Readers Workshop Unit of Study 9th Grade Independent Readingflintelacurriculum.weebly.com/uploads/4/4/3/1/... · Readers Workshop Unit of Study 9th Grade – Independent Reading Preface

Copyright © 2010-2014 by the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators and Oakland Schools June 2014

Readers Workshop Unit of Study 9th Grade – Independent Reading

Fiction

Copyright © 2010-2014 by the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators and Oakland Schools

Readers Workshop Unit of Study 9th Grade – Independent Reading

Table of Contents

Preface Learning Progressions 6 - 8 .......................................................................................................................... 1

Learning Progressions 9 - 12 ........................................................................................................................ 2

Background Section Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 3

Standards ...................................................................................................................................................... 6

Overview of Sessions – Teaching Points and Unit Assessments ................................................................... 7

Resource Materials Section Session 1...................................................................................................................................................... 12

Session 2...................................................................................................................................................... 20

Session 3...................................................................................................................................................... 26

Session 4...................................................................................................................................................... 30

Session 5...................................................................................................................................................... 33

Session 6...................................................................................................................................................... 36

Session 7...................................................................................................................................................... 39

Session 8...................................................................................................................................................... 42

Session 9...................................................................................................................................................... 45

Session 10 ................................................................................................................................................... 48

Session 11 ................................................................................................................................................... 51

Session 12 ................................................................................................................................................... 53

Works Cited ................................................................................................................................................. 56

Copyright © 2010-2014 by the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators and Oakland Schools

Readers Workshop Unit of Study 9th Grade – Independent Reading Preface The following unit supports and aligns to the Common Core State Standards. This research-based work is the outcome of

a collective effort made by numerous secondary teachers from around the state of Michigan. Michigan Association of

Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA) initiated a statewide collaborative project, bringing together educators

from around the state to create and refine a K-12 English Language Arts model curriculum. The Independent Reading

unit is situated as the opening reading unit of study within a yearlong sequence of reading units. The unit emphasizes

students’ recognizing reading comprehension, reader independence, and reader identity. The foundation of a reading

identity and strategies to engage with text scaffold readers into the complexities of subsequent reading units that are

focused deeply within the three main types of writing. Each unit within the MAISA yearlong model curriculum presents

a string of teaching points that scaffold and spiral the content and skills. Units of study are structured to be student-

centered rather than teacher-driven. Sessions emphasize student engagement and strive to simultaneously increase

critical thinking and writing skills. Sessions are designed as a series of mini-lessons that allow time to read, practice,

respond, and conference. Through summative and formative assessments specific to each unit, students will progress

toward becoming independent thinkers and readers.

Significant input and feedback was gathered both in the initial conceptualizing of the unit and later revisions. Teachers

from around the state piloted and/or reviewed the unit; their feedback and student artifacts helped in the revision

process. Special thanks go to lead unit writers Linda Denstaedt, Leah Barnett, and Laura Mahler, who closely studied the

CCSS, translated the standards into curriculum and practice, and revised with a close eye to classroom teacher feedback.

Throughout the yearlong collaborative project, teachers who are reviewing units are finding how students’ habits of

mind have shifted from task-oriented to big-picture thinking, utilizing a critical literacy lens.

Page 1 Copyright © 2010-2014 by the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators and Oakland Schools

6th

7th 8th

Developing the Identity of

the Reader

Engage in conversations about books.

Utilize strategies to choose "just-right" books.

Read with stamina and fluency.

Engage a community of readers through sharing, critique, analysis, and recommendations.

Select just the right book after determining reading needs, interests, purposes and goals.

Engage in conversations and continue to create a community of readers through sharing, critiquing, and analyzing while making recommendations to others.

Select “just-right” book based on reading needs, interests, purposes, and goals.

Apply learning from unit to make decisions about next book choice.

Interacting with Texts and

Self-Monitoring

Make connections with the characters.

Infer characters' attributes and motivations.

Remain focused while reading.

Utilize selected reading tools, graphic organizers, and conversation to identify central ideas and character attributes.

Track the interacting and distracting voice, while making personal connections to the text.

Make connections about problems using character conflicts (internal/external), what characters say and do, character thoughts, and their reactions to other characters.

Connect with the main characters by forming opinions about various characters’ points of views.

Analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.

Analyze character conflicts by citing literal information and evaluating dialogue related to conflicts.

Exploring Genre—Elements

and Structures

Identify that stories are created through scenes and narration.

Identify the rising tension in the story.

Revise and refine thinking about characters.

Notice and connect recurring images or ideas that may point toward the theme.

Identify scenes as the building blocks of the story, depicting action and conversations.

Identify the purpose of narration throughout the story.

Track causes of rising tension across the plotline.

Reflect on the text as a whole and provide a well-thought-out critique, using the information gathered during the reading process.

Analyze how scenes and narration contribute to the rising and falling tension of the story.

Identify the theme of the story.

Use all the information gathered during the reading process to analyze the work as a whole and provide a well-thought-out critique.


High School Independent Reading Unit Learning Progressions

9th

Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th

Grade

Text Fiction Autobiography, Biography, Memoir Creative Nonfiction Multi-genre

Developing the

Identity of the

Reader

Set goals for reading.

Use strategies to find a “just-right” book.

Engage in discussion with other readers.

Develop preferences for texts and authors through exploration of various fictional works.

Set goals for reading stamina and fluency.



Develop preferences for texts and authors through personal study and discussion with peers.

Set goals to explore unfamiliar nonfiction genres.




Set goals to read and explore unfamiliar genres.

Use strategies to find a “just-right” book and related texts.

Engage in discussion with other readers


Interacting with Texts and Self-Monitoring

Develop fluency by connecting to characters and the narrative voice.

Develop theories about author’s purpose and identify central idea

Make connections to text, in order to evaluate the actions and emotions of the characters and narrator as they face conflicts.

Develop fluency by connecting to the narrative voice

Develop theories about author’s purpose and identify central idea.

Make connections to text, in order to evaluate the author’s insights.

Develop fluency by connecting to the style and structure of the text.

Develop theories about author’s purpose and identify central idea.

Make connections to text, in order to evaluate the insights and claims the author reveals across the text.

Make cross-text connections.

Synthesize thinking across multiple texts and multiple genres.

Evaluate the author’s insights.

Exploring Genre—Elements and Structures

Analyze, through examination of internal and external events, how complex characters develop.

Analyze, through examination of conflicts and character choices, how complex characters advance the plot.

Analyze, by tracking and confirming theories about the novel’s central idea, how complex characters establish theme.

Analyze the genre via the reading experience.

Examine conflicts and character choices, in order to analyze the implications of how complex characters advance the plot.

Analyze, by tracking and confirming theories about the novel’s central idea, how complex characters establish theme.

Analyze the genre via the reading experience

Analyze how different types of evidence support the central idea, claims, and insights expressed by the author.

Analyze how the author establishes and connects insights, in order to influence a reader.

Analyze the counterclaims the author introduces to influence a reader.

Analyze the genre via the reading experience

Analyze how the same theme is expressed in multiple genres.

Analyze how different authors establish and connect insights to influence readers.

Analyze the differing claims the authors introduce to influence readers.

Analyze the genres via the reading experience.


Readers Workshop Unit of Study 9th Grade – Independent Reading Abstract

WHAT IS AN INDEPENDENT READING UNIT?

The focus of this unit is to read independently to “…make it easier for individuals both to enter the [reading] zone and to get their feet under them as opinionated, versatile, critical readers who have goals and plans…” (Atwell, 2007). Since a major purpose of the unit is to help students become better readers, teachers should pay particular attention to helping the students reflect upon their identities as readers, monitor their reading comprehension, and apply their knowledge of the genre(s). Students choose texts that match their interests and readability levels. They apply strategies and monitor their understanding to engage and manage reading in multiple genres and increasingly complex texts and challenging texts. They track changes in their reading identities. The primary focus for teacher instruction and assessment is the growth students make as readers which shifts focus away from content. As a result, preservation of uninterrupted reading time during class periods is essential. This requires teachers keep mini-lessons and conferring to an absolute minimum.

ASSESSMENT Assessment will include both formative and summative tasks that provide a range of evidence that students create across the unit. Mid-Unit Assessments: Growth of students as readers will be assessed in two ways: 1) written reflections; 2) teacher-student conferences.

1. Reflections: Students will begin the unit reflecting upon their beliefs about reading. Periodically, they will stop and write brief reflections on changes in their beliefs about reading and their identities as readers.

2. Conferring: One of the crucial formative assessment tools to be used by teachers is conferring with students at least twice in each unit. Initial conferences will focus on ensuring that students are reading texts at appropriate reading levels, matching students’ interests, and setting a reading goal. Follow-up conferences will monitor student growth over time in areas identified by the teacher or student in the reflective writing process.

Post-Unit Assessments: Students will write an on-demand response that ask them to reflect upon their identities as readers, reading strategies, and what they have learned about the elements of a genre and the impact of those elements on a reader. They make claims about characteristics of the genre and use evidence from their texts to support their claims.

STUDENT OUTCOMES This unit continues the use of a workshop approach, which develops reading, writing, and thinking skills that will be resonant throughout the school year. Students will identify texts that match their reading level. This enables students to increase their reading level by reading texts. Dick Allington, in What Really Matters for Struggling Readers: Designing Research-Based Programs, states: “…replacing whatever went on in classrooms with added reading time was just as effective as, or more effective than, traditional instruction in enhancing reading comprehension performance.” He goes on to say: “All students who are highly engaged in reading achieve reading literacy scores that are significantly above the international mean, whatever their family background.” Students will:

1. Develop positive identities and habits as readers 2. Become familiar with basic elements of a genre and how these genre elements function to create meaning and central

ideas 3. Self-monitor reading comprehension 4. Develop speaking and listening habits while discussing their reading with others 5. Develop critical-thinking skills

TEACHER DECISIONS FOR UNIT IMPLEMENTATION

This unit serves as a single model of an independent reading unit. It provides strategies for selecting topics, researching, organizing, and writing an informational essay. The unit is designed to follow the launching unit, and can kick off students’ independent reading for the year. The unit itself can be returned to throughout the course of the school year as students read independently. We recommend that teachers study and understand the intent of the lesson series. The lessons have a purposeful sequence, but they


may require that teachers make adjustments in pacing or decisions about extension activities. Teachers are encouraged to gather their own classroom library that reflects a range of reading levels and student interests. (Friends of Public Library book sales and PTSA donations are ways to collect a library cheaply.) Please see the resources section for other sources to deepen your understanding of independent-reading instruction. UNIT ORGANIZATION

The unit weaves together three concepts that accelerate independent reading. The concepts are interrelated and recursive, rather than appearing as separate parts of the unit. Students continually reflect on their thinking and interactions with texts and with other readers, as they set goals and monitor their reading. The unit is intended to take approximately two weeks. Some sessions may take several days. The primary purpose of this unit is for students to read a significant number of pages in and out of school daily. To prioritize volume of reading, in-class reading time must be 30-35 minutes daily. The three concepts are:

Developing the Identity of the Reader


Exploring Genre—Elements and Structures The work in this unit is vertically aligned and extends prior learning with the expectation that students understand the repertoire of decisions taught in previous grades. Instructional Sequencing, Scaffolding, and Pacing: Daily pacing of the unit’s sessions is based on a 50-minute class period. Individual teacher pacing will change based on the duration of the class period, student population, familiarity with content, process, and/or instructional practices. Instruction scaffolds students through a four-tiered process.

