All Summer in A Day. Lesson - Anthology
All Summer in A Day. Lesson - Anthology
Unit 1
Title: All Summer in A Day
Suggested Time: 5 days (45 minutes per day)
Common Core ELA Standards: RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RL.6.4, RL.6.5; W.6.2, W.6.4,
W.6.9; SL.6.1; L.6.1, L.6.2, L.6.4, L.6.5
Teacher Instructions
Preparing for Teaching
1. Read the Big Ideas and Key Understandings and the Synopsis. Please do not read this to the students.
This is a description for teachers about the big ideas and key understanding that students should take
away after completing this task.
Big Ideas and Key Understandings
Envy can lead people to commit awful acts and cause internal shame.
Synopsis
All Summer in A Day takes place on the planet Venus in a future world where people have come to
set up a civilization. On the planet Venus, as imagined by the author, the sun appears for only two
hours every seven years. A class of nine-year-olds eagerly awaits a brief glimpse of the sun,
especially one student named Margot.
2. Read the entire selection, keeping in mind the Big Ideas and Key Understandings.
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3. Re-read the text while noting the stopping points for the Text Dependent Questions and teaching Tier
II/academic vocabulary.
During Teaching
1. Students read the entire selection independently.
2. Teacher reads the text aloud while students follow along or students take turns reading aloud to each
other. Depending on the text length and student need, the teacher may choose to reverse the order of
steps 1 and 2 (*See Note to Teacher #1). During this step students may use metacognitive markers to
track responses to text and use those responses as a point of departure for talking or writing about the
text; cueing system: use (?) for questions, use (!) for reactions, and (*) for comments.
3. Students and teacher re-read the text while stopping to respond to and discuss the questions,
continually returning to the text. A variety of methods can be used to structure the reading and
discussion (i.e., whole class discussion, think-pair-share, independent written response, group work,
etc.)
Evidence-based Answers
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They were able to experience the joy that the sun brought into
their lives. *Students should reference the bottom of page
160 to the top of page 161. They could also empathize with
her noting the girl[] began to cry looking at it (rain) once
the sun vanishes. Additionally, on page 160 the children stand
in similar stance as Margot like so many stakes, into the
floor. Now, their faces were solemn and pale and they
looked at their hands and feet, their faces down.
Margot refuses to play games like tag with the other students,
she does not sing songs in class about happiness and life, she
responds to social situation awkwardly such as her shower
incident, her depression doesnt make her much fun to be
around.
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Page
Page
Page
Page
156
157
158
158
slackening
seized
protested
muffled
Page
Page
Page
Page
156
157
160
160
crushed
savagely
savored
solemn
providedMeaning needs to be
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Page
Page
Page
Page
Page
Page
Page
Page
Page
155
155
155
155
156
157
158
159
159
concussion
civilization
stir
compounded
frail
vital
- surged
resilient
tumultuously
157
158
158
158
consequence
bore
apparatus
repercussions
Prompt
o The theme of this story is that envy can lead people to commit awful acts and cause internal
shame. Write an explanatory essay about how the conflicts the characters face develop that
theme.
Teacher Instructions
1. Students complete an evidence chart as a pre-writing activity. Teachers should guide students in
gathering and using any relevant notes they compiled while reading and answering the textdependent questions earlier. Some students will need a good deal of help gathering this evidence,
especially when this process is new and/or the text is challenging!
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Evidence
Quote or paraphrase
Page
number
155
156
She is not like the other children who are vibrant, excited
for their first glimpse at the sun. Instead, she continues to
stand, separate.
158
160
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2. Once students have completed the evidence chart, they should look back at the writing prompt in
order to remind themselves what kind of response they are writing (i.e. expository, analytical,
argumentative) and think about the evidence they found. (Depending on the grade level, teachers
may want to review students evidence charts in some way to ensure accuracy.) From here, students
should develop a specific thesis statement. This could be done independently, with a partner, small
group, or the entire class. Consider directing students to the following sites to learn more about
thesis statements: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/ OR
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/ thesis_statement.shtml.
