Elementary Literacy Rigorous Comprehension: Exploring Who ...

Elementary Literacy Rigorous Comprehension:

Exploring Who We Are

English Language Arts Set of Lessons GRADE

K-1

Table of Contents

© 2012 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH 2 English Language Arts Set of Lessons, Grades K-1: Exploring Who We Are

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Table of Contents


TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION TO RIGOROUS COMPREHENSION SET OF LESSONS .......................... 7 OVERVIEW: GRADES K-1: EXPLORING WHO WE ARE ...................................................... 9

What is this set of lessons about? ........................................................................ 9

What content will students learn? ......................................................................... 9

How will students develop their skills and habits of reading, writing, and speaking? ............................................................................................................ 10

What is the set of lessons outline? ...................................................................... 10

SET OF LESSONS OUTLINE: EXPLORING WHO WE ARE ................................................... 11

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS (CCSS) ................................................................ 12

INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORTS IN THE SET OF LESSONS ...................................................... 13 How does the set of lessons support planning and implementation? ...................... 13 How is it best to read and use the task pages? .............................................................. 14 What do I need to know to implement the reading aloud rigorous comprehension lesson plans? .............................................................................................. 15 How is each task organized and sequenced? ................................................................. 15 Why these task questions? ................................................................................................... 15 How does the set of lessons provide support for English learners? ......................... 16 How is reading, writing, speaking, and listening supported in the set of

lessons? ............................................................................................................ 16 How is vocabulary study supported in the set of lessons? .......................................... 17 Supplies ....................................................................................................................................... 18 Texts And Materials Across the Set of Lessons ............................................................. 19 Texts And Materials By Task ................................................................................................ 20

EXPLORING WHO WE ARE: OVERARCHING QUESTIONS ........................................... 23

INTRODUCTION: BUILDING CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING .................................... 25

TASK 0.1: ACCESS PRIOR KNOWLEDGE ........................................................................ 27 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards .............................................. 27 Teaching Approach 28

TEXT 1: GERALDINE’S BLANKET BY HOLLY KELLER ....................................................... 31

TASK 1.1: READING ALOUD RIGOROUS COMPREHENSION LESSON .................................. 33 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards ........................................................ 33 Grade Level Focus Standards .............................................................................................. 34 Teaching Approach .................................................................................................................. 36 Lesson Plan ......................................................................................................... 38

TASK 1.2: SUPPORTING VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT .................................................... 45 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards ........................................................ 45 Teaching Approach .................................................................................................................. 46

Table of Contents


Task 1.3: Retrospection 49 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards ........................................................ 49 Teaching Approach .................................................................................................................. 50

TEXT 2: OWEN BY KEVIN HENKES ................................................................................. 53

TASK 2.1: READING ALOUD RIGOROUS COMPREHENSION LESSON .................................. 55 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards ........................................................ 55 Grade Level Focus Standards .............................................................................................. 56 Teaching Approach .................................................................................................................. 58 Lesson Plan ............................................................................................................................... 60

TASK 2.2: SUPPORT VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT ......................................................... 67 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards ........................................................ 67 Teaching Approach .................................................................................................................. 68

TASK 2.3: BUILDING IDEAS ACROSS TEXTS ................................................................... 71 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards ........................................................ 71 Teaching Approach .................................................................................................................. 72

TASK 2.4: RETROSPECTION ......................................................................................... 75 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards ........................................................ 75 Teaching Approach .................................................................................................................. 76

TEXT 3: PETER’S CHAIR BY EZRA JACK KEATS .............................................................. 79

TASK 3.1: READING ALOUD RIGOROUS COMPREHENSION LESSON .................................. 81 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards ........................................................ 81 Grade Level Focus Standards .............................................................................................. 82 Teaching Approach .................................................................................................................. 84 Lesson Plan ......................................................................................................... 86

TASK 3.2: SUPPORT VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT ......................................................... 91 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards ........................................................ 91 Teaching Approach .................................................................................................................. 92

TASK 3.3: BUILDING IDEAS ACROSS TEXTS ................................................................... 95 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards .............................................. 95 Teaching Approach .................................................................................................................. 96

TASK 3.4: RETROSPECTION ......................................................................................... 99 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards ........................................................ 99 Teaching Approach ................................................................................................................ 100

CULMINATING ASSIGNMENT ..................................................................................... 103

OPTION 1 .................................................................................................................. 105 OPTION 2 .................................................................................................................. 105

Table of Contents


TEXTS ........................................................................................................................... 107

GERALDINE’S BLANKET BY HOLLY KELLER CITATION .................................................... 109 OWEN BY KEVIN HENKES CITATION ............................................................................. 110 PETER'S CHAIR BY EZRA JACK KEATS ......................................................................... 111 OBTAINING COPYRIGHT PERMISSION .......................................................................... 112

INSTRUCTIONAL GLOSSARY ...................................................................................... 113

ELA INSTRUCTIONAL GLOSSARY ................................................................................ 115

INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS .............................................................................................. 125

READER/WRITER NOTEBOOK ..................................................................................... 127

SUGGESTED FEEDBACK SYSTEM ................................................................................ 128

PEDAGOGICAL RITUALS AND ROUTINES ....................................................................... 129

ACCOUNTABLE TALK® MOVES AND FUNCTIONS IN ELA ................................................ 131 INQUIRY-BASED DISCUSSION ...................................................................................... 133

Introduction to Set of Lessons




Introduction to Rigorous Comprehension Set of Lessons: Exploring Who We Are Grades K-1



Overview: Grades K-1: Exploring Who We Are

One of the central goals of an early elementary English language arts (ELA) program is the development of young children’s speaking, listening, and oral language skills. In addition, these programs strive to develop children’s love for high-quality literature and build their knowledge of important concepts and content. One way to address these important developmental goals is to use the Institute for Learning’s Rigorous Comprehension Lesson’s approach to reading books aloud to young children. This approach engages children in attending to the language of a text and building meaning through rich text discussions facilitated by the teacher.

WHAT IS THIS SET OF LESSONS ABOUT? This set of lessons is designed to help children think and talk about the ways they are growing and developing. As a result of their discussions about the lesson texts, students will think about things that they can do that babies and younger children are not yet able to do.

In the course of this set of lessons, students will engage in discussions about three texts. These three lesson texts intend to extend children’s thinking about tasks that are part of growing up. Discussing the tasks these characters face will help children identify, talk about, and learn vocabulary to describe the strong feelings that can accompany growing up.

• In Geraldine’s Blanket and Owen, both characters are still very attached to their blankets and are being encouraged to give them up by adults who think they are too old for such behavior. Many young children maintain an attachment to favorite objects from their infancy, such as pacifiers, certain stuffed animals, or a special shirt and find it hard to let them go. Both of these texts tackle this developmental issue and demonstrate ways that young children can keep their special object in an age-appropriate way.

• Peter’s Chair helps young children confront the reality that there are some things they just have to let go as they grow. Cribs, high chairs, cradles, and small chairs, like Peter’s, are no longer needed by older children (and they no longer fit in some of them, as Peter discovers). This text presents a more nuanced task of development, recognizing the sad feelings of letting go, along with the proud feelings of growing up.

WHAT CONTENT WILL STUDENTS LEARN? Students will expand their knowledge base about:

• how to construct a coherent understanding of the story.

• how to sequence events (beginning, middle, and end).

• how events and characters relate to one another with respect to the story problem and how it is resolved.

• how to recognize the issues young children face when having to make changes as they grow up and the feelings that come along with those changes.



HOW WILL STUDENTS DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS AND HABITS OF READING, WRITING, AND SPEAKING? This set of lessons exemplifies the features of the Institute for Learning’s Disciplinary Literacy approach to English language arts instruction. It is designed to combine content knowledge development with rigorous thinking skills at every step in the learning process. The work uses apprenticeship learning by organizing learning environments so that complex thinking is modeled and analyzed through reading and writing, and by providing mentoring and coaching as students undertake to engage in academically rigorous work. Over time, with challenging texts and writing, scaffolding exercises, coaching, and guided reflection, students become increasingly able to independently carry out academically rigorous work.

This set of lessons will assist you in preparing your children for rich text discussions around high-quality trade books, in planning and facilitating those discussions, in enriching and extending the children’s learning from the text discussions throughout the day, and in celebrating the children’s thinking and language development.

WHAT IS THE SET OF LESSONS OUTLINE? On the next page, you’ll find the set of lessons outline. This outline provides a one-page snap shot of the major work that students will engage in over the course of this set of lessons. The outline shows what students will do, while the pages that follow the set of lessons outline show how students will engage in that work.

The outline lists the set of lessons’ overarching questions, texts, comprehension and interpretation questions, and culminating assignment. The outline is meant to be read horizontally and vertically. The horizontal work represents the work that students do across texts. For example, the overarching questions reach across all the texts in the set of lessons and students are asked to engage with work that will deepen their understanding to these questions with all the texts in the set of lessons.

The vertical work shows the types of questions that students will engage in with a single text or across two texts.

At the bottom of the page, you’ll find the set of lessons’ culminating assignment. Students are asked to listen to stories read aloud, use the knowledge, habits, and skills they gained over the course of the set of lessons, and apply them to their writing/drawing/dictating. Notice how the tasks within and across texts are designed to prepare students for the culminating assignment.

Each task on the outline is represented by two numbers. The first number references a lesson text and the second number references the task number for that text. For instance, task 1.1, uses text 1, Geraldine’s Blanket, and is the first task for this text.



Set of Lessons Outline: Exploring Who We Are

Overarching Questions: What are some ways we are growing, developing, and learning? What can we learn from studying how some characters in literature face the challenges of growing and learning? Building Conceptual Understanding

Geraldine’s Blanket By Holly Keller

Owen By Kevin Henkes

Peter’s Chair By Ezra Jack Keats

0.1 Access Prior Knowledge: What are some ways you are growing and developing?

1.1 Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension Lesson Sample questions: • What is going on in

the story? • How does Geraldine

feel about her blanket?

• How does Geraldine’s mama feel about the blanket?

• Why does Papa say that there’s hardly any blanket left?

• Why is Geraldine pinning her blanket to her dress all day and tucking it under her pillow at night?

1.2 Support Vocabulary Development Focus words and phrases: market, insisted, patches, frayed, trimmed, getting cross, stamping, talked in whispers 1.3 Retrospection • What are some things

Geraldine can do now that she’s bigger that she couldn’t do when she was a baby?

• What did you learn from reading this book about facing the challenges of growing and learning?

2.1 Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension Lesson Sample questions: • What is happening in

the story? • What do we know

about Owen? • What are Owen’s

parents worried about?

• Why does Owen want to have his blanket so much?

2.2 Support Vocabulary Development Focus words and phrases: fairy, ratty, essential, vinegar, snipped, handkerchief, with all his heart, haven’t you heard of, filled them in, no kidding, no wonder, good as new, buried his face 2.3 Building Ideas Across Texts What are some things that are the same about Owen’s and Geraldine’s situation? What are some things that are different? 2.4 Retrospection What more did you learn about facing the challenges of growing and learning from reading Owen?

3.1 Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension Lesson Sample questions: • What is happening in the

story? • What do we know about

Peter’s family? • How does Peter feel about

his chair? • Why would Peter want to

run away? • How are Peter’s feelings

the same as Geraldine’s and Owen’s feelings?

3.2 Support Vocabulary Development Focus words and phrases: stretch, fussing around, muttered, cradle, run away, arranged, made believe, rascal. 3.3 Building Ideas Across Texts • Why do you think Peter was

willing to give up his chair to Susie?

• How is Peter’s situation the same as Owen’s and Geraldine’s situations?

• How is Peter’s situation different from Owen’s and Geraldine’s situations?

3.4 Retrospection What more did you learn about facing the challenges of growing and learning from reading Peter’s Chair?

Culminating Assignment: For this unit, each child will produce a book containing pictures and writing. The pages in the book should include:

• a picture of each of the main characters; Geraldine, Owen and Peter. • labeled main characters. • a sentence or more telling the challenge the character faced and what they learned as a result of

the challenge.



Common Core State Standards1 (CCSS)

COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS ANCHOR STANDARDS

READING (p. 10) 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.

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

SPEAKING AND LISTENING (p. 22) 1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and

collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

LANGUAGE (p. 25) 5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and

nuances in word meanings.

The grade-level standards that are addressed for each task are included next to the teaching options for each task in the pages that follow. For standards where there is partial alignment, the underlined words and phrases indicate the part of the standard to which the task is aligned.

1 Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), & National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA

Center) (2012). English language arts (pp. 10-27). Common core state standards for English language arts & literacy in history/social studies, science and technical subjects. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf.



INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORTS IN THE SET OF LESSONS

HOW DOES THE SET OF LESSONS SUPPORT PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION? The set of lessons provides teacher-friendly features such as:

• a set of lessons outline that provides a one-page snap shot of the major work that students will engage in over the course of the set of lessons.

• texts that are fully identified in the set of lessons introduction for copyright purposes and are easy to locate.

• tasks with identified learning targets and goals (overarching questions, open-ended questions, text-based questions, and College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards with matching grade-level CCSS).

