Deliverable

🧭 Challenge Definition

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Content Expertise Self Directed Learning Effective Communication Collaboration Academic Mindset CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.6 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.3 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.7 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.7 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.3 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.9 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.9 Big Ideas Performance Tasks Real-World Challenge Learning Partners and Clients Submission Required Grading Required

Using a teacher-curated evidence set with a short *Chains* excerpt, one historical account about slavery and freedom in Revolutionary New York, and one present-day Delaware community source, students draft a challenge statement in their notebooks. In pairs, they give feedback to 2 peers, receive feedback, and revise for clarity, evidence, and fairness to multiple perspectives. Each final draft ends with a 'How can we..., so that...' question tied to the mock hearing and trial work.

Plan day

Day 2

Duration

45 min

Grouping

Pair

Steps

6 steps

Lesson plan

6 steps · 45 min

#	What teachers do
1	Launch the challenge by displaying the three sources and naming the focus words unfair treatment, bias, language barrier, and point of view with brief student-friendly definitions. Ask students to do a quick turn-and-talk: What seems connected across these sources, and who is affected by these problems? (5 min)
2	Guide pairs through a short evidence review using the teacher-curated excerpt from Chains, one historical account about slavery and freedom in Revolutionary New York, and one present-day Delaware community source. Students underline or note one detail from each source that shows power, unfair treatment, or justice, then add those details to a simple three-column organizer. (10 min)
3	Model how to turn evidence into a fair challenge statement by thinking aloud with a sentence frame such as: In these sources, people are affected by ___ because ___. This matters because ___. Emphasize that strong statements include more than one perspective and focus on actions, not labels or assumptions. (5 min)
4	Have students draft their own challenge statement in notebooks using evidence from at least two sources, then write a final How can we..., so that... question that could guide the mock hearing and Trial of the Locktons work. Encourage students to consider immigrant families in Delaware, the Locktons' actions, and how people are judged or treated when power is uneven. (10 min)
5	Run a structured peer feedback round in pairs, then with a second peer, using prompts such as Is the challenge clear, Does it use evidence, and Is it fair to multiple perspectives? Students give one warm comment and one suggestion each time, then mark one revision they plan to make. (8 min)
6	Students revise and finalize their challenge statement and How can we..., so that... question, then complete a quick self-check against the success criteria. Close with 2-3 volunteers sharing revised questions that could matter to Legal Aid of Delaware advocates or Hispanic/Latino community center staff. (7 min)

Preparation (8 items)

Select and copy the three-source evidence set: a short Chains excerpt, one short historical account about slavery and freedom in Revolutionary New York, and one age-appropriate present-day Delaware community source about bias or language barriers.
Prepare a simple three-column evidence organizer labeled Literary Source, Historical Source, and Delaware Community Source with prompts for What happened?, Who had power?, and Who was affected?.
Create and display student-friendly definitions and visuals for key vocabulary: unfair treatment, bias, language barrier, justice, abuse of power, and point of view.
Prepare sentence starters for drafting and feedback, including In these sources..., A pattern I notice is..., One perspective is..., How can we..., so that..., I heard evidence when..., and A way to make this fairer or clearer is....
Plan pairs and a second feedback partner rotation in advance so all students can exchange feedback with two peers efficiently.
Annotate the sources for possible stopping points, read-aloud support, and key evidence to highlight for students who need additional scaffolds.
Prepare a brief model challenge statement and a non-example that is too vague or one-sided so students can compare quality before drafting.
Set up notebooks or writing pages with space for draft, peer feedback notes, revision, and a final self-check.

Student-facing instructions

You will use three sources today: a short excerpt from Chains, a short history reading, and a present-day Delaware community source. Your task is to gather evidence about unfair treatment, power, justice, and point of view, then write a clear challenge statement in your notebook. You will work with a partner to discuss the sources, give feedback to two peers, and revise your writing so it is clear, respectful, and fair to more than one perspective. You will need your notebook or writing page, the evidence organizer, and the source set. Your goal is to finish with a strong challenge statement and a How can we..., so that... question that can guide your later mock hearing and Trial of the Locktons work.

Success criteria

You are successful when you can: 1) record at least one relevant piece of evidence from each of the three sources; 2) write a challenge statement that names the problem, who is affected, and why it matters; 3) use evidence from at least two sources in your writing; 4) include language that is fair to multiple perspectives and focused on actions, not labels; 5) give feedback to two peers and revise at least one part of your draft; and 6) complete a final How can we..., so that... question that clearly connects to justice, unfair treatment, or abuse of power. Self-check: Is my question clear, evidence-based, and respectful?

Facilitator notes

Keep the pacing tight because this is a 45-minute lesson; have all materials pre-sorted and partner groupings ready. Read the sources aloud or offer audio/chunked versions for students with varying reading levels, and consider highlighting one possible piece of evidence in each source for students who need a starting point. Remind students that fairness means noticing more than one perspective without excusing harm; a common pitfall is writing a question that is too broad, too vague, or based on opinion without evidence. Use sentence starters and the model/non-example to support multilingual learners and developing writers. If discussion runs long, shorten share-out rather than revision time, since revision is essential for the selected speaking, listening, and writing standards. Encourage students to connect their questions to real Delaware community concerns and to the future audience of Legal Aid of Delaware advocates and Hispanic/Latino community center staff.

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