1. Teaching Point: Teacher models the strategy, process, skill, or habit of mind using a mentor text written by the teacher, students, and/or published writers—or other materials.

2. Active Engagement: Students rehearse the writing, thinking and/or critical reading or viewing just modeled by the teacher.

3. Independent Practice: Students complete a mini-task independently or in small collaborative groups. During independent practice, the teacher confers with individuals or small groups to assess student performance, differentiating the lesson and task. The teacher may stop the independent practice to adjust the mini-task and/or session teaching point, or for planned teaching points that extend or deepen student performance.

4. Share: Students share in order to read, examine, analyze, and/or reflect on the range of other students’ responses. Sharing also enables students to self-monitor effective strategy. The teacher may also share an exemplar to reinforce or enhance the session’s teaching point(s) and student enactment.

Using the Mini-task Performance Continuum for Informational/Explanatory Assessment During the independent practice, the teacher should monitor student progress through observation, one-to-one conferences, or small group conferences. The teacher may do any of the following with this information:

Compliment a student on current performance by explicitly naming and pointing to evidence in student work

Teach or reteach a strategy to enable a student to raise the quality of current performance

Identify a student exemplar to share with the class

Gather a snapshot of the range of performances in the room in order to adjust and differentiate instruction

Classroom Assessment Prompt After students have engaged in focused work to develop explicit skills, strategies, or habits of mind, they will assess their work to identify strengths and weaknesses and set one or more goal(s) that will facilitate future learning and task engagement. This [these] goals will raise the quality of the learning and the product developed across time in the remainder of the unit. Description of the Unit This unit requires students to select and read at least two works of fiction. A focus of this unit is appropriate book selection, both in personal interest and reading level. Students will use a monitoring chart to track how well they are meeting their reading goals. They will also use tools such as Collecting Text Bookmarks, and they will create entries in their readers’/writers’ notebooks. Unit Philosophy


Student choice of text is of utmost importance in this unit, as is finding a text at the appropriate reading level. Students should be allowed to choose from a variety of fiction genres. This could include classic literature, short story collections, young adult novels, or graphic novels.

Teachers should not be concerned if students select books that the teacher has not read. There will be an opportunity for teachers to read some selections during the workshop, and the lessons do not require the teacher to have intimate knowledge of each book.

Students are expected to read at least two texts during the course of this unit, but if they finish a text before the established deadlines, they should select another book and continue. This should not affect their ability to take part in the mini-lessons. Likewise, if students abandon a text that was initially chosen, they should choose another, shorter text to meet the same deadlines.

Student-to-student discussion is imperative in this unit, so we highly recommend that students are grouped in reading partnerships or clubs (small groups). These groups might be reading the same text, texts with similar themes, or texts of the same genre.

The teacher conference is key to success in this unit. A rubric and monitoring chart are included, as is a list of suggested interventions. We recommend that the teacher conferences with each student at least once per book, even more if possible, to evaluate progress and to use the interventions.

The focus of this unit is reading fiction independently to “make it easier for individuals both to enter the [reading] zone and to get their feet under them as opinionated, versatile, critical readers who have goals and plans” (Atwell, 2007).


Standards

Common Core Standards: Informational/Explanatory: The following College and Career Readiness (CCR) anchor standards apply to reading and writing in narrative template tasks. Refer to the 6-12 standards for grade-appropriate specifics that fit each task and unit being developed. The standards numbers and general content remain the same across all grades, but details vary.

Number CCR Anchor Standards for Reading

1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

10 Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

Number CCR Anchor Standards for Writing

2 Write informative/explanatory text to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis content.

4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

10

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audience.


Overview of Sessions: Teaching Points and Unit Assessments Developing the Identity of the Reader

Pre-Unit Assessment Task

What preferences do I have when reading independently and how will I stretch or extend my reading habits while reading fiction? After creating your Reading Memories Timeline and completing Reading Fiction Survey, write a reflective paragraph that compares your reading in and out of school. Imagine how you might increase the amount of reading you do out of school, and what kinds of texts you might read. Set a goal for increasing your reading.

Teaching Points 1. 1.1 Readers acknowledge who they are as readers and as part of a reading community. They set goals for their reading.

1.2 Readers use strategies to find the book that is right for them.

2. 2.1 Readers develop fluency as they get acquainted with the narrator’s voice and connect to the characters. 2.2 Readers develop fluency by noticing important details as they read.

3. 3.1 Readers acknowledge who they are as readers and as part of a reading community. They talk about

their books together. 3.2 Readers practice positive discussion behaviors.

4. Readers learn about characters through their internal and external stories.

5. Readers notice details and lines to stay connected to characters or problems in the

novel. They create theories about the author’s purpose and begin to predict the plot. They notice and connect details and actions and identify central idea(s) as they continue reading.

6. 6.1 Readers evaluate what they read.

6.2 Readers consider what they’ve read and how it affects them. 6.3 Readers make decisions about what to read next.

Mid-Unit Assessment Task

How has your reading, identity as a reader, or preferences for reading changed? Review your Collecting Text Bookmarks and revisit the goal you set before beginning the unit. Reflect upon and identify one way you have grown as a reader. Write a reflective paragraph that states how you have changed. Provide specific evidence from your reader’s notebook and the text you are reading to explain how and why this change occurred.

7. Readers develop fluency as they get acquainted with the narrator’s voice and connect to the characters. They examine the author’s choice of narrator or main character.

Unit Title: Independent Reading – Fiction Unit Description (overview): In this unit, students will select a range of fiction texts to read independently or in small groups. The books will be of interest to the student and will not be read by the whole class. Students will keep a Reader’s Log in which they track their reading progress, collect key lines from the text, practice effective discussion skills, make predictions, and engage in activities that ask them to consider elements of fiction, such as character and conflict. They will meet in small groups to discuss meaning, author’s purpose, and make predictions and theories. They will discuss their opinions about the selected books and share suggestions. (Students will work with the teacher to set personal reading goals. Student goals include reading longer or more difficult books and exploring new genres or authors to assure continuous growth.) Essential Questions: What reading and thinking habits do I have or will I learn by stretching my reading in fiction? What strategies do I use to engage in reading, in order to explore central ideas and arguments posed in fiction? What are the basic elements and structures of fiction? How can I use knowledge about these elements and structures to enable myself to engage increasingly complex texts, while also identifying an author’s multiple purposes in a text?


8. Readers make judgments about characters. 9. Readers notice details and lines to stay connected to characters or problems in the novel. They create theories about the author’s purpose and begin to predict, notice, and connect details, actions, and ideas as they continue reading.

10. Readers notice details and lines to stay connected to characters or problems in the novel. They create

theories about the author’s purpose and begin to predict the plot. They notice and connect details and actions and identify central idea(s) as they continue reading.

11. Readers share their ideas about the novels as they read with others. They consider which types of

books they prefer and choose another book to read based on that knowledge. 12. Readers reflect upon how books change the way they see the world and how their identities as readers develop.

Post-Unit Assessment Task

How did reading in and out of school impact your view of yourself as a reader and your ability to read fiction? After reading two novels, collecting details from across both novels, and talking to other readers, identify two ways your reading has improved. Write two paragraphs to compare your attitude toward reading before and after this independent reading unit. Use specific examples from lessons and/or the novels you read or discussed that caused you to change how you read or how you see yourself as a reader.

Teaching-Point Alignment with Sessions

Developing the Identity

of the Reader


Exploring Genre—Elements and

Structures

1, 2, 11, 12 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 4, 6


Teacher Resource QUESTIONS FOR CONFERRING DURING READING WORKSHOP

Conference serves several purposes: 1. a check point for volume, fluency, and comprehension 2. a teachable moment based on the student’s strengths or instructional needs 3. an opportunity to engage students in conversations about their novel with another reader

These questions open conversations with students so they can explain 1. the ways they are monitoring their reading 2. how they are applying the mini-lessons 3. the decisions and/or evaluation of the novel to develop an identity as a reader and personal taste 4. the ways the novel is engaging them

Identity as a reader Self-monitoring Engagement with

narrator/characters, plot, or ideas

Why did you decide to read this book?

Why did you decide to re-read this

book?

What strategies are you using to be an

interactive reader?

Why are you using this/these

strategies?

Which strategy is most effective?

Why?

Who’s the narrator? Is this story told in

first person?

Do you like/dislike the narrator/the

way the story is told?

What do you have in common with

the narrator?

What do you like/dislike about the

genre/author’s style?

Are you rereading?

when you are reading words but

can’t remember what you’ve read

when you need to clarify a question

when you stop to summarize

when you want to develop a fluent,

expressive voice

when you find yourself distracted

What’s happening now?

How does this affect your view of the

story?

Are you still interested? Why? Why

not?

How does this book compare with other

books you’ve read/other books by this

author/other books in this genre?

What encourages you to keep reading?

Is this book drawing you in? Are you able

to read without a lot of effort?

Any surprises so far?

Is this a page-turner or a literary novel?

Why?

What do you notice?

Are you staying on target with your

reading goals?

How much did you read yesterday?

When are you finding time to read?

What challenges keep you from

meeting your goals?

How will you address these

challenges?

Any theories about the novel?

What evidence prompts you to

believe this theory?

So how’s your theory about

_________ going? Any evidence

emerging to support your thinking?

Have you developed any new

theories? What evidence is

encouraging you to add this theory?

Are you considering

abandoning this book?

Reading another by the same

author?

Reading another in the same genre?

Are you making a connection with this

book? What do you like?

book/narrator

plot or action

ideas

genre

Do you approve or disapprove of the

character’s

views or actions?

reactions and treatment of other

characters/animals/etc.?

Now that you’ve finished this, what will

you rate this book?

author

genre

Are you skipping or skimming sections?

too much unnecessary description

unimportant action

Which character is most like you? Most

unlike? Why?

What’s another book you’ve been

considering?

I think you might like________.

How did today’s mini-lesson help you

focus your reading?

Which character do you want as a

friend? Why?