• specific means of support (e.g., task questions, recommended pedagogical routines with explanations, etc.) are provided with each lesson.

• chart titles, resources, and handouts that are listed in one table in the introduction to make it easy to organize materials.

• a teacher’s instructional glossary with explanations of terms that are provided in the Glossary section of the set of lessons.

• instructional tools relevant to this set of lessons that are provided in the Instructional Tools section.



HOW IS IT BEST TO READ AND USE THE TASK PAGES? Each task on the set of lessons outline has several pages dedicated to it in the pages that follow. Each task has an overview page that is similar to the first example below and a series of pages with different teaching options that is similar to the second example.

2

2 For standards where there is partial alignment, the underlined words and phrases indicate the part of

the standard to which the task is aligned.

The task number (e.g., 1.2) and title (e.g., Supporting Vocabulary Development) corresponds to the number and title on the outline.

The Anchor Standards that are aligned to the task are listed.

The text and author are clearly marked.

The task or question listed here corresponds to the task or question as listed on the outline.

Following the task overview page that is shown above are several pages that provide different teaching options for teaching the task. Each option provides varying levels of support. (Note that this set of lessons does not include multiple teaching options within a task.)

The left column provides a sequence for engaging students in the task.

The right column provides the grade-level standards to which the teaching option is aligned.2



WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW TO IMPLEMENT THE READING ALOUD RIGOROUS COMPREHENSION LESSON PLANS? Each lesson text has an accompanying read aloud lesson plan that is designed to engage children in a rigorous text discussion. The focus of the text discussion is to have children pay close attention to the language (rather than illustrations) as a way to make sense of complex texts and to use talk as a vehicle for consolidating and communicating their thinking. Discussing books in this way is a very new experience for your children and you will find important ways to scaffold their learning in these lessons plans.

The lesson plans for all texts are quite straightforward in identifying where to stop reading, what questions to ask at each stopping point, what ideas are intended to be developed from the children’s discussion of each question, where to have them turn and talk about an idea, when to show the illustrations, etc. Your expertise as a teacher and your knowledge of the children, however, will be the key factors in making these text discussions work, not the script in the lesson plans.

Although all the Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension Lesson Plans include a set of ideas that you hope to elicit from the children’s discussion, the ideas are not intended to be the only right answers and children are not expected to use these exact words in expressing their ideas about the story. The ideas that are provided are meant as a guide to help you craft follow-up questions that will encourage children to think about the important ideas in the text.

Each rigorous comprehension read aloud lesson plan also includes vocabulary words and phrases that might be unfamiliar to the children and may need to be explained or demonstrated to assist the children’s understanding and discussion of the central ideas in each text. You can find additional information about vocabulary instruction in the section titled, How Is Vocabulary Supported in the Set of Lessons?

HOW IS EACH TASK ORGANIZED AND SEQUENCED? Each task is intended to scaffold student learning through the use of pedagogical routines such as teacher modeling (as needed), individual quick writes with teacher support, partner/trio sharing, or whole group. The routines assist learners toward fully independent engagement and completion of tasks. The pedagogical routines, which signal the level of scaffolding for tasks, are highlighted through the use of bold print.

WHY THESE TASK QUESTIONS? The questions have been carefully developed and reviewed to support students’ engagement with the text or texts under study. Changing the language of a question can diminish or increase the thinking work that students need to do with a question. The questions follow a sequenced pattern from initial comprehension work with a text to more difficult analytical work. This sequence has also been developed and reviewed carefully to support the lesson’s learning goal which links to the set of lessons’ larger learning goals. Changing the questions can change the set of lessons’ intent and purposefulness. As part of fully supporting students to answer the questions, provide them in writing as well as saying them. Students can then see and refer back to a question at any time during completion of the task.



HOW DOES THE SET OF LESSONS PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS? Support for English learners is provided within the lessons in a number of ways. Students learn new information in manageable segments, which are sequenced to build on existing knowledge of language and genre and explicitly relate to the overarching questions and core concepts of the set of lessons. Students revisit new learning a number of times. For example, students read texts multiple times, each time with a new purpose and using a scaffold appropriate to the purpose and the text.

In this way of working, the first time students read a text it is for literal comprehension and to make overall sense of the text. It is only after students have comprehended a text’s basic plot and information about characters that they read the text again for a new purpose. Given their basic comprehension, students are more ready to analyze the development of the characters and themes.

Talk is an essential part of this set of lessons and students’ development of spoken academic language is fostered through routines of discussion. Please see the Accountable Talk®3 Moves and Functions Tool in the Instructional Tools section. The tool offers practical guidelines and exemplars on how to promote and deepen students’ talking to learn and to expand their thinking with powerful facilitation moves. Students are given multiple opportunities to practice using the language in purposeful ways with effective feedback. To help English learners, as well as other students, students are often asked to share in pairs or trios before being invited to share with the large group. This allows students to practice and gain confidence sharing their responses with one or two students before doing so with the whole group.

HOW IS READING, WRITING, SPEAKING, AND LISTENING SUPPORTED IN THE SET OF LESSONS? One of the purposes of the Rigorous Comprehension Lesson approach to discussing books is to provide children with an opportunity to use talk to support their listening comprehension. You will want to elicit as much language from the children as possible both during the reading of the books, as well as throughout the day. Word cards, labels on objects and pictures, job charts, and writing down their words during whole-group and small-group activities will call children’s attention to words as tools for communication and will reinforce the reading/writing connection.

That connection becomes even more concrete when children are able to represent their ideas in pictures and words. To support this connection, this set of lessons includes suggestions for children to produce their own books related to the set of lessons theme, with some ideas for what might be included in each book. You and the children will have other ideas about things to include in each book as well as ideas about how to construct their books. All children do not have to include the same things in their books. You will use your knowledge of your class to decide what would best support each child’s development. Even if it’s just one scribble between two covers, every child will have his/her own special book he/she has written by the end of the set of lessons.

It is important to engage the children in talking about and generating ideas for their pictures before drawing. For example, if they are going to draw a picture of something a baby does that they do not do any more, they need to brainstorm lots of ideas first, e.g., sit in a high chair, sleep in a crib, wear diapers, drink from a bottle, be carried

3 Accountable Talk® is a registered trademark of the University of Pittsburgh.



everywhere by someone else, etc. Charting the children’s ideas will give them information to refer back to when they construct their own book. This collective thinking will support individual decisions about what to draw.

Young children’s abilities to think and talk often outstrip their rudimentary abilities to draw and write, but they can describe what they are trying to communicate with their stick figures and scribbles. Those children who are able to write should be encouraged to label their pictures.

HOW IS VOCABULARY STUDY SUPPORTED IN THE SET OF LESSONS? Each lesson plan includes stopping points during the reading of the text for vocabulary explanations or demonstrations. You should decide if talking about a word or phrase before reading the text would better support your children. You will notice that there are other words in this text that probably are unfamiliar to young children but which are not related to the central ideas of the text and so, are not singled out for explanation. It would interfere with the children’s comprehension of the text if you stopped to clarify every unfamiliar word. There may be other words or phrases, however, which are essential to text comprehension and are unfamiliar to your particular group of children. You will want to explain those word and phrases, in addition to the words and phrases identified in the lesson plan.

Although you will be supporting children to learn new words and the concepts they represent as you read and they discuss each text, you also will want to provide other experiences that can help children really internalize the meanings of new words and how they can be used in regular conversation. Each lesson plan includes suggestions for ways to embed new concepts and vocabulary throughout the classroom, as well as ways to create opportunities to use vocabulary throughout the day.

In addition to the words connected directly to the lesson texts, you can introduce and encourage children to use “interesting words”—words that can expand their understanding of basic concepts (e.g., thrilled, amazed, or cheerful, instead of “happy;” wound, scrape, injury instead of “boo boo”; kind, thoughtful, helpful as well as “nice.”) When words are a focus of everyone’s attention, young children become fascinated with listening for, learning, and using interesting words.

It is suggested that multiple copies of the texts be placed in the classroom library. Children can Buddy Read or independently read the texts. This will provide children the opportunity to become independent word solvers. Creating supportive classrooms that allow children to apply vocabulary and reading skills will continue to scaffold students’ learning.



Supplies

Arc of Tasks Quantity Introduction 1 2 3 Assessment

Chart paper or large white paper (for posters) with crayons or markers

50

Word cards 100

Text 1: Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller

1 per teacher (Multiple copies if

available)

Text 2: Owen by Kevin Henkes


available)

Text 3: Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats


available)

Teacher prepared blank book

1 per student



Texts and Materials Across the Set of Lessons

Texts and Materials Arcs of Tasks Charts (C), Displays (D), and Vocabulary Cards (V)

Arc 1

Arc 2

Arc 3

Culminating Assignment

Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller

1.1 1.2 1.3

Owen by Kevin Henkes

2.1 2.2 2.3

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keates

3.1 3.2 3.3

C∗ Our Class Goals for Inquiry-based Discussion

1.1 (C)

2.1 (C) 2.2 (C)

C* Three Column Chart: How Do Geraldine and Owen Solve their Problems?

2.3 3.3

V Teacher Created Vocabulary Cards

1.2 1.3

2.2 2.3

3.1 3.2

H Culminating Assessment Task—Teacher Made Books

√

Appendices • Texts and copyright permission • Instructional Glossary • Instructional Tools—Reader/Writer Notebook Guide; Pedagogical Rituals and

Routines; Accountable Talk® Moves and Functions; Inquiry-based Discussion Guide; Core Issues of Lesson Design and Reflection; Three Levels of Comprehension

∗ Co-created with students (see description of charting in glossary)



Texts and Materials by Task

Tasks Texts and Materials

0.1 Building Conceptual Understanding Chart paper / Markers

1.1

Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension Lesson Chart paper / Markers Word cards to post (Stimulated by students)

1.2

Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller Support Vocabulary Development Chart paper Text specific vocabulary words on cards Necessary props to understand vocabulary (pink blanket) Vocabulary written on word cards Multiple copies of Geraldine’s Blanket for classroom library

1.3

Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller Retrospection Chart paper Story props (pink blanket) Vocabulary written on word cards Multiple copies of Geraldine’s Blanket for classroom library Paper, Drawing paper, Pencil, Crayons, or Markers

2.1

Owen by Kevin Henkes Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension Lesson Chart paper Word cards to post (Stimulated by students) Chart paper / Markers

2.2

Owen by Kevin Henkes Support Vocabulary Development Chart paper / Markers Text specific vocabulary words on cards Necessary props to understand vocabulary Vocabulary written on word cards Multiple copies of Owen for classroom library (if available)

2.3

Owen by Kevin Henkes Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller Building Ideas Across Texts Three Column Chart: How do Geraldine and Owen solve their problems?

2.4

Owen by Kevin Henkes Retrospection Chart paper / Markers Story props Vocabulary written on word cards Paper, Drawing paper, Pencil, Crayons, or Markers



Tasks Texts and Materials

3.1

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension Lesson Chart paper / Markers Word cards to post (Stimulated by students) Chart paper / Markers

3.2

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats Support Vocabulary Development Chart paper / Markers Text specific vocabulary words on cards Necessary props to understand vocabulary Vocabulary written on word cards Multiple copies of Peter’s Chair for classroom library (if available)

3.3

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats Owen by Kevin Henkes Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller Building Ideas Across Texts Three Column Chart used in Task 2.3: How Do Geraldine and Owen Solve Their Problems?

3.4

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats Retrospection Chart paper Story props Vocabulary written on word cards Paper, Drawing paper, Pencil, Crayons, or Markers

Culminating Assessment

Linking Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening Teacher prepared blank books for each child to write in

Overarching Questions


Overarching Questions


Exploring Who We Are: Overarching Questions

• What are some ways we are growing, developing, and

learning? • What can we learn from studying how some characters

in literature face the challenges of growing and learning?


Introduction: Building Conceptual Understanding

Grades K-1 Tasks, Teaching Approaches, and Standards

Task 0.1: Access Prior Knowledge





What are some ways you are growing and developing?

Texts and Materials

Building Conceptual Understanding Chart paper / Markers

COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS ANCHOR STANDARDS Speaking and Listening (CCSS, 2012, p. 22)

1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Language (CCSS, 2012, p. 25) 1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage

when writing or speaking.



Task 0.1: Access Prior Knowledge Teaching Approach

Whole group Explain to students that in this lesson they will be identifying some ways they are growing, developing, and learning. Whole group Engage students in discussion to answer the question: • What are some ways your body is changing

and growing since you were a baby?

Prepare charts that can capture children’s words. Support students to identify things, such as: • Many ways they are learning to use their

bodies: balance on one foot, hop, jump, dance, run, skip, stretch, wiggle, blink, sniff, wink, whistle

• Many ways they are learning to express their feelings: giggle, kiss, hug, cry, laugh, clap, smile, stomp

• Things they can do by themselves: dress, eat, brush their teeth, wash their hands, use the bathroom, look at/read books, draw, paint

• Things they like to do with friends: share, help, pretend, sing, put puzzles together, build with blocks, dress up, put on puppet shows, eat a snack, talk together, look at/ read/listen to books, do art projects

• Things they are learning to do: count, know their colors, numbers, letters, words, read, and write

Optional Children can draw ways they have changed since they were babies. These drawings can be posted on the chart paper alongside the sentence that captures the idea.

