paragraph. Some
sentences from this paragraph show adolescent behaviors, but
not all of them. You need to highlight only the sentences that
show those behaviors. I will check back in a few minutes to see
which sentences you have pulled out.
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Closing (1 min)
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Give students positive feedback about something specific that occurred in class. For
example, point out a way students met a particular expectation for classroom routines and/
or praise something related to their skill development.
Nice job finding similarities between the video and the text today and
identifying adolescent behaviors.
I was really impressed with how many of you only highlighted the
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important sentences and not the whole paragraph. Well done!
Remind students to complete the Solo for the next lesson, provided at the end of Lesson 19
in their resource books.
Estimated time to complete the Solo: 20 minutes
After Class
In the next lesson, students will be asked to refer back to the Phineas Gage Chart from
Lesson 5 in order to compare Phineas’ behavior to adolescents’ behaviors.
The next lesson will be the official start of the essay sequence. The essay unit is five lessons:
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Lesson 22: Flex Day
This lesson is designed to give teachers the opportunity to differentiate instruction and
support to students as they develop their essays.
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Lesson 24: Writing an Introductory Paragraph and Editing the Essay
Before you start the essay unit, make sure to familiarize yourself with each lesson by reading
the lesson overviews, objectives, teacher prep, and after class notes.
Each essay lesson will have a brief targeted instruction period before students use the
rest of the class as a work session to complete their writing. This way, you will have ample
time to circulate and do OTSCs to differentiate your instruction so that all students can be
successful with the essay.
Solo
1. If you didn’t finish the in-class reading, finish the reading now. Begin at “What This Means for the
Adolescent Brain” and stop after reading “…their own behavior will improve” from “Demystifying
the Adolescent Brain.”
2. Highlight at least four pieces of evidence that show adolescent behavior. Remember to highlight
only the phrases and sentences that you need to show adolescent behavior. You should not
highlight whole paragraphs.
3. Complete the Sample Response to Text Essay worksheet.
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Name:__________________________________________________
Date:_________________________
Instructions
1. Read the sample essay.
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Sample Response to Text Essay
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2.Highlight the writer’s claim.
3.Underline the textual evidence from the sources.
4.Make sure to check your answers so you are ready to write your own claim in the next lesson.
Seeing Only One Side of Things
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Here’s an amazing fact that most people don’t know: two
people can be looking at the exact same thing, but see something
different because of the way their brain works. Most people think
it’s a person’s eyes that see, but it’s actually the person’s brain
doing the work. A brain injury can change what the person sees,
even if the person’s eyes are not damaged and are totally normal
and functioning. The video “Visual Neglect” from NOVA’s Secrets of
the Mind shows a stroke patient, Peggy, who can only see what her
damaged brain lets her see. Because of her stroke she can only see
the left sides of things. Just like Peggy, Mrs. S. from Oliver Sacks’
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat also ignores the left side of
things when she looks at them. In both cases, they have problems
with their brains that cause them to neglect the left side of their
vision, showing that the brain controls what we see, not the eyeballs!
In the video, we see Peggy showing how her brain ignores the left
side of things. She is asked to draw a daisy, and she draws one with
the entire left side of the flower missing. She is not even aware of the
fact that she’s drawn only the right half of a flower until someone
tells her. Peter Halligan, a doctor in the video, states, “The radar
system on the left-hand side is no longer working well” (Secrets
of the Mind). The part of her brain damaged by the stroke is the
parietal lobes. That is the part responsible for seeing whole images.
Another doctor says, “The parietal lobes are concerned mainly with
creating a three-dimensional representation of the special layout of
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the world…When the right brain is damaged, the person is unable to
deal with the left side of the world” (Secrets of the Mind). The doctor
explains that people who have damage in the parietal lobes will have
problems seeing the world the way most people see it. They see
only half of things, not the whole. If the right lobe is harmed, then a
person will have problems seeing the left side.
A
FT
In the chapter “Eyes Right” of The Man Who Mistook His Wife
for a Hat, Mrs. S. is diagnosed with “hemi-inattention.” Sacks writes,
“Sometimes, she will put on lipstick, and make up the right half of
her face, leaving the left half completely neglected” (77). In this
quote, Sacks shows how Mrs. S. also ignores the left side of things.
Mrs. S. developed ways to deal with this disability, though. She uses
a special rotating wheelchair to move her body so that she can eat
from both sides of her plate, not just the right side. Sacks explains
that Mrs. S. swivels “her chair to the right, keeping her eyes to the
right, until the previously missed half now comes into view” (78). Her
“hemi-inattention” causes her to ignore the left side of her visual
field, but she knows this and has learned ways to cope with it.
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In “Visual Neglect” and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a
Hat, the patients have trouble seeing things on the left side of them
because they have a similar type of brain damage. If you were a
neurologist and you watched Mrs. S. put makeup on only the right
side of her face, or watched Peggy draw only the right side of a
flower, you’d be able to figure out exactly where the problem was in
their brains. In both cases, the patients’ eyes are just fine. It’s their
brains that are causing them to ignore the left side. The stories of
Peggy and Mrs. S. show us that we rely on our brains to make sense
of everything we see and put it all together as a whole.
Check your work by comparing it with the correct response on
the next page.
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Correct Response:
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Two people could be looking at the exact same thing, but what
each person actually sees may be very different. A person’s brain
structure can change the way he or she sees the world, even if the
person’s vision is completely intact. The video “Visual Neglect” from
NOVA’s Secrets of the Mind shows a stroke patient, Peggy, whose
perception of the world is, like everyone else’s, entirely controlled
by her brain. However, unlike most people, she has no awareness of
the left sides of things. In the same way, Mrs. S. from Oliver Sacks’
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, experiences distortion in
her perception. She also ignores the left side of her visual field. Both
individuals experience problems in the way they see things because
a neurological disorder causes them to neglect the left side of their
vision.
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A
In the video, Peggy shows how her brain ignores the left side of
things. She is asked to draw a daisy, and when she completes the
drawing, the entire left side of the flower is missing. She only draws
the right side of the flower. She is not even aware of this until it’s
pointed out to her. Peter Halligan, a doctor in the video, states, “The
radar system on the left-hand side is no longer working well” (Secrets
of the Mind). This means that the part of her brain responsible for
seeing whole images isn’t functioning properly. This was caused by
a stroke in the parietal lobes of her brain, which caused her to leave
off the left side of the picture. Another doctor states, “The parietal
lobes are concerned mainly with creating a three-dimensional
representation of the special layout of the world…When the right
brain is damaged, the person is unable to deal with the left side of
the world” (Secrets of the Mind). The doctor is saying that people
who have damage in the parietal lobes will have problems seeing the
world the way most people see it. If the right lobe is harmed, then a
person will have problems seeing the left side. This shows that Peggy
experiences a problem in the way she sees things.
In the chapter “Eyes Right” of The Man Who Mistook His Wife
for a Hat, Mrs. S. is also a patient who cannot see things on the left
side of her vision. She is diagnosed with “hemi-inattention.” Sacks
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writes, “Sometimes, she will put on lipstick, and make up the right half
of her face, leaving the left half completely neglected” (77). In this quote,
Sacks describes how Mrs. S. will only put makeup on the right side of her
face and leave her left side blank. This shows how Mrs. S. also ignores the
left side of things. Mrs. S. has developed ways to deal with this disability,
though. She uses her special rotating wheelchair. Sacks explains that
when Mrs. S. eats, if the portion on her plate seems too small, she has
learned to “swivel her chair to the right, keeping her eyes to the right, until
the previously missed half now comes into view” (78). This shows how her
“hemi-inattention” causes her to ignore the left side of her visual field. This
causes a problem in the way she sees things.
A
In both examples, “Visual Neglect” and The Man Who Mistook His Wife
for a Hat, the patients have trouble seeing things on the left side of them.
They both have a similar type of brain damage that causes them to see
things in different ways from most people. Mrs. S. will only put makeup on
the right side of her face and can only see the right side of her dinner plate.
Peggy can only draw the right side of a flower. In both cases, the patients
ignore the left side of their vision due to their neurological problems.
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Explanation:
The claim is: “Both individuals experience problems in the way they
see things because a neurological disorder causes them to neglect the left
side of their vision.” This is the claim because it is a specific statement that
compares both sources, by comparing the two people that each source
describes. This claim best describes what this essay is trying to tell or
convince the reader of.
The claim is not: “Two people could be looking at the exact same
thing but what each person actually sees is very different from what the
other sees” because this sentence is a general lead into the essay. It is not
specifically about the people or texts discussed in the essay.
Textual evidence is any sentence or phrase that is taken directly from one of
the sources and shown with quotation marks and a citation.
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Name:__________________________________________________
Date:_________________________
Instructions
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Visual Neglect Chart
Causes of Peggy’s Actions
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Peggy’s Actions
FT
As you watch the video “Visual Neglect,” pay attention to Peggy’s actions. Jot down some notes in
the chart below about Peggy’s actions and what the doctors say causes her to behave the way she
does.
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Name:__________________________________________________
Date:_________________________
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3.
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2.
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1.
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Eyes Right Chart
4.
5.
6.
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Date Lesson 19 Dictionary
absurd
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Words You Need to Know: It will help you to know these words and phrases so that you can
better understand the case study of Mrs. S., from the chapter “Eyes Right,” in The Man Who
Mistook His Wife for a Hat.
means …
ridiculous
means …
ridiculously
means …
cut in half
means …
understanding
means …
teasing
means …
upsetting
means …
only
means …
inabilities to sense
means …
observations or facts
instinctively
means …
without having to think about it
neglected
means …
ignored
perceived
means …
become aware of
preserved
means …
undamaged
rotate
means …
turn
rotation
means …
turn
rouge
means …
blush
signally
means …
especially
spontaneous
means …
unplanned and natural
suffices
means …
is enough
swivels
means …
turns
thus
means …
in this way
void of
means …
empty of
whereas
means …
but
with regard to
means …
in relation to
absurdly
bisect
conception
derision
distressing
exclusively
imperceptions
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inferentially
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Date Words You Need to Know: It will help you to know these words so that you can better
understand “What This Means for Adolescent Behavior” from Demystifying the Adolescent
Brain, on pages 87–88.
affected
autonomy
capable
cognition
means …
teenagers
means …
influenced
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adolescents
means …
independence
means …
having the ability
means …
thinking
elicitedmeans ..caused
enable
means …
make it possible for
means … show or display
means …
joyful
means …
not fully developed
implications
means …
meaning
impulses
means …
urges
inconsistency
means …
irregular occurrence
malleable
means …
easily influenced or changed
mature
means …
fully developed
maturing
means …
growing and developing
optimal
means …
best possible
plasticity
means …
flexibility
exhibit
exuberant
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immature
psychologists
means …
doctors who study the mind, emotions, and
behavior
refrain
means …
hold back
relevant
means …
directly related or connected
sensation
means …
intense emotion or interest
simultaneously
means …
at the same time
sophisticated
means …
advanced or complex
speculation
means …
thought
stimuli
means …
things that cause a response
substance
means …
a type of matter
succession
means …
the coming of one thing after the other, in an uninterrupted order
vacillate
means …
go back and forth
vulnerable
means …
open
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LESSON
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20
Making a Claim
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In this lesson, students are introduced to the elements of the Response to Text
Essay to help them structure their own essays, which students will write over
the next five lessons. This lesson begins with a sample essay, which contains
all of the elements of a Response to Text Essay, so that students can see the
parts of the essay that they will be writing. The teacher reintroduces the writing
prompt and then the class brainstorms some adolescent actions and behaviors
from “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain,” using their previous highlights to
guide them. Then students refer back to the chart of Phineas’ behaviors from
Lesson 5, so they can find similarities between Phineas and adolescents. Once
students have decided on a similar behavior, they make their claim and select
the textual evidence from each text to support their claim.
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Reading Objective: The students will find evidence of similar behaviors from
“Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” and Phineas Gage for their Response to
Text Essay.
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Writing Objective: The students will make their claim for their Response to Text
Essay.
Target Skills
Developing: Gathering evidence to support a claim (e.g., debate, argument
in essay)
Practicing: Staking a claim
Teacher Prep
Prepare to display the following items on the wall for the remainder of this unit:
•• Elements of a Response to Text Essay
•• Calendar Outline of Essay Lessons
•• Essay Prompt
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Writing the Response to Text Essay is a way for students to synthesize what
they have learned from two different texts and integrate that information into a
polished essay. The prompt asks students to find evidence from two different
texts to support a claim, a skill that students have been practicing in this unit.
FT
By using a sample essay as a model, students will gain a better sense of how
they can structure their own essays. Additionally, the Elements of a Response
to Text Essay will be a reminder for students who need to reference the
elements of an essay while they are writing.
Students are supported for the first part of the lesson, but in the Work Session
students are able to work at their own pace to make a claim and select evidence.
This will give you time to circulate and differentiate for students as needed.
Take into consideration that this is the first time students will be writing an essay
using two sources instead of one, so they might need additional support in later
lessons on how to do that.
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In order to give students more time to focus on writing strong introductions and
body paragraphs, conclusions are not covered in this unit and students are not
required to write one for this essay.
Independent Work (5 min)
As students arrive, direct them to get started on Activity 1 in their resource
books.
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AC T I V I T Y 1
Review the highlights from your Solo and answer the following questions:
1. Why do you think “In both cases, they have problems with their brains that cause
them to neglect the left side of their vision, showing that the brain controls what
we see, not the eyeballs!” is the writer’s claim?
2. How do you know “the radar system on the left-hand side is no longer working well”
(Secrets of the Mind) is textual evidence?
3. Does the evidence support the claim? Explain.
Possible Correct Response:
1. Because it is an argument or a statement about both of the texts; it is
what the writer is going to try to prove in the essay; what the writer wants
the reader to take away.
2. There were quotes around it; the sentences came directly from the video
or the text; there was a citation.
3. Yes, because it is talking about how the left side isn’t working and the
claim is about how the left side of their vision is ignored.
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Targeted Instruction—Introducing the Response to Text
Essay (10 min)
You just reviewed the sample essay independently. We will be
looking at this sample essay again more closely during the
essay unit and you can refer to this when you write your essay.
As we discussed in the last lesson, everyone will write a
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Response to Text Essay. You will write and revise this essay
over the next five lessons to produce a structured, revised, and
“polished” piece of writing.
Have students turn to the Elements of a Response to Text Essay in their
resource books. Let students know that they will discuss each one of these
elements more closely in later lessons before they write each part of their
essay. Point out that they will not be working on conclusions in this unit.
Remember that these elements will be available to you
whenever you need it as you write your essay. You shouldn’t
need it today, but it will be there when you do.
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E L E M E N T S O F A R E S P O N S E TO T E X T E S S AY
An introduction to the essay and claim. It includes:
• A lead
• The name of the text(s) and its author (s)
• Relevant background or context of the topic and the texts
• A statement of the claim/argument
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When introducing
and discussing
these elements, it’s
important to clarify
for students that the
bullets within each
part of the essay are
not in any specific
order.
Body paragraphs to develop the reasoning and evidence. Each includes:
• Specific textual evidence that supports the claim/argument
• Description of the key parts of your evidence
• Clear explanation of how this evidence supports the claim/argument
A conclusion that wraps up the ideas about the claim/argument. It includes:
• A restatement of the claim
• A final thought
Have students turn to the Calendar Outline of Essay Lessons in their resource
books.
This is the calendar of the essay lessons that we will be
following. As you can see, today you will be making your claim
so that you will be ready to write in the next lesson.
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C A L E N DA R O U T L I N E O F E S S AY L E S S O N S
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Lesson 22: Flex Day
Lesson 24: Writing an Introduction and Editing the Essay
FT
You will write your essay using both of the texts we have been
reading, Phineas Gage and “Demystifying the Adolescent
Brain.” This is a little bit different from the previous essay you
wrote because you will be using two different texts to support
one claim.
Let’s take a look at the essay prompt again.
Have students turn to the Essay Prompt in their resource books. Read it aloud.
E S S AY P R O M P T
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Explain how adolescent behavior* can be similar to the behavior of someone who is
suffering from pre-frontal cortex damage.
Use details from “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” and Phineas Gage to support your
claim.
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* The term “adolescent behavior” refers to actions or abilities that teens might do or
have.
Your essay will be a response to this prompt and will have all of
the elements we just discussed. You will have the sample essay
and the list of elements as a guide. You have already written a
lot about Phineas and the adolescent brain, so now you need to
make a claim and select which evidence to use.