Additional conferencing questions in Nancie Atwell’s The Reading Zone. P.92 2007


Teacher Resource

Developmental Stages of Independent Reading—Fiction Please note: Emphasize and reward personal growth during the course of the unit. It is not necessary to assess a student in all three categories in each conference or sharing lesson. Review each student’s reading surveys from lesson one to determine which characteristic of an effective reader (Identity as a Reader, Self-monitoring, or Engagement) you want to begin with. As a result, you may choose to focus only on Identify as a Reader for students who face challenges with readability and attitude; whereas you may choose to assess all three characteristics for stronger readers. It is important to confer with each student multiple times during the unit to look for growth. Each conference should take no more than 2-4 minutes to assess a student’s current progress, to get to all students, and to maximize student reading time. A handout with suggested interventions that you might employ follows. Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Identity as a

reader

The reader makes ineffective attempts

to find a text that is appropriate to the

reader’s skill level or interests. The

reader is unaware of reading preferences

when selecting a fiction text. The

reader rarely engages in conversations

with other readers.

The reader makes reasonable attempt(s)

to find a text that is appropriate to the

reader’s skill level and interests and can

explain the process used. The reader is

developing a sense of preferences (likes

and dislikes) in this and other fiction.

The reader is developing ways to talk

about a text with other readers.

The reader purposely chooses a text that

is appropriate to the reader’s skill level

and interests and can explain the process

used. The reader states preferences that

inform the reader’s knowledge about this

text and other fiction. The reader

engages in substantive conversations with

other readers.

Self-

monitoring

The reader rarely applies reading

strategies in order to comprehend text.

The reader is not meeting individual

reading goals.

The reader applies some reading


The reader is meeting reading goals.

The reader consciously applies reading


The reader is meeting or exceeding

individual reading goals.

Engagement

with the

narrator,

characters,

plot, or ideas

With support, the reader attempts to

develop theories about the text and

provide support from the text. With

support, the reader takes a position

about a character’s choices or actions.

The reader makes no personal

connections or makes connections that

may be distractions from the story.

The reader is independently beginning to

create theories about the text, but may

struggle to provide textual evidence for

support. The reader attempts to evaluate

a character’s choices or actions. The

reader makes personal connections to

the story which may be distractions from

the story.

The reader develops theories about the

text that are supported by evidence from

the text. The reader connects evidence

from various parts of the text to support

a theory. The reader evaluates the

character’s choices or actions. The

reader makes personal connections that

enhance his/her understanding of the

story’s purpose.

Teacher Resource INTERVENTIONS TO MOVE STUDENTS TO STAGE 3

Identity as a Reader: If the student needs help in the identity as a reader category, the teacher might:

Suggest that the reader find another book.

Use a formal assessment to more accurately learn the student’s reading level. (Possible resources include the Columbia Teacher’s College website at:


http://rwproject.tc.columbia.edu/assessments/reading. This website offers relatively quick reading assessments to determine a student’s reading level.)

Review the reader’s reading history to learn more about struggles and likes and dislikes to help him or her find a more suitable book.

Self-monitoring: If the student needs help in the self-monitoring category, the teacher might:

Review the reader’s individual reading goals to determine if they are appropriate.

Ask the reader to read aloud to learn about what s/he is doing when there is difficulty.

Recommend an appropriate reading strategy to help.

Engagement: If the reader needs help in the engagement with the narrator, characters, plot, or ideas category, the teacher might:

Ask the reader to look at the “Collecting Text” bookmarks in an attempt to find connections across several days’ reading.

Ask the reader to do a quick entry in the reader’s/writer’s notebook that compares a main character or narrator and the student.

Ask the reader to do a quick entry in the reader’s/writer’s notebook that details whether s/he approves or disapproves of the character’s actions or decisions.


Session 1

When I worked on my game, that's what I thought about. When it happened, I set another goal, a reasonable, manageable goal that I could realistically achieve if I worked hard enough. I guess I approached it with the end in mind. I knew exactly where I wanted to go, and I focused on getting there. - Michael Jordan Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him. - Maya Angelou Never read a book through merely because you have begun it. - John Witherspoon

Concept Developing the Identity of the Reader

Preparation A few days in advance of starting this unit, suggest that students look through books they have at home, do an online search about interesting book titles, or ask friends for book suggestions. If they have some books they would like to consider, they should bring them to class.

Prepare copies of the handouts Student Fiction Reading Survey and Memories of Reading-A Timeline. (See attached sheets.)

Fill out the survey and the timeline about your own reading attitudes, memories, and habits and be prepared to share with students.

Review book lists and websites to learn about book titles that are at high school interest levels and a variety of reading levels to accommodate your students’ various needs. Helpful websites that show Reading Equivalence Levels and Interest Levels include: http://www.booksource.com/Departments/Leveled-Reading.aspx http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/homePage.do

Consult with a media specialist to select a variety of popular fiction texts at a variety of reading levels to point out to students.

Prepare copies of Independent Reading Contract. (See attached sheet.)

Prepare copies of the Reading Log. (See attached sheet.)

Optional: Prepare copies of the inspirational quotes. Teaching Point 1.1

Readers acknowledge who they are as readers and as part of a reading community. They set goals for their reading.

Active Engagement Review the teaching point.

Distribute the research handouts Memories of Reading—A Timeline and Student Fiction Reading Survey.

Teacher models and thinks aloud:

Model your reading memories by thinking aloud as you complete a timeline with your students. Tell a few stories that “add-up” to your identity as a reader. Try to include a memory when reading was hard for you or not interesting (if possible).

Independent Practice

Students complete the timeline and survey. Provide turn-and-talk time to encourage students to discuss their memories and determine why and how they have developed their current attitude toward reading.

Provide time for students to complete the timeline. Monitor this work and talk to students about their memories.

Turn-and-talk

Ask students to tell their reading stories to a partner.

Provide more time for students to answer the question at the bottom of the timeline to identify their sense of being a reader.

Students complete the rest of the survey.

Share

Students report out in pairs or small groups. Determine a way to numerically or graphically represent the information from the student surveys. As they share their survey results, chart the information to determine percentages or graphically show their reading attitudes and habits. When they have had ample time to share all of the survey results, seek some volunteers to share some anecdotes from their discussion. What reading memories surprised you? What are some strategies that you use when you are faced with difficult reading? How does reading affect you? How has


reading something changed you?

Assessment

Mini-task Performance Continuum

Task Proficient Developing Attempting

Analyze self as a

reader by

completing

reading history

and survey to

determine

reading goals

Completes

reading survey

and sets

individual,

appropriate

reading goals to

deepen learning

Completes

reading survey

and sets

reasonable goals

for learning

Struggles to

complete reading

history and survey

and sets goals

that are too basic

and will not push

for reading

growth

Teaching Point 1.2 Readers use strategies to find the book that is right for them.

Active Engagement

Review the lesson connection and teaching point.

Explain to students that choosing the right book is very important not only to a reader’s enjoyment, but also in making him/her a better reader. Students should be selecting books that sound interesting and are at appropriate reading levels.

Reading is a personal and social experience, therefore it is ideal for each student to have a book partner or small book club, where all members read the same book. However, it is not essential. If you choose not to require students to choose common books, try to form logical groups based on student reading levels, common themes, or chosen genre.

Teacher models and thinks aloud

Point out that going to a library or bookstore and searching for a book is a very enjoyable experience for many people. Model your thinking as you browse through a section of books. Show students how you make decisions as you investigate the books.

Invite students to browse the books. Encourage them to inspect the book jackets, flip through pages, and read portions to get a sense of the narrator and story. Have students repeat this process until they find three potential books.

Explain that you will be timing students to approximately judge if a book’s reading level is appropriate for them. They will take part in the timed reads for at least three different books.

Reiterate the importance of finding the book that is right for them. Choosing books that are too difficult will lead to frustration and, worse, may cause the student’s reading to deteriorate. The book they choose should be something the student thinks s/he will enjoy and is at a level that works for him/her.

Ask students to look over their reading times. Ideally, the student should read one page/ minute. (Teacher’s College 21). If they were unable to get close to five pages, the book should be saved until later in the semester or school year.

Walk around and help students who are unsure of what book to choose. Use their comprehension rating to help find the right book. NOTE: Some students will have an overinflated sense of their reading abilities. If you sense that the book is too difficult, ask students to read 100 consecutive words from the book aloud. You will be able to hear their fluency. Ask them a few beyond-the-text/ “not right there” questions about their reading. If they get more than one question wrong and if their reading was choppy, it is probably best to suggest that they hold that book until later in the year.

Distribute the Reading Log and explain that they will be recording their reading progress on this chart.

Homework/Extension Students will read their independent novels for a minimum of 30 minutes and will fill out the Reading Log.


Assessment Mini-task Performance Continuum


Select an appropriate text

Selects a text that is appropriate, neither too hard nor too easy and is interesting to the student

Selects a text that might be too difficult or too easy

Unable to choose an appropriate text, even with teacher assistance

Read the survey results closely to have a better understanding of your students as readers. It is important to regularly check reading logs to be sure students are meeting their one page/minute goal. If they are not, it may be best to switch to a more suitable book. Abandoning a book is an appropriate option, but students must realize that their due dates for completion remain the same. Therefore, they may need to choose a shorter book to be able to finish with their classmates. Pre-unit assessment task: What preferences do I have when reading independently and how will I stretch or extend my reading habits while reading fiction? After creating your Reading Memories Timeline and completing Reading Fiction Survey, write a reflective paragraph that compares your reading in and out of school. Imagine how you might increase the amount of reading you do out of school, and what kinds of texts you might read. Set a goal for increasing your reading.


Independent Reading 9: Session 1

MEMORIES OF READING—A TIMELINE

Directions: Create a timeline that captures memorable reading experiences in your life.

Recall moments in your life that capture your reading experiences. Start with your youngest memory and end with your most recent memory. Take a moment to determine which experiences are most important to you. What did the event teach you about being a reader?

Place 4-5 important moments on the timeline below. Title and date each experience. Also indicate your age.

Review your timeline. 1) How did these events impact your view of reading? 2) What impression did it leave with you on your ability to read? 3) What impression did it leave with you on your interest in reading?

Talk to a partner about your memories. Then answer the question at the bottom of the page.

Do you see yourself as a reader? Why or why not?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________



Independent Reading Student Fiction Reading Survey

IN-SCHOOL READING

1. In a typical week, how many pages of reading is required by your teachers? ____________

2. What percentage of the required reading do you do? 0-25%___ 25-50%___ 50-75%___ 75-100%___

3. In which subject(s) do you actually read the required reading?

4. Do you ever get to choose what you read for a class? Yes ____ No ____

OUTSIDE-OF-SCHOOL READING 1. In a typical week, how many pages do you read that are not required by an instructor? _________ 2. What do you choose to read outside of school? Please list reading you have done in the last year. Include titles of

books, magazines, newspapers, internet sites or other readings.