Teacher Create a visual and tactile representation of how the children are growing by cutting a piece of yarn as long as each child is tall. Let the children stretch their yarn along the floor, stretch it out next to a baby doll, hold it up against themselves, or tape it

Focus Standards (CCSS, 2012, p. 19, 23, 27) Writing W.K.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

W.1.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

Speaking and Listening SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. a. Follow agreed-upon rules for

discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion).

b. Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.

SL.K.3 Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.

SL.K.6 Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. a. Follow agreed-upon rules for

discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).

b. Build on others’ talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others through multiple exchanges.



on the wall to get a sense of their size and how much bigger they are than when they were babies.

Whole group Engage students in a shared writing experience with the children describing their size and how much bigger they are than when they were babies.

Teacher From the language the children use in talking, from the resources you have available, and from the interesting words you have encouraged children to use (e.g., giggle, stomp, kind, cheerful, explore), make word cards to display in appropriate and accessible spots around the room. Encourage children to use these words throughout the day and get or point to the card when they, or you, use the words in conversation.

c. Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.

SL.1.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood.

SL.1.6 Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 1 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 26 of the CCSS for specific expectations.)

Language L.K.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.

L.1.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using frequently occurring conjunctions to signal simple relationships (e.g., because).


Text 1: Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller


Task 1.1: Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension Lesson





Geraldine’s Blanket4 by Holly Keller

• What is going on in the story? • How does Geraldine feel about her blanket? • How does Geraldine’s mama feel about the blanket? • Why does Papa say that there’s hardly any blanket left? • Why is Geraldine pinning her blanket to her dress all day and

tucking it under her pillow at night?

Texts and Materials

Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension Lesson Chart paper / Markers Word cards to post (Stimulated by students)

COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS ANCHOR STANDARDS Reading (CCSS, 2012, p. 10)

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.


4 Keller, H. (1984). Geraldine’s Blanket. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books.



Speaking and Listening (CCSS, 2012, p. 22) 1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations

with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Language (CCSS, 2012, p. 25) 4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multi-meaning words and phrases

by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.

Grade Level Focus Standards

Focus Standards (CCSS, 2012, p. 11, 23, 27) Reading

RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

RL.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central

message or lesson. RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. RL.1.4 Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the

senses. Speaking and Listening

SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns

speaking about the topics and texts under discussion). b. Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.

SL.K.2 Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.

SL.K.4 Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.


SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care,

speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). b. Build on others’ talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others

through multiple exchanges.




SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

SL.1.4 Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

SL.1.6 Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 1 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 26 for specific expectations.)

Language L.K.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to,

and responding to texts.




Task 1.1: Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension Lesson Teaching Approach

Pages 30 to 35 provide the Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension Lesson Plan for Geraldine’s Blanket. Engage students in the read aloud and facilitate a discussion of the text by following the accompanying lesson plan.

The discussions on this text, and the others in the set of lessons, intend to extend children’s thinking about tasks that are part of growing up. Discussing the tasks these characters faced will help children identify, talk about, and learn vocabulary to describe the strong feelings that can accompany growing up.

In Geraldine’s Blanket and Owen, both characters are still very attached to their blankets and are being encouraged to give them up by adults who think they are too old for such behavior. Many young children can keep their special object in an age-appropriate way.

TEACHER PREPARATION FOR READING ALOUD RIGOROUS COMPREHENSION LESSON In preparation for the reading to children, read the story yourself and be familiar with the vocabulary that students might find challenging, such as market, insisted, patches, frayed, trimmed, getting cross, stamping, talked in whispers.

CORE ISSUE #1: What is the intended child learning?

Children will construct a coherent understanding of the story. They will understand the sequence of events (beginning, middle and end), and how events and characters relate to one another with respect to the story problem and how it is resolved.

Children will recognize the issues young children face when having to make changes as they grow up and the feelings that come along with those changes.

Summary of Geraldine’s Blanket: When Geraldine was a baby, she received a pink blanket as a gift from her Aunt Bessie. She loved her blanket so much that she took it with her everywhere, even when she was no longer a baby. It didn’t matter to her when the blanket got dirty, became tattered or had the frayed edges cut off – she still loved it and was determined to keep it with her day and night. Geraldine’s parents tried without success to discourage Geraldine from carrying the blanket around by pointing out its physical defects and hiding it. When that didn’t work, they made a plan to have Aunt Bessie send Geraldine another gift, hoping she’d forget about the blanket. Geraldine loved her new gift, a doll named Rosa, but she didn’t give up her blanket. Instead, she turned the blanket into a dress for Rosa, merging something special from her baby days with her new play as a growing girl.

CORE ISSUE #2: What difficulties or misconceptions might children have about the story line? Children who haven’t had a special object from infancy might not understand why Geraldine takes her blanket everywhere.

Children might not understand that Geraldine’s parents are hiding her blanket and trying to discourage her from keeping it because they think it’s a babyish thing to do for a girl of



Geraldine’s age. They might need extra support and understanding that there is a conflict between what Geraldine wants and what her parents want her to do about the blanket. Children might not make the inference that Mama and Papa have something to do with Aunt Bessie sending Geraldine a doll that is meant to replace her blanket.

Children may be confused by Aunt Bessie, who is a character not seen or heard.

Children with a different cultural tradition might not relate to getting presents for Christmas. Children might require assistance understanding how the story problem is resolved happily for all. Geraldine keeps the blanket as a dress for Rosa and her parents are happy that it’s a more grown-up way to use the blanket.

CORE ISSUE #3: What difficulties might children have with the story language? Children can be supported to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases by explaining them in child-friendly terms, through gesture or demonstration, or by referring to a visual. Children should be supported to use new vocabulary in other contexts, throughout the day. Some words or phrases that might need to be explained so children can understand and discuss the text include: market, insisted, patches, frayed, trimmed, getting cross, stamping, talked in whispers.

ENGAGING CHILDREN IN THE READING ALOUD RIGOROUS COMPREHENSION LESSON Organize children on the rug/floor so that they can see, hear, and participate in the book discussion. They need to be able to talk to their reading buddy/partner during the Turn and Talk moments in the lesson.

As you discuss the text, you may need to ask a child to repeat what the first child said so everyone can hear that idea again. Another follow-up question may be necessary to help a child say more about his or her idea. You may need to allow much longer wait times for children to gather their thoughts and put words to them, since they are being asked to think things through, not just come up with quick, right answers.

NOTE: The text and lesson plan can be used with a small group, rather than whole class. This might allow for more conversation and allow every child’s voice to be heard in the discussion. Your ability to formatively assess every student in a small group becomes more manageable however; you will have to repeat the lesson so that every student in the classroom engages in this high-quality discussion.

Teachers find it helpful to prepare the discussion questions and notes on the corresponding pages of the text. Questions can be hand written on to the text page, prepared on sticky notes, or duplicate lesson plans and cut and paste pages to correspond with the text.



READING ALOUD RIGOROUS COMPREHENSION LESSON PLAN Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller

READING THE TEXT COVER Show the book cover and read the title and author.

Think aloud

“I wonder if this is Geraldine.”

TITLE PAGE Read the title and author again.

PAGE 1 Read the text on page 1. STOP

Show the picture.

Think aloud

“Yes, this is Geraldine and this is her pink blanket. She looks so happy with her blanket.”


Optional restatement: “Aunt Bessie sent the blanket when Geraldine was a little baby.”

PAGE 3 Read the text on page 3.


PAGE 5 Read the text on page 5. STOP Ask

“What do we know about Geraldine?” (Elicit: Geraldine really loves the pink blanket she got as a baby from her Aunt Bessie. Even though she’s not a baby any more, she still wants to keep the blanket with her day and night.) Follow up:

“How does Geraldine feel about her blanket?”



Optional TURN-AND-TALK: “Turn and tell your partner about something special you love, maybe even something you’ve had since you were a baby, just like Geraldine has had her blanket since she was a baby.”

PAGE 6 Read the text on page 6. STOP Say

“A market is like a grocery store where you buy food. (i.e., supermarket, food co-op, farmer’s market, etc.)”

Ask “How does Geraldine’s Mama feel about the blanket?” (Elicit: She doesn’t want her to take the blanket to the market.)

Say “The author tells us that Geraldine ‘insisted’ she would need her blanket at the market because she was very, very sure she wanted to take it along.”

[Read the text on page 6 again.]

PAGE 7 Read the text on page 7. STOP Show picture. Ask

“What’s going on here?” (Elicit: Geraldine took her blanket to the market and she is using it as a grocery bag.) Follow up: “How is Geraldine using her blanket?”


PAGE 9 Show the picture while reading the text on page 9. STOP Say

“This is a patch (point to picture) and patches are used to cover holes in material like Geraldine’s blanket.”

PAGE 10 Read the text on page 10. STOP Show the picture. Demonstrate: When defining the concepts frayed and trimmed, show an example of frayed material and then trim the edges.



Say “Frayed means that there were loose threads on the ends of Geraldine’s blanket. This happens when something is coming apart or is very old and raggedy. Trimmed means to cut off pieces.”

Think aloud “Hmm…It says, “And when the edges were all frayed, Mama trimmed them.” So, I wonder what’s going on here.”

Ask “What’s going on with Geraldine’s blanket?” (Elicit: Her blanket is coming apart. Mama cut off parts of the blanket because there were loose threads all along the edges.)


“How does Geraldine feel about her blanket now?” (Elicit: Geraldine doesn’t mind that her blanket is old and now is smaller. She still loves her blanket.) Optional additional question:

“What are all the ways the author has told us that Geraldine loves her blanket?” (Elicit: Geraldine took her blanket with her everywhere, like the market; she slept with it and played with it; she helped wash it.)


“Getting cross means getting angry.” Think aloud

“Papa is angry because he doesn’t want Geraldine carrying her blanket anymore since it’s old and she’s getting to be a bigger girl.”

Ask “Why does Papa say that there’s hardly any blanket left?” (Elicit: Since Geraldine took her blanket everywhere, it got holes in it and started coming apart and Mama had to trim off the frayed parts.)





Ask “What’s happening now? Why is Geraldine covering her ears?” (Elicit: She doesn’t want to hear what her father is saying.)

Follow up: “Why doesn’t Geraldine want to hear what Papa said?”

(Elicit: Geraldine is worried that she’ll have to give up her blanket that she loves so much.)

PAGES 14, 15 Read the text on pages 14 and 15. STOP Show the picture on page 15. Ask

“How might Geraldine be feeling now? How can you tell?” (Elicit: She is mad because she loves her blanket very much and her parents are saying things about her blanket that upset her. We can tell she is mad because she covered her ears when Papa was talking, she told her Mama not to look at her, she stamped her foot, and in the picture her arms are crossed, and she has an angry look on her face.)

PAGES 16, 17 Read the text on pages 16 and 17. STOP Ask

“Why does Geraldine’s Mama try to hide the blanket?” (Elicit: Geraldine’s Mama is hiding the blanket because she thinks it looks silly and she doesn’t want Geraldine to carry the blanket.)

PAGES 18, 19 Read the text on pages 18 and 19. STOP Show pictures on pages 18 and 19 while asking the question for TURN-AND-TALK.

“What’s going on here? Turn and Talk to your partner. Talk about why Geraldine is pinning her blanket to her dress all day (point to picture) and tucking it under her pillow at night (point to picture).” (Share the partner talk. Elicit: She’s keeping her blanket close to her all the time so no one can take it from her.)


“Talked in whispers means to talk in a very quiet voice so no one can hear you.”



Think aloud “Mama and Papa talked in whispers because they didn’t want Geraldine to hear what they were saying. I wonder what they were whispering about.” Optional: Could demonstrate a whisper or have children whisper their name to their partner.


PAGE 21 Read the text on page 21. STOP Think aloud

“I wonder if this is what Mama and Papa were whispering about. I wonder if Mama and Papa had anything to do with Aunt Bessie sending this new present.”

PAGE 22 Read the text on page 22. STOP Show the picture. Think aloud

“So the doll Rosa was the new present sent to Geraldine from Aunt Bessie.”


“Why are Papa and Mama saying ‘no’?” (Elicit: They have decided for sure that they don’t want Geraldine carrying her blanket around anymore.)

PAGES 24, 25 Read the text on pages 24 and 25. STOP Show the picture on page 24. Think aloud

“I wonder what Geraldine is going to do? I see she’s got some scissors in her hand and in the drawer there’s some needle and thread. And over here (show picture on p. 25) she’s cutting her blanket and her doll Rosa is sitting next to her. I wonder what Geraldine is doing to her blanket. Let’s find out.”

PAGE 26 Read the text on page 26. STOP Show the picture. [Read page again.]



Ask “What does Geraldine mean when she says, ‘Now Rosa has the blanket and I have Rosa’?” (Elicit: Rosa the doll is wearing the blanket. Geraldine made a dress for her doll from her favorite pink blanket. So now Geraldine still has the blanket because Rosa’s wearing it and Geraldine has Rosa.) Follow up: “How does Rosa have the blanket?”

Think aloud “Now I understand. When the book said (go back to pp. 24 and 25 and show pictures) that Geraldine knew what to do, she was going to make a dress for Rosa.”