AC T I V I T Y 2
1. Make a list of the teenage behaviors that you found in your reading from the Lesson
19 Solo. Refer to your Solo highlights.
2.Turn and talk with a partner to share one example of adolescent behavior, including
the behaviors/actions or abilities that show teenagers’ brains are still developing.
Give students three minutes to complete Activity 2, and then lead a discussion
about the teenage behaviors that students listed.
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What are some teenage behaviors—ways that teenagers might
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act or things that they might do, according to the article—that
show the adolescent brain is still not fully developed?
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Call on students to share examples of adolescent behaviors. As students share
examples, make a list on the board or chart paper. You should separate the
types of behaviors from the examples of behaviors so students can see the
difference. However, there is no need for students to differentiate between
types of behaviors and examples of behaviors when they share. Make sure that
you circle or highlight the list of behaviors so students focus on those instead
of the examples of the behaviors, since they will focus on one behavior for their
claim.
Possible student answers might include:
Teenage Behaviors
Not being able to think ahead
Not realizing consequences*
Not being able to balance risks and rewards*
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Not controlling impulses*
Making bad decisions*
Seeking rewarding experiences
Examples of Teenage Behaviors
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Drinking
Driving fast
Having sex
Throwing a punch at someone who insulted your girlfriend
Going joyriding with friends
* Make sure to discuss these behaviors so that students are ready to
compare
teenage behaviors to Phineas’ behaviors during the Work Session.
Nice job! Now we’re going to look at a list of ways Phineas
Gage was different following his accident. You will compare the
two.
Keep in mind that students will have time to revisit the Phineas Gage text and
look at it more closely for evidence in later lessons.
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Work Session—Making a Claim and Selecting Evidence (24
min)
In this work session, there are multiple activities that students will work on at
their own pace. Students do not need to wait for teacher instructions to begin a
new activity.
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Have students turn to How Phineas is Different, Activities 3–4, and the
Selecting Evidence worksheet in their resource books. Briefly go over the
instructions for each activity and the worksheet, letting students know that
they have 22 minutes to complete the activities.
Display How Phineas is Different that lists ways Phineas was different after
the accident. If necessary, point out that this list probably closely resembles the
T-Chart they created in Lesson 5.
How Phineas is Different
1. He does foolish things:
“He insults old workmates and friends.” (20)
2. He has poor judgment:
“Soon after the accident, Phineas angrily refuses to accept $1,000 for
the pocketful of pebbles he has collected.” (19)
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3. He is unable to control his impulses:
“He spouts vulgar language in the presence of women.”(20)
4. He demonstrates risky behavior:
“The new Phineas is unreliable” (20)
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5. He is unstable/impulsive:
“He changes his mind and his orders from minute to minute.” (20)
AC T I V I T Y 3
1. Using the list of teenage behaviors that we just came up with and How Phineas is
Different, make a list of 2–3 behaviors that both adolescents and Phineas have in
common.
2.Choose one behavior that you will write about for your essay and write it below.
Check in with students who might struggle with choosing a behavior. If a
student cannot identify a behavior that is similar, look at the evidence that the
student has chosen and help direct the student’s attention to the similarities
in the evidence. You might even need to explicitly explain to a student how the
evidence is showing the same behavior and then choose a behavior for the
student.
For students who can identify similarities in both texts but cannot articulate the
specific behavior, you can ask students guiding questions such as:
•• When adolescents drive too fast and Phineas refuses to give Dr. Harlow
the pebbles, what kind of behavior is that?
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AC T I V I T Y 4
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•• When teenagers have unprotected sex and don’t think about the possible
outcomes and Phineas cannot make decisions about his job anymore, what
behaviors are they showing?
Make a claim for your essay using this sentence starter:
FT
The behavior of a patient suffering from pre-frontal cortex damage, such as Phineas
Gage, is similar to the behavior of an adolescent because ____________________.
…they both demonstrate risky behavior.
…they both act without thinking of the consequences.
…they both make poor decisions.
Students who finish Activity 4 should complete the Selecting Evidence
worksheet in their resource books.
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Give students 22 minutes to complete the activities and worksheet. Circulate
around the room using OTSCs to reinforce skills. If you have Hummingbird, use
it to record your interactions with students during OTSCs.
I see that your claim is proving that both Phineas and
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adolescents exhibit the behavior of making bad decisions. You
chose this quote from Phineas Gage showing Phineas rejecting
Dr. Harlow’s offer of $1,000 in exchange for his pebbles to
show that Phineas makes bad decisions and to support your
claim. Nice job!
I like this quote, “They’re so driven to seek pleasure that they
may not pay attention to the associated risks” (86) to show
how teenagers don’t always think about consequences. This
textual evidence supports your claim nicely.
Remember, if you are using two pieces of evidence, they need
to be different quotes. Here, you have just separated the quote,
“Phineas went from being ‘the most efficient and capable
foreman’ on the railroad to a man who couldn’t be trusted
because he couldn’t get along with anyone” (59). This shows
one idea, so you should keep it together, and choose another
quote that also supports this idea.
Right here you have chosen the quote “there’s a rapid increase
in dopamine activity in early adolescence” (86). Does this
quote show an adolescent behavior? (No.) It’s true that the
dopamine activity in teenagers can cause certain behaviors,
but you need too add more to this piece of evidence to show
what the behavior is. I will be back in a minute to see what
evidence you find that shows the behavior you have stated in
your claim.
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Closing (3 min)
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Give students positive feedback about something specific that occurred in
class. For example, point out a way students met a particular expectation for
classroom routines and/or praise something related to their skill development.
I was really impressed with how many of you made your claim
using the list of behaviors. Well done!
Nice job finding textual evidence of similar behaviors in both
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texts to support your claim today. If you didn’t finish charting
this textual evidence, you can finish up in your Solo.
Remind students to complete the Solo for the next lesson, provided under
Lesson 20 in their resource books.
After Class
Check the worksheets of any students who you may have missed during OTSCs
to take note of who will need extra support in the next lesson.
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Make sure the following items are on the wall for the remainder of this unit:
•• Elements of a Response to Text Essay
•• Calendar Outline of Essay Lessons
•• Essay Prompt
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Solo
Find 1–2 more pieces of evidence to add to each column of your Selecting Evidence
worksheet.
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Name:__________________________________________________
Date:_________________________
Instructions
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Selecting Evidence
1.Review How Phineas is Different and your highlights of “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain”
that you completed for your Solo.
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2. Choose 1–2 pieces of evidence from each text that support the behavior and the claim that you
just created. Make sure that the evidence you choose accurately shows the behavior that you talk
about in your claim.
3. Write the behavior at the top of the T-Chart below.
4.Copy the evidence you chose onto the T-Chart in the appropriate column. Make sure to properly format and cite your quotes.
Behavior:______________________________
Evidence from Phineas Gage
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Evidence from“Demystifying
the Adolescent Brain”
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LESSON
21
Writing Body Paragraphs
FT
In this lesson, students write the body paragraphs of their essay, describing
and explaining the evidence they selected to support their claims. First,
students review the sample essay body paragraphs to identify where the
writer describes and explains evidence in the essay. Then, in the Work Session,
students write the body paragraphs of their essay, paying attention to
describing and explaining their textual evidence to support their claim.
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Writing Objective: The students will write the body paragraphs of their essay,
describing and explaining their textual evidence to show how it supports their
claim.
Target Skills
Developing:
•• Identifying evidence from multiple sources
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•• Synthesizing evidence from multiple sources
•• Using evidence—describing what they notice in a text
•• Using evidence—explain significance of evidence and how it supports a claim
Teacher Prep
1. If time permits before class, check students’ Selecting Evidence
worksheets and claims to make sure they are on the right track.
2. Prepare to display the Sample Essay Body Paragraphs.
3. Provide your students with highlighters.
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The body paragraphs of an essay are where students describe and explain
their evidence. Describing and explaining evidence can be one of the most
challenging parts of the writing process for students. Students are typically
successful in selecting relevant evidence, but often struggle to describe
evidence or explain in detail how it supports their claim. When students
elaborate on their evidence in their body paragraphs, they can make it clear
to the reader how the evidence relates to their claim. Teachers shouldn’t
expect students to be experts at explaining textual evidence when writing
their body paragraphs, especially when working with non-fiction text; it can be
quite challenging for students at this level. However, students will continue to
practice and develop this skill during this lesson, the flex day, and the revision
assignment.
Distribute highlighters to the students.
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books.
AC T I V I T Y 1
Turn to the Sample Response to Text Essay under Lesson 19 in your resource book
and reread the body paragraphs. Highlight the sentences that describe and explain
the textual evidence the writer includes to support the claim.
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“The part of her brain damaged by the stroke is the parietal lobes. That is
the part responsible for seeing whole images.”
“The doctor explains that people who have damage in the parietal lobes will
have problems seeing the world the way most people see it. They see only
half of things, not the whole. If the right lobe is harmed, then a person will
have problems seeing the left side.”
“In this quote, Sacks shows how Mrs. S. also ignores the left side of things.”
“Her ‘hemi-inattention’ causes her to ignore the left side of her visual field,
but she knows this and has learned ways to cope with it.”
Give students only five minutes to work, even though many students will not be
able to complete the activity.
Targeted Instruction—Describing and Explaining Evidence
(8 min)
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AC T I V I T Y 2
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Turn and talk with a partner to share the sentences you just highlighted that describe
and explain the textual evidence.
Give students three minutes to talk with a partner and share their highlights.
Then review these highlights with the whole class.
FT
Write the claim on the board so students have it as a reference when they share
how the sentences connect back to it:
In both cases, they have problems with their brains that cause them to neglect the left
side of their vision, showing that the brain controls what we see, not the eyeballs!
Display the Sample Essay Body Paragraphs.
S A M P L E E S S AY B O DY PA R AG R A P H S
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In the video, we see Peggy showing how her brain ignores the left side of things.
She is asked to draw a daisy, and she draws one with the entire left side of the flower
missing. She is not even aware of the fact that she’s drawn only the right half of a
flower until someone tells her. Peter Halligan, a doctor in the video, states, “The radar
system on the left-hand side is no longer working well” (Secrets of the Mind). The part
of her brain damaged by the stroke is the parietal lobes. That is the part responsible for
seeing whole images. Another doctor says, “The parietal lobes are concerned mainly
with creating a three-dimensional representation of the special layout of the world…
When the right brain is damaged, the person is unable to deal with the left side of the
world” (Secrets of the Mind). The doctor explains that people who have damage in the
parietal lobes will have problems seeing the world the way most people see it. They
see only half of things, not the whole. If the right lobe is harmed, then a person will
have problems seeing the left side.
In the chapter “Eyes Right” of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Mrs. S. is
diagnosed with “hemi-inattention.” Sacks writes, “Sometimes, she will put on lipstick,
and make up the right half of her face, leaving the left half completely neglected”
(77). In this quote, Sacks shows how Mrs. S. also ignores the left side of things. Mrs.
S. developed ways to deal with this disability, though. She uses a special rotating
wheelchair to move her body so that she can eat from both sides of her plate, not
just the right side. Sacks explains that Mrs. S. swivels “her chair to the right, keeping
her eyes to the right, until the previously missed half now comes into view” (78). Her
“hemi-inattention” causes her to ignore the left side of her visual field, but she knows
this and has learned ways to cope with it.
Ask students to raise their hands to share the sentences they highlighted and
to explain how these sentences either describe or explain the textual evidence.
Some helpful guiding questions are:
•• How does this sentence describe what the writer noticed?
•• How does this sentence help explain the quote to the reader?
•• How does this sentence connect back to the claim?
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Ask 2–3 students to share several highlights each. Highlight students’ correct
responses on the displayed body paragraphs. Keep calling on students until all
sentences that describe and explain the evidence are shared.
Have students turn to the Elements of a Response to Text Essay under
Lesson 20 in their resource books. Read aloud the section on body paragraphs.
• A lead
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• A final thought
Remind students to refer to this list when writing their body paragraphs.
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Now that you have looked more closely at the sample body
paragraphs and reviewed the Elements of a Response to Text
Essay, you will use the rest of class as a work session to write
your own body paragraphs about each text you’re working with.
As you write each paragraph, you will describe and explain the
textual evidence you selected to show the behavior you want
to prove in your claim.
Provide a writing warm-up.
Raise your hand if you are writing about Phineas first.
Raise your hand if you are writing about adolescents first.
Have students turn to the Writing Prompt—Body Paragraphs in their
resource books. Read it aloud. Tell students that they will write about just one of
the texts in each body paragraph.
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W R I T I N G P R O M P T — B O DY PA R AG R A P H S
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Write two body paragraphs for your essay:
• For the first body paragraph, write about just one of the two texts. Use 1–2
pieces of evidence from that text to support your claim.
• For the second body paragraph, write about the other text. Use 1–2 pieces of
evidence from that text to support your claim.
Remember:
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• Describe and explain your evidence to show how it supports your claim.
If students finish
writing about one
text, they can move
on to writing about
the second text and
their second body
paragraph. Make sure
that students don’t
move on until they
have fully developed
their first paragraph.
• Use the evidence you collected in your chart in Lesson 20. If needed, go back to
the texts to get more textual evidence to help support your claim.
Bonus: if you have done your best and you have extra time, you can complete this bonus
activity.
If you used only one piece of evidence in one or both body paragraphs, add a second
piece of evidence and write 1–2 sentences explaining how it supports your claim.
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If you used two pieces of evidence in one or both body paragraphs, write 2–3 more
sentences describing and explaining that evidence.
Give students 28 minutes to write while you circulate around the room doing
OTSCs. If you have Hummingbird, use it to record your interactions with students
during OTSCs.
I see that you have described the quote, “He changes his mind
Push students who
are writing at or above
grade level to use two
pieces of evidence
and accompany them
with an effective
explanation. Students
who are struggling
might only include
one piece of evidence
with an effective
explanation.
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and his orders from minute to minute” (20) to show Phineas
was acting quickly and irrationally without thinking through the
potential outcomes of his decisions. Nice work.
I like that you have explained the quote, “To teenagers, driving
fast, having unprotected sex, and drinking alcohol feel so good
that thoughts about a speeding ticket (or worse), an unwanted
pregnancy, or being grounded for coming home smelling of beer
may not even make it onto their radar screen” (86–87). You explain
that actions like these support the idea that teenagers don’t think
about consequences because they show teenagers doing things
without thinking about the risks they are taking and what could
happen as a result.
Remember, you need to explain how the quote “Because things
feel especially pleasurable during early adolescence, young
adolescents go out of their way to seek rewarding experiences”
(86) supports your claim that teenagers act without considering
consequences in order to convince your reader that you’re right.
The quote is strong textual evidence, but you need to explain it in
order to connect it to your claim.
Right here you have included the quote, “He spouts vulgar
language in the presence of women” (20), but you haven’t
explained how it supports the claim that adolescents and people
with prefrontal cortex injuries both exhibit foolish behavior. I’ll
check back in a minute to see how you explain the way this quote
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Closing (2 min)
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supports the claim.
Great job writing your body paragraphs and describing and
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explaining your textual evidence. This helps me see how your
evidence proves your claim and how it will convince your reader
of your claim. These essays are going to be great!
Don’t worry if you didn’t finish writing your body paragraphs
yet. You will have time to finish in class tomorrow.
Let’s see how you feel now that you’ve written the body
paragraphs of your essay.
Have students turn to Activity 3 in their resource books and complete it
silently.
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AC T I V I T Y 3
Circle the statement that best reflects your experience in today’s class.
a. I wrote two body paragraphs where I described and explained how my evidence
supports my claim.
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b. I wrote one body paragraph where I described and explained how my evidence
supports my claim.
c. I wrote two body paragraphs, but I don’t think I described or explained how my
evidence supports my claim.
d. I wrote one body paragraph, but I don’t think I described or explained how my
evidence supports my claim.
Create connections among students by quickly doing a closing poll:
Raise your hand if you wrote one body paragraph.
Raise your hand if you wrote two body paragraphs.
Raise your hand if you explained how your evidence supports
your claim.
Raise your hand if you think you need more practice and time
to describe and explain your evidence.
Discuss the results of the class poll.
I see that many of you still think you need more practice with
describing and explaining evidence. That’s okay because this is
a really difficult skill to master.
If you need help with your body paragraphs, be sure to see me for
extra help.
Remind students to complete the Solo for the next lesson, provided at the end
of Lesson 21 in their resource books.
