Text needed: The story of Andrew Carnegie found here:

https://www.carnegie.org/interactives/foundersstory/#!/

Materials sticky notes and/or white boards, pencil dry erase markers

Common Core State Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.1 Refer to details and examples in

a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from
the text. GLCE 4-E1.0.2 Describe some characteristics of a market economy

Key Points: Differentiating between plot and theme, and inferring themes or big ideas
ELL Adaptation: Do a text preview of any words that might pose a challenge to ELLS and have ELLs
partner with peers who proficient English speaker for this lesson.
Before Reading
Anticipatory Explanation script: ”When we are reading the author often has a larger meaning
Set/Hook for what they are writing than just telling a story or sharing facts. The plot of a
text is what happens in the story and the themes are the larger ideas that the
author is trying to get us to discover. Today we are going to read about Andrew
Carnegie and talk about what some themes are that we can infer from his life
story.”

● Reading Skill or Strategy: Inferring

● Comprehension Skill or Fluency: Telling the difference between themes and plot.
● Vocabulary: Rags to riches, philanthropist
Learning ● Inferring.
Target ● Understanding the difference between plot and themes

During Reading
During Before reading display a chart similar to this:
reading
Plot or Theme?

Plot Theme Evidence

Explain to students that as we read we will be making notes about the story and
deciding whether it should go in the plot or theme column and why. Some examples
of plot: settings or specific events that happened. Examples of theme: hard work
 pays off, doing the most with what you have and leaving the world a better place
than you found it.

After Reading
Reading Skill or Strategy:

Comprehension Skill or Fluency: Inferring to discover themes

Vocabulary: Rags to riches, philanthropist

Check for understanding: After the reading discuss the notes that have been made in the plot and theme
columns and talk about the reasons they belong there. Have the students come up with their own inferred
theme from the story and share it with the group.

Closure: Talk about any rags to riches stories that the students might know and about how philanthropist
impact the world and economy.
Example of their impact: they give money to medical research so that sector of the economy grows.

Definition of philanthropy

1 : goodwill to fellow members of the human race especially : active effort to promote human welfare
2a : an act or gift done or made for humanitarian purposes
b : an organization distributing or supported by funds set aside for humanitarian purposes

Next Steps: Collect student work.