PAGE 28 Read the text on page 28. STOP Show the picture. Ask

“Did Geraldine give up her blanket? How do you know?” (Elicit: No, Geraldine did not give up her blanket because Rosa is wearing it.)

Think aloud

“Geraldine seems happy because she has her doll Rosa to play with and she still has her blanket that she can take with her everywhere she goes because Rosa is wearing it as a dress. “I wonder how Geraldine’s parents feel now. I wonder if they’re happy now, too. In the story, they didn’t like Geraldine carrying her blanket everywhere and they thought it was silly because Geraldine was getting to be a bigger girl and the blanket was old and getting worn out. I wonder how they feel now since Geraldine is not carrying the blanket anymore but has made it into a dress for her doll Rosa.”

Ask “How do you think Geraldine’s parents feel about Geraldine turning her blanket into a dress for Rosa?” (Elicit: Try for a range of feelings—proud, happy, glad, pleased, Relieved—that Geraldine still has her blanket but in a way that shows she’s growing up.)



FOLLOW-UP CONVERSATIONS If the children did not turn-and-talk about these questions previously, ask them to TURN-AND-TALK about:

• Do you have anything special from when you were a baby? or

• Do you have something special that you like to snuggle? How do you feel about that special thing? or

• What are some things Geraldine can do now that’s she’s a bigger girl that she couldn’t do when she was a baby?

Task 1.2: Supporting Vocabulary Development




• Ideas for structuring opportunities for students to use vocabulary

from the story • Focus words and phrases: market, insisted, patches, frayed,

trimmed, getting cross, stamping, talked in whispers

Texts and Materials

Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller Support Vocabulary Development Chart paper Text specific vocabulary words on cards Necessary props to understand vocabulary (pink blanket) Vocabulary written on word cards Multiple copies of Geraldine’s Blanket for classroom library



Language (CCSS, 2012, p. 25) 4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and

phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.



Task 1.2: Support Vocabulary Development Teaching Approach

Ideas for supporting student’s vocabulary development Embed concepts and vocabulary throughout the room and prompt children’s use of the words in the story. Additionally, create and recognize opportunities to use vocabulary throughout the day.

Sample Tasks: • Provide students with a pink blanket like

Geraldine’s and ask them to play out some of the themes in the story.

• Provide students with a pink blanket like Geraldine’s and ask them to describe the blanket using words from the story.

• Use new vocabulary words from this text in your conversations with children: “Did anyone go to the market with their mom or dad this week?”

• Listen for opportunities to model using interesting words when children are talking with you or each other. For example, if a child tells you he thinks it’s his turn at the easel, you can paraphrase “You’re insisting that it’s your turn.”

• Call the whole group’s attention to the use of a new word when a child uses it in conversation.

• Provide parents with a list of words from the story and encourage them to use the words at home with children.

• Put multiple copies of the texts in the library center so children can read the books many other times on their own and to each other.

Focus Standards (CCSS, 2012, p. 23, 27) Speaking and Listening SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. a. Follow agreed-upon rules for










Task 1.3: Retrospection






• What are some things Geraldine can do now that she’s bigger

that she couldn’t do when she was a baby? • What did you learn from reading this book about facing the

challenges of growing and learning?

Texts and Materials

Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller Retrospection Chart paper Story props (pink blanket) Vocabulary written on word cards Multiple copies of Geraldine’s Blanket for classroom library Paper, Drawing paper, Pencil, Crayons, or Markers









Task 1.3: Retrospection Teaching Approach

Whole group Tell the students you are going to reread the book to them. This time, you want them to see if they can find out all the things Geraldine can do now that she’s bigger than she couldn’t do when she was a baby.

As you read the story a second time, share the illustrations.

Chart the ideas students list. Encourage and prompt students to use the words they are learning from the story in their talk. This chart can be created by stopping after a page read where Geraldine is now doing something she couldn’t do when she was a baby and charting the children’s words. Or the chart can be created at the end of the story.

Optional: Conduct a shared writing experience by telling students that they are going to write about some of the things Geraldine can do now that she couldn’t do when she was a baby.

Whole group After you’ve finished rereading the story and discussing with children the things Geraldine can do now that she’s bigger, ask them:

• What did you learn from reading this book about facing the challenges of growing and learning?

As students are discussing their responses, support students to build on and respond to other’s ideas. Additionally, encourage and prompt students to use words they are learning from the story in their discussion. (Refer to the Accountable Talk® Moves and Functions tool provided in the Instructional Tools section to engage children.)

Focus Standards (CCSS, 2012, p. 11, 23, 27) Reading RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

RL.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson. RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. RL.1.4 Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses. Speaking and Listening SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. a. Follow agreed-upon rules for





Text 2: Owen by Kevin Henkes





Owen5 by Kevin Henkes

• What is happening in the story? • What do we know about Owen? • What are Owen’s parents worried about? • Why does Owen want to have his blanket so much?

Texts and Materials

Owen by Kevin Henkes Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension Lesson Chart paper Word Cards to Post (Stimulated by students) Chart paper / Markers




9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

5 Henkes, K. (1993). Owen. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books.






phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.



RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

RL.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central


senses. Speaking and Listening

SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns






speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). b. Build on others’ talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others

through multiple exchanges.




Pages 48 to 52 provide the Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension Lesson Plan for Owen. Engage students in the read aloud and facilitate a discussion of the text by following the accompanying lesson plan.

The discussions on this text and the others in the set of lessons intend to extend children’s thinking about tasks that are part of growing up. Discussing the tasks these characters faced will help children identify, talk about, and learn vocabulary to describe the strong feelings that can accompany growing up.


TEACHER PREPARATION FOR READING ALOUD RIGOROUS COMPREHENSION LESSON In preparation for the reading to children, read the story yourself and be familiar with the vocabulary that students might find challenging, such as fairy, ratty, essential, vinegar, snipped, handkerchief, with all his heart, haven’t you heard of, filled them in, no kidding, no wonder, good as new, buried his face.

CORE ISSUE#1: What is the intended child learning?

• Children will construct a coherent understanding of the story. They will understand not only the sequence of events (beginning, middle, and end), but also how events and characters relate to one another with respect to the story problem and how it is resolved.

• Children will recognize the issues young children face when having to make changes as they grow up and the feelings that come along with those changes.

• Summary of Owen: Owen loves his yellow blanket, Fuzzy, that he has had since he was a baby. Even though he’s not a baby any more, Owen loves to play with Fuzzy and take it everywhere. A neighbor, Mrs. Tweezers, thinks Owen is too old to still carry his blanket around and she suggests several plans to Owen’s parents for getting rid of the blanket. First, Owen’s parents try to get him to leave the blanket under his pillow so that a “blanket fairy” can take it, but Owen hides the blanket. Next, they put vinegar on the blanket to make it smell bad, but Owen makes the smell go away. They try saying “No,” but that doesn’t work either. Finally, Owen's mother has an idea of her own. She cuts and sews the blanket into a set of handkerchiefs so Owen can have his blanket with him all the time, and everybody is happy.



CORE ISSUE #3: What difficulties or misconceptions might children have about the story line?

• Children might be confused by Mrs. Tweezer’s role in advising Owen’s parents about ways to get rid of the blanket.

• Children might not understand the ways Owen foils his parents’ plans to get rid of the blanket.

• Children might need assistance in understanding that Owen loves not only to play with Fuzzy, but also uses Fuzzy to feel secure in uncertain or uncomfortable situations, like haircuts and trips to the dentist.

CORE ISSUE #3: What difficulties might children have with the story language? Children can be supported to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases by explaining them in child-friendly terms, through gesture or demonstration, or by referring to a visual. Children should be supported to use new vocabulary in other contexts, throughout the day. Some words or phrases that might need to be explained so children can understand and discuss the text: fairy, ratty, essential, vinegar, snipped, handkerchief, with all his heart, haven’t you heard of, filled them in, no kidding, no wonder, good as new, buried his face.

ENGAGING CHILDREN IN READING ALOUD RIGOROUS COMPREHENSION LESSON Organize children on the rug/floor so that they can see, hear and participate in the book discussion. They need to be able to talk to their reading buddy/partner during the Turn and Talk moments in the lesson.

As you discuss the text you may need to ask a child to repeat what the first child said so everyone can hear that idea again. Another follow-up question may be necessary to help a child say more about his or her idea. You may need to allow much longer wait times for children to gather their thoughts and put words to them, since they are being asked to think things through, not just come up with quick, right answers.

NOTE: The text and lesson plan can be used with a small group, rather than whole class. This might allow for more conversation and allow every child’s voice to be heard in the discussion. Your ability to formatively assess every student in a small group becomes more manageable; however, you will have to repeat the lesson so that every student in the classroom engages in this high quality discussion.



READING ALOUD RIGOROUS COMPREHENSION LESSON PLAN Owen by Kevin Henkes

CONNECTING TO THE PREVIOUS TEXT Show the book, Geraldine’s Blanket. Say

“Let’s remind ourselves about the problem with Geraldine’s Blanket and how that problem was solved.” (Elicit just the central ideas from this book: Geraldine really loved her blanket. Her parents wanted her to get rid of it since she was now a bigger girl. She didn’t have to get rid of it because she turned it into a dress for her doll.)

Say “Now we’re going to read a book about someone else who loves his blanket. Let’s think about what might be the same in these books.”

COVER Show the book cover and read the title and author. Think aloud

“I wonder if this little mouse standing on the grass is Owen?”

TITLE PAGE Show the picture and read the title and author again.


Ask “So what do we know about Owen?” (Elicit: He is that little mouse from the cover and he loves his fuzzy yellow blanket that he has had since he was a baby.)

Ask “What does it mean that Owen loved the blanket ‘with all his heart’?”

(Elicit: He loved the blanket very, very, very much!) Show the picture. Ask

“What do we know that is the same about Owen and Geraldine?”



(Elicit: Both had special blankets from when they were babies that they really loved.)

PAGE 2

Read the text on page 2. STOP

Ask “Who's Fuzzy?” (Elicit: That must be the name of his yellow blanket.)

PAGE 3


Show the picture. Ask

“What does Owen mean that his blanket likes what he likes?” (Elicit: Sometimes Owen spills what he’s eating on the blanket, so Fuzzy is stained with some of the same foods Owen likes.)

PAGE 4


Say “Mrs. Tweezers is Owen's neighbor.”

Ask “What does she think about the blanket?” (Elicit: That Owen is getting too old to be carrying it around.)

Paraphrase “Haven’t you heard?” is like saying “Don’t you know?” So Mrs. Tweezers is saying “Don’t you know about the blanket fairy?” And when it says that Mrs. Tweezers “filled them in,” that means that she told Owen’s parents all about it.

PAGE 5


Ask “What's this about a blanket fairy?” (Elicit: They told Owen that he should put the blanket under his pillow and that the Blanket Fairy will take his blanket but leave him a wonderful big-boy present in its place.)

Ask “What are Owen’s parents trying to do?” (Elicit: Owen’s parents are trying to get rid of Fuzzy. Note: Children might also understand that Owen’s parents are trying to trick him into giving up his blanket.)




Ask “Hmm, what’s happening now?” (Elicit: Owen’s parents told him to put Fuzzy under his pillow, but Owen hid Fuzzy in his pajamas instead.)

PAGE 7

Read the text on page 7. STOP Ask

“How did things work out in the morning when Owen’s parents came to see if the blanket was gone?” (Elicit: Owen fooled the blanket fairy by hiding Fuzzy in his pajamas, so he still has Fuzzy.)

Show the picture. PAGE 8

Read the entire page. PAGE 9

Read the text on page 9. STOP Show the picture so children can see the ways Owen uses Fuzzy. Ask

“What is so wonderful about Fuzzy?” (Elicit: Owen uses it to play all kinds of games.)

Ask “What about Owen's parents—do they think Fuzzy is wonderful?” (Elicit: No, they see that Fuzzy is torn and ratty. Explain ratty if it is unfamiliar to the children.)


Paraphrase “Essential means it was much needed and very important. Nail clippings means when Owen’s fingernails are being cut.”

Ask “Why would Owen want to have his blanket so much when these things are happening?” (Elicit: He gets scared at these things and his blanket makes him feel better.)

Turn-and-Talk “Turn and tell your partner why you think Owen would want to have his blanket so much when these things happen?



(Elicit: He gets scared at these things and his blanket makes him feel better.)

PAGE 11 Read the entire page.

PAGE 12

Read the text on page 12. STOP Ask

“Oh dear—now what are Mrs. Tweezers and Owen's parents doing?” (Elicit: They dipped his favorite corner of his blanket in vinegar.)

Ask “Why would they put vinegar on his blanket?” (Elicit: The vinegar would make it smell bad, so he would not want to carry the blanket anymore.)

Demonstrate

Dip the corners of several small pieces of cloth into a small dish of vinegar and let the children pass them around to see how they smell. Tell them to “sniff” the vinegar.

Think aloud “I guess Owen liked to hold Fuzzy by one special corner and now he has picked a different one since his old favorite corner smells bad.”

PAGE 13

Read the text on page 13. STOP Paraphrase

“Good as new” is like saying “All better!” Ask

“Why didn't the vinegar plan work?” (Elicit: Owen picked another favorite corner of his blanket, and then he put the smelly corner in the sand box and garden to take the vinegar smell away.)