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After Class
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The next lesson will act as a “flex day” for students. Students who have not
finished their body paragraphs will continue working on them. Students who
have finished their body paragraphs may revise them or write their introductory
paragraph.
Over the next two days, read over students’ drafts, bracket a place for a revision
assignment, and make note of students who will need personal attention,
especially during the flex day. If you have students who don’t work well in an
unstructured lesson or who struggle to make decisions when there are several
options, have some ideas ready for them to help get them focused so they can
use the work session successfully. You will have time to meet with all students
over the next two lesson days. In Lesson 23, the students will complete both a
teacher-directed and student-directed revision assignment.
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To prepare for the teacher-directed RA students will complete for their essays
in Lesson 23, you will need to continue reading each student’s body paragraphs
in order to identify and mark a place where he or she could present additional
textual evidence or explain and describe the evidence further.
In order to give each student the benefit of a careful reading, and to pace your
own work, we recommend doing the first half of the marking after this lesson
and the second half after the next lesson.
All essays should have a passage marked before Lesson 23.
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Students will do the following revision assignments in Lesson 23:
Teacher-Directed:
REVISION ASSIGNMENT—USING EVIDENCE
1. Look at the marked passage. This is a place where you could present additional
evidence to support your claim or describe your evidence further.
2. Reread this moment from the text. Highlight any additional details that provide
evidence for your claim.
3. Write 4–5 sentences that present additional evidence to support your claim or
describe your evidence further.
4.When you are done, compare what you wrote “before” and “after” your revision.
RAs are an excellent
opportunity for
differentiated
instruction. If the
recommended RA is
not on target for one
or more students,
provide a more
appropriate RA in
a comment next to
the student’s prompt
response.
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Mark the version you think supports your claim most effectively.
Student-Directed:
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1. Reread your writing and find a place where you could present additional evidence
or describe your evidence further to support your claim.
2.Reread this moment from the text. Highlight any additional details that provide
3.Write 4–5 sentences that present additional evidence to support your claim or
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Solo
Reread the body paragraphs of your essay.
If you used only one piece of evidence in one or both body paragraphs, add a second
piece of evidence and write 1–2 sentences explaining how it supports your claim.
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If you used two pieces of evidence in one or both body paragraphs, write 2–3 more
sentences describing and explaining that evidence.
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LESSON
22
Flex Day
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This lesson is designed to give teachers the opportunity to differentiate
activities and support as students develop their essays. In this lesson,
students have a flexible work session day in which they can continue working
on the body paragraphs of their Response to Text Essay, begin revising
their body paragraphs, or start drafting an introductory paragraph for their
essay. Teachers can also allow specific students to share their writing with a
classmate or small group to receive feedback. Throughout this work session,
teachers will circulate to provide OTSCs to students who are struggling with a
particular component of the essay-writing process or are ready to move on to
the next step.
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Writing Objective: The students will continue to work on their Response to Text
Essays with teacher support based on students’ individual needs.
Teacher Prep
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Be sure you have bracketed a place for the revision in all students’ Responses
to Text Essays.
The goal of the flex day is to allow the teacher to decide how specific students
can best use this time on their essays. Students who are behind in their writing
can use the time to further develop their body paragraphs; more advanced
students can begin to revise their body paragraphs or start their introductions.
The teacher moves around the classroom to review student work, to bracket
passages for the RA, and to differentiate OTSCs to support students wherever
they are in the essay-writing process. If there are certain students who don’t
work well in an unstructured class setting, be sure to conference with them in
the beginning of the work session to guide them as to how to use their time
most effectively.
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AC T I V I T Y 1
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books.
Answer the following questions to check in with yourself:
FT
Body Paragraph—Phineas Gage
1. Have you written a body paragraph about Phineas Gage?
Yes / No
2. How many pieces of textual evidence did you include? ____________
3. Did you describe and explain your evidence?
Yes / No
4. Did you reread what you wrote?
Yes / No
5. Do you need teacher support today in order to finish this body paragraph?
Yes / No
Body Paragraph—“Demystifying the Adolescent Brain”
1. Have you written a body paragraph about “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain”?
Yes / No
2. How many pieces of textual evidence did you include? _____________
Yes / No
4. Did you reread what you wrote?
Yes / No
5. Do you need teacher support today in order to finish this body paragraph?
Yes / No
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3. Did you describe and explain your evidence?
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If you answered “Yes” to either question 5, please raise your hand and wait for your
teacher to check in with you before you proceed.
Briefly check in with students who raise their hands to determine whether
they need a teacher conference. Compile a list of names and confer with those
students during class.
Targeted Instruction—Introducing the Work Session (5 min)
Review the options that students have for this work session.
In the last lesson, you worked on developing the body
paragraphs for your essay by describing and explaining
evidence to support your claim. Many of you may not have
completed those paragraphs and that’s okay.
If you haven’t finished developing your body paragraphs, then
that is what you should work on today. I will be here to help you
if you need it.
If you have already completed your paragraphs, you will be able
to work on something else today.
Display the Work Session Options and have students turn to them in their
resource books. Read them aloud.
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WO R K S E S S I O N O P T I O N S
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1. Continue writing body paragraph 1.
2.Continue writing body paragraph 2.
3.Begin revising body paragraph 1.
4.Begin revising body paragraph 2.
5.Begin drafting your introductory paragraph.
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If you select option 5, please raise your hand to check in with your teacher before you
start.
Have students circle what they will be working on today on the Work Session
Options.
Briefly check in with students who have selected option 5 to make sure that
they have completed tasks 1–4.
Have students turn to the Elements of a Response to Text Essay under
Lesson 20 in their resource books.
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• A lead
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• A final thought
While you are working, I will be circulating around the room to
give you support with your essay, whatever section you may be
working on.
If students have successfully written their body paragraphs, you can encourage
them to start the revision process and add more evidence or further develop
their evidence. If they have successfully revised, students may start to write
their introductions, share their work with a partner, or do independent reading.
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AC T I V I T Y 2
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Find the option below that corresponds to the option you have circled. This is what
you will be working on for the Work Session. When you complete the option, raise your
hand so that your teacher can select your next step.
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You may want to
ask students to sit in
specific spots in the
classroom according
to what they are
working on to make
it easier for you to
support students
and direct them to
appropriate Work
Session options.
Option 1: Writing Prompt—Body Paragraph 1
Write a body paragraph in which you use two pieces of evidence from one text to
support your claim. Remember to describe and explain your evidence and how it
supports your claim.
Option 2: Writing Prompt—Body Paragraph 2
Write a body paragraph in which you use two pieces of evidence from one text to
support your claim. Remember to describe and explain your evidence and how it
supports your claim.
Options 3 and 4: Revising Body Paragraphs
Option 5: Writing an Introductory Paragraph
1.
Reread your body paragraphs, including the revisions you have made.
2.
Write your introductory paragraph and include all of the elements:
• A lead
• The texts you are using and their authors’ names
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If you don’t want
students to move
on to writing their
introductions, you
can hold off on
this activity and
encourage them to
read independently or
to do something else.
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If you have already written both of your body paragraphs, there are three revision
suggestions below to help you revise your work.
• A sentence or two of key background information
• Your claim
3.
After you have written your introduction, reread it and put a check next to each
element to indicate that you have included it.
Give students 25 minutes to complete option(s) of their choosing while you
circulate around the room doing OTSCs.
Options 1 and 2
Here are some tips for students completing Options 1 or 2:
•• Remind all students to go back into the text to check the evidence from
their Selecting Evidence worksheet under Lesson 20 for accuracy and to
see if there is additional evidence to include.
•• Students at grade level should be encouraged to try to describe and
explain two pieces of evidence for at least one text, but ideally they should
do this for both texts.
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•• Struggling students should focus on one piece of evidence with effective description/
explanation for each body paragraph, rather than two pieces of evidence that are not
used effectively.
•• Advanced students:
•• Make sure they describe and explain two pieces of evidence in each body
paragraph.
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•• If they have successfully described and explained two pieces of evidence,
encourage them to use even more evidence or have them frame and cite the
direct quotes they have included.
•• If they have completed everything else, they can move on to writing an
introductory paragraph.
The following are OTSCs for body paragraphs:
I see that you describe this quote—“The doctor offers Phineas $1,000
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for the pocketful of pebbles that Phineas has collected walking along
the Black River near town. Dr. Harlow knows that Phineas can add and
subtract, yet Phineas angrily refuses the deal” (19)—as a “time where
Phineas doesn’t take money that is offered to him.” You describe this
moment showing Phineas making a bad decision.
I like that you used the quote, “That’s why teenagers who get straight As
in algebra can also do really dumb things when out with their buddies”
(87), and then you explained in your own words how smart teenagers
can actually make poor decisions and exhibit risky behavior. Then you
connected this to your claim.
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Remember you just want to write about one text and the evidence from
that text right now. You don’t want to write about both texts at the same
time.
Right here you have included the quote, “To teenagers, driving fast, having
unprotected sex, and drinking alcohol feel so good that thoughts about a
speeding ticket (or worse), and unwanted pregnancy, or being grounded
for coming home smelling of beer may not even make it onto their radar
screen” (86–87), but you don’t explain how it supports the claim. Write 2–3
sentences explaining how that quote shows that teenagers may not think
about the consequences of their actions. I’ll be back to check what you
wrote in a few minutes.
Right here you have explained this evidence really well about Phineas
frequently changing his mind. You wrote three sentences showing how this
proves that he makes poor decisions. However, you have only included one
quote from “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” to show how teenagers
make poor decisions. Go back into the text to find another piece of evidence
that proves this, so that this paragraph is as convincing as the one on
Phineas.
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Options 3 and 4
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In order to effectively support students who have chosen Option 3 or 4,
encourage them to work on specific things according to their abilities. See the
suggestions below and instruct students to turn to the appropriate revision
assignment in their resource books.
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Revision Suggestion 1
R E V I S I O N A S S I G N M E N T — R E V I E W I N G, F R A M I N G Q U OT E S , A N D
A D D I N G C I TAT I O N S
Review your body paragraphs, frame your direct quotes, and add citations using the
Guidelines for Citing and Punctuating Direct Quotes From a Book or an
Article.
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Revision Suggestion 2: Teacher-Directed RA
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Revision Suggestion 3: Student-Directed RA
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Option 5
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If you have any students who are ready to write the introduction, refer them
to the instructions in Activity 2. Make sure you have checked in with these
students.
Please refer to Lesson 24 for samples of OTSCs on introductory paragraphs.
Sharing
AC T I V I T Y 3
Share Your Writing
FT
If there are students who will benefit from sharing their writing with a partner,
you can assign them Activity 3.
Take a few minutes to share your work with a partner or a small group. Follow these
steps:
1. Read your work to yourself and make any quick changes you think it needs.
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2.Read your writing aloud to a partner or a person in your small group so they can
comment on specific details.
If you are listening, here are some reminders for how to respond to the person
sharing:
• When you used the evidence about _______, it convinced me that _________.
• I like when you used the word________________ because________________.
• When you used the information about _____, it helped me understand _____.
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3.Take notes on the feedback you receive from your classmates.
4.Use the feedback you receive to make revisions to your writing.
Make sure each person in the group has the chance to share his or her work.
Closing (5 min)
AC T I V I T Y 4
Put a check mark next to every task that you did today.
____ I completed a fully developed body paragraph with textual evidence on Phineas
Gage.
____ I completed a fully developed body paragraph with textual evidence on
____ I reread what I wrote.
____ I revised a part of my body paragraphs.
____ I drafted my introduction.
____ I got feedback from a partner or group.
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Create connections among students by doing a closing poll.
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Raise your hand if you have two body paragraphs finished now.
Raise your hand if you shared your writing and got feedback
from a classmate.
Raise your hand if you moved on to revising or writing your
introduction.
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I was really impressed with how everyone was so focused
and worked so independently today. This shows what you are
capable of when you have a task to complete.
You are making so much progress in your essays, and I’m really
looking forward to reading the finished versions!
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After Class
To prepare for the revision assignment (RA) in the next lesson, you will need to
continue reading each student’s body paragraphs in order to identify and mark
a place where he or she could present additional textual evidence or explain
and describe the evidence further.
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RAs are an excellent
opportunity for
differentiated
instruction. If the
recommended RA is
not on target for one
or more students,
provide a more
appropriate RA in
a comment next to
the student’s prompt
response.
If you began marking students’ paragraphs after the previous lesson, finish
marking them before the next lesson.
All student essays should have a passage marked before the next lesson.
In the next lesson, students will do the following revision assignments:
Teacher-Directed:
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Student-Directed:
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Solo
1. Reread your body paragraphs.
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2.Star one or two places in your essay where you used direct quotes or restated the
text.
3.Underline where you have described or explained your evidence.
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4.Bracket the portions you would like to revise by adding or explaining evidence.
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Guidelines for Citing and Punctuating
Direct Quotes From a Book or an Article
1. Use quotation marks to show where the quote begins and ends.
2. Add the page number in parentheses after the closing quotation mark.
3. If your entire piece of writing includes quotes from more than one source, include the
author’s last name before the page number.
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4. Use a comma or colon between a speaker tag and your direct quote.
5. If the quote ends with a period and is part of a longer sentence, do not include the period
inside the quotation marks. The period should go at the end of the whole sentence.
6. If the quote ends with a period and is not part of a longer sentence, include the period
inside the quotation marks.
7. If the quote ends with a question mark or exclamation point, include it inside the quotation
marks.
8. If your sentence ends with the quote, add the end punctuation of your sentence after the
parentheses.
Examples:
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9. If the quote includes dialogue or another quote, use single quotation marks around the
dialogue or quote.
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Using quotation marks with normal text
The author shows this when he says: “The two doctors confer, but Dr. Harlow takes the case” (8).
Citing a source with the author’s last name
My claim is based off of this information: “Even surviving the loss of blood, Phineas should have
died of brain swelling” (Fleischman 9).
Speaker Tag
The author shows this when he says: This character shows his changed personality when he
states,
Direct quotes that are part of a longer sentence (framed)
When discussing the beliefs of the Phrenologists, Fleischman says, “The Phrenologists reason
that if you have a strong organ, it will be big and project from your skull as a bump” (21).
Direct quotes that are not part of a longer sentence (unframed)
“The Phrenologists reason that if you have a strong organ, it will be big and project from your
skull as a bump.” (Fleischman 21)
Citing a quote that ends with a question mark or exclamation point
The author shows this when he asks: “Does he hear his name called? Does he spot someone
goofing off?” (Fleischman 5).
Using quotation marks with dialogue
Dr. Harlow explains how Phineas has changed when he says, “‘A child in his intellectual
capabilities, he has the animal passions of a strong man’” (Fleischman 22).
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LESSON
23
Revising Body Paragraphs
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In this lesson, students revise their body paragraphs to further explain their
evidence. The teacher quickly reviews how to explain evidence, then students
complete both a teacher-directed and student-directed revision assignment.
Once students have finished, they reread their essay for flow and sequence and
make any additional revisions.
Writing Objective: The students will complete RAs on explaining evidence
(both teacher- and student-directed), then reread their essays and decide on
the sequence of the body paragraphs.
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Target Skills
Introducing: Sequencing
Practicing: RA on explaining evidence
Teacher Prep
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1. Prepare to display the Sample Essay Body Paragraphs.
2. Provide your students with highlighters.
In this lesson, students will examine how evidence is described and explained in
the sample essay before revising and sequencing their own essay.
Students need to be able to practice describing and explaining evidence to
develop their writing because this is a more sophisticated writing skill than
merely selecting evidence. In this lesson, students revise in both a teacherselected passage and a student-selected passage. Since this is the first time
students will self-select a place for a revision assignment, be prepared to
support students who struggle with this independence. They will be given more
explicit instruction on this in the next unit, but for now this gives students an
opportunity to try selecting a place in their writing independently.
At the end of the work session, students are asked to choose how to sequence
their body paragraphs. The sequence of the body paragraphs affects the
general flow and effect of the essay, so students need to know that authors
make very specific choices regarding when to present information and in what
order.
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Hand out highlighters to the students.
As students arrive, have them complete Activity 1 in their resource books.
AC T I V I T Y 1
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1. Reread the “Body paragraphs” section of the Elements of a Response to Text
Essay under Lesson 20 in your resource book.
2. Reread the Sample Response to Text Essay under Lesson 19 in your resource
book. Highlight areas where the writer explains how a piece of evidence supports
the claim. Be prepared to discuss your answers with the class.
