Classroom Resource

Understanding Character: The Life of Percy Julian

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

3, 4, 5

Overview

In this interactive lesson supporting literacy skills, students watch video dramatizations of Percy Julian's struggles with racism and how he refused to let it limit his possibilities in life. Students develop their literacy skills as they explore English language arts and focus on understanding character. During this process, they read informational text, learn and practice vocabulary words, and explore content through videos and interactive activities.

This resource guides students as they analyze the character of Percy Julian and provides students with the opportunity to identify key details and learn new vocabulary.

Content Standards

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.17
Use grade-level academic and domain-specific vocabulary in writing.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Academic vocabulary
Domain-specific vocabulary
Writing

Knowledge

Students know:

Academic vocabulary is language that is more formal than spoken language.
Domain-specific vocabulary refers to words that are used specifically in school subject areas, like math, science, and social studies.
Academic, domain-specific vocabulary words should be used in writing to clearly communicate ideas.

Skills

Students are able to:

Use third grade-level academic and domain-specific vocabulary words in writing.

Understanding

Students understand that:

Using academic and domain-specific vocabulary words in writing makes their writing more interesting and helps to clearly communicate their message.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.22
Describe literary elements within a story, including setting, plot, characters, and themes.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Describe
Literary elements
Story
Setting
Plot
Characters
Themes

Knowledge

Students know:

Literary elements within a story include the setting, plot, characters, and themes.
Setting is when and where a story takes place.
Plot is the main events of a story (often referred to as the beginning, middle, and end of a story).
Characters are any person, animal, or figure that affect the plot.
Theme is the main, recurring idea in a text.

Skills

Students are able to:

Identify and describe the literary elements, including setting, plot, characters, and theme, within the text.

Understanding

Students understand that:

Identifying and describing literary elements within a story will help in comprehending the text.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.34
Write informative or explanatory texts about a topic using sources, including an introduction, facts, relevant details with elaboration, and a conclusion.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Informative text
Explanatory text
Sources
Topic
Introduction
Facts
Relevant details
Elaboration
Conclusion

Knowledge

Students know:

Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from research sources.
Informative or explanatory text begins by introducing the topic, provides facts and relevant details, and ends with a conclusion.
Elaboration means to supply additional information about a detail by using academic, content-specific vocabulary or by including text features.

Skills

Students are able to:

Gather information from sources.
Write an informative or explanatory text using information gathered from sources.
Write an informative or explanatory text that begins with introducing the topic, provides facts and details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
Elaborate on details included in the text.

Understanding

Students understand that:

Informative or explanatory writing follows a predictable text structure that includes introducing the topic, providing facts or additional details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
They must gather their facts about the topic from a research source.
Informative or explanatory writing can be used to tell facts about a topic.
Writers elaborate details included in the text by using academic, content-specific vocabulary and text features.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.15
Analyze in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Analyze
Character
Setting
Event
Story
Drama
Specific details

Knowledge

Students know:

Characters are any person, animal, or figure that affect the events of the story.
Setting is when and where a story takes place.
Events are situations that are described in the story.
A drama is a story with dialogue that can be read by different people.
Details in the text provide information about the characters, setting, and events.

Skills

Students are able to:

Use specific details from the text to explain attributes of the characters, setting, or event in a story or drama.

Understanding

Students understand that:

They can explain details about characters, settings, and events in a story or drama by using evidence from the text.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.36
Write informative or explanatory text about a topic using sources, incorporating academic vocabulary, and including an introduction, facts, details with elaboration, and a conclusion.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Informative text
Explanatory text
Topic
Sources
Academic vocabulary
Introduction
Facts
Details with elaboration
Conclusion

Knowledge

Students know:

Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from research sources.
Informative or explanatory text begins by introducing the topic, provides facts and relevant details, and ends with a conclusion.
Elaboration means to supply additional information about a detail by using academic vocabulary or by including text features.
Academic vocabulary is more formal and specific than spoken language.

Skills

Students are able to:

Gather information from sources.
Write an informative or explanatory text using information gathered from sources.
Write an informative or explanatory text that begins with introducing the topic, provides facts and details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
Elaborate on details included in the text using academic vocabulary.