Ask “Owen’s parents keep trying to get rid of Owen’s blanket. How did Geraldine’s parents try to get rid of her blanket?” (Elicit: They cut off the frayed parts so it got smaller and smaller, they told her it looked silly, they hid it in the closet, they tried to make her forget about it when she got Rosa.)



PAGES 14, 15 Read both pages. PAGE 16 Read the text on page 16. STOP

Ask “Now what are Owen's parents worried about?” (Elicit: Owen has to go to school soon and he won't be able to take his blanket with him.)

Ask “Now what is Mrs. Tweezer's plan to solve the problem?” (Elicit: To just tell Owen no, he can't take his blanket to school!)

PAGE 17

Read the text on page 17. Paraphrase

“Buried his face means he bunched up the blanket and covered his face with it.” (If children don’t understand, show picture of Owen “burying his face” or demonstrate.)

Ask “Why wasn't this a good plan?” (Elicit: It made Owen so sad that he started to cry and he wouldn't stop.)

PAGE 18

Read the entire page. PAGE 19

Read the text on page 19. STOP Show the picture and identify the sewing machine while reading. Explain snipped if the children aren’t familiar with this word. Ask

“What's Owen's mother up to?” (Elicit: She is cutting and sewing Owen's blanket.)

Ask “How is this like what happened to Geraldine’s blanket?” (Elicit: Geraldine’s blanket also was cut to become a dress for Rosa.)

Think aloud “Geraldine’s problem was solved when her blanket became a dress for Rosa. I wonder how Owen’s mother will solve the problem of Owen’s blanket? Let’s read on and find out.”



PAGE 20 Read the entire page.

PAGE 21

Read the text on page 21. STOP Show the picture. Ask

“So what happened to Fuzzy?” (Elicit: Owen's mother made it into a set of handkerchiefs. Explain how handkerchiefs can be used to “dry your eyes” and “wipe your nose” like tissues, but they are cloth that can be washed, and are not thrown away after being used.)

TURN-AND-TALK: Ask

“How did this solve the problem?” (Elicit: Owen could carry his blanket to school and everywhere he went because it was in smaller pieces now.)

Page 22

Read the text on page 22. STOP Show the picture. Ask

“Why do you think Mrs. Tweezers doesn't say anything?” (Elicit: Because Owen doesn't have a blanket anymore, just a handkerchief. Carrying a handkerchief is fine with her, because it looks like she carries one, too.)

Ask “How is this a good way for things to end up for Owen and for his parents?” (Elicit: It's good for Owen because he can still carry part of his blanket around with him. It's good for his parents because Owen isn’t carrying around his whole ratty old blanket, and they didn’t have to take it away from him.)

Task 2.2: Support Vocabulary Development






• Ideas for structuring opportunities for students to use vocabulary from

the story • Focus words and phrases: fairy, ratty, essential, vinegar, snipped,

handkerchief, with all his heart, haven’t you heard, filled them in, no kidding, no wonder, good as new, buried his face

Texts and Materials

Owen by Kevin Henkes Support Vocabulary Development Chart paper / Markers Text specific vocabulary words on cards Necessary props to understand vocabulary Vocabulary written on word cards Multiple copies of Owen for classroom library (if available)

COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS ANCHOR STANDARDS

Speaking and Listening (CCSS, 2012, p. 22)







Embed concepts and vocabulary throughout the room and prompt children’s use of the words in the story. Additionally, create and recognize opportunities to use vocabulary throughout the day.

Sample Tasks: • Provide students with a fuzzy yellow blanket

like Owen’s and ask them to play out some of the themes in the story.

• Provide students with a fuzzy yellow blanket like Owen’s and ask them to describe the blanket using words from the story.

• Use new vocabulary words from this text in your conversations with children: “You snipped off a corner of that paper.”

• Listen for opportunities to model using interesting words when children are talking with you or each other. For example, if you or a student fixed a toy, you can say, “The broken toy is as good as new.”



• Put multiple copies of the texts in the library center so children can read the books many other times on their own and to each other. Allow children the opportunity to revisit the story and become independent word solvers.

Focus Standards (CCSS, 2012, p. 19, 23, 27) Writing W.K.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. W.1.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.







SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.



a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).








Task 2.3: Building Ideas Across Texts





Owen by Kevin Henkes and Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller

• What are some things that are the same about Owen’s and

Geraldine’s situation? • What are some things that are different?

Texts and Materials

Owen by Kevin Henkes Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller Building Ideas Across Texts Three Column Chart: How do Geraldine and Owen solve their problems?







Task 2.3: Building Ideas Across Texts Teaching Approach

Teacher Create a three-column chart similar to the one below. Title the first column, Geraldine, and title the second column, Owen. The last column will be reserved for the main character in the final book.

How do Geraldine, Owen, and Peter solve their problems?

Geraldine Owen Peter

Whole group Show children the book Geraldine’s Blanket. Engage students in a discussion in which they talk about the problem with Geraldine’s blanket and how that problem was solved. Chart what students say in the column titled, Geraldine.

Then ask student to think about Owen’s problem, and engage them in a discussion in which they talk about Owen’s problem and how that was solved. Chart students’ responses in the column title, Owen.

Whole group Remind students that when we were reading about Owen, we remembered some things about Geraldine. Ask students:

• What are some things that are the same about Owen’s situation and Geraldine’s situation?

As students are discussing their responses, support them to build on and respond to other’s ideas. Additionally, encourage and prompt students to use words they are learning from both stories in their discussion. Students should identify similarities, such as both characters had blankets they loved, they carried them everywhere, they didn’t want to give them up, they didn’t care what other people thought about their blankets, both felt sad and angry about giving up their blankets, their parents thought they were too old to carry a blanket around, both blankets were turned into

Focus Standards (CCSS, 2012, p. 19, 23, 27) Writing W.K.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. W.1.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. Speaking and Listening SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. a. Follow agreed-upon rules for




SL.K.3 Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.



SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners



something else, they were able to keep their blankets and use them in a new way, and everyone was happy with the solution.

Then ask students:

• What are some things that are different about Owen’s situation and Geraldine’s situation?

Again, support students to build on and respond to other’s ideas, and encourage and prompt students to use words they are learning from both stories in their discussion. Students should identify differences such as Owen’s parents got ideas from a neighbor, Owen’s blanket became a set of handkerchiefs, and Geraldine’s blanket became Rosa’s dress.

Pair share Then ask students to turn and talk to a partner to share their responses to the following questions:

• How would you feel if someone wanted to get rid of something that was special to you in the way Geraldine’s and Owen’s blankets were special to them?

• What might you to do solve that problem?

Whole group Engage students in a whole group discussion of the questions above.

about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. a. Follow agreed-upon rules for





SL.1.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood.









What more did you learn about facing the challenges of growing and learning from reading Owen?

Texts and Materials

Owen by Kevin Henkes Retrospection Chart paper / Markers Story props Vocabulary written on word cards Paper, Drawing paper, Pencil, Crayons, or Markers










Whole group Remind students of the conversation they had after they finished reading Geraldine’s Blanket about what they learned about facing the challenges of growing and learning from reading that book. Then ask them to think about Owen and pose the following question:

• What more did you learn about facing the challenges of growing and learning from Owen?

As students are discussing their responses, support students to build on and respond to other’s ideas. Additionally, encourage and prompt students to use words they are learning from the story in their discussion.

Focus Standards (CCSS, 2012, p. 11, 23, 27) Reading RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. RL.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).

RL.K.9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories. RL.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson. RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, settings, or events.

RL.1.9 Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.

Speaking and Listening SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.



a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion).







SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. Language L.K.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.


n


n


Text 3: Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats


Task 3.1: Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension





Peter’s Chair6 by Ezra Jack Keats

• What is happening in the story? • What do we know about Peter’s family? • How does Peter feel about his chair? • Why would Peter want to run away? • How are Peter’s feelings the same as Geraldine’s and Owen’s

feelings?

Texts and Materials

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension Lesson Chart paper / Markers Word cards to post (Stimulated by students) Chart paper / Markers





6 Keats, E. J. (1967). Peter’s Chair. New York: Harper and Row.



Speaking and Listening (CCSS, 2012, p. 22) 1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and

collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.





RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text. RL.K.9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of

characters in familiar stories. RL.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central


senses. RL.1.9 Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.

Speaking and Listening SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten

topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns





speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).




Pages 70 to 74 provide the Reading Aloud Rigorous Comprehension Lesson Plan for Peter’s Chair. Engage students in the read aloud and facilitate a discussion of the text by following the accompanying lesson plan.

The discussions in this text and the others in the set of lessons intend to extend children’s thinking about tasks that are part of growing up. Discussing the tasks these characters faced will help children identify, talk about, and learn vocabulary to describe the strong feelings that can accompany growing up.


TEACHER PREPARATION FOR READING ALOUD RIGOROUS COMPREHENSION LESSON In preparation for the reading to children, read the story yourself and be familiar with the vocabulary that students might find challenging, such as fairy, ratty, essential, vinegar, snipped, handkerchief, with all his heart, haven’t you heard of, filled them in, no kidding, no wonder, good as new, buried his face.

CORE ISSUE #1: What is the intended child learning?

• Children will construct a coherent understanding of the story. They will understand the sequence of events (beginning, middle and end), and how events and characters relate to one another with respect to the story problem and how it is resolved.

• Children will recognize the issues young children face when having to make changes as they grow up and the feelings that come along with those changes.

• Summary of Peter’s Chair: Peter is struggling with the confusing feelings of being proud about growing up (able to build a very tall block tower) and not yet ready to give up things from his babyhood (his cradle, crib, and high chair that are being painted pink for use by his new baby sister.) When he notices that his tiny blue chair has not yet been repainted, he decides to take it and run away to his front sidewalk so he can keep it for himself. Out on the sidewalk, Peter looks at a picture of himself as a baby and tries to sit in the chair, but discovers that he’s now too big for it – he’s not a baby any more. He returns home and sits in a grown-up chair as his family eats lunch together. He suggests to his dad that they should paint the tiny chair pink for his baby sister and they paint it together. Growing up means being able to do new things as well as leaving some things behind.



CORE ISSUE #2: What difficulties or misconceptions might children have about the story line?

• Children may not be aware of the traditional association of the color pink with girl babies and the color blue with boy babies.

• Children may not make the inference that Peter feels sad as he discovers each piece of furniture newly painted pink because the furniture was his when he was a baby, and that painting the furniture pink means it is no longer his.

• Children might have difficulty understanding that when Peter finds that his tiny chair is too small for him, this helps him understand that he’s growing up and can no longer use some of his baby things.

• Children might not make the inference that when Peter suggests to his Dad that they should repaint the tiny chair pink, this means that he has come to terms with letting go of his baby furniture.

CORE ISSUE #3: What difficulties might children have with the story language? Children can be supported to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases by explaining them in child-friendly terms, through gesture or demonstration, or by referring to a visual. Children should be supported to use new vocabulary in other contexts throughout the day. Some words or phrases that might need to be explained so children can understand and discuss the text: stretch, fussing around, muttered, cradle, run away, arranged, made believe, rascal.

ENGAGING CHILDREN IN READING ALOUD RIGOROUS COMPREHENSION LESSON Organize children on the rug/floor so that they can see, hear, and participate in the book discussion. They need to be able to talk to their reading buddy/partner during the Turn and Talk moments in the lesson.

As you discuss the text you may need to ask a child to repeat what the first child said so everyone can hear that idea again. Another follow-up question may be necessary to help a child say more about his or her idea. You may need to allow much longer wait times for children to gather their thoughts and put words to them, since they are being asked to think things through, not just come up with quick, right answers.

NOTE: The text and lesson plan can be used with a small group rather than whole class. This might allow for more conversation and allow every child’s voice to be heard in the discussion. Your ability to formatively assess every student in a small group becomes more manageable; however, you will have to repeat the lesson so that every student in the classroom engages in this high quality discussion.



READING ALOUD RIGOROUS COMPREHENSION LESSON PLAN Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats

CONNECTING TO THE PREVIOUS TEXT Show the books, Geraldine’s Blanket and Owen. Say

“Today we’re going to read about a boy named Peter and some things that change for him as he is growing up. What did we read about in these books that changed for Geraldine and Owen as they were growing up?” (Elicit Both Geraldine and Owen had to change how they used their beloved blankets—Geraldine’s became a doll dress and Owen’s became a set of handkerchiefs.)

Say “Let’s find out what changes for Peter.”

COVER Show the book cover and read the title and author. Think aloud

“Let’s find out if this little boy wearing the overalls is Peter and if this small blue chair is his chair.”

PAGE 0 Show the picture and read the title and author again.


“Yes, Peter is the little boy on the cover of the book, and this is his dog.”

Paraphrase “Stretch means to reach as high as you can. Peter is stretching to reach the top of the very tall building he made.”

Ask “We’ve been thinking and reading about things children can do as they grow. What does the author tell us on this page that Peter can do now that he’s growing up?” (Elicit: Peter can make a building out of blocks so tall that he has to stretch up high to reach the top of it.)