Targeted Instruction—Reviewing Explaining Evidence (7
min)
Who can remind us why we explain textual evidence? (It
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connects the evidence to the claim. It shows the significance of the
evidence to the claim. It’s the link or bridge from the evidence to
the claim.)
Yes. Explanations don’t have to be long and complicated. You
simply need to explain enough so that your reader understands
why you are using this evidence and how it supports the claim.
Let’s take a look at the Sample Response to Text Essay to see
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how this writer explained his or her evidence.
Display the Sample Essay Body Paragraphs and have students turn to the
sample essay under Lesson 19. Read the body paragraphs aloud.
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S A M P L E E S S AY B O DY PA R AG R A P H S
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In the video, we see Peggy showing how her brain ignores the left side of things.
She is asked to draw a daisy, and she draws one with the entire left side of the flower
missing. She is not even aware of the fact that she’s drawn only the right half of a
flower until someone tells her. Peter Halligan, a doctor in the video, states, “The radar
system on the left-hand side is no longer working well” (Secrets of the Mind). The part
of her brain damaged by the stroke is the parietal lobes. That is the part responsible for
seeing whole images. Another doctor says, “The parietal lobes are concerned mainly
with creating a three-dimensional representation of the special layout of the world…
When the right brain is damaged, the person is unable to deal with the left side of the
world” (Secrets of the Mind). The doctor explains that people who have damage in the
parietal lobes will have problems seeing the world the way most people see it. They
see only half of things, not the whole. If the right lobe is harmed, then a person will
have problems seeing the left side.
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In the chapter “Eyes Right” of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Mrs. S. is
diagnosed with “hemi-inattention.” Sacks writes, “Sometimes, she will put on lipstick,
and make up the right half of her face, leaving the left half completely neglected”
(77). In this quote, Sacks shows how Mrs. S. also ignores the left side of things. Mrs.
S. developed ways to deal with this disability, though. She uses a special rotating
wheelchair to move her body so that she can eat from both sides of her plate, not
just the right side. Sacks explains that Mrs. S. swivels “her chair to the right, keeping
her eyes to the right, until the previously missed half now comes into view” (78). Her
“hemi-inattention” causes her to ignore the left side of her visual field, but she knows
this and has learned ways to cope with it.
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Ask a few students to identify a piece of evidence the writer used and how the
writer explained it. Highlight students’ correct answers on the display. Briefly
discuss why it was successful in explaining how it supports the claim, as in the
following:
Who can point out a good example of evidence being explained
and described? (In the quote in the second body paragraph, the first
doctor is talking about the radar system. The writer describes that by
saying what the doctor means.)
Yes. And how do we see the writer then explaining the evidence
by connecting it to the claim? (The writer explains how it is
connected to the claim when he or she says it causes Peggy to
draw a daisy “with the entire left side of the flower missing.”)
Yes. Does everyone see that? The evidence is “Peter Halligan,
a doctor in the video, states, ‘the radar system on the lefthand side is no longer working well’ (Secrets of the Mind).”
The description of the evidence follows: “The part of her brain
damaged by the stroke is the parietal lobes. That is the part
responsible for seeing whole images.” And the bridge to the
claim is, “If the right lobe is harmed, then a person will have
problems seeing the left side.” Nice work.
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Now that we’ve reviewed explaining evidence, you are going to
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revise the body paragraphs of your essay by further developing
a piece of evidence that I have marked for you. After that, you
will work independently to select a passage and revise it.
Provide a writing warm-up.
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Raise your hand if you think describing what you notice and
explaining your evidence will help make your writing clearer
and more convincing.
Raise your hand if you feel confident about describing and
explaining the textual evidence in your essay.
Raise your hand if you are a bit unsure about how to describe
or explain your evidence, but are willing to take an academic
risk and give it your best shot.
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Have students turn to the two revision assignments in their resource books.
Read them aloud. Tell students they will do both revision assignments. Remind
students to use all of their writing skills so that they write carefully, not
carelessly.
Teacher-Directed:
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Student-Directed:
Give students
additional support
for the studentdirected RA. This is
the first time students
are selecting their
own place to revise
and some students,
especially struggling
students, may need
you to choose a place
for them to revise
during an OTSC.
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Remind students that they are working with two texts and that they will need to
introduce or mention the title and author in each body paragraph.
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Give students 15 minutes to complete the revision assignments. Circulate
around the room using OTSCs to reinforce skills. While you circulate, make a
note of the RAs that you see being completed successfully.
I like how you’ve chosen to further explain your evide nce
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here. You’ve given the reader more detail about what it means
when Fleischman says that Phineas loses his ability to “‘read’
the social behavior of his men” (63) and you’ve used this
explanation to show how he is like an adolescent because of
his poor judgment. I hadn’t thought of using the evidence that
way.
I see that you selected an area of your essay with a quote from
“Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” to explain Steinberg’s
mention of hot cognition. This supports your claim that both
Phineas and adolescents are similar in making bad decisions.
This description helps develop your evidence and makes it
much more convincing.
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Remember that the skill you are working on in this revision
assignment is explaining evidence, so you can’t just quote
Steinberg’s discussion on hot cognition without explaining the
meaning and how that supports your claim.
This quote describes Phineas’ behavior as insulting and vulgar.
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Why do you want the reader to notice this quote? Was it the
fact that he’s acting like a child? Was it that he has turned
into a terrible man after the accident? Was it that the author
wanted us to see that he didn’t change physically, but that he
changed mentally? Add a few sentences that describe what
you noticed in your evidence so that your reader can pay
attention to that part also. I’ll be back in a minute to see what
you’ve written.
After 15 minutes, tell students to finish up the sentence they’re working on. If
they have not finished their RAs, they can finish them for their Solo.
Briefly discuss the sequence and flow of an essay.
Now that you have revised your body paragraphs, you need
to decide the order or sequence of your paragraphs—in other
words, which body paragraph you would like to present first.
There are different choices a writer makes when deciding which
idea to present when. A writer might want to present his or
her strongest piece of evidence first. Or the writer might want
to follow a logical progression of ideas, or present ideas in
chronological order, if that applies to the piece of writing.
Whatever you decide, there should be a reason why you place
the paragraphs in the order you’ve chosen.
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AC T I V I T Y 4
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1. Read over your revised paragraphs for flow and sequence. Decide which body
paragraph you would like to present first—the one about Phineas Gage or the one
about “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain.”
2.Number the paragraphs in the order you would like them to appear.
3.Reread your body paragraphs and make any additional revisions.
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Even if students have not finished with their revision assignments, they can still
choose the order of their body paragraphs at this time.
Give students five minutes to work while you circulate around the room doing
OTSCs.
I like how you’ve chosen to begin with your body paragraph about
the adolescent brain and inappropriate behavior, so that the next
paragraph begins with this direct quote about Phineas being
inappropriate. This flows logically.
I see you’ve decided to change the order of your paragraphs and
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place your paragraph about Phineas Gage and his poor decisionmaking first because you thought it was more interesting for the
reader. Good idea.
I’m not sure why you chose the sequence that you did. Can you
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explain it to me? (I thought that because we read Phineas first, I’d
put that paragraph first.) I can understand that you might want
to present information chronologically, but it should be in terms
of ideas, not the order in which we read the texts. Look at your
paragraphs again and decide how your ideas would flow best.
Why did you place this paragraph first? (I don’t really know. I can’t
see the difference between putting this one first or the other one.)
Remember that the choices you make as a writer are intentional.
Look at the ideas you present in your paragraphs and ask
yourself if the information in one might flow better into the other.
I’ll return to check on your progress.
Sharing (5 min)
Ask a few students to share their original passage and their revisions from either
the teacher-directed student-directed RA. Ask listeners to use the response
starters to comment on the writer’s use of evidence.
Let’s hear some of your revisions.
Closing (2 min)
Give students positive feedback about something specific that occurred in class.
For example, point out a way students met a particular expectation for classroom
routines and/or praise something related to their skill development.
I was impressed with the way you all concentrated on describing
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and explaining your evidence to make your claims more
convincing. When you create these connections between the
evidence and the claim, your writing will be much clearer.
You all worked hard today on your first student-directed
revision assignment. Great work! Whenever you are writing,
you can make decisions about adding something to describe or
explain your ideas to make them clearer and more convincing.
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Tomorrow you will write an introduction and then edit and polish
up your essay to prepare it for submission. I’m excited to read
your final writing pieces.
After Class
Solo
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Note the RAs that you were not able to see during OTSCs. Focus on the part
of the RA where the student has described and explained his or her evidence.
Make note of students who have not finished their revisions; it’s okay if you
don’t have time to comment on these.
1. If you did not complete both of your RAs during class, finish them now.
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2.Review your body paragraphs and make sure all your direct quotes are framed and
cited correctly. Use the Guidelines for Citing and Punctuating Direct Quotes
From a Book or an Article as a resource.
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LESSON
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24
Writing an Introductory
Paragraph and Editing the Essay
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In this lesson, the students write the introduction to their essay and then
begin editing their full essay. Students first identify all of the elements of an
introduction in the sample essay and then the class reviews them. After this,
students have a work session to write their introductions and to edit their
essays. Whatever editing they can’t get to, they will do for homework.
Reading Objective: The students will use the sample essay to identify the
elements of an introductory paragraph.
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Writing Objective: The students will write an introduction to their essay. Then
the students will begin editing their final essay.
Target Skills
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Practicing: Writing an introduction
Teacher Prep
Prepare to display the Sample Essay Introduction.
Students will have a better sense of how to put together their own introductory
paragraphs after identifying and reviewing some of the elements included in
the introduction from the Unit C Sample Response to Text Essay. Introductions
can be one of the trickiest parts of writing an essay for students, and
engaging the reader from the first sentence is a very important element of
the introductory paragraph. For this reason, students will be reminded to
experiment with writing a lead. However, all parts of the introduction are critical
in setting up the context of the essay.
As students arrive, have them complete Activity 1 in their resource books.
Read it aloud.
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AC T I V I T Y 1
• The lead
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1. Reread and highlight the different elements of the introduction in the Sample
Response to Text Essay under Lesson 19 in your resource book.
• The texts and authors
• Key background information
• The claim
Correct Responses:
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2.Label each item in the margin.
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Lead
Here’s an amazing fact that most people don’t know: two people can be
looking at the exact same thing, but see something different because of the
way their brain works. Most people think it’s a person’s eyes that see, but
Key background
it’s actually the person’s brain doing the work. A brain injury can change
info
what the person sees, even if the person’s eyes are not damaged and are
Text totally normal and functioning. The video “Visual Neglect” from NOVA’s
and
author Secrets of the Mind shows a stroke patient, Peggy, who can only see what Key background info
her damaged brain lets her see. Because of her stroke she can only see
Key
Text and author
the left sides of things. Just like Peggy, Mrs. S. from Oliver Sacks’ The Man
backWho
Mistook
His
Wife
for
a
Hat
also
ignores
the
left
side
of
things
when
ground
info
she looks at them. In both cases, they have problems with their brains that
cause them to neglect the left side of their vision, showing that the brain
Claim
controls what we see, not the eyeballs!
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Targeted Instruction—Writing an Introduction to the
Response to Text Essay (10 min)
Have students turn to the Elements of an Introduction—Response to Text
Essay in their resource books. Read it aloud.
E L E M E N T S O F A N I N T R O D U C T I O N — R E S P O N S E TO T E X T E S S AY
• An engaging lead to grab the reader’s attention and to give the reader a sense of
what your essay is about
• The name of the text(s) and its author(s)
• Key background or context to help the reader understand the topic of your essay
and the texts you are using
• Your claim or argument
Have students turn to Activity 2 in their resource books. Ask students to turn
to a partner and share their answers from Activity 1.
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AC T I V I T Y 2
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1. Share what you identified as the lead in the sample introduction in Activity 1.
2.Discuss the following questions:
• Does the lead meet the first criteria in the Elements of an Introduction—
Response to Text Essay?
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• Does it grab your attention and give you a sense of what the essay is about?
Explain your answers.
Give students two minutes to complete Activity 2. Review what students
highlighted during the Independent Work.
We’re going to review the introduction elements, one element
at a time, using the sample essay introduction that you
highlighted.
We’ll begin with the first element, the lead. Who can share what
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they identified as the lead? (“Here’s an amazing fact that most
people don’t know: two people can be looking at the exact same
thing, but see something different because of the way their brain
works. ”)
Does this meet the criteria of a lead, according to the
elements? (Yes, it immediately tells the reader that the essay will
be about how brain structure controls how we see the world.)
Great. And does it grab the reader’s attention? (Yes, because it
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makes you wonder how even though your vision is fine, the brain
can control it to make you see in different ways.)
Accept all student responses.
Display the Lead From Phineas Gage and read it aloud.
L E A D F R O M P H I N E A S G AG E
“The most unlucky/lucky moment in the life of Phineas Gage is only a minute or two
away.” (Fleischman 1)
Here’s another example of a lead, the lead to Phineas Gage.
Does this grab the reader’s attention?
Accept 1–2 student responses. If students say it does, ask them how it grabs
the reader’s attention. Some students will say it is suspenseful and that it
makes the reader want to read on to find out what happens.
There are many ways to write your lead to your essay. I hope you
will try a few when you are writing your introduction to find the
perfect lead for your essay.
Let’s look at the other elements of the introduction. Talk with
your partner again, and share the rest of the elements you
identified in the sample, and why each is important for an
introduction.
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AC T I V I T Y 3
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Have students turn to Activity 3 in their resource books and read it aloud. Give
students two minutes to complete the activity.
1. Share the other elements of an introduction that you identified in the sample
introduction.
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2.Discuss: Why are each of these elements important?
Display the Sample Essay Introduction as you discuss the elements of the
introduction that students identified. Highlight the different elements you
discuss with the class.
S A M P L E E S S AY I N T R O D U C T I O N
Seeing Only One Side of Things
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Here’s an amazing fact that most people don’t know: two people can be looking
at the exact same thing, but see something different because of the way their brain
works. Most people think it’s a person’s eyes that see, but it’s actually the person’s
brain doing the work. A brain injury can change what the person sees, even if the
person’s eyes are not damaged and are totally normal and functioning. The video
“Visual Neglect” from NOVA’s Secrets of the Mind shows a stroke patient, Peggy, who
can only see what her damaged brain lets her see. Because of her stroke she can only
see the left sides of things. Just like Peggy, Mrs. S.from Oliver Sacks’ The Man Who
Mistook His Wife for a Hat also ignores the left side of things when she looks at them.
In both cases, they have problems with their brains that cause them to neglect the left
side of their vision, showing that the brain controls what we see, not the eyeballs!
Let’s look at the second element. Does the introduction
include the name of the texts and their authors? In this sample
essay, one of the texts is a video. (Yes, it includes the author,
Oliver Sacks, and his book The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a
Hat. The video doesn’t have an author but we know the video title.)
Why is it important to include the titles of the sources and
their authors? (They’re important because the writer needs to
give credit to the author and the books.)
Yes, we have to give credit to the authors to show where we
Students might
get confused when
responding to the
question of name
of texts and authors
in the sample
introduction because
one source is the
video. The script
below includes a
response.
got our information. Remember, when using multiple texts, we
need to make sure both texts and their authors are introduced
in this opening paragraph.
Does the sample include key background information or some
context to give a sense of what the texts are about? (Yes, it
explains how the two people from the different cases experience
distortion in their perception.)
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Why is that important? (It’s important to know because we need
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to know more about the topic of the essay and what we are going
to be reading about.)
And finally, what is the claim? (In both cases, they have problems
with their brains that cause them to neglect the left side of their
vision, showing that the brain controls what we see, not the
eyeballs!)
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Why do we need to include this in the introduction? (Because
the claim tells us what the author is proving to us in the essay.)
Nice job! Now you will have time to write your introduction and
then begin editing your whole essay. If you have time, try and
experiment with more than one lead and then choose the one
you like best.
If you need a reminder as you write, refer to the Elements of
an Introduction—Response to Text Essay.
After you write your introduction, you will begin to edit your
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essay. Your job will be to put your introduction and your body
paragraphs together so that you have a complete piece. You’ll
make sure you have put all your revisions in and decided on an
order. You also need to make sure you’ve cited your sources
correctly. Then you need to read the whole essay and find and
fix errors in grammar and punctuation so you have a polished
piece.
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During this Work Session, students will work at their own pace to write their
introductions with all of the elements. Once they complete Activity 4, they
should move on to Activity 5.