Books Magazines/Newspapers Internet Sites Other

3. Please list your favorite genre(s) and/or author(s) and/or title(s):

4. When and where do you find time to read?

5. What do you prefer—fiction or nonfiction? ___________________________________ Why?


6. Do you finish what you start reading? Yes____ No ____ If no, why do you stop reading?

7. Do you have strategies that you use as you read? Check all the strategies you use.

Predict ___ Question ___ Summarize ___ Clarify ___ Reread ___ Visualize ____

Other ______________________________________________________________

8. How does reading literature affect you? In what ways has it changed/could it change your life?

After reviewing my Memories of Reading- a Timeline and my Student Fiction Reading Survey results, I think that appropriate goals for me in reading are:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__.



Independent Reading--Fiction Independent Reading Contract

For the next few weeks, we will be reading at least two works of fiction that you will select. You will be expected to pick a book that is right for you, monitor your reading comprehension and progress, consider how your story matches with what we have learned about fiction previously, and discuss your book with your teacher and classmates.

Student I have chosen________________________________________________________________by (title) __________________________________________________________________for my (author) 1st/ 2nd/ 3rd text for this unit. The reasons I want to read this book are: 1. _______________________________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________________________

I have never read this book before. I have read this before. The reason I want to re-read it is _________________________ _______________________________________________________________________You are expected to re-read no more than one book in this unit. I understand that to finish my book by the deadline of ____________, I must read ________ pages a day. I agree to read this many pages and to participate in other activities associated with this unit.

_______________________________________________________ Date _______ (student signature) Parent/ Guardian I have reviewed my student’s selection and give my permission for him/her to read it. ______________________________________________________Date_____________ (parent/guardian signature)



Independent Reading-Fiction Reading Log Book Title & Author:

Date

Time reading in workshop

Pages read in workshop

Time reading out of workshop

Pages read out of workshop

Reflecting on your reading (Comment on your reading speed, how well you stayed focused and managed distractions.)


Session 2

It is not enough to simply teach children to read; we have to give them something worth reading. Something that will stretch their imaginations--something that will help them make sense of their own lives and encourage them to reach out toward people whose lives are quite different from their own. - Katherine Paterson

Preparation Note that this lesson will span several days of teaching and independent reading.

Prepare copies of the Collecting Text bookmarks, preferably on cardstock. (See attached sheet.)

Prepare copies of the handout Connecting with the Narrator. (See attached sheet.)

Using a book students should all be familiar with, prepare a teacher model of the handout Connecting with the Narrator that has the first few questions answered.

Prepare copies of the Assessment for Stages of Independent Reading chart. (See attached sheet.)

Optional: prepare copies of the inspirational quote.

Concept Interacting with Texts and Self-Monitoring

Connection In the last lesson, students spent time considering their lives as readers and choosing books that are right for them. In this lesson, they will attempt to make connections with the narrator or main character and begin collecting interesting or important details from the text.

Teaching Point 2.1

Readers develop fluency as they get acquainted with the narrator’s voice and connect to the characters.

Active Engagement Review the lesson connection and teaching point.

Explain that the goal is to increase fluency, which means to read and understand larger portions of the text. To accomplish this, students will analyze their relationship with the 1st-person narrative voice.

Distribute the handout Connecting with the Narrator.


Using the teacher model of the handout Connecting with the Narrator, show students how you thought about answering the first few questions about a book they are all familiar with.

Have students work in small groups to answer the rest of the questions on a familiar book.

Students report out their answers and the teacher facilitates a discussion that might address any misconceptions that arise.


Students who have read the same book work in small groups to complete the handout. *Circulate around the room to monitor student work, noticing if anyone is having difficulty connecting to the narrator or main character. It might be advisable to recommend that the student switch to a different book if s/he does not feel a connection to the narrator or main character.

Assessment


Examine the narrator

Clearly understands who the narrator is and realistically theorizes about the choice of narrator

Understands who the narrator is, but struggles to theorize why this narrator might have been chosen

Struggles both to understand the narrator and name why this point of view was chosen

Teaching Point 2.2 Readers develop fluency by noticing important details as they read.


Active Engagement 2

Another way to increase fluency is to make meaning as you read. Explain that students will collect important passages to try to make meaning as they read.

Distribute the Collecting Text bookmarks.


Model reading aloud a short excerpt from a novel, such as The Giver, and think aloud as you choose a line that seems important. Important passages might include actions, dialogue, or descriptions that reveal an event, character, or motivation. Using the model that you’ve created or the one provided, demonstrate how you jot down the page number and the passage on your Collecting Text bookmark. Students will collect 3-5 lines per reading session in this fashion each time they read. They may choose to simply place post-it notes on pages to mark lines they want to add to their Collecting Text bookmarks later.

Have students practice with a section of text from The Giver or another text they are familiar with. Have them work with a partner to identify and discuss which line(s) might be important in the section.

Have students report out their choices and thinking. Keep in mind that many different ideas will emerge and should be seen as valid.

Independent Practice 2

Students will collect 3-5 lines per reading session in this fashion each time they read. They may choose to simply place post-it notes on pages to mark lines they want to add to their Collecting Text bookmarks later. Students read independently for the rest of the class period. They continue to track progress in their Reading Logs and fill out their Collecting Text bookmarks. *Circulate during the reading time and ask a few of the suggested questions from the Questions For Conferring During Reading Workshop handout. Advise students to choose a new book if they seem to have chosen a novel that doesn’t suit their abilities and/or tastes. Use the Assessment for Stages of Independent Reading chart to record student progress.

Share Students share a few lines that they found interesting and explain why they think they are important.

Next, students discuss with their partners how fluent their reading is so far. Have them answer three types of questions:

1) Engagement with the main character: How engaging is the main character? Do you care about the main character as a person? 2) Fluency with the narrator’s voice: Who is telling the story? Does this narrator’s voice help you read or create confusion? 3) Metacognitive: Do you have to re-read constantly? Do you frequently find yourself confused about what’s going on? Are you imagining yourself being right there with the characters and a part of the story? Do you care about the narrator as a person?

*Circulate around the room to monitor how students are doing with fluency and engagement. Advise students to choose a new book if they seem to have chosen a novel that doesn’t suit their abilities.

Homework/Extension

Students read for a minimum of 30 minutes and record pages read in their Reading Log. They also fill in their Collecting Text bookmarks.

Assessment You might collect their Collecting Text bookmarks to quickly see students’ choices and if the choices seem to reveal something important about the book. Performance Continuum


Identify key details/events

Identifies 5 or more key details and events from the story

Identifies at least 3 details and events from the story

Struggles to identify anything that might be important in the story



Independent Reading-Fiction Session 2: Connecting with the Narrator

Readers develop fluency as they get acquainted with the narrator’s voice and connect to the characters. In order to increase fluency, readers need to work to understand the narrator. To do this, please answer the following questions with your partner(s).

1. How do you learn about the main character? Does he tell his own story? Does a narrator provide insights? Do other characters report information to the reader?

2. What kind of a person is the main character? (In some books, the story is told by the main character. In others, an outside narrator tells the story.)

3. What makes you describe the main character this way? Please copy a few lines from the text that support your view.

4. If you find the main character strange or hard to connect to, does this make you want to choose another book, or are you compelled to keep reading to figure this person out?

5. Why do you suppose that the author chose to tell the story from this person’s point of view?


Collecting Text Bookmarks Name_________________ Book Title_____________ Date__________________ Pg# _____________________________ Pg# _____________________________ Pg# _____________________________ Pg# _____________________________ Pg#

Collecting Text Bookmarks Name_________________ Book Title_____________ Date__________________ Pg# _____________________________ Pg# _____________________________ Pg# _____________________________ Pg# _____________________________ Pg#



Independent Reading-Fiction

Lesson 2: Collecting Text Bookmarks Model 1. Read an excerpt from The Giver (or other novel of your choosing). (The following comes from pages 15 and 16 of

Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver.)

Jonas nodded. During the past year he had been aware of the increasing level of observation. In school, at

recreation time, and during volunteer hours, he had noticed the Elders watching him and the other Elevens. He had seen them taking notes. He knew, too, that the Elders were meeting for long hours with all of the instructors that he and the other Elevens had had during their years of school. “So I expected it, and I was pleased, but not at all surprised, when my Assignment was announced as Nurturer,” Father explained. “Did everyone applaud, even though they weren’t surprised?” Jonas asked. “Oh, of course. They were happy for me, that my Assignment was what I wanted most. I felt very fortunate.” His father smiled. “Were any of the Elevens disappointed, your year?” Jonas asked. Unlike his father, he had no idea what his Assignment would be. But he knew that some would disappoint him. Though he respected his father’s work, Nurturer would not be his wish. And he didn’t envy Laborers.

2. Demonstrate how you might take a line from the passage to put on a Collecting Text bookmark. Remind students that they are only collecting 3-5 key lines from one reading session.

Collecting Text Bookmarks Name ____ Teacher Model__________ Book Title ________The Giver_______ Date ________3/15/10_______________ Page # 15 And he didn’t envy Laborers. __________________________________



Assessment for Stages of Independent Reading

Student Name

Date

Iden

tity

Self

-

mo

nit

ori

ng

En

gagem

en

t

No

tes

Iden

tity

Self

-

mo

nit

ori

ng

En

gagem

en

t

No

tes

Iden

tity

Self

-

mo

nit

ori

ng

En

gagem

en

t

No

tes


Session 3

…[A] community of readers [is] one of a company of friends who encourage and sustain one another. -Nancie Atwell

“For most people, what is so painful about reading is that you read something and you don’t have anybody to share it with. In part what the book club opens up is that people can read a book and then have someone else to talk about it with. Then they see that a book can lead to the pleasure of conversation, that the solitary act of reading can actually be a part of the path to communion and community.” -Bell Hooks


Preparation Prepare copies of the Novel Conversation Preparation Card to be taped or glued in students’ Reader’s Notebooks. (See attached sheet.)

Prepare copies of an excerpt (about 500 words) from a novel you will model in class.

Read and be prepared to discuss the excerpt from a novel. Pay particular attention to the Novel Conversation Preparation Card questions.

Optional: make arrangements to record one or more groups in their discussions. This could be used to analyze discussion behaviors for teaching point 3.2.

Prepare copies of the Positive Discussion Behaviors in a Community of Readers handout. (See attached.)

Optional: prepare copies of the inspirational quote(s).