“What has happened now?” (Elicit: Peter’s tall building fell down.)

Ask “What do we know about Peter’s family?” (Elicit: Peter’s family has a new baby.)

PAGE 5 Read the whole page and then reread each section. Reread Section 1. STOP

Think aloud “Hmm, the author just told us that Susie is the name of Peter’s new baby sister.”

Reread Section 2. STOP Paraphrase

“A cradle is a small bed for a baby that sometimes rocks.” Think aloud

“The author uses the words “fussing around” to tell us that Peter’s mom is giving her attention to making sure the cradle is just right for Peter’s new baby sister, Susie.”

Reread Section 3. STOP Ask

“How does Peter feel about the cradle?” (Elicit: He still wants it to be his cradle and not have it be changed in any way – not have it be pink and not have Susie using it. You may need to help children understand the association of the color pink with baby girls and the color blue with baby boys.)

Show the picture. Say

“Let’s see what happens next.” PAGE 8 Read the text on page 8. STOP Show the picture. Ask

“So what’s happening now?” (Elicit: Peter’s father is painting Peter’s high chair pink for his new baby sister and he invites Peter to help.)

Ask “How do you think Peter is feeling?”



(Elicit: He may feel sad or angry. He feels like his baby things are being taken from him.)

PAGES 10, 11 Read the text on pages 10 and 11. STOP Paraphrase

“Mutter” means to talk very softly— in a low and quiet voice. When I mutter, I only open my mouth a little bit. (Demonstrate.) When a person mutters, it can be very hard to hear what they’re saying.

Ask “What’s happening to the things Peter used when he was a baby?” (Elicit: Peter’s parents are taking his baby things and painting them pink for his new baby sister Susie to use.)

Say “Peter didn’t mutter that time. He shouted.”

Show the picture. Think aloud

“So, now we found out that the chair on the cover is Peter’s chair.”

TURN-AND-TALK: Ask

“Hmm, why do you think Peter is taking his chair?” (Elicit: Peter still loves his chair and he thinks that if he takes his chair, he can keep it for himself and it won’t be painted pink for Susie to use.)

Ask “Peter really loves his little blue chair. How are Peter’s feelings the same as Geraldine’s and Owen’s feelings?” (Elicit: Even though they are older now, all of these characters are still very attached to things they have loved since they were babies.)

Say “Let’s see what Peter decides to do with his chair.”


“Willie is the name of Peter’s dog.” Paraphrase

“Run away” means to leave your home and your family and never come back.

Think aloud “So, we know that Peter has decided to take his chair and some other favorite things and leave his home, his mother, his father, and his new baby sister Susie.”



Ask “Why would Peter want to run away?” (Elicit: He’s feeling upset about not having his baby things any more. He’s taking his chair and other things that are special to him so he can keep his chair for himself and not have it painted pink.)

PAGES 15, 17 Read both pages. Show the picture on page 17 so children can see how Peter is unable to fit in the chair. Ask

“Oh my! What has happened?” (Elicit: Peter’s chair is too small for him because he is not a baby anymore; he is a big boy.)

Ask How do you think Peter feels about his chair now? (Elicit: He might still like it but he knows now that he’s too big to still use it.)


“The author told us that Peter didn’t go very far when he and Willie ran away. They just went to the front of Peter’s house, so Peter’s mother can look right out the front window and invite him to come inside for lunch.”

Paraphrase “Make believe” means to pretend or act. Peter and Willie pretended or acted like they didn’t hear. They really did hear Peter’s mother.

Prompt “The author is telling us that Peter has an idea but we don’t know, yet, what that idea is. Let’s listen carefully to some more of the story to find out what Peter’s idea is.”

PAGE 22 Read the text on page 22. STOP Think aloud

“Peter’s mother saw things that let her know Peter was home. Let’s notice things the author put in this picture that were signs that Peter had come home.”

Show the picture. Ask children to identify items that are signs Peter is back—his bag, his crocodile, his shoes peeking out from under the curtain. Ask the children where they think Peter is. Paraphrase

“A rascal may be someone who acts in a playful, teasing way.”



PAGES 23, 24 Read both pages; show the pictures as you read. Ask

“What happened here?” (Elicit: Peter surprised his mother by putting his shoes under the curtain but hiding behind the chest.)

PAGES 25, 28 Read both pages. TURN-AND-TALK Ask

“So, what was Peter’s idea? How is Peter feeling now about his chair?” (Elicit: He may still like his chair but now he knows he is too big for it. He doesn’t need it anymore because he’s able to sit at the lunch table in a grown-up chair. He wants to give his chair to his baby sister Susie and he wants to help paint it pink for her.)

Show the picture.




Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats

• Ideas for constructing opportunities for students to use

vocabulary from the story • Focus words: stretch, fussing around, muttered, cradle, run

away, arranged, made believe, rascal

Texts and Materials

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats Support Vocabulary Development Chart paper / Markers Text specific vocabulary words on cards Necessary props to understand vocabulary Vocabulary written on word cards Multiple copies of Peter’s Chair for classroom library (if available)








Ideas for supporting students’ vocabulary development Embed concepts and vocabulary throughout the room and prompt children’s use of the words in the story. Additionally, create and recognize opportunities to use vocabulary throughout the day. Sample Tasks: • Provide students with a high chair, cradle, and very

small chair and ask them to play out some of the themes in the story.

• Provide students with a high chair, cradle, and very small chair and ask them to describe the blanket using words from the story.

• Use new vocabulary words from this text in your conversations with children: “Let’s stand up and stretch.”

• Listen for opportunities to model using interesting words when children are talking with you or each other. For example, “At recess we were making believe that we were toy soldiers.”



• Put multiple copies of the texts in the library center so children can read the books many other times on their own and to each other.














Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats, Owen by Kevin Henkes, and Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller

• Why do you think Peter was willing to give up his chair to

Susie? • How is Peter’s situation the same as Owen’s and Geraldine’s

situations? • How is Peter’s situation different from Owen’s and Geraldine’s

situations?

Texts and Materials

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats Owen by Kevin Henkes Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller Building Ideas Across Texts Three Column Chart used in Task 2.3: How Do Geraldine and Owen Solve Their Problems?


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 text.




when speaking.



Task 3.3: Building Ideas Across Texts Teaching Approach

Pair share Remind students that Geraldine and Owen weren’t ready to give up their blankets even though they were growing up, so they found other ways to keep them – as a doll dress for Rosa and as handkerchiefs. Then ask students to turn and talk to a partner to share their responses to the following question: • Why do you think Peter was willing to give up

his chair to Susie?

Whole group Engage students in a whole group discussion to share their responses the question above. As students are discussing their responses, support students to build on and respond to other’s ideas. Additionally, encourage and prompt students to use words they are learning from the story in their discussion.

Then, display the three-column chart similar to the one you created as part of Task 2.3. Title the last column, Peter.

Geraldine Owen Peter

Ask students to think about Peter’s problem and engage them in a discussion in which they talk about Peter’s problem and how it was solved. Chart students’ responses in the column title, Peter.

After the chart has been completed, ask students: • How is Peter’s situation the same as Owen’s

and Geraldine’s situations? As students are discussing their responses, support them to build on and respond to other’s ideas. Additionally, encourage and prompt students to use words they are learning from the stories in their discussion. Students should identify similarities, such as both Geraldine and Owen had blankets they loved, they carried them everywhere, they didn’t want to give them up, they didn’t care what other people thought about their blankets,













both felt sad and angry about giving up their blankets, their parents thought they were too old to carry a blanket around, both blankets were turned into something else, they were able to keep their blankets and use them in a new way, and everyone was happy with the solution. Geraldine and Owen learn to make compromises. Peter is struggling with the confusing feelings of being proud about growing up and not yet ready to give up things from his babyhood. Peter finally realizes he is too big for his chair and decides to give it to his baby sister. All three characters are growing and changing. They realize that growing up means being able to do new things as well as leaving some things behind.

Then ask students: • How is Peter’s situation different from Owen’s

and Geraldine’s situations?

Again, support students to build on and respond to other’s ideas, and encourage and prompt students to use words they are learning from both stories in their discussion. Students should identify differences, such as Owen’s parents got ideas from a neighbor, Owen’s blanket became a set of handkerchiefs, and Geraldine’s blanket became Rosa’s dress, Peter gives up his precious chair to his baby sister and realizes he no longer needs the chair for himself. Unlike Owen and Geraldine, Peter does not keep his chair or change it’s appearance so that he could keep it close to him. Children can infer that Peter will keep his chair close because he will be able to see his sister use it as she grows.








• What more did you learn about facing the challenges of

growing and learning from reading Peter’s Chair?

Texts and Materials

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats Retrospection Chart paper Story props Vocabulary written on word cards Paper, Drawing paper, Pencil, Crayons, or Markers










Whole group Remind students of the conversations they had after they finished reading Geraldine’s Blanket and Owen about what they learned about facing the challenges of growing and learning from reading those books. Then ask them to think about Peter’s Chair and pose the following question: • What more did you learn about facing the

challenges of growing and learning from Peter’s Chair?

As students are discussing their responses, support students to build on and respond to other’s ideas. Additionally, encourage and prompt students to use words they are learning from the story in their discussion.

Focus Standards (CCSS, 2012, p. 11, 23, 27) Reading RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. RL.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).

RL.K.9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories. RL.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson. RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, settings, or events.

RL.1.9 Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.




CULMINATING ASSIGNMENT

Grades K-1 Rigorous Comprehension Set of Lessons: Exploring Who We Are



Name:

Rigorous Comprehension Set of Lessons Culminating Assignment Grades K-1

Rigorous Comprehension Unit Culminating Assignment Grades K-1 Task Focus: Link Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening For this unit, each child will produce a book containing pictures and writing. The pages in the book should include:

• A picture of each of the main characters; Geraldine, Owen, and Peter • The character should be labeled • A sentence or more telling the challenge the character faced and what they

learned as a result of the challenge. Teacher should model writing a page for children that incorporate all the student expectations for the assignment. Teachers might use themselves as a main character and write one more sentences that tell a challenge they faced when they were young and what they learned. Optional: Children can add an additional page with themselves as the main character. They can draw and label themselves and write a sentence or more telling the challenge they faced and what they learned as they were growing. Kindergarten Children in kindergarten can use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing. Grade One Children in grade one should include the name of the book, the character they are writing about, state their opinion about the challenge the characters faced and what they learned as a result of the challenge. Teacher Note: Be sure to keep your charts posted and vocabulary words available in order to support the children’s writing. Be sure to post your page that you modeled for the children before they begin the culminating assignment. CELEBRATE CHILDREN’S LEARNING Every child needs evidence of growing and learning: Make sure all children have an opportunity to have their book shared and displayed. Every child needs an audience: It is important that every child has an individual opportunity to talk with someone about his/her book. The audience might be a classmate, a parent,



grandparent, guardian, another teacher, an older child in the school the principal, custodian, librarian, classroom volunteer, etc. Match the celebration to the child: Some children will be comfortable talking about their book from an “author’s chair” or standing in front of a small group of parents or other children. Some children will only want to talk in front of a group of familiar people; others will comfortable talking in front of new people. Some children will only want to talk to one other person. Some will want just to whisper a few words in your ear. You will know best which opportunity to be heard individually best matches each child. Some ways to celebrate: Invite guests to the classroom. Have children share their book (s). Have children talk about all the challenges the characters faced and what they learned. Children might also give a personal example. Standards Alignment

W.K.3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.

W.K.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

W.1.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.


TEXTS

Appendix: Texts


Appendix: Texts


Copyright laws may prohibit photocopying this document without express permission.


Keller, H. (1984). Geraldine’s Blanket. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers.

Appendix: Texts



Henkes, K. (1993). Owen. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers.


Appendix: Texts



Keats, E. (1998). Peter’s Chair. New York: Viking and Puffin Books, Members of Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers.


Appendix: Texts


Obtaining Copyright Permission

A number of texts, such as journal and newspaper articles, book chapters, children’s books, and poems, may be mentioned in this IFL Unit. Because of copyright considerations, these resources could not be included in the unit. A comprehensive reference citation has been included in this section of the unit.

The resources referenced in this unit may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code). You are responsible for obtaining permission from the rights holder(s) in order to reproduce and distribute copyrighted material. The rights holder may require a fee for this permission which will be based on the number of copies made. Even if the rights holder does not require a fee, you are still obligated to make a formal request before redistributing copyrighted material. Notes

• The rights holder will need the following information to process your request—Title of work, author, place of publication, page numbers, and how and when the resource will be used.

• When text comes from an anthology or a textbook, the publisher of the book is most likely not the rights holder. The publisher generally gets permission to include the text in their book. The rights holder will need to be determined in order to get permission to use the text.

• Picture books generally have two rights holders, one for the text and another for the images. Both rights holders must grant permission to make copies of the texts.

• Other resources, such as painting, photographs, graphics, cartoons, videos, songs, etc., also require copyright permission.


INSTRUCTIONAL GLOSSARY

Appendix: Instructional Glossary




Instructional Glossary English Language Arts

Arc of Tasks includes related, sequenced work with one or more texts that students are reading and/or writing. For more information, please see the explanation of Tasks in this Glossary. Assessments in IFL English Language Arts reflect what is known about the assessments under development by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). Both consortia closely align their assessments to the Common Core State Standards. Assessment Tasks

• Allow for an assessment of how well students are learning the content and habits of thinking that they are being taught through the designed curriculum.