Students who don’t finish writing their introductions or begin their editing
should complete this work as their Solo.
AC T I V I T Y 4
Writing an Introductory Paragraph
1. Reread your body paragraphs, including the revisions you have made.
2.Write your introductory paragraph and include all of the elements.
3.When you are done, move onto Activity 5.
Give students 25 minutes to complete the activity while you circulate around
the room doing OTSCs. If you have Hummingbird, use it to record your
interactions with students during OTSCs.
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You’ve used the quote well in introducing your piece. This is
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not an easy task because you need to home in on which quote
will address your claim and grab the reader’s attention at the
same time. By leading with, “The doctor offers Phineas $1,000
for a pocketful of pebbles” (19), and following it up by telling
the reader that Phineas refused, you are illustrating your claim
that both Phineas and an adolescent display poor judgment.
I like how you experimented with two leads and chose the one
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that supports your claim by opening with a direct quote from
“Demystifying the Adolescent Brain” in support of the behavior
you’ve chosen.
Remember, when introducing more than one text, you need to
include both authors’ names and both titles of the texts.
Right here you summarize what the reader is going to
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encounter in your essay: that both Phineas, who suffered from
a cerebral cortex injury, and an adolescent exhibit similar
behavior, like taking foolish risks. However, you’ve forgotten to
include the names of the texts and how they will support the
claim. Refer back to the sample introduction and look at how
the writer incorporates the texts and their connection to the
claim. I’ll come back in a few minutes to see what you’ve come
up with.
AC T I V I T Y 5
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Editing Process
1. Read each part of your essay aloud to yourself, quietly and slowly. This list shows
you how the pieces you have written will go together:
• Introduction
• Body paragraphs with revisions and in the order you prefer
2.Refer to the Guidelines for Citing and Punctuating Direct Quotes From a
Book or an Article to make sure you have written your direct quotes correctly.
3.Reread your essay to correct any errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar that
you can find.
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Closing (5 min)
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Your level of concentration and attention to detail when writing
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your introductions was very impressive. Introductions are not
easy, and this is a skill to continue honing, as well, because
crafting a strong introduction helps make a strong piece of
writing.
I am so proud of the way you developed your essay over the
past week. You have identified your evidence, described and
explained it, and shown how it supports your claim using
multiple texts. This is not an easy task, but we will have plenty
of opportunity in the future to practice the skills you’ve
learned in this process.
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Tell students that if they didn’t finish writing their introductions or their editing,
they will need to finish these during their Solo. Students should finish their
essays for homework and on their own time, rather than adding any more time
in class.
After Class
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After students hand in their polished piece, grade the essays using the
Response to Text Essay Rubric—Unit C (page 348).
Solo
If you did not complete the following activities in class, please complete them for your
Solo.
AC T I V I T Y 6
Writing an Introductory Paragraph
1. Reread your body paragraphs, including the revisions you have made.
2.Write your introductory paragraph and include all of the elements.
3.When you are done, move onto Activity 5.
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AC T I V I T Y 7
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Editing Process
1. Read each part of your essay aloud to yourself, quietly and slowly. This list shows
you how the pieces you have written will go together:
• Introduction
• Body paragraphs with revisions and in the order you prefer
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2.Refer to the Guidelines for Citing and Punctuating Direct Quotes From a
Book or an Article to make sure you have written your direct quotes correctly.
3.Reread your essay to correct any errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar that
you can find.
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Write out your essay on a computer or a clean piece of paper to create a polished piece.
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Appendix A
For Unit C Lessons, Amplify ELA
by John Fleischman
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Excerpts from Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True
Story about Brain Science
Excerpts from PHINEAS GAGE: A Gruesome but True Story About
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Brain Science by John Fleischman. Copyright (c) 2002 by John
Fleischman. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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The most unlucky/lucky moment in the life of Phineas Gage is only a minute or two away. It’s almost
four-thirty in the afternoon on September 13, 1848. Phineas is the foreman of a track construction gang
that is in the process of blasting a railroad right-of-way through granite bedrock near the small town
of Cavendish, Vermont. Phineas is twenty-six years old, unmarried, and five feet, six inches tall, short
for our time but about average for his. He is good with his hands and good with his men, “possessing
an iron will as well as an iron frame,” according to his doctor. In a moment, Phineas will have a horrible
accident.
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It will kill him, but it will take another eleven years, six months, and nineteen days to do so. In the short
run, Phineas will make a full recovery, or so it will seem to those who didn’t know him before. Old friends
and family will know the truth. Phineas will never be his old self again. His “character” will change. The
ways in which he deals with others, conducts himself, and makes plans will all change. Long after the
accident, his doctor will sum up his case for a medical journal. “Gage,” his doctor will write, “was no
longer Gage.” Phineas Gage’s accident will make him world famous, but fame will do him little good. Yet
for many others—psychologists, medical researchers, doctors, and especially those who suffer brain
injuries—Phineas Gage will become someone worth knowing.
That’s why we know so much about Phineas. It’s been 150 years since his accident, yet we are still
learning more about him. There’s also a lot about Phineas we don’t know and probably never will. The
biggest question is the simplest one and the hardest to answer: Was Phineas lucky or unlucky? Once
you hear his story, you can decide for yourself. But right now, Phineas is working on the railroad and his
time has nearly come.
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Building a railroad in 1848 is muscle work. There are no bulldozers or power shovels to open a way
through Vermont’s Green Mountains for the Rutland & Burlington Railroad. Phineas’s men work with
picks, shovels, and rock drills. Phineas’s special skill is blasting. With well-placed charges of black
gunpowder, he shatters rock. To set those charges, he carries the special tool of the blasting trade, his
“tamping iron.” Some people confuse a tamping iron with a crowbar, but they are different tools for different jobs. A crowbar is for lifting up or prying apart something heavy. A tamping iron is for the delicate
job of setting explosives. Phineas had his tamping iron made to order by a neighborhood blacksmith.
It’s a tapering iron rod that is three feet, seven inches long and weighs thirteen and a half pounds. It
looks like an iron spear. At the base, it’s fat and round, an inch and three quarters in diameter. The fat
end is for tamping—packing down—loose powder. The other end comes to a sharp, narrow point and is
for poking holes through the gunpowder to set the fuse. Phineas’s tamping iron is very smooth to the
touch, smooth from the blacksmith’s forge as well as from constant use.
His task is to blast the solid rock into pieces small enough for his crew to dig loose with hand tools and
haul away in ox carts. The first step is to drill a hole in the bedrock at exactly the right angle and depth,
or the explosion will be wasted. All day, Phineas must keep an eye on his drillers to make sure they stay
ahead. All day, Phineas must keep an eye on his diggers to make sure they keep up. All the time between, Phineas and his assistant are working with touchy explosives.
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They follow a strict routine. His assistant “charges” each new hole by filling the bottom with coarsegrained gunpowder. Phineas uses the narrow end of his iron to carefully press the ropelike fuse down
into the powder. The assistant then fills up the rest of the hole with loose sand to act as a plug. Phineas
will tamp the sand tight to bottle up the explosion, channeling the blast downward into the rock to shatter it. While his assistant is pouring the sand, Phineas flips his tamping iron around from the pointy end
to the round end for tamping. Black powder is ticklish stuff. When it’s damp, nothing will set it off.
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When it’s too dry or mixed in the wrong formula, almost anything can set it off, without warning. But
Phineas and his assistant have done this a thousand times—pour the powder, set the fuse, pour the
sand, tamp the sand plug, shout a warning, light the fuse, and run like mad.
But something goes wrong this time. The sand is never poured down the hole; the black powder and
fuse sit exposed at the bottom. Does his assistant forget, or does Phineas forget to look? Witnesses disagree. A few yards behind Phineas, a group of his men are using a hand-cranked derrick crane to hoist
a large piece of rock. Some of the men remember seeing Phineas standing over the blast hole, leaning
lightly on the tamping iron. Others say Phineas was sitting on a rock ledge above the hole, holding the
iron loosely between his knees.
There is no argument about what happens next. Something or someone distracts Phineas. Does he
hear his name called? Does he spot someone goofing off? Whatever the reason, Phineas turns his head
to glance over his right shoulder. The fat end of his tamping iron slips down into the hole and strikes
the granite. A spark flies onto the exposed blasting powder. Blam! The drill hole acts as a gun barrel.
Instead of a bullet, it fires Phineas’s rod straight upward. The iron shrieks through the air and comes
down with a loud clang about thirty feet away.
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This is what happens. Imagine you are inside Phineas’s head, watching in extreme slow motion: See
the pointy end of the rod enter under his left cheekbone, pass behind his left eye, through the front of
his brain, and out the middle of his forehead just above the hairline. It takes a fraction of a fraction of a
second for the iron rod to pass from cheekbone to forehead, through and through.
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Amazingly, Phineas is still alive. The iron throws him flat on his back, but as his men come running
through the gunpowder smoke, he sits up. A minute later, he speaks. Blood is pouring down his face
from his forehead, but Phineas is talking about the explosion. His men insist on carrying him to an ox
cart for the short ride into town. They gently lift him into the back of the cart so he can sit up with his
legs out before him on the floor. An Irish workman grabs a horse and races ahead for the doctor while
the ox cart ambulance rumbles slowly down the half-mile to Cavendish. Phineas’s excited men crowd
alongside, walking next to their injured boss. Still acting as a foreman, Phineas calls out for his time
book and makes an entry as he rolls toward town.
A
Something terrible has happened, yet Phineas gets down from the cart without help. He climbs the
steps of the Cavendish hotel, where he has been living, and takes a seat on the porch beside his landlord, Joseph Adams. A few minutes earlier, Adams had seen the Irishman ride past shouting for Dr.
Harlow, the town physician. Dr. Harlow was not to be found, so the rider was sent on to the next village
to fetch Dr. Williams. Now Phineas takes a neighborly seat on the porch and tells his landlord what happened to him.
That’s how Dr. Edward Williams finds Phineas nearly thirty minutes after the accident. Dr. Williams pulls
up in his buggy at the hotel porch, and there is Phineas, talking away. Friends, workmates, and the
curious crowd around as Dr. Williams climbs down from his carriage. “Well, here’s work enough for you,
Doctor,” Phineas says to him quite cheerfully.
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Dr. Williams examines Phineas’s head. He can’t believe that this man is still alive. His skull is cracked
open, as if something has popped out from the inside. Accident victims are often too shaken to know
what happened, so Dr. Williams turns to Phineas’s workmen for the story, but Phineas insists on speaking for himself. He tells Dr. Williams that the iron went right through his head.
Dr. Williams does not believe him. “I thought he was deceived,” Dr. Williams writes in his notes. “I asked
him where the bar entered, and he pointed to the wound on his cheek, which I had not before discovered. This was a slit running from the angle of the jaw forward about one and a half inch. It was very
much stretched laterally, and was discolored by powder and iron rust, at least appeared so. Mr. Gage
persisted in saying that the bar went through his head. An Irishman standing by said, ‘Sure it was so, sir,
for the bar is lying in the road below, all blood and brains.’”
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It’s now an hour after the accident. The town’s regular physician, Dr. John Martyn Harlow, finally arrives
at the hotel. The two doctors confer, but Dr. Harlow takes over the case. Phineas is a gruesome sight.
Bleeding freely from his forehead and inside his mouth, Phineas looks to Dr. Harlow like a wounded
man just carried in from a battlefield. Yet Phineas is alert, uncomplaining, and still telling anyone who’ll
listen about the accident. Dr. Harlow wants Phineas to come in off the porch so he can treat his wound.
Phineas gets up and, leaning only lightly on Dr. Harlow’s arm, climbs up a long flight of stairs to his
room. He lies down on his own bed so Dr. Harlow can shave his head and examine the wound more
closely. What the doctor sees is terrible. Something has erupted through the top of Phineas’s head,
shattering the skull in its path and opening the brain to plain sight.
FT
Dr. Harlow does what he can. He cleans the skin around the hole, extracts the small fragments of bone,
and gently presses the larger pieces of skull back in place. He looks inside Phineas’s mouth. He can see
the hole where the iron passed upward through the roof of his mouth. Dr. Harlow decides to leave the
hole open so the wound can drain. Then Dr. Harlow “dresses” the wound, pulling the loose skin back
into position and taping it in place with adhesive strips. He puts a compress bandage directly over the
wound and pulls Phineas’s nightcap down tightly over it. Finally he winds a roller bandage around his
forehead to hold all the bandages securely. Only then does he notice Phineas’s hands and forearms,
which are black with powder burns. Dr. Harlow dresses the burnt skin and has Phineas put to bed with
his head elevated. He gives strict orders that his patient is to remain in that position.
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A
Phineas should have been dead long before this. A thirteen-pound iron rod through the head should kill
a person instantly. Surviving that, he should have died of shock soon after reaching Cavendish. He’s
lost a lot of blood, yet he remains awake and talkative. Even surviving the loss of blood, Phineas should
have died of brain swelling. Any hard blow to the body causes injured tissue to swell. The brain is soft,
and the skull is hard. A hard blow to the head can rattle the brain around inside like a BB in a tin can.
The rattling bruises the brain, and bruised tissue swells. The brain swells, but the skull stays the same
size; a swollen brain can jam itself so tightly it will cut off its own blood supply. This swelling can choke
off oxygen to parts of the brain long enough to cause permanent damage. It can also cause death.
That’s a “closed brain” injury (sometimes called a concussion). The possibility of a closed brain injury
is why doctors fuss if you bang your head falling off a bicycle or crashing a car or getting hit hard in the
head with anything. (To prevent closed brain injuries, you should wear a helmet when bicycling, driving
a race car, fighting in the infantry, playing tackle football, parachuting, exploring a cave, working on a
construction site, or doing just about anything where you could strike your head hard. In Phineas’s case,
however, a helmet would not have helped.)
Here Phineas has a stroke of luck. His is an “open brain” injury. The hole on top of his head gives his battered brain swelling room. The bad news is that his brain is open to infection. At first, though, he does
remarkably well. The bleeding from his forehead slows and then stops within twenty-four hours. He
remains cheerful and tells Dr. Harlow that he “does not care to see his friends, as he shall be at work in
a few days.” The morning after the accident, however, he is glad to see his mother and uncle when they
arrive from New Hampshire. Two days after the accident, he takes a turn for the worse. He develops a
fever and begins to have delirious spells. His wound is leaking a foul-smelling liquid, a sure sign of infection. His death seems just a matter of time now.
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More than any other organ, the brain is sealed off from the outside world and from the rest of the body.
There are many layers of tissue, bone, and skin to keep it protected from the outside, but there’s also
a “blood-brain barrier” that keeps out many substances circulating in the blood. Oxygen and nutrients
can cross the blood-brain barrier, but many dangerous substances like bacteria cannot. With his skull
fractured, Phineas’s exposed brain is wide open, making him an ideal candidate for a fatal infection.
No one in Cavendish in 1848, no scientist in America or Europe, has the slightest notion that bacteria
cause infection.
FT
Medical science in 1848 knows very little about bacteria, even though they were first seen through
microscopes nearly two hundred years before. Today we are used to seeing the microscopic world, but
when the microscope was invented in the middle of the seventeenth century, it caused a sensation. The
microscope became a new kind of “high-tech” entertainment for cultured gentlemen, and in 1665 an
Englishman named Robert Hooke came up with a microscopic “hit.” He showed off a slide he’d made of
an extremely thin slice of cork. Under the microscope lens, Hooke saw that the tissue inside a cork tree
was made up of rows of tiny, boxlike structures. They reminded him of the bare rooms used by monks
in a monastery. Hooke called them “cells.” His cork cells, though, were empty because they were dead
and dried out. It would take two centuries to figure out that it’s the living stuff inside cells that makes
them the fundamental unit of life.
A
While Hooke was showing off his “cells,” a sharp-eyed Dutch merchant named Anton van Leeuwenhoek
was making more powerful microscopes. Leeuwenhoek took a single drop of water from a rain barrel
and turned his microscope on it. In that drop of water, Leeuwenhoek found a whole new planet of very,
very small life forms. “Animalcules,” he called them. Leeuwenhoek was the first to see single-celled microorganisms, tiny plants and tiny animals, including bacteria. Yet Leeuwenhoek never had the faintest
suspicion that some of his “animalcules” caused humans to sicken and to die.
