CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONTom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Common Core State Standards Professional Learning Series

English Language Arts: Informational Text — Reading

Unit 3: Supporting Student Comprehension

September 2012

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Unit 3 ObjectivesDefine and understand close

reading of textUnderstand how to use text-

dependent questions to closely read text through lesson exemplars

Identify structures of informational text

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What is Close Reading?

Close reading requires students to be

actively involved in the text that they read,

drawing understanding, inferences, and

meaning directly from the text.

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How to do a Close Reading

Video: “How to do a Close Reading”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=adXdTXEzmzE

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How to do a Close Reading?(Cont.)

Video: Douglas Fisher Interview, Part I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w9v6-zUg3Y

Video: Douglas Fisher Interview Part II

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhGI5zdjpvc

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Close Reading and the Common Core State Standards

CCR Anchor Standard 1"Read closely to determine what

the textsays explicitly and to make logicalinferences from it; cite specific

textualevidence when writing or speaking

tosupport conclusions drawn from

the text."

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Close Reading and the Common Core State Standards (Cont.)

Standard 2 "Determine central ideas or themes of atext and analyze their development;summarize the key supporting details andideas."

Standard 8"Delineate and evaluate the argument andspecific claims in a text, including the validity ofthe reasoning as well as the relevance andsufficiency of the evidence."

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Model of a Close Reading

Conducting close reading of a text in aclassroom requires preparation. Theteacher must be familiar with the text

andprepare text-dependent questions inAdvance.

Video: “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”http://engageny.org/resource/middle-school-ela-curriculum-video-close-reading-of-a-text-mlk-letter-from-birmingham-jail

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Commonalities in Close Reading

The focus is on text meaningBackground preparation/explanation

is minimizedStudents must do the

reading/interpretationTeacher’s major role is to ask text-

dependent questionsMulti-day commitments to textsPurposeful rereading Short reads

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Close Reading Strategies

Video: “Close Reading Strategies with

Informational Text”http://engageny.org/resource/close-reading-strategies-with-informational-text-by-expeditionary-learning

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Close Reading for English Learners

In your packet, let’s read the article, “Understanding Language: What does Text Complexity Mean for English Learners and Language Minority Students” by Fillmore and Fillmore.

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Table Discussion

Turn to a table partner and discuss these two questions:What types of attention to

language do Fillmore and Fillmore recommend when supporting English learners in their reading of the Letter?

How can you begin to implement this type of language support?

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Text-Dependent Questions

“Text-dependent questions specifically ask

questions that can only be answered by

explicitly referring back to the text being

read.”

Source: Achieve the Core, “A Guide to Creating Text Dependent Questions for Close

Analytic Reading

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Text-Dependent Questions(Cont.)

Effective text-dependent questions probe

into a text in order to guide students to

pluck out key meanings or ideas found in

the text.

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Text-Dependent Questions(Cont.)

The following questions from “Achieve the Core” canhelp generate a core series of questions to support

theclose reading of any text:1. Identify the Core Understandings and Key Ideas

of the Text2. Start Small To Build Confidence3. Target Vocabulary and Text Structure4. Tackle Tough Sections Head-on5. Create Coherent Sequences of Text-Dependent

Questions6. Identify the Standards That Are Being Taught7. Create the Culminating Assessment

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Lessons Featuring Text-Dependent Questions

Achieve the Core has developed several exemplars

that feature the following:Reading tasks in which students are asked to

read and reread passages and respond to a series of text dependent questions

Vocabulary and syntax tasks which linger over noteworthy or challenging words and phrases

Discussion tasks in which students are prompted to use text evidence and refine their thinking

Writing tasks that assess student understanding of the text

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Lessons Featuring Text-Dependent Questions

(Cont.)