Connection So far in this unit we’ve worked on choosing the right book and really connecting to the book, but we also want to connect to each other as a community of readers. In order to do that, we need to discuss with others what we’re reading to deepen our understanding, to clear up confusions, and to enjoy the experience of sharing what we’re reading. We will also focus on positive ways that readers behave in a book discussion.

Teaching Point 3.1

Readers acknowledge who they are as readers and as part of a reading community. They talk about their books together.

Active Engagement


Hand out the Novel Conversation Preparation Card for students to glue or tape in their notebooks.


Read the chosen excerpt aloud to the class. Do a think-aloud as you read a short passage and stop to clarify. For example, you might read from the first page of The Giver. “At first, he had been only fascinated. He had never seen aircraft so close, for it was against the rules for Pilots to fly over the community.” You might show students how you would stop and clarify. For example, why wouldn’t pilots be able to fly over the community? What kind of community is this? Why is the “P” in “Pilots” capitalized?

Model how you would respond to the questions and sentence starters on the Novel Conversation Preparation Card. Where might a reader be confused? What are you discovering about characters? How do you feel about the characters? Who do you know who’s like a character in the novel? Emphasize the parts where you think a student would benefit from discussion with others, like clarifying questions or trying to identify the ideas and themes present in the story. Model writing your thinking in your reader’s/writer’s notebook.

Using an excerpt from The Giver or another work they are familiar with, students practice and discuss this work with a partner.

Choose a few partners to share their thinking with the class.


Students spend approximately 10 minutes filling in their readers’/writers’ in response to the Novel Conversation Preparation Card and prepare for discussion with their partner(s).

Share Students take approximately 20 minutes to share their thoughts and questions with their reading partner(s). Visit student discussions and determine if students have difficulty keeping the conversation going. If so, direct them to return to their Novel Conversation Cards and try another


sentence stem or answer another question. Independent Practice 2

Students read independently for the rest of the class period. They continue to track progress on their Reading Log and fill out their Collecting Text Bookmarks. *Circulate during the reading time and ask a few of the suggested questions from the Questions For Conferring During Reading Workshop handout. Mark your observations on the Assessment for Stages of Independent Reading chart.

Homework/Extension

Students read for a minimum of 30 minutes and fill out the Reading Log. Students also fill in their Collecting Text Bookmarks.


Task Proficient Developing Attempting Summarize events/details in the story

Accurately summarizes the major events in the story so far

Summarizes most of the major events in the story so far

Struggles to summarize anything that happened so far

Identify key quotations to support theories about central idea(s)

Theorizes about a central idea using key lines to support theory

Names key lines, but struggles to create a theory about a central idea(s)

Struggles to name key lines or to create a theory.

Teaching Point 3.2 Readers practice positive discussion behaviors.

Active Engagement 2 Review the teaching point.

Distribute and review the Positive Discussion Behaviors in a Community of Readers handout. Model and think aloud:

If you recorded the previous section’s discussions, you could show the clips and point out the positive behaviors that you see.

If you did not record the previous section’s discussions, ask a strong partnership to come to the front of the class and begin a 3-minute discussion. Classmates and the teacher watch and find the behaviors that this partnership did well.

Share

Using their Novel Conversation Cards, students work with their partner(s) to discuss the reading for approximately 20 minutes.

At the end of the discussion, students fill out the Positive Discussion Behaviors in a Community of Readers.


Students read independently for the rest of the class period. They continue to track progress on their Reading Log and fill out their Collecting Text Bookmarks. *Circulate during the reading time and ask a few of the suggested questions from the Questions For Conferring During Reading Workshop handout. Mark your observations on the Assessment for Stages of Independent Reading chart.

Homework/Extension


Assessment Performance Continuum Task Proficient Developing Attempting

Work collaboratively to find meaning in texts

Participates in a manner that encourages others to join in

Participates in discussion and listens intently

Struggles to make a small addition to the conversation or conversation is off topic

Use direct quotations to support analysis and/or summarize events/details in the story

Supports thinking with summary of events and/or direct evidence from the text

Participates in the discussion and uses some evidence to back up thinking

Attempts to find key details or summarize what happened but retelling may be inaccurate or can’t find direct evidence to support analysis


Independent Reading 9: Session 3 Novel Conversation Preparation Card

1. What has happened in the novel so far? 2. Who are the characters in the novel, and what do you know about them? 3. What ideas about the world do you think are being expressed in the novel? What makes you think

this? 4. Which part(s) do you find confusing? 5. Which lines seem to be important to the novel so far in your reading? (Remember to look at your

Collecting Text bookmarks for these.) Use the following sentence stems to help you in your conversation: I like… I dislike… I can’t believe… I wonder… I know someone like… I’ve always been interested in… (Predict) Later in the novel I think... Novel Conversation Preparation Card

1. What has happened in the novel so far? 2. Who are the characters in the novel, and what do you know about them? 3. What ideas about the world do you think are being expressed in the novel? What makes you think

this? 4. Which lines seem to be important to the novel so far in your reading? (Remember to look at your

Collecting Text bookmarks for these.) Use the following sentence stems to help you in your conversation: I like… I dislike… I can’t believe… I wonder… I know someone like… I’ve always been interested in… (Predict) Later in the novel I think...


Independent Reading 9: Session 3 Independent Reading-Fiction Lesson 3: Positive Discussion Behaviors in a Community of Readers As you participate in your discussions about books, there are certain behaviors that facilitate good conversations. As you work with your partner(s) today, please put a checkmark next to the behaviors that you exhibit. At the end of the discussion, spend a few minutes reflecting on your positive behaviors. Set a goal about how you will improve your discussion skills the next time you meet. A good reading community member: _____ makes eye contact with partners. _____ listens without interrupting. _____ stays focused on the conversation. _____ asks relevant and interesting questions. _____ points to specific lines in the text for support. _____ invites partner(s) to participate equally. _____ politely offers an alternative when s/he disagrees. My Positive Discussion Behavior goal for the next discussion is:


Session 4

The character that lasts is an ordinary guy with some extraordinary qualities. -Raymond Chandler

Preparation Prepare copies of the handout Understanding Characters through Internal and External Stories. (See attached sheet.)

Prepare a copy of the handout that all can see.

Read through a section of a suitable novel to discover how the character is revealed. We will use The Giver as our model.


Concept Exploring Genre—Elements and Structures

Connection In previous lessons, students participated in a reading community discussion. They talked about what they liked and disliked about their books and made predictions. They became aware of positive discussion behaviors. In this lesson, students will review the different ways we learn about the character’s internal and external world.

Teaching Point

Readers learn about characters through their internal and external stories.


Distribute the handout Understanding Characters through Their Internal and External Stories.

Using the handout, review the ways readers can get to know their characters. Teacher models and thinks aloud, using handout on the overhead or projector

Read the excerpt from your chosen novel aloud as you do a think-aloud. Write a couple examples of how the text reveals character. See the model.


Students read independently and find examples of how the character is revealed in their text, until 15 minutes remain in the period. They fill out their handout as they go. *Circulate during the reading time and ask a few of the suggested questions from the Questions For Conferring During Reading Workshop handout. Use the Assessment for Stages of Independent Reading chart to record student progress.

Share Students share their findings with their partner(s). Volunteers should contribute their findings to a brief class discussion. What do the details they have collected say about the character?

* You may notice that some examples may fall under more than one category. Be sure to explain that that is fully possible.

Homework


Assessment

Mini-task Performance Continuum


Identify motivations and conflicts of the major character(s)

Identifies important details, both internal and external, that reveal what kind of person the main character is

Identifies a few details that reveal what kind of person the main character is, but they might be only internal or external

Identifies details that don’t reveal character or struggles to identify any details


Independent Reading 9: Session 4 Independent Reading--Fiction Understanding Characters through Internal and External Stories Readers learn about characters through characters’ relationships with others. Actions, thoughts, descriptions, and dialogue show the internal and external world of the character. Consider the different ways your author gives you insight into who your character is. Jot down page numbers and quotes, if possible.

INTERNAL WORLD

-THOUGHTS What are some of the thoughts the character has in the book that might give some insight into whether or not s/he can be trusted? -BACKSTORIES What do we learn about the character’s past that might give us insight into what kind of person s/he is?

EXTERNAL WORLD

-DIALOGUE What is said to and about the character that gives us some insight into what kind of person s/he is? -ACTIONS What action does the character take that shows us something about what kind of person s/he is?


Independent Reading 9: Session 4 Independent Reading--Fiction Understanding Characters--Novel #1 MODEL- The Giver Readers learn about characters through their relationships with others. Actions, thoughts, descriptions, and dialogue show the internal and external world of the character. Consider the different ways your author gives you insight into who your character is. Jot down page numbers and quotes, if possible.

INTERNAL WORLD

-THOUGHTS What are some of the thoughts the character has in the book that might give some insight into what kind of person s/he is? “Jonas felt a terrible ripping sensation inside himself, the feeling of terrible pain clawing its way forward to emerge in a cry.” p. 151 Jonas feels angry as he comes to understand the society he lives in.

-BACKSTORIES What do we learn about a character’s past that might give us insight into what kind of person s/he is? “Jonas was careful about language. Not like his friend, Asher, who talked too fast and mixed things up, scrambling words and phrases until they were barely recognizable and often very funny.” p. 3 Jonas is a thoughtful boy, different from his peers. He is apprehensive about the upcoming Ceremony of Twelve, but he searches for the right word to define his feelings. In this society that values sameness and order, it is unique that he is able to carefully analyze his words and feelings.

EXTERNAL WORLD

-DIALOGUE What is said to and about the character that gives us some insight into what kind of person s/he is? “’Courage,’ she went on. ‘Only one of us here today has ever undergone the rigorous training required of a Receiver. He, of course, is the most important member of the Committee: the current Receiver. It was he who reminded us, again and again, of the courage required.’” p. 62 This is said about Jonas at the Ceremony of Twelve. He is selected because of his extreme courage.

-ACTIONS What action does the character take that shows us something about what kind of person s/he is? “Jonas reached the opposite side of the river, stopped briefly and looked back. The community where his entire life had been lived lay behind him now, sleeping.” p. 165 Jonas flees with Gabriel. This shows he will not tolerate the disciplined and cold society he has grown up in.


Session 5

What is wonderful about great literature is that it transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who wrote. -E.M. Forster

Preparation Prepare a few Collecting Text bookmarks for the novel you are reading. Our model will be on the book The Giver.

Prepare copies of the Making Connections handout. (You may choose to have students do this instead in their readers’ notebooks.) [See attached sheet.]



Connection In the last lesson, students worked to find out what kind of people their characters are. In this lesson, they will try to make connections and create theories about the author’s purpose.

Teaching Point

Teaching Point: Readers notice details and lines to stay connected to characters or problems in the novel. They create theories about the author’s purpose and begin to predict the plot. They notice and connect details and actions and identify central idea(s) as they continue reading.

