Lesson 02 — Ch. 2 'Baldwin Tells the Truth'
Lesson context
- Lean into the Analyze depth — students know re- from Phase 1; push composability now.
- Admin chose to proceed; watch for stem fatigue at Lessons 7-8 and adjust pacing.
Spark · 5 min
- Student makes an interpretive claim about the chapter, character, or unit content
- Navigator asks: 'what makes you say that?'
- Student names a supporting reason
- Navigator pushes lightly: 'what else makes you say that?' — student names a second reason
Guided Reading · 12–15 min
- What evidence does Baldwin give for his tsunami warning? 32 — "His countenance grew grave. "I hear something," he said softly but apprehensively. "I hear something, something big. Something is coming! A wave is coming! Everyone, run to the hilltop right away! Go up there! Hurry!""
- What three facts does Mud consider when deciding whether to believe Baldwin? 33 — "One fact was that Baldwin had a creative mind; he was always exaggerating and imagining extraordinary causes for ordinary events, but another fact was that Baldwin had good hearing. Excellent hearing. In fact, Baldwin had the best hearing on the island. Mud looked at Baldwin, and then he looked at the third fact: the low, low tide that exposed the reef like never before."
- Why does Mud believe Baldwin this time when no one else does? 33 — "Mud thought about the facts. Was Baldwin's claim true this time? One fact was that Baldwin had a creative mind; he was always exaggerating and imagining extraordinary causes for ordinary events, but another fact was that Baldwin had good hearing. Excellent hearing. In fact, Baldwin had the best hearing on the island. Mud looked at Baldwin, and then he looked at the third fact: the low, low tide that exposed the reef like never before. And where had the fish schools gone?"
- What does the chapter suggest about judging truth based on who says it rather than the evidence itself? 38 — "Everyone survived the tsunami, but more than that, they had learned something important: that even Baldwin could tell the truth. To know if an idea is true, they now realized, you have to confirm the idea itself. It might be true, no matter who says it."
The Workshop · 15–18 min
This spiral revisit of Building Language's RE stem deploys at Analyze level. Students encountered the 5-part template in Phase 1 (opening poem, RESPECT closeup, Spanish cognate repetir, poem activity, simile activity). Chapter Two enacts re- at plot level — Baldwin's reputation re-evaluated, trust re-formed, hearing re-spected — and the deepening warrant surfaces the stem's composability after students have accumulated Phase 1's stem foundation.
Application: Pick three re- words from the unit's opening poem (pp. 56-57). For each, break the word into re + root and explain how 'again' shapes the word's meaning.
Extension: Find a re- word in Chapter Two's text (pp. 23-40) that names something Baldwin or the animals do 'again' and explain how the stem reveals the action's repetition.
Application: Compare the RESPECT closeup (p. 59) with the Spanish cognate repetir (p. 60). How does 'again' work in both words' meanings?
Extension: Compare two re- words from the chapter — one that names a physical action done again (e.g., 'returned') and one that names a mental action done again (e.g., 'recalled'). How does the stem connect them?
Application: Write a four-line re- poem following the unit's model (p. 61). Use at least three re- words and one rhyme pair.
Extension: Write a simile comparing a re- word to something from Chapter Two. Example: 'Mud's reasoning is like a review — he looks at the facts again.' Explain your comparison.
Student-Formed Conclusion · 7 min
- Student names an interpretive claim they're holding by lesson's end
- Navigator: 'what makes you say that?'
- Student names a reason from the lesson
- Navigator: 'what else makes you say that?'
- Student names a second reason
Wrap-Up & Preview · 5 min
Workshop recap: Students analyzed re- words by breaking them into stem + root, compared RESPECT and repetir across languages, and composed four-line re- poems.
Next lesson preview: Next chapter surfaces a new threat approaching the island — the animals' reasoning will be tested again.