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That’s more or less the state of knowledge in 1848. Few doctors have ever used a microscope, because
it is not considered a medical instrument. These microscopic animals might be marvels of nature, but
no doctor suspects that they have anything to do with disease, let alone infections. Doctors in 1848
don’t use the word infection, but they know its symptoms well. They call it “sepsis,” and they know from
bitter experience how quickly a “septic” wound can go from slight redness to gross swelling to a fatal
condition called gangrene.
The doctors of 1848 don’t realize that gangrene is the end result of bacterial infection. They don’t realize that floating in the air on dust particles, lurking on fingertips, or growing on the shiny steel blades
of their unwashed surgical scalpels are single-celled bacteria and other microscopic life forms. On the
smallest surface, there are hundreds of millions of them. They represent thousands of different species; there are tiny plants, tiny fungi, tiny viruses, and tiny animals. Among the microanimals are two
particularly dangerous families of bacteria—streptococci and staphylococci (“strep” and “staph,” for
short). What doctors don’t know in 1848, strep and staph do: that the broken head of Phineas is an
ideal location to land.
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A wound is an open door. A cut or break in the skin lets staph and strep bacteria colonize the warm, wet,
nutrient-rich cells inside. Once these bacteria get established in the body, they reproduce wildly. The
body’s immune system tries to kill the invading bacteria with an array of special immune cells, while
the bacteria try to protect themselves against immune cells by cranking out toxic chemicals. That’s
an infection. The site of this biological battle between the immune system and bacteria swells up and
turns red.
FT
In 1848, science is still twenty years away from figuring out that infections are the work of living—that
is, “biotic”—things. It will take nearly a century for science to develop the first “antibiotic,” penicillin, to
counter infections. In 1848, a young Frenchman named Louis Pasteur is still studying chemistry in Paris.
Eventually, Pasteur will unravel the three great biological mysteries of his time—fermentation, decay,
and infection. All three processes are the work of living microorganisms; Pasteur will call them “germs.”
Pasteur’s “germ theory” will lead to a revolution in medicine. It will inspire an English surgeon named
Joseph Lister to try performing surgery in sterile conditions that exclude or kill all microorganisms.
Lister will scrub his hands almost raw before operating, he will boil surgical clothing and instruments,
and he will set up a machine to spray carbolic acid in the operating room to kill germs in midair. Lister’s
first sterile operations in 1868 will cut the number of deaths from infection after surgery by 90 percent.
For the first time in history, doctors will help more patients with surgery than they harm with postsurgical infections.
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None of this progress to come will do Phineas a bit of good back in 1848. Instead, Phineas is saved by
good luck and good care. Dr. Harlow follows the best medical advice of his time—keep the wound clean
but covered and watch for inflammation. A sign of infection is a fluid called “pus” (it’s actually dead
white blood cells, a sign that the body’s immune system is attacking bacterial invaders) that collects in
pockets to form abscesses. Fourteen days after the accident, Phineas develops a huge abscess under
the skin just above his eyes. Phineas is feverish, losing his appetite, and sinking fast. Dr. Harlow lances
(punctures) the abscess. He drains the pus and dresses Phineas’s forehead again. The fever abates. His
scalp begins to heal. Phineas is saved by his youth, his iron constitution, and Dr. Harlow’s good nursing.
Dr. Harlow will always be modest about his role in saving Phineas. “I dressed him,” Dr. Harlow will say.
“God healed him.”
The patient gains strength. Too much strength, in his doctor’s opinion. Dr. Harlow is called out of town
for a few days, and when he comes back he finds Phineas out of his sickbed. His head still heavily
bandaged, Phineas is roaming about Cavendish in the rain with no coat and thin shoes. He is eating
unwisely, refusing nursing advice, and ignoring doctor’s orders. Phineas says he wants to go home
to his mother’s house in Lebanon, New Hampshire, twenty miles away. He intends to walk. According
to the best medical theories of his day, Dr. Harlow diagnoses an imbalance of bodily “humors.” This
theory, which goes back to the ancient Greeks, declares that health is maintained by a balance of four
liquids, or humors, in the body—blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. To bring them into balance,
Dr. Harlow prescribes two powerful drugs—an “emetic” to make Phineas throw up and a “purgative,” a
powerful laxative, to evacuate his bowels. Phineas is knocked flat by the medicines and spends the next
two weeks in bed, where Dr. Harlow keeps him on a “low,” or bland, diet. His humors may or may not be
in balance, but Phineas is resting quietly at last.
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Ten weeks after the accident, Dr. Harlow declares Phineas fully recovered from his wounds. He puts
Phineas in a closed carriage and sends him home to his mother in New Hampshire. Phineas is very
weak, but he can walk short distances. He can count, feed and dress himself, and sing. He can speak
clearly and make sense of what he hears. Yet there is something odd about the “recovered” Phineas.
Just before he leaves Cavendish, Dr. Harlow gives Phineas a little test. The doctor offers Phineas $1,000
for the pocketful of pebbles that Phineas has collected walking along the Black River near town. Dr.
Harlow knows that Phineas can add and subtract, yet Phineas angrily refuses the deal. Dr. Harlow tells
himself that a man who was so badly hurt is going to need time to regain his full powers.
FT
As soon as Phineas leaves for home, Dr. Harlow writes a short report for theBoston Medical & Surgical
Journal. Most doctors ignore Dr. Harlow’s article. The few who read it don’t believe it. How could a man
survive such an injury, let alone make a “complete recovery”? But one Boston doctor is intrigued. He
writes to Harlow for information and urges the Vermont doctor to back up his case by collecting formal
statements from eyewitnesses in Cavendish. The letter is from Henry J. Bigelow, professor of surgery at
the Harvard Medical College.
A
In the spring, Phineas is back in Cavendish, carrying his tamping iron. He never goes anywhere without
it these days. Phineas has come for a final examination by Dr. Harlow and to reclaim his old job on the
railroad. His left eye looks intact, but the vision has gradually faded away. Phineas has a huge scar on
his forehead and a small scar under his cheekbone, but otherwise he is physically healed. Yet Dr. Harlow
has private doubts about Phineas’s mental state. Phineas is just not his old self.
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His old employers on the railroad quickly come to the same conclusion. The new Phineas is unreliable
and, at times, downright nasty. He insults old workmates and friends. He spouts vulgar language in the
presence of women. He changes his mind and his orders from minute to minute. The railroad contractors let him go. Dr. Harlow, who is keeping confidential notes on Phineas, sadly writes, “His contractors,
who regarded him as the most efficient and capable foreman in their employ previous to his injury,
considered the change in his mind so marked that they could not give him his place again.”
Phineas’s old friends also wash their hands of him. Dr. Harlow writes: “He is fitful, irreverent, indulging
at times in the grossest profanity (which was not previously his custom), manifesting but little deference for his fellows, impatient of restraint or advice when it conflicts with his desires.” Phineas comes
up with all sorts of new plans, the doctor writes, but they are no sooner announced than he drops them.
Phineas is like a small child who says he is running away from home after lunch and then comes up
with a new idea over his sandwich. Dr. Harlow writes, “A child in his intellectual capacities and manifestations, he has the animal passions of a strong man.” A doctor is bound by his oath not to reveal the
details of a patient’s condition without permission, so Dr. Harlow will keep his observations to himself
for twenty years.
Meantime, Dr. Harlow has another letter from Dr. Bigelow at Harvard, who thanks him for collecting the
eyewitness statements about the accident. Would Mr. Gage consider coming to Boston at Dr. Bigelow’s
expense so his case could be presented at the medical school and before the Boston Society of Medical
Improvement? Dr. Harlow and Dr. Bigelow make arrangements.
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You can have a look for yourself. Imagine you could click open the top of your head and lift your brain
out. It weighs about three pounds. Some compare it to half of an enormous walnut, but if you can’t
visualize a three-pound walnut half, think of a bicycle helmet (bicycle helmets look the way they do so
they can surround the brain). Think of your brain as a big cap perched on a stalk and protected by the
neck flap. The big cap is your cerebral cortex. The stalk is your brain stem, which plugs into your spinal
cord. The brain stem keeps many of your automatic functions going, like your breathing and heartbeat.
The neck flap covers your cerebellum, which coordinates movement. Without your cerebellum, you
couldn’t walk upright, touch your finger to your nose, or turn this page. Without your brain stem, you
couldn’t breathe. Without your cerebral cortex, you wouldn’t be human.
FT
The cortex is where you think, remember, learn, imagine, read, speak, listen, and dream. In the cortex,
you feel your emotions and you make sense of what your senses are telling you. The cortex is where
you actually see what your eyes transmit, smell what your nose senses, taste what your tongue samples, touch what your nerves report, and hear what your ears pick up. None of this vital activity is visible
in gross anatomy. By just holding a brain in your hands you (and the doctors of Phineas’s day) can’t see
the thing that makes this organ work, the brain’s fundamental unit, which is the brain cell, or neuron.
You’ll need a microscope and a lot of skill to see a single neuron, but all of these structures—the cortex,
cerebellum, brain stem, and spinal cord—are made up of neurons specialized to relay and transmit tiny
electrical impulses. By layering and connecting billions of neurons, you get a brain.
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But by looking at your brain in your hand, you’ll notice that the cortex splits in half right down the
middle. The left hemisphere and the right hemisphere are separated on top by a deep crack—the
interhemispheric fissure—but joined in the middle of the brain by a thick mat of nerves—the corpus
callosum. The corpus is the switchboard for signals back and forth between the two halves. In recent
times, scientists have learned that the two hemispheres specialize in certain skills. Sometimes you’ll
hear brain researchers talk about a “right brain” or a “left brain” skill. They really mean right or left
hemisphere. But you can’t see any skills by looking at the outside of a brain.
The Boston doctors watching Phineas in 1850 haven’t a clue about neurons, which won’t be discovered for another twenty years. Still, these doctors know that the brain sits atop the spinal cord, a thick,
bundled cable of thousands of threads. Doctors do not know that each thread is a bundle of microscopic neurons. They do know that cutting the spinal cord results in paralysis. The higher the break in the
spinal cord, the more complete the paralysis. They know that if the cord is cut at the base of the brain
stem, the patient dies.
That’s why Phineas interests the doctors. His injury is not at the back of his head in the cerebellum or
at the bottom of the brain near the brain stem. He was struck through the forehead, and the iron must
have pierced the frontal lobe of the cortex. If Phineas survived with a large piece of his cortex destroyed,
then what does the cortex do? Across America and Europe, doctors are fiercely divided over this very
question. These are the two rival schools. One group thinks the brain is a “whole intelligence,” that is,
that your brain is one interconnected “mind.” Let’s call them the “Whole Brainers.” They think of the
cortex as a chamber holding a formless cloud or jelly driven by a mysterious “vital force.” Through this
force, every part of the brain is connected to every other part. The Whole Brainers believe that thoughts
and commands can originate anywhere in the brain jelly/cloud and flash into action. If one part of the
brain is injured, then the functions or thoughts that came from there will flow to another part.
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Unfortunately, the Whole Brainers have no hard evidence for their theory. Instead they must look for
unusual cases that might back them up. Phineas seems to be such a case. Dr. Bigelow of Harvard
thinks so. He is a Whole Brainer.
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His opponents believe in “localized function”; that is, they believe that the brain is divided into specific
areas that control specific things. Let’s call them the “Localizers.” They are followers of the Austrian Dr.
Gall, who started the brain revolution by declaring that the brain was the seat of intelligence, emotions,
and will. Dr. Gall called his brain science “phrenology” (a made-up Greek word). By any name, the Localizers, or Phrenologists, believe that “organs” inside the brain control specific functions. They draw up
a model Phrenological Head to show the “organs” in their correct positions. The “Organ of Veneration
[respect]” and the “Organ of Benevolence [kindness],” for example, are supposed to be just above the
left eyebrow. (Remember where Phineas was hit by the iron? Stay tuned.) Unfortunately, the Phrenologists have no way of knowing which part of the brain controls what. “Benevolence” cannot be seen on
the outside of the brain.
A
Later in the nineteenth century, scientists will discover that a weak electrical current applied to the
exposed brain of a laboratory animal will make certain muscles twitch involuntarily and certain senses
sharpen or go dead. In the early twentieth century, scientists will invent more sophisticated and less
dangerous ways to “see” brain activity. Eventually they will chart the brain’s electrical signals by attaching electrodes to the scalp for an “electroencephalograph,” or EEG. The EEG plots amazing patterns of
electrical activity that match specific areas of the brain with specific functions. Toward the end of the
twentieth century, scientists will invent brain scanners that can “image” the electrical and chemical
activity inside a living brain.
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Back in 1850, the Localizers/Phrenologists haven’t seen a single thought or brainwave. Still, that
doesn’t stop them from identifying thirty-seven “organs” of the brain. How do they do it? Bumps. That’s
right. Bumps on the head. The Phrenologists reason that if you have a strong organ, it will be big and
project from your skull as a bump. If you have a weak organ, it will be small and you’ll have a dip or
depression in your skull. Run your hand over your own skull and you will find all sorts of knobs, bumps,
dips, and so on. The Phrenologists decide that if you have a bump over your Organ of Amativeness, you
are a person with a strong talent for physical love. If you have a dip or a depression over your Organ of
Philoprogenitiveness (also known as parental love), you’re not going to be fond of children.
Among Boston doctors, phrenology is considered serious stuff when Phineas walks into the middle of
the debate of the Whole Brainers versus the Localizers. Both sides seize him as proof of their belief. Dr.
Bigelow and his fellow Whole Brainers say that Phineas would surely have died if specific areas of the
brain were vital to specific functions. After all, the tamping iron carried away pieces of Phineas’s brain.
If every part of the brain was vital, then he should be dead. Yet here is Phineas alive in Boston, walking,
talking, and taking care of himself. Therefore, say the Whole Brainers, the whole brain must be able to
perform any function of one part.
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On the other side, Dr. Harlow is a Localizer, or at least he is a friend of some leading Localizers/Phrenologists. The Localizers say Phineas proves their theory. The tamping iron has not killed him because
the damage is limited to specific organs that are not critical to life. Yet the Localizers/Phrenologists
don’t have all the facts. In 1850, when Phineas comes to Boston, Dr. Harlow feels he must keep the details of his patient’s personality problems confidential, but he does tell some of the truth to Dr. Nelson
Sizer. Dr. Sizer is a big man in phrenology and lectures on it all over New England. Dr. Harlow leaks the
information to Dr. Sizer that the “completely recovered” Phineas is not the old Phineas. Dr. Sizer tries
to disguise the source of his report to the American Phrenological Journalin 1851, writing, “We have
been informed by the best authority that after the man recovered, and while recovering, he was grossly
profane, coarse, and vulgar, to such a degree that his society was intolerable to decent people.”
Dr. Sizer’s report is wonderful news for the Localizers/Phrenologists. As Dr. Sizer explains, “If we
remember correctly, the iron passed through the regions of the organs of BENEVOLENCE and VENERATION, which left these organs without influence in his character, hence his profanity, and want of
respect and kindness.”
A
In the long run, the Localizers will turn out to be somewhat right about localization but completely
wrong about phrenological organs. The Whole Brainers will turn out to be right about the complex interconnections of the brain but wrong about the brain acting as a whole. The 10 billion neurons in your
brain are not connected at random. They are organized into “local circuits” within the cortex; the local
circuits form “subcortical nuclei,” which together form “cortical regions,” which form “systems,” which
form “systems of systems,” which form you.
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Specific areas of the brain do control specific functions and behaviors, but it’s not always as “logical”
as we would imagine. Skills that you think should be in the same brain patch are scattered about in
different places in the cortex. Different areas of the cortex let you recognize letters in a book or faces in
a crowd, or know whether you are standing upright. Yet many of these localized functions are also controlled by interactions with other parts of the brain. The human brain, it turns out, is both localized and
interconnected. We know so much more about the brain today than the Phrenologists and the Whole
Brainers did in 1850, yet we really understand only the rough outlines.
Half the world away from San Francisco in 1862, French surgeon Paul Broca in Paris announces a discovery that finally turns brain theory into brain science. Dr. Broca shows how damage to one very small
spot in the brain causes one very specific kind of damage. Broca is still unable to study a living brain,
but he has been performing autopsies on the brains of stroke victims. A stroke is an interruption of the
blood supply to the brain that causes localized damage and often leaves stroke patients without the
ability to speak. Broca notices that in the brains of stroke patients who’d lost the power to speak there
is visible damage in a small area on the outside of the left frontal lobe.