Active Engagement Review today’s lesson connection and teaching point. Teacher models and thinks aloud:

Show students the model Collecting Text bookmarks you prepared for the story you have chosen.

Cut the bookmarks to create individual bookmarks, each containing one quote.

Show students how you might manipulate the cards as you search for connections between the lines. What do the lines have in common? Are there details about the character that connect? Do they show the problem the character faces? Do the lines reveal an overriding message about life or a theme? Do some lines seem to fit in more than one category? What might the significance of that be? Think aloud as you identify the connection between the quotes, labeling what the lines all seem to be about. The connections could be related to theme, character development, or author’s intent. Show your model or the model below from The Giver. *Be aware that students are invited to create theories of author’s purpose during this lesson, but will get more instruction and practice in session 10. Their theories may be faulty or superficial on this initial attempt. This activity should help them to be more aware of author’s purpose while reading their second text.

Students work with their book partner(s), sorting the lines they collected on the Collecting Text bookmarks into categories. They may find connections related to theme, character development, or author’s intent. They may find that some lines fit into several categories.

Have several partnerships report out a pair of their bookmarks and the category they think they both belong to. Discuss how they are connected.


Students should then continue to sort their bookmarks until they are all in categories.

Students then complete the Making Connections handout with their current thinking.

Homework/Extension

Students read their books to completion and record pages in their Reading Log. They also fill in their Collecting Text bookmarks.

Assessment Performance Continuum

Task Proficient Developing Attempting Examine multiple details/events across the text to determine theme(s) or central idea(s)

Connects multiple details or events across a work and names the connection

Connects two or more details or events, and attempts to name the connection

Sees no connection between events or details

Create a theory and select supporting details to promote one or more central idea(s) or theme(s)

Theorizes about a logical central idea(s) or theme(s) using key lines to support theory

Names key lines and creates a theory about a central idea(s) or theme(s)

Names key lines, but struggles to create a theory about a central idea(s) or theme(s)



Independent Reading-Fiction Lesson 5: Making Connections Look over the lines you selected on your Collecting Text bookmarks. Do you notice things in common between some of the lines? Do some lines seem to fit into more than one category? Jot down the lines you have selected and put them into categories below. You might find connections related to character development, theme or author’s intent. (NOTE: You may not be quite sure at first what the categories are. You may just sense some connection between them. That’s ok. Keep sorting your lines and talking to your partner(s) until you can create some theories.) ALL THESE LINES SEEM TO BE ABOUT _________________________________. ALL THESE LINES SEEM TO BE ABOUT __________________________________. Now I realize…


Independent Reading 9: Session 5 Independent Reading-Fiction Lesson 5: Making Connections MODEL-The Giver Look over the lines you selected on your Collecting Text bookmarks. Do you notice things in common between some of the lines? Do some lines seem to fit into more than one category? Jot down the lines you have selected and put them into categories below. You might find connections related to character development, theme or author’s intent. (NOTE: You may not be quite sure at first what the categories are. You may just sense some connection between them. That’s ok. Keep sorting your lines and talking to your partner(s) until you can create some theories.) ALL THESE LINES SEEM TO BE ABOUT ____Pleasure vs. Pain__________.

"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our

experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you

would need immense courage.” pp. 62--3

"Our people made that choice, the choice to go to Sameness. Before my time, before the previous time, back and back and

back. We relinquished color when we relinquished sunshine and did away with difference. We gained control of many

things. But we had to let go of others.” p. 95

"[T]hey were satisfied with their lives which had none of the vibrance his own was taking on. And he was angry at himself,

that he could not change that for them.” p. 99

ALL THESE LINES SEEM TO BE ABOUT ________Sameness/ Order___________.

"No one mentioned such things; it was not a rule, but was considered rude to call attention to things that were unsettling

or different about individuals." p. 20

"How could someone not fit in? The community was so meticulously ordered, the choices so carefully made." p. 48

"He was so completely, so thoroughly accustomed to courtesy within the community that the thought of asking another

citizen an intimate question, if calling someone's attention to an area of awkwardness, was unnerving." p. 69

Now I realize… Lowry is criticizing the society’s attempt to keep everything so orderly. It may seem fine that people don’t experience real pain, but it’s terrible that they never experience real pleasure.


Session 6

My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter. -Thomas Helm

When you sell a man a book, you don’t sell him just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue—you sell him a whole new life. -Christopher Morley

Concept Exploring Genre—Elements and Structures

Preparation Over the course of this lesson, students should research possible titles to read next. This might include: talking with someone else; exploring their local library, bookstore, or home bookshelves; reading online reviews from Amazon.com; or exploring sites such as www.boysread.com and/or www.goodreads.com. They should come to class with three or four books, or at least their titles, that they might be interested in reading. Announce this to them ahead of time so that they have time to explore before their day in the media center.

Prepare the handout Evaluating the Novel and Choosing another Novel. (See attached sheet.)

Complete a model of the handout from your own reading to share with the class.

Make arrangements to use the media center, so students can check out a second novel.


Connection In the last lesson, students made connections across the text and created theories about the author’s purpose. In this lesson, they make judgments about the novel and use that information to help them decide what to read next.

Teaching Point 6.1 Readers evaluate what they read.


Distribute and explain the handout Evaluating the Novel and Choosing another Novel. Teacher models and thinks aloud Show your teacher model of Part 1 Evaluating Your Novel and think aloud as you review it.

Independent Practice Students complete Part 1: Evaluating Your Novel.

Share Students share their reviews with their reading partner or group. Ask students who rated their books as a 4 or 5 to read their reviews to the class.

Assessment

Performance Continuum


Summarize and paraphrase the text to support analysis

Accurately summarizes the key plot events and theme(s) in a book review that evaluates the novel

Summarizes a few events or details; identifies a theme; evaluates the book

Attempts to evaluate the novel but may lack any plot summary or theme identification

Teaching Point 6.2 Readers consider what they’ve read and how it affects them.

Active Engagement 2 Review the teaching point. Teacher models and thinks aloud:

Show a teacher model of Part 2: Planning for the Next Novel. Think aloud as you review your responses.

Independent Practice Students complete Part 2: Planning for the Next Novel.

Share Students should share their plans with a partner and then turn them in for assessment. You might also give them an opportunity to take a look at books that classmates have described to see if they are something they might be interested in.

Assessment

Performance Continuum

Task Proficient Developing Attempting Write to identify and describe the reader’s development

Identifies growth over time and provides examples

Identifies growth over time and provides an example

Writer attempts to identify growth over time but may lack examples

Consider the effect literature has on a reader and make a claim

Names a way in which the reader sees the world differently and

Names a way in which the reader sees the world

Struggles to name a way in which the reader sees the world


about how books change the way the reader sees the world

provides example(s) differently and provides an example

differently/unable to provide an example

Connect details in the explanation and decide upon the implications in a conclusion

Synthesizes information from the work in the unit to clearly name the future implications of their learning in this unit

Synthesizes information to assert an implication of their learning in this unit

Attempts to name an implication of their learning in the unit. May only be able to name what has changed

Teaching Point 6.3 Readers make decisions about what to read next.

Active Engagement 3 Review the teaching point.

Explain that students may form different book partnerships for this second text. The goal is to find the appropriate text, not to find a text that a particular partner would read.

Explain that students need to have at least three books in hand within approximately 20 minutes. They might use the media center computers for suggestions, going to the sites recommended in the preparation section.

Remind students to allow enough time to do five-minute reads of each book and make their selections.

Let them know you will be conferring with individual students about their choices throughout the period.

* It is important for you to circulate and discuss choices with each student. Use the Assessment for Stages of Independent Reading chart to help students select a second text that will challenge but not overwhelm. You might also suggest partnerships based on what you know about students’ interests and abilities.


Students look for books. They read each of the three selected books for a five-minute span to help determine which book is best suited for their reading abilities and interests. Once they make their choices, they begin reading their books.

Share Students share their book choices with a classmate and explain why they made that choice.

Assessment

Performance Continuum Task Proficient Developing Attempting

Choose an appropriate novel based on information

Finds a novel that is at an appropriate reading level and meets several goals from the Planning for the Next Novel Handout

Finds a novel that is at an appropriate reading level and meets at least one goal from the Planning for the Next Novel Handout

Attempts to find a suitable novel, but may be resistant or may not settle for any titles within a reasonable time

Assessment Mid-unit assessment task: How has your reading, identity as a reader, or preferences for reading changed? Review your Collecting Text Bookmarks and revisit the goal you set before beginning the unit. Reflect upon and identify one way you have grown as a reader. Write a reflective paragraph that states how you have changed. Provide specific evidence from your reader’s notebook and the text you are reading to explain how and why this change occurred.

Homework Students read for a minimum of 30 minutes and fill out the Reading Log. Students also fill in their Collecting Text Bookmarks.


Independent Reading 9: Session 6 Independent Reading-Fiction Lesson 6: Evaluating the Novel Part 1: Evaluating Your Novel Meet with your book group or partner to discuss the following:

How did the book end?

Was the problem resolved in a satisfactory way? Why or why not?

Would you recommend it to a friend? Why or why not?

Write a one-paragraph book review. In it, please give a brief description of the plot without giving away the ending, discuss the major themes, and include the book’s positive and negative qualities. (This might include the genre, suggestions of how the book could be improved, how realistic it is, etc.) Then, give it a rating on a scale of 1—5, 1 being low, 5 being high.

Part 2: Planning For the Next Novel (Classroom Assessment Task) After reviewing your independent novel and gathered quotes from the bookmarks, what do you realize about the author’s purpose for writing the novel? How will this affect your next book choice? Write a two page response about the author’s purpose for writing the novel and how this influences your next book choice.

How have you grown as a reader so far in this unit? Refer to your reading log and goal setting work for examples.

What did you decide was the author’s purpose in writing this novel?

How has reading this novel changed the way you see the world? Provide an example.

Do you want to read something with similar themes or different ones?

Do you want to read something by the same author or someone new?

Do you want to read something of the same genre or something different?

Do you want to read something of the same difficulty level or something easier or more difficult?

What point of view would you prefer your next novel to be told from? (For example, do want the narrator to be male or female, adult or adolescent, mature or immature?)

Have you heard any titles that fellow students have read that you want to consider reading?

Be sure that your concluding sentence points out the implications of your learning from this reading. What do you now know about yourself as a reader that you didn’t before?


Session 7

Nothing’s beautiful from every point of view. -Horace

Preparation Prepare copies of the Collecting Text bookmarks.

Prepare copies of the handout Examining Point of View.



Connection

In the last lesson, students discussed their new texts. With this second novel, they will improve fluency by examining the author’s choice of narrator or main character.