3. Students compose a rough draft. With regard to grade level and student ability, teachers should
decide how much scaffolding they will provide during this process (i.e. modeling, showing example
pieces, sharing work as students go).
4. Students complete final draft.
Sample Answer
So after that, dimly, dimly, she sensed it, she was different, and they knew her difference and kept
away. (p. 156) Can you imagine living on a planet where the sun only comes out for a few hours every
seven years? The children who grew up on Venus were used to this, but for Margot who remembers
something very different, life is unbearable. The differences between Margot and her peers lead to envy,
awful acts, and internal shame.
Margot is a nine year old girl who was born on Earth and moves to Mars at the age of four. Unlike the
other children on the planet, Margot remembers the sun. This vivid memory causes her to experience deep
depression, which leads to isolation from her peers. Bradbury states, Margot stood apart from them, from
these children who could never remember a time when there wasnt rain and rain and rain. (p. 155)
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Margot has become so depressed that she refuses to interact with the other children. The children
attempt to play tag with her and all she is able to do is stand there and blink after them. When the other
students are singing songs about happiness and life, her lips barely move. They edged away from her;
they would not look at her. She felt them go away. (p. 156)
When Margot shares her memories of the sun in a poem, the other children become jealous. Aw you
didnt write that! (p. 156) When it is time for the sun to come out the children decided to lock Margot up
in a closet. They surged about her, caught her up and bore her, protesting, and then pleading, and then
crying, back into a tunnel, a room, a closet, where they slammed and locked the door. (p. 158)
After the children experience the sun for themselves, they are better able to understand Margot.
When they realize theyve forgotten about her and she is still locked in the closet they feel shame. "They
walked over to the closet door slowly and stood by it." (p. 160) They realize that their jealousy has allowed
them to commit a terrible act.
Additional Tasks
Authors use figurative language to make readers see familiar things in a new way. Given a list of
quotations from the figurative language Bradbury used, choose three that expresses how Margot sees
the sun. Then, explain what Margot means by each statement.
o Answer
On page 156 and 157, Margot describes the sun in various ways: She states, I think the sun
is a flower that blooms for just one hour. This means that she thinks the sun is beautiful
and brings something lovely into her life similar to how a flower will make someone feel when
they see it or get it. The sun only stays for an hour (a short period of time) and this isnt enough
time for Margot. She is used to the sun shining brightly for a longer amount of time because she is
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Pennies are round and copper colored.
This is probably what Margot is referring to when she says this. Margot also says that Its just
like a fire in a stove. Margot knows the sun is hot and can she can get really warm because of
it. It has sun rays that are very hot. Maybe she can remember a time when her ice cream melt
when she was in the hot sun.
Considering the conflicts that Margot & the other students face, argue whether or not the reader should
empathize with the students at the end of All Summer In A Day.
o Answer
Yes Response I think the reader should empathize with the students. The students have to live
with the consequences of their actions. They know that if Margot stays on Venus she will not be
able to experience the wonders and joy of the sun for another 7 years. After having that
experience themselves, they now understand how Margot feels and why she is so sad without the
sun.
No Response I dont think that the reader should empathize with the students. The students
knew what they were doing and were happy in doing so. They smiled as she pleaded, cried, and
threw herself against the closet door trying to get out. They knew how much this day meant to
her and they purposely took it away from her. Because of this, not only should the reader not
empathize with them, but the students should be receive consequences for their actions. Internal
conflict is not enough.
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Compare and contrast your experience of All Summer in A Day using the short story and the short
movie. Provide text evidence to support your expressions. Video link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=MydN-3mstak
o Answer: In the short story, the reader was moved to pity Margot due to her pitiful state. William
was not a likable character and the children appeared to lacking natural affection. The teacher,
with only one line, and parents were minor characters in the story. The teacher was a more
integral part and the parents were not referenced in the movie. Although poised with unique
experiences as a child from Earth, Margot didnt apply that knowledge very lucidly in the story. In
the short movie, the music played a role in the development of the tone/mood. Margot was only a
black spot on the video for the first five minutes showing how she stood alone. Her
unwillingness to be touched by the rain was evident when she appeared clearly after the bell on
her way to school. She exited the cover and walking side ways she tried to avoid it. Margot was
very talkative, spoke her mind and was not quiet, timid or reserved as she was in the short story.