Review one of the following lessonsfeaturing text-dependent questionsdeveloped by Achieve the Core that modelhow teachers can support students as theyread.Grade 3: “Because of Winn-Dixie”Grade 6: “The Making of a Scientist”Grade 8: “

The Long Night of the Little Boats”

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Lessons Featuring Text-Dependent Questions (Cont.)

The CCSS for ELA/Literacy Appendix B includes text exemplars and performancetasks to guide educators in both selectingtext at the appropriate complexity bandand to ensure the tasks they assignstudents promote the standards and closereading of texts.

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Informational Text Structures

Informational text structures provide theframework for an author to shareinformation with a reader for a particularpurpose: a job application, a recipe, a

map, adirection sheet for assembling a toy, aspeech, or a research paper have

differentstructures because the purpose of eachtext is different.

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Informational Text Structures(Cont.)

Find your grade level for Standard 5 in

California's CCSS for ELA/Literacy Reading for Informational Text

Elementary pages 3-4 Secondary pages 21-22

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Informational Text Structures(Cont.)

Explicit teaching of text structures supports students in accessing text to understand its purpose.

Generally, informational text contains signal words and phrases that cue the reader to the text’s structure and purpose.

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Info. Text Structures (Cont.)Description Describes a particular

topic.Signal words: for example, in particular, for instance, to illustrate, such as, most important, another

Problem and Solution Identifies a problem, provides possible solutions with possible results, and finally, the actual solution selected.Signal words: the problem is, the difficulty is, it is possible to, if-then, one challenge is, therefore

List and Enumeration Lists connected information, outlines a series of steps, or orders ideas in a hierarchy.Signal words: first, second, third, last, then, at that time, during, immediately, next, until, while, soon, after, now

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Info. Text Structures (Cont.)Cause and Effect Can include several

reasons why an event occurred or several effects that resulted from a cause or multiple causes.Signal words: therefore, as a result, lead(s) to, because of, in order to, for these reasons, thus, if-then, may be due to

Problem and Solution Identifies a problem, provides possible solutions with possible results, and finally, the actual solution selected.Signal words: the problem is, the difficulty is, it is possible to, if-then, one challenge is, therefore

List and Enumeration Lists connected information, outlines a series of steps, or orders ideas in a hierarchy.Signal words: first, second, third, last, then, at that time, during, immediately, next, until, while, soon, after, now

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Strategically Teaching Informational Text

Video: "Comic Book Templates: An Entry

Point into Nonfiction."

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-nonfiction-entry-points

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Text Exemplars and Performance Tasks, Appendix B

Elementary: Grades K–1 and 2–3 exemplars include informational text and read-aloud informational text. For grades 4–5, the exemplars are informational text, including performance tasks for each one.

Middle School: The grades 6–8 exemplars are divided into content areas: English Language Arts, History/Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, and Technical Subjects, with performance tasks for each exemplar.

High School: Exemplars for grades 9–12 are also divided into content areas: English Language Arts, History/Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, and Technical Subjects, with performance tasks for each exemplar.

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Text Exemplars and Performance Tasks, Appendix B (Cont.)

Grades 4-5: Students identify the overall structure of ideas, concepts, and information in Seymour Simon’s Horses (based on factors such as their speed and color) and compare and contrast that scheme to the one employed by Patricia Lauber in her book Hurricanes: Earth’s Mightiest Storms. [RI.5.5] 

Grades 9-10: Students evaluate the argument and specific claims about the “spirit of liberty” in Learned Hand’s “I Am an American Day Address,” assessing the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and the validity of his reasoning. [RI.9–10.8]

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Module SummaryThis module has prepared you to:Identify the informational text

standards associated with your grade-level classroom.

Select the tools you need to identify students’ reading skills and increase their ability to read more complex text.

Implement strategies in your classroom that support students in reading more complex text.

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Post-Assessment

Let’s take a few moments to take the

module’s post-assessment found in your

participant packet.

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Conclusion of Module

You have successfully completed English

Language Arts: Informational Text-Reading

professional learning module.