Teaching Point

Readers develop fluency as they get acquainted with the narrator’s voice and connect to the characters. They examine the author’s choice of narrator or main character.

Active Engagement



Distribute and explain the handout Examining Point of View. Think aloud as you recall the story Cinderella. How different the story would be if it were told from the point of view of the step-mother? With partners, students continue considering how Cinderella would be different if it were told from another point of view. Discuss the following questions. How would the story be different if it were told from the point of view of the step-sister or the prince? How would this change affect the story? Why did the author choose to tell it from Cinderella’s point of view?

Independent Practice Students complete the handout Examining Point of View, using their independent novels.

Share Students share their work with their partner(s). They should conclude by developing a theory about why the author chose this narrator or main character.

Independent Practice 2

Students read their texts independently for the remainder of the period. *Circulate during the reading time and ask a few of the suggested questions from the Questions For Conferring During Reading Workshop handout. Mark your observations on the Assessment for Stages of Independent Reading chart.

Homework

Students read for a minimum of 30 minutes and fill out the Independent Fiction Reading Log. Students also fill in their Collecting Text Bookmarks.



Consider how

the story would

be different if it

were told by a

different

narrator

Identifies a different

narrator and gives

multiple examples of

how a different

narrator would change

the story


narrator and gives one

example of how the

story would be

different with that

narrator


narrator, but does not

provide an example of

how the story would

be different with that

narrator

Develop a

theory about

why the author

chose this

narrator

Develops a logical

theory about why the

author chose this

narrator

Develops a theory

about why the author

chose this narrator

Attempts to develop a

theory about why the

author chose this

narrator


Independent Reading 9: Session 7 Independent Reading--Fiction Lesson 7: Examining Point of View

Readers develop fluency as they get acquainted with the narrator’s voice and connect to the characters. In order to increase fluency, readers need to work to understand the narrator. To do this, please answer the following questions about your independent novel.

1. Who is the narrator or main character of your text?

2. Imagine if the story were told by another narrator. For example, the story might be told from another character’s perspective or a different, outside narrator. Describe your imagined narrator.

3. How would the story be different if the story had this imagined narrator?

4. Why do you think your author chose the narrator that s/he did?


Independent Reading 9: Session 7 Independent Reading-Fiction Lesson 7: Examining Point of View

Readers develop fluency as they get acquainted with the narrator’s voice and connect to the characters. In order to increase fluency, readers need to work to understand the narrator in particular. To do this, please answer the following questions about your independent novel.

1. Who is the narrator or main character of your text? Jonas is the main character, but the story is told by a third person narrator.

2. Imagine if the story were told by another narrator. For example, the story might be told from another character’s perspective or a different, outside narrator. Describe your imagined narrator. My imagined narrator is Jonas’ father. He cares for newborn babies. At first glance we think he is very compassionate, but later we learn that he is emotionally distant like all of the people in their society.

3. How would the story be different if the story had this imagined narrator? If Jonas’ father were to tell the story, we would not see Jonas’ struggle to decide between the controlled society and a freer society where people experience pain and pleasure.

4. Why do you think your author chose the narrator that s/he did? I think that Lois Lowry chose the third-person narrator to show a contrast between Jonas and all of the other people in his society. The narrator describes Jonas’s internal conflict and we see that other characters do not experience the same internal anguish.


Session 8

Nothing is as important as a likeable narrator. Nothing holds a story together better. Ethan Canin

Preparation Prepare copies of the Understanding Character handout. (See attached sheet.)



Connection In previous lessons, students explored the author’s choices of narrator and characters. In this lesson, students will rate how much they like, believe, and agree with a character.

Teaching Point Readers make judgments about characters.

Active Engagement



Distribute the Understanding Character handout and model how you would rank your book, giving specific examples from the text. See model below.

Students discuss their attitudes about the main character in their novel, using the Understanding Character handout.


Students read independently for the remainder of the period. *Circulate during the reading time and ask a few of the suggested questions from the Questions For Conferring During Reading Workshop handout. Mark your observations on the Assessment for Stages of Independent Reading chart.

Share

Students share their attitudes with their book partner(s) and explain how their attitudes may have changed after reading this section of their novel. Students should explore why their views of the characters might be different.

Homework/Extension




Make judgments about characters

Ranks the character in terms of believability, likeability, and decisions and uses evidence from the text to support judgments

Ranks the character in terms of believability, likeability, decisions and locates one example as evidence in the text to support judgements

Ranks the character in a haphazard way and provides no evidence

Consider how learning more about the character changes our attitudes about him/her

Demonstrates flexibility by considering how attitudes about a character change throughout the novel

Adjusts view of a character as s/he changes throughout the novel

Demonstrates reluctance to adjust attitudes about characters throughout the novel


Independent Reading

Lesson 8: Understanding Character/ Judging How Much We Can Trust the Character

LIKEABILITY How much do you like the character? What characteristics do you like about the person? If s/he is telling the story, is there something in particular that you like or dislike about his/her storytelling? Explain below and provide examples from the novel.

BELIEVABILITY Is your character a believable character? Could you imagine a real person who is like this character? Explain below and provide examples from the novel.

AGREEMENT Do you agree with the decisions your character makes? Why or why not? Explain below and provide examples from the novel.

Disagree Disagree Not Sure Agree Agree Strongly Somewhat Somewhat Strongly

Dislike Dislike Not Sure Like Like

Intensely Somewhat Somewhat Very Much

Very Somewhat Not Sure Somewhat Very

Unbelievable Unbelievable Believable Believable



Independent Reading

Lesson 8: Understanding Character/ Judging How Much We Can Trust the Character

LIKEABILITY How much do you like the character? What characteristics do you like about the person? If s/he is telling the story, is there something in particular that you like or dislike about his/her storytelling? Explain below and provide examples from the novel.

I mostly like Jonas so far, but think he might be too fragile for my taste. What’s he so worried about? Is he always like this? BELIEVABILITY Is your character a believable character? Could you imagine a real person who was like this character? Explain below and provide examples from the novel.

I’ve never known an eleven-year-old boy to be so conscious of everything around him. He seems too mature to be a kid. He’s definitely unique, but I’ll have to learn more about him to know if I could envision him as a real person. AGREEMENT Do you agree with the decisions your character makes? Why or why not? Explain below and provide examples from the novel.

Disagree Disagree Not Sure Agree Agree Strongly Somewhat Somewhat Strongly

Although he hasn’t made many decisions so far, I agree with the way he is so sure that he will remain friends with Asher. The society seems to have many expectations, and remaining friends after the Ceremony doesn’t seem to be one of the expectations, but Jonas wants to be different.

Dislike Dislike Not Sure Like Like

Intensely Somewhat Somewhat Very Much

Very Somewhat Not Sure Somewhat Very

Unbelievable Unbelievable Believable Believable

x

x

x


Session 9

Choose an author as you choose a friend. -Sir Christopher Wren

Preparation Prepare copies of the handout Connecting Details to Make Decisions. (See attached sheet.)

Optional: Prepare copies of the inspirational quote.


Connection

In the last lessons, students made judgments about characters. In this lesson, students will notice lines about the characters and problems to compare them to those of their first novel. They will

make decisions about what they like or dislike about each of the novels.

Teaching Point

Readers evaluate lines about the characters and problems to make decisions about what they like or dislike about each of the novels.

Active Engagement



Distribute and explain the handout Connecting Details to Make Decisions.

Take your own cut-apart Collecting Text bookmarks and place them in two piles, one for each novel.

Show students how you would read through all the lines to find ones that best capture the character, the problem, and central ideas.

Students cut the bookmarks apart.

Students work with their reading partner(s) to find lines that best represent the categories on the handout. When they finish, they should compare the columns. Which book did they prefer? Why? Did they find the character in their preferred book more likable, believable, or understandable? Which problem was more compelling? Why?

Share

Students share their reasons for their preferences with their partners/book clubs. If time allows, they may write one great line from their preferred novel on the board for the entire class to see.


Students should spend the remainder of the period reading their novel. *Circulate during the reading time and ask a few of the suggested questions from the Questions For Conferring During Reading Workshop handout. Mark your observations on the Assessment for Stages of Independent Reading chart.

Homework/Extension




Review quotations to make connections

Sorts quotations to make meaning about character or problems and makes a connection between them

Sorts quotations to make meaning about character or problems

Sorts quotations randomly

Consider literary preferences

Supports literary preference with relevant quotations and effectively contrasts it with evidence from a second text

Supports literary preference with relevant quotations from the text

States literary preference without support of relevant quotations


Independent Reading 9: Session 9 Independent Reading: Fiction Connecting Details to Make Decisions

1. Choose your favorite of the two books you have read. 2. Choose one of the following categories to explore as you support your opinion.

______Character

______Conflict/problem

3. Sort through your “Collecting Text” bookmarks to find lines that support your opinion in your chosen category. 4. In order to support your opinion, select your 3 best examples from each novel.

5. Write a paragraph below which states your opinion about which book you prefer and why. Include evidence from each text to support your position.


Independent Reading 9: Session 9 Independent Reading: Fiction Connecting Details to Make Decisions

1. Choose your favorite of the two books you have read. The Giver 2. Choose one of the following categories to explore as you support your opinion.

__X__Character

______Conflict/problem

3. Sort through your “Collecting Text” bookmarks to find lines that support your opinion in your chosen category. 4. In order to support your opinion, select your 3 best examples from each novel.

o “I feel a little sorry for him,” Jonas said, “even though I don’t know him. I feel sorry for anyone who is in a place where he feels strange or stupid.” p.6

o He wept because he was afraid now that he could not save Gabriel. He no longer cared about himself. p. 173 o His thoughts continued. If he had stayed, he would have starved in other ways. He would have lived a life

hungry for feelings, for color, for love. p.173

5. Write a paragraph below which states your opinion about which book you prefer and why. Include evidence from your chosen text to support your position.

I preferred The Giver because I connected with the main character. I liked Jonas almost immediately because he seems different from others. He is a compassionate boy, noticing injustices and daring to question them. He is compassionate when he feels sorry for the boy from another community who unknowingly breaks the rules. He is also compassionate in the end when he decides to abandon the community and his only priority is saving Gabriel. He is willing to give up everything he knows and is familiar to help another. I also admire Jonas since he wants to experience life fully.


Session 10

Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled ‘This could change your life.’ -Helen Exley

Preparation Prepare a few Collecting Text bookmarks for the novel you are reading.

Prepare copies of the Creating Theories About Author’s Intent handout. (You may choose to have students do this instead in their readers’/writers’ notebooks.) (See attached sheet.)

Prepare a copy of your own model of the Creating Theories About Author’s Intent handout. (See attached sheet.)



Connection In the last lesson, students made judgments about their novels. In this lesson, they will try to make connections and create theories about the author’s purpose.