The teacher had more of a responsibility and acted as an anchor for Williams behavior. Through
the reactions of the teachers lack of professional care and courtesy and her favoritism towards
Margot, it was clear why William hated her so much. Margot had Paula in the movie that she
could talk to, versus having no friends in the short story. All of the students gathered flowers
when they noticed the weather beginning to change. The flowers were a representation of their
memory in the sun for the day. Paula realized that Margot was not with them. The children banned
together to show their separation from Williams idea of putting her in the closet. In the movie,
William walked and opened the door while the children were waiting in the distance; whereas in
the short story, all the children went to release Margot from her captivity. The children willingly
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gave Margot their flowers while William stood alone. Margot walked over to William, indicating
her empathy for his feelings. She took his flowers for herself, as a subtle ode to her being right.
The movie ends with all of the children connecting with Margot as never before. The short story
ends with much to be left to the imagination.
Note to Teacher
1. During this step students may use metacognitive markers to track responses to text and use those
responses as a point of departure for talking or writing about the text; cueing system: use (?) for
questions, (!) for reactions, and (*) for comments.
2. Share how the rain could affect the view of time on Venus. There is a saying that time can be
your friend, usually because you are able to do what you want to do, enjoy yourself and have fun. Is
time a friend on Venus?
3. Storms are so heavy they were tidal waves suggests that the rain is unbearable and difficult to
endure.
4. If the theme can be summed up in one word what word would you use? Encourage students to
share the reason for their choice.
5. The image of a class full of students surrounding Margot, a frail student, can be compared to a wolfpack surrounding its prey. How does Bradburys word choice develop the intensity of the conflict?
6. Highlight the 2nd column on page 155 paragraph 7 - the sentence: Margot stood apart from them,
from these children who could never remember a time when there wasnt rain. Explain to students
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that the connotation provided through the phrase, from these children provide details of Margots
feelings of separation. As the paragraph unfolds, Bradbury provides details as to why Margot feels as
if she is unable to connect to them. Her longing for her past distances her from her peers.
7. Use question #3 to teach students how to count paragraphs in a fiction text with dialogue.
8. Margot is sad although today there is talk about seeing the sun. Encourage students to infer how
the strong possibility of seeing the sun has not helped internally and the conflict within still haunts
her. Utilize Margots poem the sun is a flower that blooms for just one hour. Discuss how Margots
expression just impacts her feelings. Additionally, Margot is familiar with the work of scientists. On
page 157, Margot states but this is the day, the scientists predict []. Again she should be happy
why not?
9. On page 158, 2nd column, 1st paragraph explain to students the metaphor connection of the
atmosphere to the 1st column 1st paragraph across the page that relates to Margots cries, muffles,
feelings of being left in the closet. Highlight the vocabulary words apparatus and repercussions and
how they relate to the context.
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Name ____________________________________________
6
Date
___________________
2. In the beginning of the story, on page 155, the children are pressed to
each other like so many roses, so many weeds, intermixed peering out for
a look at the hidden sun through the window. How do these words by the
author convey tone? Why does the author create this tone?
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5. On page 156, Aw, you didnt write that! and Whatre you looking at?
are the first responses that William utters to Margot. Why does William
have these reactions?
6. On page 157, what evidence shows that it is vital for Margot to return to
earth even though it may result in the loss of thousands of dollars to her
family?
8. On page 157, Bradbury states," the students surge about her" to shove
Margot into the closet. What motivates them to do this act?
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11.
Compare how the children walk away from the door when they push
Margot into the closet with how the children walk back to the closet to let
her out at the end. See pages 158, first paragraph and 160, last
paragraph.
12.
Why are the children able to empathize with Margot at the end of the
13.
The children have lived without the sun for 7 years. Why did a boom
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14.
contribute the conflict she is having with the other children? (p.156 and
throughout the story)