Understanding

Students understand that:

Informative or explanatory writing follows a predictable text structure that includes introducing the topic, providing facts or additional details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
They must gather their facts about the topic from a research source.
Writers elaborate details included in the text by using formal academic vocabulary and text features.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.23
Determine and analyze themes of various culturally-diverse literary texts, supporting analysis with textual evidence.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Determine
Analyze
Themes
Culturally-diverse literary text
Textual evidence

Knowledge

Students know:

Theme is the main, recurring idea in a text.
An author develops a theme by including specific details in the text to help the reader identify and understand the theme.
There are common, or universal, themes that frequently appear in literary text.

Skills

Students are able to:

Identify the themes of various culturally-diverse literary texts.
Analyze the themes of various culturally-diverse literary texts using text evidence.

Understanding

Students understand that:

Literature often includes universal (common) themes, and the author suggests the theme of the text by including particular details about characters or events.
They can demonstrate they understood the theme of a story by using text evidence to support their identification.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.35
Write informative or explanatory texts using multiple sources to examine a topic, conveying ideas and information clearly and incorporating a strong organizational structure, relevant details, and elaboration.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Informative text
Explanatory text
Sources
Topic
Organizational structure
Details
Elaboration

Knowledge

Students know:

Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from multiple research sources.
Informative or explanatory text begins by introducing the topic, provides facts and relevant details, and ends with a conclusion.
Elaboration means supplying additional information about details by using academic vocabulary or including text features.

Skills

Students are able to:

Gather information from multiple sources.
Write an informative or explanatory text using information gathered from sources.
Write an informative or explanatory text with a clear, organized structure.
Elaborate on details included in the text using academic vocabulary or text features.

Understanding

Students understand that:

Informative or explanatory writing follows a predictable text structure that includes introducing the topic, providing facts or additional details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
They must gather their facts about the topic from multiple research sources.
Writers elaborate details included in the text by using formal academic vocabulary and text features.

Interdisciplinary Connection(s)

Link to Resource

https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/midlit11.ela.spljulian/understanding…

Content Type / Source

CR Resource Type

Interactive/Game

Resource Provider

PBS

Accessibility

License

License Type

Custom

Custom License Type (URL)

https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/help/terms-of-use/#restrictions

Comments or Notes

This resource includes supporting materials for teachers and students.

Approved Date

2022-10-27

Curated by

Learning Resource Type

Understanding Character: The Life of Percy Julian

Subject Area

Grade(s)

Overview

ELA21.3.17 Use grade-level academic and domain-specific vocabulary in writing.

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

ELA21.3.22 Describe literary elements within a story, including setting, plot, characters, and themes.

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

ELA21.3.34 Write informative or explanatory texts about a topic using sources, including an introduction, facts, relevant details with elaboration, and a conclusion.

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

ELA21.4.15 Analyze in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

ELA21.4.36 Write informative or explanatory text about a topic using sources, incorporating academic vocabulary, and including an introduction, facts, details with elaboration, and a conclusion.

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

ELA21.5.23 Determine and analyze themes of various culturally-diverse literary texts, supporting analysis with textual evidence.

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

ELA21.5.35 Write informative or explanatory texts using multiple sources to examine a topic, conveying ideas and information clearly and incorporating a strong organizational structure, relevant details, and elaboration.

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

URL (web address)

CR Resource Type

Resource Provider

License Type

Custom License Type (URL)

Comments or Notes

Approved Date

ELA21.3.17
Use grade-level academic and domain-specific vocabulary in writing.

ELA21.3.22
Describe literary elements within a story, including setting, plot, characters, and themes.

ELA21.3.34
Write informative or explanatory texts about a topic using sources, including an introduction, facts, relevant details with elaboration, and a conclusion.

ELA21.4.15
Analyze in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

ELA21.4.36
Write informative or explanatory text about a topic using sources, incorporating academic vocabulary, and including an introduction, facts, details with elaboration, and a conclusion.

ELA21.5.23
Determine and analyze themes of various culturally-diverse literary texts, supporting analysis with textual evidence.

ELA21.5.35
Write informative or explanatory texts using multiple sources to examine a topic, conveying ideas and information clearly and incorporating a strong organizational structure, relevant details, and elaboration.