Teaching Point

Readers notice details and lines to stay connected to characters or problems in the novel. They create theories about the author’s purpose and begin to predict, notice, and connect details, actions, and ideas as they continue reading.

Active Engagement Teacher models and thinks aloud:

Review today’s lesson connection and teaching point.

Distribute and explain the handout Creating Theories About Author’s Intent. Think-aloud as you model theories you have created on a novel of your choice.


Students review the quotations from their Collecting Text bookmarks and use the handout Creating Theories About Author’s Intent to hypothesize about the decisions one of the authors made.

Share Students share their theories with their partner(s).


Students should spend the remainder of the period reading their novel. *Circulate during the reading time and ask a few of the suggested questions from the Questions For Conferring During Reading Workshop handout. Mark your observations on the Assessment for Stages of Independent Reading chart.

Homework/Extension Students read their book to completion and record pages in their Independent Fiction Reading Log. They also fill in their Collecting Text bookmarks.



Make hypothesis about author’s intent about theme

Uses quotations to make a reasonable hypothesis about the author’s intent about theme and finds further evidence from the text

Uses quotations to make a reasonable hypothesis about the author’s intent about theme

Does not use quotations to support hypothesis about author’s intent about theme and/or does not make a reasonable hypothesis

Make hypothesis about author’s intent about character

Uses quotations to make a reasonable hypothesis about the author’s intent about character and finds further evidence from the text

Uses quotations to make a reasonable hypothesis about the author’s intent about character

Does not use quotations to support hypothesis about author’s intent about character and/or does not make a reasonable hypothesis

Make hypothesis about author’s intent about the problem

Uses quotations to make a reasonable hypothesis about the author’s intent about the problem and finds further evidence from the text

Uses quotations to make a reasonable hypothesis about the author’s intent about the problem

Does not use quotations to support hypothesis about author’s intent about the problem and/or does not make a reasonable hypothesis


Independent Reading 9: Session 10 Independent Reading- Fiction

Lesson 10: Creating Theories About Author’s Intent Choose your favorite of the two novels.

1. What is a major theme/lesson about life that the author tried to convey?

2. Explain why you think the author decided to create the character s/he did when s/he planned the text. How did these characters contribute to the theme?

3. Explain why you think the author created the problem/conflict for the characters. How did the conflict contribute to the theme?


Independent Reading 9: Session 10 Independent Reading- Fiction Lesson 10: Creating Theories About Author’s Intent MODEL- The Giver Choose your favorite of the two novels.

4. What is a major theme/lesson about life that the author tried to convey? One theme from the novel is that memory allows humans to feel pleasure and pain. Our memories make us human.

5. Explain why you think the author decided to create the character s/he did when s/he planned the text. How did these characters contribute to the theme?

Lois Lowry seems to have wanted to show a character who was unique from others who all accepted an orderly, regimented life where people do not make decisions or feel strong emotions. Jonas can “see beyond,” which is a quality very unlike other people in this fictitious society. His intelligence and sense of empathy for others make him different. The author uses Jonas to prove her point about the value of memory.

6. Explain why you think the author created the problem/conflict for the characters. How did the conflict contribute to the theme?

I think the author created the problem of Jonas’ understanding the injustices around him, while others felt nothing and simply followed the rules to show what it is to be truly human. When he rejects his society, he accepts pleasures that others will not experience, but he also has to deal with pain. This consequence is worth it to a wise person who sees the value in memory.


Session 11

You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend. -Paul Sweeney

Preparation Prepare the handout Evaluating the Novel and Choosing Another Novel. (See attached sheet.)



Connection In the last lesson, students discussed their novel with partner(s) to decide what they believed were the author’s intents as s/he created the themes, the character, and the problems as they connected the details. In this lesson, they will share their thoughts about their novels with others. They will also decide what kind of books they think they like and try to decide on another book to read.

Teaching Point

Readers share their ideas about the novels they read with others. They consider which types of books they prefer and choose another book to read based on that knowledge.

Active Engagement

Teacher models and thinks aloud:


Distribute and model how you would answer Part 1 of the handout Evaluating the Novel and Choosing Another.

Students work with a partner to complete Part 1 of the handout Evaluating the Novel and Choosing Another. They discuss their evaluations.


Students complete Part 2 of Evaluating the Novel and Choosing Another as they reflect on their novels and make decisions about what they want to read next and why.

Share Students share their thoughts with a partner(s). Depending upon the time available, some or all students might volunteer or be asked to present their thoughts to the class.

Homework Students should be encouraged to find another novel to read.



Consider the end of the novel to decide if the book was a enjoyable

Discusses specific details about the novel’s end and explains why the book was enjoyable or not

Discusses a detail about the novel’s end and explains why the book was enjoyable or not

Discusses the book’s end in a general way; offers opinion of the novel but does not explain why it was enjoyable or not

Make decisions about what to read next

Selects criteria for the next novel and explains why these criteria are important to him/her

Selects criteria for the next novel

Discusses next novel without considering why it would be a good selection


Independent Reading 9: Session 11 Independent Reading--Fiction Lesson 11: Evaluating the Novel and Choosing Another Meet with your book group or partner to discuss the following: Part 1: Evaluating Your Novel

How did the book end?

Was the problem resolved in a satisfactory way? Why or why not?

Would you recommend it to a friend? Why or why not?

Part 2: Planning For the Next Novel Knowing what you know about the two novels you read recently, explain how this influences what you want to read next.

Do you want to read something with similar themes or different ones?

Do you want to read something by the same author or someone new?

Do you want to read something in the same style or something different?

Do you want to read something of the same genre or something different?

Do you want to read something of the same difficulty level or something easier or more difficult?

What point of view would you prefer your next novel to be told from? (For example, do want the narrator to be male or female, adult or adolescent, mature or immature?)

Have you heard any titles today that you want to consider reading?


Session 12

It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it. -Oscar Wilde

Preparation Prepare your own reflective essay that describes your growth as a reader and addresses the questions: How do you identify and develop yourself as a reader? How did the books you read in this unit change the way we see the world?

Prepare copies of the sentence stems to be used in the Active Engagement portion of the lesson. (See attached sheets.)



Connection In the last lesson, students evaluated the novels and made decisions about the novels they would read next on their own. In this lesson, they will consider their identities as readers and how the books they read in this unit change the way they see the world.

Teaching Point

Readers reflect upon how books change the way they see the world and how their identities as readers develop.

Active Engagement



Project a copy of your own reflective essay.

Read the essay and describe your thoughts and decisions in writing it. Think-aloud as you consider how you might revise it. Students use the sentence stems to prepare to generate ideas before they draft their reflective essays. Next, they discuss their ideas with a partner.


Post-unit assessment: How did reading in and out of school impact your view of yourself as a reader and your ability to read fiction? After reading two novels, collecting details from across both novels, and talking to other readers, identify two ways your reading has improved. Write two paragraphs to compare your attitude toward reading before and after this independent reading unit. Use specific examples from lessons and/or the novels you read or discussed that caused you to change how you read or how you see yourself as a reader. Students draft this essay, which describes their growth as a reader.

*This should be written in first-person, take an informal tone, and be written with the teacher as the audience.

Share Students share their drafts and make plans for revision.

Homework/Extension Students revise and edit their essays and prepare to share them with classmates.

Assessment LDC Rubric (see attached sheet)


Independent Reading 9: Session 11-

Independent Reading--Fiction Active Engagement: Generating Ideas

Before I started this unit, I liked to read ___________________________________. After experiencing this unit, I like to read ____________________________. The reasons for this preference include: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Before I started this unit, reading was difficult for me when_______________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To solve these problems, I tried to use the following strategies in this unit: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

These strategies were ________________________________(not/ moderately/ extremely) helpful as I read my book. Next time I read, I will ________________________(try different strategies/ use the same strategies) because ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The book(s) I just read changed my thinking about_____________________________________. I used to think _________________________________________ about this subject, but my attitude is now different in the following ways: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The most important change I experienced in this unit is ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Independent Reading

Summative Assessment Rubric*

Highly Proficient Meets Expectations Attempting to Meet Expectations

Focus Addresses all aspects of prompt with a highly focused and

detailed response.

Addresses prompt with a focused response.

Attempts to address prompt but lacks focus or is off-task.

Reading/ Research

Accurately presents and applies information relevant to the

prompt with specific examples from the research.

Presents and applies information relevant to prompt

with general accuracy and sufficient detail.

Attempts to present information relevant to task but may lack sufficient or relevant details.

Development Presents detailed information in order to answer questions and

solve problems. Concisely explains key information with

details. Identifies reading shifts and supplies evidence.

Presents information in order to answer questions and solve

problems. Explains key information with some details.

Identifies a reading shift.

Presents limited information. Ideas do not include details or

examples.

Organization Applies appropriate structure(s) to explain, examine, convey, define, analyze, synthesize,

compare, or explain cause/effect, problem/solution.

Applies a generally effective structure to explain, examine,

convey, define, analyze, synthesize, compare, or explain cause/effect, problem/solution.

Applies an ineffective structure; text rambles or line of thought is

disconnected.

Conventions Demonstrates a well-developed command of standard English

conventions and cohesion; employs language and tone appropriate to audience and

purpose.

Demonstrates a command of standard English conventions

and cohesion; employs language and tone appropriate to audience and purpose.

Demonstrates a weak command of standard English conventions;

lacks cohesion; language and tone are inappropriate to

audience and purpose.

*Designed by Literacy Design Collaborative. www.literacydesigncollaborative.org


Works Cited Atwell, Nancie. The Reading Zone. New York: Scholastic Books, 2007. Print. Beers, Kylene. When Kids Can’t Read, What Teachers Can Do: A Guide for Teachers,

6—12. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Publishing, 2003. Print. Gallagher, Kelly. Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do

About It. Portland, ME: Stenhouse, 2009. Print. Harvey, Stephanie. Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding

and Engagement, 2nd ed. Portland, ME; Stenhouse, 2007. Print. Lowry, Lois. The Giver. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. Print. Oczkus, Lori D. Reciprocal Teaching at Work: Strategies for Improving Reading

Comprehension. International Reading Association, 2003. Print. Oliver Keene, Ellin and Susan Zimmermann. Mosaic of Thought: Teaching

Comprehension in a Reader’s Workshop. Portsmouth, ME: Heinemann, 1997. Print.

Teacher’s College Reading and Writing Project. Summer Institute on the Teaching of

Reading. Middle School First-Year Section. Summer 2006. Upper Grade Summer Institute Reading Packet. 2006. Print.

Tixier Herald, Diana. Teen Genreflecting: A Guide to Reading Interests, 2nd ed. Westport,

CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2003. Print.

Documents

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