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The spot becomes famous as “Broca’s area.” To find it, put your hand on the top of your left ear, directly
above your ear hole. Move your fingers about two inches forward. Underneath the skull is your “Broca’s
area.” If it’s damaged, you will lose the ability to speak. In medical language, you will have “aphasia.”
Soon after Broca’s announcement, a German named Carl Wernicke identifies a second area on the
left temporal lobe that separately controls the ability to understand speech. The loss of the ability to
understand what is said to you is called “receptive aphasia.” Who could have imagined that these two
skills would be controlled from two different places in the brain? Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas are the
first anatomical proof of localization. Other brain researchers soon learn to use low-voltage electricity
to stimulate specific points on the brain. Bit by bit, the map of the brain grows more detailed and more
localized.
The new scientific map of the brain has no relation to our old friend the Phrenological Head. Phrenology falls into disgrace, even though the Phrenologists were right about localization. The Whole Brainers
are also shaken. If speech is localized on these two spots, how could someone with massive frontal
lobe injuries—Phineas Gage, for example—speak? And yet Dr. Harlow had said that Phineas had fully
recovered. Of course, few doctors in Boston remember much about the Gage case, and even Dr. Harlow
has lost track of Phineas.
A
By the time Dr. Harlow finds Phineas again, he is too late. After Phineas leaves for South America in
1852, Dr. Harlow’s contact with the Gage family is broken. Quietly, he has wondered what became of
his most celebrated patient. Then in 1866, the year after the Civil War ends, Dr. Harlow, now running
a small practice in Woburn, Massachusetts, finds an address for Hannah Gage in San Francisco. He
writes to her, and his letter makes the long trek across America. Mrs. Gage is delighted to hear from
the doctor who’d done so much for her son. Unfortunately, she has the sad duty to report his death six
years before.
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It is too late for an autopsy, and California is too far for a research visit. But Dr. Harlow doesn’t give up.
They exchange cordial letters. Mrs. Gage describes Phineas’s last illness. She fills in the details of his
life after he left the medical spotlight in Boston. She recalls how Phineas was extremely fond of his little
nephews and nieces. Dr. Harlow notes her description of how Phineas would entertain them “with the
most fabulous recitals of his wonderful feats and hairbreadth escapes, without any foundation except
in his fancy.” Dr. Harlow concludes that Phineas had “a great fondness for children, horses, and dogs—
only exceeded by his attachment for his tamping iron, which was his constant companion during the
remainder of his life.”
Finally, Dr. Harlow makes an unusual request. Explaining the importance of her son’s case to science,
Dr. Harlow recalls how many scoffed at Phineas when Dr. Bigelow first presented his case in Boston.
Now there is a way to settle the question, Dr. Harlow explains. Would Mrs. Gage allow her son’s body to
be exhumed—dug up—from his grave? Would she allow the skull to be removed and shipped to Massachusetts?
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What a request. Surely Dr. Harlow must be held in the highest regard by Hannah Gage. Why else would
she consent? With her son-in-law and the mayor of San Francisco, who happens to be a physician,
standing by as witnesses, Phineas’s coffin is uncovered and carried to a shed. There, Dr. J. D. B. Stillman, a local surgeon, removes the skull. The huge fracture on the forehead is unmistakable. Dr. Stillman
removes something else from the coffin—the tamping iron that Phineas carried everywhere, even to his
grave. That December, David Shattuck takes the skull and tamping iron with him when he travels east
on business. Early in the new year, he hands them over to an extremely grateful and very excited Dr.
Harlow in Massachusetts.
FT
At last Dr. Harlow is at liberty to tell the full story of Phineas Gage’s “recovery” twenty years before. He
appears before the Massachusetts Medical Society in 1868 and spills the beans. “This case has been
cited as one of complete recovery ... without any impairment to the intellect,” he says, but in truth,
Phineas’s personality changed drastically after the accident. “Previous to his injury, though untrained
in the schools, he possessed a well-balanced mind, and was looked upon by those who knew him as a
shrewd, smart business man, very energetic and persistent in executing all his plans of operation. In
this regard, his mind was radically changed, so decidedly that his friends and acquaintances said he
was ‘no longer Gage.’”
A
Phineas went from being “the most efficient and capable foreman” on the railroad to a man who
couldn’t be trusted because he couldn’t get along with anyone. The new Phineas was pigheaded and
stubborn one moment and wishy-washy and vague the next. “I think you have been shown that the
subsequent history and progress of the case only warrant us in saying that physically, the recovery was
quite complete,” says Dr. Harlow. “Mentally the recovery certainly was only partial.” The new Phineas
could walk, drive a team of horses, and sail away to Chile, but he had lost a vital skill—he no longer knew
how to be social.
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Being social is a hard skill to measure. Social behavior goes beyond the ability to activate the correct
muscles or decode the right spoken sounds. It’s different from having manners. Manners are learned,
and they differ greatly from culture to culture. Your parents teach you the “right” way to eat or to greet
strangers, but other parents in other countries teach their children other “right” ways. Forks or chopsticks or fingers, there’s no “right” way to put food in your mouth, yet all humans swallow the same way.
Swallowing is automatic behavior. Using a fork is learned behavior. Eating politely in the company of
others is social behavior.
In your brain, Broca’s area may let you speak and Wernicke’s area may let you understand, but listening is also a complicated social behavior. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve been taught how to
listen—how to make or break eye contact, how to murmur agreement or quiet objection, how to smile
at the right moment or not to smile at all if the subject is grave. You also know how to show (or hide)
your emotional reactions. You can laugh or yawn, roll your eyes upward in boredom, or open your eyes
wide in delight. All of these behaviors can mean something entirely different in another culture, but all
cultures have listening behavior. To act human, you mix emotions, actions, routines, customs, manners,
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words, and expressions in a predictable way. That’s what Phineas seems to have lost. Bossing a railroad
construction gang requires more than a loud voice. A gang has to be able to “read” the social behavior
of the foreman. They have to know if he’s angry or just joking, if his orders are reasonable, or if his judgment can be trusted. He has to be able to “read” the social behavior of his men, to know who are the
reliable ones and who are the troublemakers. By all reports, the old Phineas was an excellent foreman.
The new Phineas was not. All these changes were brought on by a hole through a specific part of his
brain.
FT
In Boston twenty years before, the central exhibit had been Phineas himself, alive and seemingly well.
Now Dr. Harlow reveals the clincher—his skull. He has “prepared” it for inspection, carefully sawing
through the bone at just above eyebrow level so the top of the cranium can be lifted off. Now his audience can see the hole in the top of his mouth through which the rod passed. The top of Phineas’s skull
is an amazing sight. The doctors can see where Dr. Harlow pushed two large fragments back into place
and how the edges started to regrow, unmistakable proof that Phineas survived the trauma and that his
body started to heal the damage. Yet there is a visible hole in the top, a small triangular opening the size
of a quarter, where the iron either smashed or carried away the bone completely. The skin closed over
it, but for eleven years, Phineas had a real hole in his head.
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At last, the true story of Phineas Gage is out in the open. The scientific debate about the brain, though,
has moved on. The theories of the Localizers and Whole Brainers are being replaced by a new experimental brain science. In time, the pinpointing of control areas will become more and more detailed.
Knowledge of cells in general and neurons in particular will transform understanding of the brain. Yet
the truth about Phineas poses a question that no one seems eager to answer. If there are exact locations in the brain that allow for the ability to hear or to breathe, is there a place that generates human
social behavior? If that place is damaged, do you stop acting human?
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Appendix B
By Laurence Steinberg
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Demystifying the Adolescent Brain
Source: “Demystifying the Adolescent Brain.” by Laurence Steinberg,
2011, Educational Leadership, 68(7) pp. 42-46. © 2011 by ASCD.
Reprinted with permission. Learn more about ASCD at www.ascd.org
FT
Adolescents can be mature one moment and frustratingly immature the next.
The nature of brain development helps explain why.
In addition to being a transitional time in physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development,
adolescence is a time of important changes in the structure and function of the brain. Scientists are
beginning to understand how the psychological changes of adolescence are linked to brain maturation.
A
Before the development of brain imaging technology, scientists could only speculate about the workings of the adolescent brain. Now, however, with the same scanners that are used to identify tumors
and torn ligaments, researchers can see inside the adolescent’s brain and watch what happens when
teenagers think. We now know that, other than the first three years of life, no period of development is
characterized by more dramatic brain changes than adolescence.
What We’ve Learned from fMRI
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It used to be thought that improved intellectual functioning in adolescence would be reflected in larger
brain size. However, the brain has reached its adult size by age 10, making it impossible that changes in
thinking during adolescence are the result of sheer increases in the brain’s size or volume.
Since 2000, there’s been an explosion in research on adolescent brain development, and our understanding of brain maturation has grown at breathtaking speed. Major contributions to our understanding have come from studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This technique
enables researchers to take pictures of individuals’ brains and compare anatomy (brain structure) and
activity (brain function).
Some aspects of brain development in adolescence are reflected in changes in brain structure (for
instance, certain parts of the brain are relatively smaller in childhood than in adolescence, whereas
other parts are relatively larger). Other aspects of brain development are reflected in changes in brain
function (for instance, adolescents may use different parts of the brain than children do when performing the same task).
In addition, greater interconnectedness among various regions of the brain allows for better communication between parts associated with different functions. For example, connections between regions of
the brain responsible for logical reasoning become better connected with those responsible for experiencing intense emotions; “cross-talk” between these regions enables better impulse control and selfregulation. That’s one reason that older teenagers are so much better than younger ones at controlling
their emotions.
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You may have had an MRI exam to diagnose the underlying cause of some sort of pain. Although the
technology used in this sort of imaging is the same as that used by neuroscientists who study brain
development, the “f” in fMRI refers to the use of the test to examine how the brain functions, and not
just its anatomy. Researchers use fMRI to examine patterns of brain activity while individuals perform
a specific task (for example, recalling a list of words, viewing photos of one’s friends, or listening to
music). Participants in an fMRI study are asked to perform tasks on a computer while they lie inside
a brain scanner. With this setup, it’s possible to study both how patterns of brain activity differ during
different tasks (for example, when we actively read as opposed to being read to) and whether people
of different ages show different patterns of brain activity while performing the same task. Many of the
most important brain changes that take place during adolescence are not in the brain’s structure, but
in how the brain works.
At Temple University, we’re studying how patterns of brain activity vary when individuals perform tasks
either alone or with their friends watching them, and whether the ways in which the presence of friends
changes brain activity differs between teenagers and adults. We’ve found that the mere presence of
peers activates adolescents’ reward centers—but not those of adults. This may make teenagers more
inclined to take risks when they’re with their friends because they’re more likely to focus on the rewards of a risky choice than on the potential costs.
A
A Primer on Brain Maturation
Synapse Formation
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The human brain contains approximately 100 billion neurons, cells that carry information by transmitting electrical charges within the brain by means of chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurons do
not actually touch; there’s a miniscule gap between them called a synapse. When the electrical charge
travels through a neuron, it stimulates the release of neurotransmitters, chemicals that carry the signal
across the synapse from one neuron to the next. Anytime we perceive something (for example, feel an
itch); move something (scratch the itch); or process information (wonder where the itch came from),
this process of electrical transmission is involved.
A key process in early brain development is the development of connections—synapses—between neurons. By age 2, a single neuron may have 10,000 connections to other neurons. The formation of some
synapses is genetically programmed, but others are formed through experience. The rate of synapse
formation peaks at about age 1 and slows down in early childhood, but the development of new synapses continues throughout life as we learn new skills, build memories, acquire knowledge, and adapt
to changing circumstances.
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Synaptic Pruning
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Initially, the brain produces many more connections among cells than it will use. The number of synapses in the brain of a 1-year-old is about twice the number in the adult brain. However, soon after birth, unused and unnecessary synapses start to be eliminated, a process called synaptic pruning. As a general
rule, we tend to assume that “more is better,” but that’s not the case here. Imagine a meadow between
two patches of forest. Hundreds of lightly trodden paths connect one side to the other (the unpruned
brain). Over time, people discover that one path is more direct than others. More people begin using
this path more often, so it becomes wider and deeper. Because the other paths are not used anymore,
the grass grows back and those paths disappear. That’s what synaptic pruning is like.
FT
The elimination of synapses continues through adolescence and is normal and necessary to development and functioning. Just as pruning a rose bush—cutting off weak and misshapen branches—produces a healthier plant with larger flowers, so synaptic pruning enhances the brain’s functioning. It
makes the brain more efficient by transforming an unwieldy network of small pathways into a better
organized system of superhighways.
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In general, the development of synapses is characterized by a period of growth (when more and more
synapses are created) followed by a period of decline (when more and more synapses are pruned). Although synaptic pruning takes place throughout infancy, childhood, and adolescence, different regions
of the brain are pruned at different points in development. As a rule, the brain regions in which pruning
is taking place at a particular point in development are the regions associated with the greatest changes in cognitive functioning during that stage.
Myelination
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Initially, neurons are “nude,” but in the course of development, white fatty tissue called myelin encases
the projections of neurons that interconnect them, a process called myelination. Myelin, which acts like
plastic insulation around an electrical wire, increases the speed of neural impulses and so improves
information transmission. Myelination occurs in waves, beginning in the prenatal period and continuing into adulthood. As with synaptic pruning, examining where myelination occurs most dramatically
at a particular point in development provides clues about the aspects of cognitive functioning that are
changing most at that stage.
What This Means for the Adolescent Brain
More Advanced Reasoning…
During adolescence, the brain is remodeled through synaptic pruning and myelination in particular
brain regions. The most important part of the brain to be pruned in adolescence is the prefrontal cortex,
the region of the brain directly behind your forehead, which is most important for sophisticated thinking abilities, such as planning, thinking ahead, and weighing risks and rewards. There’s also continued
myelination of the prefrontal cortex and its connections to other parts of the brain throughout adolescence, which leads to many cognitive advances, including improvements in our ability to regulate our
emotions and coordinate our thoughts and feelings. Maturation of the prefrontal cortex is not complete
until the mid-20s, a much later point in development than scientists had once thought.
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But More Risk Taking
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Imaging studies have also shown important changes in the functioning of the prefrontal cortex in
adolescence. Patterns of activation within the prefrontal cortex typically become more focused. For
instance, in experiments in which participants are presented with a rapid succession of images and
asked to push a button when a certain image appears but refrain from pushing it when a different image appears, adolescents are less likely than children to activate prefrontal regions that are not relevant
to performing the task well. In addition, individuals become more likely to use multiple parts of the
brain simultaneously and coordinate activity among prefrontal regions and other areas of the brain,
such as the limbic system, a region that’s important for our experience of reward and punishment and
for processing emotional and social information, such as reading someone’s facial expression or judging what a person thinks of us.
At the same time that the adolescent brain is maturing in ways that enable teenagers to become more
capable of reasoned thinking, it’s also changing in ways that make them do risky things.
Do you remember how good your first passionate kiss felt? How much you loved the music that was
popular when you were a teenager? How hard you laughed with your high school friends? Things that
feel good feel better during adolescence. Scientists now understand why.
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A chemical substance in the brain called dopamine is responsible for the feeling of pleasure. When
something enjoyable happens, we experience what some scientists have called a “dopamine squirt,”
which leads to the sensation of pleasure. It makes us want whatever elicited the squirt because the
feeling of pleasure it produces is so strong. (Some stimuli produce so much pleasure that we get a
dopamine squirt just anticipating the experience.)
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We now know there’s a rapid increase in dopamine activity in early adolescence—in fact, there’s more
dopamine activity in the brain’s reward center in early adolescence than at any other time of life. Because things feel especially pleasurable during early adolescence, young adolescents go out of their
way to seek rewarding experiences. At all ages we seek out things that make us feel good, of course. But
the drive to do this is much more intense in early adolescence than before or after.
The urge to seek out rewarding and pleasurable experiences is a mixed blessing. On the plus side, it’s
part of what makes it so much fun to be a teenager. But sometimes this drive is so intense that adolescents can exhibit a sort of reward tunnel vision. They’re so driven to seek pleasure that they may not
pay attention to the associated risks. To teenagers, driving fast, having unprotected sex, and drinking
alcohol feel so good that thoughts about a speeding ticket (or worse), an unwanted pregnancy, or being
grounded for coming home smelling of beer may not even make it onto their radar screen.
