Critical Reading & Writing Around Complex Texts

Critical Reading & Writing Around Complex

Texts

Tiffany Abbott FullerCassie ParsonRome City Schools

Learning Objectives

• Teachers will be able to select a complex text for their class (using the handout as a jumping off point).

• Teachers will learn and practice the reading strategies to access a complex text (in order to teach their students).

• Teachers will be able to teach their students how to write an analytical essay in response to a Guiding Question associated with a complex text.

Collaboration

• Partnership:– Literacy Coach, Cassie Parson (cparson@rcs.rome.ga.us)– Literacy Teacher, Tiffany Abbott Fuller (

tabbott@rcs.rome.ga.us)– Social Studies Teacher, Brant Amerman

(bamerman@rcs.rome.ga.us)• How We Collaborate:

– Selecting books– Knowing the standards– Sharing the students and the work

West End Elementary

• Rome City Schools• Size• Demographics• Classes / Rotation• Literacy Class Schedule

Launching the Unit: What We Wanted Before We Started

• Teaching Channel• Teaching Strategies• Writing an Analytical Essay-Beginning with the end

in mind. We knew the analytical essay was the end goal.

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/literacy-analysis-lesson

Selection of Complex Texts

• Thinking about the SS, ELA, & Reading standards• Use of Primary Source Document

– SS Teacher chose topic & literacy teacher chose text• Teachers Must:

– Be Patient– Be Mindful of Time/Space– Provide Scaffolding

Teaching Process for this Project• Lesson Hook- Read a related picture book• 1st Reading of Speech: Teacher Read Aloud• 2nd Reading of Speech: Independent and with Teacher

– Activity: Annotation• 3rd Reading: Small Groups

– Activity: Jigsaw• 4th Reading: Small Groups and Whole Class

– Activity: Summarizing the Main Idea of each paragraph• 5th Reading: Individually

– Assessment Foldable• 6th Reading: Small Groups

– Read for a literary device and Powerpoint

The Hook

First we introduced the project and Lincoln’s reconstruction speech by showing the book trailer & reading this book to the students in order to develop a context for the assignment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbjgcRR-lVM

Guiding Question

What is President Abraham Lincoln’s vision for the Unites States after the Civil War? Have we achieved that vision in our country today? Analyze Lincoln’s

reconstruction speech to determine the main idea and key details. Which quotes best support Lincoln’s vision?

Teaching Process for this Project

Annotate Text

Active Reading Annotation

• Question (?): Develop a question in regards to something you don’t understand or you would like to discuss further.

• Statement (!): Write down a sentence/phrase that you feel is a strong point regarding the purpose of the reading that should be discussed.

• Relate (R): Write down something that you can relate to, whether it is a belief, an experience, another text, etc. Connect the relevance of your experience back to the text.

• Summary (S): In your own words, summarize the main point of the selection focusing on important details.

Teaching Process-Students Jigsawing Lincoln’s Speech

Teaching Process for this Project

What was Lincoln’s Main Idea?

How do you know?

Teaching Process for this ProjectHistorical Event Foldable

Teaching Process – Group Work for Literary Device Analysis

Tone Analysis GroupStudent groups were assigned

specific literacy devices to analyze. From there, students made one slide PowerPoint Presentations which they presented to the class.

Students in the audience gave feedback to the presenting groups.

• “Will it be wiser to take it as it is, and help to improve it; or to reject, and disperse it?”

• “Can Louisiana be brought into proper practical relation with the union sooner by sustaining or by discarding her new state government?”

• We think that president Lincoln is saying these questions to Louisiana so the south can come back as a state .

QuestionsQ

uote

s

What does it mean? Main IdeaLincoln ‘s main idea for saying the reconstruction speech is to get Louisiana to get them together to help reunite the nations

Student Presentations- Video

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-declaration-of-independence

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Reading and Writing Go Hand in Hand

Preparing to Write

Teaching Process – Study of Mentor Analysis Essays

Teaching Process-Thesis Statement

IntroductionParagraph

What was Lincoln’s vision for the United States after the Civil War?

- Choose a main topic from the speech to answer the question: equal rights,

free the slaves, unify the country, to follow the plan

(write a general sentence)- Tell the who, where, and when: Lincoln, Reconstruction Speech, April 11, 1865- Thesis Statement

Writing Paragraph by Paragraph

Body Paragraph#4

How did Lincoln’s use of (IMAGERY, TONE, ASKING QUESTIONS, CALLS TO ACTION, COUNTER ARGUMENTS or REPETITION) help persuade the north to accept his vision for the United States after the Civil War?

- When Lincoln wrote his speech, he was sure to include….- example (quote from the text)- explain the quote- answer the question

Conclusion ParagraphHas Lincoln’s vision come to pass today? (don’t just say YES)

- Turn the question into a declarative sentence.

- Give an example / explain

Teaching Process – Body Paragraphs

Drafting Checklist

KEEP ME ON TRACK!!!Checklist• I chose 1 VISION to focus on.• I found evidence to support that vision.• I explained or clarified each part of evidence. • I wrote well-written sentences with vivid words, adjectives, and adverbs to better explain my thoughts.• I completed the graphic organizer (planning).• I am ready to write my 2nd paragraph onto the drafting paper.• I have finished writing my 2nd paragraph.• I read it. • I looked for spelling errors and corrected each word.• I looked for punctuation errors. • I capitalized PROPER NOUNS. • I have a rich and vivid vocabulary. I used a thesaurus.

• Write your name and date • Indent 5 times (one time for each paragraph).• Use " " marks around Lincoln's words only (the evidence).• Place page numbers inside (1) after quote. • Lincoln stated, "proper practical relations," (3). • Check for , before conjunctions (ONLY USE IF THE

SENTENCES ON EACH SIDE OF THE CONJUCTION ARE INDEPENDENT CLAUSES)

• Look for capitalization errors (Lincoln, Reconstruction, etc...)• Look for spelling errors. • Make sure you use EVIDENCE BASED TERMS/Transition

Words.• NEAT! NEAT! NEAT!

Publishing Checklist

Classroom Anchor Charts

Anchor Chart- Transition Words

Questions