• Build from the notion that we should assess what we actually teach. Therefore, the assessment and unit content learning goals, skills, and habits of thinking are the same.

• Ask students to individually complete tasks that mirror tasks they have completed, often with others, as part of the unit’s daily instruction. The specific content of the assessment is new to students, yet within the scope of the content they have been studying as part of the unit of study.

• Use student work to assess what students know, what teachers need to re-teach, and what modifications teachers must make as they continue the work of the unit.

Charting of the pair/trio sharing by or for members of the group represents the work of the group to the entire class. Wall charts are dynamic displays that are frequently revisited and revised by the teacher and learners as their understanding of the particular content is developing. In the process of creating these charts, learners voice their own interpretations of content or ideas, providing teachers with key opportunities to assess learners’ understanding. While the teacher is collecting the students’ ideas, often s/he is also shaping and organizing their ideas given the content and standards that are the focus of the lesson or unit. Wall charts also act as a way to provide support for students who may not have understood the work individually (or in their pair/trio/group work). Additionally, wall charts provide learners with clear expectations of what they are learning or expected to produce. Learners use these charts as references when doing work independently or in small and large groups; this allows students to begin to self-manage their learning. Therefore, these charts should be strategically placed in the classroom so that students can use them as tools of instruction. Wall charts are part of the gradual release of the responsibility for learning from teachers to students. They are intended to reflect and impact the learner’s work and achievement, unlike posters, which are fixed products and are often used as decoration. Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have been adopted by most states. Information about this standards project and the English language arts/literacy standards are on the CCSS website: http://www.corestandards.org.



Comprehension/Sorting Questions promote close reading and allow students to get the gist of a text while sorting out, for example, the characters and settings, central and supporting ideas, or claims and counterclaims. Culminating Assessment: refers to the final unit assessment. Students complete this performance assessment individually. It focuses on the big ideas and skills students have studied and used in the unit. It takes into account the standards and sequence of lessons, and tests what has been taught, modeled, and included on criteria charts and trackers. Culminating Assignment refers to the final unit assignment. The culminating assignment focuses on the big ideas and skills students have studied and used in the unit. Unlike the culminating assessment, students receive support in its completion including opportunities for multiple drafts, peer review, and revision. Almost always, students learn about the culminating assignment at the beginning of the unit, which helps them to understand how the work that they do throughout the unit connects and supports their completion of this individual but scaffolded assignment. Disciplinary Literacy (DL) is an approach to teaching and learning that integrates academically rigorous content with discipline-appropriate habits of thinking. In DL, students become literate in a specific discipline by learning the big ideas and habits of thinking of that discipline simultaneously. Embedded Assessment Tasks describe assessments that are integral to a curriculum and are part of a unit’s instructional sequence. They are literally embedded as on-demand “tests” in units of instruction and require students to perform tasks that mirror work they have completed, often with others, as part of the unit’s daily instruction. Embedding assessments throughout instruction allow teachers to find out what students don’t know or aren’t able to do while there is still time to do something about it. These assessments provide formative data that allow teachers to change or modify instruction to address better the needs of individual learners.

Formative Assessment is assessment for learning. This type of assessment occurs throughout the course of a unit and is used to measure students’ understanding of the unit’s key concepts, content, and skills. The data from formative assessments are used to adjust instruction and learning to meet the needs of students. This adjustment may include reteaching certain concepts, either to the whole class or a specific group of students, or incorporating alternative approaches to assessing the content. Gallery Walks refer to walks students do around the classroom in order to read, take notes on, or respond to various classroom artifacts such as individual or pair/trio charts, whole group charts, displays constructed by the teacher or peers, etc. Gallery walks provide the opportunity for students to share their work with others and/or display what they know or have learned. Additionally, gallery walks can provide teachers with an active way to share information with students on various topics. Gallery walks are usually followed by whole class discussions.

Genre: “A genre of writing is a rough template for accomplishing a particular purpose with language. It provides the writer and the reader with a common set of assumptions about what characterizes the text” (Hampton, S., Murphy, S., & Lowry, M. (2009) in Using Rubrics to Improve Writing, New Standards, IRA, University of Pittsburgh & NCEE, p. 1).



Informational Text: The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) explicate expectations for reading and writing informational text. The CCSS section below elaborates on these expectations for writing informational text:

“Informational/explanatory writing conveys information accurately. This kind of writing serves one or more closely related purposes: to increase readers’ knowledge of a subject, to help readers better understand a procedure or process, or to provide readers with an enhanced comprehension of a concept. Informational/explanatory writing addresses matters such as types (What are the different types of poetry?) and components (What are the parts of a motor?); size, function, or behavior (How big is the United States? What is an X-ray used for? How do penguins find food?); how things work (How does the legislative branch of government function?); and why things happen (Why do some authors blend genres?)” (Appendix A, p. 23)

Writers of informational/explanatory texts

“use a variety of techniques to convey information, such as naming, defining, describing, or differentiating different types or parts; comparing or contrasting ideas or concepts; and citing an anecdote or a scenario to illustrate a point. Informational/explanatory writing includes a wide array of genres, including academic genres such as literary analyses, scientific and historical reports, summaries, and précis writing as well as forms of workplace and functional writing such as instructions, manuals, memos, reports, applications, and résumés” (ibid).

The National Assessment of Educational Progress addresses the reading of informational text in its reading framework, “Informational texts include three broad categories: exposition; argumentation and persuasive text; and procedural text and documents.” Informational texts include such reading materials as textbooks, magazine and newspaper articles, documents, essays, and speeches. The sidebar of the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading advocates that students read "increasingly challenging literary and informational texts." They provide examples of informational text such as "texts in history/social studies, science and other disciplines" (2010, p. 10). Following sections from the CCSS provide examples of informational texts which are meant to illustrate the kinds of texts that can be selected, but not to be the only texts students would read: Informational: Historical/Social Science Texts

Historical/Social Science texts are informational texts with historical or social science content. Examples from Appendix B of the CCSS include: Preamble and First Amendment to the United States Constitution, Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Freedman, The Great Fire by Murphy, and Vincent Van Gogh: Portrait of an Artist by Greenberg.

Informational: Scientific and Technical Texts Scientific and Technical texts are informational texts with scientific and technical content. Examples from Appendix B of the CCSS include: The Building of Manhattan by Mackay, Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet out of Idaho by Katz, “Space Probe” from Astronomy & Space: From the Big Bang to the Big Crunch, and “The Evolution of the Grocery Bag” by Petroski.



Literary Nonfiction Literary nonfiction “includes the subgenres of exposition, argument, and functional text in the form of personal essays, speeches, opinion pieces, essays about art or literature, biographies, memoirs, journalism, and historical, scientific, technical, or economic accounts (including digital sources) written for a broad audience” (2010, Common Core State Standards for English

Language Arts, 2010, p. 57). These texts can be informational, persuasion, and narrative. Examples from Appendix B of the CCSS include: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave by Douglass, “Letter to Thomas Jefferson” by Adams, Travels with Charley: In Search of America by Steinbeck, and “Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: Address to Parliament on May 13th, 1940” by Churchill.

Interpretive Questions are text-based, thought-provoking questions that stem from genuine inquiry. These open-ended questions can sustain multiple, varied responses based on evidence from the text. Interpretive questions are the focus of WriteAbouts and inquiry-based discussions. Inquiry-Based Discussions are whole group discussions in which readers discuss their responses to interpretive questions (WriteAbouts). These student-centered discussions usually follow a second or third reading of the text. Before students engage in inquiry-based discussions, they have had the opportunity to write individually on the interpretive question and share their responses in pairs or trios. The purposes of an inquiry-based discussion are to help readers:

• “try out” their answers and explanations using specific moments and evidence from the text;

• practice making interpretations supported with evidence from the text; • accept alternative views/interpretations of the same text; • rethink what they think about the text; and • understand that readers can have different valid interpretations of the same text.

Metacognition refers to thinking about one’s thinking and how one learns. Students are asked to think metacognitively when they answer StepBack questions. During this part of the learning, students consider WHAT they learned and HOW they learned it. Models are examples of work, either oral or written, that support students producing similar work. A model is of a total performance, which can be large or small, in order to help learners understand the essence of an activity and develop a mental picture of what the real thing looks like. It may be an example of one way to explain significant moments, answer a StepBack question, write the culminating assignment, etc. Models include work completed by peers, the teacher, and/or professional writers. Before completing the task/assignment themselves, learners are usually asked to deconstruct these models in order to analyze what makes them effective. Models are not necessarily exemplars; therefore, they do not need to be perfect.

Overarching Questions present the big ideas of the unit as inquiry questions that reach across and connect all of the texts under study including the students’ writing. These overarching questions are informed by the standards and central ideas worth knowing about a particular topic within a given discipline. Pair/Trio Sharing refers to students working in groups of two or three to share their responses to individual quick writes or other tasks in order to establish academic conversations in a safe environment with high accountability to the task and the group members.



Patterned Way of Reading, Writing, and Talking refers to DL ELA pattern of reading, writing about/like, and discussing texts multiple times for different purposes using scaffolded questions that lead students from literal comprehension to higher-order thinking.



Quick Writes are short pieces of writing composed by individual learners in response to questions and tasks for any and all of the design features of lessons, tasks, and units. The term “quick write” is a synonym for free writes, discovery writing, writing to learn, written reflections, etc. The following chart shows how quick writes can vary:

Type of quick write: How the writing varies:

Discovery Writing Quick. Students are accessing prior knowledge or thinking on paper.

Entry Slips Usually quick. Students respond to a writing prompt from the teacher on previous or current learning.

Exit Slips Usually quick. Exit Slips are similar to Entry Slips except these are handed in at the end of the class rather than at the beginning and most often require students to focus on an aspect of the learning done that day.

Getting the Gist

Quick. Students are sharing events, characters, key ideas, etc. Length of time depends on amount and difficulty of text.

Significant Moments

Longer. Students are sharing moments and evidence, questioning each other, identifying similarities and differences.

WriteAbout

Time for writing and sharing is longer since the task is more difficult. During the pair/trio share, students are sharing ideas and evidence, debating interpretations, questioning each others ideas and evidence, etc.

Write Like

Time allotted depends on students’ familiarity with the task. Writing and sharing might look more like working together to solve a problem, find examples of a literary device, analyze aspects of an author’s style, etc.

Read Aloud is a reading approach in which the text is not seen by the students, but is read aloud by the teacher with intermittent questions designed to foster student discussion that builds meaning.

Read to Get the Gist is the first reading of a text in which readers read for literal comprehension. Literal comprehension questions such as, “What is happening?” in a narrative, “What are the arguments?” in an argumentative text, or “What are the issues?” in an informational text guide this first reading. For narrative writing, questions such as “Who are the characters? What do you know about them? How do you know it?” help students sort the characters and develop literal comprehension.



Reader/Writer Notebook is a classroom tool students use to record their thinking and/or ideas, generate writing ideas, and try out new voices. Students compose quick writes and WriteAbouts, take notes, compose observations for writings, respond to questions and tasks, and track their learning in their Reader/Writer Notebooks. The Reader/Writer Notebook is a place students can go back to when working on larger pieces such as their culminating assignment. It also serves as a central notebook to store handouts, papers, calendars, and other materials used in the class. It is helpful to use a loose-leaf notebook so that pages from each student’s Reader/Writer Notebook can be collected, shared, returned, and re-arranged with greater ease.

Reread for Significance involves having students reread or skim through a text for the purpose of identifying moments or specific kinds of moments (e.g., author’s arguments, character’s response to challenge) that strike them as significant to that text. Students are then asked to explain the significance of the chosen moments to the text.

Retrospective tasks on each text or across texts invite students to rethink and revise writing on the unit’s big ideas and overarching questions as they progress through the unit.



Rubrics delineate the criteria of different levels of performance. In writing instruction, formative and summative ones are used. Summative rubrics are primarily useful to the teacher to more quickly assign a score to a piece of student writing. These are usually too complex or abstract to be helpful to students. Formative rubrics, developed by students with their teacher as part of instruction on specific writing assignments, can be helpful checklists/gauges for students of what they have included in their writing and how well their writing represents each element. Students with their teacher update rubrics as their writing improves through instruction, practice and feedback.

The table below presents a brief overview of the main types of rubrics used to assess student work in ELA and some of the differences among them.

Type of Rubric and Description

Advantages Disadvantages

Holistic assigns a single, overall rating or score to a product or performance based on an overall impression.

• good for simple products or performances (i.e., ones characterized by a single element or dimension)

• provides a quick “snapshot” of overall quality or achievement performance

• represents overall “impact” of a product or performance

• does not provide detailed analysis of strengths and weaknesses, so not useful for diagnostic purposes or to inform instruction

• does not help students to see what they need to do to improve

Analytic assigns separate ratings or scores to identified elements or dimensions of a product or performance so that each category or dimension can be judged separately on a quality scale as the basis of determining a total score/judgment.