This combination of advanced (but not yet totally mature) reasoning and heightened sensation-seeking
explains why otherwise intelligent adolescents often do surprisingly foolish things. More important, the
fact that teenagers’ ability to control their impulses is immature at the same time that their interest in
sensation seeking is stronger than ever makes them vulnerable to making mistakes. Early adolescence
is like starting a car without having a skilled driver behind the wheel.
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What This Means for Adolescent Behavior
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Although scientists agree about the ways in which the structure and function of the brain change during adolescence, the implications of these changes for adolescent development are still the subject of a
great deal of ongoing research and considerable speculation. I’m often asked when adolescents begin
to think like adults. This is hard to answer on the basis of brain science alone because it depends on
which aspects of thinking you’re concerned about.
Both Mature and Immature
FT
Psychologists draw a distinction between “cold” cognition (when we think about something that
doesn’t have much emotional content, like how to solve an algebra problem) and “hot” cognition (when
we think about something that can make us feel exuberant or excited, angry or depressed, like whether
to go joyriding with friends or throw a punch at someone who insulted a girlfriend). The systems of the
brain responsible for cold cognition are mature by the time most individuals are 16. But the systems
that control hot cognition aren’t—they’re still developing well into the 20s. That’s why teenagers who
get straight As in algebra can also do really dumb things when out with their buddies.
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Teachers sometimes are surprised by the inconsistency in students’ behavior, especially during the
middle school years. Understanding the nature of brain development in adolescence helps explain
why adolescents can vacillate so often between mature and immature behavior. When it comes to
more basic abilities, such as those involving memory, attention, and logical reasoning, especially under
optimal conditions, the average 15-year-old is just as mature as the average adult. But research on
brain maturation indicates that relatively more sophisticated cognitive abilities, such as thinking ahead,
envisioning the consequences of a decision, balancing risks and rewards, or controlling impulses, are
still developing at that age.
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The Need to Practice Autonomy
It’s important to keep in mind that the brain is very malleable, or “plastic,” and that its development
is affected by experience as well as biology. Both synaptic pruning and myelination are influenced by
experience, such that repeated activation of a specific collection of neurons as a result of engaging in a
particular behavior will actually strengthen the connections among those neurons, which, in turn, will
make them function more efficiently. This is one reason that practicing the same task over and over
again makes that task easier to perform each time.
Although research on brain plasticity during adolescence is just in its infancy, many scientists believe
that the maturation of the brain systems responsible for thinking ahead and controlling impulses is
influenced by the sorts of experiences young people have, including their experiences in the classroom.
Given the well-documented finding that practicing something will strengthen the brain circuits that
control that behavior, it’s important that, as educators, we provide adolescents with opportunities to
practice things like planning, anticipating the consequences of a decision, and regulating their own behavior. Although it can be frustrating to teachers and parents when young adolescents push for more
autonomy, we need to respond by gradually granting them more control. Assignments that require
teenagers to think ahead, make a plan, and carry it out may stimulate the maturation of brain systems
that enable more mature self-regulation.
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Initially, adolescents who haven’t been given many opportunities to develop these capabilities may not
always succeed. But be patient. Over time, with practice, as synapses are pruned and neural circuits
myelinated, adolescents’ ability to exercise mature control over their own behavior will improve.
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Appendix C
Case studies
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Source: THE MAN WHO MISTOOK HIS WIFE FOR A HAT And Other
Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks. Copyright © 1970, 1981, 1983, 1984,
1985 by Oliver Sacks, used by permission of The Wylie Agency LLC.
From pages 10–11:
FT
Excerpts from chapter 1, “The Man Who
Mistook His Wife for a Hat”
[Dr P] saw all right, but what did he see? I opened out a copy of the National Geographic Magazine and
asked him to describe some pictures in it.
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His responses here were very curious. His eyes would dart from one thing to another, picking up tiny
features, individual features, as they had done with my face. A striking brightness, a colour, a shape
would arrest his attention and elicit comment—but in no case did he get the scene-as-a-whole. He
failed to see the whole, seeing only details, which he spotted like blips on a radar screen. He never
entered into relation with the picture as a whole—never faced, so to speak, its physiognomy. He had no
sense whatever of a landscape or scene.
I showed him the cover, an unbroken expanse of Sahara dunes.
‘What do you see here?’ I asked.
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‘I see a river,’ he said. ‘And a little guest-house with its terrace on the water. People are dining out on the
terrace. I see coloured parasols here and there.’ He was looking, if it was ‘looking’, right off the cover into
mid-air and confabulating nonexistent features, as if the absence of features in the actual picture had
driven him to imagine the river and the terrace and the coloured parasols.
I must have looked aghast, but he seemed to think he had done rather well. There was a hint of a smile
on his face. He also appeared to have decided that the examination was over and started to look around
for his hat. He reached out his hand and took hold of his wife’s head, tried to lift it off, to put it on. He
had apparently mistaken his wife for a hat! His wife looked as if she was used to such things.
From pages 12–13:
I turned on the television, keeping the sound off, and found an early Bette Davis film. A love scene was
in progress. Dr P. failed to identify the actress—but this could have been because she had never entered his world. What was more striking was that he failed to identify the expressions on her face or her
partner’s, though in the course of a single torrid scene these passed from sultry yearning through passion, surprise, disgust, and fury to a melting reconciliation. Dr P. could make nothing of any of this. He
was very unclear as to what was going on, or who was who or even what sex they were. His comments
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on the scene were positively Martian.
Excerpt from chapter 2, “The Lost Mariner”
From pages 24–25:
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Jimmie was a fine-looking man, with a curly bush of grey hair, a healthy and handsome forty-nine-yearold. He was cheerful, friendly, and warm.
FT
‘Hiya, Doc!’ he said. ‘Nice morning! Do I take this chair here?’ He was a genial soul, very ready to talk
and to answer any questions I asked him. He told me his name and birth date, and the name of the little
town in Connecticut where he was born. He described it in affectionate detail, even drew me a map. He
spoke of the houses where his family had lived—he remembered their phone numbers still. He spoke
of school and school days, the friends he’d had, and his special fondness for mathematics and science.
He talked with enthusiasm of his days in the navy—he was seventeen, had just graduated from high
school when he was drafted in 1943. With his good engineering mind he was a ‘natural’ for radio and
electronics, and after a crash course in Texas found himself assistant radio operator on a submarine.
He remembered the names of various submarines on which he had served, their missions, where they
were stationed, the names of his shipmates. He remembered Morse code, and was still fluent in Morse
tapping and touch-typing.
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A full and interesting early life, remembered vividly, in detail, with affection. But there, for some reason,
his reminiscences stopped. He recalled, and almost relived, his war days and service, the end of the
war, and his thoughts for the future. He had come to love the navy, thought he might stay in it. But with
the GI Bill, and support, he felt he might do best to go to college. His older brother was in accountancy
school and engaged to a girl, a ‘real beauty’, from Oregon.
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With recalling, reliving, Jimmie was full of animation; he did not seem to be speaking of the past but
of the present, and I was very struck by the change of tense in his recollections as he passed from his
school days to his days in the navy. He had been using the past tense, but now used the present—and
(it seemed to me) not just the formal or fictitious present tense of recall, but the actual present tense of
immediate experience.
A sudden, improbable suspicion seized me.
‘What year is this, Mr G.?’ I asked, concealing my perplexity under a casual manner.
‘Forty-five, man. What do you mean?’ He went on, ‘We’ve won the war, FDR’s dead, Truman’s at the helm.
There are great times ahead.’
‘And you, Jimmie, how old would you be?’
Oddly, uncertainly, he hesitated a moment, as if engaged in calculation.
‘Why, I guess I’m nineteen, Doc. I’ll be twenty next birthday.’
Looking at the grey-haired man before me, I had an impulse for which I have never forgiven myself—it
was, or would have been, the height of cruelty had there been any possibility of Jimmie’s remembering
it.
‘Here,’ I said, and thrust a mirror toward him. ‘Look in the mirror and tell me what you see. Is that a
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nineteen-year-old looking out from the mirror?’
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He suddenly turned ashen and gripped the sides of the chair. ‘Jesus Christ,’ he whispered. ‘Christ,
what’s going on? What’s happened to me? Is this a nightmare? Am I crazy? Is this a joke?’—and he
became frantic, panicked.
‘It’s okay, Jimmie,’ I said soothingly. ‘It’s just a mistake. Nothing to worry about. Hey!’ I took him to the
window. ‘Isn’t this a lovely spring day. See the kids there playing baseball?’ He regained his colour and
started to smile, and I stole away, taking the hateful mirror with me.
FT
Two minutes later I re-entered the room. Jimmie was still standing by the window, gazing with pleasure
at the kids playing baseball below. He wheeled around as I opened the door, and his face assumed a
cheery expression.
‘Hiya, Doc!’ he said. ‘Nice morning! You want to talk to me—do I take this chair here?’ There was no sign
of recognition on his frank, open face.
‘Haven’t we met before, Mr G.?’ I asked casually.
‘No, I can’t say we have. Quite a beard you got there. I wouldn’t forget you, Doc!”
Excerpt from chapter 11, “Cupid’s Disease”
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From pages 104–105:
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Very recently (January 1985) I have seen some of these same dilemmas and ironies in relation to another patient (Miguel O.), admitted to the state hospital with a diagnosis of ‘mania’, but soon realized to
be suffering from the excited stage of neurosyphilis. A simple man, he had been a farmhand in Puerto
Rico, and with some speech and hearing impediment, he could not express himself too well in words,
but expressed himself, exhibited his situation, simply and clearly, in drawings.
The first time I saw him he was quite excited, and when I asked him to copy a simple figure (Figure A)
he produced, with great brio, a three-dimensional elaboration (Figure B)—or so I took it to be, until he
explained that it was ‘an open carton’, and then tried to draw some fruit in it. Impulsively inspired by his
excited imagination, he had ignored the circle and cross, but retained, and made concrete, the idea of
‘enclosure’. An open carton, a carton full of oranges—was that not more exciting, more alive, more real,
than my dull figure?
A few days later I saw him again, very energised, very active, thoughts and feelings flying everywhere,
high as a kite. I asked him again to draw the same figure. And now, impulsively, without pausing for
a moment, he transformed the original to a sort of trapezoid, a lozenge, and then attached to this a
string—and a boy (Figure C). ‘Boy flying kite, kites flying!’ he exclaimed excitedly.
I saw him for the third time a few days after this, and found him rather down, rather Parkinsonian (he
had been given Haldol to quiet him, while awaiting final tests on the spinal fluid). Again I asked him to
draw the figure, and this time he copied it dully, correctly, and a little smaller than the original (the ‘micrographia’ of Haldol), and with none of the elaborations, the animation, the imagination, of the others
(Figure D). ‘I don’t “see” things anymore,’ he said. ‘It looked so real, it looked so alive before. Will every-
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thing seem dead when I am treated?’
Excerpt from chapter 13, “Yes, Father-Sister”
From pages 116–117:
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Mrs B., a former research chemist, had presented with a rapid personality change, becoming ‘funny’
(facetious, given to wise-cracks and puns), impulsive—and ‘superficial’ (‘You feel she doesn’t care
about you,’ one of her friends said. ‘She no longer seems to care about anything at all.’) At first it was
thought that she might be hypomanic, but she turned out to have a cerebral tumour. At craniotomy
there was found, not a meningioma as had been hoped, but a huge carcinoma involving the orbitofrontal aspects of both frontal lobes.
When I saw her, she seemed high-spirited, volatile—‘a riot’ (the nurses called her)—full of quips and
cracks, often clever and funny.
‘Yes, Father,’ she said to me on one occasion.
‘Yes, Sister,’ on another.
‘Yes, Doctor,’ on a third.
She seemed to use the terms interchangeably.
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‘What am I?’ I asked, stung, after a while.
‘I see your face, your beard,’ she said, ‘I think of an Archimandrite Priest. I see your white uniform—I
think of the Sisters. I see your stethoscope—I think of a doctor.’
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‘You don’t look at all of me?’
‘No, I don’t look at all of you.’
‘You realise the difference between a father, a sister, a doctor?’
‘I know the difference, but it means nothing to me. Father, sister, doctor—what’s the big deal?’
Thereafter, teasingly, she would say: ‘Yes, father-sister. Yes, sister-doctor’, and other combinations.
Testing left-right discrimination was oddly difficult, because she said left or right indifferently (though
there was not, in reaction, any confusion of the two, as when there is a lateralising defect of perception
or attention). When I drew her attention to this, she said: ‘Left/right. Right/left. Why the fuss? What’s
the difference?’
‘Is there a difference?’ I asked.
‘Of course,’ she said, with a chemist’s precision. ‘You could call them enantiomorphs of each other. But
they mean nothing to me. They’re no different for me. Hands…Doctors…Sisters…’ she added, seeing my
puzzlement. ‘Don’t you understand? They mean nothing—nothing to me. Nothing means anything…at
least to me.’
‘And…this meaning nothing…’ I hesitated, afraid to go on. ‘This meaninglessness…does this bother you?
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Does this mean anything to you?’
‘Nothing at all,’ she said promptly, with a bright smile, in the tone of one who makes a joke, wins an argument, wins at poker.
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Was this denial? Was this a brave show? Was this the ‘cover’ of some unbearable emotion? Her face
bore no deeper expression whatever. Her world had been voided of feeling and meaning. Nothing any
longer felt ‘real’ (or ‘unreal’). Everything was now ‘equivalent’ or ‘equal’—the whole world reduced to a
facetious insignificance.
FT
I found this somewhat shocking—her friends and family did too—but she herself, though not without
insight, was uncaring, indifferent, even with a funny-dreadful nonchalance or levity.
Mrs B., though acute and intelligent, was somehow not present—‘de-souled’—as a person. I was
reminded of William Thompson (and also of Dr P.). This is the effect of the ‘equalisation’ described by
Luria which we saw in the preceding chapter and will see in the next.
Excerpt from chapter 8, “Eyes Right!”
From pages 77–78:
D
R
A
She sometimes complains to the nurses that they have not put dessert or coffee on her tray. When they
say, “But, Mrs S., it is right there, on the left’, she seems not to understand what they say, and does not
look to the left. If her head is gently turned, so that the dessert comes into sight, in the preserved right
half of her visual field, she says, ‘Oh, there is it—it wasn’t there before’. She has totally lost the idea of
‘left’, with regard to both the world and her own body. Sometimes she complains that her portions are
too small, but this is because she only eats from the right half of the plate—it does not occur to her that
it has a left half as well. Sometimes, she will put on lipstick, and make up the right half of her face, leaving the left half completely neglected: it is almost impossible to treat these things, because her attention cannot be drawn to them (‘hemi-inattention’—see Battersby 1956) and she has no conception that
they are wrong. She knows it intellectually, and can understand, and laugh; but it is impossible for her
to know it directly.
Knowing it intellectually, knowing it inferentially, she has worked out strategies to deal with her imperceptions. She cannot look left, directly, she cannot turn left, so what she does is to turn right—and right
through a circle. Thus she requested, and was given, a rotating wheelchair. And now if she cannot find
something which she knows should be there, she swivels to the right, through a circle, until it comes
into view. She finds this signally successful if she cannot find her coffee or dessert. If her portions seem
too small, she will swivel to the right, keeping her eyes to the right, until her previously missed half now
comes into view; she will eat this, or rather half of this, and feel less hungry than before. But if she is still
hungry, or if she thinks on this matter, and realises that she may have perceived only half of the missing
half, she will make a second rotation till the remaining quarter comes into view, and, in turn, bisect this
yet again. This usually suffices—after all she has now eaten seven-eighths of the portion—but she may,
if she is feeling particularly hungry or obsessive, make a third turn, and secure another sixteenth of her
portion (leaving, of course, the remaining sixteenth, the left sixteenth, on her plate). ‘It’s absurd,’ she
says. ‘I feel like Zeno’s arrow—I never get there. It may look funny, but under the circumstances what
188
else can I do?’
CO
N
FI
DE
N
TI
AL
It would seem far simpler for her to rotate the plate than rotate herself. She agrees, and has tried this—
or at least tried to try it. But it is oddly difficult, it does not come naturally, whereas whizzing round in
her chair does, because her looking, her attention, her spontaneous movements and impulses, are all
now exclusively and instinctively to the right.
D
R
A
FT
Especially distressing to her was the derision which greeted her when she appeared only half made-up,
the left side of her face absurdly void of lipstick and rouge. ‘I look in the mirror,’ she said, ‘and do all I see.’
189

7th Grade Unit C: Science

Transcription

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