• captures complexity of product or performance that involves several elements or dimensions

• identifies the essential components of quality by element or dimension

• provides specific feedback to teachers, students, and parents regarding individual strengths and weaknesses as well as a final score/judgment

• time consuming, especially at first, to learn and use

• raises issues of reliability among different raters who are dealing with several elements or dimensions

• components of quality scale may be more generic

• applied across writing tasks which can result in generic kinds of writing

Primary trait focuses attention on rating of a single trait considered to be the most essential for demonstrating success regarding a particular product or performance; in writing, isolates one component of written discourse and assesses the writer’s aptness for that particular trait; in reading and writing, isolates the essential attribute of the reading performance.

• gives a sharp view of the complex aspects of a particular skill, thus allowing for more precisely identifying particular strengths and weaknesses

• the dimension or trait being rated is clearly reflected in the primary trait at each score point

• task-specific

• time consuming, especially at first, to learn and use

• tasks may require secondary trait rubrics in addition to a primary trait one, adding additional complexity to the scoring of papers

References: Arter, J. & McTighe, J. (2001). Scoring rubrics in the classroom. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc. Lloyd-Jones, R. (1977). Primary trait scoring. In C. Cooper & L. Odell (Eds.), Evaluating writing:

Describing, measuring, judging (pp. 33-66). Urbana, IL: NCTE. Shultz, L. & Laine, C. (1986). A primary trait-scoring grid with instructional uses. Journal of Teaching

Writing, 5, 77-89.



Shared Reading involves the teacher displaying an enlarged copy of the text and showing only the portions of the text to be read aloud and discussed as the text unfolds. It is important that students’ eyes track the text as it is being read aloud by the teacher, especially during an initial reading. The power of the shared reading component is that the teacher is taking on the decoding work, while the students are able to see the words and hear how they sound, simultaneously. Significance tasks ask students to locate significant moments in a text and to explain why those moments are significant to the text.

StepBack tasks ask students to reflect on what they are learning and how they are learning it. They are deliberate efforts to help students accumulate their growing body of knowledge on the unit focus and overarching questions and develop a meta-cognitive awareness that prompts transfer of learning to relevant new situations.

Summative Assessment is a final score or can occur at the end of the unit, usually in the form of a culminating assessment or assignment, measuring what students have learned over the course of the unit.

Tasks ask learners to use knowledge, skills, and habits to accomplish an activity, project, or to solve a problem in reading, writing, and thinking. In completing tasks, learners “do” the subject of literature, composition, and/or language study within the disciplines working in ways authentic to the discipline. Typically, tasks are prompted by open-ended questions about a text(s) students are reading and/or writing.

Think Aloud is a form of modeling in which the teacher or a peer thinks aloud as s/he is performing a task such as reading a text, gathering evidence to answer a question, writing a thesis statement, etc. The person performing the think aloud usually chooses three or four strategies or techniques to explicitly model and asks learners to focus on, listen for, or take notes on those things. The purpose of a think aloud is to make the implicit explicit so that others may learn and apply these strategies when doing the task themselves.

Trackers assist students to self-assess and monitor progress in relation to established criteria for success on a culminating assignment/assessment.

Unit focus identifies the big ideas (e.g., “Miseducation” or “Writing and Identity” or “Child Labor”), genre, or author to be studied, linked to the standards.

WriteAbouts are short pieces of writing students do in response to interpretive questions based on their reading. WriteAbouts usually follow a second or third reading of the text and are written in students’ Reader/Writer Notebooks. They are usually in preparation for an inquiry-based discussion.

WriteLikes ask students to write like the texts, either in the style of the selection or in imitation of an author’s sentence and grammatical structure.


INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS

Appendix: Instructional Tools




Reader/Writer Notebook

What is the Reader/Writer Notebook? It is a notebook with loose-leaf paper that can be added, rearranged, or temporarily removed. Loose-leaf holed paper between pressboard covers, held together with rings would suffice. Students will be asked to use a Reader/Writer Notebook this year. What are two main purposes of the notebook? It gives the writer a place for thinking and trying out different voices and techniques. It also serves as a central notebook to store handouts, other papers, and calendars used in English language arts. What are other specific uses of the notebook? It is our classroom tool for thinking, recording ideas, generating writing ideas, and trying out new voices. We use it for quick writes, 2-column notes, WriteAbouts, WriteLikes, criteria charts, class notes, brainstorming, etc.

• It is a place for writers to work through writing problems and brainstorm. • It is a place where we can go back to reread and/or select pieces for revision. • It is a place where we can go back to reflect on how we have grown as readers and

writers. How may students set up their own Reader/Writer Notebooks? Either on the cover or the first page of the notebook, ask students to write their name, class period, and the date they began using their notebook. They might also personalize their notebooks with decorations, pictures, nicknames, etc. On the top of the second page of the notebook, ask students to write “Table of Contents.” On the first line of the Table of Contents page, ask students to write: “date,” “topic,” and “page number.” Beginning with the Table of Contents, ask students to number the first 30 pages; students may number the rest of the pages when they get to page 30. Students can now begin using the Reader/Writer Notebooks on page 6 (pages 2-5 will be set aside for the table of contents). Note: Because the Reader/Writer Notebook is a place for students to think and try out different writing and reading ideas, encourage them to write and collect ideas in their notebooks as a habit of practice that extends beyond the times related to specific assignments for class.



Teacher Resource: Reader/Writer Notebook Suggested Feedback System

Since the writer’s notebook is expressive writing (writing for the writer), it is important to lower the students’ level of anxiety relative to grammar and usage errors. Randy Bomer, author of Time For Meaning: Crafting Literate Lives In Middle And High School (1995), suggests that teachers also use a Reader/Writer Notebook. This helps to deepen the idea of a writers’ community in the classroom and allows teachers to give students ideas for their notebooks by sharing from their notebooks from time to time. Bomer has also devised a method of feedback based on the following criteria:

1. VOLUME

A. One entry from each class, including one long selection.

B. Five for homework, including two long selections. 2. VARIETY 3. THOUGHTFULNESS 4. HABITS OF THOUGHT - INTENTION FOR WRITING

Specifically: A. description B. precise dialogue C. movement between facts and ideas.

5. Playful experimentation with language.

He then uses a class rotation system, collecting every student’s notebook once every two weeks. He writes brief comments and the score from the class rubric on sticky notes and places them in each notebook.



Pedagogical Rituals and Routines

When we ask students to engage in inquiry units and lessons, we ask them to use the following key Pedagogical Rituals and Routines. These rituals and routines, derived from research on cognitive apprenticeship, are designed to engage all students as learners in collaborative problem solving, writing to learn, making thinking visible, using routines for note-taking/making and tracking learning, text-based norms for interpretive discussions and writings, ongoing assessment and revision, and meta-cognitive reflection and articulation as regular patterns in learning. These cyclical apprenticeship rituals and routines build community when used with authentic tasks through collaboration, coaching, the sharing of solutions, multiple occasions for practice, and the articulation of reflections (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989).

The key English language arts pedagogical routines that support students’ learning are:

• quick writes composed by individual learners in response to questions and tasks for any and all of the design features of lessons and units;

• pair/trio sharing of individual quick writes to establish academic conversations in a safe environment with high accountability to the task and the group members;

• charting of the pair/trio sharing by members of the group to represent the work of the group to the entire class;

• gallery walks for members of the class to read and take notes on the pair/trio work in preparation for a whole class discussion of the task;

• whole group discussions of the questions or tasks that prompted the scaffold of quick writes, pair/trio share, charting, and gallery walks to deepen understandings and address lingering questions;

• model of a total performance in order to help learners understand the essence of an activity and develop a mental picture of what the real thing looks like;

• Reader/Writer Notebooks in which learners compose quick writes, take notes, make notes, compose observations for writings, respond to questions and tasks, and track their learning; and

• StepBacks in which learners meta-cognitively reflect through quick writes, pair/trio shares, charting, gallery walks, discussions, and writing assignments on the content and pedagogy of their learning to develop and track their understandings and habits of thinking.



Accountable Talk® Moves and Functions in ELA

Teacher Move Function An Example To ensure purposeful, coherent, and productive group discussion

1. Marking Direct attention to the value and importance of a student’s contribution.

“I hear you saying _____. Let’s keep this idea in mind.”

2. Challenging students

Redirect a question back to the students or use student’s contributions as a source for a further challenge or inquiry.

“What do YOU think?” “What surprised you about what you just heard about the text’s ______?”

3. Modeling Make one’s thinking public and demonstrate a total performance in order to help learners understand the essence of the activity and to develop a mental picture of what the real thing looks like.

“Here’s what good readers do…”

To support accountability to accurate knowledge

4. Pressing for accuracy

Hold students accountable for the accuracy, credibility, and clarity of their contributions.

“Where can we find that…?” “What is your basis for that conclusion?” “Who said that?”

5. Building on prior knowledge

Tie a current contribution back to knowledge accumulated by the class at a previous time.

“How does this connect…?” How do we define ______ in this context?” “What else comes to mind given our discussion about ____________?”

To support accountability to rigorous thinking

6. Pressing for reasoning

Elicit evidence and establish what contribution a student’s utterance is intended to make within the group’s larger enterprise.

“Why do you think that…?” What evidence from the text supports your claim? How does this idea contrast with _____?”

7. Expanding reasoning

Open up extra time and space in the conversation for student reasoning.

“Take your time… say more.” “Given what we just read and discussed, what would you now say about ______?”

8. Recapping

Make public in a concise, coherent way, the group’s developed, shared understanding of the content or text under discussion.

“What have we discovered?” So far, we have discussed the following …What else do we need to address?”

To support accountability to the learning community

9. Keeping the channels open

Ensure that students can hear each other, and remind them that they must hear what others have said.

“Please say back what _____ just said.”

10. Keeping everyone together

Ensure that everyone not only heard, but also understood, what a speaker said.

“Do you agree or disagree with what _______ just said? Explain your thinking.”

11. Linking contributions

Make explicit the relationship between a new contribution and what has gone before.

“Who wants to add on to …? “What do you notice is missing?”

12. Verifying and clarifying

Revoice a student’s contribution, thereby helping both speakers and listeners to engage more profitably in the conversation.

“So, are you saying…?”



Inquiry-Based Discussion In an inquiry-based discussion, readers discuss their responses to an interpretive question about a text(s). An interpretive question stems from a genuine inquiry about a text, is thought-provoking and can sustain multiple and varied responses supported by textual evidence. The purposes of the discussion are to help readers:

• “try out” their answers and explanations anchored with specific moments from the text; • accept alternative views/interpretations of the same text (not about reaching

consensus or proclaiming a winner); • rethink what they think about the text; and • understand that readers can have different, valid interpretations of the same text.

Preparing for the Discussion:

• The discussion leader, usually the teacher, explains inquiry to readers, models some responses, and describes the teacher’s and students’ roles during the discussion.

• Allow enough time for the discussion given the text complexity. • The discussion usually follows the second or third reading of a text. • Individually, students WriteAbout the interpretive question and mine the text for

evidence supporting their responses. • Students are seated so they can see, talk to, and listen to each other.

Features of the Inquiry-Based Discussion:

• A central inquiry/question that can sustain multiple responses related to interpreting the ideas of one text or across texts focuses the talk.

• The facilitator prompts students to “say more” and to anchor their talk in the text. • Initial student talk is exploratory and can be halting as participants “try out” and modify

their answers and explanations. • Participants return often to cite or re-read the text(s) or their notes. • There is usually genuine talk related to the question by over 60% of the group. • Participants listen to each other using the ideas of others in their answers. • At the end of the discussion, there is time for each participant to jot down what they

are thinking about the text given the discussion. • The teacher takes the long view on students’ discussions, expecting the students to

get better as they have more experience.



Facilitator’s Role: • The teacher facilitator is not a direct teacher or a presenter. The facilitator does not

talk too much, does not repeat the talkers’ responses, and does not verbally compliment or negate responses.

• When teachers step out of their role as guides and into their role as participants or teachers, they limit participation. (Vygotsky 1986; Alvermann, et al., 1996)

• As teacher facilitator, you elicit what readers are thinking and validating with evidence, but you are not telling them your interpretation.

• The teacher facilitator: – Uses questions to get others talking; – Encourages everyone – not just some – to participate; – Presses for clarification and evidence from the text; – Keeps the conversation on track during the time frame provided; – Encourages readers to listen to and learn from each other by not repeating their

responses; – Reminds them, only if and when necessary, of the guiding question under

discussion; – Asks each discussant to validate answers with explanations anchored in evidence

from the text; – Summarizes a flow of 3 or 4 responses or questions further to raise rigor of

discussion—not to do the mental work for students; – Asks participants to step back and reflect on what they learned from the

discussion: Would they now change their first quick write response and, if so, what would they change and why?;

– Asks the idea tracker to recap the intellectual work of the discussion. • The facilitator asks readers to step back and reflect on the discussion: If they didn’t

participate successfully, what needs to improve and who has responsibility for the improvement?

Institute for Learning Learning Research and Development Center

University of Pittsburgh 3939 O’Hara Street LRDC Suite 310 Pittsburgh, PA 15260 T: 412-624-8319 www.instituteforlearning.org

Elementary Literacy Rigorous Comprehension: Exploring Who ...

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